pharaoh sparkled with the artifice of drink and the genuine delight in queen's presence.
but she was his sister. she was one half of him, and khaemwaset knew she grieved. satakhetem had all but come between them, and he had no idea how this could be mended. all princely plots, all evil lies; he was set adrift on those well-buried currents of her sorrow, these waves that would never show.
he filled the subtle silences merneith left with more racuous laughter. he called for games. he plied her with blossoms of as many colors as could be counted, placed choice morsels before her.
jodai announced a name he did not know, and on approach, he watched the gleaming limbs of the tianlong princess.
golden eyes saw the gentle stature, the way she appeared unlike those wolves of the desert. he was fascinated, and looked to merneith, wondering if she felt the same.
a grand welcome to satriya, amiirad téng lian. that is our word for princess, he added, white teeth glinting in a welcoming grin. please, be seated with us. i wish to hear from where you have come.

3/5 | orator - sorry for the wait, everyone! <3

The hallways are lined with fellahin who sweep to the carved and muraled sides of the halls as the princess and her copper guide pass through them. Gold-coin eyes glint with curiosity at every color, every detailed depiction, the blurred faces of servants they pass. She wonders at the beauty, the skill, the care. She looks for chipped paint or hunger-sunken cheeks. Rich scents, alike to that which perfumes her coat, wreath around Lian's form as she moves. She hopes her father will broker a suitable trade agreement, and she hopes that these foreign incenses are a part of such a deal - variety is the spice of life!

The great hall unfurls before her. Lian steals a glance around the resplendent space as Sapair announces her, before her gaze falls to the plinth and the radiant divinity of those residing there.

Lashes flutter with wholly masked surprise. They are not much older than she! Lian has spent her brief lifetime witness to the weight of the crown upon her father's head. To have all of those futures dependent on oneself at her own scarce age is a horror Lian had not yet considered, and would secretly lament on behalf of these royalty within the confines of her heart. The Queen is quiet, but Pharaoh does not appear threatened by a princess on his doorstep, and invites her forward. Her heart flutters. Is it excitement to convene with those who are so close to being peers? Or is it apprehension, that she might misstep in this moment and set back Tianlong's efforts at diplomacy before they even start?

Her bow is measured to the very millimeter - diplomatic, gracious, her gaze casts to the stone floor before it returns to the Pharaoh's noon-sun glow. She does not have the authority to express deference to a foreign power, nor would she imply Tianlong submits to their authority. Instead, the princess accepts the invitation with an appreciative smile and measured pawsteps to carry her to where she is beckoned. Satriya's hospitality is generous, Pharaoh. You have my thanks. It is this gratitude she must express first, lest they believe she would be so entitled as to presume it is owed. Lian takes care of how she works through the syllables of this foreign tongue. Upon her assigned seat, her paws cross demurely and her demeanor is everything graceful, peaceful, untouchably divine her mother and grandmother have shaped her into.

Even so, the lotus struggles to mask the shine of girlish excitement and curiosity within her gilded gaze. The smells! The sights! These youthful strangers, what stories they must contain already! The plinth is littered with blossoms, the air saccharine with incense - Lian is very aware of how far from home she is, and it thrills her, and it frightens her greatly. Taro is nearby, quiet but watchful. Lian can feel his eyes on her as much as she can tell they linger on everything else. They have traveled together for many days - Lian is assured his life will be given to prevent any harm from coming to her, and she is very much keen on preventing such an occurrence.

Onyx Pharaoh asks where she has come from. I am travelling home from the very far west, honored Pharaoh. It was a land of many meadows, grasslands that wave in the breeze like the sea. The springtime that has swept the land made every tree we passed burst with blossoms and the fields lush with wildflowers in every color imaginable. Even so - Lian is merciful, gentle, compassionate. Yet she has made a hobby of crossing verbal swords with her father and his advisors since she was a girl. She closes in, now, to secure the favor she sees as valuable. To see so much life blossoming in the desert is an even greater wonder. Your home is resplendent.

---

no worries ever <333

Besieging her with fancy is her dark counterpart, in the same way he did when they were children, and stirring awake aspects of the queen from her days-long lethargy. She gazes upon the woman and her guardian, the former so elegant as to appear a divine apparition, the man startling in his own shades of cool alabaster.

“We are pleased to receive you, amiirad Téng Lian,” the lioness presses on, though not only for inveterate purpose. Tianlong— she has longed to become acquainted with this culture, and already their princess seems lovely and competent. “Were you on a state visit to the west?”

Her inquiry is sincere, though spoken through an obscuring fog.

---

<333

pharaoh found it intriguing that the princess shared their age yet also the poise he recognized now as being innate. as always, the Great Royal Wife directed their discourse with a calm invite for téng lian to speak further. that there was royalty beyond their own was of further interest to khaemwaset. were they threat or might the satriyans find alliance in them? these things were considered in an amused way, for he was focused in present.
it pleased him to see merneith come alight once more. he was amused anew to hear the amiirad describe her home and then offer them compliment on a sharp turn. an audible chuckling at that.
your home sounds quite magnificent in its own right, a reflection of the same dignity you have brought into this court, said pharaoh after some moments of exchange. perhaps you will find a similar enjoyment among the gardens which were planted in the name of the Great Royal Wife, he suggested, turning his gaze in affection upon the queen.
is there good hunting to be had? asked khaemwaset next with attention resettled, for this was a common pastime in circles both noble and divine. he expected in a way matter-of-fact that princess lian might share the same ventures -- or another in her family.
an elegant daughter would possess a mother and father of the same. who were they; he wished to know, for already they had a wondrous emissary in this princess and a formidable face in her silent guard. their own mazoi commanded no less presence, and Horus waited for his desired answers.

