Ancient Egypt, Thebes Market Place

You were walking through the market place with your sister, buying fresh food when I saw you. There you were in a long white dress with a scarf covering your head. You didn't want anyone to know you were royalty. As I turned away from you my life turned upside down.

"There you are Gabriel. Are you going to repay your debt?" a man asked.

Another man grabbed Gabriel and turned his to face the first man.

"Preithius, I am still working on what I owe you." I say.

"Well then this won't be pleasant." He says.

Serenity walks up and sees the crowd of people. "This is what happens when you don't pay your debt!" the man says raising a sword.

"No!" Serenity yells as she throws herself on top of Gabriel. "You leave him be you barbarian!" she yells at him.

"Get out of the way woman, we have a debt to sell." The man tells her.

"I will settle his debt then! You will not hurt this man!" Serenity yells at him.

"And just who do you think you are?!" the man demands.

Serenity takes off her scarf revealing she is the princess.

"I am your princess now, obey my order and release him, I will pay his debt personally." She tells him.

"Release him" the man says reluctantly.

I looked my rescuer in the eyes and I couldn't help it, right then I fell in love with her.

"Your Majesty," I started then bowed before her. "I am your humble servant." I tell her humbly.

She walks to me and picks me up. "I do not want you as a slave but I could use a good body guard." She tells me with a smile as she takes my arm and we walk away.

We went into the palace and she keep me close to her as the Queen walked to her. "Darling who is this?" she asks the princess.

"My new body guard mother, just found him looking for work at the market place." The princess replied with a smile.

"Well please dear go bathe him and cut his hair." The queen told her.

"Mother I rather like his hair, may he please keep it that way I know how to identify him?" she asks her mother and the queen nods yes.

We kept walking forward until we came into the bathing room of the palace.

"Remove your clothes and put this on." She tells me handing me a very small piece of cloth.

"You need a bath and no one is here to help with that so I will help you." She tells me with a kind smile on her face. "go on I will turn the other way." She says as she turns around.

I removed my clothing and put on the small cloth then entered the bath. It was warm and felt good on my aching body as she came over with a few oils and a rag in hand.

"What is your name?" she asks as she wet the rag in the water.

"Gabriel. What's yours princess?" I ask her.

"I am Serenity and you don't have to call me Princess I hear that enough around here. I would like for us to be friends. Is that alright with you?" she asks me.

"Yes Prince-, I mean Serenity." I smile and agree with her proposal.

She puts oil on the rag and hands it to me. "You wash your body and I will wash your hair." She says as she picks up a cup and fills it with water and starts to wet my hair. I tag the rag and wash the top half of my body.

After my hair is completely wet she takes another oil and hold it out in her hand. "This is my own oil I use on my hair. This way people in the palace will know that your well lets just say they won't mess with you." She says with a smile.

"What scent is it?" I ask her looking down at the oil in her hand.

"Jasmine, my favorite." She tells me as she goes to my head and puts the oil in my hair. She lets it sit for a minute then comes to my side.

"Why did you save me?" I ask her and she looks up at me and smiles.

"I saw you watching me, when I saw you were in trouble I couldn't help but come to your aide. I am glad that I did as well now I know you are safe here with me." She tells me as she takes off one of her gold bracelets and hands it to me. "Wear this and know you are safe Gabriel."

"Thank you Princess." I say as I put the bracelet on my wrist.

"Serenity please, I hate this title but it does come in useful sometimes." She says as she fills up the cup again and begins to wash the oil out of my hair. When she is finished she fills the cup again and dumps it over my body washing the oil off of it.

"I know you didn't wash below your waist. Please stand up and you can remove the cloth and clean yourself I will look out the door way." She says as she walks to the door way.

I stand up and use the rag to wash the rest of my body. I turn around to make sure she isn't looking and she isn't she kept her word and is looking out the door. I finish washing myself and sit back down.

"I am done" I tell her as she walks back in and comes to my side.

"Alright we need to get you a tunic so you don't just walk around in that cloth." She says as she goes to a small cabinet and pulls out a pure white tunic then returns to my side. "Here this should do well." She says as she sits it on the side.

I stand up and go to reach for the tunic with the cloth comes off, Serenity turns away with a smile on her face.

"I am so sorry I didn't mean for it to." I try to explain to her.

