MY DEAR FRIENDS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!!!!!! For you I have uploaded a long chapter! I really hope you enjoy it. Please, please, please, please, PLEASE let me know what you think! This one is meaty, I hope xD And don't forget to vote!!!!!!
Love,
Luckycharms <3
-------------------------------
- Arius -
As expected, with my uncles return came a whole load of disapproval. Every decision I made, he was unhappy with, and he was ready to do anything to revert it all.
"You sent that many soldiers to a minor city?" My uncle shouted, pacing in front of his throne. "And you took them from the nobles? Are you a fool?"
General Boman had ordered me to not utter a single word against my uncle. So I didn't. I just stared back at my uncle, without faltering for a second.
"Do you not understand how to use resources effectively after spending your entire life in this palace? What have you been studying?"
I blinked. Not a word. I thought. Don't speak. Besides, I had nothing to worry about. My uncle could remove all the changes I had put forth... but their effect was already there. The city that I sent soldiers to? Well their issues were already resolved. And the same went for most of the other things I did.
It was too late now for him to destroy my changes. So I was satisfied.
"Clearly your education is proving worthless!" My uncle said. "And if that is the case then I refuse to waste any more time with you."
My eyebrows rose, taken off guard.
Then what, exactly was he going to do?
Kill me?
I'd like to see him try.
"Tomorrow," he started, "You will be headed north east with Boman. Maybe some military training might help you." He shook his head as he spoke before he sat back down.
He was trying to get rid of me.
But despite knowing exactly what he was doing, I held back a smirk.
Because he thought that this was a bad thing. Maybe he thought that sending me away would make it easier to kill me. He got the soldiers to attempt it the first time after all.
But as I thought of all the benefits of getting the support of the military... getting the soldiers to like me... I couldn't help but smile.
My uncle's plan would completely backfire. And the thought of that was wonderful.
So I smiled, but kept my head down, trying to hide it. And then I spoke, trying to sound as disappointed as possible.
"Yes, my Pharaoh."
---
When I left the throne room, Tabia came running after me. "Why do you not seem upset?" She hissed when she reached me.
"Because my uncle miscalculated," I answered, "he doesn't realize that me working closely with the soldiers would help my cause."
"Yeah, but you're still going to be close with soldiers! Do you remember what happened the last time you were alone with soldiers?"
"Lord Boman will be there this time," I said. "Nothing will happen."
"Well in that case, I'm coming too."
I stopped walking and looked at her. "Absolutely not."
"No soldier would dare to hurt you while I'm there," she said.
"I'd disagree–"
"For starters, if I join you, there will always be someone by your side. Soldiers will not take the risk when they know the prince's beloved cousin is near by. Boman would get some extra help"
"They could kill you too."
"And risk dealing with my father, I think not?"
"You're over simplifying things–"
"Well I don't care what you think, I'm coming."
"Tabia–"
She was already rushing off before I could continue.
I wanted to yell at her, but at the same time I did think that her being there would be good... at the very least to keep things interesting. Despite the risk, I truly did believe that Boman's presence would keep the two of us safe.
And arguing with Tabia was utterly useless. So to save time, I went straight to my room and began preparing for my trip.
My brother was not pleased with the fact that I was leaving. Like Tabia, he was also worried that I was in danger. But unlike Tabia, I wasn't going to let him come with us... not a chance.
So he continued to complain... even while I prepared Neshny the next day to take the trip. I told him a hundred times that he wasn't allowed to come, so at this point, I had chosen to ignore him.
But my annoyance grew three fold when I heard Tabia's high-pitched voice this early in the morning. When I turned to face her, however, I felt my heart stop.
Beside her, holding a small a small box of her things, was Chione.
- Chione -
Arius did not look pleased to see me. I had a feeling this would be the case but I didn't think he'd look that mad.
He marched over to us, "what are you doing here?"
"I brought her," Tabia said before I could speak.
"No," he said. "She's not coming."
"A woman like me needs all the help I can get," Tabia responded.
I sighed as the two began arguing.
When Tabia came to me, I knew this was a bad idea. I had told her that I didn't want to come but she basically forced me to. I knew Arius wouldn't be happy with that.
