Chapter 5

"The girl played her part well, if I may say so?"

"She did. Now if we could tame that tongue of hers, she may be of use to me."

Nabneteru turned to Queen Tuya with a questioning look.

"Have you decided what that use is?"

"No, I thought that was your role in all this 'Priest' to interpret what the gods intended?"

"The gods are not always easy to read. They too enjoy playing their games."

Queen Tuya stood from her seat in the now-empty console room and made her way to cross the hall. "They should not play games with me. I don't like to play fair." She turned to face Nabneteru before leaving. "If the girl is to stay she must be made useful. A pretty girl with no brains is not kept around for long and if she is it is only for sex. See that a tutor is assigned to her."

Nabnetru bowed in compliance.

The hot sun greeted Queen Tuya as she stepped into the courtyard outside the council. The harvest would be starting soon, and her plans depended on it being a good one.

"Is it a good idea to ignore the Pharoah?"I ask Ramesses. We were hiding behind a wall listing for sounds of someone coming.

"It's fine. He's not a god yet." Ramesses laughed, "besides, I still have some questions for you."

I made a confused look appear on my face. "I am afraid I won't have many answers for you."

"Ah yes. I 'lost memories' ploy. Yes, that was clever." He turned to face me. His face inches from mine, and my back against a wall. Eyes searching for answered, Ramesses scanned my face. "Now what's the truth?"

"Prince are you implying that I lied? " I put on my best-appalled face.

A smile, not at all nice, crept across Ramesses face. "Course not. But," his head tilted and stepped closer to me, "if there something you would feel more comfortable sharing with your savior I would be open to hearing it."

I stepped to the side, and Ramesses followed as I expected. I quickly slide in the opposite direction leaving him with his back to the wall. I began to walk backward.

"Honestly, I thought my interrogation was over." A proud smile on my face turned to go down the steps. Before I got to the bottom, I look back a Ramesses. "What is a girl without a few secrets." And before he could respond I began to make my way back to where my chambers were.

I open to door to my room hoping to find it empty. Instead I found the priest, Nabneteru, waiting for me.

"Hello, you were excellent today. You almost had me convinced of your story."

I thought back to the conversation I just had. I guess not everyone was a sold with my story as Nabneteru thought they were.

"No time to talk, I have to get to the temple to perform my final daily rituals. Come, you will walk me there while we talk."

I followed Nabnetern down hallways leading to the exterior of the palace as he spoke to me.

"The Queen and I feel that it would be best for you, in order to feel more comfortable here, be given some lessons."

Alarmed, I raised my voice. "How long do you expect me to be here! I thought you two were going to help me get home."

Nabneteru tried to calm me. "Of course we are working on that my dear." He looked around to make sure no one was witnessing my fir. "We are just trying to make you comfortable in this place. I can't promise a date for when you will return. After all, you can't deny it would hurt to gain a little knowledge."

Panic was coursing through me. Up till this point, I had just assumed I would be sent home soon; not giving much thought how or who would get me home. I tried to calm my breathing. Nabneteru continued to talk about my schedules for the following days, but I was only half listening. What about my sister, my father, and my date! Jake must think I am crazy. I guess they don't technically exist yet, but embarrassment knows no limits such as logic.

"This is where I must leave you, only Priest and Priestess are allowed beyond this point."

And there I was left, at the second entrance to a massive temple adorn in brightly painted walls of hieroglyphics to ponder my fate. I turned and began walking back to the palace through the streets of the temple complex.

Instead of heading back to my chambers, I followed a path that brought me down to the river bank. Cattails and reeds blew in the wind, there backs bending closer and closer to water but never touching. The banks we muddy the closer I got, so I took off my shoes and held my skirts in my hands. The water consumed my ankles then my knees.

"Miss, where are you going?"

I turned to see a young child at the banks holding a bucket.

"Home," I said flatly.

The little boy walked out to where I was.

"Home is the other way."

We both stood there watching the sunset.

"My mother says it's dangerous out here, special at night. Ra is going into the underworld to fight the demons in order for the sun can rise tomorrow."

He took my hand and looked up at me. "We need to go back to the shore."

I nodded and let him guide me back.

"I have to go back to my mother, will you be ok lady?"

"Yes." I smile at the boy. He smiles back and walks off with his water. I watch him make his way off to a house I didn't know to a family that wasn't mine.

Still, in a daze, I followed the maze of hallways and rooms to ones that had been assigned to me. I close the door quietly behind mine.

"Why are you always covered in mud and water! Now I have to go find clothes and draw you a bath." Chion is sitting on my bed looking irritated.

"Chion. What are you doing here?" I say through my teeth trying not to yell. "Don't you have other things to do."

"It's my job to see that you are prepared for bed. You also never finished telling me about your meeting." Chion said indignantly as she came over to take my wet clothes away. "There's not much to tell. A bunch of people stared at me while a told my tale."

"I bet all the women were beautiful and the men looked all handsome." Chion sighed the way you can only do as a child when the world is still young and everything is beautiful.

I took my wet dress off. "I promise the next time I am put on trial you can come with me."

"Really!" Chion looked at with eyes that shown.

I laughed. "Yes."

She danced out the door but pocked her head back in. "And I bet the Prince would enjoy seeing you again."

"Out," I said pointing to the door.

Chion smiled lightly and closed the door.