“They forced her to sign a marriage contract,” I muttered.
He grunted. “I thought as much.”
We fell silent again as I continued to eat, feeling famished. As I took the last bite of the goose, he spoke again. “You should stay here tonight. I don’t think you are fit to travel home.”
I nodded, but then thought of Zakkai. “But Zakkai, he will be wondering what has happened to me, and Samuel will be wondering why I haven’t come to collect him. They can’t know what happened. Samuel will lose his mind with worry.”
“I will send word to him and tell him you are unwell and to keep your son with him tonight. I will also inform Hepsati so she doesn’t worry when no one returns to the house.”
I smiled at him, grateful for his thoughtfulness.
He stood. “Now you stay here. The boys have been examining the guestrooms to pick which one they want to sleep in. I’ll go check to make sure they haven’t broken anything.”
I chuckled, which made him smile.
“I’ll bring Rachel in here with you―”
“Oh, no.” I inched to the edge of the bed. “I will use a guestroom. I cannot take your bed.”
He waved me off. “It’s the most comfortable bed in the house, and you need your rest.”
He stepped out of the room before I could protest any further.
I lay back and listened as the boys laughed and yelled while Horemheb rounded them up and put them to bed. As they quieted down, the door opened a crack and Rachel slipped into the room. She dashed over to the bed, jumping up beside me. I wrapped my arms around her as she curled up to go to sleep. I stroked her hair and watched as she quickly fell asleep, and felt so grateful for her and for the light she brought to my life during such dark times. My eyes felt heavy, so I rested my head to doze off.
The door opened again and I looked to see Horemheb approach me, holding a lamp. He knelt down beside me. “I sent a servant to inform your brother and Hepsati where you are, and the boys are sleeping just down the hall.”
“Thank you.” I touched his arm.
He caught my hand and kissed it.
“Dear Naomi, when I found you, I was terribly worried for you, and afraid that they…” He paused and shook off his emotion. “I’ll be two rooms down, if you need me.”
I didn’t let go of him as he tried to pull away. “I’m afraid, Horemheb.”
“Why?” he asked, bending closer.
“The look in Nahktmin’s eyes… what if he comes back for me? Or Ay, what if he discovers it was Kiya he threatened, and sends an assassin? And you, what if he decides you tried to hide Ankhe from him and tries to have you done away with because he believes you will cause too much trouble?”
He sighed. “I will be fine, and there is no way he recognized you or he would have done away with you while he was here.” But he frowned, unable to respond to the Nahktmin statement.
“Stay with me.”
“What?” His eyes widened.
“Please, I haven’t been this frightened since Amarna.”
“Are you sure?”
I tugged at his hand, and he shifted up onto the bed beside me. I rolled over and wrapped my arms around the sleeping Rachel and closed my eyes, relaxing at the knowledge that Horemheb watched over me. I began to drift off to sleep, when I felt his arm rest on my waist. It didn’t bother me, as it felt reassuring. Then he shuffled closer and moved my hair. I didn’t react, just wondered what he was doing, until I felt his lips on my neck. He seemed to think I was asleep.
He gently stroked my hair and moved up to kiss my ear. I couldn’t help shuddering at the sensation, and he paused. I could feel him looking down at me, and suddenly his hand came up and shifted my tunic to expose my shoulder. He leaned down and began kissing it.
I gasped in surprise, which made him chuckle.
“I thought you were awake.”
I turned slightly to look up at him. “No, you didn’t.”
“Yes I did. Don’t contradict me.”
“Well, at first.”
He smiled and stroked my cheek. “Why do you resist me when you obviously have feelings for me?”
I moved to roll away from him, not wanting to respond, but he pinned me down.
“Naomi, I know better than anyone what you are going through. You are grieving, you are hurt and angry. Let me help you.”
“You are helping me,” I answered. “By protecting Tut’s―”
“Stop it,” he said sharply. “I mean, let me help you be happy again.”
