Disclaimer: I don't anything except the plot.
A/N: Underappreciated: Thanks for the review. . .I was debating on whether to make her teeth large or small in the previous chapter and decided to keep it large. But I think having her shrink it is better. Thanks!
I am so sorry for not updating in so many days - but I was really busy with exams! Well I'll be updating more often now! And as a general note, Egyptians got married early - their life span wasn't so long. And so sorry for not updating!
***
After breakfast, Norfret made Ita hold up a bronze hand mirror while she examined herself critically. The words 'You look terrible' just would not leave her at peace and she took unusually long deciding on which robes to wear and how to plait her hair. Norfret examined her face, touching her skin and making facial expressions. She wasn't so bad looking was she? Her skin was smooth and young, her eyes were bright and large. . .she did had rather unruly hair but that didn't matter much anyway when she plaited it or oiled and scented it. Her mother told her that she liked her curly and frizzy hair anyway. He nose was a little upturned but her father said it was cute. She smiled. She pouted. Her teeth were too large.
"Ita? Do you think my teeth are too large?"
"Honestly my lady?"
"Honestly."
"Yes, they are on the larger side."
Norfret stretched her mouth open and looked at her teeth for an unhealthy amount of time. They were white, and they were even. Her mother made her clean her teeth with salt and ground chalk dust every morning and night but there was no denying that her two front teeth were big.
"They get larger the more I look at them." She complained.
Ita sighed, "If you don't mind me saying my lady, you never cared whether your teeth were big or small."
"Well I do now, alright?" Norfret snapped.
Ita shrugged. Ita was the same age as Norfret and often complained that how their fates could be so different when they were as old as each other.
"I think I am going to shrink them." Norfret said carefully, examining her two front teeth a little more.
"Do you know how to shrink them?"
"Of course I do! Hold the mirror up properly. Don't move."
Norfret extracted her wand from the sash in her robes and carefully pointed to her two large front teeth. She muttered a simple shrinking charm and stared at her teeth like a hawk. Gradually, they began to shrink slowly. Ita watched in fascination and Norfret in delight as the two front teeth reached optimum size, Norfret pointed her wand to the now perfectly sized teeth and stopped the charm. She smiled.
"What do you think?"
"You had better not show your mother my lady - she was always against this, even when your brothers wanted to practise on you for a shrinking charm."
"She'll never notice."
***
It had been 4 days now on the barge and everyone was bored and tired - they needed to feel the soil under their feet. As supplies were running low, the Royal barge and the other small accompanying barges decided to dock for a few days at a small fishing town. Everyone from the servants to the Royal children bounded off the ship happily. The ground was a little shaky under their feet first but soon, tents were set up near the banks where the Royal barge was docked. The bad thing about these tents was that they provided little or no privacy, especially during the night the glow of the lamp provided a shadow show for anyone standing outside your tent. The women took full use of the papyrus reeds near the Nile as a curtain when taking a bath in the Nile away from the prying eyes of men. Freshly washed with Ita carrying the jugs and her wet clothes, Norfret made her way back to her tent through a maze of dozens of other tents braiding her hair at the same time with a piece of twine.
"How far are we from Memphis?" she asked over her shoulder to Ita.
"Only a few days now."
"Rahimere!"
"Hello." Rahimere was her sister's husband's younger brother, son of Valu, treasurer of Egypt.
"I didn't know you were coming."
"Father made me. I am in one of the other barges." Rahimere drawled, he seemed bored.
"I see you are not diverted."
"It's tedious being on that boat all the time. . . I am just waiting for the hunt. Are you coming along?"
"I supposed so."
"So what is it between you and Prince Ahmenhotep?" Rahimere crossed his arms over his chest like he disapproved.
Norfret stared in surprise, "What? What do you mean?"
"Well, apparently the servants are gossiping in court."
Norfret slapped her hand to her forehead.
Rahimere laughed.
"I knew it something like this would happen!"
