Disclaimer: Any Harry Potterness does not belong to me.
A/N: Here goes. . .the second chapter.
Ramose: Vechlis' husband, future treasurer of Egypt, Son of Valu, current treasurer. Rahimere's (Draco Malfoy's) brother.
***
After the queen and Lady Heseret left, Norfret rose from her position on the floor and glared briefly at Ahmeni and Ahmenhotep.
"We really are sorry about tricking you." Ahmeni told her.
Next to him Ahmenhotep snorted. "Honestly the way she fell for it. . . "How dare you laugh at me? Do you know who I am?" he mimicked her pacing his hands on his hips just the way that Norfret did.
Norfret felt anger bubbling up inside her but she held her smile.
"Let me give you some lessons about being in court." He told her arrogantly.
'I certainly do not need teaching from you!' she thought bitterly However, she bowed slightly and said "You are to kind."
Ahmenhotep paused all movement for a second then placed his hand on her arm and sat her down on the chair. It lingered there for a moment but he removed it quickly and began to pace around her. "Remember to be humble all the time. The chances are, people here will be higher than you. Like me, for example."
He is such a proud, arrogant, selfish, inconsiderate bastard! She thought bitterly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ahmeni giving her a very apologetic smile.
"Whenever you see us, you must cease all activity and bow low to us."
'I'll make sure then, that I never see you.' Norfret thought to herself - the Mansion of Silver was huge, surely she could avoid the arrogant prick.
"When you see us in the House of a Million Years, you have to say the official rite." Ahmenhotep continued, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Ahmeni interrupted, "Uh, Ahmenhotep? Leave her alone."
"I was just,"
"Just stop it."
Ahmenhotep glared at his brother briefly and sat down on the queen's throne and swung his long legs back and forth, he had a good natured smile on his face.
"You told us that Hordeth is your teacher?"
"Yes, highness."
"Then are you. . . are you a. . .?"
"Yes. I am a witch your highness."
"How old are you?" Ahmenhotep asked abruptly. Norfret looked up at the queen's throne, and he, lounging about it like it was his favourite chair.
"I am fourteen."
Ahmenhotep immediately noticed her absence of 'your highness' and was about to speak about it when she added, "You highness" in a bitter tone.
Ahmeni swiftly intervened, "Norfret, let's cut out the stupid 'your highness's. Honestly, it's too wordy and it makes me feel much older. You can just refer to us by our names. Right, Ahmenhotep?"
Ahmenhotep stuck his nose up and sniffed in answer.
"Hey, we are fourteen too!" Ahmeni said brightly, making conversation.
"You seem wise beyond your age, your high - " Norfret smiled.
Ahmeni smiled back, "You can leave the adorations for my mother."
***
Norfret was back in her father's mansion next to the Nile. She was kicking footstools around a ranting to her sister, Vechlis.
"And he was so arrogant and obnoxious. He was intolerable!"
Vechlis smiled, "I know you don't like being outsmarted by other people and it seems that Prince Ahmenhotep's joke is grinding a few of your nerves."
"It was not only that Vechlis! He is like a pompous little,"
"Prince Ahmenhotep is the same age as you." Vechlis cut in.
"I don't care. He was acting like he owned the palace - "
"Technically speaking, he does,"
"Will you just let me rant it off?" Norfret flicked her hair over her shoulders like it was annoying her. "When it was all over I was so glad that I'd never have to see him again but the queen invited me for luncheon tomorrow. With the two of them."
"She has shown you great favour."
"I know." She said exasperatedly. "I know, I would have been elated if she had not invited the two of them. Actually, I don't mind Prince Ahmeni, I just don't want him. Ahmenhotep."
"So tell me about it. What do you think of the palace so far?"
"I'll have to be careful. . . any one of the royal princes or princesses can come across my path. I can't be my self contented self anymore. I have to be humble."
"It seems to me to show that Prince Ahmenhotep and Ahmeni have taught you a lesson in humility."
"Oh be quiet. I don't think I can stand the sight of him."
"Him being?"
"Ahmenhotep. I hate him already,"
"So tell me what you thought about him."
"I was telling you just a minute ago!"
"No, you weren't. Tell me what you really think about him. To you think about him like our servant boy in the garden?"
