Falling for the Pharaoh

Anat - [Operation Rose Petals]

I ran down the hall as soon as I shut the door, taking deep breaths and trying to control my racing heart. There were two problems... first, I had failed to do what the Pharaoh had asked me to do. Second, I had let him kiss me, again.

And then I heard his voice say, over and over again: "I think I'd like you as a wife."

I shook my head, trying to make the voice stop. He didn't mean that. He probably said that to every girl he meets.

When I had made it to Nathifa's room, she looked pleased to see me. "There you are! I was worried something happened to you!" She said as she walked over to me.

But then she hesitated.

"Is something wrong, Anat?"

I wondered if I should tell her anything.

"Anat, I've had it with you hiding things from me. Will you please just spit it all out?" She said, angrily.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Don't pretend that you weren't hiding anything from me."

"It's not important, Nathifa."

"Really? The swollen lips, the bruises on your neck, the angry glares at Lord Whati? What's going on, Anat?"

I took a deep breath and then sat down on her bed, scratching my head. "It's not me!" I said, though my heart didn't agree.

She sat down next to me. "What do you mean?"

"On the night of your wedding... he kissed me and—"

"He kissed you?" Nathifa asked, eyes wide.

I nodded. "And—"

"Anat, did he hurt you?" Nathifa asked, worriedly. "Anat, if he hurt—"

"No..." I said, cutting her off. "I was drunk..."

"Wait... you were really drunk that night? For real?"

I nodded, embarrassed.

"Did he do that to you?"

I shook my head. "I don't really remember, but I don't think he did."

Nathifa leaned away from me, looking confused. "What's going on, Anat?"

I knew that she would know what to do, so maybe it would be best to tell her everything. So I did.

And when I was done, Nathifa was smiling.

"What?" I asked, hesitantly.

"How did it feel?" She asked. "And be honest, Anat."

I swallowed hard. "It felt good." I whispered. "I've kissed two boys before him and I've kissed them multiple times and never have they made me feel the way he has."

"So he's a good kisser?" She grinned.

"Nathifa! I need your help!"

Nathifa continued to grin. "I think you're in love with him."

"No!" I said, immediately. "I am not!"

"I can see it." She smiled. "You want him to kiss you, that's why you let him. But you're so busy trying to convince yourself that you don't, that's why you pull away."

I shook my head. "That is not true."

Nathifa rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly, it is."

"Why do you seem so pleased with that? A maid can never be in love with a nobleman! The most she could ever be for him is a mistress!"

"His best friend is the Pharaoh."

"So?"

"He doesn't need to follow rules such as those."

"Nathifa!"

"And I think he is in love with you too."

I shook my head. "He is not!"

"He said he would like you as a wife." She argued.

"He probably says that to everyone." I frowned.

"Anat, try giving him a chance."

"A chance at what?" I asked. "He has never, seriously, asked me for anything. He simply tries to kiss me and often makes very dirty comments."

Nathifa smiled. "It'll come, sweet Anat."

"What?"

"It'll come, I can promise you that."

"What will?"

Nathifa got up. "I must return to the Pharaoh's room."

"Nathifa!"

She bent down and kissed my cheek. "Sleep well." She said. "I may not see you tomorrow because of my royal tour with the Pharaoh."

I frowned. "You were no help." I said, crossing my arms.

She laughed and then walked over to the door. "Good night!" She said as she left.

I fell back in her bed and sighed.

I wondered how right she was, but fell asleep before I could make any real decisions.

When I had awoken the next day, I wanted to see him. I tried to deny what my head was telling me, but soon I found myself rushing over to Whati's room. When I had arrived though, the guards who were standing outside his door had told me he had left.

"May I know where I could find the Lord?"

"You might find the Lord in the south wing." One of the guards said. "That's where the Lord usually holds his meetings and such related to the military."

I nodded my head and bowed. "Thank you."

It was hard for me to find where he would be, especially since I had never been in this part of the palace before. Plus… when I did, what would I say to him? So, while I was searching for him, I came up with a plan. When I found him, however, I was surprised by all the small boys who were with him.

"Do you think we did a good job, sir?" One boy asked Whati.

"Excellent job, soldiers. Better than most of the men I've got now." He chuckled.

They began to cheer happily.

Suddenly, one of the boys noticed me. "A spy!" He shouted as he began to run towards me with a stick.

I lifted an eyebrow and Whati turned around, looking surprised to see me.

He suddenly placed his hand on the child's head, stopping him in his tracks. "Is that any way to treat a lady?" Whati asked the boys.

"How do you treat a lady?" Another boy asked.

Whati smiled. "You take her hand and kiss it."

"Oh yeah!" The boy with the stick said. "My mom taught me that."

He then skipped over to me and took my hand, kissing it. "My Lady!" He grinned a toothless smile.

I smiled. "Good morning, good sir."

Suddenly, all the other boys ran over to me, doing the same.