"I wasn't so surprised."
"What do you mean?"
"This happens a lot with Prince Ahmenhotep. He's. . . done this to a lot if girls before."
"You mean like he tormented them?"
"Yes, after he torments them, he becomes all affectionate and nice then he." Rahimere gave Norfret a 'you know' look.
Norfret gasped. "No!"
"Yes." Rahimere nodded.
"Well I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."
"Anytime."
Norfret beckoned Ita to follow.
***
"When you are crowned pharaoh how many wives are you going to have?" Ahmenhotep asked Ahmeni lazily as his moved his piece on the senet board.
"I don't know never really thought about it." Ahmeni replied, shrugging. "You?"
"I am going to have one and only one." Ahmenhotep said with a romantic air.
His brother raised his eyebrow.
"Alright, What is wrong with you now?"
"There's nothing wrong with me. Except. . ." Ahmenhotep lay on his back.
"Except?" Ahmeni questioned putting the senet board away.
"You know Norfret?"
"Yes, of course I know her."
"Do you think she likes me?"
"The way you treat her?" Ahmeni guffawed.
"What?" Ahmenhotep asked sitting up indignantly.
"The only reason why Norfret hasn't cursed you into smithereens is because you are a royal. Consider your actions carefully, you tease her, you insult her and the incident with the note. That was very private!"
"Just because she said you had nice eyes."
"Just because she said you were a royal prick."
Ahmenhotep huffed.
"When is Prenhoe getting married anyway?"
"Prenhoe's never getting married." Ahmeni dismissed. "And don't try to change the subject."
Ahmeni sat with his legs crossed, and looked at his best friend and brother with a critical eye.
"Lady Norfret is already angry with you and I can tell she detests you by the way she looks at you."
"She hates me that much?"
"Yes."
"Did she tell you that she does?"
Ahmeni sighed as if he were debating or having an internal struggle, shifting this way and that uncomfortably.
"What is it?" Ahmenhotep asked threateningly.
"Alright I'll tell you. Two nights ago, I saw Norfret leaning out over the barge looking bored so I went up to talk to her. We talked about some trivial things first but then she asked me,"
----------
"Do I displease you royals?" Norfret asked squinting at him because of the afternoon sun. Ahmeni looked at her in genuine surprise.
"Not at all."
"Well why are you. . . well why his HE so mean to me?"
Ahmeni knew who HE was but he feigned innocence, "Who is HE?"
"Your brother."
"Which one?"
"Your twin."
"Ah. You mean Ahmenhotep."
Norfret nodded almost shyly.
----------
"Well what did you tell her?" Ahmenhoetep looked greatly distressed. A little amused by his brother's uncomfort, Ahmeni put on a confused face,
"I don't really remember my exact words but I told her that you really hated her and didn't want to see her ever again."
"What?" Ahmenhotep asked jumping up, enraged.
"Sit down and calm down. Of course I didn't say that. I told her that really, I had no idea why you were being unnecessarily cruel to her but I was sure that you don't really hate her."
"I don't hate her."
"Then?"
"I suppose. . ." Ahmenhotep turned red as the desert sands. "I suppose I might like her. A little."
Ahmeni nodded wisely, trying to keep his laughter in. "I am going to tell mother."
"Don't you dare!"
"Why? She's got to know anyway."
"But since Norfret doesn't really like me now. . .I'll get her to like me first."
"That's. . .nice."
"I don't want to force her to like me. If you tell mother she's going to tell Lady Heseret and Lady Heseret is going to pressurise her to like me."
"What makes you so sure Lady Heseret would want her daughter married to you? There's always me."
"Why would anyone choose you over me?"
"Because I'll be pharaoh."
"Ahmenhotep nodded sarcastically, "Oh yes, you have but that to recommend you."
"And incredible green eyes - don't forget that."
They glared at each other momentarily but soon smiled.
"Want to go for a swim?"
"Sure."
