The Prince of Egypt: A Pharaoh's Romance

Chapter Nine: "The Man I Once Called Father"

"Are you sure?" Izidora asked. Moses hesitated. "Yes, I am sure." He said patting Izidora's head and walking over to Rameses as Izidora smiled and walked along side with Moses. Rameses dropped some scrolls "Last night...the Gods granted me a vision." He said to the Hotep and Hoy that were listening and ready for constructing work, as the Hebrew slaves carried large bags of sand on their backs that made them hunch over in pain.

"I'm not merely going to restore this temple...I am going to make it more grand, more splendid than any other one in Egypt." Rameses spoke to them. Izidora walked next to Moses as they watched the slaves move in single file lines with the sandbags. Moses was barely able to watch as everything was different now and Izidora understood. A Guard had hit a man in the back with his whip causing the man to cry out.

Making both Izidora and Moses cringe with fear and disgust to the Guards. Moses watched the slaves work thinking about how these are his people and how that could have been him. Izidora placed a hand on his shoulder as reassurance that he's not alone. A man had fallen which carrying on of the heavy sandbags. Which was understandable as the man was old. The Guard showed no mercy and whipped him causing a part of the sandbag to open up.
Izidora was about to walk up to the guard to give him a piece of her mind, but Moses stopped her as he knew it was no use and would only cause more trouble for her family. They continued to walk. As Rameses caught up to them. "Moses!" He said as he stepped in between them and wrapped his arms around Moses and Izidora. "Look fate has turned our little misadventure into a great opportunity." Rameses spoke as he walked them to, we he first originally was. Izidora hadn't been out near the slaves during work in so long.

She began to sweat. But not from the heat. Her palms began to get shaky as she could hear her people cry from the whips that were being slashed onto them. The longer she stayed out there the longer her mind gave her unlocked memories and flashbacks of her childhood years as a slave. She remembered the day she bumped into that large guard. She could feel the strong grip he had on her wrist that stung or maybe her mind was just imagining things.

"I know father will be so pleased with what we are doing." Rameses spoke as Moses looked back at Izidora who was behind him. She was looking up and Moses followed her gaze to a guard yelling at an old man. "Get up old man! Put your back into it!" He shouted at the old man. Moses noticed Miriam and Aaron watching as the guard screamed, "Faster!", causing Aaron to work faster on sculpting. "And this is just the beginning." Rameses spoke as they continued to walk.

"A gateway will open to an entire new city of limestone, more dazzling than the sun." Rameses said explaining his dreams for a new greater Egypt to Moses. "And here a sculpture of Hapi." He continued to say. "Two great column halls" Rameses continued on as Moses heard Izidora gasp. "Stop it! somebody's got to stop this!" Miriam shouted as the guard showed no mercy to the old man with his whip.

"There's nothing that we can do." Aaron said pulling Miriam back. The guard continued to whip the old man. "Stop it!" Izidora yelled listing her dress as she ran towards the guard. Moses and Rameses turned around. "Izi?" Rameses said confused. Moses looked seeing the old man cry out from the pain. Moses ran down after Izidora and lifted her up. "Moses that man, He must be stopped." Izidora said with tears. Moses looked up at the Guard. His eyes twitched with anger. "Stop it." He said as he then shouted and ran towards them.

Rameses ran over to Izidora confused. "Moses?" he called out "Stop! Leave that man alone!" Moses shouted. Moses made his way onto the construction area and tackled the man as he was about to whip the old man again. The guard fell over the construction area from impact as Moses was able to keep his balance. The guard fell to his death crashing on wood planks sticking up from the ground. It pierced through the guard's body. As other Hebrews surrounded and looked at the man.

"Out of my way, out of my way, Move!" Another guard shouted as he pushed the slaves to the slide. He was shocked to see what was in front of him. "Who did this?" he turned around and asked. "Up there!" A Hebrew shouted pointing at Moses. "It's him! Up there!" They continued to shout. Moses' breath became heavy. Breathing so hard her turned around to see the other Hebrews, Aaron, and Miriam watching in shock.

The pressured Moses began to run. He just needs to get out of there. "Moses!" Miriam called out to Moses as she stopped him from running but he didn't even want to look at her either. So much was happening in just so little amount of time. He tugged his arm away as he began to run again. He tumbled down the hill of sand but quickly got back on his feet as Rameses ran towards the frightened Moses.

"Moses what's going on?" Rameses asked confused. Moses would not speak all he could do was push him away and grab Izidora's hand as he pulled her and made a run for it. "Moses? where are we going?" She asked confused and frightened, but Moses still wouldn't speak all he could do was run. Izidora noticed they were at the entrance to the kingdom. Her eyes widened at how she realized how Moses was planning to leave.

"Moses wait!" She cried out as she turned around to see Rameses on his chariot riding towards them trying to catch up. "Moses! Izidora!" Rameses called out. Moses would not listen. Rameses was determined to find out the problem as he cornered Moses with his chariot. "Moses" Rameses called out. "Let me go!" Moses said upset. "No wait!" Rameses said, getting off of his chariot as Moses still held onto Izidora's hand.

"You saw what happened. I just killed a man!" Moses shouted and walking away with Izidora, whose hands were shaking from so much going on. "We can take care of that. I will make it so it never happened!" Rameses said trying to reason with Moses. Moses slightly shoved Rameses saying, "Nothing you say can change the things that I've done." Moses stated as he still walked forward. "I am Egypt! The morning and the evening star! If I say day is night, it will be written!" Rameses said still trying to reason as he walked in front of Moses trying to stop him.

"And you will be what I say you are! I say you are innocent!" Rameses stated pushing Moses back to a halt. Moses let go of Izidora's hand and pushed Rameses hands. "What you say does not matter!" He stated and sighed. "You don't understand." He said to Rameses looking away and grabbing Izidora's hand again. "We can't stay here any longer!" Moses said moving forward but Izidora pulled her and away and stepped back, stopping Moses as he turned around confused and out of breath.

"I can't go with you Moses." Izidora stuttered holding onto her wrist. "Izidora, looked around us! Look at us! We don't deserve to wear these clothes! We don't belong here!" Moses explained. " I cannot leave my father here by himself when he is on his death bed!" Izidora said back. "I am all he has left. I am all my people have. What person would I be to leave them here to still cry in pain?" Izidora continued but Moses interrupted. "What person would I be if I just stayed here knowing that all we are doing is living some stupid fantasy? You can stay here but I won't!" He said walking further.

"Moses!" Rameses called out trying to stop him, but Moses swatted his hand and grabbed Rameses arms keeping him still. "All I've known to be true is a lie!" Moses said panting and out of breath. "I'm not who you think I am." Moses said not being able to look the man he called brother in the eyes. "What are you talking about?" Rameses asked confused. Moses looked up at Rameses in the eyes. "Go ask the man I once called father." Moses replied as he let go of Rameses and began to walk away out of his home city.

"Moses?" Rameses called out with sadness. Moses turned around taking one more look at his brother. Rameses held his hand out to Moses, pleading Moses to stay. "Please..." Rameses pleaded. Moses did not listen. "Goodbye brother..." Moses replied with sadness as he then turned around and began to run. Izidora cried "Moses!" but he would not stop. "Moses!" Rameses called out causing Moses to wince every time he heard the cries of his name from his brother and friend.