A Snake, A Goddess, and Shattered Love

The news came to her from her weeping handmaiden.

“Antony has taken his sword upon himself,” Nakia managed through weeping gasps.

“What? No!” Cleopatra rose from her chair and ran as fast as she could to him. There he was, laying upon the couch, several sword wounds pouring out blood.

“Antony!” Cleopatra ripped off her cloak and tried to bind his several wounds.

“Cleopatra, Cleopatra. It’s all right,” Antony coughed, “can someone get me a glass of wine?”

“Nakia!” Cleopatra turned, but Nakia was already on her way. A few minutes later, she came back with a goblet of wine. Cleopatra gave it to Antony and helped him drink it.

“Remember, Cleopatra. Everything will be alright,” Antony said. He took the last sip of wine, and then his eyes rolled back into his head. One final breath, and he was gone.

“No!” Cleopatra laid her body over his and wept. After weeping for hours, she got up.

“Nakia!” Nakia rushed into the room.

“Tell Nen the peasant to meet me at my monument with the pretty worm of the Nile. Then you and Lapis meet me at my monument.”

Nakia nodded solemnly. She left the room slowly.

After Nakia had left, Cleopatra got in her chariot and drove it to her monument. She looked out over Alexandria. This was her last chance to see the city. This was her last chance to see Egypt.

“Goodbye, my land. I bid thee good fortune,” she whispered.

Finally, she arrived at the monument. She entered it. These were the last places she would ever see. She rested in a chair.

She arrived faster than Cleopatra had expected.

“You witch,” Cleopatra said angrily.

Isis blinked. Her black curls were tied in braids. They flopped around when she turned her head.

“It was not I who made the decision to play with Antony’s affections. ‘Twas not I who killed Antony.”

“You are the queen of the gods. You preside over them. You are powerful. Hathor bows to you. You saw what was coming, and you could have changed it. But no, you allowed Hathor to strike me with one of her accursed arrows.”

Isis remained infuriatingly calm.

“Once Hathor’s arrows have stuck, nothing can overpower them. Not even Hathor herself.”

“How long have you guided me? How long have I loved Antony? You know too well that you could have ordered Hathor to never strike me with an arrow. Yet so far she has struck me with two! I have been left with four children without fathers! I am bereft of two lovers! I curse Hathor, I curse you!”

“You are one of my Chosen. I have guided you through all your years. I allowed Hathor to strike you with her arrows because they were both men of power! You could have used them to strengthen Egypt! Yet now, Rome sits at our doorstep just waiting to take over. But you can still win. You have lost love. Not once, but twice. But you are a powerful woman. You are one of my Chosen. You can still win this battle against Rome! Rise up, and take the mantle of power from Caeser! Let me direct your movements. Together, we can rule Egypt, and Rome, and then the world. Let me show you what will happen if you listen,” Isis touched a mirror and images began to flash on it.

“Caesarion will rule Rome,” Cleopatra’s son by Julius Ceaeer, Caesarion, appeared. He was wearing the robes of the emperor and sat upon a throne of gold with twenty handmaidens waiting upon him hand and foot.

“Selene and Alexander shall rule Egypt as Pharaoh and Queen,” Cleopatra’s twins by Antony appeared on two thrones. Alexander wore the false beard of a pharaoh. Selene sat on a throne next to him. She wore her hair in several braids and wore the most beautiful crown.

“Ptolemy will be given Greece to rule as his own,” Ptolemy appeared, wearing the robes and crown of a Greek king.

The mirror’s images faded away.

“You will live to a ripe old age. You shall meet your great-great-grandchildren. Then, you shall pass into the Duat and live in the fields of Aaru for the rest of time,” Isis stared into Cleopatra’s eyes.

“You know I am right. I see the future. I can tell you that if you go through with your plan, Caeser shall take Egypt and rule over it and he shall take the rest of the world. Caesarion will perish. Selene, Alexander, and Ptolemy will be paraded through the streets of Rome in golden chains. None of your children will ever rule anything. Do not give up! Broken hearts can be fixed. Look at me! My husband was killed and spread across Egypt in fourteen pieces! I was left to raise a baby by myself. I finally, finally gather all the pieces, and he can only be partially brought back to life! Believe me, I know heartbreak. Just do not do this!”

“No! No more heartbreak! I will end this! Begone!” Cleopatra started chanting ancient chants, spells that would destroy Isis if she did not leave. Isis closed her eyes and spoke sadly, “If that is your will.”

Isis faded away. Nakia, Lapis, and Nen walked through the door. Nen carried a basket. Nakia and Lapis knew what was going to happen. As did Nen. But Nen could leave. Nakia and Lapis were bound to follow her orders, even if she ordered them to die.

“Do you have the pretty worm of the Nile?” she asked Nen.

Nen nodded. He handed her the basket. Nen left the monument.

“Nakia! Lock the door!” Nakia complied.

Cleopatra opened the basket. A hiss came from the very bottom. Cleopatra smiled and pressed the snake against her arm.