To be honest, I knew I didn't really have a say in any of this, so I just stayed quiet and let them argue it out.
From the looks of the argument, it seemed that Tabia was winning.
But the argument came to a quick stop when the frightening looking man known as Lord Boman walked out into the grounds.
Tabia turned to me with a smile as Arius marched away, "I won."
I sighed once more.
I had no idea where we were going, and I had no idea for how long... all I knew was that Tabia wanted me to come with her and Arius didn't.
I watched as Arius climbed onto Neshny, not looking at me. Another thing I knew was that fact that, by the looks of things, Arius would not have said goodbye to me before he left.
And though I was going with him, something about that fact upset me.
Tabias carriage followed closely behind the horses which carried the prince and General Boman. There were also many guards who surrounded us all, though I couldn't see so well in the carriage.
"I really hope the trip isn't too long," Tabia said as she leaned back against the cushioned wall of the carriage. "I don't like being stuck in small spaces."
"I don't think I should have come," I said for the hundredth time.
She waved her hand, dismissing my words. "I need some company. And besides, it'd be good to have a doctor on the premises."
"I'm not a doctor..." was my answer.
I didn't really know why I was so worried. I assumed it was because I was going to some unfamiliar place... but I think I was lying to myself.
I think I was upset that Aries was upset... and maybe because he was going to leave without saying goodbye.
"How long do you think the Prince will have to be gone from the palace?"
"No idea," Tabia said, fanning herself, "but most likely a long time.
"So we'd have to stay the whole time too?"
"Yes," she said.
I wanted to sigh but I held it back, not wanting to insult Tabia.
We were moving for a long, LONG time. Tabia was definitely fun to be around... she always had a lot to say, but it didn't necessarily shorten the trip.
When Tabia wasn't talking, all I could really hear was the sound of the carriage wheel rolling on the floor, horses moving at a steady pace and the soft sounds of male voices. That was it.
It was when the sky had nearly completely darkened that the carriage stopped moving.
Tabia pulled aside the cloth that covered the entrance and looked out right when the carriage stopped.
"We are stopping for the night, my lady," a soldier said to her.
"Where are we?"
"We have arrived at the estate of Lord Paser who has gladly agreed to house the Prince until morning."
"Hm," Tabia didn't sound pleased.
A moment later, Arius was standing next to the guard. "Come on," he said to Tabia before glancing towards me. "We will be sleeping here and then continuing to travel at the break of dawn.
Tabia stepped out of the carriage elegantly. "I don't like Lord Paser."
"Why?" Arius asked. He reached out a hand to help me out but I refused it. I could get out on my own... and besides, it didn't seem like a good idea for him to be touching me.
"Because he wanted to marry me and add me to his collection of wives."
"How many wives does he have?" I asked.
"Eight," Tabia held her head up proudly. "He was a fool to even try."
I chuckled and Arius rolled his eyes.
When the Prince and the rest of us entered the home, we were greeted by a short and bald man. My eyebrows rose at the sight. He was rather chubby and had a mean and angry look on his face.
Such a man thought he could win over Tabia?
I thought of Lord Khafrin, who I knew to be Tabia's fiancé... he was so handsome, tall and intelligent. This man seemed to be the opposite.
"Welcome," Lord Paser said as he bowed. When he rose up, there was a small smile on his face.
Arius bowed his head. "Thank you, my Lord, for allowing us to take rest at your estated."
"The pleasure is mine," Lord Paser said. "Not many are honored with the opportunity to house one from the Royal Family."
Arius smiled.
I looked around at the large home as the nobles spoke to one another. It was definitely large and slightly obnoxious. Luxurious statues and furniture filled the halls and nothing seemed out of place. This man was clearly rich, though the village just down the sandy road seemed barren and poor.
As Tabia had said, there were eight wives, three of which were pregnant. They all stood in a line behind Lord Paser and all of them seemed unfriendly. They held their heads high and those who even spared me a glance did not seem to think much of me.
And then there were the children. There were many. I didn't even bother to count, but I would guess at the very least fifteen.
