The White Titan and the Caged Little Bird Altera x Nitocris

by Gamer95

Once there was a monster adorned in pure white fur. It destroyed all it saw, none safe from its wrath. Then it met a beautiful bird... The bird was injured. The monster helped it heal. But the monster wanted its beauty to itself. So it didn't let go, keeping the bird in a cage, a chain around its ankle. But the bird's pleas for freedom slowly cause the monster to have a realization

2. Chapter 2

Several days passed after that. The tribesmen all left for their punishment, intending to give their leader the greatest Empire of all. Meanwhile, Gug had disposed of all the corpses with the dogs, and soon, the remaining trio of Altera, Nitocris and Gug embarked on their journey. It took two weeks of travel through mountain, river and forest, before they eventually stepped back into the familiar desert. After some more days of travel, they set up camp near the Nile. Altera set up her tent, looking around. It felt... strangely lonely without the rest of her tribesmen.

Still. They had to learn their lesson. And she had faith they would return to her. She wouldn't be a good chief if she didn't.

But she would let them be for now. She expected great things from them, and she was sure they were going to give them to her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Gug chimed in."Hey chief! I'm gonna go ahead and nab some food now that we're all settled in."

Altera nodded. "Good. I'll stay here and guard the camp."

Gug gave a thumbs up. "Sounds good, chief! Good luck!"

"Likewise." Altera returned the sentiment, and watched him walk away into the distance. When he was out of sight, she entered the tent. There, Nitocris laid on her pelt, still quite bandaged though her mouth was free and she seemed to be sleeping still.

And then, she suddenly stirred awake.

Altera was quick to move to her side. "Now now... Take it easy... You're still injured..." She murmured softly.

The exhausted Nitocris groaned and attempted to sit up. Altera helped her, making sure to be gentle about it. Nitocris' body trembled, and she gasped when Altera accidentally grabbed her shoulder. The hun quickly pulled away. "I'm sorry..." She apologized.

"What... What happened...?" Nitocris asked. "I can't... remember..."

And then it all came back to her.

Being dragged off. Tied to a pillar. Whippings. Beatings. Being touched against her will. All of it. Screaming. Begging. Pain.

She looked at Altera, who placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right... You're free now... I've patched you up the best I could... I won-"

Before she could continue, Nitocris fell to the ground and hugged her stomach, trembling. She looked up at Altera with terrified, teary eyes.

"I-I'm sorry!" She got down on her hands and knees, pressing her face against the floor. "I'm so sorry I disobeyed, I'm sorry I was rude and ungrateful, I'm sorry I didn't accept my place! I'll do anything, just PLEASE don't let them get me!" She pleaded. Altera pulled her into an embrace, and she latched onto her as tightly as she could, sobbing softly. After a few minutes, Altera gently lifted her off the floor as she stood up. The way she was acting reminded her WAY too much of that horrible night... She had to address it...

"Now just what do you mean by that?" She asked softly.

Nitocris looked at her in confusion. "You're... You're tired of me misbehaving and so you told them to have their way with me as punishment so that I would know my place..." She said timidly. Altera's eyes widened in absolute horror at the claim

""NO!" She exclaimed immediately before embracing Nitocris tightly. "I would NEVER! I did not sic them on you, they acted against my wishes because they were angry about your tricks! I was at fault, however... I wasn't there when you needed me, I couldn't guard you... It was because of me that you were hurt... My own negligence... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have left you alone with them... Can you ever forgive me...?"

Nitocris froze up at that. She... didn't sent them to punish her... She felt regret for not arriving sooner to rescue her from them... She... She wanted her forgiveness...

Forgiveness? From her?

Her slave?

"...What's wrong with you...?" She asked softly. Altera blinked twice, tilting her head in confusion. Nitocris continued. "Ever since you took me as your slave, you've acted nothing like a slave owner. You haven't had me do any hard labour. You've never used my body for pleasure. You don't treat me like bad rubbish. Instead, you try to take care of me... You saved me, healed me, comforted me, when you have every right as a slave owner to treat me as nothing more than an object for your pleasure. Like a pet. So... why? What do you want from me? What do you gain from having me as a slave but treating me as anything but?" Altera was silent. "...Well?" Still silent. "...I'm waiting."

"I don't know." Altera finally said simply. "I don't know what I want. Since the moment I saw you dying on that throne... strange feelings have taken over... I don't know how to describe these feelings, but what I do know is that they compel me to take care of you... I want you safe... I want you to feel happy with your care... I... I want you to feel... good."

"...That makes no sense!" Nitocris exclaimed. "I'm not SUPPOSED to be happy! Slave or ruler! It doesn't matter! A pharaoh isn't allowed to be happy! A happy pharaoh is a faulty ruler! And as a slave, I am less than a dog! By the very laws of this world, I don't deserve any sort of happiness!"

Altera's heart clenched at Nitocris' self deprecation. "...No... That isn't true... You DO deserve to be happy. You may not see it, but you do. And... And that's why..." Silence. Altera looked off into the distance, and then she turned back to Nitocris. "...Can you stand...?"

Nitocris gave her a confused look, but she tried to comply nonetheless. All this got her was a wave of pain coursing through her body, causing her to hiss in agony. Altera sighed softly. "I thought as much... Here... I'll help you..." She murmured, gently grabbing Nitocris by the arm. Slowly but surely, she helped her treasure stand. She gave her a moment to adjust to her standing position, then gently grabbed her by the hands. "Now... Close your eyes..." She murmured gently.

"...What are you going to do?" Nitocris asked warily.

"I'm not going to harm you, I promise." Altera quickly reassured her. "There's something I want to show you... Please, trust me."

"...Very well..." Nitocris sighed and closed her eyes.

"Good... Now... Follow my guidance..." Altera instructed. It took no small amount of effort on Nitocris' part, but soon enough, she was outside the tent. "...Here... You may open your eyes now..." The hun instructed gently. Nitrocris obeyed... And the sudden light in her eyes made her yelp. She lifted her arm to shield her face, and one thing quickly became apparent. She was not looking at grass, soil or rock...

She was looking at a familiar field of sand.

Nitocris stared at the sight before her, letting her mind catch up with what she was seeing... and she let out a soft gasp as she lowered her arm and saw the familiar desert sand sprawling all across the ground before her. She took a shaky step forward, and gasped at the feeling of the soft grains underneath her foot. She heard screeching and looked to see vultures and ibises flying high above them. She registered the intense heat against her skin. The sound of water running caught her attention, and she turned her attention to the ever running blue Nile. Shakily, she made her way over to the river, and knelt by its bed. Grabbing a handful of cool water, she splashed it over her face. The memories of her old life came flooding back with this simple action...

And then, turning her head to the right, she saw them...

The towering triangles far in the distance. The tombs of her predecessors. Her brothers, and the rulers before them, and the majestic stone Sphynx that guarded them vigilantly.

And she whispered out words she thought she would never say again. Words that drove into her heart warmth, joy and happiness that she thought she would never feel again...

"I'm... home..."

She shakily stood up and began to stagger forward. "Home... Home! My people! My subjects! I'm coming home!" She called out. "I'm going to see you all again!"

But she was stopped.

Altera gently grabbed her by the arm, causing her to turn and face her. "Wait... You mustn't go."

"What?! Let me go!" Nitocris demanded. "I'm so close! I HAVE to go back!"

"No." Altera wouldn't budge. "I can't let you leave."

"...I..." Nitocris looked fearful. "Oh... I see... This is your plan... To torture me by forcibly keeping my home just beyond my reach..." Nitocris hugged herself, beginning to tear up.

"No... I wouldn't bring you all the way back here just to do something so cruel to you." Altera assured her. "Just look at yourself... You're damaged. Bandaged. Broken. We can't have you set foot in your kingdom resembling a reanimated mummy. You don't want your people to see you in this state, do you?" She hugged her tightly. "Just stay a little longer... Recover... Once you are healthy enough, you can go back with no fuss..."

Nitocris was extremely reluctant, her gaze shifting back and forth between Altera and the pyramids off in the distance. "...Very well..." She relented. Altera perked up slightly, smiling and patting her head before picking her up in a bridal carry, causing her to grunt a little at the sudden move. "Please be more gentle…" Groaned the Pharaoh.

Altera nodded. "Sorry…" Then, she looked down at her. "...Are you all right? Your face is a little red. Here... Will this help?" She pressed her lips against Nitocris' forehead, then pulled back, tilting her head as the pharaoh began to squirm. "Oh, you're even more red now..."

'I wouldn't be so red if you weren't so forward!' Nitocris snapped in her head. 'Seriously, who kisses someone not from their family so easily without batting an eye!?

"Hmm... I think it's time to go back into the tent... The increase in heat could give you temperature shock..." Altera murmured. She grabbed a squeaking Nitocris over her shoulder, then carried her back inside and gently placed her down on the pelt before taking a knee beside her. "Now you wait here, and I'll get you some healing herbs." She instructed, leaving the tent afterwards. Nitocris watched her leave, then heaved out a sigh and closed her eyes, hugging her knees as she contemplated what had just happened, mainly her reaction.

What was with the sudden reddening in her face? Temperature shock? But she felt mostly fine…

And the kiss…what was up with that?

'She was so forward…' Nitocris thought. 'No hesitation, not even a little. Just placed her lips on my head and that's all….'

It wasn't as though she hadn't been kissed like that before! Her brothers gave her plenty of affection during their lives. Was it because she wasn't a family member so it felt off? ...No, that wouldn't warrant her reaction at all! She'd be more creeped out than flustered if an unknown person kissed her so abruptly!

So…what happened here?!

Her thoughts screeched to a halt when Altera came back, carrying a bowl of crushed up herbs. She took a knee beside her. "Now then. I'll remove these bandages and replace them with fresh ones." She explained. Nitocris simply nodded and patiently allowed the hun to do her work. Altera unwrapped her, and once the bandages were off... all she could do was flinch at the scars and wounds on the pharaoh's body.

Nitocris looked at her, confused. "...Why did you stop?" She asked.

"Hmm...? Oh... It's just... I can't apologize enough for not stopping those men of mine sooner... Really... I'm so sorry for all of these..." She pointed at one of the wounds, then gently set to applying the herbs, eliciting a pained hiss from Nitocris.

Altera bit her lip. "I know it hurts... You'll have to bear it for now... I promise you... I WILL make this up to you..." She murmured softly.

And so, she went on like that, applying the necessarry herbs to the injured pharaoh's angry sores and healing wounds, wincing in shame at the multiple hisses and groans of pain she let out as she worked tirelessly. It was truly a relief when she was finished, the sounds of her suffering hurt her heart. And now came the easy part. Taking a fresh clean roll of bandages, she set to gently wrapping them around Nitocris' body. Slowly, but surely, the bandages were applied. "All right... Do you feel they're applied properly?" Altera asked.

Nitocris rose to her feet to look herself over, then turned to Altera with a nod. "Yes. Yes, they are. Hee... It's good you came so soon, a moment later and we would have had to fully mummify me." She joked. Altera's head fell low, a troubled expression coming across her face. Nitocris realized her joke didn't come off the way she'd hoped. "I...I'm sorry, I'm... I'm all right, really, you don't have to worry, you saved me in time. You did."

"No... I didn't..." Altera denied. "If I had, you'd not have been wounded at all... I left you unattended, you were badly hurt, and if I had been any later, they might have... They..."

"Nevertheless, you worry too much." Nitocris interrupted. "I'm still alive, after all. That's plenty."

"No!" Altera insisted stubbornly. "All I've done is make your life worse! I'd desired to let you live in comfort and peace but I did just the opposite and made you feel trapped, miserable and craving DEATH!" Nitocris thought for a moment, took a deep breath, then spoke again.

"It isn't your fault."

Altera paused, looking at her with wide eyes. Nitocris continued. "I hate to say it, but I would have made things a lot easier on myself if I had just went along with it and stopped making things more difficult for you than they needed to be.

"You had every right to resist me! I was treating you as an object! A thing!" Altera insisted.

Nitocris stared blankly at her. "Seems I can't win here. You'll continue to shift the blame back to yourself no matter what I say. Well. All I care about is that you DID save me, and you brought me back home. That is what's important. You should stop being so self deprecating. I can't let my master be like that now, can I?" Altera grimaced, and Nitocris rolled her eyes. "Oh, relax, I'm teasing, fine, I won't call you master anymore, spoil the fun..."

Nitocris suddenly paused and turned to look at Altera, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Does that mean I'm no longer a slave?!"

Altera smiled softly. "You stopped being a slave long ago... Back when I almost... When... I almost... Took your life..."

"Oh... I... remember that night..." Nitocris said softly. "...Why did you do that...? I don't understand... You broke me, so why did you decide to kill me? Did you... want to see me destroyed on every level...?"

Altera didn't hear any anger nor fear in Nitocris' words. She sounded calm... and a bit betrayed.

"...It's... complicated..." Altera murmured. "I saw it in a dream... and I tried it in reality, because... I know deep down, no matter how much I told myself otherwise... I NEVER wanted to break you down into submission..."

Nitocris winced as she remembered her behaviour from back then. Just the thought of how she had acted made her skin crawl...

"I admired your strength of will. How you continued to resist and never bowed down, how determined you were to stay true to your dignity..." Altera continued. "I never wanted to see that will break... If anything, I wanted to see more of it, I wanted to see you fight back, to see you fiery and resolute in the face of your imprisonment, it was... It was exciting... And then that fire... flickered away, and all I saw was a submissive little pet, eager to please its master, and... and I realized I had done something truly horrible... I was keeping you a slave out of a selfish desire to make sure you were alive, safe from death, happy... But all I did was hurt you... I almost broke you... It brought pain to my heart, a pain I had no choice but to acknowledge... I didn't want to see you like that... I didn't want to see you suffer with a broken mind, so... I thought it would be the right thing to do... To set you free..."

There was a long pause, before Altera continued. "But you survived in the end... And... And you were angry with me. You were insulting me, berating me, you were furious, and... and it made me so happy to see you like that again... You were acting human once more, nothing like the animal I had turned you into... That you were afraid of me was... disheartening, but what really mattered was that you were back to the way you had been before, back to how I liked you best. As yourself."

Nitocris stared at her long and hard, an unreadable expression on her face. Altera felt uneasy, a very foreign emotion for her. "Have... Have I said something wrong...?" She asked softly.

"No... Not at all." Nitocris replied. She looked down slowly. 'And she was so sincere when she said all that too...' She thought to herself. 'She has no reason to lie to me, either. She... She must be telling the truth...'

She was happy to see her happy...

She was heartbroken to see her mentally broken.

She... Did she really...

Yes... She probably did...

She really did seem to care about her.

She would need to test it further, but...

All evidence pointed towards it being the truth.

So... that means...

"You really did mean everything you said..." Nitocris remarked. "You really did want to take care of me... You wanted me to be happy, even in slavery..."

"Yes..." Altera agreed. "You finally realize that..."

"...It feels... surreal..." Nitocris said. "All my life, I've been used for ulterior motives by those meant to be close to me... And the one time someone genuinely cared for me... It wasn't a family member, it wasn't a fellow noble, it wasn't even a servant... No... The one and only person aside from my long dead brothers that had any sort of care for me, wanted to see me happy, wanted to make sure I was well... was a boorish barbarian that invaded my kingdom, slaughtered my people, ravaged by land, kidnapped and enslaved me... It sounds... rather funny when you say it out loud... doesn't it...?" And then, she began to laugh. Altera looked on, watching Nitocris hold onto her stomach as she laughed hard, smiling slightly. This was what she wanted to see from her... Even if it was a... strange reason to laugh, she was still laughing just the same.

And what a beautiful laugh it was...

"You have a lovely laugh." Altera said simply, causing Nitocris to pause and look up at her, blinking owlishly. Altera tilted her head. "Did I say something strange?"

"No... No, just... caught me a little bit off guard..." Nitocris replied. "Um... Thank you though..." She looked away, her face slightly red.

Altera beamed at hearing the words 'thank you', but she noticed Nitocris had turned red once more. With a concerned frown, she approached. "Your face is red again... Are you well? Do you feel ill or woozy? Do you need to lie down?" She rested a hand over Nitocris' forehead.

"AH! N-No, I'm... I'm perfectly fine, really, I am, I promise, you don't need to fuss over me, just... PLEASE give me some personal space...!" Nitocris panicked, even more flustered.

"Oh... All right then..." Altera obediently took her hand away, seemingly downcast, and Nitocris took a moment to regain her bearings.

"I-I'm not mad!" She quickly assured her. "Just... Uh... Just getting used to the sudden shift in temperature, that's all!"

"Oh. I see. That makes sense." Altera nodded, before rising to her feet. "Well... I think it's time I gathered you something to eat... You've been resting for days with little food, you must be starved..."

"Yes... Um... Thank you..." Nitocris murmured shyly, looking down. Nodding, Altera left the tent, and Nitocris looked down. "...What in the name of Ra just happened? Why did I get so flustered at a single compliment? I've been complimented by her before, so... what's different this time?"

She thought long and hard before coming to a conclusion. "I must be delirious from all I've been through. Yeah, that's it. Just a bit of delirium. I'll recover... Maybe..."

She sighed. "I will... LIKELY recover..." Now that she was back home and no longer a slave, she felt far more confident in her own ability to heal mentally. Especially since she now knew her...

Her... what?

Master wasn't right, neither one of them liked that at all. And she had very much relinquished any type of ownership over her too, so...

What was she to her...?

She didn't get much time to work things out, as Altera walked back into the tent, carrying fish she had caught from the Nile. "I caught as many as I could to ensure we're both fed." She explained. She stepped outside, keeping the tent open so Nitocris could watch as she prepared a fire to cook the fish with. She paused and turned to her. "I never took you up on the offer to teach me to cook."

"Oh... You... remembered... I didn't expect you would with all that happened..." Nitocris said, surprised.

