Disclaimer: I do not own Red River and in no way affiliated with Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, Ohio Art Company, Mc Donalds or Häagen-Daz .

I stared at the beige furred mammal in front of me with apprehension as the man named Kefele - who was also a servant - waited for me to get on its back with an impatient look plastered to his face. I had no idea on how to ride a camel. I preferred the futuristic way of traveling, mainly by automobile or the train not animal.

My eyes trailed back over to the man and I remember how we had been shaken briskly awake this morning when the sky had barely started to lighten in the east. Never in all my life have lost so much sleep in so many days; my rare all night study sessions I sometimes had in the past looked like a few hours of restless sleep compared to this. I ran my fingers through my hair and bit my bottom lip thoughtfully.

Though I hadn't seen my reflection yet I was almost one hundred percent sure I must've looked like hell. My hair felt greasy and was probably flat and tangled since hairstyles with a bit of gel only lasted so long. My tired eyes felt a bit swollen and sore and there were most definitely large dark bags underneath them. It was probably a good thing I liked the natural look instead of caking my face with makeup because otherwise any I had on would certainly be a smudged and runny disaster all over my face. I lightly lifted my dress shirt collar to sniff it, not too bad but I didn't smell like a bouquet of roses either. 'Sigh' Ah, what I wouldn't give for a long warm shower and my comfy worn pajamas from Victoria's Secret.

The man Kefele nudged me gently and gestured for me to get on the camel. I groaned softly before heaving myself on to the thing and he swung himself up behind me while the others were in a covered cart pulled by a pair of mules. The man did not touch me except for his arms which he had to wrap around me in order to use the reins on the camel, I had the feeling that he disapproved of me.

The journey so far was intensely hot and I kept my ever fraying cloth - that Siranush had kindly picked up for me - wrapped loosely around me in order to shade me from the sun and its cancerous rays. I blew a stray strand of hair off my forehead and settled in to the rhythm of the jogging camel, the manservant behind me said it would five days before we reached their home in Memphis Egypt, and I wondered how long I would last in the desert with these people before we reached this place called Memphis or I went insane in this heat…

Days Earlier in Karkemish…

'CRASH' The tinkling sound of smashing pottery sounded out through the entire suite. Nakia was well past just angry, she was completely and utterly enraged. Spots of pink colored her cheekbones and her teeth were gnashed so hard together her maids wondered if she would break any of her teeth soon. Never in the entire time of servitude to the woman had they seen her so…emotional. She was always aloof and above all collected, that was why they admired her so much. But seeing this slow deterioration of composure ever since the girl was discovered missing made them rethink their admiration a bit. At least when people questioned their loyalties to her they could answer that while she may have been a traitorous queen at least she was a poised one...now they weren't so sure anymore.

Another screech of frustration tore from Nakia's throat and she picked up another expensive vase and hurled it out the nearest window. Kammani rushed to the window praying to Teshub that no one was injured by that vase. Spotting the shattered remains she was relieved to see nothing but broken shards, scattered flowers and a spreading pool of water.

"Your majesty we beseech you! Please calm down!"

But Nakia was having none of it. How did that child escape? She paced from one edge of the room to the other in quick frustrated strides. She paid no mind to the two maids fussing over her and struggling to follow her rapid tempo of footfalls. It seems she had stumbled upon a person with ingenuity and sheer determination; and while she often found those qualities were what made the best of sacrifices she was surprised that the child had those traits so unquestionably! She had chosen her sacrifice well, indeed!

She fumed silently; it seemed she had been glaringly stupid to think that the girl was merely an imitation of what that nuisance Yuri was. She was obviously bolder than that woman had ever been. Nakia compared her first meetings with both young women and while the current queen had been a crying yet graceful wreck, the red haired girl had openly glared at her and had not shed the tears that glazed her dark green eyes in front of her…if she shed them at all. She was convinced that her newest pawn was made of tougher mettle than she had anticipated.

Mentally recounting the report her maids had given her earlier she recalled being told the rope had been cut and the women pacing the halls swearing the storage door did not open even once after she left. She flipped her unbound hair over her shoulder and pondered the information, the only escape was the through the window but it was much too high for such a fragile looking girl to walk away unscathed after falling from its ledge. Surely any person would make a pained sound if they fell from such a height. Nakia scowled angrily, if not the door or window had been her escape then how did she get out!

