Manuscript H:
It was with an uneasy feeling of apprehension deep in Ramses' gut, that he led Nefret out of the Istanbul hotel. They had a boat to catch, and once safely out to sea, he would let his nerves calm a bit. But until then, every face on the street seemed a potential threat, every shadow shielded the gleam of a waiting dagger. They hailed a cab to take them to the harbor, gloriously free of baggage to hold them back.
The carriage wound through the streets, the sound of the horses hooves clacking against the cobblestones thundering in their ears. Nefret sat back in the circle of Ramses' arms, his grip upon her hand the only indication of his nerves. "Almost there," he assured her, kissing her forehead through the cloth of her burka. It was the only time she would ever permit wearing such a thing.
But as the carriage jerked to a halt, it seemed Ramses spoke too soon. His hand was upon the hilt of his dagger in a moment, but as the door of the carriage was jerked open, it seemed a moment too late. He found himself peering down the barrel of a rifle. Lawrence was pulling no punches this time. Another opened the other door, and pulled Nefret from the cabin, kicking and screaming. The flunky attempted to silence her with a hand over her mouth, but she promptly bit him.
As Ramses stepped down from the cab, he found Nefret transferred to the arms of his rival. He stood with one arm around her waist, glare fixed upon Ramses. Another carriage waited in the alley, to spirit the thieves away.
"Games up again, I'm afraid," said Lawrence smugly. "I'll pay you the same courtesy as you did me, and only render you unconscious."
He signaled for the henchman to bash Ramses with the butt of his rifle, but a most unexpected development occurred. Almost like magic, Lawrence suddenly found a dagger held to his throat, by a very cold, and very steady Nefret. "Don't," she said.
Lawrence gave a signal for his men to stand down, and stared down into a pair of unforgiving cornflower blue eyes. "Lawrence, you have to let me go. I can't have a life with you. I can't be a pet kept within a gilded cage, I need my freedom. I need my work. And I need my family. I'm sorry. But this is how things must be.
The Prince of Thieves sighed, heavily enough to cause his throat to push against the daggers edge. As a trickle of blood ran down his throat, he found out the hard way how honed Ramses kept his spare blade. "So, this is your choice, then?" I really was lying to myself when I thought you loved me?"
A thousand truths coursed through Nefret's whirring brain. Scenarios in which they could have worked. Worlds their love could have lived in. Unfortunately, theirs was not one of them, and Ramses was the better man. The one she belonged with. "This is my choice, Lawrence. Ramses is my home."
Lawrence nodded, pushing down the dagger, sounding far braver than he felt, whilst his heart shredded to a million pieces within him. "Very well. Then I won't bother you again."
Nefret nodded, and standing on tip toe, kissed him sweetly. But it was a kiss of goodbye, for she backed away, clasping Ramses' hand in hers. And when Lawrence made no move to pursue them, they turned and ran down the alley. The sight of her robes fluttering around the corner would haunt him for the rest of his life, and yet standing there with three very bewildered henchmen, he suddenly knew this was the way it had to be. "We could have had them," grumbled Yussuf, lowering his rifle.
And it was in a melancholic tone that Lawrence answered, "Yes, but she's not mine to have. I fear she never was."