In my mind, I saw Malachi smiling at me with Tut on his shoulders. The thought made me begin to cry. “Oh, Horemheb! How can I ever be happy again?”
He lay back down beside me and I turned to him, crying onto his chest. He kissed my head and whispered, “You will, Naomi. I promise you that you will. I will do everything I can to take away your sorrow.”
I wrapped my arms tightly around him and slowly fell asleep.
Horemheb woke me in the morning by examining the wound on the back of my head. The fierce pain as he touched it tore me instantly from my sleep and made me yelp. Rachel sat up, startled, beside me and stared across at Horemheb in alarm.
“Settle down, Naomi. I’m just having a look at how it’s healing,” he said. “But by your reaction, I think it would be safe to assume you are feeling better today.”
I sat up and realized the dizziness had gone. “Yes, it does seem so.”
He knelt and turned my head so he could look at it. “They drew only a small amount of blood, but you have a nasty lump and will be sore for days. Take it easy, have a few days off.”
“If you insist.”
He chuckled. “I do. It will give me some time to analyze the situation in the palace and see what damage has been done. Come, let’s see if you can walk.”
He stood and took my arm to help me onto my feet. I wobbled a little at first, but then straightened. I smiled and slowly walked across the room.
Rachel clapped her hands. “Mama! You’re all right.”
“Of course she is.” Horemheb grinned. “Where do you think Tut got his invincibility complex?”
I smirked at him sarcastically. “I do not have an invincibility complex.”
He laughed and picked up my robe and shawl.
“Horemheb,” I began as he held the robe open so I could slip my arms in. “Since you command the entire army of Egypt, why don’t you just take them and kill Ay?”
He laughed. “How I wish I could, but that kind of usurpation would not go down well in the courts or among the people. These things must be handled with discretion, subtly. It is almost traditional, after all.”
I laughed. “It is, isn’t it?”
Suddenly the three boys went tearing down the hallway in full voice. Rachel groaned and slapped her forehead in disgust. “Brothers.”
I laughed and turned to her. “Let’s go stop them before they eat everything in the house.”
We headed downstairs, where Horemheb had the children help him with the food while he insisted I sit and rest. I watched and laughed as Aaron and Saul kept telling him he was wrong and redirecting him. He humored them graciously. He had always loved children, even though he found adults intolerable.
Ezra climbed onto my lap as Rachel heated up the stove. Aaron saw her and rushed over. “I don’t want to eat your food.”
Rachel slapped him.
Saul ran over and took away her cooking supplies. “Neither do I. You make poison.”
Rachel scowled and turned to me. “Mama!”
“Boys, would you prefer Horemheb to do it?”
Their response was not what I expected. Their faces lit up and they both exclaimed, “Yes!”
I laughed and waved Rachel over. She sat beside me as we watched the three of them try to cook together.
Finally, the food was ready, and we all sat down to eat. Mid-meal, one of the servants interrupted us. “Master, there is a man here to see you.”
“Who is it?” Hore
mheb asked, rising to his feet.
“A Hebrew named Samuel.”
Horemheb waved his hand. “Bring him to me.”
A few moments later, Samuel entered the room and smiled at the sight of me.
“Naomi, I was so worried.” He rushed over and clasped my head, kissing it. I winced as his hand pressed my bump, and I pulled away. He looked down at me with concern. “What is it?”
“It’s nothing,” I responded. “It was my own fault really, I was―”
“A mean man came and stole Ankhe,” Saul piped up.
Horemheb grabbed his mouth and tried to silence him, but Aaron just continued in his place. “That’s right! Mama hid her and us, but they found Ezra and wanted to kill him, so Mama stopped them and they hit her. Horemheb says she’s lucky to be alive.”
Of course my children wouldn’t keep such a scandal quiet for long. I gazed up nervously at Samuel and saw his horror. “What bad man?”
Horemheb stood. “It was Ay. But do not be alarmed, I will handle this situation.”
