It's been a year don't judge me. Dedicated to that one anon speed reader who read all my mabill works and left reviews, I love you.

Wadjet: Goddess of protection.


It was a strange thing, to have people be frightened of her. Bill spent a lot of his time in meetings, with people Mabel didn't care about or even want to know about, with her sitting at his feet as a prize. She knew she was there to show off, something pretty to be stared at as boring people talked about boring things. It didn't matter that she was just a slave, she was a well trained slave that showed her Master knew just what he was doing, training her well.

"Pharaoh, the rest of the country is worried about its relations to…" Mabel stopped paying attention. The words droned on and on about nothing, countries she had never heard of. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that they were making it all up, talking in code to evade the gossip of a slave. Yet Mabel didn't talk to anyone anymore, and it held no worth to her.

"Leave it for them to decide, if it's such a huge deal to them, they can come and see me themselves about it." Bill waved a hand dismissively, Mabel's gaze traveled up to follow it, but her eyes fell before he could meet her gaze.

"I'm not sure that's a great idea, your greatness, you see-"

"No, I do not see." Bill cut him off. "I won't hear any more of this. I am the morning and the evening star, if they won't come and see me, then they're not worth the time. Move on."

The advisors flinched slightly at the tone, but Mabel only blinked. Glancing up, everyone avoided eye contact with the pharaoh. She glanced up at Bill, his golden eyes meeting her own for only a moment, his gaze holding something she couldn't identify.

"You dare meet my gaze, slave?" He wasn't loud, but his voice was dark, a cold thing that made a shudder go down her spine.

"I'm sorry." Mabel whispered. Everyone was staring at them, and Mabel barely realized she was still staring into his eyes. With a slight blush she stared down at the floor once more.

"Your highness, it doesn't matter, let's discuss other matters, shall we?" Someone spoke up, taking Bill's attention away for just long enough for Mabel to hang her head in shame and silently asked for forgiveness. He would punish her later.

"What is more important than what I'm doing now?" Bill sighed and leaned his head on his hand. "Still, get on with it."

Bill's hand traveled into her hair, surprisingly gentle as it led her to lean against his knee. He was always gentle when it was in these meetings, almost like believed that being rough would cause her to pull away. She leaned her head against his knee willingly, sighing at the warmth that radiated from his skin.

"We simply must discuss your pyramid. Many people are starting to talk about how you haven't been issuing any proclamations for it's construction. All the great pharaoh's have had their own." The man spoke carefully. Bill had already shown his distaste for the meeting, he didn't want to make Bill anymore upset. "Your father stated-"

"I don't wish to hear it." Bill raised a hand. "This is something that I will think on and let you know. How are the slaves doing on the latest project, the newest temple of Ra?"

"Oh, very well sire." Another man, Mabel almost laughed at how short and fat he was, spoke. "They've already started on the base and it should be finished soon. We have them working day and night."

Mabel hated this part of the meeting. She hated hearing about her brethren and sisters being forced into such labor. None of these men had any idea of the tasks they had forced upon human beings, of the pain they caused so easily. She didn't want to hear any more. Turning her head slightly, she buried her face against Bill's knee, ever so gently leaning into the touches he offered.

Bill glanced down at her as she shifted, ready to tighten his grip and prevent her from pulling away, but all she did was get closer to him, seeming intent on burying herself closer. He could feel the warm breath of her against his shin, and the way her eyes squeezed shut.

"We will talk about it later." Bill decided. Mabel's shoulder's slumped in relief, Bill pretended not to notice. "This meeting is over with. I have better things to be doing right now."

Everyone bowed, with the exception of Mabel who was still kneeling at Bill's feet. He tugged gently at her hair to get her attention, but Mabel didn't raise her gaze until every advisor left the room and they were alone.

"You're the only one who dares to meet my gaze." Bill murmured. Mabel rose to her feet when prompted, slightly chewing on her lip. Bill's hands cupped her cheeks, preventing her from even doing that.

