Another long chapter ... it seems that Youlan decided to start writing more in here than before. It's all good though, since we can learn more about these characters, ne?
The plot thickens ... and a light-hearted moment between Tameri and Atem. What more can we ask for? (Other than more chapters, that is.)
On another note, I am really starting to get annoyed with how is formatting these stories. I can't seem to get any of the brackets to work right and the spacing on the horizontal lines are messed up.
NeferNeferi - You'll get a taste of what she's planning in this chapter .. and a hint to her identity.
WaterGoddessMizu - I'm sorry to hear that you're ill. I hope you get well soon. Maybe this story will help you feel better.
Proxima Centauri - Ah ... It's happened to me a couple of times when I look at a story that has been updated but the page doesn't load.
Personally, I think that the sneezing part is a bit clichéd and overused but it does add a humorous note to the story.
Heh, I only mentioned it since another reviewer asked if that was the case since the story does give hints to the pairing. I only found out about it after I had read the sequel to this story that Youlan wrote (she later discontinued it) and it focused primarily on those two characters.
Chapter 34
"It makes me so mad ... That girl obviously knew where the Pharaoh was and didn't even tell us ..."
In one of the rooms in the eastern wing of the palace, a nice-looking woman was having a jealous fit. The maid assigned to her was helping brush her hair while another was arranging the bed-sheets. They both knew that their mistress wasn't in the best of moods right now so they did their jobs with the greatest of care.
"Ouch!" The woman called out in pain. The maid that was combing her hair had accidentally brushed it too hard and pulled some hair out.
"Oh?! I ... I'm so sorry ..." The maid immediately went on her knees. "I know I made a mistake. Please forgive me, my lady." Her voice was shaking slightly.
"You useless piece of trash!" The woman was so enraged that she picked up a whip that was nearby and began to lash out with it at the other girl. "Who do you think you are? How dare you brush my hair so hard!" The next sounds were the cracking of the whip as it was unmercifully used on the maid's back, leaving behind a bloody mark.
"Oh! Please ... spare me ... my lady ..."
The lashing began to dull her sense of pain and the maid began to feel like passing out.
"Humph! Trash! Fathead!" The woman took no heed to the other's begging voice that was slowly fading in volume. She continued to use the whip as she began to scold the girl.
"Ah!" The maid was unable to hold up to this kind of punishment and fainted after shouting out in pain.
"Humph!" The woman, even though she saw the other faint, used the whip to lash out angrily at the girl a few more times before throwing the whip away. "You all better listen to me carefully!" She turned around to look at the other three servants huddled up in a corner. "If any of you make a mistake, your fate will be the same as this piece of trash!"
"Understood ..." The three all bowed their heads in submission.
A faint knocking sound was heard at the door.
"Oh? Who could be here at this late hour?" Although she was confused, she went to open the door. "Is there something wrong that brings you here so late in the evening?" The woman asked the guest at the door.
"There is something I would like to discuss with you ..." The visitor said in a soft voice.
"Now?" The woman asked, astonished.
"No, at midnight."
"Why?" The woman thought that the person was rather odd to ask her to have a discussion at midnight. They haven't done anything scandalous, so why was there the need to do that?
"If you want to know the details, then don't ask me. What I want to talk to you about has a big connection to your present 'ambition'."
"What?!" Her amibition was to marry the Pharaoh. Can it be that this person knows something that she herself doesn't know?!
"Remember. I will come see you at midnight." The person then walked over to a side.
"Wait!" The woman stepped outside but discovered that there weren't anyone nearby in either of the two corridors in the vicinity. The person seemed to have vanished into thin air ... "An important matter ... What can it be ...?"
At midnight, two people were standing at a blind spot that the palace guards would miss as they made their patrols.
"Why did you bring me here in the middle of the night? What kind of important affair are we discussing that we can't be doing it in a room?" One of them, a woman, asked the other person.
The second person, another female, was facing away from the other as she stood quietly, as if she was waiting for something. The minutes and seconds passed as the first woman found her patience thinning.
"What is it? If there is nothing to discuss, then I am leaving!" She was thinking of doing just that but found that her legs were unable to move, as if some unknown power emanating from the ground and keeping her in her place. "What?!" She cried in fear as she tried to make her legs obey her thoughts.
"Save your strength. No matter how hard you try, you won't be able to move." The other female said finally, in a unhurried voice. Her cold eyes and cruel tone could make anyone tremble with fear.
"Can it be ... that you're ...? Why?" The woman watched the other with fear. Her complexion was as white as salt as a cold sweat began. Her body was shivering.
