Jewel of the Nile

by Tessa Afshar

  On the morning they arrived at Alexandria’s harbor, Taharqa arranged for a berth for the Parmys while Theo left in search of a river barge that would suit their needs. When all was prepared, Theo returned to the ship.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  She nodded. Theo adjusted the sleeve of her tunic. They had purchased the outfit back in Rome in preparation for this day. “Is it too bright, do you think?” he asked, frowning.

  Natemahar considered the red hue. “I think it’s perfect.”

  She shrugged. “I would have preferred purple. Like his tunic.” She pointed to Natemahar’s garment.

  Theo rolled his eyes. “Just try not to get yourself killed.”

  She grinned, reminding him for a moment of a wily fox. Their covered litter was waiting on the dock. Time to move. He pulled her stola all the way over her face, and taking her modestly covered arm carefully, he guided her quickly off the ship and onto the waiting litter, pulling the curtains shut as soon as they entered.

  They waited in the litter until their barge was almost ready to depart. Theo stepped down and, after scanning their surroundings, helped her out. They hastened to board the barge together and rushed to the cabin in the rear. Just before stepping inside and closing the door, Theo saw a hooded figure board the barge.

  “Behave yourself. And stick to the plan.”

  “Yes, Master,” Sophocles said as he lowered the stola to his shoulders, making the few passengers who were taking refuge in the cabin turn their heads in bewilderment.

  Quickly, Sophocles stripped off the red tunic and handed the bundle to Theo. In moments, there was no sign of the woman who had entered the cabin. Just an old man with white hair and whiskers, reclining on a seat by the wall.

  Theo rolled the red garments and tucked them under his leather belt. The window in the back of the cabin was a little narrow for comfort, and he scraped his arms and legs pushing through it. He ignored the sting as he jumped into the shallows of the Nile just in time to watch the barge embark on its journey down the river.

  By the time he doubled back to the harbor where his ship was berthed, a hired carriage awaited him. He climbed in and pulled the curtains shut behind him. Looking at the three passengers inside, he asked, “Is everything ready?”

  At their nods, he signaled the drivers and they began their ride back to the river docks. Chariline had told him the name of the ship she and her aunt often used, and he had paid the captain to reserve the cabin for their exclusive use. They slipped inside as soon as they boarded and closed the door.

  The barge rattled and swayed and with a groan began its journey. Theo was taking his first tranquil breath of the day when the cabin door swung open slowly. He sprang to his feet, his fingers twitching over his new dagger.

  A skinny, half-naked boy crept inside, dark eyes shining with mischief.

  “Arkamani!” Chariline and Natemahar shouted at the same time. The treasurer groaned. But Chariline darted forward to enfold the boy in a hug. The boy said something in Meroitic. Theo looked to Taharqa for the translation.

  “He said, ‘Careful, honey lady. You will wrinkle my loincloth,’” Taharqa explained and continued to translate their conversation for Theo.

  “Back to working for your uncle?” Chariline said with a laugh.

  He shrugged. “It’s nice on the boat, sometimes. Cooler on water in the summer.”

  “Arkamani, we could use your help.”

  The boy pushed out his chest. “You tell me. Arkamani is your man.”

  “We are looking for a man in a dark cloak. He has cuts on his cheeks and forehead like a warrior. If someone like that boards the boat, will you come and let us know?”

  “You leave it to me. I will call you quick if he boards.”

  Theo gave Chariline an approving nod. She clearly knew the boy, and it was a good idea to have a spy outside just in case the assassin managed to find his way to them in spite of all their precautions.

  Thankfully, the journey proved uneventful. The warrior must still be stuck on the barge that left a few hours ahead of theirs. Sophocles would have disembarked at the first stop and made his way back to Alexandria, where he would wait for them.

  Theo had never traveled so far south on the Nile. Chariline, Natemahar, and Taharqa took turns pointing out the ancient sites to him. The coming audience with the queen cast a long shadow on all the wonders he saw along the mysterious, serpentine river. They navigated the cataracts with the usual hassle and arrived at Meroë, tired and hot.

