NeferNeferi - Here's the update you asked for.
Proxima Centauri - Yes, I'm in college now; majoring in Web Design.
WaterGoddessMizu - It's ok, I know how it feels when a story you like reading seem to take forever to have a new chapter up. I hope I can try to update this every three days ... or until I run out of chapters to translate. Thank you for the free balloon!
Chapter 28
"Wow ... is this Cairo?" Shebi watched, surprised, the bustle and noise of the city. "Look at all these people. It truly deserves to be called Egypt's capital."
Tameri was also looking around her in curiousity. It was nearly impossible for them to see such a scene in the small village they were from. To them, this place was a whole new experience. Although the evening was approaching them slowly, the people in the city seemed not to notice it at all. The people doing business were still doing that, the ones looking around were wandering and the performers were performing. Everyone was so busy.
"That's right ... Tameri!" Shebi suddenly called out.
"Yes?"
"What should we be doing now?" It was the first time for Shebi to come to such an unfamiliar place, so she was feeling very uneasy.
"Um ... we should go find a tavern. We can also find out some information while we are there." Tameri quickly made her decision and the two began to lead their horses as they walked along the street, searching for a tavern.
"I see one! What about there?" Shebi pointed towards a sign ahead.
"Uh ... alright." Tameri looked at the exterior of the building. 'It should be fine, right?' "Wait out here for me while I go inside to ask them." After handing over the rope to Shebi, she entered the building.
"Welcome!" A low voice greeted her.
"What kind of service do you need?" The tavern proprietor smiled professionally as he asked Tameri.
"Excuse me, does this place offer accommodations for travelers? I'd like two single rooms."
"We do provide private homes. As for rooms, please wait a moment." He went over to check in the accommodation register of the guests that was behind the counter. After looking in it for a minute, he replied, "I'm very sorry. We have no vacancies in our single rooms." He closed the book.
"Then ... do you have any empty double rooms?" She asked.
"We do." The man answered surely.
"I'd like to stay in one of those rooms. My horses are waiting outside. Are there any stables here?"
"Yes. I'll find someone to take you over there. Zahra! 1" The proprietor called to a woman. "Take this young lady to find a place for her horse."
"Very well. Please follow me ..." They left the tavern. Shebi, seeing them come out, led the horses over immediately.
"Is this your horse? You have two of them?" Zahra asked, confused.
"No. One of them is mine. The other is hers." Tameri pointed at Shebi.
"Is that so? Let's go then." Smiling, Zahra led the way to the stable.
The Stable
"Alright, that'll be just fine." After bringing in each horse separately, Zahra retied the ropes on them. She then gently tied a blue satin ribbon around their necks. "This is a marker, just in case some laymen come here to mess things up." She explained the function of the ribbon to the others.
"Oh? How thoughful." Shebi couldn't help but admire Zahra for paying attention to such subtle things.
As the group was returning to the tavern, Zahra asked them, "What are you two little girls doing here?"
'Little girls?!' Shebi was a bit offended.
'Heh. From her point of view, we are little girls ...' Tameri thought. From what she could see, Zahra was at least twenty-five years old. She was at least nine years older than them.
"We're here to take part in the Pharaoh's competition for the new Queen." Shebi answered.
"That competition?!" Zahra's eyes opened up wide. "I'd advise you to give up already ..."
"Why?!" The two asked in unison.
"Because at least twenty thousand people have applied today."
"Twenty ... Twenty thousand?!" Shebi was stupified for a moment by this number.
"That's only the number of people who enrolled today. Yesterday, there were around thirty thousand." Zehra recalled. "It looks like the competition is going to be fierce."
Tameri looked worriedly at her friend. The Pharaoh had to choose a wife out of several thousand women?! The chances of Shebi being chosen was so minute ...
"Um ... I think I'll ... still go try out. Maybe I'll get through the first part." She abruptly turned her head towards Tameri. "Tameri, why don't you come with me then?" Shebi begged.
"What?!" Tameri thought to herself, 'Go with you?! I never said I wanted to participate in this!'
"Please, Tameri!" Shebi continued to beg her. "Come with me to boost my courage ..."
"Alright ... stop pulling at my clothes ..." Tameri sighed. 'In the end, I'll have to go with her ...'
"Long live Tameri! At least I'll have a bit of confidence."
"... What do you mean by that?"
"What? Haw-haw ... nothing."
"Forget about it." Tameri felt helpless against her friend's pleading.
"What is wrong with you two? Move quickly now! Otherwise you'll miss meal time!" Zahra was waiting several meters ahead for the pair.
"Oh ... Ok!" Shebi ran over to her.
Soon afterwards, Tameri caught up with them. "I'm sorry."
"Let's have a contest, Tameri! The last one to the tavern has to pay for today's supper!" Shebi started running right after saying this.
"What?! You cheater!" Tameri started chasing after her friend.
"Haha!" Seeing the pair's antics, Zahra couldn't help a bark of laughter. "They're so much like how I once was ... You guys, wait for me!" Zahra walked after them.
Translator's Note:
1 I changed this name ... it just didn't make sense for me to translate it or pinyin it. Does anyone think that the name Naisina sounds Egyptian?
Author's Corner:
Youlan: ... I want to dedicate this chapter to my good friend who lost her life in the Ali Mountain incident -- Yifang ...
Posted on October 18, 2004.