Rajak's quarters

I slowly walked back over with my scroll on current laws and another in poetry and sat down opposite of her as she was embedded in 'her' scroll. I watched her for a moment as she nibbled on her cheese. I got up and poored a cup of wine and handed it to her from behind as she continued to read. I slipped back into my laid back couch-more like a bed and began to read on laws, once in a while glancing at Sha're

Sha're took the cup without really thinking. She took a sip and repressed a cough. She had never had this kind of wine before. She sent him a thankful but also apologetic look and carefully set the wine aside, nibbling on some more cheese. She was coming to the part in the story where Pharaoh placed Joseph as his sub-commander. Only subordinate to Pharaoh himself. Her eyes were glued to the page when she felt Kvetch climbing up and grabbing a peice of cheese before darting back to sleeping Ahmose. He bit the cheese bit in half and put one half in front of the snoring big cat's nose. He then sat back and waited. Sha're shook her head at the mischievous ferret and then looked up to see Rajak watching her. She looked down to hide a blush. "Anything I can get my lord?" she asked respectfully

Ahmose was laying on the dogs' beds snoring away. His nose twitced as the piece of cheese was carefully placed before him. He however didn't wake.
"Ummmm" I stuttered and fumbled with the scroll..."No I think i'm ok...how about you?" I asked "How's the scroll?"

Kvetch snickered and pushed the cheese a little closer. He scampered back up and grabbed a piece of meat. He laid it on top of the cheese and waved his paws towards Ahmose to shoo the smell. Sha're looked around. "I'm ok" she smiled she looked back at the scroll "very interesting, it's...about a very distant relative, and yours?" she asked

Ahmose smelt the cheese and propped one eye open and let out a large yawn. His mouth span was as large as Kvetch was tall. He licked his chops and looked at Kvetch.
"A relative of yours?" I asked "Oh the laws of the Nile, superior reading let me tell you" I said as I stretched and yawned

Kvetch jumped back slightly and then at the peak of Ahmose's yawn Kvetch tossed the food in and watched with an excited glee. Sha're giggled at Kvetch's experiment. "Yes...a man named Joseph. He went from slave to pharaoh's second in command" she said quietly. "He then brought his father and 10 brothers to Egypt to survive a drought." she trailed off and then nodded "I see, exciting is it?" she smiled at his yawn.

Ahmose closed his mouth and closed his eyes in disgust as he lapped the roof of his mouth with his tongue.
I had to grin at ahmose that was making funny faces. I also wanted to say 'See not all Pharaoh's were bad' but i left that chapter alone "Yes very much so, but one must learn it" I stated "So is that scroll enlightening you any?"

Kvetch fell over laughing and started rolling around the floor. Sha're just shook her head and smiled. She nodded "Hmm I suppose on must if one is to be Pharaoh." she looked back at the scroll "Depends on what my lord means by enlighten. If he means is it interesting and informative then yes. If he means will it help me in my duties...I cannot say" she smiled slightly.

Ahmose glared at the ferret and placed his large paw over him and pulled him close under his arm and fell back asleep. At least pretened as such

"Enlighten, as in help your soul understand that not all Pharaoh's are 'bad'" I said placing a hand to my chest

Kvetch squirmed and tried to pedal his two little back feet out ~Ahhh! Ohhh~ he moaned and tried to escape. Finally he gave up. Then he squirmed around and started blowing in Ahmose's ear.

Sha're looked at him and then looked away. She stood up and then walked towards the bed before sitting on the floor near it. "M'lord..." she said quietly "You have been very kind to me, and I do not wish you to think me ungrateful. But you know my opinion on this subject. I am like a horse that has been mistreated and is now in the stable of a good owner. You can give me all the carrots you wish, but part of me will always remember." she hung her head slightly "Believe me...I wish I could forget the injustices done to my people, but I cannot. My mother's younger brother was killed as a baby in one of the pharaoh's cullings of my people. What justice is there in killing the defenseless?" she asked as she lifted her head and looked at him with tears in her eyes.

Sadness struck my heart as I saw tears fill her eyes. I walked over to her and placed myself in front of her and put a hand on her knee and the other on the side of her face "I can erase what has happened, I can merely sugar coat it. Try to make what happened seem not so bad, but was is past is past, and although we may not understand it there is a higher power that does. We are give a road, and because my ancestors chose a different one than I may have I can't back pedal for them, I can't change what happened, however. To an extent I control the present and future. And I promise I will do all I can to make the lives of your people better. I can't change what has been tied in a not." I smiled into her eyes and wiped a tear from her cheek with my thumb. "I don't want you to hate me, make me suffer for what my ancestors have done."

