Chapter Four:
Neferure was starting to get annoyed by her new guard. Everywhere she turned he was there. He would literally follow her anywhere! She was surprised she didn't find him in her bath!
Amun sighed, leaning against the wall outside her bedroom. He didn't particularly like this job, he and his family had just moved down towards this part, in Thebes, and this is not what he imaged of doing, but his father was head of the guard now, so he couldn't complain too much, in fact, he stayed silent, trying not to think of this as babysitting.
Neferure just got out of the bath and dressed in her long white gown and opened her door and was scared half to death by Amun staring her down. "Oh for the love of the pharaoh man! Don't you have a wife or someone willing to deal with you beside me?!" Neferure asked as she now glared at him.
Amun shrugged nonchalantly. "No, I live with my parents as of now, and my job ends at sundown, and I get weekends off, so I'm required to be here right now." He wasn't happy about it. "Believe me, I would help my mother get settled in if I could, I don't like being here anymore than you like me being here."
"You are brave for a guard; I'll give you that. I don't like being followed around, ask my father the last guard I had I lead him down almost in to quick sand but decided against it at the last moment. Unlike you oh so brave one he had a family and children." Neferure told him as she walked up to him bravely. "Why not make a truce obviously my uncle won't let me just get rid of you. You look old though, shouldn't you be married and on your on not burdening your poor parents?"
Neferure wanted to see if she could get under Amun's skin and this was only her first of many tests.
"I've only just moved back in with them." He said. "I had to leave my hometown after the death of my wife." He didn't like thinking about it, he had been betrayed by her, and he didn't want to care, but he did care, for a couple months, but he was ashamed to admit that he got over it. Fast.
Neferure felt awful now. "Forgive me Amun, I spoke out of turn. I am not one to be very open with others especially ones I just met. I would ask how she died but I don't want to offend you or overstep my bounds. Forgive me for being mean to you, I now know you didn't deserve it. This wasn't your fault but here in the palace I feel like I am in a cage now being guarded by a lion." Neferure said as she walked out to the courtyard with Amun beside her. "No offense about the lion thing but I hate being kept from the world."
Amun shook his head. "It's quite alright, you're hardly offending, unlike what she did." He shook his head again, and quickly got his emotions in check. He still couldn't believe it himself, he had been with 3 of his brothers when it had been discovered.
"She cheated on you didn't she? Don't ask how I know but the face you made gave me a big clue." Neferure said as she dared to move a step closer to Amun. "You blame yourself too don't you. I barely know you Amun but I can tell you the fault was not yours. Please do not lose hope not all women are like her some of us are loyal, just harder to find."
Amun nodded. "Yeah, she did." He said. "The worse part about it, I was with my brothers when I discovered it." He said, with a slight shake of his head. Then he shook his head at her next statement. "I haven't given up hope." He told her. "I'm bitter at what Heqet did. And it was bad enough that it was also with a young soldier that I trained."
"Yeah that is a blow, well I am training to be a priestess to Ma'at I could you know smite her or something." Neferure said with a small giggle. "I'm not laughing at you or your situation I do feel bad for you. Marriage is a sacred thing and to have someone betray you I cannot even imagine it. I will only be a pain in your side for another week Amun then you will be free of me and have plenty of time to chase other girls." Neferure said with a shrug as she looked out to the courtyard.
"She was actually executed, after being put on trial." He shrugged. He chuckled lightly. "I'm afraid I won't have much time for that." He said. "My father will put me to work and even on my days off, my mother will find something for me to do. But I'll probably make sure that my little sister stays out of trouble."
Neferure put her hand on her neck and frowned. Ouch was the only thing she could think of. "Alright Amun lets start over. My name is Neferure I am not a princess but somehow I am royalty don't ask me to explain and I am training to be a priestess of Ma'at I hope we can be friends." Neferure said with a genuine smile and offering her hand to him.
He took her hand. "And I'm Amun, I'm the second eldest of 8 children and I have been training in all sorts of weapons and stuff since I was 4."
The moment Amun's hand touched Neferure she felt a spark sent through her whole body. This was something she had never felt before. She looked up to his face and for the first time noticed his hazel eyes matched hers. "I have been trained with weapons as well, I suppose. Like my cousin she chose archery but I chose twin sais." Neferure said not removing her hand from Amun's.
Amun looked at her, with no clue of what he had just felt. "Neither of those are too bad, I tried my hand at archery, not really my style." He said. "I prefer my sword. Or a hatchet, even a spear."
"I tried archery, it didn't end well I almost hit my cousin Nefertiri. Needless to say she wouldn't talk to me for a week. With the sais it felt natural, all of my movements with them were like a dance. I bet you think that is a silly thing to say isn't it?" Neferure questioned as she was still caught in his gaze.
"Good at, yeah that doesn't come easy for me. After all according to rumors my mother abandoned me and my father. I guess I wasn't good enough to be her daughter." Neferure said looking away from Amun.
"I'm sure that's not true." Amun said, a bit gentle. "I don't understand how any parent can abandon their child, maybe there was something else behind it."
"I cannot answer that, if I had a child I would never let it out of my sight let alone abandon it." Neferure said then she felt the chill of the wind hit her and she started to shiver.