"Milady perhaps she had help?" Suggested her maid.

Nakia whirled on her, "And what servant of mine would betray me Sinada?" She hissed out.

Sinada's light brown skin paled and she stuttered out, "N-no-no one that I can say milady! I-I was merely suggesting that perhaps another only loyal to your son may have discovered her and set her free!"

Nakia's temper shot to an all time high, she lowered her voice and asked quietly, "If I find out any of you let in one of my ungrateful son's spies I will personally sacrifice you to Nergal in the cruelest of ways."

Her maids went utterly quiet and though they stood completely still she could see the faint tremors shaking their bodies. She smiled at the power she held over her maids and felt elation at their poorly disguised fear. She would definitely not be a soft and pathetic monarch like some rulers she knew. Yes, once she had Hittite back in her grasp she would rule the region with an iron fist and any who defied her would die an agonizingly painful death. But first she needed that girl before she could proceed with anything else!

Nakia retreated to her small feminine desk near the window in her suite. She paused when she heard a hesitant shuffling behind her and without sparing them a glance waved them towards the door, "There is no longer a need for you to be in my presence, you are dismissed." She uttered coldly.

The two women bowed quickly and nearly ran to the door in hopes of finding out just what happened to the red haired girl and perhaps where she is if only to please their mistress and keep their heads. Nakia watched them leave unsympathetically before turning to her many tablets littering the surface of the table. She lifted one up from its perch - another report of Mursili and his newest accomplishments - then released it so it would smash with a loud clatter on the floor. The tablets pieces were scattered throughout the stone ground and she simply swept passed them before moving to her small alter.

Once the oil laps wicks had been lit she knelt gracefully before her small replica of the Hittite pantheon. She prayed for an answer to her current dilemma and for the gods' divine help and favor. Nakia stayed like that for much of the day until sunset had settled over the stone city and her limbs could no longer take the abuse of staying in the same position for so long. She stretched and felt fatigue prompt her to her lavish bed, perhaps Kaskuh would allow her to dream pleasantly tonight.

Nakia paused in her thoughts suddenly, Kaskuh! Why had she not thought of this before? Surely the magic of the moon deity had the power to help her with the child! She frowned, though this magic was often considered dangerous to mortals. Dream magic was not to be taken lightly and could destroy the wielder very easily if they lost their firm grip on reality. Nakia contemplated this; her water magic could have detected the child with ease but seeing as she was being monitored so closely she did not have that luxury. This dream magic the priests of Kaskuh had described went beyond the mere physical and delved into something deeper, perhaps if she was tawananna she could have requested the priests to simply do the work for her but seeing as she was not and branded a traitor there was little to no chance even an apprentice would impart even an ounce of their learning's to her. Her anger abated slightly as she brooded over how exactly she was to get the information she sorely needed without raising suspicion.

There was no way in hell or heaven that my butt would ever get feeling back in it. I was trying my best not to walk like a crab but spending an entire day and most of the evening on a camel with only a few brief breaks to give the animal food and drink was not my choice of how I'd like to spend my Friday!

Was it Friday? Let's see it was a Wednesday when I last saw a pair of skinny jeans and it had been how many days since then? Eight or nine maybe? I counted the days on my hand and tried to guess what day of the week it was. I figured it was mostly likely a Friday and I wondered if I really did spend so much time here already. Were my parents informed of my current M.I.A. status or are they finishing up their cruise in the Mediterranean? Are they beginning their tour in Europe? Did anyone even notice I was gone? Surely Annabelle would have wandered up to my house in all this time to drag me to some Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight premiere or something. Right? But then again even if she did discover me missing she'd probably think I ran away from home to purposely scare my parents. Then she would most likely have some sort of party celebrating my slow start on my teenage rebelliousness or something…

Now I knew why stress was a killer, the anxiety of not knowing what the heck was happening back home was slowly eating at me! But then it's not like they could do anything about my situation could they? I shot a mild glare in the woman named Neema's direction.

We were currently at some small inn in the freakin' middle of nowhere and I was almost dead on my feet, itchy with sand in places it was never meant to be and hungry. I carefully walked over to the small bench in front of the inn and carefully sat on my sore bottom. The three Egyptians that I was traveling with paid no attention to me and I tried my very best to ignore them too. Siranush and Aline were standing beside the cart they traveled in with the two women waiting for further instructions, so seeing as I wasn't needed I slipped off my mary janes and tapped out all of the sand while stretching my toes. Slipping them back on my feet I stretched and tried to unknot the kink in my back, I grimaced in mild discomfort feeling the muscles pull and relax.

