Five Years Later
The sweet smell of lotus flowers filled the small room in the pr-aa.
The space that had once housed an ill young boy was now filled with toys, clothes, and small wooden swords.
On the balcony sat a small child, his curls pulled out of his face and his sea-blue eyes focused on the wooden board before him.
His father watched in interest, stroking his beard.
A thin scar sat on his cheek, his crown was missing, and his clothes were casual but embroidered with beautiful designs.
The small boy’s eyes lit up, and he moved his last piece. “Ha! I won, Jt!”
The Pharaoh King feigned a confused look, hiding a smile. “Again? Has your mother been training you, Chephren?”
Chephren shook his head proudly. “No, I did it! See?” He pointed to his last piece.
His father nodded. “You are right. I do see that.” He grinned playfully. “Shall we play again?”
A voice came from outside the window. “Boys! Are you joining us on our walk?”
Chephren shot to his feet. “It’s Mamá and Tausy! We have to hurry. Come on, Jt.”
The Pharaoh King smiled. “We will get there faster if we ride.”
Chephren let out a high-pitched squeal as he was hoisted onto his father’s shoulders. He grabbed his father’s curls. “Forward, Victory of Henen-nesut!”
The Pharaoh King mimicked a horse galloping down the stairs. Chephren laughed in glee. Waaiz stumbled back as they passed, letting out a deep belly laugh. “Don’t go too far!”
Lush gardens greeted them. The Pharaoh King took the boy by a fountain of stone.
It had a silver monument on top of an eagle and hawk lifting a cobra into the sky.
It still shone as brilliant as the day it was crafted, and Chephren looked at it with awe as they passed.
His attention was quickly captured by the appearance of a small girl in front of them. “Tausy!”
The Pharaoh King slid to a stop, helping the boy off his shoulders. Chephren took off as soon as his feet touched the ground, tackling his twin sister in a hug.
Tausret laughed, her curls bouncing and her black eyes crinkling. “Cheph, not so tight!”
“There you two are,” the Pharaoh Queen’s voice chimed in.
Namir looked up and smiled. “What do you mean? We were the ones waiting for you, ib ib.”
Zahra raised her eyebrows. The scar on her face had faded into a thin white line, and her dress revealed the faded scars on her back.
Her mother’s scarf sat on her shoulders, and her eagle necklace rested against her chest. She placed a hand on her swollen belly and tilted her head with a smirk. “Is that so?”
“Let’s go on a walk, Mamá,” Chephren said. “I want to see the hidden garden!”
Zahra chuckled, hooking her arm through Namir’s. “Let’s go!”
Namir and Zahra walked as the twins ran, tripping over pebbles and running into each other. The gardens were more beautiful than they had ever been with sculptures and other works of art made by Aurans and Ionians alike.
A statue of an eagle sat in one of the flower beds, a gift from Pesha and her husband.
Their village was the first to unite with Aur.
Their people enjoyed the benefits of the Iteru, which ran south for a long distance and had created much fertile land.
Aur was still growing, and there were still many that refused to accept Aur’s friendship, but the Pharaohs were content with what they had.
They knew a future of a united Aur would one day come, and they would wait patiently for it.
Zahra moved her hand on her belly, groaning slightly. Namir wrapped his arm around her back. “Is it…?”
“No.” She smiled softly. “Not yet, but soon.” Her hand bounced as the baby kicked. “I had a dream about her last night.”
Namir watched the twins smell flowers and laugh, his hand on her shoulder. “What did you see this time?”
“She has your eyes and my nose. Chephren and Tausret will love her so much. I have seen them playing together—all four of them.”
Namir’s brow raised slightly. “Four?”
Zahra grinned. “One day. Chephren needs another boy besides you to play with.”
“But I like our games.” Still, Namir smiled with pride in his chest. He could not wait to meet the other two.
“Come on, it’s this way,” Tausret said, leading them into the garden. The thorny brush had been replaced by a wooden door. There was a smaller one beside it, one the children ran through with glee. One day, they would be too tall to fit and would be forced to crawl through.
A familiar face gave Zahra and Namir pause, and they waved. “Ramses!”
Ramses waved with a grin, walking toward them. He limped slightly, but otherwise, his old injury was barely noticeable. His wife’s arm was looped around his, a girl named Sophia from Heba’s village. She waved, signing to them. “Fancy seeing you here!”
Zahra and Namir laughed. Namir signed to them. “What has you out and about?”
“A break from the kids,” Sophia explained. “Ramses was insistent he show me where he used to train—again.”
“Always the nostalgic one,” Namir said with a laugh. “Well, we won’t keep you. Have a great time with your memories, old friend.”
“You should come with us,” Ramses said. “You tell the stories of our battles better than I do.”
“Perhaps next time. I’m a little busy at the moment,” Namir said, gesturing to Zahra.
Sophia signed with an excited face. “How soon?”
Zahra smiled. “A few days, I think.”
Sophia grinned. “He’d best be making you comfortable.”
“He is,” Zahra promised, taking Namir’s arm.
Ramses and Sophia bid them farewell, and Zahra and Namir entered the hidden garden. The twins were playing in the stream, pretending to be a hawk and eagle battling the great snake. They stopped once they saw their parents, and Chephren ran up to Namir. “Was that Uncle Ramses?!”
“Yes, but he and your aunt are busy,” Namir said. “We will visit with them soon, I promise.”
Chephren pouted. Tausret called his name, and he ran back toward her with an excited expression. “Coming!”
Zahra made her way to the stone bench. She slowly sat, relaxing once the weight was off her feet. Namir sat beside her, letting her lean against him. They watched the twins play.
Namir noticed her amber eyes studying their small faces, her expression focused. “What are you thinking about?”
Zahra was stunned by his voice, but she continued to focus on the twins. “I was thinking of the night of the Feast. I remember feeling I was doomed, as if I had no future. And now…” She smiled as the twins played in the water, soaking their clothes. “Here they are.”
Namir rubbed her shoulder. “Was it what you were expecting?”
She laughed. “Certainly not! I never thought I’d have twins, or that my father would be the one to deliver them.” Her laugh faded into a soft smile. “But I would not change a thing.”
Namir nodded, leaning his head against her curls. “I feel the same.”
Zahra lifted her head after a few minutes, reaching for Namir’s hand. He smiled as she guided his hand to her belly. There was nothing for a few moments. Then, he felt a strong kick.
Namir pulled Zahra close, planting a kiss in her hair. “You know that I love you ib ib, right?”
Zahra laughed. “Of course I do, o méli.”
Namir grinned, kissing her lips. “I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings.”
Zahra smiled knowingly against his lips.