He looked so regal up there. So right. She had done well with this one, there was no doubt. She loved all her children equally. A mother's heart has no end to its depth. But her son, who in so many ways looked like his father, she held a special pride for.
If only she could have found a way to curb some of his arrogance. She supposed it was her own fault. It wasn't easy for him, she was sure, being raised from the day of his birth with his importance shoved down his throat, day after day. But she still occasionally worried over his manner. He was a good king, no doubting that. But he wasn't his father. Horus was respected, well-liked, appropriately honored for his position. His father had been loved. As a good Pharaoh should be. She had been loved-still was, point of fact. But she wondered how much her son was loved. Revere and awe were all well and good, but had it been enough?
She supposed it was. Seldom did it come to her ear that a subject was displeased by a decision he had made, and upon further investigation, it always seemed the complaint came from someone who was simply bitter, but who had deserved the judgment received. She had also raised him to be fair and just, and in this she seemed to have succeeded. She could only hope he enjoyed some of his royal life. She feared he may have paid too high a price for this position. The lines in his face told of a man who took his responsibilities seriously, but also of someone who would possibly just give it all up if the opportunity presented itself. Perhaps if his father had been there to help with his upbringing? Well, such things couldn't be helped. But they could be repaid. Oh, yes, they could certainly be repaid.
Mentally shaking herself out of her reverie, she smiled brightly at her son. "A pleasant 'hello' might have been nice, dear. Or have you become so busy that you no longer have time for proper manners?"
There was no doubt she was still a mother first.
She sat in the chair before the throne that hadn't been there moments before. "Never mind. I seem to be in an odd temperament myself. I've been quite busy of late. I had to see Zeus, for starters. Seems your uncle was causing a bit of a scene at his temple. Don't worry," she added, seeing the concern cross his face, not understanding the reason behind it was her interference, rather than concern for the kingdom, "he has assured me he holds no animosity for the rest of us. He was willing to let me handle the situation. I intended to come to you straightaway, of course, but I wanted to make sure Set wasn't causing more trouble before I did."
It was true she was drawing this out more than she needed to, but the build-up was half the fun. "So, after seeing Zeus, who was as warm as always, and greeted me very pleasantly, bidding me welcome," the jibe was intentional, of course, "despite the fact that the entire Greek pantheon is on the brink of war, I headed to Cairo to seek out your uncle. And ran into the most interesting character."
She paused slightly for dramatic effect, but not long enough to allow Horus to get a word in himself. "Gwydyon was his name, some Celt I presumed by his mention of an island, and some place I couldn't possibly attempt to pronounce. Gaelic has always been hard for me, worse, in fact than the language of the Nords. So harsh, their words. No beauty in their sounds. Anyway, this Gwydyon appears to be quite handy with magic. Interesting sense of humor. He gave me the news of which I am here to speak to you about, as well as a small gift."