Chapter Twenty-Three

Day -300.

"Kasiya, abnataya." A sharp tone tears through my reverie, causing me to jump slightly. The stone I was holding drops out of my hands. I twirl around. My father stands at the top of the stairs, a stony expression dusting his regal features. My heart leaps up into my throat. "What are you doing here?" 

"I was—" I feebly point over my shoulder at the Nile in the distance. My posture wilts when his expression only darkens. "I was paying my respects to Hapi, baba." 

"Do not lie to me, abnataya. You do not only dishonour me, but the alaliha also." 

I swallow and lower my head demurely. "I am sorry, baba."

 "I will ask again. What are you doing out here?"

"I was admiring the river. Indulging in the fresh air." 

My father's eyes narrow imperceptibly. "Your presence is required. We are to meet with the merchants to receive their offerings. Do not make me wait any longer for a mere indulgence." 

He's gone as fast as he appeared.

My breath filters out through my lips in one long big gush. Tucking my ebony hair behind my ear, I bend down and pick the smooth, round rock at my feet. I let it balance in my hand, studying its rounded surfaces. Try as I might, I just could not find a single imperfection on its glossy, sleek surface. It had been completely polished down by the tide of the Nile, unblemished and undisturbed by the consistent upheavals of the world. 

I sigh again and toss the stone into the river. 

"At least you're safer than me under there." I murmur under my breath, watching it sink beneath the silky surface with a plop. Then I laugh, shaking my head at myself. "Look at me. Jealous of a stone." 

Wrapping my stole around my shoulders, I spin on my heel and exit the small garden, leaving the Nile glimmering behind me like a bejeweled cerulean snake. As I hasten through the back of the palace, I'm acknowledged by every single servant I breeze past by a variety of smiles and warm greetings. I respond to every single one of them with a small smile, making sure not to ignore a single one. Unlike my father I held the opinion that every single one of them deserved to be acknowledged for their service — even if they were slaves, they were still human beings. The buzz of human activity grows louder and louder as I draw closer to the court at the very front of the palace. My father was of the very egotistical mind that the audiences he held with the people of our city needed to be viewable at any moment, so he had ordered right from the beginning of his reign that all audiences would be held in the courtyard. He had even had a throne specially made for that one purpose, and arranged the walkway up to the throne to be lavishly decorated with all the golden statues his artists could make. Sometimes, I would ponder on the bizarre idea that my father's subjects thought him a god. The man I had grown up around was far from a divine presence — his narcissistic obsession with power was more than enough evidence. 

"Miss Kasiya!" A servant standing next to the entrance-way waves me over. Her expression is twisted up with urgency. "You must hasten! His Holiness is waiting."

The fear in her voice is enough to light a proverbial fire underneath me. I'm at her side in less than ten seconds. "Has he been waiting long?" 

She hands me my ceremonial shawl, her skin blanching slightly. "Long enough." 

I swallow back the dread that claws its way up my throat and and slip the shimmering, golden shawl over my shoulders. Once I am properly attired, I set my shoulders back and nod at the servant. "Very well." 

She bows her head and pulls the curtain aside. I let a breath out through my lips and step into the blinding sunlight. The first thing I see when my vision readjusts is the tightness in my father's posture and the hard set of his eyebrows. I ignore the shiver of fear that dances up my spine at his expression and calmly step into place beside him. His eyes narrow imperceptibly. He turns away, his tone frigid. 

"Bring them in." 

As is always the case, I quickly lose track of time as the stream of my father's subjects filter into the courtyard. My afternoon soon becomes a medley of polite smiles, diplomatic conversations and courteous bestowals of good fortune. However, as hard as I try, I can't keep all the gifts of goodwill attached to the thousands of faces and names that wish them upon my family and I. My father never understood the reason behind my desperate attempts, and I never expected him to. But if I were to become the next Queen of the Nile, then I was determined to know each and every single one of the people I was serving. I was determined to keep myself grounded in a way that my father never had been. I was determined to be the leader my people needed. 

"Next."

The sharp tone of my father's servant tear me out of my reverie. I blink several times and refocus my attention just as someone walks up to the dais. They walk alone, their head bowed in respect. Clutched tightly in their hands is a medium-sized thatched brown basket, from which a faint fishy smell wafts. Once they reach the top of the dais, they kneel on the ground in front of us, their head still bowed. 