Was this how noblemen were like?
I knew none so well except for Arius.
I wanted to shudder.
When the conversation was over, the nobles were treated to dinner and I was, unfortunately, left on my own.
Tabia had left me in her room, so I wouldn't wander around alone, and the kind, kind Lord Paser allowed me to have a single piece of bread and a small cup of beer as my dinner after a long, long journey.
Such kindness.
Of course, I gobbled it up within seconds and was left to my thoughts.
The moon was high in the sky when Tabia returned, and I couldn't be happier. Plus, she came bearing gifts.
"Dinner is served, my dear," she said, holding a plate of what looked like rice... and even meat! "Did you think I wasn't going to bring you something and leave you to go to sleep with just some bread?"
At first I refused it, though my mouth watered.
Tabia, of course, did not allow it.
So I ate up, and by the end of it, I felt extremely satisfied.
"You do know that you are still the Prince's personal maid, right?" She asked, looking at me with a small smile.
I hesitated. Well... yes. I did know that. But what was I supposed to do for him here?
"Just down the hall," she said. "His room is the one with the two guards standing at the entrance."
I let out a small laugh before I got up.
I guess I would find out soon what he wanted from me.
When I entered his room, however, I was surprised by the sight.
Arius was wearing a cloak similar to the one he was wearing when we first met. He was removing his jewelry and had no makeup on his face. He didn't look much like a prince at that moment, but he also didn't look like he was going to bed.
"What are you doing," I asked when I entered his room.
"Going for a walk," Arius simply said.
My eyebrows rose. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"No one knows who I am," he responded, giving me a smile. "Do you want to come with me?"
I didn't really like this idea... but how could I say no? There was something funny about the idea of sneaking around with the Prince of Egypt.
We left the large home of Lord Paser through the window of Arius's room. We were on the bottom floor, so that wasn't too hard. Plus, most of the guards were probably exhausted from their trip so slipping past the gate was easy.
I found myself laughing as we made our way towards the village. "Do you do this often?"
Arius smiled at me before looking ahead. "Yes, actually."
I looked at him, "why?"
"Because I like to," he said, not looking at me and pulled his hood over his head. "Escaping for some time and seeing the people keeps me focused. It reminds me why I need to become king."
I kept my eyes on him for a moment before looking away.
The night was silent... aside from the sounds of a few animals. Though it was definitely dark, the moon and the stars helped bring some light into our world. We reached the village in no time and it was, for the most part, empty, though here and there were some men sitting around, chit chatting.
We were quiet for some time, ignoring the curious glances of the strangers, but I decided not to stay quiet for too long. "Were you planning on saying goodbye to me before you left?" I asked.
"What?"
"I'm just curious," I said, quickly, trying not to sound upset. "It seemed like you were going to leave without saying goodbye."
"Why would I say goodbye when you were coming long?"
"You didn't know I was coming along," I responded.
"Did you want me to come and say goodbye?"
"No," I said, looking away. "I just think it was rather rude... we've gone through a lot."
Arius laughed.
I felt like I had said something foolish.
"Well," he started, "to be honest, I thought if I didn't say goodbye then I'd want to come home faster."
I gave him a questioning look, "what do you mean?"
He shrugged. "I didn't say goodbye to my brother as well, or Ramose," he said. "I don't know the logic behind it but that's just how I feel."
I was suddenly flattered. I didn't really understand what he meant but I was flattered nonetheless.
But as I looked at Arius with a smile, I saw that someone had caught his attention.
"Hello there," he said.
I followed his gaze and saw that he was looking at a young, pregnant woman.
"Well... you're very pregnant."
Now I rolled my eyes. What a way to state the obvious. I mean, she was indeed very pregnant. Her belly was huge and it looked like she could barely walk. She was pretty too, with long black hair and dark skin. She had a happy looking face, with full cheeks and bright eyes.
She smiled at Arius, looking humored. "That, I am," was her response as she touched her belly. "Very, very pregnant."
Arius smiled back at her as we reached her. "What are you doing out so late?" He asked, "should you not be resting?"
