The small boy looked up at me happily, his tears all dried up now. "My name is Faud!" he said cheerfully. Laughing softly, I smiled at him, ruffling his dark hair. "It's nice to meet you Faud." I said. He then stood up and pulled on my arm happily, trying to get me to stand. "Let's play Sanura! Come with me!" he said tugging on my arm some more. I chuckled and nodded, letting the boy pull me from the bench. I turned to look at Chaos, but saw that he wasn't there anymore. Confused, I tucked it to the back of my mind to ask him later when I saw him.
Faud led me deeper into the garden, telling about the days where he and his father spent time each day after he was done at the palace taking him through the market, telling him of all the adventures he had with his friends at the palace. The small boy told e how happy his father looked when he was with him and his mother.
"But papa had a faraway look, like... he was missing someone that only he and mama knew of." He said as he slowed his pace down. He looked up at me smiling brightly, though his eyes told me that he was saddened about this. "When I asked papa about it, papa said that they had a child before me, a long time ago but the child disappeared. But papa told me that he loved me very much anyways, and always blessed the Gods and Goddess' that I was born." He said, looking down at the ground.
Frowning a little, I picked Faud up, holding him in my arms as I started walking. "I'm sure that your papa and mama do love you very much." I told him with a soft smile. "When I was growing up, I didn't know my mama and papa. I only knew my caretakers." I told him, causing him to look up at me in surprise. "You didn't know your mama and papa!" he said amazed as I shook my head. "No, I was never told about them, so I just assumed that they were gone and didn't want me."
I don't think he realized what I meant by that and just wrapped his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. "Then I'll be Sanura's family!" he declared, burying his head into my neck. I smiled softly at his and rubbed his head and back. "Thank you Faud, I would like that." I whispered to him, a smile gracing my lips as I leaned my head against his head. "Sanura's my big sister. I would do anything to make Sanura happy." He whispered to me, tightening his grip on my neck.
I stopped next to a large date tree and reached up with one hand, grabbing a date. "Here Faud, you must be hungry after crying." I whispered to him with a smile. Looking up at me in surprise, Faud took the date with a smile and greedily bit into the fresh, juicy date. "How did you know?" he asked looking up at me. I chuckled at him with a smile. "I'm the same way." I told him, lightly poking his nose. He smiled at that and laughed happily.
Continuing on our way, I couldn't help but feel a bond form with this little boy. I couldn't help but feel protective over him and a strong need to make sure he was looked after and the need to make sure he continued to smile. I could tell that I probably wouldn't be able to leave Thebes knowing that I had someone who will be depending on me. I looked up at Ra, who was high in the sky, wondering what the plan was with being here. 'Maybe I'm here to protect him, maybe there's another call... who knows.' I thought, and soon felt Faud poke my shoulder, causing me to look down at him with a tilted head.
"Is something wrong Faud?" I asked curiously as the boy shook his head. "No, you looked like something was bothering you." He said, wrapping his arms around my neck once more in comfort. I smiled softly and ruffled his hair a bit. "No, nothing's wrong. I promise." I told him softly. He smiled brightly against my skin, and nodded, pleased with my answer.
I don't know how long we walked for, but I was surprised when I noticed Ra was starting to go down, and that Faud had fallen asleep in my arms. I knew that I arrived late in the day at the palace, but I didn't think it was that late. I wasn't watching where I was going, and almost walked into the Pharaoh who looked as startled as I probably did as we stood in front of one another. Before I could say something, the Pharaoh noticed Faud in my arms, and smiled a bit.
"I was told that Jamila was looking for her son." He said softly as to not wake the sleeping boy. I nodded a bit, seeing as the Pharaoh motion to a guard to bring the boy to his mother. It took a bit of effort on my part to get Faud to release his grip around my neck, so I could hand him to the guard. Once the guard was out of sight, I felt a tad awkward without the child in my arms.
"You get along well with him." The Pharaoh mused and started walking inside the palace, motioning me to following which I did. "Yes, he was crying in the garden earlier today." I said, having a feeling that he already knew that. The Pharaoh nodded with a small smile on his face.
We came into the throne room, and was greeted by Shimon and six other people. One was a male with greying hair he had a gold eye in his left eye socket, which I barely saw with the hood of his robe that covered his head. Another male who was dressed in blue with piercing blue eyes, with a serious expression on his face along with a gold rod in his hands with the same eye as the other items I had seen so far. A woman was next who I spied dressed in traditional priestess clothing and headdress, she wore a necklace with the same eye, she smiled at me kindly with a nod of greeting, which I returned. The next one I looked at was a man, who was also in traditional priest clothing and headdress, he bore a ring with a triangle and eye, like the rest. The other who that I spotted, one had black hair to his shoulder, wearing white and holding a gold scale with the same eye. The other one was bald wearing white as well and was carrying the key I had seen on Shimon before, but noticed that the elderly man didn't have it any more.
I furrowed my brows, wondering what was going on here, and by instinct, was on my guard. The Pharaoh walked up to his throne, and sat down, lacing his fingers together as he looked back at me, along with the seven around us. I saw suspicious looks coming from most of the males in the room, but Shimon, and I could tell that the female, who was with us, was looking at me in a curious, almost knowing way.
"Now that we are all finally here, let us begin." He Pharaoh said, causing my brows to furrow some more. 'Begin? Begin what?' I thought, wanting to voice my questions, but had a feeling that it would only be worse off if I did. Before anything really happened, the priest with the cold blue eyes stepped forward, bowing to the Pharaoh, before facing me.
