Disclaimer: Warning this chapter may induce heart palpitations, bleeding of the ears via screaming fan girls, wetting of the pants or exploding ovaries. You have been warned. By continuing to read this chapter you therefore agree that Mir 15 does not own Red River and is not responsible if you experience any of these side effects.

Ducking behind the pillar once more I put a hand on my chest in an effort to calm my racing heart. Calm down Jade, just calm down and think this through! If you leave the room quietly he'll never know you were here and you won't have to face him, problem solved…

Slowly backing away towards the rooms exit I kept my eyes trained on his face just in case I would have to suddenly hide from his view. I bumped into the wall and paused before sliding my body sideways along the smooth stone feeling for the gap that would signal I hit the rooms only other entryway.

"Jade…Where are you going?"

Though the question was spoken in a calm and quiet voice I could hear a tone of disapproval in it. My stomach clenched and I turned to see Nefert standing beside me, I had forgotten about her.

"Uhhh, I-"my voice came out squeaky so I cleared my throat before continuing, "I uh, I forgot something in your room…so I'm going to go get it now." I lied.

"What did you forget?" She asked.

"I forgot…what I forgot is…it-it's a-a-um, "Scanning the room quickly I saw the man had walked further into the room and was busily chatting with a few other men about thirty feet from where I was standing. I paled and ducked behind the pillar again, "I think I need to go now…"

Turning to leave before he spotted me Nefert answered, "Nonsense! You're just nervous. Now, I want to introduce you to someone. My brother User to be more specific."

"You-your brother? I- I don't think that's a good idea…" Especially if he's anywhere near that guy…

She grabbed my arm to keep me from leaving and continued, "You have to. After all, it is his welcome back party and–"

"Nefert." An unpleasantly familiar voice called out.

"User!" She answered back happily. While all I could think was, 'Crap!'

Ramses brushed Siti's clinging hands away from his body. The woman had weakly yanked -but yanked nonetheless- him around and away from the conversation with his mother with an overly cheerful smile on her face. If it were any other woman perhaps he would have given her a less than polite greeting, but spying her grandfather across the way he held his tongue. The man was an extremely wealthy court official, who unluckily for him was a favorite of quite a few nobles at court. Ramses did not need to involve himself in anymore petty power plays that were the Egyptian court; he would not jeopardize his chances of becoming vizier.

Forcing a smile onto his lips he greeted her, "A pleasure to meet you again Siti."

Siti blinked her heavily kohl lined eyes before smiling, "Definitely a pleasure."

Ramses tried very hard to keep from snorting at her in annoyance. Just because she was one of the first women he had been with back in his pre-general days Siti had thought herself something special. He remembered when he first laid eyes on her. He had barely been raised from mid-level officer to commanding officer to a platoon of foot soldiers when they were given a short break from military activities, so with nothing to do he came home to Memphis. He was perhaps around sixteen and was no inexperienced boy when it came to women, but when he met Siti on a brief visit to her family's estate via his mother planning to marry off one of his sisters to one of the family's few sons, he had found her to be the most beautiful woman he'd laid eyes on at the time.

She was older than him by two years with a fully developed figure, a delicate face and a fall of sleek black hair that hung down to her waist. Ramses admitted to himself that the reasons for courting her then were very superficial. But he couldn't help himself, he was a man and she was a very beautiful woman…looking back now though, he realized he probably could have done better, what with how one dimensional and shallow she turned out to be. Not even Yur- Ramses cut off his thoughts, it's best he not wander into that nest of cobras. Why make his already gloomy evening plummet to absolutely awful?

He let Siti guide him back into the room as she chattered on beside him, ignorant to his sudden solemn silence. Scanning the room his eyes met with a few more tolerable court officials across the room. Seeing as Siti wouldn't let go of his arm now he steered her away from the less than bearable horde of noble women over to the trio of men to greet them.

