The Devil's Lover: The Resurrection
Page 19
The Pharaoh watched his son carry a bouquet of lotuses and as he headed to his own palace. He gestured his advisor to come closer and pointed.
“He reminds me of me when I was younger,” the Pharaoh said. “Soon I will take my place among the Gods and he will ascend the throne. What do you think of his character?”
“The prince has great potential, Your Majesty,” the advisor humbly informed him. “His ambition will one day bring glory to us all. However…” he cautiously approached another topic, “he may not be able to realize it.”
“What do you mean?” the Pharaoh asked. “What would prevent my son from achieving greatness?”
“I fear you may have made a mistake to gift the Nubian tribute to him six years ago.”
“Is she a threat to him?”
“His obsession for her grows considerably by the day, Your Majesty,” the advisor sighed. “Her beauty is so divine that it is said to be unsurpassed.”
“Have you seen the girl lately?”
“I value my sight, Your Majesty,”
The Pharaoh lifted his brow in curiosity.
“There was a young soldier who picked up her slipper for her. He looked up at her and was awed by her beauty. The prince caught sight of this and had his eyes gouged out. He declared that if any man dares to lay eyes on her, he will meet the same end. No man has dared to look at her since.”
“He is possessive, but all boys are like that,” the Pharaoh brushed the story aside.
“There are other stories, Your Majesty. A maid was brushing the girl’s hair when she accidentally pulled on a strand of hair and made the girl flinch. The prince drew out his sword and cut off her hands right then and there. He then ordered the rest of her to be fed to the crocodiles. Several of the prince’s concubines became jealous and threatened the girl. When the prince found out, he had them all beheaded. There was another occasion when-”
“Enough,” the Pharaoh raised his hand. “This girl, is she really is the witch you describe her to be? Ramses is not the type to be manipulated.”
“The girl cannot speak, Your Majesty,” the advisor informed him. “I was told she is like a doll. He loves her dearly. Even his wife, Nefertari, grows impatient, but she is too afraid of the consequences if she request that he dispose of the girl.”
“If she is not manipulating him, then let them be,” the Pharaoh decided. “He has performed all of his duties as Regent Prince. There is no reason he can’t indulge himself with a woman.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The advisor bowed as the Pharaoh walked back inside.
†††††
The prince placed the bouquet of lotuses on her lap and then sat beside her on the cushions. He coiled her straight platinum hair around his forefinger and smiled. “Even the lotuses of the Nile lose their colors beside you, beloved Nala.”
She was unresponsive to his compliment.
“Are you still upset that I spilled blood all over your floor?” he asked. He guided her lips towards him and stole a kiss. “Don’t be upset, Nala, I will make it all up to you. Here,” he reached for the bag he had brought with him and grabbed out a bundle of jewelry, “tribute from Libya. I picked out the finest for you.”
She glanced at them with boredom in her eyes.
“Or are you troubled because I married Nefertari according to my father’s wishes?” he asked. “The marriage was strictly obligatory. Give me a son, Nala, and I will make him my heir. You have my promise.”
She stood up and walked toward the balcony. She pointed over the palace’s wall toward the city crowded with people and then looked back at him.
“You want to go outside?”
She nodded.
“Why do you want to be among those lowly commoners?” He came to her side and guided her back to her couches. She protested. “You have everything you need here in the palace, my love. There is nothing outside that you cannot find here.”
She shook her head and then ran her hands through her hair. She then pointed back outside.
“Your hair?”
She nodded then pointed at him and then back to her hair again.
“A man with your hair color?” the Prince guessed.
She nodded.
“Where did you see this man?” He grabbed her by the shoulders. “Did he come here, to the palace?” He turned around and suspiciously scanned the room. “Was he here?”
She pointed toward the night sky and then into the city. Both of her hands reached for her eyes, pointed to the sky, and then trailed toward the city.
“Is he a God? How could he fly?”
She shook her head.
“You want to find this man?”
She nodded.
With a low growl, he dragged her inside and threw her onto the bed. He called in his servants, who were guarding the outside doors. They knelt in front of him, waiting for a command.
“Send my men and search the city for a man with her hair color,” he ordered. “Kill him on sight.”
She shook her head violently in protest.
“Bring his copse here, or I will have yours.”
The servant bowed obediently and exited the chamber.
Anger warped his face as he turned toward her. “Here is where you stay, now and always! You heart cannot waver for anyone but me, understand?” he shouted, pulled the curtains over her bed, and stormed out the door. He instructed the servants to guard her carefully before he left.