Norfret gasped, "I do not think about the servant boy in the garden like that!"
"You told me. That he was the first real man you saw only in a loin cloth and that you wanted to - "
"Shut up! That was almost a year ago. When I was a girl. I don't think about him like that anymore."
"Alright, I suppose you changed social spheres to accommodate men of a higher status in to your fantasies."
Norfret dug her nails into her sister's arm, slapping her playfully, "Stop that, stop teasing me!"
"But I have to say, if Prince Ahmenhotep is the object of your desire, then you have made a pretty big jump from the servant boy in the garden. . ." Vechlis trailed off avoiding her younger sister's murderous gaze.
"I don't think about him like that."
"So you say."
"What's THAT supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Vechlis said quickly. She played with her sister's linen bedspread for a while than glanced up. Her sister was still throwing daggers at her.
"Alright then. I'll stop teasing you about him. Anyway, I've got to be going Ramose will be waiting for me." Vechlis rose from Norfret's ebony inlaid bed and arranged her gown. She could hear her husband talking to her father across the hall.
"Ramose! Ramose, let's go home." She called as she walked out from her sister's room. Shortly before exiting the doors though, she threw her sister a roguish wink.
Norfret sank to her bed and lay down for a while playing with her hair and twisting in it to little braids absentmindedly. Her mother came in, no doubt to criticise her about insulting the royal princes. Honestly Norfret thought she couldn't take another moment of someone telling her to behave and how humble she'd have to be. . .
"Yes mother?" she said not raising herself up from the bed.
"Young lady, we have to choose your robes for tomorrow! Vechlis won't be there in the morning to do the job for you." Her mother told her while summoning Ita in to open the chests of Norfret's never been worn before court robes.
Norfret raised herself and supported herself on her elbows.
"You aren't going to scold me about today?"
Lady Heseret waved her hand dismissively, "Queen Ahmose knows well that her boys are prone to getting others into trouble. She doesn't blame you at all. She did invite you to luncheon didn't she?"
"I suppose so." Norfret watched as Ita laid the robes out, one by one.
Her mother seemed to hesitate for a moment then gave a pensive glance to Norfret.
"What is it mother?"
Lady Heseret fingered the diaphanous material of one of the robes distractedly for a moment and turned to her daughter.
"Norfret you're 14 now. . .and well," she sighed, "as much as I'd hate to let you go, you must be thinking about an engagement pretty soon."
Norfret blushed. She, as an intelligent being already figured out what her mother was going to say. "Now we all say that the reason why women go to court is because we are equal to men and that we should also expose ourselves to society but. . ." Heseret stared at her daughter, "But the truth of the matter is, we go to court to find ourselves a husband. That is how I met your father and that is how your elder sister met her husband, Ramose."
Norfret nodded. She hadn't thought about marriage yet. Sure she'd had fantasies about the servant boy in the garden. . .
"Your father and I would like you to be aware about how you conduct yourself at court for this reason. You cannot run about in the gardens anymore Norfret."
She nodded.
"And concentrate yourself on making yourself look pretty. We won't force a wig on you yet because it makes you look older but. Seriously Norfret, your cousins are already begging their fathers for jewels and other trinkets but you don't even ask! We are beginning to think you are odd."
Norfret put on a forced smile "Don't worry mother."
"Norfret. . .as much as we would like to encourage a love marriage, we would like you to aim high. You are after all, the daughter of the Grand Vizier of Egypt."
Norfret nodded numbly. This could not be happening to her.
Heseret glanced at Ita. "Could you bring us some sherbets? The night is extremely hot." Ita bowed and left.
"We would like you to marry one of the princes."
An involuntary 'no' escaped Norfret. She clasped her hand over he mouth.
"Why not?" her mother exclaimed in surprise, "The princes are all very good looking, and there must be at least 10 if them. Surely one of them catches your fancy?"
"I haven't met all of them yet mother."
Heseret let out a relaxed laugh. "We know that. You still have many days at court. Expose yourself Norfret, we won't force anyone on you, but I assure you your father and I will not be giving you away to some son of a lowly court official." Her mother said the last bit with sudden sternness. Then she broke into a grin, "Of course, we are always open to your marriage to the garden boy. . ."
