Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the plot ideas displayed here and in other fics written by me. Thanks to all those who've been reading and reviewing and I very much hope that you continue to do so. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

A Fated Meeting

Sitting in her carriage Ri was incredibly hot and bored. Her idiot older brother had decided he simply had to show off the temple their father had given him permission to build a few months ago. Now she was being dragged along because father was too ill to go. So here she and Sirus were, shanghaied into coming along to watch their idiot brother make a fool out of himself. Again. Looking over at her younger brother Ri laughed when she saw that he was fast asleep despite the noise around them. He really could sleep through anything, Ri thought and wished that she could do the same. She'd have much rather ridden but Rameses had insisted that she be carried and now eight men were forced to carry her and her brother in this heat. Poor guys didn't even begin to cover it. Pushing the drapes on her side away Ri looked out and sighed as she watched the various slaves go by her line of vision. Of course there were armed guards on either side of her but she could see between them every once in a while. She wished that there was no need for slavery but the well being of the empire depended upon their servitude or so everyone was always saying. She was pretty sure Yami and her father didn't like it either but they both knew that for now at least it wasn't the time to consider abolishing it. But perhaps one day it would be so. She at least hoped so for their sake. She couldn't claim to have ever done anything that could be termed manual labor but it didn't take a genius to see it was backbreaking and hard work. One that at the very least they should be paid for.

"Are we there yet?" Sirus asked sleepily, his eyes still closed though apparently he was still awake enough to ask questions. If it wasn't for his dad's order you can bet he wouldn't have agreed to come near Rameses, much less out in this heat with his bastard older brother. The fact that they shared blood constantly made him want to get a transfusion.

"Five more minutes I'd guess."

"Okay. You know there are so many other things I could be doing right now that would be funnier then this. Like getting my teeth pulled out one by one or being castrated with a rusty old blade." Sirus muttered bad temperedly having been pulled away from his experimenting for this which was the greatest injustice in his mind. How could he change the world if he had to be around his idiot brother who was likely to kill him before he ever got the chance. "If Rameses or Nefeteri even tries to give a Rameses is the greatest thing since the invention of the wheel speech I'm finding the nearest blade and impaling myself on it."

"That seems a little extreme, brother." Ri said with a chuckle. "And besides it's ladies first so I get to impale myself before you do."

"Does he even realize father gave him permission to get him out of the palace more often?" Sirus wanted to know, opening one eye to look over at his older sister as she smirked and commented that Rameses's ego was too big to admit it. A sister who didn't look like she was sleeping so well, Sirus thought to himself. He wasn't the idiot in the family after all. Only idiots told women they didn't look anything less then their best. He knew that her guards had been taken away and that the High Priest Seto had sent his own personal guards to replace them. Which of course had infuriated Rameses but there was really nothing the ass could do since they belonged to the priest's family and were not under Rameses's personal control. So if it wasn't her lack of protection keeping her awake then what was it? Or who perhaps, Sirus thought even though he'd been itching to talk to her about it. He wasn't blind after all, he did see things. And what he saw was the High Priest Seto keeping more distance then usually from Ri and Ri walking around looking tired and upset even though she did her best to hide both. Could perhaps his sister have set her sights on the priest? And the priest, being Seto, was running in the other direction as a result? The thought of the High Priest running anywhere was funny, even more so if he was running from Ri. Their older brother was gonna freak when he found out about this. He could only hope he was in the room to see the explosion.

"Looks like we're here." Ri said when the carriage came to a slow shuffle. They were in the back of the line after all. She was pretty sure that her brother had put them in the back as a symbol of their importance to him and in a lame attempt to put them in their place. Of course that fell through since Sirus and herself appreciated the fact that they were as far away from the idiot as possible.

"Oh goody. If it weren't for the fact that others would pay the price I'd blow the whole structure up. Just see if I wouldn't." Sirus muttered, sitting up as he rubbed the rest of the sleep from his eyes. "Bet the thing would crumble easy anyway, since he had a hand in it."

"We can only hope not. The way he's drunk on power he'd start ordering the executions of slaves right and left." Ri said grimly, able to imagine it all too well. "Time to get out." Ri said with a sigh as the guards appeared in front of her. Allowing them to help her down she was followed by Sirus who took her arm protectively as they walked, servants holding fans over their heads from behind. Guards swarming everywhere Ri absently wondered if her brother was expecting someone to attempt an assassination. If the rumors about the way he was working the slaves to death were true she wouldn't be surprised in the least. Everyone ushered over to a platform in which to view the half completed structure Ri and Sirus suffered through speeches from Nefeteri and Rameses along with the overseers of it all.

"And what do you think of my temple, little brother?" Rameses wanted to know as he strolled over to them, puffed up like a peacock after the speeches were done and everyone was left to admire his temple.