Samuel grabbed my arm. “Handle the situation? I think, under the current circumstances, my sister is done working here.”
“No!” I pulled away. “Under the current circumstances, I need to continue working here. Ay is talking slavery, Samuel, and his vile son supports him completely. If I remain here as a servant, the children and I can be protected from that.”
His gaze darted to Horemheb. “But I have been sending families away as you have asked.”
Horemheb raised an eyebrow. “That was only applicable under Tut’s rule. This is an entirely different game now.”
“Commander, I have a great deal of respect for you and all you have done to help my people. Surely there is something you can do?”
He sighed. “I am already weakened by my perceived sympathy for the Hebrews. I’m afraid if I press the matter, my position will weaken further, and I cannot afford that right now. There is too much at stake in other areas.”
“What can I do?”
Horemheb grunted. “Pray to your god, plead for his intervention.”
Samuel looked to me, and I glanced away, confirming Horemheb’s story.
“Then the prophecies are true; that we will fall into bondage,” he said.
“So it appears,” Horemheb muttered as he walked out the door.
didn’t want to take much time off, I wanted to stay in touch with what was happening. So, two days later, I was back at the house, but left the children with Hepsati, feeling nervous for their safety.
I entered the house and found no one around, so I went straight to the kitchen to prepare some food for Horemheb’s return. I worked for several hours before Horemheb burst in and rushed at me.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m working.”
He grabbed my arm. “I told you to take some time off!”
“I did.”
“Two days? No, Naomi.” He glanced back at the sound of chariots pulling up. “It’s too late now. Stay out of sight, do you hear me?”
He rushed out of the room to greet his guests.
I listened carefully. There were several men, all talking loudly, then they suddenly fell silent and I heard Ay speak. “Well, Commander, impress me. Prove that you are no traitor.”
“Very well, my lord. Come, let us dine as we discuss the issues at hand,” Horemheb answered.
They moved through the house to his meeting room with the large table.
A few minutes later, a maidservant appeared to collect some food to bring in to them. I rushed to help, handing her my recently cooked food items. She avoided eye contact with me, and as she left, she said, “The master said to stay in here.”
I turned and looked at the storage room, and decided to cook a duck to help Horemheb impress them. As I prepared it, I heard the door open. I glanced up.
Nahktmin stepped in and shut the door behind him, staring fixedly at me. I put the duck down and grabbed at my belt where I concealed my knife.
“I believe we have unfinished business,” he said, advancing on me slowly.
“Don’t you dare touch me!” My fingers tightened around the knife.
He laughed. “The slave has fire, but that isn’t going to stop me.”
“I belong to the Commander. You wouldn’t dare defile his property.”
He scoffed. “I would gladly defile his property, especially when it’s as pretty as you.”
He rushed at me. I ducked away to keep the table between us, but it didn’t stop him. He was fit and agile, so he simply leaped over the table and grabbed me. I stumbled back, into the wall, as he crushed me against him.
He laughed. “You are going to make this a lot of fun for me.”
I pulled the knife free and slashed at his waist. He pulled back quickly, avoiding serious injury, which gave me room to slash at his face.
He stepped back and touched his cheek, finding blood. Taking advantage of his distraction, I made a dash for the door. He ran after me and caught me by the waist.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Let me go!” He grabbed my mouth.
“Silence, you filthy slave.”
He pulled off my shawl and tied it around my mouth as a gag, then tossed me down onto the table. I rolled as he advanced on me, and went to use the knife again, but he caught my hand and pulled my weapon free.
“Enough of this.” He tossed it aside and held me down.
I struggled with all my might against him as he worked to untie my belt, pushing my skirt up with his knee. I tried to scream through my gag, which only made him laugh.
“No one is going to hear you.”
Suddenly, the door burst open and Horemheb roared in rage. Nahktmin barely had a chance to look up before Horemheb knocked him to the ground. They struggled for a few moments, then Horemheb whipped out his dagger and stabbed him in the shoulder.
