Heather cried herself to sleep as she lay in her bed; her pillow was now soaked in tears. She hoped that no dreams would come to her this time; she didn't think that she could handle any of them now. Ardeth watched over her sitting in the chair by her bed, he wished he could prevent her anymore suffering. All he could do was gently tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. Heather stirred slightly from the touch, and then smiled drifting off into another dream of her past. Ardeth saw she was dreaming again, and he couldn't help but think of long ago into his past life as well. He rarely thought of it, but now it was time to do so again.
Ardeth watched from his place at the palace, his shift was almost over as a guard for the night. It was his honor to guard over the Pharaoh and the palace itself, yet tonight he was not working as a guard. He simply walked the gardens enjoying the peace after such a long day of standing still. As he watched in the garden, he saw Ancksunamun walking the pathway. She was beautiful and Ardeth could barely keep from looking at her. He knew she'd come from the same village, and he had grown up with her. Now she was the lover of a pharaoh, and Ardeth wasn't even a thought in her mind. He probably hadn't been a thought to her for a very long time now. Ardeth had left his childhood home for training a long time ago.
Ancksunamun walked the garden pathway passing the time before she could see Imhotep. She loved him more than she had ever loved anyone, and yet she couldn't be with him yet. The pharaoh had forbidden it by loving her as well. Ancksunamun had never been given a choice in the matter, and that killed her inside. Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed someone else in the garden. She was surprised to recognize the warrior, a guard she had known a long time ago. He had been her childhood friend until he left to work at the palace. Ancksunamun had cried for days when he left, she thought she'd never see him again. When she did see him again however, she was too shy to ever talk to him again.
The night was beautiful and did not keep her from noticing his gaze. It made her turn her gaze away slightly. She sat down on the bench outside in view of Imhotep's balcony. Waiting patiently for him, yet she thought of Ardeth. Why had his gaze made her turn away, she was more powerful than any guard was? Perhaps after all this time she had not forgotten her childhood friend. He was a man now, and that was obvious by his appearance. Ancksunamun had never doubted her love to Imhotep, but seeing Ardeth again made her question her loyalty. Ancksunamun began to doubt what Imhotep had planned for tonight. It could very well lead Ardeth to kill her, and Ancksunamun knew Ardeth was forever loyal to Egypt.
Ardeth watched silently as he saw Ancksunamun wait for Imhotep and burned with a secret jealously. He knew she was waiting for Imhotep, everyone else seemed not to notice but he still could. Even though he knew, how could he ever protect her from Imhotep when she wanted to be with him? He remained there in the garden until late in the night, and until he had to go back to guarding the palace. He was a dedicated guard and found that he loved working for the Pharaoh of Egypt. That night he found himself rushing up the steps to Imhotep's balcony to rescue his very Pharaoh. He stopped as Imhotep was dragged away Ancksunamun showing her such heartache that a knife plunged into her body denying her pharaoh her soul in the Underworld.
Heather tossed and turned in her sleep gasping when she sat up in bed. She was now fully awake and glanced around the room. Her stomach ached from the pain of her dream, yet it remained oddly cloudy to her towards the end of it. Her eyes stung from the tears drying, and then she saw Ardeth sitting down next to her bed. His presence startled her, and it made her a little more comfortable knowing someone was there with her. She knew what he was doing there, but couldn't think of any other way to break the silence."What are you doing here." Ardeth took a breath before speaking to her. "I thought you could use a friend. Judging from how you woke up I'd say you do." Heather looked down, she didn't want to be angry with him for simply being right.
"I...I could use a friend right now...thank you." Ardeth got up fetching a basin of water and a washcloth from the bathroom. Heather noticed what he had at a loss as to why, she was still a curious person."What's that for?" Heather watched him curious as to what he would do, and how he'd react to all her constant questions. "It's for your eyes, if they hurt. The salt from your tears must sting, and I'd thought it'd simply help." Ardeth sat next to her on the bed picking up the washcloth. "Thank you, they do hurt a little bit still. You're not as bad as the others are lately." Ardeth smiled slightly the first time in awhile and began to wipe her eyes with the damp cloth.