The most jovial of the three yelled to him, "Ramses! How's Thebes? I heard Horemheb's been giving you problems to work on left and right for the past few weeks!"

"When is Horemheb not working Ramses like a dog, Sekani?"

"You're absolutely right, Kontar!" He chuckled.

Ramses smiled half heartedly, "Since when have officials deemed it appropriate to listen in on idle palace gossip?"

"Sorry to disappoint you Ramses, but we only listen to it when it concerns a prospective vizier candidate." The eldest of the three stated gruffly.

Ramses laughed, "It's good to see you Msrah!" Clasping the older man's arm they gave each other a brief hard hug.

"You've grown since I've last seen you. I hope that's not the only thing that changed." He eyed Ramses, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"May Amun Ra help us if Ramses still behaves like a willful petulant child." Kontar laughed.

"My exact sentiments gentlemen." Siti interjected. The three turned their gazes on to her as if just noticing her presence.

"And just who are you?" Sekani questioned.

Siti smiled smugly before wrapping her hands around one of Ramses's arms. Ramses suppressed a grimace, "This is Lady Siti." He introduced.

"Ah, you're one of Sethos' grandchildren." Msrah said curtly.

"Yes, I am." She answered oblivious to Msrah's tone of disapproval.

Ramses rolled his eyes as she launched into a conversation about the latest court fashion with the three men. She may be a good bed partner but she made a terrible conversationalist. Seeing how she was so utterly engrossed with her own conversation he decided it was time to leave her to bore the three men on her own. Taking the opportunity to slip away when she released her grip on his bicep in order to talk more animatedly about the difference between a long and short wig, he spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

His sister Nefert was dressed immaculately like always, though it was expected with her devout following for fashion this side of the Nile. She appeared to be talking to a pillar until she pulled a rather pale arm out from behind it, so she was speaking to someone hiding behind the pillar. His sister never was one to give encouragement to someone, at least not to anyone besides a certain unnamable female… But she looked as if she were trying to coax someone out from behind the column of stone, that's an interesting thing for her to do.

He grimaced, the last time he'd seen Nefert was before Rusafa died. And from what he was told while he was in Thebes had been less than pleasing. Hearing that she was locking herself away in the residence and refusing to see anyone for the first couple months had made him feel tremendously guilty… but perhaps she made a new friend he hadn't heard about while he was away? He sighed, another brainless girl hanging around was sure to grate on his nerves but at least it was better that her crying over a dead man…

Walking over to her he decided to see who her new friend was, but paused in surprise when Nefert pulled a girl from out behind the pillar. And it wasn't just any girl; it was the red headed snake! He felt his temper rise but he remembered he couldn't afford to embarrass his mother by making a large fuss in public. Reigning in his anger, he made sure to keep his face as passive as possible before approaching the two women.

"Nefert." He uttered curtly.

Nefert turned around to look at him before yelling happily, "User!"

"How have you been, sister?" He asked calmly, all the while keeping his eyes trained on the small red haired girl. Observing the young woman he watched as her already white skin turned a shade whiter when he used the word sister. So, she hadn't known who he was…

"Me? I've been fine! You should know me by now!" She replied.

"Really? That's good." He narrowed his eyes just a fraction as the girl dropped her gaze to the floor and turned her head away from them. Her small frame trembled almost imperceptibly but they didn't escape from his own trained eyes. Good, she was scared. He let a small smirk turn up the corner of his mouth.

Nefert looked from him to the girl curiously before asking, "User, why are you staring at my servant like that?"

"User, why are you staring at my servant like that?"

Yes! Why are you trying to glare holes through my head? I swear I could feel the heat of his gaze against my cheek like the hot air of a blow dryer on my face! Or that was simply the feeling of all the blood rushing into my head?

"Well?" Nefert asked, waiting for an answer.

