Now I know this is a bit different, but please give me a chance🙏. My first love was always ancient Egypt, and I have been racking my brains about how to really include this in an imagine for a Gotham character, but now I finally think that I have come up with something. This chapter is a little longer and is more of an introduction to a second part which will be all Ed/Edward and reader, so I hope you will stick with it, and I hope you will enjoy. 😊

The chanting began as the early morning rays of the sun passed through the temples open doorway. This had been her life for as long as she could remember, she was born to be the High priestess of the great goddess Isis, and it was all she ever wanted to be. Groomed from childhood to perform the ceremonies, speak the incantations, and sing the hymns that would please the deity and wake her from her nightly slumber, the young priestess undertook each labour as only a true believer would, with honour and reverence.

The sound of the hymns and the jingle from the sistrums echoed throughout the great hypostyle hall as she made her way to the heart of the temple; the inner chamber, the sanctuary of the great goddess beckoning the young priestess as it did every morning.

Pulling open the doors, the priestess bowed deeply to the figure before her, while the priests behind her fell to their knees prostrating themselves before the earthly home of the goddess.

The young woman moved towards the statue and signalled for the priests to come forward so that she could begin the daily ritual. The old clothes from the day before were removed from the figure of the goddess, and then the effigy anointed with sacred oils and perfumes. The utmost respect was always given to the statue that was the worldly body of the goddess, and not one person present would ever allow harm to befall the goddess, especially in her own sanctuary.

The priestess carefully placed clothing back on the goddess and added new pigment to her cheeks and eyes, as the priests brought forward the food offerings for the day. Bread, meat and fruit were presented to the deity and placed at her feet by the priestess, before she backed out of the sanctuary, with her head bowed, the woman slowly closing the doors ensuring the goddess her privacy.

As the doors closed the priests continued to scurry around; despite the most important ritual of the day having been completed there would be no rest, not today.

Today was the goddess's festival, and the king would be coming to the temple to take part in the festivities. The priestess smiled to herself as she made her way to the open doors, she knew that wherever the king went, he would be with him. Entef was the king's vizier, his chief astronomer, and the love of her life.

They had grown up together playing and laughing, running through the halls of her father's palace hand in hand hiding from the guards that were meant to protect her.

Her father would always chastise the pair but to no avail, the two were born mischief makers and were inseparable. At night one would leave their room to join the other in their bed, the young pair holding onto one another in the night as if their lives depended on it.

As the pair got older, they were educated together to guarantee that they could fulfill their roles in society, the king ensuring that all knowledge was given to them. As the daughter of the king, Amenset was expected to perform better than the rest, and neither she nor Entef had disappointed the king.

As the two grew, so did their affections for one another, a fact that had never pleased the king. Entef was of low birth but was adopted by the royal family at the insistence of the Great Royal Wife, who just happened to be Amenset's mother; but his lowly birth meant that the two could never marry, at least in the King's eyes.

From birth, Amenset had been promised to the son of the Assyrian king, and at the right age she would leave her father's palace, leave the only world she had ever known, and become the Queen of her new people, taking her duties as high priestess with her to her new home. This arranged marriage was no secret to the young pair and made them all the more determined to stay together, the knowledge of the marriage and inevitable separation from the man she loved had caused the young princess to argue many times with her father about Entef, nearly resulting in her punishment, only being spared due to the efforts of her mother.

After much time, the king decided that only way to keep the two apart was to send the princess to the great temple of Isis so that she could better fulfill her role as high priestess, and Entef would stay at the palace. The scheme had worked for a while, but Amenset's mother had seen the sadness in her child and ensured that the pair were still able to meet in secret as often as possible; and unknown to the king, the two had become lovers.

Now today he would be here with her father; if she could spirit him away from the king's side the two could go to their usual place where they could be together.

Amenset stepped outside the temple, the heat of the day was already beginning to rise, and the crowd was growing even though it was still early. Vendors were already selling their wares, the smells of bread and meats mixed with the aroma of flowers sitting heavily in the air. People were buying offerings to present to the goddess as her barque passed from one temple to the other; and the priestess couldn't help but smile as children excitedly ran around shouting out loud about seeing the goddess. As their eyes fell on the young Amenset, she found herself surrounded by a sea of little faces.

"Are you the king's daughter?" Asked one.

"Of course, she is and she's the high priestess." An older child said, scolding the younger girl.

"Is the goddess here?" Enquired a third.

"Is the goddess pretty?" The littlest girl asked, as she pulled on Amenset's linen robe.

Amenset crouched down so that she was face to face with the children.

"To answer your questions; yes, I am the king's daughter, yes I am the high priestess; the goddess is always here as she lives at the heart of our temple; and yes, little one." Amenset said, stroking the hair of the tiny girl.

"The goddess is very pretty."

"What? Even prettier than you?" The little girl asked innocently, causing Amenset to laugh.

