Monts later, they were inside a royal chamber—minimalistic, yet royal. Simple gold and ivory furnishings glead in the soft light of hanging lanterns, and from the side, a woman observed them with amused, golden eyes.
The legendary tomb raider, Isra Ramses.
The mother of the Blind Saint.
She was fresh out of a bath, steam still rising from her olive skin, clad in an elegant bath robe as she sipped from a glass of deep crimson wine.
There was power to this woman.
Zainah, thoroughly embarrassed, squird out of Sett's hold, standing stiffly at his side. Internally, she cursed him with every cuss word she knew—which, frankly, only amounted to five.
Bastard, rascal, idiot, fool, donkey!
I am still in my sleeping clothes, damn it!
"Why did you bring her here, Sett?" Isra asked with a smile.
Sett grinned and, without hesitation, placed his hands around Zainah's waist, gently turning her toward Isra. "I ca to show off my treasure." He made a slow gesture. "Look, this is my wife—isn't she cute as heck?"
Zainah's lips twitched, her face burning as she tried to step back. Sett only tightened his grip slightly. She pouted inwardly, Bastard, just you wait.
Isra took another sip of her wine.
"Do you want to beat him up for you?"
Zainah's eyes imdiately lit up. "You'd do that for … Grandma?"
Sett's expression changed. "No-no way!"
"Sure. Why not?"
Monts later, Sett was standing outside the room, rubbing his bruised ego.
Inside, Zainah sat beside Isra, though she wasn't offered any wine.
The older woman poured herself another glass, swirling the deep liquid as she studied the girl.
"What do you think? Has he changed after being away?"
Zainah scoffed. "No. He's the sa rascal as ever."
Isra chuckled.
"Do you like him?"
The girl blushed, then began fidgeting, making the older woman laugh even more.
The girl's face turned pink. She fidgeted. The older woman laughed.
"He does know how to boast," Isra mused. "And I must admit, you are worthy of being boasted about. A charming little thing."
Zainah's flush deepened.
Isra laid back, sipped her wine, and remained silent for a few seconds.
"Assu Sett is not going to beco a Pharaoh," she asked. "Would you still feel the sa about him?"
Zainah blinked.
"Why such a sudden… question?"
"Because I want to know. Just answer truthfully. I would know if you lied."
Zainah sighed. "If you are questioning my loyalty to Sett, grandma, you underestimate and Sett both. He is a charming man, one I have been smitten with since we were both five years old." She shook her head. "I don't think his charm needs to even be discussed, not to soone who knows him so well."
"What if soone more charming, richer, and more capable cos to court you?"
Zainah couldn't stop a small smirk that tugged at her lips. "Assuming such a thing is even possible—I an Sett allowing soone to be better—why would that matter anyway? If soone better cos, am I just to leave him for another person?"
She stood up.
"Obviously not, my Sett would be so pitiful if I did that." Zainah took a deep breath, a smile that would charm the world on her face. "You don't stay with the person you chose because they're the only one—nor because they are the best."
Isra watched her with a smile.
Zainah continued, "Sett's at least not perfect, he is—ugh—if anything a bit annoying. Look, he didn't even greet properly after coming here and now I am in an interrogation room with the world's proclaid best Tomb Raider."
Isra had to agree on that. That boy sure had a knack of bringing trouble for others.
"And Sett might not always be the best among all my suitors and what not," Zainah said. "But you stay with the person you chose because they're the one you chose, and no storm or stranger, no matter how much stronger or richer, can rewrite that. That is the basics of love, if I can't even follow that, wouldn't I be a vain woman undeserving of him?"
When you choose soone, you choose them over everyone else.
It doesn't matter if soone more beautiful, stronger, or richer cos along—if you let them take your heart so easily, then your love was never real to begin with. Love is a decision, a commitnt, one that starts the mont you give yourself to soone.
If you can't stand by that, if you waver at the first temptation, then you're neither ready for love nor worthy of it.
And yet, so many people fail to grasp sothing so simple.
Zainah took the bottle of wine from Isra's table and poured a cup for herself.
Then, she proclaid: "I, Zainah Ramses, wife of the Seventh Pharaoh, have knelt to no man but him. And I will not do that from here on either. Not in this life, not in any other."
Isra sipped her wine, her heart simring with admiration.
Sett really knew how to boast.
Zainah really was beautiful. In more ways than one.
Outside the room, Sett clenched his chest—his own face as red as a ripe tomato. His heart thudded inside his chest, and he clenched his fists.
Inside the room, the girl drowned the alcohol in one go—only to imdiately gag.
The little wine that went into her throat felt like liquid fire. Lava. And it made her face go from flushed red to crimson, unhealthy red. But soon, it began to fade. Of course, the sensation of indescribably powerful wine remained in her mouth.
"That's too strong for you," Isra said, amused. "Drink the fruit juice beside it. I didn't give it to you because you can't handle it."
Zainah flushed, reaching for the juice with all the dignity she could muster.
Outside the room, Sett looked towards the distance and noticed a woman walking towards the room, her eyes closed but her footsteps firm. Imdiately, Sett ran upto her and held her hand. She smiled at him.
"I was thinking that it is ti for your return," she said. "How was the Tomb?"
Sett took a deep breath. "I lost."
"You lost?" She raised an eyebrow. Then nodded. "I understand. Then figure out why you lost, improve, and do not lose again. Even if you lose, lose due to a different reason."
Failure was the footstep to success, but failing repeatedly without analysis and growth was re foolishness.
Execute, fail, improvise, fail again, improvise until you no longer fail.
Sett smiled.
He hugged his mother.
"Right to advice, huh, Mother Empress," he said, emotional. "It's just been a short ti, but I missed you."
Neilara shook her head with a smile.
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