ﬔꬷꬽꭀ דּﬦ Ѫїє ꟿꭌꭄ

I decoded the cryptic message that had appeared in the AI book.

You need to die to return.

What? Dead?!

As if stopping the heart permanently? DIE?

So that was the reason I was feeling flickers of electric jolt the previous week. They had tried transporting us back, but failed.

The department wasn't in their sane head to inform something like this so casually. I wanted to send a string of cuss words, but there wasn't a method.

I scoffed and slammed the book close. Didn't they know how gross and scary it was to kill oneself? They trained us in everything, but not how to peacefully end our lives.

The messaging was one way. Only they could send the messages, that too, without getting to know if we received it or not.

Damn technology.

I closed my ears for the tenth time as the blow horn blared like a trumpet. The sign of the beginning of an invasion.

Glancing out the window, the meagre military Queen Cleopatra had was scattered around the grand wooden doors.

I had confirmed now that the year was 333 BCE when we first arrived here. Because right now, Alexander was here to conquer Egypt, which he did in 332 BCE.

Dying was the last thing on my mind when something so interesting was going to happen. All these years in the court was enough drill to face this situation.

I sipped on the limoon, having the time of my life.

And did I tell about the air? It felt straight out of an oxygen cylinder.

My soulful little room would always instil a sense of tranquillity, like a drug that put me to sleep. There was only white linen wherever my eyes took in. A little linen bed, linen curtains, linen dress.

Linen linen linen.

The room they gave me for the stay was a tiny one, so was the queen's.

It was a safety speciality of the fortress, which was huge but had minuscule rooms. So many soldiers won't be able to enter together when an invading situation arises.

Writing a hundred plus pages about 'All hail queen Cleopatra' was as easy as writing about feminism. Judging by her actions, I was sure she would've definitely been the face of 'Me too movement' back in our century.

Coming to the perfume.

Chanel Paris swept her off the feet with its tantalising aroma.

I remember handing the vial to her attendee, who had sniffed it suspiciously before losing in its scent. The queen had snatched it right away and took an elongated inhale, the look on her face almost comical.

After that time, I had seen her carry it along every day, tucked into her waist's robes.

Someone knocked on the door to my room and without me opening it, in came a young soldier leaning in the doorway.

The warriors were hulk here, every single one of them.

He had brown hair with hues of black that were always ruffled. He weaved a hand through them, making them more disheveled.

He shook his head, smiling smugly. "Have you decided your stance, my love?" he purred.

He was a cryptic maniac, just like the message I had decoded a moment ago.

Ancient men as expected were hornier than today's men.

"Loqaquo, I do, but I need time. Not now," he had helped me with hell lot of information about the reign of present emperors in and around this kingdom. More like an editor to my travelogue.

In return, much to my dismay, I had to act all tasteful and a helpless damsel in distress to please him.

Nothing more than that.

But I should've known better than to outright say no. Ancient men didn't take No.

"Don't you know a man has needs Althea?" he shifted from one foot to another looking slyly with those fox eyes.

He moved forward, and I faltered in my steps behind.

I finished my lovely drink in one quick gulp and he upturned his brows in distaste. Oh well, not very ladylike was I being. "Loqaquo hone-" I started, but paused. Whoops! No honey, sugar. Dear sounds okay?

"Loqaquo my dear, I know I woul-"

"What do you know, Althea?!" he snarled. "Do you know the pain, how much it hurts without the essential union of a man and woman?!"

Oh! no no no no no...

Even if I knew the self-defence moves, I couldn't just go all wonder women on him. When I knew I couldn't run away to safety.

He came in with one long stride in the room, grabbing me by the face. "I love you so much, Althea. I can't bear any more," and he cried, burying his face in my neck.

"It's lust not love," the words just flew out my mouth like the muse I was. I could feel his blood boil now.

"Lust?" he laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, Lust!" this time he was laughing insanely.

"Lust is what I feel towards you, babe! Let me satisfy my lust!" saying so he harshly tugged onto my arms till I fell on my back on the linen bed.

Locking my wrists in his steel grip, he looked with that heated gaze, burning my very flesh.

"I- I love you too, Loqaquo," I lied softly, looking at him with puppy eyes. He eyed my pout with an evil smirk.

His sloppy kiss landed on the bed as I jerked my head aside.

Something needed to be done to stop that deadly testosterone spread in his body.