A/N: wahoo! I love this OJ! here's another chappie for y'all! Enjoy!xD
The Pharaoh's Daughter
Chapter Five
"The search party came back…" Enrique told his immobilized father. "They were unable to find him. I've sent high priests Rei and Max to accompany the second search party so that they could cover more land. Other priests have searched his room. Priestess Mathilda says Oli was kidnapped with no sign of a struggle. Magic that hung in the room told her that. But High Priest Bryan says the magic itself was tainted."
The blonde Pharaoh stared at the floor, exhausted and unfeeling after hearing of Princess Oli's disappearance.
"And so right was High Priest Bryan…" the purple-haired man said. "What is your judgement, Pharaoh Enrique?"
The teen looked at him uneasy. "I…I don't know papa…I don't know…" and he dissolved into tears.
--
"Hn…aren't you thankful Julia's house is far from the capital?" Michael asked Raul as the young redhead came in bearing bread along with news that the Pharaoh had ordered the search and capture of the Thief King Johnny.
"Damn thankful, Mike…" the boy replied, very shaken and the ferocity of Pharaoh Enrique's new army.
Brooklyn, Tala and Oliver had been filling Julia in before her brother came. At this bad news, the princess paled.
"Guys…" the grass-haired teen addressed the red-haired raiders. "You have to get out of here…my brother is sure to find you if you stay."
"I agree with her…" Julia backed up.
"But…" Tala protested. "We promised Johnny we'd take care of her!" he indicated the princess.
"I can take care of her…" Raul's feisty twin sister replied. "Ra knows I need help maintaining the farm." she smiled brightly at the princess, who returned it.
"Thank you Julia…" Oliver said. "It's a great idea! And it'll be best if you accompany Johnny instead. He needs more help than I do. Plus suspicion of you having contact with me would lessen."
Julia smiled weakly at her brother, hesitant to part with him so soon.
Tala frowned. "You honestly love having it your way," he said with some amusement. "We shall respect the Princess's wishes…Let's go…"
The other three were reluctant to leave.
"The sooner the better…" said the second in command. "Hey Julie, could we nick a bit of food?"
The mocha-haired girl smiled. "Take as much as you need…"
Oliver saw sincerely sorry to see them go, but he held on to the wild hope that he'd some day see them again.
--
Eight months later still with no lead, Pharaoh Enrique's search for his beloved sister seemed hopeless…until…
Authorities burst into Julia's home and startled the two women having breakfast.
'We have been sent by His Highness, Pharaoh Enrique to restore the presence of his sister, Princess Oli, who was been heard of to be staying here. We also have a case filed against Julia, owner of this residence, placing her under arrest for the alleged kidnapping of the Princess." a soldier droned in a monotone. He lowered the parchment in his hand and looked at the expectantly. "Well ladies?" he asked.
"What?" Oliver blinked. "You intrude our privacy with this absurd statement? Well you are mistaken. I am not Princess Oli."
"And your accusation of me is false." Julia added, acting her part out perfectly as she and Oli had planned and rehearsed many nights before. "I have not done anything wrong!"
But the Pharaoh's soldiers surrounded them and bound their arms.
"The Pharaoh's judgement may be faulty," Oliver said boldly. "Once more, I am not the Princess!"
The head of the army was impressed by the greenette. "Why do you defy the Pharaoh so intrepidly?"
"Because we are women with land, home and rights!" the two women answered. "It's only just that we defend ourselves…"
A less meticulous solider shoved them roughly. "Take it to the palace." he snapped. "Well see who's left with anymore rights after this…"
--
Oliver's resolve almost broke as he was lead back into the very infrastructure that he had fled from since he met Johnny. But he stood still and defiant along side Julia as they were presented to the Pharaoh.
"How dare you accuse my sister!" was the green-haired teen's greeting to the blonde.
"You can't go about charging people of crimes they didn't do!" added Julia.
Enrique bowed his head solemnly and rose from his kingly chair.
"Pardon me madam," he said politely, addressing Julia. "But I have good reason to believe that your sister…" a pained look flashed across summer-blue eyes. "…is Princess Oli. How you have brainwashed her into thinking otherwise, I have no idea."