"I should be," she said. "But unfortunately I have much to do."
"Nonsense," Arius said. "You should be resting," he looked at me. "Right?"
I nodded.
Arius looked back at the woman. "This girl is a midwife, and she is telling you to rest."
She looked at me with surprise. "Really? But you are so young!"
My cheeks began to warm up.
"Yes," Arius responded for me. "A midwife of the palace, to be exact. She helped deliver the queen's baby."
The woman gawked. "How lucky I am to be in your presence!"
I shook my head and nudged Arius. "No... no," I started. "I am a midwife, but nothing that special."
She seemed to believe Arius over me. "So if you are from the palace, are you part of the Prince's entourage?" She asked. "I hear he is at Lord Paser's home?"
I hesitated, not knowing what to say.
"Yes, we are," Arius answered.
"How amazing!" She seemed excited. "I wish I had the opportunity to meet him!"
Arius gave her a humored look. "Why?"
"Well, to be honest, most of the villagers here care little about palace gossip," She said. "The happenings of the palace do not affect us much... besides, Lord Paser is a strong supporter of the Pharaoh, so what we think wouldn't matter anyways..."
I felt like I could relate.
The people of my village were the same.
"But it was so odd because when the Prince became temporary Pharaoh, it felt as if the air... became lighter," she said. "And many in this village began to realize our hearts felt safer with the true heir on the throne."
Arius smiled. "That is good to hear," he said. "The Prince would be happy."
"So tell me," she asked, looking back and forth between the two of us. "Is he handsome?"
"The Prince?" Arius asked, beginning to smirk.
"Yes," she said. "I heard he is very handsome!"
"Very," Arius said with a funny grin, "Right Chione?"
I bit my lip for a moment before letting out a laugh. "Very," I agreed.
Arius laughed too.
"Surely not as handsome as you though, young man," the woman grinned at him.
"Not even close," Arius said.
She laughed, as did I. "My name is Tey," she said. "And who are you both?"
"I am Arius," Arius said, confident that she would not recognize his nickname, "and this is Chione."
"It is a pleasure to meet you both," she said before looking at me. "I hope it isn't to much to ask, but is it possible for you to give me a quick check?"
"A check?" I asked. "As in check your baby?"
She nodded. "You see, three of Lord Pesar's wives are pregnant, so he gathered the only two midwives we have in our village and demanded they stay with him," she sighed. "It would make me feel quite at ease if you could just see if everything is okay?"
"Of course!" I said, "is your home near by?"
She pointed at a nearby hut. "Just down there," she said as she began helping.
"Let me help you," Arius said as he took her arm.
The woman smiled at Arius, "thank you."
When we reached her home, I asked her to lie down. Arius watched closely I felt her stomach and did a couple of tests that I was taught as a young girl. When I was finished with most of the tests, I was quite surprised. "Tey," I started. "Everything looks great, but you are very far along..."
"The baby will be coming soon?" she asked as she sat up slowly.
I helped her. "Very soon... I'd say two days, max."
Her eyes widened. "Very soon indeed."
"How would you handle it without a midwife?" I asked, getting a little annoyed that the lord was hogging the midwives.
"Well, we have some elders here... and my friends who have given birth."
That wasn't too bad... but a midwife's help was always best.
"How long, may I ask, will you be staying in the village?"
I looked at Arius.
He looked at Tey with a warm smile. "Two days, max, he said, repeating my words.
My eyebrows rose in surprise. I was under the impression we were leaving in the morning.
"Tey," Arius started, "when you feel like you're ready to give birth, send someone down to Lord Pesar's home and ask for Chione. She will be your aide."
"Are you sure–"
"It shouldn't be a problem," he looked at me. "Right?"
"Yes," I said. "I will be here to help you... in fact, if the Prince will allow it, I will come help you with your chores and other things during the day, just so you don't overwork yourself." I looked at Arius, "do you think that would be fine?"
"I think the Prince will have no problem with that."
I smiled at him.
After our encounter with Tey, I had a huge smile on my face as we continued to walk around. "Why do you do that?" I asked.
"Do what?"
"Put so much effort into helping people?"
