Lion Head Mesa For you to try and run away

The beastly mazoi hadn't visited @Ramesses for quite some time, nor had he been summoned.
In all honesty, he wasn't sure of the reason. Was it that the pharaoh had been too busy? Or had the mazoi been forgotten?
The last they'd spoken, the pharaoh had devised that Khaba be used for many purposes, some of which he was more fond of than others. But today, he had nothing to report. He simply wished to see how the white man fared, and whether there was more tasks to be lain upon him.

the silent mazoi came to the door of the throne room. ramesses looked up from where he had been examining a piece of yellow mineral. "enter." when khaba stood before him, pharaoh regarded him coolly. "i believe you will be traveling with the princess soon."
he straightened. "prince siptah has left akashingo. amiirad makono is the crown prince and means to follow me on the throne. tend her as well as you have."

So. The amiir had gone. Now only Makono remained to sit the throne.
While though his facade remained blank, he was pleased to hear this. Nothing had been wrong with Siptah, but the girl seemed far more suited to it than he.
When Ramesses then commanded that the mazoi continue tending to the amiirad, he nodded in agreement without hesitation. As he had done, he would continue to do. After all, who better could he serve?

"i do not trust the imperator of mereo. i do not believe he would move to smite the princess. i do think he sees that she is young and that youth is easily led." ramesses thought that makono had become haughty with her new crown, that she would not see the truth of things around her.
"and so, i place my order to you above her own: see that she is not alone with him, even if she orders you off." he was still pharaoh, and his daughter, despite her ambitions, was still hawk-in-the-nest.

Imperator. He'd heard of the man few times, but has yet to ever meet him. Khaba was now curious of the pharaoh's suspicions. What could the man have to done to yet not woo the white man.
Even still, the mazoi would do as ordered. The last thing he wanted was to see some ambitious, manipulative man try to take advantage of the amiirad. Frankly, even if Ramesses had said nothing, he would have acted in this way nonetheless.

he eyed khaba. "he was meant to make mereo an outpost and broke away in his own right. i have let it stand. but he and i have enmity between us. i know what he is. makono does not."
a breath swelled his chest and he faced away, overcome with anger and grief over siptah's abandonment of the palace.

She was but a child. How could she know?
The mazoi did not expect her to. But did Ramesses? 
Such would be an entirely different story in of itself.

"the imperator was willing to trade a girl for another. he hired a mercenary for the palace. the mercenary asked for one of the fellahin in payment, for he loved her. and so he and germanicus found a girl wandering lost."
his mouth was cruel. "i care only that he misrepresents himself as a logical man." he spoke. khaba listened. and the words would not be repeated.

Khaba understood. He understood entirely. Pharaoh had no need to repeat himself.
Another task, then: Never leave Makono alone with Germanicus of Mereo. 
A simple thing, really. Or, at least it would be unless either party retaliated. And if they did, the mazoi himself would do the same.

ramesses smiled but it was a cold gesture. "the mercenary's name was arsenio. the girl for which he traded was tamar. and belen — she is mine. i expected her back by now."
a flick of his tail. "i know you will guard these secrets. keep them in mind as you serve the princess."

It was an absurdity to even question whether the mazoi could keep such secrets to himself. Who was he going to share them with without words?
Khaba stopped himself from scoffing at the suggestion, simply shifting his heavy shoulders to let his head fall in a small bow of understanding. He would continue doing as he'd always done. Nothing would change.

pharaoh lifted a languid paw.
the man had spark despite his silence. "go now."
when khaba had gone, ramesses would ruminate upon akashingo's future, encapsulated now in makono.

Go now.
As he wished.
With a farewell nod, the mazoi turned to the entrance to leave. He would see the pharaoh again; soon, no doubt.