STOP. Seriously, I really need to explain something very quick. This is not a new chapter (to those keeping up with the fic as it updates). I just took chapter 17 and chopped it in half. This is the other half of chapter 17 which I moved here – therefore creating a new chapter. So, please don't hate me for toying with you, making you think this was the NEW chapter. I know I said chapter 18 would have the Atem's official appearance, but this change was necessary. Next chapter, chapter 19, for sure.

I'm very, very sorry.

CHAPTER 19 WILL BE OUT BY THE END OF THE WEEK. I PROMISE. I'M NOT DELAYING IT. THIS IS JUST AN EDITED CHAPTER AND TO MAKE IT UP I WILL UPDATE SOON.

I still encourage you all to read it once more, skim it even, because I did change some things for the sake of the plot and the story as a whole.

REVIEWS~

i – To make the story easier for me to edit, I had to cut it in half and deal with each part separately. Having to edit such a long chapter is quite overwhelming, that was why I made this decision. I hope the edited version is better, and… yeah. I guess I do work better on a chapter once I know what I have to change and fix. I went back and looked at all of the things you brought up, and I completely agree. Now that the weird narration is out, and I now see that it is in fact weird and out of place, it is a whole lot better. I will definitely need to read more to fix the vocab. Thank you so, so much for all of your inputs. I will try my best to write chapter 19 beautifully. Oh, and as for the tunnel thing… I completely made that up for the sake of the story. I don't know if they actually did use tunnels to get back and forth from the palace. Also… you actually read A Vampire's Kill?! :P

As for my new readers who has no idea what gibberish I'm talking about, please ignore it and just continue on. I do hope you like it! :D

Enjoy!

Secrets Underground

Chapter 18

The girl led us back towards the first kitchen, and upon entering we were met with four baskets filled with fruits, vegetables and bread on the countertop.

"We will need to take these along with us," the girl explained, and she walked over to them and picked up the biggest basket in her arms as if it was nothing. "The other girls took the rest of it to the palace already," she went on, and carefully I went over and wrapped my arms around the second largest basket, Ramose picking up the two smaller baskets that remained.

As we held them tightly, the girl glanced over at us to signal us to follow her before walking out of the kitchen once she got our attention. Ramose followed after her while I gave a quick grin to Merimose. The boy was still in the middle of helping Senisonbe, running between the women and doing all that he could to assist them. Seeing me he still managed to give a little wave and a tired smile.

Stepping out of the kitchen and into the little hallway, I found myself turning to the right to head back outside. The servant quarters were separated from the palace after all, so naturally we had to go outside to get to the palace. However, I found myself being pulled by Ramose in the other direction a second later. He directed me to the bigger opening which led even further into the servant's quarter.

"This way, Timaeus," he scolded lightly, and I could see him holding back a chuckle as he steered me. My eyes slanted with confusion.

"Don't we have to go outside to get to the palace?" I murmured to Ramose, and at that he shook his head. I waited for him to explain further, but that was it. He said nothing more, so all I could do was wait and see where the girl was taking us, believing that it was just another thing different about how things were done in this palace.

The building interior was now a lot brighter than before. Light was shining in through the windows profusely, so I was able to see everything around me clearly. We walked through the storage area and there I saw shelves filled with plates, bowls, cups, and other utensils. On the other side of the room were sacks that were no doubt filled with grains and other foods which would be used to prepare the meals on the floor. There was so many in the room that there was just a thin strip of clear floor to walk through.

Passing another entryway, we this time came upon a slightly larger area, and here I was able to make it out as a leisure room of some sort. There were little tables situated around the place, and sitting on the mats on the ground were other servants seemingly relaxing and taking a break. It was not decorated much at all. A few religious symbols was painted on the walls, and simple designs lined the top and bottom edges of the room. I pursed my lips together as some of the servants looked at me, but I had no time to look at them. Ramose tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see him holding open a door that was situated just near the entrance which led back to the storage room. The door was hidden conspicuously, and sensing adventure and my thirst for the unknown, I joined him and peered down a long set of steps.

My eyes widened, and I gently entered, turning to Ramose as he closed the door behind him. He held handed me an oil lamp which I struggled to hold, while the girl held another oil lamp, lighting the way. She walked down the stone steps carefully, balancing everything perfectly. I stumbled, nearly dropping the basket and the lamp before finding a proper position to hold them both.

"What is this place?" I whispered to Ramose, and I could hear my voice echo down the long, dark, deep passageway.

"Don't worry. This is a passage the servants use to get in and out of the palace easily," Ramose explained.