"Yes, the goddess is more beautiful than any other."

"Will we get to see her?" A boy asked, as he pushed his way to the front of the group.

"No, I'm afraid not. Only I, the priests and the king are permitted to look upon the goddess. You will see the shrine within which she stands, but be sure that she will see you; so be good for your parents and remember to smile and wave as she passes, because I know she will wave back." The young Princess told them, smiling at the children who all ran off happily, laughing as they went.

"Amenset!" A voice came from behind her, Amenset turning around to find one of her father's advisors.

"Bebi, what are you doing here? My father isn't due for some time."

"I am here, my lady, to make sure that everything is in place. The king is very much looking forward to the festivities today, he has high expectations, but I can already see that his expectations will be exceeded. You have done a wonderful job." The old man said, as he looked around at the highly decorated edifice of the temple, and processional way.

"Thank you Bebi, as it is my first great festival I wanted to ensure that I did my best for the goddess and my father." Amenset explained, as she turned her gaze from the gathering crowd to the man next to her.

"Bebi......will Entef be accompanying my father today?" Amenset asked hesitantly, the older advisor chuckling, as he saw the pink hue that had grown on Amenset's cheeks. He knew all too well of the relationship between the princess and the vizier, and even though he knew that his king did not approve, he could never find it in himself to deny either one the knowledge of the other.

"Yes, my lady, Entef will be with your father, and I know that our young vizier is looking forward to seeing you."

"Thank you Bebi, that's good to know; but if you will excuse me, I still have much to do before my father arrives." Amenset smiled, as the old man bowed deeply to her.

Amenset made her way back into the great temple, her eyes adjusting slowly to the vast dark hall that was only lit by oil lamps. The interior of the home of the goddess was always dark compared to the outside world, but today, somehow, the goddess seemed to have been able to make the temple just a little brighter, and Amenset couldn't help but smile as she watched the bald headed priests run around like mice in a granary when a cat had been let lose, thinking to herself that all they were missing was a pair of pink ears and a tail.

"My lady." A young priest said, as he respectfully dropped to his knees before her.

"The barque will be ready on time; but Seker says that there may be some problems in the granary and brewery, he says that we may not to be able to provide enough bread and beer for the day." The young man said apologetically, as Amenset helped him to his feet.

"Not today Chafkem, of all days why today?" Amenset questioned, as she walked off at speed towards the temple's brewery, knowing that she would find the older Seker there.

"If we are not able to provide enough bread and beer for the king, his advisors and guests, what will he think? What will the goddess think? Seker assured me that all would be well, that all would be prepared for the day. Am I to do everything?" Amenset asked, the young priest looking slightly astonished at the princesses raised voice. Normally Amenset was gentle, and a kind and helpful young woman, all the priests happy that the princess had taken her place as the High Priestess; but Chafkem knew the pressure that Amenset was under to make her first festival the greatest the temple had ever seen, and he knew that even a small issue could cause a bigger problem later in the day.

The sea of priests parted as Amenset and Chafkem made their way through the corridors, all of them sensing the temper of the young woman as she passed, all of them knowing that the princess expected that not a single one of them would let the goddess down on this her day of days.

By the time Amenset emerged from the temple, the sun was high in the sky, leaving her little time to bathe herself in the waters of the sacred lake before her father and Entef arrived. There was part of her that believed that Isis was testing her, wanting her to prove herself, wanting her to prove that no matter what misfortune she sent her way, Amenset could overcome it, and she was determined to show her great mother goddess that she would never let her down.

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The king rode in his ceremonial chariot down along the processional way, the crowd cheering for their sovereign as the regal ram headed sphinxes seemed to gleam in the midday sun as he passed. He couldn't help but be impressed at the sight that greeted him, smiling at the knowledge that all of it was because of his daughter, and her devotion to him and the goddess.

As the chariot drew up to the temple's enormous pylons, the great coloured banners fluttering in the breeze, the king's eyes fell on the figure of his daughter, the sight of his beautiful child filling his father's heart with pride. Of all his children, Amenset was his greatest gift; he had named her 'Daughter of the Sun', and had presented her to the great goddess Isis as soon as she had been taken from her mother, dedicating the tiny girl to the deity that would watch over her all her life.

"Amenset. My child." The king cooed softly, helping his daughter to her feet, the two embracing as the rest of his entourage arrived for the day's celebrations.

"It is good to see you again father. I have missed our conversations." Amenset said, her eyes widening as the lean figure of Entef descended from his chariot and made his way over to where his king and the woman he loved were embracing.

"You have made the goddess and I proud, my daughter. The days celebrations should prove to be some of the greatest my kingdom has ever seen." The king told Amenset, taking his daughters face in his hands so that he could look into her bright eyes.

