Meeting Hassan Part II

Jade walked beside Hassan, the heat of the morning sun pressing down on her shoulders. The camp was alive with movement—soldiers sharpening weapons, tending to horses, and speaking in hushed conversations. 

She felt the weight of their stares as she passed, their curiosity barely veiled behind wary expressions.

Her thoughts, however, were elsewhere. General Horus had received a message. The Pharaoh was coming. 

The reality of it sank in like a stone. 

She had barely begun to process where she was, and now the most powerful man in this land was traveling from Thebes to see her himself? 

The very thought made her stomach tighten.

But then again this will help progress things much further for her to go home.

And then there was the matter of her purse. Horus had made it clear that he would be keeping it until the Pharaoh arrived, allowing him to decide what was to be done with the strange items she carried. 

The thought of her modern belongings in his possession made her uneasy. Each item—so mundane to her—had been scrutinized as if it were a relic from the gods. 

Would the Pharaoh see them the same way? Or worse, would he see them as something dangerous?

Then there was them—Horus and Hassan. She had met sharp men before, but these two were different. They were careful, perceptive, watching her with the kind of intelligence that made her feel exposed. 

She was used to talking her way out of situations, to lying when needed, but around them, it felt impossible. They saw too much.

Horus barely needed words to make her feel like he was dissecting her every move. And Hassan? He masked his scrutiny behind charm, but he was no less dangerous. They were smart, too smart, and that unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.

And yet, despite everything, it had just now crossed her mind how effortlessly she was speaking their language. 

She understood them perfectly, and responded without hesitation. The words felt natural, familiar—yet they shouldn't be. 

Shouldn't there be a barrier? 

Shouldn't she not be able to speak the old language at all? 

The thought sent a chill through her. 

How was this possible?

But right now, it couldn't be a priority. Not when there were bigger things to deal with—like surviving, like figuring out how to get home. Everything else had to wait. Going home had to be her first priority, above all else.

Jade rubbed her forehead, her head hurts from all this thoughts that needs to be addressed.

"You seem lost in thought," Hassan said, glancing at her. His tone was light, but there was an edge of curiosity beneath it. "Is it the heat or the company?"

Jade forced a small smirk. "A little bit of both."

Hassan chuckled. "Fair enough. It's not every day someone warrants a visit from the Pharaoh. I imagine you have a lot on your mind."

She exhaled, shaking her head. "You have no idea."

They continued walking, the ground beneath them dry and uneven. Hassan led her past rows of tents, through the heart of the encampment, where men worked on repairing chariots and stacking provisions. She tried to focus on her surroundings, grounding herself in the present rather than spiraling into the overwhelming unknown.

After a moment, Hassan gave her a sideways glance. "Yesterday, when you were found… you were wearing strange clothes."

Jade tensed but kept her expression neutral. "Strange how?"

Hassan smirked. "I've seen many kinds of travelers pass through Egypt—traders, foreigners from the East, men from lands I can't even name. But none wore anything like what you had on. The fabric, the stitching, the way it fit… It was unlike anything I've seen." He tilted his head. "What kingdom do you come from that dresses its women in such things?"

Jade let out a short laugh, trying to sound casual. "It's new fashion. Exclusive to my homeland. Not a lot of people know about it yet." She lifted a brow at him. "Especially an empire like Egypt, which is so far away from the latest trends."

Hassan studied her for a moment before chuckling. "So you come from a land of mystery and cutting-edge fashion?"

Jade shrugged. "Something like that."

He hummed thoughtfully but didn't push further. His gaze flickered down to her feet. "And how are you doing? After walking through the desert, I imagine you're still feeling it."

Jade blinked, caught off guard by the concern in his voice. Before she could answer, Hassan crouched slightly, his sharp eyes inspecting her feet. 

"They're not as raw and red as before," he noted, tilting his head. "That's good."

Jade shifted uncomfortably, curling her toes inside her sandals. 

"Better. One of the servants gave me an ointment this morning for my sunburn." She glanced at him, arching a brow. "Are you always this observant?"

Hassan smirked. "Only when something—or someone—catches my interest."

He motioned for her to sit near a shaded area, where a few soldiers rested. "You may as well rest before the Pharaoh arrives," he said. "No point in worrying over what's already decided."

Jade hesitated but eventually sat, stretching her legs out. She studied Hassan, who leaned casually against a wooden post, arms crossed. He didn't seem like the others. There was something different about him—less rigid, more observant.

"Why are you helping me?" she asked.

Hassan shrugged. "I didn't know that I was. Maybe I'm just curious."

Jade narrowed her eyes. "Curious about what?"

A small smirk tugged at his lips. "You, of course. You don't belong here."

Her heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you carry yourself differently. You speak differently." He tilted his head slightly, studying her more closely. "A woman from a faraway kingdom, even as distant as the lands of the East—China, like you said—should not speak our tongue so fluently. And yet, you do. Almost too well."

Jade stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Hassan's smirk didn't waver. "Maybe not. But I do." He let the words hang in the air before leaning back again. "And judging by the way Horus examined your strange belongings, you come from a place far from any land I know." His eyes flickered with something unreadable. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Jade's mouth went dry. She had been careful, but was it that obvious? Did he truly suspect, or was he simply testing her?

She forced herself to stay calm. "People are quick to fear what they don't understand," she said. "That doesn't mean I'm anything more than what I've told you."

Hassan studied her for a moment before pushing away from the post. 

"Perhaps." He glanced toward the tents where the soldiers were beginning to prepare for the Pharaoh's arrival. "Either way, you won't be a mystery for much longer."

Jade followed his gaze, her pulse quickening. The sands of fate were shifting beneath her feet, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for what came next.

She turned back to Hassan. "How long until he gets here?"

Hassan considered for a moment before answering. "A few more days, perhaps. The Pharaoh does not travel lightly. He will ride the royal barge to cross the Nile and then to his chariot probably, the journey from Thebes is not a short one."

Jade frowned. "A few days…" That wasn't much time to prepare. "What's he like?"

Hassan raised a brow at her curiosity but answered nonetheless. 

"Powerful. Wise. But not a man to be crossed. He is the ruler of Egypt, chosen by the gods. His word is absolute." He tilted his head. "And now, for some reason, he has decided to come all this way just for you."

Jade swallowed hard, her mind racing. She had no idea what awaited her when he arrived, but she doubted it would be anything simple.