Althea
"What do you miss about our century?" I asked as we made our way to the main palace complex of Romanos, along with the rest of the crowd.
"Topmost is parties! I miss them like anything, to get drunk and be crazy for a while. Besides that, womanly independence, karaoke, dance, Netflix and oh, I miss our dear tampons!" Cheryl wailed.
"I don't understand. The department said we've stopped ageing. Doesn't that mean the bloody cycle should also stop for the time being?" I asked with a sullen face.
"We aren't ageing, doesn't mean the basic bodily functions would stop. This bloody cycle loves our future babies too much to let go of us," she snorted.
"By the way, can't we order tampons from the AI book?" she asked, lowering her voice.
"And how are you going to dispose it off?" I shot back. I was on the verge of ordering them during initial days but had held myself when the gravity of the situation had struck all of a sudden.
"Um... well, bury it in the forest ground?" she wondered.
"You have a point that I don't approve," I stated. "Don't forget the archaeologists who will excavate every little thing in our century. Have you wondered what will they make of, when they dig out twenty-first century tampon remains from a fourth-century site?"
"Whoa, never thought that. So, how about we burn it?"
We gagged, then burst into laughter.
"Oops, that'll be some horrible stench." She crinkled her nose, muffling a laugh.
"How do you manage it all? Damn, there are restrictions like staying away from males, not entering the cooking area, not stepping anywhere near deities. Someone even told not to see the swords and shields, cause menstruating women apparently turn metal to rust, just by looking at them. Like what the actual F?" she bellowed in annoyance.
"Thank the God, we haven't landed in an era where people considered menstruating women to be witches, who could bring thunderstorm." I laughed. Ancient people had crazy nonsensical myths about this natural process.
"As for managing, softened papyrus leaves are the best. They are easy to use, organic and very skin-friendly. I guess they are much better, given they don't contain chemicals."
Initially, I was terrified at how would I manage this inevitable process here, in the underdeveloped fourth century.
When I had asked Reuesme, she'd only responded with following what the women of that time period would follow.
But the Egyptians were a total lifesaver. They were ahead of their time, undoubtedly, to introduce such marvellous inventions.
"Ugh, I have to use cloth, but papyrus seems a good idea. I'll-" She stopped when we figured where we had reached.
The massive fortress of Romanos stood proudly beside us. The frontal section was sprawling vast, from the borders of Alexandria till a few feet ahead. The ground floor consisted of an arched hallway stationed with pillars at an equal distance.
In front of the palace was a wide platform made of marble, following with steps to the ground below, where people were accumulated.
On the marble platform, women sat in a circle with flowers and scented smoke, which evaporated in the area, making our nose tickle. Some people carried baskets, placing them near the seated women.
But Cheryl wasn't looking at them. Her eyes were fixated on a man who stood in the arched hallway. With his arms crossed, he observed the celebration procedures with a stoic expression.
YOU ARE READING
Rendezvous in the Romanowskian Empire
Historical Fiction"And... the fifth rule," he came forward, locking me between him and the slab again. "This should be the last time you talked to me like that," he lowered his face to my level, spiking my heart rate further. "Next time you rant on or call me by the...
