Role Playing Fan Fiction ❯ The Lady of Time ❯ Clash of Wills and Cultures ( Chapter 3 )

THE LADY OF TIME

OR

HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?

 

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Iridia Sunheart.

 

Notes: Well, it's taking shape nicely so far. I didn't receive many reviews. Come on guys! My style doesn't suck like that, does it?

 

What I search is remarks about if it is good, what is missing, what I should modify,… You don't have to write tons of suggestions, just one per person is good.

 

Some terms in Egyptian:

Peraya: Pharaoh.

Horimerit: Beloved of Horus.

Nekhti: Mighty.

Heqt: Queen.

Ayath: Mist.

Neferuntu: Beautiful cow (that is blessed by Hathor).

Maaukepu: Lion Hunter.

Eset: Isis.

Tawi: The Two Lands (Egypt).

Tamit: Lady Cat.

Men-Nefer: Memphis.

Ausare: Osiris.

Sekhem: Life Energy.

Aayrt: Serpent.

Anup: Anubis.

Sutekh: Set.

Akhu: Light.

 

 

Chapter 3: Clash of Wills and Cultures.

 

 

`I don't BELIEVE this…this BRAT!'

 

It was now a week that Iridia Sunheart had begun her new routine as the personal slave of the Peraya (Pharaoh) Horimerit (Beloved of Horus). Something that required patience: Extremely great patience. Having known the realities of working in the hard modern world, the raven-haired young woman wasn't adverse to pull her own weight.

 

But being at the beck and call of Nekhti (Mighty) was something else. It was as if the man never lifted a finger for the mere basics of life. Worse, he had a veritable army of servants to clothe him, bathe him, and even feed him. But Mister-I-am-the-King made sure that she was the one who did almost everything. Oh dear God, she still felt the nuclear-type blush she sported the first time she helped him to bath.

 

As a paramedic working with nurses in a military hospital, she had already helped patients for the most basics of function of the human body plenty of time: She fed, bathed, clothed and helped for basic movement and the excretory functions of the body. But those people were sick or unable to properly function and she had only respect in her mind when she helped them. With Nekhti, it was completely different.

 

She hid a groan as she remembered perfectly the almost perfect body of the young Pharaoh: His lean body, his muscles, his long black hair, the intensity of his obsidian eyes and... She silently cursed her newly rejuvenated body and her hormones that seemed to literally dance sometimes in his presence. She wasn't that inexperienced and innocent and she perfectly knew that it was only physical attraction but sometimes…

 

She sighed and shrugged. She was kind of lucky that Nekhti didn't do a few things he could with her. The perspective of being taken to his bed was a fantasy at best, especially after his unwanted kiss. In fact, this simple thought terrified her sometimes. She wasn't someone who could find easiness in a fling or a one-night-stand. As it was, if Nekhti decided for it: The best she could hope for and avoiding her death was a… consented rape... Besides, the perspective to be treated completely like a property repulsed her: She had avoided a few issues by somewhat persuading herself that she was only doing a work, but her slave status clashed deeply with her ingrained education and cultural background.

 

`And what about my personal convictions.' As long as she was protected and taken care of, Iridia was willing to not taking into account many things, but her patience and understanding had limits.

 

The main things that helped in this rather schizophrenic life were her functions beside Heqt (Queen) Ayath (Mist) and the practical education she received under Neferuntu (Beautiful Cow), the Chief-Maid of the Palace.

 

She had been surprised to discover that she was the mother of the favourite general of Nekhti. Maaukepu (Lion Hunter) was also an enigma in the way he looked at her. It wasn't sexual, but she wasn't too sure of what she was reading in his eyes.

 

How she perceived Neferuntu was pretty straightforward: She was her missing motherly figure. Sometimes, she stopped herself to burrowing herself in her embrace and cried a few rivers while basking in her motherly aura. A few times, when she was listening to the stern woman, she remembered how her own mother had given her a few lessons of life and felt her eyes moistening.

 

The feeling of freedom came directly of her duties with Ayath. The beautiful sister of Nekhti was the High-Priestess of Eset (Isis) and she was using Iridia as her personal aide and close-confident. It was an honour and Iridia had perfectly understood what was being offered to her. It was a commitment and she treated it as such.

 

And so, whenever the Queen needed her, she helped and when she needed to speak, she listened. Gradually, the elder sister of the Pharaoh was initiating Iridia as a novice inside the powerful clergy of Tawi (Egypt) and both liked the results.

 

It was somewhat a paradox: Iridia believed in the One True God, but after witnessing the Miracles worked behind the doors of the temples, she acknowledged the existence of the Gods and Goddesses of Egypt and prayed. It worked perfectly because, as Ayath had showed to her, the clergy's duty was to pray on the behalf of the people living in Egypt and not for a personal gain. Faith was faith and Iridia had no problems or shame to pray for the well-being of others.

