Chapter 25: True Princess

"This way, Miss. Yuki!" Hadi bustled me along to the next riot. I believe this one was on food.

"Yuri is on the west side of the city getting that man, Taharqa. Right?" I say, hurrying along beside her.

Taharqa. He was the key to this operation. Yuri and I, no matter how good we were at rallying troops. We were foreigners here. We had no connections, our names held no status. We would be ignored by these people. We needed someone who has a name, a face that is already recognized and respected by the people. Someone who has already begun making ripples in this water. That someone is Taharqa.

This place was already swarming with little riots everywhere. All we needed to do was to stir the water up. Move this rebellion along, organize it.

I heard a faint whistle carry over the dry winds. Yuri's signal. It was time to assemble.

I put my fingers to my lips and whistled my response. The west side was assembling, Taharqa was secured. Now I must assemble the east and south. Hadi helped push me onto the camel. I shifted uncomfortably. I truly cannot accustom to riding these odd animals. The hump on their backs had me shifting around until I felt somewhat comfortable. I miss my Huwant…

I heard a giggle from behind me and turn to see Yuri behind me. Her face had a cloth covering her nose and mouth, protecting her from the sand. I could see the smile in her eyes, though.

"A bit of trouble, sister?" She twittered.

I glowered at her. She didn't seem to have any trouble sitting on the creature. She looked comfortable in the outlandish saddle. I opened my mouth to make a snarky remark, but I heard the footsteps of more camels approaching us. Another difference between Egypt and Hattusa, the sand here make footsteps almost soundless. You had to really strain to hear anything.

"Taharqa, I presume?" I note the confused looking man.

"You, you were the one that saved me?" He had a strong voice. Didn't waver once. Perfect.

"Ah, My sister was the one who was in charge of that aspect. I merely rallied the east and south." I say casually. I can't be underestimated here. This man had to trust our plan.

"Why? What use am I to you?" He demanded. Ah, yes. I quite like this man. There was no fear in his eyes. I wonder, is it because he no longer fears the punishment? He was prepared to die today. Is this what these desperate situations pushed people to? This man, I wonder if he found any happiness in his every day life. I wonder if he ever felt as if life was worth living. This man didn't fear death. Was that because he believed it couldn't get any worse?

It's so sad. I wonder if he was like Ursula and Sakuwai. When someone is cornered…how far will a human go? Ursula impersonated Yuri, even when she knew she could be killed for the crime. Sakuwai had resorted to prostitution. This man had nearly had his head rolling on the ground.

Nobody can live without happiness… and it must be pretty hard to be happy when you and the ones you love are starving to death. If no one listens to your voice is ignored and your cry for help put off as nothing. And To see the rich parade around with their expensive jewels and imported clothes. It must be infuriating.

"We merely want you to let your voices be heard for once." I say quietly. His attention was caught. He looked at me with suspicion. And with hope.

"Who are you?" He studied me. I could tell he was taking my entire appearance into account. My Japanese physique, the way I couldn't seem to figure out how to ride the camel, the numerous scars crisscrossing my body. I must look like something out worldly.

"I have many different names. Here, you can call me Amunet." I decided to play it safe and use my Egyptian name. If he recognized Yuki Ereshkigal from Hattusa, he would never cooperate.

"So then, Taharqa. What do you say? Join my sister an I, and show those stuck up aristocrats who really runs Egypt." Yuri looked at him in the eye.

"…I'm in." The answer lifted a small weight off my shoulders. Things were going just as planned.

I giggled in glee as we reached Thebes. Our riot had spread quickly and we were here in record time.

"You slightly scare me when you giggle like that." Ilbani mumbled next to me.

"But look! I can see Thebes! We will be bursting through the palace in no time, and we will find the proof to condemn that damn Nakia once and for all!" I pull the cloth under my chin to grin at him.

"Yes, I can see where the excitement can come from, but don't lose focus. We aren't in the palace yet." I found it amazing he could even find time to scold while we were nearing a battle.

"Me? Lose focus! Why I would never!" I say in mock surprise. "Get ready. Djoser is headed here now with an army."

I watched as the army got closer and closer, I began to feel the men around me grow restless. I waited. They had to be a tad closer. Closer.

"Now." I whispered to Yuri. She nodded in agreement.

"You know your role?" she looked at me.

"Of course. Don't worry. I'll be fine." I smile back at her.

