The Pharaoh's Champion

 The warmth on her face stirred her.

She stretched, twinging as she scrunched her features, this always happened when she got too much sun. Still feeling the hold of sleep, she placed a hand over her forehead to shield her recovering eyes from the hash light.

Taking in her surroundings she realised she had been lying on a makeshift bed of long palm leaves, that was likely why every muscle seemed to ache as she moved.

She touched her wound, there was a dull ache that throbbed when she rubbed, it was still much gentler than it had been.

Then she became abruptly aware of another unfamiliar soreness as she shifted to sit.

Why do I feel sore… There?!

Just then a sandy breeze caught her attention, directing her gaze to the side.

A sinful and satisfied smile grew over her lips as she saw him lying on his back next to her, his hands clasped behind his head as he slept.

Looking like he had not a care in the world, she couldn't help but think that even when he was asleep, he was alluring. Suddenly thoughts of hot, sweaty passion came pouring back. Her noises and his groans echoed in her mind. She remembered falling over a cliff of ecstasy and collapsing into his shoulder, panting into his neck. Only the gods knew how long they had stayed there, cradled in each other's embrace. He had carried her out of the pool, despite her body being like a dead weight from the experience, and had placed her on this bed he had made for them, and slipped asleep almost instantly. The feel of his warmth still smoothed against her as she remembered being held close. His strong arms were wrapped around her all the night, like he never wanted to let her go again.

The bed was nestled at the dusty front of what looked like a temple. It was enough to shield them during the night and gave a good view of their surroundings.

Her eyes wandered to the outside. So, this is the Oasis.

It looked, otherworldly. The sun was strong enough to blind her sensitive eyes for a few short moments until they adjusted and she caught the glittering of the water as it moved lazily in the breeze. The trees around it were sturdy and tall, standing proud around it helping to separate the water from the sand which to seemed to expand into every corner of her vision.

There were no buildings in the distance, no silhouette of civilisation, no sounds of chirping birds either she realised. it was quiet and serene in a way she recalled feeling only when she was close to death. 

A shiver worried through her, reminding her that she was very much alive.

She laid down on her side, watching his chest gently rise and fall in a calm rhythm. His usually stern features more relaxed in his sleep.

It wasn't a dream, it had all been real. And for the first time in what-felt-like forever, she awoke in the same place she had fallen asleep.

As much as she loved seeing him like this. It was still… new, and she teased herself, thinking that when he woke up, she would purposely antagonise him and watch his stern side grow. Then, she began to wonder about all kinds of ways to make that harsh face melt away again.

She wondered if she should let him sleep, contemplated stroking his face, savouring his soft skin.

"Wake him up," she heard the Western breeze whisper in her ear.

"Do it," the floral breeze called again.

Before their night together, she would never had thought such things. She would have shook him awake and called him some inappropriate name, passing it off as making sure he was actually alert. She hide in her arm, hiding from an internal embarrassment.

Suddenly conflicting thoughts swirled like a storm, she could feel the unease rise. She felt humiliated by her own desires, how could she have let this happen?

They wouldn't stop coming.

What if he wants to pretend it didn't happen? What is he's disgusted in himself? He's the Pharaoh and I – I am no one.

As if sensing the change in atmosphere, he stirred from his peaceful slumber.

"Good morning, Zhara," his voice was hoarse from sleep.

Feeling heat rush to her cheeks, her body seized. She managed some spluttered greeting that was barely audible as she snapped upright.

He chuckled lightly at her nervousness and lifted himself effortlessly to a seated position. Before, he looked peaceful, but now, as he rested his forearms on his knees and looked out onto the Oasis, the weight of the world seemed to sit firmly on his shoulders.

The silence between them was killing her.

There were so many things to do, they needed to find out where they were, so they could get back. They needed food, water and supplies to make that journey. But all she could think about was that he hadn't even looked at her, ignoring her with the greatest of ease.

Her heart sank, she'd have to prepare herself to get through the rest of the day.

As if reading her thoughts, he moved to her and without waiting a breath, he put his hands on her jaw and placed the most gentle and tender kiss on her forehead. Nothing like what they had shared the previous night, no trace of the desire they had back then.

Still, she couldn't keep a throbbing heat from moving across her whole being. She clenched her fists, digging her nails in her palms to keep herself in check. He had such control over her body, she hated the feeling of impulse ruling over her strategic and composed mind.

He raised to his feet, looming over her.

As she knelt in his shadow, she craned her neck and stared at him like he was the world, like he was everything she could have every wanted. His power. His humbleness. His gentle nature. His fierce skill.

Feminism left her mind as she felt an urge to throw herself at his feet, to once again recite the oath she had taken what felt like a lifetime ago.

I will pledge myself to you.

I will devote myself to you.

I will heed your every command.

I will protect you… with my last breath.

Back then, she had taken it without truly understanding. It was protocol, a requirement that needed to be met. Now she meant it, pouring every emotion into each line, feeling it with every inch of her body.

"Come," a strong, regal hand reached out to her. "Let us find our way home."

I am yours…

Trembling a she lifted her hand and placed it in his, never tearing away from his commanding gaze. The winds hit her from both sides, almost helping her rise from her knees and blowing her golden locks out behind her.

She drifted off into a dreamland in his eyes, swiftly startled back when she thought the Pharaoh spoke to her. She shook the disorientation from her mind, quickly realising that he moved further inside the temple.