Norfret stared in horror. Lady Heseret ignored it, and instead picked up a robe.
"I think this would be perfect for tomorrow."
***
Careful not to let her sandals slap against the tiles of the palace hallways, Norfret carefully made her way to the Queen's chambers in the Mansion of Silver. She was very self conscious and she kept her head low. All the things that her mother said were swimming inside her head as slow and cunning as the crocodiles in the Nile, one of the princes. She supposed she was going to have to meet them, one by one and cross them out until she had reached her final decision. Then she'd set her feminine charms on him. . .or so her sister would say. She sighed. Already, she had taken off someone on her potential husbands list. That of course was Ahmenhotep, a person who she detested above all others. Her eyes still shone with renewed rage at how lowly he had treated her. She had now stepped on to the covered walkways and had reached the gardens, the very place where she was made a fool. She glared at the rose bushes as though they were mocking her, the bird's twittering sounded like Ahmenhotep's laughter. Why am I thinking excessively about him anyway? She thought to herself. She convinced herself that it was because of her overwhelming hate for him. She wondered how she was going to sit through all of luncheon with him. Still keeping her head low, she muttered to herself.
"Control. Control. Control. Don't let him get to you. . . act mature."
Suddenly ahead of her, she could hear someone clearing his throat, he sounded suspiciously like,
"Ahmenhotep. . ." she whispered.
She found his pompous posture endearing, he looked like a young god - with his golden collar and pure white linen robe. Her breath caught in her throat momentarily. However, he seemed not so taken with her. He cleared his throat once more and Norfret realised with disdain, 'Whenever you see us, you must cease all activity and bow low to us'. She nearly snorted but lowered herself and bowed.
"I trust you are well, your highness." She said through gritted teeth.
Ahmenhotep nodded curtly his face broke into a grin. "Lady Norfret. Perhaps I could accompany you to my mother's chambers. I trust you are here for luncheon?"
"I am." She didn't add the highness. Ahmenhotep looked as though he would say something but did not but cleared the way for her to pass him.
***
A/N: Reviews are great, it's what keeps people writing! In other words please please please REVIEW. I'll be happy if you drop off any suggestions or constructive criticisms. . .
A/N: Here goes. . .the second chapter.
Ramose: Vechlis' husband, future treasurer of Egypt, Son of Valu, current treasurer. Rahimere's (Draco Malfoy's) brother.
***
After the queen and Lady Heseret left, Norfret rose from her position on the floor and glared briefly at Ahmeni and Ahmenhotep.
"We really are sorry about tricking you." Ahmeni told her.
Next to him Ahmenhotep snorted. "Honestly the way she fell for it. . . "How dare you laugh at me? Do you know who I am?" he mimicked her pacing his hands on his hips just the way that Norfret did.
Norfret felt anger bubbling up inside her but she held her smile.
"Let me give you some lessons about being in court." He told her arrogantly.
'I certainly do not need teaching from you!' she thought bitterly However, she bowed slightly and said "You are to kind."
Ahmenhotep paused all movement for a second then placed his hand on her arm and sat her down on the chair. It lingered there for a moment but he removed it quickly and began to pace around her. "Remember to be humble all the time. The chances are, people here will be higher than you. Like me, for example."
He is such a proud, arrogant, selfish, inconsiderate bastard! She thought bitterly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ahmeni giving her a very apologetic smile.
"Whenever you see us, you must cease all activity and bow low to us."
'I'll make sure then, that I never see you.' Norfret thought to herself - the Mansion of Silver was huge, surely she could avoid the arrogant prick.
"When you see us in the House of a Million Years, you have to say the official rite." Ahmenhotep continued, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Ahmeni interrupted, "Uh, Ahmenhotep? Leave her alone."
"I was just,"
"Just stop it."
Ahmenhotep glared at his brother briefly and sat down on the queen's throne and swung his long legs back and forth, he had a good natured smile on his face.
"You told us that Hordeth is your teacher?"
"Yes, highness."
"Then are you. . . are you a. . .?"
"Yes. I am a witch your highness."
"How old are you?" Ahmenhotep asked abruptly. Norfret looked up at the queen's throne, and he, lounging about it like it was his favourite chair.
"I am fourteen."
