#also 'opto' is a military position that's second in command of the roman legion

[ancientcivilizationnonsense]

OCkiss24 day one: almost

The sun lazily drifted through the green canopy of the garden. The insects hummed and somewhere a frog called. White flowers were scattered amongst the leaves. Felix followed Anipe across the shady pavilion, marveling at the lush plant life despite the oppressive Egyptian heat. 

“This is my little slice of paradise,” Anipe said, gesturing around her. “When the court and Pharaoh responsibilities get too much, I hide out here.”

Felix knelt down next to a clear pond and looked at his reflection. His curly blond hair and scuffed armor rippled in the gentle wake of a waterstrider. And next to him stood Anipe, her shimmering dress and long braids gently swaying in the wind. 

“It’s beautiful,” he murmured. 

“Thank you.” Anipe suddenly realized how intimate it felt, showing him her personal garden, a place only she was allowed to go, and her cheeks flushed as she turned away. 

The conversation came to an awkward pause, neither of them sure how to continue this careful dance. 

Felix stood, dusting his knees off, and attempted a causal tone. “What kind of flower is that? They smell really good.”

“Oh, that’s a lotus. They’re pretty right?”

Anipe grinned and Felix felt his heart jump into his throat. He hadn’t noticed the little gap between her teeth before. 

“Here.” Before he knew what was happening, Anipe picked one and tucked it behind his ear, nestling it in his curls. She suddenly seemed to realize what she was doing and froze, fingers still brushing the shell of his ear. She cleared her throat and looked down. “Lotuses remind us that everything grows and changes. At night they close but once the sun returns, they’re full of life again. They are created and reborn just like the gods are. Like people are.”

“Yeah,” Felix breathed. 

Anipe glanced back up at him. Felix heard the blood rushing through his ears and before he could stop himself, he slowly leaned forward. It felt like he was being drawn towards her like the sun was drawn towards the horizon. Breathtaking and inevitable. Her eyes fluttered closed as she turned her head. Felix felt her breath dancing across his cheek. 

“Opto…” she whispered. 

“Yes?”

She opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. The air between them was charged with the anticipation of her unsaid words. Slowly, she put her hands on his shoulders then slid them down to his chest, gently pushing him away. “We should get back. Every moment we waste is a moment my people suffer.”

She stepped around him and briskly started back towards the palace. Felix frowned at the absence of her warmth but nodded, gripping the hilt of his sword. 

“Yes, your majesty.”