That's A Real Life Bronze Age Priestess Sammy

Chapter 17

The brothers assured Marie that they won't let Calliope get her, while hammering in the point that she can't tell anyone about anything. Not even her parents, who may not believe her but may just try to stop her from doing the play, which would make them the Scarecrow's next targets. After that the three of them went back to the motel. They should be resting and preparing for tomorrow's hunt. That's what Sam wants to do, but that was going to be difficult.

"Son of a bitch, Muwatti. Why didn't you tell us about your headache-inducing god-detecting talent of yours?" Asked an incredibly agitated Dean, in the middle of pacing across the room, while Sam sitting on one of the beds in the room.

On the other hand, Muwatti, sitting on the opposite bed, appeared calm. Though Sam did notice that she was tracing and retracing the star tattoos on her hands. "It wasn't my intention to hide anything from you. It's just that I was hoping that the case and the presence of a god were separate incidents. My experiences with gods from back home weren't exactly good, to say the least. They were my gods and I was used to dealing with them, but that didn't stop them from fucking with me. Which is why I wasn't going to mess with a completely unfamiliar one." Sam interrupted her, asking her wasn't she Ishtar's favourite priestess. And like clockwork she corrected him, "High Priestess actually. My proximity to Ishtar may have given me protection and power, but you have to appreciate the irony of being the favourite of the goddess of love and then having to spend the rest of my life always losing the man I love. So how would being the favourite of something like that can ever be called a good thing?"

"How can you say that?"

"Because I not a good person and I did horrible things to a lot of people in the name of god and none of the them cared enough to ever stop me. Gods are not magnanimous beings that care about our wellbeing, Sam. They are merely tolerating us, until the day comes when they simply decide they don't want to continue the farce anymore. Or if they feel that we are beginning to defy their status quo."

Dean pointed out that they've handled plenty of gods on their own. However Sam couldn't help but think that maybe they just haven't messed around with the status quo yet. His brother continued, "You can spout all that god business as much as you want. But do you realise if had clued us in about a god being at the school earlier on, then maybe Maggie wouldn't have disappeared."

"Of course I realise that." She stopped to take off her shoes. "Fuck the damn things. I wasn't able to think in them. If I had any suspicions about Calliope taking the girl or about her plans to eat Marie, I would have told you everything. But when both you and Sam concluded that there's no case here, I thought my wishes came true, and the schoolteacher had simply gone somewhere and more importantly, there was no threat to anyone here." Hearing that Dean let out a frustrated groan and stormed out of the room. She asked Sam if his brother was really that angry with her.

He assured her that it wasn't really her he was mainly angry at. Dean had probably been thinking the same thing, cause he certainly has been. How could they miss something this big? Were they really that distracted by the stupid play that they prematurely made the decision to walk away? He must have been, otherwise why did he need prompting from both Maeve and Muwatti, to really figure out the meaning behind the flowers and realise that Calliope was behind this shit? Yes, Muwatti didn't tell them about what she knew but she wasn't responsible for what happened this evening. The only ones they had to blame for Maggie's disappearance is themselves. They're the hunters, not her. "Don't worry, he'll be back once he's cooled off enough. May just even come back with some grub - I mean food." Sam has to remind himself that she may know about Nazis but her knowledge about slangs was still lacking.

"Honestly I can't really even complain. I mean, it could've been a lot worse for me. I'm still being shouted at by an angry man who continuously makes the mistake of forgetting that I literally hold all the power over him, but luckily for me I also get to watch you walk around all wet, in just a tiny towel." He had a sneaking suspicion that she forgot to switch over to Hittite. Whether he was supposed to hear that part or not, he remembered that he had done just that this very morning. But he didn't do it on purpose, he just forgot to bring his clothes with him. However he does that quite often, because he feels like a giant in these motel bathrooms. And mostly because he had gotten used to living in small spaces with Dean, and for the longest time it has been the two of them. He even does it in the Bunker sometimes. Dean may have said something about it a long time ago, but probably gave up since it didn't have any affect. He probably should just go to sleep, it would be the smart thing to do, as they had a hunt after all. However what he actually ended up doing was ask her how did she manage to wrangle the nobles. She must have, otherwise her tenure as the Chief Priestess would certainly have been cut short.

