Lion Head Mesa The lover I am; it befits me to burn

Tags for reference but otherwise open.

The hallways of the palace were at their most somber in the early hours before dawn. There was the priest preparing his morning rituals, but otherwise Jawahir was alone.

They had gone to visit @Nazli and @Zakariya and found them absent from the catacombs. This should have disrupted some piece of the fellahin but it did not.

Perhaps they were graced by death? They thought. There was no sign of struggle here, and few scents. Jawahir murmured something to themselves and moved along the tunnel, slipping in to the hall again to resume an idle task.

"i know you."

germanicus came across the hebsut as he rounded a corner.

and they were upon his list, this jewel belonging to pharaoh. "may i accompany you?" the imperator asked, stepping to their side with a heavy assumption.

All at once they were confronted by a mountain of a man. He moved to a position meant to escort and Jawahir feigned acceptance, but could not prevent the ruffle of their sparse copper shoulders.

Of course, the jewel welcomed him. They thought of all the places they could be now instead of here, and imagined the wellspring, so that is the direction they headed next.

I have duties in the pools. Can we talk as I work? They would have to. Jawahir hoped the man would grow bored quickly.

"of course," he rejoined gruffly. "permit me to assist you."

when the wellspring spread out before he and the fellahin, germanicus stepped away in a silent offer of space to jawahir.

"i have come to interview the palace wolves about their relationship to the queen and their accessibility to her chambers. i have gleaned that the servants and the doctor were most readily available to her. is that correct?"

The spring looked well cared for, which was sensible given this time of mourning. Bits of herbal litter floated in the water and steeped there, turning it a faint color.

Jawahir moved to sweep these to the edge and gather them in clusters. As they worked they answered, Yes. She would call for us by name on rare occasion, but we were all ready to serve however she wished of us.

The hebsut stirred the water with her toes to draw some specks closer. She often had visits from our healer, Tavina, for the royal pregnancy.

They watched the leaves drift closer in the water with such fixation - but listened to the Imperator, studying him as well.

the imperator observed the hebsut. jawahir was quite watchful over the pool itself and spoke with a self-assuredness that told him that their knowledge of akashingo was deep.

"were you ever called for something ... odd? untoward? perhaps something that pharaoh was not to know."

His line of questioning made Jawahir reflect upon their own situation. Their hidden pregnancy, their children who belonged in every way to the pharaoh - as much as satsu's own. Their eyes gleam with thought and hidden malice.

I was not. But I had frequent visits from Tavina myself, and at times she seemed... distracted. Affected. It was not a lie, but Jawahir wondered what this might do for his investigation.

The last of the old herbs had been gathered to the edge of the pool by now, and Jawahir dipped their snout like a wading bird to lift them free, then drop them a few steps away.

Darkness lit across their face from where the water had seeped upon their snout. They looked pointedly to Germanicus. I was... ill, while the queen was pregnant. She did not call for me specifically until absolutely necessary. To feed her children as a nursemaid; to forsake their own son and daughter for the royal brood.

These things the hebsut did not mention.

germanicus was starting around the assumption that queen satsu had felt differently about jawahir than the others. he watched their movements quietly.

the servant spoke of tavina. "was tavina a regular presence in the queen's chambers?" he asked. a doctor with knowledge of medicines would have been first upon his list. but he could understand no motive for an unattached commoner to stoop into regicide.

When she was not treating me, she was with the queen. That was not a lie either. Jawahir's voice was level, they knew not to let their prejudice enter their voice now. Ever the eager servant.

Is that all? Jawahir was finished their work on the pools and was beginning to feel trapped there, sequestered in private alongside Germanicus.

A smile slips across their face. Is there any task I can complete for you so that your stay here is comfortable? This man was unlikely to succumb to distraction but Jawahir would make the offer.

jawahir saw fit to dismiss him. germanicus wanted to ask the nature of their illness. perhaps it had something to do with ingested poisons. 

but it would be crude to ask.

"that is all, hebsut." he gathered himself to his feet. their offer of bedwarming was given a shake of soldier's head. "i will not partake. the others of mereo are also not meant as prey for seductions." it was a warning.

Jawahir gave a nod which they held a moment, almost bowing, to show acceptance of what he said. Then they moved to the wellspring door and ducked out to continue their work elsewhere; letting out a relieved breath as soon as they were away from the Imperator.