A/N: I wrote this story a while ago, so it wasn't really my best work. I'm going to be editing it and adding more. So, for old readers, I hope you like the revised version. For new readers, thanks for reading and feel free to leave your opinion of the story. I just ask that you don't be rude and nasty in your review. Other than that, enjoy the fanfic!
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own YuGiOh.
Teana. My name once meant daughter, sister, friend, guardian, princess, nobility.
Now, my name means nothing more than filth, rubbish, street rat, beggar, slave, powerless, worthless.
Nearly six months ago, I was kidnapped from my home land and sold into slavery by my betrothed. Tears in my eyes, I called after him, becoming more and more desolate with each step he took away from me. For I know not how long, I was imprisoned on a boat with other slaves, forced to watch in horror as the slaves around me died. The stench of death is one that I will never forget.
When we arrived in the foreign land Aigyptos, I hoped that someone would recognize me for who I was. I hoped that someone would take me back to my family, to my home. I passed the first day trying to explain to the slave trader that I was not a slave but rather a person of noble birth. Despite my protests, he did not listen and turned instead to the whip. Not one to surrender, I sought to try again. However, the day I was to try again to convince him of my noble standing, I watched in horror as a young noble woman from a foreign land was sold to a group of men.
Terrified and beaten but not broken, I held my silence, knowing in my heart that someone would find me and rescue me. That hope helped me remain strong as I watched other slaves get sold to new owners while even more came in on boats. I watched as the old and crippled were cast aside, and the dead dumped as if they were nothing more than rubbish.
As the days passed, the spark of hope that burned in my heart began to die, like a fire being put out. Still, I fought to hold onto my hope, for I had nothing else that I could call my own.
Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes became hours. Hours morphed into days. Days slowly became weeks. I lost count of the amount of times I had watched the sun rise and then set. Each day that passed, my hope grew dimmer and dimmer, and my desperation grew stronger and stronger. I had been reduced to a mere ghost of my former self.
Until one day, my spirit weakened but not broken, I fought my captor and managed to knock him out. Seizing my chance, I dashed into the night and ran, praying to the gods that I would find safety somewhere.
I use to believe that every cloud had a silver lining. But, no matter how hard I looked, I could not find my silver lining. Did it even exist or was it merely a lie told to those who had nothing left but hope?
But, I didn't even have hope any longer. I realized, I had no silver lining. My cloud was a dark storm cloud that was meant to eclipse my life forever.
"Teana! Cease this sitting around. We have much to do before the night dawns," Athar scolded the young girl. "Pharaoh has ordered a dance tonight at his banquet, therefore you must practice. I will not have you ruin the performance tonight."
Teana looked up at the woman towering before her. A plump woman with a strict face, Athar was dressed in the finest clothing made from the finest material. The wife of a palace official, she enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle and enjoyed more freedom than the average woman. Her cold eyes looked down at Teana, who shot her an equal look of venom. The woman narrowed her eyes at the young girl before her face softened ad she sighed.
"Teana, come now child," Athar sighed as she raised Teana to her feet. Smiling at the girl, she continued, "consider it a blessing that Pharaoh has allowed you to dance in his court. Not many women are allowed to do so and never before has he allowed a servant to do so. Especially one from a foreign country."
Teana sighed and nodded humbly as the woman gently scolded her. She knew that every word that left the woman's lips was true. She was rather lucky that she was allowed such a privilege.
Had it not been for Athar, she would still have been in the streets at the mercy of those leering men. She shuddered at the memory and quickly pushed it from her mind. However, she could not push the woman's favor from her mind. Were it not for Athar passing by on her litter at that exact moment, Teana didn't know what would have happened to her.
Taking pity on her, Athar had employed her as a maid. At first, the woman had been strict and scolded her, never losing an opportunity to assert her dominance. Teana had greatly disliked the woman as well, as she had never been ordered around before like a servant. She had been a princess, born and raised in royalty. However, the woman had saved her life, something that Teana could not ignore nor forget.
As a result, she'd swallowed whatever pride she had had left and worked as hard as she could to repay the woman's favor, keeping her identity a secret. She'd learned, upon first arriving in this land, that it was better to keep her identity a secret as it granted her more protection.
Within a few weeks, her compliance and humbleness had won the woman's heart.
Now, Teana thanked her lucky stars that Athar had been the one to find her that night when she'd decided to run away from the slave market.
Living with the woman had been a true blessing, something that Teana had not experienced since she had been kidnapped from her home and sold to a slave trader. Athar had warmed up to her and now treated her more like a daughter rather than a servant.
She had later revealed that she had always wanted a daughter but had given birth to three sons, something that many people considered a blessing. Athar, however, had still desired a daughter and had been more than pleased to assume the role of mother figure in Teana's life. Although the woman never showed her feelings in front of the girl, she felt strongly about Teana, and thought of her as a child of her own bosom.
"As you command, mother," Teana said as she readied herself for the dance, not seeing the brief smile on Athar's lips. Although she would never admit it, Athar enjoyed when Teana called her mother, even though she wasn't her own daughter.
"Perfect," Athar smiled at her before continuing, "now, my child, assume the position." Nodding, Teana raised her hand and positioned her body into a pose similar to picking flowers. Smiling, Athar nodded and began to clap her hands, establishing a rhythm. Following the sounds of the clapping, Teana stepped forward and raised her right hand her head, her fingers curved in a gesture.
