*Author's Note & Disclaimer*

My readers, we are finally here! The first ...breathtaking moment...of the past! Bare with me! Thank you! :)

All copyrighted characters solely belong to Kazuki Takahashi, Rumiko Takahashi, & Tetsuya Nomura as well as all copyrighted products & consumers used within this story rightfully belong to their respective Companies & Affiliates. All original characters, theme, & plots being used & written solely belong to Taz Tehrani. Any changes towards names, locations, or objects is only used for fictional purposes, with or without alphabetical translations of other languages. Viewer Discretion is strongly advised. Please feel free to review & comment. To get to know more about me, please go forward to my bio & visit my Instagram page xoladytaz. Thank you!

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Chapter 5: Grecian Blue

Memfis, Ancient Egypt

3000 B.C.

"Isis, this is truly beautiful. You have made sure the goldsmith had done this correctly. Seto's bride will love it!" Shimon exclaimed to Isis. The Lapis Lazuli jewels were placed very intricately into Kisara's necklace. Shimon inspected further, awed at it's deep blue hue. The greek princess will definitely be enamoured by it.

Isis smiled. "I assure you, Shimon, she truly will. Seto just has to arrive there safely & present it to her highness." The goldsmith had done his job quicker when he heard his new Pharaoh was leaving soon & delivered it on time.

Shimon handed the newly forged necklace to her. "Is Seto ready for his journey to Greece?" Seto walked in behind the old man very discreetly. Isis chose to keep quiet, being amused of the coming scene.

"Shimon, I'm appalled that you would think that I'm not prepared ahead of time for anything. Especially for a journey that was very unplanned for me after my unexpected succession to Pharaoh." Shimon flinched & almost lost his composure, his heart racing fast.

"Seto! We just had a war! You shouldn't sneak up like that! Especially on someone of the Pharaoh's court!" Shimon shrieked. Isis still kept a straight face.

Seto mused, provoking him a bit more before he takes his departure. "But I didn't. Isis just simply kept quiet about me being behind you. Surely, I'm not to be blamed for someone else's silence, now am I?" Shimon turned his to Isis, glaring at her. Isis finally released a spree of giggles. "See? She even wanted to see you flinch."

"Priestess Isis, that is absolutely uncalled for!" The old man glowered at her. "Grrr, both of you will end up sending me to my sarcophagus before I even get to live to see my great grandchild! Ridiculous!"

Isis handed over the necklace to Seto along with a silk cloth. "Forgive me, Shimon. I haven't been amused in so long. It was needed." She smiled again. "It's good to depart in high spirits."

Shimon grunted. "Hmmpphh! I'll show you two one day!" He looked towards Seto. "Now enough with the scare tactics. You must be on your way to Greece, Seto."

Seto didn't want to give up just yet. "You want to get rid of me that easily, Shimon? I'm insulted! Guess I'm not the effort to put a fight up against."

Shimon flustered in disbelief. "Seto, you know that's not true at all!"

"I'm merely jesting." Seto looked towards the guards. "Prepare my ship for departure! We must leave to Greece now!" He looked back towards Isis & Shimon. "Watch for any & everything in my absence. We can't have any catastrophes this soon. Be safe."

"You as well, my pharaoh. May the gods be with you & with your bride as well when returning." Isis bid him goodbye as well as Shimon, though he did it silently this time. Both watched him turn to leave towards his ship. Isis knew Seto will be blown away when meeting the Greek princess. But she prayed to the gods that they would return back safely.

Seto walked along the plank to board his ship. Musing, he was actually going to miss teasing the old man. But time will not wait for him. "Embark for our departure now! We leave to the kingdom of Krete in Greece!" He felt his guards move the ship & the low rumbling of the Nile's water swish against the bottom. He looked at Isis & Shimon one last time, then looked toward the north to set sail.

Krete, Ancient Greece

3000 B.C.

Teana looked out at the Mediterranean Sea from her balcony & the hills surrounding it. She would miss the sea breeze when she had to leave her father's kingdom. Contemplating the few days she has left, she wondered if she could change her father's mind on getting married to the new Pharoah. She might persuade him to just let her get married to a Greek prince instead of anyone from the outside. She wasn't familiar to a full extent on Egyptian culture or it's traditions. It was a whole mystery to her honestly. But she didn't feel ready to leave Greece at all.

Athena & one of their maids came into Teana's chambers. Seeing her sit near the balcony, they were also looking at the afternoon sun lighting up the Grecian blue waters. "Teana, why are you so quiet? You should be finishing preparing for the Pharaoh's arrival."

Teana looked over her shoulder at her sister & their maid. "I'm not ready."

Their maid, Lidia, decided to speak, sensing Teana's discomfort. "Are you not ready to meet the new Pharaoh? Or are you not ready to leave us & Krete behind?"

