The Pharaoh's Thief (AtemXFem!Reader)

Chapter 3

As her and the Pharaoh walk through the palace, she notices servant's bowing as they pass, "Is that what everyone does around you?" she asks, walking a little closer to him.
"Yes. I've told them there's no need, but they still do it when I have someone in my company."
"It's not really necessary. Where I'm from, slaves aren't a thing. You got your herd, a cottage, and the village." she signs, "At least... that's what I remember from my home land."
"You told me stories of your home land over the feast" Atem looked to her, "Where they untruthful."
"Not necessarily. Some of those stories where actually pretty mellow things I happened to encounter while traveling as a child, Siren used to be my father's ship, so when he died, I gained control." she looks back at him, "It's like your hierarchy, except there's no coming of age. You just take over when the last one dies."
"I would be interested in learning more about your way of life, ___." he looks forward again
"Aye, I could teach you. But I'd want to know more about your culture as well."
"Then shall we start now?" he asks, walking out of the palace to the grounds.
"If you wouldn't mind."
"Walk behind me, if the merchants see you walking too close they will scorn you." he says, sticking an arm out. She huffs and slows her pace so she is walking two steps behind the Pharaoh.

"Lord Atem! A blessing to see you out on the grounds and not huddled in your chambers with rolls of parchment." the stable hand says.
"Yes, it's nice for a change. My steed please, if you would; and a well tempered mare for my companion."
"Right away sir!" the stable hand runs inside to grab out 2 horses. One a white lean horse with dark, piercing eyes. The other, a shorter, sort of fat brown mare, "Here ya go!" the stable hand says, adjusting the harnesses. ___ looks at the mare,
"She doesn't seem in a shape to ride, if I may comment." she walks up and strokes the nose of the mare, she whinnies softly.
"And why is that?" the stable hand looks offended.
"I have no idea where you learned animal husbandry, but this mare looks very pregnant to me."
"P-Pregnant?!" the stable hand says in shock.
"___, is that true?" Atem asks, bringing his horse over by the reigns.
"Well, with how swelled up her heels are, and not to mention her body, she looks like she could have a filly any day now." she strokes the mares side, finding the buckle to undo the saddle, "I require a horse that won't get injured while riding." she hands the reign back over to the stable hand.
"Y-yes sir I uh mean miss." he quickly guides the mare back to her stall, and brings another horse out from the same one, "H-here ya go. He's the little brother of the Pharaoh's horse, used to be the one lord Atem road as a young one."
"Khaan that will do." Atem says crossly.
"Ah, yes good sir! Have a lovely ride!" he runs back into the stable and shuts the doors.

Once the two of them started on their way to the merchants street (with several guards following behind them) Atem calls out in question. "How did you realize that mare was pregnant? I thought you were a traveler."
"Ah, I guess you weren't listening as we walked through the palace." she yells, "I was raised around animals."
"Surely a herd of cattle and horses aren't that similar?" Atem calls back. You get tired of yelling so you nudge your horse forward more, he goes as far as the white horses rump before stalling, so you stop getting him to go farther.
"Well, they are a lot alike. And with the shape of these two horses, I'd say the horses you own get plenty of exercise, so the mare couldn't have been fat." you stroke your horses neck, "Not to mention this guy was in her stall, my guess is they went at it and the stable hand never heard it."
"That may be a reasonable conclusion. If so I'll need to have a chat with Khaan--"
"Hey, no need for that." she chides, "She's healthy enough, and I bet there's someone around here who could help give birth to the filly, even a mid wife could help, for God's sake, I could help." she laughs out loud. Taking a moment to look around, "These streets are pretty barren..."
"They usually are whenever I leave the palace. It's left over fear from my fathers rule."
"Fear?" She questioned. He pulls back on his horses reigns and it snorts as it pulls right next to hers.
"More because of the guards my father surrounded himself with. They would lash out at bystanders. My father hated when they did it, but no matter how many times he told them not to they would still do it." he looks to the sky, "When he passed on I changed the guards immediately, but they still fear the site of the Pharaoh's guard."
"Hm. Your father certainly doesn't sound how I had heard previously."
"It's disrespectful to speak ill of the dead." Atem says gripping the reigns a little tighter. The guards in front of them suddenly yell out,
"Hey you! What are you doing!" her and the Pharaoh trot forward on their horses to see two guards hold a kid with a piece of bread being wrestled from his hands,
"Stop immediately." Atem commands, jumping off his horse, she follows suit.