Arius smiled.
"You're going to stay here for a couple extra days just to help here?"
"Bringing peace of mind to my people brings peace of mind to me," he said.
I let out a laugh. "I can't believe you!"
He looked at me, "why?"
"Because you're like that."
"What's wrong with that?" He asked, "I'm sure it's a good thing."
"Because it's odd... there are nobles like Lord Paser... the complete opposite of you. He's selfish and obviously does not care one bit about the poor, and then there's you. Where did you learn this from?"
Silence... at least for a moment. "My parents were kind people. I strive to be like them.
"I wish I lived in a world where your father was king," I said. I wondered how different it would have been.
"Well you will live in a world where I will be king," he said. "And you will see something that is close."
I gave him the warmest smile I could conjure up, pleased with his confidence. "Well, I am hoping for that... as, I am sure, many other Egyptians are too."
- Arius -
The walk through the village the night before was quite enjoyable. Meeting Tey, and having such a conversation with Chione made me feel all the more confident about what I wanted to do.
Though most were not pleased with my decision to stay back, they could not say no and it was obvious that they also liked the idea of resting for another day. So my promise to Tey was honored, which kept me happy.
Lord Paser was a filthy scoundrel... so I tried avoiding him as much as I could by spending most of my day with Tabia.
He seemed to avoid Tabia, which made me think that she must have said something to him during their almost-engagement.
Chione was off during the day with Tey, so I felt even more relieved.
When night hit, however, I decided that I would go out again. Maybe pay Tey a visit and see how she was doing.
Chione joined me, of course. Her presence was always welcomed.
"She's doing very well," she told me. "I think she may go into labor very soon."
But before I could speak, we were only a few steps from Tey's small home and we both heard moaning.
Chione stopped walking and stayed silent for a moment.
I watched her face, not breathing. What was happening? Something bad?
And then she began to run.
I ran after her, into Tey's home, only to see Tey pacing around, moaning softly.
"Tey!" Chione shouted. "Why didn't you send anyone to get me? How long have you been feeling the labor pains?"
She looked at her with wide eyes. "I..." she took a deep breath. "It's okay...."
Chione grabbed her arm and held it tightly. "Good for you for pacing... it usually helps."
I stared, frozen, not knowing what was happening.
Chione looked at me. "Could you get some warm water, Arius?" She asked. "Go to the neighbors, they may have some already prepared."
I was frozen.
Was Tey going to give birth?
Now?"
"Arius?"
"Yes," I said, snapping out of it. "Got it."
I turned around and rushed out of the home. I had to go to five neighbors before I was able to get a pot of warm water and by that point I was panicking.
A woman was going to give birth.
A woman was about to bring life into our world.
And I was... in a small way... helping.
When I returned to the hut, Tey was now squatting down on the floor with Chione right next to her Her moans had gotten louder. She looked like she was in pain.
"Bring the water here, Arius." Chione said, pointing next to her. "And grab me some of those linens."
I did as she said.
I placed the warm pot next to her and grabbed some of the linens that were on the table. They all seemed liked dresses, but Chione still took them from me.
"Where is your husband?" Chione asked Tey.
Tey lifted her head up and moaned again before speaking. "He... is not... here."
"Tell me where he is," I said. "I will go get him."
"No," she said. "He was a soldier..." she let out a long moan and took a deep breath.
"Keep breathing," Chione said. "Deep breaths."
"He... went with the... the Pharaoh... to fight..." she said, taking deep breaths as Chione had instructed. "He didn't... come back..."
My eyes widened.
"My husband... passed..."
It felt as if someone was squeezing my heart. "You're alone?" I asked.
She looked at me, drenched in sweat, and gave me a smile.
I didn't know why but I was hit with multiple emotions.
Fear and panic because she was giving birth right in front of me. Annoyance because Paser had all the midwives to himself. Anger because of my uncles' unnecessary wars.
An unnecessary battle killed her husband.
She was alone.
"Arius!" Chione called.
I looked at her. Her face changed slightly, and I knew she saw that I was upset. Nonetheless, she gave me a smile. "Men, aside from the husband, are not supposed to be in the birthing room...." She said. "But I need your help."