"It is such a shame that soon you will travel to be with your new husband and his people; but your union, I am sure, will prove fruitful, and the Assyrian king will have more grandchildren than he could ever wish for." The king said, choosing to ignore the look of horror in Amenset's eyes as they darted between her father's face, and the face of the man she loved who now had taken his place behind his king.

"My king, may I suggest that you take a seat under the canopy. The afternoon sun is high, and the festivities will soon begin, your people wish to see you." Entef voice was quiet, the man trying to hide the tremble in his tone as he and Amenset realised that the time that they had dreaded for so long, had finally come.

"Yes Athothes, you are right. Today is not only the goddess's day, but also mine and my daughters, and it is only right that my people get to see their ruler." The king agreed, turning so that he and his other advisors could make their way over to where the great canopy had been set out, the area providing the king with the best view of the proceedings.

"Amenset. What are we to do?" Entef questioned, as he took her into his arms once the king was out of view.

"There is nothing we can do my love, my father has spoken, and that is all there is. We both knew that this day was coming; but.........but maybe we can have a few last hours together before I am sent from the kingdom." Amenset said sadly, looking around to make sure that no one could hear.

"We will go to my room when the goddess' barque is brought from the temple. We can be together then." Amenset told the young vizier, before softly kissing his lips and rushing back inside the imposing building, Entef quietly making his way over to where the king would surely be expecting him.

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The festivities were well underway, the king watching in wonder as the gold covered barque of the goddess journeyed down the processional way, held high on the shoulders of the bald headed priests, who all wore their finest linen kilts and cheetah skins that were draped over their torsos, their destination the great temple of the goddesses husband, Osiris.

"Bebi. Where are my daughter and Entef?" The king asked suddenly, the elderly sovereign noticing that the two young people were missing.

"I........I am not sure, my king. Perhaps Amenset needed help within the temple, and as your vizier, Entef would of course be the one that the princess turned to." The old man tried to explain, knowing full well that he had seen the pair disappear hand in hand when her father's attention was fully on the ceremony.

Suddenly the king rose from his chair, the other advisors rising too, as their sovereign stormed into the darkened temple in search of his daughter and vizier.

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"I love you." Amenset declared, as she looked at the man beside her on the small bed in her room in the temple, their naked bodies intertwined as they clung to one another, desperate that this moment should never end.

"And I will always love you, my Amenset. No matter what your father decrees, no matter how life may change, I know that the goddess will never let us be apart. We were meant to be together you and I, and so it will be in this life and the next." Entef reassured, his long fingers gently caressing her soft skin.

"YOU! AFTER EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE FOR YOU, AFTER EVERYTHING I HAVE GIVEN YOU, YOU STREET RAT. I SHOULD NEVER HAVE LISTENED TO MY WIFE; I SHOULD HAVE LEFT YOU IN THE DARK PASSAGEWAYS WHERE YOU BELONGED. YOU HAVE DEFILED MY DAUGHTER, YOU HAVE DEFIED YOUR KING, AND ALL THAT IN THE HOME OF THE GODDESS." The king bellowed, as he barged his way into his daughter's room, his mind filling with anger as he saw his precious child in the arms of Entef.

"My king....... we love one another, Amenset and I have always loved one another. Please, you must see that........." Entef began, rising to his feet and making his way over to the irate father, only to find himself stumbling back, blood gushing from a wound inflicted by a sword that the king had just thrust into his side.

"ENTEF! NO!" Amenset screamed as she fell to the floor, holding her lovers head in her hands.

"Everything will be well Entef, you will be fine. Please don't leave me, please. I love you; you can't leave me." Amenset beseeched in vain, as she watched in horror as the life slowly left her lovers eyes.

"You will forget that this ever happened. You will go to your new husband, you will be a dutiful wife, and I never want you to mention this to anyone." The king growled, pulling his sobbing daughter to her feet, and as far away from the bloodied corpse of the young vizier as he could.

The king watched in horror as his daughter suddenly gasped, the colour draining from her skin, as she looked down to where her father's sword was now in her body, her fingers gripping at the blade as she fell to the floor next to Entef, the king falling to his knees, as he yelled out for someone to help.

With her last breath Amenset reached up her hand, caressing the cheek of the man she loved, her finally words barely above a whisper, but they were there.

"In this world and the next my love." And with that the princess was dead.

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Ed work up with a start, his hand desperately searching for the light next to the side of his bed, his sweat soaked body shivering as he tried to calm himself.

This had been happening for weeks, whenever Ed managed to sleep, he would have the same terrible yet wonderful dream, a dream that would always end with the death of the beautiful woman that for some reason meant so much to him. But there was always something at the back of his mind that told him that it was more than a dream, it was more a memory, a vision of what had once been, a vision of a life from long ago, his life.

Ed dropped his head into his hands, his fingers brushing his sweat soaked hair back over his head. He couldn't work out why all this was happening, why he should suddenly be having these "memories"; but now, now somehow, he had to find some way to get them to stop.