I humbly beg for your forgiveness! I am so fucking sorry! I know that's it's way past late.

I'm sure they understand.

But-

She has been busy in the time between updates.

Busy my ass…..

Maeven, it is unlady like to curse.

Yeah, well, I'm not very ladylike.

Unfortunately.

*flips Zaric the bird*

Hm. I didn't think so. Hurry up and give them the long-waited chapter.

Yea, whatever. I don't own a thing. Enjoy.

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"These are to be your chambers. The lavatory and bath are through the screen. Any questions?"

I surveyed the room before answering him. The room was gorgeous. The room was made of stone but it didn't feel cold. In fact ,. the hearth, an arched, carved opening in the wall, housed a thriving fire. The remaining light came from the two bay windows on each side of the room. Each window seat and supplementary pillows looked so plumped that you could sit there for hours and not feel any discomfort. The bed was very much like a Victorian bed except it was built into the wall. The bedding looked soft and warm. The small side table was what looked like a pile of square stones making a standing cubiod with a slab of multi-colored marble topping it. A beautifully carved hope chest stood at the end of my bed.

"You will store your belongings there."

I glanced at Imhotep and my heart nearly stopped beating. Imhotep has been watching me the whole time. I glanced away before I could blush.

I looked out at the window and could see the cloudy sky. "Can I put something on?"

I could feel his gaze, like invisible hands, roam over my scantily clad body. I had woken up in the throne room in an Egyptian style loincloth. I was nervous in it around Imhotep.

"There are…suitable clothing options in the wardrobe."

I nodded and looked everywhere but Imhotep. He broke the silence again. "Put something on then come to the board room. We are having a feast to introduce you." He then walked to the door but stopped and turned to look at me from over his shoulder.

"Call Ofelia to escort you when you are ready." His eyes roamed over me again and I shivered. He smirked and turned to face the heavy door to my room again. "And hurry up."

I watch him leave and collapse on the bed as soon as the door is closed again. Well what do I do now? Get dressed immediately and obey all his commands or…procrastinate for a couple of minutes. Door number two please!

I get up off the bed and move towards the wardrobe. Its when I got closer did I notice the carvings decorating. Not to mention massive. The carvings looked so decorative but I could tell that they were saying something. They looked vaguely familiar but I couldn't tell what they were saying.

I reached for the door only to jump when it opened itself to meet my hand.

"Oooookay, magical wardrobes, what else will happen? Will the bogeyman jump out and start dancing a jig?" I cursed and opened the door wider. The wardrobe practically exploded with color.

"Holy shit." I could feel my eyes widen. I then begun to browse through my options. It was about three minutes later that I just decided to wear a Egyptian wrap that fell to my mid-thigh and was secured with a red bead belt just above my hips. I decided to leave my lion cloth on as a just in case.

It took me about seven minutes to get through all of that.

It took me about three minutes to attempt to wear it. I finally ended up opening my door and asking a guard that was stationed at my door if he could call some help for me. He called an elderly woman, around fifty, who introduced herself to me as Ofelia.

"You are ready to meet His Highness?" She asked in a thick and soothing Spanish accent. The kind of accent that would soothe a crying baby to sleep in a couple of seconds.

"Er, not quite. I can't figure out how to, er…"

"Put it on? That's alright, querida. I'll help you. Turn and hold out your arms."

I turned to face the wall and raised my arms.

"Mi, mi, it's no prodigio that ella would chose you, si?"

"Um.."

"You're a guapo and fuerte man. You're fit to win this certamen, eh?"

"Yeah, well…"

"There you go, arms down."

I looked down and noticed that I was in fact dressed.

"Is that all you picked out?"

I turned and looked at the old lady. "Yeah, it is, what's wrong?"

"No, no, no, this will not do. You must look exquistio, si?

"What do you mean? Am I not dress appropriately?"

"You look llanura, plain. You must look exquistio for His Highness."

"I do?"

"Si!"

"Isn't that good though?"

"Depending on whose side your on."

"Side?"

"Ai yi yi! Do you plan on rejecting His Highness?"

"Wait a minute! You know about that?"

"Todo el mundo in the kingdom knows of the certamen."

"I think I need to sit down."

Ofelia gripped my arm painfully and shook me a little.

"Focus, querida, calmarse. Its alright, querida."

I looked down into Ofelia's eyes and took a deep breath.

"Que didn't tell you a cosa, did que?

I shook my head.

"Oh, poor querida." Her arms wrapped around my torso and I immediately felt sheltered.

"What's going on Ofelia? What haven't they told me?"