"Please do not worry just get dressed." She says as she keeps her face turned.

I quickly put the tunic on. "I am alright now." I tell her as she turns back to me and comes to my side removing her dagger from her side.

"Forgive me for this" she says as she cuts off the top half of my tunic. "Please don't think any less of me but my father and his rules." She says as she puts the dagger away.

"I understand" I tell her. She takes my arm and leads me out of the bath area and into a hallway.

She then lets go of my arm and walks a few steps ahead of me. I can't take my eyes off her. A princess of all people was the one who came to my aide. Then we stopped in front of a large door.

"Where are we?" I ask her as I look at the massive door.

"This is my room. It's getting late and since your my body guard you will stay in here with me." She tells me as she opens the door and we walk inside.

The room is larage and full of wonderful furniture. She walks to the center and gather's a few pillows and blankets and lays them on a laying bed.

"There, I hope you will be comfortable." She tells me as I walk over to the bed.

"I have never slept on a bed before." I tell her with a big smile on my face.

We both then hear a scream not a pain scream but something else. We look across the balcony to another room and find a man and woman together kissing each other among other stuff. I see that he is wearing the same thing that I am and I look at Serenity confused.

"Do you expect me to do that to you?" I ask her.

She looks back over at me with a look of both shock and somewhat horrified. "No of course not my sister uses her people for many things but that is their number one use for her. I am not like her you are my friend and body guard..." she says as she looks me in the eyes.

"I am not going to take advantage of you Gabriel you have my word please believe me." She says as she takes my hands in hers.

I believe her after all I have no reason not to. "I believe you Princess I mean Serenity." I tell her as we shut the drapes but nothing can drown out the moans.

"Well night is upon us, better get some sleep." She says as she goes to her bed.

I walk over to my bed and lye down and try to sleep. I hardly ever sleep though dreams of war always come to me. I toss and turn but tonight I do not dream of war, I dream of Serenity but then I start to shiver. Why am I so cold I wonder. Then I fell heat and my eyes open up and I look down and there Serenity is laying beside me.

"Do not think anything bad of me, you were shivering and the fastest way to warm someone up is body heat so please do not hate me." She tells me as she looks up at me.

"I do not hate you, thank you for keeping me warm." I tell her. She smiles then turns her back to me and slowly starts to drift to sleep.

I look down at her and notice something different, her hair it was black I though but now it was a dark red. I look around and see the black wig she was wearing across on her bed.

"Red?" I simply ask her. Her eyes jump open and look at me scared.

"Shh, it's alright red looks better on you anyway." I tell her bravely. "Sleep now your secret is safe with me." I tell her as she rests her eyes again and falls back asleep.

The next morning I wake up feeling the sun upon us. I open my eyes and there laying on my chest is Serenity fast asleep. I can smell her jasmine perfume and against my better judgment I touch her head tracing her hair line. She looked so beautiful in the sunlight. Slowly she started to stir and eventually opened her eyes to be met with mine.

"Good morning Gabriel." She says with a smile. "Sleep well?" she asks me.

"Better than I have in a very long time." I say to her as she stands up in the sunlight. I am shocked by what I see, he night dress is see through especially in the sunlight. She obviously does not know so I try to keep silent as she walks behind her changing screen.

"What do you have to do today princess?" I ask her as I stand up.

"Serenity, uh I think today I am free of my lesson but I do need to make a journey to one of the temples. You will come with me won't you?" she asks me as she changes her clothes.

"Yes of course, I go where you go." I tell her. I go to the balcony with the drapes still drawn and take a peek outside. Then I hear the moaning start again.

"Really this early?" I ask her.

"I don't know where she get the energy from, I am younger then her and I don't have that energy especially right when I wake up." She tells me as she walk in front of the screen in a white dress with a reed print on it. I turn around and am taken back by her beauty as she sits on her stool looking into the mirror she sees the look on my face and turns to me.

"Is something wrong Gabriel?" she asks me with much concern.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. " my lips burst out saying.

She smiles and tucks a stray hair behind her ear. "Thank you Gabriel no one has ever said that to me before." She say as she looks back to the mirror.

I walk to her side and look down at her. "Please forgive me I should not have been so blunt." I tell her.

"No please that was such a compliment." She says as she looks up at me.

