Greek Runaway

δυο(Two)

Ahkmenrah's POV

I woke up to get ready for the meeting I had with the rulers of nearby lands. They were all coming here to Egypt this time. They are all very old though. I went into the throne room and saw Katalina in there singing in her language.

" Βρε καλό, στο καλό να 'χη, μάννα και πατέρα να 'χη.(Ho, hail and he may prosper, And may he not be deprived Of his mother and father.)"

"Good Morning Katalina."

"Ah, Oui, merci. (Yes, Thank you.)"

"You have a lovely singing voice."

"Thank you. My mother taught me. I was very small."

"Do your parents know you're here?" I asked.

"My mother. She knows. She did. She say to me to run and they hurt her. Just before I left. My father is fighting. That is all I know. Same as my brother. And your family?" Katalina said not seeming as upset about her mother as some others would, myself included. 

"You have met my brother. He is the one who brought you in, and my father died, that is why I am the leader now. My mother also died, shortly after."

"I am sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault."

"Do you teach me English now?" She asked me looking excited.

"First I have a meeting. But then I can. It shouldn't be too long." She nodded.

"What do I do?"

"You can do anything you want. Sing, dance, anything." She seemed shocked.

"Anything?" Her accent is so cute. I love it.

"Yes. Now I will see you after my meeting." I said kissing her cheek and walked away. What is happening to me? I sat through a very boring meeting listening to people talk about their countries. How did my father do this every month?

Finally, the meeting was done and I went to find Katalina. She was in the room I gave to her brushing through her hair and singing. I knocked on the door and she came out by me.

"Are you ready for your English lesson?" How am I going to teach her English if we don't know the same language? I do not know Greek and she doesn't know Egyptian...We shall try our bests. We went into the study room. The exact room I was taught English in. We sat at one of the tables.

"Do you know Greek?" She asked.

"No, but we can make it work okay?" She nodded. "Okay stay here. I am going to see what I can find." I left her at the table and went to look for a book. Searching through them all I found a book about Greece, in Greek. My father knew Greek. "Here. This can help us." I placed the book in front of her on the table. "You can teach me Greek too. We will learn together."

"Yes! And then You can teach me yours." She said. She is so cute. And is trying so hard.

"Yes, I can." She smiled. I started with basic English, or how I learned English. By the time we decided to be done with English for the day she knew quite a bit. I am proud I could help her.

"I can teach you Greek now. Some Greek?" I nodded and she began teaching with the book. While also writing some things for me. When she was finished for today we left the room and went back to the throne room.

"Do you want to go out into the city with me?" I asked.

"Yes, I want to see it."

"Okay, well just stay by me. The people might not be as accepting of you as I was." She looked confused.

"Why? What have I done?"

"You have done nothing, but the people don't like a lot of change, and they've never seen anyone like you before. So we will be careful okay?"

"Okay. I think I understand." She said nodding. We walked out with a few guards around us. Katalina looked so happy being outside. We were walking around past some shops looking at what was being sold today.

"What is she? She is not like us. Why would he have her?" I heard a woman say. In Egyptian. At least she can't understand them.

"Obviously she is just a slave. That is all." The other woman said. I turned and glared at them and spoke Egyptian to them.

"She is not a slave. She came here fearing for her life is all. She is Greek, not that you know where that is, but it is past the sea. She made a boat to escape the war and came here. She is not going to hurt anyone or anything." I said sharply.

"Pharaoh Ahkmenrah! We did not realize it was you." I rolled my eyes and continued walking with Katalina. I do not believe she has noticed but she is holding my hand, and I quite like it. What is happening to me? This is not like me to feel this way, or to be so affectionate. Not even with the princesses and queens who come as sponsors for me to marry.

"Ahkmenrah, we go over by the water?" Katalina said pulling me out of my thoughts, pointing at the Nile River.

"Of course," I said. She lightly pulled me over towards the water.

"Do you know..." She stopped thinking.

"Flat?"

"You find a flat rock, and you hold it like this." She said showing me how to hold it, "And then you throw it." She threw it and it jumped across the water before officially sinking.

"How did you learn that?" I asked her.

"My brother taught me when I was very little. Before he became mean to me."

"How was your brother mean to you? Why was he mean to you?"

"He hurt me. He said I was doing wrong. And now he is fighting. But he is fighting to hurt us," She said. 

"My brother did the same thing to me. He is still very rude to me, but he doesn't try to hurt me anymore. Only because the guards would put him in the prison."

"I have only seen your brother once. And I was very scared. I am very happy you are the leader. He would not have let me stay..." She is right. He would have put her in prison.

"King Ahkmenrah, it is getting dark. We must get you and Miss Katalina back to the palace." A guard said coming up to me. I nodded to him.

"What did he say?"

"He said we have to go back to the palace. I am only allowed out until a certain time," I said and she nodded. She grabbed my hand and we walked to the palace. I don't know why I am so affectionate with her. I have never been. Not even when the princesses and queens come to me as sponsors. A short while later we were back in the palace. "Goodnight Katalina."

"Bon soir, Ahkmenrah. (Good evening, Ahkmenrah.)" She said, kissed my cheek, and walked away.