EGYPT
They arrived in Egypt to the surprise of everyone. Even her father.
"You never sent a message telling of your coming, we would have prepared for it" Raheema's father hugged his daughter.
"Oh Father, I missed you so, you too mother" She hugged her mother and sisters.
"I can see you bring with you a visitor" Raheema's mother said, looking at Summer.
"Yes, she was a slave, we bought, she is to be my maiden" Raheema explained and Kuzo almost laughed.
The King walked down to them and greeted them, Summer curtsied.
"Very disciplined too" The Pharaoh smiled at her.
"Go freshen up while I speak with my son in law"
Summer shot Kuzo a look of surprise, they had left that bit out.
"Come Summer, I'll show you my room" Raheema grabbed Summer's hand and pulled her along.
"son in law? Summer said.
"Shush" Raheema warned.
Kuzo felt uneasy in the Pharaoh's presence.
"Come on son, let's take a walk"
***
I know that the wedding is perhaps too soon for you both, but there has been demands for an heir to the throne and the people do not believe in the rule of a queen.
Kuzo swallowed.
A kid?
He had to get the hell out of Egypt. he thought.
"But there were and are going to be amazing queen rulers, Nefertiti, Cleopatra…."
" But not Raheema, she's….."
"Brave, beautiful, strong willed and will make a perfect queen, you should put more confidence in her"
"She is too childish"
"Yes she is, but in her is a heart of gold, she will do anything for a good cause and not think twice about it, she would give her life for the ones she loves and smile doing it, she has all the qualities to pass for a queen, trust me I have seen it"
"You seem to know more about my daughter than I do "
"She's amazing and there is no doubt that she will make a great wife, but this trip with her has made me realize that forcing her into a marriage and a life that she doesn’t want to live will be the wrong move, and a disrespect to her life as a fair maiden with dreams as wild as the Nile, you see my King, I cannot marry Raheema because despite the fact that her heart is here with you, she wants to be the daughter that fights for Egypt and not just delegate for it, make her queen if she wills it and you won't regret it, but do not force a man on her and subject your daughter to a life empty of the thrills of love"
Kuzo was honestly surprised the King listened. He was scared that at the end of his speech the King would demand his head on a silver platter. But once his statement came to its last word, the King smiled and touched both his shoulders.
"My daughter already told me before your trip that your heart is with someone else, and she insists you are not the love of her life Amenemha, who loved to travel and somehow never came back.
"Do I look that much like him"
"I would say you are him" The King replied.
"The gods are playing with me for a reason and I'm sure it's because of the food exchanges" The Pharaoh said.
"Food exchanges?"
"I interchanged their favorite foods for weeks"
"And you actually believe they eat all that?"
The King shot him a look.
"Sorry, it's not the food, trust me, it's something else" Kuzo said.
"If it wouldn’t be disrespectful to you, I would like to go take my rest now and this is probably improper but I'm starved"
The King laughed.
"Sure sure sure" He agreed and Kuzo clasped both palms together and bowed, waist level.
"Thank you" He trotted back towards the castle and where he was a fair distance he stopped to catch his breath.
"What are you trying to do Kuzo, lose your head, now?" He whispered to himself. He walked to his room and fell on his bed. Fiji licked his face.
"Oh there you are, let's just leave now, we'll get Summer and we'll leave, okay"
Suddenly his door burst open and in walked Summer, distraught.
"There you are, we're leaving" He sat up.
"Kuzo, there's something wrong with Raheema, she can't breathe, and….i…i….i don't know what to do….." Summer managed to say. Kuzo shot up and rushed towards the door.
"What happened?" He asked, as they both ran between the large pillars.
"After dinner, she just froze and she seemed to be convusling, she tried to speak but she just fell…" Summer was in tears.
"Calm down Summer she'll be fine, did you alert her father, they should get some physicians, I did that before coming to you"
They got to Raheema's room and pushed open the door, it was already filled up.
"Please don't do that, she needs space" Kuzo tried to get everyone that was crowded around her away.
Kuzo got closer and examined her, her lips were patched, he took her hands, they were cold.
"Hey, can you hear me, squeeze my hand if you can okay"
She did.
"Good, are you struggling to breathe, blink twice if you are"
She did.
"I think she's been poisoned"
Kuzo said.
"An accusation like that is outrageous" the queen said.
"Well she has, the signs are quite shielded but my mom has seen this before, it's from the venom of a very rare snake called the Kawai, the venom of a Kawai doesn’t kill instantly but it surely tortures you before it does we have no time to waste. He stood.
"Where are you going?"
"To get help" Kuzo ran out of the room, Summer followed and so did Fiji, he didn't even notice Fiji had followed him into her room.
"Where are we going Kuzo?"
"To get Nefret"
"Who is Nefret?"
Summer asked.
"You'll know soon" Kuzo replied. They ran out of the castle and when they were out of sight he asked Fiji to transform, he did, they got unto his back quickly and he flew off the ground and into the air.
"I'm so not getting used to this" Summer's stomach churned.
"Hang on" She wrapped her arms tightly around his torso.
Kuzo, find Nefret.
"On it"
In no time they were flying across the desert.
"There she is" Fiji announced and flew down, although they couldn't see, he was certain they were there, only when they landed that he realized indeed they were. Nefret was outside with her son, drying some grains in the sun. She rushed up to them, both in Awe of the flying horse.
"I knew the tales were true, she did have a flying horse" Nefret was excited.
"Yes, you can dote on Fiji later but right now we need to fly back to the palace ASAP, Raheema has been poisoned with the venom of a Kawai.
"A Kawai, those things are not here in Egypt……unless…." Nefret wore a frown of concern.
"Little one, do wait here for me I will be back" Nefret said to her son.
"I really don't think you should leave him behind" Summer said.
"But who will…."
"I'll watch him, I'll stay, just fetch us after dropping Nefret off okay"
"Are you sure?" Kuzo asked.
Summer nodded.
He kissed her on the cheek.
"You're a gift" He said and helped Nefret unto the horse while she shouted out instructions to her son
Summer understood it all, thanks to Mabu's seed. She watched them go and waved.
"All the best and send my love" Summer screamed after them.