Ahmenhotep immediately noticed her absence of 'your highness' and was about to speak about it when she added, "You highness" in a bitter tone.
Ahmeni swiftly intervened, "Norfret, let's cut out the stupid 'your highness's. Honestly, it's too wordy and it makes me feel much older. You can just refer to us by our names. Right, Ahmenhotep?"
Ahmenhotep stuck his nose up and sniffed in answer.
"Hey, we are fourteen too!" Ahmeni said brightly, making conversation.
"You seem wise beyond your age, your high - " Norfret smiled.
Ahmeni smiled back, "You can leave the adorations for my mother."
***
Norfret was back in her father's mansion next to the Nile. She was kicking footstools around a ranting to her sister, Vechlis.
"And he was so arrogant and obnoxious. He was intolerable!"
Vechlis smiled, "I know you don't like being outsmarted by other people and it seems that Prince Ahmenhotep's joke is grinding a few of your nerves."
"It was not only that Vechlis! He is like a pompous little,"
"Prince Ahmenhotep is the same age as you." Vechlis cut in.
"I don't care. He was acting like he owned the palace - "
"Technically speaking, he does,"
"Will you just let me rant it off?" Norfret flicked her hair over her shoulders like it was annoying her. "When it was all over I was so glad that I'd never have to see him again but the queen invited me for luncheon tomorrow. With the two of them."
"She has shown you great favour."
"I know." She said exasperatedly. "I know, I would have been elated if she had not invited the two of them. Actually, I don't mind Prince Ahmeni, I just don't want him. Ahmenhotep."
"So tell me about it. What do you think of the palace so far?"
"I'll have to be careful. . . any one of the royal princes or princesses can come across my path. I can't be my self contented self anymore. I have to be humble."
"It seems to me to show that Prince Ahmenhotep and Ahmeni have taught you a lesson in humility."
"Oh be quiet. I don't think I can stand the sight of him."
"Him being?"
"Ahmenhotep. I hate him already,"
"So tell me what you thought about him."
"I was telling you just a minute ago!"
"No, you weren't. Tell me what you really think about him. To you think about him like our servant boy in the garden?"
Norfret gasped, "I do not think about the servant boy in the garden like that!"
"You told me. That he was the first real man you saw only in a loin cloth and that you wanted to - "
"Shut up! That was almost a year ago. When I was a girl. I don't think about him like that anymore."
"Alright, I suppose you changed social spheres to accommodate men of a higher status in to your fantasies."
Norfret dug her nails into her sister's arm, slapping her playfully, "Stop that, stop teasing me!"
"But I have to say, if Prince Ahmenhotep is the object of your desire, then you have made a pretty big jump from the servant boy in the garden. . ." Vechlis trailed off avoiding her younger sister's murderous gaze.
"I don't think about him like that."
"So you say."
"What's THAT supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Vechlis said quickly. She played with her sister's linen bedspread for a while than glanced up. Her sister was still throwing daggers at her.
"Alright then. I'll stop teasing you about him. Anyway, I've got to be going Ramose will be waiting for me." Vechlis rose from Norfret's ebony inlaid bed and arranged her gown. She could hear her husband talking to her father across the hall.
"Ramose! Ramose, let's go home." She called as she walked out from her sister's room. Shortly before exiting the doors though, she threw her sister a roguish wink.
Norfret sank to her bed and lay down for a while playing with her hair and twisting in it to little braids absentmindedly. Her mother came in, no doubt to criticise her about insulting the royal princes. Honestly Norfret thought she couldn't take another moment of someone telling her to behave and how humble she'd have to be. . .
"Yes mother?" she said not raising herself up from the bed.
"Young lady, we have to choose your robes for tomorrow! Vechlis won't be there in the morning to do the job for you." Her mother told her while summoning Ita in to open the chests of Norfret's never been worn before court robes.
Norfret raised herself and supported herself on her elbows.
"You aren't going to scold me about today?"
Lady Heseret waved her hand dismissively, "Queen Ahmose knows well that her boys are prone to getting others into trouble. She doesn't blame you at all. She did invite you to luncheon didn't she?"
"I suppose so." Norfret watched as Ita laid the robes out, one by one.
Her mother seemed to hesitate for a moment then gave a pensive glance to Norfret.
"What is it mother?"