"I did have an interest, but I foolishly decided to hold off on the offer until you had fully submitted yourself to me." Altera explained. "But that option is thankfully no longer available, so will you teach me while we're on good terms?"

"...Have you anything to add?" Altera asked. Nitocris blinked twice, then remembered what they were doing and hurriedly returned to the cooking.

"Ah! Um... All right, how do you usually cook the fish? What spices and sauces do you use? How long do you roast it?" Nitocris asked.

"...Sauces? Spices? What are you talking about?" Altera asked, head tilted.

The two stared at each other in dead silence for a few minutes. "...You really have no idea what sauces and spices are?" Nitocris asked in disbelief.

"...Should I...?" Altera asked, head tilted.

"Of COURSE you should know!" Nitocris exclaimed. "It's a STAPLE of every food ever cooked! You never added ANYTHING to your food?!"

"...No...?" Altera confirmed, baffled.

"Well... Well that's ridiculous, I won't accept you living life without flavour!" She attempted to get up, but she yelped in pain and collapsed. Altera was quick to catch her.

"Now, you can't be doing anything rash right now... You're still too damaged, you could open your wounds..." Nitocris breathed in and out deeply, then sighed.

"Can you... go and fetch some ingredients for me...?" She asked meekly.

"Yes. What do you need?" Altera asked, rising to her feet.

"Mostly garlic and herbs... And oil, if you have any..." Nitocris replied.

Altera nodded and rose to collect what was asked of her while Nitocris gently massaged her body, carefully so as not to aggravate her wounds. She heaved out a sigh. "I hope I'll heal quickly... I'm tired of not being able to move of my own free will..." Shaking her head, she simply sat patiently, waiting for Altera to return.

A few minutes passed. Nitocris tilted her head to the side. "Now what is taking her so long...?" She wondered. As soon as she spoke, Altera returned, carrying several of the ingredients she had asked for, from oil to... several different kinds of onions. "I... I only asked for garlic..."

"I don't know what garlic looks like." Altera replied simply.

Nitocris facepalmed and sighed deeply. "All right, just give it all here and I'll show you how it works..." Altera nodded and sat down, placing all the requested items before the pharaoh. Nitocris blinked. "I... I don't have a knife..." She realized.

"I'll go and fetch one then." Altera replied., about to rise to her feet.

"No, no, that won't be necessarry." Nitocris stopped her. She grabbed a nearby shard of wood, and Altera watched in interest as she levitated it between her hands. Golden symbols appeared all across the shard, and soon enough, it became a blade, those very same symbols engraved into it.

Nitocris carefully inspected the newly created object and smirked. "Perfectly made... I haven't lost my touch. Good. I'd be worried if I did."

"What did you do?" Altera asked.

"I used to tinker with various magical objects and trinkets in my spare time." Nitocris explained. "I was skilled in creating objects imbued with magecraft. That's where my little golden centipede came from. I forged it with sorcery using a piece of gold." She was silent for a moment before sighing. "But... at best it's unfortunately ugly work... With the proper tools, I could show you far more of my skill..."

"That isn't necessarry." Altera remarked. "What you've shown is very impressive."

Nitocris donned a proud smile and raised her head in self indulgent vanity. "Well of course it is. No one is better at magic practice than I am."

Continuing with her current work, she uses some more magic to make herself a wooden plank to cut the food on, and began preparing the food while Altera watched with interest, never having seen something like this in person before.

Altera internally questioned the whole situation. 'Why is she cutting the green plants into such small pieces? The plants were long enough to lean out of her hand, but now they're in such tiny bits that she could fit an entire plant in her hand and still have space. Is there any difference than when they're cut into bigger ones? And why is she crushing the small onion seeds? Is that the garlic she spoke of?'

She idly took a small piece of the garlic, inspecting it curiously. She smelled it, blinking at how strong the scent seemed to be. Curious, she popped it into her mouth and chewed, before her eyes widened and she spat it out, retching at the horrible taste as her eyes started to tear up and sting. "What IS this?!" Nitocris watched her confusion, sighing softly.

"You aren't supposed to eat the garlic, and onion hurts the eyes with it's scent." She explained before grabbing a small wooden bucket of water. "Here. Pour this over your eyes. The hun obediently did so IMMEDIATELY, grabbing the water and pouring it into her open eyes.

The sting lasted a moment longer, before Altera rubbed her eyes, blinking rapidly, checking to see if her eyesight had been damaged. She sighed when she saw everything seemed to be fine. "Thank heavens... If we'd been attacked in this state... I'd have perished twenty times over... ...You said that stuff is not for eating, and I wholeheartedly agree, so why are you adding it to the meal?"

"You misunderstand." Nitocris explained. "It is not for eating RAW. It must be cooked to show its true flavour. You must understand taste, this level of ignorance is blasphemy against the culinary arts. You WILL taste fine food. And you are GOING to enjoy it." Nitocris continued to work on the fish while Altera watched, rubbing in some rock salt, then cut up plants and garlic, and adding some light oil. She placed the fish into a metal bowl on the fire that Altera was certain was not there before, and the Hun observed as the fish changed color, becoming...somehow shinier than when it was raw.

And then, the smell wafted into her nostrils...

Altera's eyes widened as her mind processed this... this...

She had no idea what to call this. At all.

What she did have an idea of, was the fact that she was feeling like an animal, her mouth salivating as her nose was further assaulted by more and more of this heavenly scent.

Her instincts took over and she reached out to grab the fish, only for a pair of wooden, weirdly shaped sticks to stop her hand mid reach. She looked to see the culprit giving her an amused smirk. She gently pushed the hand away, clicking her tounge and wagging her finger. "I had a feeling this would be an issue." Nitocris remarked. "You have to wait. It isn't cooked yet."

"It's cooked enough to be edible!" Altera insisted, reaching out stopped her.

"Now just be a little more patient. For me if not anything else." She requested. Altera's mind kept telling her to ignore her and GO FOR IT, but she relented and pulled her arm back, now sitting and stewing in place with a pout, wanting to start eating whatever this was as soon as possible. Nitocris giggled at the look. "You look funny when you sulk like this." The hun looked away with her face slightly reddening, not denying she really liked that compliment.

Nonetheless, despite her protests inside, she waited. It was only for about 10 minutes, but the scent, her saliva and her hunger made it feel like a hundred eternities.

Eventually, Nitocris called out, "It's done!" She then casually raised her hand and seized Altera's arm in her grip. She shook her head. "Now just a few more seconds." Altera, instead of speaking, let out a dog like whine, clearly wanting food as soon as possible. Nitocris sighed and straightened up, getting a sudden feel of authority. "You'll get your food when it's fully ready.. But for now, sit." Altera obeyed instantly, sitting up straight. Nitocris blinked, tilting her head. To do that so readily...

She returns her attention to the fish, occasionally stealing a glance at Altera to check if she was trying to snatch a piece before it was done. The hun visibly squirmed in place, clearly impatient. Had she really been lacking taste so much she'd be so shifty?

Well, she supposed she couldn't keep her any longer. She took a huge piece of the fish, lifting it towards Altera. The hun immediately reached forward, but Nitocris grabbed her wrist. "Now, not so fast, take it nice and slow. Savour the taste. If you eat like an animal, like you usually do, it won't be nearly as good." Altera obeyed, but bit her lip impatiently to get that over with. Nitocris sloooowly placed the fish into her mouth, and the chief chewed the food, slowly, like Nitocris requested.

And the sensation of explosion in her mouth was palpable.

The crunchy feeling of the fish followed by the soft, squishy flesh underneath, without a single tiny bone making it's presence known. The formerly disgusting yet now delightful aroma of the garlic combined with the taste of the diced up plants she knew not the name of, and the feeling of the golden oil dripping from her mouth as she slowly savored every bite, before letting the food be on it's way with a gulp.

If the great Attila the Hun wasn't feeling like a deity before, she certainly was now.

Nitocris leaned back, looking at her face with a small smile. "So then how does it feel, tasking actual decent food for the first time ever?"

Altera's response?

She fell to the ground, flat on her back, staring up at the clouds, beginning to tear up.

Nitocris gasped. "Ah! Oh dear, did I do it wrong?! Was it overcooked?! Did I add too much salt?! Oh no, I didn't cook the garlic right, did I?! That's it, isn't it?! Agh! I KNEW I should have completed my cooking lessons!" She turned to check the rest of the fish inside the bowl, when suddenly, a strong pair of arms grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around before something buried itself in her chest. She blinked twice and looked to see it was, of course, Altera.

"Thank you..." Altera spoke, her voice shaking. "For this amazing gift..." Nitocris felt something wet on her chest, and she was taken aback to see the hun was shedding genuine tears. "...After everything I did you you... I utterly ruined you, I treated you like some sort of caged animal, I almost turned you into one, you've suffered SO MUCH because of ME... And yet you still had the kindness to give me this... Even though I don't deserve it! Th-Thank you so much..."

Nitocris blinked once, twice, before sighing and shaking her head. She returned the hug with her own, slightly lighter one because of her damaged body, smiling a little. "You really need to stop that already. I already told you. It's FINE. I am aware that your true intention was not to harm me, but to give me genuine care. This behaviour just reinforces it. And I have forgiven you, AND I am no longer in slavery, I'm free now. So, there's really no need to feel sorry now. I forgave you already."

"But you SHOULDN'T have!" Altera insisted. "I put you through so much suffering, it's not right to forgive me so easily, I must atone!"

"But you've already taken your steps towards doing so." Nitocris said firmly. "You are putting your best efforts into healing me, going so far as to bring me back home. You're already doing a good job. And you should honestly really value my trust more. After so many years of living one giant lie of a rulership, my trust is not something I'd give just anyone. So the very fact that I genuinely trust you enough to let myself be taken care of by you is an honour akin to divine blessings." She broke the hug and haughtily pointed at her. "Now you show the proper respect and accept my trust! Otherwise it would be disrespectful!" She said in a voice that demanded obedience.

Altera stared at her. Silently. Nitocris wavered a little and awkwardly giggled, twiddling her fingers. "Sorry... I shouldn't behave like that since I'm no longer a pharaoh..."

"No... No, that's how I like you best." Altera stated the contrary. "Proud, with your head held high... It makes you look so very beautiful, moreso than you naturally are..."

Nitocris blinked rapidly, and then her face blushed beet red. "Ah! Wh-What in the n-name of Ammut was that?!"

Altera tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What?"

"You're... You're flirting with me, and it's too early for you to be so bold!"

Altera felt the confusion grow. "What is 'flirting'? What are you talking about?"

Nitocris went slack in disbelief at the question, at the realization that the woman before her didn't even know what flirting was. "It's... It's using sweet words and gestures to capture someone's heart."

"What?!" Altera gasped, hopping to her feet. "No! No, I would NEVER! I am being genuine and sincere with my words, I promise this isn't some ploy to lure you in close so that I can tear your heart from your chest! I-I'm sorry... I've made you uncomfortable... I should be on my way-"

"No, no, no, that ISN'T what I meant at ALL!" Nitocris groaned, rolling her eyes. "That's not what flirting means!

Altera was now completely and utterly at a loss. She was relieved to know she hadn't ruined everything, but still! She cautiously sat down. "...Can you explain more thoroughly...?"

Nitocris heaved out a sigh. "Well... When somebody has someone they like in a... romantic way, there are certain gestures and words they use to try and convince them to fall for them... That is what flirting means."

Altera felt she understood a bit more... but also a bit less. "What do you mean by 'falling in love'? How can you fall into something that doesn't exist? What IS love...? And... What do you mean Romantic? I don't believe you are Romanian, and I know I'm not..."

Nitocris was absolutely appalled. "You don't even know what LOVE is?! Have you NEVER experienced it before? Have you NEVER met a man or woman that made you feel warm and fuzzy inside?! Someone you wanted to keep close and shower with love and affection?!"

Altera tilted her head. "Well... Yes. I have."

"All right, good!" Nitocris said, intrigued. "Do tell, who is it? Who made the hun, the barbarian, fall in love?"

"You." Was Altera's response.

One could almost hear the shattering of glass as Nitocris' face shifted in pure disbelief and confusion.

Altera took a deep breath, and then, began to explain. "I suppose these feelings began when I first saw you when I first... came to Egypt... I was... well... robbing your palace... And I entered the throne room, and... and there I saw you... Dying... And... I felt this indescribeable feeling inside me when I saw you... For the first time ever, I didn't want to destroy anything, I was too... entranced by your looks... Even at death's door, you looked so beautiful, so majestic... I didn't understand why I felt the way I did, but... that is why I decided to keep you... As... As a trophy... And... At first it was just because of your stunning body and beautiful face, I wanted to care for you and keep you alive, it was the whole reason I took you and why I so badly wanted to grant you joy... I just... thought beauty like yours... should never be left to die alone..."

There was a pause. "...But over time... my reasons changed... I saw more than just the beauty on the outside... I found you were beautiful as a person as well... Your love for your people... Your family... Your resolve in the face of being treated like an animal... The unwavering willpower that had you fight back and starve yourself to spare yourself further indignity... I focused less on your body, and more on your strength of will, of soul, of mind... You were more stunning than you ever were on the first day, even as you barely clung to life..."

Another pause. "...I love the sound of your laugh... I adored it when you pranked my tribesmen because it was always followed by that wonderful laugh... And those rare occasions where you would smile... I loved how resolute and determined to resist you were, I hated to hear you talk yourself down... Calling yourself worthless and a bad ruler... It was like being stabbed through the heart... I never knew how to assure you though... Nor why I should... But I had wanted to... To make sure you understood you were a wonderful person..."

She reached over and gently took Nitocris' hand into her own. "Those warm, fuzzy feelings you describe... It's a perfect description of my feelings towards you... All I've wanted is to give you all the affection I can offer... I wanted you to surrender to your slavery because it would end the suffering you were experiencing..."

She closed her eyes. "Is that what it means...? To fall in love...?

Nitocris couldn't speak. Words failed her. She could only let out uniltelligible gibbers as she stuttered, stumbled and sputtered over her words, sheer disbelief clouding her judgement. By now, her face and ears were an angry red colour, and her heart was hammering madly against her chest.

And Altera wasn't even done, as she continued speaking, almost shocking Nitocris into a heart attack.

"This is something that has been happening when I've been away as well." Altera explained. "Back when there had first been tension between the both of us... I'd gone off to train... And my mind lingered on what you had said... It was... heart wrenching, thinking about what you'd said about yourself... Insulting your own capabilities... So many awful comments about yourself... Each time I went off to train... My mind would always wander back to you. No matter what I did... All I could see... was you... All I could think about was how worried I was for your well being and how I could make you feel safe and accepting of your care... I would have to physically strike myself to force my mind to focus on my training. I never understood why... But I simply couldn't stop thinking about you... Everything about you... The good aspects, as well as the tragic... Everything that warms my heart, and all the things that hurt it..."

There was another pause. Then, Altera spoke again. "Please tell me. These thoughts... These feelings... Is this what love is...? Have I... fallen in love with you...?"

Nitocris... couldn't answer. She just... couldn't. She was too stunned in disbelief to do anything at all.

She... the woman who was once her owner... Was in love with her... The woman who was once her slave...

It seemed so ridiculous...

And yet it wasn't. Far from it in fact.

Everything... Down to the last word... Each and ever sentence... All of them... were sincere...

Not a hint of a lie. She'd even subconsciously used a lie detection spell. it showed nothing.

She was being completely, utterly, entirely truthful.

The hun chief was in love with her.

Altera tilted her head. "You've grown silent. Why? Is something wrong? Have I said something off?"

Nitocris jumped slightly and shook her head rapidly. "Ah! Uh... I mean... I don't... Kinda...? Maybe, I... It's just that I... I... Okay... Okay... Um... Well... Yes... The answer is yes. Those are... all signs that you're in love... With... me... Oh my goodness you've fallen in love with me..."

Altera nodded, happy to have her question answered. She took a seat and looked down, seemingly contemplating, before looking up at Nitocris. "But what am I to do about it? Now that I know I love you, how do I approach it?" Nitocris... didn't answer... She was still stuck processing what she had just found out. From an outside point of view, she was as calm as calm could be. But on the inside, she was beside herself with panic and disbelief.

'This is impossible!' She thought. 'There's no WAY she's in love with me! Impossible! Just plain impossible!' But it was true. She sensed no lies. Everything she'd just said... she had said from the bottom of her heart. But... what was she supposed to say back?! She couldn't just reject her immediately, she'd feel horrible if she did that, they had JUST become somewhat friendly with each other, and she had come to understand that, yes, the hun did sincerely care about her and want to make her happy. A straight and immediate rejection would only leave a sour taste in her mouth...

She looked at Altera, who was simply staring at her, patiently. Her red eyes shone with power, but also held a soft gentleness to them, which Nitocris now knew was reserved for her.

Perhaps... she could think about it...? Yes... That's it... This was too sudden. She needed to spend a little more time healing and take her time to process what she had just heard. She would wait until she was sure before she gave her an answer.

She took a deep breath. "I... need time. I need time to process it all. I'll give you an answer when I can." She declared.

Altera nodded. "I see. It seems this love is a complicated matter."

'You don't know how right you are...' Nitocris sighed internally. She looked at the hun. ...She really WAS attractive...

No joke... This woman was BEAUTIFUL... She had thought so from the moment she'd first met her, even if it had been dampened by the nightmare her existence had turned into. She was so beautiful, that with a simple clothing adjustment, she could pass as a pharaoh with utter ease.

She didn't realize it, but her eyes essentially began to check Altera out, taking in every detail of her body. Her dark skin with the tribal markings that accentuated and drew attention to her body... The thin, lithe frame she knew was filled with inhuman strength... A youthful face, that of a maiden, that could no doubt cause any man to swoon at the sight of it... Her long, almost transparent white hair that-

"It's become rather hot." Nitocris jumped slightly when Altera suddenly spoke. "Hmm... I'd best take it off for now." And so, she reached behind her and pulled off... a veil, revealing her short white locks of white hair.

