Lion Head Mesa blood-gift

It was a waterless land as far as his eye could see. The plains shifted to sagebrush and cracked in the gentle breeze.

As different from Ta-senet as Amani was from the royal he'd been sent to attend.

A soft exhale; he roamed past his longings and considered stealing into Akashingo without the welcome of the multitude, eyes rimmed with caution, indifference, fear. Perhaps @Rashepses would admire his tenacity. Perhaps he would send his guards to kill him. Or perhaps he would simply laugh and send him back to Ta-senet and call for one of more noble blood.

He slid into the kingdom's ruddy palace as he had done many times for lesser princes, and sought the quarters of the king.