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7.

-HER-

The sound of Sylvius’ hooves and his occasional neighs echoed throughout the dark forest as I rode through them the whole night. I looked nowhere but forward. The night was cold and I wasn’t wearing anything to protect myself from it. The only source of warmth was Sylvius beneath me, who was tired for running for hours but I didn’t have any time to stop. I had to be in Alexandria before the sun was up.

It was located in the desert and I had to navigate that before it became too hot. It was sometime in the early hours of the morning when the trees started to thin out and the soil turned into sand slowly. The vegetation started to disappear slowly before we were in a sea of sand.

“Keep going,” I told Sylvius who seemed to be very tired. A new horizon waited for us in the front while we left an old one behind us. I knew that my destination was somewhere farther from there. I felt Sylvius giving out slowly. At one point, he stopped and collapsed on the sand with me still on his back.

I got up and saw him heaving heavily, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. His eyes had rolled back while his breaths deepened and stretched. I waited patiently as his life drained out of his body, leaving it still.

He was dead. I clenched and unclenched my fists as I stared at his lifeless body. It was me and death, alone in the desert. I saw my deeds reflected back in his lifeless eyes as the sun slowly climbed the sky. I was face to face with me. I was face to face with death.

I licked my lips when the thirst finally started to make its presence known to me. I had only one option to quench it and the opportunity was in front of me, lying lifeless on the sand. I took a deep breath. I chose the sharpest dagger and went down on my knees.

“Thank you for your service, Sylvius,”

~

I was careful enough to steal a fresh set of clothes as soon as I was in the city. I didn’t want to be spotted in my blood-stained clothes. My flaming red hair was a giveaway of my identity itself. Though I knew that people have smelled me in the desert air even before I had stepped in the city.

I had overheard a couple of merchants talking about encountering a mutilated body of a white horse on one of their trade routes. I knew well enough that they were taking about Sylvius. Now, I had to wait until the evening to get to the royal part of the city but before that, I found myself tracing my steps back to a certain part of the city where the warriors lived.

I knew that he must not be home at this time but still, thinking about seeing him made my heart flutter in my chest. It had been years since I had seen him. Now, I wonder if he still remembered me. There’s no way he must have forgotten me. I spent so much time with him and did my best to buy a place in his heart. I did everything he could have asked for and complied with him. I met his every need. I always put him first. I poured out my heart for him. I wonder if he still remembers me for everything I did for him.

I even planned to get married to him but due to my failed stunt to overthrow my sister’s rule, I was exiled. I didn’t hear from him then. He didn’t even come to see me for the last time when I was leaving for Rome. I wondered how he was doing now and if I could still find a way back into his life.

When his house came into view, I felt my feelings for him stirring alive I still wanted him. I wanted us. Back then he didn’t seem very enthusiastic to pursue me. Maybe because I was merely a girl then and I wasn’t very experienced and groomed for him but would he consider me now?

Slowly, the memories started to replay in my head as I got nearer to his house…

It was the new year and a big celebration was going on in the courthouse. Everyone was there. All the royals, ministers, people from the elite class, top warriors and some guests from the neighboring kingdoms. I was keeping Osaze, my half brother company. Though, he seemed too busy and distracted to talk to me. His attention was fixed on a certain girl from the elite class. I rolled my eyes and decided to look around as well.

“Who’s that?” I asked Osaze. My eyes were caught by a man who now talked to some of the top warriors. I had never him before. It wasn’t what sparked my interest but it was due to the fact that I had never seen anyone like him before.

He stood tall among others. His mahogany skin hinted away that he was somewhere far from the south. It also explained why I hadn’t seen him before. His dark hair was cut very short and his body, it was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Currently, he had his back facing me. It was bare and muscular. I was tempted to go to him and run my hands all over him and test if he was as manly as he looked. Osaze eyed the man on who my eyes were fixed.

“Are you lusting over him?” He asked grimly. The tone of jealousy in his voice didn’t go unnoticed by me. It was then I somehow managed to tear my eyes off that man and look at my half-brother. As soon as my eyes landed on him, I couldn’t help but compare them.

Osaze wasn’t as physically attractive as that man. He was far from that. He had promised the court to take me as his wife but I knew better. He wanted to keep me as his consort while he sought a much better bride for him amongst the elites. He wanted to marry a native and have children who wouldn’t be a lunatic like me. He was marrying me just for the sake of owning me. He didn’t want to give me anything. All he ever did was take from me and if we married, I’d be sold to him forever. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

What made the situation worse was that I was bound to marry Osaze because it was the only way for me to stay amongst the royalty. Though I’d be forever a shadow and he’d use me as a substitute whenever his wife wouldn’t be home. He only wanted to use me.

My lips curled into a mischievous smile as I answered, “I might be,” I bit my lower lip and looked back at the man. He seemed promising. I didn’t want to be anyone’s consort. I wanted to be someone’s wife and treated with respect. Since he was new here, it was a possibility that he may be looking for someone and if I use this opportunity then, I might have myself a man. He also seemed to be among the top warriors. His high position would help me maintain my lifestyle.

“Don’t you dare!” Osaze growled in my ear as his fingers curled tightly around my arm painfully. I whimpered as I looked at him. He looked very angry, “You are to be my consort!”

“I will not be anything to you,” I spoke back to him. In the next moment, I felt a stinging pain on my cheek. My eyes filled with tears as soon as I realized that I have been slapped by him. He glared at me, with his hand still in the air, ready to strike me again.

The sound of the slap was so loud, I was sure that everyone in the room heard it. My cheeks heated up when the room broke off in a murmur. I could hear everyone talking about us.

“Be grateful that I am marrying you. Otherwise, Cleopatra would have thrown you out of here a long time ago. You are here on my mercy!” He spat on my face before he left. I was left there, embarrassed. I felt everyone’s eyes on me. I looked up to find judgmental looks on people’s faces as they stared at me with disgust.

I somehow forced a weak smile before my eyes diverted to him momentarily. He was looking at me too. I could see his face now. He was handsome. His facial features seemed to be carved out of granite by a skilled sculpture. His earthy brown eyes were focused on me and drinking in my whole appearance. The only problem was that I was in an embarrassing situation and he must have watched the whole thing happen.

It made my face heat up more. The faint and apologetic smile slipped from my lips before I turned on my heels and disappeared in the shadows- just where I belonged.

I took a deep breath when I found myself at his door. With a deep breath and a little hope, I knocked on the door briefly. After some moments, it opened. I forgot to breathe for a moment when the door revealed a familiar tall man. His earthy brown eyes widened in surprise as soon as they landed on me.

“Chefren,” I swallowed. I was happy to see him. I stepped closer to him as I looked up at him hopefully and smiled warmly. My stomach was filled with butterflies and my heart hammered in my chest. The man I loved the most stood in front of me. It made me realize that after all these years, I now wanted him more than ever.

“I am back from the exile,” I told him but I didn’t get the welcoming smile which I was expecting. I was expecting him to be happy to see me, to throw his arms around me and kiss me. Instead, his eyes hardened on me as he said, “I don’t know you,”

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