: : Summary : : Rick and Evie's past lives as Daharon and Nefertiri
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"Father, I don't need a bodyguard!" Nefertiri wearily exclaimed
"Daughter, I know your fighting skills are improving, but you cannot even defeat a lowly worker, much less a trained assassin." Seti explained gently, "You won't even notice the Med-jai I chose for you."
"No!"
"Fine, then I will make it an order. If you are caught at any time without your body guard, I will have you marry Ramses, is that understood?"
"Yes." Nefertiri said in defeat.
"Good, he will be standing outside your room at the break of dawn."
Before Seti went back to his throne room, he kissed Nefertiri upon her forehead and said goodnight, ignoring his daughter's silence. Once her father was gone, Nefertiri cried out in frustration. Her father always threatened her with marriage to Ramses, because he knew she would do anything but marry him.
The people of Egypt knew Ramses was as unkind as he was ugly. He could kill people in cold blood and laugh, torture the innocent, and be as cruel and arrogant as he wanted to for he was a desendent of a god and supposedly had powers of his own. Although he is in his late twenties, Ramses had enough wrinkles and a severe lack of hair that made him look nearly 60 years old. It was enough to make Nefertiri shiver at the thought of marrying him. Unfortunately though, Nefertiri needed to find a husband soon; otherwise she will be forced to marry Ramses.
Nefertiri walked over to her balcony window. This was her favorite spot in the whole world, well, in Egypt anyway. She could look out over the peaceful city or gaze for hours at the glistening stars above her. Nefertiri could just forget about anything and everything that was troubling her when she took a first glance at the peaceful serenity of night. Those few moments turned to minutes and they into hours until she fell into a deep sleep in her chair.
***
"Princess? Have you awakened yet?" A deep, yet somewhat muffled voice called out.
Nefertiri began to stir. She opened her eyes slightly and saw the bright sun glaring back at her; she paid no attention to it and closed her eyes again. Mere seconds later she opened her eyes again, realizing it was morning. Thinking she was on her bed, Nefertiri rolled over and ended up landing hard on the marble floor.
"OWWWW!"
Upon hearing her in pain, the strange man that was calling out for her before rushed into Nefertiri's bedroom hoping she was alright. He dashed into her bedchamber, where he naturally assumed she would be, but he then heard quiet cursing coming from the balcony. The man quickly went over to her.
"Are you alright, Princess?" The man asked with concern filling his voice.
"Of course I'm not alright!" Nefertiri exclaimed without looking at the man, "Now I have a purple blotch on my leg."
"Should I get the healer?"
"No, no, I'm fine." Nefertiri sighed as she dusted herself off. "By the way, who are you and what are you doing in my chamebers?"
As the words left Nefertiri's mouth, she arched her neck to look at him. Needless to say, the sight of him rendered her breathless. His hair was a rich brown with streaks of blond like the rays of the sun and the deep pools of his eyes were a blue so bright, it put shame to the great waters of the Nile. His skin was only a shade or two darker than her own pale skin and upon his well built, muscular frame was an arsanal of throwing knives and swords. Lastly she noticed the marking of a Med-jai on his wrist which told her he was only Med-jai trainee.
"Princess, let me help you up."
"Oh-o-okay" Nefertiri replied, stuttering.
The man, whose name was still unknown to Nefertiri, offered her his hand to which she readily accepted. His hand was rough and course to the touch, but he used a gentleness that was nothing short of amazing for a warrior in training. With great ease, he pulled Nefertiri to her to her feet and nearly into his arms. The man gently checked her face for injuries and then looked back at Nefertiri.
"I am Daharon, but the great Seti has ordered you to only call me bodyguard."
"V-verywell then," Nefertiri said as she struggled to regain her composesure.
Daharon nodded, "I will be at my post by your door. If you want to go somewhere, call me and I will be your escourt."
"Look, I'm sorry, but I don't need a bodyguard, so your services will no longer be needed." Nefertiri stated furiously at Daharon.
Daharon looked Nefertiri in the eye and suddenly she was being sucked in by his ocean blue eyes and just before her knees gave into the rubbery feeling, Daharon left without a word. Nefertiri let out the breath of air that she had unconciously had been holding within her. She was staring dreamily at the spot Daharon had just occupied for a few seconds longer before she snapped out of it. Nefertiri had never let a man afffect her this way before and she would never admit this to her father or anyone else, but she really liked it.
After catching herself daydreaming of Daharon for the third time, she decided to go on a walk to clear her mind. Nefertiri changed into a simple garment and proceeded to her balcony. Her balcony was Nefertiri's one escape from the world in more ways than one. Since her father never let her go into the streets that often, Nefertiri learned how to climb down it when she was six years old. With ease, Nefertiri was on the ground in less than two minutes and on her way to town.
The market was always crowded in the morning. People from all over town come to the market in the morning to buy food for the day or to by something else they needed, for whatever reason, all different kinds of people came. Nefertiri's nose was filled with the exotic smells of spices as she walked past the vendors. She smiled as she gazed at the fine silks and grimaced when she glanced at the rotting meats and rancid potions. Her walk took Nefertiri through the market place and into a particularly dark area of Thebes.
