"I didn't get you anything," I whispered.
"I don't need a present," he assured me.
"That's not the point," I countered.
"It is. Please close your eyes?"
I did, but only because the look he gave me promised that there wouldn't be any arguing about this.
"Hands out."
I flattened my palms and held them out in his direction.
Softly, he placed something on them. Whatever it was, it wasn't heavy, or particularly big. Other than that, I had no idea what he was up to.
"Can I open my eyes?" I asked after what felt like an age.
"Yes."
I did, and immediately gasped. A beautiful pair of red slippers sat in my hands. "They're too much," I whispered.
"They're not," he responded immediately.
"People will notice if I wear these around the temple," I whispered, tears threatening. I hated the idea of having to turn down his present, but it might be the only option I had.
"I thought about that. These are part of your power as a goddess."
I groaned. "This again?"
"Just trust me, please?"
I sighed. "Alright." I kicked off the sandals I was wearing and put the slippers on in their place. They fit perfectly, far better than they should, given I wasn't with him when he bought them.
"They're specially made to adapt to your needs. Other people won't see them as red. They'll see what they expect to see."
"Oh." That was useful. I had to admit.
"And supposedly, they're good for sneaking around and going unnoticed."
My eyes widened. That was even more useful. "Where did you even get them?"
"It doesn't matter." An uneasy look crossed his face, like he knew I wouldn't like what he was going to say next. "But this is what you can be the goddess of."
"Red shoes?" I laughed lightly.
"If it helps you believe that you are one, then it will do."
"Alright, I'll be the goddess of red shoes." My whole body began to tingle, as if something had triggered inside me. "What's happening?" I stammered.
"The first person who has to believe in you being a goddess, is you." A smug smile accompanied his words, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything to wipe it away.
"Oh." I was a goddess? After all the denials and disbelief, I actually was a goddess. At least that made my situation in Seth's temple a little less precarious. Even if he tried, he wouldn't be able to kill me.
A loud laugh escaped me.
Abu leaned in and kissed me, capturing the euphoria pouring off me in waves.
I no longer had to worry about death. Or that I'd have to say goodbye to Abu. He was mine, and I was his. And we had an eternity together. It might take some time for us to get there, but no one would be able to take it away from us.
He was my future. And I was a goddess who deserved to be at his side.
THE END
Thank you for reading Servant of Chaos, I hope you've enjoyed Rhodopis’ story. If you want to continue the Forgotten Gods series, you can with Devourer Of Hearts, which follows Ammit: http://books2read.com/devourerofhearts
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Servant Of Chaos is one of the first-ever books I planned to write, though back then it was called Rhodopis (I even had a cover!) and it was going to be a little bit different. I actually ended up changing the plot multiple times as I didn't feel that it fit what I wanted from the story. After the Forgotten Gods series was born, it found its place. Somewhere it should have been the whole time. A slight title change, and some fleshing out to the plot and twisting of the myth, and this is the result.
Rhodopis herself is a Greco-Egyptian era myth that is often referred to as one of the oldest Cinderella stories. In it, a slave girl ends up married to a Pharaoh after Ra (in bird form) drops red dancing slippers onto her lap. I've woven some elements of the original tale into my story (Rhodopis being a slave, Charaxos being the man who bought her, and Ra being the one who brought Abu into her life, for example) but twisted it in others beyond recognition. She was never a goddess, and never linked to Abu (who is a real, albeit minor, god himself) but who doesn't love a good romance!
While Servant Of Chaos is over, Rhodopis will make an appearance in the Queen Of Gods series, which follows the goddess Hathor.
The one thing that I hope has come across in this series is just how much I love Egyptian mythology. It's been a passion of mine since I was young, and going to Egypt is still one of the highlights of my life. Bringing some of that mythology to life, and combining it with another passion of mine (writing) is like nothing I could ever have imagined. I hope you've enjoyed the series, and will continue to enjoy the other books that I'm setting in the same world.
Finally, I want to say a huge thank you for reading! Readers are what make my dream possible, and I'm grateful for it each and every day!
MORE FROM THE FORGOTTEN GODS SERIES
The Forgotten Gods series is based on Egyptian mythology and follows Gods, Goddesses, and other characters from Egyptian mythology. The books are set in the modern world, mostly at the temple of Karnak and Seth’s compound, both separate from the lives of humans. If you want to keep up to date specifically with my Egyptian mythology inspired books, you can in Ani’s Archives.
The Forgotten Gods Series:
1. Protectors Of Poison - follows Sera (otherwise known as Serket) and Sed as they try to clear her name after Osiris is poisoned.
2. Daughter Of The Sun - follows Sekhmet and Fetket as she uncovers the reasons she was cursed to be a sphinx, and finds her
