The House of the Rising Sun

The House of the Rising Sun

By Ale Gonzalez

Chapter One: Me, the Fire Dancer

Selene

“Selene Arsinoe!”

My eyes popped open and I felt adrenaline pump through me as I jumped out of my bed and came rushing out of my room into the kitchen. The hard plaster floor felt cool underneath my feet, despite the hot weather that seemed to plague Egypt what seemed like most of the year. I was careful to avoid alabaster columns, the few we had, as I made it into the main hall. “Selene!” I checked my pulse as I looked for who had been calling my name. Ra had not yet illuminated my house, so it was slightly difficult to see, but I could make out an old, frail, slumped over shape wearing dark gray robes.

“Good morning, Sosigenes,” I greeted my grandfather. Well, he wasn’t really my grandfather. After my parents had journeyed to the Duat, Sosigenes decided to take me under his wing. He was a clever man, old and wise, but some of his ideas were slightly preposterous.

“Good morning, Selene, my beautiful girl,” he said. He turned to me and smiled. Wrinkles decorated his old face but his gray-blue eyes were warm and inviting. “Did you sleep well in the arms of Morpheus?”

I sat down and scoffed. “Please, Morpheus is just some Greek superstition,” I said. My name was Greek, some jewelry of mine was Greek, Alexandria, my city, was Greek, and my own queen, the charming Cleopatra was Greek. I still retained my belief in Egyptian gods. Honestly, how does a god strap the sun onto his chariot and pull it across the sky? It’s obvious that Ra is the sun and he makes his journey through the sky every day and fights Apophis in the Duat, or Underworld. Apophis is also a Greek name.

Sosigenes chuckled. “Perhaps,” he said. He rubbed his hairless and stroked his beardless chin. “You honor the gods today, Selene.”

“The gods deserve honor,” I replied matter-of-factly.

“Hm. The stars last night seemed to foretell something interesting.” Sosigenes is an astronomer.

“What did they say?” I asked, curious. Stars always fascinated me.

“I’m still not quite sure. It’ll take me days to figure out the story. Maybe months. Maybe years. It was odd. Stars were never like this.” I groaned.

“Alright, Sosigenes. What is it you called me for?”

He cracked a smile. “Ah yes. The Queen wants you to dance for her guests tonight at her palace.” This news excited me.

“Fire dance?” I asked. Sosigenes nodded his head. Queen Cleopatra knew Sosigenes and I well. We were on very good terms with the Queen, and once Sosigenes spoke with the leader of one of her special guests. His name is Julius Caesar and he seems to adore Sosigenes as much as he adores Cleopatra. Not in the same way, I hope. “Who are her guests?”

“It’s the Romans once again. Julius Caesar and a few of his senate members.” I wasn’t one hundred percent sure if Caesar was a good man or a bad man. He had a child with Cleopatra (Cesarion. Odd name), but they were Roman. There was a lot of talk in the markets about how we had a traitor queen. I just hoped she knew was doing in having a child with a Roman. A taboo romance didn’t sit well with Egyptians. “Cleopatra is willing to pay a large sum of money for you to dance.” And then there was the money. I’m not greedy at all. Some of that money goes to the priests for the gods and most of it went for food.

“Of course I’m going to dance for the Queen,” I said, standing up. “I am extremely excited.” Sosigenes chuckled.

“I knew you would be. And keep an eye out for a good husband,” Sosigenes smiled slyly.