DAUGHTER OF APEP ~ fantasy novel
Phrases? -
The Pharaoh set his gaze on Aziza. "Your information has proved very useful. For that the House of Life gives you thanks." her eyes lit up with hope, but quickly dissipated as he continued, "But that does not change the fact that you lied and deliberately disobeyed your master's orders. You are hereby discharged of your Chief Lector duties. However, you may return to the First Nome, as a Scribe or a Teacher or something else, if you wish. But that will be all." The meaning of his words were clear- their marriage was over.
Aziza blurted, "But- but!"
The Pharaoh looked at her. "Do you have something worthy of keeping me here, Miss Prehnite?"
Ouch. Big slap in the face, calling her by her maiden name.
"I'm not Aziza Prehnite anymore." she managed. "That changed when I married you, Aaron! I'm Aziza Lazuli now. We're husband and wife!"
Her voice softened with desperation. "We love each other."
For one spilt second it seemed as though the Pharaoh would forgive her. Embrace her in his arms for the first time in months, kiss her welcome. But then his deep, merciless blue eyes hardened and all he said with a glare and a harsh voice was, "You are not worthy of my love."
CHAPTER X
I glanced at Aziza. At her long, lustrous gold hair that shimmered in the sunlight. At her sharp, emerald green eyes that were filled with tears of pain and hurt. At her soft red lips that were pursed in defeat. She looked the same, yet how had she become so different? She who had gone through more than all of us put together, who had stayed strong throughout her entire torturous journey. She who had never cried once in our presence, who had always joked and laughed.
How could one phrase break a woman like that?
I looked accusingly at the Pharaoh, silently accusing him for Aziza's sadness. He deserved the scorn. What man tells his wife "You are not worthy of my love" and thinks he can just get away with it? Not to forget the lovely extension known as 'the sneer of disgust.'
Not that I didn't feel betrayed- I mean, finding out my best friend and sister figure is the daughter of the evil chaos snake we've been trying to defeat, and that too on my birthday? Not exactly my idea of the perfect gift. But at the same time, I couldn't help admiring her gumption. She had been a black sheep in Apophis's army for months together, knowing she could get caught in the act at any time. Yet she stayed put, waiting for the right moment to return to her home base and reveal what she'd found.
She'd earned my forgiveness. But not everyone felt the same way, like her husband- Lord Aaron Lazuli, Pharaoh of the Earth and number one enemy of Apophis. Well, number two now, I think. He's probably seething mad at Aziza. But hey, I mean, maybe there's some shred of humanity (or snake-ity. Reptile-ity. Good-ity? You know what, lets go with morality. Or shame. Or common sense. Or- fine, morality it is). As I was saying, maybe there was some shred of morality left in the demon that whispered Hey, maybe I shouldn't kill my daughter for betraying me and my troops to the enemy! Must be a really quite whisper because that seems like a long shot for him.
Aziza looked at the ground, her watery green eyes not straying from the swirling sands at her feet. "If you say so." she whispered at last, her voice raw. The Pharaoh looked at her with unkind eyes. "And it's not Aaron anymore- address me as Lord Lazuli. I'll have your tongue cut off for lack of proper respect if you don't."
He turned around and marched back into the First Nome. The second he had passed through the passage, Aziza crumpled to the floor, her weeping somehow echoing in the open. UEM, I supposed. Unintentional Emotionally-Triggered Magic. I rushed over, kneeling beside her and cradled her neck. She cried into my shoulder, the sobs of a woman who had fought so hard to keep her world balanced and lost everything in a mere minute. She didn't speak, and neither did me or my friends who stood surrounding us. She simply cried and I held her. Right now all she needed was someone to tell her she wasn't alone. So I did. I held her tight.