Yes, PZB, exact change. But you know what's even better? :) $.41. Yes, forty-one cents! You know why? Because it's one quarter, one dime, one nickel, and one penny! Hee hee! One must find little joys in the world of retail, for Lord knows they are few and far between ;)

Jennie, (number 400, thank you!!!:) I did say that TM is my fave movie, and WHMS and BTTF are up there in the top three with it. It would take hours to give you the full list of my favorites, however, because I am a bit of a film freak. Can ya tell? ;)

Also many mercis to RedLady (here's a hug right back:), Angel, Katie, Solaris, Nicole, Lizzy, Jaded Evie (thanks, your review made my day:), DancinEvy, Dylan, MBooker, Mija, Allibabab (I agree, Seti is a poo-head! If you think about it, at least in the universe of CG, all of this is his fault. Bad Seti, bad!:), Jessica, and Seletha, as well as anyone I missed and everyone who reads! :):):)

This is just one of those chapters I love because so much stuff happens. It's action-packed, I tell ya!;) And it's long, which I know y'all will like:)

Chapter 20

Leap of Faith

Nefertiri was silent as the meal started, mind moving much too quickly to pay attention to anything but the pair across the table from her. They never looked at each other, steering clear of the other's gaze almost too carefully. If something was going on, they did an awfully good job of hiding it. Imhotep whispered something to Anck-su-namun as he handed her a plate. She laughed quietly, though still avoiding his eyes.

Nefertiri decided to see if she could get a reaction out of either of them. "Anck, it's so wonderful that you and Imhotep are so close," she said.

It took a good amount of swallowing to keep Anck-su-namun from choking on her wine. Seti looked from his concubine to his advisor curiously, waiting for an answer. "I wasn't aware that you two knew each other that well," said the pharaoh.

"Yes, our dear high priest is a wonderful resource to have on palace grounds," said Anck. "Much like your own friendship with that Medjai, Nefertiri. Oh, what is his name?..."

As her father's eyes turned to her, Nefertiri was saved the opportunity to reply by the sudden presence of the very man in question. "Forgive me for being late," Achsu-rai apologized as he sat down. "I was delayed."

"You missed the demonstration, Achsu-rai," Nefertiri said, tilting her head in a display of mock innocence. "Where have you been this afternoon?"

Achsu-rai shot her a look as if to say, "Not now," but Seti had picked up the thread of conversation and decided to make it his own. "Yes, Achsu-rai. My girls put on quite a show. It was very impressive."

"I'm sure Anck-su-namun fought splendidly," Achsu-rai said, looking pointedly at the princess. "Sorry to have missed it."

This time it was Nefertiri who nearly choked on her wine. So that was how he wanted to play! "Oh, I'm sure whatever you had to do was incredibly important. Protecting the country, and all that. Or perhaps you have a lover tucked away somewhere that we are unaware of?"

"How silly of you, Nefertiri," he responded. "How foolhardy I would have to be to--"

"Achsu-rai!" Imhotep snapped. Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Would you be so kind as to pass me that bowl?"

Achsu-rai regarded the priest suspiciously for a moment before handing over the bowl in question. Imhotep had saved him from nearly saying something incredibly stupid to Nefertiri, he knew. And by the look he was giving him, he had done it deliberately. Was it possible that Imhotep knew about their affair? No. He couldn't know, how could he? It was impossible.

"Let's lighten the mood, gentlemen," Anck-su-namun said suddenly. "Today is supposed to be a cheerful occasion, after all."

As Anck's hand swept graciously over the table, it paused briefly at the edge of Seti's goblet. Her fingers twitched ever so slightly over the rim, and Nefertiri could have sworn she saw something float gently down into the depths of the plum-colored liquid...

"More wine, dearest?" Anck-su-namun purred, pushing the glass toward the pharaoh.

Before Seti could take it, however, and before Nefertiri had even time to think, the princess snatched the goblet out of her father's hand and quickly gulped down its contents. She set it down to reveal Seti looking very puzzled, and Anck-su-namun--

She looked panicked. Her eyes had widened, her mouth looked as though sound was supposed to be coming out, and her skin had gone pale.

"Something wrong, Anck-su-namun?" Nefertiri asked, fighting to keep the fear from surfacing in her own countenance.

"Nefertiri," said the pharaoh, "whatever were you doing?"

"I was thirsty," she said sweetly, and was rewarded with a hearty laugh from her father.

"More wine for my daughter," he said merrily, reaching for the cup once more.

Nefertiri handed it to a passing servant before he could take it back. "Get us new glasses. This one is dirty," she commanded. She chanced another look at Anck-su-namun, who had by now worked her face into an expression of complete calm. It was nothing, Nefertiri told herself. I was just imagining it. It was nothing...

Achsu-rai tried to slip out as quietly as possible, but Nefertiri had been waiting for him to do so and pounced as soon as she saw him leave. She caught his arm as he stalked down the empty hallway. "Where were you?" she hissed. "Do you know how important today was?"

"Something came up with the elders, they wanted to see me."

"That's it? That's all you have to say?"