"As by tradition, those who are on stand must remove all cloaks and weapons." He said, his voice as sharp as the look in his eyes. I narrowed my eyes a bit, wondering what the catch was, but did as I was instructed. I untied my cloak, letting it fall to the ground and unstrapped the sword from my side as well as my ever present pouch onto the ground. There, I was standing in front of my persecutors wearing a loose light blue shirt that had no sleeves on it and dust brown pants that hugged my hips. Around my neck I wore a thin brown scarf, which doubled as a mask whenever I went out into the open desert. Around my writs I wore three gold bangles and my armband was now in plain sight.
I felt their eyes looking at me as I crossed my arms over my chest. My hair, hung down against my lower back, my odd coloured bangs resting against my right cheek while the rest slightly spiked back. Each of the eyes told me something as I stared at the wall next to the Pharaoh's face. They told me that they were suspicious and were looking for any hidden weapons, they told me of surprise that they weren't expecting me to comply to easily. The last thing that their eyes told me, was that they couldn't believe what I has possessing, nor how much power I had received. But of course, I wouldn't know for a while, not until I let myself trust those around me.
"As told was tradition. I have shed my cloak and weapons. Now tell me why I am on stand and what reason you have for summoning here." I said, tired of all this starring. The woman, I noted, was smiling softly, as if she knew something that the rest of us did not. She turned to the Pharaoh, and bowed a bit, the same smile still on her face. "My Pharaoh, I believe that it is a good time for all to get some rest. Ra has left the sky and we are all tired. If you will permit, I am sure that things will go smoothly once Ra has returned to the sky once more." She said, causing the Pharaoh to ponder this a bit before nodding.
"Yes, you are right Isis. We will continue this after the first meal of the day when Ra has returned to the sky." He announced, causing me to mentally sigh in relief. The other priests looked at one another before nodding their heads and bowing to the Pharaoh before leaving the throne room. Isis walked over to me as I picked my things up and smiled at me. "It is nice to finally meet you. I am Isis, priestess here." she introduced herself. I smiled back at her and nodded a bit. "I am Sanura." I introduced herself, and she offered to take me to my chambers. I agreed, and allowed her to lead me out of the throne room, down one of the hallways. I paused at the doors of the throne room and looked over at the Pharaoh, who seemed to be taken to watching me amused.
I caught his eye a bit and he nodded, a smirk playing on his lips as he rested his head against the knuckles of his hand. I rolled my eyes at him and left the room, catching up to Isis, so I didn't get lost.
As the Pharaoh watched Sanura leave with Isis, he couldn't help but think of how well she did in front of the other Priests. Shimon chuckled as the doors finally closed and looked up at the Pharaoh. "I'm sure she will fit in just fine." He said, lacing his fingers behind his back. Chuckling softly, the Pharaoh nodded, the same smirk he gave to the young woman, still playing on his lips. "Yes, I'm sure she will. I don't believe that Seto realized what he would be dealing with until that cloak of hers was off." He said, remembering the look in his cousin's eyes. They had portrayed great annoyance at the fact that someone had Akin's armband, which he had been searching for.
"Though, I must say, Isis has taken to her quite well." Shimon mused. "And Mahad didn't seem bothered with her either." He added with a smile. Chuckling a bit the Pharaoh nodded at this and stood up from his throne, stretching a bit with a yawn. "Yes, and hopefully, the others will take to her after all, that's once she proves she is indeed the one who is meant to protect me." He said. Shaking his head, Shimon looked at the young Pharaoh. "My Pharaoh, you saw the armband only worn by the protectors of the Royal family." He said, "And you saw her summon come to her without her calling to him. Can't you believe that she is the same as Akin."
Looking at Shimon, the Pharaoh didn't answer right away. "If she is the same as Akin, then why had she not been with us?" he asked. He knew the traditions of the summoners. Akin had explained it to him long ago when he was a child. Sighing Shimon shook his head a bit. "There is a reason for that. I was going to tell Sanura this when you came in, but since you two don't get along very well, and she left, I suppose I'll tell her tomorrow after I tell you." He said, unaware of two emerald eyes watching him.
"You see, a few days after the birth of Akin's daughter, he and his wife went to the temple of Amun, who told them who she would be serving. It was late at night when they did this, and from what I was told, your father thought that they were up to something suspicious, forgetting about the traditions. When the three came out, Akin and Jamila knew something was wrong, and the mother placed her daughter in a bush behind them when your father and the rest of us confronted them. After being explained that their daughter was suppose to protect you, your father demanded to see the child, but when Jamila turned around to gather her, she let out a scream. Her child, who had been in the bushes for safety was gone. No trace was found. Akin gathered his wife in his arms as she wept the loss of her first born, and your father then demanded she be found, sending us all around the village to search for the missing babe." Shimon explained.
Before the Pharaoh could say anything, a loud gasp was heard and the two males turned around, seeing Sanura standing there, looking pale and weak. "Y-you're... you're lying! There's no way I'm meant to protect such an ignorant fool like him!" she shouted. Shimon dropped his head a bit in sadness, and took a step towards her. "I wouldn't lie about my dearest friend Sanura. Akin was devastated at the loss of you. When I saw you at that village so many moons ago, I recognized you right away. You have Akin's eyes, and you look just like your mother, Jamila." He said.
This caused Sanura to shake her head some more as she started to back up. She was frightened, the Pharaoh noted. The look in her emerald eyes shone volumes of fear and disbelief. 'Was she not told of her origins?' he wondered, and was about to ask, when she fled. With his brows raised, the Pharaoh stood in surprise before running after her. 'No supposed protector of mine will flee before I get the chance to talk to them.' He thought grumpily.
