Chapter Seventeen

Day -14 (42).

"Kasiya!"

My head darts up, surprise overtaking me at the unexpected noise. The palace is usually quieter than a lake in the breadths of morning at this time of day — the only one who ever dares to make that much of a racket is, well, me. Any other person who even considers making excessive noise has always lived to regret it.

My father does not take well to chaos in any sense of the word.

A small hiss pierces the silence. A beautiful golden cobra, as long as my arm, twines its slender body around the lampshade until it can look me in the eye, it's eyes glittering almost accusingly at me. I giggle, stroking the snake's head with the back of my index finger.

"I do apologise, Nafretiri. Was I not paying you enough attention?"

She hisses again and flicks her tongue in and out, almost like she's agreeing with me. I shake my head with a small smile and obediently hold my arm out to her. She winds around my wrist, slithering up my arm in a corkscrew motion until she's draped herself around my shoulders comfortably, resting her head on my chest with a quiet hiss. I shiver a little at the sensation, the icy coolness of her scales refreshing in the humid heat of the afternoon.

"One of these days, I will not give into your moodiness. You have more moods than my father, sadiqi alsaghir." I tell her. Her tongue flickers in and out of the air. "Do not give me that attitude. You and I both know it is the truth."

From the small sneezing sound Nafretiri makes, I'm almost certain she laughs at me.

"Kasiya! Kasiya!" Someone bursts through the door in a flurry of limbs, excitement lighting up their eyes. They screech to a stop, panting slightly. The next word comes out barely above a squeak. "Kasiya."

"Good afternoon, Rania." I reply serenely. My cream skirts flare around my legs as I swivel to face her. She's holding something behind her back, practically exploding with excitement. "Why are you making so much noise? You of all people know my father does not like slaves making that much noise in the palace. I do not want to see you hurt again."

"I know, I know, I know!" She replies breathlessly, practically bouncing on the spot. I struggle to hold back a laugh, watching her with bemusement. "But this is worth it!"

"We both know you do not mean that." I say sternly. "But alright, I will concede. What is so exciting that you would risk flogging?"

"Your secret admirer!" She squeals, whipping something out from behind her back. She flings it at me in her enthusiasm. "They gave me a scroll!"

I still, barely managing to catch the scroll before it smacks me in the face. "What? He did? When?"

"Just before, when I was returning from the Nile! But do not worry, he was very discreet about it." Rania reassures. Then she blushes, her reddened cheeks almost indistinguishable against her dark skin. "Oh, may I say something to you in confidence, amyrti?"

"Of course you can, Rania." I assure. "You know you can tell me anything in confidence."

"Yes, I know, but..." Rainia trails off, her blush deepening. She leans forward, her voice barely above a whisper. "He is very handsome."

"Rania!" I exclaim, so shocked I laugh a little. Her eyes widen. She hastily scurries back, bowing her head respectfully.

"My apologies, amyrti." She stutters. "I should not have said that. It was not my place."

"You do not need to apologise." I chuckle, placing a hand on her shoulder. She timidly glances up, and I smile at her. "He is very handsome, is he not?"

That brings a small smile to her face. "Do you require anything else from my service, amyrti?"

I cast my eyes down to the scroll, slowly unfurling it with shaking hands. The words jump out at me from the page, etched in a familiar penmanship that has my heart skipping a beat.

Meet me at our place at sundown. I have something for you.

Yours,

A.

I look back up at Rania, unable to keep the beam from lighting up my face. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I need you to help me get dressed. I find I am needed in the city."

It takes Rania most of the afternoon to help me get ready, as per usual. Rania was the one who first discovered me when I started to sneak out of the palace at night, and after I convinced her not to tell my father — or anybody — she became the one I would go to whenever I needed help escaping. That was almost six months ago now, and since then, we had become quite adept at perfecting my merchant's daughter disguise. In fact, we had become so adept that, excluding the one time my mother almost caught me when I was slipping out through the back door the slaves use, not a single soul has noticed that I disappear almost every single night.

I pull the hood further up over my head, casting a surreptitious glance over my shoulder as I scurry through the back-alleys of the city. My nose wrinkles up as the unpleasant smell of the street wafts up my nose. My route of choice is, unfortunately, not a personally chosen one. I may not have been discovered by the guards in the palace, but I can't say the same for the guards in the city. Ironically enough, they are a lot more shrewd and suspicious of dark figures darting around in the night than those in the palace — a shrewdness that has forced me to sneak down the darkest and most desolate streets in order to remain out of sight.

