Ramses,
The king walked hastily. His guards and entourage tried to match his strides but failed. Except for Omari.
"My king, you need to slow down. This isn't good for your image. Look at all the people who are confused by your actions."
His advisor said and Ramses moved even quicker. He didn't care about anyone and their thoughts.
He just wants to be there on that balcony immediately. He wants to see her again.
The king had heard about what had happened with his wife and he has been fuming ever since.
How dare she treat Akila like this, and how dare she mark her face? Yes, he knows all about it.
He has his spies everywhere in the palace because he trusts no one, especially his wife.
He has his eyes on her and he had been told about how she humiliated Akila.
"My king, I know you are in a rush, but this is unacceptable."
Ramses stopped abruptly and turned to glare at his friend. His menacing aura immediately darkened the hallway.
"Who are you to tell me what should and shouldn't I do, Omari? I AM THE GOD'S HEIR. I AM THE PHARAOH."
He growled and all the surrounding chattering seized. Men and women fell to their knees and bowed their heads in submission.
Rameses's hand clenched around the handle of his sword as he thought of going to his sister's room instead.
She must be punished for what she had done to Akila. He should slash her face, too.
But he turned around and continued walking to the balcony, where he knew Akila was waiting for him.
Ramses stood impatiently in front of the balcony's great doors and glared at the servants, who were shocked to see him rush like this.
The king sneered, and the men opened the doors for him while shaking in fear.
Ramses walked inside and his eyes searched for her. And when he found her talking with his cousin, his sneer broadened.
He rushed to where she was snarling like a wild animal and pulled her to her feet.
Akila flinched away and tried to make him let her go, but he tightened his grip.
His hand caressed her scratched cheek tenderly, which didn't match his face or aura.
His rage burned brighter in his chest that he almost felt fire running through his veins when he saw the three faint marks on her left cheek.
'I should have gone to her quarters first.'
He murmured faintly, couldn't comprehend why he was that angry on the girl's behalf.
But curse logic and reasoning. He had warned them all and told everyone that the girl belongs to him now.
"You honor us, your highness with this invitation. We are blessed to be in your presence tonight."
Ebony said as she bowed along with the other girl that was called Eshe.
Ramses spoke in a thick voice, his hand still holding Akila's cheek and his eyes were focused on her.
"Stop the acting Ebony. There is no need for all these formalities. We all know that you don't want to be here at the moment, but rather be with your general lover."
Ebony chuckled and stood up while laughing at her cousin, who, for some odd reason, was shaking with anger.
"You know that I have to be formal, cousin. This was a formal invitation in the end. Besides, my lover isn't in Thebes. You were the one who sent him away, along with my brother."
Ramses sighed and let Akila go. He went to sit at the head of the table as the servants began to prepare for dinner.
"I had to do that. I can't afford to have them here and speak out of place. I would have to punish them, which I rather not."
Ebony nodded her head as she guided Akila to sit on the king's right while she sat on the left between him and her friend.
"And for that, my king, I'm very thankful. These two have a temper and they are jealous males. They were bound to do something stupid indeed."
The servant set the table quickly, and the king began to drink his honey ale, still frowning and thinking of a way to repay his sister.
Akila cleared her throat and sipped some ale and choked on it. The girl began to cough loudly and violently, that her face turned red.
Ramses's scowled deepened, but he poured her some water and helped her to drink it.
"Is this your first time drinking ale?"
Akila glanced at him, then cast her eyes down, her cheeks reddening.
"I beg your forgiveness, your highness but yes, this is my first time and I guess I don't get along with the taste."
He was stunned for a moment, then threw his head back, chuckling. She looked so cute while blushing.
Ebony and Eshe joined him and Akila's red cheeks color darkened, making her more enticing.
She snatched her chalice and gulped some of the ale and forced herself to swallow it.
She coughed again, and this time, her tears fell on her face. The alcohol must be burning her throat as she swallowed it.
Ramses smiled at her fondly and put her golden chalice away. Then he ushered a servant to offer her some fruit juice.
"You don't have to force yourself, Akila. I'm sorry for embarrassing you, it wasn't my intention. Gods are my witnesses."
Akila nodded her head and kept looking away from him. While Ramses kept smiling while drinking his ale.
The servants began to serve them the food, and he watched the girl carefully.
He wanted to gauge her reactions and find out what she loved and what she didn't like.
And when the fruit was served at the end of the meal and Akila was humming happily as she ate some figs, Ramses couldn't help it and touched her.
He wiped away some of the figs juices that were running on her chin and when she looked at him; he brought his hand to his mouth and licked his fingers.
"We beg your pardon, my king. May I and Eshe take our leave?"
Ebony asked as she stood up and bowed to him. Ramses nodded his head, dismissing them.
He then stood up and offered his hand to Akila, who looked at it in confusion, but then took it and stood up.
"Let us have a walk. The night is nice and I would love to enjoy it with you."
Akila smiled at him awkwardly as he began to walk to the garden, so close to the Nile bank.
She looked around her, terrified, as she remembered Ebony's warning.
"Don't worry; I had my guards clean this area. There are no crocodiles here tonight. You can be at ease."
Akila sighed in relief and looked around her curiously now, making Ramses smile.
The little mitt was finally relaxed. He was getting sad because of all the tension and fear she showed during the night.
She stopped by a jasmine tree and stood on her tiptoe to smell it.
"This is jasmine, one of my favorite flowers. You will find it everywhere in the palace. I love its smell."
Akila smiled at him, then she leaned to smell him. The king looked at her in bewilderment.
"It caught my attention because it smells like you."
She said, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. And he felt like he was punched in his guts and his breath was knocked out of him.
She is so beautiful and her innocence almost blinded him. He was a monster to drag her into this, but the gods can curse him in the afterlife because he won't let her go now.
"My mother loved the flower. And whenever I was embraced by her, I would smell it. She even had it in her hair and after she passed away, I did the same. It made me feel closer to her."
Akila's face dropped, and her demeanor changed. She held Ramses's hand and quizzed it, trying to comfort him.
"There is no need for your pity, Akila. It has been a long while now and it doesn't hurt anymore. Ok, it has been a long day for you. You need to get some rest. Let's retire."
Ramses again held her hand and together they walked to her quarters without saying a word.
In front of her room's doors, Ramses leaned down to hug her and then kiss the top of her head.
"I'm not that monster you think of me, Akila. And to tell you the truth, I didn't choose you. The gods did. I was planning to let you go, but now I can't do that."
He kissed her hurt cheek and left her still standing in confusion with her mouth open.
Ramses got out of the basin and walked naked to his room's balcony.
He stood under the moonlight with his eyes closed and his arms opened.
He imagined Akila's face and how beautiful she was in her sheer dress and shimmering face.
But his good mood turned sour when familiar hands stroked his wide back, then his chest as they hugged him from his back.
"I have been waiting for you for a long time and when I knew that you were back in your quarters, I rushed to see you. I missed you Ramses."
Annipe said as her busy hands descended down and began to stroke his flaccid c*ck.
Ramses snatched her hands away and pushed her on the mattress.
Annipe smirked at her brother and opened her thighs suggestively to him.
"You know, our life isn't the best, my king, but for some odd reasons I like our hateful, revengeful sex."
Ramses looked down at her in disgust, then he straddled her waist, and his hands wrapped around her neck.
"You will never lay a finger on Akila again Annipe because if this happened again, gods my witness, I will kill you."
Annipe was shocked by what Ramses was doing, especially when he began to choke her. She coughed and scratched his hands, but he was relentless.
And when the fight in her was gone. He let her go and left her naked and crying in his quarters.