A Cursed Dream

Princess Amunet ran as fast as she could with quick, silent steps across the sand. She stopped for a minute to take off her sandals as they kicked up dust while she ran. She scanned the valley with the grand silhouette of the royal palace, which loomed behind her in the sky, painted in pale pink and gold as dawn broke over the Egyptian landscape. 

The daughter of the great Pharaoh Menkaura was on the run. She did not want this, but her father would disapprove of Seshat. Even though he was a captain of the royal fleet, he was not a royal. Her father said that she was to marry her brother Shepseskaf. Running away was her only option. 

No one was running after her yet. She took off again as fear and excitement rushed through her veins: the fear of being discovered, the fear of the uncertain future, yet the thrill of being free from her golden cage and finally being with the one she loved. 

Her hands trembled as she clutched her small satchel against her chest. It held only a few treasured possessions, the weight of her life reduced to its bare essentials. Seshat warned her not to bring any valuables with her, but she couldn't leave those behind. 

Then, a menacing sight caught her eye—a swirling cloud of sand and dust propelled by the thundering hooves of galloping horses. The royal guards, a formidable force, were hot on her trail. Her heart raced as she approached the harbor, the rhythmic sound of water against the wooden hulls growing louder. Her eyes darted around, desperately seeking a familiar face in the dim light. 

And there, at the end of the dock, she saw her love standing beside the ship, eyes scanning the horizon, a look of worry etched across his features. Amunet's heart was pounding. The weight of what she was doing suddenly pressed on her- leaving her family, her status, the only life she had ever known and sailing into the unknown. But the warmth of his gaze, even from afar, calmed her nerves and drew her forward. 

She took a deep breath, her feet carrying her quickly down the dock. The wood creaked beneath her as she rushed toward him, and finally, their eyes met. Relief flooded his face, and he held out his hand, a nervous smile breaking across his lips. The princess reached for him, her fears momentarily melting away. She knew there was no turning back, but at that moment, she also knew she was exactly where she needed to be. Seshat's face changed as he noticed the cloud of sand. It was coming fast, and it was getting close. He helped her on the ship and told her to run and hide immediately. They were not in the clear yet. He then yelled at his men to get the boat moving right away. Carved from sturdy cedar wood, the ship's sleek hull swiftly cut through the waters. Tiers of elegantly designed oars protruded from the sides, propelling the majestic vessel through the currents at the command of its crew. Seshat's ship was one of many leaving the port to go fishing. 

As their ship glided along the surface, a figure emerged from the shadows, cloaked in the regal attire of a high pharaoh priest. His eyes, twin orbs of obsidian depths, glinted with an otherworldly fervor, an ominous warning of the power he held within his grasp. With a deep voice that resonated with the weight of antiquity and the echoes of countless curses past, the priest raised his arms to the heavens; his gestures charged with a potent blend of malice and mysticism. 

"Behold, I have hacked up the earth, and I shall leash the hounds of Horus. I am the one, the soul of Ra, who guides gods to the Netherworld when they go forth. The souls on earth will do what they desire, and the souls of the dead will go forth at His desire. From this day to the end of time, Amunet and Seshat may never be. And from this curse, they can never flee. Begone from me, O Crooked-lips! I am Khnum, Lord of Shen, who dispatches the words of Ra." The conjuration flowed from his lips like venomous serpents, weaving a dark tapestry of forbidden magic that twisted through the air. With those ominous words, their fate was sealed as the priest's curse took root in the fabric of their beings, an evil force that vowed to separate the doomed lovers apart for all eternity. 

By noon, the ship was traveling west in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. Seshat never traveled past the islands of Keftiyu and Tinayu and always wondered how far the sea reached. The young captain stood at the ship's bow and smiled to himself. Today was the beginning of a new chapter in his life. He was going to be with the woman he loved while also exploring new frontiers. His smile disappeared as he looked at the horizon and noticed dark clouds gathering. He turned swiftly and warned his crew to be alert. 

A swell of nausea rose within Amunet like the tumultuous storm gathering strength on the distant horizon. The sea, which was a source of her freedom a few hours ago, now seemed to turn with a hostile energy that seeped into her bones. A cold sweat glistened on her brow as she clutched to the cedar walls, a futile attempt to anchor herself against the relentless dance of the ship upon the rolling waves.

With a sudden violent heave, Amunet was overcome by a wave of vertigo that sent her staggering backward, her world spinning in disorienting spirals of disarray. The acrid taste of bile rose in her throat, a bitter reminder of her body's betrayal in the face of the relentless motion of the sea. The young princess collapsed to her knees as the wood beneath her feet seemed to shift and move like a living thing. As she crawled slowly to her bed, a sense of isolation and despair washed over her. She could no longer rely on servants to help her or guards to protect her. 

By the third day, Seshat was distraught. Since the day they sailed, an insidious sickness gripped Amunet, and it was not letting go. This was not just seasickness; it was something more grave. Her breath now came in shallow, ragged gasps, each intake a struggle that gnawed at her from within. Her body was frail, and with each passing moment, her strength waned. She could not eat. Her body felt hotter than the rays of Ra. He could not do anything but stay next to her, hold her hand, and listen in agony to her labored breathing in a melancholy symphony of life and decay. 

At full speed, they were still a day and a half away from the nearest port. Amunet's breaths grew faint as the ship sailed on, her pulse a feeble echo of the vibrant tempo that once animated her. A solitary tear traced a silvery path down her cheek. Her body was tired. She couldn't fight anymore and realized she would not make it. Her dream of spending the rest of her life with Seshat ended before it started. 

She tightened her grasp on Seshat's hand and asked him to help her up. She wanted to get some fresh air. Seshat did not want her to exert a lot of energy, so he lifted her outside, and she smiled faintly. The wind felt delightful. In that fleeting moment of peace, her eyes held a haunting beauty, a reflection of a spirit poised on the threshold between life and death. The princess's breaths grew fainter. In the arms of her love, she surrendered herself to the gentle embrace of the ocean's eternal song. 

A few hours later, Seshat stood alone at the edge of the deck. His face was hollow, grief carved deep into his features, and his eyes were bloodshot from weeping. The sea below churned softly, black and endless, like the void inside him. He couldn't believe that she was gone. He could still hear her voice echo in the wind. He glanced at the horizon and whispered her name. Then, without hesitation, he jumped into the dark water below.