Just as I'm about to arrive at my moonlit destination, a hand suddenly covers my mouth, drawing me back into the shadows. A loud shriek rips through me, but no sound comes out — the person's hand completely muffles the noises. I immediately begin kicking back against the person wildly, my limbs flailing about in my desperate attempts to break free of their grip. Before I manage to successfully fight them off, their other arm encircles me, drawing me back against a rock-hard chest. The person whispers in my ear, their voice low and silky.

"Has your father never told you it is dangerous for a woman to be walking around the streets at this time of night?"

I still, their familiar voice sapping all the fight from my limbs. "Ahmose?"

The person loosens their grip slightly, and I turn to see a wonderfully familiar grin on their face. His golden eyes shine, bathing me in my own personal ray of sunlight. "Hello najmay."

A big smile blooms over my lips. I lean up on the tips of my toes and wind my arms around his neck, kissing him sweetly.

"Hello." I breathe, leaning my forehead against his. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

He chuckles, tucking a strand of my ebony hair behind my ear. "I am sorry, Kasiya. I could not resist."

"Yes, well, one of these days, I will..." Struggling to come up with a good threat, I resort to smacking his chest and giving him a stern look. "Come up with a sufficient way to punish you."

"A sufficient way to punish me?" He raises an eyebrow at me. "Consider me sufficiently terrified."

"Ahmose." I roll my eyes, swallowing back a grin at his teasing. "It is highly improper to mock a lady, particularly your future queen."

A small smirk twists up the corners of his lips. "Najmay, I think we can both agree that my mocking you is not 'highly improper' in comparison to some of the other things I have done."

"Ahmose!" I gasp. My charade of horror is ruined by the giggle that bursts through my lips, though. "You are a dangerous influence on me."

"Yet you love me." He teases, tugging on my hips and pulling me in for a kiss. I melt into him, twining my arms around his neck as he kisses me.

"Yes, I do." I smile. "That is the dangerous part."

Ahmose's eyes twinkle in the moonlight. "Danger does not frighten me."

Even though his words are jesting, I can't help the shiver of fear that trickles down my back at his bravado. I sigh quietly. "It should."

Ahmose's expression softens. He draws me close, tucking me under his chin. "You know I am careful, Kasiya. I am aware of the danger. I always have been. It has never affected my decision."

"It should though." I say softly. I draw back and look up at him. "Ahmose, if anybody discovers what we are doing, you will be killed, or—or worse, they will kill you and refuse you proper burial, and—"

"Kasiya." He cups my face gently, cutting me off with a look. "Can we please not talk about this? You worry yourself sick about the possibilities every time, and it will ruin the surprise I have planned."

"I apologise." I shake my head, plastering a bright smile on my face to disguise the turmoil that's roiling around inside me. "What is this surprise you have planned for me?"

Ahmose grins. He catches my hand in his and pulls me after him. "Follow me."

Ahmose leads me through the back-alleys of the city, as silent and stealthy as a cat. We soon completely breach the city limits, leaving the sandy-coloured buildings behind us. After a few more minutes of walking in amiable silence, I suddenly realise where he's taking me. I can't stop the smile from spreading over my face.

The smile blossoms into a full-blown beam when he finally stops and turns to face me. True as his written word, he's brought me to our spot. To our left is the Nile, a silky blue snake with a silver drop dancing over it's calm surface like a glistening firefly. To our right is a towering reed-bank, tall enough to hide our shadowy forms from any prying eyes. It was the perfecting hiding place for a couple of forbidden lovers — as we'd discovered many months ago.

Ahmose leans forward and tucks my hair behind my ear, affection shining out of his eyes. I smile up at him, laughing a little.

"What?"

"It still amazes me that you are truly mine." He says, his voice barely above a whisper. "You are truly the most beautiful woman I have ever meet najmay."

"As are you, habibata. I am yours and you are mine, forevermore." I tell him gently. Stepping forward, I slink my arms around his neck and lean into him, encapsulating his liquid-gold gaze in my own. His breath hitches. I smile, stroking his cheek. "I love you Ahmose. I swear it, with Hapi and Horus as my witnesses."