Yeah, well? The man kept silent just like I kept my head averted away from the pair of newly discovered siblings. I huffed quietly; out of anything he could've been to her he just had to be her brother. Ex-lover? We could've bonded over how much we hate him. Friend? I could've dealt with her being friends with a jerk like him, I'm not saying I would apologize but I could have made the effort to be civil with him. But brother? Why did it have to be her brother? Does the universe hate me or something? If it had to be a relative why couldn't it have been a distant, a very distant cousin or an uncle twice removed or something like that?

"Perhaps…Is it…Are you planning to do seduce her User?" Nefert asked in blunt disbelief.

"No!"

"Gross!"

I glared at him as he glared at me. Like it was my fault we spoke at the same time! Nefert looked between the two of us carefully. "Correct me if I'm wrong but do you two know each other?"

I flinched as this 'User' guy looked like he just swallowed some bitter cold medicine. "If only it was that simple." He muttered darkly. I gave him the stink eye, it looks like a fist full of mud wasn't enough for him I silently thought to myself.

"Then you have met before." Nefert smiled.

"I wish we hadn't…" I huffed before crossing my arms and turning away from the both of them.

A small uncomfortable silence remained between the three of us until Nefert spoke up, "I might be wrong, but did something happen between the two of you?"

I was about to tell her exactly what happened when he answered, "Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing." Before turning around and walking right back the way he came.

I stared at his back in irritation and confusion. What was he doing? He could have told on me and gotten me punished or something. Especially seeing how he was the long awaited son returning from who knows where, while I was the unimportant expendable servant. So why would he just walk away and not say anything? I mean Nefert definitely knows something went on between us and with the look she was giving me I doubted her thoughts on the subject were rated G.

Fighting the urge to gag I impatiently asked, "What?"

She smiled widely before smacking my back, "You finally found yourself a lover!"

Cringing inwardly at her unreasonably strong smack I stuttered, "Wh-what are- What are you saying?"

Nefert giggled, "You don't have to be so secretive. I know everything."

"You-you do?" I asked. Just cause he saw me naked on accident did that automatically make me his -I shuddered at the word, I couldn't even think it- but did that make me his l-lo-lov-lover?

"How did you two manage it? He's barely been back for a little more than a day! But then User does work fast…" She paused before continuing, "Which reminds me, why would you even be interested in a man like him? You don't look like the social climbing type to me."

I tried to make sense of what she was saying. "What are you talking about?" I finally asked exasperated.

She blinked in surprise, "What are you talking about?"

"I haven't said anything…"

Nefert nodded, "True, you haven't told me anything. What exactly is going on between the two of you?"

"Like he said, nothing is going on."

"Obviously something is going on otherwise you wouldn't be acting so secretive…" She gasped loudly, "Earlier, when you were nervous, you looked scared. Did User do something to you?" She asked quietly.

Her expression looked like a cross between shocked and stricken. I glared, "If your thinking of what I'm thinking, I will tell you now that if something like that happened your brother would be lying in ditch somewhere dead."

Her face softened, "Then what-?"

I rubbed my forehead tiredly. I'll probably regret this… but the people around us were starting to gives looks and I had an inkling that they were listening to our 'private' conversation despite their outward looking disinterest. Pulling her behind the nearby pillar I whispered to her everything that happened this morning.

Instead of becoming angry with me or even her brother, she didn't even seem upset in the least. She unexpectedly started to laugh, "This isn't a laughing matter!" I hissed.

Her peals of laughter just got louder when I said that. I waited a few minutes before she started to quiet down. She wiped tears from the corners of her eyes and asked, "Did you really throw mud in his face for spying on you while you bathed?"

"He wasn't spying! He deliberately walked in on me and proceeded to-"

"Tease you?" She asked matter-of-factly.

"It was a violation of privacy!" I whisper yelled.

She chuckled, "Jade, User has seen tons of women before and I suspect you won't be the last. I even doubt you'll be the one who stands out amongst the rest."

"As much as I needed to know how much of a pervert your older brother is, I find little comfort in knowing not only has he seen me naked but thousands of other women too." I dead panned.

