Some people might hate me for this chapter. I just thought I'd warn people that there might be some slight slash here but only if you want it to be, I guess.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter Four:

To Love

Ardeth had no idea how many days he had spent with the high priest. He was never allowed to leave that strange room, which he still didn't know where or what it was, so he had little knowledge when one day ended and the other started.

At the beginning Ardeth refused to speak to Imhotep and always kept himself at a safe distance from him just in case. Imhotep didn't seem to mind the Medjai's distant behaviour and no matter what Ardeth did or said to him he always kept a calm face.

Each time Ardeth woke up, after a few weary hours of sleep, he would find a plate of food beside him, along with a smiling Imhotep who would sit next to him. Ardeth never knew where the priest got the food yet he ate it none the less, although always making sure that Imhotep would eat it as well. One could never be too careful.

There was a bath in a room next to the one they were in as well; a large bath that always had warm water and always smelled of different flowers. Ardeth would use this right after eating, mostly in lack of anything else to do. Sometimes Imhotep would join him, offering to wash the Medjai's back for him. Sometimes Ardeth allowed it from lack of any will to argue and sometimes the priest would do it anyway, despite the Medjai's protests.

Time continued on like this and Ardeth was starting to find it pointless to try and avoid the high priest anymore. It was not like he had anywhere to run or to hide; the high priest was always there, offering smiles and always brushing his hands against the Medjai's arms or back every chance that he got. Whenever Ardeth would glare and tell the priest to cease the strangely affectionate touches the high priest would only smile.

"You really do not like me, do you?" Imhotep had suddenly asked one morning as they were both munching on some peaches that the high priest had brought with him. Ardeth gazed at the high priest who was once again smiling at him.

"Is there a reason why I should?" Ardeth asked. "All my life I have been told that you are the bringer of death. Your name has been associated with the destruction of the world. Why should I like you?" Imhotep continued to smile.

"It was the forefathers of your people who put me under that curse. It was them who made me the death's valet. I never asked for it," he answered. Ardeth frowned. He hated the fact that the priest was right.

"We never asked you to try and bring upon the apocalypse," he retorted, like a child who didn't wish to admit defeat. Imhotep almost seemed to laugh and Ardeth decided it wasn't all that unpleasant.

"Believe it or not but everything I ever did I did for her. She had always been meant to be a queen so I tried to give her a kingdom to rule over," Imhotep said softly. He was still smiling yet the sadness in his eyes even made Ardeth's chest ache.

"If she really loved you, wouldn't she have been happy just to be with you?" the Medjai heard himself ask. Imhotep lowered his gaze, a soft smile on his lips.

"Perhaps. But I loved her so much, I wanted to give her everything," he mumbled. "I didn't care who I had to hurt or even kill as long as I got to see a smile on her lips." Ardeth carefully chewed his lower lip.

"I've never known love like that," he suddenly said, wondering himself why he had said it. But it was true though, he had never loved anyone. He never had the time to fall in love.

Imhotep looked up at the Medjai with a warm smile.

"It's a wonderful feeling to love someone. But it is also very scary," he said. Ardeth kept silent as he gazed at the priest. Maybe Imhotep wasn't so bad after all. At least not anymore.

Ardeth was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice when Imhotep leaned closer to him and planted a soft kiss on the Medjai's cheek. Ardeth jumped in surprise and jerked backwards. He stared at Imhotep in shock, not sure what to say; the only kiss he had ever felt before was when his mother kissed him during his childhood.

"Why did you do that?" he asked after a moment of gaping like a fish. Imhotep laughed quietly and Ardeth felt himself grow just a little bit irritated as he didn't know if the priest was mocking him.

"You may not like me, Medjai. But I like you," he answered and got up from the bed, silently walking towards the bath. Ardeth stared after the high priest, his mind a complete blur.

That day Ardeth never even got up from the bed but just stayed there, staring at the roof while he wondered over everything the high priest had told him.