Lion Head Mesa you bring out the worst in me

Shouldn't you have water, highness?

Adding injury to insult. Charles' nose wrinkled as he turned to look at Tavina. She was the one who had brought him here. At first he had thought that maybe he was being imprisoned by the man who had threatened him to return, who had always been possessive and weird around him. But then it turned out to be heaven. For a time. Heaven and hell were so very closely related, Charles had found as his time as Prince of the mesa. It still made no sense to him why he had been chosen; he was a worthless piece of shit. He knew that. Tavina knew that.

Heck, probably even Ramesses knew it. Was this all a game? Was it to spite him? To make him dependent on them and helpless and then pull the rug and dump him in the wilds to die? Or was there really a reason that Ramesses had picked Charles out of the wasteland and had had him given baths and food and a good life?

It made no sense to Charles. Even he knew how worthless he was, after all.

I don't want water, he hissed at Tavina as she stepped into the room and laid out the cold water-soaked moss and some sort of tonic. I'm fine. It was the least convincing way anyone had ever said those words.

Charles froze when 'she' was mentioned. He hadn't told anyone about his dismay in the whole situation. He didn't think that anyone really noticed or cared about it, in all honesty. No one is a prisoner in Akashingo. Well, she was his wife, and she was making him look bad! Shut up! he snapped when she finished speaking about Lilitu. This is not about Lilitu!

Some more garbage came about whether he wanted to be this person. Of course he didn't! But it wasn't exactly like he could bring himself back to the store and exchange it for something better, now could he? Charles did not want to be this monstrous asshole, but he also felt that he had no choice but to be; because this was him. This was what he was born as. He was just not a good person, and all the pampering brought out the worst in him rather than fixing any of his problems.

Pharaoh would eventually be angry with him, surely. He was counting on it. Maybe hoping on it, who knew. Is this who you want to be? Of course not, but she had an easy time talking about that, because she wasn't him. She had no idea what it was like. Charles felt self-hatred rise in his gut and he felt the strong urge to send her away and hurt himself.

Instead, he said, Ramesses chose me. His voice was dark and resentful. He told me to eat them. If there weren't any more berries, he should make sure there were more; or never have offered it to Charles in the first place. You have not got any right to come here and tell me off. Charles narrowed his bloodshot eyes as he looked warningly to Tavina. He was not entirely sure of her rank, but he was pretty sure that he was above it.