by Pharaoh
“Yes.”
“What did he want?”
“Just to talk. He wanted to know if anything is going on between Khai and me.”
Najre sat down in the seat Asar vacated. “Is there?”
“No, not that I know of.”
“Would you like there to be?”
“No, not in particular.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
Her sister was a lot of things, and she was not a fool. “I do not know how I feel about Khai. Everyone has been asking me this, but I do not have an answer.”
“Why aren’t you dressed? The party will be starting soon.”
“I was just about to get dressed when Asar appeared.”
Najre was already dressed and looked quite fetching.
“It will not take me long.” She got her things and left the room.
* * * *
Khai sat down on his throne. Bandru sat next to him. The festivities had begun, and the place was swarming with male guests. The women were off in another part of the palace, planning to join them later in time for dinner. Asar was over on the side of the room talking to Dakari. The two of them looked as thick as thieves. He wondered what they were scheming and plotting. They walked over and joined him up on the throne platform.
“The performance is about to begin,” Asar announced. He clapped his hands, and the musicians changed the tune they were playing.
Khai turned his attention to the door just as Najre entered. She was dressed in one of her tribal costumes. Her hips swayed as she danced to the middle of the floor. She accompanied the musicians clinging tiny finger cymbals. Around her neck were two chains, topped by two lines of jewelry. Several round golden earrings hung from her ears. Around her ankle was a silver anklet, and her feet were bare. The tempo of the music increased, and she spun and danced, continuing to sway her hips to the beat of the music. She used her hands to tell a story while drawing the audience’s attention away from her feet.
“She’s very good,” Asar said.
“Yes, she is,” Dakari replied. “Is she married?”
“Why are you asking?”
“No reason in particular.”
Najre finished her dance to the applause of the audience. She bowed before the throne platform and then dashed out of the door. Moments later, the music changed. This time it was a rhythmic, slow tune that featured drums and cymbals. The doors opened, and Zuri entered dressed in a tribal costume. Khai moved around to get comfortable on his seat.
“Who is that?” Bandru asked.
“Her name is Princess Zuri, grandfather.”
Bandru frowned at him. “Is she the one?”
Asar nodded.
Khai ignored both of them and watched Zuri. Adorned in necklaces, bracelets, earrings, finger rings, and ostrich feathers, Zuri broke into dance. The long white linen skirt rode low on her hips. Back at her home, she would be naturally bare-breasted but she had decently covered her assets with a short tunic top that fell just below them.
Asar uttered a sigh, which Khai chose to ignore.
Around her head, Zuri wore a black headband to hold back her luxurious hair. Like Najre, her feet were bare and adorned with a simple single ankle bracelet.
Her hips swayed sensually to the beat of the drum as she danced, captivating every man in the room. She too used her hands to tell the story, adding acrobatic moves that brought him dangerously close to the edge of his seat.
Bandru cleared his throat a couple of times, a sign that he was not pleased. The hips of the dancer undulated in his direction. His body stirred with passion, and before he had a chance to react, the dance ended, and Zuri left the room much to the dismay of every male in the room, except maybe Bandru who sat there looking flabbergasted.
“Well, are you satisfied?” Asar asked him.
Khai shook his head. “In one aspect. She has danced just as I requested, but suddenly I’m filled with emotions I’ve never experienced before.”
“I call that lust,” Bandru spat out. “Your father would rise from the dead if he knew what you were plotting.”
“I am not plotting anything. I am just saying that I might be interested in her a little more than any of the other young women who have danced for me.”
“You cannot make her queen of Egypt.”
Khai looked at the ancient vizier. “Why not?”
“Because she is a Nubian. The queen of Egypt should be an Egyptian.”
“Says who?”
“Says history. Most of the great queens were Egyptians.”
“Most but not all. Don’t forget that the Nubians are the world’s oldest civilization. This was their realm before ours.”
“Instead of worrying about a queen, maybe you should put your concentration on something more serious.”
“Like what?”
“Like Assyria. Assyrian power is growing even as we speak. It is surrounded by many powerful groups. The Hittites may invade them from the north.”
“All pure speculations,” Khai replied.
“Not necessarily so,” Dakari said, joining the conversation. “Hittite forces are also growing. You have to prepare yourself for battle. They may get to Assyria first and all that natural wood we seek might be lost to us. Just think of what we can do with all that cedar and cypress.”
“Do not forget about all the resin,” Asar added. “We need that for mummification.”
“So you are telling me to forget that it was all your idea that I needed to find a bride?”
“No, but I must agree with my grandfather and Dakari. Some things take precedence over others.”
Khai sighed. “I guess you all are right. I’ll put my search for a queen on hold now until our talks with Assyria are over but not a minute more.”
