Twins of Egypt

Chapter 3: Ludus | Part 3

[[A/N: Freddie Stroma plays Marcellus <3 So what he did isn't as drmatic as I thought it should be. Here is twin's plan. They need to survive in a world where they could be killed at any moment. How will they survive in this world though. They can't necessarily trust anyone. Or can they? Thank you for reading and coming to this part of the chapter. I hope you enjoy <3 ]]

{Alexander]

Ω ҉ Ω ҉ Ω ҉ Ω ҉

"I still can't believe I did that." I rubbed my still aching cheek.

"I can't either." Selene giggled.

We were back at Octavia's villa, strolling around the house gardens. This was the only alone time Selene and I would ever have unless Octavia allowed me in her chambers. Which was unlikely.

"What got into you, that you decided to do that?" Selene asked.

"Well Selene," I looked up at the salmon sky, "It did not occur to me I was doing those things." I shrugged.

"It didn't occur to you that Valentina had been shouting at you for half of the entire walk? Or slapped you multiple times? It didn't occur to you that nodding your head through a whole conversation would make a woman angry?" she asked me.

"Selene," I sighed exasperated, "I did not think I would be in this much trouble."

"Look at you," she looked at me up and down, "You are acting like father." She started to worry again.

I moved closer to her and held her by the shoulders, "Look Selene," I asked her to look up, "I need you to be stronger than this." I took one hand off her shoulder and lifted her chin. She looked up at me. "Selene, I need you to look happier. We need to act or we die. How are we going to make ourselves useful to Caesar?" I asked in hushed Parthian.

Selene pulled away and thought about our new motives, "That's right," she sighed, "but Caesar cannot kill us both. We carry Alexander the Great's blood in our veins, the famous Cleopatra's blood, as well as plenty more valuable people who are part of our ancestry. We are also in Octavia's protection. Would he really go against his sister's wishes?" she asked me.

"Selene," I began to lecture her, "we were not raised in the world's biggest school for nothing. We were not raised and educated in Alexandria for no reason. We are naïve," I hoped to enlighten her, "we are doomed if we do nothing about it, and of course Caesar would go against Octavia's wishes. If I would go against yours who is Caesar not to go against Octavia's?" I asked.

Selene's lips tightened, "Fine," she thought, "We will make ourselves useful to Octavian. We will be obedient, excel in education, politics, and society. We will make Caesar need us." Selene began to sound like mother.

"I agree," I took my sister's hand and shook on it, "We're starting off on a good start?" I asked rather than stated.

"Yes, it seems so." She nodded and we began to walk around again.

"Selene," I asked.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Did you ever like Zain?" I asked.

"The Prince of Songhai?" she looked at me questioningly, "Yes," she searched for some words, "I thought he was attractive and decently intelligent. I think during the two years of his courtship to me, he grew on me." she thought back to the past.

"How do you feel about Tiberius and Marcellus?" I asked.

"I-I...I fancy Marcellus...but I don't know if it is right. For Tiberius, I am fond of Tiberius," she smiled softly, "he makes me smile...He's smart...he's gorgeous..." Selene blushed furiously.

"You are not fond of Tiberius, you are attracted to him," I chuckled.

"I am not!" Selene blushed even furiously

The fact she denied it did not need further coaxing of the truth. Selene fancied Tiberius. She apparently had gotten over her attraction of Marcellus, so that was better. I imagined Tiberius and Selene together, it felt weird imagining my sister marrying someone that close to the murderer of our family, but I ache to see Selene happy again and this is the first time I've seen her glow in what seems like forever.

"What made you ask about Zain by the way?" she asked.

"I was back in the past while I was walking with Valentina. I was remembering the time when mother announced our engagements."

"I remember," She imagined, "I remember when I screamed at you and Caesarion because I might have been betrothed to Zain. Zain had been there too, and when I finally realized her was there I was scared straight. Zain was so kind to me, and I believe he once loved me." she turned silent.

"I miss Daudi," I suddenly said. Even though I am attracted to Valentina, I love Daudi. If I had to choose between Valentina and Daudi, I would immediately choose Daudi. Daudi had lived with us in Alexanderia after the announcement. A few weeks after the battle that would end up putting Selene and I in Rome happened, the King and Queen of Songhai summoned Daudi back to Songhai, for the reasons that Egypt was unsafe. After that dreaded day, I have never heard anything from Daudi or Songhai again. Selene was devastated when she could not see Zain again, and more so when the betrothal was off. The following events could have probably ended with her dying from heartbreak, but here she is looking healthy again.

"I miss Zain too," Selene put a hand on my shoulder, "but they are the past now. Caesar would never have us marry them." She looked half disappointed. "Do you think Zain loved me?" she asked me suddenly.

Zain was a very non-secretive man, at seventeen he still was not. He also showed his growing attraction and love for Selene apparent, but Zain was not a very faithful man. "Zain loved you." I reassured, but I knew he was attracted to other women.

He had said that he would marry and love Selene forever until he dies, but he made no oath of never sleeping with other women. He had a lover while he courted Selene. His lover was his father's adviser's daughter, Kione. She was a very vivacious and hot tempered girl, but besides that she was flirtatious and deceptive. She made for a perfect lover, but I would never say she'd make a perfect wife. Zain had said that he never loved her, and I made him swear the day his official betrothal to Selene was made. At the fourth year of their courtship, a few months before the Battle of Actium, Zain visited and announced that by Selene's fifteenth birthday they will get married, and that day, was the day they are engaged. Our party was thrown for their engagement. Unfortunately, all the plans were thrown away, when Caesar's wretched invasion on Egypt began. A few days before our capturing, Zain sent a letter that called off the engagement and marriage to Selene, saying that Egypt has crumbled from its once beautiful golden state.

"Selene," I stopped her praising of Zain.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You could do better than Zain," I held a serious face, "Zain may have loved you, but you deserve a man who would never lie with any other woman. You deserve a man who would lay only with you." I made sure she understood.

Her shoulders broadened and her jaw stiffened. She understood what I was trying to convey.

"Thank you Alexander," she stopped to tell me. She hugged me, "Thank you so much for telling me the truth." She whispered sadly.

I hugged her back, "Stop being sad," I uselessly said.

"In a world as grim as this one, no one can ever be purely happy," she murmured before pulling away.

She wiped away her tears and I looked up at the dark purple sky with a white moon.

"Let's go inside now Alexander," Selene pulled my hand, "it's getting cold."

I nodded, but never tore my eyes away from the moon. The moon was Selene, the moon was my mother, the moon was my connection to home.