Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: Wow, it's been a long time since I updated, but here we are, a whole new chapter for you, if I get enough reviews, the next chapter will be out within a few days! Thanx for reading guys, and enjoy

"Come on…hit me right here." Rico-nal held up his left palm, indicating that she should kick it with her most substantial effort "Hard as you can." He felt fairly confident that whatever she threw at him he could handle.

Nefertiri stretched out the muscles in her arms, and fell into a fighting stance. She stepped back to get the leverage she needed to throw such a kick and threw her right leg up against his hand.

Instead of taking the blow, Rico-nal grabbed her ankle and twisted, bringing the young princess down to the floor. "What are you gonna do if she does that?" He asked, kneeling down next to her to offer his hand.

Nefertiri smiled as she took his hand, and he pulled her up. "This?" She asked, using her weight to pull him over to her other side, where she clambered on top of him, and pulled a dagger from his belt, holding it to his neck.

"Good…" He said, "You're learning quickly." He grinned charmingly "Your father will be very impressed."

"It's not my father I'm trying to impress." She slipped the dagger into her belt and stood up "Besides, it's not like I've never been taught this before." She straightened her clothes out "I've just never had this good a teacher."

"Hey, this isn't the only thing I'm willing to teach you." He winked at her, and she felt a familiar flush come to her cheeks.

It had only been a week since he had first kissed her, and already she felt herself slipping into a routine of flirtatious remarks, and secret kisses.

Although the room was empty, spare the two of them, there wouldn't dare risk being caught together in such an open space. Her quarters were much more private. Plus she had numerous locks on her door.

Instead of climbing to his feet, Rico-nal pushed his weight onto the top of his body and sprung forward, landing with both of his feet firmly on the marble floor.

"Can you teach me how to do that?"

"That's not what I was thinking of…" His eyes narrowed and she giggled, feeling intensely stupid afterwards for being so childish around him.

"I'm sure it was," She placed a hand on his waist "After all, anything more than this, and your life would be in danger."

He kissed her, quickly and sweetly before they finished her training for the day "I'm willing to risk it."

Imhotep stood in front of the Pharaoh, his many loyal guards flanking the room behind him in a semi-circle, he had been in council with Seti for an hour or so, before he mustered the courage to bring up his concerns about the forthcoming fight. He needed to stop the fight, and somehow remove Nefertiri's bodyguard from her.

"I understand you have heard about the forthcoming fight between Anck-su-namun and the royal princess."

"Yes. I am looking forward to it." He indicated that the high priest should raise his head "I hear that they are both preparing for it right now. I am hoping that it will give my daughter the confidence she has been lacking since the death of her mother."

"I hear that she is coming along fantastically, the new Med-Jai is training her in a many different forms....however" He remembered Anak-su-namun's request "My lord, forgive me for saying this, but are you sure that this man is entirley suitable for looking after your most.....precious daughter."

"You are my priest, and my friend Imhotep."Seti said, rising from his throne "But I shall not listen to your advice, for I have met this Med-Jai, and he seems perfectly able to fulfill his role as bodyguard to Nefertiri." he placed a hand on Imhotep's shoulder, and looked deep into his friends eyes "I know that she is safe with him, she seems....happier. I will not remove him from her service so long as those facts remain...."

Imhotep nodded and bowed low once more "You are right my lord, I was mistaken to think otherwise."

Seti suddenly thought of his bride-to-be, and wished that he were with her. The pharoh decided to pay her a visit, but soon remembered he had an audience with Ardeth Bay after his council.

"You may leave now Imhotep, for your advice has been dueley noted," Seti nodded his head to give him leave and watched as the high priest and vizier of Thebes departed along with his dozen or so priests.

Crossing the path of the Priests was Ardeth Bay, followed by two Med-Jai, who smiled and nodded to Imhotep, and approached the Pharaoh, unwillingly enraging him with the news that a culprit still had not been found.