"Present." 

They clear their throat and place the basket down on the ground. They look up. Our eyes meet. Kneeling in front of me is the most breathtaking man I have ever seen in my life. His warm, golden gaze encapsulates me, trapping me in the spot like resin. My heart stutters in my chest. 

"Present." My father's servant orders again, his tone stone-cold. The man startles, like he'd forgotten entirely where he was for a moment. He breaks our gaze and moves his attention to my father. He clears his throat again.

"My name is Ahmose, son of Bakari..." 

— — —

Day -286.

I draw my cloak closer around me, cinching the fabric in under my chin. A wary glance is thrown first to my left, then to my right. There's nobody in sight. The coast appears to be clear. I flick the hood up over my head and scurry through the alleyway, making sure to keep my face clear of the crowded, bustling main street every time I flash past it. After a few minutes I manage to find a small alcove that is far enough away from the main street that the loud cacophony of human activity has softened to a muted hum. I lean against the wall of the building, puffing quietly as I attempt to catch my breath again. The coolness of the stone building radiates against my cheek, and I close my eyes, gratitude swelling through me.

"Aye, Kasiya." I murmur. "You really need to exercise more. This is just embarrassing."

Funnily enough, the alleyway doesn't reply. Shaking my head, I chuckle at myself and pull something out of my pocket. I turn it over in my hands and smile to myself. The resin eyes of the little wooden horses glint in the sunlight, the feeling of the chiseled, sculpted wood smooth against my palms. The wooden chariot, pulled by six wooden horses, is barely bigger than my hand, but intricately detailed and beautifully crafted. I smile again and slip it back into the pocket of my cloak. It is going to be a perfect present for my brother's birthday. 

"Good afternoon, princess." 

A chill runs down my spine. I spin around. My heart leaps up into my throat. Surrounding me are three big burly men, leering expressions on their hardened features and sneers turning up their lips. I swallow, clutch my cloak tightly to my chest and try my hardest to paint a resilient expression on my face. 

"You seem to be mistaken. I am not who you think I am." I respond firmly, stepping forward. "Now if you would excuse me, I must return home." 

"Not so fast." One of the men grabs my wrist as I attempt to push past. He smiles a gap-toothed smirk. "We sure as hell aren't mistaken. Ain't no wench in this town who speaks as prim and proper as you. Ain't nobody who wants to speak as prim as proper as that except the princess and her fuddy-duddy-father." 

"Get your hands off me at once!" I squirm in his grip, steeling him in my best glare. "You are basing your assumptions on the fact that I have manners?" 

"Not just that." He rips the sleeves of my cloak back, revealing the turquoise chiffon sleeves of my dress. I gasp in outrage. "Ain't no wench in this town who owns anything half as expensive as this. So what are you doing on this side of town, princess?" 

"That is none of your business." I snap. 

"It is definitely our business. Especially when you're wearing pretty little danglys like that." He lifts my wrist up, holding my golden bracelets aloft. They glint and wink in the sunlight, drawing the other mens' attention like magpies to a shimmering diamond. "Now I can bet those will fetch a pretty little price, won't they?" 

"They sure as hell will." One of his henchmen rumbles. "I bet her pretty little head will fetch an even higher price, though." 

Ice chills my veins. It takes every single cell of strength in my body to stop myself from shrinking back at the hungry looks in their eyes. 

"You will let me go at once." I say firmly. "Or you will feel the wrath of Anuke herself." 

"You are about as scary as a little mouse, princess." The thug smirks and tightens his grip. "And I sure as hell am not scared of a mouse when she's wearing such pretty jewelery on her wrist. You're coming with us." 

"No! Let me go!" 

The thug ignores me and starts dragging me away. "C'mon boys. Let's go." 

"I believe," Someone suddenly melts out of the shadows, stepping into his path. "The 'amira said to let her go." 

My eyes widen. If I wasn't being dragged against my will, I probably would have stopped short. It's the merchant's son from the audience two weeks ago. 

What was his name? 

"Who the hell are?"

"Ahmose. Son of Bakari." The other man responds. My heart skips a beat. 

That's right! Ahmose! 