 

“Today, we will survey how the work progress for the modifications of the palace wings.” Nekhti let his servants put the final touches to his clothing. He turned to the green-eyed girl clad in the pure unadorned white signalling his personal servants and slaves. “Come on, Tamit! (Lady Cat) We don't have all the day!”

 

Iridia flinched at the harsh bark of command. She used the fact that she was back to the arrogant prick to roll her eyes and hid her sigh of frustration. She managed, once again, to control her voice. “I'm coming, my Peraya.”

 

Since the incident with the slap she gave to him, Nekhti had ordered her around like a drill sergeant. `Oh boy. He sure knows how to hold a grudge.' She was almost sure that it was a grudge against her, because all the other servants or slaves received only indifference from him. However, he was constantly breathing down her neck whenever she was near him to do her duties. He was never satisfied with her, proclaimed it loudly and of course always asked her to do something instead of another.

 

Added to that the fact that she was truly more than a decade older than him, despite appearance, and you obtained a nice blend not unlike nitro-glycerine. As she followed him for his tour, she firmly clamped on her temper. `SPOILED BRAT!'

 

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Nekhti was plunged into his architectural plans with the help of Maaukepu when a delegation sent by the Emperor of the Hittites was announced. Intrigued by that, the young Pharaoh received them on the spot.

 

Iridia was curious about the delegation: They were all soldiers and not dedicated diplomats. As she served drinks at a gesture of Nekhti, she further observed that they were all armed and bore armour of leather. It was only forged iron daggers, but she felt uneasy nonetheless as her sixth sense whispered in the back of her mind.

 

The oldest among the soldiers walked forward and bowed. “Your Majesty, we were informed that Princess Mitanun has come here, but she hasn't returned despite rumours she left your land some times ago.”

 

Nekhti blinked. “What?”

 

The Hittite continued. “Our king has sent us here because he's very worried about the princess.”

 

Nekhti shook his head. “What are you talking about? It is now 7 days that Mitanun has warned us that she was returning to her kingdom. I fail to see where I could help to ease the worries of your king.”

 

As she continued her chores, Iridia was also perplexed. She remembered the young princess and wondered what could have happened to her. She made a face as she also remembered that this world wasn't safe for travellers and feared that the Hittite escort could have been attacked on their way back.

 

The Hittite delegation left the palace after an unfruitful session with Nekhti. They felt frustrated at their inability to confirm whatever happened to the princess during her stay in Men-Nefer (Memphis).

 

The leader conferred with his men. “Humph… This Horimerit talked so arrogantly… I bet he did something to the princess already… It's just that we don't have any evidence except wild rumours.” The man clenched his fist. “Fine, if he's taking this like that, then I'll make him paid back.”

 

He turned to his loyal lieutenant. “Do you still have our…little gift?”

 

The younger man smiled wickedly. “Yes. They're rather restless because of the proximity of Horimerit.” He smirked. “Do I let them “stretch their legs”?”

 

At the nod of the leader, the young Hittite soldier let fall a small wicker basket under a bush in the palace's garden. The delegation exited rapidly after that.

 

The small basket opened by itself after a moment and revealed its content: Three adders that slithered among the gardens and began to use their forked tongues to smell for their prey.

 

Meanwhile, Nekhti was proving once again that he had a nasty temper. “Humph! I'm so mad at those stupid ambassadors! How dare they question me as if I was responsible for the disappearance of the princess?!” He continued to grumble and turned to Maaukepu. “Nonetheless, it is weird. Where did the princess go after leaving the palace?” He nodded to himself. “Make it so that we have some answers to our questions, Maaukepu.”

 

“Yes, my Peraya.”

 

Iridia felt pleasantly surprised. `Well, what do you know? There is something else than anger in his heart, after all.' She frowned as she thought about how the young Pharaoh did things. `Okay, I confess that he is a hard worker where the matters of state are concerned, but he really need to control his temper.' She smirked to herself. `Like me.'

 

A soldier entered the hall. “Your Majesty, the obelisk statue has arrived.”

 

Nekhti nodded curtly. “Very good, get my horse ready!”

 

It was then that the adders struck. They rushed the small escort of guards as they mounted their horses and began to bite, panicking the animals and creating chaos.

 

The screams of the bitten guards filled the gardens.

 

“OH BY BOUTO!”

 

“HELP ME!”

 

Maaukepu rushed out at the first scream, followed by everybody nearby. “Sire, what's wrong?!”

 

Pale as a ghost, Nekhti achieved to drive his dagger into the adder that had just bit him and looked to the slightly bleeding puncture wound on his lower leg. “Maaukepu! Help me!”

