PRINCESS NEFERTITI
CHAPTER 2

SEEDS

LAST TIME-

"this is no time to weep my prince! We must save your sister!"

"i..i know! By the gods I know! If we can just find the seed, it contains an antidote. But nerfertiti wont wake, she cannot tell us where it would be."

"then search." Imhotep said sternly. For right now, it's all the prince could do.

khufu nodded to himself more than to Imhotep, he got up and started looking for first the fruit basket.

Nefertiti felt hot, like laying on the desert sands in the peak of Ra. She tried to move, to shelter herself in anyway she could, but her body refused to move. She could feel sweat dripping from her body, drip by drip. The heat was unbearable, burning through her skin to her insides. Every inch of her body felt like it was burning tormentiously slow, viciously searing her. Her inability to save herself terrified her. Causing her to panic and exert herself even more.

Imhotep was worried for the princess, her fever had sky rocketed. He must act soon or risk losing the princess to the gods. He lay his amulet on the princesses heaving chest, her breathing harsh and laboured. He began to pay to his god, to Ra, to Anubis calling to all to save the princess. Louder and louder his chants became, a wind stirred in the princesses room. Gaining momentum with the high priests chants, until sheets were whipping around the princesses still form. Imhotep slammed his hands to the amulet on the princess chest, pouring every ounce of strength he had in to the princess. A soul screeching sound was heard, then stillness. The priest has panting heavily beside the princess, hands still heavy on her chest.

"What happened? Is she ok?" Khufu gingerly entered the room, looking around nervously but determined to be by his sister.

"I have expelled what I could, the rest will be up to the princess." Imhotep looked down at the fragile princess. He had known her for many summers. Watched her grow from child to woman. He had always thought her spoilt and rash, but he had never really looked at her. Coming so close to losing her, he had realised what a constant in his life she was. How had he not noticed before? All he could do was stare at the princess. 'what if I had lost her?'

prince Khufu stumbled on to her bed, pulling his sister to him. He gently lifted her head and laid it in his lap, gently patting her smooth long hair.
"I'm so sorry….so sorry" he mumbled in to her hair. He pushed his face to her hair, weeping yet again.

Imhotep turned away from the scene. The raw hurt and grief that prince khufu was exuding was too private for him too witness. At the sound of feet slapping against the marble floors, Imhotep looked up. The maid was doubled over in her exhaustion and behind her his priests. They had brought incense and the holy book. They all stood at the entrance to the princesses' private chambers. Even in a situation like this they knew the laws against it.

Imhotep stood, making his way to the threshold of the room. He whispered loudly so as to not disturb the royal siblings.

"I shall set up the incense for the princess. The rest of you return to the temple, and pray for the princesses recovery." The priests bowed low to Imhotep and made their way silently to the temple. Imhotep gathered the incense that the priests had left behind and begun to set it up according to the princesses needs. Soon the room was filled with a heavy scents of musk and spices. The high priest sat in the middle of the room chanting quietly and quickly. Losing himself in the thick clouds of smoke Imhotep contacted the gods.

The hours dragged by and before any of them knew it the sun was rising above the horizon. Khufu had fallen asleep holding his sister, the hand maid by the bed side slumped in an uncomfortable position. The high priest exhausted from healing the princess had fallen asleep mid chant sometime before the dawn. The princesses room was still thick from the long burnt out incense, it clung to the every fibre.

The princess stirred. Her face contorting every few seconds. A grimace here, a flutter of eyes there. Finally she was able to crack an eye open. It felt so heavy, like the weight of the world was upon them. Something seemed to be different though. Something she coudnt quite put her finger on. As the minutes ticked on and the fog in her mind began to clear things started to click. She was on her bed. With her brother. A male. In her chambers.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Nefertiti screamed with all her might, pushing her heavy brother as hard as she could. Khufu jerked awake, alarmed by the piercing scream right beside his ear. Half alarmed half hurt, Khufu looked around drowsily. Until his eyes landed on his screaming sister. Relief flooded him, never had he felt such a relief!

Khufu swooped in and hugged his sister.

Imhotep was startled awake by the shrill scream; he was on his feet in seconds and racing to his princesses' side. Just as he made it to her door he saw the prince, Khufu, throw himself on top of her, his strong arms squeezing the poor princess. But was more, the prince leaned down and kissed the princess. The princesses eyes were unbelievably large, shocked, the princess fainted. Going limp in her brothers arms.

Imhotep ran to the bed and ripped Khufu off of his sister.

"Stupid boy! What have you done!"

"I… I was just so relieved!" khufu defended

"you may be a prince but she, she is the princess! She is pure! Nothing must taint her."

"I didn't mean it that way! She is my sister! It was but love from her brother!"

Imhotep stared at the boy, he was a good man, but a foolish one. And one of these days he was going to dig his own grave.

"Leave now, before the pharaoh finds you, and not even Anubis's army will be able to save you from his wrath."

Prince khufu opened his mouth to object, but closed it again. He knew the high priest was right. His sister was his fathers favourite and what he had done, was still doing was enough to be publicly hung.

The prince stood quietly, glancing back to his sister worriedly.

"Look after her high priest of Osiris…I'm counting on you." And then the prince was gone.

Imhotep, sighed audiably. It was going to be a long day. He looked up to the maid who was sitting up straight with a shocked expression on her face.

"You will tell no one of what you have seen and heard. Do you understand."

The maid could do nothing but nod weakly.

"Go ready a bath for the princess. She will need to make an appearance."

The maid nodded dumbly before rushing out of the room to ready a bath for her princess. The high priest could be trusted, for he was seen as a tool of the gods, not a man.

Imhotep stepped up to the bed and looked at the princess. She was pale. Very pale. Her hair wet with sweat or her foolish brothers tears he couldn't tell. His hand went to her hair, hovering just above it, almost afraid to touch her. Snapping out of his daze, Imhotep placed his hand to her forehead, it was clammy but nothing serious. He checked all her other vitals, they were strong and healthy. The priest closed his eyes and mumbled thanks to each of the gods he had called upon the night before.

the princess opened her eyes to see the priest before her, chanting thanks to many of the gods of Egypt. A slow smile spread across her lips. She was dreaming. It wasn't the first. She had had many a dream that held the priest. She pushed herself up, but unable to support her own weight, she fell towards the priest. They both fell to the floor with a thud. The priest shocked from his prayers and the princess spinning from the sudden movement. Both were still in their positions. The princess laid herself on top of the still priest. Hands clinging to his broad shoulders. His skin hot under her touch. He smelled so…so manly. The princess breathed in deeply. Dragging her head from his chest to his neck. She could almost taste him. Eyes still closed against the spinning in her head, the princess nuzzled in to the crook of his neck. He smelt so good, like torture. Her lips parted slightly, her small pink tongue darted out to taste. At first it was small licks but she grew hungrier. It was an addiction, a sweet addiction in her mind. The priest was shocked; he didn't know what to do. It all felt so surreal. The princess was clearly delusional. But that didn't change the way he was reacting to her. The priest had to stop himself from reacting vocally as the princess was sucking hard on his neck, and pushing her hips to his. Rubbing her body against his in a slow vertical dance. How did he get himself in to these positions, the priest wondered, if not a little bit happy with the said attention.

end chapter 2