I don't own Night at the Museum

Ancient Egypt 1991 B.C.

Dinner with the family was an event that made Ahkmenrah anxious. In the past there would be active conversations between his brother and parents but it had decreased in the later years. Now that Neferet had been welcomed in the family there had been moments when conversation had been made, mostly by his mother, but it hadn't lasted as long as she would have hoped. Since Neferet had been at the palace and hopefully more comfortable, perhaps this dinner was going to be different then the others. Letting out a sigh, he looked at his reflection and headed out of his chamber.

Perhaps there isn't going to be a decent conversation this time Neferet thought to herself as she felt Zhara pulling her hair and combing the strands. Neferet flinched at the knot in her hair that Zhara was trying to comb out. "Easy there," Neferet chuckled as she gently ran her hand over to the spot that started to hurt. "I'd like to keep my scalp in tact for dinner."

Zhara's eyes widened at her mistake before uttering an extensive apology. Neferet slowly shook her head at that for she didn't believe that there was a need to apologize for something so small. "Let me see," Zhara said as she walked in front of Neferet and examined the touched up makeup from her dark kohl eyes to the red lips and the charcoal hair that fell upon her shoulders. "I would say that you are ready, wouldn't you?"

Neferet turned around and looked at her reflection in the mirror and beheld a blissful smile upon her lips. Not as lovely as Queen Shepseheret but every woman in the palace had her own beauty to exude. "It's perfect Zhara," she smiled to her servant and gathered one side of her sheath gown in one hand before getting up. "I hope I am not too late for dinner." She recalled how disappointed Pharaoh Merenkahre had been when Kahmunrah had been delayed to dinner, though she could tell that Kahmunrah had remained unbothered by it.

She headed to the doorway of the room and walked into the hallway and coincidentally, Ahkmenrah brushed past her. He stopped walking and looked at her with a smile upon his lips as his eyes surveyed her up and down. "My," he said, "you're a vision."

Neferet's eyes were cast to the ground at the kind compliment as she felt a slight blush coming upon her cheeks. "And you look very handsome yourself," she complimented as she looked at his wardrobe.

He responded to her with a courteous nod of his head and held out his arm. Neferet gladly took his arm and the two walked over to where dinner was being served.

"It has been a couple of nights since I have last seen you," Neferet said and looked over at Ahkmenrah, "politics keeping you busy?"

The words that she had said were true. Ahkmenrah had been by his father's side for the majority of the day learning more about his father's role as a pharaoh and the laws that had been built during his reign along with the politics that had been established. During that training, Ahkmenrah didn't know what to think or if there were any changes that he could make. His father had casted him in different scenarios and whatever choice Ahkmenrah made, there was always a consequence that came along with it. To him, this seemed like he had to trust his decisions, see how those changes would make a difference, and if there still needed to be a change then he would be willing to do it. That had left his disgruntled and had given him a whole other lesson of not giving the wrong people what they wanted, because in the end, whatever decision that Ahkmenrah made it would leave people happy and other people disappointed. "Yes," Ahkmenrah answered to Neferet, "I am sorry that we have not been able to spend the time together. It is only during the nights that I am able to find you, but you're sleeping."

Neferet stopped walking and looked at him with a smile upon her lips. "You can always awaken me from my slumber," she said as she reached forward and wrapped her hands around his neck.

"And ruin my queen's beauty sleep?" Ahkmenrah questioned that with a playful smile upon his lips, "by the Gods, I would feel Bes's wrath upon me if I interrupted my beloved's dreams."

Neferet chuckled upon that. "How thoughtful of you," she said and leaned closer to the young pharaoh.

Ahkmenrah could see that they were mere inches away from their lips making contact with one another and why ruin the moment, for dinner could wait.

There was the dinner table that was set with lavish dishes that would make anyone in the kingdom hungry and two empty seats that were waiting to be occupied with the future pharaoh and his queen. Where in the name of Aker were they? Pharaoh Merenkahre frowned at the two vacant chairs. Why couldn't everyone just gather at the family table at the proper time? It would always be one or the other one of his sons that would be delayed.

