The House of the Rising Sun

Chapter Five: The Roman

Chapter Five: The Roman

Selene

“So you’re not hurt, Selene?” Amenemhet asked me, examining my arms and legs. I pushed him away.

“I’m fine!” I shouted. “No burns, no twisted ankle, no nothing!” I picked up Nofre-Ari and petted her head. Amenemhet and I were in my garden at my house, and he was asking—no, interrogating—me about the banquet.

“The Romans didn’t lay a hand on you?” he questioned, making sure. He sat down on a bench, looking at me with his caring brown eyes, and I sat down at the steps that led into the water, wetting my feet. Nofre-Ari was a little squirmy by the water, but I could hold on to her.

“Not one finger,” I articulated. “Holy Isis you are more protective than Sosigenes!”

“We’ve been friends for ages. Of course I’m protective,” Amenemhet retorted. I sighed.

“Amenemhet, I’ve danced for Nubians, Hittites, people from almost every nation Pharaoh Ramses the Great had wives from. Why are you so concerned about the Romans?” He stood up and sat by me.

“Selene, they’re barbarians. They are the least like us. Their gladiator games are what they do for fun. They watch people battle each other until they die. They battle animals—animals our pharaohs would keep as pets. We are obviously more civilized than they. Caesar, a married man, had a child with Cleopatra. They weren’t even married. Sure, we’ve had pharaohs with multiple wives, but that’s okay! It’s not like they had children before they married. With Caesar, it was a different story.” I stroked Nofre-Ari to keep from getting furious.

“I saw Caesar last night with my own two eyes. I can tell, and Sosigenes knows, that that man is someone who would sacrifice himself to save his people. He would do anything to make them happy. And not one single Roman treated Cleopatra, the musicians, and I like Egyptians were below them. Amenemhet, listen to reason.” He sighed.

“Selene, you are so hard-headed. I don’t think I’m going to argue with you over this anymore.”

I smiled triumphantly, but all of a sudden Nofre-Ari jumped from my lap and as I jumped to catch her, I lost my balance and we both submerged into the water! I burst back to the surface and gasped the air with my cat in my arms and I tossed her onto the steps, and abruptly she took off running.

“Nofre-Ari!” I called as I got out of the water and rushed up the steps. Nofre-Ari ran so fast, but I was determined to catch her.

“Selene!” I heard Amenemhet shout behind me, but I didn’t stop. I ran, soaking wet, through the main hall, past the front door, and to the street.

“Nofre-Ari!” I called. I wished I hadn’t brought her so close to the water! I ran through the street, following Nofre-Ari, who was so swift I was sure a wind god had blessed her and not Bastet. My dress was heavy and so was my hair, but I was strong enough to keep running.

“Selene! Get back here!” Amenemhet yelled. He was chasing after me as I was chasing the cat, but he was nowhere near as fast as I was. He’s a scribe, not a dancer. I dodged nimbly through the crowd, not daring to take my eyes off of the blessed of Bastet. I almost ran into a vendor.

“Watch where you’re going!” he shouted after me, but I didn’t listen.

“Gods, Selene!”

“Nofre-Ari!” I kept running until Nofre-Ari turned onto a narrow alleyway. I didn’t dare slow down; I was just more careful of where I was going. “Nofre-Ari!” I could tell I had outdistanced Amenemhet, but I was sure he was still on my tail. Suddenly I felt myself falling and a slight throbbing sensation in my foot. “Oomph.” The air left my body as I fell face first onto the hard sand, and a shadow loomed over me. When I looked in front of me, I saw Nofre-Ari, still wet like I was, shaking. She was sitting, however, and I stood up quickly and picked her up from the ground. “Gods, Nofre-Ari. You might be a blessed of Bastet, but you are one headstrong cat.”