To Love a Pharaoh (Rameses × Oc)

Chapter 3: The Truth

               I walked through the empty hallways, watching the sun rise.  I stopped to rest against a pillar and watch the sun paint the sky with beautiful colors.  Hearing the sound of footsteps, I turn to see Moses walking angrily towards me.  

              "Moses,"  I gently put my hand on his arm.  He yanks his arm away from me and looks away.  "Moses, what's wrong?"  

               "Did you know?"  Moses takes a step towards me, I look at him confused.

               "Know what?" He grabs my shoulder and squeezes it hard.  I start backing away from him.

                "Did you know that my mother found me in a basket, floating down the Nile."  I stare at him in shock.

                "Moses,"  I place my hand on his shoulder, this time he doesn't pull away.

                 "Well, did you?"  He asks me again, firmer than last time.  I look down before nodding my head, trying to not meet his gaze.

                  "I was there when your mother found you, you were just a little baby."  He sucks in a breath and I look at him.

                  "Why didn't you tell me?"  Moses asks me.

                   "Because it wasn't my secret to tell."  I respond honestly.   "That doesn't mean that you are any less a Prince of Egypt.  Queen Tuya and Pharaoh love you very much." He doesn't say anything after that.  "Moses," He breaks away from me and sprints down the hallway.  "Moses!"  He doesn't respond or turn around, he just keeps running.  Something doesn't feel right.  I sigh and shrug my shoulders.  I was probably just tired or something, I walk down the hallway in the opposite direction.  I had chores to do, I would talk to Moses later.

                                      **Time Skip**

                       "Mommy, flower!"  I lean over to delicately grab the lily flower out of the water.  I give it to him and he looks at it in awe, his little fingers stroking the petals like they were made of clay.

                        "Is the flower pretty?"  I ask him teasingly.  He nods his head, still in a little trance.  I wad a little deeper in the water, going to where it reached my hip.  Ahmed let out a little shriek as the cool water hit his toe.

                         "Habibah!"  I turn around to see Rameses standing on the steps where you entered the river.  His white nemes on his head was a little disheveled and I could see the remnants of tears on his cheeks.

                         "Rameses?  What's wrong?"  I start wading towards him but he gets into the river and walks towards me.  Ahmed looks at our guest with a big smile on his face and holds his arms out, waiting for Rameses to take him from me.  Rameses picks him up and gently puts him on his hip before turning back to me.  I cup his cheek and wipe away a tear that was just starting to fall.  "Rameses,"  I say gently.

                        "He's gone Habi, he's gone."  I stare at him confused. 

                        "Moses, he's gone."  He says hoarsely.  I gasp, shaking my head.

                          "No,"  I whisper, I couldn't believe it.  Moses was gone?  Gone?  "What happened?" 

                          "There was a slave holder, he was whipping this old slave.  I don't know what happened, but apparently Moses got really upset and pushed the slave holder over the edge.  It was a deep drop, the man didn't survive."  I put my hands over my mouth, tears started streaming down my cheeks.  Moses?  Sweet innocent Moses?  "Moses ran, I tried to convince him to stay.  He said something about his life was a lie and to ask the man he once called 'Father'.  What did he mean by that?" Rameses asks me.  I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths before answering.