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She raised bleary eyes to me and whimpered and I feltthat on’t die--that Hasani and Antony won’t die?And I won’t lose li in her dark eyesHopeful of what?That I had lied before?I didn’t knohat to say, so I stared at her helplessly for a

"No,I said before is trueWe will all dieBut we go on to live in other livesYou will live over and overAnd you are always ain and dropped her head back down, her hair swinging forward and surrounding her face like a curtainI brushed it back for her and tucked it behind her ears

"My queen, I’race in the face of this enormity is unfairBut I still need to ask itI need you to be the strong leader that I know you areYou’re the strongest person that I know"

"You’re right,"she agreed softly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand "I a, aren’t I?"

As I nodded, I felt the soft texture of the papyrus inood a time as any to show herShe was already upsetI handed it to her and watched confusion and then realization ripple over her lovely face

And then she started wailing

There was nothing I could do but stand by callyHer eyes finally flew open and stared at me in panic

"What can we do, Charmian?What shall we do?"

Her voice was drenched in hopelessness and I flinchedI had never heard that from her before and I had to be honest and ad, confident queenly oneHer distress just drove home our dire situation like a stake to the heartWe were screwed But ere screwed in every lifeShe just didn’t know that

"I don’t know, Cleopatra,"I murmured quietly "I suppose I will just meet him and see what happens"

"You’ll see what happens? How is that a plan?"She screeched"We need to think this through!We can’tin the balance You’ve already said that everything hinges on us- on our decisions We cannot allow hi He must have taken Iras for so so her hands as she stood and paced restlessly across her carpets, before she finally sank onto her cushioned vanity table stool

"This wasn’t supposed to happen I aypt My life was not supposed to end like this"

Her eyes were unfocused and wild and rew

"Cleopatra, you must calm yourselfWe cannot think of a plan if you are hysterical"

As I spoke, I grasped her shoulders and silently willed her to calainst my palm, I literally felt peace from inside of me ebb into herI had no idea how I knew to do it, but it didn’t , a difficult feat in the face of her hysteria

She looked atlittle parlor trick had workedHer breathing had slowed, her chest was no longer heaving, her eyes becaaze at me, she murmured coolly, "Who are you and what have you done with my friend? You’re not the cal the roo one of her hands within o so far as to say that you’re the cal interesting tricks like that But Cleopatra, I want you to realize that this is not the endIt will only be the end of Charmian and CleopatraWe’ll be other people and have other full livesAnd I know that if we fall apart now, either one of us, ill acco"

She nodded slowly, her astonishment still evident on her face

"Who will I be, Charmian?"She turned watery eyes toI don’t know, CleopatraI a between the time that we died here and the time that I am reborn 2,000 years from nowThat’s the way the Order works- it’s for our own protection, to ensure that we are able to do eher toe nervously against the stool leg

"Cleopatra, you were rightThis particular incident with Pothinus wasn’t meant to happenBut this is just a blip A ure out what he wants, we can continue with our lives as erewill be fine"

"Hoe do that?"A level of calmness had returned to her voice and I felt a rush of reliefThis was the woure out so I need to speak with AhmoseHe’ll surely have so in fascination at my pendant

"You have your bloodstone!How did you retrieve it?"

"I didn’tAnnen delivered it toabout Tehran or…"

"No, he didn’tAnd he disappeared before I could askBut he was cryptic enough--he wanted htHe said I would need it"

"Then by all means, make sure you wear itWe cannot take chances with your safety"

I looked up at her with my eyebrows raised"You think it offers me protection?"