Don't you guys think the picture above is like perfection. It's got Rami Malek and a banana. What could be more perfect?

Dedicated to @DestinedForGreen for always commenting and voting and for always having something nice to say.

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Not every city was alike. But this certain city was one they wouldn't forget. Heliopolis shone from a mile upon the Nile. Kahmunrah stood in awe at the bow of the ship. He looked at the glimmering spectacle before him and let out his rare smile.

"Ah, it looks lovely does it not?" said a voice behind him.

Kahmunrah turned swiftly and found himself face to face with Khufu. His countenance changed from content, to that of anger.

"Get away from me?" growled Kahmunrah. Believing that Khufu was to kill him.

"I won't hurt you as you did me. I never sought revenge in my life."

Kahmunrah scoffed. Sure you don't he thought sarcastically that is totally why you seek to kill father.

"I've come here to forgive for that Kahmun." continued Khufu. "I've also come to say of you want me to help you in any way just say so"

"I didn't say that I was sorry." Snarled Kahmun. "I don't need you. And you have no right to call me by that name. Only my family can do so."

"Am I not your family?" asked Khufu condescendingly.

"No. You heartless bastard." He spat back.

Khufu seemed to be enjoying this, which angered Kahmunrah even more. He clenched his fist and raised it about to give a blow...

"You and I are alike," stated Khufu. Kahmunrah's fist stopped in mid-air. He shook his head in disbelief. "We are both ambitious..." Khufu continued. But Kahmunrah interrupted him.

"Get out before I kill you!"

Khufu gave him a smile and scampered off like the coward he was.

"What a wonderful way to sour one's mood." Remarked Kahmunrah to no one in particular. He buried his head in his hands as if trying to get rid of the stigma left behind by Khufu's words. Then he took studying Heliopolis intensely as if it could bring the same amount of content to his heart.

By now Ahkmenrah had come above deck. He had heard Kahmunrah shouting about killing someone. Then he saw Khufu scamper off and Kahmunrah fall into a depressive mood.

"What did Khufu say?" he asked.

Kahmunrah related the whole conversation in a grim sullen voice.

"I thought I was the stupid one." Stated Ahkmenrah.

"You are" affirmed Kahmunrah.

"Yes I know, but how could you be so stupid not to realise that Khufu is trying to break you."

"What makes you think that?"

"Why else would he say those things?"

Kahmunrah thought for a moment and nodded.

"What would you do without me?" joked Ahkmenrah.

"Quite a lot of things actually." Answered Kahmunrah.

Ahkmenrah pouted pretending to be hurt.

"Where's Sabra?" asked Kahmunrah for the guardswoman was nowhere to be seen. "I've heard that you're never seen without her." He added teasingly.

Ahkmenrah's face reddened. "Gods Kahmun! She's my guard not my girlfriend! And to answer your question I told her to stay behind. I mean can't I have some time by myself or with you?"

Kahmunrah couldn't stress how important it was that he remains protected. But he didn't say anything about that. Instead he said,

"You might want her to come back now. We're nearly about to land."

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Heliopolis' magic entrances you the first step you take upon its banks. But the people aboard the ship where pulled under its spell long before first steps were taken. Children with their cattle turned their heads as they saw the ship come. Grinning excitedly they raced towards the river banks. They royal family could only just manage a wave.

Kahmunrah forgot his encounter with Khufu and laughed and smiled as the young children crowded around him when they had landed upon the banks of the Nile. The power and beauty of Heliopolis made Kahmunrah smile in one day more than he would usually in a whole year.

One little girl recognised Sabra and announced:

"Aren't you that girl who saved the king?"

All the other children turned their heads and gasped in delight. They crowded around her bombarding her with questions. Thus somehow adding to the beauty of Heliopolis seducing its visitors further into her clutches.

Sabra finally consented in giving them lessons in self-defense by the urging of both the children and the Pharaoh. The officials including the governor arrived to greet the royal family apologizing for their tardiness. No apology needed to be given for the city had hypnotized them into seeing nothing but beauty in everything.

The plan of the day was quite like every other. There was a ceremony, Merenkahre gave a speech and then there was a banquet. The next few days they shall tour the city

After the ceremony they were shown to their rooms. Ahkmenrah and Kahmunrah's room was lavishly furnished. Peacock feathers on every wall of the room made of white marble. Persian carpets dressed the floor and silk from far off China covered the beds. Sweet smelling incense filled their nostrils as they put down their chest of belongings.