"Your beauty just overwhelmed me and I said what I felt." I tell her as she stands up then there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Serenity asks.

"It's your sister Lelithian. Come on and open the door I must speak with you." Her sister yells.

Serenity looks at me and says "I am surprise she has a voice left." And walks to the door and opens it.

"oh I just had the best night and morning." Her sister tells her.

"So we heard." Serenity tells her with a smile on her face.

"We?" her sister asks as she walks further into the room and sees me standing there.

"and who is this dear sister?" she asks Serenity.

"This is my body guard Gabriel." Serenity tells her.

Lelithiana walks closer to me and starts to bat her eyes. "I am Lelithiana I am sure you will keep my sister very safe and if there is a point where she doesn't want you please come find me." She tells me flirtasiously.

Serenity can see the lust in her eyes and walks over to me.

"He is mine sister, stay away from him." Serenity tells her.

"Sister you don't even know what to do with a man." Her sister mocks her.

Serenity is clearly angered and turns to me and grabs my head and pulls me to her. "Forgive me but this is to protect you." She tells me as she leans in and kisses me.

I had no problem with her kissing me and my body obviously did not either as I found my arms wrapping around her body and bringing her close.

"alright Serenity that is enough." Her sister tells her with a large sigh.

Our kiss does not stop in fact it becomes deeper as she wraps her arms around my neck and holds me.

"Serenity I get the picture you can let him breathe now." Her sister says.

Still our lips do not separate and once again against my better judgement I think if we want to convence her sister this is the easiest way. I pick Serenity up and she looks at me shocked as I wink at her.

"Serenity right her in front of your sister you wouldn't dare?" her sisters yells

Serenity wraps her legs around my waist and I start to walk with her to the bed.

"I still don't believe you." Her sister says

Serenity rolls her eyes as I lay her on the bed still not breaking our kiss.

"Fine! Ugh good bye!" her sister pouts and leaves the room.

Slowly Serenity and I break our kiss and look at each other. "Gabriel, if you feel I took advantage of you I am sorry but that was the only way my sister would stay away from you." She tells me with a look of worry on her face.

"Was any of it real Princess? Any of our kiss was it real?" I ask her still not removing my body from hers.

"Yes Gabriel I am sorry but most of it was, I know I said I wouldn't take advantage of you but when we kissed my body just took over." She tells me and I smile at her.

"I am glad your body took over, mine did too. Will your sister tell your mother though?" I ask her.

"Nothing to worry about, my mother knows my sister lies... a lot." She tells me with a smile.

"I guess I better get off you then." I tell her as I slowly start to back away I can see that she wants to stop me but doesn't.

Serenity stands up and corrects her dress. "Are you hungry? I am hungry" she says as she walks to the table and grabs an apple and takes a bite out of it.

I walk over to her and look down at her as she takes another bite. "something wrong?" she asks me.

"No, you did not take advantage of me if anything I took advantage of you Serenity." I tell her as I look into her beautiful green eyes.

"I was the one who kissed you Gabriel. Please do not think you forced me to do anything I did not want to do." She tells me as she lowers the apple.

"You wanted me to kiss you and carry you to the bed?" I ask her.

She says nothing but nods her head yes. After a moment then she speaks. "Does that make me bad?" she asks with a sad look on her face.

"No, not at all." I tell her as I take her apple and take a bite out of it. "Which temple are we going to today?" I ask her.

"I better go to Isis now and pray for wisdom." She tells me as she breaks our eye contact.

We went to the temple and I kept my distance from her. I watched her pray and talk with the people around her. Some asked her advice others just wanted to meet her and she turned none of them away. Yes she was royal but she was a princess of her people.

She was finally finished at the temple and we were walking back to the palace when she saw her sister with a group of her friend. Serenity grabbed my hand and pulled me into a secret passage to the palace. We were alone in the dark and I just looked at her confused.

"My sister was out there with some of her pompous friends. All they would do is ask me questions about you and I and if I had slept with you yet." She tells me as we keep moving.

"Technically we have slept together but we have not done anything besides sleep." I tell her and she takes my hand and we keep walking.

We walk out a secret passage and are now in the court yard close to Serenity's room. I look at the beautiful court yard as she goes to the pond and sits down by it.

"Is something wrong Princess?" I ask her as she looks up at me annoyed. "Serenity, please confide in me."