A/N: I'll update soon!
A/N: Underappreciated: Thanks for the review. . .I was debating on whether to make her teeth large or small in the previous chapter and decided to keep it large. But I think having her shrink it is better. Thanks!
I am so sorry for not updating in so many days - but I was really busy with exams! Well I'll be updating more often now! And as a general note, Egyptians got married early - their life span wasn't so long. And so sorry for not updating!
***
After breakfast, Norfret made Ita hold up a bronze hand mirror while she examined herself critically. The words 'You look terrible' just would not leave her at peace and she took unusually long deciding on which robes to wear and how to plait her hair. Norfret examined her face, touching her skin and making facial expressions. She wasn't so bad looking was she? Her skin was smooth and young, her eyes were bright and large. . .she did had rather unruly hair but that didn't matter much anyway when she plaited it or oiled and scented it. Her mother told her that she liked her curly and frizzy hair anyway. He nose was a little upturned but her father said it was cute. She smiled. She pouted. Her teeth were too large.
"Ita? Do you think my teeth are too large?"
"Honestly my lady?"
"Honestly."
"Yes, they are on the larger side."
Norfret stretched her mouth open and looked at her teeth for an unhealthy amount of time. They were white, and they were even. Her mother made her clean her teeth with salt and ground chalk dust every morning and night but there was no denying that her two front teeth were big.
"They get larger the more I look at them." She complained.
Ita sighed, "If you don't mind me saying my lady, you never cared whether your teeth were big or small."
"Well I do now, alright?" Norfret snapped.
Ita shrugged. Ita was the same age as Norfret and often complained that how their fates could be so different when they were as old as each other.
"I think I am going to shrink them." Norfret said carefully, examining her two front teeth a little more.
"Do you know how to shrink them?"
"Of course I do! Hold the mirror up properly. Don't move."
Norfret extracted her wand from the sash in her robes and carefully pointed to her two large front teeth. She muttered a simple shrinking charm and stared at her teeth like a hawk. Gradually, they began to shrink slowly. Ita watched in fascination and Norfret in delight as the two front teeth reached optimum size, Norfret pointed her wand to the now perfectly sized teeth and stopped the charm. She smiled.
"What do you think?"
"You had better not show your mother my lady - she was always against this, even when your brothers wanted to practise on you for a shrinking charm."
"She'll never notice."
***
It had been 4 days now on the barge and everyone was bored and tired - they needed to feel the soil under their feet. As supplies were running low, the Royal barge and the other small accompanying barges decided to dock for a few days at a small fishing town. Everyone from the servants to the Royal children bounded off the ship happily. The ground was a little shaky under their feet first but soon, tents were set up near the banks where the Royal barge was docked. The bad thing about these tents was that they provided little or no privacy, especially during the night the glow of the lamp provided a shadow show for anyone standing outside your tent. The women took full use of the papyrus reeds near the Nile as a curtain when taking a bath in the Nile away from the prying eyes of men. Freshly washed with Ita carrying the jugs and her wet clothes, Norfret made her way back to her tent through a maze of dozens of other tents braiding her hair at the same time with a piece of twine.
"How far are we from Memphis?" she asked over her shoulder to Ita.
"Only a few days now."
"Rahimere!"
"Hello." Rahimere was her sister's husband's younger brother, son of Valu, treasurer of Egypt.
"I didn't know you were coming."
"Father made me. I am in one of the other barges." Rahimere drawled, he seemed bored.
"I see you are not diverted."
"It's tedious being on that boat all the time. . . I am just waiting for the hunt. Are you coming along?"
"I supposed so."
"So what is it between you and Prince Ahmenhotep?" Rahimere crossed his arms over his chest like he disapproved.
Norfret stared in surprise, "What? What do you mean?"
"Well, apparently the servants are gossiping in court."
Norfret slapped her hand to her forehead.
Rahimere laughed.
"I knew it something like this would happen!"
"I wasn't so surprised."