Nefert tried to assure me, "I said tons not thousands…But if it'll make you feel better I'll ask him to forget the whole thing for you."

"That doesn't give me much comfort either to tell you the truth."

The once noisy room had quieted to a lighter hum of voices. "Oh, I think everyone is getting ready for the meal." Nefert whispered.

"Okay, you go eat. I'll be in your room if you need me." I said already heading towards the exit.

Nefert grabbed my wrist, "Oh no you don't. You'll be sitting with me like all the other favorite servants."

"But I'm not your favori-!" I didn't get to finish my sentence since she yanked me towards the low table before she dropped herself into a plush pillow. Following the other servant's examples I sat behind her on a rug quietly like the others.

The conversation around the table was relaxed and spoken in low tones unlike when everyone had been standing around greeting each other earlier. I'm guessing since everyone was indulging in the offered food and drinks. I tried to keep my gaze from wandering around to observe the ancient customs around me, mostly since I had the niggling feeling I was being watched. Three guesses who, and the first two don't count.

Sneaking I glance in his direction I immediately averted my gaze away again when I saw him once again trying to glare holes through my head. I decided there that I would do my best to make it through the rest of the evening without problems and do my best to ignore the laser beam gaze aimed at me.

Ramses was exercising the most restraint over his temper that he hasn't had to use in a while now. Out of all the girls, no, female population in Memphis why did she have to take in a such a- a- He couldn't even think of what he wanted to call her, he was so frustrated!

He settled for glaring in her direction. Perhaps holding a grudge over a handful of thrown soil was childish of him, but he was General User Ramses, his pride wouldn't allow him to forgive and forget so easily. It would be a cold day in Daut if he ever ignored his pride, especially if said pride was wounded by a stupid girl! …Well, maybe wounded wasn't the right word but still, he wouldn't stand by and let her get away with insulting him!

"User, have you and your sister gotten into another disagreement?" His mother asked him.

Softening his face and looking beside him he gave her a small smile, "No, I'm just a little annoyed with something."

How could he tell her that the one he was giving such venomous looks of hate to wasn't his sister but the servant sitting behind her? If he said anything like that his mother would surely take matters into her own hands and have the girl punished in some way, and though the thought of her having to work her small body to the point exhaustion put a smile onto his lips, he felt that he should be the one to personally to punish her.

But just how would he accomplish such a feat? For obvious reasons he couldn't and wouldn't physically harm her, plus she was a personal slave that belonged to Nefert so he didn't have any real authority over her. He could tell Nefert what happened, ask her to make her life difficult somehow, but it was more than likely his sister would have a field day with the humiliating story than feel any real sympathy for him. To be truthful, she would probably praise the girl instead of chastising her. Heaving a deep sigh, he decided to think over the issue while he ate.

The night wore on rather peacefully without any further incidents involving Nefert's brother. Which put me at ease, but that didn't keep me from avoiding the man as much as I could.

I noticed that most of the people at this party ignored my presence which worked out fine for me but the few that did acknowledge me either stared at me or asked rudely, well more like ordered me to tell them about where I was from and things like that, and to add to my already growing annoyance with their inconsideration about my feelings, they would talk very slowly as if I was a slow person or animal that couldn't speak ancient Egyptian. Though if I was being honest, I wouldn't be able to understand them anyway at least not if it weren't for that hocus pocus that psycho lady shoved down my throat, literally.

And if it wasn't that, they would whisper about me behind my back. I mean really right behind my back…again assuming A; I didn't understand them, B; that I was stupid or C; I was a deaf person. I sighed, when I heard the latest group of women gossiping about my hair directly behind me. I turned around with an 'I can hear you' expression on my face that made them shut up within a few seconds. They gave me sheepish grins before I watched them scuttle away back into the crowd of guests talking to each other about how rude I was.

