CHAPTER 9
Joseph wore linen mantel that hid the worst of his scares on his back, a golden armband covered his slave mark and his shackles were replaced with golden ones. His entire body bore scares as did his soul, but as he replaced his 'golden shakles' and the pharaoh's signet ring, he felt himself shut down. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. He was no longer a slave, he no longer was a prisoner, nor was he any longer a son of Israel and yet he was till all of those things as well as Vizier of Egypt, the only thing that stood in the way of Egypt and utter destruction.
As Vizier he no longer had the luxury of emotions, still that didn't matter to him, he had spent the last 13 years without them…but for the last thirteen years he had been nothing but a tool for another to use. In a way he still was but he was also accepted as a human now as well. A human man who would soon be wed to a woman that Pharaoh had chosen for him, looking at the signet ring he wore reached a compromise within himself. He would return to being a human with emotions, only when bound by his duty would he again don the persona of a slave, an emotionless tool who would not be swayed by his heart or feelings.
He again donned his slave persona; it was strangely freeing to accept that he was still a servant. A servant to Pharaoh, king of all Egypt and joseph was the second in all of Egypt only to pharaoh himself
Joseph hated attended feasts, too often they reminded him of his time serving the table rather than eating at it. If not for the iron restraint that he had been forced to perfect during his slavery he would have slipped back into his slave role. He would have to keep himself from slipping back into his slave role. He would have to watch out for that, if he was to gain the respect he would need to save Egypt.
He would have to do much to ensure Egypt's survival, and breaking the habits that he had developed over the last thirteen years was the first thing that he had to do. The urge to move out of everyone's way, to forever avert his blue Horus eyes, lay low and don't draw attention to himself, those were things that had allowed him to survive as a slave but as the Vizier, it would end him and the nation. And that was something that he would not, could not risk.
Asaneth watched as the captain of Senunet's guard lead the new vizier, Zapanapanar. He was handsome, there was no denying that fact, tall and far younger than she would have imagined, he wore a royal headdress, and golden wrist and arm bands, but by far the most striking feature were his sky blue eyes, as well as the sheer mantle he wore. Every time she tried to look at him his blue eyes seemed to stare into her very soul.
"My Pharaoh," he said softly, "your servant must beg your indulgence but it seems as if a lioness is playing tag with some of your...servants. Allow me to tend to this matter." he chuckled as he left the room to take care of the lioness. As the feast descended into entertainment, Asaneth snuck into the garden. There she saw the Vizier lounging under a date tree with the lioness resting her head on his bare chest, and his sunkissed arm rested across the large cat's shoulder.
Asaneth didn't get within three feet of the resting noble man before the large cat woke and began to growl at her. Zapanapanar spoke softly in a language she didn't understand and the cat replaced her head on her paw. Switching to Egyptian he spoke again this time directing his words to her, "you needn't worry, my lady, Gruit will not harm you. She is just a bit over protective of me while I sleep."
"Why do you not sleep in the palace?" she asked, she was sure that pharaoh had given him had a large and luxurious bedchamber in the palace.
"An old habit I'm afraid." he told her skirting around the truth, he hated being confined in anyway, he was raised free in his father's tents, since his betrayal he had done his best to stay free to some extent, as a slave he would sleep outside where he knew that no one would be able to attack him at his most vulnerable or learn of his past. That part he didn't worry too much about, he knew that when he sleep he spoke in his native tongue and few understood it. After he had gained Gruit he was more at peace knowing that no one would try to bother him when the lioness was with him, "I seldom rest well within stone walls."
"Still use to being on campaign?" she asked, he didn't correct her, didn't tell her that he was never in war, that he was no soldier and was merely a slave before. He wanted to...wanted to tell her that he was the slave that she had helped so long ago, but he couldn't. Egypt's fate rested on Joseph's death, "I suppose," he chuckled a bit as he rose, "come we should return."
