Two Eyes Cenote iii. ḫp ỉb

“Pharaoh does not arrange marriages in her kingdom, my Lord,” Eset informs him, standing with confidence in spite of her small stature. His face glistens with an amusement she wishes she could bite off.

“It is the choice of a wife as much as it is her husband,” she continues. Muat-riya was her palace beneath the reign of Toula, and no one else could make a command of her, regardless of her status as unpartnered. Neb Sutekh offered the alliance and protection of another kingdom, but surely could he be refused if his choice of wife declined a marriage?

The cowolf swallows, her throat running dry. It is his firm self-assurance which brings her own into wilting question.