Disclaimer: Darn! I always forget to copy and paste these. . . well, I own nothing. Don't sue me.
A/N: Ahmeni and Ahmenhotep is NOT fighting over Norfret. . . in case you are confused – Ahmeni was just joking.
I tried to update yesterday, honest! But the stupid server was down and I couldn't sign in. . .
***
"How is our brother treating you these days?"
Norfret fiddled with her robes with out looking up. How was she supposed to tackle this question? She knew very well that both Benia and Merykara were attached to their bother if she told them what she knew about him. . . they would probably hate her and she did not want to have any enemies in court.
"I am surprised to find," Norfret lied, "that he was much nicer to me during the past few days."
Benia and Merykara squealed and smiled knowingly, "Really?"
"Umm. . . yes."
They both giggled, Norfret never really was the giggling type.
"Is there anything I should know?"
Merykara and Benia exchanged guarded glances.
"Well. . ." Benia started. She looked at her sister.
"Well, this is really the first time that Ahmenhotep's ever been NICE to a girl."
Norfret's head shot up in surprise. "Really?"
"Well yes. So we, his gossiping sisters are very exited about it."
This is a downright contradiction. On one shoulder, stood Rahimere and on her other stood the two sisters. According to Rahimere, Ahmenhotep had done this sort of thing many times. According to Merykara and Benia however. . .
"Are you sure?"
"Sure about?"
"About the fact that your brother's never been nice to any other girls?"
"Why yes! We were always so interested in the affairs of others. And our poor brother was our primary target. . ."
"We are talking about Ahmenhotep here, correct?"
"Is some thing bothering you Norfret? You can tell us."
Norfret bit her lip. She eyed those servant girls nervously.
"Could you ask them to um. . .could you ask them," Norfret darted her eyes toward the servant girls standing in the corner, "to go. To go away?"
The two sisters followed her gaze to their servant girls and turned back to Norfret with positive glee. They were sure she was going to tell them something juicy.
"Go. Get us some refreshments." Benia waved her hand to shoo them away.
The two Nubian girls looked reluctant to go but hastily followed orders. Cursing slightly the two girls pulled the curtains aside and went out on to the deck and crashed into Ahmenhotep, the three fell on their bottoms unceremoniously. Upon noticing they had harmed the Royal person they prostrated themselves before him and muttered frantic apologies.
Ahmenhotep strained to look inside past the curtains, dismissing their apologies with an impatient stamp of the foot.
"Who's in with my sisters?"
"Lady Norfret your highness."
"Hmph I expected her to be here."
"What is it that you can't tell us in front of the servants?"
"Rahimere, told me that they were gossiping."
"You are so naïve Norfret! Of course they gossip, they have nothing better to do and they all have big mouths. To survive in court you must have a thick hide."
"Well, according to Rahimere your brother is a. . . he's. . ."
"What?" The two leaned forward and in on her.
"Bad." Norfret finished lamely, backing away slightly.
"Bad?" Benia asked incredulously. "That's it? Bad?"
"You knew?"
Benia and Merykara both shook their head vehemently. "No. Definitely not. Our brother is anything but bad. Sure he's a little pompous but he's really nice. Really!"
"Not from what I hear." Norfret muttered.
"What? Where did you hear that?"
Norfret squirmed.
"It's alright. Tell us." They both told us reassuringly.
"Well, the other day I ran into - "
"It's me and I have come to visit my two little sisters." Ahmenhotep announced form the doorway.
The three girls turned and Merykara and Benia frowned upon being interrupted.
"Ahmenhotep!" they both cried.
"What?" Ahmenhotep nodded to Norfret. "I didn't expect you to be here."
With that he walked over in three long strides and plopped down next to her.
"Here, this is for you."
Norfret started in surprise. "What?"
"This is for you." Ahmenhotep repeated, slightly flushed, handing her a cornelian bracelet.
It seemed as thought the whole world had just gone blank as she stared at the thing on the palm of his hand, gleaming pinkish almost red, a delicate and exquisite thing made form the Royal Jewellers.
"I, I ca. . .I can't accept this. It's too much. No, I couldn't."
Ignoring her protests, Ahmenhotep seized her hand and clasped the bracelet around her wrist.
"You can say thank you now." He said with a small smile.
Norfret was speechless, the stone was still warm. It was his warmth and it was doing strange things to her.
"Thank you." She said in almost a whisper. She was suddenly very aware of her surrounding and Merykara and Benia's sniggering seemed ten times louder than usual. She blushed redder than the stone of her bracelet. Ahmenhotep cleared his throat threateningly and the two giggling sisters stopped abruptly as they observed Norfret blush brilliantly.
