Veil of Time

Episode 2

The queen rang the bell placed at the center.

Two women, draped in the simple linen robes of servants, moved silently across the cold stone floor. They are Iras and Charmion, approached the dais with a mixture of reverence and trepidation.

“Pardon, your majesty! How can we serve you?” Iras's voice quivered with a mixture of respect and fear.

The queen turned slowly, with a mask of regal beauty, yet her eyes betrayed the storm within. Dark circles marred the skin beneath them, as though sleep had evaded her for days. She stared at them, her gaze sharp, piercing through their souls.

“You already know that Antony stabbed himself,” she said, her voice steady yet laced with sorrow. “We are defeated in the war. I’ve learned that Octavian... he wishes to marry me.”

Her lips curled slightly, not in amusement, but in something closer to bitter disgust. The servants exchanged uneasy glances. The temple felt colder, as though the shadows were pressing in on them.

Iras, cautiously but hesitantly spoke, “I’m sorry, but what is the bad in this? You have married others before —”

Before she could finish, queen’s hand shot up, silencing her. The queen’s face twisted in anguish, and a scream, raw and filled with unspeakable pain, tore from her lips.

“Enough!” Her voice cracked through the air like a whip, sending shivers down their spines. “Those were for diplomacy! I am still human, even I have feelings!” Her hands clenched into fists as she took a step toward them, her chest heaving with the force of her emotions. “I know the world calls me the Shame of Egypt, but every act I’ve committed—every marriage, every alliance—was for the survival of this country. And now... it’s unbearable.”

“I don’t want to marry him. Not again, not like this.” She paused, staring past them, into some distant memory. “I’m sorry to my people, to my ancestors, to my idols... I could not save the empire.”

The chamber fell into silence. Her words hung in the air like a curse, heavy and suffocating. The two servants exchanged glances, their faces pale. It was not fear of their queen that caused their hearts to race—it was the realization that her resolve had finally shattered.

"What do you want, your majesty?” Charmion asked softly, barely more than a whisper.

The queen didn’t answer at first. She moved gracefully to a table where a piece of papyrus lay, scanned it, with an unreadable expression and then handed it to Iras.

“Take this to a soldier,” she instructed. “Make sure he delivers it to Octavian.”

Iras bowed, clutching the papyrus in trembling hands, and swiftly exited the temple, leavher footsteps echoing behind her. The queen turned to Charmion, and, with a resigned look, handed her a woven basket. Charmion silently took it though her mind buzzed with unspoken questions.

Then, she dipped a thin needle into a small vial filled with a dark liquid, watching it swirl, she murmured,

"now, it is the time to end the war!"

By the time Iras returned, the queen took the needle out of the vial and retreated to her mausoleum, accompanied by her two faithful servants. The heavy stone door groaned shut behind them, sealing them in the dimly lit chamber.

A heavy stillness descended upon the room. Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, the fallen queen of Egypt, moved toward the golden couch at the center of the mausoleum. Slowly, she reclined upon it, her posture relaxed yet regal, as though even in these final moments she would not allow herself to be anything less than the Queen of Egypt. A strange, almost serene smile graced her lips, and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Cleopatra looked at peace.

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The alarm clock rang persistently for ten minutes, filling the quiet room with its soft buzz. Dev stirred first, his hand fumbling to turn it off. He blinked against the early morning light, glancing down at Ananya still nestled against him, her face relaxed in peaceful slumber.

For a moment, he just watched her. Even after six years of marriage, waking up next to her still felt like a dream he didn’t want to end. The way her hair spilled across the pillow, the faint smile playing on her lips—it all filled him with a quiet joy.

Gently, he brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Anu," he whispered softly, "it's already 5 o'clock. Time to get up."

Ananya shifted in his arms, but didn’t open her eyes. A lazy smile crossed her face as she snuggled closer to him. "Five more minutes," she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep.

Dev chuckled softly, his hand trailing down her arm as he pulled her closer. They stayed like that for a moment, wrapped up in each other, the world outside forgotten.

Finally, Ananya got up. Dev smiled at her, then gently untangled himself from her embrace. He slipped out of bed and quietly went to start his morning routine.

Ananya, still feeling the pull of sleep, let herself sink back into the pillows, enjoying the warmth of the bed for just a little longer. Her eyes fluttered shut again, lulled by the quiet comfort of the morning.

When Dev returned to the room a few minutes later, freshly showered and dressed, he found her curled up again, sound asleep. He stood at the doorway for a moment, watching her with a soft smile on his face. She looked so peaceful, but he knew they couldn’t afford any more time.

Walking over to the bed, he knelt beside her and whispered, his voice low and teasing, "If you want to sleep, should I cancel the trip?"

Ananya’s eyes shot open, and she sat up with a start, her hair in disarray. "Oh no! I totally forgot about that!" she exclaimed, her sleepiness vanishing in an instant.

Dev chuckled as he stood up, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Yeah, it's 5:20, and our flight is at 6:50. Hurry up."

Without another word, Ananya scrambled out of bed, rushing to get ready, her earlier laziness completely forgotten. Dev watched her with an affectionate grin, shaking his head at her sudden burst of energy. He then turned to check their luggage, making sure everything was in order.

As he zipped up the last bag, he couldn’t help but smile to himself. Every morning with her was an adventure—whether it was quiet moments in bed or racing against time to catch a flight. And in every one of those moments, he couldn't afford to change a thing.

At 6 o’clock, Dev and Ananya arrived at the airport, bags in hand. The other members of Intent6—Vansh, Shreya, Khushi, and Rounak—were already waiting at the terminal. There was an easy camaraderie between them, a shared bond formed over years of friendship and adventures. After Raj’s tragic passing, Ananya had naturally become part of the group, fitting into their dynamic in her own quiet, yet irreplaceable, way.

After the usual flurry of check-ins, security checks, and paperwork, they finally found themselves seated on the plane. The cabin was buzzing with the early morning travelers, but for Dev and Ananya, it felt like the world had quieted down.

The flight took off smoothly, leaving their country behind, the city’s skyline fading beneath the clouds. Dev glanced out of the window for a moment, then turned back to Ananya, who sat next to him, lost in her own thoughts as she stared out of the window. He reached over, his hand finding hers, fingers intertwining as naturally as breathing.

"Finally, some time away," he whispered, his thumb gently brushing the back of her hand.

Ananya smiled, turning to look at him, her eyes sparkling with warmth. "It feels like forever since we had a real trip."

"Too long," he agreed, his voice soft but filled with affection. He leaned closer, his lips brushing the top of her head, lingering there for a second longer than usual. "But this time, it's just us".

As the plane leveled out and the world beneath them seemed far away, Ananya felt a wave of contentment wash over her. After everything they had been through—years of growth, shared moments, and memories both happy and painful—there was something perfect about this quiet moment with Dev.