The Prince of the Moon Temple

Aftermath

Aset sat up in bed. The covers tangled around her legs and restricted her movement, but she quickly pulled free. Thoth’s mother moved to the open doors that led to the balcony off of her bed chambers and walked barefoot into the cool night air. The moon was high in the inky night sky and its reflection danced across the calm waters of the sea at the base of the Moon Kingdom's main castle.

Her eyes drifted down the castle walls to the stone causeway that led to Thoth’s temple. Another grand example of architecture. It was significantly smaller than the main Kingdom castle but still enormous. Aset watched as the flames of the temple torches danced in a melancholy way in the same breeze she was enjoying. She couldn’t help but think that the temple missed its prince. It was so quiet without him. His tributes still came and symbolically pledged their allegiance, but it was not the same.

The queen missed her son too. Thoth should have been married and delivering scores of offspring to her by now, and yet he persisted in his quest for youth and shunned familial responsibility. Even though her husband had insisted that she keep her hands out of Thoth’s business, Aset was not sure how much longer she could keep her distance.

Just that night she had felt her son’s rage and knew he hungered. But she also felt a glimmer of something else, something she could not see clearly, and that concerned her. Thoth was not only the heir to the throne – he was destined for greater thrones than just the one in the Moon Kingdom. When he was born, the oracles whispered a prediction into her ear that Aset could not ignore.

The Moon Child will rise above the night and day to rule all creation –Aset whispered this to herself as half reminder/half mantra. She then let her eyes drift down the sloping hills to the small city that surrounded their castle compound on the hill. She knew the island of Hercolubus was too small to hold what Thoth would become – that was the only reason she allowed him to leave. Her son needed to experience the world he would soon rule.

Aset looked back to her bed where her husband slept. The time to call her son home would be soon. Khonsu would have to abide by her wishes because he too, with all his jauntiness and appreciation for his son’s freedoms and liberties aside, knew that the affairs of their Kingdom and their bloodline must take precedence. In the morning, she would visit the Shrine of the Bes – home of the oracles that served their kingdom – and they would guide her onto the best path.

****

Kate rolled over and felt a cold squishy mass push against the skin on her face. She pushed up with her elbow and picked up a washcloth off of her pillow. Feeling a shock of pain pulsing in her temple, she began to remember. She sat up and looked around the room hoping something would trigger a memory of what happened after he smashed her head. Had she been r***d – had he finally done what she feared he was going to do every time they were alone?

Kate shivered and began to feel very powerless – but then she saw him – Thoth asleep on her bean bag. She breathed in deeply – she knew he had rescued her yet again. Even though everything he said about himself and every myth she had learned about his type of being told her he was a monster – she knew deep down he was a hero.

Tip-toeing past him, Kate slipped into the shower, not wanting to wake the sleeping hero. He had obviously sat up all night watching her and probably had scared the crap out of Mike too. Enough so that she wagered Mike would leave her alone for good, and yet Thoth still felt compelled to watch over her.

After her shower, Kate peeked out and saw that Thoth was still asleep. She tried to quietly slip past him to get a fresh set of clothes – but this time her stealthy activities were detected.

“Smells like raspberries and vanilla,” Thoth mumbled – his eyes still closed.

Kate felt every inch of her skin grow warm, she was sure she was blushing from head to toe. “Don’t open your eyes – I’m just getting my clothes.”

Thoth laughed, “Now if that's not an invitation for me to look – I don’t know what it is.”

“Keep em’ shut!” she ordered.

“Okay, okay,” Thoth said reluctantly. But he didn’t need to open his eyes to imagine what was walking around him. Her scent and the light wisp of a breeze her movements made, tickled the skin on his face. He knew if he opened his eyes it would be a mistake – he knew seeing her wet and wrapped in a towel would undo him quicker than anything he had ever viewed.

After Kate had dressed, she allowed Thoth to open his eyes. She went about her business as if she did not notice his eyes on her – but she did. She then twisted her wet hair into a loose knot on top of her head. She stared at herself in the mirror, specifically at the purple and blue lump on her temple. She pressed on the squishy mass and winced.

Before Kate realized Thoth was behind her, his hand was on her shoulder in a gentle, reassuring way.

“I don’t remember it, really. Guess he knocked it out of me,” she said as her lips twisted downward into a melancholy frown.

“I’m sorry I couldn't get here sooner – my senses are not as sharp since I have not… well, you know.”

Kate nodded. She was still not very clear on the whole immortal thing, but the simple fact that he could sense the danger amazed her.

“You didn’t hurt him too badly, did you?”

Thoth grimaced. “No,” he said as he swallowed back the anger. “But I think you would want me to tear him apart.”

Kate nodded as those thoughts did cross her mind, but she was too kind to let them take root. Thoth knew that. He knew even if someone did unspeakable things to her, Kate would still forgive them. That was what made her so perfect – her gentle humanity. It was something he had yet to grasp.

But, then again, he was beginning to understand the compassion that filled her. It was what allowed him to let Mike go the night before. Thoth could have easily murdered him and made the body disappear – no one would find a trace. But inside him, in a place he had never known existed before, was filled with what Kate had taught him. The Moon Prince was thankful to taste humanity in that way – although it frightened him.

“It’s strange,” Kate whispered as she turned to face Thoth.

“What?” he responded as the scent of her freshly washed skin assaulted his senses.

“I love school – always have – but I cannot wait for this year to be over.”

Thoth frowned, he knew her angst was primarily based on things that he and his countrymen had done.

Kate placed her hand on his cheek – the right corner of her mouth twitched upward. He did make her smile. He was a handsome man with a caring heart, but she knew it would never be hers. He had made that clear.

“I just wish –” she started, but could not finish saying the words: that we could give it a try. Nodding, Thoth knew exactly what she was thinking. He wished the same thing. It would never work though; she was human – he was a god. He would destroy her.