The Pharaoh's Whore

Chapter Nineteen

I flinched as the sword was a inch away from my nose.

"You have to be on guard at all times" Selene said, flustered.

"Sorry." I said lowering my eyes. "I'm just not used to sharp objects pointed at my face" I muttered.

"What?" Selene said sharply.

"N-nothing. Let's go again" I said weakly.

She got into her stance and I got into mine. She raised her sword and aimed near my shoulder, I wielded my sword to block it, due to my quick reflexes.

"Excellent." Selene said panting, her face dripping with sweat.

"Thank you."" I said wiping my face off with a towel, it was probably the hottest day in Egypt I have ever experienced.

"I think that's enough for today. Tomorrow we will work on finding your stance." She said tossing her towel aside on the ground.

I nodded in agreement and went back upstairs. I sighed as I stepped into the heated water. My muscles instantly relaxed, my hands had blisters on them, they were not used to working this hard.

"I wonder how Selene keeps her hands so smooth when she can use a sword like that." I thought to myself as Cliao started washing my hair.

Fern rubbed salt water and herbs into my blistered hands. I winced slightly as it stung my hands but after a few moments of Fern scrubbing my hands, I couldn't feel a thing.

I changed out of the mud-colored tunic that Selene had insisted I wore to train in to a blue one. I traded out the rough sandals that dug into my heels for soft golden ones. They pulled my hair up in a Greek knot and sent me downstairs for dinner.

As I sat down at the table I noticed a strange man was sitting at the table next to Selene.

"Who's this?" I asked.

"Oh this is my suitor, Augustus" Selene said looking at the man.

Augustus had thick and greasy black hair that was patted around his face and had a muscular build. He looked at me and lifted the corners of his mouth as if to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Dinner was quiet, and it usually wasn't. I could tell Augustus had an effect on Selene's actions. I confided to Cliao about my thoughts while she was getting my bed ready.

"I've been sworn to secrecy, Ife." Cliao mumbled.

"What? Do you know something?" I asked quietly.

"I-I have already said too much. If mistress found out, s-she could order me to be killed." Cliao mumbled.

"Please tell me. I won't tell a soul, I swear on my life" I said.

Cliao sighed, "Fine. Augustus forced her to accept him as her suitor" She muttered.

"What? How?" I gasped.

"Three years ago there was a big rush for Mistress's courtship, because as a lady of nineteen who hasn't been courted yet is like gold to the men. She met them all but the last one, that was Augustus and she received them in her bedchamber. After she demanded him he leave after he had been quite rude to her, he forced himself upon her. Selene was too shocked to yell, when he was finished with her he threatened to do the same to her family and murder them all if she did not accept him as her suitor.

And she accepted him understandably. Since then she has always been frightened by him, that's why she's so quiet when he's around" Cliao whispered.

My eyes were fully open in shock.

"How could he do that? Why didn't she tell anyone?" I asked.

"He has a sick and twisted mind. Well if you were raped, would you want to tell anyone in case he would need a reason to do it again to you?" Cliao said.

"How did you find out?" I asked.

"She only confided in me. You must stay silent or else." Cliao whispered.