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dated just before Sapair meeting!

in short time, a camp was made—the fellahin worked with the foliage and the woods to create quarters as best they could, a place to luxuriate in even despite it being a temporary space to rest their eyes. it mattered not to them, who prided themselves on their work—Satiset was not yet wise to the inner workings of their mind! that they might truly be desperate to seek familiarity, normalcy, beyond the faces they knew was a foreign concept to her. that any might feel fear or anxiety for it, too—Neferseba had been raised with stories of the Land of Reeds. if this was indeed where they had awaken, they need not fear anything—and if it was not?
then it was the workings of the Divine! and that, her pious tongue would never question! They favored her Mother; did that not mean They favored her?
it was the first time the golden girl considered the question. where some might fall into arrogance—of course They would! she had the blood of the Gods! she, too, was a Goddess!—Neferseba’s favored question of the moment came to mind: why? her mother had done much to deserve Their love. she was an accomplished Pharaoh now, with many titles—her father, Pharaoh now too, who worked in tandem with her, was devout by her side.
her being favored by Them was thanks to this; Satiset, though she loved Them and paid her tribute to Them with her parents and her people… she had done nothing, yet, independent of this. it would not do!
the sun had not yet broken the horizon, but Ra’s approach was imminent. Satiset moved, then, her guard behind her and her own fellahin following her purposeful stride. there was work to do!

Xingyu tried not to think too hard. He did not know where he was—if he was alive, if he was dead. He did not really understand the beliefs of this family he was to marry into, either, but he did his best to trust them, and to trust himself.

At the very least, Neferseba was confident, even if she was young (as if she was not a mere two moons younger than he).

He watched her with quiet, silver eyes. He was very good at being quiet, and he thought he was good at masking his anxieties, but his slim shoulders were tense and his ears were pulled back as his gaze turned to the grey dawn.

she knew what her purpose was, this day—each step moved her toward it, until Shu brought to her another! Neferseba paused briefly, bright eyes sweeping the brightening horizon until…!
Neferseba saw him standing there—quiet, stiff, and still. her own stillness did not last, for upon seeing him she all but danced in his direction! Satiset was still too young to understand the gravity of what it was his family wanted of him—and her own, perhaps, of her!—but what mattered to her was that… was that…
something! something significant, somehow—she was determined to come to understand it, and she knew the Gods would help her in this, too. her fellahin announced her as they always would by her titles—and once they were finished she drew closer to him with a delighted smile. come with me? we go to greet Ra—and make Him an altar, here, her smile broadened. we must find the highest point of this place, her soft voice continued, looking to the drawn boy with a searching gaze. would he join her?

Xingyu blinked as the little goddess practically danced up to him. His ears could pull no farther back as he looked down at her. She was still a child, he thought, still so carefree. It had been a long time since he had been carefree, but he felt like he'd always been carrying the weight of the family burden.

He returned her smile, though his was much smaller, reserved, uncertain. Nevertheless, he nodded his head.

“Yes,” he said. “I'll come with you.”

An altar at the highest point of this place… It was hard to tell with all the wisterias growing. His ears lifted and his silver eyes grew focused.

“Why don't we try that way?” He suggested, lifting a paw to point vaguely towards what looked to be a rise to the east of them. It seemed promising at least.

he would come with her! the young girl felt Ra’s light fill her inner being, the warmth bringing her to beam up at him, feeling as though she had a small piece of the sun within her—did he feel His warmth, too? did a sliver of His rays come out from between her lips as she let out a laugh of joy that he had accepted her invitation? it was a simple thing, truly, at least to any other—but to her… well, he was embracing her Gods in this activity. his Gods, now—so… their Gods. something they two shared.
her imagination ran away from her, as he picked their path. she could see it now—the two of them bent before each altar, leaving tribute, their voices blended in prayer! perhaps he might help her build every altar,
and there was his voice again, and from daydreams did Neferseba blink herself to where they stood together now. Shu made the man before her look like a living dream, blowing the wisteria o’er his hips and above his head! it was beautiful—he was beautiful, she observed for the first time. her eyes belatedly followed the line in which his arm intended to direct them—with something of a bashful smile, Neferseba nodded. yes—that way, first, she hummed back agreeably. she moved to his side then, and turned her head to look upon him. we will make Ra very happy. and then, He shall further illuminate our path, Neferseba spoke what she believed wholeheartedly, looking to him to see if he shared her sentiment.
she looked to the object upon his collar. far simpler than the ornate item she awoke bedecked within—but… no less lovely, in her eyes. do you miss your family? she asked, then—for the piece made her think of what his life must have been like… before. truth be told, the Amiirad had been preoccupied—with duty, with prayer, with family… but he might be a part of her duty, should her family will it—and then, her family, too.
there had always been much going on in the palace, where she had never had the privilege of time to sit and think about that. soon enough such a life would resume, but the Gods had granted them each a moment to breathe before all that might come next.
it occurred to her here and now that she wanted a love like her parents—true, and real. still a girl, there was plenty of fantastical elements that each came to mind… and were it not for Shu anchoring her with a wave of wisteria breezed over her shoulders, she might have lost herself to daydreams again!
her brothers would marry for power, but the youngest daughter had less pressure upon her. she could marry for love. of course, her family would still want something from the marriage—but from her husband, it was a smaller price than her brothers future wives. wealth, for example, was acceptable—more to be shared with her family, and it would mean she would always be provided for.
she wondered, far ahead of herself, if he might ever love her. but first, well, first he should know her, and she him!

Xingyu looked down at her and smiled. It was a warm, albeit uncertain smile. “Yes,” he agreed. He was still not confident in speaking her language, and he was even less confident in her gods. His gods… And yet… He blinked and lifted his muzzle to the sky. There was no sense in thinking about it. This was his life now. His people, his gods, his language.

Do you miss your family?

Words that made him look down at her in surprise. It felt as if she had looked right through him, for he had not even noticed that her eyes had been upon the collar he wore. He glanced away, embarrassed, quiet as they walked. He did not like to reveal so much of himself…

“Sometimes,” he admitted quietly, still keeping his eyes anywhere but on her. Although he wasn't sure if he missed his family or missed the familiarity more. Both…

A petal fell, dancing on the breeze, and landed on his nose. He sneezed.