After careful research about the facts in the movie The Mummy, I have realized that it will be easier for me to work with the facts from the movie, rather than actual history. I apologize for anything that I get wrong when writing this. If I do, please let me know, so I can correct it.
Also, I don't know all of the titles that a person can call a pharaoh or priest, so I'm just going to guess.
The doors to the throne room of Pharaoh Seti I swung open as the guards allowed the guests to enter. The three cloaked warriors walked into the center of the room and knelt down before their ruler.
"These are them," he questioned the captain of his bodyguards, the Medjai.
"Yes, my pharaoh. They were trained by us to be the best and at this time, we need the best," Ammon replied.
"Present them."
Ammon stepped forward and began to introduce the warriors that would be responsible for the safety of the royal family.
The first warrior stepped forward and lowered their hood. She had the classical features of a beautiful Egyptian woman with cobalt, straight hair and dark brown eyes. There was nothing that set her apart from others in looks, but the intensity that was shown in her eyes gave off an aura of passion behind her movements. Her name was Anck-su-Namun.
The second warrior proceeded to do the same after her. She had brown hair that, when braided, reached just above her waist. Her eyes, although brown, carried tents of honey. She carried an innocence about her, but she had her share of events in the past. Her name was Ebio (honey).
The last warrior was similar, but different to the others for she had not been trained to be in this life, but was born into it instead, though she was a stranger. She had hair similar to Ebio's, except when in the sun, it shined like gold, but that was not the biggest difference between her and the others. It was her sapphire eyes and paler skin that signaled that she was not originally from this land. Her name was Zahrah (desert flower), a name which was given to her since the Medjai found her in the desert.
They stood still as the pharaoh approached and circled around them. "Are you so sure that this is the best," he questioned.
"If you would like, my pharaoh, they would be willing to demonstrate their skills," Ammon replied as he made his way to a wall of weapons.
The pharaoh nodded his head as he made his way to the throne. On the left side, his beloved daughter, Nefertiti and on his right side stood his High Priest, Imhotep.
The warriors made their way to the wall as Ammon began handing them knives that they were to duel with. When they were ready, the pharaoh told them to begin. Fighting one on one is hard, but as warriors trained by the Medjai, they were able to take on many more. Knives clashed against each other as they fought to prove themselves worthy of being guards. Eyes followed all three, but one set of eyes stayed focused on the gold that flew around the room. Imhotep had never seen someone with gold hair that could rival Ra's glow in the sky. He observed how she and Anck-su-Namun took out Ebio, but it was only her who helped Ebio out of the area before turning to Anck-su-Namun. They turned towards each other and began the clashing of metal again. Anck-su-Namun disarmed Zahrah, but she kept fighting her until they were both disarmed and were resorting to hand-to-hand combat.
The pharaoh nodded to Ammon, who yelled stop to the warriors. They immediately paused and turned towards the pharaoh and resumed their positions from before their fight. The crowd in the throne room, calmly clapped for the warriors and waited to hear the pharaoh.
"An inspiring fight," he said to the warriors and Ammon.
"We thank you, my lord," Ammon replied for the warriors.
"I believe that they are worthy," he said as he walked back and forth in front of the women. He dismissed everybody in the room, except for the warriors, Nefertiti, Imhotep, and Ammon. He then turned and stood before them to say, "I have made my choice. I choose Anck-su-Namun as my guard."
She bowed her head to the pharaoh and left to stand behind him. The other two guards stood before him to hear where they would be, or if they were not good enough.
"Imhotep," the pharaoh called. He came to stand to the side of him and turned his head to the pharaoh.
"I know you don't think that you need it, but for my sake take one. Think of it as a gift," he said with a smug smile for everybody knew that to reject a gift from pharaoh was a punishable offense.
"Of course, my lord," he replied, knowing that there was nothing he could do.
"Here," he said grabbing the Zahrah's arm and dragging her over to Imhotep.
"Take the desert flower as a gift of appreciation for what you have done for me," he said as she was thrust into Imhotep's chest.