My eyes widened.
"There is no one else here and I need you to help her balance while I deliver the baby. She is having difficulty balancing."
Tey's moans grew even louder and Chione gave me a look filled with urgency.
I nodded and couched down next to Tey. She put an arm around my shoulder, pushing most of her weight onto me. Her body was very warm.
Chione kept a hold of her other hand but bent over to take a look under her dress. "Okay, okay..." She looked back at Tey with a grin. A kind of grin I have never seen on her face before. "I see the head! Everything is going perfectly!"
Tey let out an exhausted laugh between her breaths.
"Now push, Tey, let's get the head out."
Tey took a breath and moaned loudly as she pushed.
Aside from her moaning, I heard some other unfamiliar sounds, but I just stared at Chione's face the whole time, trying to see if everything was alright.
Chione started to laugh. "Good, good, Tey! Almost there, Come on,"
I rubbed Tey's back as she pushed once more.
"There! Head is out!"
My heart was racing.
A baby was almost born.
"One more, Tey! One more big push!"
Tey pushed. She pushed with all her might. I felt her muscles and saw the pain on her face as she pushed.
And then there was the sound of water splashing against the ground and a crying baby.
Chione was laughing, pulling a tiny, tiny baby up into her arms. Her white dress was suddenly covered in blood as the crying baby flapped its arms and legs around.
Tey started laughing too, exhausted.
I was in shock.
"Look, you have yourself a little, little man!" Chione said as she handed the naked baby to her. The cord was still connected... they were still one.
Tey laughed and then cried as I helped her sit down comfortably. She then took her baby in her arms while Chione dipped a knife in cold water and cut the cord.
I hadn't realized my hands were shaking until Chione grabbed one of them. When I looked at her, she gave me a happy smile.
She then looked back at Tey. "Let me clean him up for you. Arius will get you something to eat and drink."
When she looked at me again, I gulped and nodded.
I left the hut with a look of shock. The silent night was suddenly filled with the sound of the crying baby and dear god... it was beautiful.
Neighbors were peeking out of their homes, looking towards Tey's hut. "Is she okay?" Some asked. Others gave me food without my even asking. "Here, take this... let her eat," they would say. "Such a lovely young girl."
My heart was suddenly warmed.
The birth of a baby... brought people together.
Everyone was smiling.
Everyone was happy.
They hadn't even seen the baby yet, however they all felt joy.
It was wonderful.
I was smiling as I returned. I had a basket of food, all from the neighbors.
When I reached Tey's home, however, Chione was standing outside. There was a pot of water in front of her, which wasn't there before, so I assumed a neighbor dropped it off.
She was leaning forward, hands in the pot.
I watched in amazement as she wiped the blood off her hands. She was covered in sweat and blood and her hair tumbled out of its bun and fell down her back.
She was a complete and utter mess.
She looked exhausted, yet she still managed to have a smile that graced her face. She looked happy.
She should be, of course. Here she was... the most amazing girl I knew. A girl who helped bring life into this world. She managed to do so calmly something that made me, the Prince of Egypt, shake.
Me... someone who had grown up under a harsh uncle... someone who suffered from beatings... someone who was stabbed... someone who almost died.
Something had changed.
And I felt that she was the reason why.
Most of the major events in my life which made me so speechless were traumatic. And now... now I witnessed a woman give birth.
Everything had changed.
Thanks to a peasant girl.
A peasant girl with not a single article of luxury was on her body. Yet she seemed content. All she had were her blood covered rags and nothing more.
She was truly amazing.
The moon was up in the sky and despite all that had happened, dear Ra did she look even more beautiful under the moonlight.
I watched her as she wiped her forehead with the back of her still dirty hands and my heart skipped a beat. "Chione..." I said, staring at her in awe.
She turned and looked at me, the smile still gracing her lips.
"I..." I was breathless. I had no idea why but I was. All of this was so overwhelming. It took me a second to get a hold of my voice.
Her head cocked slightly, but that smile remained.
My heart was racing.
"I think I'm in love with you."