"Really?" This was new information to me. I didn't know such things were built specifically for the servants to use.

Ramose nodded as we walked down the steps. It was cold and stuffy, causing chills to run up my spine.

"Yes. This passage was built not too long ago actually. When I was a child they finished constructing it. It burrows deep underground and leads a person straight to the back of the palace. Because of the severe rise in crime during those days, many of the thieves from Kul Elna – an abandoned city to the east – broke into the palace and killed the servants who were out doing errands at night. That was why Pharaoh Aknamkanon took it upon himself to create something that would keep everyone safe. They couldn't fully stop the bandits, but they did make something safer for the servants to travel to and from the palace during such a difficult time. All chores were expected to be done before sundown though. If it wasn't done, it was to be left until the next day."

"Oh…" I trailed off, and my mind whirred quickly as the new information sunk in. Pharaoh Aknamkanon was always known to be kind and generous to his subjects. To know that this was something he ordered to be done just a short time after his rise to the throne was amazing. Though, it still didn't solve one problem.

"Ramose," I began quietly, and I bit my lip slightly before continuing. "I'm not trying to be rude or accuse anyone… but with this tunnel built, wouldn't that mean servants could sneak in and out of the palace whenever they felt like. It could cause some serious safety issues for the royals in the palace if there was someone with evil intentions living here and knowing about the tunnel."

Ramose seemed to understand because he nodded, a small smile appearing on his face.

"You're right. That was one of the issues that came up, but the Priests quickly found a solution to it. Remember how I said that all work in the palace had to be done before sundown?" I nodded. "That's because a lock was put on the door that led into the palace at a certain time. Guards would picket outside the door as well in case anyone was sneaky enough to slip inside. That continues even to this day. Crime isn't as bad as it was back then since the thieves of Kul Elna abandoned the area, but the tunnel is still used, especially during festivals."

"You've mentioned a village called Kul Elna. Is that really a thief's village?" I asked. I couldn't help but be curious about the subject. They would definitely be quite a problem if there was a whole village for them.

"Yes, but they are no longer around anymore. When Pharaoh Aknamkanon took the throne, with the help of his Priests he dealt with them. The group hasn't bothered us since," Ramose explained.

Nodding as I understood everything that he said, I didn't even realise it when we came to the second set of stairs that led upwards. My heart reached my throat when I saw the girl waiting at the top, holding the door open for us, and through the crack I could see the bright shine of gold.

"Let's go," Ramose said, and together we walked up the steps, my feet getting lighter and lighter the closer I got. My head felt as if it was about to explode from exhilaration.

"This way," the girl said, and without hesitating, we stepped in.

My breath was lost immediately. Like a mindless doll I continued to follow Ramose and the girl, but my eyes were frozen on my surroundings. Smooth stone walls and tall pillars encircled me, each one decorated with elegant carvings and hieroglyphs, painted intricately with the simple colours of red, blue, green and yellow, the ivory coloured walls enhancing it. The walls too were something to behold. Panels decorated each section, every mural telling a story of great battles and the legacy of the many pharaohs who passed on before. They were all painted so neatly, the pictures reaching the high ceiling, but seeing them caused that tingling sensation to race up my arms. I just wanted to graze my fingers across them, but I knew I couldn't. Not now.

We walked, the girl taking us down the small hallway and closer to the center of the palace. As we did, I watched all of the stone doors eagerly, hoping to see someone come out from one of them. To my disappointment, servants were the ones who rushed about, and we even passed a few that were still in the middle of cleaning. None of them took notice of me because they were so busy, all except for a young boy with black curly locks who dropped his washcloth in fright. I smiled at him to ease his worry, but it was as if he had turned into a statue. I eventually gave up and sighed, looking upwards and following the others and we turned right to go down another hallway. But, what I soon came to realise, it wasn't just any hallway.

The sun shone from the west and into the grand hall, turning the almost white coloured stone into gold. Goosebumps broke out on my skin again as I felt the warm rays, and hazily I turned my gaze towards the beautiful garden. Grass grew plentiful here, palm trees littering the area with plants and flowers that looked almost exotic. They were exotic, but it looked so unreal. The gigantic columns that was circled with colours and hieroglyphs stood out, and as I looked up at them, my eyes transfixed themselves of the high central roof. A hallway designed this way was called a hypostyle hall, and it was special because it was the hall that led to the throne room.

On the left side of me were more doors, and since this was a hypostyle hallway it could only mean that the government related rooms were located there. It was mostly used by the Pharaoh's court. Inside, the Priests would no doubt gather and discuss business related matters amongst themselves to bring up later in the Pharaoh's presence, or they would simply use the space to relax during the day between tasks.