"Now that we are acquainted, I will repeat myself." Ahmose continues. He crosses his arms over his chest and eyeballs the thug holding me. "Let the princess go."

"Get lost, kid. This is not your business." The thug growls. "Unless you would like me to pay your fisherman father a nice little visit." 

"Petty little threats do not scare me." Ahmose responds. "Do not make me repeat myself a third time." 

"You do not scare me." The thug sneers. 

"No. But I should." 

I take the thug's momentary lapse in attention to slip my wrist out of his grip and twist out of his hold. I allow the momentum of that movement to carry me forward and slam my knee into the thug's groin. The thug groans and reflexively doubles over, his hands moving to cup his prized jewels. Before either him or his henchmen can react, I flick the thug's feet out from underneath him with a sweeping kick and push him up against the wall. I have my personal knife up against his throat before he can say ''amira'. 

"I did warn you." I whisper, stepping closer to the thug. He stills under my knife. "Anuke lives within me. Do you feel her wrath now?" 

The thug's Adam's apple pushes my knife up and down. For once, he stays silent. 

"That's what I thought." I push the knife deeper. Little crimson droplets stain the edge and slither down his neck. I lower my voice until it's barely audible. "If you ever come near me again, you will regret underestimating me. You do not want to underestimate me a second time. Do you understand?" 

The thug nods once. I fixate him in a steely glare for several, long seconds. Then I step away and lower my knife. The thug scrambles to his feet and dusts himself off. After throwing one more foul look in my direction, he turns on his tail and vanishes out of the alleyway, his henchmen hot on his heels. 

I stare at their retreating backs, the knife falling limply to my side. All the adrenaline floods from my body in one big tsunami and strips the energy from my knees, causing them to collapse out from underneath me in the exact same movement. 

"Woah!" Just as I'm about to hit the ground, two strong arms encapsulate me and pull me into a rock-hard chest. A pair of warm, honey-gold eyes catch me in their gaze, concern lighting them up. "Are you alright, 'amira?" 

I pause and clear my throat several times to disguise the the shaking in my voice. "I am... perfectly fine. You have my gratitude. Thank you." 

Ahmose sets me back on my feet and steps back. He immediately sinks into a low bow. "You need not thank me. It is I who should be thanking you for humbling me with your presence, your majesty." 

"Do not be ridiculous. Rise at once." I chide. Without thinking, grabbing his hands and pulling him up to his feet. It's only when he's straightened up to his full height again that I suddenly realise how close we're standing. My breath hitches. "You do not need to treat me any different from those you are familiar with."

"Do not be ridiculous." He deadpans, a small smile curling up the corners of his lips. "I would not dare treat you in any way other than with the highest reverence." 

My cheeks warm. I duck my gaze, my hair escaping its braid and falling across my face. "You are too kind." 

Ahmose reaches forward to brush the hair out of my face. He realises what he's doing, freezes, then steps back. He clears his throat. "You should not be in the township, 'amira, not by yourself. It is dangerous for you to walk around without protection." 

"I noticed." I respond wryly. "I do not need protection. I'm the daughter of the pharoah and the future queen. I need to be able to defend myself." 

"I believe you proved that remarkably well to Fazil and his band of merry followers." Ahmose replies bemusedly. "Where did you learn how to fight like that?" 

My smile falters. I glance down at my pocket. "My brother." 

The merriment filters from his expression too. "I am sorry about what happened to him. I made many offerings to Osiris to pray for his safe trial in the afterlife when I heard." 

"As did I." I respond quietly. I pull my hand out of my pocket and reveal the horse and chariot. "He was the reason I am in the township. It is his birthday today, and I wanted to give him a present in celebration." 

"I do not mean to be lewd, but would you like some company?" Ahmose offers. "It would weigh very heavily on my conscience if I found out Fazil accosted you again."

I can't prevent the smile his words produce from spreading over my face. "You believe you need to protect me?" 

"No. I believe you can protect yourself most competently; that was just an elaborate ruse to hide the fact that I just want to spend more time with you." Ahmose admits. My smile grows bigger. "Is my offer acceptable to you, 'amira?" 

"It is." I link my arm through his and flash him a bright beam. "You may call me Kasiya."

— — —

Day -100

"Ahmose!"

