Lion Head Mesa Orion aims and shoots his arrows oh so far (wp)

By now she was not as needed, and could rest for a time. She settled somewhere out of the way. The corridors echoed with the sounds of revelry gone on too long; the holler of someone drunk no doubt, some songs half remembered, the call for more, more, more by greedy patrons.

Nazli poured a sigh from her chest which she had no doubt been holding back all night, and withered upon a small bed made in an alcove. She could not remember the last time her paws had stung so much; neither could she think of the palace being just so loud, and the people filled with happy abandon.

It was good — but it had been hard work, and she had not taken the bold step to indulge herself, which left her an outsider. She lay upon a pile of straw and feathering, the kind afforded to the fellahin, and stretched out one paw, then the other, and wondered what it was like to be royal, in a sort of mindless way.

senmut splashed water to his face. he had recently come down a corridor to find an unknown pair wrapped around one another; horrified and titillated, slightly buzzing from his own desperate consumption, he had hurried away and away and now stumbled as he heard nazli's outtake of breath.

carefully he peered around for her — it could be no other — and was suddenly terrified to be in her company.

There was movement by the wide mouth of the alcove, though it was not enough to rouse Nazli's attention immediately, and when she did finally lift her eyes to the shape that lingered there she was startled, and got to her feet in a rush, with platitudes falling from her lips.

I'm sorry, did you call for me? She had heard such noise from the corridor, and perhaps had missed being summoned, which would have been egregious to the fellahin as it never typically happened. She was standing before him bashfully, unware of how disheveled she was. May I fetch you something to eat, or drink? Or perhaps make up a bed for you, or anything else -- as if he were a visitor to the party, and not a training hem.

A second later and she realized who it was; he still wore his regalia, after all. Her eyes danced across the ornaments as she went quiet, swaying slightly as if drunk (she was tired, which was close enough); and looked almost to be swooning (which she wasn't really).

poor sweet nazli; she tumbled out toward him, a devoted and picturesque servant who swayed on her feet.

senmut moved to support her. "we are both servants tonight," he said shyly, steadying her and pulling away as if burned. "do not let me disturb you." a wan smile touched his eyes. "i only wanted to escape for a time."

He was then embracing her - and he felt so solid, suddenly, until she was steadied and he was recoiling. It didn't fully register that he had been helping her until after, and then she was listening to his explanation; no doubt Nazli would think about this later and worry over the entire moment, as she did most moments.

Senmut looked the way she felt, and so she quickly side-stepped to allow him access to the bed, without thinking, and stood partially in the corridor as she said, here, please, rest!

The place she had been laying was still warm to the touch.

If you have need of -- she was abruptly cut-off by a moan of pleasure from further along the corridor, loud enough to be unmistakable as such, and totally disorienting. When the moment passed she passed a shocked look to the hem and then, unable to stop herself, began to laugh at the absurdity.

nazli seemed ready to offer him her bed! he was surprised and stumbled, shaking his head quickly; "i could not take your sleeping room!" he said in protest, though less for the sake of politeness than the fact he was not ready to lie in a bed with — or after —

his heart raced. his cheeks burned in the wake of the inelegant sound. he grabbed at nazli and turned, leading her in a quick tight race away and away and at last to the quarters of the high priest, far quieter here.

No, of course, it was absurd, all of it! The party continued in full swing and there were enough attendants to help those in need, so of course Nazli was not always there, and she did not look poorly for it.

The sound disrupted what little grasp she had on normalcy for the moment, and when the hem sought to lead her away from the strangeness of it, her feet readily moved. She felt the ache of each step as she hurried with him, ducking around corners and dodging guests deftly, until they were somewhere else.

It smelled of incense here. It was much quieter, practically undisturbed by the milling guests. They had arrived in such a rush that Nazli was dizzy and still, she was laughing.

These people! She was giddy. I thought the mourning was too much, but this is the opposite. Everyone is... So happy, and there are so many of them! So many strangers in these halls now, behaving in all manner of ways! But why not? Akashingo had been through a change.

She looked to Senmut as the laughter faded from her. Wasn't the queen -- wasn't it all so lovely?

senmut nodded, but he was somber. the scent of holy things was here. he walked into the spacious room, glancing toward the coverlet of pure white and then to the sacred items.

nazli would not touch anything, and if akhtar returned, he would find them a chaste distance from one another. "it is good akashingo has a queen. it provides balance. now pharaoh must appoint a Royal Consort." and then he was silent, realizing he had spoken too much.

The whole spectacle of the night had charmed her; now she settled to looking at the space around her, and eyed the objects laid about the room with interest but no understanding.

He spoke of things she did not know, and Nazli was intrigued.

What is that? A consort. She was looking now at an ornamental thing and could make neither heads or tails of it, and smiled as she moved on to another smaller thing; trinkets, really.