"You three can sleep in the cart and we'll rent a room." Neema said to me. I lowered my head and stared at my feet trying to pretend she wasn't there but that didn't seem to make her happy.

She sighed exasperated and pulled a thin strip of cloth around my hands before I knew what happened. I was puzzled, why did she tie my hands together with cloth? As if sensing my confusion she answered, "I'm not a cruel mistress but I know how to put my slaves in their place. I'm a lenient person most of the time but you are my slave now, I bought you."

Feeling miserable I kept my head bowed and didn't let her see the tears in my eyes. She was right, I am a slave and I was purchased fair and square, in addition I had nowhere to go and if I ran away who's to say I wouldn't be picked up by another slave merchant again or even worse what if someone like that psycho lady found me? I nodded my head solemnly and let her lead me over to the cart where Aline and her sister were.

They said nothing as I climbed in to the cart and retreated to the furthest corner and sat with my face buried in my knees. I heard them talk amongst themselves for a bit before I heard the creak of wood and a small warm hand gently grab my fisted one.

"It's okay to cry you know." Alines dark azure eyes had drops of moisture clinging to her lashes and I felt even more upset.

"I messed up. I wasn't able to get us away, and now you're a slave." I whispered.

"It's better to be a servant to that woman than a concubine to an ugly old man." Siranush said quietly.

I sniffed and wiped my eyes, "What's a concubine?"

SIranush stiffened then gave me an odd expression between confusion and disbelief. "I don't think that's something I should really explain…"

I saw her eyes dart over to Aline who was ignoring our conversation by digging around in the small crates that were in the wagon. It was probably something she didn't want her sister to know…

Tucking the question away to be asked again later I slumped in my seat, "Is Egypt very…?"

I didn't know what exactly to ask. It's not like I could ask did ancient Egypt have a McDonald's or a super market where I could pick up a pint of Häagen-Daz's chocolate chocolate chip ice cream for therapeutic purposes. The only answer I'd get to those questions were going to be the worried looks they'd give me thinking I probably lost my marbles.

"Very...?" She echoed.

"Is it very… primitive?" I thought the question sounded safe enough, something that she might understand.

"Hmm, well I hear that they are much like us…only a bit more advanced in their medicine making but then Hittite has iron weapons now so it balances out I think."

I didn't quite see how that balanced anything out but I nodded anyway, feigning understanding. "Also they have a King they call pharaoh and a Queen, but she is nothing like our tawananna."

"Ta-wah-nana?" I listened to the syllables as they unfurled from my tongue. What a weird sounding word…

Siranush's eyes took on a sort of gleam that I could only describe as reverent. She nodded her head and said, "Ishtar is truly the pride of our empire, she cares for us as no other queen could or ever will."

"Oh, so you've met this queen?" I asked interestedly.

"Of course not! Someone so divine cannot wander about the empire mingling with commoners! She has much more important things to do like aiding our king and caring for his heir in Hattusa!" She exclaimed.

"Hattusa?"

"It's our capital." Aline explained from inside a crate.

Oookay, so these people were big on politics. Who would of thought? I'm just lucky I happened to know we had Obama as our latest president. I was more a read the comics section of the newspaper kind of girl…

"So how do you know this queen of yours cares so much about you if she hardly leaves her castle?" I asked.

"What's a castle?"

"Er, I meant palace, yeah palace!"

"But what's a castle?" Aline asked again.

"It's nothing just another word for a building we call where I come from." I mumbled half hoping she didn't hear me.

Siranush answered my question before Aline could ask again, "She helped in the wars with Mitanni and Egypt enormously, is hailed as the goddess Ishtar's incarnation, has been named the Dal Meshedi and was elevated to our sovereign queen. How much more does she need to do to show she cares for our people?"

She said it like this entire woman's efforts were supposed to be painfully obvious and significant even to a foreigner like me. Not wanting to offend her by saying something crass I said, "Well, I wasn't there so I can't comment or speculate."

Siranush shook her head, she probably thought I was an ignorant person and admittedly I sometimes was. I fought the smile that wanted to make its way on to my face as I remembered just where I got my ignorant statement from.

