A/N: I am so furious that J.K killed Sirius OFF I AM SO ANGRY!!!! I WANT TO SHRED The BOOK and pretend it was a fanfiction. . . Oh well, I read the book in 8 hours but I was depressed for day. I tried to write but I was kinda busy. . . but I am back to myself. . . so I am back to write my fic – thank god the fifth book doesn't effect it's plot – for anyone who hadn't finished reading it yet – ignore my little rant about Sirius there – pretend you didn't read it~ sorri. And also sorry for not updating for a looooooooong time, I thank you all for your patience.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything…
***
"Is she alright? Is she dead? I want to see my baby!"
Norfret awoke with a skull splitting headache. A priest from the temple of Amun was standing over her, with a concerned and a relieved expression on his face, holding smelling salts just inches away from her nose. Immediately, Norfret bolted straight up, her arms waving about violently.
"Where is he? Where is he? I want to see him now!" she screamed, clawing viciously at the priest who was trying to push her back on the soft linen of the bed.
"Lady! Calm yourself! You must not overexert yourself!"
"Where is he?" she asked through gritted teeth, looking like a snarling lioness.
"I assume he is his Royal Highness Prince Ahmenhotep?"
"Where is he?"
"He is in the royal palace. Also recuperating I am sure."
"He's also alive?" Norfret asked, her eyes lightening up and colour returning to her cheeks.
The priest chuckled gently. "Very much so."
Norfret fell back on the cushions and grinned, her eyes shut tight in bliss – she had no idea how she had made it out of the dessert alive but it seemed that the gods had taken pity on her.
"How did I get here?" she asked the smiling priest; he was corking the bottle of smelling salts – he seemed to know it was totally useless.
"We had been searching for you and his highness day and night My Lady, and when our royal scouts found you yesterday night, it seemed that you had already crossed over to the other side. . . but thankfully, you were well. . ." the priest trailed off, eyeing the rattling double doors nervously.
Lady Heseret forced the doors open and ran toward the bed, tears streaming down her face.
"NORFRET! Norfret my baby!" she said screaming incoherently.
Norfret smiled widely, although the throbbing pain in her head increased the sight of her mother made it all the better. Lady Heseret grasped her daughter tightly in a hug.
"I thought the gods had taken you away from me! My baby, are you alright?"
"Alright mother."
Lady Heseret then spent an unreasonable amount of time fussing over Norfret, rearranging her cushions many times and straightening the bed sheets until she was shooed away by the priest as Norfret needed rest.
***
All Ahmenhotep could remember really, was the fact that he had woken up quite abruptly with the sound of approaching hooves and a mouth full of sand. He propped himself on one elbow and raised his head wearily. He saw the captain of the guard and at first thought he was a mirage, but he felt him grasp his hand. Then smiling goofily, he fell back on to the sand, "Ah we're saved" was the last thing that he had said before he fell back, faint. When he awoke once more, he was surrounded by anxious priests and healers who were all peering at his face as their life had depended on it. He blinked several times; he had never been paid so much attention before.
"Er. . ." he let out after a lengthy silence. All the priests let out a great sigh of relief and started talking very animatedly.
"He is awake!" they cried joyously.
"He's awake?" through the gaggle of priests and healers, Ahmenhotep could see his mother,
"Get out of my way insolent fools!" she yelled regally as they hastened to obey her wishes. Behind her Ahmenhotep could see Ahmeni who looked tired nevertheless very happy.
"You idiot boy! How dare you give me a fright like that! Who told you to go to those horrid caves?" his mother scolded while enveloping him in a bone crushing embrace; Ahmenhotep blushed red and gently pushed her away.
"Mother, let of me, I'm fine!" he said indignantly.
Wiping her tears away, ink black with kohl, his mother snapped at the servant girls to bring him some food and drinks.
"You must have been starving, my boy!" she smiled and placed a kiss on his forehead. Glaring at the gaggle of priests, she rounded on them, "Well I have no need for you now, shoo away! And inform pharaoh that his son is well again."
"How long have I been gone?" Ahmenhotep asked wearily, he was suddenly aware of a very prominent ache in his throat and head.
"The guards brought you back to the palace two days ago! Oh what a terrible fright you gave me!" his mother fussed about his sudden paleness or his thinness whilst rearranging the wilting lilies by his bed side. "It was so lucky they had found you and Norfret quickly - "
Norfret.
Ahmenhotep bolted straight up in bed. "Norfret! Where is she? Is she alright?"
"Clam down!" his mother cried, subduing him. She looked alarmed. Behind her Ahmenhotep could see Ahmeni conceal a very obvious snigger.
"I am not sure about Norfret's condition. She was also recovered from the desert but I am not sure whether she is fit to be seen. She may still be in the dark side."
Ahmenhotep raised himself off his back with some difficulty.
"What is the name of the sun god are you doing?"
"I am going to visit her!" he replied stubbornly, fighting his mother.
"Ahmeni help me!" his mother snapped while trying to force Ahmenhotep back on to the bed.
"I've – got - to – go – and – see – her!" Ahmenhotep struggled against his mother, who was soon joined by his brother.
"Now, now! What is the matter with you? Has the desert heat affected you?"
Ahmenhotep puffed angrily and sank back down on the soft mattress of the bed. It looked like he was going to be kept prisoner.
