I Fell In Love With A Pharaoh

Chapter 15

Dante and Helena were spending most of their time together leaving Hebe plenty of time to herself. Hebe didn't mind though. She had grown up being alone and so long stretches of being by herself didn't bother her. If she felt the need for company, she sought it out. The only company she craved was Amun's. He had been annoyingly absent the past couple of weeks. Hebe was worried about him and a little despondent that he wasn't around.

The marble floor of the Egyptian Collection was uncomfortable even through the pad that Hebe had brought with her to sit or kneel on. Hebe sat cross legged on the pad with several books opened and spread about her in a half halo. A yellow legal pad rested in her lap while a small statuary of the falcon headed God Horus sat in front of her being scrutinized.

Hebe had impatiently done her hair up in a messy braid that she had pinned into a bun to get it out of her way early in the day. A plate with an uneaten sandwich sat nearby with a full glass of water. Hebe's shoes lay by the door where she had kicked them off hours ago and her socks lay halfway between her and the door. A button up cotton shirt was tossed aside and rested rumpled against the base of one of the pillars in the room. The tank top that Hebe wore was damp with sweat and her jean shorts were beginning to feel hot and itchy.

A bead of sweat trickled down the valley of her breasts. Hebe wiped it away unconsciously as she leaned forward and frowned at the statue she was studying. A name was written in faint hieroglyphics along the bottom edge of the statue. It was so faint that Hebe had trouble reading it. She had been trying for over an hour to decipher the hieroglyphics. The hieroglyphics on this statue was a mix of old and new. Hebe hated it when she happened across hieroglyphics that were in the process of changing. She believed that this piece of statuary had belonged to a temple of Horus, but she couldn't be sure. Horus had so many names and the hieroglyphics for those names had changed subtly over time.

A sudden voice made Hebe jump. "How long have you been working at this?"

Amun was sitting on one of the benches watching her. Hebe straightened up with a grimace and rubbed at her stiff neck. She frowned as she spied her uneaten sandwich. Hebe checked her watch surprised to see that it was already four in the afternoon.

"About six hours." Hebe pointed at the statue in front of her. "I've been stuck on that one for the past hour. I am unable to accurately decipher the hieroglyphics along the base. It is too damaged to see."

Amun got up and wandered over. He peered at the falcon statue carefully before he shrugged. "I am at a loss as well. If you could get it wet, then maybe you could read the hieroglyphics."

"I thought the same as well, but I don't want to ruin the artifact." Hebe said on a sigh as she marked down her findings. She began closing her books so that she could get up and move.

Amun handed her the plate with her sandwich. "You eat and I'll close these things you call books."

"Fine," Hebe mumbled with a mouth already full of her ham and cheese sandwich.

"You need to eat and drink more. You need to add a bit of meat on your bones."

Hebe swallowed her bite of sandwich as she gave Amun a look that women give when they think they are being called fat. "Do you think I am fat?"

Amun paused in what he was doing. He looked her up and down before he shook his head. "No, but you need to eat in order to keep doing what you are doing. How will you do your work if you are starving?"

"I am used to it." Hebe's words were soft as she studied her sandwich. Half of it was left and if her baby brother was still alive she would have given that half to her brother. "It's hard trying to break old habits."

"You starved yourself so that your brother would have food." Amun guessed. "Didn't you?"

Hebe nodded before she took another bite of sandwich. It stuck in her throat and she had to swallow it hard to get it past the lump in her throat. "He was a growing boy and was always hungry. I made sure that he got plenty to eat even if it meant that I went without."

Amun knelt in front of Hebe. "I am sorry."

Hebe gave Amun a sad smile. "Thank you. I'm finding it easier to talk about him. Besides Helena, you are the only other person I've ever talked about my brother with."

A wicked light suddenly entered Amun's eye. "Finish your food. I have managed to bring something with me today that I think you will like."

Hebe raised an eyebrow. "How were you able to do that?"

Amun shrugged. "I am able to bring with me the things that I wear so I thought that I would try to bring something along for you."

Hebe was touched at Amun's words. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet. I am not sure how you will react to what I have brought you. I have seen the clothing that you wear and some of it is very revealing."

Hebe sat up intrigued. "You brought me clothes."

Amun's cheeks reddened slightly. "I knew how curious you were about women's clothing so I brought you some."

Hebe downed the rest of her food and was on her feet in seconds. "I'm ready for you to show me."

A chuckle escaped Amun. "Then follow me back to your rooms."

Hebe was excited as she followed Amun back to her rooms. She had once asked Amun what he saw when he was with her. Amun had stated that he saw her clearly, but everything else was dull and blurry except for things dealing with his culture. Hebe wondered if that was because he was from the past.

Amun held the door open for Hebe. Hebe let out a gasp as soon as she spotted the garment draped over the couch in her sitting room. It was a beautiful white gown with pleating. It looked exactly like the dresses Hebe had seen in tomb paintings. Hebe ran her fingers over the fabric. It was so soft and it appeared to be sheer.

"Is it sheer?"

Amun nodded. "I brought the finest I had to offer."

Hebe looked up at Amun. "How am I supposed to put this thing on?'

A wicked smile played briefly across Amun's face. "I shall help you don this garment."

Hebe was a little self conscious as she stripped in front of Amun. Why? She didn't know. Amun had already seen her naked multiple times. Hebe wanted to cross her arms once she was free of her clothes, but she refrained.

Amun's hands brushed lightly against her skin as he helped her dress. His voice was soft and hypnotic as he explained in his language how the dress was made and how it was worn. Hebe did as Amun instructed. She held her hands out and turned when he asked her to. Finally, Amun moved back.

"Go look in the mirror."

Hebe stepped in front of her mirror and her mouth fell open. All of her goods were on display. Hebe was stunned at the picture she cut. She actually looked beautiful and alluring.

"No wonder why Julias Cesar and Mark Anthony fell for Cleopatra."

Amun frowned. He still didn't grasp English very well. "I have no idea what you just said."

Hebe smiled at Amun's reflection in the mirror. "I was commenting on how two men fell in love with the last Pharaoh of Egypt who happened to be a woman."

Amun nodded. "I have known some women who could rule Egypt if need be. Were there many female rulers of Egypt?"

"Just a handful and those are just the ones that we have proof of."

Amun ran a hand down Hebe's arm. Hebe shivered at the touch. She turned to face Amun. Amun looked at her with eyes full of lust. Hebe could see the evidence of his arousal. She bit her lip as she tried to decide what to do.

"Hebe."

The sound of her name said with soft reverence from Amun's mouth was the deciding factor. Hebe stepped forward and pulled Amun's head down for a kiss.