Chapter 819: Mysterious Egypt (part two)

"What's the next step?" Belinda looked at him with confusion in her eyes. She was in awe of this charming man. Her heart fluttered.

"You dumb blonde, it's sex," Duke said as he smiled at her. He didn't give her the time to let the words sink in and kissed her on the lips. Belinda, of course, knew what the wedding night would entail, but did not expect everything to happen so soon. She did not expect him to be so straightforward about it. Panicking, she looked back at him with wide eyes.

Duke was not in a rush. He caressed her first and eased her into the feeling. As he knew, Belinda never wore a bra after her baths. Duke moved his hands under her lingerie and stroked her body, arousing her.

Belinda breathed hard as she slowly closed her eyes. She responded to his zeal, kissing him back fervently. She bloomed as she matched his every movement. His obvious desire was like successive tidal waves that ambushed her each time. They lost themselves in each other.

Outside, the river Nile rippled in earnest. As their passions grew, the stars outside the window twinkled brightly. It was the beginning of a journey of deep, soul-binding love.

People loved dawn because it stood for hope and indicated the beginning of the day. The night had exhausted Duke and Belinda. The couple was still asleep when the first rays of the sun peeked through the opening in the curtains.

Belinda was the first one to open her eyes. The excitement of traveling this enchanting country was still present on her mind. However, as she gazed at the beautiful face of the man lying beside her, she found herself not wanting to move her eyes away. Her heart was so dominated by his thoughts that there was no room for anything else. That was how love worked. Everything else in the world, no matter how fancy, seemed ordinary in comparison to the person one loved.

She could not imagine surviving if Duke ever left her. Belinda decided she would always value and cherish their relationship. She would treat every single day with him as the last day of her life. There were shrines all over Egypt, as famous as the pyramids. The couple took a boat and followed the coastline of the river Nile. They reached Abu Simbel Shrine and the statue of Ramesses II. It shone brightly in the golden sunshine. After that, they strolled through the crowded open-air bazaar in Cairo and bought gifts for their friends and relatives.

In the evening, they sat together by the Aswan Dam and sipped at their fruity cocktails. Over the rims of their sunglasses, they watched the rivers flow between the jagged rocks. In the red sunset, the tombs of the princes who had been long forgotten could be seen. The scene was as glorious as an eternal dream, just like their love. They did not ever want to wake up from it.

Enchanted by the landscape, Belinda's heart soured. She gazed at Duke with dreamy eyes, looking like an affectionate and shy young girl.

Their vacation to Egypt was free from any disturbance. Their feelings for each other grew intense as they traveled together. They visited the pyramids, looked at ancient Egyptian paintings and walked across mysterious western deserts. There were historical monuments all over the place. They were so in awe of the breathtaking views, that for a while they forgot where they had come from and about their lives back in their own country. As dawn broke, they walked out everyday to explore the streets and returned under the starry sky. Their days were exciting and their nights were full of passion.

"Cleopatra is described as a seductive siren. I wonder if she is more famous for her beauty or her brains?" She said, her head resting against Duke's shoulder. Belinda was fascinated by the legendary woman. There were so many stories about her that she was confused which one was true.

Doesn't matter. The lady saved a dynasty because of her beauty. The rulers of the Roman Empires threw themselves at her feet and were willing to sacrifice everything for her. It is easy to tell she was both smart and beautiful."

Truthfully, Duke was not really interested in the topic. First of all, he was never into history, and secondly, Cleopatra was not his woman. He didn't want to focus on any woman other than Belinda. There was no need for him to know who she was. In any case, there were a lot of rumors regarding Cleopatra with no conclusions.

"What about her death? How do you think she died?" Belinda asked, her mind lingering on the legend of the mysterious ruler. Her death left behind many popular tales for future generations, but also remained a mystery to historians. Belinda had always been curious about her death.

"How can I know? I wasn't even born when Cleopatra lived." Duke joked, wanting this dialogue to come to a close. He was more interested in Egyptian art than some mysterious woman.

"Ugh, Duke. Aren't you wondering at all? It's one of the greatest mysteries!" Belinda threw the clueless man a stern look. Couldn't he just pretend to be interested in the discussion for a moment and share his thoughts?

"I don't bother thinking about a woman with whom I have nothing to do. You know how I am." Duke smiled at her smugly. He barely knew this Cleopatra woman. He didn't want to waste time talking about someone who died many years ago.

"What if I were that woman? Would you guess how I died then?" Belinda looked at him earnestly, curious to know his answer.

"In that case, it would be simple. I won't have to guess the reason at all." Duke gave her an odd look. Was Belinda so absorbed in the Egyptian culture she forgot who she was? Why would she ask such a silly question?

"Why?" Belinda looked at him in confusion. She frowned, wanting to know why he thought so.

"You are alive now. Why would I make guesses about something that hasn't even happened?" Duke smirked at her. It was said that Cleopatra was the mistress of all the poets and hostess to all the revelers of the world. The Romans hated her because she almost turned Rome into a province of Egypt. The Egyptians praised her as a warrior for sustaining twenty-two years of peace in the small country. However, all of her achievements had nothing to do with Duke. So he was not intrigued by her at all.

For a moment, Belinda was at loss for words. She didn't know how to respond. What Duke said indeed made sense. There was no way they could predict the future. But he still hadn't answered her question. Belinda had fallen for his trick to avoid the question.

"Fine. I don't want to argue with you over this topic." Belinda smiled at him indulgently. There was a long way ahead of them. As Duke said, there was no need for her to waste energy on a woman she had nothing to do with. Whether Cleopatra was a sexy siren who lived beside the Nile River or even a snake, she didn't care anymore.

Duke watched her as she smiled. She was so beautiful. For him, Belinda was his Cleopatra for whom he would give up everything. He was sure her smile could beat everything in the world, even Cleopatra. Belinda was the Goddess in his life.