"I think I'll go to my quarters. . . I am quite tired and an afternoon nap might be nice," Norfret rose hastily and rushed out before the three siblings could reply. Norfret stumbled slightly on the stairs leading out to the deck and ran all the way to her quarters. Once safely in she sat on her bed and observed it more carefully; it was translucent and smooth, gleaming in the sunlight streaming through the linen curtains. It was still warm – he must have been clutching it before he had given it to her. She felt the warmth flow through to her face and to her fingertips. It was enchanted.
"I should take this off."
She told herself, pacing around her small room. She couldn't bring herself to however.
"He is tricking you! Remember what Rahimere said?"
"But what about his sisters?"
"They're his sisters. Why would they admit to anything bad about their own brother?"
"Yes. Yes that's right!" Norfret said aloud. What Rahimere said about him was right. She couldn't trust his sisters. She looked at the bracelet again. She didn't want to take it off - it seemed it was stuck onto her skin. Once again Norfret was confused and it was all because of him.
***
"Explain yourself young man!"
Ahmenhotep quailed under his mother's furious gaze while Ahmeni sniggered next to him.
"Well I needed it mother. . ." he trailed off sheepishly.
"Why would you need my pink cornelian bracelet?"
Ahmenhotep didn't reply but just looked guiltily at the floor of his mother's room on the barge. She looked angry but an amused grin was tugging at the corner of her lips.
"Did you want the bracelet for yourself to wear?" she said with a little smile in her voice.
Ahmenhotep looked up angrily.
"No! It wasn't for me."
"Well who was it for then?"
Ahmenhotep looked down again.
"Ahmenhotep, I am asking you a question and I expect an answer."
"Well, it wasn't for me. It was for. . .for. . ."
"For whom?"
"It was for a girl." Ahmenhotep told his mother, blushing profusely.
"A girl? Who?"
"I don't want to tell you."
The queen turned to her other son. "Ahmeni?"
"I admit with shame that I do not know."
Ahmose turned and sat back down on her chair and rested her chin on her the back of her hand.
"I am going to have to ask you to return it to me, if you do not tell me who you gave my bracelet to. I won't stand my bracelet being worn by some servant girl."
"She is not a servant girl!" Ahmenhotep said heatedly.
"Alright. Then who is she? Who are her parents? What place does she hold in court?"
"I. . ." Ahmenhotep couldn't bring himself to say her name like his life depended on it. He was not being called to the West by the Gods yet.
"I'll expect you to return the bracelet to me then."
"No mother! Think about it this way. You'll find out soon enough, the girl will be wearing the bracelet so you'll know who she is." Ahmenhotep said in a hopeful tone. He nudged Ahmeni and Ahmeni nodded furiously next to him.
Their mother eyed her sons and seemed to consider their offer.
"Alright then. I suppose it'll be no fun anyway if you told me who it was straight out." She said evenly but a small giggle escaped her.
"You two can go now, I want to have a tête-à-tête with Lady Heseret."
Ahmenhotep looked at his mother in astonishment.
"Lady Heseret?" he exclaimed. She couldn't have figured it out this fast! After all, he had only given the bracelet to Norfret a few hours ago! Perhaps his chatter box sisters had told her! But then, he swore them to secrecy and they rarely appeared before the queen especially if they were to have an informal meeting with her.
"Yes Lady Heseret. I suppose you are familiar with her?"
"Yes. . . of course."
"Well then." Ahmose made a sweeping motion with her hands indicating that they should leave her.
Ahmenhotep did so looking over his shoulder at her nervously.
Once safely outside on the deck, Ahmenhotep started pacing and stamping his foot.
"How did she find out so quick?"
"Perhaps she didn't? She talks to Lady Heseret ALL the time. Why should today be any different from any other day when they talk about court gossip or the weather?"
"I don't know. Don't ask me!"
"Only good can come out of mother talking to Lady Heseret anyway," Ahmeni said reasonably, "Lady Heseret may convince Norfret to like you!"
"Ahmeni, did you ever hear the story of the king and peasant girl?"
"No. What about it?"
"The king doesn't reveal himself to be a king in front of the peasant girl he likes because he wants her to like him for what he is and not because of his social status or power."
***
After half an hour of pacing and admiring the bracelet, Norfret finally managed to unclasp it from her wrist. She held it up by its golden band and scrutinised it.
"Why did you give this to me Ahmenhotep?" she asked the bracelet turning it slowly.
"You know I won't fall for your petty tricks."
She then commanded herself to throw the bracelet overboard into the blue waters of the Nile. Instead, she wrapped it carefully in her best handkerchief and placed it on her mother of pearl jewellery box smiling. Upon closing the lid of the box she opened it again. What if Ita found it? What if someone stole it? Where could she put it? She looked around her small cabin and found no where safe. She certainly couldn't wear it - everyone from Ita to her mother would ask her wear she got such a thing. After contemplating for another ten minutes, she took her wand out and transfigured it to one of her ivory hairpins and placed it in her box once more. It should be safe.
***
A/N: Longer chapters are on their way! REVIEW! That's what fuels us authors. . .