My scream is carried over the dancing breeze, pirouetting around the small clearing like a ballerina. I whirl around, twirling around in circles myself as I search the area for the elusive young Egyptian man. My eyes drink in my surroundings, bouncing over the waving trees skirting the edges of the small clearing, sweeping through the pearly-white Jasmine flowers dotting the rich green foliage and washing through the glittering crystalline curtains of the roaring waterfall. I come up short. I resist the urge to stomp my foot like a petulant child. 

"Ahmose! Stop hiding; come out at once!" 

I hear a rustle in the bushes behind me. I spin around just in time to see a big caramel-coloured blur rush toward me and bowl me over. A squeak is torn from me. I fly through the air and straight into the crystal clear pool. I resurface with a loud gasp and an even louder splash. I fix Ahmose with a steely gaze as he roars with laughter on the bank. 

"Ahmose!!"

"What?" He smiles at me innocently and holds his hands up in the air. "You told me to stop hiding." 

I flick a wave of water in his direction. "You are more mischievous than Set."

"Yet you still seem to want to be around me." He teases, darting out of the way of my aquatic missile. He crosses to the pool's edge and pulls me up out of water. "That is in no part my fault." 

I narrow my eyes and shove him hard. He stumbles and falls back into the shallows. I can't stop myself from laughing at the look of outrage that dusts his features. 

"You seem to have fallen over." I reply demurely. "That is in no part my fault." 

"You are evil. Evil." Ahmose huffs. "Are you certain you are not Apep in disguise?" 

I gasp and lay my hand on my chest in mock shock. "You dare accuse the future queen of Egypt as being an evil snake? I will have you beheaded at once sir!" 

Ahmose smirks and tugs me over. I crash into the water in front of him with a loud shriek. He pins me down, his honey-brown eyes twinkling. 

"Najmay, you and I both know you would not dare." He leans in close to whisper in my ear. "Besides which, you would not nearly be fast enough."

"Is that a challenge?" 

"You bet your pretty little head it is." 

I narrow my eyes into slits. I twitch my foot, and before Ahmose can blink I have him pinned underneath me with my foot flush up against his throat. 

"Do you concede?" I ask, smiling sweetly. 

Ahmose scowls at me. "Never." 

I kiss his forehead. "Now?" 

"No." 

I kiss his nose. "Now?" 

"Still no." 

I kiss one cheek, then another. "Now?" 

"My answer is still no. I can do this all day, 'amira."

I lean in and press a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. "How about now?" 

Ahmose slowly opens his eyes. He lets out a long breath and chuckles softly. "You are wickedly persuasive, najmay." 

"It is one of my many talents." I tease. I let go of his arms and sit back on my feet. Ahmose pushes himself up out of the shallows and leans back on his arm. He watches me, a small smile dancing over his lips. I tilt my head at him. "What are you looking at?"

"The most beautiful woman in the world." He replies softly. "A woman more breathtaking than Isis herself." 

"Ahmose." I giggle, my cheeks warming. I duck my head. "You jest too much."

"I never jest." Ahmose responds seriously. He takes my hand and pulls me up to my feet. "Come. I have something to show you." 

"Away from here? Is it safe?" I ask worriedly. "You know we cannot be seen together in public, Ahmose. It is too dangerous." 

"What's life without a little danger, najmay?" Ahmose asks, winking at me. He starts to tug me away, but I dig my heels in. Ahmose sighs, giving me a look. "Kasiya, you worry too much. I will be careful, I promise. Not a soul will see us." 

I bite my lip, his earnestness swaying me. I ease off the resistance in my heels. "I don't want you hurt." 

"Have you seen me?" Ahmose gestures to himself, arching an eyebrow at me. "I am a warrior. Nobody can hurt me." 

"You are a fisherman's son." I laugh as he starts to lead me away. "You have never been trained up as a warrior." 

"Just because I was not personally chosen for your father's army does not mean I have not trained, najmay." Ahmose says bemusedly. "I need to be able to defend my family and I." 

"I have met your father. He does not particularly need protecting." 

"I never said my father was my family." 

I still, my breath catching in my throat. I stare at him. " What?" 

He squeezes my hand and smiles. "Do you really need me to say it?" 

A smile so big it splits my lips spreads from ear to ear. I squeeze back. "Maybe."