 

Iridia arrived to the scene at that moment. She could see the agonizing guards, the panicked horses, two dead snakes and Maaukepu tending to a fallen Nekhti and then…

 

Her heartbeat almost doubled in rate as she saw the third adder hidden under a plant directly behind the back of the young Pharaoh. She reacted.

 

A white blur rushed down the stairs at breakneck speed. “BEHIND YOU!”

 

Maaukepu gasped as he finally saw the already poised adder: Too late to do anything to protect his Peraya. A round wooden tray hit then the adder as it was about to bite again. Iridia had launched what she had in her hands like a Frisbee. She continued to run to the adder who was only dazed and ripped off her shoulders her thin linen cloak.

 

She threw it around the snake like a net. She had seen people captured snakes like that on TV. It worked, but the adder wasn't a normal adder and the cloak was too flimsy. Iridia gulped as the adder burst through the fabric directly in her face. Nothing she could do: She was too close.

 

A black bolt seemed to strike the snake and batted it away. Hissing like an angry teakettle, a young black female Mau interposed herself between the wounded adder and her charge.

 

“LUNA!” Iridia had recognized the Mau she befriended when she was at the House of Life.

 

The cat, her bristled fur almost doubling her size and her green eyes glowing in hate, began to circle her adversary as if she was Bastet fighting Apep. However, this time, the final strike didn't come from the feline warrior.

 

A rock smashed the adder that was readying itself for battle. Iridia had used the time bought by the Mau to take a big rock from the garden and was currently beating the snake into puree with an almost berserk enthusiasm. The first hit had killed the snake, but Iridia didn't stop until the bloody mess was impossible to recognize as an adder.

 

Her chest heaving like she had ran a marathon, she dropped the stone and gathered the cat in her arms to calm herself. The Mau started to purr like a storm to soothe the young woman. “Oh, Luna! It's you! It's really you!” She kissed the black She-Cat. “Thank you for saving me.”

 

It was then, as she calmed, that the commotion around reached her. All the staffs of the palace were in effervescence.

 

“By the gods! The Peraya just got bite by an adder!”

 

“What should we do?!”

 

“Why are you still standing here?!”

 

“Hurry up!”

 

“Two of the guards are already dead!”

 

“Tell someone to go and get Her Majesty here!”

 

“What's going on here?!”

 

She gasped. Nekhti had been bitten! She got up and rushed back to the palace. She unconsciously let Luna rode on her shoulder as if the small cat had always done so. So preoccupied with Nekhti, she didn't even remark that the Mau was staying on her spot without using her claws. She weaved around the panicked people in the hall.

 

“Horimerit got bite by an adder?!”

 

“The Gods are punishing him!”

 

She reached the young Pharaoh lying on a bed with Neferuntu and Maaukepu attending to him.

 

The general just finished to put a tourniquet to the leg of the young man to slow the spreading of the poison. “The poison is spreading fast!”

 

Neferuntu shook her head. “The physician is still not here yet!”

 

Maaukepu snarled in impotent rage. “What in the name of Ausare (Osiris) is going on?”

 

Iridia sighed in relief as the old royal physician arrived to the bedside of Nekhti.

 

However, the old man was everything but relieved by the state of the Pharaoh. “This is bad!” He pursued his examination. “His Majesty's face has already change colour!”

 

It was true. Nekhti's visage was already turning white. The young man was fighting for his life and was already feeling fading. `This Nekhti is to be defeated by an adder…?'

 

Summoning the help of all the gods and goddesses, the physician cast a spell to neutralize the poison as he administrated all the antidotes he had.

 

The light of the spell washed over the body of the Peraya, but the effect combined with the antidotes was minuscule at best. After using others spells in rapid succession and all his considerable medical knowledge, the royal healer shook his head. “I give up. The poison of this adder is not natural.”

 

Maaukepu seized him by the lapels. “What are you saying?! Hurry and save his highness now!”

 

The old man lowered his head. “He has been poisoned by an adder under the foul influence of Apep itself. There's no medicine, no spell, no power that can save him.”

 

Neferuntu paled. “No one has survived under Apep's bite!” She turned to her son. “What should we do?”

 

Maaukepu shook his head and turned a final time to the physician, hoping for a miracle. “We can't really do anything at all?”

 

Dismayed, the general could only stare at his Peraya. `Are we going to stand here watching the Peraya dying before our eyes?'

 

Iridia's green eyes were locked on the scene. `No matter what, Nekhti is still a human being. I feel sorry for him!' Since she had been a paramedic, she had something that almost all her peers called “The Sacred Fire”. It was a quality that all who worked in the medical sector had or should have. It was the drive to help, the need to heal no matter who was suffering and the anchor and foundation of her profession. It was what was pushing her to search for something, anything that could save the young man.

