Tears dripped down her face, obscuring her vision and smudging her kohl, as she tried desperately to pull herself together in time for the evening meal where she would be expected to make an appearance. But she was not of the mind to see anyone, much less the gossipy noblewomen and her father's concubine. It had taken all of her willpower to leave the tomb where her sister now lay, cold and lifeless, encased in two layers of wood and stone etched with sacred spells to ensure her safe journey to Isis' side in the afterlife.

Even when her father had tried to usher her out so that the tomb could be sealed, only Imhotep's grip on her hand had reminded her that she was not the only one who was drowning in grief. He, too, had to be ordered from the tomb by pharaoh but it was clear from the tone of his voice that the king was struggling as much as both of them. The unexpected death of the princess had torn the family apart and Nefertiri sat in her rooms alone while Imhotep had gone to the temple of Osiris to pray for his wife's spirit and the well-being of his month and a half old daughter, Nefertari.

But Nefertiri was not worried about the judgment halls, for Selkenauset had been pure of heart and a genuinely good person who was devoted to her loved ones and her goddess. No, her sister's ka would be pass through the halls unhindered. Now, as she wrote in her leather-bound diary, the younger princess simply missed her reassuring presence.

A soft knock at the door interrupted her troubled thoughts and she managed to raise her voice enough to summon whoever it was to come in, no longer caring if it was someone who meant well or harm. The clinking of metal and the closing of the door made her conclude her most recent entry and she sprinkled sand on the papyrus to seal the ink before blowing it off and closing the book, stashing it neatly in a locked box beneath her bed.

She rose from her vanity and turned around to see him standing just inside the door, looking around with his dark eyes, and her mouth went dry. What was he doing here now, in broad daylight? Then she realized that it was an opportune moment, as her sister would have called it. Imhotep and the pharaoh were ensconced in their respective rooms and all of the occupants of the palace were also either in mourning or at least going about their business silently as to avoid disturbing the pharaoh's grief. Therefore, there were likely no witnesses to say that a med-jai had entered the princess' rooms unannounced and without even a maid present.

Moving as silently as her sister's cats, she slipped through the curtains separating her bedroom from her sitting room and moved to stand in the centre of the room. She was well aware that her make-up was ruined and that she looked miserable but she didn't care and, as it turned out, neither did he. He stepped forward and pulled her into a fierce embrace and all of the walls she had built up to keep herself together shattered.

Her sorrow poured out in violent sobs that shook her slender frame and he held her, knowing that there was nothing he could say that would help ease her pain. "I love you, my princess, and it breaks my heart to see you cry though I know its cause all too well. She is already sadly missed, for normally I would have walked with you both in the gardens at this time before the evening meal" he said and there was a tremor in his voice that belied his own sorrow but his arms did not falter and she leaned into him, tucking her face into the space between his neck and shoulder.

"I swear now, on her memory, that I will protect you with my life and, in return, I ask only that you remember that my heart is in your keep and that you be gentle with it"

"You have mine also, my love, and I promise that I shall treasure your love for as long as I draw breath" she whispered then raised her head and smiled shakily as he wiped the tears from her cheeks.

A sudden knock at the door made them both jump and they exchanged nervous looks before she stepped back, straightened her gown, and ordered whoever it was to enter. "I apologize for disturbing you during this time, your highness..." one of her father's heralds said and regarded the two somewhat awkwardly as he stood on the threshold, his dark eyes betraying his frank suspicion,"is something amiss?" he asked tersely and scanned the room as if expecting so see an intruder or some similar threat.

Fortunately, the occasion provided a ready excuse for the Med-Jai's presence and, without a hint of shame, she used it. "He heard me crying and came to make sure that I was well" she responded quickly, with a silent prayer to the gods that he would believe her and, within a few moments, it seemed that Isis smiled upon her.

The herald nodded "Then I shall leave and let him escort you to the dining area, for pharaoh and prince Ramses request your presence in the dining hall" he said then bowed low at her curt nod and closed the door.

The two looked at each other and a distinct feeling of discomfort settled in the pit of her stomach like a block from one of the pyramids. It was highly unusual for her father and brother to hurry her like this, especially considering that the entire palace really should have been in mourning, and they both knew it.

Something was wrong...

Evelyn sat up on the cot, suddenly wide awake, then looked around in the dark for a few moments before she finally pinpointed exactly what had disturbed her odd dream/memory before its conclusion. "Rick" she said but there was no answer so she took hold of his shoulder and shook him gently but hard enough that she was sure it would wake him "Rick, wake up!". Rick groaned, opened his eyes, and blinked a few times before realizing that it was futile because the room was pitch black and he couldn't see squat anyway. "What is it, honey?" he asked sleepily and stifled a yawn with one hand then sat up and felt around for a moment before taking hold of his wife's hand.

Suddenly, a chill went down his spine and, in a split second, the defensive part of his brain kicked in, making him grab for the gun he kept under his side of the cot. After three occasions of having been in Egypt and on the receiving end of some rather unpleasant surprises, one could have put their reactions down to paranoia and one too many experiences with the homicidal minions, man-eating insects, and supernatural forces of the undead. It also would have been fair to say that, since Evy's most recent vision, they had both been on edge.

As it turned out, however, their unease was justified because they were in the middle of the Nile but could no longer hear the low hum of the motor or the movements of other passengers and, consequently, the air was quiet. Too quiet.

"Here we go again" Rick muttered under his breath.

The boat had stopped.