"Me?" the mocha-haired farm girl answered, scandalized. "It's you who is brainwashed!"
High Priest Bryan ignored her and turned to Oliver. "We shall find out." he said with some finality. "Strip please you Majesty."
"WHAT?" the two 'sisters' yelled out in protest. To be fully honest, Julia wasn't expecting this kind of method to find out whether Oli was really the princess or not. As for Oli himself, he refused to move.
"Violation of rights!" she cried indignantly. "What are you thinking, you maniacs!"
"You shall have no more rights once we prove that this lady you claim your sister is the Princess Oli." answered High Priest Kai darkly. "Please Princess, remove your clothes."
Oliver was still unyielding. "This is injustice!"
Enrique turned his back on them so he wouldn't have to witness the proceedings. He didn't trust his heart to take it.
"I won't strip!" the boy said as Julia watched in horror when at Bryan's orders, the soldiers surrounded him and forcefully ripped his clothes off.
The court fell silent. Julia didn't know what they were looking for in Oli's body but she let out a sigh of relief at the disappointment on the Pharaoh's face.
"She is not the princess…" Enrique declared. "What is your name, woman?"
"My name is Summer, your Highness…" Oliver replied, attempting to cover his very gifted chest.
About two weeks ago, the princess fashioned himself a pair of fake breasts, so that his real gender would still remain a secret. They were so convincingly real that the only way to know that it wasn't was to outright yank it off. That, of course, was more than just plain intrusion of personal space.
Pharaoh Enrique eyed the court with low spirits. "Dress them up and treat them well…" he ordered the priests. "Send the army to escort them back to the lady's residence. And bring in the complainant who filed the case against her."
So weary were those once sky-blue eyes that at that split second, Oliver could've redeemed himself. But he held strong as the blonde turned to him and Julia.
"My deepest apologies, ladies. May Ra forgive me for my impertinence." said he as the very priests that pseudo-raped the green-haired boy a few minutes ago pampered them and clothed them.
"My Pharaoh," said High Priests Mystel and Garland, having just carried out an order. "Here is Hilary, the accuser.."
Oliver watched as Julia's emerald eye's widened in disbelief and anger.
"YOU!" she shrieked at the bound brunette.
"I swear I'm not lying!" Hilary screamed, not hearing the farm girl's angry call. Instead she struggled and struggled against the soldier's tight grip, kicking and pleading innocence.
Oliver tugged on Julia's arm, seeing the terror on his friend's face as her neighbor was tried by the Pharaoh's court.
"Ladies?" asked the head of the army who lead their arrest earlier. "Shall we go?"
The greenette nodded. "Let's go home Julia…"
The mocha-haired girl looked at her, somewhat uncertain. "Of course, Summer."
--
After that panicky incident, Princess Oli and Julia tended the latter's farm and cattle peacefully for four years. It was then when the green-eyed girl received a message from her dear younger twin saying they were in mild trouble. Julia left that night to ensure Raul's safety and that of his friends, telling her companion she'd be back in a week or so.
Over two years have come and gone and still the princess had no word from anyone…
Oliver was by the stone oven in the kitchen of Julia's home…which was now his under the name of 'Summer', baking the last batch of bread to give Mariah, his new neighbor since Hilary's capture. The perky pink-haired girl helped Oliver sell whatever the farm produced in the market, preventing the boy from growing hungry. Hence, he was baking bread. The greenette went to the well at the back of his house and drew a couple jars of water. He sighed, looking up at the bright desert moon, wishing once more on a shooting star that he'd seen his friends again, safe and sound.
If there was anything the boy hated more, it was waiting.
Suddenly, an arm strangled him and brought him to the ground, almost upsetting the ceramic jars.
"Water! Water…give me water!" a voice rasped in Oliver's ear.
The princess struggled in the being's iron grip. Panic was rising in his chest and was obscuring his breathing.
"Wait!" he choked. "J…Johnny?"
TBCA/N: HAH! A cliffhanggie for you all! Now I shall leave it at that state till you beg at my feet for updates…just kidding. Review and enjoy!xD Ciao!