 

Around her the courtiers were grimly speaking among them about the immanent death of their king.

 

“He's still too young!”

 

“And he doesn't have a son to carry on his lineage!”

 

“Probably Heqt Ayath will assume the regency of Tawi.”

 

Maaukepu whirled around and snarled to the crowd. “Shut up all of you! Your Peraya still haven't die yet… How can you talk about who will succeed the throne?!”

 

Iridia gasped. `My god! Ayath! She's going to be devastated!' The young woman bit her lower lip. `They have sent words to her and she'll be here soon, but… What can she do except see her brother dying before her. Even her power…' “Power! That it!”

 

The time-displaced French rushed to the side of Nekhti. She didn't even pause to think if she should really save him, she simply followed the call of her soul.

 

Neferuntu and Maaukepu blinked when the raven-haired girl pushed aside the physician and placed her hands on the young man. “Hey! Tamit…? Tamit, what are you doing?!”

 

The young woman placed her left hand over the forehead and her right hand over the heart. “The only thing I can do.” Not even thinking about the possible consequences of her action, Iridia summoned the full intensity of the power revealed to her since her arrival in Egypt.

 

Her magical aura surged forth and passed into the visible spectrum. A golden iridescence surrounded her and the impassive black cat on her shoulder and streams of gossamer light filtered through her hands into the poisoned body of Nekhti. Her luminescent green eyes opened and glowed as she mustered all her strength. For the first time since her arrival she spoke in her native tongue. « Nekhti, je suis Iridia. Je viens vous aider. Ecoutez ma voix. Revenez à la lumière. » (Nekhti, I am Iridia. I've have come to help you. Hear my voice. Come back to the light.)

 

Maaukepu rushed to seize the young woman. “Tamit! What are you doing to the Peraya?!” `She called him by his birth name?! Only the Heqt could do it so far! And what was this strange tongue?'

 

“Don't touch her!” The feminine voice held the power of magic and stopped the general to touch the shining young woman. Ayath passed through the crowd who parted as they unconsciously sensed the power rolling off her in waves. “She's healing my brother through raw power. No one must touch her or everything is lost!”

 

The royal physician blinked. “But… no one has enough power to do that…especially against Apep's poison.”

 

Ayath smiled as she observed the Mau firmly camped on the shoulder of the foreign Living Goddess. A young female cat that was seemingly as focused as her support. A Sacred Cat of Bastet that was using this fact to channel all the divine power she received to help her charge in her task. “She is not alone.”

 

Neferuntu observed her Peraya. “Look!”

 

Maaukepu gasped. Tamit continued to pour her power into the young man and effects began to manifest. “His highness seems to recover!”

 

The physician approached and sighed in relief. Taking care to not touch the young woman, he examined his king. “His breathing is returning to normal and his skin coloration has returned to its healthy condition.”

 

Maaukepu smiled in relief and turned to the young woman who was now retiring her hands. “Thank you, Tamit! His Majesty is alive!” He stopped and his eyes widened as he observed the young slave without her golden aura.

 

Iridia wobbled on her legs. She felt… She had never felt so tired in her entire life. Her lustrous raven hair was now the colour of bleached bones. Even her green eyes seemed to have lost their intense coloration. She was now feeling all the weight of the She-Cat on her shoulder. She blinked as she remarked that Luna was now almost pure white in colour. “Wow, Luna. You look like Artemis now.”

 

Luna tried to glare at her charge. She didn't truly understand the joke, but she was sure her charge was mocking her. However, the two females succumbed to the stress of the healing and black unconsciousness seized them.

 

Ayath was just behind the young woman and smiled as she gathered her and the Mau in her arms. “Thank you, Lady of Time. The whole country is grateful to you. The land of Tawi will never forget this debt.” `And I swear on my true name that I will pay it full, thank you for saving my love and my Brother.'

 

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When Iridia awoke, 24 hours had passed since her passing out. She still had bleached bone coloured hair but she felt much better. What she had done to heal Nekhti had been foolish. Foolish but efficient: A magician used his own life-force or Sekhem (Life Energy) to power his spells. When she healed the young Pharaoh, Iridia had to fight both against the poison of the bite and the magical energy used to reinforce the lethal effect.

 

Thus she had been forced to overextend her own power to counteract the deadly spell and helped the failing life-force of Nekhti to resist the natural poison. This damaged slightly her own life-force and resulted in her temporary curious hair colour.

 

Refusing the suggestion of Neferuntu to stay in bed and rest, Iridia first checked on her friend Luna who was still snoring in a basket near her. Satisfied by her state of health and seeing her fur slowly regaining her natural black coloration, she hastily done her customary clothes and went to see how the young Pharaoh was.

