Finding Contentus

Chapter 69: Marking Love

Genesia and Ramiya spoke about a lot of things while Naana worked on his back. Ramela would jump in every now and again to comment, but for the most part, she was focused on Genesia's culture and would even try and speak to him using some phrases to make sure she got the pronunciations and phrases jotted down correctly.

In turn, Genesia tested his own skills in their Arabo language, derived from their Egyptian ancestors. The toughest part came when he had to read the hieroglyphics. The system of symbols looked so bizarre to him in translating them into patterns of speech, but he learned at a moderate pace when he compared them to Raraac symbols.

The main topics of discussion came to Genesia's curiosity on Ramsis. How he was, and how they were with him in the past before tragedy struck their family. Only then did Ramela stay silent in telling Ramiya to speak. Still, she refused to condition his brain with her memories.

"Perfect Patience Genie. In time, but not now."

He wanted to argue by saying how unfair she was for having access to his brain, but he held his tongue with the sharp glare Ramela gave him. He had to remember that she still held his life in her hands. In any case, Ramiya gave him some necessary insight.

It was great being able to hear her be more talkative, like blooming flowers and splashing rivers with rainbows. At the same time, the memories she spoke of only served a stabbing purpose.

When she spoke about Ramsis, her voice had regret laced over it. As the First Prince, the three siblings didn't get to know their eldest brother that much due to his duty of death and population control.

They're all victims. Every single one of them. Genesia noted.

Before, he felt unsure about Ramsis as a whole, but now, he felt rather neutral. He hated how Pharaoh Ra willed his first born to be his killing dog, with no room for any other purpose in life aside from being Pharaoh one day, but he didn't hate him necessarily as a person. What choice did he have? He couldn't even kill himself, and he couldn't even kill his own father thanks to their family's cursed condition.

Hell, the name Ramsis meant "Reigning Reaper", almost like Anubis had already chosen him since before he was born to be the Ruling King of death. He also learned that Ramela meant "Pleasurable Power" and Ramoth meant "Warring Wrath", which sounded fitting for the twins of war.

Ramiya's eyes shimmered with excitement when she spoke about Kamilah, since she spent the most time with her and Nephthery when they weren't busy. It was clear that she admired her greatly, in fact, it was very evident that she wished to be strong and radical like her rather than her own sister by blood, even though she didn't say it. Ramela knew this too, judging by how she kept quiet, letting Ramiya ramble on to pass the time.

She spoke about how Ramela and Ramoth were known for being troublemakers in their youth, always adding more stress for their mother everyday, just like him and Neosa. She even mentioned Musa and his three sisters Anoona, Aneni and Anenyasha as well as their parents.

At that, Genesia asked Naana if she was related to them.

"Not by blood, since I am not of the Mambo bloodline. Their family actually took me in when I lost mine at a very young age. I don't remember my parents at all, or my siblings, if I ever had any. Musa's parents were the only parents I knew. He and his sisters were the only siblings I knew," she said with a brief smile before delving back into the realm of silent concentration.

Ramiya also talked about her nephews Ammon and Asim, as well as her niece Asenath, how adorable they were, how—

But as the hours ticked on, the mood dipped down into the depths of cold emptiness with the overriding loss that filled the bedroom. Genesia still held onto her hand and rubbed the top with his thumb. A stretch of silence germinated after about three hours.