I sit down beside her. "I fear something that is happening that I know will not be good for either of us." She tells me as she looks back to the pond.

"Serenity can we go somewhere else, I fear prying ears are lurking. " I tell her as I help her up and we walk to her room.

"The night has come once again." She says as she takes off her wig and throws it aside her long red hair coming down like a waterfall.

I keep control of myself but I know that over just a day and a half my feelings for her have grown more than I could even imagine.

"My father told me a prince has asked for my hand in marriage, I do not want to marry him though. I do not want to give myself to someone I do not love." She says as she sits down on the bed. "Silly thought isn't it?" Serenity asks me.

"No, princess or not you should be able to marry who you love. Not someone to keep a treaty." I tell her as I sit on the bed next to her.

"I can not fall in love with him, my heart has already been claimed by another." She tells me as she looks away.

"Who has claimed your heart?" I ask her with fear in my voice.

She looks back at me and smiles "You have, I barely know you yet my body and soul think only of you even in my dreams you are there." She tells me as she takes my hand. "I can not marry him I would rather die." She tells me as a tear falls from her eye down her cheek.

"You will not die. Please promise me that." I tell her. She looks at me and just turns away and lays down upon her bed.

She went to bed without saying another word to me. She told me that I had won her heart and a part of me was glad that I did but now how could she go and marry a random prince? She didn't want to be with him first. Maybe there was something I could do.

I walk over to Serenity's bed and see that she has cried herself to sleep, her night dress barely left anything to the imagination. I went to her as she was sleeping on her side, I turned her face up and looked down at her as she opened her eyes. "Gabriel? Is something wrong?" she asked me.

I bent down and kissed her, she was surprised but her lips continued to kiss mine. I moved her sheet away from her and joined her in her bed. My arms held her close and I stopped and looked down at her for just a moment. "Are you sure you want me? A simple no body?" I asked her. She smiled "You are not a no body you are the one I love." She tells me as she kisses me.

The next morning I opened my eyes and looked down and there was Serenity laying in my arms. We had made love. I made love to her before any prince tried to take her from me. I did not know how much longer I had with her so I lifted her chin and kissed her again. He eyes flung open and looked at me. "Again?" she asked me.

"Until I have to give you up you will be mine." I told her as I rolled over on top of her and continued to kiss her.

The afternoon had come and her sister was banging on the door. Serenity and I were already dressed when her sister came in the room.

"alright you, father said that you were to marry the prince! Why not me?" she demanded an answer.

"I do not know, I was just told of this I did not arrange it." Serenity defended herself as I came to her side.

"You won't have to worry about that." Her sister says as she takes a dagger and stabs Serenity. "I am the only princess left now. You'd better run, I will tell mother and father you killed her. You killed your lover after hearing she had to marry another." Her sister said as she ran out.

I held Serenity in my arms as her one white dress began to turn red. "No this can't be happening, I just found you." I tell her as we both sink to the floor.

"Go, the will kill you if they find you in here with me after my sister tells them that lie." Serenity begs me.

"I can't leave you. Please stay with me." I beg her as I hold her close.

I could see her life leaving her. "I won't be gone I will always be with you, with our love." She says as her hand stroke my face.

"I swear Serenity our love will last through the ages." I tell her as tears fall from my eyes.

"I love you, remember tha-" she says with her last breath as her eyes close and her head falls onto my chest.

"NO!" I scream as loud as I can. "She was mine!" I yell to the heavens.

I hear guards yelling in the hall. I lay Serenity down and take my leave.

There was a process before mummification called a sacred viewing. Serenity's parents had placed her body in a sacred room where it would be view from one day only.

I was deep in the desert where I had made a deal with god. I only had one day to make the deal come true. Immortality, Serenity would be by my side always and would never die again.

I kept hidden until the end of the day when I snuck into her viewing room. She was dressed in a black dress and her arms crossed over her chest. I looked down at her and it looked as though she was just sleeping. "I can not live without you my love so I have come to bring you back." I tell her as I put a liquid in my mouth and bend down and kiss her allowing the fluid to pass from my mouth to hers.

Within a matter of moments I could feel her lips move and she kissed me back. I backed away from our kiss and looked down at her as her eyes opened. She smiled at me and looked straight into my eyes. "Gabriel?" she asked me.

That was my last memory from Egypt.