Ancient Times Chapter 2


Servant's Quarters:

On entering the servant's quarters she noticed that most servants were not in, the older ones were sleeping in their beds though. Adina was no where to be seen.

Katriel washed in the common basin, wiping the sweat from her skin. She looked down at her reflection once the ripples subsided, and smoothed her fly-away a towel she cleaned the outline of her make up to make it neater, having been smudged slightly in the work of getting Anck-su-Namun ready for bed.

Taking a deep breath she steadied herself, looking constantly at her reflection. Her eyes were brown, like her hair, with a shaped nose and no ornamentation decorating her features in anyway save the colored hair band. She had larger legs than Anck-su-Namun, who herself was thin and toned. The sun baked away any blemishes on Katriel's face, but her skin was still light, having most of her time spent inside or at night when anubis ceremonies were held and Imhotep needed her to get ready for them before his priests came; who alone could touch the ceremonial cloth he wore then.

Thoughts came from her reflection, unkind and treacherous:

Look at you, how could he want you? Even if you were not a slave, you are not beautiful enough to tempt such a man! And you are a slave! Of course he would not want you, you've always known that! What did you expect, a man like that to stay single forever? Ha! You are not half so beautiful as Anck-su-Namun. And now both her and Imhotep will be playing a dangerous courting game, you're putting his life and yours at risk by helping him with this! He will die and it will be your fault! You shouldn't tell him what she said. Tell him she refused him. Tell him and how would he find out it wasn't the truth? He would not talk with her again. He would never know. But if he found out, he would cast you away forever and you would never see him again. You'd die of starvation in the streets with the dogs as he courted Anck-su-Namun and got himself killed doing it. How could she do this to him? She was not happy to see his letter! She cannot love him! Not as I do! She will destroy him and he would let her! I could kill her….

Shocked, Katriel looked away from her reflection. She couldn't listen to such thoughts...but to tell her master the message that burned her to hold would certainly destroy everything. And everyone.

But it was not hers to hold. Perhaps, she could twist a bit? Tell him everything that happened, from her coldness to her unwillingness to first accept his advance? It was something.

Katriel slowly walked out and made her way back up to her master's room, the way she knew best and favored best. Torch light guiding her through orange halls decorated with colorful scenes from recent and past histories and legends. Her heart feeling like it was ever sinking in her chest as she drew nearer to the room.

Over the past many years her heart would leap and her skin would sometimes even flush at going to attend her master, but now she felt numbness and pallor creeping over her forehead and limbs.

Approaching the intricately carved double doors of gold-laid wood she knocked softly before slowly entering the room, closing the doors behind her.

...

Imhotep had not gone to bed. He stood, leaning against the balcony wall beside the curtain, looking up at the stars from in his room. He turned, hearing her, excitement glowing on his face. His chest moving up and down rapidly, warm skin lighted by the orange torches to glow golden.

Katriel averted her eyes, looking down at the ground as she bowed, "The lady Anck-su-Namun wishes to meet with you tomorrow at noon, you may speak to her from behind the horus statue in the courtyard. She was intrigued by your title, but I would be remiss if I did not inform you she did not appear pleased after reading your note."

"What do you mean, when you say she was not pleased? She wishes to meet me, doesn't she?" Imhotep said, his voice changing from its normally collected and calm tone to one of intensity.

"Forgive my observation. She received the letter coldly, I know not why. Before I left she instructed me to tell you all that I have and dismissed me. This is all I have for my master, I beg that the news please you." Katriel bowed down on the floor submissively. The feeling of bitterness overwhelming the worry that she might have crossed a boundary.

There was silence for a long while and Katriel chanced a glance up to see Imhotep thinking. His eyes were focused on several far off points that he looked between constantly. Katriel did not speak and waited, haltingly wondering now if she would be in trouble for her observation.

Imhotep had never in all the ten years she had served him, been angry with her. There were times when something had clearly been bothering him, but his composure was always kept. He had never struck her and she had never heard of or seen him strike anyone else. Ever. He was a calm, intelligent man who more often than not smiled and found humor in things that other men would lose their tempers over. Ambitious and strong, he rose steadily in position with his composed demeanor. When she was taken to serve in the palace at a young age, he had been apprentice to the high priest and was kind and even friendly towards her. One of her first memories of him was when she was alone and scared, having spilled a jar of incense all over the floor, and instead of yelling or striking he had done a magic trick and winked at her. Always since then, he had been the most handsome man she had ever seen. Always.

Katriel was disturbed now to see him looking so worried. Speaking quietly, she nearly whispered, "If I may…the lady did want to meet you. She may also have not at first recalled your name, perhaps trying to think while I was preparing her for bed. Any woman would return your affections, I am sure."

Suddenly Katriel saw Imhotep's bare feet before her. She looked up, tentatively. His dark eyes staring down at her as he spoke, "Then why tell it to me as you did, if you think this?"

Katriel bowed her head so it touched the cool, hard floor, "My master is a powerful man, out of the lady's own lips was the question asking if you were the adviser to pharaoh. I felt that no woman would resist you but that first the lady fell in love with your title before your words. I wish only to serve you and continue doing so."

"You think Anck-su-Namun loves only power, and would warn me about her? Do you not think I have considered all that I risk in pursuing her, that I would not hold such things into account? And yet she has accepted to meet me. You would warn me not to go?" His voice was not the same anymore. It was a strict voice, harder than she could ever remember hearing it. In it tinged a lightning flash of warning.

She kept her head bowed down, not daring to move. Katriel had never spoken out so clearly in opposition before, and had never heard this tone in him directed at her.

"Leave."

Katriel quickly backed away, keeping her head bowed, she hurried out the doors. Not daring to look at him or anything else. She closed the doors behind her and took off down through the hall. Running fast until she was outside. The starlit night shown above her and she leaned against the rock wall of the palace, feeling tear streaks run down her face as she gulped in air, feeling her chest squeeze with every unhappy feeling she had ever felt in her life all at once.