Nala climbed off the bed and ran toward the balcony. She stared curiously into the night sky, searching for the man she had seen last night. She remembered how shocked she was when she saw his platinum hair from a distance. She thought she was the only one with this hair in this land. She lowered her eyes and stared at the peacefully flowing river. She wanted to see him again.
“So you were here all along,” a voice startled her. She turned around and leaned against the balcony. A soft gasp escaped her when her vision caught sight of his platinum hair. He was close enough now that she could see the color of his pale blue eyes. He stepped forward and embraced her in his arms. “I have been searching for you for so long.”
She waited for him to let her go.
“So this is where you have been hiding since you’ve hatched.” He lifted her face up with both of his hands and smiled brightly. “You’re a girl. Well, brother, I never thought I’d see the day. There is no helping it, I suppose.”
She shook her head, meaning to tell him she didn’t understand a word he said. She understood the language he used, but not the context.
“How troublesome,” he sighed. “Why did you seal your own voice?”
She shook her head again.
“Speak,” he commanded.
“I cannot understand a word you say.” She shook her head once again. Her hands jumped to her lips almost immediately, surprised by her own voice.
“I don’t remember you being so docile,” he grinned teasingly, “or so adorable.”
She blushed brightly.
He laughed heartily at her reaction and leaped onto the balcony’s railing. “Come, let us go home.”
She inched back from his offer. “I don’t know who you are. Why should I follow you?” she asked.
“If you remembered your past, you would know that I am your other half,” he nudged his hand against hers. He suddenly withdrew his hand and turned to his side as he detected something strange. A minute later he turned back to her. “Are you safe here?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I will come back for you as soon as I take care of one minor detail,” he said and shuffled her platinum hair. “Don’t run off anywhere.”
She gasped when he suddenly disappeared in front of her.
†††††
The prince screamed out in anguish at the sight of his father lying still in the golden sarcophagus, his body covered by layers of white linen. He pushed away the servants and knelt down in front of his father. The priests holding the lid to the sarcophagus placed it against the wall to let
the prince have his last moment.
“How can the son of Ra just die like this?” he screamed out. His eyes scanned the still statues surrounding them. “Gods of Egypt, has he not served you faithfully? How could you let this happened?”
“Do not grieve, my Prince,” the high priest said. “Your father, our Pharaoh, has joined the Gods. Let us send him on his way so that you may take his place as sovereign of our great land.”
He folded his hands into fists, shot up to his feet, and rushed out of the temple. He grabbed the reins of his horse and mounted it in one quick movement. He gave it a kick to its side and the mare jumped with a shrill neigh. She dashed onward at his master’s command. No one dared to stop him as he rode the horse to the entrance of his palace. He dismounted and ran inside. He pushed aside whoever was in his way.
He found her in the garden, sitting by the colorful flowers. He came to her side and held her tightly in his arms. When she protested, he held her even tighter. “Don’t leave me, too, Nala,” he pleaded with soft and breaking words. “I don’t think I can survive losing you, too.”
He released her and stared into her pale green eyes. “I have all the power of Egypt in my hands now, Nala. I have the power to protect you and grant you everything your heart desires. I do not need to hide you in my shadow anymore. I have the authority to make you queen. I will lay Egypt and all of its richest beneath your feet.” He placed a kiss on top of her lips.
“Don’t ever leave me.”
She flinched when a thorn from the flowers behind her grazed across her hand. She brought it in front of her to examine the cut. He caught her hand and gently licked away the dripping blood. He picked her up in his arms and carried her off into her bedroom.
“Burn them all!” He ordered the servants as he walked pass them. “If I see another flower in this palace, all of you shall burn with it.”
To be continued…
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1: Vacant Grave
Chapter 2: Her Imposter
Chapter 3: Searching for Home
Chapter 4: Connection
Chapter 5: Faith in Love
Chapter 6: Belongs to Darkness
Chapter 7: Her Lord and Husband
Chapter 8: We Meet Again
Chapter 9: Spellbinding Lust
Chapter 10: The Other Woman
Chapter 11: Broken
Chapter 12: Vision of Violets
Chapter 13: Curtain Call
Chapter 14: In Touch
Chapter 15: His Wife and Mistress
Chapter 16: Fleeting Youth
Chapter 17: Secrets of the Demons
Chapter 18: His Verdict
Chapter 19: Truly Precious
Chapter 20: Must Be Protected
Chapter 21: Only the Beginning
Chapter 22: The Damned
Chapter 23: Our Love
Chapter 24: Sacred Laws
Chapter 25: Promising Eternity
Epilogue