Ahkmenrah had the childish urge to jump on one of the beds but fought it. The banquet was in half an hour and he needed to get ready. Quickly grabbing his red and gold kilt and similarly coloured neck collar he went into a private chamber to change. Kahmunrah dressed similarly but in blue and silver.

There was fifteen minutes until the banquet and they heard a knock on door.

"Come in!" announced Ahkmenrah.

Sabra came in. She too had taken reasonable measures to look good. Upon her chest was the medal awarded by the king. Around her waist she wore the gold and emerald belt that held her sword. She had even brushed down her usually wavy tangled dark hair. Ahkmenrah decided that she in fact did look rather pretty and wasn't as ordinary looking as he first thought, but that was only Ahkmenrah's decision.

"I know the banquet is in fifteen minutes. But I think it would be better if we leave now. I can hardly find my way around this place. I can probably say the same for you."

So they left for the banquet. True to her word they didn't know their way around. They encountered dead ends and different rooms. Yet they managed to arrive just on time to the banquet hall.

Before they entered Sabra turned to Ahkmenrah and said "Try not to drink so much this time."

Ahkmenrah opened his mouth to protest but closed it. Then he opened it again clearly embarrassed. "So you heard about what happened at Kahmunrah's banquet?"

"Ahk the whole of Egypt knows and I don't think they will forget any time soon." She said without emotion.

Kahmunrah butted in "Did you here about the part when he started flirting with a dog?"

"No, I haven't actually. Is that story any good?" asked Sabra.

"It was the best part of the whole night." Exclaimed Kahmunrah laughing.

Ahkmenrah muttered a few curses under his breath and walked towards the door. Sabra and Kahmunrah followed suit.

A rather loud cheer from the crowd greeted them. Flowers were thrown upon them. For Ahkmenrah and Kahmunrah this was normal but Sabra seemed flustered under the attention. When the reception was over they started to mingle with the crowd.

Ahkmenrah went over to the food table, he hadn't eaten since morning and his stomach growled like a tiger. He looked at all the pastries in awe. What should he eat? He finally picked a baklava, being one of his favourite pastries as a child. He took his first bite and let the golden sweetness erupt in his mouth. Sabra stood close by. She seemed tired but somehow vigilant.

Ahkmenrah took more pastries and stuffed them in his mouth. Sabra rolled her eyes at him.

"Ahk, you need to stop eating so much it is not good for you." She joked. But he did eat a lot and one day it would catch up with him, either by disease or obesity. That is if he were to stop physical exercise at the same time.

"Fight me!" he responded stuffing another baklava in his mouth. He swallowed then he grinned like a little boy.

But Sabra grimaced and touched her forehead lightly and Ahkmenrah asked if she was feeling well.

"Just a small headache. I'm all right, really I am. I just need some fresh air." She had a scowl on her face though.

Ahkmenrah looked at her skeptically. "I'll come with you." He announced.

"No!" she snapped sharply. A bit too sharply because she instantly regretted it seeing the dejected expression on his face. "No" she repeated a bit more gently, smiling even.

"Alright then." He replied satisfied with her smile. But as soon she left his satisfaction left with her. It seemed rather weird that she should speak so sharply to him over some company. But he shrugged his shoulders and filled his goblet with very strong wine.

Suddenly he smelt the familiar flowery scent of Ismara behind him. She was dressed lavishly in white and gold. A beautiful jeweled headdress was perched upon her head. She wore kohl around her eyes, and her eyelids were painted gold too. She looked beautiful. Ahkmenrah could admit that much.

His heart started to bleed sorrow, as if an arrow shot by Ismara had pierced it. She was his first love, he couldn't forget that. She broke his heart too. But then he remembered his brother's advice and smiled at her and took a huge gulp of the wine. Her superior countenance fell as she realised his happiness. Ahkmenrah left the food table feeling gratified and it wasn't about the food or wine either.

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It always happened when there was some sort of party. First there was the searing headache then the memories flooded back. Sabra had managed to get away from Ahkmenrah before the worst part, the memories could attack her.