More things were coming to light about this world. The palace wasn't just a simple palace. In was more of a complex, where even administration had a separate section all to itself. No wonder the palace was so big. But, knowing that also told me another thing. Pharaoh Aknamkanon ruled during the second millennium, a time where the palaces began to become even more elaborate than before.

"Through here," the girl said, and it was then when I noticed that there was no door at the end of the hall. I could see nothing but a big opened space, and my heart leapt when I entered, my breath hitching and then vanishing once more.

The throne room was huge. Tall columns covered each wall, heavily decorated with carvings of hieroglyphics and symbols and colour. Statues stood on the wall to my left, borders to another mural, but on my right… I felt my heart race and I could feel my body shaking as I laid my eyes on none other than the golden throne. The throne sat atop a large platform, a small set of stairs leading up to it. Glancing around the enormous walls I could see a balcony circling around the entire room, confirming my thoughts that there was a second floor to the palace. The balcony too was decorated nicely, nothing taking away glory from the majestic room.

I smiled, walking across the room and towards Ramose and the other servants who were setting tables against the walls. They spoke quietly to themselves, their feet pattering on the smooth stone floor as they ran about. The tables already put into place was where they started setting the food down, and not wanting to delay, I took my basket over. The usual reaction happened again, but I yet again ignored them and casted one more look towards the tall throne, the round sun disk decorating the top and the Eye of Wadjet carved elegantly into the back wall.

"Start taking those out, Timaeus," Ramose said, and I pulled away from the throne to look at him. I gave him a firm nod, and began doing what I was brought to the palace to do.

I don't know how many hours had passed since we started. We all were working steadily throughout most of the morning, and the more we worked the more we realised that there was still so much that needed to get done.

Wiping a sweat from my brow, I sighed heavily. Since I was too nauseous to help with the meat, I was given the task to carry the food back and forth from the servant quarters to the throne room, all the while helping the women in the kitchen to the best of my ability. It was tiring, but I couldn't even start to imagine how difficult the other jobs must be. There was the religious aspect of the festival which took up most of the time. Things had to be prepared for that. And the entertainers were wandering in and out, along with the other preparations that had to get done by the afternoon for the evening banquet. Many people were involved, but as of now it was just the servants hurrying to prepare the midday feast. I heard that the royals were served breakfast in their rooms, and it was after hearing that did I start to get disheartened.

"There. Now it's just up to the servants to serve," Ramose said cheerily, and I looked up at him. He was standing just a short distance away from me, scanning the table and making sure that everything was in place after setting down his last dish. After the men were done chopping up the meat, most had gone out to tend to the animals and clean up, while the younger ones offered their assistants in the kitchens. Ramose happened to be among them too.

Before us was the long table filled with an assortment of bread dishes, beer and wine- which had to be kept on a separate table, along with a wide variety of meat and fish. It was mesmerising to watch the kitchen maids cook the geese and ducks afterwards because honestly it started to smell very good. I've never had it before, but it smelled wonderful. They seasoned them well with rosemary, cinnamon, cumin, and what seemed to be dill. There was also a variety of fruits from cherries, peaches, and pears. Throughout it all though they complained to themselves, promising to start two days in advance because there was so much to do and never enough time to get it all done.

I chuckled quietly to myself as the memory of my mother doing the same appeared in my mind. She too would spend tireless hours preparing and cooking when she had guests over, and she would also always complain with the ladle in her hand about how many mouths she had to feed in such a short amount of time.

The happiness on my face slowly weakened as I suddenly started to miss her curries, the scolding, and just the sight of her brightened, cheerful face every day. How I wished to go back. The homesickness was getting to me, but in the end I knew that it had to be repressed. There was nothing I could do about it for now.

"Yes, it's all done," I said, and I gave Ramose a tired smile after I sat the last bowl of bread down amongst the others.

"Then we should get going," Ramose said, and he picked up the now empty baskets before making his way towards the door.

"This is it," I thought sadly, and with regret I couldn't help but cast one more look towards the golden-like throne that sat as empty as it was when we entered.

I spent so much of my time wandering in and out of the palace, and each time I did I couldn't stop myself from looking around, searching. I searched for the Nameless Pharaoh, and saw not a single strand of his hair. Nor did I see a single member of the royal court. I guess it was just my luck. Nothing was going to be easy. As soon as I thought that I was getting closer, I was taken a few steps backwards.

