Chapter 2

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Compromise

Again the Pharaoh helped Ivy mount up. Today, he had a different horse, Ivy reluctantly slid her arms around Atem's waist as the horse reached a slow gallop.

Soon, they arrived at Ivy's small village.

"Mommy, daddy! Ivy's home with a boy!" Ivy heard little Eve yell. Atem and Ivy blushed.

"Eve!" Ivy scolded.

"Where?!" Ivy heard her father roar, Ivy was supposed to be arranged with someone soon. When he spotted the Pharaoh and his daughter together, he was stunned. But he remembered his manners and bowed.

"Ivy!" her mother said, as she emerged from the small home.

"Mom!" Ivy yelled excitedly; seeing her mother out of bed was relief. She quickly and painfully dismounted and ran to hug her mother. They only hugged for a moment before the woman pushed her 16 year old daughter away.

"What happened to your arm?" she asked holding Ivy's arm firmly.

"It's nothing really," Ivy explained, "Atem healed it."

Ivy noticed that Atem was still sitting on the horse, staring at the crazed family.

"Are you going to dismount?" Ivy asked with a smirk.

"Ivy," her mother pulled her arm, "That's no way to address the Pharaoh!"

Atem dismounted, "No, it's quite alright."

Ivy rolled her eyes, Parents are so out of it…

"Ivy come with me for a moment," Ivy's mother said sternly. She pulled on her arm and dragged her in to the home.

Ivy's mother asked her how she had met the Pharaoh, Ivy told her the entire story about how she'd stopped the horse, and how Atem healed her arm.

"Ivy, you know the Pharaoh is currently looking for a wife?" she asked.

"No mother, I have lived under a rock for the past 2 months! Of course I know!" she said sarcastically.

"Do you picture yourself as the Queen of Egypt?" the woman said.

Ivy looked up at her, "Mother are you suggesting that--?"

She nodded. Ivy burst out laughing.

"Ivy this is no laughing matter! I am serious!" she yelled.

"Why would you say that then?! That would never happen!"

"He's allowing you to call him by his first name, and letting you treat him as an equal," she responded.

That caused Ivy to stop laughing, she looked out the window; Atem was giving Eve a piggy-back ride, she too, did not know she was with the Pharaoh. Could her mother be right? Ivy shook her head, Na!

Ivy started to leave.

"Ivy," her mother said.

"Yes?"

"Think about what I said," she finished. Ivy nodded.

Ivy stepped outside and pulled Eve off Atem.

"Hey!" Eve protested.

"I think we will be leaving? Right?" she looked at Atem who nodded. Ivy put Eve down and walked to her father, and hugged him good-bye. Atem mounted first, Ivy followed. Atem turned the horse, and tried to make it canter, but it was stubborn.

"Stubborn animal," Atem cursed. Ivy giggled, she turned her head and saw Daren and his father gaping at her. Before she could wave the horse burst into a gallop, causing Ivy to hold on the Pharaoh tighter.

At the Palace…

"Don't ever do that again!" Ivy laughed as she slowly dismounted.

Atem laughed, "Do what?"

"You know what I mean! Set that horse on full gallop like that!" she said breathlessly, as they walked up the stairs, that lead them to the palace front doors, "You could have killed me!"

"You nearly killed me by holding on that tightly!" Atem joked.

"What was I suppose to do?! I could have fallen off backwards the way that thing bolted!" Ivy said sarcastically. Atem laughed again, as they continued their long walk up the stairs. They entered the half-empty palace, it was pretty dark, and almost everyone had left to sleep.

"Uh, Ivy, would you like to come with me to try the food for tomorrow?" Atem asked her.

Ivy nodded, "Yes, I'll probably be bored later in my chamber anyway."

Atem led her to the kitchen where she had found her breakfast that morning, there were bowls set out for sampling. They spent their time, comparing the food. Ivy found one dish she really liked, 10 that were 'okay', the others she didn't really like, and one she absolutely despised.

"What is this party for?" Ivy asked, she sat up on one of the kitchen tables.

Atem sighed sadly, "To choose a wife, all the possible bachelorettes come to the palace, for 2 weeks and in that I time I choose one to be my wife, through different social events."

"Well at least your kind of lucky to choose, my parents are going to arrange me with someone," she said miserably, as she fiddled with her spoon. Just thinking about it made her feel worse.

The Day of the Party…

Audrey and Mia woke up Ivy and much to her disliking made her stand up for the longest time, as they designed a dress for her. They created a dress even Ivy could wear. It was flexible and easy for her to move in; the bottom was cut unevenly to slant upwards. They even sewed on extra material to make the bottom frilly and interesting. Mia and Audrey said that before the party they would come fuss with her hair, Ivy moaned at the thought.

She changed back into her regular clothing and left her room. Ivy passed Atem's room and noticed he was still sleeping.

I get woken up by the 'happy crew' and Atem gets to sleep?!? Not Fair! And idea sprung into Ivy's head. She used to do this to her sister and in turn, Eve did it to her too.

She entered his room silently, kicked off her shoes, checked around if anyone was in the room; then she ran up and started jumping on Atem's bed.

"Wake Up!" Ivy said loud enough only for him to hear.

"Wake Up!" she repeated, as she bounced up. Atem groaned, while Ivy started giggling.

Atem looked at her through sleepy eyes, "Ivy what are you doing?" he asked tiredly.

"Waking you up!" she said, still bouncing.

"Why?"

She stopped jumping, "Because I got woken up by Mia and Audrey, besides it's late!"

He rubbed his eyes, and smirked, "You're going to pay Ivy!" he said playfully. Somehow, Atem had managed to tackle Ivy and hold her down by her shoulders.

Through giggles, Ivy managed to say, "Okay I give in! I give in!"

Atem grinned.

"Pharaoh Atem I--," a guard came in and saw the pair in their compromising position, "Sorry, didn't realize you were busy."

Ivy felt her face turn red, fast. Atem freed her, "No it's alright she was just waking me up," he said dumbly. Ivy sat bolt upright, and saw that Atem had a fair shade of red on his face, as well.

This chapter was short because
in the next chapter will be the party!
And it will be longer….
No worries!

LadyoftheHorses

Horse Dictionary:
Canter: A smooth gait, especially of a horse, that is slower than a gallop but faster than a trot