  But they were in time to save the queen’s life. If she needed saving.

  They had evaded the assassin. Now, all that remained was to face the monarch of Cush.

  Theo considered finding lodgings at the harbor. He would prefer to show up before the queen well-rested and washed, without the stench of travel on his clothing. Before he could make the arrangements, a royal guard of six soldiers met them at the dock, their shoulders draped in leopard skin and shielded by iron plating.

  “By order of the Kandake, we are to accompany you to the palace,” their captain said, expressionless.

  It did not sound like a suggestion.

  “How could she even know we are here?” Theo hissed as they fell in step with the soldiers, three before them and three bringing up the rear.

  “I told you she has exceptional spies.” Natemahar ran a hand over his tired face.

  “What does it mean? Are we under arrest?”

  “Given the cordial way they are treating us, I think they have been sent for our safety.”

  Theo looked to the hard-faced warriors hemming them in as they marched in perfect unison. “You call this cordial?”

  “You don’t have a spear shoved against your throat, do you?”

  Chariline pressed into Theo’s side and held on to Natemahar’s fingers. They had been brought into the queen’s throne room through a long, deserted corridor. “The queen’s private hallway,” Natemahar had explained. To Chariline’s surprise, even the throne room stood empty. Apparently, this was to remain a private audience. In spite of Theo and Natemahar’s reassuring presence, she felt a chill of dread. She tried to be brave and, failing, lifted her head, hoping to look what she did not feel.

  Behind the empty gold throne, a curtain twitched. A tall woman strode in, covered in an ankle-length white gown, decorated with a pleated sash that draped across her right shoulder and breast. At the sight of her, the soldiers stood to attention.

  The Kandake.

  As the queen took time to settle herself on her throne, Chariline had the opportunity to observe her. She looked ageless, her skin unmarred by lines, though she was at least a dozen years older than Natemahar. Henna stained her long fingernails and short hair a subdued red, and on her head, she wore a metal skullcap, which supported a royal diadem.

  Chariline’s mouth turned dry as the dark eyes landed on her. She felt like she was sitting between a lion’s paws. Too late to run now. Iesous, help us!

  “You look more like your father than your mother,” the queen commented.

  Chariline bowed. “Thank you, Kandake. You honor me.”

  “I did not mean it as a compliment. Your mother was a lot prettier. So, Natemahar, what brings you back to Cush in such haste, and with her in tow?” She pointed her chin at Chariline. “I told you to go save her life. Not to bring her back here tucked under your arm like a prized chicken you couldn’t give up.”

  Natemahar bowed with much more grace than Chariline had managed. “Kandake, my daughter has important information, for your ears only.”

  The queen curled her lip. “Stop spouting about your daughter in my palace, if you please. These walls have ears, lest you have forgotten. And a certain person is still on Cushite soil. Watch your tongue for a few more days.”

  “Your pardon, Kandake. This young woman has some urgent information concerning your safety.”

  “My safety, is it? I thought it was her skinny neck we were trying to protect.” She picked up a delicat
e fan made of silver scrolls and waved it in front of her face. “Well, girl? What is this important information you have for me?”

  Chariline felt Theo grow tense next to her. She pressed his arm before letting go of him and stepping forward. “I am sorry to say, my lady, that your royal neck is in as much danger as my skinny one seems to be.” She tried to keep her voice steady.

  “Indeed?”

  “Your Majesty, I am afraid there is a plot to assassinate you.”

  The queen’s face remained still, void of expression. But her eyes widened a fraction, and her long nails curled against the throne.

  “Explain yourself,” she growled.

  Chariline cleared her throat. “I overheard a conversation between two men at your palace. One of them was your treasurer, Sesen.”

  A muscle jumped at the corner of the queen’s lip. Chariline’s mouth turned dry.

  She forced herself to go on. “Sesen and his companion spoke of your trip in the spring on the royal barge, which had been canceled. Originally, that was when they meant to kill you. Sesen urged for patience until you traveled on the barge this month. They intend for the barge to drown, and you with it, so that it looks like an accident.”

