Rosewater Oasis i

meryet did not think she had ever been so grateful to taste water. she dipped her paws into the crystalline wake, splashed her face and drank for what felt like a century.

she allowed him to watch her bathe as her own personal thank you.

i do, she felt a tightness in her chest as she confirmed the king's suspicions, turning toward him with sorrow veiled behind a thin smile. how could you tell? could you smell it on me?

it was embarrassing, telling people. for the past year she'd been serving in ta-senet's bustling center, up until she'd been summoned here. her roots clung to her like a terrible stench, permeating everything she did and soiling everyone's impression of her.

she wondered what he thought of her. was he impressed? disappointed? apathetic? his unreadable gaze made her heart palpitate in her chest.