Lion Head Mesa smoke

The goings-on of the mesa were constant with children, with sorrows, with prayers and lessons; Nazli was glad to be bound in her way to the princess. She felt a shift had transpired. Mereo was behind them and they were stronger for it.

There were new faces also. A boy priest, a mazoi whom caught the princesses fancy. Nazli was stunned most of all by the absence of @Tavina in the evenings. She learned swiftly of the appointed sanpin and was wise enough not to ask questions.

She hurried to tend to @Makono when needed, to the point that she stopped thinking about what she had left behind, as she had convinced herself (or been made to think) that all one required in life was focus and purpose.

Even now Nazli hurried to where the royal daughter waited to be served, having barely rested in an alcove not her own - far from where she once slept alongside a brother (@Zakariya) left unintentionally forgotten.

nazli had served her well in mereo.

she intended to bring the girl again when another trip commenced. even if she loathed the next trip not being one of her own.

regardless, she turned a usually cold lapis gaze into warmth at the sight of her. timely as usual. makono never had to worry with her attendance or behavior.

come, come!

almost sisterly in tone.

but she wished to hear the things that nazli's ears picked, beyond the reaches of makono.

The princess took notice of her almost immediately and bade she enter the private quarters.

Nazli brought with her a piece of fresh fish caught near the edge of the kingdom (almost a rarity) as well as some fresh berries.

She offered these with quiet care, attentive to the girl's needs, albeit a subtle tension had eased through her shoulders.

have you heard? tavina has a guest with her. what else to call the stranger forced to labour in exchange for their visit. or, I suppose as sanpin they are closer to a new fellahin. I have not seen them up-close yet! girls and their conspiracies.

makono had seen these things, but there was a greatness in hearing nazli confirm.

she is horribly odd, you know. neither wolf nor coyote. her features scrunched briefly, but dogs were not a novelty to akashingo. only each was a different type from the last.

she pushed a berry between her lips.

her markings make no sense. she is small but not as much as neb gucci.

perhaps she is ill? why else would tavina be interested in someone of such strangeness, or difference.

another thought occurred and nazli carefully concealed a laugh, but it broke through the effort anyway. then again, I do not think even miss tee has the magical or medical power to change one thing in to another like that.

the girl's heart felt a keen, tiny ache. she thought suddenly of how kind and motherly the woman was to her before, matronly, studious with her attention - a childish jealousy simmering.

tavina must like her awfully much, to convince her to come toil as sanpin.

a sneer on her features, but it was not much further than a usual grin from the princess.

sayf has been tasked with her. so i bet you'll see more of her. darting about, hectic. the woman had not come with the makings of a fellahin. nor the build of somebody made to last from work.

will you tell me what you see of her?

she looked warmly to nazli, rolled a berry in her direction.

of course. it almost went without saying that nazli's loyalties were tied strongly to the princess, her one true friend.

she sniffed the freshness of the berry as she plucked it, and ate demurely. even though she had brought this offering nazli wasn't always sure of herself, and she hoped it had not spoiled or begun to turn in the way the pharaoh liked.

a burst of flavor, a burst of thought.

i have also heard, a pause to swallow, there is a new boy, tutoring beneath our priest.

makono did not strike nazli as being particularly interested in that side of things, but she offered it all the same.

for a moment, she was warm and blissful. a smile upon her features for none other than her treasured.

then that priest in training was brought up!

makono was not surprise nazli had seen him, but she wondered what the other girl knew exactly.

he won't look at me, you know. she confessed as she plucked at the fish. enjoying the rich delicacy of it all and the catharsis of her companion.

It wasn't so surprising to hear. The princess being of divine blood, the priest boy something closer to a commoner. For Makono to point it out indicated that it bothered her - maybe subliminally, or in an amusing way.

Perhaps he has never seen a lady before?

she laughed, loud and carefree. enlightened by the guess of her treasured fellahin.

had she snared the poor boy?

perhaps he hasn't. she mused in silence for a moment after, before she turned her gaze heavy upon nazli. awe and wonder and treasuring. do you ever worship?

The question catches her by surprise. Not -- openly, miss. Feeling bashful, she slips back in to an old habit.

