Love Through The Ages

Love through the ages - Part One
Based on an original idea by Wrappers Delight

I watch as my princess takes a stroll in the palace gardens. Her beautiful golden hair flowing onto her white gown as she soundlessly walks over the marble. I watch her mesmerizing form from here in the palace. I cannot join her. Even though I am a priestess, my princess is my superior, and I have no right to join her. But my love for her is not diminished by this cruel fact. She is the one whom I protect from the evil spirits of the world. She barely knows of my existence, having seen me only a few times during her young life. At age twenty-five, she is still a child in my eyes, one who needs protection from the harsh world that would rob her of her innocence. And I am the one who will do that.

I can still remember when I first saw her. I was ten years old at the time, being trained in the ways of our religion. But she was a mere infant then. And at that point I decided that I would protect her. I don’t know what compelled a ten-year-old priestess to do something like that, but to this day, I do not regret that decision.

The sun begins its slow descent towards the horizon. The time for evening prayers has come. Knowing my duty, I sadly leave the princess to herself. I quickly walk though the marble corridors towards the temple near the center of the palace. The guards and servants talk quietly amongst themselves. I ignore them. They are nothing compared to me. While they have petty little jobs, my powers are reserved for the protection and the safety of the princess.

I soon enter our most sacred temple. I walk to the shrine of my beloved deity, Anubis. His great stone form stands silently, cloaked in shadows cast from torchlight. Several priests are bowed before him, praying and sending thanks for a good harvest this year. I stand to the side, patiently waiting for them to finish. They soon complete the rituals that are asked of them. They stand and silently leave the room, bowing their heads in respect. When they are gone, I go and shut the door to the shrine, ensuring that I have complete privacy when I pray.

Kneeling before my god, I raise my arms in praise. “Oh great Anubis, blessed is your name. Grant me the vigilance and strength that I may protect my princess from all who seek to harm her. Let me rise above even her guards, for my love of her is so complete, I would willingly die to protect her!”

A loud bang interrupts my praise. Angrily, I turn to see a young servant standing at the entrance to the shrine. She accidentally knocked over a torch holder, which lies on the floor.

“Who dares to intrude my worship?!” I say.

“P… pardon me my lady, but I only needed to…”

“Silence!” I shout. Extending my fingers, I speak in the ancient language of the priests. Bandages shoot forth from my fingers and seek out the foolish servant. She screams in fear and tries to run. The fool. Thinking she can escape from me. I grin as my bandages quickly catch and begin to envelop her. She falls to the floor, squealing and tearing at the strips that are winding themselves around her.

“You fool.” I say as I walk towards her, increasing the speed of the bandages. “I will make sure you learn not to intrude upon priests while they are praying.”

She doesn’t reply. That doesn’t surprise me, as she is now bound head to toe in the bandages. I inspect my handiwork. She’s a perfectly wrapped mummy. Grabbing her shoulder, I drag her form into the corridor.

“Guards!” I shout. Two spear carrying guards come to me. “Take this young fool to the dungeon, chain her to the wall, and keep her there for a year. Maybe that will teach her not to come in unannounced.”

Looking slightly confused, the two guards pick up the squirming woman and carry her off.

“And don’t unwrap her either!” I shout after them. The bound woman lets out a barley audible yell, heavily muffled by her bindings.

Within a minute, I am back again in the shrine, kneeling again before Anubis. “Forgive me.” I say. “I had to teach that young woman not to interrupt us.” Anubis looks on, silent to my prayers. But I feel a presence here in this room. I think I know who it is.

A few minutes later, my prayers are complete. I quietly leave the room and leave the temple. Inside the palace torches light up the marble corridors with gentle light. But despite the serene appearance, I sense a great unrest in the air.

“Narell!” I turn to see one of the priests running towards me.

“What is it?” I ask. “What is wrong?”

“The princess…” He pants. “She has been attacked by an assailant!” My heart stops.

“What?! Why did you not tell me?!” I demand.

“We sent a servant to get you. Did she not find you?” I stay silent.

“It does not matter.” I reply. “Take me to her!”

“At once!” The priest says. He turns and jogs down the corridor. I run after him, praying that my beloved princess lives.

But my prayers are in vain. When I reach the princesses room, she is lying on her bed, the life snatched from her.

“My princess!” I whisper as I go to her. “Please forgive me! I should have never left your side!” Her eyes move faintly underneath closed lids. Surely she will live! She must!

I turn to the doctors. They know what I am going to ask. And they shake their heads. They have done all they can for her. Now Anubis will decide whether or not she will live.

Anubis makes his decision, and the princess passes from this world.