"Do your people have a queen like Ishtar?" Aline suddenly asked.

Bewildered I answered, "All women are queens." Before I could stop myself.

It was my turn to receive bewildered looks, "Who told you that?" Aline giggled.

Feeling oddly disturbed by the reminder of how male dominated this society was I said, "My dad used to say my mom was a queen so I just figured all women were queens too."

But now that I'm older I realized that the term was an endearment. Not the romantic idealism of a six year old who thought she was a princess because her dad may have been a knight in shining armor who rescued her mother the fair maiden from a wicked hag or evil dragon. No, that dream was discarded long ago, along with the fairy tales, Barbies and frilly outfits only to be replaced with text books, blemish cream and tampons.

"I don't see how that would make any sense to you…unless you're a noble's daughter." Siranush paused, "Are you a noble's daughter?"

"Uhm, define noble."

She looked at me confusedly, "I'm guessing you don't know what a noble is either?"

No, I didn't know what a noble was. They images that came to mind when I heard the word were men in suave yet uncomfortable looking tuxedos and women in flouncy puffy dresses that probably weighed more than they did, accompanied in a Victorian sort of setting where they arranged betrothals, bragged about themselves and overall just behaved like they were the cream of society and all was said with a snobbish British accent of course…

I shook my head, a couple of old world style romance novels hardly made me an expert on the subject of hierarchy, English and other cultures included. I was an American born and bred, we were equals where I come from and we had no monarchy or tyranny. So how could I hope to begin to understand just what kind of world these girls were familiar with?

"So if your father isn't a noble what is he?" Aline asked with interest.

Before I could answer she said, "Mine's a merchant and he sells the prettiest cloths in all of Karkemish!"

"Oh, really?" I asked wide eyed.

"Mmhm," she nodded, "and my mommy was a lord's daughter!"

"So then, does that make you a lady?" I asked.

"No, our mother gave up her title to marry our father. It's seen as shameful for aristocrats to marry beneath them." Siranush replied evenly.

A small frown found its way on to my face, "How is love shameful?"

They said nothing as Siranush seated herself more comfortably and Aline dug through the crate some more before losing interest and coming to sit in the middle of the cart between me and her sister.

The rest of the time was spent in silence and I watched as Aline nodded off in to sleep before Siranush gathered her up in her arms to lie beside her and then she too was out like a light. The inn was quiet and I could see a few small flickers of light spilling out of a nearby window but the glow was still too weak to illuminate the entire room.

A faint tremor worked its way up my spine when I realized that it was well into the night and I was in a cart with two girls younger than me with nothing but a flimsy covering over the wagon for protection. I wondered if the inn was used to getting midnight visitors hence the lit oil lamps in the small window. I also wondered if the desert had other dangers besides the extreme heat and wild animals.

I felt myself long for my soft bed and the four solid walls surrounding it. I also embarrassingly enough, longed for the luminous bathroom light that I would let into my room through a considerable gap between the frame and door. But now I had more than shadows and make believe boogie men to worry about, I listened intently to my surroundings and settled myself in an upright sitting position keeping my arms and legs available for any movement I might need to make on a moment's notice.

I suppose being paranoid and dedicating myself to an unofficial night watch has been the least stressful situation I've been in so far to anyone else, but to me it was the most difficult thing I've done since I've been here. Between pinching myself continuously through the night to stay awake since Starbucks was obviously out of the question…or was it era? And my albeit small fear of the dark I was very near ready to throw in the towel and just get some sleep when a shadow that was much to solid to be just a shadow moved in my peripheral vision. I leaped to my feet, heart pounding when I discovered said shadow was actually the servant man - that for some reason disliked me – most likely coming to wake us.

I groaned when I realized I lost another night's sleep. Sighing I could only think, 'And so begins another day…'

Ezion-Geber route

The girl was the most peculiar thing Neema had ever seen. She was a tiny thing, in both width and height; with a fall of red hair that was very out of the ordinary, pale unmarred skin and large dark green eyes. She figured the girl was maybe fifteen at the oldest but was shocked when Kefele came back to report the girl was in fact seventeen and her name was Jade.

