A/N: Hey y'all! So apparently, I was a bit inaccurate about some things, so you'll probably recognize my hasty attempt to fix it.
Also, if it's a while for me to post(longer than normal) then it's because of a particularly stress-inducing 4 page(doesn't seem like much, but it is) essay on southern authors, so excuse my tardiness!
Bastet
A jail cell was certainly not what I had in mind for my quarters. Doesn't the man have guest rooms or something?
Yuri, Ryui, and Shala were backed up into corners, as they feared the lion that was there with us.
Yes, the lion.
I still couldn't figure out how I had tamed him. It was as if I went to an entirely different place, came back, and found a lion's head in my lap. They said that I had called out to the lion, lured him to me but I couldn't remember it. However, he was behaving so well that if he kept on, I could get used to his presence.
After he ate the raw meat brought to the cell, I allowed him to smell the twins, so that he could recognize them and make sure that they had another protector. Risky? Crazy? Highly possible in both cases. I knew another member of his species would have killed us already. But this cat had turned docile in the wake of my company. I highly doubt it was due to being a 'goddess', but who was I to look the gift horse in the mouth? I wasn't exactly religious before and I couldn't be a Christian like I had in my previous life as Alexia since it hadn't even started yet. Anyway, they weren't exactly calling me a goddess anymore, but 'lion charmer'.
"That was incredible, Princess Yuri!" Ryui and Shala exclaimed. No praise for the way I had handled the situation; I was the reason we were sharing a small space with a carnivorous animal.
But, Yuri, to my surprise, burst into tears.
"I was so afraid." she sobbed. "I didn't care if he wanted kill me. I just wanted to go home!" she bawled.
"We all did." I soothed, feeling awkward. "But, you did the right thing. Someone will come get us, and even if they don't, I'm positive we'll find a way out on our own if they don't."
My displeasure was short-lived. A servant came in to speak to us.
"Holy Ishtar, His Highness has offered all of you a place in his Seraglio."
"Um, Ew?" I replied in disgust. "Why in the world would any of us do that?" I began to add. In the eyes of everyone else, we both belonged to Prince Kail, even if it was a lie. However, we were captive, and in my opinion, that detail was negligible. "We belong to others already." I decided in the end.
"Others? Would you be saying you no longer belong to Prince Kail, Bastet? Or that Ishtar no longer does?" Mattiwaza's voice came from the darkness as he emerged. I swallowed.
"I never did belong to him." I replied.
"Nonetheless, no matter who you belong to at the moment, I don't want either of you for my bed, although looking at you, it would be nice." I scoffed, interrupting him. My stomach still swelled from containing my twins so recently, so I didn't quite understand what he saw, other than what was present during our brief encounter. But, I had changed more than just around my torso; my pencil frame had transformed into curves over the last two or so years, my face had thinned out, and my hair had grown much longer than the shoulder length naps I had come to Mesopotamia with(It was a wonder my hair hadn't remained in that state). Unless the prince had an incredibly strange fetish, he must have been remembering certain things I had chosen to suppress.
"Pig." I muttered. He ignored my insult.
"But, Mursili won't know that. Neither will Ramses. It will look like each of you have given favor to my empire instead of theirs."
"Don't send out that lie!" Yuri screamed, her terror making her act irrationally.
"My God! Would you get yourself together? Think this through to the end. Do you honestly believe Prince Kail would believe so quickly that you would just ran into the arms of another? Just stop the melodramatics!" I screamed back. She was quietly fuming, but finally agreed that the best thing would be to go to the Seraglio. I'd get my own quarters for myself, my children, and, yes, the lion, while Yuri, Ryui, and Shala would get their own area as well. The best part will be that we would be living in comfort instead of this dark, damp cell.
This didn't mean my heart didn't hurt inside.
Ramses
I had arrived to Hattusa, only to find that no one was there. Immediately following my entrance into Malatia, Horus had greeted me. I was still unsettled by his betrayal, but I doubted it mattered anymore, as he had at least protected the women that I loved while I turned my back to her.
What was frightening was that Bastet, or my children, were nowhere to be found.
"What?" I shouted in anger when I heard the news.
"They have said-" Horus started, but I cut him off.
"Why would she join Mattiwaza's Seraglio?" She had written me with her love, yet she was residing in a harem? And, on top of that, the harem of that man of all people?
"She would not have willingly gone. I doubt Mattiwaza's using her for...those reasons." Horus replied. I glared at him. He knew just as well as I did what had happened between them, how her primary position had not been in battle until the end of the particular mission to secure territory in Malatia.
"And where is this Hittite prince she was supposed to be with?"
"He has progressed on to a different city to conquer it."
"He has an advocate of Egypt missing, lost his own goddess, and he parades off to conquer?" My voice rose.
"He is attempting to save them."
"I haven't even seen my children and they are already kidnapped. Do you know how discerning that is?" I asked.
"I would not."
I sighed, and ran my hand down my face.
"Prince Kail did ask me to stay behind in case you came here so that we can meet him." I shook my head. I did not want to be diplomatic. Not with the rage I had for not taking care of my new family. If I meet him now, it wouldn't look good for the Egyptian empire.
"No. I will have a message sent for her, and rescue them on my own."
"I'll come as well."
"No. Just send the message." I snapped. He was silent, and I suddenly felt the ties of our friendship cut by some force heavier than any tangible weight.
"I apologize for my betrayal, however, I felt that what you were doing to Bastet was very wrong."
"I understand." I replied. "I know it was wrong. What...what do they look like?" I asked softly. He knew what I was referring to immediately, and his eyes seemed to soften.