***
"Come on Ahmeni. I know you can do this for me." Ahmenhotep pleaded with his brother while crumpling his bed linen angrily.
"I don't know. . . you are asking me to risk a great deal."
"Can't you do this for me? I am your brother!"
Ahmeni scratched his head thoughtfully.
Ahmenhotep continued, "All you have to do is to distract mother and the priest for a short while. I don't think I can take any more of those useless herb pastes that he gives me!"
"But if I distract them that means I'll have to have the herb paste."
"I have been having it for the past five days!" Ahmenhotep exclaimed exasperatedly.
"Oh alright then."
And so, Ahmenhotep was able to sneak out of the palace quite unnoticed after Ahmeni had put on a display worthy of mention, writhing on the floor as if in mortal pain. While the queen and the priest had carried him off to his chambers Ahmenhotep had taken the chance to escape. After asking a few guards, he had managed to acquire a general direction to Norfret's mansion.
***
After a few more days of bed rest and pampering, which she enjoyed greatly, Norfret was allowed to walk about the gardens of her father's mansion in Memphis. Both her elder brothers had been to visit her daily, both of them apologising most profusely in their abandonment; and swore solemnly on Horus' wings never to desert her again. By the fifth day of her awakening, she was yearning for the news of Ahmenhotep; had he awakened yet? Was he well? Was he still sick? No messenger had come for her and her father was too busy with the dealings of the court to talk to her much. Norfret sighed and sat down on the edge of a marble pool letting her feet hang over the sides and into the cool clear water. Had Ahmenhotep forgotten about her completely?
He had not apparently.
"Let me pass! Do you know who I am?"
Heat spread through to the tips of her toes as Norfret recognised the familiar voice. Rising quickly, she lifted the hems of her linen gown and ran towards the gate. Behind the two door guards, she could see him, hands on hips and drawn to his full height looking like he owned the world. The guards however, not having seen him before stood fast, holding their spears aggressively.
Arranging her robes carefully and breathing deeply, Norfret walked towards them.
"What is all this commotion about?"
The guards bowed.
"My lady, this ruffian off the streets claims that he is the prince of Egypt and that he is a personal friend of yours." One of them explained snorting.
"I don't think I've ever seen him." Norfret said nonchalantly. Ahmenhotep's mouth opened wide indignantly.
"Wa – what?"
"You heard the lady, she's never seen you before! Go on, out you get."
"Norfret! I swear I'll - "
"It's alright. I'll speak to him." Norfret said at length.
Ahmenhotep gave her a very dirty look and followed her in to the pavilion.
"What were you playing at?" he said angrily.
Norfret giggled, "I am just playing a little joke."
"I'll have you know that I am not someone to play jokes on." He said haughtily sitting down on one of the marble benches. Norfret perched herself next to him, swinging her legs back and forth.
"You never wrote to me." She told him sulkily.
"You didn't either. I've been worried sick about you."
"Really?" she asked brightly.
Ahmenhotep blushed slightly. "Well, yes. . ."
"How long have you been cooped up?"
"Five days until Ahmeni helped me."
"Then. . .?"
"I came to see you. I see I wasn't very welcome."
"Oh cheer up, do. It was only a joke."
"I'll show those guards."
"NO you won't." Norfret said firmly, grabbing his arm and pulling him back on to the marble bench.
They both sat in silence, watching the ducks in pairs floating about leisurely in their pond. Norfret broke the silence.
"So why are you here exactly?"
Ahmenhotep sighed. "Well, I was just worried that you'd still be asleep or worse. . .you collapsed in that dessert. . ."
"Did you carry me back all the way to Memphis?" Norfret asked with an awed expression on her face.
Ahmenhotep flinched a little. "As much as I want to say that I carried you all the way to Memphis. . . that was not the case. The captain of the guards found us and he brought us back to Memphis."
Norfret twirled a strand of hair between her fingers. "I see."
"Do you remember. . .do you remember what we said. What we did, in the dessert?" Ahmenhotep said all this in sort of a rush, blushing red.
Norfret's head turned so fast her hair whipped against her cheeks. "What we did?" she asked a little alarmed.
"Well yes. . .I do hope you haven't forgotten it."
Norfret hung her head. "Well no. . .I didn't."
"So . . . I was wondering if. . ."
"If I meant the things I said?"
"Yes."
Norfret smiled, and reached for Ahmenhotep's hand and grasped it.
Smiling widely, they came together, their lips pressed against each other's hungrily.
"I was so worried about you!"
"Norfret! Where are you?"
They broke apart, looking at each other with wide eyes.
"Norfret!"
Norfret combed her hair roughly with her fingers.
"O – over here mother!" she said in a shaky voice.
"There you are! Oh!" Lady Herseret covered her mouth with her had. "Your highness!" she gasped. "I did not expect to see you. . ."
"Erm. . ."
"Norfret, I have great new for you!" her mother cried happily not waiting for Ahmenhotep's answer.
"What is it mother?"
"Oh, oh. . .you'll have to go into court first. Come on then, since I feel that you are well enough again I think we should go all together since his highness was gracious enough to pay you a visit."
A/N: I'll update tomorrow I promise! And these two won't be happy for long – I've got a little problem for them all lined up…