"Well I think the men and women who labored on this should be commended for their fine work. In fact I think that they should be given a few days off to recuperate from their labors and have their rations increased since they did such a good job." Sirus said as his grip on Ri's arm tightened slightly. "I think that men and women who build such things of beauty shouldn't be walking around as if they carried the entire temple on their shoulders and look three times their age. But then I think a lot now don't I? It's an interest process, you might try it someday." Sirus added with a chuckle, making it sound like a joke though his eyes said it wasn't.

"Then isn't it a good thing that I could care less what you think." Rameses replied before looking over at Ri, his dark eyes showing the banked anger behind them. Sirus was the most vocal in the family about everything and he was easy enough to tune out. After all he was only the third son and definitely the lesser in all that was important. "And you, my dear sister? What do you think?"

"I think that this isn't your temple but theirs, Rameses. You just can't help but take credit for the hard work of others, can you? You're a braggart, not a doer." Ri said sweetly, enjoying the way his face went red with anger and he looked very close to striking her but was holding himself in check due to all the people around. "I think that if the people go by the designs and orders of someone who knows what they're doing it will be a fine temple. The pharaoh will be impressed with the labors of his subjects."

"Well then, I suggest you two return to your carriages so that we might leave." Rameses ordered hotly, before he gave into the urge to strike the little bitch down. Soon everyone was in their carriages, on their way home. They were nearly half way when Ri realized her brother had suddenly gone rigid beside her. "Sirus?" Ri asked as she leaned out a hand to set on his stiff shoulder.

"STOP THE CARRIAGE!" Her brother yelled out suddenly and jumped out of the carriage before it had even come to a complete stop.

"SIRUS!" Ri cried out and followed her brother, ignoring the guards commands as she raced after her brother, now seeing what he had saw. There was an old man on the ground being beaten brutally by a young guard while seven other guards were struggling to detain a huge young man who was apparently fighting to get to the old man's side and literally throwing people out of his way.

"STOP THAT THIS ONCE!" Sirus yelled out but the guard, obviously not realizing that the prince referred to him, continued to administrate the beating or he did until the prince put himself in front of the old man, allowing the whip's tails to wrap around his arm before yanking it out of the shocked guard's hand. "Down on your knees, servant!" Sirus ordered and the guard drop to his knees instantly, shaking with fear.

"I'll order them to let you go if you promise to do no more harm to anyone. You have my word no more harm will come to that man." Ri said firmly as she stood before the huge mass of muscle, never before having seen a man this big so that she had to tip her head back to see the tops of his shoulders.

"All right, you have my word." The man agreed after a pause and stopped resisting, Ri following through on her promise and ordered the guards to leave him alone and allowed him to hurry over to the old man's side, Sirus having used his own head covering to mop up the bloody wounds. "Father, are you all right?"

"Joshua...you are all right." Was all the old man said as he looked up at his strong son with the same emerald green eyes. "I saw you coming to stop it..I was so afraid for you."

"He wasn't doing his share of the work, your majesties." The guard who had been doing the whipping began, fearful of being punished for doing his job. "I was ordered to make an example of him."

"There is nothing to fear, good man. Neither your son nor you will be harmed any more." Sirus said as he kneeled beside the man while Joshua sat on the other. "I give you my word." He added before looking over at the guard with pure loathing in his eyes. There was no justification for this.

"What is going on here?" Rameses demanded as he strolled over, enraged by the interruption, guards surrounding him protectively.

"One of your men was using this poor man as a whipping board, Rameses." Ri said angrily as she got into her brother's face in a big way. "He's an old man, he shouldn't be out here working at all, much less when the humidity is this bad. There are plenty of able bodies out there who could be doing his work. Or did you make it so that those who don't work don't eat, Rameses? Is that it? Are you so pathetic you need even the elderly to build a simple temple?"

Raising a hand to slap her a large hand whipped out and grabbed his in a painful hold, while a blade appeared across his throat courtesy of Seto's guard. Looking over Rameses stared in pained shock at the giant that loomed before him. "Guards, kill this man! Kill them both!" Rameses screamed, straining to get his arm free.

"Harm either of them and I'll see you put to death!" Sirus yelled just as loudly, standing up as he walked over to put a hand on Joshua's shoulder and nodded to the other guard who hadn't removed his blade despite all the other blades pointed at him. "Thank you for protecting my sister, in fact, that's going to be your job from now on, Joshua. Now let him go." Sirus added as he cajoled Joshua into letting Rameses go then got between the slave and his enraged brother, Seto's guard retreating to Ri's side once more. "Try to harm either of them and I go straight to father with everything. If I tell him this slave risked his life to protect Ri from you..well I think he'd have something to say about your position in our kingdom. You may be older than me but my word is as good as yours. There are plenty of witnesses who will testify to what they saw, you know there are. Your temper has done you in again, Rameses. Now go rejoin your party, I'm sure you have plenty of drinking to do."