"Timaeus?" Ramose called, and my head spun towards him after hearing his voice. He stopped walking and was now looking at me curiously.

"I'm coming!" I quickly assured, and I jogged up to him. However, the sullen look reappeared on my face as I walked beside him.

Even though I didn't know what I would do or say when I finally did meet the Prince, I still just wanted to see him. If I couldn't see him, I atleast hoped to see one of the Priests, or maybe Pharaoh Aknamkanon- which was very unlikely. By seeing them I would feel that my efforts weren't going to waste. But, I was leaving now. Was there anything else I could do?

In the end, I would have to think of something else. Maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance. If I couldn't see them before the Festival started, I will surely see them during. In a large crowd, how hard would it be to find a handful of people?

"The others will be waiting for us in the kitchen?" I asked as we began walking down the hypostyle hall, the sun causing the columns to create large shadows across the floor.

"That's where they said they would be," Ramose confirmed, and just when I was about to return my gaze forward, I caught Ramose's eyes going wide.

"What is it?" I questioned, slowing down, and it was then when I heard the group of footsteps coming down the hall towards us. My heart seemed to have stopped.

"The Priests!" Ramose hissed urgently, and he grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side, making way for them to pass. I could hear them as they got closer, but I didn't find the courage to look, especially when Ramose pulled me to the ground.

As we knelt there, our left foot forwards to pay our respects, I could feel all the blood in my body rushing to my head. My chest felt heavy and my breathing slowed until I was barely breathing at all. I could just feel the heat on my face and ears, completely excited and frightened and surprised all at once. I especially felt as if my head was going to burst when the footsteps then suddenly stopped, and a voice rang out coldly.

"My Prince, just what do you think you're doing?!"

I knew it. I was going to faint.

The voice went on.

"Where in the world were you last night? Sneaking off again, and then behaving in such a-"

"Priest Aknadin," another voice cut in sharply, and I gulped, instantly recognising the cold tone. It belonged to none other than Priest Set. I could feel my own body turning to ice, the heat disappearing. Not again…

"That is not the Prince," Priest Set said, but it seemed the Priest named Aknadin was not convinced.

"What do you mean?" Priest Aknadin asked harshly, and without thinking properly I took a quick glance up at them. The short second I used to do so was all it took for Aknadin to lock gazes with me. He gasped immediately as he stared into my purple irises that were nothing like those blood coloured ones they were probably very familiar with.

They were all silent. I gulped, trembling from fear. To have these people stare at me with so much shock made me want to sink into the earth and disappear.

"Rise," a voice then ordered, and I immediately traced it to one of the other Priests. Like the others, he wore a long white tunic, a simple headdress covering his long brown hair. Slowly I got to my feet, Ramose doing the same. I looked at him and gulped before hastily looking back at the ground.

"This is not the Prince," Priest Set continued to explain icily. "This is the strange look-alike I was telling you all about!"

"I'm sorry," I murmured before I could stop myself. Somehow I just felt responsible for everything that was happening. It wasn't my fault that I looked like the Prince. It couldn't be. But, now there was this stupid problem and I was just causing a lot of confusion. What else was I supposed to say in such a situation?

"Why are you apologising?"

My head snapped upwards upon hearing the voice of a woman, and as I did I ended up at her face. No words came to my mind as she waited for an answer, so embarrassed my eyes returned to the ground.

"He does look so much like the Prince," another said, and I refused to look up. The others hummed in agreement. Priest Set though responded with a scoff.

"I told you so. And just like I had warned, we better do something before-"

"Priest Set, that's enough," Priest Aknadin said sternly, and Priest Set fell silent once more. The one who ordered us to rise spoke next.

"I don't understand why you are so worried. I can sense that no evil lingers in his heart, and surely you can sense the same."

"Mahad, you have lost your mind. How can you easily come to such a conclusion?!"

"If he holds nothing within his heart, why should we detain him?" another man said, and with a golden key around his neck he glances at Priest Set with a calculating gaze.

"He has done nothing wrong either. So please, I ask you to stop your recklessness," Priest Mahad scolded once more, and I jumped slightly when Priest Set growled lowly.

"When the Pharaoh lays eyes on him, he will agree with me. That is no coincidence," he spat, and he pointed a long finger towards me.

"We shall see," the woman stated firmly, and with another huff, Priest Set stormed away towards the throne room.

In all, I counted that they were a group of six. Five men and one woman. And to make it even more astonishing, I internally gasped with surprise as I noticed the golden object, the one with the pointers that helped me find the Kingdom when I got to this time period, around Priest Mahad's neck. Actually, they all held a golden object, each one with the eye of Horus on them. Priest Set held a rod, Priest Aknadin had a golden eye, and there was the ring-like pointer, a scale, a key, and the necklace that the woman wore.

