Two Eyes Cenote the fields of elation

For five days now, Nazli slept. She had yet to knowingly hold @Aiesha or witness @Senmut at her bedside; she had not eaten because she had been asleep, but Tavina tended to her when necessary, fretting as her sleep did not end.

The pregnancy had fattened her up considerably. The labour had been hard. Now she was shut-down in to this slumber and remained oblivious to the goings-on of Muat-riya.

he had scarcely left her bedside, begging the understanding mercy of @Toula and @Rashepses as he remained in muat-riya with no intentions of returning at this time to either the red palace or his duties.

to the jodai @Zaahira he sent the suggestion that raventhorpe be visited as a potential portent for an empire, at a time of her choosing.

but otherwise senmut remained quite involved with those early days of his daughter's birth, thinking of the marriage which might come now that pharaoh had lifted the obstacle against it.

he hovered now beside nazli, watching as aiesha slept between them.

Feeling the presence of her father and the warmth of her mother, Aiesha shifted. A yawn escaped her mouth and a soft mewl was muffled against the belly she laid against. Hunger brought her up from her sleep and not seeing the teats made it hard to feed.

She couldn’t open up her eyes yet, but that time was, however, going to arrive very soon, supposedly bringing ease. For now though, rolling like a noodle, she searched for Nazli’s breast and, with the support of her voice, asked for some help.

someone would aid the newborn, but it was not nazli. the struggles of that little body went unseen by the new mother. her sleep went unending; this deep, bone-weary sleep of a body poorly equipped for all of the rigors that came before.

senmut was alone now with his new responsibility while inside his lover (one of many) there was a war being raged, the likes of which tavina's medicine could not touch, and senmut's love could not permeate.

was this the true trade of the secretive heka? her wish granted - to be mother - but in payment, this weakness? this sleep that brought her to the border of the Reeds?