That... just made her even MORE beautiful!

Nitocris marvelled at her. 'She's an angelic beauty...' She thought. Her face turned red as she continued to look at the stunning woman before her.

A woman who's face was suddenly inches away from her.

Nitocris yelped and leaned back, startled by the sudden closeness of the woman she'd just been ogling.

Altera's face scrunched up in concern. '"You're very red... The temperature shock has reached you, hasn't it?" Nitocris didn't know it, but this added another layer of guilt to Altera's heart. feeling remorseful for forcing her to live in a colder climate her body wasn't used to. Altera knew she needed to fix this somehow... "...Wait here a moment. I'll get a few things." Altera instructed before leaving the tent. Nitocris watched her go, then waited a few moments, her mind stuck on the fact that their noses had just been touching. When Altera returned, she had with her a palm branch and a wet rag. Setting both down, she sat next to Nitocris, carefully ensuring the rag was cold enough, before gently placing it on the former pharaoh's head. Then, she grabbed the palm branch and gently used it as a makeshift fan to further cool her off. Nitocris was promptly reminded of the servants she'd had during her time as ruler. She'd sit on the throne or lay in bed, and two servants would fan her, one on each side.

'She does realize temperature has nothing to do with it, right...?' Nitocris questioned. Despite herself, though, she resigned herself to the treatment. It did feel rather nice being cared for like this... Being allowed to indulge, after missing being pampered like this for so long...

And so, she let herself savour it. She lay flat on the ground, letting the cooling rag and the air from the fan slowly cool her off as she closed her eyes. Not quite wanting to sleep or nap, just closing her eyes, to process all that had happened.

This continued well into the evening, Nitocris taking the chance to rest and relax like she never could previously. No pondering elaborate revenge schemes, no fearing for her life or anguishing in slavery, no pain, no suffering... Just... rest. Once she was content she'd cooled down, she found she was rather hungry. And of course, Altera was quick to notice.

Her solution?

Nitocris breathed through her nose, face a bit red again, though not quite as much so as before. Her head leaned against Altera's stomach as the hun gently fed her the leftover fish. She ate her portion, then heated up what was left to feed her patient. Nitocris insisted she could eat it herself, but Altera insisted on being the one to feed her.

'Is it really necessary to be this close just to feed me?!' Nitocris asked herself.

She opened her mouth as Altera inserted another piece of fish into her mouth, by hand no less. When the bowl was empty, she set it aside and turned back to Nitocris, looking down at her. "Are you full?" She asked. "I can get some more food if you're still hungry."

Nitocris shook her head, swallowing the last bite. "No... That's not needed. I'm very full." Altera nodded, before idly beginning to stroke Nitocris' hair. The former pharaoh looked up at her. "Why are you petting me...?"

Altera tilted her head. "I love your hair. It's soft and silky and it feels nice between my fingers. Do you dislike it? Should I stop?"

"Oh... No... Um... I kinda... like it...?" Nitocris shut down any concern.

Altera smiled. "Oh good. I'm glad." She said calmly before continuing to stroke her hair. And so the two women sat in silence, one gently stroking the other as the other in question relaxed in her touch, eyes closed and quiet humming escaping her lips as she breathed.

Altera observed the other woman, a small smile gracing her lips. 'She looks so peaceful...' She spoke in her mind. 'And so beautiful too... Calm... Content... Satisfied... No fear, no hopelessness, no hatred...'

Altera's heart warmed at the thought. Bringing her home to Egypt was truly the right choice. She would heal, recover, regain her happiness. and then she would...

She would...

She...

'That's right...' Altera thought. 'She'll heal... She'll recover... She'll regain her happiness... And then she'll leave...'

She would let her go.

Go back.

To her people.

She would go back...

And they would never see one another again...

She couldn't go with her. She destroyed and ravaged her home. There was no chance she would ever be welcomed there. That meant that... when she returned back to her home... Altera would be alone... Gug would be there... But... She... She...

'Don't let her go.' The voice in her head whispered. 'Enslave her again. Make her yours and yours alone.' Altera bit her lip and closed her eyes, forcibly shutting the voice off as it screamed in sudden agony.

'I WON'T.'

She was NOT doing that again.

The woman she loved was GOING to be free. She wasn't going to let her suffer like that again. Ever. And she deserved it anyway... Why would a destructive, merciless monster like her ever deserve any sort of happiness?

"-er me! Hey! Can you hear me?!"

A sudden voice snapped Altera out of her thoughts, and she looked to see the woman she loved. She had gotten up from her position laying on Altera's' lap, and was now down on her knees, hands on Altera's shoulders, her face carrying an expression of... Of...

Concern... Worry...

"...Come on... Are you well?" Nitocris asked insistently. "You became completely silent all of a sudden, and then you started to cry."

Altera blinked. "What? What do you mean...?" Nitocris sighed softly and traced her finger under the hun's eye, and sure enough, Altera felt something wet on her face. Surprised, she raised a hand to her own face, and she realized that yes, she was indeed crying.

"What happened all of a sudden?" Nitocris asked worriedly. "One minute you're quietly stroking my hair, and the next I feel something wet drip on my forehead and look to see you crying with this broken, empty smile on your face... It was frightening me... Like you'd died sitting up and... and crying..."

Altera looked at her hand, the skin shining from the wet tear. A dark skinned hand placed itself upon it, and she looked up to see the worry in Nitocris' eyes. "What's going on?" The pharaoh asked gently. "If you're hurt, you can tell me... I'm here to listen." Altera gazed into her eyes. No lies. No deception. She trusted her... And so, she took a deep breath, and she spoke.

"When you've healed up, you will return home. And then... I'll be alone. I'm glad that you're back home, and that you'll be happy again and will live a nice life... But we'll never see one another again... And... I know it's wrong... But... I don't want to say goodbye..."

"That's all? Well, you can just come with me then!" Nitocris said with a raised brow.

"No..." Altera said softly. "I kidnapped you, after I ravaged your home to the ground... The people would never allow me to stay there..."

"I'm sure we can find some sort of workaround!" Nitocris insisted.

"No..." Altera continued. "I'm very glad your future is bright... But... it hurts... It hurts so much, I'm in so much pain, and I don't understand why... All I know is that I want you happy, But I don't want to lose you, I don't want to be alone again, and these two feelings are at war with one another, and... and... I want to stay together with you, but I can't..."

"H-Hey... Could... Could you loosen your grip a little bit? You're squeezing a bit too tight, it kinda hurts..." Nitocris said softly.

Altera snapped back to reality and realized she had a vice grip on Nitocris' bicep, pressing her arm to her body. Nitocris was giving her a strained smile, clearly trying to hide the fact that it was hurting quite a bit, squirming lightly, and Altera could even see some blood dampening the bandage on her left arm.

She gasped in horror and released her grip, backing away, mortified. Nitocris rubbed her arm with a light hiss, frowning deeply as she tried to shake off the pain, only to cringe at the brief spike of pain that shot through the arm.

Altera looked at her in terror, and Nitocris lifted her head to look at her. Before she could even recognize her look, however, Altera rose to her feet and bolted out of her tent. "No! Wait! Don't go!" Nitocris called after her, But it was no use. Altera was in no state to listen, as she was already running outside, and she was too fast to hear what was said anyway.

"...It's not that serious..." Nitocris called out weakly, frowning softly. She made an attempt to get up and follow her, only to end up screaming in pain and collapsing to the sandy ground. She groaned, then shakily tried to push herself up, but to no avail. Suddenly, the shifting of fabric was heard, and a pair of large, thick hands grabbed her gently by the arms and lifted her into a sitting position. She looked up to see that it was the huge muscular guy that had given her gold.

"Easy there, now, can't have ya breaking yourself on us like that." The guy chuckled. "Oh hey, we've never actually spoken before, but wow, I should have given you my name! Soooo, you can call me Gug. Uh... Just three of us now, so... hope I can get to know ya better!" Despite everything, Nitocris couldn't help but feel at ease in the large man's presence. He just had a very calm, warm, welcoming aura to him. Gug leaned down to examine her wound carefully, before applying some dressing and reapplying the bandage. "All right, doesn't look serious..."

Nitocris sighed. "I wanted to tell her the same thing, but she ran off before I could..."

Gug stared at her for a moment. "...You can TALK!" He said as if his mind was blown.

"...Yes I...can...?" Nitocris raised a brow and tilted her head. "Can we focus on your leader freaking out and fleeing please?"

"Ah. Right. Yeah, I saw the chief run off... Uh... Looked real scared... She was running like god himself was after her... Sooo, what happened, exactly?" Gug asked.

Nitocris explained the situation, and Gug nodded. "Aaaahhh, I get it. Wow... Real shame..."

"I just don't get it, what scared her so badly?!" Nitocris exclaimed. "It was just a wound! Nothing more!"

"Ah, it's just cause the chief cares about you!" Gug assured her. "She's been taking care of you for a while, and after all the almost-dying you've been doing, all of which were kiiiinda because of her in the first place, she kinda freaks out any time she sees you get even a little hurt cause she thinks it's her fault... Soooo, she basically ran cause she doesn't wanna hurt ya..."
"But that doesn't make sense..." Nitocris remarked. "We've talked before... I told her she doesn't need to feel guilty... Since she's doing her best and all... To help and take care of me I mean... She's doing a great job... She doesn't have anything to be afraid of..."

"...She didn't tell ya yet, huh?" Gug asked.

"What?" Nitocris blinked in confusion. "Didn't tell me what?"

"Weeeeell, the chief is kiiiiinda soooorta a god." Gug replied.

Nitocris froze up as her brain scrambled in sheer confusion at what she just heard. "Uh... That came out wrong. So she's not really like... ACTUALLY a god, but she sure is like one. I mean, all the destruction she's caused. And I'm not just talking pillaging and slaughter, I'm talking TOTAL devastation. She didn't slaughter those Romans that attacked our camp. Their entire city's literally just a smoking crater in the ground. And uh... yeah, not the first time either. She's destroyed a lot of stuff. Like... physically tore them apart. It was like they were nothing. She's destroyed minds just by looking at people. That pelt you're sittin' on? That's her old pet tiger. She loved that big goober. Aaaaand then one day she just turned him into a pelt and uh... yeah, I really don't know why she did that. It was pretty much out of nowhere. She keeps getting these voices in her head that kinda... nudge her towards doing stuff. Like... y'know... destroying everything she sees. So... that's why she's afraid. Ever since she could walk, all she's done is destroy. But you're one of the only things she won't. In her words, you're just... 'good civilization'. And cause it's so easy to destroy stuff without even trying, she ran because she's afraid she'll destroy you when she really doesn't want to."

Nitocris processed what she just heard. So... the woman was... supposedly cursed in some way... Cursed to be a destructive force of devastation, entirely against her will, if the voices in her head were truly there... Now things made so much more sense... A powerful being that only destroys, runs away to try and avoid destroying her even more after she already had on several levels, and unintentionally at that...

And that tiger pelt...

Nitocris looked down, and she saw that the pelt she was sitting on was indeed that of a striped creature. She had never seen this beast before, but if her assumption was right...

"So this used to be her pet..." She said softly.

"Yep." Gug nodded. "She was... pretty upset when she snapped out of it and realized what she did. Didn't cry or anything, just sorta... blankly stared and spent the next week alone in her tent."

Nitocris looked at the fur, the softness palpable on her fingers, then up at Gug. "I need you to help me see her."

"Uh... Gee, I dunno... It's pretty dark out there, and you're pretty banged up... Might be a bit dangerous."

"I need to see her." Nitocris said adamantly. "I demand to speak with your leader."

"Well. I know better than to try and argue with a stubborn woman." Gug shrugged. "You're riding in the cart though. Can't have ya walking."

"This is acceptable." Nitocris nodded. "As long as I get to see her, I don't care how I get there."

"Right!" Gug scooped her up bridal style, then stepped out of the tent. He carefully lowered her into a cart, then grabbed onto the reigns. "Hang on tight. It's gonna be a bumpy ride."

"Huh? What do you-" Nitocris cut herself off with a scream as Gug took off like a lightning bolt.

He took off with such force that Nitocris was very nearly flung from the cart. He ran with so much speed that he even kicked up a sandstorm!

Of course, said sand ended up getting right in Nitocris' face. The former pharaoh had to summon a magical barrier to ensure the sand didn't end up in her eyes. She held onto the pelt and the cart for dear life as they moved. 'THIS IS RIDICULOUS!' She screamed internally. 'IS HE SOME KIND OF DEMIGOD I'VE NEVER HEARD OF?!' The barrier was holding up against the sand, just barely. "WHY COULDN'T SHE HAVE AT LEAST TAKEN MY MIRROR TOO IF SHE WAS GOING TO KIDNAP ME?! THAT WOULD HAVE MADE THIS MUCH EASIER!"

After several agonizing minutes of Nitocris trying to desperately not be catapulted outside the cart and left in the cold nighttime desert to freeze to death while also holding off a miniature sandstorm, the cart finally stopped moving.

Abruptly. So abruptly that Nitocris lurched forward and very nearly smashed her nose against the side of the cart, just barely managing to extend her hands and catch herself on the sides.

"All right, we're here! Uh... Sorry for the rough ride!" Gug called out as he approached.

"Ugh... I know how it feels to be just a single grain of sand in a sandstorm..." Nitocris groaned. "Help me out of here please..."

"You got it." Gug obediently gave her a hand out of the cart, carefully making sure she could still stand. Nitocris, once she regained her barings, looked forward...

And there she was.

She was in a small oasis, with grass and a palm tree present throughout. She was kneeling in front of what Nitocris could make out was a small lake. She was deathly still, like a statue.

Shakily, Nitocris began to walk towards her, Gug staying by her side to catch her should she fall. Eventually, after some very painful effort, she stopped behind the hun. The woman perked up, spotting her reflection in the water, before turning around and looking up at Nitocris. The Egyptian shakily waved at her. "Hello... You...left very abruptly, and... I got worried that she might be cold..."

Altera quickly got up and backed away from her. "You... You shouldn't have come here..."

"Well I wouldn't have come after you if you just stayed and didn't run off." Nitocris chided.

"I had to!" Altera insisted. "I almost killed you again!"

Nitocris just stared at her. "It was literally just a tiny reopened wound."

"And it could've very well become a whole corpse, if I didn't run away when she did!" Altera argued back. Nitocris sighed, fully understanding these arguments now that Gug told her the truth. She truly was terrified of killing her by accident thanks to her destructiveness. She approached her. "Stay back!" Altera demanded. She ignored her. "I said stay back! Get away from me! Stop it! Stop! Come no closer! I mean it!" This went on for several minutes, until eventually she pulled Photon Ray out and pointed it at Nito's throat when she was in distance. "Get away or I'll put you in chains again." She snarled while her eyes spilled out lines of wet tears of sheer terror.

The Egyptian stood still, gazing at her with eyes full of...of...

She had no idea what that was.

But...it made her feel like...like she wasn't being shunned. Like...like someone was pulling her into a warm embrace, aware of her danger but letting her still be near them. Slowly, the other woman's hand lifted itself up, and she placed it on the edge of Photon Ray. She then pushed the blade down, and as much as she wanted to...Altera couldn't hold it up. The sword fell down along with her arm, and she just stared at Nitocris with eyes full of fear as she approached her. The same hand that touched her sword now touched her forehead, and she saw a small light shine above her eyes. A voice spoke in her head, but was soon silenced with a muffled scream. Nitocris grunted and fell, but Altera caught her, laying her down on the sand, head on her lap as she caressed her face with tears. "Wh-Why...?"

Nitocris smiled tiredly. "If the voices are a problem, I can easily shut them off with magic. It won't last forever, but if I can give you at least a little reprieve from your urges as thanks for doing her best to take care of me despite me making it difficult for you..."

Altera couldn't hold her tears back anymore, she let them flow as she gently lifted the Pharaoh into a hug, crying into her shoulder as the Egyptian smiled, quietly being a bit miffed that she couldn't return the embrace with her exhaustion.

Gug stood off to the side, watching the whole exchange with a wide smile. "Wow, that girl's really changed the chief for the better. Big time. Just keeps making her better and better without even realizing it." This was the very first time he had ever seen his strong and destructive and stoic chief cry her heart out... And to what was once considered her property no less! A bizarre sentence, sure, but it was the truth.

The chief was learning to feel again.

Eventually, Altera stopped crying. She went limp in Nitocris' hold. Gug approached the two women, scooping them both up and placing them in the cart, held close together against each other. Well, sort of. Altera had her arms and legs wrapped around Nitocris like a baby koala, refusing to let go of her. She had her eyes closed, her face resting against the former pharaoh's shoulder. Nitocris, mustering up the strength, lifted her arm to place her hand on Altera's own, entwining their fingers together. The hun let out a satisfied hum of peace, and Gug began to pull the cart. The gentle sound of the rolling wheels and the soothing motion of the cart bouncing up and down gently across the dunes calmed its cargo. causing the two women to end up falling asleep, sharing their warmth after a long, painful day.

And so, the next day came, and the sun's rays penetrated through the top of the tent, shining down on the residents. Altera and Nitocris were huddled together, hugging and snoring away peacefully. Gug had taken the liberty of covering them in blankets after laying them on the pelt. The sun's warmth slowly drew Nitocris from her slumber. Feeling a bit constricted, she looked to see her new friend was hugging her in her sleep. Her tongue was out, and her short hair was over her eyes, Smiling, she snuggled her head into the soft pillow and looked at the hun's sleeping face.

Her dark skin remained a beautiful light brown under the dim sunlight, her white tattoos shining on it, while her hair almost absorbed the sun's rays, practically glowing in the shadows of the tent. Her tounge slipped back into her mouth, and the hun let out a hum as her embrace pulled Nitocris closer, the woman nuzzling her face into her long purple hair. One of her hands grabbed on a bit of hair, clasping it between her fingers as she smiled in comfortable delight.