"And then the prince raised his hand to strike the princess but myself and the slave Joshua stopped him. To be frank I think it was the shock of the slave's action more then my blade that halted him, High Priest." The guard said as he bowed low, feeling the tension in the air as though it were a physical thing. The face of his master had not changed but he could feel rage and knew that had his master been alone the High Priest might have just lost his cool for the first time in history.

"And what happened to this slave? Dead I presume?" Seto asked slowly, the rage building up inside of him like rising embers. Never before had he felt such blood lust and he doubted he ever would. Rameses was going too far and it was time someone did something about it. That someone was going to be him.

"No, sir. The Second Prince Sirus ordered that the slave not be harmed. He even assigned the slave to come to the palace with his family and he has been given the role of the Princess Ri's personally bodyguard. I myself volunteered to give him pointers since we are on the same protection detail, High Priest. I hope that meets with your approval."

"Well he certainly has courage, to dare put his hands on Rameses, much less in violence."

"That he does. And he's huge, my master. I have never seen a man so big in my life and he seems to be the hardworking and good hearted sort. He risked his life for the princess, had it not been for this reason he would surly have died for it. As it is Prince Sirus blackmailed the prince into sparing the slave's life. And sparing mine as well for that matter."

"I will meet this slave and speak to the princess." Seto said as he got to his feet. "Come." He added as an after thought and soon the two were making their way to the princess's personal rooms. Coming up the hallway that lead to them Seto had to agree with his guard. The slave certainly was the biggest man he'd ever seen. "I am the High Priest Seto, Councilor to the true pharaoh of Egypt and..friend to the princess. I understand you will be taking on a role as her protector, slave."

"Yes, sir." Joshua said as he bowed low, well aware of the priest's reputation. He was said to be reasonably fair but hard and cold. An ally to be valued and an enemy to be feared about all others.

"If anything happens to her on your watch, slave I will see to it that you wished the guards had cut you down today. Now I wish to speak to her, allow me to pass."

"You'll have to wait a moment, most honorable high priest." Joshua said and fought the urge to step back at the faint flash of anger that passed through the icy depths of those hard blue eyes. "I was told to wait here as the princess was changing to retire to bed. If you'll give me one moment I will ask if she is up to seeing you."

"Do so." Seto agreed, watching the giant bow again then opening the door enter then close the door behind him. "A slave that would challenge my orders...Second Prince Sirus chose well."

Reappearing moments later Joshua held the door open for the high priest, bowing low when the priests walked past him then shut the door behind the Dragon Master. "I understand now why they speak his name with such reverence and fear. His eyes alone are enough to send a lesser man whimpering to his knees." Joshua muttered under his breath then stood at attention beside Seto's soldier, the two silently standing guard over their masters.

Following the sound of music being played Seto blinked when he realized he'd been lured into the princess's bed chambers. "Princess Ri? Where are you?"

"You wished to see me, High Priest?" Came Ri's voice from the room where the music originated. "Then come here and speak. Or leave, whatever is your preference."

"Damn woman." Seto muttered then sucking it up headed in, blinking when he saw her lounging on her bed, a cat like smile on her face as she watched him enter, obviously sensing his discomfort. "Your majesty." Seto said from the doorway, bowing low with no intention of going any further into the room.

"High Priest." Ri replied sweetly, nodding her head in acknowledgment. Oh but she'd been hoping he'd stop by tonight. "What brings you here? Did you come to see the latest addition to my staff? I know everyone's talking about him, especially the ladies. A magnificent example of your sex is he not?"

"What?" Seto said as he blinked at her slowly, not quite sure if he'd understood what she'd just asked. Was she asking his opinion on the slave as a man?

"Well I suppose you wouldn't know since you're not that sort of man." Ri conceded, shrugging it away as though it were no big deal. "I imagine you're here to hear my thanks for the aid your guard provided today. You have it and my honest and sincere thanks. It was kind of your guard to offer to instruct Joshua in the art of weaponry as well. I'm sure he'll be an able student and not just a pretty face."

"A pretty face..." Seto repeated, feeling his anger flare for an entirely different reason now.

"Well it is a very pretty face and form, you have to admit that." Ri said with a laugh, enjoying this little game of payback. He had been avoiding her, making her feel confused and stupid. Well it was his turn to play those roles. "Anyway if that's all you came for you have your thanks and I'm tired."

"Then I won't keep you, Princess." Seto grounded out and without even bothering to bow exited the room, marching through her rooms and out the door, not even acknowledging his guard or Joshua as he silently stewed as he walked down the hallway, intending to return to his chambers and unleash his anger upon as many inanimate objects as it took.