"Go!" Yuri issued the deadly command. I watched as Ryui and Shala rushed the right and left of the army while Yuri stayed in the center. Taharqa was headed to the far right. I hung back with my quarter of our rag tag army. I had to wait. My cut of the army was the smallest, so I couldn't rush in. Too many lives would be lost.

"Yuki, they are breaking through. They will break into the center soon." Yuri shouted over the noise. I nodded to show that I heard her before I broke off and rounded the entire army. Djoser's men were already beginning to break through and our men were beginning to scatter. Djoser and his men seemed terribly happy with themselves.

Until some noted that my brigade had come from behind. We had the entire army completely surrounded. Just as planned.

The royal army defeated. With this…with this, Nefertiti will have to release Ramses to defend the capitol. Or so we hoped.

But then again, that is considering Queen Nefertiti valued her people over her status. That was a pretty far stretch, I must say. And it was obviously too far a stretch as I found myself nearly at the gates of Thebes.

Of course we had a back up plan. I had insisted on it. Yuri may believe the best in people. But I know Queen Nefertiti has been corrupt for a long time now. And the one good thing about corrupt people is that they are predictable. You can always expect them to be corrupt.

Ramses. I know he will not fall into the corruption. That also leaves him unpredictable. But if he will be able to fix this nation… only he can fix it. I know that. It has crossed my mind of what will happen to these rebels. Bites of shame gnaw at my heart at the thought. It was true, we were using them for our own gain. But I also know we need them to get Ramses out. And if Ramses takes the throne as history depicts, then their problems will get addressed. But then…perhaps that is merely me trying to relieve some of the guilt from my heart.

Ah, it really is a shame, though. This riot could have ended much sooner had Ramses been in charge of the armies. But now, we must push into Thebes.

I looked up at the wall surrounding Thebes. The stones were uneven. I guess that happens a lot when things are built by hand. Good news for me.

I easily scaled the wall, Ryui, Shala and Hadi behind me. Ilbani should be out in the field with Yuri, making sure to keep Djoser busy while the sisters and I wreaked some havoc in the city.

Once in the city, the sisters and I spread out. We were supposed to spread some fires, only small ones, through the city. We needed to keep the rest of the royal guard busy.

As I moved on to the next location, I noticed the people of Thebes also growing restless. They understood what the people of Elaphantine wanted. They understood what it meant to be hungry. To be poor. They began to rise up inside the city.

I grinned inwardly.

Nefertiti. You may have the title of Queen Tawananna, but you don't seem to realize, that it is the people that truly run the country. Such a long period of strife and corruption… the people will not stand for it. And it is the monarchy that will have to give explanations. The people run the country.

We would only have a few days before the guard organizes itself and runs this riot down. We had to act now.

"Yuki! We must get into the palace now!" Yuri's voice rose over the chaos. I opted to run. I could not control that dratted camel and it would only slow me down.

Luckily for us, the servants had panicked and tried to escape through the west gate. We used that open doorway to force our way through.

"Find Ramses! Search everywhere!" Yuri shouted. I was already kicking open door after door until I came to a room that was completely barren. Except some cut bonds on the wall and blood smeared on the rope and wall.

"Here!" I shouted. Yuri and Ilbani were with me in moments. I snagged the rope in my and my hand came back red.

"It's still wet. They are still here!" I murmured.

"This is so sickening." Yuri whispered. "She could have stopped us and kept us at bay, and instead she allows her capitol and her palace overrun. How selfish."

"Use it as a lesson, Princess. Do not let the greed cause you to unconsciously be selfish beyond reason." Ilbani said.

"We need to find Ramses." Yuri turned to leave.

I put my hands on my head. This palace was huge. Blindly searching like this is worthless. I know. I have searched my share of palaces as a spy. I usually had more information to work of off though.

I began to drag up any information I knew.

Nefertiti was from Mittani.

She was corrupt and is going to kill Ramses.

The palace was huge.

The floor plan resembled Nakia's palace…

It had to be somewhere she thought no one else dared enter…

"Yuri!" I suddenly shriek. I got it.

"What, are you hurt?" Ilbani turned quickly, Yuri scanned me over.

"No, where is the temple of this palace?" I demand. They both looked at me oddly.