She...

What was her name anyway?

At that thought, Nitocris realized. They've been together ("NO! Not together, as in lovers, but together as in, they've...uh...GAH, dammit Nitocris get your head out of the gutter!") for several months, and yet not even once had she found out her former owner's name. She was also pretty sure she never even gave her own either.

Oh, she needed to rectify that. And FAST.

'I wonder what kind of name she has...' Nitocris thought. 'Barnarian tribes usually have primitive names... As simple as just... ordinary things taking the role of names... Like... 'He Who Devours the Wolves', or 'She Who Is the Sun'... Does she have something like that...?'

Her thoughts were interrupted as the hun stirred awake, moaning eyes her tired eyes opened. Nitocris reached forth and gently moved the hair out of her eyes, seeing a half-lidded gaze staring back at her. She smiled gently. "Good morning." She said softly. The other woman blinked twice, then looked around at her surroundings.

"Odd..." Altera murmured. "We were in the cart... Gug was pulling... Did he place us like this...?"

"I would imagine so." Nitocris' voice caught her attention. "Did you sleep well?"

"Hmm? Oh... Good morning..." Altera nodded. "It's... very early..." She buried her face into the Egyptian's chest. "I'd like to rest further..."

"Now none of that, you really should be getting up now." Nitocris chided. "The time to sleep has long passed," Altera responded by tightening her hold on her,

"No... I don't want to..." She muttered into her breasts before going silent.

Nitocris blushed at the rather forward contact, laughing awkwardly. "Um... Maybe... move just a little bit...? This is kind of embarrassing..."

"Mm-mm." Altera didn't budge. Somehow, her embrace was firm and gentle at the same time, not hurting her in the slightest yet also preventing any hope of escape. Nitocris sighed, realizing she was going to have to play dirty. "Hmm... I'm kind of hungry..." And the moment she finished that sentence, Altera jolted up.

"You need food posthaste." She said, sliding out of the covers and rushing out of the tent to go and get something to eat, releasing Nitocris, who blinked and sighed.

"I'm glad she's so willing to help me recover..." She murmured.

After a few moments, Altera returned with some fruit in a bowl, setting it down and helping Nitocris sit. "If you eat while leaning with an arched back, you'll get spinal pains." She explained. Nitocris attempted to ask for clarification, but was cut off mid sentence when Altera moved behind her, wrapping an arm around her stomach and pulling her back to lean against her, her free hand holding some grapes in front of her face.

Nitocris blinked several times, her face reddening as she looked down at the arm around her belly. Despite how thin she was, her arm was so strong and firm... "I-Is this... really necessary?" She squeaked out.

"Yes." Was all Altera said in response.

Nitocris, by this point, knew it was fruitless to try and argue, and so simply heaved out a sigh, leaning against Altera and opening her mouth, allowing the hun to feed her.

Altera was focusing on Nitocris' long purple hair. How it cascaded down her back like a long, flowing river... How her brown skin was shining under the sun... How the rabbit ears on her head would occasionally twitch when she felt pleasure... And her soft melodic voice humming in delight at the sweet taste of the fruit she had come to miss...

She propped her head up on the former pharaoh's shoulder, leaning their heads together. Then, she registered a touch, and turned to see a dark skinned hand on the side of her head, gently stroking her face and hair. Her eyes moved to Nitocris, who was chewing on a piece of fruit, red in the face and turned away from her. "I... I knew you were looking at me, and... Um... I don't know, just... go with it... Let me just... do this..."

Altera blinked, but instead of responding, she leaned into her touch, smiling ever so slightly and letting out a quiet hum at the soft touch. She continued feeding Nitocris as the pharaoh petted her, until eventually, the bowl of fruit was empty.

Nitocris sighed in satisfaction. "I haven't eaten like this in a long time... It's been a while since I felt so full..." She sighed, then looked up at Altera. "Well then. What's next?" Altera responded by simply wrapping her arms around Nitocris' torso, keeping her close as she nuzzled up to her with content cooing and a soft smile on her face. Nitocris turned beet red at the close contact. "Um... Why are you so close...?"

"I enjoy holding you close and loving you..." Altera explained softly. "I... like your hair, it's very silky, and I just like being close to you, you're very warm and comfortable... I just want to be close with you..."

"...You really just want to cuddle, hmm?" Nitocris asked.

Altera tilted her head in confusion. "How does one cuddle?"

"Like this. Right here." Nitocris responded. "What we're doing right now. Being close and affectionate together? That's cuddling."

"Oh... Well... Yes. I do want to cuddle..." Altera replied softly.

Nitocris sighed. "Well, you could have just said so..." She murmured softly before gently pulling her down and wrapping her own arms around her. Altera pulled Nitocris closer, even going so far as to wrap her legs around the pharaoh, latching on like a baby koala. The pharaoh's face turned beet red as she exhaled through her nose. Her eyes landed on Altera's face, her eyes closed in satisfaction with a content smile on her face, soft, barely audible hums escaping her throat. 'So close...' Nitocris thought. They were making direct skin contact, their legs were entwined, they were in each other's arms...

They really looked like lovers right now...

'No...' Nitocris thought to herself. 'I... I still don't know how to respond to this whole thing...' She was still reeling from the fact that this entire series of events, her kidnapping, her slavery, all the pain she suffered through, was because this barbaric woman had fallen in love with her and wanted to keep her safe. believing that slavery was the best way to go about it... She never bothered to give her a chance. Understandably so, but maybe she should have...

Looking back on it, the woman did indeed treat her very well for a slave. Yes, she chained and gagged her like some sort of animal, but she also washed her, fed her, consoled her, cried over her... Even trying to put her out of her misery when she had almost truly broken her.

Quite a few signs of at least a crush, all gone unnoticed...

But then, it WAS slavery, after all. A slave only fell for their owner if they'd been trained to do so. Something she knew Altera wouldn't have done to her, or at least not deliberately. She had every right to resist and reject her, after what she'd done to her and her home, but...

If she had gone about it in a different manner... Perhaps...

Could she give it a chance now...? Her slavery was over. Her former master was doing everything in her power to ensure she had a safe recovery... after she'd been doing the same for over a month, which was unnoticed by her because she was too scared and defiant to accept it properly. But now...

She could...give it a chance? Acknowledge her affection, and respond in kind?

...

No.

Not yet.

She...needed more time.

For Horus' sake, she didn't even know the woman's name yet!

Wait... She could ask her now!

"...What's your name...?" She spoke softly. Altera opened her eyes and stared at her, silent for several awkward moments. "...Atilla." She said.

"Atilla...? I... I know that name..." Nitocris murmured. "Even among huns, the name Atilla is feared... It's the name of an unstoppable conqueror with no mercy... But... that isn't right... That couldn't be you... You wouldn't be treating me so kindly if you were... And... I'm... far pas the point of believing in lies... I can see right through you. Your name is not Atilla. At least... your REAL name isn't... Atilla is just a moniker... I want your REAL name."

"Atilla." Altera insisted.

"I'm not falling for it."

"My name i Atilla."

What's your actual name?"

"Atilla."

"Tell the truth..."

"My name is Atilla."

This went on for several minutes, but Nitocris was not letting up, and after a while, Altera didn't have the will to fight her anymore. She bit her lip and sighed in resignation. With a blush, she told her.

"Altera... That is the name I was born with..."

Nitocris smiled softly. "Altera... I think that's a beautiful name." She murmured softly. Altera's face flushed pink, then hid her face behind Nitocris' hair as she looked away. Nitocris laughed softly at the sight. "It's nice to formally meet you, Altera... My name is Nitocris."

"Nitocris...? ...Nitocris... It's... It's a beautiful name..." Altera said softly.

Nitocris gave her a haughty smile. "Well of course it's beautiful. It is the name of a pharaoh, after all. Now, that aside, why are you so adamant about being called Attila instead of your true name?"

"I... I actually do rather like being called by my name..." Altera admitted shyly. "But... after what I've done to you, I... don't deserve for my name to leave your lips..."

Nitocris sighed and shook her head. "You must let that go already. I'm rather weary of having to explain to you that everything is just fine. Enough beating yourself up over the past, instead focus on a better today."

There was a moment of silence before Nitocris spoke again. "You've been doing well at this whole recovery thing... Just knowing I'm free and back home again makes me feel so much better... I can properly cast magic again. I can't do that unless I have a clear head. And... I like that you care about me... I like the fact that this whole mess started because you... you loved me... Besides my immediate family, who died long ago, I had no one that truly loved me... The only ones I knew were either the common folk that saw me on a pedastal they could never stand on, arrogant nobles looking to stain the holy throne of the pharaoh with their treachery, evil disgusting suitors that I often had to send off by force... But you? You care for me... You truly, truly do care for me... It's clear as day..."

"...I...I do..." Altera said. "I do! I really do! My entire heart is yours, Nitocris!"

"I know." Nitocris said with a friendly smirk. Reaching forth, she gently grabbed Altera's hand in her own and placed a kiss on the back of it. "This love is one of the reasons I've come to trust you... Why I'm all right with letting you care for me... It... may seem ridiculous, like I only now trust you because I learned you have this immense love for me, but... it's a lot to me... It really is. It's been so long since I've felt loved... You're the last person alive on this planet that has love for me... If I were to squander that care, then may Anubis himself drag me to the afterlife."

Altera grabbed one of her hands and gave her a look that exuded determination. "He will do his best to try."

Nitocris giggled. "Well, if anyone can stop him, I suppose it would be you." She said softly. Both women spent a few seconds just smiling softly at one another, before they slowly wrapped their arms around each other and pulled the woman they liked close, connecting their foreheads together and closing their eyes with a soft smile. And they stayed just like this for several hours. In fact, they stayed just like this for the entire morning, just holding each other close and enjoying one another's presence. Nitocris, to Altera, felt like a small flickering candle flame, which burned bright like a blaze despite the small size. And to Nitocris, Altera was like an encompassing shell of flames, flames that didn't hurt or burn, but simply kept her feeling warm, protected and safe.

Nitocris felt something touch her hair, and she looked to see Altera was playing with her rabbit ears. "...I love these rabbit ears..." Altera said softly. "They're so warm and smooth... And they twitch when you pet them... And they're so cute..."

Nitocris blushed and pouted. "These aren't rabbit ears! These are signs of Horus! I'm his human incarnation! Or... I was... Until I chose to end my own life and lost all of their divine blessings..."

"Really? All of them? I don't believe that's true. I can feel divine power within you." Altera replied simply.

Nitocris frowned, doubting Altera's claims. "Thank you for the reassurance, but it's no use. I've lost my divinity, and it's never going to come back."

"But I'm not just saying that." Altera insisted. "I really can feel the power inside you. It is faint, something is blocking it, but it is very much there. And it's dense... VERY dense... It's... compressed..."

Nitocris blinked. Closing her eyes, she focused, reaching inside herself... And... indeed... She COULD feel something... Something divine... But like Altera said, something was blocking it. But it was there. Divinity. Was. There.

"But it's not possible..." She breathed out. "I felt the blessings leave me, there's no way I should have any divinity left! How? How is it there?"

"Perhaps they didn't leave." Altera spoke again. "Perhaps they were simply locked away. Perhaps they knew what would happen, and sealed your power away in case you lived, so that you may once again claim it."

"...It's a logical theory... But how would I unlock it?" Nitocris asked. "I'm not a pharaoh anymore... I would need to become one again. But surely Egypt has chosen its new ruler by now... One much greater than I ever was...

Meanwhile, in Egypt...

The royal vizier named Ay was in a horrible mood. The palace and city restorations since those blasted huns attacked was going well, but things have slowed down. Many of the slaves have died, the weaklings, and thanks to the pillaging those barbarians had done, material was very hard to find. And to make matters worse, the pharaoh had vanished without a trace, the majority of the nobles running the land had been found dead, and the throne of the pharaoh was now being led by the son of that blasted Amenhotep IV. That sickly young brat couldn't even muster up the magic needed to speed up the process, and instead of studying, he would spend the entire day loitering about in his bed or intermingling with the slaves of all people!

And speaking of the pharaoh...

Ay barged into a dark room, walls covered in hieroglyphs, the only light being a small candle on a table off to the side, by which sat the current pharaoh, a small sickly 9 year old child with white hair and a purple crown atop his head. The boy turned to acknowledge him with his tired, sick eyes, bags underneath them. He smiled despite himself. "Hello, Ay..." He greeted with a raspy voice before descending into coughs. Well, now was the time to fake concern...

Ay approached the boy and patted his back. "I see you've been studying magecraft."

The boy nodded. "I must learn fast... if the city is to recover..."

"An excellent effort, your majesty, and a very much appreciated one." Ay nodded in approval. "Truly the throne has been taken over by a good ruler."

"...You never told me what happened to my predecessor..." The boy said softly.

"Your father, you mean?" Ay asked.

"No. The other one." The boy replied softly. "Nitorcris."

Ay blinked, then sighed deeply. "Simply put... no one knows what happened to her. The day the Huns invaded, she simply disappeared without a trace. Perhaps the gods took her to their holy land... Perhaps the Huns took her away. But either way, she was a superb ruler, and the land misses her dearly..."

Hmph... As if... She was an excellent puppet though. MUCH better than the boy sitting before him.

"I've heard stories of her..." The boy said softly. "How her magic was incredible... I want to learn more and make my ancestor proud. That's why I'm studying now. Ever since early morning."

"Ah, then your sickness must be giving you leeway this morn." The adviser nodded.

"I wish that were true, but illness or not, I can't stop now." The boy replied. "I rule this land, and its people need me. I will make my ancestors proud."

"Excellent, your highness." Ay commended. "I will leave you to your studies then." With any luck, the boy would overwork himself to the point that his sickness would overtake him. With a bow, he left the room to leave the brat to it, pretending not to notice as he started coughing and suffocating, collapsing to the floor and coughing up blood. Covering his mouth with his hand, he took a deep breath, and when he was finally done coughing, he returned to his studies, looking up at a hieroglyph depicting a woman with long purple hair and a pair of rabbit-like ears atop her head.

"I swear to you... I WILL make up for your disappearance..." He said sadly. "Wherever you are... I hope you're well..." And with that, he focused on his studies once more.

Back with the former pharaoh and the hun, Nitocris nodded. "Yes, whoever is at the throne is doing well, I'm sure of it. What good is my divinity if I've no means to unlock it?"

"Don't give up." Altera said softly. "A throne is not the important factor you need. What you need is training. Nothing rigorous, you're still injured, but something nice and easy... Perhaps some simple magic training will help."

"I don't know..." Nitocris murmured.

Altera reached over and gently cupped her face, stroking it with her thumb. "You can do it. I'll be with you the entire way."

Nitocris smiled. "I would expect no less from you..." She closed her eyes in deep thought, then opened them with a broad smile. "The Nile. That's the place to start. When I practiced my magecraft, the cool feeling, rushing water and animals made it easier to concentrate."

Altera looked concerned. "And you're sure about this? That river is... quite filthy... You can't bathe without infecting your wounds."

"Oh, that's all right, I know a small cut off section surrounded by strange minerals that were dropped by European traders. The water there is clean and drinkable, it even helped me recover when I got sick. Whatever those crystals are, they prevent any sort of contamination. I'll be fine." Nitocris assured her.

Altera still wasn't entirely convinced, but she sighed and nodded regardless. "I will be watching closely." She warned.

Nitocris giggled. "I would hope so. You'll be in the water with me."

Altera paused and stared at her. "...Explain?"

"I knew you wouldn't want me to go alone, so why not train you as well?" Nitocris explained. "You likely can't cast magic, but you can use it to calm your mind and drown out the voices without my input."

Altera closed her eyes and pondered on it, then relented with a sigh and a nod. "I... will remain careful, but... I will trust you as you do me."

Nitocris smiled. "I'm glad you accept. I suppose we should go right now..." Altera's embrace on her tightened, and the hun blushed and looked away, still embracing her.

"Wait... I... I enjoy... what we're doing right now... Can we... stay like this just a little bit longer...?" Altera asked shyly.

Nitocris rolled her eyes and smiled in exasperation. "All right, all right. I didn't expect you would be this much of a cuddlebug."

"I'm sorry, it's just that no one has ever held me close like this, and I want to enjoy it as much as possible..." Altera murmured.

Nitocris lay down with a raised brow. "Well then. What was your childhood like? I've told you all about myself, but I've heard nothing about you." Altera was silent. For far too long. And Nitocris was immediately uncomfortable with it. "...Is that a sensitive topic then...?"

"It's...It's all right, I'm..." Altera sighed, and things were silent for a little bit longer.

Finally, Altera spoke again. "I don't know much of my origins... I know that when I was a baby, I woke in some ruins, in a basket, with a sword by my side... I didn't know why, or how, but as time passed, I grew and reached my toddlerhood without any food or anyone to take care of me, until a group of hun sages visited the ruins and discovered me... They attempted to take me away by force, but I killed one of them, and they grew to fear me... And then, fear turned into worship... and somehow, I wound up back at their settlement, where I would spend my days..."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "While the worship was a staple of my life in the settlement, beyond the tent was my true life experience... Rigorous training, to the point of total exhaustion. I learned to clean fish of bone so meticulously simply by being forced to clean a fish of all bone while leaving only flesh intact or else there would be no meals for the day. I wouldn't be able to run because the tribe sorcerers would use their magic to chain me down with chains that nulled my strength, so I had no choice but to comply. It took three months of starvation, which I only survived thanks to the natural strength of my body being unable to lose energy, but eventually... I did succeed. And I was finally allowed to eat my fill."