 

She found Ayath tiring herself by taking care of her brother personally. Without a word, Iridia joined her and with the help of the staff, began to nurse back to health the still unconscious young man. The setting was rather public, but Iridia recovered her professionalism and simply ignored the courtiers and well-wishers around the bed of the Peraya.

 

The days passed as Iridia and Ayath fought against the fever episodes, fed slowly the unconscious young man and washed him when he required it. Iridia smiled as she noted that the state of Nekhti was better and better. She succumbed to her constant vigilance and neglect of her own state the third day. Ayath forbade anyone to awake her as she slept on the bedside of her brother.

 

Nekhti began to come back to consciousness. “Ah! Where is this?” The young man blinked and remembered what had happened. “Am I still alive?”

 

Ayath smiled, shedding tears of relief to her brother. “Yes, my Peraya. You are alive.”

 

Nekhti smiled back. “You saved me, my Sister.”

 

Ayath giggled and shook her head. “I fear that only my prayers contributed to your healing. It was Tamit. She used her very own Sekhem to heal you and then take care of you for three days.” She pointed to the end of the bed. “Look! It is only now that she allows herself to truly rest.”

 

Nekhti's eyes widened. “Tamit? Tamit saved me?” He looked to the sleeping silhouette and blinked at the curious bleached coloration of her hair. It was slowly returning to her normal raven colour at the extremities. He half-remembered a golden-haloed visage leaning to him in a dream and speaking softly, asking that he came back towards the light.

 

He closed his eyes and sighed. `Why?! I treated her purposely so cruelly…' He looked back to the young woman he captured who was stirring. `Yet, Iridia didn't hate me…'

 

Iridia awoke with a start as she felt Nekhti moving to her. She turned her head to him as he grabbed her by the shoulder. “Ah, your Majesty!”

 

Nekhti pulled her to him and plunged his gaze into her startled Mako-eyes. Iridia felt herself paralysed as if the obsidian eyes were mesmerising her. `What…? What is he doing…?!'

 

That was the question that many of the courtiers asked themselves. However, the news that the Peraya was conscious and well spread fast and a wave of well-wishers invaded the space around the bed. This drew the attention of the Pharaoh and the High Priestess of Eset and enabled Iridia to skip away unnoticed.

 

At least, that was what she thought.

 

Alone in a small garden, Iridia stopped to take control of her breath and her cardiac rhythm. `Why did I save that…brat and tyrant?' It was funny to ask herself that question since she didn't think of it during the three days she helped Ayath to heal him. She sighed and kicked a stone. “So troublesome!” She absorbed herself into the white petals of the garden's flowers. She thought back at the moment she understood that her captor was dying. `At that time, I cease to resent him. All the anger and hatred in my heart just disappeared…' And she also felt that she didn't want for those dark feelings to enter anew her heart.

 

She was so focused on her confusion that she didn't sense the two silhouettes observing her. Aayrt (Serpent) smiled wickedly as her prey was alone. She turned to the powerfully built Nubian at her side. “Here she is! Did you understand what I required of you?”

 

The massive man smirked, revealing a disastrous teeth condition. “Yes, Mistress. I am to kill and mutilate this slip of a girl and make sure that the body is discovered.”

 

Iridia was still thinking about what she had felt and what she was currently feeling about the young Pharaoh. She came to a disturbing conclusion. `Holy shit! It can't be that! I just can't be falling for that tyrannical brat!' The young woman had acknowledged that she was, at least, physically interested by the prime example of fine male that was Nekhti: After all she had eyes and was a healthy young woman. But for the rest… `Our relationship is all about strength. He searches to dominate me and I resist him. This is not love and our cultural backgrounds completely clashes together. There is no future between us: my freedom is the only thing I want from him.' She hesitated. `Well, there can't be anything between us, unless… we both compromise…' She frowned. `And there is also Ayath in the equation…'

 

The attack came as a complete surprise. She gasped in pain as a big hand seized her by the back of her neck and she was thrown on the ground: The impact dazed her. Two hands circled her throat and began to squeeze. She let out a gargled whimper and her terrified eyes locked on the nightmarish figure above her.

 

A powerful black bald man was lurching above her, his sheer mass restraining her attempts to get free. He smirked cruelly at her, his rotten hot breath almost smothering the little air she had. “Be good for me, little girl, and maybe I'll ease your passage into Anup's (Anubis) hands. The man chuckled as the woman began to trash under him. She didn't have any leverage on him and his weight was sufficient to pin her on the ground. He slowly increased the pressure around her slender white throat. He wanted to take his time, to see the despair building in her strange tearing luminescent green eyes and to listen to her struggling to simply breathe. It wasn't the first murder he did for the sect of Sutekh (Set) and it won't be the last.

 

Somewhere in the palace, a hidden dodecahedron shone in the darkness of a locked bronze chest.