"Don't you get it? I read that palaces often held temples so the royals would not have to visit the same temple as the commoners. The people here fear the gods and goddesses; they don't dare run even a riot through a temple. But Nefertiti is from Mittani! She doesn't believe in the religion here! She does not fear the Gods of Egypt!" As I finished, Yuri had already grabbed Taharqa who was passing by and pointed in a direction. We all dashed out.

Yuri pulled on the gate doors. Locked She already had a rally of men getting ready to break the door down. It would take too long!

"Give me your bow." I demanded of a man nearby. He gave it to me without qualm and I took that and the quiver of arrows and slung them over my shoulder.

"What are you planning?" Ilbani shouted, trying to get to me but the crowd pushed him back. I felt along the walls of the temple.

The temple had an open ceiling as many buildings did. The stones were like those on the walls protecting Thebes. Much higher though.

I kicked off my shoes and began climbing. The stones were easy to find purchase with my small hands and I was making good time. I refused to look down or up. If I looked down, I would freeze in fear with the thought of falling. If I looked up, I would be afraid of how much more there was to climb. So I stared at the wall. I just focused on getting up as fast as I could.

I heard someone panting next to me and saw that Hadi, Ryui, Shala and Yuri had seen me and were following behind me.

Suddenly, my hand met the top of the wall and I pulled myself up, immediately readying my bow. Nefertiti has a knife to Ramses' throat already. Yuri was next to me. I heard the satisfying twang of a released arrow as I let go of the taut string.

My arrow flew true, cutting Nefertiti's hand and forcing her to drop her weapon. I took my sword and stabbed it into the wall, using it to slow my fall as I practically slid down the steep wall.

"Yuki?!" Ramses' voice was weak, but there was so much surprise behind it.

"You didn't think I'd abandon you, did you?" I tease him lightly. Ryui and Shala were going to open the gates for the men outside. Yuri acted quickly to disarm the men around Ramses.

"You, you're that girl. Ramses fiancée? Amunet, wasn't it?" Nefertiti seemed even more surprised the Ramses.

"You have done enough, Nefertiti. This land is rebelling against you. Release Ramses and calm them." I try to negotiate. But I always know how negotiating works with Queens like this.

Suddenly the woman did something unexpected. She lunged at me with the knife.

"You! It was you behind all of this! If you want to be with him so much, then you will be together in the afterlife!" She shrieked. Her sudden move caught me off guard and I was left fumbling around for the knife I usually kept at my thigh. The long dresses I had been wearing in Egypt to protect me from the sand was getting tangled and to my horror, I stepped on the back of it and fell. I raised my arms up instinctively to protect my face as the queen came closer.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yuri throw something. What could she have thrown? Whatever it was, Nefertiti caught it before it mad contact with her face.

"Ha! You think this mere trinket would stop my attack?!" Her voice was rising. She was losing it slowly.

"You…you don't recognize it?" Yuri asked her. I saw then that it was the earring Prince Mattiwaza had given her back in Mittani. She had kept it this entire time, and now it has made it back to its first owner.

"Why would I recognize this little shard of onyx?" She sneered.

"It's the earring you left for your brother Mattiwaza before you left for Egypt!" Yuri had Ramses' head in her lap as she shouted at the queen.

I suddenly felt myself get pulled out of the queen's reach.

"You stupid fool!" Ilbani hissed as he held me close. Perhaps afraid I would do something stupid again. I didn't complain and clung on to his arm as if it was the only think keeping me grounded.

"This…this is that same earring?!" Nefertiti exclaimed looking at the earring in awe. She seemed as if she was lost in thought suddenly.

"Nefertari…how did you get your hands on this?" Nefertiti's voice was suddenly very soft.

"My name…it Yuri. I am the commander and chief of the Hittite army." Yuri said strongly.

"You are Mursili's Ishtar? Then you…" Nefertiti suddenly turned to me. I stepped away from Ilbani.

"Yuki Ereshkigal. Commander in chief of the Hittite army as well as the nation's tactician. I wish w could have met under different circumstances, Your Grace." I smile sweetly, offering a sarcastic bow.

"Nefertiti, release Ramses." Yuri said quietly. Surely.

"You think you set the rules here, child? I am not the youth I was when I first came here. I used to be like you! Young and naïve. I soon learned that if I stayed that way, I would never survive! You are one of the lucky ones. Loved by that man, loved all of your life. But you will see, one day that love will run dry and you will end up like me!" Nefertiti screeched, throwing the earring to the ground. I heard the crack as it shattered on the stone floor.