Zahrah and Imhotep looked into each other's eyes and there was a spark. He shook it off, and gently grasped her shoulders to move her to stand beside him.
"That leaves you," pharaoh said turning back to the last warrior. "I think you will be more suited to guarding my daughter, Nefertiti," he said waving her over. As she approached, he said, "You would be better at starting to train her to protect herself and then she can move up to the others."
With everybody assigned, the pharaoh, Ammon, and Anck-su-Namun left in one direction while Nefertiti and Ebio left in the other. Imhotep and Zahrah slowly walked out of the throne room and made their way to Imhotep's quarters.
They walked through the palace until they approached the living areas.
Imhotep turned towards Zahrah, but was unsure of what to say since he hadn't planned on returning tonight with a guard. They stopped at his study as he made his way to sit behind his work table. Zahrah stood still at the doorway, unsure of what to do. She was told by her brothers that she would probably be tasked with protecting the princess, so she was unsure of this.
"You can sit down," he said as he began to look over scrolls laying on his desk.
She looked apprehensive at his suggestion, but slowly made her way to sit on a cushion that was around the table. She sat stiff as a board while taking in the room, observing hiding spots and exits.
He looks up from his scrolls to see her posture and says, "You don't have to do that."
She turns her head to face him and asks, "Do what?"
"Observe the vantage points as if an assassin. There is nothing to protect me from," he says looking back to the scrolls.
"If there was nothing threatening you, then I wouldn't be here."
He sighs as he looks up at her and said, "It is merely a formality. He knows that I cannot turn you away for that is an insult to him and the Medjai."
She simply nods her head as this is nothing new to her. The Medjai had instilled on her what an honor this was and would be disappointed in her, even though her brothers would never say it.
"If you do not want me to guard you, then what am I to do," she asked standing up, for sitting had become uncomfortable.
"What can you do," he asks watching as she makes her way around the room.
"I can fight," she replies as she walks around the room.
"But since I have no need for that, we must find something else for you to," he says. He pauses and considers whether or not she will answer him truthfully. "Can you read," he asks looking at the scrolls.
She freezes in her spot and regards what he has asked. He looks up to see her frozen.
"Well, can you?"
"What would happen if I said yes," she asks quietly for she has heard that not many are taught this skill and that it could lead to punishment if they could.
He looks at her and says, "If you could, I would then ask if you could write. If you said yes again, I would tell you to help me get through these scrolls."
She debates inside her head whether or not to trust him with this information. "I can do both," she replies.
"Good. Come over here and help me through these scrolls."
She makes her way to him and sits. He passes some scrolls over to her and gives her instructions as to what to do. It is mostly just checking records, but it was something to do, so Zahrah wasn't going to turn it away. They worked their way past sundown until it was finished. While they were working, servants had brought in her luggage from her previous residence and set it in the room that they were working in.
"Where am I to be," she asked as she rose and stretched from a long day of sitting.
Imhotep froze as he had never considered that since he didn't know that he would be getting a warrior. She turned around to look at him and figured out the situation.
"I was an unexpected surprise I see."
"Yes, an unexpected surprise. Make yourself comfortable for tonight and it will be dealt with in the morning," he said making his way to his bedroom. "A washroom is through the doors on the right and you may place clothing in the door on the left."
She watched until he disappeared from view and finally relaxed enough to take in the beauty of the chambers. Like many of the buildings in this ancient empire, the rooms were filled with depictions of the Egyptian culture with precious metals and rare gems decorating it. It was decorated more than what she was used to, but it didn't bother her. She went to explore the side rooms and liked what she saw. Who knew that the priest would have a hot spring?
She made her way back to the living area and settled down on one of the low couches. This is not what I expected. I had never thought about becoming the High Priest's guard. No, not a guard. But then a what?
As the sounds of the night surrounded her, she succumbed to sleep. Behind the gossamer sheets that hung around his bed, Imhotep watched her until she was in a deep sleep. After a while, he turned and went to bed. It was a rather eventful day, so a good night's rest was needed for all those in Egypt tonight.