'Maybe Daharon is nicer than he seems, he acted cold to me earlier.' Nefertiri thought. 'Well, for a body guard, he is very handsome.' Nefertiri was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she never even noticed the men behind her. The first man pulled out a curved blade made out of gold that glistened in the sun. The man was about to attack Nefertiri when a throwing knife appeared out of no where and knocked the knife from the man. Nefertiri turned around when she heard the clang of the knives hitting each other and she gasped in horror. Behind her where five very strong and very mean looking men, each armed to the teeth with various weapons. A sixth man then appeared from the shadows.
"Daharon!"
Daharon rushed over to battle the men. He quickly unsheathed his long steel sword and sliced the throat of the first man, forcing blood to gush everywhere. Another man charged Daharon with his sword raised high above his head, but before he could strike, Daharon forced his sword into the man's stomach and kicked the man away so Daharon could use his sword to block an incoming blow from the man behind him. Daharon swung at the man who was currently attacking him and with the flat of the blade, Daharon knocked him out cold. A fourth man easily kicked Daharon's sword away and then punched Daharon. The last blow made Daharon a little unsteady, but he counter-attacked the man with a flying kick to the man's head making a nice imprint of a boot in the man's head.
"Help me Daharon, you're my only hope!"
Daharon whipped his head around to find Nefertiri, cornered, with one of the men. The last man had his sword raised, intending to slice Nefertiri's head off of her body. Daharon whipped out a small, but deadly throwing knife and hurled it into the back of the man. It happened so quickly, the man didn't even cry out in pain as he fell to the ground. Daharon, although weak from battling, rushed over to Nefertiri's side.
"Are you okay, Princess?"
Yes, I am fine," Nefertiri replied quietly. "Just a little shaken up."
"Are you sure?" Daharon asked with concern.
Nefertiri nodded as she stood up. She looked around in awe at the five men that were lying on the ground either dead or unconscious. Nefertiri looked back at Daharon for an explanation.
Daharon shrugged his shoulders "I'm going to be a Med-jai, I had to go through intense training."
Nefertiri nodded in acceptance of his reason.
"Come Princess, I will take you back to the castle now."
Daharon took one step, then stumbled and fell to the ground. Apparently the assasins wounded Daharon worse than he originally thought. Nefertiri went to his side and grasped his arm gently and assisted Daharon in standing upright. Then, she wrapped his arm around her shoulder so she could support him. Nefertiri turned her head sideways only to come face to face with Daharon. Their eyes locked onto one another and they both inched their heads closer until they were so close, they could each feel the other person's hot breath on their faces. Their lips were nearly touching when...
"Where is the Princess?" A voice that Daharon recognized as a fellow Med-jai called out to another
Daharon and Nefertiri slowly and reluctantly pulled their heads away, preparing to act as though nothing nearly happened
"I'm over here." Nefertiri called out to the man.
The Med-jai walked over. "Nefertiri where have you been? Your father wishes to see you immediately."
As he tried to walk closer, he tripped over one of the bodies. He looked around and for the first time saw the five men on the ground. The Med-jai looked up at Daharon, obviously impressed.
"Daharon, did you defeat all of these men?"
Daharon only nodded so he would show little pride and appear to be modest in front of an elder Med-jai. The older man smiled and proceded to lead the Princess and help Daharon back to the castle. The walk there had an unpleasant silence that was only noticed by Daharon and Nefertiri.
'Was Daharon really going to kiss me?' Nefertiri thought. She couldn't be sure, but she was almost positive Daharon felt the same way. At the time her mind was so drunk with passion and anticipation, she barely knew there were other people. Nefertiri could hardly believe her lips nearly met with Daharon's soft, pink lips...no, she knew she had to stop thinking like this, she couldn't fall in love with her bodyguard. As much as Nefertiri tried to fight it, deep down she knew she was already in love with him.
Nefertiri was jolted out of her thoughts at the sound of horses. She looked up and realized that they were standing outside of the palace. The other Med-jai left leaving Daharon and Nefertiri alone to walk the rest of the way to her father's throne room. Within moments, they were standing in front of Seti I, awaiting what he had to say.
"So daughter, what have you to say in your defense?" Seti asked referring to the incident in the street.
Well, ummm...I decided to go for a walk early in the morning, with Daharon of course, and we came to a secluded area where those men attacked. We both fought bravely and managed to defeat them." Nefertiri nervously explained, hoping her father would believe it.
"Is this true, Daharon?" Seti asked, not believing his daughter's words.
"Yes Pharoh."
"Well then daughter, perhaps you are a worthy opponent. I will set up a match for you with Anacksunamun." Seti decided
"Anacksunamun, father, she's the best fighter in the palace!" Nefertiri complained.
But Nefertiri's complaints were unheard by her father because he was already walking away to arrange the fight. Nefertiri looked up at Daharon with a pleading look in her eyes. Daharon looked back at her with every intention of saying that this was her problem and not his, one look into her eyes made him feel very weak and he nearly fell to his knees from just looking into her rich brown eyes for only a moment.
"Yes Princess, I will help you."
*To be continued (if you want me to)*