"Both. I don't want to leave. This has been my home my whole life. I don't know how life is like on the other side of the Mediterranean. I'm not going…. I'm going to tell father that I won't marry him. I will get married to a Greek man & still live in my homeland to be closer to my father. I'll still be able to care for him in his sickness. I won't leave." Tea confessed.

Lidia had a concerned look on her face. She was nearly in her middle ages, as old as both the girls' father. She had helped Talia bring all three children into the world safely during labour & childbirth. It was going to hurt Alexandrios' heart if Teana backed out now. He had to get both of their kingdoms to have an alliance for future generations to come. "Teana, child, you can't go against your father's wishes. You know the times are quite straining on our kingdom right now & he has been ill after Talia passed. And with your mother's passing, he just wants you to be in safe hands."

Teana looked at her Lidia in disbelief. "He doesn't even know the new Pharaoh like that to assume he'll keep me in safe hands. What if he's charming in front of my father, & then quite the opposite and abusive when I am finally inside his kingdom? What if he is actually a man who likes looking for other women even though I will be his betrothed? What if I don't have the proper heir for him to be his successor & he possibly finishes off with me in some way? What then?"

"Teana, please don't think like that. You'll still have a few days here to get to know him before you both leave together to Egypt. Other than the formal knowledge we know of him, please give him a chance to know who he really is." Athena chastised. Though Athena may be younger than Teana, she was more cautiously optimistic.

Teana turned to look back out to the balcony. The Grecian blue waters calming her already stressed thoughts slightly. "If father didn't want to be frustrated, then why not get me betrothed to someone in Greece? To save our kingdom with one of our own? From Athens or Thessaloniki? Or even Hades himself? That would seem like a better match than anyone outside."

Lidia had enough. "Princess, that is enough! I have seen you go from a tiny little baby to a grown young woman. Be calm & gather your troubling thoughts before his highness comes here. You are to not disrespect your father & king in front of the new Pharaoh! Prepare yourself, young lady!"

Teana knew better than to talk back to her oldest maid, & her mother's old & dearest friend. She was very frustrated on the inside. Athena gave her forlorn look, almost silently saying 'to just listen & please obey father's wishes'. "Fine! I'll get to see who he is…."

"Good! Change your robes now. He will be here shortly." Lidia went to get Teana's new stitched robes. The soft satin fabric with Grecian blue color was perfect for the upcoming evening of the Pharaoh's arrival. Surely he might love it when he sees Teana in it. Lidia mused, knowing she waited long to see Teana to one day get married since she was born, but sad that she won't get to witness it in front of her eyes. She couldn't leave her King's side to be with Teana in Egypt. As much as she would've liked to, she had to remain here for Athena still.

"Come on Teana, you need to get ready." Athena told her. Teana took her new robes from Lidia & they both left Teana alone to change. Her long hair had already been washed, then brushed & she only used crushed rose paste, with oils mixed in, to color her lips. 'I don't find the need to look decent for a man I don't even know. Oh mighty Zeus, why have you cursed this upon me to go to another land with an unknown man?'

Teana felt the fabric of her new robe, the softness of it making her feel nostalgic. Her mother had worn the same color when she was still alive. During the season where flowers bloomed everywhere & they would all visit the gardens by the cliffs overlooking the sea. She remembered how beautiful her mother looked wearing this very color & the loving look her father gave towards Talia. As if he fell in love with her all over again for the very first time. Teana wished for that kind of love to be given to her when she finally found someone to share her life with.

She couldn't quite understand how the circumstances have come to this. Sharing her life with a man she didn't love, much less know. The same robe her mother had worn to their beautiful past outings, she's going to wear to meet her soon to be husband & Pharaoh. The other gods sitting next to Zeus must be laughing at her predicament. 'I still think Hades would've been a better option than whoever this is coming here. Maybe Cerberus should come out & devour me right now.'

She put the top half of her hair pulled back with a small blue tie & placed white lilies on it, cascading down to the middle. The rest of her hair fell loose around her. She placed her wrist jewelry & earrings on, then tied a white satin sash around her waist to complete her look, since the blue robe wrapped around with the straps being on her shoulder & the hem flowing down with a small train. Just as she finished tying her sash, she heard the door to her chambers open.

"My, my, you look very beautiful just like mother." The deep voice of her brother, Thalios, made her a bit happy at the moment. She turned around so he could get a better look at her. "Yes, just like mother. Teana, my little sister, when did you grow up into a woman so fast?"

She gave him a smirk, "You sound like you've been living in a cave, my dear brother. You look like it too."

Thalios knew her sarcasm was coming way too early. "Well, there are about thousands of them in Greece, so it makes sense since I've been away for a bit & not being able to see you nor Athena for a while." He walked closer to give his little sister a hug. "I wanted to be here on time by your side when the Pharaoh takes you away as his bride. Wouldn't be proper if I never got to say goodbye."