"What do you mean?"
"This happens a lot with Prince Ahmenhotep. He's. . . done this to a lot if girls before."
"You mean like he tormented them?"
"Yes, after he torments them, he becomes all affectionate and nice then he." Rahimere gave Norfret a 'you know' look.
Norfret gasped. "No!"
"Yes." Rahimere nodded.
"Well I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."
"Anytime."
Norfret beckoned Ita to follow.
***
"When you are crowned pharaoh how many wives are you going to have?" Ahmenhotep asked Ahmeni lazily as his moved his piece on the senet board.
"I don't know never really thought about it." Ahmeni replied, shrugging. "You?"
"I am going to have one and only one." Ahmenhotep said with a romantic air.
His brother raised his eyebrow.
"Alright, What is wrong with you now?"
"There's nothing wrong with me. Except. . ." Ahmenhotep lay on his back.
"Except?" Ahmeni questioned putting the senet board away.
"You know Norfret?"
"Yes, of course I know her."
"Do you think she likes me?"
"The way you treat her?" Ahmeni guffawed.
"What?" Ahmenhotep asked sitting up indignantly.
"The only reason why Norfret hasn't cursed you into smithereens is because you are a royal. Consider your actions carefully, you tease her, you insult her and the incident with the note. That was very private!"
"Just because she said you had nice eyes."
"Just because she said you were a royal prick."
Ahmenhotep huffed.
"When is Prenhoe getting married anyway?"
"Prenhoe's never getting married." Ahmeni dismissed. "And don't try to change the subject."
Ahmeni sat with his legs crossed, and looked at his best friend and brother with a critical eye.
"Lady Norfret is already angry with you and I can tell she detests you by the way she looks at you."
"She hates me that much?"
"Yes."
"Did she tell you that she does?"
Ahmeni sighed as if he were debating or having an internal struggle, shifting this way and that uncomfortably.
"What is it?" Ahmenhotep asked threateningly.
"Alright I'll tell you. Two nights ago, I saw Norfret leaning out over the barge looking bored so I went up to talk to her. We talked about some trivial things first but then she asked me,"
----------
"Do I displease you royals?" Norfret asked squinting at him because of the afternoon sun. Ahmeni looked at her in genuine surprise.
"Not at all."
"Well why are you. . . well why his HE so mean to me?"
Ahmeni knew who HE was but he feigned innocence, "Who is HE?"
"Your brother."
"Which one?"
"Your twin."
"Ah. You mean Ahmenhotep."
Norfret nodded almost shyly.
----------
"Well what did you tell her?" Ahmenhoetep looked greatly distressed. A little amused by his brother's uncomfort, Ahmeni put on a confused face,
"I don't really remember my exact words but I told her that you really hated her and didn't want to see her ever again."
"What?" Ahmenhotep asked jumping up, enraged.
"Sit down and calm down. Of course I didn't say that. I told her that really, I had no idea why you were being unnecessarily cruel to her but I was sure that you don't really hate her."
"I don't hate her."
"Then?"
"I suppose. . ." Ahmenhotep turned red as the desert sands. "I suppose I might like her. A little."
Ahmeni nodded wisely, trying to keep his laughter in. "I am going to tell mother."
"Don't you dare!"
"Why? She's got to know anyway."
"But since Norfret doesn't really like me now. . .I'll get her to like me first."
"That's. . .nice."
"I don't want to force her to like me. If you tell mother she's going to tell Lady Heseret and Lady Heseret is going to pressurise her to like me."
"What makes you so sure Lady Heseret would want her daughter married to you? There's always me."
"Why would anyone choose you over me?"
"Because I'll be pharaoh."
"Ahmenhotep nodded sarcastically, "Oh yes, you have but that to recommend you."
"And incredible green eyes - don't forget that."
They glared at each other momentarily but soon smiled.
"Want to go for a swim?"
"Sure."
A/N: I'll update soon!