"Your daughter, Nephthys, she looks exactly like you. She has Bastet's bone structure, dimples and all, but she still looks exactly like you. Her brother is the same way."
And although, thinking of my son, Bastet would be angry with me the next time I saw her, that was when it hit me, more painful than an arrow to the chest, how much of a part of me they have with them.
I had to go get that part back.
Bastet
"Prince of Darkness, a message has arrived from Prince Kail Mursili!" a servant announced and the Hittian messenger stepped in. My heart sunk with disappointment, but fluttered for Yuri.
"I suppose I will let you sit in. But, say anything, and the girl dies." someone grabbed one of the twins as Mattiwaza addressed us.
"Your Highness," the messenger started, "Prince Kail requests an exchange of prisoners. The details are included in his message."
"What a ridiculous notion!" scoffed the Prince of Darkness. He reviewed the message quickly and I tried to suppress my curiosity.
"Tell Kail Mursili he will have to take his people by force if he wants them back." he said scathingly.
"Yes, Your Highness. But, before I go, allow me to pay my respects to Ishtar." the messenger replied smoothly.
"Not a word." The Prince growled, but let the man approach Yuri.
"Although you belong to another nation now, I beg your protection on my journey back." he kissed her hand, stood up and left. I saw Yuri's expression harden, and her cheeks go red. Shortly after, another man came in: Horus. He leaned against the doorway, so nonchalantly I nearly spoke. He was holding my flute, but then as quickly as he had come, he hurled it at me.
Thankfully, I was getting my reflexes back. Breaking my dearest possession would not have been something I'd relish. No one tried to take it away from me, to my surprise.
"General Ramses has no silly offer such as that. However, he does want you to know that he'll be willing to do anything if he can get his children back. Even if this means he will bring down the wrath of the Egyptian Army." he announced, looking straight at Mattiwaza in a way that could have gotten him killed.
"So," Mattiwaza started. "It seems that these children are User Ramses's? What an interesting development."
"I don't think you heard me correctly. I'm speaking the general's actual words. 'I will kill whoever needs to be killed to get my family back.'" Horus repeated. Fortunately, before the guards could spring to action and capture him, he escaped quickly.
"Well, I must say I am quite pleased. I hope you heed Ramses, if not Prince Kail, because I know that man, and he is dead serious." I advised the Prince. "It would be unwise to anger both of them at the same time."
When we left the area, Yuri opened her hand. Inside was a small square, marked with Prince Kail's seal. As soon as we were in the safety of her quarters, Ryui, Shala, and I loomed over Yuri as she broke it open.
There was a heart carved into the clay. I wondered how he had known what it meant, but Yuri must have told him, how a heart means you love someone.
She held it to her chest with determination on her face. I knew what would be going on in her head: she has to stay strong. And I hoped she did too, because another breakdown from her would possibly send me overboard. I could not be strong for her and for my family. If worse comes to worse, I would choose my children over our friendship.
Her hidden message led me to remember my flute. I hadn't had a good look at it, but I suddenly saw a ribbon tied through a hole at the end of the instrument. Attached to that, was a memory, formed into a bracelet, one in which I had nearly forgotten.
When I was fifteen, we had gone to the marketplace, like any other weekend. Both of us were thankfully freed from a mission of any kind, so we cherished the time together. As we walked through, the glare of something at a nearby cart caught my eye. Grabbing Ramses's hand, I rushed over.
It was a silver bracelet, dotted with jewels of all the colors I could have thought of. Every hue from red and orange to blue and purple were represented.
The man selling the objects bowed quickly.
"This bracelet is beautiful. Are there any bigger sizes?" I asked, holding the bracelet up to my considerably larger wrist. He shook his head.
"I apologize, my lady Bastet, but this design is created for newborns. I may be able to recreate one in your size, however..." he started, but I sighed, interrupting him.
"It's fine, I was just wondering. Thank you." but before I could walk off, Ramses was already pulling coins out.
"How much?" he asked the man, and after receiving a startled answer, he paid for the bracelet and handed it to me. I stared at him in disbelief.
"What was that for?" I asked. He shrugged.
"I suppose you will settle down in some time, and we can start a family." he replied.
"Yes, some time. Don't go getting any ideas. And what makes you so sure I want kids?"
"You don't?" he asked. I didn't reply, and he smiled. "Of course you do."
"Nonetheless, it is not like I plan on stopping traveling. I find it relaxing, sometimes."
"Of course you would, my goddess." he joked. "You love war. But, you will need to stay with children sooner or later."
"You want a bet?"
"Sure. The day you don't retire when we have children, I'll present this to you for the first girl." Ramses quickly grabbed the bracelet from me. "Until then, I will keep it safe." I smirked
"You're on."
I swiftly checked inside of the instrument to make sure nothing was there. To my surprise, of all things, I found paper, rolled up to fit. I pulled it out, unrolled the makeshift scroll, and read what had been written.
Love,
You are probably surprised I decided to pay for paper. It wasn't until I bought it that I realized how costly it was! Nonetheless, I wanted to tell you something.
I suppose we were both correct; you had a boy and a girl. I am also pleased with the name you chose for Nephthys. However, I don't want a son named after me. Name him after my father, Seti Meryeptah. I'm sure you haven't been gone long enough to misunderstand the language, his full name will have more importance than mine and, I hope, he will be looked upon by Seth and loved by Ptah like his name intels.
Do not try to change this either; this will be put on records by the time I come get you.
I know you are probably worried for our children and not for yourself, but I will be coming for all of you, unless you grow fond of...him once again.
Be glad you won our bet. I send Nephtys and Seti my dearest love, and try not to do anything too reckless while you wait.
See you in the near future,
User Ramses
A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review as usual!