The Arrogance of Love
* Chapter VII: Of Betrayal and Beloveds *
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: The MA chars aren't mine, sadly. Otherwise, they'd
be on the air still. This fic is set in Ancient Egypt prior to
the birth of Rapses, and it is a SLASH story. That means two
characters- Rath and Scarab- are soon to be more than friends.
Don't like it, don't read it.
Author's Note: Yes, it's been ages. But I do still love this
story, and I will finish it someday :-P Patience is a virtue..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rath sat at the right hand of the young prince at the celebration
of Rapses's fifth birthday. Ever since Rapses had been deemed old
enough to begin his education, Rath had been ever present by his
side, training the boy to be pliable, training him to be submissive
to the whims and desires of Rath and Scarab.
To Rapses's left was his father, Amenhotep. And at his side was
Lord Scarab, whose merest gesture was as a pull on the strings of
his royal puppet.
"Now Rapses, what say you of the latest word from the Nubian
ambassadors?" Amenhotep asked of his son.
With a glance at Rath, the boy answered tentatively, "I would say
that such arrogance from those savages is not to be tolerated."
With a gesture from Scarab, the Pharoah smiled proudly, "Quite
right, my son. We will have to send them a messenge, show them that
Ra's chosen are not to be taken so lightly. Armon; Ja-kal; spread
word to the warriors to be at their ready."
Armon, preoccupied with the array of meats before him, only nodded
in answer. Ja-kal murmured, "Of course, my pharoah." But his gaze
was not on Amenhotep. Steely eyed with suspicion, he looked between
Rath and Scarab.
Rath could not meet his friend's gaze, and instead took a sudden
interest in his food. But Scarab saw the challenge in the hunter's
eyes, and the threat implied. He met Ja-kal's look with equal
ire. If the hunter spoke one word, made one move, it would be time
for his elimination.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, Scarab lay beside Rath but made no move to sample his
lover's charms.
"What troubles you, mi'lord?" Rath murmured, sitting up in the dim
light offered by Ra's reflected glory. The light caught the scribe's
slim body, emphasizing the whiteness of his skin, and for a moment
Scarab was distracted. He reached out to stroke Rath's hair, letting
his fingers linger on Rath's bare back.
Rath arched to meet his lover's hand, and the two met in embrace.
Scarab's hand traveled lower still, but then he recoiled in suprise.
The smoothness of Rath's skin was marred by a fresh cut.
"What happened to you?"
"Oh, that? It's nothing, really." Rath reached out to take Scarab's
hand in his own, clasping it warmly. "Ja-kal and I were dueling,
demonstrating sword techniques for Rapses. Ja-kal got... over
enthusiastic in his attacks."
"He suspects you."
"He has no evidence of any misconduct by either of us."
Scarab's eyes narrowed. "If he has no evidence, then why has he
been watching us so carefully these past months?"
Rath sighed, his gaze downcast. "He knows me. He's been my greatest
friend, my confidant, for too many seasons not to notice something
like this."
"Was he your lover, then, to know you so well?" Scarab tried to keep
the jealousy out of his voice.
"Of course not!" Rath's reply was quick, indignant. "He was but an
ally, nothing more."
"Well, since you two are so close, you deal with him," Scarab hissed,
"Make sure he keeps his mind focused on other matters, or I'll have
to make a more permament arrangement."
Rath shuddered, and turned his back on Scarab. The two lay in silence
for the rest of the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be continued...
Please Review! Give me motivation to write the next part...!
* Chapter VII: Of Betrayal and Beloveds *
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: The MA chars aren't mine, sadly. Otherwise, they'd
be on the air still. This fic is set in Ancient Egypt prior to
the birth of Rapses, and it is a SLASH story. That means two
characters- Rath and Scarab- are soon to be more than friends.
Don't like it, don't read it.
Author's Note: Yes, it's been ages. But I do still love this
story, and I will finish it someday :-P Patience is a virtue..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rath sat at the right hand of the young prince at the celebration
of Rapses's fifth birthday. Ever since Rapses had been deemed old
enough to begin his education, Rath had been ever present by his
side, training the boy to be pliable, training him to be submissive
to the whims and desires of Rath and Scarab.
To Rapses's left was his father, Amenhotep. And at his side was
Lord Scarab, whose merest gesture was as a pull on the strings of
his royal puppet.
"Now Rapses, what say you of the latest word from the Nubian
ambassadors?" Amenhotep asked of his son.
With a glance at Rath, the boy answered tentatively, "I would say
that such arrogance from those savages is not to be tolerated."
With a gesture from Scarab, the Pharoah smiled proudly, "Quite
right, my son. We will have to send them a messenge, show them that
Ra's chosen are not to be taken so lightly. Armon; Ja-kal; spread
word to the warriors to be at their ready."
Armon, preoccupied with the array of meats before him, only nodded
in answer. Ja-kal murmured, "Of course, my pharoah." But his gaze
was not on Amenhotep. Steely eyed with suspicion, he looked between
Rath and Scarab.
Rath could not meet his friend's gaze, and instead took a sudden
interest in his food. But Scarab saw the challenge in the hunter's
eyes, and the threat implied. He met Ja-kal's look with equal
ire. If the hunter spoke one word, made one move, it would be time
for his elimination.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night, Scarab lay beside Rath but made no move to sample his
lover's charms.
"What troubles you, mi'lord?" Rath murmured, sitting up in the dim
light offered by Ra's reflected glory. The light caught the scribe's
slim body, emphasizing the whiteness of his skin, and for a moment
Scarab was distracted. He reached out to stroke Rath's hair, letting
his fingers linger on Rath's bare back.
Rath arched to meet his lover's hand, and the two met in embrace.
Scarab's hand traveled lower still, but then he recoiled in suprise.
The smoothness of Rath's skin was marred by a fresh cut.
"What happened to you?"
"Oh, that? It's nothing, really." Rath reached out to take Scarab's
hand in his own, clasping it warmly. "Ja-kal and I were dueling,
demonstrating sword techniques for Rapses. Ja-kal got... over
enthusiastic in his attacks."
"He suspects you."
"He has no evidence of any misconduct by either of us."
Scarab's eyes narrowed. "If he has no evidence, then why has he
been watching us so carefully these past months?"
Rath sighed, his gaze downcast. "He knows me. He's been my greatest
friend, my confidant, for too many seasons not to notice something
like this."
"Was he your lover, then, to know you so well?" Scarab tried to keep
the jealousy out of his voice.
"Of course not!" Rath's reply was quick, indignant. "He was but an
ally, nothing more."
"Well, since you two are so close, you deal with him," Scarab hissed,
"Make sure he keeps his mind focused on other matters, or I'll have
to make a more permament arrangement."
Rath shuddered, and turned his back on Scarab. The two lay in silence
for the rest of the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be continued...
Please Review! Give me motivation to write the next part...!