A Wind Called Fate
Part IV: Compensation
A Mummies Alive! Fanfic
My head snapped up. "Ph-pharaoh?" I asked, my mind whirling. "You're...You're the Pharaoh??"
He contemplated me for a long, silent moment. "You didn't recognize the chariot's symbols?"
"I cannot read!" I cried out desperately. "I though you were just a nobleman!"
"And do you often steal the chariots of nobleman?" He demanded.
"No, of course not!"
"Just mine? What inspired this new turn of events, then?"
"No, you don't understand, I wasn't stealing it." I told him. By the look on his face I knew I sounded preposterous, but I kept going anyway. "I only wanted to ride in it once. No one has ever been any the wiser, and I've always returned the chariots with no harm to them."
"Returning them does not mean you were not stealing." He replied, his tone iron.
I lowered my gaze. "I suppose not...but...I only wanted to ride in them. My own was lost three years ago."
There was a long moment of silence. "And do you think that is reason enough to take what does not belong to you?"
I stood there, thinking it over. "No." I finally said. "I just never thought of it in that light."
"You have yet to bow to me."
I looked up at him, and his expression was unreadable. He didn't seem angry anymore, but perhaps he was just calm when furious. "What will happen to me?"
"Are you going to bow to me or not?" He ignored my question.
"Are you going to do anything to my father?" I countered. I couldn't believe how bold I was being, but I suppose I felt I had nothing to lose. After all, the price for stealing what belonged to the Pharaoh was death and we both knew it.
"I asked you a question." He replied.
"What good will it do to bow now?" I answered. "My life is already forfeit."
He paused, studying me. "Bow and I will spare your father."
I froze, looking at him. The other chariots thundered into the valley and still I hesitated. "Do you give me your word on that? The word of a Pharaoh?"
He nodded. I slowly got down on my knees and lowering my head to touch the ground. I felt dizzy, and wondered if I'd hit my head in the fall. He didn't speak to me, but to the guards who had joined us. "Retrieve both chariots, and bring mine to me."
"What of the thief?" The guard asked.
He sounded almost amused when he replied. "She said herself her life is forfeit. Her fate is in my hands now."
The guard sighed, and I wondered if I was missing something. They didn't sound as if they were discussing killing me. It was all so casual. But maybe that was how the Pharaoh and his guards discussed life and death. "As you wish, sire." The chariot thundered away.
"Stand...what is your name anyway?" He began to command me, then paused. He sounded very irritated to not know my name.
"Yshta." I supplied.
"Yshta." He repeated. "Rise, Yshta."
I began to stand, but another wave of dizziness hit me. I stumbled, and was surprised when strong arms held me up. I blinked, clearing my vision, and found it was the Pharaoh holding me. I stared, bewildered, before pulling back - blushing furiously. He smiled at me, the same smile he'd smiled from the doorway of my father's house. Things were making less sense by the moment. "What happens now?" I asked him.
"We return to your father's house. There is a compensation to be made." He told me.
"Compensation?" I replied, dumbfounded, as the guard returned with the golden chariot. "But - "
"I promised his life would be spared. But I demand compensation." He cut me off.
"But we have almost no money. And nothing of great value." I told him.
"That is a matter of opinion." He replied, and took hold of my arm. "Come." He led me to the golden chariot. "Up."
I stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. "What?"
"You will ride with me." Before I could protest he grabbed me by the waist and lifted me into the chariot as if I were as light as a feather. Then he climbed up himself, and we were racing back to my father's house. I knew this wasn't normal. Thieves didn't ride in the Pharaoh's chariot they'd just stolen to be taken to their punishment. The night was full of surprises. And more were in store for me.
The ride home was like the race against the Pharaoh and his guards. It seemed both far too long and far too short. Father was outside the house, a guard on either side of him. He looked worried, and I immediately felt contrite. I'd caused so much trouble this night! Before the chariot had fully stopped I lept out and ran to him, aware of a gasp of surprise from the Pharaoh.
Father was relieved to see me, he confessed later that he'd feared I was dead already. We hugged, and I vaguely remember apologizing to him. He pulled back with a frown, and I knew he was displeased. I lowered my eyes. "You've done great ill this night." He told me.
Then the Pharaoh approached. I pulled back, looking at him nervously. I remember wondering how thieves were killed. Sword? Arrow? Would they kill me here or take me to Memphis and kill me in public? Then I remembered his remark about compensation, and my attention turned to that. What did he want that was ours? He was the Pharaoh, by Ra! What could we possibly have that he didn't?
