Sands of Yore **COMPLETE, being re-written**

Chapter Twelve

It had been strange seeing Bailey that day, unconscious in the arms of the Pharaoh, Amun admitted quietly to himself as he made his way down the corridor towards the throne room.

He remembered feeling dread and disbelief scorch through his body, knowing well that the blueprints that Mahina had made to the time-travel machine had worked.

Amun had hoped that she had not succeeded but upon seeing the young woman, who was the spitting image of her mother, there, in ancient Egypt, only confirmed his suspicions.

Mahina was going insane, he realized. No matter how many conversations they had, her thoughts were becoming more and more clouded. He understood her pain and anger towards being transported back to that time.

After all, why them?

Then again, why should anyone ever experience what they had gone through? Both of them had to go through great lengths to make their own stories believable to everyone around them. It was a difficult feat, for sure.

He remembered when they had first arrived, seeing the desert surrounding them, confusion and wonderment crossed his mind as he saw, in the distance from their location, at least a thousand men, of different ages, working hard on a statue.

It was by that night that a strong sense of homesickness struck them both hard, realizing that they were stuck in a time that they didn't have enough knowledge of to properly navigate.

Eventually things began turning to their favour, when they were brought to the Pharaoh's court, tried, and then given sanctuary within the palace. At first things had gone well, but that had all changed when Mahina's social interactions during meals and important meetings became less and less as time passed.

It became even more so when he met Nauda. The only one within Ancient Egypt who knew of the predicament he and his sister were in. At first, she had been sceptical, as anyone would be, but with some convincing, and after showing her the machine in which they had traveled, Nauda became fascinated about the future and how they came to be in her time.

When Mahina found out she was enraged that he would tell someone of this time about who they were, without even consulting with her.

She had become distant with him, also for the next little while, only speaking to him whenever he required her assistance on an important matter.

Amun felt guilt, it was true. He should have asked his sister if she was agreeable with letting Nauda know of what happened, considering both spoke of things that sounded strange. Hell, it sounded strange to him after all these years had passed but after being in this time for so long, the thoughts of his old life in the United States seemed far and distant, almost like a dream.

Sighing, his thoughts focused to Bes. He was a coward who stood behind abuse and fear to get what he wanted from his servants, Royal Court members, and subjects. He had, apparently, been a polite and compassionate man in his youth, but after the deaths of siblings his father became even harsher.

And so had Bes.

Amun smiled to himself, mind reverting back to Bailey. She had a mixture of both her parents' personalities running through her.

She was beautiful, caring, intelligent and curious like her mother. Like her father she took important matters in her life to heart, as well as being courageous, sarcastic, loyal, and a team player.

It was no wonder why Bes had taken such a quick liking to the young woman.

She was everything that he needed.

Someone to confide in, someone he could discuss topics of great interest and importance with. She was someone who understood the pain of losing a loved one. He didn't want to admit it, but she kept the cruel and heartless man at bay.

It was difficult to determine how long her time here was going to be. It was still unclear what Mahina had planned for the girl. His sister could harm or kill her, or the machine could malfunction and send her back to her proper time. But it was just as likely that none of that would come to pass and she would remain in Ancient Egypt permanently.

Even with those thoughts in mind he knew Bailey being here could drastically alter history. No matter what relationship developed between her and Bes, it was not supposed to happen, for he could vaguely remember that the Pharaoh was supposed to die.

Alone.

With no heirs.

He was not supposed to fall in love for his self-righteousness prohibited him from doing so.

If his fate changed because of Bailey, and if she accepted his hand in holy matrimony, what exactly would happen in the future? To their family and friends back home? Would the future be destroyed or would it prosper? Should they allow this new string of events to take place or should they stop it from happening, allowing the future to continue on as it was supposed to?

He shuddered at the raging amount of questions that plagued his mind, shaking his head to rid himself of the thoughts.

His belief in magic was slowly increasing while his belief for scientific explanation was decreasing. He thought about the prophecy that he and Mahina had stumbled upon a few years prior and wondered if Mahina decided to use that as an excuse to bring the young woman there. After all, it could've been a different woman that was meant to come to that time instead of Bailey.

Did the Egyptian Gods know of what Mahina was going to do? He believed that everything happened for a reason but was this supposed to be their fate? Were they going to die there, in a time not their own, becoming nothing more than a body sealed in a room that people in the future would tamper with and put on display?

Woman of a distant land. Shall bring tranquility and harmony. From Egypt's borders to the Earth's edge. Bringing forth a prosperous and glorious life for all.

He sighed, closing his eyes for a mere moment, determination settling in as he opened the door to the throne room.

His mind was set. He was going to make a new destiny for all of them.

No matter the cost of his decision.