The other female, step by step, moved closer in a slow pace. It seemed like with each step, a strong oppressive feeling was washing over the paralyzed woman. Her face was becoming even more pale as she noticed the other moving closer.
"You ... please don't come here ... I beg of you ..." She looked at the other female with a frightened look. Her eyes was full of dread as tears of fear began to fall from them, drop by drop.
The other seemed not to notice or care about her begging as she continued to move closer.
"Don't ... Don't ..." The woman fell to her knees in alarm as her hands covered her face, not daring to look at the other's eyes, which could stifle any living thing.
The other female also squatted down as she removed the woman's delicate and weak hands. At the same time, she ordered, "Look at my eyes!"
The woman, when her hands were moved away by that same strong power, was very frightened as she looked up at the other with her own eyes, completely helpless. At that moment, she really wanted to shriek! The other's eyes were the color of blood, with a speck of dark green! Those eyes didn't look like they belonged on a human at all!
"Look ... Look ..." The other person began to speak in a slow and magnetic voice as it slowly began to hypnotize the woman. "Look into my eyes ... and then ... you will obey me ... your only master ..."
"Yes ... I will obey you ... my only master ..." The woman's eyes began to cloud over as her face lost all expression and became blank.
"Now I command you ... to return to your own room ..."
The hypnotized woman followed the instructions and stood up. She began to move with a sway as she disappeared along one of the paths.
"Heh ..." The female watched the other's retreating figure as she laughed. "Heh heh ... Hahahaha ..." She began laughing wildly as she looked up at the night sky. "Heh heh ... how wonderful ... everything has been set up. What comes next ... will be quite interesting ... Hahahaha ..."
The atmosphere in the palace had clearly changed. It was no longer stagnant and with no vitality.
In the afternoon, the sounds of laughter was heard from the garden. It sounded so harmonious, so relaxed and so cheerful.
In the garden, the priests were playing with the Pharaoh and Tameri. They all had taken off their usual cold mask of seriousness and had a chance to show their relaxed sides.
"Tameri, stop causing trouble." Atem said as he laughed and hid from the other.
Tameri, who was chasing after him, was trying to have him wear the lotus crown that she had made with Halima's help. "Stop hiding. Come here, come here." Tameri's hands was holding the beautiful wreath as she followed him closely. Whereever he ran to, she followed. "This is very pretty. I had made it especially for you. Why don't you just wear it and see?" Tameri said, trying to persuade him.
Atem refused. "I am appreciative of your kindness but I think you should wear it yourself." He could agree to whatever she wanted, but he was sorry to say that he couldn't agree to this one.
"Why?" Her violet eyes were the color of innocence as she looked at him with confusion. "It's only a wreath. Is it so difficult for you to wear this?"
He merely smiled wryly but didn't speak. 'What a joke! Seto is watching us over there! If I were to wear that thing, he'll make jokes about it for a month?!'
"Priestess Isis? Can you help me by grabbing onto him?" Seeing that he had no intention of wearing the crown, Tameri turned to her for help.
"Tameri, what are you planning to do?" Atem keenly felt a plot brewing and involuntarily moved backwards a few steps.
"Forgive me for being discourteous, Your Majesty." Isis stood up and moved towards his direction, with a slight smile.
"What?!" He noticed her proximity to him and realized what she was doing. Atem began to move away slowly. "Don't ... come here."
"Stop struggling. Shadah, Mahaado, Karim. Come help me." Isis called to her fellow priests.
"Eh?"
"Is that a good idea?"
"I don't know ..."
The three men all looked at each other for a few moments before deciding to forget about their ranks and duties for now as they moved over to help Isis.
"Hey!" Seeing that the 'enemy' had three more assistants, Atem's smile had turned to a thin line. 'Can I get out of this one?' He began to run towards the opposite direction as Shadah began to chase after him.
"Please wait, Your Majesty!" He called out.
"Are you joking?! I'm not waiting here?!" Atem continued to run ahead. "Huh?!" Suddenly a person stood in front of him, blocking his way. It was Karim!
"Mahaado! Over here, over here!" Karim shouted to the other priests as they ran up in a hurry.
"Heh ..." A quick turn and Atem easily ran out of Karim and Mahaado's trap. "Wha ..." A shadow that seemed to come from nowhere appeared and grabbed his left leg. "Ah!" Caught off balance, he fell down to the ground. "Ouch ..." Atem's hands rubbed his forehead as he looked at the person who had caused him to stumble.
"I've caught him ... I've caught him ..." A clever and cute face looked up as she began to laugh.
"Mana?!" Atem looked at her with shock. 'When did she come out?!'
