𝑫𝑹𝑨𝑷𝑬𝑻𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑵𝑰𝑨 - Ardeth Bay

PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE|ARRANGEMENT

Tiye ran her fingers through her pale white hair, pacing around her father's office as she waited for him to arrive. The door creaked open and he stepped inside, jumping slightly as he noticed his daughter.

"Ti, come sit." Dr. Terence Bey gestured to the chair across from his desk. She nodded her head and quickly sat down, crossing one leg over the other.

"What's the matter, father, calling me to your office so abruptly." Tiye leaned forwards in her seat, her voice laced with concern.

"When you were younger, we used to live with the Medjai tribe but after your mother's sudden death we moved away." Dr. Bey sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he avoided his daughters sharp stare. "However, before we left, I made an agreement with the Chief of the tribe."

"What agreement, father? Why does this concern me?" Tiye questioned, her brows furrowing with confusion.

"The agreement was that you are to be wed to the Chiefs son before the age of twenty-five." He finally revealed after a long period of silence, finally looking up at her.

"You did what?" She screeched, jumping out her chair and knocking it backwards. It landed with a slight thud on the floor causing her father to sigh with annoyance, knowing that this was exactly how she would react.

"It is an old agreement that I must follow up on." He argued, raising his voice warningly. She groaned angrily, storming out the room and slamming the door loudly behind her.

"Stupid father! Who does he think he is forcing me to marry a man I have never met? I am only eighteen!" Tiye ranted to herself, going back to her nervous pacing around the room.

"Ti, please." Her father entered the room, shaking his head at her state.

"When do we leave?" She asked, twisting around to face him. Tiye walked up to him, eyes narrowed and a frown replacing her usual smile.

"Tomorrow morning." Dr. Bey answered her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder before pulling her in for a loving embrace.

"I shall go pack." Tiye sighed, leaning back to look into his eyes and show him her pain and anger.

"Thank you, honey bear." He kissed her forehead and chuckled when he saw her sour face upon hearing the nickname.

Tiye left her father in the museum to go home and pack, her hands flying up to the chain around her neck and fiddling with the small golden ring that once belonged to her mother.

Their house was not big but it perfectly suited the needs of the two family members. A two-story house with a living room, kitchen, dining room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It had a small garden at the front of the house that Tiye loved to tend, flowers growing elegantly to the sky.

She went straight to her room as soon as she stepped through the old oak door and into the somewhat cool house. Tiye stomped over the closets and grabbed a few dresses and stuffed them into a random bag she had found. She packed a few extra shoes and all her toiletries. Once the bag was packed, Tiye dumped it by the bedroom door and fell backwards on to her bed, letting a few tears fall as she let the news fully sink in.

The cotton sheets dipped under her weight and crumpled around her. Her pale fingers ran over the white fabric, straightening it out in some places.

The front door slammed shut indicating her father had returned home from work. He dropped his bag on the coffee table and wandered up the stairs, searching for his daughter.

"Tiye?" Dr. Bey asked concerned as he found his daughter drowning in tears on her bed. "What is wrong?"

"I'm scared." She replied meekly. The mattress sank further down as he sat on the edge, brushing the tears off his daughters flushed cheeks.

"I know you are but don't worry, I will always be with you, as will your mother." They stayed there together silently for hours, both just holding hands as the worry settled over them. Never before had they had to deal with something so serious.

"Tell me about the Medjai tribe." Tiye mumbled, wiping away her fresh tears.

"The Medjai tribe are warriors devoted to preventing the rise of evil on the Earth - specifically, the resurrection the High Priest Imhotep. They guard the ruins of the Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, against any who might lift the curse placed on Imhotep and any who desires to break into the tombs of the pharaohs to steal the treasures." She sat up quickly to stare at her father wide eyed.

"We use to be a part of that?" Tiye asked in shock.

"Yes, before your mother got sick and we had to move back to the city for her." Dr. Bey's shoulders slumped as he mentioned his wife, the death still heavy on his heart. "I stayed in contact with them and that is how I was reminded about the arrangement."

"I must rest now, father, if I wish to feel somewhat energised in the morning." Tiye smiled at her father. "Good night."

"Good night." He walked out the door, grabbing her bag on the way out and shutting the door gently behind him.

"Someone, please, get me out of this hell." Tiye begged, walking over to her closet and changing into her bed clothes. She threw up her blanket and dived under the thin sheets, closing her eyes and falling fast asleep.

AN ~ I know this is not a popular fandom but I love it so much so I am writing about my favourite character

P.S. Anything you see wrote in italics is actually being spoken in Arabic