Shadow Mountain siquidem

maybe @Nazli?

the lilac girl was never far from her mistress. 

and her mistress was not far from the guard.

things had shifted since the new heir's last visit. germanicus led them in a path that curved high along a second mountain. his steps brought him near the young maidservant.

"how are you doing?" he glanced toward the great height as if to punctuate his question.

It was not commonplace for mazoi to speak to Nazli. Even the rare moments she had tended to Khaba, he had not spoken a word (although she had not known at the time he did not speak); so when she found Germanicus striding near, Nazli felt suddenly awkward.

He asked after her. She thought it must have been because she struggled with the high mountain air, or perhaps she was lagging where she should not have been, and so she picked up her pace.

I am well, sir, she answered with an apologetic glance to him, although he was looking away, to the rising hills and cliffs around them.

germanicus had not expected a true answer. the prince was within earshot and he was a stranger.

"do you know of epoch which resides in the vale?"

the eagle motioned due north.

epoch, she repeated, more for her own benefit.

for his, she looked where he indicated, but then she quietly shook her head.

i only know of akashingo and mereo. there were other places? the world was even larger than this?

"epoch is led by arsenio and tamar. he was once a mercenary who served as guard in the palace. she was a fellahin."

germanicus dared not tell the whole story.

he wanted only to show nazli that she was more than a servant.

The people of the valley were truly people of Akashingo, only at a distance.

It was not as stunning a revelation that this woman, Tamar, once worked in the palace. Intriguing, yes. Nazli by now knew of her options; so many people appeared ready to tell her.

She felt somehow diminutive because of it.

And they serve Akashingo the way you do? She asked, innocent of the deeper relationship between pharaoh and general.

She watched the narrowing path ahead.

"epoch and mereo are not subservient to your pharaoh. they exist as their own entities." the imperator's voice did not chastise.

"i know the things that the crown prince seeks in the canyon. what of you?"

She kept up her pace which made it hard to answer without breathing quickly, or deeply, so Nazli had to calculate her responses.

I... I only wish to, um, do as I am told...

There also came the impulse to yawn which she managed to hold back; however, her eyes watered from the effort. She blinks rapidly.

While the crown prince is training, I could be... hunting, maybe, or anything. Will you need a fellahin?

It took a second for Nazli to realize what she had erroneously offered - if Germanicus knew what the other adults did, had she just propositioned him?!

germanicus knew that nazli had been born in the palace and that she had been formed for what she now did.

he found it detestable. his own people sometimes dealt in slaves, though theirs was not a choice. the young woman simply did not wish to make it.

he lifted his chin. "i will not." had she been trained already to offer such things? his mind was filled with maggie and then guilt. "while you are in mereo, you are not a fellahin. you are a guest."

He immediately made to strip her of her status, to take all that she was and reduce her from that. Nazli had always been proud of her work - it seemed she was the only one.

It wouldn't do to be offended, she reasoned. Germanicus was an outsider of Akashingo and would never understand the pride she held in her work. He also wasn't wrong. Even while Nazli served the crown prince she would at most be a guest among the people of the mountains.

Hm, well, I... I suppose I could take the time to learn, so I have something to bring back home with me. She murmured, thinking about what she knew of Mereo; there were civilians and women there, and a rigid structure that differed from the palace. If Makono was to learn to fight, Nazli could learn her own fresh set of skills somehow.

germanicus nodded. "our matrona, lady aquene, will welcome your help, i am sure."

something else touched his mind. "the soldiers are required to keep celibate outside of marriage, lady nazli. i recognize your role in the palace. but here it will not be so."

he was uncomfortable and wished to move on.

even their nobles worked, here? she recalled the name aquene from the guests who arrived for the royal wedding! was she not royalty here, then? some mixture of respectability and slave, which did not exist in akashingo?

the girl only nodded. then stopped, startled, when germanicus spoke of celibacy.

her face turned warm; she saw the way he shored up against the conversation and was more than happy to dismiss the insinuations. i will seek out lady aquene for lessons, then, or help if i can. thank you.

even now she was a people-pleaser, and these weren't even her people.

he was glad when she took his meaning and did not ask further elaboration.

"she is a kind and knowledgeable woman. she will have much to teach."

their conversation discomfited him. the imperator rose and gave nazli a short nod. "it is good to have you among us."

he would move to leave then for a short hunt unless the girl stopped him.