Ahmose lifts my hand up to his lips and presses a feather-light kiss to it. "Kasiya, you are my family." 

"You are sickening." I tease, though I can't tear the smile off my face. 

"And your point is?" He winks. 

We walk for another five minutes in amicable silence through the warm Egyptian thickets. The setting sun stains the sky a brilliant tangelo orange, with dashes of pink intertwining the clouds like sprinting rabbits. I lean my head back and take a deep breath in. Contentment washes over me. 

It's perfect. 

Ahmose stops in front of a tall reed curtain and turns to me. He grins. 

"I need you to close your eyes."

"Because that does not sound ominous at all." I reply, eying him dubiously. He raises his eyebrows. I huff, and make a show of closing my eyes. "Alright. What now?" 

"Take my hands." I obey his instruction. He squeezes them. "Now follow me." 

He leads me blindly through the reeds, prompting me when to step over rocks and other obstacles. After less than a minute, he pulls me to a stop and lets go of my hands. 

"Now open your eyes." 

I blink my eyes open. I gasp. Sprawled out in front of us, twisting and glittering like a bejeweled snake, is the Nile, glinting under the lowering sun. The reflection of the stained sky flickers on the surface of the Nile like a kaleidoscope, creating scintillating orange and pink mosaics every other second. 

"Oh Ahmose." I whisper, covering my mouth with my hand. "It's beautiful." 

"Astonishingly so." He murmurs. I look over at him. A small rakish grin twists up his lips. "Oh, were you talking about the Nile? I guess it is nice too." 

I lightly bump his hip with mine, shaking my head. "What did I say about you jesting to much?" 

"I jest about many things najmay, but not this. Never this." He says softly. "You are truly heart-stopping." 

"Ahmose..." I melt into him, slinking my arms around my chest. "I am just me. I am nothing special." 

"Kasiya." He cups my face with his hand, his finger gently thrumming my cheek. My heart quickens at the look on his face. "You are not 'nothing special'. Do you not realise how extraordinary you are? You are the sole person in the royal family whose heart belongs to the people of Egypt, not the coffers lining the palace's basement. You pour your heart and soul into this city, into caring for every single person you can as much as you possibly can, even though you were confined to the palace at all times. Yet despite all this, you still manage to find room in your heart for me." 

"It is not that hard, habibata." I reply tenderly. "You make it very easy." 

Ahmose's lips quirk up in response. He presses a kiss to my lips that leaves my toes tingling and sends my heart soaring up into the sky. The next thing that leaves his lips shatters the roof of my world and sends my heart skyrocketing into the nether sphere. 

"Kasiya, I love you." 

I still. 

"What did you just say?" 

"I love you." He repeats. He gestures first to the moon, glimmering in the sky, then to the Nile, bubbling away at our feet. "I love you with every fiber of my being. I swear it, with Hapi and Horus as my witnesses."

I push myself up onto the tips of my toes and lean my forehead against his. I kiss the tip of and smile. 

"I love you too Ahmose. I swear it, with Hapi and Horus as my witnesses."

— — —

Day -5.

"Kasiya!"

The roar thunders through the palace corridors, shaking the walls and window frames as violently as an earthquake. Every single person left shaking in the aftershocks freezes on the spot, staring at those around them with wide, fearful eyes. I still, the stone tablet I was reading falling limply into my lap. My eyes fixate on the doorframe indicating the entranceway to my small garden. 

We all know what that means. 

"Miss Kasiya?" One of my maidservants looks over at me, concern flickering through her features. The rest of my maidservants follow her gaze, similar expression dressing their faces. 

I place the tablet on the ornamental table next to me and push myself up off my chair. I fold my hands formally in front of me. 

"I strongly suggest you all take a temporary leave from your duties." I say. "I send you to the kitchen with my formal recommendation that the cook put together a meal worthy of an 'amira for you all." 

"Kasiya..." She hesitates, looking torn. I shake my head, holding my hand up in the air. 

"Go. You will not want to be anywhere near here when he arrives."

"Very well." She, along with all the other maidservants, bow their heads at me. "Good luck, 'amira." 