Ahmose on the other hand didn't budge. He rolled his head to where the wind missed his ear and smirked

Sha're listened, she wanted to believe him. But her eyes held a mix of fear, doubt and an inkling of hope. Her eyes met his briefly before looking down again "I don't hate you" she shook her head "I hate Rommel" she mumbled "but I don't hate you." She paused and closed her eyes before opening them again for an instant the brown of her eyes mirrored that of an arabian horse wild on the deserts. Free and untamed...but that faded back to the semi dull brown of a slave with very little future. The plow horse tied to a mill that could only whinny into the distance to hear it echo in the expanse of desert with no reply, no chance of hope. "I hope you get the chance" she said quietly "my people have not had the kindness of a pharaoh since Joseph's time. That was many many generations ago."

Kvetch sighed in frustration. Then he maneuvered around and still stuck in Ahmose's arms he started running claw tips along Ahmose's paw pads, causeing Ahmose to twitch. The little ferret giggled

"For my sake I hope i do as well" I said watching her eyes. "Here with me you are free" I insisted "You may speak you mind, I may not be happy about what you say, but I would not and will not punish you as a slave" I said and got up

Ahmose pushed down his paw so that Kvetch couldn't get to it. Then tired of the games he got up and walked and jumped onto the bed and curled up there.

Sha're watched him and nodded "That will take some getting used to m'lord, I...tend to bottle everything up and then blurt it out at the most inopportune moments" she laughed at herself. "Normally at Rommel" she muttered. "I...I will try to control that better" she smiled slightly and got up quietly. She looked over and watched as Ahmose jumped onto the bed and curled up. Kvetch shook himself and then bounded after him jumping with all his strength to get up on the bed. Sha're rolled her eyes and caught him on one of his jumps ~Leave him alone~ she laughed and wrapped Kvetch around her neck. She looked at Rajak and smiled. There was an instant...a look of proud Arabian mare, before she dipped her head and went to clean up the little table with cheeses and meats.

"Well I can only protect you from him for so long....you must learn to bite your tongue around him, find me to vent on, but leave him alone" I suggested as I stood there in front of her. I bowed my head in return and went back to reading the poetry scroll now instead and let her do her 'duties' I wanted to get up and help her but knew it was what she did. ~Ahmose~ I said and he perked his head up ~Go with Sha're, keep her safe, kill anyone or anything that touches her, including Rommel or that snake of his~ I demanded with a smirk
"Don't worry you will be safe tonight" I smiled as the sun was setting. The entire day had just flown by, gone like the anger of one of his horses being.....borrowed.

She rubbed her neck slightly "You'd think I would have learned the better by now wouldn't you?" she asked but nodded "I will" she promised. "I do not need another lesson from him" she said with slightly fearful eyes remembering his temper and suffocating hand grip. She had fought the fire and been burned, it was not an experience she wanted to repeat. She quietly cleaned up the table and looked out the window as the shadows engulfed the city. "How would I know the morning if I knew not midnight" she whispered as darkness engulfed the city. She smiled slightly at the old poem and then turned "Thank you m'lord" she bowed slightly "When shall I report in the morning?" she asked as she turned to leave.

"One must have open eyes to see either midnight or morning, open them and look around" I whispered in return...."Morning....um when you awake, that will keep you out of the hands of Rommel, literally"

I then crawled into bed without Ahmose as the stars came dancing through the sky. I read the poetry a bit longer and soon fell asleep with the scroll beside my head still in my hand.

Sha're turned surprised and smiled. "Yes m'lord" she nodded and then listened when he wanted her to come. "Understood" she smiled again and gently rolled up the scroll she had been reading and left it on the small table. If a scroll was found in the slave quarters it would be amount to stealing. She bowed slightly "Good night m'lord" she said softly and then with Ahmose trailing behind she disappeared out the door.


---------Slave Quarters-------->

----------Slave Quarters-------->

Sha're quietly peeked in the curtain. She smiled as she saw Rajak still asleep. She quietly walked in and tidied up around his room quietly. He still had not woken. She went and sat on the floor at the foot of the bed and rested her arm and head on the foot of the bed. "M'lord?" she said softly trying to wake him.

I gently turned between the sheets and rolled to my other side groaning a bit. The thin sheet hugging me softly I put my arm over my head

Sha're smiled and quietly started singing a old folk song. The notes seemed to float softly on the breeze coming through the window. As the song continued she closed her eyes and concentrated on the song. She turned and leaned back against the foot of the bed and looked towards the paintings along his walls while singing.

I pulled the pillow over my head as I heard someone singing, my mother used to do that and all I wanted to do was sleep. Then i looked to the foot of the bed and saw a slender figure sitting there with her head on my bed. I propped up my pillow quietly and listened watching and smiling. I placed one arm behind my head

Sha're came to the end of the song and looked at the paintings a moment more before looking back to see if Rajak was still sleeping. Her eyes met his and she blushed slightly before looking down. "Did m'lord sleep well?" she asked with a small smile

"I slept well but awoke better" I grinned. "Your voice has blessed that song......." I said still smiling "Do you like the paintings?"

Sha're blushed again. "It's not that good" she mumbled but smiled none the less. She looked around. "They are beautiful!" she nodded "where did you get them?"