by Pharaoh
“Your birthday is coming in two weeks. Send the messenger back to Zuri requesting that she dance for you as a present.”
“What makes you think she will come? She has admitted that she will dance for me in private, but I think she said that just so I would leave her alone.”
“Nubian women do not make such promises without keeping them. They are the most honest women in the world, and besides, you are Pharaoh and your people are subject to your will.”
“What about Najre?”
“Make her dance, too. In fact, make them both dance for us. If one or either of them refuses, then you will do what you have to do.”
“Why do I have the feeling that this is more for your enjoyment than mine?”
Asar laughed. “Oh, it is.”
* * * *
Zuri finished her prayers and rose to her feet, and then she followed her family out of the temple. The sun scorched her skin as soon as she stepped outside. It was one of the hottest days of the year, and it had been such a long time since they had seen rain. Her father prepared to go to the mines to check on things, leaving both her and Najre alone with their mother. They followed her into the great hall where an Egyptian messenger awaited.
He bowed before them. “I have been sent by the pharaoh to deliver a message to the princesses.”
Samanya bade him to step forward. Their personal guards kept a watchful eye on him. “Speak.”
“The pharaoh said it would please him if both of you dance for him at his birthday party.”
Najre groaned, and Zuri growled.
“Thank you,” she told the messenger. “Tell the pharaoh that they will be there.”
The messenger bowed and left the room. Two of the guards followed him out.
“What are you going to do?” Samanya asked.
“There is nothing much we can do since you’ve already answered for us,” Najre replied. “I guess we’ll have to dance.”
“You can dance,” Zuri said. “I am not going.”
Her mother shook her head. “What do you mean you’re not going? It’s the pharaoh’s birthday.”
“Why do I have to be his present?”
“Your sister is going too.”
“That’s her choice.”
“Why do you have to be so disobedient? You have a beautiful body, and you can dance. It is not like he is asking much. Go to the party, have fun, and dance. The worse thing that can happen is that you can win the heart of the pharaoh.”
Winning his heart was the last thing she was worried about. There was something wrong with this plan, and it reeked of the grand vizier. “And what happens if I get there and dance and he wants more?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if he wants to have sex with me? Am I supposed to submit because he is pharaoh?”
Najre answered for their mother. “You would be foolish if you did not. Khai is gorgeous. You could do worse.”
“What about you? What if he asks you?”
“He will not ask me. He does not desire me. I knew that from the first moment that we spoke. I am just being dragged into this mess because he does not want to show favoritism.”
“I wonder if Furaha got an invitation.”
“I do not think so. He did not seem pleased with her,” Najre replied. “Do you want to do a duo? I think I can make up a dance that we both might enjoy.”
“I have not agreed yet.”
“What else can you do? It would be rude not to accept, and besides, there is bound to be a lot of eligible men at his party.”
“I thought you are not interested in getting married.”
“I never said that. The right man has not come along.”
Samanya looked at her. “The pharaoh is not the right man?”
Najre shook her head. “Not for me.” She pointed at Zuri.
“Me either. He is too damn arrogant.”
“He loves pets.”
“Are you trying to get me to change my mind?”
“Yes. I would not mind being the sister-in-law of the pharaoh. It would come with many perks.”
“One of them being you can visit the palace any time you please.”
“Exactly.
* * * *
She did not know how she allowed herself to be talked into returning to Egypt. Yet here she was two weeks later sitting in a hot litter awaiting entry through the huge marbled gates. Najre sat next to her a little nervous about being there, also a little excited about finally being from under their parents’ watchful eyes for the first time in a long time. The palace of the pharaoh was under construction. The huge statues of the former pharaoh that used to sit on the top of the stairs had been removed and in their place sat two huge lions that faintly resembled Simba. The huge columns that surrounded the palace were getting a fresh painting, and huge doors were at that very moment getting new gold inlays.
Several guards arrived to greet them. They were dressed in traditional white shentis and blue and white neckpieces. They were not armed, but they still looked menacing. One came forward to speak to them.
“Welcome, Princess Najre and Princess Zuri of Nubia. The pharaoh has been expecting you.”
The carriers slowly put the litter on the ground and helped both young women out.
“This way, ladies.”
Zuri and Najre followed him up the staircase and into the palace.
The entire palace was alive with activity. Scholars and priests walked together discussing religion, while palace servants cleaned and polished every room. Wonderful aromas permeated the air. They followed the guard past all the activities and then out the back door. They found the pharaoh swimming in the pool under the watchful eyes of several young women who talked and giggled but stopped once she and Najre were announced. Khai took another lap and then climbed out of the water.
