"Okay. You're supposed to prostrate yourself when you meet the pharaoh, except incidentally - uh, that means passing in the hallway or if I leave and return during a meeting or if I ask you to leave and return, then you just bow. You're supposed to wait for permission to address me or look at me or stand up. I won't withhold that, it's just - the rules. You're not supposed to disobey commands from the pharaoh, and you're supposed to deliberately miss the Will save if I cast anything. I, ah, obviously don't plan to use magic to compel your obedience, I'm just being thorough -"

She's trying not to move but in fact she is trembling and she's not sure how to fix that without casting something.

She waits to see if he's gonna add anything else to that list.

He does not.

"And you think - you think these are good ideas, you want me to do these things. After today."

"I don't like them, but they are the law of Osirion and we'll obey it while we are here."

"And we expect to be here for - until they get your brother back. Or someone else related to the pharaoh."

"As long as they have a pulse we can put them on the throne. And if they don't have one, we can give them one, and then put them on the throne."

"And you're aware that if they haven't succeeded for four months then that might take a while."

"I don't know if they can do it. But -" He shudders.  The things he wants to say next are all weak things, pathetic things -

"There is nothing I won't try, I want you to know that, all right?"

"Okay.

"And you don't think - as far as I know not actually being a subject of the Osirian crown is, like, in any way relevant to how one legally has to treat the pharaoh."

"I can ask someone to look it up. I wouldn't expect - we still expect foreigners to follow the rules about obeisance - but maybe there's something there." Kiss. "I'm very impressed with you, you know - you're doing really well. If there's some arrangement we can figure out we will."

Nod.

"When they have someone else you'll - get someone to remove the helmet?"

"I don't really want to go back to how I was before. You want me to?"

Nod.

"Ah. I - once this is over I think we should leave and go back to a place we don't hate and you can see if you think it's all bad, me being like this, when there's not everyone dead and the crown on top of it -"

She hugs herself. She's trying really hard not to cry, but while she can keep herself from moving at all she's not actually sure how to stop tears.

She nods.

"If it's not - I guess probably you're entitled. To have it reverted. But I don't want you to do that."

She doesn't say anything. Not for a while. She's not sure she can.

He's not even sure why she liked the old him better. He's - he's doing pretty well, here, he's pretty sure, he's said he's proud of her and he's been honest and tried to be reassuring as well -

It would be unkind to think she liked the weaknesses in him.

Probably she is just under a lot of stress. 

"I'm going to go," he says. "I love you. Someone will fetch you for dinner."

She nods again.

When he's gone she curls up in a corner and cries.

Verita is milling around out in the hallway, staring at the ceiling.

He points out her room to her. "Are you all right?"

Shrug. "Is anyone?"

"I don't think so. That's not a reason not to be, though, if you can."

"I guess not."