Twins of Egypt

Chapter 31: Promises We Break

[[Selene]]

We stood underneath a rocky cave, a mile away from Alexander's home. We were embracing each other and I was dressed in another slave's garment. He dug his fingers into my hair and held my head, messing my hair further. We stayed this way for a long moment, saying nothing, only feeling the imminent separation.

"Come on," A soldier pulled me away from Tiberius. He glared at them.

"Don't treat her that way..."

"She is our hostage."

Tiberius shook his head, "Not right now." He took one large step towards me and captured my body with one hand, and my face with another, and kissed me hard upon the lips. When he finished, he ran his fingers through my hair and separated from me. "Take this." He picked out a folded letter of his own kept inside a purple scrap of Roman silk. "I wrote you a ballad. I also found this on a beach once in Capua. I had it attached onto a silver chain, for you." He made me turn around and I smiled at the gesture. I lifted my hair up and he attached it firmly around my neck. I turned around and looked down at the milky sphere beaming at its simplistic beauty. I gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

"Bene Facis (Thank you)." I stood back and glanced into his green eyes one last time before looking down.

"When you come to Alexander's home Juba will have arrived armed and jewelled. When he gives you the chests of gold take it first before you give back Selene."

"You are stealing from my country?" I spoke appalled. I peered up at him curiously.

"If I cannot have you," he looked away, "I need some compensation. I need gold for my campaigns and you have a bountiful supply."

Slight irritation clouded my mind, but I had to believe it was fair. "Fine."

"You will go back to your family Selene. You will live a full life without ever feeling the pain of true separation. You have it all."

Words fell and we stood staring at each other before the soldier grabbed me again and pulled me to a brown stallion betwixt six other gorgeous horses carrying si robust soldiers armed for battle. In the sea, a dozen men began rowing their small boat East towards Volubilis.

"Farewell," I waved at Tiberius, before the horses trotted forward, leaving him under our cave at sea. We marched forward, moving on. All that echoed through our minds was getting the job finished and returning home to where our families, lovers, or maybe even pets, awaited us.

* * * * * * *

As the bright dawn fell into gloomy downcast morning, my head hung low and my tied arms and legs lost circulation slowly. The soldier who rode the same horse with me, relished in holding a queen in front of him. He would not stop talking about his home, as if our destination was his home where I would meet his mother before becoming his bride. I smiled at the boy -- he really was only a boy enamoured with the power of a queen not me. Tired of this, I confronted the Centurion, who regarded me quite defiantly underneath his barbaric garb.

"Don't scowl at me."

He sighed, "Pampered Princess to Quarrelsome Queen."

Infuriated I changed the subject, "What will you do when Juba decides to execute you instead of allow you to live and runaway with the treasure?"

"He won't," he answered smugly, "I'll personally shoot you down Egyptian harlot."

I narrowed my eyes at him and stopped talking. If Juba decided to do what I imagine he will do, I hope he kills this one first.