Neema's eyes raked over her newest slaves again, the dark haired girl whose name was Siranush was a lovely sight to behold. Cleary she was of Nairi descent there was no mistaking it, not with her long ebony hair, dark eyes and olive skin. She admired the girl's natural grace and how well she followed orders, she thought perhaps if this girl had never become a slave she could have easily become a rich merchant's wife or concubine.

Now the little one presented a bit of a problem. The pretty dark blonde was much too young to understand half of the tasks she usually demanded of her maids but she was also too young and foreign to be forced in to harsh labor with the other slaves. And she figured releasing her to another owner - even one of the same social standing as her – who had use for her would not go over well with the two others. Perhaps she could make her a sort of companion for her youngest sister?

Neema picked up one of the new trinkets she bought and admired how the inlaid rubies of the bracelet caught the light, red was such a violent color, but it was so vibrant and beautiful in its intensity. The shade was fitting for her defiant slave Jade. Her eyes wandered back over to the loping camel in front of them and observed that the girls head drooped in exhaustion and that she looked a real mess. Especially with the dirt coated clothes covering her skinny body, her reddened eyes and the large bruise like bags underneath them. She could see the very life draining out of the poor girl but she couldn't bring herself to care much about it. After all, she bought the girl and others solely on a whim. She huffed, if the girl's enthusiasm was so easily smothered than what a fool she was to have bought her, and here she thought her dreary life might've gained some type of excitement to it.

Maybe when they reached Memphis she'd pass her somber slave on to the kitchen help or something like that. She had no need for another dismal creature to dampen her spirits. Seriously, first Nefert now this? She sighed, what exactly was Ma'at doing that she couldn't find the time to make her lavish life right again? All she prayed for was a few luxuries and her families continued health and happiness but it seems her lush life was slowly turning itself upside down!

Neema nodded to herself, she would most definitely keep that slave girl occupied elsewhere and possibly go on a little vacation to get away from all this depression hanging about the residence. Perhaps a long visit in Thebes would be nice, though she would have to be careful to avoid User. It wouldn't do for him to ruin her fun with his pessimism and lady troubles. And only Ra knows what sort of trouble he's gotten himself in to this time…

Egypt's Capital Thebes

"And don't even think of coming back without that necklace Ramses!"

'BAM' Ramses frowned in dismay when his current lover slammed the door shut with a loud bang of finality. Dramatic little tease Bahiti was, fortune indeed. That's exactly what she wanted from him, a fortune. If it wasn't expensive gifts she expected something else similarly pricey from him or he would be sleeping out in the cold.

He sighed, the current argument they were having was about a bauble she saw in the market a few days ago. She had wanted to buy it but since she did not have enough money on her she demanded the seller hold on to it for her. But then yesterday she saw the very same necklace adorning a high noble's wife's neck. So when he had shown up expecting some intimate time with the beautiful lady she had come running out of the house whining and screaming, demanding that he get back the necklace at whatever cost.

Ramses started to stride away from his now ex-lovers house hoping to get back to his own quarters and bury himself in his ever growing pile of work. His mind wandered back to the issue at hand and he knew full well that asking for a necklace back from one of Horemheb's favored courtiers would be a huge mistake to make, especially if the matter evolved in to more than a minor argument. Besides, Bahiti would probably wear the thing for a few days before insisting for some other gift to replace it. Why women were so materialistic was beyond him.

He found his thoughts turning towards a woman who wasn't a materialistic, selfish, little annoyance. A young woman with short jet black hair and equally dark eyes to be exact. Ramses shook his head hoping to dislodge the image of the young Hittite queen, but instead of losing the picture he found more similar thoughts flowing more freely in to his mind. Like the news of her marriage and pregnancy, of the delivery of a healthy infant son only born a little more than a week ago. And the contrasts between Yuri and Bahiti were so obvious it was laughable, but while the latter was easily replaceable he knew no matter how many times he told himself Yuri was just as replaceable it was a lie. He would never find another woman like her. He clenched his eyes shut tightly and willed the pain of his heart break to leave him. There was no use in dwelling in the past, Yuri made her choice and she chose Mursili.

He started to breathe easier, it's not like Yuri was the only woman in world, and Bahiti was one of many beauties found in Thebes. A woman with long straight strands of dark brown hair and evenly tanned skin brushed by him. She had tiny mouth, a small nose and was showing her very nice chest off with a gown that left very little to his imagination. He slowed his walk and watched as she turned towards him and her small mouth widened in an inviting smile. Figuring his work could wait a couple hours he smiled back and let her lead him to a nearby tavern.

