Rise of the Fallen Princess (Ahmanet - The Mummy)

Chapter 10 - Two Worlds, One Destiny

A cold, rainy night reigned outside a half-dark office, trickles of water streaming in miniature rivers over the window. The black telephone on the desk rang and a gloved hand immediately grabbed it.

_"I hope you have good news." the man hidden in the shadows asked bluntly.

_"Yes, doctor." replied a voice. "Our spies have managed to locate Mathias Parrish, in Egypt."

_"Excellent." replied the man in the shadows, stoically. "Not a moment to waste. Let the squads prepare to leave as soon as possible. We have a monster to capture."

***********

The day was ending at the temple of the gods, now the landmark and future palace of the fallen princess. While the sun had given way to the moon, an ocean of stars invaded a sky perfectly devoid of clouds, giving the desert an even more enchanting and fantastic appearance, as if it were another world.

After singing several songs that he knew and loved, Mathias, along with Ahmanet, remained in the courtyard, lying side by side on the soft, cool sand, and together admiring the constellations that dotted the sky. They didn't say a word, but that suited them, silence being sometimes welcome and as expressive as words.

_"You surprise me more and more, Mathias." Ahmanet finally said, breaking the silence and turning her gaze towards him. "And believe me, it takes a lot to surprise me."

_"Coming from a royal highness, I take that as a compliment." Mathias replied with a small smile, which made her giggle a little. "Since my childhood, I have always loved looking at the stars. When I felt alone, misunderstood, which happened often, I would open my bedroom window and spend hours looking out, imagining what could be there. up there, if a better world could exist... I imagined myself exploring these new worlds, living great adventures like the characters in my stories. I wanted to be someone else, but ultimately, it seems that in reality, it was ultimately adventure that found me."

Ahmanet said nothing, listening to him speak and seeing once again this sincerity and this devotion to his passion which could be read in his eyes. Admiring the stars alone, she had already done it too, many times, when she was sad, when she was afraid, seeking comfort from its millions of celestial lights which lit up the sky every night, seeing there a presence divine and benevolent who would protect her. She even remembered, when she was 10 years old, during a sad night, she made a wish to the stars: to grant her one day to find a soul capable of accepting her and loving her for who she is.

And millennia later, in a world she no longer knew, Ahmanet had at her side this Mathias Parrish, a stranger, a man from a decadent and unbelieving world of the future, but who nevertheless accepted her as she was without never judge her. Was this the soul she had been waiting for all this time? But in this case, what about... love? Did he love her that way? This question galloped through the princess's mind. Does Mathias love me? Could he love a monster and understand the beauty that lies within the beast? While he was busy looking at the stars, Ahmanet observed him without him noticing. His face, his long hair, his eyes, his little mustache and his little goatee on his chin which gave him a certain charm. Ahmanet then looked away, her cheeks slightly red at the idea that he could fall in love with her, she who had never known true love, neither in this existence, nor in the old one. She then thought for a moment, then had an idea and Mathias saw her get up and offer him her hand.

_"You showed me the music of your world. Tonight, you will be my guest for dinner. And I will show you my world." Ahmanet said with a smile and an almost seductive look.

Blushing a little and smiling, also very intrigued by what she said, Mathias accepted the proposal with pleasure and Ahmanet helped him get up by taking his hand.