Escape from Ancient Egypt (Neiko Adventure Saga Book #2)

Chapter 35

Sito nodded. "You're absolutely right. If we fail to return to Hawote, then the rest won't happen. Again, that vision is no guarantee we will make it back—I think it is mainly a warning of what could happen."

"Yeah, we need to leave because I can't keep hiding things from Ramesses forever. He already can sense my feelings. He will not accept me running away and giving him the cold shoulder or keeping secrets from him," said Neiko with a frown. "He already said his two cents about that."

"Aye, but we must have that crystal in order to get out. We can't try retrieving it now without the risk of him destroying it," Panthero said, fidgeting and massaging his forehead.

"I know. I'm tired, and that's all I had to say. Good night," said Neiko and then she left the room.

* * *

That night, Neiko was having dreams of her life with Monchiska. The next morning, she was still asleep, and Ramesses came in to see her. He came and sat down beside her and stroked her face and hair. She never awoke, but he smiled at her. He then bent down and kissed her, and when he had finished, Neiko said in English, "Oh, Monchiska, I'll be home soon. Kiss me some more," she said with a smile on her face.

Hearing this, he arose and looked at her frustrated because he couldn't understand what she had said; he went to find Francesco.

Francesco was writing on a scroll; he looked up and saw that Ramesses was exasperated. "What is wrong, my king?"

"Tell me, what is a Monchiska? I went to visit her this morning while she was sleeping, and after I kissed her, she said 'Monchiska' and much more gibberish I could not understand," said Ramesses.

"Monchiska is a person—a man to be exact. He is a member of the Scraah tribe, the same tribe that Mactalon is from. They have been good friends for a very long time. So it seems she has been dreaming about him, and she was happy about a kiss she thought she might have received from him. That can only mean one thing—that is the person she has loved for years," Francesco stated and then chuckled.

Ramesses' face darkened. "Oh, is that so? If I see a person that goes by that name, I will personally kill him. When she awakens, I will tell her to forget him!"

"No, say nothing. It is better to keep waiting and to rid her of anything she has with her to remind her of him. If you say anything about it now, it will make things worse and lead to another tirade and tussle between the two of you. It is good you found out," said Francesco.

"You're right. She will forget him once she learns she will never leave me and when she falls in love with me," Ramesses said with great confidence.

* * *

At breakfast, Neiko told her friends about the dreams she was having the night before. Neiko found it strange that Ramesses had allowed her friends to eat with them. She was completely unaware of both of his ulterior motives: to find out more about Monchiska and this could be her last breakfast with them. Neiko acted casual with her friends; she got onto them for calling her "Great One". She found it annoying. Every time she mentioned Monchiska's name, Ramesses became angrier—he looked as if he wanted to crush his goblet in his hand.

"I had a dream that we kissed, and it felt so real. I wanted him to kiss me again, but he left. Boy, I had no idea he was such a good kisser," Neiko said, remembering the vividness of the dream and sighing in delightful longing.

"Wow! I wish I could've had dreams like that about Phoenix," Sito said.

"Yeah, but y'all actually kissed," Neiko said, propping her cheek on left her hand that had the ring from Monchiska on it; this was the first time it had caught Ramesses' eye.

"Where did you get that?" Ramesses asked, taking her hand touching the turquoise.

"It was a gift from Monchiska," Neiko replied, not paying attention and not noticing the angry glint in his dark eyes.

Ramesses growled in rage and tried to rip the ring off her finger with his other hand.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" asked Neiko, trying to retract her hand and keep his other hand away from her prized possession.

"You will wear this no more!" Ramesses snapped. He finally got it off of her finger and out of her grasp and threw it in the garden. It bounced, rolled, and blooped as it landed in the lotus pool. It began to sink in the murky water beneath the floating lotuses and lily pads.

"Hey, that's mine! You just threw my ring away! What's the matter with you?" Neiko protested with a look like he had lost his mind. "Have you gone nuts?" she asked, fanning her hands.

Ramesses looked at his hands took off one of his own rings from his left hand—from his left ring finger—and placed it on her left middle finger. "Now, this is my gift to you, and you will never take this off. I have given you my best and most special ring," he said with an emphatic and authoritative tone of voice.

"Sure, okay," Neiko said taken aback and confused. She held up her hand and looked at it. It was more magnificent than what she had. It was finely engraved gold with a large amethyst that was covered in gold designs. The amethyst sparkled beneath its shimmering gold accents. She rubbed the large amethyst. Everyone else's faces were written in shock, including her own.

"Ramesses, you are giving the ring your father had made for him when he was a boy by your grandfather? The same ring your father passed to you and you should pass on to your son?" Nefertari asked with a dumbfounded look.

"It is mine to give to whomever I choose!" Ramesses retorted. "You have no place to voice your opinion on such matters. I have no son, and I think she is more deserving—what if I have no son worthy of it? Hmm? It is my best gift and mine to give to whoever I see fit! Are you jealous that I didn't give it to you?" he asked with a caustic tone.

"No, that's not it at all!" Nefertari said in defense. "I just know that ring is very special to you since you and your father were so close. You have had that since you were a boy! Neiko doesn't return your love like you want, so I only thought..."

"But she will!" Ramesses interrupted.

Neiko felt awkward and a little squeamish when she heard how long it had been in the family and of its origin. "Ramesses, I can't accept this. That's kind of you and all, but..." she said trying to slip it off her finger and return it to him. She didn't feel like she deserved to take an heirloom as a gift and break the cycle of its passage from father to son.

Ramesses stopped her from removing it by clasping her hands. "Yes you can. I want you to take it—it is my best. I think you should have it. You may spend the day with your friends, Neiko. Now go before I change my mind," he said, and the Indians left in haste. "It may be the last time you ever see them," he muttered.

Neiko ran up to catch up with her friends. "What was he so mad about?" Neiko said looking at her new ring. "Why would he do something that rash and give me something so special to him?"

Sito knew the answers, but he couldn't say them.

"He really got mad when you said something about Monchiska, and I noticed that every time you mentioned Monchiska's name, he became angrier and angrier, but I have no idea why," shrugged Tito.

"Oh well, it's probably nothing. Let's have some fun, shall we?" said Neiko as she skipped around.