SIXTY-FOUR

Rose slowly closed her eyes when the sand storm blew over her, but they fluttered back open when she realized that someone was holding her and freeing her from the thorns.

Her father gently took the covering cloth over himself and placed it on her to protect her from the dust, then carried her back to the palace.

He took them to the very large, indoor living space a few days later, after Rose's injuries had properly been treated, but didn't face them.

Rose then said,"Before you say anything, it was my idea, I dragged them into this, please punish..."

"...all of us..."Ruby said,"... because we agreed to it."

He turned back and they saw the tears in his eyes as he asked,"How could I punish you when I'm just glad to have you back safe and sound?"

Rose was confused as he gently picked her up and placed her on the couch, besides Ruby and Lucille, knelt down and said with utmost sincerity,"Please, don't ever do something like that to me again."

"You've trapped us in the middle of the desert and expect us never to want freedom?"She asked.

"I know exactly how you feel, because I've felt this way before but trust me when I say, it gets better, but I just need you three to trust me."

"And why on earth would we trust you after all you've done?!"Lucille asked.

"... because I'm your father."

"No you aren't, stop saying that! Luis is my dad!"

He stood up with a smirk, then said,"Maybe, but not for much longer."

Then he left.

Rose didn't know if it was sheer luck, karma or a miracle but he didn't disown, torture or kill her, but she was just glad to be reunited with Ruby and Lucille.

People gossiped about how soft the Pharaoh had become because of those girls as he slowly walked amongst them with a stern look on his face, then a flash of red shone in his eyes, before his lips cracked into a grin.

He walked into a room where a woman was touching a man's bare torso all around and laughing.

The man, chained to a chair demanded the woman know her place and back off, then said to the Pharaoh,"Sir, I was only doing my job, the girl would have escaped if I hadn't done what I did."

The Pharaoh bent to his level and whispered in his ear,"And you wouldn't have the utmost honour if I didn't do what I did..."

The Pharaoh slowly walked off as a clear liquid was poured onto the man's skin, eating into it like fire, the ortho diethynyl benzene dianion burning him as he screamed and the woman laughed in Glee.

The Pharaoh then called,"Kitten, to me."

She came to him and held his hand, slowly touching him as he said,"It's only a week and a half till the Ra's sun barge will be devoured by the great serpent ..., make sure no one interferes."

She giggled sweetly then grinned while saying,"I'll make their journey to the scales of Anubis hurt, and hurt a lot..."

***

The private jet landed at the nearest suitable airport to the palace, which for some reason had not starred in even one documentary.

We went most of the way by Jeep and when we were close enough for surveillance, but not enough to be seen, we put on our gear and went over the plan one more time,' I was to provide tech support and inside help, Lucy was to rescue the girls and Luis and Mack were to stand guard, in case something...or someone, unwanted appeared.

We had to go in and out unnoticed and quickly, so we first sent a spy drone to survey which angles were the least guarded from which we could get in most safely.

Within the palace, several beautiful women in loose clothing were attending to the half naked Pharaoh as his eyes were closed and his lips grinning.

One of them licked his cheek then he looked into her eyes, but another turned him to face her, but yet another, whose passion for him went past the limit, kissed him on the lips.

All the women gasped as he looked at her with a serious expression and fear gripped her heart, till he grinned and pulled her closer then asked,"Do you want more?"

She nodded silently and all the others stood up and walked to stand by the walls and greenery as he satisfied himself to the lady.

She panted happily as he pulled back and said,"I've got duties to perform."

"Oh can't you miss your duties for one day?"She asked in Ancient Egyptian.

"I am the king."

"And as king, you could be the bad boy whenever you want to."

He chuckled as she kissed him, then he stood up and buttoned his trousers, then said,"Get out."

She began hyperventilating, she shouldn't have spoken against him.

The red glow in his eyes became brighter as she sped off, then he slowly lifted his head as there was a scream and a loud cackling, before he dismissed all the women and walked into his quarters, with Kitten right behind him.

There, she assisted him to dress in his royal attire, his skin was first smeared with lotion and Kitten enjoyed every point she touched as she slowly massaged his refined muscles.

She began to dress him up and began with a shendyt kilt, placed on his golden fibre, linen and jewel covered belt, with the lion's tail on the side, then she went up and put on his golden shoulder plates, with a leopard skin cloak over his shoulders and golden bracelets adorned with dioptase and tanzanite on his fore and lower arms.

She finally put on his neme headdress and his beard wig, then slowly moved her hand down his shoulders as he kept a straight face, then he stood up to leave.

She walked behind him as he met his entourage and there he stood, like the Pharaoh he was.

He walked out of the room, while maids littered his path with rose petals and scented it with incense or fanned or shaded him, while his guards walked by his sides.

He got into the court, where his workers were preparing everything for the day of the eclipse, when he stretched out his arms and said,"Hear me o Egypt..."

The people all stopped what they were doing and crowded in front of him, trampling over each other just to hear a note of his powerful voice as he continued,"In the beginning, was nothing but a vast premodial ocean and from it, arose Benben, the pyramid of Ra's origin. A lotus flower bloomed from this pyramid and from it emerged a scarab, the great sun god Ra. Ra brought forth the millennials Shu, god of the air, and his wife; Tefnot, goddess of the rain. Shu knew his wife and begot Osiris, Seth and their respective wives Isis and Neth. Why am I saying this as you all know the story of how we came to be? Because it is the story of how I came to be, I, Anubis, Pharaoh and god of the living and the dead, have ruled over you for five decades and now, I will bring forth the rest of my family to rule over you, my wife; Anput and daughter, Kebechet, Ra's reign ended millennia ago, and so did that of Horus, it is time for Anubis to rule."

As he finished speaking, some scribal priests walked to him and placed a helmet in the shape of a black jackal above his head and a smooth and shiny coat of black hair formed all over his body, as a long tail protruded from within his kilt and his nails elongated by about two inches, then it spoke...with its lips moving,"In ten days, when the sun is darkened and the morning is delayed, we shall all witness, the birth of a new transcendent, my one and only daughter; Kebechet, and Kemet shall rise again!"

There was a roar of cheers from the crowds and I asked,"Are you guys seeing this?!"

"Those are some wicked special effects."Lucy said.

"Those aren't special effects Lucy..."Mack said with a frown,"...this is real..."