Warning: Violence, death, language, sexual content, etc

A/N: Sorry about the lateness of this chapter, things in life got real and I almost lost track lol but I had time to write this up because I'm liking this so far.

Special thank you to SuperHeroAnimeGeek, for the idea of how to incorporate the Egyptian Gods in this.

Chapter 3:

He wished that his very existence never came to be, as a child he watched his half-siblings from across the field, being dotting on by their shared father. He understood at an early age that smiling faces were just masks, masks that can make the weak trust and the strong wrapped in doubt. He hated his fathers smiling face as he looked upon his children like they themselves where tools that he could use, even after death has claimed his life.

He frowned as he sighed to himself, finding himself in a cold sweat from his nightmarish dream. He also hated himself for yearning for that very smile to be directed at him when he was just of a young boy. He pushed himself up, looking down at his bed partner for the night and sighed heavily to himself again, 'Isn't this the same thing that my father did?'Keeping so many bed partners that he may have children who turned out as illed minded as me?'

He frowned more as the days events came into full view and he couldn't help but frown harshly, 'Why couldn't she have helped me?!' He covered his face with his hands as he leaned over himself, sighing more into the night, 'She chose to be his only savior . . . and doomed the rest of us to forever be plagued with this suffering.'

"Prince Akil," The women beside him purred softly at him, placing her hand on his arm to gain his attention. "Where did your mind take you?" She tilted her head in the dark, moving closer towards him.

He frowned and pulled his hands away from his face, "Do not lay your hand upon me, Bennu, and do not ever in you life utter my name from those lowly lips, unless you wish for them to be sown shut." He pulled his arm away from her, "This means nothing."

Bennu frowned harshly, sitting up completely in the bed, ". . . Your highness, I have done everything that you asked from me. I have even kneel and beg for you when her high priestess would not listen to your pleas." She moved more away from him, "And you use my affection against me-"

"Do not play the fool, Servant." He purposely stopped using her name, "You obviously knew what you were getting into when I invited you into my bed."

She gasped, obviously hurt from his words, she bit her lip until it started to bled, trying to keep herself from crying infront him, ". . . Well," She suddenly stood up, searching for her sheath dress, "It seems I have forgotten to have mentioned, my prince, that her high priestess informed me," She fussed with her sheath dress, slipping it on as she talked, "His highness is an enemy of himself, the only danger that is greater then the danger that surrounds his highness is himself." She finally stood up straight and looked at him, knowing full well that she could only see his silhouette, "When my prince decides to let himself out of the prison that he created, fly away as far as possible . . . she told me to tell his highness that."

He quickly turned his head to look at her through the dark, clearly confused by what she confessed, "What?-"

"It never occurred to me that . . . her high priestess would be correct about you . . ." Her voice continued to tremble, "That his highness would hurt this lowly servant to the point of breaking." She spoke quietly, knowing full well that he could hear her, as she walked out of his chamber.

He looked down, sighing softly as he covered his face with his hands, 'Pain never seems to stop . . .'

Cleo looked around her, spinning slightly as she stepped out of the cartherage, watching as the palace seemed to moved on its on as she continued to spin herself around, 'Those books really don't give this place an justices . . .' As she continued to stare at the palace, she could help but stop herself from spinning and began to feel a bit lonely.

Tutankhansetamun frowned at her sudden change of emotion, "You once told me . . . that you didn't like to come here . . . that this place made you feel-"

"Lonely . . ." She finished his sentence as she turned and looked towards him, frowning, "I won't be safe here . . ." She didn't know what came over her but she was compelled to shared that with him, "This place is not-"

"Safe for me?" It was his turn to interrupt her, "So you have warned me time and time again but nothing has yet to happen, Cleo," He smiled sadly at her, "The one who was really in danger was not me, but you." He reached over and briefly touched at her cheek. He turned his head towards the palace, "With time you will begin to consider this place as your home as you recover under my watchful eyes," He grabbed her hand and began to lead her inside, "Bring her high priestess belongings . . . into my bed chamber." He ordered the servants that were standing near the cartherage, awaiting there next duty.

"Yes, sire." They all replied in unison as they began carrying out their pharaoh's order.

Her cheeks feel hot as the thought of being along with him in his chamber rang through out her mind. Her heart quickened as she tighten her grip on his hands, 'Don't let this hand go . . .' A fleeting thought floating to the surface of her consciousness. She shook her head, 'Stop thinking.' She ordered herself as she turned her head from gazing at Tutankhansetamun, turning her attention towards the things around her.

Tutankhansetamun sighed softly as he gazed at Cleo from the corner if his eyes, watching her expression turn to amazement, 'She really thinks it is the first time that she has ever set foot on the royal grounds . . .' He looked back in front of him as he guided her towards the place that would amaze her the most, 'Look at me, the pharaoh of Egypt, reduced to acting like a child again.'

She couldn't for the life of her shake the feeling of familiarity away. It continued to freak her out as she began to recognize more the hallways and the writing of the walls. She even thought she could guess where Tutankhansetamun was actually taking her, 'To the gardens . . .' She couldn't help herself from staring at his strong looking back, watching as the muscles flexed and relaxed at every movement. 'He . . . looks so strong . . . but is he really?'