Chapter Five
He left Thebes without as much as a goodbye. Zuri chastised herself for caring about a man as inconsiderate as Khai. She dressed for the party her parents were throwing for visiting dignitaries. She really didn’t feel like partying, but it was a perfunctory duty that she and Najre had to perform. After dressing, she left her suite of rooms and walked down the long hall that led to the palace wing where Najre lived. Their mother separated them in their early teens when she grew tired of settling arguments between them.
Zuri loved the privacy, and it felt good to have some independence away from her older sister. She knocked on Najre’s door. Her sister opened it wearing a stunning new dress that the dressmaker just finished. “Furaha is going to die with envy when she sees you in this.”
Najre twirled so she could get the full effect. “Who cares what Furaha thinks? Prince Chitemo will be in attendance, and I want to make a good impression.”
Chitemo’s father was an Ethiopian king and must have made a very good impression on Najre for her to react this way. “You like him?”
Najre nodded. “What’s not to like? He is tall and handsome and will be king one day.”
“What about Asar?”
“What about him?”
“I thought the two of you were getting along.”
Najre laughed and let Zuri into her room. “We were in Thebes and he was trying to let you and Khai get to know each other.”
Zuri flopped down on a stool. “A lot of good that did. Khai just marched off to Assyria without giving me a second thought.”
“To be fair, the man is pharaoh, and he has the welfare of an entire nation to be concerned about.”
“I know this. It is just that he left without saying goodbye.”
“He did tell his mother to see that we got back to Kush safely.”
“He would have done that for anyone. It is called protocol.”
“Do not be so hard on him. He is new to all of this, and do not forget that his father just died. Khai now has a lot of responsibility.”
“I know, but he never said if he liked my dance.”
“If he is a man, he did, but let us not put a damper on our evening. Let’s go join our parents and welcome our guests.”
Najre bristled beside her. “Why that dirty, rotten little snake. Look at her fawning all over him like he was made of gold.”
“You sound jealous.”
Najre folded her arms in front of her. “I am no such thing. She can have him for all I care.”
The entourage approached.
Chahide greeted his brother and his family. Gero introduced Chitemo, who detached himself from Furaha.
“It is a pleasure to be invited to your wonderful kingdom.” Chitemo turned his attention to them. “You two are as lovely as I remember. I look forward to dancing with both of you.”
Zuri nodded at him, and Najre beamed.
Chitemo smiled back at her. Furaha stood by fuming.
Gero led his family away. Zuri smirked behind her cousin’s back.
* * * *
Zuri peeked out of the door at her sister who was deep in conversation with Prince Chitemo. He had somehow shaken Furaha from his side and managed to steal Najre away from her parents long enough to strike up a conversation.
“What are you staring at?”
Zuri turned around quickly. Furaha stood behind her, looking oddly pissed and a bit curious.
“Nothing.”
Furaha swept her aside and looked out of the door. “What is she doing?”
“Having a conversation with Chitemo.”
“But he has come to see me.” Furaha looked stunning in her pale blue dress and dark blue accessories. .
“Did he invite you or did you just latch on to him when he arrived?”
Furaha backed away from the window, frowning. “What difference does that make?”
“Chitemo and Najre are old friends. Why are you trying to read more into it than what it is?”
“Because I have decided that I want him as a husband.”
“You want to get married?”
“Why is that such a surprise? I am getting older, and I want to have babies before I age.”
Twenty-two did not make her a relic. “Does Chitemo know how you feel about him?”
“I do not think so, but I planned to tell him tonight. I will not stand a chance now that Najre has him.”
“They are just talking.”
Furaha took her arm and led her into the sitting room. Usually the place would be swarming with women but right now they were all dancing and talking and preparing for dinner. “Come sit down. We have not talked in a long time.”
Zuri smirked. Before Furaha grew into womanhood the two of them used to be very close. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Egypt. I heard you went back to the pharaoh and danced for him.”
Zuri sighed. “Yes, both Najre and I. My parents thought it best. ”
“So you did it to keep the peace?”
“So to speak.”
They sat down, and Zuri called for tea.
“Did the pharaoh ask about me?”
“He did. He sends his warm regards.” Zuri paused. “Are you interested in him, too?”
“You say that like it is wrong to have options.”
“No, I was just wondering.”
“Well, what do you think of him?”
“He is nice,” Zuri replied. “When he is not being pharaoh.”
“So what happened after you danced for him?”
“Nothing in particular. There was a party. We ate, talked, and then Najre and I went off to bed. The next morning we headed back to Kush.”
Furaha stared at her oddly. “That is all that happened?”
“Pretty much. What did you expect?”
“That he would choose you to be queen.”
Zuri threw her hands up in the air. “Why would he do that? I am not exactly an Egyptian beauty. I do not have scented skin. I am not vain, and I do not want to be queen of Egypt.”
