Life From Your Lips (Ruby Rose fanfic)

TWENTY-EIGHT (Iselen POV)

"I'm sorry you got stuck here again," Ruby looks back over her shoulder and smiles shyly while I shake my head.

"We're together, Meri, that's the only thing that matters. How much longer? This palace is massive, like a small city..." I answer while we walk across the umpteenth landscaped courtyard and servants bow their heads respectfully before going back to their work: cleaning floors, watering plants, carrying supplies to the kitchen... The narrow skirts of our linen dresses don't help us to walk faster, either.

"It's a city, I'm afraid, and its name is Per-Hay, the House of Rejoicing. When Amenhotep III built it, the pharaoh and his family member's rooms overlooked the main courtyard, there was an artificial lake connected to the Nile and the gardens. But later, things got crazy. There were more and more administration officers that wanted to live close to the power of the country, more Egyptian concubines and foreign wives, more royal children, thousands of servants to help them all, several kitchens, bakeries, workshops... Audience rooms, courtyards, private villas for generals of the army, a harbor with a channel to connect it with the river to be able to arrive to the palace by boat, more gardens and pools, small palaces for members of the royal family, the temple of Isis... Luckily, it's all made of mud bricks so it was built fast."

"I admit it's beautiful but too big... You should've ordered your servants to carry us on your sedan chairs... or we could've brought an electric scooter from the future." Ruby chuckles while we walk across another massive hall, walls are covered with plaster painted in bright colors depicting ceramic bowls full of fruits, I guess this is a gala dining room. The wooden columns holding the ceiling are carved and painted to look like lilies. "Oh my God, Praa Sat..."

"What?" my girl turns around, scared and confused.

"Why didn't you take me here before?" I ask quietly, looking around totally floored, the ceiling over my head makes me hold my breath.

"This is the pharaoh's private palace, not an audience room, nobody comes here unless they have a good reason... Iselen?"

"For Isis' sake, Ruby, a few minutes ago you were a British archaeologist and not a princess, take look around you..." I point at the walls covered with faience tiles: golden volutes and spirals on a blue background that shine under the sunlight coming from the door. The floor is painted too and cute ducks with colorful feathers are hiding among reeds and lotus flowers, several heads of bulls are watching us from the ceiling, painted in brown shades between blue and yellow spirals. Colors are bright and animals so realist that could've been painted by a modern artist.

"Okay, I understand it. Yes, this is wonderful... Professor Stephens and Miroslav would be so happy to see it. I'm sorry, babe, my head is a mess right now and I feel more a priestess than an archaeologist." My precious girl rubs her forehead with her fingers and sighs wearily. I get closer to her ignoring the servants that are still minding their own business in the courtyard and corridors and I hug ger waist.

"Ruby Rose, the Moon is Born, Daughter of the Pharaoh... Miit..." I whisper and she smiles, leaning her tattooed hands on my arms. "Everything will be all right, we'll sort out this mess with the help of the goddess, Seth won't get his way this time and we'll go back home... Your other home, the future one..." The princess smiles and nods.

"Let's go, we need to find my brother but before, I should tell you..." I stare at her worried and she winks at me, amused. "The royal apartments consist of a bedroom, a massive dressing room with a bathroom and a private audience room that the pharaoh uses as an office. The ceiling is decorated with paintings of goddess Nekhbet, the protector of pharaohs: a vulture with spread wings, wearing a crown and holding scepters decorated with feathers. And walls are covered with plaster painted with birds flying, with gorgeous blue wings. It's a beautiful room so get ready for it."