His hand was warm, the one that was currently hold Cleo's and it scared him to realize that her hand fit perfectly with his. He finally stopped walking, "This place was the only place where I witnessed . . . you smile for the first time . . ." His voiced shook softly as the memory placed itself beneath his eyelids, remember how she gazed around, her eyes finally letting the light shine through them. She spun around, causing the scent of the flowers to follow her every move. As he stepped closer towards her, watching her in wonder, he caught it, that smile that forever changed his world.

She watched his face, watching as his expression became similar to the moment that they had in cartherage, filled with love and longing. 'That's not true . . . I've always smiled at you . . .' She shook her head, "The first time?"

He pushed back the silk curtains, revealing on enormous garden, littered with different flowers of all colors and shapes, "It stared as just ones that were native to Egypt but . . ." He turned to looked at Cleo, but the rest of the words that he was going to speak faded into nothing as he stared at her.

She was . . . smiling. One of those smiles that you can't help but make, the ones that actually reaches her eyes, one of those smiles that just takes his breath away from him, leaving him breathless.

"Where is my son?" Eshe looked towards her personal servant and stared at her, knowing full well that she wouldn't dare look her in the eyes, "He has not greeted me, his mother . . . has he forgotten? Or has something horrible befallen him?"

Dalila bowed her head, "Her highness . . . the whereabouts of the pharaoh are not known . . ." She spoke carefully.

"Not know?!" She suddenly rose from her cushion-like chair, her eyes wide, "Why have you not informed me of this sooner?!"

Dalila continued to have her head bowed, as if she was used to Eshe sudden change of moods, "He is in the palace . . . but not in the place that he would usually be found . . ." She reworded her previous statement.

Eshe sat back down, huffing slightly, "Not in the usual place- . . . . . could he be in the gardens . . .?" She mainly spoke to herself, but none the less, wanted Dalila to respond.

Dalila tilted her head slightly as she spoke, "The gardens . . . her highness . . . I thought that lowly servants like ourselves were forbidden to enter his place of comfort . . ."

Eshe signed softly as she looked away, ". . . I may have pushed my son to the point of breaking . . . " She frowned, "I wanted his highness to out shine his siblings . . . to take his fathers place, I must have lost sight that he was silently slipping through my fingers," She laughed softly, "Her high priestess become who he needed."

Dalila's expression turned to one of complete surprised as she listened to Eshe pour her heart out, "Her highness . . . it is quite unusual to share such . . . emotion," She bowed a little more, feeling honored, "This lowly servant pleas with her highness to dispel such ideas from her highness mind," She smiled slightly to herself, "Her highness has raised an amazing son and an even better pharaoh."

Eshe smiled slightly to herself, signing slightly as she looked away to stare off in a far for corner, "Your words pleases me . . ." She smiled even more as she recalled a distant memory.

"Mother . . ." He looked up at her, pulling at the ends of her dress to gain her attention, "Mother . . ."

Eshe looked down at her beautiful son, staring down as him with such loving eyes only a mother can give towards her child, "Yes, my son." She bent down towards his level, watching as her 10 year old stared back at her in wonder.

"That women over there . . ." He pointed towards the women he was talking about.

She looked over to where he was pointing and raised an elegant eyebrow, "Her high priestess? What about her, my son?" She reached over and rubbed at his cheek with the back of her hand lovingly, "Does she displeases you? Shall I ask the pharaoh to deal with her?"

He shook his head, his black short curls bouncing slightly at the movement, "I want her as my wife." He declared with such unbelievable cuteness as he slightly tripped on his words.

Eshe looked at him with such shook, her eyes widened completely, ". . . My son . . . . but you are of 10 . . . . you can not be tied to another without common sense." She laughed slightly as she reasoned.

He frowned harshly, looking insulted by someone who was supposed to encourage his ideas without question, "You are treating me like a fool, mother."

Eshe suddenly stopped laughing as she stared at her son again, "But you can not be serious . . . ." She shook her head and stood up, grabbing his little hand, pulling him along side her as she walked out of her high priestess's temple, "We are departing form this place, my son, you will not marry her!" She frowned even more as the guards around them looked at each other in confusion, "I will never accept the union between the two of you . . ."

Her heart stopped when he began pulling against her grip, struggling against her, "Mother, you can't not stop me! Give me a reason that you would hurt me so with such words!"

She frowned more, never in her life has she had the urge to smack her child until he submitted to her will until this moment, "You will be pharaoh of Egypt!" She suddenly stopped walking and looked towards him, "Love will be a waste of time-" As soon as those words tumbled from her mouth she regretted them.

Tears fell from those beautiful icy eyes as he stared up at his mother in shock and disbelief. He looked as if he didn't know what to say, like he wanted to fight but didn't know how. All he did was pull his hand away from her loosened grip and stared down at the ground, letting his tears gracefully roll down his cheeks and shatter against the floor.