I have never known such sadness in my life. My heart has been ripped from my breast and crushed. No joy remains within my being. I am hollow. I cannot sleep. I can find no rest upon my bed. My mind replays the last time I saw the princess in all her beauty and health, strolling happily through the palace gardens. Because of me, she is now dead. If only I had been there to help her. If only I could have protected her from the terror that stalked her. If only…

I leave my chambers and walk quietly towards the only chamber where I can find answers to the questions that plague my heart. The stone statue of Anubis awaits me within its chamber. I kneel before it.

“Hear me Anubis!” I say. “I have failed in my task to protect the princess, and my heart is now filled with sadness. I beg of you, what may I do to regain my honor that I have lost?” The statue is silent. The gaze unmoving.

“Hear my plea! Please help me! I ask of you to help me!”

Silence. Has Anubis turned his eyes from me in disgust in this dark hour? Have the gods themselves abandoned me? I leave the chamber with no answers, and more questions swirling through my brain.

I find no rest in the days that follow. The princess is taken into the chambers beneath the palace to be embalmed in our custom. Although I do not have the heart to bear witness, I know that her beautiful body is cut open and her organs removed. The salt is packed inside and then she is placed to dry for two months.

During the agonizing wait, I spend my time thinking. What can I do? I cannot hunt down and execute the assassin, for the land has been searched, and there is no trace of him. I cannot bear the thought of not being able to avenge her in any way. I would kill myself to join her and protect her from the dangers of the perilous journey to the afterlife, but I do not have the heart to kill myself.

The two months pass slowly. When the drying out of the body is complete, the princess is wrapped in linen of the finest quality. The casket and sarcophagus is prepared for her burial. The evening when the burial is scheduled to happen, I once again sit inside the Anubis chamber. I sit before the statue, looking into its stone eyes.

“Please.” I beg quietly. “Please present me an answer to my guilt. I wish to please you my master. Please help me.”

There is a loud gong sound near the door, a sign that I am wanted outside. Bowing in respect before Anubis, I leave the chamber.

One of the priests is outside. “Our fellowship of priests has called a meeting.” He says. “We are all requested to attend.” I nod, and the two of us walk to the meeting hall where the priests traditionally gather.

The meeting room is full of priests when we arrive. We are the last two. With everyone in attendance, the Pharaoh’s personal priest, the highest of us all, walks in front of us.

“As you are all aware.” He begins. “Our princess has been taken from us, by means of fell knife work. Although we have not yet caught the assassin in question, we know that he remains at large. The Pharaoh is concerned that the assassin might return in an attempt to destroy the body of the princess. Because of this, the Pharaoh has commanded us to place protection upon her body and her tomb.”

“To ensure the bodies survival,” He continues, “We have considered all possible options. We have concluded that the best chance for the princess’s body to be protected, is to have a guardian be buried with her.”

I suddenly realize what he’s talking about. With my interest at a high level, I eagerly listen to what he says.

“The duty of a guardian is to protect the one that he or she is in charge of for as long as they live. But they can never be released from the duty that they are bound to. And now, one of us must join the princess in burial, and they must protect her. Is there anyone here will attempt this task?”

A great whisper goes up amongst the priests within the room. My mind races. Who would try such a task? But then I slowly begin to realize something. Maybe this is the task I can do to make up for my failure to protect the princess. Yes, that sounds right! Maybe this is the answer that I have been hoping for!

Withought waiting any longer, I speak. “I will become the guardian of the princess.” I say. All talking stops as the other priests look at me.

“You have volunteered your life for this” The head priest asks me. “You are aware of the consequences of your actions?” I nod my head.

“I wish to join the princess to protect her from all harm. Ever since I became her nanny at her birth, I have wanted nothing more than happiness and safety for her. Although I cannot bring her happiness, I can bring safety to her.”

The priest smiles. “Then you shall join her. Come with me.” I walk quickly through the crowd, following the priest through a small door.

I stand within a room that glows with candlelight. The ceiling in here is low. In the center of the room, on the floor, are a coffin, a sarcophagus, and rolls of bandages.

“You have volunteered to spend all of eternity with the body of the princess.” The priest says. “Is this what you want?”

I nod my head. I feel… excited… eager to do this. This is my only chance to make up for my weakness.

“To prepare you for guardianship, you shall be blessed with our most secret spells. After the spells have been cast, your body shall be mummified so that it will be preserved for all time. Then you shall be placed within a coffin, which will be placed inside a sarcophagus. You shall be buried with the princess in her tomb.”

“We have constructed this coffin to be rigged with a warning device. If the princess’s tomb shall be broken into, you shall be released so that you may protect the princess from harm.”