 

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Maaukepu was watching over his Peraya with Ayath nearby when the young man suddenly sat up, eyes wide in dismay. “TAMIT!”

 

Maaukepu blinked. “Your Majesty?”

 

Nekhti stared around in confusion and dread. “Wha…! Where…! Who dares to do something like this?!”

 

Ayath tried to soothe her brother. “What is it, Nekhti? What's happening?”

 

Nekhti stood up with effort. “It's Tamit! She's in danger!”

 

Maaukepu tried to calm the agitated young man. “You're still weak from the poison! I'll go instead!”

 

Nekhti pushed back the helping hand. “NO! I must go save her… She's my benefactor!” The young man staggered out of his chamber, taking his sword on the way. Still shaking from his ordeal against the adder and ignoring the questions of his armed escort, Nekhti rushed out the palace, following a mysterious signal.

 

Iridia was weakly trying to break the deadly hold on her. Already her vision was darkening and she struggled to retain her consciousness. His attacker was a sadist that was chuckling at her: Numerous times, he had released his hold to just reapply it behind, prolonging the agony and the terror of the young girl.

 

Suddenly a dagger flew in the back of the colossus and stabbed him in the shoulder. Roaring in pain, the Nubian released the French woman and whirled around.

 

Coughing, Iridia gazed upon a shaking Nekhti trying to staying upright and drawing his sword. The Nubian snarled in hate and prepared to rush the young Pharaoh to break his puny neck. With dismay, Iridia noted that Maaukepu and armed guards arrived only now in vicinity. They didn't have the time to help Nekhti if the assassin decided to take him out.

 

From her bruised throat a snarling “NO!” raised. She didn't know where the burst of energy came from, she didn't care. She seized it and used it. She sat up and gathered herself in a tight coiled shape with her knees bended under the great mass of the Nubian.

 

The assassin noted her movements and hesitated a fraction of second. It was sufficient.

 

“SHO RYU KEN!”

 

The scream was instinctive and only helped to release enough energy to pull out the move although it almost tore apart her abused throat. It was something that Iridia had developed a long time ago for play with her friends in the dojo when she learned Karate. It was taken from a video game, but the famous Dragon Punch was something that could be partially used in reality. Basically, it was a jumping uppercut and Iridia had just managed to accomplish it.

 

She started low under her target and uncoiled her body like a spring. Her tightly clenched fist reached under the plexus of the Nubian and began to slide along the skin, the knuckles deeply imbedded in the flesh. The uppercut reached the chin and the legs of Iridia jumped up, taking the punch in the air.

 

The powerful Nubian was raised a few feet in the air by the explosive power of the Dragon Punch and a sinister crack was heard. The massive body fell on the ground and empty surprised eyes were looking unseeing to the sky. Iridia had managed to break the neck of her attacker.

 

Still coughing, Iridia remained kneeling on the ground unmindful of her painful fist. She could only gaze at Nekhti who was shakily trying to reach her without falling down. `Nekhti…? You saved me…?'

 

Nekhti leaned to her and embraced her. Iridia let go off her tattered control and began to openly sob in the arms of the young man. It had been too close, she didn't care who or what was Nekhti, she needed the comfort and the care. She cried as she let herself soothed by the warm embrace.

 

The young French woman had already brushed Death two times before. Once, she fell headfirst from a tree in her childhood but earned only a scratched cheek from it. The second time was when she lost the control of her car during a rainy day and fortunately found herself intact and safe with only a big scare on the sideway. But this time, she had almost been killed by a human and she had seen it coming. Even the mysterious aggression by an armed Egyptian before her capture by Nekhti had been just that: An aggression.

 

Nekhti smiled as he embraced the young girl. Something light and fluttering entered his heart. He slowly stroked her hair and her back in soothing patterns as he felt her hot tears sliding along his skin. The only response of the green-eyed girl was to curl up against him, much like a child, but he could feel her tears and sobs lessening. “Tamit! Thanks Ra I came on time!” He gently chuckled as he held what had become his most treasured possession. `If not, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.'

 

He waited for the sobbing to cease and maintained his warm embrace around the foreign Living Goddess. He whispered to her ear. “Iridia, my saviour. Please agree to become my little sister.”

 

Iridia blinked away the rest of her tears and gasped at the proposition. “Oh, your Highness?” `He used my real name?'

 

“Nekhti. You will call me Nekhti from this day on when we're not in public.”

 

Behind the enlaced couple, Maaukepu blinked at the strange scene and shook his head in admiration. He had seen the incredible way used by the raven-haired girl to strike down the Nubian: Another proof that there was more than meets the eyes about Tamit. He had known that she had been trained as a warrior, but the strange technique and the foreign words she yelled during its execution…

 

Ayath was all smiles as she observed the couple. Her brother had managed to catch the heart of the young woman and she wasn't resisting that much. Granted, the shock of the tentative of murder was wreaking havoc in her, but she could feel that something genuine had been seeded in the young heart.

