The Egyptian Queen ONC2020

Chapter 5

"Ugh," Victoria moaned and sat up in her bed.

Her body was half-covered by the blankets and every bone inside her ached something awful. She pulled her silk top away from her skin but it clung to her sweating frame.

Eyes wide, the memories of last night started flooding back like she was being hit by a train. Frantically, she yanked back the sheets and searched her hands for the bite Casper had left her.

"Oh God, it was just a bad dream." She sighed when she couldn't find the bleeding wound. "It was just a bad dream."

Victoria went to the half working bathroom and splashed some water on her face before she fully let herself believe that it was all her imagination. Once satisfied she got a shower and changed into sweatpants and a cropped cami top before heading downstairs.

Victoria twisted her hair into a bun as she entered the kitchen. She stopped when her eyes landed on the Hathor urn sitting on the island. Taking a step closer she reached her hand out to touch it, almost believing it wasn't really there.

"I wouldn't touch that."

Eyes widening Victoria's head snapped up and landed on a tall man standing by the table.

"Barely clothed in strips of cloth." She whispered to herself, feeling faint.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and said, "I don't have any money."

The man looked at her funny. "Money?"

"Or valuable jewelry." She continued to sputter. "The only things here are a few thousand dusty artifacts that the museums didn't want."

"Museums? I'm sorry, Nahabet, but you're confusing me."

"You're not here to kill me or rob me?"

"Oh love, gods no! I would never hurt you, Nahabet."

"Nahabet? What is that?" Victoria shook her head in confusion, remembering all of the times she'd heard it.

The tall man chuckled. It was a warm and almost infectious laugh. "Nahabet is you."

Victoria absent-mindedly slumped into one of the stools at the island and stared into space.

"Love? Are you alright?"

"What is that thing?" She pointed a trembling finger at the urn.

"It's your canopic jar." He said slowly. "Well, not traditionally, you and I weren't allowed traditional organ jars."

Victoria choked when he'd said the last words, the image of an almost decrepit heart tumbling out of what was in front of her came rushing back into her mind's eye.

"Who are you?" She said, turning on him.

"You don't remember? Gosh, I didn't think it was that long. How long was I in that tomb?" He rubbed the back of his head and ruffled his black cropped hair a bit.

"Do you have real clothes?"

"Clothes?" The man looked down at his uncovered body and chuckled a bit. "I guess not, they don't let you bring much through the doorway. Too much to keep track of I guess."

"How did you get in here?"

"Wel I-" He stopped and looked at Victoria. She wasn't looking at him anymore and she seemed almost in shock. "Are you alright, love? You don't look too good."

"Am I crazy?" She asked.

"Here. I made some garlic lentils for breakfast. You should eat something." The man slid a bowl of small bean looking things that smelled strongly of garlic and seasoning towards her. "I couldn't find any figs to go with the bread you have, I know how much you liked fig bread for breakfast, or I'd have made that."

Victoria finally moved to stare down at the bowl. Lentils? She thought before bursting into laughter.

"Oh my God. I've finally cracked. After Bella and then Eleanor! I've really lost it now!" She said between fits of laughter. "There's a half-naked man in my kitchen! And I'm eating lentils for breakfast!" Victoria yelled

"Nahabet? Are you alright?"

"No, no I'm sorry. You sound very serious. I apologize." She said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"I suppose it is possible that your memories haven't quite come back yet. I would have thought after the lights, everything would come back to you."

"The lights! You saw those too?" Victoria said

"Why yes, who wouldn't? They were constructed to be quite a spectacle."

Victoria nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sorry, but who on earth are you?"

The man smiled. "I am Madu, a soldier of the people of great Egypt."

"Egypt. Nice, and so what? Did you fly here? Why are you here?"

"I am here for you. You are my love, don't you remember our love?" He said.

"Um... I'm sorry, I don't recall." Victoria squirmed in her seat.

Madu suddenly looked unsure. "You really don't remember anything, do you?"

"I'm sorry, no."

Madu nodded slowly and walked back over the bowl of lentils on the stove. Victora stood up and cautiously went over to him. She examined his clothes, if you could call the bands of cloth wrapped around his waist and hanging at his legs clothes.

"I'll go get you some real clothes." She said.