I plaster a small smile on my face and nod at them all as they scurry out of the courtyard, leaving through the hidden servant's entrance I had personally required be constructed. The moment they disappear through the doorway I let the breath out that I had unintentionally been holding and run a shaking hand through my hair. A hiss resonates near my toes, and when I glance down I see Nefretiri twisting around my feet. I bend down and hold my arm out. She wastes no time in slinking her way up my arm to coil around my neck. I sigh and stroke her sleek little head. 

"What have I done now, little one?" I murmur. 

"Kasiya!"

The echoing noise of my father's frustration sounds much closer now, and I can hear the sound of several hurried footsteps heading straight for me. Seconds later, my father barges through the doorway, dragging someone alongside him by the hair. I gasp when I realise who it is. 

It's Rania. My maidservant. 

The one who has been helping me contact Ahmose. 

Oh, gods. 

My father throws Rania down on the ground in front of me, his expression livid. I rush over and help her to her feet. She whimpers, holding her arm against her chest. I push her behind me and glare at my father. 

"What is the meaning of this?" I demand. "Rania has done nothing wrong. She does not deserve to be mistreated so." 

"She is a servant. She does not deserve anything." My father retorts. He tosses something at me. I barely manage to catch it before it hits me in the face. My heart stutters in my chest. 

It's a scroll. A very, very familiar scroll. 

I unfurl it with shaking fingers. It's a note from Ahmose. My heart shatters in my chest. 

I roll the scroll back up and hold it up, donning an air of nonchalance. "What is this?" 

"Do not play coy with me, Kasiya." My father snaps. "I do not have the patience for more lies." 

I swallow hard. "Baba, I have never lied to you." 

"You are lying to me right now." My father spits. He raises his hand, and I flinch. "First, you insult me by having a fling with a muqazaz peasant, and then you insult me further by lying and scurrying around with the servants like a commoner? You disgust me; you dishonour me."

"Baba it wasn't just a fling!" I cry, unable to bear his tirade any further. "Ahmose and I are in love!" 

"You are not in love Kasiya!" He roars. "He is a fisherman's son! He is filth! He was born and will live to serve us, and that is all. You are in line to be the next ruler of this balad, and you dare risk ruining the family line by dallying with a fisherman?!"

"That is not how our balad runs, Baba!" I exclaim. "They are not here to serve us — they are not filth! They are people, just like us. They are human, just like us. Just because he is not of royal or noble blood does not mean he is not a honourable person!"

My father grabs my wrist in an iron-clad grip. Nefretiri hisses loudly, raising her head up off my chest, but he ignores her. His infuriated gaze burns into me. "You bring deep shame upon this family by even thinking to mix with the likes of him. You are betrothed to Nasir, not a fisherman's boy. You are not to ever go near him again, or I will bring you his head on a platter myself. Is that understood?" 

"You do not have the right to tell me who I can and cannot see." I whisper. His grip tightens. I cry out in pain. 

"You do not have the right to talk to me like that." He hisses. "I am your father and your pharoah. You will do what I say, or I will do everything in my power to ensure that the natural balance is restored. Do I make myself clear?" 

I glare at him, keeping my mouth firmly shut. Nefretiri lets out a loud hiss and strikes forward like lightning, sinking her teeth deep into the hand holding me hostage. At the same time, I lift my foot up and stamp down as hard as I can on my father's foot. He lets out a loud yell and stumbles back. I step back, my expression darker than the deepest depths of the Nile. 

"You have made my decision crystal clear." I spit, turning on my heel and storming out. 

— — —

Day 0.

The moment I wake up that fateful morning, I immediately know something isn't right. 

Had I ever ingested alcohol, I would have almost thought I was drunk, from the way the room swayed around me. I stumble to my feet, my hand going to my head. My stomach lurches, and I barely manage to make it to my personal bathroom before the contents of my stomach make an unexpected appearance. Then another. Then a third, and a fourth. In less than five minutes I've hurled up all the liquid in my stomach and all the remaining energy in my body along with it. I crumple over the sink, clutching the sides of the stone basin with every ounce of strength I have. 

My heart gallops faster than a chariot horse in my chest. All of a sudden I feel empty, like my very soul is slowly being ripped away from my body. I grit my teeth and squeeze my eyes shut tight. A singular tear drops out of the corner of my eye. 

This is not natural. Something's wrong. Something is really wrong.

Ahmose.

"Sada!" I cry out. Loud footsteps announce Sada's hurried arrival. She gasps when she sees me. 