 

Iridia wet her dry lips. “It's… It's quite an honour, your… Hum… Nekhti… But what I did was just my duty. You don't have to do that.” `Oh gods! Stop looking at me that way!'

 

Nekhti smiled and looked into the emerald eyes, searching for something. “Tomorrow, I'll go before the court and confer you to be my queen, to be the Queen of Upper Egypt, and with Ayath we'll assume power.”

 

Iridia's eyes widened and she gaped to Nekhti. “Huh?” `WHAT?! HE CAN'T BE SERIOUS!' “NO! You can't!” Panicked, the young girl broke the embrace of the surprised young man. “You can't choose me as your queen! I'm from a too different culture!”

 

Nekhti blinked. “What?”

 

Iridia swallowed. She must convince Nekhti to not do that, at all costs. “I'm sorry! But I can't! I still have my family waiting for me. I need to return!”

 

Nekhti was completely flabbergasted. He just offered her the throne of half his kingdom and she refused? “What are you saying? I don't understand.”

 

Iridia took a breath to calm her. “I regret not being able to accept this proposal…this honour…but this place is not where I belong…”

 

Nekhti frowned and reacted. “What do you mean?!” He grasped her by the shoulders and pinned her on a wall. “Tamit, repeat what you've said!”

 

`Damn! I forget his strength.' She grasped his wrist but bravely looked into his confused and angry obsidian eyes. “Yes! I can't accept to be your queen.”

 

This almost floored the Pharaoh. “Why not?”

 

“Because we belong to two different worlds! My mere presence at the side of you and your sister risk to destabilize your very culture.”

 

At the rear of the scene, Ayath raised an eyebrow. She also had been surprised by the flat out refusal of the young foreigner, but her reasons were perfectly logical. Of course, there was more than simple logic in the proposal of Nekhti. He was simply following his heart.

 

And Nekhti once again listen to his heart. Angry and hurt, he reacted as he had the habitude, with violence. His grasp on her shoulder became painful. “What insolence! Are you aware that you are committing treason?”

 

Maaukepu intervened. “Your highness, please calm down!” With dismay he approached his Pharaoh whose visage had become white.

 

Nekhti was still recuperating from the poison of the adder and his anger was making him dizzy and in pain. He let go of Iridia and wobbled on his legs.

 

Maaukepu took his arm to straighten him. “Anger will only make you more tired!”

 

Nekhti tried to push back his helpers. “Leave me alone!” `Uh… it hurts!'

 

However, it was without counting on his sister who gave her instructions. “Bring the Peraya back to the palace.” She then approached the stricken time-displaced French and helped her on her feet. “Tamit, will you return with my brother?”

 

Still shaken by her brush with death and the sudden proposal of the Pharaoh, Iridia was trying to gather her wits. “But my Heqt…”

 

Ayath shook her head and pressed her finger on the lips of the blushing girl. “His majesty needs you to look after him. Please don't decline.”

 

The same obsidian eyes as her brother held captive the helpless girl who could only meekly nodded. `What a shame… I could have asked him to release me instead of being his queen. I hurt him when I refused.' She shook her head. `No. It was the best solution. No matter what, it would have been a catastrophe to be at their side. I'll persuade him slowly that it was for the best.'

 

At a gesture of his queen, Maaukepu escorted back to the palace the young slave. `This girl is really strange. She disregarded both power and riches, and yet. It is obvious that she came from a rich culture where she had everything she wanted. It is also undeniable that she had enough power to escape.' He looked admirably at the frail silhouette. `In this world, are there many people who are honourable and kind like her?'

 

Iridia wasn't aware of his scrutiny as she was still in the grasp of her dilemma. When Nekhti had embraced her and asked her to be a part of his family, her heart had fluttered. `Let Nekhti be sad. I admit that I am drawn to him, but…' She shook her head. `So difficult, but I can't take responsibility for Egypt! I must go home!'

 

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And, of course, the arrival in the palace wasn't very good for Iridia. As she approached the chambers of Nekhti, she could already hear him shouting at his servants.

 

“No medicine!” Nekhti backhanded the tray of potions from the hand of the servant girl. “I already said that I don't want to take them!”

 

Iridia pinched her nose behind a column. `I swear he is a brat throwing a temper tantrum.' She narrowed her eyes. `I deeply wounded him both in his heart and his ego.' She remembered the unfair punishment of her friend Akhu (Light) because he knew her. `Maybe I should run away and get back my dodecahedron later. But first I must save Akhu!'