Listening what will happen to me makes me excited. The thought of spending eternity with my beloved princess is a thought that makes me happy beyond all measure. And the thought that Anubis has given me this opportunity makes me more happy and grateful to him.

A priest walks up to me, carrying a heavy book filled with many pages of spells. Opening the book, he turned to a page near the end. “First, the spell of immortality.” I stood in place, hands at my side, waiting anxiously for him to begin.

He waves his arms, chanting words that I do not understand. Before my very eyes, a bright yellow light emerges from the pages, coming towards me. The light swirls around me. I feel it entering me.

“That was the spell for never-ending life.” The priest says. “Now for guardian powers.” He begins to chant again.

As he puts spell after spell on me, I’m silently growing very impatient. This is my chance to redeem myself, and they are going too slow! They cannot possibly understand my urgency!

At last, the final spell is cast. The priest steps back as I take a moment to feel myself. My body pulses under my touch, containing powers I can’t even begin to imagine. My muscles feel more powerful then I could have ever imagined. This feels so good!

The priest comes up to me. “Come with me. We must prepare you for burial.” A great tingle of excitement flows through me on hearing those words! I’m so close!

I walk over next to the dark black coffin that I will soon reside in. Eagerly, my hands go over it, exploring every inch of its surface. It’s constructed of the finest quality wood dyed to a dark black. The wood is smooth and my fingers glide over it. The space inside is very generous, more then enough room to lie down and roll around if I want to. I can’t help but shiver in excitement.

“Your coffin has been equipped with a special mechanism,” the priest explains. “If the tomb is breached, a small latch on the lid will open, and you will be released. You will then be able to dispose of the intruders. When you are finished, lay back down in the coffin, and it will seal itself again.”

I only half listen to him as he continues talking about the spells that will help protect the tomb, as well as the traps that await any intruder. I finally cannot stand it any longer.

Turning to him, I say in my most polite voice, “Can you please finish the process? I grow impatient!” The priest looks understandably startled, but nods.

He walks over to the bandages lying on the floor, silently and patiently awaiting their task. “To help preserve your body,” The priest says, “You shall now be wrapped as a mummy. Should robbers ever enter the tomb, they will be unaware of what you really are through your disguise.”

He opens his book again. “Please take off your clothes and spread your arms and legs apart.” I eagerly comply.

The priest looks at his book and slowly begins to chant. My heart churns within my chest, half from nervousness, and half from excitement. Then, before my very eyes, the bandages begin to move. They slowly unwind themselves and begin to slide on the floor towards me, looking disturbingly like snakes. The bandages reach my bare feet. Withought pausing they begin to snake up and around my legs. I look down and watch as the bandages wind themselves tightly around my legs as they travel upwards over my body. My cold skin is warmed by the cloth encircling it and hugging it. More strips wave themselves upwards and over my body.

I watch in fascination as my naked body is slowly covered and wrapped into a second skin of these white bandages. After a few minutes, my entire body is wrapped up to my chin. Then the bandages slowly weave around my mouth and around my head. I keep my mouth shut as the pressure on it builds from the bandaging.

Soon, only my eyes are the only thing left uncovered. But the strips do not stop. If anything, they come faster and more urgently. They slide over my second skin and apply themselves to it, making my coating tighter and tighter. With each bandage applying itself, movement becomes more and more difficult. Soon, I now have two layers of bandages encasing my body. Only my naked eyes show through the wrappings.

The next rolls quickly glide up to my arms and apply themselves to my wrists. Then the bandages slowly and gently begin to lower my arms to my sides. I do not resist as my arms are placed into position. More and more bandages wind themselves over my arms, pinning them in place. Out of curiosity, I try moving my arms. No success. They are held gently but irreversibly in place. As if sensing my curiosity, more bandages wind themselves around my torso and arms, further holding them in place.

My legs are drawn together until they are side by side. I manage to tilt my head down and watch as my legs are slowly but irreversibly combined until the individual legs are merged into one limb. With my legs and arms held tightly, I wobble a bit. I can feel myself starting to fall backwards. I’m going to fall! I let out a muffled shout as I fall backwards. But the priests around me catch me and gently lower me to the ground.

Now that I can rest safely on the floor, the bandages continue their task of binding me. I look up and watch as they wind around me. This is so fascinating! I’ve never been treated like this before, and it feels wonderful, so wonderful to be wrapped like this!

More and more layers of bandages are applied to my body as I lie there, happily watching my mummification. Little by little, movement becomes impossible as I am encased within layers and layers of wrappings. After the seventh layer, the bandages begin to slow down and interweave to form a delicate and intricate pattern. I’m glad my mouth is sealed, because I can’t help but let out a small squeal of joy. My shroud is the same type that is used only for royalty!