"My chariot was stolen by your daughter." He told my father.
"So I see." My father replied simply. "And humiliating as it is to our family, and an insult though it was to you, you have brought her back unharmed."
"I have come for compensation for what occured this night."
"Compensation?"
"Your daughter stole my chariiot - and knew herself what it meant. Her life is forfeit to me."
My father scowled, and he seemed to understand what the Pharaoh meant. I'm glad he did, because I was lost. "You have the right to her death - not her life."
"As Pharaoh, the life of every subject is mine." He countered.
"Anything else - my farm, my horses, anything we own is yours in return for the night's occurances. But not Yshta."
"Yshta is the only thing of value you have."
Understanding came in a lightening bolt. "Me? You want me? Why?" The question came out before I could stop myself.
"A woman of your guts and skill is wasted as a farmer's daughter." He answered, looking me in the eyes. "But perfect...as a Pharaohess."
I contemplated fainting again. "Pharaohess??" My voice came in a broken tone. "But I can't be Pharaohess, I am a peasant!"
"My wife will be Pharaohess. And I have the right to choose any woman in the kingdom." He replied. "As for your class, that is easily changed. My word is law."
I stared, speechless. Father glanced at me, concerned. "No. I will not condone Yshta to a marriage she does not choose."
The Pharaoh scowled, anger darkening his features. "You dare to defy me?"
"NO!" I lept in, jumping between them. "Father, you would not allow me to save us last time. But this time I will not stand aside."
"Yshta - " He began.
"I'll be alright." I promised him, and somehow I believed it too. I turned to the Pharaoh slowly. He was looking at me, a frown in his eyes. "I will marry you."
"First you'd best explain what you meant by "last time." Don't you agree?" He crossed his arms.
My mouth was going to get me in trouble someday, I swore. Maybe that day had already come. One thing I knew was that the world was changing again, and I wasn't sure what to make of it.
Yshta
To Be Continued...
And she'll actually learn his name next chapter because I'm sick of writing "The Pharaoh" over and over! *lol* R&R please!
Salmon '03
Part IV: Compensation
A Mummies Alive! Fanfic
My head snapped up. "Ph-pharaoh?" I asked, my mind whirling. "You're...You're the Pharaoh??"
He contemplated me for a long, silent moment. "You didn't recognize the chariot's symbols?"
"I cannot read!" I cried out desperately. "I though you were just a nobleman!"
"And do you often steal the chariots of nobleman?" He demanded.
"No, of course not!"
"Just mine? What inspired this new turn of events, then?"
"No, you don't understand, I wasn't stealing it." I told him. By the look on his face I knew I sounded preposterous, but I kept going anyway. "I only wanted to ride in it once. No one has ever been any the wiser, and I've always returned the chariots with no harm to them."
"Returning them does not mean you were not stealing." He replied, his tone iron.
I lowered my gaze. "I suppose not...but...I only wanted to ride in them. My own was lost three years ago."
There was a long moment of silence. "And do you think that is reason enough to take what does not belong to you?"
I stood there, thinking it over. "No." I finally said. "I just never thought of it in that light."
"You have yet to bow to me."
I looked up at him, and his expression was unreadable. He didn't seem angry anymore, but perhaps he was just calm when furious. "What will happen to me?"
"Are you going to bow to me or not?" He ignored my question.
"Are you going to do anything to my father?" I countered. I couldn't believe how bold I was being, but I suppose I felt I had nothing to lose. After all, the price for stealing what belonged to the Pharaoh was death and we both knew it.
"I asked you a question." He replied.
"What good will it do to bow now?" I answered. "My life is already forfeit."
He paused, studying me. "Bow and I will spare your father."
I froze, looking at him. The other chariots thundered into the valley and still I hesitated. "Do you give me your word on that? The word of a Pharaoh?"
He nodded. I slowly got down on my knees and lowering my head to touch the ground. I felt dizzy, and wondered if I'd hit my head in the fall. He didn't speak to me, but to the guards who had joined us. "Retrieve both chariots, and bring mine to me."
"What of the thief?" The guard asked.
He sounded almost amused when he replied. "She said herself her life is forfeit. Her fate is in my hands now."
