Twins of Egypt

Chapter 25: Child of Death

[[April 10 B.C.E || Selene]]

I was pregnant again, and I had back pains to prove it. I had no word from Alexander. Not one. It has been two years, too long to be away from me. Ammayas is doing a splendid job, as a substitute for Alexander, but he is not my brother. I want my brother. In addition, Roxana is no Gwen. She is spoiled and selfish whereas Gwen was sweet and kind. Drusilla and Alexandria missed her anxiously, particularly Alexandria who will turn six soon. She, as Juba had promised, would become a Vestal Virgin, and we must leave for Rome in a few weeks to see the ceremony take place. I have cried every night when I realized how soon, my little girl will leave me. My Alexandria, who's hair has grown long and - it seemed queer to me too, when I discovered the true color of her hair - auburn. Her eyes were the color of emeralds, but her hair, which had been as black as an infant had morphed into a beautiful copper brown. She will be a beauty one day, when she is older. Drusilla is the truest beauty, with hair as golden as grain and eyes as blue as the Mediterranean Sea. She was slender - for a three year old - tall and with an endless supply of blonde hair. She was the pearl of Juba's eyes, and he loved her and Ptolemy more than Alexandria....to my heartbreak. It was not her fault. I swear it. She hardly portrayed any of Juba's traits, she was quiet, reserved, entitled. We have taught her to be a good vestal virgin. We would ship her to Rome in the summer, so that she will be publicly acclaimed as a Vestal. My little Alexandria...it was not her fault...nor was it mine.

"Mitéra! Mitéra! (Greek: Mother)." Alexandria ran to me distraught with her small bare feet slapping the polished marble that decorated the interior of the royal library. Holding my aching back and rubbing my swelling stomach, I watched my first born daughter, run to me and then hug me tightly. I relinquished my caress on my stomach and held my child, who shook with fear close to me. With effort, I knelt to hold her still. I caressed her red cheek, wet from tears, and shushed her silently. She was violently wailing, but upon the sight of my cool face, she was calmed.

"Poio eínai to próvlima (What is the matter)?" I continued in soothing Greek.

"Fovámai (I am scared)..." she shook in my arms and then looked into my eyes. In them, I saw my own frightened eyes, along with the fear that belonged in someone else's eyes.

Removing the obscene thought from my mind, I focused on my daughter. "What are you afraid of?"

"I had a dream..." she whimpered, "énas efiáltis (a nightmare)."

"About?" I caressed her long uncoiled red waves and stared lovingly at her.

"I dreamt that you died giving life to that..." she pointed at my stomach. "I dreamt that it killed you, and that a monster replaced the baby that took your life. I dreamt that I would be miserable in Rome, without ever seeing you again." Upon reminding herself of the dream, she hugged me tighter and began to cry. "Mitéra I do not want to leave...please don't let me go."

My daughter's wails tore at my heart and I wanted to break down and cry with her, but I knew better. I knew what I had to do. As Queen and as Cleopatra's daughter, I knew better that to cry my problems away. Sighing, I picked her up, and hummed a soothing song, as she sobbed silently. With one hand supporting my back, I carried Alexandria back to her jade bedroom, where her guards sat distraught and worried. Upon seeing me, they relaxed and opened the door. Closing it behind me, silence filled the jade room, and I set Alexandria down on the bed. Sitting beside her, I tucked her into the soft satin, and caressed her hair. I looked up and found Rocco watching, as he has always done, since I was a girl. I looked down, dismissing his presence as normal.

"I want to tell you a story." I whispered.

Alexandria nodded.

"You will remember these stories, and tell them to your siblings, and your children, and your grandchildren, and so on. These are my stories, and they are embedded in our blood and culture, my love. Do not forget. Do not forget my love."