I rolled my eyes and huffed. "Jade! So this is where you've been hiding!"

I grimaced, Nefert had been dragging me around all evening to meet all of her rich noble girlfriends. At first I thought it was because she truly did consider me a friend or favorite servant, whichever, when I realized as the more ladies I met the more the other women and Nefert would compare me to their other servants and the like. Like I was some rare animal Nefert rescued out of the desert or something.

"Who do I have to meet now?" I grumbled.

"Hmm? Oh, just Kamilah. I want to see her face when she finds out I have such an unusual slave and she doesn't." She answered looking around.

I sighed, "I'm really getting tired of this 'my horse is bigger than your horse' stuff…and do you really have to mention the slave issue so carelessly?"

"Sorry, I wasn't listening to yo- Kamilah!" Nefert greeted.

"Hello Nefert." The woman Kamilah acknowledged with a whisper soft voice.

"Kamilah! Nefert!" Another woman yelled and waved at the two of them before walking over to them.

Kamilah spoke softly, "Siti, I see you've finally relinquished Ramses to a few others."

The woman Siti curved her lips in a satisfied smile, "I'll have him in my grasps again tonight so I figured I could let him wander around by himself for a while."

Nefert cleared her throat, "Siti, I had no idea you would be here. I thought you had decided to go to Nabta Playa for a vacation?"

The way Nefert spoke to her was less than genuine sounding, it sounded fake and forced much like how the girls back home used to speak to me…

"When I heard Ramses was coming back to Memphis I cancelled my plans and tagged along with grandfather." She replied too sweetly. Maybe they were fre-nemies?

I jumped when I felt a slender hand rake their fingers through my hair. I pouted when I saw it was Nefert's friend Kamilah. "What are you do-?"

"You have such soft hair, how does a slave manage to keep it that way?" She asked quietly.

I frowned, "I haven't been a slave for that long…" I trailed off.

Kamilah looked to Nefert for confirmation, "Is that true?"

Nefert nodded, "It is."

The Siti woman scoffed, "Why would you want such an unsightly looking girl as a slave?"

Kamilah sighed, "I don't know, I think she's rather cute."

Siti gave her a disbelieving stare while Kamilah hummed in amusement before trying to touch my hair again. I ducked away from her and closer to Nefert.

I observed them from head to toe carefully as they began to discuss me and all my unsightly not unslightly-ness amongst each other. I couldn't understand how they could call each other friends when they were so drastically different from each other. Let's take that Siti woman for example; she's pretty with long soft black hair that came down to the small of her back, smooth evenly tanned skin, a figure that was on par with Kim Kardashian and an almost pixie like face. But I was almost one hundred percent sure she was ugly on the inside.

Then that Kamilah woman was so tall and slender, she had long jet black hair that reached the tops of her thighs with dark olive skin but she had more Egyptian features than Siti. Her appearance didn't bother me nor did her soft spoke personality, in fact I admired them. But what did bug me was how creepy she was, I mean what was with her trying to touch my hair?

Sighing for what seemed like the hundredth time that night I felt my heart drop when I heard, "User you be the deciding factor on this."

Knowing my luck he's right behind me…Turning my head to look behind me I saw Lady Khepri and Nefert's brother User behind me. Damn I hate being right…

Ramses leaned against one of the large rooms window frames while taking thoughtful sips of wine from his cup. He had simply been talking with his mother's guests earlier this evening, and hadn't seen the red haired slave since dinner. Perhaps she left? Taking a quick look around he saw Nefert talking with a few wealthy perfume merchants. He doubted she would let her servant leave without permission so she had to be around here somewhere. Perhaps hiding from him? That brought a smile to his lips, she should be afraid of him.

"Son, why are you over here and not with everyone else?"

He looked at his mother, "Mother do you really think these people are here simply to welcome me home?"

Lady Khepri took her time answering her son, "No, I don't believe that but I do think it would be beneficial for you to meet a few suitable women, and their families."