  The dark eyes flared. The queen surged to her feet, every regal feature stamped with outrage.

  Chariline took a hasty step back, leaning into Theo’s reassuring warmth. Natemahar had been correct. The Kandake had not known about the plot.

  Which meant she would have had no reason to send an assassin after Chariline.

  “That toad is planning to drown me?” the queen shouted, her voice sharp as a razor.

  “Yes, my lady. You and your ship.”

  “I love that ship!” She held her breath for a beat. “Wait. When did you overhear this conversation?”

  Chariline winced. “Your Majesty . . . Kandake, that is . . .”

  The queen took a step toward her. Behind her, three soldiers also stepped forward in unison, hands at the ready on their sword pommels. “Spit it out, girl.”

  “In the spring, when I was in Cush.”

  “Natemahar!” the queen roared. “Did you know about this?”

  “I only found out about Sesen’s plot after I caught up with Chariline in Rome, Kandake. Which is why we hastened to Cush as fast as possible. She always meant to save your life, my queen.”

  “Did she, now?” She faced Chariline. “You did not think this was the kind of news you should have brought to me right away, girl?” The queen pinned Chariline with her dark gaze. “You thought it appropriate to wait for three months before informing me, or even Natemahar, that someone wished to drown me in the Nile?”

  “I hoped I might be able to change Sesen’s mind before this plot went too far.”

  “Change his mind? We are not talking about his preference in bread. My life hung in the balance!”

  “I always intended to warn you, Kandake. But at the time, I suspected Sesen might be my father. I feared for his life if I came to you with the news.”

  The queen rolled her eyes. “Little fool,” she muttered under her breath.

  “I hoped to find a way to save you both.”

  “Well, you have not.”

  “No.”

  “If you were not a Roman,” the queen spat, “I would have your head for this delay.”

  Chariline drew herself to her full height. “If I were not a Roman, I would have known Natemahar was my father,” she said, mustering her dignity.

  The queen’s face grew as impassive as the Great Sphinx of Egypt. She settled back on her throne. “I will decide your fate later. First, let us settle the matter of this conspiracy. You say two men are plotting to kill me. Who is the second?”

  “Your pardon, Kandake. I do not know the name of Sesen’s accomplice,” Chariline said. “But I would recognize him if I were to see him again.”

  “Describe him to me,” the queen barked.

  Chariline did her best. The queen slashed the air with her hand. “That could be fifty men in this palace. Tell me something that stood out. Did he wear any distinctive clothing? A thinning hairline? Crooked teeth? Anything that would help me recognize him.”

  Chariline shook her head. “I only saw him for a few moments.” She frowned. “He did wear a lot of jewelry. Chains about his neck, thick armbands decorated with jewels. Even his belt had gold embellishments. And he had a distinctive ring. A crocodile biting on an amethyst.”

  The Kandake went still. Then smiled. “I seem to recall such a ring. Still, I will need your eyes as witness.”

  “Kandake, there must be at least one other in this plot whose name we do not know,” Natemahar said. “The man in charge of damaging your ship. If Chariline is exposed as the witness . . .”

  She waved him down. “For now, we will keep her hidden.” She pointed to the embroidered linen curtain that hung behind her throne. “She can watch the proceedings through there. If the man I send for is the one she saw plotting with Sesen, then she will send one of my guards to warn me.”

  “Thank you, Kandake.”

  “May Theo come with me?” Chariline asked.

  The queen turned. Lights from a hundred lamps caught the gold in her crown, making it shine like a star. “Theo?”

  “Theodotus of Corinth, Kandake,” Natemahar clarified. “He offered us the use of his ship so that we might arrive in Meroë in time to warn you.”

  “I am sure I will have to pay a fortune for his service.”

  “He asked for nothing, though I assured him that we will repay his expenses.”

  The queen waved a hand. “Yes, yes. Now take the ship owner and the girl to my secret room. You two hide there until I send for you. Natemahar, you are with me.” The queen nodded to a member of the guard, who accompanied Chariline and Theo to a small alcove immediately behind the throne.