 

She began to exit the private chambers of the Pharaoh with the firm intention to prepare for her evasion, but she was stopped by the guards who explained that she was forbidden to leave this wing of the palace under the Peraya Horimerit's orders.

 

She blinked at that and then winced as she sensed a familiar presence behind her.

 

“Where did you intend to go?” She gulped as she turned to see Nekhti just behind her. `Uh oh! Trouble!'

 

Nekhti glared at the young girl. “From now on, you'll be the only one to serve me!” She could only obey under the dismayed gaze of the other servants. Satisfied, Nekhti regained his bedroom. “Bring me wine!”

 

Wanting to help the young girl who selflessly sacrificed herself to heal their Peraya, a servant tried to do just that. “Yes, my Peraya!”

 

Nekhti immediately reacted. “I didn't ask you! Tamit will do that!”

 

“Of course, your majesty!” The poor servant could only retreat to her peers and let the young foreigner to her fate.

 

Nekhti looked to the white-clad girl with her hair still bleached as a result of her actions. `You don't want to be a queen then be a slave for me!'

 

Having used the little time to fetch his wine to recompose her, Iridia bravely faced the young man. Internally she was still scared of his reaction. “Here, your majesty.”

 

Nekhti took the cup. “Get closer.”

 

Blinking, Iridia obeyed but flinched when Nekhti grabbed her wrist.

 

Nekhti pulled her to him. “Sit down!” Dismayed and scared, Iridia resisted him to his irritation. “When I said sit, you must sit!” He grabbed her other wrist and forced the young girl near him. “Stubborn slave!”

 

“Please, let me go! You're hurting my hands!” Nekhti continued to wrestle with her and forced her back to his couch. “You're really hurting me!”

 

Ayath entered the bedroom and frowned. “Nekhti, I have something to say to you.”

 

Nekhti looked to his sister and let go of Iridia who sighed in relief. “You can go!” He pushed away the young girl. She almost ran past Ayath who clearly saw the tears in her eyes.

 

Iridia rushed to the garden. “Thanks the gods that Ayath came at that time.” `She helped me escape. I really don't know what to do about Nekhti. He is becoming too fierce.”

 

Nekhti faced his sister that held a clouded visage. “What's wrong?”

 

Ayath massaged her eyes. “What do you think you're doing?” She pointed in the direction of the departed French girl. “You really think this attitude will make Tamit change her mind?”

 

Nekhti stood up angrily and turned away from his sister. “Of course she will! She's my captive! My slave! She will obey me!”

 

Ayath shook her head. “Brother, brother! Have you forgotten the prophecy? It is clearly written that only the chains of Hathor would anchor her to us.” She approached her brother and forced him to look into her eyes. “This matrimony will protect the purity of our royal bloodline and give a marvellous gift to our kingdom. But! It will not happen if Tamit don't love you!” She took her brother by the hand and pulled him to the balcony above the garden where a small white silhouette was kneeling near lotus flowers. “She's like a frail but beautiful flower. She's a trembling newborn kitten. The gods have delivered her to us, but now it's our turn to do something properly.”

 

Nekhti looked closely at his sister and noted the way she was looking at the young girl. “You love her, sister.”

 

Ayath smiled: a true smile that seemed to illuminate the bedroom. “Since the very beginning. When you threw her at my feet, I saw true beauty. In her frightened eyes, there was fire: The fire of a passion that could engulf and warm the entire country and its people.” Her voice became serious as she looked into the obsidian eyes of her younger brother. “But if you continue to abuse her, to consider her as a simple slave…”

 

“I KNOW!” Nekhti whirled around, frustration evident in his gestures and posture. He walked like a caged animal and crossed his arms. “To me, Iridia has more meaning than anything in this world!” He sighed and closed his eyes. “This is why I'm afraid.” He clenched his fists. “I'm afraid of loosing her if I don't do something, anything.” He whirled back to his sister and seized her by the shoulders. “I would give up everything just to have her…but I don't know what to do. Do you understand?”

 

Ayath continued to smile and her hand brushed against his cheek. “Oh yes, I understand perfectly.”

 

Nekhti returned to the balcony to admire again the foreign Living Goddess. “Iridia, her heart is so kind, her eyes so understanding. When I stand beside her, I suddenly feel so base.”

 

Ayath pressed herself on the back of her brother, her arms making soothing circles on his chest. “You love her, brother.”

 

He meekly nodded. His newest conquest had conquered him. “I wish I can be that flower, to be caressed in her ivory hands!” He captured the hands of his sister, basking in her love and in their mutual love for the black-haired foreigner. “She sits there, only a few steps from us, but she seems so far away… Iridia…”

 

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Notes: Sorry about the delay, but my main computer is still non-functioning.

 

Please, read and review. Thanks.