She hadn't meant to speak those words in anger, no, she hadn't meant to say those words at all. She bent down again and looked at him, reaching over and cupping his cheek, forcing him to look at her. She felt her heart squeeze at the look he gave her, "My son-"

"Love will be a waste of time . . . ?" He looked her in the eyes, "When will the day come when love will finally not be a waste of time . . . as pharaoh?" He pulled away from her slightly, turning around and walking towards the cartherage, letting the servants help him inside.

Her heart shattered, realizing that she was the cause of the pain that was he had etched onto his face. She slowly stood up, turning her attention towards her high priestess, gasping softly as she found her looking straight at her with an unread able expression. Eshe frowned harshly as she looked back at her, founding it easier to blame her for the hurt she caused her son and herself.

Her high priestess continued to stare at her, "Do not get in your son's way, her highness," Her blank expression scared Eshe into stepping back slightly, "He will be a great man." Eshe confused the concerned in her eyes for contempt and huffed rudely at her.

"Don't tell me how to raise my child! I will never accept you and my son together . . . never in this life time or the next." She growled as she turned and walked back towards the cartherage, climbing in after her son.

Her high priestess watched as she left in confusion, standing in the middle of her temple. Eshe watched her until she could no longer see her figure in the distance.

Eshe sighed softly, "Misfortune followed that year, he no longer smiles as he used to . . . the pharaoh lost interest in me . . ." She covered her face with her hands as she continued to talk to herself, before she looked towards Dalila again, frowning, "Where is my son? He has not greeted me, his mother . . . has he forgotten? Or has something horrible befallen him?"

Dalila signed inwardly, bowing, "Her highness . . . the whereabouts of the pharaoh are not known . . ." Repeating herself carefully.

"Not know?!" She suddenly rose from her cushion-like chair again, her eyes widened, "Why have you not informed me of this sooner?!"

Dalila frowned slightly to herself, "Her highness . . . must request a visit from the royal doctor . . . you have forgotten again . . ."

Eshe tilled her head slightly as she looked away in shame, "Again? . . . It seems to be worst as time progress . . ." She shook her head slightly, feeling an on coming headache, "Her high priestess has not forgiven me for my ignorance . . ." She held her head, "My punishment is more painful then physical pain . . . not being able to remember my sons face will be the death of me Dalila . . . how will I survive when such a day arrives?"

Dalila heart lurched in sadness for her highness, feeling helpless to relieve her pain, "Ask for her forgiveness, her highness, 7 cycles of pain is punishment enough." She smiled as the thought that there might be a way to relieve her pain, "I am certain that her high priestess is within the palace walls with his highness."

Eshe pulled her hands away from her head nodding slightly as she leaned back into her seat, "Let us hope that she is forgiving."

He looked at her, "Does this place give your mind peace?"

Cleo smiled softly up at him, "Of course this place gives me peace my prince-" Her eyes widened as she wondered those words came bubbling up from. She laughed it off, hoping that he didn't hear at thing, "This place . . . felt like home . . .but . . ." She stepped into his space, wrapping her arms around his arm, holding him close as she felt some kind of dark shadow wash over her, "I don't like it now . . ."

He nodded softly, leaning into her, "Yes . . . of course you can fell it here . . ." He frowned slightly to himself, "I should of known that you would still be able to sense things around you . . ."

Cleo closed her eyes and flashes of blood and screams sparked around her mind like quick flashes, she shuddered and whimpered softly as she buried herself under his chin, moving her arms from his arm toward wrapping around his neck. She felt cold and vulnerable.

He hated himself at the moment, he should of known that she would be able to sense the death around her, "You can feel it . . . ?" He wrapped his arms around her, pleased that she stopped shaking, "My father died in here . . . no one knows what the late pharaoh was doing here but he looked as if he died a horrible death." He pulled her more against him as he pulled her out of the gardens, "But he . . . . tainted this place . . . with all sorts of things . . ." He sighed as if he was talking about someone he cared less about, he rubbed at her back softly, "I'm sorry I couldn't protect this place for you . . ."

Cleo looked up at him, tilting her head softly, " . . . Didn't you love him?"

He raised an eye brow, "My father? No." He didn't even hesitate to answer. He frowned slightly as he looked at her expression, "Why do you always ask the same questions?" He chuckled, "My father was not a loving man . . . for him, love was a waste of time . . ." His frown deepened.

Cleo cupped his cheek softly, "But-"

"Love is strength?" He leaned into her touch, "So you have informed me . . . I understand . . . I really do . . ."

Cleo felt her body tingle with the warmest sensation as she stared into this unusual eyes. She couldn't deny what her body was telling, and she couldn't hide from what her heart was screaming at her. She didn't know how this happened but somewhere deep inside her, this burning love for him consumes her. 'Wait . . . am I really the Cleo he loves? Is this the world I belong to?' She groaned softly as she leaned her head against his shoulder, 'I'm so confused . . .'

A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for not giving up on me and my crazy slow updates. So tell me what you think. And a big thank you to SuperHeroAnimeGeek.