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She iry and I tried very hard to led with itIn truth, I was ecstaticShe was still continuing down her pathShe hadn’t swayedI need only worry about Iras, at this point

"It’s fine, CleopatraI understandI am mostly worried about HasaniAnd of course, Antony"My voice was pained- even I could hear it And my emotion was realI orried about Hasani

"You will have children so the subject from the painful one that I was headed down"And you will be a wonderful ratulations were in order for children that I hadn’t had yetThe thought was funny until the laughter died on my lipsI would never have children; not now, not two thousand years from noas impossible for a KeeperWe were barren

"Now then,"she continued, patting lided past me"I aether, shall we?"

She didn’t wait for an answer, because it wasn’t really a requestShe kneould be waiting for her in the banquet room at lunchti me alone in her chambers

I reveled in the quiet peacefulness for just ato the balcony, I leaned over the edge, searching every direction for son of HasaniNo such luckI didn’t see hih, and I found the sea calling to ainst the shoreline enticed e to swih the palace and down the two hundred stairs to the beach, enjoying the crisp salty air with every stepThe guards posted at the base of the staircase wordlessly allowed iant open expanse of the sea

It was nificentMore beautiful than words or any picture could expressThe s off the water, the screaulls over head… it was all so familiar to meThe sand was hot under my bare feet, so I quickly stepped onto the cool foam lip of the water

My feet found instant relief fro sand and I felt myself sink into the wetness The water was fairly warm and I kneould feel heavenly the further out that I walkedLooking down the beach, I saw that there was no one else as far as I could see, except for the guards that I had already passed

I waded further into the water, trailing htly on the surface behind h and I onderfully buoyantI quickly dove into the waves, enjoying the reprieve froood that I spent the next several reen Mediterranean water

Charmian, come here

I froze mid-stroke as the voice resounded inside of my head, as clearly as if it had been spoken aloud

Ahitated breath, I rose froe of the sea, watching me with placid eyesHis dark robes billowed around hi

What have you done, Charh the waist deep water to reach hi, priest,"I hissed through gritted teeth"Everything is falling apart and it is not ofme curiouslyDid he really think it was?

"Of course not!"I snapped "What could I have done to cause this?"

"You banished Tehran froinally doYou were not to change anything--yet you did and it tipped our hand And now, of course, Tehran is dead and Iras has been taken"

"We don’t know that for sure,"I murmured hesitantly

"About Iras?Of course we do Or I do, I should sayPothinus definitely has her"

I knew better than to question the s It was unsettling, but always correct

"Where? And how in the world did that happen?He died two years ago"

"That I do not knowBut I know that he has herIt is unmistakableOur question now, is how to repair thisShe needs to be here to die with you and Cleopatra in a week’s time"

I sed hardHe spoke about our deaths so easily, as though ere siuess we sort of were

His eyes glinted in their creepy, all-knoay as he continued

"I’m afraid, Charmian, that we must do the unthinkable in order to rectify this"

His eyes were black and ohed

"You will need to explain everything to CleopatraYou’re going to require her assistance to put things back on track She trusts youAnd we h to listen to your wisdom- that she must continue to hast"We can’tShe will be devastatedI don’t know if she can follow through hat she needs to do if she knows that it will kill Antony"

"Haven’t you done that very thing, life after life?"

I gazed at the old priest He knew that I had I nodded