𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑷𝑬𝑻𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑵𝑰𝑨 - Ardeth Bay

ten

"What do you suppose killed him?" Evelyn asked, breaking the awkward silence that hung over their heads. The two Carnahan siblings and Tiye sat around the fire of their small campsite. Rick had gone off to inform the Americans about what had happened.

"Did you ever see him eat?" Jonathan joked.

"Seems that our American friends had a little misfortune of their own today." Rick announced as he walked over to the fire and sat beside Evelyn. "Three of their diggers were, uh, melted."

"What?"

"How?"

"Ew."

"Salt acid." Rick spat out in disgust. "Pressurised salt acid. Some kind of ancient booby trap."

"Ha,ha, booby." Tiye giggled to herself.

"Maybe this place really is cursed." As Jonathan said that the wind around them howled, almost blowing the fire out.

"Oh, for goodness sake, you two." Evelyn snapped at the two men. Tiye quickly glanced around, feeling the slight disturbance in the air and knowing something bad was going to happen.

"You don't believe in curses, huh?" Rick glanced down at Evelyn as he poked at the fire.

"No, I don't." She stated simply. "I believe if I can see it and I can touch it, then it's real. That's what I believe."

"I believe in being prepared." Rick picked up his rifle amd cocking it for emphasis.

"Let's see what our friend the warden believed in." Jonathan reached over Tiye and grabbed the brown leather satchel by her side. He began to rummage through it until he snatched his hand out of it and screamed in pain, scaring the two women by his sides.

"My God, what is it?" Evelyn practically screamed out in fright.

"A broken bottle." Jonathan reached back in and whipped out a bottle of wine. "Glenlivet. Twelve years old!"

"You reacted like that over a broken bottle? I thought something bad had happened." Tiye growled, standing up suddenly. "I am going on a walk. I need to clear my head."

Tiye grabbed her blanket from the ground and wrapped it around her shoulders, concealing the little heat she had. She did not wander far, just around the entrance of Hamunaptra. Tiye was ripped out her peaceful thoughts by the screams and gun shots coming from the Americans camp. She ran back as fast as she could and gasped as she watched Menjai fight against the workers and Americans.

Her blue eyes scanned around the war zone until she spotted Rick fighting a familiar Chieftain. Rick held a lit stick of dynamite in his hand and placed it out in front of him. Ardeth eyed it warily, lowering his sword slightly.

"Stop this!" Tiye ranover to the two men and stood between them. "This bloodshed is unnecessary."

"Tiye, get behind me." Ardeth commanded. Rick looked confusingly between the two, wondering how the mysterious man knew her name.

"Not til you end this." Tiye stepped closer to her fiancè.

"Enough!" Ardeth yelled before saying commands in Arabic. "We will shed no more blood, but you must leave. Leave this place or die. You have one day."

"Rick, please unlight the dynamite." Tiye mumbled tiredly, watching as her fiancè mounted his horse and rode off out the City of the Dead. Rick ripped off the lit string and pocketed the stick, sending Tiye a questioning glance he turned around and looked for Evelyn.

Tiye waited until all the attention was off her before she snuck away and ran to the desert. In the distance a man stood by himself, waiting for her.

"Ardeth." Tiye hummed, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head in his shoulder. "Please do not ever do that again."

"Worried about me, love?" Ardeth grinned, wrapping one arm around her waist while the other gripped her chin and lifted her face up.

"Yes." Tiye whispered, closing her eyes and leaning in. Ardeth immediately knew what she wanted and placed his lips on hers, hands gripping her hips tightly as hers played with his hair.

"You are so beautiful." He mumbled against her lips. Ardeth kissed her jaw delicately, receiving sweet sighs from Tiye. His mouth left open kisses down her neck until he met the fabric of her dress. Tiye pressed her body closer to his and wrapped one leg around his hip. His large hand ran over the smooth skin of her leg as his lips met hers again.

"I see you still have it." Ardeth broke away from the kiss as his hand had landed on the dagger tied to her thigh.

"You did gift it to me."

•~• Flashback •~•

"Ardeth?" Tiye ran around the small village yelling. Every so often she would run up to someone and ask if they knew where he was but they all answered the same: no. "Ardeth?"

"Tiye?" A familiar voice asked behind her. She spun around and faced her fiancè, a pout on her face as she realised how long it took her to finally find him.

"Where have you been?" Tiye demanded, stepping forwards with her hands on her hips.

"It's a surprise. Follow me." Ardeth grabbed her small hand and dragged her to the stables. He helped her on to his horse and mounted it, sitting behind her. Tiye blushed at the close proximity and could not stop thinking about his hard body against her back.

"We are here." Ardeth had taken her to an old dead tree in the middle of the desert. He helped her off the horse and walked her over to the tree.

"Why are we here?" Tiye questioned.

"I have a present for you." Ardeth dug in his pocket and brought out a small dagger. "It's so you can always protect yourself."

"It is beautiful." She gasped. Tiye soon blushed as she realised something. "Can you, can you please help me put it on?"

Ardeth kneeled down in front of her and tapped his knee, indicating her to put her foot up. His hands gently pushed away the thin fabric of her dress until her thigh was on full display. The blush on Tiyes face became more red and she glanced away from the man who's gentle fingers attached the dagger to her leg.

Once he was finished he helped her fix her skirt before standing up and facing her.

"Thank you." Tiye went to kiss his cheek but he moved slightly and she kissed his mouth. Gasping, she moved away but Ardeth followed and reattached their lips.

"That was my first kiss." Tiye mumbled after they broke away for air.