Twins of Egypt

Chapter 6: Runaway || Part 5

[[A/N: Enjoyed the outcome of Alexander's death, well here's Selene's reaction. Comment your thoughts! :) To me it seems a little dry...

-Marla]]

[[Earlier || Selene]]

"Deep vengeance is the daughter of deep silence." - Vittorio Alfieri

I ran, as fast as I could towards the temple of Castor and Pollux where they said my brother was burning alive inside the stone oven. I held my stomach afraid that the contents of it would simply disperse from its dwelling and out of my mouth. There was nothing in my mind, only my brother, and the memories we had since we were born.

My twin, my sun, my brother, my last brother, is supposedly leaving me for the afterlife too, and I would not...I will not accept that. As I approached the temple, the bright fire was burning the entire wretched temple and a part of me fell to the underworld. I kept running, the bottom of my heart heavy as memories of Alexander flashed through my eyes. My twin...

As I got to the front of the crowd where people helplessly tried to quell the fire, I fell to my knees. I fell to my knees, my fisted hands turning into white stone, because the scene in front crushed me. The fire burned my beautiful, Alexander, to death, as it engulfed the entire building, even the door. I did not cry; I did not scream; I just stared afraid to do anything drastic. I rubbed my gentle hands against my white tunic that was becoming filthy from the street; however, I could not care. I began to pray: Isis please, please, please do not take him away as you took Ptolemy, my mother, my father, everyone I could care deeply for; please do not leave me alone in this world, please. I am begging mother please do not leave me! I prayed and prayed and prayed, but as the seconds passed away my vain hope was washed away, and I wailed in both lividness and ache. I fell to the ground body and soul, my best friend, my brother had just perished and so did a great part of my soul.

I could not, and will not, love anyone as much as Alexander; I could not, and will not, protect someone as much as I should protect myself. I am alone now, and the evidence of this fact, lay in front of me, red and black from burning.

"Get her away from there!" a large voice boomed from behind me.

I looked at my brother's burned, unrecognizable face, trying to place back the face in my memories on the corpse. I put back the hazel green eyes, the timid smile, the defined cheeks bone, and the strong square masculine jaw he inherited from out father. I put back the beautiful long brown hair, with flecks of gold woven in, burned away by jealous red and orange flames. I touched the corpse's face and wailed as I buried my face into it.

I wailed in grief as much as jealousy, for Alexander, who I had lost, reunited with our parents as his soul passed from his body to the underworld. I groaned in sadness as I cried; I was alone...I was failed.

Why did you fail me Isis? Why must I be alone? As I wept, Juba came behind me and picked me up separating me from the burnt body. I tried to pull Alexander with me, but I could not get a hold of him, as Juba cradled me into his arms. I fought him, I tried, but I was weak, broken, so I cried in his arms as he carried me away, back to Augustus' palace: The palace of my brother's murderer.

*******

Under the stare of the Sky God, I lay back against the rich clean aqua green waters of Augustus' large magnificent baths; baths constructed to look upon, but remained hollow. I floated on my back, my legs and arms and hair spreading out all around me, opening me up to the God. I began to beg them, beg them to take me, the last of the Ptolemais.

I closed myself and cradled my body in the middle of the peaceful waters. I closed my eyes and bent my knees to sink into the water, for a brief few seconds. As I sat at the bottom of the bath, holding myself, I thought about the Nile.