If my calculations are correct, PZB was the 300th reviewer....love ya! :) Also thanks go out to Linser, Mija, Tigerwolf, Seletha, Jeebis (love you:), TGG14, jj, Sare, Marrokinhas, Alli, MBooker, Dylan (I wish someone would take my finals for me, lol! btw, loved your review!:), DancinEvy, Craklyn (very impressive!:), Angel Ruse, Kat, and Katie...
Kat...I don't remember how I came up with the name Achsu-rai (I do remember how the title of the story came about...it was from a lecture I went to on finding fulfillment in your career...inspiration comes from strange places!:)...I think Achsu-rai's name was just sort of a trial and error process of putting random syllables together, and voila! The perfect guy was born! Well, not perfect...things are gonna start to go downhill in a little while...I mean, look at the summary! But in the meantime, this chapter consists mostly of fluffy romantic nonsense (plus a bit of TM references for fun:). These two deserve a bit of happiness! Think of it as the calm before the storm...*grins evilly* Now here's a nice, long chapter for ya...enjoy...;)
Chapter 15
The Cost of a Glance
"Do you have a sweater or something? It can get pretty cold outside at night."
"But I'm not even supposed to leave my room--"
"You're also not supposed to have an affair with the leader of the Medjai. What's one more rule broken?" Achsu-rai took Nefertiri's hand and pulled her out the door. "Come on, it's getting late already."
"Where are we going? What's in that bag?"
"Impatient, aren't we? You'll see."
They made their way past the watchful eye of Tahir. Apparently he did know, after all, Nefertiri thought.
"I didn't see you in court this morning," said Achsu-rai. "Where were you?"
"I didn't feel very good. Nobody notices when I'm gone, anyway."
He gave her a wink and her heart melted yet again. "I notice."
Suddenly he turned left into a dark hallway that she did not recognize. Achsu-rai placed his hand on a nondescript tile that was inlaid into the pattern of the wall. With only slight pressure the wall began to move backwards, revealing itself to be a hidden door. Nefertiri gasped. "What is this?" she asked.
"It's a secret passageway, what else? We use it if we need to get your father to safety."
"And for late night trysts with lovers, as well?"
"Of course."
They stepped into the darkened corridor, Achsu-rai lighting a torch as they walked deeper and deeper into the darkness. The hallway was plain, constructed with nothing more than mud and bricks. The dirt-lined floor crept into gloom, and if Nefertiri listened very carefully, she thought she could hear the scurrying of rats and scarabs in those shadowy corners.
None too soon, they emerged from the corridor and suddenly stood at the edge of nothing. The desert stretched out before them in a rolling tapestry of sand, and the black sky soared equally as infinitely above their heads. Stars poked through the shade of the night, the moon glowing cheerily down at civilization as Achsu-rai spread a few blankets onto the sand.
"I thought it might be nice to get out of the palace."
"Achsu-rai, this is perfect. You're so wonderful."
"I know," he said with a grin as they cuddled close together underneath the blankets, using each other for warmth as the chill of the dark descended around them.
"I love the night," said Nefertiri.
"So do I," he replied, concentrating more on the trail of kisses he had started down her neck than on her words.
"No, silly, I mean the sky. The stars. They're so perfect. A thousand years from now, we'll still be looking at the same patterns in the sky. Do you think man will be around a thousand years from now?"
"Without a doubt," he mumbled.
"Do you think we'll be together in a thousand years?"
"Absolutely."
"I was asking a serious question, Achsu-rai."
"And I gave a serious answer. Life would be absolutely unbearable without you. We must always be together; fate would not play such a cruel trick on us."
"But how will you recognize me?"
"Because you will be the most beautiful creature I have ever seen," he said, propping himself up on one elbow. "Any goddesses I may encounter will wilt in comparison to your radiance. You will rescue me from a life of drudgery and monotony, perhaps from the jaws of death itself, for life without you is clearly not life at all. That is how I will know."
"Love at first sight, then?"
"I will be helpless to your charms, my phoenix."
"And how will I recognize you?"
"Well, I will already know it's you, so it will be but a matter of time before I convince you that I am your one true love. I don't see how you could resist."
"You are too sure of yourself, Achsu-rai."
"You don't believe me? Fine. I shall give you a kiss, and then you will know it's me."
"How rude of you, we've never met."
"Forgive me in advance, then."
"Did you love me the first time you saw me?"
"No."
"Oh," Nefertiri said, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice. "When was it, then?"
"It was the first night of the festival. You caught my eye from all the way across the room, just for a moment. It was just a fleeting glance, like always. But that glance was the first time I looked into your soul. There was more to that one look than every other time I'd ever seen the precious princess. I saw you, Nefertiri, for the first time."
"One glance, and you were gone?"
"Completely."
"Took you long enough to realize it."
Achsu-rai placed his forehead against hers, savoring her touch as though his heart knew their time together was drawing short. "I just hope we don't pay for the cost of that glance with our lives."
"It's going to be okay," she whispered. "We just have to believe."
That was just it, Achsu-rai reflected. When he was with her, everything was okay. Nefertiri was the sunlight, she was what made life tolerable in these uncertain times. It was only when she was not with him, when they were apart, that a terrible sense of apprehension settled over the Medjai's thoughts like a dark cloud. It was then that he allowed himself to fear for the future.
Nefertiri awoke to see a pair of blue eyes staring intently down at her. "Sleep well?" they asked, and she responded by kissing him lightly on the lips, still too drowsy to form words. "We have to get back," he continued. "It's almost light out, and Tahir can only make so many excuses for you."
"Mmm hmm," she responded, allowing him to help her to her feet, then watching as he shook the sand from the blankets and folded them up. He then took her hand and they walked back to the hidden door, making their way through the passageway in the cool morning air. They walked slowly, as they always did when they had to part at the end of their journey, so as to extend their time together. Nefertiri leaned against Achsu-rai, breathing in his scent. When he was away the mere minutes seemed to stretch into hours, and since she was never sure when she'd see him again, she always took extra care to remember the details when he left. It was the only way she got through those insufferable days.
They reluctantly detached from each other as they emerged from the passage, walking a respectable distance from each other down the hallway so as not to produce suspicion in anyone they happened to pass. We're getting quite good at hiding this, mused Nefertiri. It's almost too easy, anymore...
That morning the palace seemed virtually empty, and Achsu-rai reached out across the span of the hallway to take Nefertiri's hand. He kissed it, drawing her closer to him as they continued to walk. She knew she should pull away, walk in the opposite direction...someone might see them. But she didn't, she simply decided to be grateful for these extra few minutes of closeness. Every minute with Achsu-rai was blessed, and she didn't intend to relinquish a single one.
That didn't stop her stomach from somersaulting painfully into her throat as a figure rounded the corner up ahead. Achsu-rai innocently stepped away from her, already rehearsing in his head an excuse for being so close to the princess...but it was only Khalil who hurried toward them. Achsu-rai's relief quickly turned to concern, however, as Khalil neared him. If he didn't know better, Khalil almost looked as though he were about to cry.
"What's wrong, Khalil? What's happened?"
"Achsu-rai, he--he's asking for you."
"Who?"
Khalil's voice cracked as he answered. "Father."
~*~*~*~
Whew. And we are approximately halfway done with the story, chapter-wise. Don't worry, there's still A LOT to come! Hahahahhahahahahahhaha......
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