"This kid is obviously a thief sir!" One guard says, standing up and throwing the kid at the Pharaoh's feet, the kids looks up but immediately shoves his face into the ground.
"Ph-Pharaoh! Pl-please spare m-me!" Atem just looks down at the kid. Having had enough of this, ___ shoves Atem out of the way.
"Go on, you're scaring him!" She kneels down on the ground in front of the kid, "Hey bud? Whatcha take that loaf for?" she asks, and the kid sits up.
"I-I was hungry..." the kid looks down at the loaf in his hand.
"Well, stealing ain't no way to go about it." you can hear Atem scoff lightly and you shoot him a glare, "How about I get you something real to eat? You got family that needs food?" she asks, helping the kid up.
"N-no. They d-died building t-the last Pharaoh's tomb."
"Alright, show me where you got the bread and we'll go pay the guy, and then get you a piece of fruit." she looks back at the guards, "Since you listen so well, take the horse and walk him to the market, I'll be going with the kid." she starts walking, a hand behind the kids back.

__________

"Ah! You caught the little thief! Thank you for bringing him-"
"Hold on. I'm here to pay for the bread the kid took, and for a second loaf. Also is there a merchant nearby with fruits?" she asks, rummaging in her pant pocket. The baker looks on in dis belief, "Sorry, am I not articulating correctly? I pay--" She shows him the gold, "for food--" she points with a finger to the bread, "--times two!" she shows him two fingers. Without a word the man hands her an extra loaf and she hands him the money, "Okay kid, where's some fruit?" the kid points to a stand a little bit away, "Cool. Here--" she hands him a gold coin, "go buy what you can with it, and keep out of trouble!" she ruffles his already messy hair.
"Th-Thank you!"
"No problem. No I'll be going, bye!" she waves and the boy smiles, running off. "Now, where do I go from here?" she looks around and sees a person selling wears of jewels and beads, "Excuse me!" she shouts, working her way through the crowd, "You know where the trading tavern is?"
"Yes. But what a lady is doing looking for it I'll never know." the old greying man says.
"I'm a foreign trader, now tell me please." she steps forward puffing her chest out and glaring.
"A-ah yes! You um, straight up the street that way and take a right where you see a man with camels, can't miss it."
"Thank you." she says relaxing and sauntering off.

The foul odor of dung fills her nose as she sees camels come into view, "Almost there I guess." she avoids eye contact with the camel owner and makes a turn down the street, sure enough, 4 buildings down she sees 2 horses being held by guards, "Gentlemen!" she shouted, running to them, they look in her direction, "The Pharaoh is inside I trust?" they grunt in response, you walk inside. Here is where the big boys were. Men with artifacts, Women selling cloth and jewelry of expensive materials, Decorative items with intrinsic patterns. She takes a look and immediately spots the Pharaoh. She walks up to him, "Pharaoh." he turns to her.
"Ah, ___. One of the finest gold traders this side the Nile." he introduces you.
"Pleasure, I'd love to get the opinion of the guy on the other side of the Nile, see who gives the better price." this earns a glare from the gold trader, "Yeesh, it's a joke. " she says, "Here--" she fishes a pouch from her bosom, "--check the purity of these." throwing the pouch on the table. Nudging Atem she leans in a little and whispers, "I bet the pouch that they're purer than me." Atem snorts, covering it with a cough. 'So I was right about his sense of humour.' she thinks, watching the trader carefully as he drops coins into various vases, and weights others.

"As pure as a priestess." He says, putting the coins back into the leather pouch.
"Not every priestess I've come across has been pure." she raises her eyebrows and puts the pouch back in her bosom. She looks over to see Atem almost losing it, "But that's coming from a traveler, who knows what I pick up going around?" The Pharaoh starts chuckling, then it turns to full blown laughter.
"I have never heard such jokes made light hearted." he wipes a tear from his eye.
"At sea you get bored, you come up with new things to lighten your crews mood." she shrugs, "And since my men would be shark bait if they attempted to touch me, verbal combat is a way of keeping the crews mind sharp." she puts a finger up, "Ah, that reminds me." she turns to the gold trader, "I have a bunch of this on my boat, think you could make time to come to the pier?"
"I could..." the gruff voice of the trader says.
"It's up to you. But I will be sending my men tomorrow, so you better have an answer by then!" she turns and walks away, "Ta-tah!"and she walks out the door to the horses.
"A free spirit that one is my lord."
"She's been out in the world most of her life. She has no clue what being caged is." he looks longingly, "No hierarchy... no responsibility... just freedom." he sighs and looks to his friend, "What a thought."
"Have a good day my lord."
"Good day, dear friend."