"With Hapi and Horus as my witnesses." Ahmose murmurs, leaning down and capturing my lips in a gentle kiss that sends me soaring up to join Nut in the sky.

My knees weaken. I lose myself in the kiss, drowning in Ahmose as his presence envelops me like a warm blanket. Ahmose makes a small noise in the back of his throat and deepens the kiss, eliminating any remaining space between us by pulling me flush up against him. Our bodies snap together like two magnets. An overwhelming wave of love for the man in front of me washes through me like a tidal wave. He was like the Nile, so important to the beginning and the end, so infinite, so vital to the world. So vital to my world.

The world without Ahmose was a world without the Nile. Without its center, without meaning, without life itself. He was my oxygen, his eyes the light in the darkness, his embrace all that could protect me from the dangers in the world.

The dangers in the world that could all happen to him because of me.

A bucket of ice water flushes over me. I abruptly pull away, ignoring the way his forehead crinkles a little at the unexpected movement.

"So." I lean my forehead against his, trying to ignore the dark thoughts pulsing through my mind like a disease. "What is this 'something' you have for me?"

"What would your response be if I said it was me?" Ahmose asks, grinning rakishly. I purse my lips, giving him a look. He wriggles his eyebrows at me, surprising a fit of laughter out of me. "I am not sure I like that response."

"I am sorry. I will try again." I plaster a look of contrite seriousness on my face, blinking up at him. "Oh Ahmose, you are the best gift any girl could ever hope for! I truly have been blessed by the gods." I turn away, making it look like I'm getting ready to leave. "I must go to their temple right now and offer them a sacrifice to thank—"

"Kasiya." He harrumphes, giving me a deadpan look as he roughly tugs me back to him. I burst out laughing at the wounded expression on his face. "There is no need for sarcasm."

"A queen is never sarcastic, she only ever dares tell the truth. It is the fault of the listener if they decide to interpret it in any other way." I reply serenely. His expression doesn't waver. I giggle, sobering up after a few moments. "Very well, I will be serious, Ahmose. But you must too, for we do not have much more time together before I must return to the palace. What is this 'something'?"

"I bought you a gift." He replies. He takes a small bag out of his pocket and shakes the bag upside-down over his hand. Something falls out, glinting in the moonlight. He holds it up to me. "This."

"Oh, Ahmose!" My eyes light up. It's the most exquisite ring I have ever seen in my life: a beautiful lapis lazuli scarab beetle, set in an intricate ring of sparkling gold. "It is magnificent!"

The corners of his lips twist up into a bright grin. He takes my left hand gently in his, sliding the ring onto my middle finger. I hold my hand up in the air, admiring the way the moonlight casts an ethereal glow over the ring's polished surface. "It warms my heart that you like it so, najmay."

"Of course I do. I love it, habibata." I smile, pressing a sweet kiss to his lips. "But I am puzzled. What is the occasion?"

"No occasion." Ahmose replies simply. "It is my heart scarab, Kasiya."

All the breath is stolen from me. I stare at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"Metaphorically speaking, of course." He adds on hastily, mistaking my shock for surprise. He steps closer, affection shining out of his eyes. "You are everything to me, najmay. You have had my heart from the moment I met you, and you will have my heart forevermore. This ring is a promise of that love, a promise that I will always be yours for as long as we both live."

I stare at him, shocked absolutely speechless by the words pouring out of his mouth.

Then I burst into tears.

Ahmose's eyes widen dramatically. He rushes forward. "Kasiya? What is it? What's wrong? What did I say?"

"You did nothing wrong, Ahmose. You are absolutely perfect." I weep. "You are always, always perfect."

"Then why are you so upset? Najmay please, tell me." He pleads, gently holding my face in his hands.

"It is the fact that you are so perfect that this hurts so much." I whisper, looking up at him. The tears streaking down my face increase to a torrential downpour when I see the pure confusion twisting up his handsome features. "I love you so much Ahmose, and I would give anything to be yours forevermore. But you know that that is not a possibility for us. I am to be the future queen, and betrothed to Ammon. If my father every found out about us, he would have you executed on the spot, you know that."

"That does not worry me." Ahmose replies fiercely. "I would battle the anubites for you, najmay."

"No, Ahmose please. Do not say that. Please." I beg. "Do not gamble away with your life so heedlessly. I care for you far too much to hear you say that."