"Oh mi querida, it's alright, don't worry, si? Abuelita Ofelia will decir everything but now is not the tiempo. Now we have to bonito you up."

"Alright." Her arms fell away and immediately took place crossed on her bosom.

"Well, let's begin."

"I don't know about this Ofelia."

"What don't you know? You do know that you are muy bonita. You know that you will make him mirar fijamente at your belleza."

"I know that but…" I look at Ofelia to emphasize what I am worried about.

"But what? But you look diferentes, so diferentes that no one will keep their ojos off of you. And que knows that you vestir only for his aprobacion. And his only."

"Yeah but-"

"Who cares? No one does. Well the ones that want him to perder the certamen but que don't matter. Only him and you."

I look back at my reflection and cannot believe that it is me. Ofelia decided that to impress the people and keep Imhotep's eye that we should go all out.

My eyes are lined with kohl that has a blue tint to it. I have a shimmer blue eye shadow that can hardly be seen until I blink or wink, so says Ofelia. My lips have a faint sheen of red tint but not much as to overwhelm the blue, so says Ofelia again.

In accessories, I have a blue head cover that is light enough to keep my head cool. My hair can't be seen, which is a shame to Ofelia. I have gold rings with a single blue stone on my thumbs and one silver ring on my right pinkie with a red stone. I have thick bracelets that are more like fore arm bracers that start at my wrists and stop just before my elbow. They are thin gold with tiny carvings etched into the metal. I have no earrings or anklets, which will be worn next time according to Ofelia. I have a single thin band of gold around my neck which has Egyptian symbols. I am wearing leather sandals that have already begun to take the shape my feet.

"You are perfecta. Tomorrow we will go to the mercado to get your oidos and naval pierced as well as your tattoo."

I looked up at Ofelia while she looked down at me.

"It'll be okay mi querida. It will be a fun viaje. We can get you books and clothes. You can have a horse or exotic pet. You can have anything you like."

"Anything?"

"Anything! What do you want mi querida? I tell you, we can find anything in the market."

"And I believe you. Can we forget even going to the feast, because boy, am I tired! I think-"

"You will be going to the fiesta whether you like it or not! Did you not escuchar to a la palabra I said! You need not be temeroso. His Highness will proteger you. He will make sure that you have total el respeto and are comfortable. Why do you el miedo?"

"I'm scared that he might not approve me. If he breaks my heart, I couldn't live!"

Ofelia laughs booms in the room. "You are in Hell mi querida. Ella will probably donar you to one of her leal temas. Ella does not let things go to waste."

"She would give me to someone?"

"Si, si, now you have to make seguro that His Highness won't say no."

"Okay."

"Si? You not renunciar, just yet?"

"I'm gonna try my hardest. I will win."

"Buena, Buena, now let's go."

"I don't think I can do this."

"What? Of course you can! And you will"

I turn away from the curtain separating me from the banquet to look at Ofelia. "No really, I don't think I can do this."

"Mi querida, you're not getting nervioso now are you?"

"Can you blame me if I said yea?"

"No, no I can't"

"Excuse me."

I look to my right and just noticed a man standing in the shadows. "Yes?"

"Are you His Highness' pet?"

"Pet? I am no-"

"He is just that." Ofelia interrupts. "Now are you going to introducir him or am I going to have to?"

The man looked down his nose at her before sniffing once and walking through the curtain. The noise on the other side immediately cut off.

I turned to Ofelia and she smiled at me. "It'll be okay, mi querida. You can do this."

I turned back around and gulped. This was nothing I could do this! It's just like a gunfight, just a lot more polite.

"His Lord's concubine!"

"Step through mi querida."

I took a breath and stepped through the curtain. Easily, a hundred faces stared back at me. I suddenly became aware of my surroundings and became self-conscious.

"Rick."

I looked down and saw Imhotep looking up at me. He offered me his hand and I took several steps down to take it. As soon as I did he begun to pull me toward where I assumed Astarte would be.

"Imhotep."

He stopped suddenly and turned and positioned himself where he would be standing in front of me. Effectively blocking me from whoever stopped him with only his name.

"Sargon."

The man was tan with black hair and eyes. He had no to little facial hair. His clothing obviously said that he was some kind of royal. I couldn't tell though where he was from.

His face was all angles. His eyebrows where long and thin and where angled down towards the bridge of his nose; which gave him the expression of always being angry. His nose was long and pointy, almost like a beak of a crow. His lips where thin and if he smiled, like he was now, gave him the air of being like some sort of demon. Considering that he was in the Underworld, there was a pretty good chance of that being so. His eyes were probably the only thing on his face that didn't scream creep. They look like a teenagers eyes when they had just opened them wide and then squinted them.

