Stars blinked down upon the palace corridor. Gods carved out of granite sat against the wall with their various animal heads gazing out through the pillars and down into the great city of Thebes. The night lay still upon the land. Not even a breeze rustled the air.
A pale figure darted around the corner, her long, wavy white hair flying behind her. In the quiet her breath came out in loud gasps, and no one would be surprised if even the stone gods stopped their steady gaze to watch in alarm.
No sooner had the maiden appeared when a dark skin man tore around the corner after her, his exotic, multi-colored hair his most striking characteristic. He wore little more than she did: an off-white, dress-like robe of linen.
"Please! Wait!" he cried. "It's only me, please! For the love of Isis!"
For a moment, it seemed like she had chosen to ignore him. But, reluctantly, she slowed to a halt, her slender, pale legs trembling like a fawn's in the faint glow of the many stars. As the man approached she turned on him. Tears glimmered on her flushed cheeks.
"Don't ask anymore of me. You know I don't belong here."
"You belong with me." he panted, approaching her cautiously. "Please, I love you. Stay, I beg of you."
She hugged herself as though to protect herself from his words. "No. This isn't my time, you know that. I...I don't even know how I came here. Don't ask such from me."
The young man's red-violet eyes sparked with a light she had come to associate with an undefeatable intention. "No, I will ask such from you. Marry me. I will make you my queen-you'll never want for anything."
She snorted, wet and clogged with tears. "Aren't pharaohs suppose to be famous for having many wives and concubines? I couldn't live through that anyways."
"Where in the world did you hear that? Is this something people have concocted from your time? Honestly, why can't you believe me?"
"Because I've seen otherwise." Her expression darkened. The tears on her face had stopped and begun to dry, and she faced him now with a solid determination to match even his. Perhaps, if he challenged her to a Shadow Game, it would be quite a match to behold.
The Pharaoh fell to his knees. This surprised her. And he didn't stop there, but fell to his hands until his forehead practically touched the floor. The pale beauty bit her lip. This wasn't right. This man was made to stand before gods without flinching and now he bowed to her, a mere mortal. Her heart trembled.
"I beg of you with every fiber of my being-please! Stay! You don't have to marry me if you don't want to but don't leave me here alone, without you."
The silence of the night filled in the broken space between them. Her doe like legs were trembling more than ever and she staggered back while lifting a hand to him. Her blue eyes quivered on him prostrated before her on the floor, his millennium puzzle poking out by his shoulder.
Her resolve wavered. But, she shook her head, looking out at the clear, unpolluted sky.
"I'm sorry, Atem," she murmured, "But...I don't belong here...and I can't trust you as much as I would like. Besides, now that I've found a chance to get home, who knows if it will be my last. I don't know what will happen, but I have to try it at least."
He looked up just in time to watch her dash out between pillars, white hair flared behind her like wings, and leap over the edge, eyes to the sky and something shining in the palm of her hand. The stars seemed to flash, drowning the Pharaoh and the many god statues in brilliant light. He called out for her, crying her name until his voice had grown hoarse. Long after the light had died away he still felt blind as tears filled up his eyes. The uncaring gaze of the gods watched as their chosen son crumpled at their feet, his hands racking through his thick, spiky hair.
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