Another pause. "...One time they took me in my sleep and placed me in a small stone box that they sealed and dropped to the bottom of a lake... They stood near the water and waited for me to escape on my own... They would capture able bodied warriors from places they attacked and made them fight me to the death, more often than not with dud weapons like a stick or a dog's tooth... And that is actually how I met Gug... After I defeated him and made him my second in command... ...And another time, when I was around eight, they tied me up with more of those enchanted restraints and put a rock in my mouth, then a bag over my head, and they threw me into a pit of snakes that they used for executions... I was stuck there and I couldn't do anything as snakes of all shapes and sizes bit and poisoned me... Some strangled the life out of my lungs and throat... I was there for an entire year... ...Most of the things they put me through were for preparation or survival, but... that... I... I truly believe that was an attempt to torture me purely for the sake of seeing the 'child of destruction' try to survive... Well... I did survive... I escaped... I tracked the settlement down using the year's worth of tracks they left behind after leaving me to suffer in that pit... It's a miracle I didn't go mad and slaughter all who put me through that hellish year..."

She stopped talking when she processed a sound. It was... the sound of sobbing? She turned to look at the utterly horrified Nitocris. She looked heartbroken. Tears were pouring down her face like waterfalls. And then, the pharaoh hugged her tightly as she wept over her. It was clear to her that she was utterly horrified at what she was hearing as she tried her best to comfort the hun through her sobs.

"I-I-I'm so sorry!" Nitocris sobbed out. "You... It's all right now, I promise it's all right now, I...I'm sorry..." Nitocris managed to sob out. "Y-You were treated so horribly, and... and as a little girl too...! I was NEVER treated that horribly, EVER... No... No wonder you want to destroy everything! I would too if I had been put through such horrible suffering!" Altera was silent for a moment before pulling her close, gently pushing her head into her chest and letting the pharaoh cry her heart out while she stroked her hair. It took several minutes for Nitocris to calm down, and she took a deep breath. "I-I'm sorry... For... For soaking you and... stuff..."

"It's perfectly fine..." Altera murmured.

Nitocris wiped some tears away. "Is... Is that why your... your pet tiger...?"

Altera's eyes widened. "How... How did you know about my tiger...?" She asked.

"Gug... Gug told me... Yesterday, when you ran away..." Nitocris murmured. "All... All that pain caused you to lash out and kill her pet one day... And... I'm sorry you were so hurt that you did that..."

"...I didn't kill him..." Altera said softly.

Nitocris stopped and looked at her. "H-Huh...? What do you mean...?"

"I... I would NEVER have killed my favourite and only pet... I had no friends, that cub was the only semblance of friendship and familial bond I ever had... Then when I came back from a successful hunt one day,with some food for him... the chieftains had already killed him... and they made him into a pelt... I was... young at the time, I didn't understand many things, and they used that against me... They told me lies of how I was the one who killed him... I destroyed him, just like I did everyone and everything else... That's all I was ever good for... Devastation, death and destruction. ...Eventually, I did find out what happened... And I killed them... ALL of them... That was the final straw, they HAD to die... And I don't regret doing it one bit... I... I miss him... I... I will forever miss him..."

There was a moment of silence, aside from Nitocris' heartbroken sniffles. "But... at least I no longer feel responsible for his death... I know the truth...

Nitocris grabbed her face and made her look at her. Her face, dripping with heartbroken tears, now had an edge of determination fixed together with one of sadness and pain. "That's it! You are coming with me to live in the kingdom! I'll give you and Gug a home, peace and a new pet! A new fluffy sweet adorable little animal for you to take care of! It's so unfair that you were treated like that, that you lost your only friend!"

"But I don't deserve to enter your kingdom..." Altera tried to argue.

"Shh! Nope! Uh-uh! NO arguing! You're gonna come with me, you're GONNA be welcomed with open arms, and you are going to have ALL the love and comfort you deserved to have as a little girl! You're not allowed to say otherwise! If I have to regain my divinity to personally FORCE you to let yourself be happy, then that is EXACTLY what I'll do!" Nitocris declared.

Altera was silent for a moment before letting out a small mirthful chuckle and shaking her head. "I suppose I should have expected that response..." She murmured. "I should stop trying to fight your determination... But... are you sure you want to let me in...?"

Nitocris nodded resolutely. "I'm not giving up, so you should give up on me giving up." She declared.

"...Very well then." Altera relented with a sigh.

Nitocris smirked. "You may show your endless gratitude by hugging me closer."

"I'd hoped you would ask that of me..." Altera said, snuggling their bodies closer together as they both lay down in each others arms, spending another few hours cuddling close and enjoying one another's warmth.

However, all things ultimately needed to come to an end, and that end came in the form of a growling stomach from both women. Nitocris squeaked and blushed in embarrassment, while Altera calmly, though a bit unwillingly, pulled herself out of the embrace and stood up. "...Do you have any cravings? I would like some meat."

Nitocris shrugged. "Not really... Whatever you want is fine."

Nodding, Altera left the tent while Nitocris sat up, crossing her legs and thinking about what animal she could give Altera. A majestic jackal? No... They were manifestations of Anubis, the God of Death, and she was pretty sure Altera had had quite enough of death. A powerful, strong crocodile? ...No, not that either... Too... not-pettable...

Altera then came in, carrying a... crocodile on her shoulder, dropping its corpse on the floor and starting to chop it up with a small axe.

'Yeah... Definitely not a crocodile...' Nitocris thought as she watched the hun work on the large beast, chopping its body into neat little pieces and impaling them all on sticks. Nitocris took the liberty of starting the fire with her magic, and Altera set the sticks above the fire, turning them gradually as she roasted them. "...Where did you get that big of a crocodile?"

Altera shrugged. "It was in the river. I wrestled it to death."

Nitocris stared silently at her with a mixture of awe and fear. Subtly, she lifted her hand and squeezed Altera's bicep, eyes widening when the muscle didn't even budge under her fingers.

Then, a hand grabbed her own, and now, she had it placed on Altera's chest.

Blinking, Nitocris looked at Altera, who was simply giving her a blank look. No fluster or embarrassment. She was completely composed.

Nitocris was another story.

Pulling her hand back, she stutters and stammers, before regaining her bearings. "Wh-Why did you do that?"

Altera tilted her head. "I'm sorry. I was under the impression that one usually gropes the chest of their lover, not their biceps."

"I wasn't groping anything!" Nitocris denied. "I was just checking out your arms, because it still seems impossible to me that you wrestled a crocodile to death with such thin arms!"

Altera blinked, before nodding. "I supposed that make sense, albeit I was hoping you actually were trying to touch me that way."

Nitocris blushed fiercely. "D-DON'T SAY THAT SO NONCHALANTLY!"

"Why not? Are such things not normal between lovers? I don't see what there is to be embarrassed about." She then stopped and remembered how she still hadn't decided on whether or not she'd accept her love. "Oh... I'm sorry... It seems I was too hasty..."

Great. Now Nitocris just felt bad about seeing her so down in the dumps. Sighing, Nitocris shook her head. "It's fine... I understand..." A moment of silence. "...I think I have an idea. I'll accept hyourer love ONLY if during my recovery you learn how to be a good lover."

Altera perked up. "Gladly. What does that entail?"

'"It's simple, just... basically everything a lover needs to know about to be a good partner to their significant other. Respecting boundaries, taking care of and comforting their lover, things like that. You're doing a good job in some aspects already, but you need to learn a lot more if she want to be accepted as my partner." Nitocris replied.

Altera nodded, more than happy to fulfil this request. "What do I have to do to be the best lover I can be?" She asked. "Tell me everything." Nitocris closed her eyes in thought, her mind flashing back to all the previous suitors she had turned away, using their mistakes as a reference as she began to explain everything.

"All right then! First of all... Personal space! While cuddling and holding one another close is good and healthy, it simply can't be done all the time. Both sides need some personal space and boundaries, otherwise one side may feel like a suffocating and clingy weight hanging off of their lover that won't leave them alone. Now, this doesn't mean that physical affection is never okay, it just means that both sides need to respect that we need time to breathe and be free instead of constant, endless affection. I liked our cuddling and hugging, but if we did it all the time, I would start to feel suffocated, and I'm sure you would feel much the same." She explained.

"And second! Validation of one another's feelings and opinions! If we ever disagree on something, that doesn't mean we reject each other's notion outright! Instead, we consider each other's feelings when making this decision and show respect for it regardless of disagreement! For example, I don't agree with your opinion of whether or not you're allowed to be in my kingdom despite the chaos you sowed within! But I understand why you feel the way that you do, even though everything is very much all right! I understand if you don't want to come with me..."

"I...very much do want to follow after you..." Altera said softly. "I want to be with you and live in the kingdom, but I believe I don't deserve it no matter how much I desire it..."

"And that is perfectly fine." Nitocris assured her with a nod.

"Now, after that comes appreaciation! It's important for partners to show that they really do appreciate and value each other. Even the smallest things, like taking over their work so they can take a rest or even just making them their favourite food can really show them how much you care. Then there's communication. If either side is upset about something in their relationship, it's important to talk it over and figure out what to do to fix it. And on that note, it's also important to control your temper and try not to snap. That will only make both sides afraid to talk to each other, and might seriously hurt the relationship." Nitocris continued.

She gave Altera a moment to digest the information before speaking again. "Now, is there anything about this that you think needs work?"

"Yes." Altera immediately had an answer. "I am aware you've heard this many, many times, but I simply can't go without saying that this entire relationship is the result of me doing the most horrible of things to you... I've pillaged your kingdom, and slaughtered your subjects... I kidnapped you... I tied you up, stole your freedom and forced you to accept being less than an animal. I caused you to nearly die several times. I broke your mind so badly I may as well have violated you. And my negligence led to you getting tortured by my very own men... No matter what, there's no true forgiveness for such horrible actions, and it's all because I selfishly became infatuated with your beauty and wanted to keep you all for myself... Like some sort of... cut of meat that I could ogle for my own satisfaction... I'd been treating you like an object since the very beginning..."

A moment of silence. "...In my dream where I'd wound up killing you to end your misery, I woke with my hand on your chest and your scent covering my body... As though I'd gone ahead and... pleased myself with you..." She grabbed Nitocris' hands and looked at her with such fear that Nitocris was taken aback. With a shaky voice, and teary eyes, Altera spoke in a begging tone "Answer me truthfully... Did I violate you...? Did I take advantage of your body without realizing it at any point? Did I EVER force myself on you without knowing?!"

Nitocris awkwardly, still taken aback by the sheer unadulterated terror on her face, spoke. "...No. You didn't."

"...I can't believe it. You must be speaking out of fear... I must have done it... I'm sure of it!" Altera began hyperventilating, her stress and fear getting to her, causing her to shake and feel cold as she began to whisper to herself. "I hurt you... I made you suffer, when I promised I wouldn't..."

Then, her breathing, her fear and her anxiety all instantly shut down just as she was reaching the edge.

How?

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her close and leaning her head against something soft. Her eyes looked up, and she saw Nitocris looking down on her with a gentle smile and eyes full of compassion. "I wouldn't ever want to hold you this close if you ever did that to me. The very fact that I'm holding you in my arms, allowing you to rest your head against me...it's all the proof you need. You didn't do anything. You didn't hurt me. You didn't violate me or force yourself on me. Do you remember the promise you made mr back on the first night, when she first bathed me? You told her yourself. You will never use my body like that without my express consent, and you won't decline if I did express the desire to do it." Nitocris blushed and looked away at that. "Now, it isn't like I want to. But the point still stands. You are not guilty of anything you think you did. That actually brings me to another point for a good lover. Putting the effort in."

A brief pause. "Now, you aren't guilty of anything you think you are. Quite frankly it's the opposite. You are pouring your entire being into ensuring that I have a safe and swift and easy recovery. To truly love each other, both partners need to strive to be better people by themselves. They need to be prepared to put the work in for their lover, no matter the circumstances. And so far, literally almost all of your actions have showcased you putting in the work to accommodate me, both as a free woman and as your slave. It's one of the biggest parts of being a good and understanding partner, and you've already gotten it down perfectly and then some. You have absolutely nothing to fear, as all the evidence against your fears are right here."

Altera gazed into her eyes, seeing not a single hint of deceit or fear. Only... trust. Pure, absolute trust. She really was telling the truth. She really did trust her with her entire self.

As if to prove her point even further, Nitocris grabbed Altera's wrist, pulling her arm behind her own back and letting Altera hold her close. She adjusted her position and did the same with her other arm, now being entirely in Altera's embrace. She placed her head on top of the huns, pulling her into a hug of her own and stroking her back with a gentle hand. "You don't need to worry... Neither of us do... You don't need to be afraid of being hurt again, and you don't need to be scared of hurting me again... I trust you, and you can't talk me out of it..."

Altera looked up at her, gazing into those deep, purple eyes, shining with nothing but warmth. Love. Care. Trust. Determination. Strength. Beauty.

She leaned forward to connect her forehead together with Nitocris' own. She closed her eyes. 'Not yet...' She thought. She couldn't kiss her yet... But this was close enough. "...Thank you..." She said softly. And she meant it from the bottom of her heart. "Thank you for your trust... I will make sure not to squander it... I will prove myself worthy of being your lover..."

Nitocris nodded, glad to hear those words. "I expect a lot from you. I hope you're up to the task."

Altera just gave a firm glare. "Just watch. I'll prove myself no problem."

Nitocris giggled, smiling at her determination...

And then a smell caught her nose, and she looked to see...the croc meat being roasted slightly too long. "Ah! It's gonna burn!" She warned before the two scrambled to save the meal.

Later, Nitocris put a bone into the fire, sighing in relief that they managed to salvage the meat to an extent. "I seem to have found a new taste for slightly overcooked meat... It's a bit more delicious...".

"I'm glad you've had your fill." Altera nodded. "We also have enough for dinner and tomorrow as well. ...Would you like to go to the Nile now?"

"No... Going into the water after eating can be harmful. We should wait for a while until the food settles." Altera nodded, and stretching, laid down and decided to take a nap. Nitocris moved over to her, placing her head on her thighs. "There we are, just relax... I'll stay awake and warn you if anything dangerous happens." Altera nodded, and slowly drifted off to snooze away.

Nitocris remembered the several times she had woken up in this position, being looked down on by Altera with her head rested on her thighs. She blushed a little bit upon remembering how soft her legs felt despite how thin and well toned they were...

Altera let out a hum in her sleep, and Nitocris smiled as she gently stroked her hair. This had the effect of getting Altera to subconsciously reach up and grab her hand, pulling it down and hugging it close. Nitocris blinked, then sighed as she quietly allowed it, a small smile appearing on her face. She looked through the gap in the tent, seeing the light shining through.

She still couldn't believe it. After a month of suffering, pain, near death, terror and cold in an unforgiving land she knew nothing about... she was back. She was home in the land she was raised in, where she grew up, played, smiled, laughed and ran around in the sand alongside her brothers, and wept in pure anguish as she watched their sarcophagi be carried away into the pyramids... forever...

And she was brought back by none other than the same person who took her away in the first place. The woman who stole her from her home and people all because she fell madly in love with her at first sight. The woman who genuinely meant to give her sincere comfort, joy and peace... while keeping her as a pet on a literal leash.

Well, she was certainly glad that time was long gone. Now that she knew the full truth, she was willing to be more accepting. After all, despite her assumptions, Altera did truly, genuinely love her without any malicious intent whatsoever. Her approach was simply horrible due to inexperience with romance as a barbarian. And...

Such hellish suffering when she was just a little girl... She'd thought losing her family was hard, but the girl sleeping with her head in her lap had no one from the very start, and was tortured into and thought to be a monster of destruction and chaos. She very clearly needed someone to be close to... To feel comfortable with. And her feelings... Well... She would be glad to accept her once she had proven herself worthy.

And Nitocris, just like she bided her time until the perfect opportunity to claim her revenge, would wait as long as she needed for Hun to prove herself more worthy than any past consorts.

Sighing, she flexed and stretched her arms a little, careful not to open any wounds, before placing them behind her head and leaning against the pillar supporting the tent, allowing the warmth of the desert to wash over her as she herself slightly dozed off.

Meanwhile, tens of miles away, Gug was happily humming a tune to himself as he poured water over the plants on the shores of the Nile. Spotting some reeds, he plucked them and stored them in his bag. "Ooh, I can make some new baskets after the whole Roman attack burned away all the old ones!" He then noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and gasped as he saw a rare spiked desert lizard. Pulling out a feather, he noted its unusual shape and colours before waving it off with a smile, sending it scurrying off into the sand. He heard a bark off to his side, and turned to see Sniffy wagging his tail. He patted his head and pulled out a bone he had salvaged from the corpse of an old comrade. He chucked it off for Sniffy to fetch, and the dog ran a fair distance, stopping behind a dune...

Before strange sounds were heard, and a bright flash of blue light shone behind the dune, Sniffy now barking in alarm.

Gug's brow raised questioningly. "...Sniffy?" He called out. "What's going on over there?" Nothing, just more barking. Gug, now concerned, quickly ran over the dune, climbing up and looking down to see Sniffy, hair standing on end, barking at... something small. And brown... With... purple and gold...?

Gug narrowed his eyes, then gasped and slid down, running over to check the small body of what he assumed was a child. He had one of those funky purple Egyptian crowns on his head and a weird curved staff made of gold with him. "Oh man... Oh geez... Uh... Hey! Hey kid! Can ya hear me?!" He got a weak groan and some coughs in response, and he flipped the boy over to get a better look at him. Dark skin and white hair. "Uh... Kid? You with me here?"

"H-Huh...? What...? Where... Where am I...?" The boy asked softly before he began to cough up blood, gasping desperately for air. Gug quickly snatched him up.

"C'mon, Sniffy, we're outta here now!" He called urgently to his loyal dog before taking off in the direction of the campsite, the boy securely in his arms. "Just hang on! You'll be all right!"

It took him what felt like forever, but eventually, he reached the campsite, quickly approaching the tent and entering. Nitocris was the first to notice. "Gug? What's going on?" She asked.

"Oh, hey! Uh... Sorry, in a big hurt right now, you know any of those big fancy healing spells that are all the rage in this neck of the woods?" Gug asked with an awkward grin.