The city was bustling with people left and right, I watched as men and women haggled with merchants, walked to and fro without seeming to have any particular destination in mind or in a hurry to get to an appointed place and all the while in this scorching heat. Wiping the sweat off my forehead I wondered how long it would be before I turned in to a crisp.

The city we were in was called Heliopolis. The city was big and made of brick looking stones that were probably made of mud and other stuff. I sat in the cart observing all the comings and goings around me and was surprised with the ancient fashion on more than one occasion.

I wondered if walking about half naked or naked had any of the stigmas we carried back home. Probably not since some women wore the most revealing clothes. For example a young women with larger… assets than mine had a gown that gave the merchant she was haggling with an eyeful that he was clearly appreciating by the way he kept staring and basically agreed with all the low prices she was listing off for his merchandise. I even saw a few children of both genders running around completely naked! I sighed inwardly, at least the most skin the men revealed was their torso and from their thighs down. No need to scar my mind more than it already was. Even my current mistress wore revealing gowns, and I had a hard time not feeling mortified for her and trying to keep myself from staring at her in shock. Pulling the faded and frayed cloak more securely around me I concentrated as much as I could on anything but the half naked people around me.

"We'll be crossing the Nile as soon as my mistresses return from the temple." The man named kefele's voice sounded from behind me.

Whriling around in shock I saw him scrutinizing me again, ignoring that I said, "The Nile? How are we getting across the Nile?"

His eyebrows rose for a split second before his face became a cold mask again, "On a boat, of course."

Feeling stupid I answered, "Oh." Before turning back around.

Way to go you numbskull! Now he thinks you're crazy and stupid! How was I supposed to know they had boats? The only history I've learned in school was American and some Greek, mostly because the two governments were supposed to be related to each other or something like that. I never really liked history or any other class for that matter, it's not that I hated school or anything, it's just I never really got around to liking any of the subjects. I just went to school and did my best to learn what the teachers taught me, I didn't think my parents particularly cared about the grades I got, it's not like they were home often enough to sign the report card but as long as I wasn't failing that was good enough for them I suppose.

Clearing my thoughts to keep from getting too emotional, I glanced around for something to look at when Siranush, Aline and the other two ladies - that were on my 'to like or not to like list' - came striding up to the cart.

"Were done with our visit to the temple of Atum kefele. I hope you did not have much trouble arranging our boat?" The older lady whose name I did not know except that she was Neema's mother asked.

"Absolutely not my lady." Kefele bowed at the waist and gave her a small pleasant smile.

"Then let us go, I wish to see my sweet Mandisa's smile again." The woman turned around and started to walk down the street with Neema beside her.

Sighing, I picked up the large cloth bag that was handed to me before following after them. Aline chatted happily beside me about the temple she'd seen earlier and whenever she stopped all I had to do was ask her a simple question pretending to be in wide eyed wonder about something and that would be all the prompting she needed before talking excitedly about something all over again.

This had proven as a wonderful distraction until we reached the boat. It was long and thin made entirely of wood, though the weird thing about it was there was no mast, just men with oars. It reminded me of a long row boat, except the row boat was bigger, had decorative paint on it, had a cabin attached at the back and a canopied area at the front.

I stared apprehensively at the wooden plank that would allow us to get on to the boat. The murky green water of the famous river looked just as uninviting and I wondered if crocodiles swam near the populated port or if they stayed further in to the river. I felt Siranush gently nudge my back in a get moving push and I almost ran across the makeshift pier.

The boat rocked gently from side to side and though I wasn't prone to motion sickness I felt my stomach tighten uncomfortably. Kefele herded the three of us servants towards the back of the boat as Neema and her mother moved to the shaded front.

"You'll stay here for the rest of the trip. Try not to fall overboard please." Kefele said matter of factly.

Aline ignored him too fascinated with the boat to answer while Siranush nodded in understanding. I felt his gaze on me but all I could manage was a weak nod before I slumped further against the cabins outside wall. I watched him move to the front of the boat to kneel near his mistresses.

I turned to Siranush, "How long til we get to this place?"

She eyed me for a moment before answering, "By late afternoon hopefully."