"Tameri! Come here!" She waved at the other girl, who was running up.
"Wha ... Hey!" Not waiting for Atem to respond, Tameri quickly placed the crown on his head.
"Didn't I say that you look nice wearing it?" She smiled as she looked at the other wearing the lotus crown.
"Oh? You've caught him?"
"It's finally over."
"Mana, you were great!"
The others had all arrived at the scene.
"Heh heh." Among the group was Seto, who had been quietly enjoying the scene. "It suits you, my 'Queen'." He teased, poking fun at Atem, who had once worn female clothing. (AN: Read Past Memory: OVA for more information.)
"What did you say?!" Atem angrily yanked off the crown. What he hated the most was other people bringing up his embarrassing past.
"I didn't say anything, my 'Queen'." Seto was purposely saying what Atem hated hearing ...
"Queen?" Tameri was confused. 'What Queen? Isn't Atem a boy? Where did the Queen come from?'
Seto looked at Atem for a moment before he explained to Tameri with a malicious gleam in his eyes, "That happened when Atem was younger. He ..."
"Seto!!!" Atem exploded with rage. Seto decided it was best for him to get out of there. But Atem wasn't about to let him get off so easily and began to chase after him. "Seto, stop right now!"
"I'm sorry but I can't comply with you, my dearest 'Queen'."
The onlookers were all thinking about how Seto could be able to jest with Atem while the other was chasing after him so closely.
"Why is it so noisy here?" Shimon had heard the commotion and had quickly come to the garden to investigate. "Huh?! What .. what is going on?!" He saw an angry Atem throwing any item he could get his hands on at Seto, while the other easily avoided being hit by the objects. The others were all laughing as they watched the scene unfold, looking like they weren't planning on stopping the fight anytime soon.
"By the gods ... Stop! Pharaoh, Priest Seto!" He stood between the two, risking being hit by heavy objects as he tried to stop the fight. Shimon thought that if the fight didn't end soon, the royal garden was going to change from a beautiful paradise to a destroyed piece of ruins after the pair was through with it ...
"Humph ... it's that girl again!"
"She's together with the Pharaoh! How hateful!"
Near the group, the other queen candidates were standing as they watched the lively scene in front of them. Each one of the girls were full of envy and jealousy!
"How detestable! The last few days, the Pharaoh's gaze has always been on her! He never even noticed us!"
"She's always together with him in the open. What's worse is that they seem so much in love! At this rate, everyone will think that she's the new Queen!"
"Ugh! If this goes on ... the Pharaoh is going to be taken away by her! Then she'll easily become the Queen!"
"From what you're saying ... we're running out of chances, right?! How can that be!"
Once they thought of what may happen, they were so angry that they were gnashing their teeth in frustration! But they knew that they couldn't do anything to change it.
"You are all so noisy ... screaming out here ..."
An calm voice like snow spoke, causing the loud voices of the other girls to slowly quiet down.
"You are ... Semiramide? The princess of Assyria?" Kamama did not look pleased. Other than the Pharaoh-stealing Tameri, she disliked this woman the most.
"You all should know your limitations and stop meddling in the Pharaoh's affairs. Remember what rank you are while you are here." Semiramide had heard everything that the others had said and judging from their dialogue and the agitated moods of the girls, she knew that the others were resentful towards Tameri and the Pharaoh's attention towards her. Semiramide feared that the women may do something rash in order to gain power and status.
"Humph ... you don't need to bother with matters that does not concern you! Why don't you stop acting so hypocritically and aloofly?!"
Maathomeferoure sneered and pointed a finger at Semiramide. "Don't you think the same way as we do?! Wouldn't you feel hatred at knowing you won't be able to be with the one you admire?!"
Semiramide did not respond, looking more like she had thought of something. In a moment, she seemed to change into another person as she coldly glared at Maathomeferoure. "Humph ... Do you think I don't feel hatred? Of course I hate it!" Her tone of voice was full of resentment. "It was that person who had separated me from my lover! It was that person who had destroyed my happiness and home that should have belonged to me! How can I not feel hatred?!" She yelled at Maathomeferoure.
The other woman had never seen Semiramide so angry before. She was usually so mild-tempered when she spoke to anyone else. Maathomeferoure found herself a bit frightened as she stared. 'What ... is she talking about? Lover? Home? What is she referring to?' The woman was unable to digest the new information very quickly.
"What are you doing here? What happened? Why is it so noisy?"
Atem had suddenly walked over, Tameri and the five priests in tow. While they had been talking, the fight in the garden had ended. Atem and the others had heard the sounds of a quarrel and had come over to see what had happened.