"How does my love prevail?" Imhotep asked his most trusted priest, in a voice so silent, even the highly trained ears of the Med-Jai guards could not detect it.

"She is well, my lord, but wishes to see you." He smiled even more, and, still keeping his proud stature, almost ran up a flight of elaborately decorated stairs in a rush to see the woman he held most dear to his heart.

"You did well today." Rico-nal said, as he and the princess turned at an intersection in the winding corridor "You should be well prepared for the fight."

Nefertiri practically floated along next to him. In two days time she would show that wench that she meant business.

She looked up at his handsome face, and was knocked off her feet by Imhotep dashing around the corner. Rico-nal grabbed her assailant by the shoulders and hauled him off her.

He backhanded him across the face and threw him up a nearby pillar. Imhotep's priests immediatly set themselves upon the attacker, dragging him away from their lord.

"Stop!" Nefertiri screamed as Imhotep almost slammed his first into Rico-nal's face. Both men turned around, puzzled "He's a friend…" she said, not sure which of the men she was speaking to.

"My apologies Princess." Imhotep said, regaining his regal posture "I did not see you." His priests backed away silently.

"Sorry." Rico-nal said bluntly, more out of respect for the 'system' then the man himself, flicking his fringe away from his eyes, which were never took of the high priest the whole time he was within sight. It would not be good for him to fall out with the second most powerful man in Egypt.

"It has been a long time Imhotep" Nefertiri said with a smile "I have missed you."

Rico-nal's eyes narrowed, he didn't trust this guy "You should be more careful." He said angrily "Are you hurt Nef-" He had to stop himself "Your highness?"

"I am un-harmed Med-Jai." She said, trying to sound as formal as possible, he was supposed to be below her "I introduce you to Imhotep, he has been a friend since I was a little girl. Rico-nal is new to the palace, he has been assigned as my personal bodyguard, and there is talk he will be replacing Ardeth…" She said the words almost proudly, but didn't realize.

Imhotep and Rico-nal exchanged fake smiles, Nefertiri oblivious to the tension. "I understand that you were in a hurry…" Rico-nal said, hoping that the priest would disappear as fast as he had arrived.

"Yes, I must go Nefertiri, but I shall be at the fight tomorrow evening. I wish you luck and I shall pray for you."

"Thank you." She said, stepping aside so he and his priests could pass.

"I don't like him…" Rico-nal said with a sarcastic tune.

"I got that impression," She said continuing down the stairs "But I trust him implicitly, he is one of the most honorable people I know."

"That makes me feel so much better…"

A soft wind was blowing through the head concubine's sleeping quarters, making her long hair flow behind her. She stood ridged, looking out across the room through to the balcony that faced the princess' home. She could see Nefertiri and her Med-Jai in a sweet embrace that would have been secret had she not been watching them. Below them she could see the slightly less busy that usual courtyard. Many residents of the palace city had stayed home due to the investigation. The brave few that had ventured outside were been interrogated by the Royal protectors.

Far across the way she could see out far into the desert, and could see the many small poor towns, the smallest and poorest of which she had be born in. Having not been of noble blood she had been sold into slavery of the palace at a relatively young age by her struggling father. Her teenage years had been spent as a young maid in service to a lower wife of the great Seti.

When she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman she had been taken from one kind of physical labor to another. The Pharaoh had seen her and ordered that she be made one of his many personal whores.

She soon became on of his favorites after the death of his most beloved wife, and by the time she was in her twenties she was head concubine, a title some woman would kill for. Seti often bestowed her with elaborate gifts and had given her one of the most beautiful living spaces in the Palace. But no matter what, she was still nothing more than a toy for him to play with. Even when she became his royal wife, she would still be his slave, and would be forced to answer to his every whim.

He had made her power hungry in his quest for her ultimate submissiveness, and unknowingly turned her towards the second most powerful man in Egypt.

