Two Eyes Cenote armarium

aw and attn: @Cornelius! <3

the dark legs stalked to the land akashingo had claimed for itself. their scent became more stark the further he traveled, limned with the imprints of those he had never met.

and now tinged with the pawsteps of his own foolish son!

germanicus halted at the surprisingly strong border and called immediately for urgent audience with their queen @Toula.

it was a fellahin who met him first, and then brought him to the receiving chambers of this palace. it was there Toula awaited him, an array of the things that he most enjoyed (the things that he did pick, each time something was offered in the past) lain out. furs, too, for him to rest upon.
and she looked upon him now with fresh eyes, knowing what he had done—but there was no coldness within her, and so there would be none directed toward him. once, she had idolized this man—who had taught her, who had taught her sister! 
now… now she understood there was a secret he had kept. or perhaps that was not right—had it been a secret? perhaps it had been something only just learned by herself, by Cornelius—the darker nature of their fathers. 
Imperator, she greeted, looking him over with a fond softness in her gaze. perhaps he too had come to redeem himself. it has been too long! she starts, allowing him to lead their conversation the way he might wish.

a servant he had never seen led germanicus into another one palace. this one was carved from glitter and azurite, but the imperator noticed very little.

as was her way of hospitality, rich things had been placed for his eye.

but his gaze was not drawn. germanicus remained standing in the middle of this room until the young queen arrived.

"unfortunately, it has been quite a while, great one," germanicus murmured. "i hear you are to be married once coronated. you have my congratulations."

the tactician waited for a proper moment.

Toula was quiet for a long moment after his congratulations, contemplative—but her eyes glittered with gratitude for the words. perhaps a formality, but Germanicus was never one to say the things he did not mean, nor mince words. 
and then she spoke. can I trust you, my old friend? she asked, voice gentle—I have questions and… well, I have known you all of my life. And I have loved you for just as long. you were important to my father, to my sister—I think perhaps more than anyone, she trusted you, her eyes were brighter. can I trust you, as she did?
Germanicus had been a part of her life for as long as she remembered, even if time sometimes kept them apart—their own destinies were threaded together, hers since the beginning of time that she could remember.

Excuse me, your majesty? the voice was timid, and the Fellahin remained out of sight. When she was granted permission, she spoke again, I'm terribly sorry to interrupt—I have a ... Cornelius here? Who says he's a Sphinx? She hadn't gotten the memo yet and was confused by this. Is this true? And if so, may I let him in? she asked.

Despite his dizzying nerves, Cornelius stood outside the chamber and next to the guard, patiently waiting for permission to enter.

by what did she mean?

germanicus found a young woman before him, girl no longer, and one who looked at him with a quiet sense of wisdom that was not unsettling.

his tactician's mind worked in surges. her small silence held a wealth of information. germanicus suspected now that his son had informed the queen of what had been done. now she questioned openly her trust in him. shame flooded the eagle.

trust. makono had indeed trusted him.

"i am your ally, hemet-nekheb. if you ask, i shall answer."

a noise at the door and cornelius was announced. germanicus straightened. "my son is not prepared or fit for the role as prince, great one," he murmured, hopefully before the boy himself was brought before the ruler.

by now, being raised in a place such as this, she knew words mattered—each of them a choice, as was every action. was it deliberate, then, that he did not simply say “yes”? Toula knew he was not only a soldier, now—Germanicus had more cunning in him than most. and she knew this for certain now, with what Cornelius himself had told her. all things a move on the senet board. 
but this was no game to her. not this moment. not how she thought of him. Germanicus might have been a pawn on the board of any other, but she in her youthful naivety still considered him friend. one who had done wrong—but if her father could have made it to the Land of Reeds, she felt certain so too could Germanicus. 
or whatever his own afterlife might be. she did not think he could not find redemption—but it would require some sacrifice, perhaps. 
she had questions for him—only for him. as the Sphinx requested a moment into the chambers, Toula nodded—but knew her own inquiries, private, must wait. Germanicus had spoken, and Toula looked to him—she saw and heard only concern for his son. and perhaps it was her own bias that colored this thought! 
she could sense that Germanicus did not wish to inflict doubt into his son. perhaps he did not wish to have this conversation before him. and so, she would not force such a thing—only seek to comfort. it has indeed been a while—much has changed, and much will continue to change. Akashingo no longer partakes in… older business ventures, she took exceptional care to ensure no contempt bled into her voice, knowing Germanicus himself played a part in the trading of a slave. he is your son. you led Mereo, and were Imperator. the general of Akashingo, her eyes were bright. you have done much for my family. and Cornelius—he has the same vision as I do. that old mistakes must not happen again. that we must forge ahead, and become better. your son asked to become servant, she breathes, looking fondly to him, he has a noble heart, wishing to take the place of another. but I granted him another choice. 
yes, she knew! her heart ached to know it, this thing that could not be undone—this thing that her father, too, has taken part in. he will be forced into nothing. no one here shall be, her gaze held Cornelius, warm, and so I grant him the choice to depart with you now, if he so wishes—but I believe in him, in his heart. already, he is a better Sphinx than most, now she looked to the Imperator, willing him to see her and understand:
I am not my father. I am not Makono.

Cornelius did not hear the entire deliberation between Germanicus and Toula, but he caught the tail-end of the hype-up from the Queen. A smile was upon his lips as he approached them.

Divine One, Father, Cornelius greeted, bowing deeply to both of them. I apologize for my tardiness, he lingered in his position, waiting for either of them to allow him to stand.

she knew, and germanicus was ashamed.

she knew, and yet she looked upon him with the same respect that had always been borne for who he was.

the eagle had not considered sacrifice, nor penance, nor rebuilding. what he had lost seemed both enough and not at all. 

cornelius had come here to take the place of the woman once traded. germanicus reeled within himself at this. his son was far too well-bred to serve in such a way, and in this he was grateful for the queen's recognition of the status the caeso-redsands carried.

she spoke highly of cornelius. but germanicus saw the measure of a tongue that was stilled only now. there was more to said between he and she.

his son now came and germanicus felt his earlier goal of extricating cornelius was quite impossible. she was charmed by him, and surely he by the young queen. there was a sense of finality here that he could not control. 

"what is the role of a sphinx, great one?"

foreign princes. they have the right to marry our own royals, if they wish—and the right to speak upon and suggest policy we may introduce, her eyes were bright as she spoke of the responsibilities of a Sphinx. they also had the right to enjoy the luxuries and riches of Akashingo, if they so wished to! 
it was a good life. and Toula knew that by giving opportunities to speak to policy, Akashingo could only grow greater. but as Pharaoh—it would be her ultimate choice in the end.

He nodded, dipping his head deeper as he spoke.

I will do everything in my power to help guide Akashingo—it will be my greatest honor, a decision; finality on his part.

it was finished.

done.

his son was determined, a proud roman boy with the determination of his mother. 

and how long would it take egypt to corrupt him?

germanicus bowed low before the queen.

"i wish you all success in your endeavors, divine one." and to his son, "it will be some time before i see you, cornelius. i trust you will keep yourself well in the meantime."

again a low bow, and when dismissed, the eagle would step away and depart.

Toula smiled to Cornelius—relieved, grateful. she thought he would do brilliantly here, in creating change with her. not perhaps to tradition, but to the other things that mattered most. 
to his father, she insisted, please—stay the evening. rest! @Inji will lead you to our guest chambers, she offered. a lingering look—she did still wish to speak with him, though would not force him one way or the other. her hospitality would still be extended to him—he more than any deserved such treatment, for his service.