  It was a surprisingly comfortable spot, decorated with a couch and feather-filled cushions. A spot made specifically for spying, Chariline realized.

  Not long after, the sound of feet echoed from the throne room. A name was announced formally in the chamber beyond, and the guard motioned for Chariline to approach the edge of the curtain. She stood perfectly still and gazed through the slit into the chamber beyond.

  CHAPTER 34

  You reward everyone according to what they have done.

  PSALM 62:12, NIV

  Sesen arrived first. Chariline was surprised when the queen greeted him in a friendly voice. “I need your help with a dilemma, Treasurer,” she said.

  Sesen smiled confidently. “It is my honor to serve.”

  “A young woman has made an extraordinary claim against you.”

  Chariline gasped. What was the queen doing?

  “Against me, my queen?” Sesen asked.

  “She claims that you are plotting to kill me.”

  Sesen took a hesitant step back. “Kill you, Kandake?”

  “I myself saw her trying to pass a letter to you. So, the question becomes, was she part of this plot, and then changed her mind due to some division between you? Or is she an innocent, caught in your trap?”

  Chariline felt Theo’s body grow rigid with tension. She reached for his hand, her fingers shaking.

  “I am the only innocent here,” Sesen said, his infuriating confidence seemingly unshaken. “Why would I plot against my dear queen? I pledge you my loyalty. Who is this girl who dares to besmirch me with her accusations?”

  The queen shrugged. “She is no one important. The salient point is the charge she brings against you.”

  “Where is her proof?”

  “She has given very specific details about time and place.”

  Sesen frowned. “All lies! I will not even be in Cush for the rest of July. I am leaving for Egypt in the morning. My plans have been in place for months. How could I make an attempt on your life when I am not even here?”

  “I never said the assassination attempt would take place in July.”

  Sesen paled. Just then, another man
was announced. Chariline recognized him immediately. The nasal voice, the scowling face, the bright jewels. The guard waiting in the alcove looked to her for confirmation. She nodded gravely, and the soldier slipped into the throne room to whisper in the queen’s ear.

  “You two know each other, I believe,” the queen said.

  Sesen’s handsome face glistened with sweat. “We have met, here in this very throne room.”

  “And was it in this throne room you plotted to drown me?”

  “Drown you?” The nasal voice grew panicked. “Drown you?” he repeated. “Never, my queen.”

  “I have a witness who says differently.”

  “Lies and fabrications,” Sesen spat.

  A guard slid silently into the hall and approached the queen. He spoke quietly so that only she could hear. “I see,” she murmured. Turning her attention to the men before her, she said, “My royal barge, it seems, has sustained grievous damage. Inconveniently, the damage is hidden from the casual observer. But one hour on the river in this season of high floodwaters, and it would certainly sink.” She leaned forward. Chariline could not see her expression from where she stood. But she could see Sesen clearly. He staggered.

  “The damage to my ship was intentional,” the queen said, her voice low. “Someone took an ax to my beautiful barge. Never mind trying to drown me. You tried to destroy my ship!”

  “I had nothing to do with this atrocity,” Sesen cried, taking a step away from his accomplice.

  “You can’t blame it on me,” his bejeweled accomplice screamed.

  “It’s the girl.” Sesen took a step closer to the throne. “You said yourself you suspected her. This is her doing.”

  “I said I watched her trying to pass you a letter. If she is guilty, so are you. You can’t have it both ways, Treasurer.”

  Desperation washed over Sesen’s face. “I had nothing to do with her. Ask her why she wormed her way inside your palace under false pretenses. Ask her why she snuck in here, pretending to be a servant, when she is the granddaughter of—”

  “Silence!” the queen snarled. Immediately, one of the guards shoved the tip of a spear under Sesen’s throat, effectively shutting him up. “You are a slithering serpent. But you’re not very bright. To think I placed you in charge of the treasures of Cush. Your own defense has tangled you. In your desperation to blame another for your guilt, you have confirmed the girl’s story.”