"I'm sorry, I forgot my place." Looking down, she could see the difference in her skin color compared to his own. He was so dark, and Mabel had lost so much color being in the palace. The sun had once blessed her skin with a tan, she was quickly losing that color though.

"Some very important people are coming soon." Bill was speaking but Mabel wasn't listening, her thoughts now absorbed in the silk covering her skin. She would never wear anything finer than this, and it made her sad. She missed the harsh, scratchy cloth she had worn with her family. "You will be on your best behavior, do you understand me? I won't let another transgression like that pass once more."
"Why did you let it happen just now?" Mabel asked before she could stop himself. Her gaze rose to meet his own, golden eyes trying to stare right into her soul. She had never met anyone with such golden eyes before, and wondered for only a second if he had them because he was pharaoh.

"Don't question me, slave." Bill's grip tightened on her until she whimpered, trying to pull away. "I've done so much for you, why are you still so ungrateful?"

"Oh yes, tearing me away from my family, refusing to let me tell any of them I'm okay, nothing more than a prize on the shelf, such a great life." It was as though someone had broken the barrier of her tongue, and she couldn't hold in her words. "You haven't done anything for me."

"I saved you from the labor outside, I saved you from the rest of your life being so worthless, is that not worth anything to you?" Bill roared, tossing her aside. Mabel landed with a painful cry on her side, hip and elbow aching from landing so hard. "Why are you so ungrateful?"

"There's nothing to be grateful for!" Mabel shouted back. Some little voice in her head screamed that she was yelling at the pharaoh, she should stop right now, but the words were still coming. "You give my people so little in life, we are meant to work and work until our bodies give out and we're sealed inside the walls of pyramids we build just for you, and in return all we are ever promised is that we can still live and love and have our families nearby, that we can still practice our faith and live whatever free time we have left in peace. And you took that away from me. I will never find love, I will never have my own family, and I won't ever see what little family I have left."

Her tears dripped onto the marble and hardly stained the floor. Guards burst in almost as soon as her words finished, hanging in the air thickly. They glanced between the pharaoh and his slave, not sure if they should get closer and possibly enact the wrath upon themselves.

"The rack, sire?" Someone spoke up, it was impossible to tell who. Mabel was hauled to her feet, but she refused to look down anymore, staring up into Bill's eyes and meeting his gaze. If he was going to hurt her, he was going to look at her while he did it.

"Yes, I think that's the perfect punishment for such a disobedient slave." He nodded, and the hold on Mabel tightened. "Make sure to do it outside, for everyone to see."

Not that they would care to see more marks added to a slave's back. When they attempted to drag her away, Mabel shook of their touch, walking proudly by herself, as though she was a free person.


The sun was setting over the horizon, falling over his father's pyramids and making the shadows fall over the castle. That's the way his father had designed his pyramid, so that the last light of the day would fall upon his dead body and not on his kingdom. Bill couldn't remember the last time he saw the sunset, or anything outside his pyramid.

She still hadn't come back. Bill sighed through his nose but refused to move from his place near the window. He should have given the guards more of a limit, he should have told them when to have her back. He should have just enacted her punishment himself. Instead, he was left with worry and nerves chewing at his insides, trying to tear him apart.

"I am not worried." Bill muttered. He glanced back at the entrance of his room, waiting for the doors to open. She would be up any moment with dinner, and sit at his feet as he ate. He would have her sing for him tonight, she had a lovely voice.

Bill shook his head to clear himself of his thoughts. Arms crossed with determination, he looked outside at the stars that were forming, each one it's one tale. One day he would be among those stars, staring down at his kingdom as it moved on without him. For now, he was only the evening star, chosen by the gods themselves.

Bill leaned his head against the edge of the window, glancing down below. Everyone below them was finishing their day, preparing to sleep and begin the process once more tomorrow. If he listened closely, Bill could hear the whispers of their words on the breeze, he could hear the stories told to children to put them to sleep.

