The Golden Queen

Four

Four

MY countenance was that of a dumb lamb, meek and helpless, being led astray to the slaughter. The guards tugged me down a long corridor. Our footfalls padded against the tiled floor in a monotonous manner. The magical fragrances of incense and cinnamon drifted through the shadowy passages from the worship of Ra. Tapestries draped the walls, and the columns, which parted way for daylight, were swirls of bright colors. Their enormous shadows cast over us like solitary giants.

The guard noticed my distraction as I marveled Pharaoh's home, and yanked on my chains like I was a disobedient dog on a leash. He glared at me; to him I was lowlier than a common thief. His eyes held no mercy; their black depths were cold and flat.

I had been separated from the other prisoners, who were led away to the jail in their golden chains and shackles. There they would await trial, resolution, death, I couldn't be sure. But I was led into Pharaoh's palace. I could only assume I would be judged immediately for our encounter in the market, penalized for turning against his soldiers.

I was so afraid. Would Pharaoh harm me for our misunderstanding? I was not like him; I did not belong to Egypt. I had no right to remain here, and if he cast me into exile, I could do nothing but wander the wilderness until death. I wanted to understand what would happen to me, but Pharaoh was shrouded in even more mystery than Egypt herself. I was afraid of him, yet I wanted to be near him again. It was the strangest sensation; his influence was like a gravitational pull, tugging me for reasons I could not understand.

Since childhood, when my love for ancient Egypt first blossomed, I always idolized Egyptian royalty and Pharaoh. I was fascinated by their lives, being surrounded by riches and gems, dwelling in limestone palaces that were decorated with bright murals, and gracing gardens that magically flourished in the shifting sands.

Perhaps it was foolish to even entertain the notion, but if I experienced death in a dream, would I also perish in reality?

I wanted to resist the guards who tugged at my shackles, but they prodded me along with spears at my back. My hands ached from the weight of the golden ringlets around my wrists to the point of numbness. My fingers felt raw and cold.

My legs had grown so weak from both the long walk and my growing apprehension that by the time we reached our destination, I collapsed to the floor. I had been led to a large chamber that was both dark and dreary. A single void of sunlight flooded into the chamber between a pair of columns. It was a beacon in the darkness, and I crawled to it, its warmth replenishing my tired skin. And as I lay there in the pool of light, my mind gave out and I surrendered to darkness.

My dreams were transitioning; between the cycles of sleep, I was leaving the ancient world and floating to another on a shimmering cloud of dreams. The realm around me was dark; the twinkling of stars against the black abyss was the only light no matter where I looked. I didn't know where the cloud was taking me, but I hoped it was far, far away from Egypt. Even if it decided to take me to one of the stars, I would be glad. I only wanted to be in the arms of the man I loved.

Suddenly, out of the blackness a bright golden light pierced the realm, and I no longer felt alone. A warm voice came from the light, beckoning me, drawing me to it like a guidepost. It was him! At long last, he had come for me! I stretched out my hand to touch the warmth of his aura, and as I merged with the light, I opened my eyes to be nearly blinded by it. My head felt woozy as I tried to grasp my bearings. I turned from the light to see what else surrounded me, and hoped for a pleasant dream this time. A sense of foreboding struck me as I sat up alone.

And then terror found dominion in me once again when I realized I was back in Pharaoh's palace. The dream had taken me back to the chamber from whence I came. But the room was no longer dark as it had previously been. Now it was lighted by torches, lanterns, firelight almost as bright as day. I finally gave up on being rescued.