The Bastard Princess

70.

-HER-

He helped me set the table before we sat down to eat. We continued our discussion on security while we ate. I was starting to get to know more about him, the way he thought and worked. He was definitely more calculative and precise in the way he planned and acted, unlike me.

I was more impulsive, irrational and indecisive. These qualities of mine were the very reason we were in the middle of the woods, eating rice and boiled vegetables from clay bowls under a very low burning candle.

"Whatever it is, we cannot stay like this till the end. We need to do something..." I suggested and he nodded. For the most part of the dinner, his eyes were unfocused and his responses were very short. The tension that coated the air previously was gone. He was submerged deep into his thoughts. I could almost see the wheels spinning behind his eyes.

"I have been thinking about that," He muttered as if more to himself. "We could use this time to learn and prepare ourselves to face the situation when we go back," He told me, finally looking at me. This instantly brought my doubts back.

I wasn't very positive about Arles accepting me as his son's mate when I would go back. I didn't know what Ares really thought about that.

"How?" I asked him.

"How much do you know about running a kingdom?" He asked.

"I don't know much about running but I do know about ruining one," I told him with a shrug before stuffing my mouth with food. The tips of his lips instantly turned up and his eyes gleamed slyly.

"Don't you ever think of taking revenge from Cleopatra?" He asked with huge interest.

"I used to but not anymore. She already has her reputation spoiled by her affairs and has acquired so many enemies who would do anything to see her dead," I told him.

"But she'd still come after you, wouldn't she? She sent assassins after you when you were in Rome. She wants to secure her throne by getting rid of you,"

"Not really," I shook my head at him, "She isn't afraid of losing her throne to me. I couldn't be the pharaoh because I am illegitimate."

"But didn't you want to be the pharaoh?" He asked with his eyebrows drawn together.

"Never,"

"Then why did you try to overthrow Cleopatra when she became the pharaoh?"

"That was because of jealously," I told him and saw pure bewilderment climb on his face. This made me giggle out loud, "I didn't overthrow Cleopatra because I wanted to be the Pharaoh. I overthrew her because I didn't want her to be the Pharaoh,"

This fed his bewilderment so I clarified, "I knew from the beginning that Cleopatra would get rid of me the first thing if when she'd become Pharaoh. I just didn't want her to ascend to throne because I knew that would put my life on stake and it did," I took a sip of water while I saw the bewilderment disappearing from his face before I added, "Tryphaena had always fostered hatred for me in my sister and she never failed to act on it,"

"So, you just wanted Cleopatra not to be the pharaoh, that's it?"

"Yeah," I shrugged and continued to eat while he watched me with disbelief.

"Inanna told us something else,"

"That's why I don't trust that bitch," I shook my head at him and a frown climbed on his face.

"History fades with time. In fact, you are completely forgotten by the people of tomorrow," He spoke. Now, it was my turn to be bewildered.

"What do you mean by the people of tomorrow?" I asked him.

"People who are alive almost 2000 years from now," He told me. I was now puzzled how to react to that.

"2000 years from now? How do you know about that time?" I asked with a new curiosity. Back in Alexandria the philosophers always tried to imagine and predict how people would live in the future and how things would be. It was a matter of great discussions back there, which were mostly driven by guesses and imagination but it surprised me that Ares already knew about the future but how?

"My mother belongs to the future," He told me. For a moment, I was left paralyzed and speechless with so many questions. If Nefret belonged to the future then from which time did Ares belong to?

"What time do you belong to? If you really know about Cleopatra, can you tell me when and how is she going to die?" My last question made him throw his head back and laugh.

"I neither belong to the future nor to the past- just like my father. I was born in Zaeris but my mother was born in the mortal realm, in the future." He told me, "And as for Cleopatra's death, I am not sure but she is said to have committed suicide before Octavian could get to her,"

"Octavian," I said that name out loud while I tried to remember who that was. I had definitely heard that name before, "You mean Caesar's adopted son?" He nodded.

"Damn! I knew she was not to be trusted with those Romans!" I banged my fist on the table before I asked him, "Could you tell me how things turned out?"

"Later maybe," He replied as he finished his supper while there was still plenty left on my table. I frowned before asking, "Why not?"

"Because you will soon ask me how you died," He told me as he took his bowls and deposited them in the washbasin. I stuffed my face with food again because he was right. More than anything I wanted to know what would cause my demise.

"You can say it. I can take it," I told him after I finished my bowl and put it in the washbasin. Meanwhile, he was making the bed for us to sleep in. It was heavily pouring outside.

"I told you, Arsinoe," He sighed, "You are lost in history," I frowned at him but I continued to ask him questions, "Are there any survivors of Ptolemies in the future?"

"None," His answer was enough to discourage me to ask more questions for tonight. Although, I still had more questions bubbling in my head about the future as we went to bed.

"Can you tell me more about the future?" I requested him as a child would request his mother to sing him lullabies. He gazed down at me fervently before he told me, "I will show you the future, my Pharaoh,"

...

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