"What a shame." I say simply, motioning the guards to hold Nefertiti. "You can consider yourself in our custody."

I looked over at Yuri. It seems like Nefertiti's words struck her pretty hard. In a way, I wanted to promise her Kail would love her forever. I truly believed that but I felt it wasn't my place to make promises for others. It would sound fake.

"You know, I will always love you." I whisper to her quietly. She smiled sadly at me.

"Us too." The sisters chimed in. Looking around her, I know Yuri will not be like Nefertiti. She was too loved to end up like that.

I looked over to see Ramses gulping down water and I took the bottle from him.

"Slow sips or you'll throw up." I warned before returning it. Once he finished, he went to meet with Yuri about the revolt currently underway.

"We have to leave now. They know you Amunet and Nefertari really are now. We wont survive if they catch us." Ilbani tugged on Yuri and I.

"Wait." I dash off. I remember kicking down the door to the queen's room as we were searching the palace. This woman wasn't one who hid her secrets very well. I found some clay tablets in a trunk by her bed. Some bore Nakia' seal.

"Where were you?" Ilbani growled.

"I wasn't going to leave without my evidence." I laugh, displaying my new treasure. "And they have her seal!" I squeal in glee. This was it! This was the nail on Nakia's coffin!

"You have to leave quickly. You have been found as a Hittite and have been acting covertly in Egypt. Even if I were pharaoh, there would be nothing I could do if you were caught." Ramses said.

Ramses. The dratted man that brought me here. And the man that got me the proof I needed. The man I do no love. But a man I respect immensely.

"Ramses. I may not see you again for a long time. But I will see you again. Know this before we leave. You are going to achieve much in you lifetime. I can't tell you much, just have faith." I say to him. I say to the future Pharaoh.

"Hmph. I knew that without you telling me." He said haughtily with a teasing smile. He suddenly grabbed my hand and kissed it. "You better take care of her." He addressed Ilbani.

"Rest assured I will." He put a proprietary arm around me. I wanted to melt. This whole ordeal was practically over. As long as I can present this evidence to the senate, Nakia is finished.

Ramses' POV

I watched as they boarded the boats headed for Hattusa. I watched her wave to me as the ship got smaller and smaller.

The only woman I ever loved, and the only woman that got away.

Perhaps I should feel hurt. Or sad. For some reason, that wasn't the case. I felt…acceptance. Perhaps deep in my heart, I knew that she was never mine to keep. That her heart would always be somewhere else, I would never force her love. I could not dictate her fate; no matter how hard I tried.

She really was different. She knew something about me, she knew I would gain power. Yet she chose that adviser over power over a country. She was strange. Perhaps stupid, even. I could have given her everything. She could have been a Queen, I would have given her all the treasures in the world, a country that would thrive along the Nile.

That was what I admired about her. She looked beyond status, beyond power. And maybe that's what attracted me to her. She saw me as a man. Not a general, not a ticket into a higher status in society. She saw my true faults and strengths.

Seeing her with that other man, I suspected I should feel some sort of jealousy. In a way I do, but not in the way I suspected. I was jealous that that man would be able to see her everyday, to hear her laugh everyday while I was here. I was happy to see her smile. I really was.

Maybe I didn't love her like I thought. I loved her spirit, I loved her spunk. But I love Nefert for that same reason. I must have confused the different kinds of love.

Maybe. Maybe not. Perhaps I never even fell in love. I just wanted her because of her Queenly manner. I have never fallen in love, so how could I possibly know what it would feel like? I may have mistaken this respect for her as love.

One day, perhaps I will truly fall in love. Then I will know for sure what it was I felt for the goddess of darkness.

I decided to consider all of this later. Right now, I have a rebellion to quell.

Hadi's POV

"If we make it to the mouth of the Nile, we should be safe." I say to the princesses.

Yuki was barely paying attention, she had the envelope with Nakia's seal in her hands and was staring at it as if it weren't real. Ilbani sat behind her and she leaned back on him comfortably.

I can't really blame her. It's been a long battle. She's been away from home for far too long.

"A ship is approaching!" One of the soldiers shouted. I looked up.

"It's Taharqa!" Princess Yuri gasped. "We…we have to talk to him."

"I know we do. We have wronged him terribly." Princess Yuki agreed. "Dock the boat."