Heather caught his wrist gently as he started to get up. She wished so much to keep him near her, and she couldn't explain directly why. Ardeth looked at Heather for a moment, his skin felt on fire from her touch. For a moment he could hear his heart speed up just from her touch. Heather noticed the look in his eyes and tried to break the sudden silence."I had a strange dream again." Ardeth put the basin down, but stayed there near her wanting to help. "What would you like to know? I'd feel better if I can help you somehow." Heather looked up into his eyes studying them; she looked for something she still saw there after all this time from her dream. Heather began to wonder if a past life was any different from the current one.
Heather looked back down at the bed, but the words slipped out of her mouth."You were...you were there..all this time you've known?" Ardeth nodded slowly still looking at Heather, he couldn't lie to her now. A part of him was happy that she knew the truth, yet part of him wondered exactly what she knew. There was an obvious change in her, and her eyes showed it each time she seemed to look at him. Ardeth's voice was soft, as if he didn't want to scare her. "Yes I've known, but wanted you to discover it on your own." Heather looked down slowly and gathered Ardeth's hands gently in her own. The gesture was one she felt she had done before, but never had. It made her ask the question she had been debating ever since she woke from her dream.
"Do you still care as you did then for me?" Ardeth was caught off guard by the question, and was unsure what to say. He still felt for her the way he had then, if not even more so. Living an entirely new life from the past had taught him some kinds of people were invaluable. However, there was the warrior inside him. He was not to interfere with her fate, her destiny, and yet part of him wanted to influence her choice. Ardeth knew he was her friend, and that was the hardest part of their destiny together. He chose his answer carefully, trying not to interfere with any destiny."Heather...you will always be a queen to me. Nothing will change that."
Heather shook her head hearing his response. She had so many more questions than answers, and she wanted answers to every one of them. There was one question however that ate at her; she couldn't understand it no matter how many times she tried to. Heather's voice was soft, and she treaded carefully with her question. "Then tell me...that night..why did you not stop me?" Ardeth nodded slightly looking at her. He wasn't surprised by her question; in fact he had almost expected it. The same question had run through his mind repeatedly, and sometimes he wished he didn't know the answer. The answer was an empty one, a simply sign that fate still controlled parts of his life. Ardeth seemed to deal well with fate, yet sometimes he worried about his own.
Ardeth told Heather the only thing that came to his mind."It wasn't that simple Heather. Imhotep was very powerful, and you probably had forgotten me." Heather felt guilt race through her hearing his answer, and her dream came flooding back to her. She knew deep inside her that once Ancksunamun had cared deeply for Ardeth. Her mouth turned dry when she tried to tell him, and deep down she knew she was starting to feel the same way towards him. Heather felt just like Ancksunamun did, confused and unsure. Her voice was soft as she tried to tell him how she felt. "It wasn't that I forgot you. I was in love with Imhotep, and that was all I thought about. I never knew anything different."
Ardeth took her hands in his this time, and he kissed them softly. He spoke softly, whispering as if he wasn't supposed to say what he was telling her."I will always be your guard. No matter who you love, and I will always be here for you." Heather blushed slightly from his soft kiss on her hands, and she nodded slowly. She found his voice sweeter than before, and she couldn't forget what he had just told her. Heather knew it would always be true, because he had loved her through his current life even when she hadn't loved him openly in her past life. He didn't need to know his affection was returned, he was simply happy with a friendship even. Heather smiled softly looking up at him studying his eyes again."I'll never ever forget what you did for me then Ardeth. I especially will not forget this night, and how I feel right now."
Ardeth nodded, he was smiling to himself at what Heather had said. Knowing he had made her happy was extremely important to him. In the end, it was the key to his happiness now. Ardeth broke his vow to himself not to ask Heather, his will was simply broken perhaps by fate. "Please Heather don't go with Imhotep. If there's one thing I know it's that death follows you when you're with him. I don't want to see you die again as I did in my past life." Heather was shocked that he'd put her on the spot, and she looked down knowing he had been there in her past life when she died. "Ardeth...I don't know if I can do that. I need time to think about it. I mean it's my whole life." Ardeth got up slowly then looked back at her. "It's not just one life of yours. There comes a time when you must break the cycle."