This prompted Altera to wake up as well, groggily sitting and looking around. "What's happening...? Gug...? You look alarmed, are you well...?"

"Oh, I'm fine, but uh... He isn't." And with that, he presented to them the child in his arms, sickly and malnourished, a single cough emitting a wad of blood into a horrified Nitocris' face.

"Oh my goodness! Altera, help me, quickly!" Nitocris cried out urgently, Altera obediently helping the former pharaoh approach so she could lean down and examine the boy. ...He wasn't injured... But he was very sick. She needed to act fast. Hurriedly, she activated the healing magecraft, placing her hands over his body with a circular wall of blue hieroglyphs surrounding them both.

Altera and Gug watched in amazement at the strange symbols, not knowing how to decipher them, but still being awestruck by their radiance. Eventually, Nitocris dispersed them and looked down at the boy with horror and disgust. "...What's wrong...?" Altera asked softly.

"His... His entire body is riddled with disease and weakness, his bones are brittle,his heart pumps much too fast and too much, his blood is clotted and causing him to cough it up, and that's just the surface level!" Nitocris exclaimed.

A moment of silence. "And this crown...! This staff! Where did you find him, Gug?!"

"Well, I was just watering the plants near the Nile, I stopped to play with Sniffy, and some weird light popped up and he was just... there!" Gug explained.

"Why is the location found of importance?" Altera asked, head tilted.

"Because these items belong to a pharaoh... No other person could wear this..."

The tent was collectively silent at that revelation. Both Altera and Gug looked down at the boy again, and indeed... His clothing... All the jewellry and gold... And the crown...

"Gug. Can you repeat what you were doing?" Altera requested. "How did you find him again?"

"Like I said, just hanging by the Nile and he was just there in a flash of light." Gug replied.

"I see... He must have sent himself out of the boundaries of the city with teleportation magecraft." Nitocris nodded. "He's very young... It has to be a magical mishap... I've done several back in my childhood, when I was just beginning to learn magic..." The boy suddenly began to cough as blood leaked from his lips, and Nitocris hurriedly began applying the most potent healing spells she knew. "Altera, find some water! Gug, bring me a scorpion!" The pair nodded and hurriedly left the tent, and Nitocris stared at the boy, deep in thought. 'I've seen this boy before... Him and his father... Their family had a history of inbreeding... No wonder he's so sickly... Is he the one who inherited the throne?'

She gritted her teeth in anger. Who would be stupid enough to put such a sickly little boy in charge of a whole country?! ...A puppet... He was being used as a puppet. Nitocris' face darkened as she realized some of her targets had survived. 'I'll fix that...' She thought. 'I'll fix that VERY soon...'

The two huns were quick to come back. Altera handed her an urn of water, and Nitocris grabbed the scorpion Gug passed without even looking. She casually crushed it in her hand, then dropped it into the water, biting her thumb and dipping the bleeding scratch right in. Next, she took some sand, sprinkling it in, and then, she activated her magecraft to create symbols that swirled around the urn before dissipating. Taking the urn, she gently tipped it over, lifting the boy's head to help him drink from it. After a moment, his breathing calmed, and he opened his eyes, blinking and groaning. Tiredly, he looked around. "Ay...? Ay... Are you... there...?" He called out softly.

"Ay is not here." Nitocris murmured gently. "Now, you must lie down... There we are..." She gently laid him back down. "Lay down and rest..."

Altera, knowing what Nitocris wanted, placed a pillow under his head, and Nitocris sighed in relief, taking the urn and handing it to Altera. "Now... can you find a place to store this, in case it's needed again? And Gug, can you cook something up for him? He needs something healthy and nutritious... Like fruit or vegetables."

"Of course." Altera nodded.

"You got it!" Gug saluted, immediately rushing to it. Nitocris continued to gaze at the boy, thoughts swirling in her head as she tried to work out how to proceed with her upcoming execution plan 2.

Naturally, she knew that the first one she should be rid of is obviously Ay, that despicable sham of an advisor. She had seen through him on several occasions, and when he suddenly became trustworthy, probably because he learned of her plans somehow, she was foolish enough to trust him. Now though...seeing what he did with this boy...no. No mercy.

Next, she should probably hunt down any remaining noble fools daring to condone this. A task easy enough with Altera at her side. Though the few heirs she remembered from her past...they seemed genuine. No matter. She'll have to check with the servants and slaves, as they should know of treatment from nobles the best. As for the boy...he was definitely of noble blood. That much was certain. He wouldn't be pharaoh otherwise. Him being this way meant he was likely inbred. Something she was...utterly repulsed by. She'd shudder to imagine herself procreating with any of her brothers...either way, she needed to give him the best treatment she could muster. That meant the best healing magecraft possible. Perhaps even from other countries.

The boy groaned in mild discomfort as he stirred. "No, no... You mustn't move." Nitocris murmured gently. The concoction she gave him still needed to take effect. He'd get some food now, which should hasten the process.

The boy opened his eyes and looked around, confused by his surroundings, before looking at Nitocris, his eyes widening as "You... I know you... You're my father's ancestor...!"

Nitocris blinked. "Um... So... Your father was pharaoh before you then...?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, but he died a bit too early and I got put in place instead. I'm trying my best to live up to you... I was actually studying magic and...it seems I accidentally botched a spell and got sent to the desert. I'm sorry for the mistake..."

"It's perfectly fine." Nitocris was quick to assure. "You need not live up to me. Not like there was much to live up to..."

Altera then returned, entering the tent and noticing the boy was awake. "...Greetings." She said simply.

"Hello." The boy responded politely. "I don't believe I know you... Are you a civillian or a slave...?"

"It is... a long story." Altera stated. "At the moment, I'm simply a friend of your pharaoh."

The boy nodded, and then remembered something. "Wait... How are you alive...? I was told you perished when barbarians invaded Egypt."

Nitocris cringed. "...A...long story..." She muttered. "One I can tell later because right now you need rest and relaxation above all."

Gug then returned, carrying a bowl and a pot, one with a fruit salad and one with some veggie soup. He quickly handed them over to the boy. "Soup's on! Ya need help eating there, kid?"

"Oh, no, that's perfectly fine." The boy denied as he took the salad first, taking a bite and lighting up in childlike wonder. "It tastes wonderful! Sir, are you perhaps a god of food?!"

Gug smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, nah, nothing like that, I learned everything I know from my chief here!"

Altera quickly waved off his words. "Not at all, I merely showed you the basics. It was you who created the impressive ideas you always come up with, such as the fruit salad for instance."

The boy tilted his head. "Are YOU the god then?" He asked Altera. "I feel... something from you... Something divine..."

"Divine?" Altera tilted her head. "...I suppose in a way you could say so..." The boy gazed at her with admiration, and that felt extremely off to her... and yet still made her feel rather happy at the same time.

"It seems you have a fan." Nitocris joked. Altera blushed and looked away. "Oh! I realized we never asked for your name!" She turned to the boy.

"Ah... I'm sorry... My name is Tutankhamun." The boy introduced.

Nitocris froze up at that. She... She... KNEW that name...! That sickly little toddler she saw at the royal court a few times when she was younger! That was him! THEY MADE HIM A PHARAOH! They took advantage of a sickly little boy just like they did with her!

Before her anger could boil too intensely, a light tap on her forehead snapped her out of it, and she blinked to see the boy, having poked her head.

"Um... You were letting some underworld magic leak out..." He murmured softly. "I know why you're angry, and I'm grateful, but it's not necessary, you don't need to worry about the throne. You no longer rule... You can live normally and peacefully, away from the harsh court and nobles. I'll take over. I'll live up to you and prove I'm worthy..."

Before he could continue talking, he began to cough and gasp, prompting Nitocris to use a spell to stabilize him, before she hugged him close. "No you won't..." She said. "You won't be ruling the kingdom... That's far too much of a burden for anyone in such poor health to bear... You should be the one to live peacefully, and I promise you won't be failing me. My life as a ruler was... filled with people who saw me as a puppet... You don't deserve that, and I will be reinstating myself as pharaoh, and as such, will ensure all the care and time to heal you could ever need."

"Of course, you need to recover yourself." Altera reminded her. "And on that note... Our Nile bath. We can bring the boy along and have him bathe as well, it may help him recover slightly."

Tutankhamun and Nitocris both blushed. "But... But it wouldn't be appropriate to bathe in the same bath as two women!" The young boy exclaimed.

"No worries, buddy!" Gug assured him. "You can buddy up with me, I'll make sure everything's fine! We'll have our own little man side, and the girls can have their side, it'll be like a little secret club."

"Yes, that's an excellent suggestion." Nitocris nodded. "Now, you can eat after we've bathed..."

"Yes." Tut nodded. Nitocris helped him stand, and all four left the camp, headed for the spot Nitocris had suggested before.

It took them about ten minutes of walking, but eventually, they arrived, and the immediate difference in the water was obvious. Altera pinched her nose, blinking at how... clean and fresh the air smelled. Was this some sort of magic...? And the water... It was so clean! No murkiness, no small clouds or clumps of dirty sand and rocks, nothing, just pristine clear water. And there were so many animals too... Fish, hippos, crocodiles, ibises, and more.

Altera noticed her wonder and smiled. "I know... I was in disbelief the first time I saw it too... I can't believe it's stayed so clean all these years... Maybe those minerals were magical after all!"

Tut and Gug both looked at the sight with a childlike wonder. Gug immediately ripped his outfit off to reveal swimming trunks, sunglasses and a rubber ducky floatie. "Wow! I haven't seen water this clean since I took a dip back at the sea!"

Tut grabbed his hand. "Come, let's hurry! I want to get a closer look!"

Gug followed behind. "Okay, ladies, go on and have your date!" He called over to the two women with an innocent wave.

Nitocris blushed while Altera tilted her head. "...What does today's date have to do with anything?" Altera asked.

"N-Never mind that!" Nitocris brushed it off the best she could. "Um... Can you... take the bandages off so they don't get all soaked and get the water all filthy...?"

Altera complied, carefully unwrapping the bandages that mummified the pharaoh. When they were removed, she winced at the still present scars on Nitocris' body, mostly closed up, but still very much palpable.

And yet, Nitocris wasn't the least bit disturbed by them, quite the opposite really. "Hmm... Well, I must say, I did always want to have powerful scars like the warriors in the stories. It'd be nicer if they came from something less... traumatic...But I'll take what I can get!"

"I'm sorry..." Spoke the pained Altera. "I feel horrible... If I hadn't left you alone..."

Nitocris rolled her eyes and booped her on the nose. "Stop. You're not allowed to be like this when we came here to relax and recover." And with that, she took Altera's hand and pulled her towards the water, eagerly stepping in up to her thighs and sighing in bliss at how cold and refreshing it was in the desert heat. She then helped Altera enter, and the hun flinched at the cold that suddenly bit at her sunbathed skin. "Just relax." Nitocris spoke soothingly. "Relax and just follow me..." She held her hands as she guided her deeper in, until they were up to their shoulders in water. "Now! Take a deep breath and dive!"

Altera blinked, then watched as Nitocris did just that. She hesitated a moment before doing the same, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a smiling Nitocris beneath the water, causing her to almost let her breath go. The shimmering sun shining through the surface of the water shone down on the pharaoh and painted her in a mesmerizing shade of blue, her purple hair floating and swaying gently in the water. Her eyes gained a glint of joy and nostalgia that Altera found simply... breathtaking.

Nitocris resurfaced, Altera following after, and the pharoaoh let out a soft sigh. "Ah... I've missed this above anything else for so long... How are you feeling?" She asked softly.

"Beautiful." Was all Altera said.

Nitocris blinked. "Oh... Beautiful... That's an... odd way to put it..."

"Ah... Erm... I mean... I was merely... Um..." Altera sputtered, trying to correct herself, before blushing and looking away. "...It was just as refreshing as you said..."

Nitocris smiled softly and nodded, looking around for a moment before gently pulling Altera along through the water. The hun's mind lingered on the feeling of the shifting sand under her toes, the cold water hugging her skin, the sensation of her hair floating in the water... It felt... she didn't even know! But it made her feel alive... Like never before... The cold was different than the cold from Europe, it was refreshing... It filled her with energy, relaxed her muscles, killed any desire to... do anything. She just wanted to float in the water, swim, let the flow carry her.

Nitocris gently pulled her to a different, shallower spot, moving her to lean against the rocky edge as she moved away and leaned next to her. With a small smile, she decided to be a little bit mischievous. She moved closer, and snuggled against Altera's side, her head on her shoulder. "I hope you don't mind me being so close to you..." She murmured.

The hun looked at her quizzically, then smiled and accepted the position. Lifting her arm, she wrapped it around the pharaoh's shoulder and pulled her in closer, leaning her head on top of hers. The pharaoh blushed beet red, eyes wide. 'Ah! I did NOT plan for THIS! I just wanted to get HER to be the one all blushy and flustered for a change and she totally turned it around! Barbarians aren't supposed to be these... masters of seduction, a... a queen of beauty should be unsurpassed, how did my own allure just get turned around on me like that by someone essentially raised in mud?!'

And then her fluster was interrupted when she felt Altera tense up and press her closer against herself. She blinked and looked up to see Altera staring forward with a sharp gaze, which she followed to see a gaggle of various animals approaching them, likely having stopped because of the hun's terrifying presence and glare. An idea came to mind, and she smiled and waved. "Hello!" She greeted the animals in a friendly manner. "Please, come closer!" Altera looked at her with wide eyes, and Nitocris smiled back. "Don't worry. They're perfectly harmless."

"...There are hippos and crocodiles." Altera said simply. "They could tear you in half with a single bite."

"Maybe so, but as a pharaoh, my magical power calms animals and renders them docile by default." Nitocris replied.

She decided it best to prove it true, and she did so by leaving Altera's grip and approaching a hippo. The animal opened its jaws wide, and Altera immediately tensed up... Only for Nitocris to begin gently cooing over it and comforting it, her hands rummaging through its teeth before pulling out a loose one. The animal grunted in pain a little before closing its mouth, Nitocris throwing the tooth away before beginning to gently pet it, talking to it like one would to a puppy. A crocodile swamp up to her as well, and she gently scritched under its chin, talking to it very much the same way she was the hippo. Altera watched in amazement as all the animals approached and received affection one by one, all clearly enjoying it.

Nitocris turned, waving for her to come closer. Altera hesitated, wanting to refuse, but Nitocris sighed and walked over, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her towards the animals, all letting out hisses and grunts of apprehension at her approach. Altera herself tensed up, expecting one to lash out and strike at her...

"None of that now!" Nitocris chided the animals sternly. "I know she's a bit scary, but I promise she isn't going to bite or attack." The animals all seemed to calm down more or less the instant Nitocris started speaking, calming down a little as one curious baby hippo made its way over to Altera. The hun stared at the baby animal, head tilted, as the creature approached and sniffed at her, feeling safe enough to stay close. The little one's mother, Altera assumed, approached as well, likely to ensure her little one was safe. Soon, the other animals tentatively approached Altera too, until she was surrounded by a small army of still wary, yet calm animals.

Nitocris let out a soft squeal of delight. "You're doing great! Just stay calm and they'll be calm too!" Altera nodded, looking at the baby hippo again, before lifting a hand and petting it. The little one seemed to enjoy the feeling, as it closed its eyes and let out a soft rumbling sound.

On the other side, Gug and Tut were splashing about in the water, obviously having the time of their lives, the young boy showing significantly less signs of sickness. He spotted the unusual sight with the two women, and his eyes widened. "I never imagined animals flocking around pharaohs was anything more than a myth!"

"Sorry, buddy, did you say something? I got a little distracted." Gug said with a small smile, Tut turning to see that he too was surrounded by a small group of animals that eagerly vied for his attention. Gug noticed the shock on Tut's face. "Aaaaah, I getcha! Hahaha! These guys flock to whoever they can tell has a pure heart, y'see! They understand better than any human who can be trusted. The chief's got a ton of 'em around, so that means she 's got a heart of gold under all the destruction and pillaging."

Back with the girls, Nitocris sat Altera down on the shallower part of the water. "Now... Take deep breaths with closed eyes." She instructed. Altera complied, and the two began their meditation excercises. "Empty your thoughts. No sound... No sensation... Just pure void." Altera followed the directions the best she could... and she heard the sounds of... whispers in her ear... They spoke to her... Told her to destroy. To kill. To ravage. To stop denying her purpose and just DO it. Altera forced them to be silent, with no small effort.

And... nothing... whispers... and nothing... This repeated several times, the voices consistently returning as Altera shoved them away... And they came back again, so she repeated, until she felt the exhaustion got to her, and she turned to see Nitocris still meditating. Opening an eye, she smiled softly. "Did you do well?" She murmured.

Altera nodded. "I managed to... briefly surpress them..."

"Well done!" Nitocris congratulated. "Well, that should be enough for today... How about we take a little sunbath, then a walk back to camp?" The hun nodded, and the pair exited the water, the sun bathing them for a while as they dried everyone off, and before long, everyone was back at camp, with Nitocris cooking food for everyone.

Spraying some red pepper powder over the roasted mice on the fire, she smiled as she waved her hand to waft the smell into her nose. "I never expected the huns to have so many spices..."

"Yes, well, typically we wouldn't care for those, as we wouldn't know what to do with them, but Gug is the greatest cook I've ever met, and he knows how to apply them."

"Aw, you flatter me, chief." Gug chuckled. "Ah, I remember that one time... Ah, it's a great story, so chief just takes a big handful of chilli powder, and she just shoves the whole thing right into her mouth, and let me tell ya... THAT was a spicy powder. And she spent the entire day in her tent, trying her best not to let anyone hear she was in pain, holding onto her mouth for dear life, hahahahaha!"

Altera blushed and looked away. "Gug, you really shouldn't have told them that..."