"Princess!" She rushes to my side and helps me to my feet. Her worried face jitters before me. "What is wrong?" 

"I do not know." I swallow hard, squashing the urge to vomit again. "I fear I have fallen ill with something." 

"I will fetch the healer at once." She assures. She begins to slowly let go, but I grab her wrist. 

"No!" I lower my voice when I see the alarm my sudden tone causes her. "I mean, before you fetch him, can you do something for me first?" 

"What is it?"

"I need you to deliver a letter for me. To the township." I say. Realisation dawns on her face. 

"All respect due, princess, the last person you asked to do that was..." She hesitates. My heart pangs. Rania. 

"Sada. It is of the utmost important." I grip her arm and beseech her with my gaze. "Please?"

She swallows and nods hesitantly. "Alright." "Thank you." 

I squeeze her hand and stagger back into my room. I fall down on my windowsill and grab a papyrus lying next to the tablet I had been perusing the night before. I pick up a quill and pen a sloppy note. 

A-

I fear something has happened. Something bad. I need to see you. Please.

K.

I try to roll the scroll up, but my shaking hands make it far too difficult. I resort to screwing it up into a ball and hand it to Sada.

"He will be by the pier, managing the local fish market." I say. I lean against the windowframe and swallow hard. "Go now." 

Sada nods. She hesitates. "Princess..."

"I am fine, Sada." I manage a small smile of reassurance. "Go, before you are found." 

"Very well." She nods and disappears through the doorframe. 

That's the last I ever saw her. 

The next few hours flash past me like the erratic bursts of light that flicker through the trees when you pass them on a chariot. Mere moments after Sada leaves I collapse, blacking out before I hit the floor. The next time I come to, I'm surrounded by all my chittering maidservants and one very concerned healer. Even though their mouths move, and the sound of their voices surround me like buzzing wasps, I don't make out a single word they say. I close my eyes for a moment, and everything tunnels into darkness again. The next time I wake after that, my maidservants and the healer have all disappeared. They're all replaced by the last person I thought would see me, in the last state that I would have ever expected them in: my father, weeping softly. 

I stir, turning my head ever-so-slightly to look at him. Even that tiny movement takes me ten times as long as it normally would; I don't have an ounce of strength remaining in my entire body. 

I am dying. This is really it.

"Baba?" I murmur. My voice comes out barely above a whisper. My father's head jerks up. 

"Kasiya. Abnataya. Forgive me. Samahuni."

"Samahuni? Why do I need to forgive you?" I whisper, my forehead furrowing weakly. 

"This is my fault. My fault." My father bows his head, pressing his hands together in penance in front of him. "Samahuni. Samahuni."

"What is your fault?" I ask. "Baba, I do not understand." 

"You are dying, abnataya," He tells me. Ice chills trickle down my spine. "And I fear it is my fault."

"What do you mean?" "Our discussion five days ago made me mad. Irrationally so." He tells me quietly. My eyes widen a fraction. "Your behaviour, your revelation infuriated me. It is not right that you associate with the likes of that peasant abnataya, particularly considering your position and what your future entails. If I had allowed that dalliance to continue, it would have set the very structure of our society out of balance." 

I wet my lips. "Baba, what did you do?" 

"I visited the temple." He says. "I made an offering. I prayed to the gods for assistance. The gods responded." 

"Who?" I ask. "Who responded, baba?" 

"Ma'at." My father replies, lowering his gaze. "I convened with Ma'at." 

My heart stops. I close my eyes and turn my head away. 

"Baba, tell me you did not." 

"I merely requested for her assistance in restoring the balance; all I asked was for help in preventing your relationship with the fisherman's son from continuing any further." He says, desperation leaking into his voice. "I did not ask for this to happen." 

"Baba..." I swallow, my voice fading away. It takes me several goes to get my voice working again. "You know asking for the gods' help will always come with a price."

"I never imagined it would be this." He whispers. He reaches for my hand. "Abnataya, samahuni."

I twitch my fingers away before he can touch me. "Baba, I am in love with Ahmose. He is my taw'um alruwh, my soulmate. I would have run away with him before I would have let you break us apart."

"That is exactly what I was afraid of." My father says. He reaches for my hand again, but this time I purposely move it away. He chokes up. "Abnataya please. I never intended for this to happen." 