I found myself laughing at the cuteness of these children, and when they left, I looked at Whati, who was walking over to me. "What were they doing here?"

"They're kids who dream of serving their nation."

"Hmm." I nodded my head. "I wish we had more of those that were our age."

Whati snorted as he started to walk away.

"Wait!" I called as I ran after him.

He looked at me.

I felt my cheeks heat up all of a sudden as I remembered the kiss from last night. I swallowed hard. "Good morning."

He raised an eyebrow. "Good morning."

I shook my head, trying to be as collected as he was. "I have an idea." I said.

"What's your idea?" He asked.

I smiled. "The Pharaoh and the Queen are going on their Royal Tour today... when they return, I thought we could make it all romantic by dropping rose petals on them!"

"Really?" He asked. "That's quite... silly."

I frowned. "It is not. It's romantic."

"You think dropping rose petals on people is romantic?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

I continued to frown and crossed my arms too. "Do you have a better idea, Supreme Commander?"

He hesitated. "All I can really think of is getting them to sleep with each other."

I rolled my eyes. "There are a lot of steps that a couple needs to take before they can get there."

He shook his head. "Women."

"Well, are you up for it?" I asked.

"Alright. Let's try it out and see what happens."

"Great, now go find roses."

"Me?"

"Yes. I'm new here, I don't know where the roses are."

Before he could say anything else, I had turned around and rushed away.

When I met up with him later that evening, I was pleased to see that he had actually went to look for the roses... and found many too.

Whati had also found us a spot over the entrance into the palace from the garden. Apparently, that's the way the Pharaoh always comes in through after a tour. I trusted him with that, of course. Whati knew more about that sort of stuff then I did.

So we waited.

Whati was leaning against the wall, looking bored out of his mind as I peaked over the edge of the wall, looking for Nathifa and the King.

I sighed and leaned back, my shoulder grazed against Whati's bare shoulder. "Do you know when they will come?"

Whati shrugged. "It should be soon."

I pulled my knees closer to me and adjusted my dress. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Good." He said. "Thank you."

"Did you rest well?"

He nodded his head. He then pointed between his legs. "Still hurts though."

I laughed and so did he. "You deserved that."

He smiled, nodded. "Maybe."

My heart was beating loudly. I had noticed that he was holding himself back today... but the thought of that made my heart beat faster.

But suddenly, we heard the Pharaoh's velvety voice. "—The woman with the snakes?"

"Yes." I heard Nathifa say.

"She's the village psychic. Could you not tell?"

Whati and I looked over and I hastily picked up all the rose petals. A grin formed on my face. "This is going to be good!" I whispered.

Whati, on the other hand, was skeptical. "I don't think this will work."

I rolled my eyes, and the second I saw the top of Nathifa's head, I looked at Whati. "Now!"

We both dropped the rose petals.

Nathifa looked surprised, and when she looked up, Whati and I hid.

A moment later, I peeked back at the two, and threw some more petals down.

Nathifa carefully caught some of the petals in her hand, a clear smile growing on her face. "Look m—" She suddenly turned around, knocking into the Pharaoh's chest.

She stepped back quickly, closing her eyes and bowing her head to apologize, but her clumsiness resulted in her tripping over her own feet. She was falling.

I gasped, startled by what had happened, and then heard Whati gasp as the Pharaoh reached out and caught her before she hit the floor.

Whati and I looked at each other before we looked back at the Pharaoh and his wife, who were staring at each other, Nathifa still in the Kings arms.

"Nathifa darling!" We heard the Pharaoh's mother yell.

We then heard Nathifa's fathers laugh. "Quite quick on your feet, aren't you my Pharoah."

It was then that the two seemed to have snapped out of their stare. The Pharaoh lifted her up and cleared his throat. "A lucky catch."

Nathifa's father laughed. "A lucky catch indeed." He then looked around. "Now where on earth did these petals come from?"

Whati and I hid again as he looked up.

After another moment, we heard, as their voices faded: "Did you see the beautiful petals, my Pharaoh?" Nathifa asked.

"I did." Replied the King, clearing his throat again.

I turned my head and looked at Whati with a huge grin.

Whati began to laugh. "I cannot believe this just happened."

"Did you see the two stare at each other?" I asked, heart racing in excitement.

Whati nodded his head. "I have to say, you were right and I was wrong."

I looked at Whati with a satisfied look. "I told you."

He smiled. "You did."

We suddenly got quiet, sitting silently for a moment.

"Can I ask you a question?" He finally asked.

I hesitated, but nodded my head.

"You let me kiss you, again."

I sighed, I should have saw this coming. "What is your question?"

"Why? Why did you let me do that?"

I bit my lip for a moment and then turned to him. "If you want me to answer that, you have to answer my question first."

"Ask."

"Why do you always try to kiss me?"

He looked at me for a moment, and then got up. "You don't have to answer my question." He said before he turned around and left.