"And I care far too much to lose you. Kasiya," He thrums my cheek with his thumb, desperation sparking up his gaze. "Najmay, you are everything to me. I cannot survive losing you. If you are worried about what your father will do, then we will leave. Just say the word, and I will follow you to the ends of the earth. But do not give up and call our future hopeless, I beg of you. Do not give up on us."

"Ahmose, you are asking me to chose between you and my family, my heritage, and my destiny." I whisper. "Do not ask me to make that decision. I fear it will break me."

"Kasiya, you are to be wed to Ammon in less than a moon's cycle. Do not ask me to stand idly by and let that happen. I fear it will break me."

I swallow, shaking my head and stepping out of his embrace. I draw my cloak closer around me in a weak attempt to stave off the sudden chills of the night and slowly start to back up. "I... I must go. My father will notice I am missing if I stay out any longer."

Ahmose's expression shifts so abruptly you'd think the expression had been slapped clean off his face. "Kasiya please, do not do this."

"I am sorry, Ahmose. I love you." I whisper, twisting on my heel and disappearing into the dark abyss of the night.

I make it almost all the way into the heart of the city before Ahmose finally manages to catch up with me. He grabs my wrist, earning a yelp of surprise from me, and roughly spins me around.

"Kasiya, please." He beseeches. His golden eyes flicker with frantic determination. "Do not leave like this."

"Ahmose, I must!" I yell in hushed tones. I try to twist my wrist out of his grip. "It is the only way to protect you!"

"I can protect myself, amira." He hisses. "The only folly I will not be able to protect myself from is the very folly you are determined to inflict upon me."

"Ahmose, you know I cannot—"

"Who goes there?" A loud voice demands,. Ahmose and I freeze. Ice trickles down my spine. A palace guard rounds the corner. His eyes narrow. "What is your business on the streets at this late an hour?"

"We are just returning to our residence." Ahmose replies shortly. His grip on my wrist tightens. I don't succeed in preventing the grimace of pain from twisting up my features. "We apologise for disturbing your evening. Goodnight."

"Halt. I said, halt." The guard snaps when Ahmose tries to push past him, pushing the taller man back. Ahmose stumbles to a stop, glowering at the guard. The guard's attention shifts to me. "And what exactly is a woman doing on the streets this —" He sucks in a sharp breath, his eyes going wide in recognition. He drops down to one knee in front of me. "Princess Kasiya! What are you doing out this late? Your father has had everyone out looking for you!"

All the blood drains from my face. He knows? I start to stammer. "I only— I was—"

The guard's gaze flashes back to Ahmose. An almost feral snarl twists up his features. "What were you doing with the amira, slave?"

"I am not a slave. I am the son of a merchant." Ahmose snipes testily. "I merely found princess Kasiya wandering the streets and was returning her to safety. That is all."

"Liar." The guard spits, leaping to his feet. He draws his spear so quickly he's a blur and points it in Ahmose's face. "Tell the truth or face execution, boy."

"I am telling the truth." Ahmose snaps.

The guard scoffs and swipes the spear roughly across Ahmose's face. A vicious dark red slash pulses in it's wake. I scream inadvertently, covering my mouth with my hands.

"No!"

"The next one will be far more fatal." The guard sneers, tucking the spear under Ahmose's chin. "I will ask only one more time. What were you doing with the princess?"

The spear bobs up and down slightly as Ahmose swallows. His eyes flicker over to me. Blood drips down his face, red tears streaking down his cheeks. "I..."

"Answer now, boy!" The guard thunders, pressing the spear so hard against Ahmose's throat that it draws more blood. Another outcry rips through my mouth. I feel myself leaping forward against my own will.

"No, please! I—"

— — —

"Kiara! Kiara!"

Someone shakes my shoulders roughly, jolting me awake. I bolt upright, the shriek still in the middle of tearing through my throat. I open my eyes to see Ahmose staring down at me, worry twisting up his expression. I jump, my heart ricocheting out of my chest.

"What?!"

"You were screaming in your sleep." He replies, watching me keenly. "Are you okay?"

I open my mouth to reply. The words stop short in my mouth when I remember my dream; my horrifyingly life-like and familiar dream. Only, this time, it didn't feel like a dream at all anymore.

It felt like a memory.

My mouth sets into a strong line. I sit up straighter and fix Ahmose with a hard gaze. "We need to talk."