"You really want history lesson right now?" He pointed out how she had spend a good portion of the day getting to know about the brothers' lives and pretty much enjoying herself, so it only seems fair that he gets to ask his own questions now.

"Prince Mattizawa was next in line for the throne of the Mitanni, but got ousted by his uncle. In the hopes of getting revenge against the new King and getting the throne back, he came to their greatest enemy for help, the Hittites. Unfortunately for him, he failed to garner any support from anyone at Hattusa. Having his uncle, who was an atrocious ruler, on the throne was quite beneficial for us. So why would anyone agree to spill Hittite blood just to help our enemy and make him stronger once more? But he was determined."

"And then he approached you for help?"

"More like thought he could seduce me, so that I'll convince my father to help him. Or the very least one of my brothers. One night he decides to sneak into the temple and then into my bedchambers, when he knew I would be all alone. He told me about his plan, however I offered him a counter-proposal. Instead of the Hittite army, I'll send him back with at least two dozen of my spies. He'll use his lifelong knowledge about the secret passages into the capital, and they'll swiftly kill off not only the king but also several of his uncle's supporters in the middle of night, in their sleep. And by the time morning comes along, his revenge will be complete. Although I did add several stipulations go my own. He'll have to marry my half-sister, Nuzizi, and while he would rule the region of Mitanni, it won't be as the king, but as the governor of Mitanni, because we will be usurping the region." Sam was amazed that anyone could agree to such terms. Was he blinded by his need for revenge? Did he not try to renege on there terms? "That's the problem with showing your enemies' spies all the secret tunnels into the your city, you might just end up being assassinated in the middle of the night. But none of that mattered to him, as long as his uncle wasn't sitting on the Mitanni throne. The plan goes as expected and three days later I was able to present the former kingdom of one of our enemy to atti, also assuring him that his descendants are the ones that will be ruling the region in the future."

"And that's when the nobles and generals finally started taking you seriously?"

"Fuck no. They were too busy throwing all new fits saying that I acted recklessly and I had no right to take such drastic steps. Or they would've if I hadn't laid another condition for the prince. After taking control of the region and surrendering it to me, he also handed over evidence that certain aristocratic and military families were conspiring with his uncle. And upon conducing raids on their estates, Mitanni gold was found there. Which is why I had to act on my own and couldn't risk discussion or any delay-"

"Because there were traitors among your ranks. And let me guess all the people Mattizawa mentioned were in fact the supporters of your step-mother. In one swoop, you not only erased one of your greatest enemy but also removed any opposition from the Hittite court." Hence cementing her status as her mother's successor and the second most powerful person in the empire. And all because one stupid enemy prince just happen to walk into the temple one night. It was pure luck. "Except it wasn't luck that made Mattizawa come to you?" She asked him what he meant by that. "How was he able to just sneak inside the temple complex at night, when during that time it would've been overrun by the lions?" Muwatti looked like he had just slapped her. Guess this time she couldn't have the last word, he may have enjoyed himself a bit too much thinking that. "Even if he had been told that your lions don't go around attacking people, he still couldn't be a hundred percent sure to actually risk walking amongst them, especially when he had been rejected by everyone and would've have presumed the chances of you helping him would be pretty low."

"Sam, I don't understand what you're trying to - "

"Unless there were no lions roaming around that night. Because you made sure that they didn't leave their pits that night. As well as making sure he would find you all alone." After being left speechless by her throughout the day, now he was the one that left her without any word. And to be honest, it felt good. A bit too fucking good.

Muwatti certainly looked like she wanted to slap him. But she chose to take off her jacket and undo her hair, gently massaging her scalp and combing through the knots. "Smarter Winchester indeed, and you're right. It was one of the prince's new drinking buddy that let it slip that the emperor's beloved daughter and more importantly his most valued advisor was going to be in the temple complex in the lower city and not in the palace that night. And yes, the gates to the lion pits remained closed that night." She paused to let out a loud chuckle. "All of which stayed a complete secret for almost three and a half millennia, and Sam Fucking Winchester figures it all out." He asked why even bother keeping her methods a secret at all. "The narrative, of course. He choses to barge into my bedchambers, asking for my help, in return for it I have my own stipulations. Completely rational expectations. So you see, he was one so blinded by revenge that he willingly surrendered the kingdom of his ancestors to their greatest enemy. Which just makes me a good politician, willing to take advantage of every opportunity that would benefit my empire and permanently neutralise an enemy. As well as neutralising the threats faced by my family and the empire from within."