They had shared such intimate things as children on the road to Mereo, but this seemed a different beast; yet so were they, after their return. Nazli felt that they had both grown further in to their roles because of it.

I much prefer to be of service to real people, the girl goes on to muse aloud, before double-thinking, reconsidering how the words sound. Not that the gods are not, ah, real, too!

All she had learned of Makono, and the servant did not know how she felt about her father's religion.

those in the flesh,

she quipped, attempting to save the girl the embarrassment. as nice as it could be to watch one flounder, makono did not wish it for nazli in their moments together.

so do you worship in private then?

the girl had only said not openly, after all.

Her stammering ebbed, and she thought properly about it.

When I work, sometimes... I am so rarely beyond the palace, but when I am, those are my moments. She felt bashful and strange, speaking of this.

It wasn't something Nazli actively looked for, or chose to do on any occasion - but it was hard not to see the majesty in the light of the dawn.

i'd like to see these moments sometime.

she leaned a bit closer, berries and fish between them, the volume between them now would not be heard by another.

as an observer, not a judgmental princess. her hushed voice offered humor. light and charming.

she wondered if the priest in training could look upon anybody.

was it just her?

In truth her holy moments were fleeting things, happening when she was apart from her work. To have Makono there would somehow spoil them but she could not admit to that, so only nodded and gave a smile; conspiratorial, warm.

There was a small lul in their conversation. Nazli wondered what the days would look like now that they were home again, and knew that Makono held audiences with her father and her siblings on her return.

Was... pharaoh, impressed with your return? It felt strange to speak of the ruler as if he were somehow accessible, the way the others of the palace were. He was a god manifested, or so the priests taught.

was he?

he was. she seated herself a bit more proper. befitting the princess-turning-queen she was — or wished to be one day.

i am itching for another emissary trip already, though. she would not lie about it, and it was likely already known about nazli. i think he plans to send me with crown prince next time, though. as a pair, for his debut as an emissary.

The princess looked strong for a moment, but Nazli could see something beheath the surface. Soon she gave voice to it and the fellahin didn't know what to say.

She smiles softly, thinks of something. Imagine that, the prince and all those boorish men.

Presuming that they would travel together, they would be taking a mazoi as escort and a more appropriate servant - leaving Nazli to her own devices.

I will make sure your room is perfectly prepared when you return.

the boorish men.

she wondered if siptah would see mereo on their journey. most likely not, now that the vale seemed to be a rising place.

but this she did not have time to say before nazli made it seem as if she would be...here. not with them. makono hated the thought with a deep rippling sensation.

sated your adventurous appetite already?

A flush of warmth creeps the edges of her cheeks.

I misspoke, for a moment the humor vanished and she was the attentive servant rather than a friend. I would of course go, if you wish. I only thought... The prince, being heir, had his own um... fellahin and such.

Would that not make more sense? Besides, who knows where or when it might happen.

she considered nazli's words for a long moment.

truly, deeply considered them. who of the fellahin tended to siptah as well as nazli did the princess? the lilac fellahin had been tested and found true. proven nearly more valuable than any other attending fellahin.

do you know if one fellahin tends to him more than the rest?

she sought the knowledge of the fellahin here, the things that occurred beyond the eyes of makono.

She thought to herself a moment, then shook her head when no name came to her.

I can find out, she offered; Nazli went through the names she knew of, wondering if there had been any changes while they had been in Mereo.

He spends his time with the priests, so far as I know. Sayf or Tavina might have an idea.

nazli offered a suggestion without makono even needing to be the first!

she smiled once more, warm and pleased. proud even! look how far the two of them had come. how much they had woven around one another with their time in mereo.

it had not seemed to loosen here upon their return home.

i'd appreciate knowing anything you find out from them.

but she had already kept the girl for so long! not that such was unusual anymore, but she wondered if the lilac needed to attend to anything else today, besides the princess.

Berries lay untouched while they conversed. The next lull in conversation had Nazli tidying - she knew some of Makono's unspoken cues and had learned to read her well, from moods to wishes.

I will... dispose of these, she offered with a bow of her head, gathering the remains of the meal for one of the middenheaps outside the palace.

A pause to await orders or dismissal; but it was so brief it was seamless with the girl ducking from the princess' quarters. She would wait outside after, and no doubt be scooped up by Sayf with other orders.