Neferure ran as fast as her feet could take her. How could she like Amun? She barely knew him and then with one touch, her heart couldn't stop beating so fast she feared it would stop forever! What was wrong with her? Did everyone experience this? she couldn't help but wonder as she cried.

It didn't take much for Amun to find her. "Neferure." He said gently.

Neferure froze, who just called her name? Was it Sekmet chasing after her? No the voice sounded male. Turning around she was mortified when she saw it was Amun chasing after her. Looking up at the sky she sent a silent curse to Hathor, wondering what she had done to deserve wanting to be with a man she barely knew.

He stopped a few feet away from her. "I wanted to make sure that you weren't going to go drown yourself." He said softly. "What's the matter?"

"How is it possible? How even though we know little about one another, how can one touch from you send a spark through my body? One look from you and my heart speeds up, the moment we are close I have a strange feeling in my stomach I can't explain. How can I feel something like that? I must be crazy, no one feels feelings that fast." Neferure cried no doubt making a fool of herself.

Amun listened before shaking his head. "You're not crazy." He told her gently. "I have the same feelings."

"You are just saying that to make me feel better. You don't have to lie Amun, that just makes it worse." Neferure sighed.

"I'm not." He said. "It has been something I've felt since I first met you."

Neferure walked right up to Amun and looked him in the eyes. She wanted to see if he was lying and that Sekmet just hadn't sent him to make sure she didn't keep to her threat, which she wouldn't have anyway.

"So what does it mean?"

"I don't know." He replied honestly. "I guess this is something we're just going to have to figure out." He said. "Together."

Neferure's eyes widened. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Together, yes, your right. Oh it's almost time to meet my uncle, oh no what if he finds out about this?" she asked in a sudden panic.

"We don't have to say anything until you want to."

"I can't lie, it's in my priestess training. I don't want to keep it a secret either. That would be disrespectful to you and myself. I prefer to be honest and true." Neferure said as she offered her hand to him. "Together?"

"Together." He nodded, accepting her hand.

The pharaoh waited in the throne room when everyone came in a almost the same time. First Imhotep and Sekmet followed by Amun and Neferure. This seemed to be a good sign for what he had in mind. "Daughter, Niece, High priest, Guard. Save the formalities." He knew they were about to bow as he stood.

"My best guard was killed, here in my home, another of our family was attacked in front of my eyes so I had him killed on the spot. None of us are ever truly safe. However I will do all in my power to keep you as safe as I can. In one year, Sekmet you will take Imhotep as your husband and he will take you as his wife. The priest of Osiris marrying the priestess of Isis. Neferure, the priestess of Ma'at you will marry Amun, the most trusted guard I have in this kingdom, by doing this perhaps I can protect you more then I could others. What have any of you to say?"

Imhotep stood frozen for a moment but did not argue. he waited to see if anyone else would talk as did Neferure.

Sekmet was speechless. Did she just hear what she thought she just heard? And what was this about the family being attacked and why was she just now hearing about that? She had known Jabri had been killed, her siblings told her that when they were sent to her, the other stuff was news to her. She had too many questions, and no words to speak them. At least she didn't have to marry a complete stranger.

"I accept my Pharaoh." Neferure said as she bowed and knelt to the ground.

Imhotep saw this and he didn't have to question the Pharaoh he knew what he was talking about, he was there after all. Bowing down Imhotep also said "I accept my Pharaoh."

The Pharaoh then looked back to Sekmet and Amun. "And you two?: he questioned, his patience running thin.

Amun nodded. "I accept as well." He bowed down.

Sekmet nodded after the others. "I knew this was coming sooner or later, but its not a complete stranger, so I thank you for that." She nodded. "I accept." She said, before giving a bow.

"Good, then its agree however you have one year to change your mind. Go now, i must be with my thoughts." the pharaoh said and waved them off.

Neferure stood and went to the door. She had just agreed to marriage, to a man she liked but didn't know very well. Well she had a year to know for sure, however did Sekmet even know Imhotep at all?

Sekmet nodded and followed her cousin out the door.

A few hours later, Sekmet caught up with her cousin. "Hey."

"Hey, so that was...interesting." Neferure shrugged

"Very." Sekmet nodded. "Shocking."

"You know that your father would want us to marry eventually...however right after coming back from temple is a bit shocking I agree, but he had his reasons." Neferure said as she went and sat on the fountain gently playing with the water's surface with her fingertips. "They are not bad matches cousin, at least did you know Imhotep before all of this?"

"I did." She nodded, taking a seat on the bench. "I've known him since before I could talk. Our mothers were best friends and we grew up together." She explained. "But today was the first time that I had seen him in seven years. He was 12 and I was 11 when he left for the temple. "

"I've met Amun once before I went to temple. I passed out in his arms, I was so tired from my studies I couldn't even make it to my room. Never did I think he'd be my future husband." Neferure said as she continued to play with the water. "Next they will want children."

"He's just going to have to wait a while." Sekmet shrugged. "For when the time is right." Isis was a fertility goddess. Her goddess would let her know when the time was right.

"Wonder what they are doing right now..." Neferure sighed as she looked to Sekmet. "I was the reason for this, one of the advisers hired a hitman to kill Amun and Imhotep's father, he suceeded and when was brought in for questioning the advisor who hired him went to attack your father but I blocked him with my body. After that your father ordered him dead and Amun slit his throat."

"That's why papas been acting so strange." She shook her head. "He wouldn't say anything when I asked, and I was beginning to worry about him." She murmured. She looked to her cousin on that sentence. "Are you okay?"

"I've had horrible nightmares, I've woken up in a sweat and crying. I've come out here many nights and just cried because there was nothing I could do. I cannot unsee what I have seen. However I do not fear Amun for what he did, quite the opposite actually, I feel safer with him, more protected." Neferure stated honestly.

Sekmet nodded as she listened to her, that made sense, but she didn't have any words to say, but what could she say to that?

"Amun is never too far away from me, he's about three doors down I would say. I think he feels responsible for what I feel but that's not true. Every time I see him, the fear goes away and the other feeling takes over." Neferure says as she sits up. "Death will happen, I know that, just seeing it so close will take me a while to lessen the blow."

"I could imagine how that would, but I've never experienced anything of that magnitude." She had been there with her mother when she died in childbirth, but it wasn't something she liked to talk about, and it wasn't violent like that.

"Amun are you there or did Imhotep finally make you get some rest?" Neferure called out unsure if he was really there. "I wouldn't want anyone to imagine it."

Sekmet looked around, but didn't see anyone.

"I guess he's not there." Neferure sighed disappointed and a little embarrassed.

Sekmet offered a small smile. "It's okay." She said, studying her. "When's the last time you actually got some sleep?"

Neferure shrugged. "No clue."

"You should at least try." She glanced up and saw it was getting darker. "And if you need, I have a herbal remedy that may help." She stood up. "I'm going to go get ready for bed myself. It's been a long day."

"No, but thanks I prefer to have what wits I have about me. I'll pray again before I sleep. Sleep well cousin." Neferure said as she stood and walked to her room.

"Okay, I'll see you later." Sekmet said, heading to her bedroom.