"Your Majesty?!"
The women all thought in dismay, 'It's over! We're in big trouble if the Pharaoh had heard what we were talking about!' They were in a panic and unsure as to what to do.
Yet Semiramide, who was still confronting Maathomeferoure, looked over at Tameri with a angry glare before leaving without a word.
Tameri was shocked to see the look in Semiramide's eyes. 'What did I do wrong?! Why did Semiramide, who had treated me like a friend, look at me with such disgust?!'
The others all left as well. Soon it was only Atem and the others that were alone in the garden.
"What is going on?" Atem was still confused as to what had occurred.
Seto didn't say anything but from what he had seen eariler, he had a good idea as to what had occurred among the women. 'The palace was going to experience a great altercation! Those women are going to be the cause of it!' His intuition told him. Seto looked at the other priests, who nodded. Other than Isis, they all left.
"Tameri, I'm sorry. I have to speak with Atem, so could you please leave us alone for a while?" He asked.
Atem paused in surprise as he looked over at Seto, but he didn't say anything more, other than the serious look in his eyes.
"Oh ... okay." Even though she was confused, she understood that they were discussing something that didn't concern her and they didn't want her to know about it. "Uro, then I'll be going now." Tameri nodded towards Atem and left with her maid, Halima.
"Seto ... what is going on?" Atem asked as he watched the pair slowly vanish. "Why did you have to send Tameri away? Is there something that we can't let her know about?"
"Atem ... do you understand women?" Seto was looking in the same direction as he asked this surprising question.
"Eh?" Atem was shocked for a moment. 'What is he trying to do? Why is he asking me this?' He decided to ask what he was thinking. "Why are you suddenly asking me this?" He looked at the other with interest as he crossed his arms across his chest and smiled. "You should know my attitude towards women, right? I don't trust any strange woman I meet. If I can avoid them, I would. The best thing is to not be associated with any of them."
"I didn't ask you about your view on women." Once Seto heard him beginning to stray from the question, he gave the other a cold look.
"Is that so? If you want to know women, you shouldn't ask me. Why don't you just go ask the men who frequent the brothels?" Atem looked over at Seto as he thought, 'Can't you call my view on women a form of understanding them? How can you start scolding me when you didn't explain clearly what you were asking?'
Seto continued to stare coldly at Atem when Isis spoke. "Your Majesty, women are a marvellous thing. Some people say that women are created from water. Once they are caught in the mire called love, she will be willing to do anything and everything to get the favor of the person she is interested in. But after she has given her all, she may realize that the person she is in love with has never thought of her the same way. The love she carries joyfully in her heart may end up changing into hatred and resentment."
"What are you trying to say, Priestess Isis?" Atem felt that something was amiss in the air. She would not say something like this for no apparent reason.
"Your Majesty, water is ever changing. It can rise as well as fall. A woman ... is also liks this." Isis thought to herself, 'The only difference is ... that something that occurs in nature wouldn't purposely try to possess another ... only a woman would try to do so! In order to own that object, she would frequently try to harm or sacrifice others ...'
"I don't understand you." Atem realized that she knew more but he didn't know why she didn't say it out loud. 'Wouldn't it be clearer to everyone if you simply reveal everything?'
"I can't tell you, Your Majesty." Isis replied respectfully. Regarding this matter, she felt that it was unnecessary to divulge too much. Maybe what the priests were worried about wouldn't take place.
"Priestess Isis, I'm not in the mood for guessing games." Atem was glancing at Isis with a dignified look. "I am not fond of the feeling of being hung to another person's liking."
" ... Forgive me for departing in advance." Isis was avoiding his questions. She felt that it was better for the priests to worry about situations like this. There was no reason for the Pharaoh to be alerted to it.
"Seto ..." As she was moving by his side, Isis spoke to him in a low voice. "Perhaps ... your intuition is correct. But ... I still hope that it is a mistake this time ..."
He didn't reply as he continued to stand quietly in the same spot. 'You hope ... do you think I don't wish for the same thing? No one would wish to see the palace become a place permeated with unease in the future ...'
"What exactly are you two planning in secret?" Atem was a bit unhappy at this point. He really didn't like being left in the dark. He asked, "You can't tell me about it now?"
"The opportunity hasn't arrived yet ..." Seto spoke, his eyes clearly explaining everything.
"Humph ..." Atem decided not to ask any further. "The opportunity hasn't arrived yet, right?" He closed his eyes as the corners of his mouth went up. "Very well. I ... will wait until the 'opportunity' approaches ..."
Posted on November 5, 2004.