Chapter Eleven, at last! Where the fun truly begins! I apologize for the long hiatus. I'm updating all of my stories, but this one was just sitting there. So here you go. Enjoy.
After the little fiasco at the ball, very few of the courtiers expected to see the quarreling couple in the same fifteen foot radius again. In fact, some were even surprised that Artemisia was still in Egypt, and that Seto had not been arrested. Who did the princess think she was, trying to order around their lord and sovereign? It was uncalled for.
Unrest among the nobles about the situation with the Greek princess played right in Anzuya's favor. All that was needed now was a little push, and perhaps another spectacle. The Syrian royal smirked, and plotted her next move in silence.
Mahado entered the banquet hall, Artemisia two steps behind him. It looked as if he had muscled her into it, because she did not look happy at all. Her appearance was breathtaking, as usual, but a frown creased her forehead before she entered the spacious dining area. It disappeared as she moved to sit stiffly beside Atem. Mahado knew that for all that they were seething and ready to explode at each other, they still loved one another. The question was, could they get past their mistake?
Anzuya turned to the blonde, clearly shocked that the princess had dared to show her face after the events of last night. "Princess, I am…surprised that you decided to attend, after…" her voice soft, quiet enough for only Artemisia could hear.
"What happened last night is none of your concern, Anzuya," Artemisia replied carefully. If one unfortunate soul managed to make her snap tonight…
Anzuya laughed. "Of course not, of course not. I suppose it isn't any of my business that you're carrying on with that priest behind the pharaoh's back?"
Artemisia's hand clenched. "What are you trying to say?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"I'm frankly shocked that you're still here. Why would His Majesty want something that's already been tampered with?" Anzuya prodded with a chuckle.
Suddenly, Artemisia stood up, hands slammed on the table, chair sent backward. Her face was deathly white. "Are you suggesting that—"
Anzuya had stood up with her, and patted her arm. "There there, I understand why you would—" The last comment was more than Artemisia could stand, and she cut her off with a backhand across the face.
Anzuya snapped her head around to stare at the other princess in disbelief. "How dare you—" The darker girl shrieked, hand going to her face. Several nobles looked ready to defend the Syrian if the other princess decided to make Anzuya the focus of her anger.
"How dare I? What about your unnecessary and absolutely uncalled for commentary on my relationships?" Artemisia shouted, losing all composure completely. This was entirely out of character for the Greek, and it made Mahado wonder just what Anzuya had said that made Artemisia lose all self-control, seeing as the first rule about being a royal was 'never lose face'.
"What else was I supposed to think, O Mighty Princess, when you defended the very man who disgraced your name in front of the entire Egyptian court?" Anzuya shot back.
Artemisia jaw twitched, and she looked as though she wanted to slap her again. "So that is what this is all about. Seto."
"What reason do you have for defending that scum?" Anzuya asked furiously.
"'That scum', as you so charmingly put it, is a human being, and deserves to be treated as such, no matter how exalted your bloodline may be. He also happens to be one of the Pharaoh's most resourceful and dependable advisors, and I was not about to allow His Majesty to lose such a valuable addition to his court because of a rash act motivated by jealousy!" Artemisia retorted, ears red in rage. "'That scum' also happens to be His Majesty's cousin, and I will not have a rift open between them simply because of me!"
"Pretty words, coming from a nobly-born whore who would sell herself to the highest bidder, even if he be the King of Egypt." The words escaped Anzuya's mouth before she even had a chance to think them over.
Before Mahado or Atem could stop her, Artemisia's fingers closed around the neck of a tureen of soup, and the blonde princess dashed the liquid in Anzuya's face. The other young woman's eyes were wide as the soup dripped from her face and gown. Artemisia's voice was coldly calm, a sure sign that her temper's true fury was about to be unleashed, as she said in a soft tone that resonated in the still hall, "First of all, Anzuya, I wouldn't have believed that you would stoop so low so as to try and publicly humiliate me in that manner. A whore? I think not. I have more pride than to sell myself to anyone. And if you ever imply that Atem would be the kind of man to buy degrading services such as that, I swear by all the gods in Egypt and Greece, I will make you regret the day you met me." With one last icy glare, she turned on her heel and exited the hall, all eyes following her.
"Well, that's that," Mahado said with a sigh, slumping into a chair beside Atem. "Anzuya's leaving in disgrace, and we're left with the possibility of Syria declaring war on Macedonia for that little spat."
Atem groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. "It's not like Syria will be able to do anything. And Macedonia is smarter than to choose such a ridiculous war."
Mahado turned to the king. "You really don't see it, do you? Macedonia would go to war, because Anzuya gave insult to their princess. And the fact remains, Artemisia wouldn't have dealt her such a violent gesture if it weren't for the implied meaning in Anzuya's statement. She was really trying to defend you, my lord. She placed your honor above hers, and in doing so lost face in order to save yours."
Atem stared at him for a while. "So that's why you didn't stop them," he murmured.
Mahado shrugged, then replied, "Also because Artemisia needed release the bottled up anger from last night, so I decided to let her, especially since Anzuya was begging for a public blow-up. I assure you, I would have stopped her if the argument threatened their health, not necessarily their pride or image."
Atem appeared to digest that for a few moments, then burst out laughing. "No, you wouldn't have. You know as well as I that you would have loved to see Anzuya get thrashed."
Mahado grinned. "I suppose that would be true. In a contest of blows, I'd have to say Artemisia would be the clear winner. Macedonian woman are not to be taken lightly, her least of all." He paused, and waited for the young king's laughter to subside. "When do you plan on asking her?" he said abruptly.
Atem looked taken aback by the sudden change of topic. "To marry me? I don't know…"
Mahado shook his head, smiling. "And therein lies your problem, my lord. Perhaps you are over-thinking this whole affair of proposing to her."
"Are you suggesting that I randomly ask her, on the spur of the moment?"
"No, you misunderstood my meaning. Yes, you do need some way of building up to it, like a romantic moment between the two of you, or after a quiet dinner. But perhaps you ought to just let it happen."
Atem looked incredulous. "Just 'let it happen'?"
Mahado nodded, and chuckled. "I suppose practicing in front of a mirror will no longer be necessary then, my lord?" At that, Atem blushed and pretended to not hear him.
I. Love. Mahado. Simply because he has the BEST one-liners. Imagine, Atem practicing in front of a mirror! The teasing would never end, not to mention that would be excellent blackmail material.
Artemisia totally pwned Anzuya. I've been itching to write this scene, and I finally did.
Leave reviews and tell me what you thought!