The First Meeting:

Two years later, Seti found himself upon a balcony, looking at Egypt below; and in the distance, he could see the Hebrew slaves, working harder than ever on the statue of the Pharaoh; himself. Yes, he was Pharaoh now, the ruler of Egypt, and at the age of sixteen. His father was found dead one night; the healers said that his heart just gave out; and it was his time to pass on into the next life; which meant that it was Seti's time to rule the next generation. He had been the King of Egypt for over a few months, and grief has never stricken the royals so frequently; for Lara turned her card in as well; and joined his father. She was racing, the noble sport his late father called it, when she was bucked from the chariot and trampled on by other racers. Seti was heartbroken; he lost someone that he cared about deeply; someone who understood him, and wasn't scared of his presence in the slightest. Now that he was Pharaoh, he was always stressed, and always worried about making decisions that could affect Egypt for eternity. He wished nothing, but good among the Empire, but as young as he was, he didn't seem to be catching the hearts and minds of his people; for he was young. Many of the elders thought that there should be a temporary ruler. Apparently, his mother didn't think so; but the general was nice enough to be Seti's advisor by volunteer. Pharaoh continued to stare into the horizon; in which the sunset was drawing near. Suddenly, a hand was quickly placed on his shoulder, causing him to jump.

"Sorry to have scared you son," a woman whispered. It was his mother.

"Good evening mother," he greeted, with no sensual tone in his voice.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked. There was no reply. She continued to hover around the young king's shoulders, "Please Seti, speak to me. You haven't been yourself lately. You've been awfully quiet, and have seemed to be growing cold. You and I have drawn apart."

"Mother, I know that you want quality time with your son, but I'm not a child anymore; I'm Pharaoh. I don't have time for games or casual talk. This is the first time I've had time alone since coronation. And now you're ruining that special time for me!" Seti stared at the evening sun. His eyes grew heavy minute by minute; easily forgetting that his mother was there behind him, watching his every move. He'd hoped for a scolding, but instead a deeply saddened mother, yearning for her son said:

"Seti, I feel as if you don't love me anymore."

Seti turned to his mother faster than the speed of light; causing her to flinch slightly. He spoke, "How dare you say such a thing! I love you more than any woman on this entire planet. What am I saying? You are my world, mother. But, you just don't get it. I'm here in the palace, being berated by high priests and Senators alike; and they're all waiting for me to make a mistake; it's stressful! And I'm afraid that I will make a terrible mistake, and break that promise I made to father long ago."

Seti's mother knelt to his level, "Son, we all make mistakes; and we will make the worst at least once in our lifetime. And you know full well that I've even done so. You're young, but not the youngest king. And people are cruel," she paused for a moment, locking her eyes on Seti, who was going to let the truth be told, "Many in our kingdom will hate you; even the people that stand beside you on the throne. But there is good that comes from those poor mistakes. When a door closes, a window opens." Seti's mother placed a hand under his chin, and lifted it ever so slightly. "Just remember, that out of all the mortals in Egypt, I'm still your number one fan, who will always be on your side till the end of time."

Without hesitation, the young Pharaoh grasped tight around his mother's waist. His missed his father, he missed Laura, and he missed the title, Prince of Egypt. Pharaoh's mother could feel hot tears drop onto her robe. She glanced at her son, and slowly wiped the many tears rolling from his dark eyes.

He hiccupped, "I…I can't do it mother…I'm too young…I'm stress…stressed out! What if I destroy the empire as we speak? Oh, I don't think I can do it mother, I need help!"

"You need to relax, son. And your advisor is there beside you; willing to help you in any way possible. Your father died unexpectedly; neither I nor he expect you to be wise and experienced like your father. It's normal to feel this way. Your father took the throne when he was thirty, and just like you, he cracked. Isn't it funny to see that gruff man in the same position as you are now; cradled in his wife's arms? Isn't it funny?"

Seti smiled, "Yeah, it is."

"I'm so very proud of you Seti, but the hardest isn't over yet, my love. You haven't even sentenced anyone to death yet."

