Life From Your Lips (Ruby Rose fanfic)

THREE (Ruby POV)

Uaset, "The City of the Scepter." Jeneret House.

"Do you want the curly wig or the braided one?"

"The shorter one with the tips dyed in indigo blue color... I want to feel comfortable today." Atet nods taking the wig from the wooden stand an choosing a ribbon embroidered with beads to tie it around my forehead. I check my makeup again in the mirror made of polished bronze and decide to add a little touch of lapis lazuli to my eyes carefully not to stain my white dress. My Usekh broad collar is made of several rows of blue faience beads matching my eyes and two gold clasps with another pendant hanging that works as a counterweight between my shoulder blades.

"Why are you so nervous?" my friend asks confused when she sees me hesitating, not sure about what sandals I should choose.

"I want to look good while showing Iselen the Jeneret House... That's the right thing to do, isn't it? Looking my best while guiding the goddess' servant..."

"And the fact that the Isis' servant is a pretty girl has nothing to do with that..." Atet chuckles while I stare at her, offended. Luckily for her, her mother was my wet nurse when I was a baby and we were raised together as sisters, she's the person I trust the most and Atet knows she can make fun of me without consequences... but she must be careful. I'm still a princess, the high priestess of a powerful goddess and I won't allow any disrespect to me... She's just suggested that I'd be able to...

"She's a divine being, I'm pretty sure she's above that... earthly thing..." I answer harshly although I can't help remembering the gleam in Iselen's eyes when she asked me if I preferred girls too.

"Well, I think she was looking at you mesmerized last night..." Atet answers getting closer with the wig and I take the bronze mirror again.

"She was confused, probably, she looked really pale when we found her... falling from heaven can't be easy..."

"I guess you're right but still think she's a weird woman. Life in heaven shouldn't be that different, you know, we're supposed to die, we'll follow the instructions of the Book of the Dead, we'll go through the Judgement of Osiris and we'll finally reach the Afterlife where we'll live forever... the same way we do here. Enjoying good food and drinks, partying, dressing up with soft linen and wearing fancy jewels. The same lifestyle we have in this kingdom of Kemet but better, without pain or diseases. No one has told us to cover our legs with fabric and our feet with leather and we shouldn't wear wigs..."

"Sorry, what?" I ask perplexed, turning around to look at her.

"I ran into Tiaa when asked the servants to bring your breakfast, she was standing in front of Iselen's bedroom door holding a wig embellished with colorful beads and didn't know what to do with it because the divine creature didn't want to wear it... She said she prefers to keep her hair natural to feel cooler. She told Tiaa to apply some makeup on her eyes to protect them from the sun but refused to wear ochre on her cheeks and lips and she had to give her several bottles of perfumed oil till Iselen found one she liked, a simple scent made with roses and myrrh..."

"Really? Well, she can do whatever she wants although I'd feel naked without my wig..." I whisper confused, watching my reflection in the polished surface and running my fingers through my short hair, tilting my head to one side to check my profile and the curve of my neck. "Only servants are supposed to see us like this, in fact, I don't think my father has seen the Great Royal Wife without her wig ever... It's weird... We cut our hair short to avoid fleas and wigs help us to look beautiful in addition to being essential in court events... Can you picture all the ladies in the palace showing off their natural hair or shaved heads? It'd feel so awkward..."