The guard sighed, and I wondered if I was missing something. They didn't sound as if they were discussing killing me. It was all so casual. But maybe that was how the Pharaoh and his guards discussed life and death. "As you wish, sire." The chariot thundered away.
"Stand...what is your name anyway?" He began to command me, then paused. He sounded very irritated to not know my name.
"Yshta." I supplied.
"Yshta." He repeated. "Rise, Yshta."
I began to stand, but another wave of dizziness hit me. I stumbled, and was surprised when strong arms held me up. I blinked, clearing my vision, and found it was the Pharaoh holding me. I stared, bewildered, before pulling back - blushing furiously. He smiled at me, the same smile he'd smiled from the doorway of my father's house. Things were making less sense by the moment. "What happens now?" I asked him.
"We return to your father's house. There is a compensation to be made." He told me.
"Compensation?" I replied, dumbfounded, as the guard returned with the golden chariot. "But - "
"I promised his life would be spared. But I demand compensation." He cut me off.
"But we have almost no money. And nothing of great value." I told him.
"That is a matter of opinion." He replied, and took hold of my arm. "Come." He led me to the golden chariot. "Up."
I stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. "What?"
"You will ride with me." Before I could protest he grabbed me by the waist and lifted me into the chariot as if I were as light as a feather. Then he climbed up himself, and we were racing back to my father's house. I knew this wasn't normal. Thieves didn't ride in the Pharaoh's chariot they'd just stolen to be taken to their punishment. The night was full of surprises. And more were in store for me.
The ride home was like the race against the Pharaoh and his guards. It seemed both far too long and far too short. Father was outside the house, a guard on either side of him. He looked worried, and I immediately felt contrite. I'd caused so much trouble this night! Before the chariot had fully stopped I lept out and ran to him, aware of a gasp of surprise from the Pharaoh.
Father was relieved to see me, he confessed later that he'd feared I was dead already. We hugged, and I vaguely remember apologizing to him. He pulled back with a frown, and I knew he was displeased. I lowered my eyes. "You've done great ill this night." He told me.
Then the Pharaoh approached. I pulled back, looking at him nervously. I remember wondering how thieves were killed. Sword? Arrow? Would they kill me here or take me to Memphis and kill me in public? Then I remembered his remark about compensation, and my attention turned to that. What did he want that was ours? He was the Pharaoh, by Ra! What could we possibly have that he didn't?
"My chariot was stolen by your daughter." He told my father.
"So I see." My father replied simply. "And humiliating as it is to our family, and an insult though it was to you, you have brought her back unharmed."
"I have come for compensation for what occured this night."
"Compensation?"
"Your daughter stole my chariiot - and knew herself what it meant. Her life is forfeit to me."
My father scowled, and he seemed to understand what the Pharaoh meant. I'm glad he did, because I was lost. "You have the right to her death - not her life."
"As Pharaoh, the life of every subject is mine." He countered.
"Anything else - my farm, my horses, anything we own is yours in return for the night's occurances. But not Yshta."
"Yshta is the only thing of value you have."
Understanding came in a lightening bolt. "Me? You want me? Why?" The question came out before I could stop myself.
"A woman of your guts and skill is wasted as a farmer's daughter." He answered, looking me in the eyes. "But perfect...as a Pharaohess."
I contemplated fainting again. "Pharaohess??" My voice came in a broken tone. "But I can't be Pharaohess, I am a peasant!"
"My wife will be Pharaohess. And I have the right to choose any woman in the kingdom." He replied. "As for your class, that is easily changed. My word is law."
I stared, speechless. Father glanced at me, concerned. "No. I will not condone Yshta to a marriage she does not choose."
The Pharaoh scowled, anger darkening his features. "You dare to defy me?"
"NO!" I lept in, jumping between them. "Father, you would not allow me to save us last time. But this time I will not stand aside."
"Yshta - " He began.
"I'll be alright." I promised him, and somehow I believed it too. I turned to the Pharaoh slowly. He was looking at me, a frown in his eyes. "I will marry you."
"First you'd best explain what you meant by "last time." Don't you agree?" He crossed his arms.
My mouth was going to get me in trouble someday, I swore. Maybe that day had already come. One thing I knew was that the world was changing again, and I wasn't sure what to make of it.
Yshta
To Be Continued...
And she'll actually learn his name next chapter because I'm sick of writing "The Pharaoh" over and over! *lol* R&R please!
Salmon '03