Sabra and Ahkmenrah walked up to the entrances of the hall. They were both drier than before but one could still see if they looked hard enough, the slight glistening of the remaining water in their hair.

"Are you ready to practically announce out engagement?" He asked her.

When she smiled back at him there was certain fiery confidence about her.

"Let the chaos ensue," she answered.

He held out his hand and she took it. They entered.

Those near the entrance turned to bow to their King, but once they saw Sabra wearing what was undeniably Ahkmenrah's cloak they nudged their neighbours to turn to the direction of the newly engaged couple before kneeling deeply to the woman who would be their queen. As soon as Sabra was able to register what was happening she tilted her head slightly towards Ahkmenrah.

"Please tell them to stop." She whispered frantically.

"I thought you said you wanted chaos."

"This isn't chaos," she told him. "This is embarrassing."

"No it's not."

"To me it is."

"Rise," he told the people. "Your future Queen requests you rise."

He couldn't lie to himself, their were many families who wished had their daughters be wed to him in order to gain political status. There were many others who would not approve of this marriage simply because Sabra wasn't noble-born. But he couldn't care less besides he knew for sure his mother wasn't one of them.

Shepseheret grinned and walked briskly towards them, enveloping them in a warm embrace.

"I knew this day would come but I didn't expect it to come so soon."

"You doubt my prowess in wooing a woman?" Asked the young king.

"Yes." She told him. "You, Ahk, have exceeded my expectations. Are you sure Sabra wasn't the one who proposed to you?"

Sabra laughed.

"Surprisingly it was all him." She told the Queen Mother.

Shepseheret smiled lovingly at them both.

"You both have my blessings" she told them and kissed both of their foreheads. "Ahk I expect your father has told you all about the....biology of things."

Ahkmenrah reddened.

"Mother couldn't we perhaps talk of this is private?"

"So Merenkahre hasn't told you how to please a woman?"

"Mother!" He cried out indignantly.

"I don't want Sabra to suffer any incompetencies on your behalf on the wedding night." Shepsehret smiled wickedly.

Sabra could finally see where Ahkmenrah got his mischievous grin from.

"Mother please stop!"

"You haven't answered my question."

"Yes, father told me about how that works." Exclaimed Ahkmenrah. "Even if he hadn't, Kahmunrah gave me enough details from his conquests for a life time."

Shepseheret patted Sabra's cheek, "Rest assured dear, he's not as incompetent as he seems."

Sabra laughed.

"Don't encourage her..." murmured Ahkmenrah, thoroughly embarrassed.

Before Shepseheret could respond, Montu enveloped all three of them in a large embrace.

"The gods bless both of you!" He announced, his embrace tightening. "It was only yesterday when you were a skinny tiny lad putting frogs in everyone's dishes."

Montu finally let go of them.

"Though it surprises me that you managed to get such a brave, strong woman to be your bride."

"You said the same thing when Merenkahre announced our engagement." Huffed Shepseheret.

"It's not my fault that the royal men are so undeserving of their women." Replied Montu jokingly. "Really Sabra you would be better off marrying a swineherd than a King of Egypt, especially one who is of Merenkahre's loins."

"He's of my loins too!" Protested Shepsehret.

"Only because of this, do I deem Ahkmenrah slightly more worthy than his father," announced Montu. "Sabra, you have my permission to marry him."

"I don't recall needing your permission Montu." Said Sabra with a smile. "I am the mistress of my own destiny."

"Very well then, I bid you my congratulations. I won't hold you up much longer. There are many who are trying to congratulate you."

—————

"Khufu!" A man rushed into Khufu's room. "The King has asked me to announce that he is to be married."

"Who is this lucky woman?" Asked Khufu.

"She is the General of Generals, Sabra."

"I can't say I'm surprised." Huffed Khufu, inspecting the wine glass with newfound interest.

"Have you found the assassin yet?" Asked the man excitedly.

"Fool does it look like I'm inspecting this wine glass for the thrill of it." Growled Khufu. "Get out!"

The man left. In a fit of anger Khufu hurled the wine glass to the floor, watching as the metal rims dent. How could he have failed? This marriage meant more heirs. More players that he had to get rid of without drawing suspicion upon himself. Getting rid of Merenkahre and Kahmunrah had been hard enough.

He needed to act quickly if he was to achieve anything, if he was to gain the throne.

—————

Seknut had awoken Sabra early in the morning the next day.

"Wedding preparations." She had said simply leaving Sabra to get changed.

Sabra had never had the time nor luxury to ever truly examine the dresses that the tailors in the market place often put up for display. Yet as she rifled through the myriad of dresses at market she was filled with a certain sadness.

When she looked at the dresses she thought of Ismara who had loved dyed fabric, shimmering nets and glistening jewels with the same passion Sabra had for her swords and daggers.

She remembered the short time she had spent in the other girl's room, during the Sumerian invasion. They had talked of a future together as the combed and braided each other's hair. They had talked of love and freedom. A future filled with hope.

Sabra remembered with grim nostalgia how Ismara had teasingly promised she would help her on the day she would be married to Ahkmenrah.

It seemed the whole world knew of her marriage before Sabra herself did.

She felt her heart sink at the bitter realisation imagining how excited the other girl would have been. Sabra could almost see her here, laughing with Ramses at her hips, telling her of her own married life down to every excruciatingly embarrassing detail while casually advising her on the dress she should wear to the marriage ceremony.

She hadn't just lost a friend the day Ramses was born, she had lost a sister.

