Chapter 3

I woke up when I felt the sun on my skin from the window across the room. I slowly stretched as I got off the bed and tip-toed to the water basin. Sheftu was still asleep, but he was bound to wake up soon. Even though he was born with wealth and status, he woke up with the sun. I have a strong suspicion that his troubles with the court were much more dangerous than he let on. It has been a few weeks since we met Nuri. She is getting along well with our servant's children. She now sleeps in a small room near the garden where she can come and take walks with me around the estate. To say the house was a mansion was an understatement. It had to be twice the size of Zasha's house. I smiled to myself when I remembered the day that Sheftu took off to show me the house, which seemed odd to me because that week had been hectic and messengers were in and out of the house. I had to start training to become a housewife of a royal count, so it only made sense that the countess know her way around her own house. I'd heard that there were rumors about me amongst the nobles that I wasn't capable of being a housewife and so on. I didn't want to become the perfect wife. I had a job to do. I work for the king. Thutmose took time to come over to our house and request I work for him. He knew I wasn't truly royal to him, but I was truly loyal to Sheftu. Out of all of his subjects, the majestic king trusted Sheftu more than anyone. I was more than happy about the offer, but Sheftu was hesitant about me working for him.

"I finally have you to myself. It's my one wish. Why won't you let me have my one wish?" He pleaded. He knew I would again be in constant danger, but, dang it, I don't want to become someone like Zasha's lady. Old, fat, and unpleasant to look at anywhere. I pledged my loyalty to the king and promised to obey his commands, whether Sheftu liked it or not. Sheftu stayed cold and indifferent towards me for a week, but he's learned to deal with it. After all, it's who I am. He knew that before he married me, and he can't deny me my happiness.

I turned around when I heard the sheets rustling and met a grumpy Sheftu. I called on Nuri to bring the morning fruits and a fresh water basin. I've seen how tired Sheftu has been with all these meetings and tried to help out some, but Sheftu had managed to keep me out of it for now, using my faint wounds as an excuse. The swelling has gone down and nothing bothers me when I move. Just a patch of ugly scars on my back, even if the king likes them. I had doubted Sheftu would still want me if he sees my scars, but he persuaded me that he loves me more every time he sees my scars. Proof that I truly love him.

Today, I was to go to one of the meetings and I was excitedly looking forward to it. Too much of anything gets old fast and that includes living in paradise. At least for me. The all too nice smiles and food didn't entertain me as I thought they would.

It was close to noon and we were getting ready for the meeting. Sheftu kept quiet the whole day, working over some documents. We got into a litter and headed to the palace. The closer we got, the more nervous I got. Innani is back in Canaan. She sent me a letter a few days ago saying she was ecstatic that she was home, and she misses me, and the lady who told her stories while she wove. I sent a letter promising that, one day, I would go visit. Thinking about Innani did help calm me down a little bit. The way she would smile and that little naïve mind of hers.

Sheftu led me to a big room where there were at least a dozen men. Some looked like guards, others wore robes, and some weren't even from Egypt. I pulled on my best poker face, gathered up the courage from my gut, and sat down two seats from the Pharaoh next to Sheftu, who was next to the Pharaoh. Some of the men were outraged that I, a woman and former slave, was seated at the table, but no one said a word. Thutmose stood up with his glass of wine and welcomed me with a toast. No one dared not toast, but they didn't look happy about it. Sheftu was back to the cold, stone-faced, but playful, Sheftu he always is in court. It did scare me a little to know he wasn't very happy I was here, either. But at least he didn't want me here because he wanted to know I was completely safe. The Pharaoh decided he wanted me to spy on the rebels. Without them knowing, I was to start investigating the nobles around the table, first. And I was to start immediately.

The table was a long table that seated 11 people on each side and one at each end. His majesty sat at one end and to his right was Sheftu, myself, two armor covered beasts, and two royalties from Sudan. To his left was General Khofra, Nekonkh, two more armor covered beasts, and two members of royalty from Libya. The general next to me was very dark-skinned and had soft features, sharpened by many wounds of war. The one next to him as also dark-skinned and had soft features, but looked like he stayed behind in the wars. The Sudanese closest to me had almost soot, dark skin and was wearing white robes with a white cap. He gave me the creeps. His kin to the right was of the same color skin and was dressed the same. He creeped me out, too, but a lot less than the first one. In front of Sheftu, General Khofra was wearing multi-colored beadings, with a little bit of chest plate. Nekonkh was wearing a different pattern of it. The humongous beast next to Nekonkh had an olive skin tone and kept sneaking looks at the Pharaoh and me. The beast next to him was also olive skinned and bluntly stared right at me. You could tell that Sheftu was throwing daggers at him. The Libyan royals were ark-skinned and wore black robes with black vests over them. They looked so alike, they must be brothers. I nonchalantly looked them over and memorized their faces.

Through the meeting, Thutmose was talking about the honor of having some of the most important people of the neighboring nations sitting with him and that he hoped they would become good friends. When his speech was done and I had looked the guests over, Sheftu slowly grabbed my hand under the table. He gently rubbed his thumb over my fingers. We had a small meal brought in by the servants. I flirted with a few of the royals before going to Nekonkh. He whispered that he was to meet me behind the small garden that used to be in the chamber where Innani had lived. He tried describing the garden afraid that I would mistake the meeting place, but I stopped him and gave him a coy smile. I felt Sheftu come up behind me and envelope me into a hug, chest to back. I winked at Nekonkh and the three of us went to say goodnight to the Pharaoh.

We said goodnight to each other and walked in different directions, Sheftu and I walked towards the main gate, while Nekonkh walked towards the army chambers. When we were outside, I had Sheftu get on the litter and go home so that the guest thought both of us went home. He put up a fight about it, but I convinced him that I would be with Nekonkh and I could take care of myself. I pushed him in before he had a chance to reply and hurried the driver. I snuck back in and exchanged clothes with the servant waiting for me in the back of the courtyard. I walked in the open and looked down so that these blue eyes of mine didn't get caught in the moonlight. I saw Nekonkh hiding in the shadows near the doors of the servant's quarters. I went and opened the door to the room and he slipped in a small door in the shadows. We met up in the room in the dark and he slipped me the information on all of the guests I saw today. I was to, somehow, get their real motives. Either trying to take advantage of the Pharaoh and the nation or siding with the rebels. I planned to get to know their ladies if they had one and become a family friend or something. If they didn't have wives, I would have to flirt and flirt hard. Nekonkh and I talked some about how life had been treating us. Nekonkh was about as burdened as Sheftu with the documents and trying to keep the rebels at a minimum. I wished him luck in his duties and slipped out and into a wagon that passed by our house's backyard.

I slowly crept into the house and was met by a rather upset Sheftu. I laughed sheepishly and walked to the water basin to wash up. As I was cleaning my face, I felt his arms wrap around me and his lips at my neck and shoulders where some of the scars were peeking out.

"Please be careful. For me," he whispered in my ear

"Of course. This is my life we're talking about." I giggled as he swept me up and carried me to our bed. (We may or may not have had a make out session before we went to bed ;) )

Hey, guys! I just wanted to tell you that I'm editing a piece of fanfiction, A Dancer's Life, on . It's a story about 1D+a girl. Come check it out! Thanks for the views and review.