The Writers' Block Anthology

Island V: The Unnamed Goddess

Purchased an orange to cure scurvy.

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This is not how I imagined meeting a queen. I sat at the end of a long table in the middle of Ancient Egypt with Queen Cleopatra sitting at the other end, staring at me curiously. Along the banquet table were various members of the royal family and the advisors who were staring at me with more suspicion than curiosity. The meal itself stretched the length of the table with varying delicacies I was unfamiliar with but looked both fantastic and horrific.

Queen Cleopatra took a sip of her drink and said, "My subjects tell me you are an unnamed river goddess. They saw you come out from the water and ventured into one of our tombs. You were about to resubmerge yourself when they confronted you. Were you sending messages between the realms?"

That's the other thing. They think I'm an unnamed goddess which is probably the only reason I haven't been imprisoned or killed. I, too, took a sip from my chalice. It was delicious, sweet and the color of blood, smelling fairly alcoholic. It must be their wine, probably the best wine they have. I set the chalice down.

"My business is my own," my other hand in my lap clenched into a fist as I tried to stop myself from shaking. "Why have you brought me here?" Is this what a goddess would say?

"Hm," Queen Cleopatra paused for a moment. Enough time for one of her advisors to clear his throat. She turned to him, "Speak."

"Your highness," he began, almost in apology. He turned to me, his eyes angry and his lips curled into a sneer, "this woman could be one of the cult. They've been very active as of late. They are planning something. Her clothing," he pointed his finger at me, "is unnatural. It is foreign. She cannot be trusted!"

Queen Cleopatra sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. "This is the exact attitude that got us into this mess in the first place." She opened her eyes and turned to her advisor. Her fingernails clicked on the table and her eyes narrowed, "I'd watch what you say unless you want to talk about your credibility."

The advisor seemed to shrink under her eyes, turning his attention back to his plate, and his lips made a thin line. Queen Cleopatra turned back to me, her expression softening immediately as a smile tugged at her lips. "My many apologies, as a goddess you know how subjects can be."

I laughed, maybe a little too hard. "Ah, yes, subjects. Pesky things . . . what's this cult he speaks of?"

Queen Cleopatra dropped her gaze, her eyebrows scrunched together as she sighed, "A heinous group of people. They've been disturbing the dead. Practicing necromancy--," her voice caught, her hands on the table turned to fists as she regained her composure. "Y-You just don't do that. How dare they disturb the dead. You don't take the opportunity of the afterlife away from a person. They've served their time in this realm. They worked hard to rest peacefully. You don't take that."

Everyone was silent as she spat those words. No one seemed to even breathe. We all took a moment to weigh the weight that hung over the people of Egypt and their leaders. No one moved until Queen Cleopatra gave a small laugh and cleared her throat, "I apologize. I'm sure you don't care to deal with our mortal problems, however, I did invite you to my table to ask for your advice. Because you are a goddess yourself, you surely hear whispers among the other gods and goddesses. I fear we have upset them, potentially because we have failed to stop the cult, and I was wondering how we can restore Egypt to its glory."

I froze, they want my advice? To decide the fate of an entire kingdom? No, wait, they fear that they have offended the other gods and goddesses of Egypt and that is why they are having this trouble. "You have greatly blessed me with this feast," I began, spreading my arms in a gesture to the delicacies before me, "if you were to make a feast, a celebration, for the gods of Egypt it will bless them as it has me. I suggest you show appreciation for them and take action to make amends for anything your country has done in offense. If they are flattered enough, they may even help you with your cult problem."

The table was silent once again, but this time in consideration of my words. The advisors exchanged glances and one turned to Queen Cleopatra, "My Queen, that just might work."

"Hm," she stood from her seat, her eyes raking over the table, and raised her arms, "then let us bless our gods."

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Eternally Yours,

~ Phoenix