"Daydreaming about your beloved again?" Questioned Seknut.

Not wanting to tell her Aunt of her grim melancholy thoughts Sabra mustered an abashed smile and pretended to study the dress before her with embarrassed intensity.

"No," she muttered. "The dresses, they are hard to choose from."

"We best chose one quickly,"

"They are all so gaudy."

Seknut sighed. "Nothing will ever satisfy you would it?"

Suddenly from corner fo her eye she caught sight simple white dress that hung in between a red and a blue one. But something about it was different. She walked closer to it and pulled it out to the sunlight, it seemed to glow with an opalescent light.

—————

Ahkmenrah woke with a giddy excitement. He changed quickly and made his way to the throne room. He was surprised to find it empty.

"You would be hard pressed to find anyone here in, the mornings especially after a banquet." Came a voice, it was Khufu's.

"Yet here you are."

"Yet, here I am."

Ahkmenrah smiled, a daring recklessness surged through him. There was an anger too. It no longer burned like it once had. It was cold and calculated, he knew how to channel it now.

"Tell me something Khufu, don't you ever get tired of it? Living under our shadow?" He gestured to the throne. "You've served three Kings and yet not once have you tried to usurp us even though it was supposedly your birth right."

"My duty is to serve the King faithfully."

"You are gifted, Khufu, with a sweet tongue," Ahkmenrah found himself staring directly into Khufu's eyes. "Don't think I don't know who killed my brother."

"I should hope you do," Khufu's eyes burned into his own. "You after all dragged the man's body into this very throne room, frightened the lot of us out of our wits."

"The sword doesn't kill a man." Ahkmenrah whispered, his jutted his jaw out like Kahmunrah whenever he used to show any bursts of defiance. "It is the man behind the sword that does. That assassin was you sword."

"You can't prove I did it."

"No I cannot." Admitted Ahkmenrah. "But I am King, my word is law. If I wish for your execution this very minute I can have it, no one will question me. I can make up a whole list of crimes if I wanted. You are not the only one who can play this game of thrones."

"But you won't."

"No I won't"

"How well we know each other." Khufu grinned.

"I will grant you mercy." Ahkmenrah said. "You are henceforth retired. On my wedding day, Montu will officially take your place as my advisor because on that day you will leave for the Delta region. I have heard it is fruitful area, serene and beautiful."

"You will exile me then?"

"I am granting you retirement." Ahkmenrah smiled sweetly. "You have served my family well enough. But this is a new era, I need men and women who I can trust."

"You don't trust me?"

"It's hard to trust a man who killed my grandfather and father and tried to turn my brother away from me before killing him too."

"You are merciful."

Ahkmenrah the Merciful. The young King smiled, it wasn't half a bad title.

"You are family." He said quietly. "Blood runs thicker than water as they say."

"It is settled then." Answered Khufu. "Also, you have my congratulations for your upcoming matrimony."

With that Khufu walked out of the throne room and for some reason Ahkmenrah couldn't shake off the feeling that his great-uncle had acquiesced far too easily.

—————

Shepseheret studied her son as he entered the nursery. He seemed brighter, happier than had been since Kahmunrah's death.

"Is Ramses asleep?" He asked.

He was answered by a gentle giggle and childish burbling.

"There's your answer," said Shepseheret laughing as she stroked the child's cheek.

Ahkmenrah brought up a chair and sat beside him mother near the cot where little Ramses was gleefully laughing and throwing his arms and legs in the air while Shepseheret smiled down at him, cooing nonsensical words at her grandson.

Ahkmenrah too started to join the game, with every second his nephew's sounds of delight became more jubilant. For a shining moment Ahkmenrah reckoned he mastered the art of talking to babies.

"He laughs more than any other baby I had seen." Said Shepseheret.

"Even more than I had?"

"You had laughed and cried equally with fierce intensity" said Shepseheret. "Your mood varied from moment to moment."

"What of Kahmun?"

"He was a silent one." She said thoughtfully. "Calm and content, solemn as if he knew the power his sounds have over us. He only cried out or laughed when he saw fit too."

"I guess those traits followed him into adulthood."

"I hope this happiness follows Ramses into adulthood too." She said quietly. "He will need all the happiness he has to get through his life."

"I will be with him." He paused. "Sabra and I do not want children, you need not worry Mother. He will not be unloved."

"I do not fear that." She said. "I fear for your life and his. If you die..."

"I won't"

"Your cup was poisoned."

"I am retiring Khufu to the Delta region. There will be no more trouble for us and we can all be a big happy family. Ramses will grow up to be as strong and as fine a king Kahmunrah would have been."

"You should have consulted me about this." Her brows furrowed. "How did Khufu take the news?"

"Well enough..." he didn't feel like saying more. He couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling in his stomach. "Have you seen Sabra?"

"She was here five minutes before you came in. She had just come back from choosing her dress."

"What kind is it?"

"You will see on the wedding day."

"Damn it mother, you never kept secrets from me."

"I'm not keeping a secret, you will find out soon enough."

"Do you know where she might be now?"

"She said something about the barracks but..."

"I'll see you this afternoon then." He kissed Ramses' forehead who reached out and clasped onto his curls as Ahkmenrah was about to get up. "He has a very strong grip." Muttered Ahkmenrah slowly extricating his hair from the little boy's grip. "I promise I'll be back soon."

With that he rushed out of the nursery.

—————

Hello Guys!

Long time no see! 

Hope you all enjoy this little chapter and the next few chapters while there is hope and bliss. I have no evil plans. 😈 I promise.