Theodosia

c h a p t e r f o u r t e e n

A S  F A T E  W O U L D  H A V E  I T

"I can't believe this is the last time we'll see each other," Theodosia whispered, trying to hold back her tears as her and Ahkmenrah stood in front of her wooden tomb. Their hands were still locked, as they had been all night, and Theodosia wanted nothing more than to stay that way forever.

"You could stay," he suggested, half-heartedly. "We could hide you during the day, somewhere they'd never find you."

"Like where?" she laughed, half-heartedly. "I don't exactly fit into any other exhibits."

"You can stay in my sarcophagus during the day. I'm dead, they don't exactly need to check on me," he said.

"Wouldn't you be the one exhibit they do need to check on?" she asked, light-heartedly. "Why don't you just come with me instead? This crate is the same size as your sarcophagus, and since they have need to check on you, as you say, they won't ever notice."

He raised an eyebrow, looking down at the crate. "Well, we'd need to see if we could fit first."

"Oh, of course," Theodosia nodded, a playful smile on her face. "Royalty first."

No one was paying any attention to the young couple as they squished themselves into the crate meant for only one person. Ahkmenrah took off his crown and set it aside and helped Theodosia into the crate. They laid on their sides, completely pushed together, face to face, so close they could barely see one another. It was apparent they did not fit, but Ahkmenrah wiggled around slightly, appraising the space as if it did.

"I think it works," Ahkmenrah whispered jokingly, wrapping his free arm around Theodosia's waist and pulling her closer.

She smiled, nodding as well as she could in the small space. "I agree, very comfortable. But, perhaps, too cramped?"

"You think? I really hadn't noticed."

"No? Well in that case, it's perfect," Theodosia laughed.

"And very private," Ahkmenrah pointed out, making Theodosia laugh even harder. He sat up, looking around the mostly empty foyer briefly before he pulled the lid over the two of them, laying back down next to Theodosia.

She raised her eyebrows, watching him with a surprised smile on her face. She was back in the darkness of the crate, but for the first time since she'd woken up in it, she was comfortable. Any chatter from around the museum disappeared, and it was just them, truly alone at last.

"I really wish you could come with me," she said, her voice sad once again. "It's so much less terrifying in here with you."

"I wish I could go with you too," he sighed. "I don't want to say goodbye."

"Me either." Theodosia pulled her hand from between them and rested it on Ahkmenrah's warm cheek. "It isn't fair. We've been stuck in this museum for decades, not knowing one another. Now that we've finally found each other, we only get a few years. Those old men's mistakes keep looming over us."

"I don't need the magic of my parent's tablet. I just need to be with you. Let's go together, whether we'll be alive or not. I just want to stay with you."

Theodosia smiled sadly, "But you can't. And I won't ever ask you to."

"You should."

"I won't. Asking you to go with me is like asking you to die all over again."

"But you want me to let you go?" he asked, his voice getting angrier.