Amenhotep quietly and patiently listened to what Sethos had to say. There were certain things that were to be respected about Sethos and his planning abilities and his heart were one of them... hopefully not set on his sister. There would be something strange that would happen if they were together. That was another matter, though, for when Necolita was back. With them. And not whoever it was that had her.
He shook his head sadly when Sethos asked if they could save other girls. "Would if I could stop the slave trade, Sethos. It almost doesn't matter. Which girls do we take with us? Which ones do we leave behind? If we do save them, which girls will take their place?" he asked with a sigh and then shook his head. "We are going to save Necolita. When we bring her home, perhaps we will consider more plans to find ways to stop the trade but now is not the time," he insisted. That was the end of that conversation and the beginning of his planning in his head.
However, the suggestion of a massage wasn't terrible. So, one massage, conversation, dinner with the new family, and sleep later, it was the next day and he was to be married. He woke up and stretched before looking out the large window that looked over the city. It was a strange time in the walls of their fine city. The citizens and the nobility were rejoicing for the marriage of the crown prince but they were mourning the loss of their princess at the same time. It put an odd feeling in the air and made him a little more nervous than he thought he would be.
Nervous or not, though, a wedding was promised and a wedding he wanted to happen. So, with little wasted time he put on a fresh shendyt and left his rooms. He went straight to the dining rooms for breakfast hoping to see Delphi there. Today it was official and she was his wife. No one would be able to steal her from him again. He wouldn't allow it. Even though it was only one night that her family was there in the palace, it had seemed much longer since he had been able to touch her soft skin and his own was yearning for her. It was more important than ever that he be careful with his intentions. He would never forgive himself if her father called off the wedding because Amenhotep had been too forward at some point.
That was why this morning he was disappointed to find that he was the first one to arrive for breakfast. He sat in his usual place and started taking a little fruit to himself, nibbling absently while he waited for his bride to be and the rest of his family to arrive. To be completely honest he didn't really care about her family much. He would most likely only see them during festivals once the marriage was over and he would be okay with that. It was Delphi that he wanted more than anything else. Once this afternoon came he could be more forward with his wife, as long as his father deemed it appropriate in public.
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In the dungeons Necolita took the bit of bread that was offered her. The bread was like the ground. Hard and cold. The only consolation was that the ground was wet and the bread was not. She mimicked the other girls and took off little pieces, eating it slowly so that the bread would last longer than a mouthful. It was slightly stale and she had never had bread that tasted of so much yeast in her life. Of course she had been spoiled growing up. She was a princess! It was ridiculous that even with her noble birth she was thrown in the dungeon. There should have at least been some sort of bed for her or something. How was she expected to sleep?! At least she could stand up fully here. These were the thoughts that ran through her head as she ate the bread.
Once she was finished, she moved to the wall that the other girl was leaning on, the one that had offered her the food. At least this young woman had one thing going for her. She had hope. If she kept that, it might turn out better for her. Necolita had something better, however. Brothers. And royal brothers at that. She was so much more well off than any of these other girls because she knew for a fact that her brothers, at least, were coming to get her.
So for the night she told the young girl the story of her home in Egypt and all the beautiful places that were near her home. As her story got longer, more girls came to hear her speak and eventually all the girls were lying together in one group, laying on each others' stomachs and chests so that they could have pillows for the night. Necolita sat in the center of the group though her back was against the wall. She wasn't able to fall asleep like the other girls. She had slept so long in that cart and hadn't been able to relax her cramped muscles. The ten girls surrounding her were sound asleep and she was part of the intricate weave of bodies that made their bed. For this reason she didn't move her muscles, no matter how sore they got. She simply sat there awake, thinking and counting the moments until morning came and she would be subjected to Firuz again.
It didn't take long for that to happen. Very possibly because she had managed to start dozing off half way through the night. In an instant, though, she was awake and irritated at the sudden morning call. She had been woken up by the door being slammed open by one of the guards. "Get out of the way you stupid cretins!" one of them growled as he walked to the center and grabbed Neco by her upper arm. He squeezed tightly as he lifted her up to her feet like a toy doll and started dragging her out. Women involved in the weave of warmth moved quickly to avoid being it or kicked by the guard that was dragging their newest member out of the dungeon.
Necolita tried not to sound as if she was hurt by the rough treatment but if truth was told, she might have a bruise on her arm simply from how much he had to squeeze it just to lift her up. She kept her mouth shut for now, though. There would be little use in using her voice on men that didn't want to hear a word from her. All they cared about was doing what their idiot leader told them. He was the one that she was saving her voice and her venom for. He was the one that deserved an earful and a few other things from this princess.
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