Until recently she had truly underestimated Imhotep's feelings for her, and had refused to let her own feeling's deepen for him, but since their plot to de-throne and destroy the heads of the royal family, their passion and intensity had grown to a point where neither could bare to be away from the other.

Her eyes strayed back to the couple on the balcony across the way, and for a moment envied them; they had the ability to be together whenever they wished, there were only so many reasons for a priest to visit a future wife of the Pharaoh. They were so caught up with each other, that not for a moment did they spare a look over their shoulders to see her, watching them intently and thoughtfully. Her mind snapped back to it's normal, hard, defensive state, and she waited to see him, to feel his arms surround her and protect her. Like she knew he always would.

"Wha-?" She was surprised by the sensation of bare skin touching her own. By order of the Pharaoh, she was dressed only in body paint, and a golden skirt that allowed her some modesty. That way Seti could see if anyone had touched his woman, a crime punishable by death. The black and gold patterns swirled up her legs, into her torso and down both her arms. Even her face was covered with the gold paint, making it impossible for a man to place his hands on her without leaving a mark. However, one man didn't care.

As she eased in realization she relaxed into the arms that she now felt so familiar with, as she crushed her lips against his. "Imhotep…" She said, trying not to further smear the body paint that he had smudged during their long and heated passionate kiss.

"Two days," He said, striding onto the balcony, his cloak billowing behind him in the gentle mid-evening wind.

"Then we shall be free…"As they leaned in to kiss again, the sound of doors opening drew them apart, and Imhotep stepped away moments before Seti himself burst through the doors.

"I did not expect to see you here Imhotep." Seti said, oblivious to what had been occurring right under his nose.

"I was just leaving your majesty…" he said, bowing his head, and disappearing out of the room along with his posse of priests.

Anck-su-namun smiled seductively at him, she could not let him become suspicious of them, or all would be lost "I have requested that he pray for me… I hear your daughter is turning into a fine fighter."

"Very well…" his eyes were harsh on the young woman "You shall continue this later."

Anck-su-namun turned her back and began to release the curtains that blocked the balcony from view, but span around at the Pharaoh's command.

"Who has touched you?!" He pointed out the spearing of the paint across her back. Her eyes widened, and she prayed to all of the god's that he didn't put two and two together to discover the true reason Imhotep had been in her room.

"I…I…" She stumbled in finding a response "I was training earlier…it must have been an accident and….." The stinging sound of his hand striking her cheek was heard across the way, and unknown to Seti, his daughter and her lover had cast their eyes over, and were watching the scene unfold.

"If I ever see another mark on your body I will beat you to the ground." He pushed her full force into a marble pillar, leaving a faint black and gold print on the white surface. She stumbled, but held her ground and didn't quite fall to the floor.

"You should remember that you are not my wife Anck-su-namun, not yet, and you WILL obey me." He backhanded her again, this time making her slide to the floor, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth where he had cut her lip.

Without another word he turned and marched out of the room, his earlier plans of using her body for his own pleasure where gone from his mind, and all that was left was anger.

A tear ran slowly down Nefertiri's face as she stood in shock, not being able to understand her father's actions. Rico-nal stood next to her, not sure what to say or do, he had never seen her like this, she was cold, stood frozen like an exquisite marble statue.

"Nefertiri?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder "Hey princess!" He took both her shoulders and shook her gently, yet all the time her eyes were glued on the woman slumped to the floor over the way.

"I didn't know my father was capable of such cruelness…" She said dryly, slowly she turned her eyes towards Rico-nal "or such disrespect…"

"People surprise you."

"I guess they do…" Her eyes were dry now, the only signs of tears being the dark kohl that had run down her face.

"You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow, get some sleep." He gently turned her inside of the room, and towards her sleeping quarters.

"Goodnight…"

"Yeah… goodnight." Rico-nal left her to her handmaidens whilst he went for a walk. There was something about Anck-su-namun that made him believe she deserved most of what she had received, he just wished Nefertiri hadn't been there to see it.