Lady Heseret fingered the diaphanous material of one of the robes distractedly for a moment and turned to her daughter.
"Norfret you're 14 now. . .and well," she sighed, "as much as I'd hate to let you go, you must be thinking about an engagement pretty soon."
Norfret blushed. She, as an intelligent being already figured out what her mother was going to say. "Now we all say that the reason why women go to court is because we are equal to men and that we should also expose ourselves to society but. . ." Heseret stared at her daughter, "But the truth of the matter is, we go to court to find ourselves a husband. That is how I met your father and that is how your elder sister met her husband, Ramose."
Norfret nodded. She hadn't thought about marriage yet. Sure she'd had fantasies about the servant boy in the garden. . .
"Your father and I would like you to be aware about how you conduct yourself at court for this reason. You cannot run about in the gardens anymore Norfret."
She nodded.
"And concentrate yourself on making yourself look pretty. We won't force a wig on you yet because it makes you look older but. Seriously Norfret, your cousins are already begging their fathers for jewels and other trinkets but you don't even ask! We are beginning to think you are odd."
Norfret put on a forced smile "Don't worry mother."
"Norfret. . .as much as we would like to encourage a love marriage, we would like you to aim high. You are after all, the daughter of the Grand Vizier of Egypt."
Norfret nodded numbly. This could not be happening to her.
Heseret glanced at Ita. "Could you bring us some sherbets? The night is extremely hot." Ita bowed and left.
"We would like you to marry one of the princes."
An involuntary 'no' escaped Norfret. She clasped her hand over he mouth.
"Why not?" her mother exclaimed in surprise, "The princes are all very good looking, and there must be at least 10 if them. Surely one of them catches your fancy?"
"I haven't met all of them yet mother."
Heseret let out a relaxed laugh. "We know that. You still have many days at court. Expose yourself Norfret, we won't force anyone on you, but I assure you your father and I will not be giving you away to some son of a lowly court official." Her mother said the last bit with sudden sternness. Then she broke into a grin, "Of course, we are always open to your marriage to the garden boy. . ."
Norfret stared in horror. Lady Heseret ignored it, and instead picked up a robe.
"I think this would be perfect for tomorrow."
***
Careful not to let her sandals slap against the tiles of the palace hallways, Norfret carefully made her way to the Queen's chambers in the Mansion of Silver. She was very self conscious and she kept her head low. All the things that her mother said were swimming inside her head as slow and cunning as the crocodiles in the Nile, one of the princes. She supposed she was going to have to meet them, one by one and cross them out until she had reached her final decision. Then she'd set her feminine charms on him. . .or so her sister would say. She sighed. Already, she had taken off someone on her potential husbands list. That of course was Ahmenhotep, a person who she detested above all others. Her eyes still shone with renewed rage at how lowly he had treated her. She had now stepped on to the covered walkways and had reached the gardens, the very place where she was made a fool. She glared at the rose bushes as though they were mocking her, the bird's twittering sounded like Ahmenhotep's laughter. Why am I thinking excessively about him anyway? She thought to herself. She convinced herself that it was because of her overwhelming hate for him. She wondered how she was going to sit through all of luncheon with him. Still keeping her head low, she muttered to herself.
"Control. Control. Control. Don't let him get to you. . . act mature."
Suddenly ahead of her, she could hear someone clearing his throat, he sounded suspiciously like,
"Ahmenhotep. . ." she whispered.
She found his pompous posture endearing, he looked like a young god - with his golden collar and pure white linen robe. Her breath caught in her throat momentarily. However, he seemed not so taken with her. He cleared his throat once more and Norfret realised with disdain, 'Whenever you see us, you must cease all activity and bow low to us'. She nearly snorted but lowered herself and bowed.
"I trust you are well, your highness." She said through gritted teeth.
Ahmenhotep nodded curtly his face broke into a grin. "Lady Norfret. Perhaps I could accompany you to my mother's chambers. I trust you are here for luncheon?"
"I am." She didn't add the highness. Ahmenhotep looked as though he would say something but did not but cleared the way for her to pass him.
***
A/N: Reviews are great, it's what keeps people writing! In other words please please please REVIEW. I'll be happy if you drop off any suggestions or constructive criticisms. . .
