Lion Head Mesa i threw a brick right through the window

a rare excursion away from tavina's quarters - where nazli could most often be found these days - took the young woman outside of the palace. she ventured at a slow pace towards the barracks at first, intrigued by the scent of khaba which had returned to the area; but then she felt at-odds with the urge to visit a friend, and turned back.
her ambling took her towards the priest's quarters next.
she found the strong scent of @Senmut there, along with the pale medusa who had recently been taken under-wing, so to speak. this realization gave nazli cold feet. she remembered relaxing in the spacious bed, and felt the medallion hanging around her neck.
some charm this is, nazli caught herself thinking. she slipped it off, and placed it by the archway, trying to be quick and quiet about it. as she turned away again nazli felt a twist in her belly and a swell of some undefined emotion; so, she hastened her steps.

senmut had heard the whispers of course; they corrupted his sleep and darkened the smudging of exhaustion beneath his eyes.

of her he was greatly aware, and so when he heard the servant's tread upon his threshold, at once he rose. he moved quickly enough to only see her turning back, sides softly rounding in obscenity.

looking down as he trod upon something, he spotted a familiar object, and hefted his own amulet in one paw.

"nazli?"

his voice was wondering.

his voice cut through the stillness of an otherwise dull day, wherein not even the wind whispered across the stones.

against her better judgement nazli stopped. perhaps it was the servant's training that culled her momentum, perhaps it was a deeper sense of longing that engaged the urge to linger; she did want to see senmut, or akhtar, and go back to the easy days of the wedding or the moments before it, when ramesses lived and there was peace and happiness where now only dread did reside.

she turned one tall, wing-like ear towards him first, shy, and then the rest of her to face him. but her eyes were downcast to the dirt, trying to remain humble. by happenstance she saw the weave of reeds which had once fastened the medallion around her neck, and felt uneasy.

hem, i... was just... she didn't know what to say; none of her  tasks would draw her so far from the palace of late, especially in her condition.
—i thought i'd take a walk.

she felt too big, suddenly. misshapen.
that he should see her like this --!

nazli was round as any expectant woman. it was why the corruption stood out so clearly, the stamp of the previous ruler's wickedness growing in her.

for a moment, for a desperate moment, senmut thought of sparing her with some draught.

but he could not! he cursed himself for the very conception and came forward. "might i walk with you, nazli?" senmut asked carefully, eyes not daring to look at more than her face.

she wanted to shout at him, no! but she knew that was not proper. many things had changed in rapid succession when ramesses fell; senmut was stronger now, in a way. his faith in makono had given him more responsibility and placed him even further from nazli. she could not refuse him.

her head bobbed. she was reluctant, but that could have been attributed to many things; her paws were sore with the added weight for instance.

she waited for him to begin walking, and fell in to step silently beside him - heeled, like a dog, a step shy of his pace.

things had indeed shifted.

senmut tried not to think of how the new roundness had weighted her step. "it would be good to see you at court. you are her favored one," he murmured, hoping it would not sound like an accusation.

and now the green eyes moved carefully to hers; senmut offered her an encouraging curve of his mouth.

i doubt that is true now, she let slip without consideration, once, maybe, but everything is... she, is so different.

she spoke of makono and herself. it felt as if nazli carried more than mere weight upon her body; shame, above all.

she was silent again, bashful, morose.

"she is ascending into her divinity, nazli." senmut's voice was gentle. reverent. "it is a burden we will never know." and yes it would change and shape makono forever.

"but make no mistake; doubt not her love for you."

divinity.
she had not seemed so divine when they climbed mountains. when they slept in meadows under starlight. or maybe she was the most divine then, before this place had corrupted her. nazli did not like the way her thoughts shifted as she considered things, and blamed her illness for her negativity.
i will try, she offered.
although, she did wonder how the memory of ramesses would be treated if the court was faced with his final sin.

"that is all we can do," he said softly. "now. i want you to rest but i wanted to know if you would like company. maybe for a game of senet?"

the hem's voice was hopeful.

something within nazli softened. she could not wholly release her feelings, they were like a plague; if anything the way she felt was the real illness, but one that could not be cured. at least senmut lessened some of that.
a rest is a good idea. she did not want to take up too much of his time, he was too important; and besides, she had not anticipated being caught here. nazli did not want to disappoint anyone either.
when i have rested, maybe... i will call for you? a rare thing, a fellahin with any desires.

"yes. any time, nazli."

a breathlessness. a boyishness. nazli was more attainable than pharaoh, and it had not to do with her place as fellahin, and all to do with the fact that he had been born the same.

that she was his equal.

the hem dipped his head. "let me walk you to your quarters."