Ramses hold on his cup tightened, "I thought we went through this before mother."

"User…Your father would have expected you to-"

"Father would have expected me to do what is best for Egypt, and so far my getting married willing only complicate matters not help." He bit out.

"Do you really expect me, the woman who raised you, to believe that you not getting married is what's best for Egypt?" Lady Khepri chided gently, "It would seem to me that your stubborn resolve to remain forever womanless is because of that woman, is what I say true?"

Ramses flinched and bit his lip, "Bringing something like that up, won't change anything or how I feel."

Lady Khepri nodded, "True, but that woman is gone and you must move on. I'm not asking you to find your future wife here and now but I do want you to at least consider getting to know a few women that you could grow fond of. Now come, let us find your sisters so we can spend a little time together before they leave for the remaining evening."

Ramses sighed and took his mother's arm, "Alright."

They hadn't managed to find any of his sisters, though they looked practically everywhere for them but he and his mother assumed they were too late. His youngest sister was most likely put to bed while he guessed the others either left with their husbands or new found lovers for the night. He was about to go and lead his mother to a few of her noble women friends to chat with while he got himself another cup of wine when he caught Nefert and her new slave speaking to each other on the other side of the room.

"Why did she insist on bringing that child instead of Thema or Nané?" He heard his mother say suddenly.

"Who are you talking about?" he asked.

"Nefert of course, I don't know why she's taken such a liking to that foreign slave. Not even Neema who bought her liked her that much; after all she passed her onto Jahi after just a few days…" She told him.

Ramses looked at his mother, "Then she's not Nefert's slave but works under Jahi with all the other household slaves?"

"Hm? Yes, why do you ask?" Lady Khepri questioned.

Ramses smiled, "No reason, I just need you to confirm something."

"Confirm what? Are you interested in that slave?" His mother asked with suspicion and disapproval ringing in her voice.

"Interested? Yes, but not in the way you think mother."

"Oh? Then what way are you interested in?" She asked much more calmly.

"It doesn't matter right now. Let's pay Nefert a little visit shall we?" Grinning he took his mother's hand and led her over to the group of girls before stopping behind the nuisance with red hair.

"User you be the deciding factor on this." Nefert called out.

"What?" He asked.

Siti glided over to him, "Ramses, isn't she the most unattractive slave you ever seen?" She asked.

Ramses looked over Siti before switching his gaze to the crimson haired girl, "Yes, how homely."

"Yes, how homely." He said. The jerk…

"User! How can you say that? Are you even looking at her properly?" Nefert questioned, "Jade stop hiding behind me and let him see all of you!"

"I think he's seen enough Nefert…" I ignored his sudden glare in my direction when I said that.

"Stop being so shy and let him see you." She said cheerfully before shoving me out in front of her.

I was going to kill her for this. I kept my gaze on the stone floor and flinched when I saw two tan sandal covered feet take a step closer towards me. I tucked my chin in further to my chest and kept my body stiff and straight as if readying for a blow, when a large strong but gentle honey tanned hand forced my chin up. I looked into his mismatched eyes with apprehension as my heart pounded unreasonably fast with adrenaline. I was dead. He was going to kill me. I was going to di-

He interrupted my thoughts to calmly say, "Mother, let me have this girl."

I fainted.

Who's ovaries exploded?...Don't lie, you know they did. ~Ke Ke Ke Ke~

Here's my latest update, writing this chapter took me a little longer than usual but you asked for more interaction between Jade and Ramses. I know there isn't much but it's enough to get the ball rolling. I'm such a tease aren't I? Some of you must hate me right about now…

As for a picture, my sisters still working on the latest one so that should be up by the next update if not before.

Sooo, Thank you again to those who reviewed. AyameRose, Hikadu113, 2nd Jade1122, and Wordsworth99! And if your ovaries really did explode or you just really loved this chapter and wanna tell me about it then please leave me a review! Til next time…