Zuri gulped, watching the water as it trickled down his partially nude, muscular frame. Her eyes trailed down, lingering on the white loincloth that clung to his hips. She slowly lifted her eyes up his magnificent muscled chest to those sky-blue eyes. His eyes studied her with a curious intensity. Two of the young women ran over and dried his body with towels, while a third helped him into his robe and sandals. She shook her head to clear the vision. Any strange emotion she might have felt quickly disappeared once his servants began fawning over him. Khai sent them away.
Zuri and Najre knelt before him. “Welcome, princesses. Rise.”
The two young women rose. Najre hung protectively at her side. “Thank you for the invitation, dear pharaoh. Our parents send their warm regards.”
“We are sorry to interrupt your swim,” Zuri replied, trying not to look him in the eye.
“It was time for me to get out of the water. I was starting to wrinkle like a prune.” He led them back inside the palace. “As you can see, my mother is going overboard with the preparations. I think she plans to outdo my coronation.” He signaled for two female servants who hurried over to them. “Take the princesses to their rooms and see to their every need.”
“Yes, sire,” both girls replied.
“I will have someone bring your things to your rooms.”
“Thank you,” Zuri replied.
“Tonight you will dine with me at my table, and we will discuss your dance.” His eyes drank her up.
“You will not be disappointed,” Najre replied. “We have been practicing.”
“I am sure I will not be.” He started to walk away. “One other thing. Dinners around here are usually casual. We only dress up for parties and festival.”
Both girls bowed as he strode off.
The rooms assigned to her were beautiful and far more glamorous than the ones she had at home in Nubia. Najre’s rooms were just down the hall. The bedroom did not have much furnishing, just a bed and hooks to hang her clothes and put her toiletries and cosmetics. The view outside was the best part. Zuri walked over to the opening and looked at the Nile River. The sun was just starting to set and its reflection bounced
off the water. Back home the banks of the river were narrow, which made farming difficult, but the soil of Egypt was rich and fruitful.
Zuri turned away from the river. Khai leaned in the doorway, watching her.
“I thought you might enjoy the view.”
“It is breathtaking,” she replied. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome. I have the same view from my suite. It is just above yours. I like the water, and I prefer it to looking out at the desert.”
He was fully dressed this time in a black short shenti with matching nemes and arm bands.
“Have you found everything that you need?”
Zuri nodded. “The young woman you assigned to me has put everything away. She has been most kind.”
He straightened his stance in the doorway. “Just let me know if you need anything. Dinner is in an hour.”
“Good,” she replied. “I should like to bathe first and remove the sand from my skin.”
Khai’s smile brightened. “Do you need any assistance? I am very good at bathing.”
Zuri blushed. “No, thank you. I think I can manage.”
“It would not be an imposition.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“I will send Bast in to help.”
Zuri dismissed him. “Thank you again. I will see you at dinner.”
Khai left.
Bast arrived to help her with her bath. She carried with her a tray of scented oil.
“They are to help you relax.”
After her bath, Bast helped her wash and braid her hair, and then she made Zuri lay down on an embroidered cushioned chaise so she could apply the oil. Zuri closed her eyes. Bast had magical fingers, and the scent she chose was soothing. Bast ended the massage just as she began to doze off to sleep. Zuri sat up. “I guess I should get dressed.”
“Would you like help with the selection?”
“The king said I should dress casually.”
Bast shook her head. “Men say one thing, but they mean something else.” Bast looked through her things. “To capture pharaoh’s heart you need to play on his senses.”
“Why would I want to do something like that?”
“Do you not wish to be queen?”
Zuri shook her head. “Not really.”
“Then you are the only woman who does not.”
“What about you?”
Bast was pretty with short dark hair and green eyes. “Yes, but even I know that it can never be.” She held up her wrists to display her slave bracelets.
Zuri took her eyes off the offending metal.
“Do you find this offensive?”
“Yes. It is cruel to own another person. Do you like being a slave?”
“It is all I know. I was born into servitude. Both of my parents were slaves and so were my grandparents. We have always worked for pharaoh.”
“Now you can see why I can never be queen. I would beg him to free each and every last one of you, and if he denied me, I would grow to hate him.”
“There is nothing wrong with having those feelings, but realistically most of us would be lost if we were suddenly freed. It is not as bad as you think. They feed me and provide me with shelter. I am clean, and they provide me with clothes.”
Bast’s explanation sounded reasonable, but it didn’t change her mind on how she felt. The young woman helped her pick out an outfit, and then she went down to Najre’s room to get her.
* * * *
Khai spotted the princesses just as soon as they arrived. If they were dressed casually, then he was very much underdressed. Najre was a vision in white in a one-shoulder gown that displayed her curves. Her hair was piled to the top of her head and adorned with beads. She wore three pairs of gold earrings in her ears and a pair of gold arm bands. Zuri wore blue, an eye-drawing gown that clung to her body like a second skin. Her matching eye shadow and henna-red lips made his temperature rise a couple of degrees. Asar jumped out of the seat before him.
“Two lovely Nubian princesses have arrived.”