I don't know why, but upon seeing these six items, I felt a stream of uncertainty flow through my mind. The more I tried to chase the memory however, the more lost I got. And with it, I felt a piece missing. Were there more of these strange items? Now that I thought about it, it was strange. Where did they come from? I clenched me teeth with frustration. It must surely be a part of my past life. Those endless doors always appeared in my mind now, surrounding the memories I grew up with like a dark fog, but never touching them. It was as if my mind was lost in a place unknown. I wish I could just remember.

"Who are you, Stranger?"

Hearing the woman's voice, I looked back up to gaze at her.

"My name is, Timaeus Caelius. I've travelled from Greece to Egypt to learn more about this country, and so far I've been staying with Ramose's family. I've been helping them prepare for the festival," I explained quietly, and I took a quick peek at Ramose. He was standing tall, eyes facing the ground, listening quietly. I wondered how he was feeling through all of this. I was no doubt causing only trouble for him.

"I understand," she replied, and she said nothing more, a hand simply going to her necklace in a comforting manner.

"This is enough now," Priest Aknadin then suddenly said, and all eyes turned to him. "We need to get going."

Tugging my arm, Ramose and I both bowed slightly as they started to walk away, their feet receding into the distance until I could no longer hear them. My heart still raced, and as we straightened, I found myself fighting the urge to puke from fear. I somehow caught a hold of myself, and when I felt calmer, I turned to Ramose who stared out at the garden with an indescribable look on his face.

"I'm so sorry, Ramose," I started as soon as I turned towards him, and feeling overwhelmed I started speaking without no end in sight, panicked. "Because of me Priest Set was so upset and now he's going to bring it up with the Pharaoh and it really is starting to seem as if I'm a nuisance-"

"Stop it, Timaeus. It isn't your fault," Ramose said, and he gave me a stern look. I fell quiet. "It was obvious your similarity to the Prince would attract attention, and as for Priest Set, he tends to worry a lot. The other Priests seem to be on your side, so there isn't a problem. It's an understandable situation once someone took the time to comprehend it."

"You aren't angry?" I asked fearfully as meek as a mouse, and at that Ramose rose a brow.

"Why would I be angry? In fact, I'm thrilled to have been in the presence of the Priests. It's not every day that you see them about."

"Oh, alright then," I said, and taking one more look down the hall I saw that they were already gone.

"Come on. We're late as it is. Let's go now," Ramose said, and turning back to him I nodded happily, the butterflies in my stomach disappearing.

I was absolutely content now. I had started to feel that my efforts were moving me up, taking me closer to my destination. My memories might still be a bit nonexistent, and my path was pretty much unclear, but there was something. I was learning more and more, and a part of me said to continue meeting other people, especially those that are around the Prince almost every day. The more I get to know them the easier it will be for me to get to know the Prince. If only it was as easy as it sounded though. It was going to be difficult, especially since I was in no way connected to these people.

My brows furrowed together with agitation as I then suddenly recalled Priest Aknadin's words when he saw me. He thought that I was the Prince, and was yelling about the Prince sneaking out again, and last night too. So, in fact, the Prince was not in the castle.

My heart started to beat at odd rhythms as my mind continued to churn with the thought that I may have crossed paths with him without knowing. But that quickly died. I was out early in the morning. The Prince surely must have returned back home long before then. The guards at the gate did say that he was in the palace.

I twisted my mouth and shook my head. All of the thinking was starting to give me a headache. There were so many possibilities, but I couldn't be completely sure about any of them. Either way, I was getting one step closer to figuring out my destiny. I met the six royal Priests, five of which don't hate me and want me thrown in the dungeon. Now there was just one person left.

Thank you all so much for reading. I CANNOT wait for the next chapter! Seriously, be prepared. The real new chapter is coming out later this week. I'm already working on it, especially after putting up this chapter and making you all think Atem's chapter had arrived. I have made you all wait too long for it, so I'm sorry once again.

So, the edited versions, I think, is better than before. That much is positive. Tell me if you spot anything out of place or if a scene still doesn't seem right. Also, if you haven't noticed the differences in this chapter – because it was important that's why I requested you to reread it- I'll tell you. Timaeus DID NOT meet Pharaoh Aknamkanon, and they spoke about Kul Elna. That will come up later on in the story. :)

Anyways, thank you all for being amazing readers~ Please review~
Bye~