Furaha raised her cup of tea to her lips and sipped. “Then you are one of the craziest women I know. Khai is powerful, and he has grown into a very handsome young man.”
“So has Asar.”
“Leave it to you to bring him up. I would not have imagined him growing up to be Khai’s vizier. I would have thought he would have been killed by some jealous husband a long time ago.”
Zuri giggled. “He used to aggravate me much as a child. He has changed some, but not much I gathered from our conversation.”
“When did you have time to talk to him? I heard he is quite busy.”
“He came to my room before the party.”
Furaha put down her cup. “What did you talk about?”
Her cousin was starved for conversation. “About when we were children. He seems to remember it quite differently than I.”
“What else did you talk about?”
“He did most of the talking. He claims he is interested in Khai’s welfare, but I feel that he has a hidden agenda.”
“Like what?”
“Like me.”
“Did he say something to offend you?”
“No. I just have the feeling that he wants me more than he wants what is best for Khai.”
Furaha gasped. “What did he say?”
“He wanted to know if I was in love with Khai, and he told me that he was interested in me.”
Furaha squealed. “Such intrigue. He is a bad man when it comes to women.”
“I know that.”
“Your father would never agree to him courting you.”
“I do not have to worry about that. I plan to stay as far away from Asar and Egypt as I can.”
“Why did he ask if you were in love with Khai? Did something happen between the two of you?”
“No, nothing. We just went for a swim on the night we arrived. The next day everyone looked at me like they had this secret.”
Furaha looked her over. “Are you sure nothing happened?”
“He kissed me,” Zuri confessed. “That is all that happened.”
Furaha gasped. “The pharaoh kissed you? Why did you not begin the conversation with that? Are you crazy? The pharaoh would not kiss just anyone.”
“It was a kiss. A very good one but still just a kiss. Do not make a big deal out of it.”
“Now I see why I have not heard from him, and to think I danced my little heart out for him.”
“I guess I should tell you all of it. Khai had nothing to do with the dance request. It was Asar. He did it without Khai’s knowledge, and Khai did not learn that the women were dancing for him so he could choose a queen until that very night. Some of the other women took offense when Najre and I did not dance. They saw it as a direct defiance to the new pharaoh and thought we should be punished. That is why Najre and I went back.”
“I am confused. Is Khai looking or not looking for a queen?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. I think Asar is behind all of this. I think he is pushing Khai into making a decision he may or may not be ready for.”
Furaha polished off her tea. “Dancing is a very stupid way to choose a queen. It reeks of Asar. If Khai is interested in picking a queen, then it should be done another way. I think he needs to spend some time with each and every last one of us, and then he can make a decision.”
Zuri did not think it was a very good plan. She did not want to compete with other women for Khai’s affection. “How do you plan to get this to happen?”
“I will do it the right way. I will go over his head and speak with his mother.”
Zuri shook her head. “How are you planning to do that?”
“I’ll have my mother talk to her. The two of them are good friends.”
“Do not inclu
de me in this scheme.” Hopefully Khai’s mother would not go for this either.
“Why not? He kissed you, didn’t he? As I see it, you have the advantage over the rest of us.” She rose and went back to the door. “What can Chitemo and Najre have to talk about?”
Chapter Six
Khai trudged into the palace tired and dusty with the sands from too many days of travel. The talks in Assyria went well, and the trip ended positively. Bandru and Dakari had been right when they said he had to move on it, and after sitting down with the sultan, the two of them agreed to be allies. Now that the talks were out of the way, he had time to catch up on affairs in Egypt that he had put on hold for the length of his trip. Everyone was asleep. He wanted to eat, take a bath, and fall into bed.
He walked toward the kitchen. Feminine giggles stopped him in his tracks. He turned. Two gorgeous Egyptian women stood behind him holding hands like two children. They were dressed in matching pairs of red dresses. “Who are you?”
Both women bowed.
“My name is Fadil, and this is my sister Fenuke.”
“Twins?”
The young women giggled. “Yes.”
“What are you doing here?”
The one named Fadil answered. “We were invited here by the queen.”
“My mother?”
Fadil nodded. “Queen Hathor.”
“Why?”
“As possible choices for your bride.” She grabbed Fenuke’s hand, and they ran up the stairs.
Khai rubbed the stubble on his chin. “This is a joke.”
“Not a joke.” Asar entered and stood in the very spot the twins deserted. “The queen has taken matters in her own hands and invited young women from the kingdom to compete for your hand in marriage.”
“This is crazy. I do not have time to court.”
“It is time that you make a decision since my last attempt to find you a bride failed.”
Khai thought about Zuri. “It did not fail. It just got postponed for the trip to Assyria.”
“Are you speaking of Zuri? The last time I spoke with her, she did not seem too keen on the idea of becoming your queen.”
“When was the last time you spoke to her?”
“Before she danced for you.”