I felt odd, almost sick yet not. Nodding that I understood I devoted myself to sitting still and ignoring the salty smell of the Nile and rocking motion of the boat by closing my eyes and pretending I was on a slow carnival ride.

I don't know how long I stayed there but the next time I woke up the clear blue sky was already darkening to a yellowish orange. I felt better after my obviously long nap and spied Aline curled up on her sister's lap also asleep. Looking along the river I saw buildings dotting its banks, and a few people here and there in boats too, though a few differed from the one we were currently on. It was a while before the boat started to veer in another direction and a large white building came in to view.

I watched as the building came closer and we passed two tall walls surrounding a sort of mini dock. The crew worked in a fast but steady pace gently rowing the boat into the small harbor while others gathered up the belongings on board. Siranush shook Aline awake and I took this as my cue to get ready to leave.

I watched as kefele helped Neema's mother up and gestured for us to follow him. I scooped up the bag that I was responsible for carrying and slowly made my way over to the front of the boat. Neema, her mother and Kefele walked off the boat like they did this every day much to my chagrin.

A few men and women were gathered near the front and fretting over the two women while Kefele rattled of instructions to them. Sighing, I tried my best to exit the boat carefully and not look like a dork while doing so. As soon as my feet touched the solid ground I felt so much better and turned around to assist Aline and her sister off the boat when they both got off much faster and more gracefully than I did. Apparently I'm a bigger dork than I thought.

"Lady Neema wishes for you to assist in the kitchens from now on." Kefele said.

"Um, you mean me?" I pointed to myself.

He just gave a nod in answer before waving a slightly chubby pleasant looking man over. He observed me from head to toe lingering at the top of my head and face for a few moments before he shook his head as if trying to clear it like an Etch A Sketch board. The man was well into his middle age, with dark tan skin, short gray streaked black hair, a few wrinkles and a sort of kind fatherly face. The man introduced himself as Jahi and said he was the head cook for the family before he resumed his staring. I waited patiently for the man to stop before I gave him a small smile in return and introduced myself.

"It will be a pleasure to work with you, Jade." He smiled kindly.

"That remains to be seen Jahi." Kefele sniffed, "You will inform me of any trouble she causes." And with that he strode in to the stone building that was now my sort of house. I frowned; perhaps house wasn't the right word.

"Don't worry too much about that stiff Kefele. He's like that with everyone except the misses and masters." He chuckled.

"Yeah, well it wouldn't hurt to remove that stick out of his butt."

Jahi gave me a confused look, clearly not understanding the phrase. I shook my head and muttered a never mind before turning to Aline beside me.

"Do you and your sister have to work in the kitchen too?"

"Siran does but the lady wants me to keep her younger sister company. She says she my age and that we could be kind of like friends." Her brow furrowed for a moment, "I don't want you to go away with big sister Siran but you have to." Tears were glistening in her eyes again and I let out a heavy sigh.

I knelt down to her level and looked her in the eyes, "Aline I'll make you a promise if you promise me something too."

She nodded her head slowly, "Aline, I promise that me and your sister will visit you as much as we can but only if you promise that you'll be good and stay out of trouble, alright?"

Aline nodded her head eagerly and wiped her tears away before the fell down her cheeks.

"Okay, now time to seal the deal." I held up my closed fist with only my pinky finger held out, "This is called a pinky promise where I come from and is taken very, very seriously." I said with a somber face.

A giggle escaped her mouth before she clamped her lips shut tightly trying to be serious but the wide grin was still plastered to her face. I took her small hand in mine and adjusted it so it mirrored mine and said "Do you pinky swear to be good?"

"Yes." She giggled.

I nodded my head, "Then I pinky swear to visit you whenever I can and drag your sister along with me."

I curled my digit over her smaller one and made a hand shaking motion before releasing her. Jahi who was quietly watching this small exchange coughed delicately and gestured for me to follow him. Giving one last smile to Aline I followed him in to the building bracing myself for my newly appointed fate.

Thank you Azure Ryukiba, ForeverDayDreaming and xXMistressMadHatterXx for your reviews. They were better than getting chocolate!

And so we get a glimpse of Ramses (fan girls screaming) and what he's been up to.

P.S. to xXMistressMadHatterXx If I told you the pairings the whole story wouldn't be as fun don'tcha think? ;)

Also can anyone guess where Jade's ignorant comment came from I wonder?...

Please Reveiw!