Portrait of a Pharaoh • Ahkmenrah x Reader (NATM) ✔️

Chapter 22 | tablet mystery

Looking up at your portrait again, this time it was hanging beside the tablet in the exhibit of Ahkmenrah. Larry was right, you did get an email from the museum about displaying your work, and here it was up on the wall ready for people to see.

You felt rather proud of yourself, an award winner and having your work on display in a museum? Your art career was definitely going well. That day you'd collected your prize money and certificate too, had your photo taken for the website and newspapers and gotten an exited email from your art teacher congratulating you on the win.

Already making plans for the prize money you knew what you'd be doing with it. Paying off school fees, buying a massive art supply haul that'd keep you busy for months on end and any left overs were going to historical charities. You could already smell the fresh paint you'd buy to cover a canvas in, the win had you exited for the future of your art.

Of course, Ahkmenrah was babbling on about how proud he was, and gazing lovingly up at the portrait as it hung on the wall by the tablet. Feeling the looming presence of his Jackals over your shoulder too, they seemed to approve as well.

"You know my parents would adore you (y/n), not only are you extremely talented but an upstanding person as well" Ahk complimented.

"Even though I'm from 4000 years in the future and not part of any royal or noble family?" You teased.

"Yes, if I ever reunite them I'm bringing you and I assure you they'll be all over you. They were always eager to see me wed with my true love, I'm sure they'd be over the moon"

As much as you knew his parents were good people (you know, for ancient rulers) based on all the stories about him, you felt as if you'd be pretty underwhelming to a former pharaoh and his queen, parents of another two pharaohs.

Although from everything you'd learnt about Ahk and his family, it seems like they'd rather not consider Kahmunrah a pharaoh after what he did. So more like parents of a pharaoh and... strangely unhinged person.

"The day I meet your parents is the day I die from nerves" you joked.

"It'd be fine, my guardian. You're worthy of being in a royal family" he replied.

Having a crown and fancy cloak did sound fun, but you doubted you'd be able to rule a kingdom. But ancient Egypt was long gone, so you didn't have to worry about the stress of being a ruler just for falling for one. You and Ahk could enjoy the gold and luxury in the halls of the museum without the stress of royal life.

Feeling an arm wrap around you, Ahkmenrah pulled you closer to him and into a loose hug.

"I love you, you know?" He smiled.

"I love you too, you softie" you replied.

"Am not"

"Are too"

He knew there was no winning against you, maybe he was a bit soft. But only for you. Playfully rolling his eyes and giving you a giggle, he leaned in to kiss your forehand. But you quickly intercepted and pulled him into kiss him on the lips instead. Gladly accepting the kiss, he was quick to melt into it as did you.

Although you couldn't enjoy the kiss for long, because a light shone into your faces making you both pull away to while yourselves.

"Ah- sorry to uh... intervene. But the tablet-" Larry's voice said, shining his flashlight at the tablet from the entrance.

You turned your attention from him to the tablet, and were surprised to see it glowing again. The carvings shone a slight green-gold glow and the two of you were quick to rush over and examine it. Larry close behind already worried about what strange mishap this might cause.

"What... again?" You muttered.

"It's done this three times now... aside from its usual glow at sundown" Ahk added.

"First when it branded (y/n), second when Ahk said that poem and again now? What does it mean this is driving me crazy..." Larry questioned.

By now it was very clear it had something to do with you and Ahk, all three times it's acted up and glowed it was when you and Ahk were around it and were in some kind of romantic gesture. You were seriously starting to think it was a love spell of some kind, what else could it be? It glows right as you're kissing, it had to be a love spell.

"I wish we knew more abo-" before you could finish, you suddenly felt weak and lightheaded, knees buckling and slumping off balance.

Ahk was quick to catch you before you hit the ground, a worried look in his gaze as he held out tightly up on your feet.

"(Y/n)! Are you ok?" He asked.

The glow died down, and slowly you regained your balance and sense of stability.

"Uh... yeah? Random dizzy spell I guess..." you muttered, blinking a few times to clear your vision.

"What did it just do? That's no coincidence you fall faint as it's glowing" Larry said.

"I wish I knew what was going on... I really do. But apart from it likely being some kind of love spell I have no idea..." Ahk sighed.

You stood up properly again, shaking your head to get rid of the lightheadedness. Ahk didn't want to let you go though, in case you feel again. He gave you a concerned look, but you smiled at him to assure him you were ok.

"This is getting out of hand, I'm alive in the day, we're having weird dreams, the tablet is acting up, you're almost fainting? We need answers" Ahkmenrah said.

"And how do we get them? We've looked though details of your tomb, tried to connect all the glyphs on the tablet, looked into myths and legends... what do we do form here?" You asked.

It was silent a moment, all of you thinking for some kind of answer.

"No idea, if only my father were here... then I could ask him directly" Ahk sighed.

"Why isn't your family here, shouldn't you have been kept together?" You asked.

"The excavation of my tomb was a joint mission between America and England, my parents are in the British museum and I was sent here with my tablet after I was studied"

All the way in England? How the hell would you be able to get there to get answers from his father? It's not like Larry can just go 'sorry I need the tablet for a bit' to the museum staff and take it to England. And while you may be able to take Ahk by plane since he was living in the day, you didn't know how far from the tablet he could go without dying again and you'd need the tablet to ask the questions anyway.

If only there was some way to get them together again without any risks...

"It'd be a long shot, but the museum has done collaborations before. There is a chance of enough people asked the British museum could allow some of the Egyptian exhibit to display here for a while..." Larry suggested.

"I mean even if it is a long shot, it's worth a try..." you muttered.

"Can you at least try, guardian of Brooklyn? Please?" Ahk asked.

It won't be easy to make happen, but potentially it might work. The least Larry could do was attempt it for his friends and the sake of the museum if something happened to the tablet.

"I can try"