"Yet some part of you did, or the gods would not have willed it so." I whisper. "Leave me, baba."

"Kasiya..."

"No." I muster some finality. "You brought this upon yourself, baba. If you had more faith in people other than those of noble blood then this may have not happened. I just hope that your heart is not burdened down by your actions when it comes to your time to be weighed by Ma'at." 

My father shakes his head and begins pleading with me a second time, but I roll over and shut him out permanently when I shut my eyes. 

I awaken only one more time after that. 

I'm brought back to consciousness abruptly by someone roughly shaking me and yelling my name. I blearily open my eyes. 

"Kasiya! Kasiya! Najmay!"

"Ahmose?!" I gasp. He tumbles in through the window and lands heavily on the floor beside my bed. I try to push myself up to a stand, but only end up tumbling out of bed myself. "What are you doing here?" 

"I felt something earlier, like something was wrong. Then I got your note." Ahmose says. He picks me up with ease and sits back on my bed, cradling me against his chest. His voice catches in his throat. "Najmay, what is happening to you? You are as light as a feather." 

"My... baba." I reply weakly. I rest my head against his chest, my breathing ragged. "He prayed to... Ma'at. To restore the balance. To... break us apart." 

"Your father did this?" Ahmose's grip tightens so much it hurts. He mutters several expletives under his breath so quickly that I don't catch a single one. "I will kill him. Kasiya, I will kill him." 

"Habibata, no. I can not—" I cut myself off with a loud, coarse coughing fit that shakes my entire body. I swallow, wetting my lips several times. "I cannot let you do that. You know... what will happen. I cannot bear to... to lose you." 

"Najmay, I am losing you right now." Ahmose says in a choked voice. "What would you have me do?" 

"I am so glad you asked that question." A silky voice pipes up from the shadows. Someone melts out of them, a tall, black dog at their side. They tap their spindly, thin fingers together, a smirk spreading across their lips. "It is a pleasure to meet you, mortals. I have been itching to meet the two of you for days."

Ahmose cradles me closer as he demands, "Who are you?"

"Habibata." I tap lightly on his chest and point with a shaking finger at the dog at his side. "I think it is..." 

"You think correctly, little dying princess." The man bows. "I am Anubis. Congratulations, you are lucky enough to meet me before you both die." 

"Before we both die?" Ahmose repeats. His eyebrows narrows. "What exactly do you mean by that?" 

Anubis looks to me. "You were right before, little princess. Your father should not have asked for our help without knowing the price for his little 'favour'. He had no idea what he was agreeing to when he sought Ma'at's counsel." 

I swallow. "I have some idea." 

 "I will enlighten you." Anubis replies. "You see, Ma'at has decided to restore order to the balance. But not in the way your father thought she would." 

"How?" Ahmose demands. 

"Through a curse." Anubis smirks. "Where you will both have to prove yourselves — prove your love is, as you say, 'destined to be'. Every one hundred years, will be given the opportunity to pass trials where you prove yourselves in a number of ways. If you fail to pass a trial, or you do not solve it within one hundred days, the princess will die, just like today. If you pass all the trials, you will break the curse and prove to us that your love was meant to be. If not, the young princess's death will restore the balance in the way her father so begged for." 

"And Ahmose?" I ask, my voice barely audible. "What happens to him?" 

"That's the best part." Anubis leans in and whispers in a silky voice. "He becomes my personal pet mummy." 

My eyes widen. My heart thuds heavily in my chest. The world starts to oscillate around the edges. 

"Time's up, princess." Anubis taunts. He steps back, his edges fading into the shadows. "Let the reincarnation begin." 

"No!" Ahmose yells, lunging forward. I tumble forward in his lap, my hand falling limply to my side. Ahmose gasps, clutching me tight. He pushes the hair back from my face, his eyes searching mine. "Kasiya? Najmay, talk to me." 

I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. The edges of my vision continue to tunnel in. I tighten my hold on his shirt, a tear sliding down my cheek. Ahmose presses his forehead against mine. 

"I will fix this, habibata." He whispers. He places a featherlight kiss on my lips. His voice breaks. "I swear it, with Hapi and Horus as my witness." 

I wet my lips and open my mouth again. 

The darkness shatters the light.