Something about him gave me the creeps.

He looked straight at me and his smile grew wider; revealing slightly sharp teeth. A shiver ran up my spine. Imhotep's grip tightened.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your little pet."

"Not this time Sargon."

"Oh, now, no need to be defensive. It's not like I'm take him."

Sargon slowly circled until he was right next to me. He took my other hand and started to pull me away from Imhotep. I squeezed so I wouldn't let go. Imhotep squeezed back in assurance before letting go. I could swear that Sargon's smile turned wolfish.

He pulled me into a circle of people who was dressed similar to him but with less flair. He let go of my hand and gripped my shoulder pushing it until I had turned in a circle.

"Beautiful." He smiled his wolf smile again. Then he gripped my chin and pulled my face towards him.

"That's enough, Sargon."

Sargon let go of my chin and I took a step back, bumping into Imhotep who put his hand on my waist. Goosebumps broke out on my skin. His hand was so warm. His other hand on the side of my neck and put his lips close to my other shoulder. I almost pushed back into him but I remembered that I couldn't.

"Dearies, you not fighting already, are you?"

Sargon turns to the right and drops into a kneeling position. Imhotep straightens but leaves his hand on my waist and bows his head slightly. I copy Imhotep because I have never bowed to anyone before and I have a feeling that people here wouldn't take kindly to a stranger who won't bow to their queen.

"Oh, Onesiphoros, you look delightful." Astarte hovered closer to me as I lifted my head to look at her correctly.

"Thank you."

"Come now, lets sit down shall we." She offers her arm and I feel Imhotep's hand fall away and brush against the back of my thigh. I take a step forward and accept her arm. She smiles and I smile back.

She starts to walk forward when she calls back to Sargon and Imhotep. "You two may fallow, and no bickering. Start the music!" She calls to a servant. The noise that had quieted instantly started back up.

She looks up at me with a smile and asks, "How are you faring? Are you pleased with everything?"

"I am pleased very much. Thank you."

"Have you associated with anyone yet?"

"Yes I have actually."

"You have? Who?"

"Ofelia."

Astarte nods and smiles. "She is a good woman. Smart too. Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

It amazed me how she could jump from topic to topic. I guess that being immortal, you have to keep yourself interested. "Yes, actually, I was planning on going to the market with Ofelia tomorrow."

This seemed to catch her interest because she didn't change the subject. "Really now? Do you know what you are going to get? New clothes? Jewelry?"

"Ha! I have far to many clothes and jewelry, no I think that I am just going to browse."

"Not much into clothes are you? No, that was more like Jonathon's personality. Not mine."

"Is Imhotep going with you?"

"Oh, I didn't ask him. I probably should." I turned to address him when Astarte spoke.

"No need, he will probably say no. Instead use that time to become acquainted with this world alright? And to bond with Ofelia of course."

"That is what I had planned to do."

By now we had reached the table where we were going to eat. It was long and would probably seat twenty people. Astarte sat in the middle while I sat on her right with Imhotep next to me and Sargon was on her left side.

There was dancing, singing, toasts, eating and drinking. A lot of it. Before I knew it I was tired.

The night wore on until people started to form a line to say farewell to Astarte.

I leaned towards Astarte and whispered in her ear that I was tired and decided to retreat to my rooms and comfortable bed. I was pushing back my chair when Sargon appeared at my elbow.

He gave me a wolfish smile and said he was going to escort me.

"No." We both turned to find Imhotep placing his napkin next to his plate and standing up. "I will take him."

Sargon smiled. "Oh no, I don't mind doing it." He turned to look at me and looked me up and down like he was sizing me up.

"I don't care if you don't mind. I do."

The smile was gone in am instant. "Imhotep you-"

"Enough."

Sargon looked to Astarte. "Your Majesty?"

She looked at him with something like annoyance. "I said no. Imhotep will escort Onesiphoros. You will escort me when I am read to retire. Sit down."

Imhotep took my hand and pulls me towards the curtains. I looked back at Sargon and Astarte and chills ran down my back. Sargon was watching me leave with slitted eyes.

I was walking behind Imhotep, who still had a firm grip on my hand. When we reached my rooms and I was about to enter when Imhotep's voice stopped me.

I turned back toward him. "I'm sorry?"

He looked at me for a while before smirking. "Sweet dreams pet."

He turned on his heel and disappeared into the darkness. I opened my door, entered, and closed and locked the door with my hands shaking. I leaned against the door and put my hand to my face.

"I'm so pathetic."

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Well, there you go! I wrote a bit extra because I felt that you deserved a lot more.

They had to wait for you didn't they.

Shut up!