Nahktmin wailed. “You traitor! I will have your life for this!”
Horemheb punched him in the face. “No, you won’t, I will have yours.”
He pulled the dagger out of Nahktmin’s shoulder and plunged it into his abdomen.
Nahktmin groaned and met Horemheb’s gaze. “My father will destroy you for killing me! All this for a Hebrew?”
“Shut your eyes, Naomi!” Horemheb bellowed as he pulled the knife out and held it against Nahktmin’s throat.
I instantly obeyed.
“She is no ordinary Hebrew,” he snarled at Nahktmin. “She is the greatly beloved Kiya!”
Horemheb slashed Nahktmin’s throat. Nahktmin struggled to stay alive, gurgling in his own blood, before he fell silent.
I opened my eyes to see Horemheb stand and wipe his hands on a towel. He lifted his gaze to me and said calmly, “We have to get rid of the body. If Ay discovers it, it will cause me no end of trouble.”
I stood motionless, my heart pounding and my fear surging through me.
Horemheb pursed his lips as he turned back to Nahktmin, then lifted him onto his shoulders.
“Clean up the blood.”
He left me standing there, staring in complete shock at the pool of blood on the floor. I pulled myself out of my daze and rushed to find some cleaning supplies. I quickly soaked up the worst of the blood and scrubbed at the stone floor. Then I shifted the table closer to the bloodstain and ordered a slab of raw beef to be brought to me.
By the time Horemheb returned, I had a slab of cow on the table dripping onto the floor over the stain Nahktmin’s blood had left. Horemheb nodded his approval, then hurried to change his clothes. He pulled off his skirt right in front of me as he dashed into the next room to find a new one. He didn’t return to me once he dressed, but rushed back to meet up with the men again.
I couldn’t help slipping out to listen to how he would cover his absence. I pressed my ear against the door to listen and I heard the men address him. Ay said, “You were gone for a while, Commander.”
“I know,” he answered. “I had to th
ank my cook. She is very good.”
“Do you still have that Hebrew woman?”
“I do.”
“So, knowing your weakness for Hebrews and the amount of time you were gone, you must have really thanked her.”
The men all laughed loudly, but Horemheb never responded. I knew it was better that way, even if it slandered my virtue. No one who knew me would find out, so it didn’t matter anyway.
“Shall we get on with business?” Horemheb asked.
“Of course, of course,” Ay said dismissively. “But I believe I have found all I needed to know. You had no idea she had come here to hide, and I will compensate you for the loss of your servant.”
“And what of me not being invited to the coronation?”
I took a sharp breath. Ay was the Pharaoh!
“I am sorry, Commander, but it was rushed. There were…pressing circumstances. Very few people were present, just the priests, Ankhe, and my son.”
“But I spoke to the priests of Amun-Ra and they had no idea.”
Ay scoffed. “Amun-Ra? Of course they didn’t know. It was the priests of Aten. We will be moving back to the religion of Aten.”
I knew that was a sore spot for Horemheb and he would be unimpressed. He confirmed my suspicion by saying, “But you won’t be removing the freedom to worship other gods?”
There was a pause before Ay said, “Not for now, except Elohim.”
I stepped back from the door in horror. That was a deliberate and pointed attack on my people. We wouldn’t be allowed to worship our god while the Egyptians could worship as they pleased. I hurried back to my post as I fought back my emotions, feeling angry, scared, confused, and traumatized. The day was not going well. I vented my emotions on the slab of meat on the table.
About an hour later, the men left, but Ay did not. He walked around the house with Horemheb and he said, “Where did that boy get to?”
“Maybe he went back to the palace. He did say my estate was crude and dull.”
“Maybe,” Ay responded. “I will return then. He is probably sparring in the barracks. You know how he is.”
KIYA: Rise of a New Dynasty (Kiya Trilogy Book 3) Page 17