The last few words that his mother had said that night played in his mind like an echo in a cave. The next day, Seti sat by the edge of the river; this was located near the back of the palace. He was all alone; attempting to escape the clutches of the army leaders and high priests. Their eyes were always upon him. He couldn't do this, or that; his hands were truly tied behind his back. All he'd ever done as Pharaoh was sit upon the throne, being greeted by foreigners, other politicians and Hebrews. Oh, god, how he hated those slaves; too many demands. Maybe his heart was truly growing cold. There were approximately one hundred visitors who entered his presence that day, and there was still a banquet to attend to that night. As once the prince, he was able to wander the land of Egypt as he pleased, but now as Pharaoh, he was limited access to many of the town's people without a servant and more than a handful of guards. Even at this very moment, there were eyes, peering in the distance, as he quietly twirled his finger into the Nile River. Pharaoh Seti hugged his knees, and prayed to the gods for support. He asked for a blessing –

BAM!

Startled, Pharaoh quickly rose to his feet, and turned his body round in order to see the commotion. Seti peered over his shoulder, and saw none other than a small, slender woman, innocently picking up the many pieces of a traditional blue vase she carried. He could see the puddles of water from underneath her feet; meaning that she slipped and fell. Pharaoh's eyes followed the woman as she gained her composure. The young girl clasped her head, dazed and confused.

"Madam, are you alright?" Seti questioned, "You're injured."

She looked forward to see the king before her; she looked terrified. The woman quickly fell to her knees, and bowed humbly. "My Lord Pharaoh, please forgive me for trespassing your property without your consent."

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Seti shook his head, as he let out a deep sigh.

The young woman gazed towards Pharaoh Seti with her hands clasped together; looking as if she was praying to the many gods above. Pharaoh examined the woman from head to toe, and there was no doubt in his mind that she was beautiful. Seti guessed that she was younger than he, by one or two years. Like Lara, she was well…perfect, more than perfect, except her beauty seemed natural rather than forced. The woman obtained black eyes; she was dressed in a typical Egyptian dress. She obtained silky, black hair that was curled slightly at the tips. Her lips were plump, and the words that spilled from her mouth felt calming, "Please, hear my words. My friend played a cruel, cruel trick on me. She hid my mother's treasured vase in your palace. Mother would kill me if she found her ancient vase moved from its original position; my fault or not!"

"Oh," he replied, "It sounds like you have an interesting mother indeed."

She chuckled with hesitation as she rubbed the back of her bruised head, "And now, the vase is broken. So what does it matter?" The woman's eyes grew wide when she realized of whom she was speaking to once again. Casual talk was unheard of in confrontation with the King of Egypt; especially from a mere civilian. "I'm sorry to have trespassed your territory. Please do not harm me."

"It's alright," he murmured as he accompanied his whispers with a wave of his hand. With a deep, roaring voice, he spoke, "I pardon you. You may leave now."

And she acknowledged that order. The girl quickly snatched the bits and pieces of the vase, and attempted to quietly leave the scene, until Pharaoh stopped her in her tracks. "Miss, what's your name?"

"My Lord Pharaoh, I wish not to offend, but why do you want to know such a thing; for I am just a humble civilian?" She asked, placing a hand upon her chest.

Seti couldn't seem to give an appropriate answer to the question, but this:

"You should know that I'm extremely new at this Pharaoh stuff. Trust me, because of my age; I only have an advisor to guide me through this burden. But I promised my father several things; which included living up to his expectations. And in order for me to reach those expectations, it is proper for me to get to know the Egyptian people; though not on a personal level. I'm ruling the entire country, and it's hard every single waking moment. I'm always trying to please the country, the empire and the town's people." The Pharaoh crossed his arms, and drew a sigh. "Anyways, my previous statement was more of a command rather than a question." He said, brushing his sandaled feet along the shallow water.

The lost dame replied, whilst bowing her head. "Good evening, my Lord. This will never happen again. And if you must know, my name is Tuya." Then, before Pharaoh Seti could blink twice, she turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

"Tuya," He thought, "What a pretty name."

Chapter 3 coming soon...

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