"ah, the wife. of the crown prince."

he took a breath. "usually on the first year it is announced. he will not choose his own bride, after all." the young man inhaled. "it was decided already. that is how royalty works."

had drink loosened his tongue? senmut fidgeted under her gaze if it turned to him, looking to ahktar's fine items and decorations. "the high priest is a very good teacher. he taught me things i can say to the queen."

That's exciting! She had turned now to look upon him and for a time, forgot herself. Although Nazli had never tasted the sour berries herself, she was exhausted and that was a close enough feeling to make her behave a little off-kilter.

I wonder who it could be! there weren't many of-age among the nebet; she thought briefly and no name came to her.

The boy seemed uncomfortable with her attention and that was reason enough to look away. The room was so large and brimming with curios, so there was other stuff to look at anyway.

Makono asked me once if I prayed, which itself had been a private moment, and Nazli did not know why she mentioned it now. Perhaps because he spoke of the priest.

nazli seemed so fond of all these proceedings.

senmut was not sure how to take this. at last he sat down, as far from the hem's sleeping alcove as possible.

once upon a time, the high priest had taken a concubine.

something stirred in him; he wondered if when he time as such came, he too would be allowed such liberties. "do you?" senmut asked, latching to what nazli said and admiring how intimately she spoke the princess' name.

I... she sighed the sound, looking now at the coverlet of white, but her mind was elsewhere. Her voice was dreamy for how tired she was. I do, but rarely. So often I am working and my whole heart is there in my tasks.

A moment now to really think. She lingers by a tablestone with incense which rouses her a little.

When I'm tasked to hunt, and I am free beneath the sun, it makes me believe in Ra. The implication that the deity ceased within the crevices of the palace didn't quite meet her mind.

senmut listened.

"Ra touches all hours of our day." his voice was soft. nazli had heard the morning call to the sun, each day, sung by himself or ahktar. 

the priest was solemn. "perhaps it is Ptah who calls to you. he is the god of work and tradesmen. maybe he means for you to become a mazoi. one day." was such a thing possible? he did not want to give her false hope.

now his green eyes crept with shy fondness to her own, a sliver of how awkward he had been before.

He spoke openly of another path.

The queen herself had changed from mazoi to the goddess of Akashingo tonight, and for that Nazli contended that she could do the same - but less, too, as she only desired to run where the wind might touch her, rather than covet a throne.

If only, she dreamed aloud, her eyes wandering to his face as if she could feel him watching her, and briefly they shared a rather intimate look; thus her face grew warm and promptly averted again.

Your display with the princess, with the sacrifice, was that... a form of prayer?

"yes." how delicately he crept! "the amiirad used me as her tool, and through me the god worked."

he had bathed, but flecks of blood were still gathered in his whiskers.

he too pulled his eyes away, glancing toward the entrance. "how does a fellahin of the palace rise?"

Why did he seem so interested in fellahin?

His question felt so strange to her ears. Nazli shrugged her shoulders. I don't know if there is one, truly.

She considered Tavina, Jawahir, Sayf.

I could learn a trade, I suppose. Become a midwife for when our current one is unable to serve, or learn herbs like Miss Tee. I... have not ever thought of rising.

She enjoyed her work immensely and did not look at the long-term; Nazli was still so young that her focus was not yet set beyond her service to the princess.

perhaps she was not ambitious.

she was young, younger than he. maybe she simply had not grown into it. or maybe nazli truly was happy to be at the hand of the princess, at her every whim.

"i will rise. right now i am only a we'eb, one who studies. but eventually i will be a true hem. and then i will be a high priest." so he hoped. 

"when i am that," senmut continued with a little tremble to his voice, "i will be able to marry, if i so choose."

The wedding of two godheads would of course make others think of the future; so to hear this from Senmut was not so odd.

Nazli smiled, oblivious.

Would we throw a party? Not as lavish as this one I imagine, but something for you? I look forward to that day, she imagined what sorts of decorations might be appropriate, and foodstuffs, and how demure it might appear compared to pharaoh's tastes.

Perhaps the palace would be wreathed with incense? Or the wedding would be beneath the sun, being of spiritual significance.

"maybe a small one," but senmut was a bit deflated now that nazli had not caught on to his very vague implication.

and he was far too shy to be direct.

"i should — seek out my master," he said softly, meeting nazli's eyes. "i am certain he will not mind if you rest here a while."

Oh-- she looked bashfully to the untouched resting place, and in the time it took for her to turn back for where he had been standing (so close, and she hadn't noticed), he was gone! The edge of Senmut slipping out the door.

Nazli wasn't sure if she should disturb the place, and was at a loss a moment. When nobody came to disturb her in that time she moved to inspect the bedding and soon nested there.

It felt awkward at first. Too large for Nazli, and the room so spacious around her. The smell of incense permeated everything and as she fell asleep there, invaded her dreams.