"On the other hand, if you're the one who made sure that he came to you, with you being fully prepared to strong-arm him into agreeing with anything that you wanted, then - "

"Then I'm a conniving little cunt that stole a kingdom from poor little Matti and gleefully planned the deaths of my countrymen." He was going to say an undiagnosed sociopath. "I had to learn the importance of a narrative at quite an early age." Yeah from birth, as her parents pretty much flipped the narrative of their baby daughter being poisoned to start of war for land. And years later their teenage daughter will take down that very kingdom accused of poisoning her. Fuck, that is good narrative. "Narratives are helpful for not only deciding in how you're perceived but also in understanding others. For example, the narratives in the pornographies consumed by your brother and you."

He did not want to hear this and quickly stood up to walk away. But was stopped from doing so, when Muwatti stood up as well and blocked his way.

"Safe to say, Dean's tastes are eccentric, and I think the reason behind it is that he thinks he'll never get the great love and long-lasting companionship, as long as he's part of this life. That is why he has decided why bother with the mundane and the ordinary. He's convinced himself that doesn't deserve it, so might as well make it as fantastical as he possibly could. Entertaining, but essentially fleeting and makes it easier to not get attached, and simply move on. On the other hand, yours is much more plausible and simpler, not just because of how time you spend in libraries. Even if you're not necessarily fantasising about highly unprofessional librarians, but it's almost as if even your most torrid dreams you need to have an element of realism and substance to it. Because for you, if it is not possible that it can actually happen, then it's not worth it. Because for you it's the realness that's the thrilling part and not the overindulgence or the over-imagination. Because deep down that is your greatest desire. So Sam, was I close enough?"

Honestly, a bit too fucking close. Whatever high he had been riding on, over figuring out her centuries old schemes, had now disappeared. She really needs to have the last word. It was only part irritating and part thrilling for him. But instead of answering her question, he asked her how she'd describe her narrative for sexual preferences.

"I guess, the same way I like my politics. Powerful and chaotic." She said with a laugh. It was light and melodious and sweet, like he could hear music playing at a distance. It was a laugh he hadn't heard from her, despite the fact that she'd spend the majority of this day laughing at the existence of the Carver Edlund's books. Sam wondered if his brother had heard this laugh from her, whether in person or in her dreams. And almost missed the next part she said to him. "Undress me, Sam."

It was only when she raised he arms and showed him the cuffs that he remembered that she needed help with the buttons. After taking a deep breathe, he got to it, bringing this day to a full circle. While the dressing room from the earlier part of this day was much more confining than the motel room, but somehow he felt that they were much more closer now. Or maybe it was because they were looking into each other's eyes the whole time. Soon enough, all of the buttons were undone, and Sam could feel himself lean down and was pretty sure Muwatti was tilting her head towards him, but would never get to finds out since they were distracted by the door openly loudly.

Dean was back with several bags of food. Fortunately. Regrettably.

He was trying to come up with an explanation, though his mouth was quite dry. But no explanation was needed, because after giving them a quick cursory glance, his brother snapped his fingers and said, "Oh right. Buttons."

"Yes, buttons. Sam has been helping me with them. Pretty sure I can do them on my own now." said Muwatti, while calmly stepping away from Sam, who still hadn't started breathing again. "Did you bring me fries?" Dean pointed out that she never told him to get her some, so no, he hadn't brought her any fries, while emptying the bags on the table.

"You know what," said Sam, now that he had regained his ability to inhale and exhale once more. "I'll get some fries for you. Meanwhile, you should, I mean why don't you, you know," he said while gestured wildly towards her and her unbuttoned shirt, "get ready for bed." However that just made her raise a single eyebrow at him and smirk. He should just leave, which he promptly did.