Prologue-"Star-Crossed Lovers"
Egypt, 1523 B.C.
The temple grounds were extremely quiet and ominous, as if foreboding that something horrible was about to happen. In the shadows of the mighty stone columns, a young woman strode. She was in her early teens, and dressed in the purest and finest of Egyptian linen. She was extremely beautiful, her long ebony hair falling in half-braided, half-curled tendrils down her back and around her shoulders. A delicate golden ankh amulet, encrusted with the extremely rare rain topaz gems, glittered on her chest, reflecting the full lunar moon. There was none other like it in Egypt.
Two layers of cloth surrounded her body. The thicker linen, curved around her body in all the right places, like that of a second skin. The thinner, sheer Egyptian cotton, covered the first, flowing around her body like elegant liquid in the wind. Her skin was unblemished and pure, her full lips as crimson as the valley rose, and her green-blue eyes sparkled, the black kohl and golden powder accented them perfectly. However, a great sadness filled them, a sorrow that was too great for words.
If anyone had seen her, they would have recognized her immediately, for not only did she look like royalty, but that was exactly what she was…
Princess Naia walked silently into the main temple of her patron goddess, Isis. It was the middle of the night, so the temple was completely empty. Slowly, she made her way to the alter in front of the statue of the almighty goddess.
Naia went to her knees, and just sat silently praying in front of the deity. The tears were still coming down her face, even though they had started up over an hour ago. She shook her head—no, that wasn't true. The tears had started two years ago, when her beloved was stolen from her by the Lord of the Dead's ruthless collectors.
She often came here to find comfort in the eyes of the goddess, to find some sort of reason to go on living. But after tonight, she knew there was no reason…
No one else could fill the hole left by the death of her beloved. She had been closer to him then even his parents and friends. They could cry their tears, and try to go on with their lives. For her, the tears consumed her. She loved only him, and he had become her. So much a part, that now that he was gone, it was like stripping her of all her essence.
She wished that she could have even been consoled by the idea of meeting him again in the afterlife. But she knew that was impossible. He had been murdered, coldly and without mercy. The soul of one who has had his life unjustly taken from him by another, is doomed to roam the earth until it can exact its revenge in kind. Her beloved would never find peace, and neither would she—unless…
She lifted up her left hand.
Clutched within her small manicured hand, a long, keen dagger shined in the moonlight.
The edge was still dark brown, stained with her beloved's blood. She had stolen it from his shrine with only one purpose in mind. With this, she could help him find peace, and not just him, but herself as well…
Taking the hilt in both hands, she held the blade inward, towards her. As she looked at the dagger's keen point, she oddly didn't feel any fear. She was actually, kind of—happy.
She called out into the night, praying earnestly, "Great Isis, Queen of Heaven, Mother of the Gods, The One Who is All, Lady of Green Crops, The Brilliant One in the Sky, Star of the Sea, Great Lady of Magic—I plea to you! Help me to save the one I love with all my heart and mind. I give you my spirit to do with as you will, just let me be with him. That is all I ask!"
Now that she had finished her plea, she could only hope with all her being, that the great goddess would answer her prayers.
With a quieter voice, like that of a whisper, she said, "All I do, I do because of my love for you, my beloved—Rapses."
With these final words, she lifted the dagger high above her head—before plunging it, to the hilt, into her stomach!
She fell to ground, instantly feeling the life ebb away from her. The pain was great, but she was more content than she had been in the last two years. Now the dagger connected her to him forever. It had passed through his stomach, just as it had hers. It had pierced through his back, just as it did hers. And now that she had taken her own life, her spirit would also roam the earth. She was free. Free to search for eternity, for her love. And she would not rest—not until she had found him…
Her hand slowly slinked to the floor, and her beautiful skin went cold.
Naia, Princess of the Nile and Future Queen of Egypt, was dead.
The winds swirled around her body, rippling the pool of blood surrounding her, and making her translucent gown flutter in the wind.
The great statue of Isis stood silent—all except its eyes! Only slight a first, and then building into a crescendo, bright blue light issued from the goddess' stone eyes.
A soft, distinctly female voice came through on the breeze, quieter than any whisper:
Your love is pure.
It will endure.
Time can no longer conquer you,
For your unbending faith never need renew.
I give you power and protection.
When you look, you'll see my reflection.
Your vessel will bear my name,
Our faces will be the same.
You have given your all,
And you shall have your heart's desire.
You will be tested, but not fall,
When you go through red rain and blue fire.
I am Queen of Heaven,
But you have more power than I.
Two royal hearts intertwined once again,
Are enough to overturn the sea and sky.
The blue light in the statue's eyes, shot out and hit the amulet on the dead princess' chest. All of the jewels suddenly sparkled with an inner light, and the gold glowed like never before.
Then, the light disappeared, just as swift as it had come. The winds ceased, the temple became once again quiet. The statue looked as it always did, and only the Naia's body, changed the scene from how it had always been.
That—and the amulet…
It still held its supernatural glow. The jewels, like the rain, became like a prism, reflecting the light and warmth ofa heart—the heart that had once been its human bearer's, and now-- it possessed.