"Aw, no worries, chief, it's fine, the whole tribe stole a giant cake to cheer you up afterwards!" Gug assured her.

Nitocris blinked as she had a sudden rememberance. "The tribe... What happened to the rest of them?"

"I killed the ones that hurt you." Altera explained casually. "And as for the rest, they're on a mission to conquer and create my empire as an apology "

Tut blinked. "A rather... unusual way of apologizing... Um... What was that about them hurting the pharaoh...?"

Nitocris cringed and looked at Altera uncertainly. The hun nodded. "He'll have to find out sooner or later. He's involved with us now."

Nitocris sighed, then looked at the young boy. "Okay... So... " And she set to explaining all that had been happening this past month. Her kidnapping, her treatment her suffering... And the care and heart Altera had put into making sure she was happy and safe despite her slavery. All the while, Altera felt like none of the praise she received was deserved... but she accepted it nonetheless, as Nitocris would chide her every time she acted gloomy and self deprecating for what she did. So she simply accepted the praise and silently promised herself to do better.

Once the story was over, Tut nodded and hummed in contemplation. He turned to Altera with a firm face. "Well, I can't be all too pleased with the pain and suffering my predecessor endured... She is a pharaoh, a being universes above a mere slave, and I cannot feel happy about any of what she suffered... But I can't ignore that she was very clearly shown a lot of genuine effort and care into ensuring she enjoyed her stay when it comes from her very mouth... If she truly wept over you and felt pain at your suffering... I ask you... Will you fully devote yourself to the role as my predecessor's partner and be sure to be the best wife you can?"

Altera gave a firm stare back. "I will tear down the Holy Land with my bare hands if it would make her happy. I would face down the gods themselves to protect her. She is the woman I chose, and I will prove myself worthy of being chosen by her in turn, and should she accept me, I can promise no better wife or husband could ever appear in my stead."

Nitocris stared at her with wide eyes, blushing deeply and stroking her hair as she looked away. 'How does she DO it?!' She thought. 'Just a few words and she's capturing my heart!'

Tut smiled and nodded. "In that case, while I still have the title of pharaoh, I will grant you the pardon for the transgression of sullying the divine vessel of my ancestor. I look forward to the joy this marriage will bring."

Nitocris couldn't take it anymore. She jumped to her feet and took the mice off the fire, handing each one to the others. "Uh...E-Enjoy your meal...!" She squeaked out awkwardly. "I'm just gonna... get some fresh air!" And with that, she quickly scurried out of the tent.

Everyone else blinked, wondering what that was all about.

"She didn't even take her own portion." Altera noted. She rose to her feet with a sigh. "I'm going to join her."

"Good luck, chief!" Gug called after her as she left to follow the pharaoh.

Outside, Nitocris plopped down on the sand, sighing as she ran her hand through her hair. She breathed through her nose. "Calm down, Nitocris, just calm down..." She murmured to herself. Once she was self assured that she wasn't freaking out, she sighed, looking up at the stars above.

"Are you all right?" A familiar voice startled her, and she turned to see Altera holding two roasted mice, one obviously for her. "...Are you all right, Nitocris? You forgot your food..."

"Oh! Um... Yes, I'm perfectly okay..." Nitocris murmured awkwardly, taking the food as Altera took a seat right next to her, eating her own portion. Nitocris stared at the stick, the meat on it, and then at the sky again. And memories came rushing into her mind. How it all started. How it all was. All the pain, the comfort, the tears, the laughter, the starvation, the madness, the care, the healing...

She laughed. First it was nothing more than a small chuckle. Then, full on giggling, and then, she laughed loudly, loud enough for animals hiding within the sand to hear her. Altera stared at her quizzically as she chewed, patting her shoulder to see if everything was all right. Nitocris calmed down, her shoulders still shaking, and wiped away a tear, sighing as she took a bite. "Ah, what an adventure this was... Getting kidnapped, becoming a slave, leaving my home, my escape attempt, the many times I attempted to end my own life, the moment I broke, the torture... and now I'm back... Back where I started... About to return to my old life, and with a new great royal wife to rule by my side..."

She looked back on everything and sighed, looking at the surprised hun next to her with a smile. "This was the strangest thing... I never could have expected any of this to happen to me, and yet... I don't feel at all broken by it... How strange... Everything I've been through... But it was the most fulfilling experience I've ever had. I can proudly say I've experienced far more than any other pharaoh before me, and that... makes me feel more confident... I was never really confident in my ability as pharaoh, I was always manipulated by others, for I had no experience ruling... I was always told what to do in what situation, and I had no confidence in my ability to lead a land as illustrious and powerful as Egypt... I felt the blessings of the gods were wasted on someone like me..."

A moment of silence. "But now... I am confident. No... Beyond that. I am certain no other pharaoh could surpass me in leadership. My suffering as a slave gave me an understanding of the lives of all at the bottom of the rung. My many near death experiences gave me a desire to survive and persevere, a feeling like my life has value... Like it's worth something... The ropes and chains you bound me with forced me to lower myself to the lowest of the low and experience their suffering in their skin..." She lifted her arms, gazing at the white marks of the nearly healed scars. "And these scars from the whips and knives your tribesmen tortured me with... are a sign. A sign of pain and trauma, but also experience and knowledge... I can confidently say I have been through more than any other pharaoh before me, and that I understand far more about rulership than I once did..."

The pharaoh turned to Altera, sporting the most genuine smile. "Thank you. If it hadn't been for you kidnapping and enslaving me, I would be nothing more than the rotting, worthless corpse of a worthless ruler that never accomplished anything and died a lonely death. If it hadn't been for you, I'd still be an innocent child unaware of the world's true colours, both the dark and the bright. If it hadn't been for you... I wouldn't be feeling as happy as I do now..." Lifting her free hand, she cupped Altera's cheek, the hun's eyes widening as she gazed into her soul with the most gentle look she'd ever felt wash through her. "Thank you. For meeting me. For taking me away. For teaching me the most valuable lessons I've ever learned. For being the first person after my brothers to show me true, genuine love from the bottom of your heart. Thank you... for being in my life. Thank you... for existing.

Altera was struck speechless. Her heart began to beat a hundred miles an hour. Her mind was overwhelmed with emotion. The stick of food fell from her limp hand as she shakily reached towards Nitocris, hand stopping short of her face. Nitocris dropped her food as well, grabbing her wrist gently and placing it on her face. She allowed her to stroke her face with a soft smile. "How does it feel...?" She whispered softly. Altera...

She leaned forward.

And their lips finally met.

Despite the source not being invented yet, both Nitocris and Altera swore they heard loud booms, sparks and whistles echoing in the sky, strange colours flashing just out of sight. The two women felt overwhelming warmth and joy overcome their hearts as the current situation caught up to them. Altera's lips felt coarse, rough, scratchy and firm. Each brush felt like scraping against a rough wall, and the coarseness gave way to a taste of spiciness and heat, the fire entering Nitocris' mouth as her eyes briefly widened before closing again. Then the heat made way to a frigid cold, as though from the top of a mountain, the coarseness turning sharp as a blade. Despite it all, however, none of it felt in any way uncomfortable. The sharpness and roughness of the lips was exhilirating, the heat felt like it was enveloping her entire being like a warm blanket, and the cold clashing against it kept it from burning to ash, creating a perfect mixture of refreshing spiciness and comfort.

For Altera, it was different. The pharaoh's lips were extremely smooth. So smooth, she would go so far as to compare it to the surface of a body of water, no breeze to disturb it with unwanted waves. Her rougher lips clashed against the pharaoh's smooth, gentle ones in a veritable dance of opposite worlds. And just as the water was calm, so too was the taste. Despite being born in the desert, her lips felt like a cold, refreshing body of water, holding just enough freshness to calm the heated heartbeat Altera felt in her chest. The sweet taste was palpable, capturing perfectly the innocence of the woman she took that day, and yet, just as Nitocris had told her, there was now a certain firmness to it, shown through a layer of heated passion that oozed experience and strength that Altera had come to admire after so long in its spiciness that prickled the tongue with every touch.

The two stayed connected like this, their feelings pouring into every second as their mouths danced to the unseen shifting of dunes. Minutes passed by, and they kept on... until eventually, it ended. The two girls disconnected, small breaths escaping their mouths as their minds caught up with what just happened. Nitocris was blushing more red than she had ever seen, stroking her hair and looking down at the sand beneath her feet. She let out a soft laugh. "This feels incredibly strange, but... I loved ever second of it... My first kiss... I never thought it would be with a woman... Especially not after all that happened... But I simply can't imagine it with anyone else anymore..." Suddenly, she squeaked as she found herself pinned to the ground, Altera looking down at her with a deep blush and heavy breaths.

"I...I want more...! I NEED more! I... I can't stop...! I don't know how!" The hun breathed out.

Nitocris put a hand to her lips and softly shushed her. "Don't be in such a rush... Life needs to be enjoyed bit by bit. We can save that for later." She whispered. "I understand... But I want to save it for when we return... As a celebration reward."

Altera bit her lip, uncertain, and Nitocris stroked her cheek. "I promise... It will be worth the wait... I know it's hard, but soon... I promise it WILL be worth it." Altera plopped down on top of her, arms wrapped around her in a tight hug, and whimpered, sounding the most vulnerable and broken Nitocris had ever heard her.

"Thank you..." Altera squeaked out. "Thank you for everything... For all you said... You thank ME for meeting you, when I should be the one doing so... And I need to thank you for forgiving me for all the pain, the trauma, the torture I put you through... Thank you for still accepting me even after all that, and... thank you for existing..." Nitocris smiled softly, then gently returned the hug, then spoke two words.

"You're welcome..."

The two girls stayed like this, hugging one another close as they laid in the sand under the stars. Their warmth, their feelings of love and knowledge that this happiness was destined to last, lulled them into a deep sleep. Gug would eventually come out to find them, and when he did, he smiled.

"Heh... Congrats, chief." He said softly. "Toldja you'd pull it off. That went better than even I thought. No one more worthy of either of you than each other." Placing a blanket over them, he patted Altera's back. "Way to go." And with that, he left the two women to the calmest, happiest, most wonderful sleep they'd ever had.

The next day came along especially peacefully, as Nitocris opened her eyes, groaning at the unusually shifty surface they were on... Oh... Sand... They were sleeping in a desert... So why did her head feel like it was somewhere else...? Her sight cleared up, and she looked to see Altera smiling down on her, stroking her hair as her head rested snugly on her thighs. "Good morning. How are you feeling?" She murmured softly. Nitocris reached up with a smile and stroked her cheek.

"Better than ever... after last night..." The pharaoh whispered.

"Good..." Altera whispered. "Now I can do this..." She leaned down, and connected her lips against Nitocris' own once more, this kiss lasting just a few seconds before they pulled away. "Good morning..."

Nitocris grinned and closed her eyes. "Ah, no one's ever told me that before while actually meaning it except my brothers..."

"I'm glad to be the first in decades then." Altera murmured. A shadow suddenly loomed over them, and they looked up to see Gug smiling down at them, young Tut on his shoulder.

"Hey there, ladies!" The large man greeted. "Ya sleep good?"

Altera nodded. "The best sleep I've ever had..."

"It really was." Nitocris agreed.

"Glad ya finally hooked up!" Gug chuckled.

"We were going to look for food." Tut said. "Gug said he was going to teach me how to hunt."

"Yeah, you'll just be standing back and watching for now, buddy, you're too sick to do it yourself." Gug told him gently. Tut coughed in response, and Gug patted his back. "And what are your plans for the day?"

Nitocris gained a look of determination. "Altera and myself will be discussing plans on how to retake her throne. We are heading out today... This can wait no longer, recovery be damned."

Altera looked at her worriedly. "I... don't think that's a wise decision, Nitocris..."

"It'll be fine, I'll just use healing magic to fix the residual damage and cover the big ones with bandages." Nitocris insisted. She rose up and offered a hand, allowing Altera to get up and help her get to her feet. "...The two of you can go out, but be back soon. The young pharaoh's presence will be needed if the throne is to be reclaimed."

Tut nodded. "Understood. I'll be ready when the time comes." Nitocris nodded, and with that, the two pairs went their separate ways. Altera led Nitocris to her tent, immediately setting up a fire as Nitocris summoned parchment and a feather, beginning to write. Altera didn't quite get the language, so she allowed her to work while she ensured the fire didn't burn the tent. After a while, Nitocris looked over her paper, nodding, before throwing it into the fire. The paper burned into nothing, and Altera tilted her head.

"This is a recovery spell." Nitocris explained. "A thorough one that will ensure I'm as healed as can be. It will take time to set up, so in the meantime, we can discuss our plan." And just in time too, as Gug walked into the tent with a small bag of fish he'd caught, carrying a passed out Tut on his back. He set him down and gently poured some water down the boy's mouth, causing him to snap up with a cough.

"Ah! I'm sorry for my weakness!" Tut apologized.

"It's all right. You've actually arrived just in time for the plan." Nitocris assured. "Now, here's what we will do... First, Gug is going to stay behind to collect all the belongings we have here. Food, materials, all of it. The rest of us will head to Egypt. On entry, I will ask to be let into the royal palace alongside Tutankhamun, and Altera will be following close behind us as a show of trust from both rulers."

She turned to Altera. "You should expect hostility immediately upon approach."

Altera nodded. "That is to be expected..." She felt Nitocris' hand on her shoulder as her... lover smiled reassuringly.

"I'll protect you all the way..." She whispered. Altera nodded with a smile as Nitocris continued explaining. "Upon entry to the throne room, I will demand to be handed the position of pharaoh back. Should I be met with resistance, Tutankhamun, as the pharaoh, will personally return my position, and abdicate the throne."

The boy looked uncertain. "Do you really want to be back on the throne...?" He asked tiredly. "It's been such a long time, are you certain you wouldn't rather have me take the burden? You could live normally..."

"No..." Nitocris shook her head. "You're FAR too young to rule yet. In the future, when you're less sick, perhaps, but now... No. I WILL be back on top if it means a young life like yours can go and flourish without a weight as heavy as the throne."

The boy lowered his head. "But that isn't right... I was entrusted these responsibilities, to abdicate the throne to my predecessor... Did I really fail that badly that you have to clean the mess I left behind...?"

"Not at all." Nitocris murmured softly, reaching forward to gently pat his head. "You're still very young, and you took the throne so recently. You've made no mess at all, you had no time to. In fact, the only mess I need to fix right now is the one the remaining nobles are causing as we speak."

"...Is Ay really causing such misdeeds...?" Tut asked. "He always seemed trustworthy..."

Nitocris sighed. "The only time that man can ever be trusted is when the fear of death strikes his heart. Something he has every right to be scared of at the moment now that I'm returning..."

Nitocris stood, the fire intensifying, before it suddenly sprung up and began swirling around her. She smirked. "It's been far too long since I last saw my home. I won't allow it to be sullied and ruined again. I am strong now. I am experienced. And I know what I wants. I'll make my family, my ancestors and the gods proud of me." The fire soon enveloped her and shot into the sky in a pillar of flame, before eventually dispersing, Nitocris wearing her purple loincloth, golden pauldrons, blue and gold necklace, and wielding her beloved golden staff. Her skin was marred with white brands, scars of her past experiences, slashes, whip marks and others, completely closed up and unable to bleed again. She smiled. "And above all else, I can't very well look undignified before the love of my life now, can I?"

"I want to kiss you so passionately right now." Altera said simply.

"WHOOOO! GREAT show! Wish I had some popcorn!" Gug cheered her on as Tut looked at her with a shine in his eyes.

Nitocris blushed and stammered towards her lover. "U-Undignified in the presence of a pharaoh!" She sighed and plopped down onto the ground in embarrassment, Altera just patting her head with a smile as Nitocris pouted.

Later on, after breakfast went off without a hitch, Nitocris snapped her fingers, and the sand exploded, out coming a gigantic golden sphinx with glowing blue eyes. She flew herself and Tutankhamun up, but before she could do the same for Altera, the hun just...lept up and gracefully landed on the monster's back. She blinked, then smirked. "You jump good."

"Oh, um... thank you..." Altera rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Gug! Will you be all right on your own?!" She called down.

"Oh yeah!" The big man confirmed. "I'll take care of business here, then catch up soon!"

"If you're certain then." Altera said. She turned to Nitocris and nodded her head, and the three sat down as the pharaoh commanded the phantasmal to soar up. The animal flew up above the clouds, and Tut immediately started coughing, Nitocris summoning a bubble of air for him to breathe in around his head. It took the sphinx some time, but soon they were all overlooking the pyramids.

Nitocris smiled, memories springing up of seeing her brothers getting carried away inside them. She looked up at the sky. 'Are you all proud...? Of what I've become...? Well... Either way, I'm about to make you even more proud, as the throne is overdue for spring cleaning.' Soon, the beast landed down in front of the city, the civilians all whispering and talking in awe at the sight, even kneeling down in worship. Nitocris flew down, carrying her companions with her...and the reactions were immediate. The people all started to point at Altera and shouting.

"MONSTER!

"DEMON!"

"THEY'VE RETURNED!"

"Everybody please calm down!" Nitocris tried to reason. "You have my word she'll bring no harm upon you!" Everyone recognised the voice, and their eyes widened in awe as they beheld their old ruler.

"SHE'S RETURNED!"

"THE PHARAOH!"

"BACK FROM THE HOLY LAND TO BLESS US ONCE MORE!"

"AND SHE BROUGHT THE CURRENT PHARAOH BACK AS WELL!"

"HE DISAPPEARED YESTERDAY!"

"HE MUST HAVE CALLED HER DOWN TO BLESS US!"