Amun stepped a bit closer to her in the direction of the wind. "Do you want to go in?" He asked. "It is getting a bit chilly."
Neferure smiled at Amun, of all the guards she could tell he was different and though yes she was young for some reason she did find herself attracted to her new guard. "Yes, thank you." she told him as she looked back up to him.
Amun nodded. "Okay."
As Neferure went to move away it was then she noticed they were still holing hands. Wondering what he would do Neferure just looked up to Amun to see what he would do next.
He just gave her a slight smile, and moved to lead her back, before stopping a bit. "Which way is back in?" He asked. "Forgive me, but this is my first day on duty, I don't know my way around yet. My father didn't give me time to."
"It's a very big place, if you want tomorrow I will show you around myself after my last bit of training with Sekmet." Neferure said as she held onto his hand and started to move forward. "My room is the one closest to the courtyard with the smallest pool. I go there when I'm angry and it usually calms me down."
Amun nodded and followed her. "I'll keep that in mind." He said, following her. "Duty for me doesn't start until almost noon, I have my own training to keep up."
"I'm sure you do. After all I can't be the only one who knows how to defend me now can I?" Neferure said as she stopped and looked down at the pool. "This is the pool and you see those doors straight ahead? Those are mine. Now at least you know where to find the thorn in your side."
He chuckled. "Good to know." He said. He looked away from her for a moment when someone called his name, turning to see his little sister and his brother, Barkari.
"Father wants to see you for a moment." The 12-year-old said, her brother, just a year older than her behind her.
Amun nodded. "Just a second." He said. He turned back to Neferure. "I'll be right back; I doubt he'll keep me long." He kissed the back of her hand lightly, before doing a mini-bow and backed away before going down the hall where his brother said he was.
Neferure stood in shock for a moment then she looked down at her hand where he had just kissed. She couldn't believe it no man had ever shown her affection let alone kiss her hand. What in the world is going on with me she wondered as she could feel a small smile pull on her face. "What's happening to me?" Neferure questioned herself as she looked to the way that Amun just left. Why was she feeling so odd but a good kind of odd around him? And why did he kiss her hand?
Barkari followed his older brother, while their sister was a bit slower, she looked at the girl curiously, but she said nothing.
Neferure saw the little girl stare at her so she smiled and waved to the child. Neferure was never mean or rude to children in fact she actually loved to be around them.
Jendayi gave her a smile. "Hi."
"Hello there, what's your name?" Neferure asked the child.
"Jendayi." The 9-year-old said.
Neferure kneels down beside the child and smiled. "A beautiful name for a beautiful child. Tell me would you like to come be a princess for a day?" Neferure asked her.
Jendayi shook her head. She was not a girly in any shape or form. She had 6 brothers; 4 older and 2 younger. "Not really." She shook her head. "It sounds really girly."
"Oh never, you see a princess may sound girly but that means you are in charge. You would even get to boss your elder brother around. Now how does being a princess sound?" Neferure asked trying to show the child not all princesses were girly.
"I already do that. All 4 of my older brothers. Even my younger brothers." It was pretty funny at times, her momma had taught her that, and her brothers were overprotective of her as well. She also had the best education she could have, and she was a bit more mature than other kids her age.
"Oh well then you are far past a princess, I would dare say you are a queen." Neferure said as she bowed down before the child then looked up and smiled at her. "What do you wish to do for fun then?"
The 9-year-old smiled lightly, she would be 10 in a couple days. "Usually, I'm with one of my brothers, but I do art."
"Art, I love to do art when it turns out right though I must say my cousin Sekmet is much better then I." Neferure said as she looked behind the child and saw a woman waving to the child probably telling her to come back. "Next time I see you I hope you will show me some of your art work. Until then I think you mother is wanting you to come home."
Jendayi nodded, "Okay." She said, on her way back to her mother and Barkari, she passed Amun, who ruffled her hair softly, and she gave her eldest brother a glare, and he quickly dodged her.
Neferure started to stand up but tripped on her dress and braced herself for the fall to the ground. Why does this happen to her she wondered.
Amun noticed this and quickly stepped forward to catch her.
Neferure felt strong arms go around her waist and stop her from falling. She quickly looked up to see Amun was the one holding her. "I guess you do come in handy especially for a clumsy person like me." she managed to say with a blush now completely embarrassed about being clumsy.
He settled her back on her feet. "I don't think you're clumsy."
"Your very kind Amun, I think I had better go to my room for I believe if I don't I may fall asleep where I stand." Neferure told him as she tried to stifle a yawn.
Amun nodded. "And I need to get back home before my mother hunts me down." He shook his head. "She will do it."
Neferure walked with Amun to her doors and she opened them right as she got there but quickly turned back to Amun. "I'm sorry for underestimating you Amun. I was quick to judge and I shouldn't have. I hope while I am here we are like we have been tonight." Neferure told him in all honesty with a smile.
"Good night Amun, may the gods make your dreams peaceful tonight." Neferure said as she walked into her room then turned back to him and smiled.
He nodded. "Goodnight."
Neferure already shut her door and just dived into her bed with a smile on her face and drifted off to sleep.