“There could only be one queen,” Khai reminded him.
“Yes, but I get the one you don’t choose.”
Khai smirked. Always an ulterior motive. “Just behave yourself. They are princesses.”
“I will be on my best behavior.”
The women walked forward. Khai sat them close to him and Asar. Tonight, the four of them would be dining alone so he would not have to explain anything to his nosy mother and sister.
“Where is the rest of your family?” Najre asked.
Khai sat down. “They had other plans. They’re at the chariot races.”
“I thought you liked chariot races.”
“I do, but I can miss one event. I would rather spend the evening with you two.”
Najre blushed. She really was not that much older than he, and she was pretty. “Why aren’t you married?”
“I’ve never found the right man. Plenty have asked but I have turned them down.”
Her answer got Asar’s attention. “What’s the right man?”
“Someone who will respect me for my mind, and who will treat me as an equal.”
“I am all for equality.”
Najre’s eyes lit up. “Are you truly?”
“Truly. I believe a woman is every bit as good as a man when it comes to most things.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Most things?”
“Yes, there a few things that we dominate like lifting heavy objects, but other than that, a woman can do anything a man can do.”
“I like your answer,” she replied shyly.
Khai glanced over at Zuri. “Why so quiet, princess?”
“I am just listening. I find flirting between a man and woman interesting.”
“Do not tell me that a man has never flirted with you?”
“Of course one has, but I never entertain it.”
He leaned closer to her. “Why not?”
“Because I am never sure if he wants me for me or for the fact that I am a princess.”
“A man would be foolish not to want you.”
A warm blush stained her cheeks, but she didn’t shy away. She stared him in his eyes like she was trying to find out what was inside of him. “Have you ever loved a woman just for her being her?”
“I can admit that I have, but I won’t lie. I have lusted after women just because of what they look like.”
“Honesty. I like that in a person. What would you consider a perfect woman?”
“One with big light-brown eyes, full lips, and a shapely figure.”
Najre giggled.
“That description could fit a lot of women in my country.”
“But only one here.”
“Am I only perfect because of what I look like?”
“No, but it does help. You do not shy away like most women I meet. You also do not lower your eyes when you speak with me.”
“My mother would have my hide if she found that out. She thinks I am a militant just because I say what is on my mind.”
“Your mother may be right. You have my permission to stare me in the eyes any time you please. I find it endearing.”
“Why would I need your permission to do so?”
“Because I am pharaoh.”
“And I’m a princess of Nubia. Up until your father’s death, we were equals and friends. Other than his death, what has changed?”
Asar nearly choked on a fig he was eating. “Should I handle this?”
“No, Zuri has a right to ask me anything that she wishes. Other than a title, nothing has really changed. But, in Egypt, we have rules and laws. I did not make them, but I do intend to make sure they are enforced.”
“I understand. Do I have to ask your permission to empty my bladder?”
“Zuri!” Najre shouted. “Behave yourself.”
“I am not trying to be rude. I would just like to know what the ground rules are.”
“No, you do not have to ask my permission for that. In o
rder to be queen, you have to allow me to rule as a king.”
“Who said I wanted to be queen?”
This time Asar giggled.
“Is this not what tonight is all about?”
“No, you invited Najre and I here for your birthday party and told us that we have to dance. I am only here to right a wrong from the coronation. Once I dance, all obligations are met.”
“I can order you to marry me.”
She wagged her finger under his nose. “Yes, you can, but you will have to drag me to the altar.”
“I am not opposed to using force.”
Zuri rolled her eyes at him, and he smiled. Asar was right. This one was special.
Chapter Four
A tour of the palace was definitely in order. Khai sent Asar off to entertain Najre so he could be alone with Zuri. Apparently she had some major issues that needed to be worked out. She had a problem with authority, not a bad one, but it could rear its ugly head at the wrong time. In order to get to the problem, he needed to get her to talk to him.
“The palace has gone through some major renovations since the last time you were here as a child,” he explained. He took her through several rooms on the first level. His mother was pretty proud of the kitchen because she had designed it herself. Some of the original walls had been removed to give it a more open floor plan and to give it an airy feel. There were several rooms to entertain in, a vast library filled with sacred scrolls and parchments and even a room in which to pray.
“I think this is my favorite room,” Zuri said.
“Prayer is important to you?”
“Yes. I have been to Gebel Barkal many times. I go there to speak to Amon and all of our gods. I feel closer to them there since it is their birthplace. There are several temples erected there and a couple of palaces.”
Khai knew the place, located in upper Kush, near Karim in northern Sudan. “If you look at the mountain from the west, it looks like a royal Egyptian uraeus topped with a white crown.”
“I have heard that. I will have to check next time. The pinnacle looks like a phallus to me.”
Khai blushed.
“Did I surprise you?”
He nodded. “We went from talking about religion to sex.”