Chapter Two

Nefertari had found it hard to sleep during the night after all that happened so she had chosen to take a walk in the small garden since no one else was up this early it was no different from when she woke early and would watch the dark sky turn blue with the rise with the son, and it gave her a seance of freedom in till the other's were awake also she guessed there was an other reason why she could't sleep it was because master Shimon and Mahad would be leaving this morning after they had made their choice for the Pharaoh's bride which meant one of the girls would be leaving with them to day also, Panya had told her all this last night when she walked with her to her room before cheeking on the other girls and the one's who had caused the fight in the hall, she sighed sitting by on the stone of the fountain she doubted they would pick her to be the Pharaoh's bride due to her strange pale white skin and green eye's let alone her crimson hair not that she would thrilled if she would of been chosen sure she knew meany thing's that Panya and the other older women had taught her while growing up behind these wall's but being a wife to a Pharaoh and a Queen of Egypt that was something she knew nothing about so a part of her thought it was best that she stayed where she was, sure the other's treated her badly most of the time but she had Panya at that thought she smiled she considered Panya a friend more than a teacher and it brought some comfort to her she closed her eye's enjoying the quiet in till a sound behind her made her jump up and look around and her eye's fell on master Mahad and Shimon was with him.

"Panya was right we'er not the only one's who like to wake early" Mahad said with a slight chuckle to his voice.

"it would seem so we did't mean to frighten you Nefertari" Shimon said walking over to her.

"ah no that's ok i was lost in thought that was all and in the quiet of the garden" she said bowing to both of them.

"i can see why this garden is lovely the one's at the palace are much larger" Mahad said.

"they are?" she asked sitting back down.

"oh yes my dear very much so also there are some stunning places outside of the palace wall's that you would enjoy very much" Shimon said.

"that would be nice master Shimon but i'm sure master Mahad has told you that i'm not allowed to leave these hallow grounds" she said sadly.

"in till you've been chosen as a bride" he said.

"yes..it's the same for the other's as well" she said.

"for them yes ..but not for you not anymore" Mahad said which made her frown when she looked at him.

"what do you mean by that?" she asked.

"what Mahad means is that we've made our choice for the Pharaoh's bride...we've chosen you Nefertari" Shimon said.

She could feel her eye's go wide and she stood walking away from them it was like someone had dropped a huge weight on her shoulders, and she could't help but think that they had made a mistake what did she know about being a wife to a pharaoh or queen the same thought she had before nothing! and she was't sure that she would please the pharaoh she looked so different from the other girls here.

"why..chose me when you can pick any of the other's who would make a much better fit for the Pharaoh" she said panic clear in her voice.

"there is no better fit than you Nefertari we have already told Panya and the other's about our choice and she could't be happier for you she was the one who told us you might be out here if you woke early, or could't sleep either that or you would of been in your room" Mahad said.

"please pick someone else..." she said backing away from them.

"can you tell us why?" Shimon asked.

"i mean ..look at me..surly people will mutter thing's about having a queen with pale skin and crimson hair and green eye's i standout and i'm sure the Pharaoh would not be pleased with someone like me.." she said her voice shaking.

"the Pharaoh does't judge people by the way they look and you can trust me on that i have known him since we were children together, also i can not see anything wrong with you Nefertari your a lovely young women and he will see not only that but how beautiful you are a truly rare desert flower indeed" Mahad said.

"also the way you handled that fight between the other girls you conducted yourself just like a queen would of handled that problem where anyone else would of struggled with such a matter, also we believe you are more than cable of handling the duties as queen and wife to the Pharaoh" Shimon said.

"but...i know.." she said having to sit back down.

"about being queen Shimon will teach you all you need to know before the wedding" Mahad said.

Nefertari could feel herself shaking she was't sure if it was fear about being chosen to be the Pharaoh's wife and Queen or happiness but it was hard to take in some part of her thought she was dreaming and that in fact she was in her bed back in her room, but the pounding of her heart against her chest and the sound of it in her ears told her she was't dreaming and that she would be able to go beyond this wall's she had been behind all her life she manged to take a shaky breath to calm herself down, and it seemed to work and she opened her eye's again once she was sure she had pulled herself together, if she was to be queen then she would make sure to live up to what they expected from her as the Pharaoh's wife and queen.

"i better pack my thing's" she said giving them a smile.

"Panya is already doing so" Shimon said.

"i'm sure she is..i'll see you both shortly master Shimon and master Mahad" she said about to leave.

"you don't have to call us that anymore just Mahad and Shimon will do from now my queen" Mahad said bowing along with Shimon she nodded and left the garden.

"did you see it Shimon?" Mahad asked.

"that fire behind her eye's you told me about yes i did, she was scared at first but once she calmed herself down..we can expect some great thing's from her Mahad" Shimon said.

"i'm looking forward to it" he said.

The whole way to her room she still felt like she was in a dream like what just happened could't of been true but the other part of her kept telling her that it was true and that she would be a wife to a Pharaoh that part did't frighten her as much as being Queen of Egypt did but, with Shimon teaching her the thing's she would need to know then she would be alright would't she? she could feel herself shaking again when she reached her room the door was slightly open and she could see Panya hurrying around and backing her thing's but also she could see tears in the older woman's eye's and it pulled at her heart strings she was't sad she was happy for her she had to bite back her own tears she may not miss the other's in this place but she was going to miss her she manged to let out an unsteady breath before pushing the door fully open and entering her room or rather what was going to be her former room Panya turned round just as she entered and stopped what she was doing and walked over to her and did something she had't done since she had been a child and that was hug her, that caused her control to break and tears flowed from her eye's as she shook a little.

"i'm so happy for you my dear did't i say never say never" Panya said letting go of her.

"yes you did..i still can't believe it myself" she said brushing the tears away with her fingers.

"you should of seen the other's faces they were beside themselves wish you could of seen it Nefertari though i'm sure once the other's are awake you'll get to see what their reactions will be" Panya chuckled.

"i'm sure i'll enjoy it..do you need any help?" she asked seeing that Panya was almost done.

"i'll be happy to have your help one last time Nefertari or should i say queen Nefertari" Panya said.

"i'm going to have to get used to that but Shimon has a lot to teach me before the wedding that's what he told me" she said picking up a few thing's.

"you'll do great i know you will my dear" Panya said.

"thank you Panya for everything" she said letting a few more tears fall.

It did't seem to take very long to finish packing the last of her thing's and then getting dressed into something that was lovely and simple to ride in at the same time it was a olive-dark green dress the sides were open but held in place with beaded straps and it was a little lower on the back but she could move very freely in it also she was wearing sliver bands around both arms which matched the silver beads Panya had put in her hair something she would never do again, also she kept the hair down for a change they shared one last hug after she was already to leave and Panya had been right to the look's on the other girls faces would be something she would't forget she was't sure what to feel when she walked through those door's and out into the bright sunlight seeing Shimon and Mahad standing there with some horses one was loaded with her thing's the other was for her to ride but she smiled when she took the rains from Mahad who helped her up onto the horse.

"ready to go?" he asked looking up at her.

"i'm ready" she said.

"then let us go before the heat gets to all of us" Shimon said.

She got the horse going so that she was following Mahad and Shimon from behind but she stopped for a moment to have one last look back at the only place she had called home and at Panya who was getting the other's back inside she had looked back as well and waved, and she waved back then made the horse catch up with Mahad and Shimon, to say that she did't have fears or doubts about this then she would't be true to herself but even though she had them she would get past them, in fact she was sure she would that's when she smiled looking around at the wide open space around her.

"better up close Nefertari?" Mahad asked looking over at her.

"very much so Mahad" she said with an other true smile.