4/5 | orator

Great Royal Wife adds her own query to the back-and-forth of question and measured compliments. The woman has a bit more reservation than her husband, and Lian is not yet certain if this is personality, politeness, or suspicion of the princess. Nervousness flits across Lian's features and bends her ears slightly, almost more sheepish than skittish, particularly as she procures a slight smile. An...unexpected trip, in fact. I was transported there once harmony was restored to the continent. These royals must have at least a cursory awareness of the strange powers of this world, their ability to move wolves across the continent in a blink! If not - Lian despairs - perhaps they will attribute her explanation to madness or lie. Even so, she feels deception is a tool best used extremely sparingly. A pause, a flutter of her attention across the treats and decorations adorning the plinth. I admit, I approached your borders to merely ask directions. Satriya's generosity honors me greatly.

Pharaoh compliments her dignity, and Lian emphasizes her grace and gratitude with a demure wilt of her russet ears and a measured smile. Gold-coin eyes do not miss the fond glances the Pharaoh aims at his Queen, nor the way their queries and conversation weave effortlessly around one another as they engage with the princess. Lian has spent a lifetime witnessing the same fondness between her father and mother, hobbled by Mei's role as concubine instead of Queen. Do they know how lucky they are? To be both wed and so fond of one another? To be permitted that fondness, without outside duty fighting to taint every glance, every smile?

Musings to be considered only in the privacy of her mind, in the deepest hours of the night when sleep evades her. Lian puts it from her mind, and delights instead in the pleasant conversation to be had.

I have only managed a passing glimpse of them - they are indeed magnificent - though hardly rivalling your radiance, Great Royal Wife. How sweet they are!

She is asked of their hunting, and presumes this to be a fairly direct effort to assess Tianlong's wealth and health. After all, it is not a princess' place to dirty her paws with the hard labor of feeding the Dynasty! Lian has been taught what she needs to know in the worst case survival scenario and needs nothing more - she can catch a mouse or hare if she requires a snack, and set a trap for something if she desires. She is patient enough to genuinely enjoy and have talent at fishing. It is not becoming for the Tianlong's princess to be able to be found at all hours damp-furred and hip-deep in a river catching catfish, so Lian avoids this pastime.

Plentiful hunting to fill our caches, and our lands have much to chase if one desires it for sport: many deer, antelope, fox and boar - as well as the occasional bear or leopard if you desire a true challenge.

---

I am so sorry for the hold up

Folds of ebon shadow in her view to the right; below, tianlong’s princess sparking from drear. Every thought is drawn back to the captive sister, cloistered in her far chamber.

Eyes are drawn at intervals, studying both, and basking in the sunshine of her husband’s feeling. He sheds it over her now, prompting a turn which had been unwilling to look, so precise he is in his reading of her. She lists her face to his, brimming with a small warmth she hopes will not cool his own.

Her great like of Téng Lian is not immediately apparent in this fog, but Neith feels her cheeks bloom in appreciation. She gives what she can to the young lady, whose story sows in her mind that the world’s reality is not surface-level, but this magical dimension as well.

“Oh— you must be so homesick. Your kingdom is not so far I believe; a week’s journey. We will send a mazoi to accompany you, princess, and see that you are returned safely to your family.”

Neith would like a chance to know more of the princess, learn of her people and customs, and perhaps form a degree of attachment sufficient to make both kingdoms content in each others’ society. But her heart aches for her, torn from her homeland, and moves to assure that goodwill does not bely on a longer stay within their palace.

---

<3

it occurred to khaemwaset that both he and merneith were equally impressed by tianlong's princess, at last in their born element of shared elegant lineage and royal mannerliness. a mild gesture set their table with honeywine, the sweet fragrance apparent even then. please, be refreshed. pharaoh would see the servant hover to ensure that their guest had what she wished, but his attention was soon refocused.
a terrible thing, to be separated. please remain here until you are ready to travel again, amiirad, and i agree you must go in our protection. he saw with practiced eye her brief hesitation, admiring how lian was able to overcome this with a gracious compliment to the queen.
Horus enjoyed this interplay of courteous respect; it was its own sort of plaiting, was it not? tianlong visited in imperial glory to sit among the lotuses of egypt for a time. his sunlit stare grew intrigued with a fleet energy, and at the plentiful list of beasts, he offered a glinting grin. do you hunt? i have been wishing to have a great hunt for some time, many days of long hours in the desert and the brush. a laugh; soft; maybe with grace we may share the spoils of our land against those in your green territory.
a wager! a challenge.
now; she was a princess. to him this suggested the presence of those above, though khaemwaset knew to allow this its natural revelation.
did merneith find herself restored? he did not think of leaving her beyond on such an expedition, not when there were fine journeys to be had.
how posed téng lian, compelled from homeland and forced to enter another empire. Horus thought highly of such strength. a look to the Great Royal Wife; he would see that small happiness glow even for an oil-lamp moment.