Athar continued clapping, watching as Teana danced to merely her clapping and the invisible music she heard in her head. As she watched her, Athar knew that the child was talented. She had never seen even the Pharaoh's dancers move their bodies with such ease and grace.
Then again, Teana did not fit the image of a servant. When she'd found her months before, Athar had known at once that the child was not from Kemet. No, she was from a foreign land where, Athar was sure, she belonged to a, if not noble family, respectable family. For the first few weeks, the girl had shown signs of noble birth and had responded with acute hostility at being ordered around like a slave, something that made Athar more than certain that she was of noble birth. However, the child had never spoken to her of her birth and, because of that, Athar had never decided to confront her about it.
Even now, although Teana was humble and more compliant, Athar was well aware of the fact that the child was still prideful.
"Well done Teana," Athar smiled as the dance ended. Teana smiled back at her and gave her a slight bow before she moved to sit beside the woman.
"You are truly a dancer. It is as if you were gifted by the goddess Bastet," Athar praised her and Teana returned the smile, saying, "thank you mother."
Standing, Athar said, "perform as you just did, child, and you will be guaranteed a place in Pharaoh's court."
Getting to her feet as well, Teana replied, "hopefully, he thinks me worthy of it."
Athar nodded at her before she said, "now, dance practice is over. The linen will not wash itself."
With another bow, Teana turned and walked out of the room. Her chores for the day had begun.
As she leaned over the basin and began to wash the linen, she heard a noise behind her. Turning, she saw Adil, Athar's son, standing at the door, his eyes focused on her.
"Hello Brother Adil," she said as she gave a slight bow. When she straightened, she saw that he was looking at her with a cold look. Casting her eyes down, she turned and returned to her chores, aware that he was still staring at her. Only when she heard him leave and retire to the house did she relax.
"Mother," Adil greeted the woman with a kneel. Smiling, Athar gestured for him to stand and approach her.
"What is it, my son?" she asked, noticing that his face looked troubled.
"That woman," he spit, referring to Teana, "she dared to call me brother again."
Shaking her head, Athar replied, "she means no harm, child. She merely sees you as her brother."
"She is not my sister," Adil replied, shaking his head. "Nor am I her brother. She is merely a servant. She has no right to call me 'brother'."
"As you wish," Athar sighed. "I shall tell her not to call you such in the future."
Nodding, he moved to sit beside his mother at the table. After a few seconds, he bellowed, "servant, bring me my food!"
Clearing her throat, Athar said, "she is washing the linen. And Adil, please do not call her servant. Do not show such contempt towards her."
"As you wish, Mother," Adil replied, although there was a scowl on his face as he said it.
"I will get your food, my son," Athar said, rising from her seat and heading into the kitchen.
The moment his mother disappeared into the kitchen, Adil rose and moved towards the door. Teana was leaning over the washtub, scrubbing the linen. He examined her crouching figure. Her linen was fine, but not as fine as his mother's, with the parts that had gotten wet clinging to her figure. She wore golden bracelets on both of her upper arms and one on each wrist as well. He knew that the bracelets had all been presents from his mother to her. Around her neck was a gold pendant of the eye of Horus hung from a flax necklace and surrounded on either side by beads of varying sizes and shapes.
Clenching his fist, he watched as she scrubbed the linen, unaware of the fact that her curves could be seen because of the wetness. She looked like a goddess. He felt a growl in his throat and forced it down, coughing instead. Instantly, Teana looked up and saw him standing there.
She quickly rose to her feet, dropping the linen.
"Forgive me," she apologized with a bow, "I did not see you there."
When she looked back at him, he nearly staggered backwards under the intensity of her blue eyes, which were clear and deep. It was uncommon for one to have blue eyes in Kemet, especially a slave girl.
Teana stared at Adil, who hadn't moved and was simply looking at her. Suddenly, he began to walked towards her and she saw his fists unclench. Looking at his face, Teana was surprised to see that, despise the hard and serious look on it, there was a glimmer of passion burning in his eyes. Immediately, Teana lowered her eyes and looked down at the linen once again. She didn't know why but she'd always felt uneasy in his presence. The way he looked at her always gave her goosebumps, as it always seemed as though she was naked in his eyes. She knew that her fears were foolish and irrational as he was a powerful noble, yet she couldn't push them aside.
Just as he reached her, his mother's voice sounded from inside the house. Muttering something under his breath, he turned and returned to the house. As he did, Teana let out a sigh of relief and sent a silent prayer to the gods.
Returning her attention to the linen, Teana continued washing it. As she did, her mind wandered and she found herself thinking about her family, something that she did every day.
She blinked away the tears coming to her eyes as she thought of her father, who was most likely still looking for her. If only he knew that it was her betrothed who had sold her away to a slave trader. She wondered what he had told her father. Surely, he wouldn't have told her father the truth. Yet, there was no way that her father would not know what had happened.
Despite the fact that she was a daughter, her father had loved her immensely and was fiercely protective of her. If she was missing, she knew without a doubt that her father would have every soldier out looking for her and that he would not be satisfied until he found her. Thinking of him caused the tears to rush faster and Teana felt one roll down her cheek.
Though she had been raised with the spirit of a warrior, Teana felt as if she was becoming more and more pathetic as the days passed. She knew that her father would be pained if he saw her working as a servant. Her, the daughter of a proud Spartan king, was in a distant land washing the linen of nobles.
So, reviews! Tell me what you think about the new and improved chapter!
-DramaQueen95