Ilbani suddenly pulled my sisters and I out of their earshot.

"Hadi, I want you to don a cloak over your head and come with me. Ryui and Shala, don't let Princess Yuri or Yuki follow us." He whispered. The both nodded and backed toward the princesses. Ilbani glanced at me and I immediately understood and nodded back, pulling a cloak over my head.

The moment we hit land, my sisters jumped into action. The pulled Princess Yuki back so fast she had absolutely no time to retaliate. She squeaked in surprise and looked toward Ilbani just as he was pulling the cloak over his head.

"N-" She began to scream before Ryui clamped her hand over Princess Yuki's mouth. I turned quickly and hopped onto land with Ilbani, both of us racing to meet up with Taharqa.

"You know she'll kill you when you get back." I whispered to him.

"I know. I would prefer she be alive to kill me at all." Came a tart reply.

It wasn't long before I felt my cloak ripped off me. I turned to see Ilbani's was off as well. Taharqa did not look pleased at being deceived.

"I understand your anger, Taharqa. But it was I that formulated the plan for the Princesses. If you need revenge, take it on me and be done with it." Ilbani stepped in front of the enraged man. I gasped in shock.

Doesn't he realize how devastated Princess Yuki would be? Even if it was for her sake, didn't he realize she would never forgive him?

Those two…they were something else. Princess Yuki was doing that all the time too, right? Run into danger to protect Ilbani and everyone else. Did they not realize how shattered the other would be if one were to get hurt? They both wanted to feel useful, as I they were protecting each other.

As Princess Yuri's maid, I was almost accustomed to feeling useless. Princess Yuri would charge right into danger, leaving us behind. A lot of the time, she went to protect something. And even if I respected her immensely for it, I can't help but wish she would depend on us more.

"You are not a stupid man, Taharqa. You knew that this rebellion would only go so far. In fact, it has gone farther then you could have ever hoped to imagine!" Ilbani continued. This comment must have caught Taharqa off guard. I took that moment to slash at his sword and disarm him. Ilbani may not realize his worth to Princess Yuki, but I do. And I will defend him. For Princess Yuki.

At that moment, Ramses and his men came to round up the last of the rebels. Ilbani and I took that moment to slip away back to the boat.

We both jumped onto the boat and pushed off to head on our way. I glanced up in surprise to see Princess Yuki was bound and gagged, her muffled voice still portraying her outrage. I raised my eyebrow at my sisters in question.

"It was the only way to restrain her. And she was going to scream." Shala shrugged, already pulling the restraints and gag off her.

The moment she was free, she launched at Ilbani, grabbing the collar of his robe and pulling him towards her. I braced myself on the sides of the boat as it rocked at her sudden movement.

"How could you? What if you got hurt! By the gods, why would you do such a thing? Don't you realize how dangerous that was? He could have killed you!" She shrieked at him, her face turning a deeper shade of red after each word.

"Don't you think I don't ask those very same questions whenever you fly away from me?" He whispered. He suddenly pulled her in close and stroked her hair soothingly.

"Why couldn't you just let me meet him? We might have been able to set things right." She sighed.

"If you went, I have no doubt he would have stabbed a knife through your heart before he would have listened to your words. I will not put you in danger." He responded sharply.

"I really am a hypocrite." She mused to no one in particular.

Suddenly she turned to me.

"You too! You should be more careful!" she scolded me. For a moment, I was stunned that she was worried about me. I knew she trusted me, but I never put myself on the same level as Princess Yuri or Ilbani. I never thought she would worry about me. I could fight well, I even taught her swordplay!

I realized how lucky I really was. Being a palace maid was already a big honor, and earning that after my sister and I being a part of Nakia's plan, that was a blessing. But for a mistress that cared for us? That worried for our safety? That was unheard of.

Princess Yuki, she never liked me calling her princess. Perhaps it's because she thought I saw her as those like Princess Aksham. Vain, self- centered, and ill tempered.

But that wasn't why I always called her Princess because she was what I had always hoped a princess would be like. Someone who protects her country and loves her people. I call her Princess because I want her to be what other princesses look up to. Because I know she is a true princess.

Sorry I'm taking so long with these chapters! AP tests are around the corner -_-

Any how, it looks like we are done with the Egypt arc, though we will see Nefert later.

Anyhow, thanks for reading!

~EternallySnowy