“You have been given a great honor.” The head priest says from near my head. “For your commitment, you will be treated as the equal of royalty.”

I can’t help myself. At that moment a small tear of joy drips from my eyes. I’m so happy that this is happening. I’m fulfilling my commitment to my princess, and I’m being treated as royalty. If I died right now, I would be the happiest woman in Egypt. The bandages cease all movement. I lie there, wondering what’s happening. “We shall now take you to the princess’s tomb.” The head priest says.

Several pairs of strong hands take my bound body and lift it into the air. I am carried over to a stretcher and placed upon it. Then the stretcher is lifted up and I am carried out of the room. With great effort I manage to twist my head. My coffin is being carried by several priests, following me to the tomb. Outside, I am carried by the caravan of priests. I remember that the princess’s tomb is located at the very bottom of one of the pyramids. I am most likely heading there.

After twenty minutes of being carried, I struggle to lift my head up. In front of me are the great pyramids, their three cones stretching high into the sky. I shiver with excitement and anticipation. These will be my home, my tomb, for the rest of eternity. There are no others nearby. The burial of the princess must have already taken place.

We reach the pyramid itself. Guards lie stationed at the only entrance. They do not attempt to halt my caretakers as I am carried inside. Only a few torches light the hallways inside. I lie on my stretcher, calmly watching the ceiling as I am carried deeper and deeper inside.

After what feels like hours, the priests stop. The stretcher I am on is tilted so that I may watch what is happening. In front of me is a large doorway. Beyond the doorway lies a single black sarcophagus in the center of the room. It is the princess’s tomb. And I am about to entombed inside with her. I am carried inside. When we are next to the princess’s sarcophagus, the stretcher is placed on the ground. Several priests gently and tenderly lift me and stand me on my feet, holding me to make sure I don’t fall. It feels rather comforting.

My black coffin is carried inside. To my delight, I see another black sarcophagus inside the room, hidden just inside the doorway. It’s my sarcophagus, created just for me. The lid is removed, and the priests lift the black coffin up and set it inside.

The head priest comes up to me. “We will now finish the procedure. You will be placed inside this coffin, which will be closed. The sarcophagus will then be shut. You will lie there forever, neither fully awake, nor fully asleep. Time will have no meaning for you. Should the princess ever require you, a special mechanism will release you from your resting-place. When you are finished, you can return to your rest.”

With his speech completed, the priests gently and tenderly lift me up and begin to carry me to the sarcophagus. My heart pounds so hard that it hurts. I’m so excited. Anubis has given me this blessing to repay my debt to the princess. I thank him silently, praising him for showing his blessing upon me.

We reach the sarcophagus. I am gently turned, and then lowered down. I am placed into my coffin. I lie there, looking up at the faces above me. Then one priest pulls out something. One last roll of bandages. He is going to wrap my eyes. I look up at him, then nod as best I can.

Two pairs of hands reach down and pick my head up. I lie there, placid and calm as the priest reaches down. Just as the bandages reach my face, I close my eyes. The bandages press down on my eyes as the priest winds them around my face multiple times, pressing down firmly but gently. Then I feel his hands withdraw. My head is laid back down. It is almost finished.

I listen and can faintly make out the sound of a thump. The lid of my coffin must be on. I am now contained and enclosed within my coffin. There is another louder, more muted thump as the lid of the sarcophagus is laid on. Another minute of silence. Then there are several muted thumps in rapid succession. The doorway to the tomb must be in the process of being sealed. Then, there is silence. I am alone. I am locked into a protective sarcophagus, enclosed in my private coffin, cocooned into a new skin of protective bandages. I am helpless, unable to move or wiggle. The bandages hold me in their tight and loving embrace. It feels absolutely wonderful.

Not twenty-four hours ago, I was a priestess of the palace. I was free to go where I wanted, do what I wanted, and was free to do whatever I wished. Now I am here, sealed and entombed inside the tomb of the princess. I am not allowed to ever leave here. I will never see the outside world again. But that is fine with me. I am here, in my own private world. It is dark, tight, comfortable, and peaceful. I am with my beloved princess, here to guard and protect her from all harm. This is a world I wish to remain in, forever.

I lie there inside my coffin, quietly resting. Listening to the silence. Feeling the tight wrappings that hold my body. This is the beginning of forever for me. I lie there, waiting, and resting.

My thanks to those of you who tell me what you think of my stories. Your comments and suggestions allow me to refine my writting.

10.10.05