No, I can't keep feeling these… feelings!

Yes, with the way things were going, this was going to be a very long day indeed.

****

He felt less than useless, having to admit to himself that he had no idea where they were. This was his land, his country, yet here he stood…. Clueless, in this expanse of rich oasis, scaling the steps to this beautiful temple that he knew nothing about.

How could I not know about this place? Who could have commissioned such a structure without my knowledge?

The steps leading further into the temple were wide and shallow, he hopped the last few stairs feeling oddly light on his feet. After reaching the top, he cocked his head over his shoulder, sensing something weird on the horizon.

Is the sky getting dark already? Puzzled by the slight greying in the farthest distance. Definitely not another sandstorm he concluded, though if it was they would be safe here.

A soft sigh took his attention, Zahra was just a few steps behind, his throat hitched as he saw her. The warm sunshine made the top of her head glow like a halo as she looked down at her feet, tucking her hair behind an ear.

That hair… which slipped through his fingers like a golden waterfall. Hair that he had his hands and his face buried in not too long ago. Taking in her scent, feeling her wrapped around him. Before, he would try and push these thoughts to the back of his mind, telling himself that his fascination was purely to do with her exotic allure, she was so different to anyone else he had ever met, and therefore more curious.

Everyone treated him with a deep reverence and respect. Probably due to his father's keen leadership, and obviously because of his title as Pharaoh. But Zahra… she had always treated him coldly, keeping him at arm's length, only holding him close when his life was threatened, or if she had him in a lock. She had never seemed so indifferent with her father, or Mana, or anyone else for that matter.

Except yesterday, she had held him close for a whole new reason, passion and longing he held never experienced before. And he liked it.

 In the grips of their encounter, he had to stop himself, all of the feelings he had kept buried suddenly flooded him. He worried that he was moving too fast, that maybe she didn't hunger for him, the way he did for her. He'd never forget that look of undiluted desire in her eyes, a look that said she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, perhaps even more so, since she had been the one to push things further.

He twitched as he let his body remember the feel of her.

All thoughts of desire quickly turned to dust as he watched her trudge up the stairs, her shoulders looked slumped as though holding a heavy weight, he prayed it was because she was still recovering. He had kissed her on forehead this morning as a way of cementing their new relationship, not wanting to push too far or force anything on her. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help worrying that perhaps she regretted what they did last night. His throat bobbed, it frightened him to think that.

As she reached the final step, they locked eyes. A shimmering golden rim surrounding a black pupil, flecks of amber speckled all over, drawing in him further. How was it possible to find all the treasures of the world in someone's eyes.

She was always so self-depreciating, her physical strength was unsurpassed, her mental strength was awe inspiring, still nothing was ever enough. Everything that she thought made her weak, her womanly figure, her ethereal voice when she sang, it was all these things about her that he loved, even that fact that she was so critical of herself, always trying to be better. She saw them as flaws, weaknesses to be weeded out. He saw them as her perfect imperfections, never to be changed, only to be adored.

He watched her turn away, her cheeks flushed red, her hands fidgeting as if she couldn't decide what to do with them. In this moment, with no one else around, she was just a woman, and he was just a man, both new to the feelings sparking between them. The fresh vulnerability he saw in her, as her eyes looked into the gloom of the temple, made him want her more. Yes, she was his champion and protector, making great work of her role, but who would protect her when the shadows grew?

It was then that he knew, she was all he ever wanted.

****

The tension was so thick, she could slice it with a blade.

Why? Why did he have to look at me like that?! She rubbed her burning neck. Taking a few steps away, she closed her eyes and took some deep breaths to centre herself.

It took everything she had to tear her gaze off him, she could feel the flame of desire lick in her core. She had no idea what he was feeling about last night, and the thought of him rejecting her…

She had never felt such crippling fear before. Fear was something she used to hone her skills and keep her sharp, but this was different in that it left her frozen on how to act. Why was this man so far under her skin?

There was a slightly sandy breeze that smoothed over her shoulder. As she opened her eyes, her breath caught. In her thoughts she had unwittingly stepped into the gloom and found an elegant design of columns, courts and halls perched by water. It flowed all around the temple ceiling, until it came together at a waterfall at the far end of the temple that cascaded into a pool.

The sights and smells when her whole body tense, it was the pool where they had taken things to the next level. It took everything she had to shake the thoughts off, suddenly she was enthralled with every aspect of this place.

The temple looked old, some etchings on the walls had begun to corrode slightly, though it didn't looked abandoned. There was only a small amount of sand and barely a speck on the artifacts that adorned the temple, the paintings had faded, but look thick as if regularly freshened.

"Atem, come take a look at…" He was already beside her before she finished her sentence. She abruptly stopped and placed a hand on her burning neck.

"Someone still cares for this temple," he concluded, his eyes darting around, analysing and deducting.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the Pharaoh gawk at the splendour of the temple. Her own gaze was fixed once again on the pool of water sat unassumingly in middle. Her body remembered everything willingly, almost desperate to feel it all again. The waist deep water, lapping at her bare skin, the cool of the air as it hit her naked body, everything that intensified the feeling of his heat on her.

Her whole body surged from her head to her toes, aching in the most delicate of places. She couldn't take it anymore, it was too much. Still she wondered if he was regretting their time together. She needed to keep herself in check, and while he was enthralled in their desert discovery, her muscles silently tensed and she shrunk away into the gloom.