Alright here is a flashback like I said I'd put. This is to explain the past lives and how they tie into the present. You will finally know who Layla is and why Imhotep hates her. If it is choppy, I'm sorry but it is more of a dream really. More will go into depth as the story continues.
Oh and while I normally put Ancient Egyptian in Italics I won't for this chapter since it's a flashback.
Chapter Nine: Never Be the Same Again
Layla's bright eyes stared in wonder at the statues of the great Goddess Isis. She couldn't imagine how this would now be her life. Her father had passed and been buried only a week ago. The Pharaoh once hearing that his old friend had passed sent for his sole child, his daughter. When he heard that she had the gift of sight he made sure she found a place in the Temple of Isis.
"This here is where we make our offerings to the Goddess." Layla looked up at the older Priestess Meri. Layla looked at the limestone stairs that led to a large statue of the Goddess who was sitting on a throne.
"Down this hall will be your chambers. You are to never have a male in here unless he is your guard not even the Pharaoh himself, is allowed in here. Now Layla you are to take a vow of purity with this job. As the seer you could lose your gift if you lay with a man. We cannot have that now, can we?" Meri asked as she eyed the girl. Layla shook her head as she peeked into the chamber and saw what would now be her home. In all of her thirteen years she never imagined she would become a Priestess to Isis, yet alone the seer!
"Now your guard had been previously assigned before your arrival. Ahmose was, handpicked by the Pharaoh himself for your protection. You may also see that his son Amun is shadowing him; Amun is, being trained to take over for his father. So for now you will have two guards." Layla nodded weakly as two men came into the main chamber, it was quite obvious that they were father and son. The men showed signs of being of Greek decent with pale skin, blue eyes and blonde curls. She knew it was wrong but she felt her heart flutter at the sight of the younger man, he had a warm smile.
"This is Ahmose and his son, Amun. Captain this is Layla." Meri said with a motherly smile. Layla fought a blush when Amun gave her a wink when his father and Meri weren't looking.
-EIGHT YEARS LATER-
Layla smiled at the sight of her guard walking into her chambers. The two had been secretly lovers for a few months now and the two were never happier.
"Amun, I was beginning to think you would never come inside. Today has been a long day…so many people were asking what the Goddess had to say, more so than usual." She said with a sigh as her lover began to massage her sore shoulders and neck.
"Be grateful you hide your face behind the golden mask, if they saw your beauty then they would come in large masses every day." She laughed as she looked up at her lover. He always knew how to make her smile. She pulled him towards her by the golden necklace he wore and kissed him softly.
"The other Medjai are saying that the Pharaoh is planning to take a new wife. And that she is Nefertiri's weapons instructor." Layla's eyes grew wide as she looked up at her lover.
"Anck-Su-Namun? Surely you are joking, please tell me you are joking Amun…her?" Her lover frowned and shook his head whispering it was true.
"Perhaps the wedding is the distraction we need, you can tell the Pharaoh you need to visit the Great Temple of Isis…and then in secret, have—"She glared at her lover for a moment in frustration.
"AMUN! You must never say that aloud! If someone heard you, you could be executed. You know our love is forbidden. If word gets out of this…" she said as she took her lover's hand and placed it on her stomach lovingly. "Who knows what would happen!" She said with a tired sigh, looking up into her lover's blue eyes.
A week had gone by and the Pharaoh had announced that Anck-Su-Namun was to be his new bride; Layla couldn't believe it was true. The Princess had come to her with even more shocking news however.
"High Priestess…I have suspicions about my father's bride-to-be. I fear she has been with another." Layla tilted her head looking at the princess' suspicion.
"What has made you think this Princess?" She was rather curious, she may be the seer and the High Priestess but she was still human.
"I saw her and another give looks that seemed…" Layla could see that the Princess was scared to say the wrong thing; even a princess could face the wrath of the Pharaoh.
"I will speak with the Pharaoh. If this is true, then it must first be proven. Surely the Great Goddess Isis would not approve. Once the evidence has been, revealed then actions can later be made. Until then, all I can tell you Princess is that only the Gods can decide their fates." Her words seemed to ease the Princess who nodded and bowed to the High Priestess before she left. It was times like this that Layla needed her own guidance and advice, but perhaps to prevent this from becoming a problem she could tell the Pharaoh that the Gods deemed it fit that Anck-Su-Namun was to be painted, as a precaution.
After the Pharaoh had taken her advice on painting his bride-to-be, Layla had never been so disturbed. It had soon been revealed who Anck-Su-Namun's lover was; Layla had never imagined that the High Priest of Osiris would be her lover.
"Imhotep! You have defied the Gods! Touching the Pharaoh's bride! How could you?!" She screamed as she glared at the man who was attempting to flee, Amun was beside her with his weapon raised. The two lovers were completely shocked that the High Priest and his own lover had murdered the Pharaoh.
"Same way you defied the Goddess, you had laid with your so-called guard! Are you not carrying his child?" Layla glared at the man as she stepped in front of her lover.
"You will be accountable for what you did!" Before she could say another word Imhotep had given a look to someone over her shoulder and Amun let out a scream. She spun around to see her lover with a knife in his back, one of Imhotep's priests had stabbed him. "AMUN! NOO!" She screamed as the men fled leaving her with her lover in her arms.
"I will find you a-again…mark my words my Priestess, I will find a way to you again." He said as he took his last breath in her arms.
Nerissa woke with a gasp, the dream she had seemed so real! And the man in her dream, Amun had looked just like Jacob Henderson, the only rational explanation she had for the dream was the heat and her not so secret attraction to the man.
"Nerissa? What were you dreaming about? You were calling out in Ancient Egyptian. Are you alright?" Nerissa turned to see Evy with a concerned look on her face.
"Nothing…I was just…I need air." She said as she pulled on her boots and walked out of the room and onto the deck of the ferry taking them back to Cairo. With a tired and frustrated sigh she roamed the decks until she reached the rear of the boat. She saw a lone figure leaning against the rails, she made sure to make more noise as she jumped down the last step leading towards the man.
"Hey there, you as anxious to get home as I am?" The figure said as he turned, revealing that it was Henderson.
"Y-yeah…" She stuttered as he looked at her reminding her of the dream she just had near minutes ago. His usual flirtatious wink wasn't helping her in the slightest.
"So about that story…whatever happened to those people?" He asked making her eyes widen and her blush deepen.
"I-uhh…well Layla and Amun the two lovers, I think they were going to have a child. But the High Priest found out. I think the High Priest was the creature that the man was talking about." She said looking into his eyes. What could it mean that the man looked just like Henderson? She could hear her father in her head saying; always look into things for yourself. She made a silent vow to herself to find out more about the tale of the two lovers and why she was having dreams about them.
I swear this was much longer! Sorry if it's not the best, I suppose it's more of a filler chapter. And I am also sorry it was so late I had a lot going on; including a computer crash or two and I had to rewrite it. I will try to update ASAP but with school being my number one priority it may sadly be awhile. Plus I will have to re-watch the movie since it's been awhile. I hope you can not only forgive me but also keep following this story because the chapters that follow this will be better I swear!