Queen Shepseheret let out a slow sigh and took a sip of her wine but tried to keep a delightful demeanor. "Kahmunrah," she asked her oldest son who was sitting across from her, "do you know where Ahkmenrah is?"

I gave up babysitting a long time ago mother he wanted to say to her. "I have no idea of his whereabouts," he answered and slid his finger around the rim of the goblet that was filled with wine. "What about you...father?" he asked.

"Kahmunrah..." his mother stepped in before an argument ensued between them, "please let's enjoy this dinner in harmony."

Kahmunrah shrugged his shoulders. "But of course," he then said, "by all means especially when the food is getting cold." He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest and stared at the food that was laid out in front of him, now not feeling as hungry as he was before. At least he wasn't the one who was in trouble for being delayed to dinner.

After sometime, Kahmunrah reached forward and took a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl. "We must wait," hie father said to him but he only responded by looking at his father and taking a bite of the piece of fruit, causing his father to let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't you ever listen to what I say?!" he exclaimed as his eyes flared towards Kahmunrah.

Swallowing the fruit, Kahmunrah took another bite and said, "why yes, when I was just a mere fifteen year old."

Sometimes there was no use in fighting with his eldest son, for he would always find a way to either continue or end an argument. He was eloquent when he spoke only for it to be ruined by that lisp, and that was something that a future pharaoh shouldn't have let alone the harsh political views that would probably sent Egypt into ruin. Pharaoh Merenkahre had a temper just like his eldest son but he knew how to control it which was something that Kahmunrah lacked. There was no use in continued that argument, though Pharaoh Merenkahre wished he could say the last word to him. He heard a shuffling of footsteps from the hall and he looked up seeing both Neferet and Ahkmenrah arriving to the dinner table.

Oh Gods may Horus offer me protection Ahkmenrah thought as he looked at his father's look of disapproval.

I'm in trouble Neferet thought as she cleared her throat. "I am sorry Your Highnesses," she said with a slight uncomfortable smile upon her lips, "I caused Ahkmenrah some delay."

Queen Shepseheret kindly smiled to the pair as they approached the table. "It is no trouble to us," she said as she spoke up for Merenkahre, "we are just glad that you have found of your way, isn't that correct my pharaoh?" she asked as she turned her eyes to her husband.

Pharaoh Merenkahre removed his elbows from the table and nodded his head. He was still disappointed about the delay, Ahkmenrah could tell, but at least he wasn't yelling at them. "Indeed," he answered, "now let us commence our dinner."

Neferet felt uncomfortable being in the presence of a displeased pharaoh but she couldn't change her actions. Being alone in that hallway with Ahkmenrah, just the two of them with no one in sight, had been an opportunity that she couldn't escape from. He was her future pharaoh after all and since he had been busy for the majority of the days, she believed it was good time to be with one another even if it caused them some delay to dinner. She began to fill her plate with food and looking from her view, she noticed that Kahmunrah's was empty. "Aren't you going to eat anything?" she asked him.

"No," Kahmunrah answered with a shake of his head, "I am not hungry. The food has gotten cold anyway due to your delay."

"Oh," Neferet said, taken aback by his words, "I-I am sorry for causing that." Perhaps this is not a good time to mention about the combat practice she thought as she took the goblet of wine in her hand and took a sip.

Queen Shepseheret let out a sigh and looked at her eldest son. "You need to eat," she told him.

"I just had some fruit," Kahmunrah replied to her, "I shall be fine mother, no need to worry about me." He then turned his head and looked at Neferet, "I thank you for your concern."

It seemed as if his eyes never left hers and Neferet wondered what he was staring at. "Do I have something on my face?" she asked him.

Kahmunrah shook his head before getting up from the table, his eyes never leaving hers once again. "No," he answered her, "only a mere smudge on your lips." With those words, and ignoring his father's protests, he left the dinner table and headed into the depths of the hallway.

Neferet immediately hid her smudged lipstick behind her hand and let out a nervous chuckle. Hopefully the pharaoh and the queen hadn't noticed for that was a little secret between her and Ahkmenrah.