She had every right to her anger, he knows. He does not spew his at her, had not said a word in the hopes of keeping himself in check at all, but she did not have to bear the burden of emotion alone by any means. He feels it all. Feels the losses, seen by him as his failures, acutely. He feels the loss of the woman who had been Hathor in flesh to his wife. He feels the loss of the Pharaoh that had lorded over them and kept the Dunes safe against all comers. He feels the loss of Indira - one he had admired, even though it might have set his brother’s teeth on him for misunderstanding such admiration. He feels the loss of one of the children most of all -- Jyeshtha his own niece.

The losses had been like a pounding of war drums as Fate reclaimed what good fortune it had decided to take back in order to keep the world balanced. Two sons. Twins. Twins like his own brother and he, like the twins his brother too bore on the woman he had kept secret from his own blood.

He says to her that he was there, present, but it meant nothing more than words to pick the ice away from the wall he’d slammed back in place.

“You are here but you are not my stars. You restlessly wander the sky and I fear you’ll be gone from me.” It is a more gentle accusation than he deserves and his eyes crease in the wince they bring - like a gentle rag to wash deep wounds, even kindness now stings. She had deserved her anger, was fair to be enraged. He had not left unknowingly, had not mistaken how long he had been gone. He understood the burden that he’d left for her to carry - he had just also known the danger of being so near to her, of giving fate a clean line of sight to fire upon her whatever ills they’d devise for cheating them out of their own luck.

She asks forgiveness, though, of him. She touches him, soft, gentle as she brushes over the mark that she had made in his flesh. His entire shoulder to elbow shudders, almost shaking him into taking an accidental step towards her. It forces him to look on her more evenly, She inhales him and she gives him a small treaty, an olive branch, that sends him near buckling to the earth. "We made him come. I had to make sure that he could find his daughter, his other wife--." but there is a hesitation that makes it so she is aware that he too has reasoned out another purpose for his hiding.

"I did not deserve your blessing, two sons who will now be torn at the core as my brother and I were… who I cannot touch without fearing they should break… who are too great an allowance and when the gods realize their mistake-- I do not want to lead the agents of accounting for the deficit to them. If they take their pound of flesh - it needs to be from me and not you or our moon and comet." He unburdens himself as he should have so much sooner, so long ago. "I am no Sheik, Eness. I do not think with a mind for anything other than battle maneuvers and troop movements. I cannot patrol and fight off enemies and dictate rule of law -- Antares has been gone and I could not bear his weight… I do not know how he will do it… how you have done it in our own household already… I am weak.".