"Guard." Bill called when the night grew old, and Mabel still hadn't returned to his side. He was simply wishing for her back, not actually concerned for her. "Where is my slave?"

The man rushed in, bowing lowly to the pharaoh. Bill didn't glance at him. "She's at the rack, sire."

"Still? Is she still alive?" Concern leaked into his voice, and Bill cleared his throat to be rid of it. The guard nodded frantically, letting out a relieved sigh that he wouldn't have to be the bearer of bad news.

"We stopped at the usual, one hundred lashes, normally slaves are left overnight on the rack so everyone who tries to escape will see what could happen to them." The guard spoke rapidly. "Is it your wish to have her be brought here?"

"Yes." Bill snapped. The guard flinched. "Bring her here right now."

He turned back to the window, and the guard rushed from the room before anything else could happen, lest the pharaoh lose his kind streak. Bill turned back to the window, looking down silently at the people below, but unable to make out nothing more than small bodies moving about.

The door slammed open, and Bill turned to see Mabel dropped unceremoniously on the ground before the guards stepped out of the roo. Bill slowly walked forward, barely able to see her shallow breathing, and the blood still seeping from places on her back. She was as pale as the sands of the desert at night, lips standing out against her skin in an unhealthy pallor. With care, he knelt at her side, placing his hand on her cheek. She didn't move, but her breathing did get a bit more labored, coming out in a wheeze.

"Have the servants run a warm bath for me." Bill called. Someone was always there to hear, and soon he could hear the water being gathered. "And get me some water."

One hundred lashes seemed excessive. Bill couldn't understand why, he had seen such things before, he had given lashes himself to his past slaves when they disobeyed. He had never seen such aftermath as this though. He didn't want to be rid of Mabel's presence just yet.

"Come here, pet." Even though she couldn't hear him, he still spoke, lifting her up with ease and placing her into the bath. The water was a bit cold against his skin, and Mabel let out another small, pained gasp as he lowered her into it.

Her eyes peeked open slightly, staring at him blindly, unable to focus on him. Bill ran a damp piece of cloth against her face, washing away dirt and dried tears. Mabel murmured something, but Bill couldn't make it out, not that he was trying. He was too busy trying to get her to stop moving away from him.

"Stay." His voice was soft, and her skin was hot, as though the sun was trying to emit its rays from her. She stared up at Bill with large brown eyes, not believing what she was seeing there.

Her mouth opened, but the only sound that came out of her mouth was a small groan, as Bill dragged the damp rag up and down the marks on her back. They were deeper than they should be, deeper than he was used to seeing.

She leaned against his touch, her skin burning hotter with every passing minute. When she was all cleaned up, he ordered servants to bandage her back and place her on his bed. He quickly had more servants change him out of his wet clothes, and waited for them to bring Mabel in.

They placed her down carefully, Mabel's hands shaking slightly as she instinctively curled up as small as she could, with her back injured. Bill gently stroked her hair, bringing a blanket over her shoulders to help her gain more rest.

"You're more trouble than I thought you'd be." Bill murmured. She leaned into his touch, eyes opening to slits. Bill met her gaze easily, but as quickly as she met his gaze, she looked down.

"Pet." No response. Bill let out an irritated sigh. "Mabel." She glanced up this time. "You can look at me. Be the only one who looks at me without fear."

She swallowed thickly, Bill could hear her throat click. When she opened her mouth to speak, Bill leaned down, pressing his lips against her own and silencing her with a kiss. When he pulled back from her heated lips, she was staring at him with confusion, and unfortunately a little fear.

"Sleep, Mabel, or by the power of Ra I will make sure you do." Bill murmured. She didn't seem to hear him. "Sleep."

Whether or not she was really listening to him or not didn't matter, she moved slightly closer to him and closed her eyes, falling asleep with a sigh. Bill relished in the feeling of a warm, welcoming body next to him, and for the first time wondered just how welcome he truly was at Mabel's side.