The Golden Queen

Eleven

He looked down at his fresh attire and said with a smile, "They were only garments. They can easily be replaced." I gazed into his handsome face; his amber eyes were especially beautiful by firelight, but they suddenly fell anxious. "Do you wish for me to leave you?"

"Please don't go," I responded quickly, not wanting him to leave this way. A gentle smile returned to his lips, and he came closer, so close, I could easily reach out and touch him if I desired.

"Please explain the strange movements you were doing moments ago," his voice was soft. "And this music, it's so intriguing...and sad. Are you sad, Kara?" Even with the simplest of gestures, he was flawless, an unearthly being who had fallen astray from the celestial road of heaven.

"I am a little sad," I responded. "I was dancing, hoping to cheer up."

"Ah, yes, I remember. It looked a bit strange though. Didn't you say this dance required two people?" He smiled.

"Yes, but I was alone with no one to dance with." He cocked his head as he pondered for a moment, recalling the time we had danced together like that in the ballroom.

"I will dance with you," he insisted, reaching out and taking my hand. My palm felt hesitant under his, shivering from his ghostly touch. His presence alone stirred up all kinds of emotions in me. He was mysterious, powerful, and incredibly desirable. At times I felt tense around him, and there were moments he would give me a simple glance and I would fall weak in the knees. I wondered if he was aware of how attractive he truly was. His hand was warm against mine, and hesitantly, I guided his arm around my waist.

My heart pounded. I curled my hand around his shoulder, and clasped his hand with my other hand. We were so close I could smell the jasmine on his skin. It felt so familiar being this close to him.

I told him, "Do you remember the steps? Just follow my lead." I started to move, but he seemed hesitant at first, unsure of which way to move. He quickly caught onto the steps and followed in step along with me with little trouble. His hand was warm against the small of my back.

"I like this dance," he said. Alabaster lanterns lit the chamber, casting shadows everywhere. Ahmose's eyes mixed from brown to gold in the firelight, and shadows danced along with us in a ghostly waltz. The soft piano piece drifted somberly around us as we moved from the warm light and into the dark. It was magical, surreal, like a dream. "Our people must not be much different. You enjoy dancing, and the kind of dance doesn't matter to me because it always brings people together. I like dancing with you."

He leaned into me, like he wanted to kiss me.

I dropped my arms anxiously, ending our dance. His countenance fell when he realized I was uneasy. I picked up my phone and stopped the music. He leaned over my shoulder suddenly to examine it. "What is that?"

I shivered as his breath tickled the back of my neck. I could sense his warmth against my back. "It's a device from my world. It's called a phone. It was playing the melody," I explained. He held my arm and slowly turned me around. My eyes shyly trailed from his chest to his face. "In my world, these devices can do many things, such as play music and take photos." I left out the part where it can be used to call other people. I knew it would be too difficult to explain when there weren't any cell phone towers to demonstrate.

"What are photos?" he asked suddenly. He sat down on the edge of the bed and waited eagerly for my answer.

I sat down next to him and pulled up the photos on my phone. I scrolled through them and came to one of my father standing in front of one of the great pyramids of the Giza plateau.

"This is a photo," I showed it to him. As soon as he saw it he snatched the phone from me. His eyes lit up in astonishment.

"It's a tiny portrait. Who is this man, and why is he standing in front of Lord Khufu's pyramid? What happened to its limestone casing?" He handed the phone back to me.