"It's not a goodbye, Thalios. It will never be a goodbye. I'm not ready for this, brother. To marry a man I don't know & what may come my way in a land across the sea, where I won't have any of my family to reach. Why can't I marry someone of our own & stay near father in these hard times?" She looked up at her brother, anxiety showing in her bright eyes.

"Teana, you mustn't assume things in the negative. I'll be here by your side. If I get any negative or foreboding sense when he arrives, then I won't let you leave. Father may be sick, but he is only doing his best because he wants you to rule someday in case anything comes to worse. You will bring our kingdoms together to form an alliance & you will reign as queen. Greece & Egypt will become one. Our bond will be formidable." Thalios spoke from a warrior perspective more than that of a brother. But she knew that he wanted her to be happy no matter where she went.

Teana shrugged. Thalios hugged her tighter in a protective stance. He sensed her crippling anxiety even more now as time passed by. She let go of him. "I'll do this for father. But if you sense even one bad thing about him, then you better convince father to find me a Greek man. Am I clear?"

Thalios laughed at her negotiation. "Ok, little sister. If our father's choice doesn't please you, what makes you think mine will be any better?"

Teana gave him a stern look, a very hard one. "Because I know you'll do anything just so I don't start walking towards the underworld & trade places with Persephone. Hades is starting to look very suitable & handsome to me."

"Stop it, Teana. You'll never get Persephone kicked out. You have a better chance of getting eaten by Cerberus. Now let's go. Father is waiting for us." He reached for the misplaced white lily in the back of her hair & fixed it in a proper position. Now it looked more of a proper floral half crown of white lilies instead of a scatter of lilies.

"Really big brother, you shouldn't have fixed it. I would rather look like a mess in front of his highness." She wouldn't calm down on her sarcasm, Thalios thought defeatedly. "In fact, perhaps I should look even more monstrous for the next few days he is here.

Thalios laughed again at her negotiations doomed for failure. "Nonsense. Lidia won't let you leave the room being monstrous in the first hour." He heard her groan. He extended his arm out to her, & she placed her hands on his elbow area. They walked out of her room together & walked down the hall leading towards the middle of her palace where the stairs lead them down. They saw Stavros at the bottom of the stairs & one of Thalios' comrades, Caius.

Caius turned around, & was in awe of Teana coming down with Thalios. "Princess, you look very elegant. It's hard to believe that you are even Thalios' sister at times. You hardly look anything like him. I hear congratulations are in order for your upcoming marriage to the new Pharaoh."

"And here I thought you were my favorite brother in combat & friendship, Caius." Thalios admitted wryly.

"I jest, Thalios." Caius defended. "But Teana has grown lovely. May Zeus & the gods always be with her & anywhere she walks in her path."

Teana rose a brow at both of them. "I'd much prefer Hades at the moment. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll walk towards my foreboding doom." She let go of Thalios' arm & huffed passed them. Stavros walked by her left side while Thalios & Caius followed behind her.

Caius decided to whisper his thoughts. "Thalios, why is she favoring Hades? Is she planning to escape?"

Thalios whispered back. "No…. She's not ready to leave us & Greece behind. She's afraid of going to a new land & doesn't want to leave our father in his current state. I feel for her, but I can't necessarily go against my father's wishes. He just wants her safe."

Caius mused. "Do you think the Egyptians will be very welcoming to her? She may be a princess of royal blood, but she is still a lady. Her safety is more important, Thalios."

Thalios tried to reassure him, "Caius, I wouldn't let any harm befall her. I've trained her to use any form of defense if she ever stumbles upon trouble. You know she's a fighter & very strong willed. My only problem is having trust in the Pharaoh. More than the Egyptian people, I want to see for myself if I can trust him." Then he heard Stavros speak up.

"My king has advised me that Princess Teana be escorted to the throne room in arms with Prince Thalios. My king & the Pharaoh of Egypt are waiting upon your arrival." Stavros looked back to them. Knowing Caius walks behind Thalios & Teana, while he walks in front of them to announce their arrival.

Teana felt that anxious feeling fluttering around her heart. 'He's here already? He arrived way ahead of time than I've been told. It hasn't even reached afternoon yet.. He was supposed to arrive some time before sunset.'

They all reached the throne room. Hearing their king's voice along with the Pharaoh in front of him, though his back was towards them. Teana couldn't help but think that she should escape, but Stavros spoke, making it too late to run. "My king, Princess Teana is here escorted by Prince Thalios." Her father glanced at her way with a smile, & then the Pharaoh turned around to look. Teana's heart dropped at who she was looking at. "This is Pharaoh Seto of Egypt." The Pharaoh was tall, muscular yet lean, & his skin was a rich caramel contrasting his white & blue robes. But what had her captivated were his blue eyes.

Lidia decided to walk to Teana's side & whispered in her ear. "He's quite handsome, isn't he?" Teana may have been frozen at the moment being entranced by him, but she couldn't have agreed more with Lidia.