"The story is far too long to tell right now!" Nitocris called out over the crowd. "I'm going to get straight to the point! I am back to reclaim the throne, and clean up the residual noblemen dirtying the divine seat!" The people all made way for her as she walked by, Altera and Tut following behind her. Altera could sense the glares, sneers and looks of terror pointed at her, but didn't reciprocate. She would prove herself better now. Instead, Tut grabbed her hand, making her look down at the boy, who winked and smiled. She nodded with her own smile, and they continued following Nitocris. They soon arrived at the entrance to the palace, still missing chunks off it. Nitocris frowned at her lover. "Did you need to damage such antique architecture?" She asked. Altera looked away with a blush and Nitocris sighed, shaking her head. "I'll have to teach you a lesson tonight..." A metaphor that went right over the confused hun's and the boy ruler's heads.

Nitocris climbed up the stairs to the palace entrance, the guards looking up and freezing in place at the sight of their old ruler accompanied by their current one, as well as the infamous invader who slaughtered their comrades. One of the guards pointed a spear at them. "Who are you?! And why is the young pharaoh alongside you?!" Nitocris approached the guard and gently pushed the spear down, placing a hand on the man's head. The guard gasped, and the spear dropped from his hands as he fell to the ground in worship before his old pharaoh. The other guard did the same, kneeling down as well.

"Rise and be at ease." Nitocris told them gently. They obeyed. "Now then. Please let me in. And don't worry about the hun. She is on my side." The guards moved and bowed, Nitocris smiling and entering alongside her companions. She let out an audible gasp at the sight of the palace halls, a wide grin appearing on her face as her eyes scanned over the numerous hieroglyphs littering the walls. "It's... missing several relics..." She noted.

"Ah... We... looted the palace during the invasion..." Altera said sheepishly. "Gug will redeliver them all soon."

Nitocris shook her head. "It's not important." She assured, and they headed off further in. A feeling of nostalgia and happiness brought a smile to her face as she gained a light jump in her step, eyes constantly roaming the familiar hallways she missed so dearly. Altera also smiled, glad to see her so happy again, and as she looked around, she sighed as she recognized the mess her men made while looting the place. She was glad none of the precious antiques got damaged or lost on their journey. She noticed Nitocris to have stopped in front of a window, looking herself to see it overlooking the entire city. Her face was solemn, but happy. "The cirt is recovering very nicely..." She murmured. "Only thanks to the efforts of the people and the guidance of their pharaoh." She patted Tut's head. "You did a fine job ruling in my place. All the more reason for me to relieve you of duty for the time being." Tut beamed with pride.

Her head then turned towards a large door, her face becoming as rigid as stone as she approached it. Altera and Tut followed, watching as one of her hands lit up with purple magic. She smacked the door with the hand, a loud crash being heard as the door slammed violently open, kicking up dust. "Who dares enter the sacred throneroom of the Pharaoh so barbarically?!" An angry male voice demanded. The dust cleared, and Nitocris stepped out.

"The throne's rightful owner." She said coldly.

Ay gasped and stepped back. "It's impossible...! You died in the invasion of the barbarians!"

"My death was... greatly exaggerated." Nitocris replied simply. Then, she firmly tapped her staff against the floor. "And it's come to my attention that the throne is still being tainted, even after I went out of my way to cleanse it before my disappearance."

"O-Oh, but your grace, I promise, I have dome by very best to keep it all safe!" Ay stammered nervously, trying to defend himself... when a mummified corpse from directly below began to rise up, grabbing the man by the ankle in the process.

"I know very well what you're talking about." Nitocris said sternly. "If you were truly doing as you claim, then the boy behind me would be resting in bed instead of ruling a nation he is far too young to rule."

"I had to!" Ay argued. "He inherited his father's position after death, no one from your family was left to take over!"

"Well I simply can't agree." Nitocris huffed. "If that were true, then the boy should've at least been properly trained before being placed on the seat immediately after his father's death. The only reason he would be placed so early without any training would be the same as my own. To be used as a puppet by the nobles. Or at least the ones remaining."

Ay sneered. "It doesn't matter either way! You're done with ruling! I'm the one in charge now, puppet or not!" He turned to Tut. "Your greatness, have this usurper arrested!" He boy's response? He simply removed his purple crown, then threw it to the floor.

Ay paled. "What are you doing, boy?!"

"Nitocris was right." Tut stated simply. "I'm too sick and weak. I can't rule the land without sullying the throne with my own weakness and inability to rely on my own capabilities due to inexperience. If me being on the throne will just have me be controlled against my will into potentially ruining the lives of Egypt's people due to the selfishness of those I trusted...then I'd rather not rule at all. That's why I'm abdicating the throne and giving my authority over to my ancestor, the true ruler of Egypt."

Ay shook his head in disbelief, trembling in fear, before turning to Nitocris. "DAMN YOU, YOU BLASTED WENCH, YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED WITH THE REST OF YOUR WORTHLESS BLOODLINE! WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE BEEN A GOOD LITTLE PUPPET LIKE ALL THE REST OF YOUR BLOOD?!"

He was interrupted by a harsh, strong grip around his neck that lifted him up, ripping the mummy's arms off and disintegrating the undead being. Ay looked, and his eyes widened when he recognized the familiar white hair and dark skin. "You've gone too far." Altera said with an expression of fury. An overwhelming aura of malice burst out of her, and Ay started foaming at the mouth, eventually falling limp and getting unceremoniously dropped to the floor, Altera glaring down at him with one last sentence.

"Don't ever mock my woman."

Silence suddenly fell over the entire room, the only, barely even audible sound being a small breeze flowing through the window. Altera turned to Nitocris, who was looking at her with wide, startled eyes. "That was incredibly frightening, yet somehow very attractive at the same time."

"The former less so than the latter, I hope." Altera replied. She turned to see Tut was on the floor. "Oh dear... I went too far and made the boy faint..."

Nitocris snapped her fingers, getting the attention to two nearby guards. She turned to them. "Please take this one to the healing chambers. I'll come to help him soon." She said softly. The pair of guards hurriedly rushed over in obedience, picking Tutankhamun up and running out of the room in a hurry. Nitocris watched them leave, before turning to look at Ay's currently unconscious body on the floor.

Altera summoned Photon Ray. "I can remove him this moment if you'd like."

"No." Nitocris stopped her, tapping her staff, and summoning a brilliant large circular mirror. The mirror grew to dwarf her in sie, and the pharaoh grabbed the advisor off the floor and calmly hurled him in. A bunch of ghastly faces morphed in the mirror, swallowing him inside before the mirror portal disappeared.

Nitocris turned to Altera with a smirk. "He won't be drowned like the others. I'll leave him in the company of my friends on the other side." Turning around, she approached the throne, climbing up and gazing down at the ornate chair. She hesitated, but then felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to see Altera nodding at her with a smile. Nitocris smiled back and returned the nod, before slowly turning around and sitting down in the royal seat once more. Suddenly, several golden symbols begin to surround the pair, before Nitocris was enveloped in a brilliant pillar of light. Several voices began to speak inside her herad... Male voices... Her brothers' voices...

"You've come so far, sister, well done..."

"You've shown such bravery and tenacity!"

"Our own little sister, stronger than all of us combined!"

"I'm glad we can safely leave the nation in your hands."

She felt multiple hands on her shoulders. "We are so proud of you... May you have only the best..." They all said before the light soon dispersed, leaving Nitocris sitting with a face stuck in awe, tears running down her cheeks.

Altera was quick to worry. "What's wrong?!" She asked urgently, leaning down.

Nitocris responded by jumping up and hugging her tightly, sniffling and whimpering. "I'm just... so happy right now..."

Altera, not understanding, was nonetheless happy to see her happy, returning the hug gently. "Well, whatever the issue is, I'm happy to see you happy..."The two women stay hugged together like this for a while, their goal fulfilled and their hearts satisfied. Eventually, night arrived, and Altera found herself leaning against and looking through the window, gazing at the stars in the desert sky and the houses of the city below. Her veil was gone, her short hair hanging over her neck as she sat in a chair next to the window. A yawn caught her attention and she spotted Nitocris walking in, stretching and groaning as she entered.

"Did you really need to leave so early during dinner...? I would've liked to have you with me at the table a little longer."

Altera shrugged. "I saw no point. I wanted to observe the stars while the night was stlll fresh."

Nitocris approached and wrapped her arms around her, chin on her shoulder, and let out a small chuckle. "What a day this has been... Getting my throne back, finally integrating myself back into my home... and the inevitable annoyance that was the documents... At the very least those helped he know which nobles need to be executed later, but still. I HATE doing documents!"

Altera laughed a little. "You'll have to teach me to read and write then, so I can help you and ease your burden."

Nitocris shook her head,. "No, there's no need for that yet... Gug fixed that whole mess when he came here. In fact, I'm amazed he's fixed up the palace so quickly. It's almost back to it's former glory!"

Altera nodded. "Gug always was efficient... How is Tutankhamun?"

"I performed some healing rituals on him earlier today." Nitocris said. "He's much better for now, but he'll need constant attention to ensure he grows up into a healthy young man from now on."

"Good to know." Altera nodded. "It's good that he will finally have the chance to heal from his pain..."

Nitocris chuckled. "You don't have to worry about healing on your own anymore. You have me now, so no injuries or pain will persist. Not even the one you're about to get." That made Altera pause and she turned her head to look at Nitocris quizzically. The Pharaoh gained a mischievous smirk, backing off from her. Altera suddenly noticed...she feels rather stiff for some reason. She looked down...and gasped when she realized she was tied up. Wrists shackled behind her back, some chain and rope pinning her upper arms to her body. Before she could talk, a stick was placed in her mouth and tied behind her head, and a chain was clasped around her neck...like a leash.

Nitocris looked her over with a dangerous smirk. "Since you kept me tied in chains and rope for so long, you didn't think I wouldn't want a little revenge, did you?" She yanked Altera up and gently pushed her down on the bed, laying down on top of her and smiling playfully. "Now... You relax... And let me be the master now..." Altera sighed, rolling her eyes and smiling a little behind her gag as she complied, relaxing and awaiting her fate.

Meanwhile, outside the universe...

A long, drawn out female hum was heard as the sight panned over to a white haired, well endowed woman with a red ribbon in her hair, her decency covered up by pieces of gold, leaving the rest of her body completely exposed, with her arms seemingly being made of the very universe, containing stars, a galaxy, and everything else in between. The woman was floating in the vast expanse of...well, space, seemingly entirely alone, and holding a miniature version of planet Earth in her hand, her eyes narrowed in thought. The silence was broken as the Assassin class Servant Kama said four simple words. "I don't get this." Her voice suddenly spoke in front of her, causing a second Kama to wrap her arms around the first one, chin on her shoulder.

"Yes." The second Kama agreed. "How could love ever come from something as horrible as slavery?"

"It can't be real love. There's no way." A third Kama interjected, arms crossed. "The Pharaoh girl is ravaging her while keeping the hun in chains like she was. She's just going to enslave her as revenge."

A fourth Kama flicks her forehead. "Stop being a pessimist. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Surely not even slavery would be able to get in it's way."

"Yes." The second Kama agreed. "Love cannot be beaten, slavery or not."

A 5th Kama suddenly appeared, snickering in amusement. "When did YOU all grow so pure?"

"You are not one to talk." The fourth one stated. "You're just the same as every Kama here." 5th clicked her tounge, looking away with her arms crossed.

"Well, I have to agree with the assessment that this love is blasphemy." A sixth one remarked.

"Indeed." A seventh agreed. "Nothing born from slavery can be trusted."

"Oh, hush!" An 8th spoke.

"Have more faith in love!" A ninth agreed.

"We are the goddess of love, after all!" A tenth exclaimed. A cacophony of talking over each other was heard as the universe was suddenly filled with an infinite amount of Kamas, all arguing between themselves on the matters of this romance.

Back down, the very first Kama's eye twitched, before she groaned out loud. "Will you all just shut up?!" And with that, the vast expanse of the unit was gone, with Kama's arms now normal human arms and her body being more covered up with a purple bodysuit.

She sighed and laid down in her bed, looking up at the dimly lit white walls of her room in Chaldea. She lifted up the small copy of Earth and gazed at it, before sighing and burning it away. "Well... this experiment appears to he a success... I'll start the second one... later... I'm much too bored to make a new little Singularity just for one experiment. I'll take a brief rest." Kama hummed in thought. "I wonder what master is doing right now..." Figuring she could check, she rose up and teleported out of the room. Spawning inside a hallway, she spotted a familiar head of pink hair, recognizing Mash Kyrielight.

Mash stopped. "Oh! Good morning, Kama!"

"Good morning." Kama greeted back. "Have you seen master anywhere?"

Mash noded. "I was actually following master to the summoning room. Mary Anning has helped them find a new catalyst to summon a new Servant. Da Vinci and Altera have also headed there."

Kama tilted her head. "I can get the artist, but why is the Scourge there?"

Mash shrugged. "Maybe she just wanted to spend time with master, she's always seemed quite lonely."

"I suppose that makes sense..." Kama murmured.

"Um... H-Hello...!" Another presence made itself known, and from the corner peeked in a head of auburn hair with a yellow hat, followed by a small body wearing baggy overalls, a tiny black jacket with starry designs on it, and carrying a large sunflower shaped brush. Van Gogh awkwardly laughed. "Sorry to interrupt, I'm such an idiot..."

"Don't start that again." Kama stopped her, annoyed. "What do you want?"

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Van Gogh squeaked. "I was just looking for master... She wasn't in bed..."

Mash smiled. "We were just heading to the summoning room to see master if you'd like to come." The smaller Foreigner smiled and excitedly nodded, and the trio headed off down the hallway. After a few minutes of walking, Mash pressed a button and opened a sliding door into a large blue room. Inside, Da Vinci was currently typing away at a computer while the familiar orange haired Master that was Ritsuka is staring at the summoning circle.

"Good morning, master." Mash greeted.

"Hello, everyone!" Ritsuka greeted joyfully with a wave. "Did you all sleep well?"

Kama groaned and stretched. "Bed was stiff..." She threw her arms around her master. "Please massage my body to relieve the aching..."

Off to the side, Van Gogh was shaking, her face stuck in an expression of quiet fury, lips trembling, pupils narrowed, and progressively louder grunts escaping her throat. Her hands gripped her brush in a deathly grip hard enough to crush a human skull with two fingers, with the sunflower on the brush starting to spin like a buzzsaw. A hand appeared on her shoulder and Van Gogh suddenly yelped and jumped, spotting Altera standing behind her. "Calm down." Altera told her. "I'm sure master would prefer if her servants did not murder each other."

Kama snickered and backed off. "Sorry to tease. Now, what's this news about a new servant?"

"The woman who digs found a strange artifact she believes could be used as a catalyst to summon a new Servant." Altera explained.

"Da Vinci? Is everything ready?" Ritsuka asked.

"Just wait up!" Da Vinci shouted. "Servant or not, a genius still needs time to realize their brilliance!" A couple of keys later, the circle began to glow a bright blue. "Okay! Go ahead!" Ritsuka nodded and whipped out the supposed catalyst, a small, ornately designed golden scarab with blue gems on it. Kama paused at the sight of the object, but didn't get to say anything as Ritsuka approached the circle and set the catalyst down, backing away as electricity surged around it. Multiple blue orbs of light surrounded the circle and began rapidly spinning, a huge light forming in the middle as the catalyst was swallowed up. Three rings of light spawned in the air around the circle, before everything suddenly compressed and a bright flash coloured the room in white. As the light dispersed, a giant pillar of electricity rushed out of the circle before dispersing.

Standing in the middle of the circle was a dark skinned woman, wearing a pink loincloth, white pieces of fabric covering her chest under a blue and gold necklace. Her hair was long and purple, two tufts looking like rabbit ears sticking up above everything else. In her right hand was a long golden staff with a bird head design on it's tip, while her left hand was on her hip. Finally, her brown skin was littered with odd scars resembling slash marks, all over her arms, stomach and legs. The woman opened her eyes, smiling down at Ritsuka. "Hello there. I am the servant Caster. The reincarnation of Horus, Nitocris has arrived!"

Gogh began panicking and stammering, running over and covering Ritsuka's eyes. "C-Can... Can you... cover up please...? Just a tiny bit...?"

Nitocris wass confused. She tilted her head to the side. "Why would I do that? My clothing is not indecent."

She looked over the room. "You all agree, right-" When her eyes landed on one particular person, she gasped and stopped, freezing up.

"Huh? Is something wrong?" Ritsuka asked. Mash followed Nitocris' gaze and turns to look at Altera...who was also gazing at her in surprise, before...smiling happily? Before anyone could react, Nitocris ran off the circle and towards Altera, dropping her staff and throwing herself at the hun...and starting a...kiss. An...extremely passionate one.

So passionate that Mash's face turned beet red as she turned away from the scene. "Uh... Goghie, why are you covering my eyes? And what's that weird moaning sound?"

Gogh lifted her up over her head. "N-No one will take away master's innocence but me!" Gogh shouted as she ran off with an extremely confused Ritsuka.

What the hell do you mean by that?!"

Nitocris and Altera soon separated their lips, now simply hugging each other and smiling. "I missed you..." Nitocris said softly.

"I missed you too..." Altera whispered back. "This era has felt so empty without you..." She picked her up bridal style. "I have so much to tell you..."

"I'm sure it's quite a story!" Nitocris said excitedly. "Please, take your time... I haven't heard your voice in far too long..." Altera carried her out of the room, rubbing her head against Nitocris's as the sliding door closed.

Mash smiled a little, still blushing. "That was really sweet... They really seem to love each other-" Unfortunately she was interrupted mid sentence. A hand was suddenly placed over her mouth, and Kama's voice rapidly speaks in her ear in a distressed tone.

"My room, now. I might have screwed up, badly."

She carried a struggling Mash out of the room in a run, the door closing and leaving behind Da Vinci, all alone in the summoning room, blinking owlishly. "What...happened?" The summoning circle glowed again, and she turned to see another pillar of light, which also disperses to reveal a large muscular man in a hun like outfit, looking around with a smile before spotting Da Vinci. The man waved with a grin. "Hey there! The name's Gug!"