Achsu-rai closed his eyes. "Look, let's not talk about this right now, okay? I'm not in the mood for this. I'll come by tonight during the dinner banquet and you can yell at me all you want."

"I didn't mean--"

"No, it's my fault. I'm just busy, all right? I have to go. I'll see you tonight."

He didn't look back at her as he pulled from her grasp and continued down the corridor. Nefertiri tried to be furious with him, but something in his tone of voice...

"Daughter," Seti said, startling Nefertiri away from thoughts of Achsu-rai. "Might I have a word with you?"

"Of course, father. Is something the matter?"

"No, no, I just..." Seti looked unusually pensive. "What you said at the table. About Anck-su-namun and..." He trailed off again but suddenly his jovial manner had returned. "Oh, it's nothing for you to worry about. Why don't you run along and I'll see you at dinner."

"Actually, I don't think I'll attend tonight, I am quite tired."

"Ah. Oh, well. Then you'd better go and rest, don't you think?"

"Yes, father."

Seti returned to the feast, leaving Nefertiri to herself and her increasingly tortuous thoughts.

Nefertiri's hand shook slightly as she applied a bit more kohl to a smudged eyelid. This was ridiculous; she was fine. There was nothing to worry about. If she wasn't already dead, nothing was going to happen. Anck-su-namun was good, but she wasn't that good. Besides, the doctor had told her she was fine that afternoon when she had gone to him with fake symptoms, just to see what he would say. She couldn't let him get too close, however. After all, she didn't want anyone knowing she was pregnant...not yet.

She sighed, her hand brushing against her stomach as she set the eyeliner on the nightstand. A child...she kept forgetting. Did she even want it? But how could she not love something that was part of Achsu-rai?...How could he not love something that was part of her?

And what would they do, even so? It certainly would not do for the princess and the leader of the Medjai to have a child out of wedlock...not that they would have been allowed to marry in normal circumstances anyway...their affair would come to light...the pharaoh would be furious...Achsu-rai would lose his position in the tribe...maybe even his life...they could...they could run. Yes, they could run! Be happy, just the two of them (well, three)... Because she was happy, when she wasn't thinking about what a horrible mess they'd gotten themselves into. The thought of having a family, of having one with Achsu-rai at that, of creating life... Yes, happy. They could be happy, together, away.

No. She couldn't ask him to leave his tribe, his people. He had a duty. Thousands were far more important than two...more important than the love of his life, and their child... Nefertiri heard something break inside the drawer as she slammed it shut.

Well, she'd find out tonight. She'd put it off long enough; she was going to tell him. He'd promised to come...again. Not showing up twice in a row would not be wise on Achsu-rai's part, Nefertiri decided. And after that little display at the meal today... She was going to make him beg for her forgiveness...if he had the decency to even put in an appearance.

Personal grooming completed, Nefertiri wandered out into the fresh night air of the balcony. Trying to push thoughts of the future out of her mind was unsuccessful as she caught sight of a company of drilling Medjai further down the courtyard. Where could he be?...

Her attention was drawn from the Medjai, however, to the balcony across the way, for there stood Imhotep. He looked like he was waiting for someone. No one used those chambers, they were reserved for guests during festivals. Imhotep was supposed to be at the dinner banquet. But then again, so was Nefertiri.

The curtain opened and in walked Anck-su-namun, dressed as was befitting a harem girl, but one reserved only for the eyes of a pharaoh. This was obviously not what his mistress had in mind, however, for she quickly crossed the room and stopped in front of Imhotep. Anck-su-namun drew a tender hand across the priest's face, then he gathered her into a passionate kiss, oblivious to the intrusion of the spy across the way.

Nefertiri quickly averted her eyes, mind racing. But she'd known all along, hadn't she? Why was she so shocked to see it happen in front of her? Her eyes were pulled back to the pair, who broke apart guiltily as the voice of the pharaoh drifted through the gauzy curtains to their ears. Perhaps he'd taken Nefertiri's hinting more seriously than she'd thought...

Thank the gods! thought the princess. Now my father will see that traitor for what she really is...but somewhere in the back of her mind, a nagging doubt intruded...what right did she keep a secret lover if she condemned others who were only doing the same? Everything she'd seen, everything the priest had told her, it all made sense now, and as the pieces clicked into place Nefertiri wished desperately that she could scatter the sickening knowledge to the wind.

Nefertiri was not given much time to muse, however, for by now Imhotep had fled and Seti had entered. She could not hear what he said to Anck-su-namun, but could only watch in horrified realization as Imhotep reappeared behind Seti and drew the pharaoh's own weapon from its scabbard.

"Medjai!" Nefertiri cried to the courtyard below. "My father needs you!"

A stream of them began a dash up the stairs, but it was too late. Anck-su-namun had drawn a dagger and plunged it into Seti's back, sealing the fate of eight souls in a single instant. Imhotep, a look of supreme satisfaction on his face, slashed at the pharaoh from the other side, and Nefertiri could no longer hold back. She might have screamed, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that suddenly she was falling, grasping at nothing but air as the ground rushed up to meet her...

~*~*~*~

He he. I haven't had a really good cliffhanger in a long time ;)