"This life is but a brief tenure, one of many perspectives a spirit must experience in the quest for eternity." ― Brian Rathbone

The kiss was sweet and chaste, though it lingering bitter feeling of passion that they couldn't explore further. It was too dangerous for them to do it, too unacceptable by society's standards. A mere servant and the future Pharaoh of Egypt, together? The people couldn't wrap their heads around the mere notion of the two of them being just friends. Imagine how badly they would have reacted if they had seen that kiss.

Ahkmenrah pulled away first, resting his forehead against the brunette's before him, his eyes closed. Cena's eyes were closed as well, cheeks flushed slightly. He had just kissed her. Ahkmenrah, the future Pharaoh of Egypt. This handsome man with more women than he knew what to do with chasing after him. She'd never admit how long she'd been waiting for him to do that, and she'd never admit how fast her heart beat when his soft, velvety lips were capturing her own in a kiss.

"Why?"

The question that she uttered surprised Ahkmenrah. He opened his eyes and backed off a bit, watching as Cena's eyes fluttered open. He paused, articulating his next words carefully. "Because I have feelings for you, Cena. Feelings that I want to explore. Feelings that I've had for quite some time now, feelings that I'm sure that you return for me."

"Of course I have feelings for you." She replied, sounding astonished, as if she couldn't believe that he hadn't known since the beginning. "You'd have to be daft not to realize that. But we can't explore these feelings, Ahkmenrah. We just can't."

"And why not?" He demanded, his brow furrowed.

"Why not?" Cena repeated in disbelief. "Why not? Because it's forbidden, Ahkmenrah. That's why we can't explore them."

"You're a servant. So what? I can simply free you when I become Pharaoh, and then it will be acceptable." He replied, almost desperately, his hands finding hers, clasping them between his."

"It's not that simple, Ahkmenrah." She answered dejectedly, looking away from him, avoiding his gaze.

His eyes implored her to look back at him, so he could see the emotions in her eyes. "Why? Why isn't it that simple, Cena?"

Her breath caught and she looked up, her brown eyes glistening with tears. It unnerved Ahkmenrah to see her so vulnerable. Cena, who had always been so strong, unmoving like the pyramids that surrounded them. She was currently crumbling before him, and as much as it shocked him, it made him feel warm. She was so comfortable around him that she was allowing him to see her weak. "You're currently at war with Nubia." She paused, the tears threatening to spill. "A-And... I'm the daughter of the Nubian King."

His eyes widened, and he froze. That was why she said that it could never happen. So long as she was the Nubian princess, rightful heir to the throne, they could never be together. If anyone found out that she was the princess of Nubia, they would kill her on the spot.

"Do you hate me?" Cena questioned, her voice shaking. When Ahkmenrah looked back at her, tears slid down her tanned cheeks at a rapid pace. He shook his head, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

"I don't hate you. You can't help your heritage, Cena." He replied. "I have no grudge against Nubia. It's our fathers who hold grudges against each other." This seemed to calm her down, because she gave him a small smile. "Cena, we can fix this. We just... We just need to wait until I'm Pharaoh. Then I can call off the war in Nubia, you can assume your rightful place as Queen, and then we can unite Nubia and Egypt." His eyes glittered with newfound hope, as did hers. He grinned, cupping her face in his hands. "We just need to wait. We can fix this, Cena. I promise."

"And then we can be together." She continued, newfound hope in her heart. "A-And then no one can stop us. No one can tell us that it's not right." She slowly reached up, hands cupping his face. She didn't realize that she was crying until she felt a tear slide down her cheek. "We can be together, and no one can say otherwise."

Ahkmenrah smiled, the corners of his blue eyes crinkling, his eyes almost twinkling in delight. He lowered his lips to hers, pressing his lips to hers sweetly. Soon the sweetness turned into passion, skin met skin, and soon, they were one.

If only they knew about what was to come.

"I recognized you instantly. All of our lives flashed through my mind in a split second. I felt a pull so strongly towards you that I almost couldn't stop it." ― J. Sterling