The flames lapped about before Sabra's eyes. If she tried to close her eyes they would get brighter. She could hear screams. Her parents her younger brother gone. She was only ten then but she could still remember tripping over the charred bodies of her loved ones. It took all her will power to push the memories back. When she finally returned to reality she could feel tears falling down her cheeks, she wiped them away. That was when she saw blood trickling down the back of her hand. She vaguely recalled her fist colliding with something.

She thought after all these years it would've gotten better. She shouldn't have come. But no she had to get over this fear.

She remembered what her father once wrote:

Fear is but a word, against it fight

Do not go gentle into its dark hold

Rage against the death of thy light

But she knew it was useless. She had already succumbed into its hold. It's harder to fight against something once you have allowed its clutch to tighten its hold on you.

She looked around her. Hopefully no one saw her little scene. She was far too proud to accept being pitied.

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Why do women have to be so clingy? Thought Kahmunrah as he finally managed to get out of a vicious cycle of flirting which could have resulted in something not so innocent, which was saying something because his flirting wasn't very innocent either. His brother had found a group of people around his age and he was joking around with them, looking a little bit tipsy but not as drunk as last time. But Sabra wasn't there. He looked around and saw her in the garden with a pale face, which was slowly reverting back to a positive expression.

What he did next was probably rather brash in his opinion but he treated her like a little sibling, whenever his actual sibling had a cloud above his head Kahmunrah was always there. He walked up to her.

"Are you alright?" he asked his expression full of concern.

"I'm fine" she lied smoothly. But anger and pride was barely concealed in her voice, it betraying her. She didn't want to be pitied. "Just a headache"

"Are you sure?" he ventured carefully. He didn't want her to be mad at him.

She smiled and nodded. Realising Kahmunrah wasn't going to leave until he was absolutely sure she was all right. She looked at the city and said:

"Heliopolis is very beautiful"

He forgot why he was here at once and gave a small smile and answered, "It is and one day I will rule it."

"Is that all you ever care about?" she asked.

"No. I also care about Ahk, mother, father, Seknut, you..." He stopped talking when he saw the blood on her hand. He finally understood what his brother meant when he said she was a good actress. She was very good at pretending that nothing was wrong when there obviously was something wrong. And he was a victim of her deceit "What happened to your hand?" he asked.

She scowled slightly humiliated; she wasn't that pitiful was she? But at the same time she was warmed by his concern. She muttered something about walking into a pillar. Kahmunrah didn't believe her but respected her privacy nonetheless.

"That pillar must have put up a rather good fight" he said letting her know he didn't believe her but wouldn't venture any further into this topic. "Stay right here." He ordered.

He left her, her pride slightly hurt, but warmed to the heart to know she had someone who was like a big brother. Ahkmenrah was so lucky to have such a caring older brother like him.

Kahmunrah came back with two strips of linen, and two glasses of water. He handed her one glass.

"I was going bring some wine but you don't seem like the type of person who would drink" he said handing her a glass of water.

Using her uninjured hand took a hold of it and sipped at the much-needed water. She hadn't realised her thirst until she took her first sip. Kahmunrah took the first strip of linen and dipped it in the other glass of water and cleaned her wound. He then took the other strip of linen and bound her hand with rapid speed. He was as good as any healer.

"I would have done that myself but thank you" said Sabra.

Kahmunrah smiled at her. "No problem."

"You know you are not as bad as they say." Said Sabra after some thought.

"They say bad things about me?" asked Kahmunrah in an almost dejected tone.

"Not wholly bad. Just that you never leave a woman untouched."

"Every one has their share of the seven deadly sins. Mine is lust. Not just for women but for power. It could destroy me, I know, but it really takes a saint to control these sins. But back to reality are you sure you would you be able to give self-defense lessons for the next few days?"

Sabra wanted to laugh. She had faced ten armed men with her gut threatening to spill out (she had a scar to show for it as well) and she had killed them all, even if was at death's door for three days afterwards. A small gash on her hand wasn't going to stop her from giving children lessons. She didn't say this though, fear that Kahmunrah could catch a glimpse of she was hiding instead she said almost. "Not all women are as weak as your girlfriends Kahmun."

"My girlfriends? I'd have called them something worse. If you're so confident about your strength then why don't we duel tomorrow. I bet I will still win though"

Sabra rolled her eyes. "The bet is on"

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A/N So how was it? Sorry if you guys think the story is going slowly but I feel some of the characters need more development. Don't worry people a complication will come up really soon.