The Falcon Rises (The Desert Queen Book 2)

  Text copyright 2016 Monica L. Bullock

  All Rights Reserved

  Dedication

  I dedicate this book to Carolann. You were an oasis of peace in a time of trouble, a sheltering rock for us all. We miss you every day. I love you.

  Akhenaten’s Poem to Nefertiti

  The Hereditary Princess, Great of Favor,

  Mistress of happiness,

  Gay with the two feathers,

  At hearing whose voice one rejoices,

  Soothing the heart of the King at home,

  Pleased at all that is said,

  The great and beloved wife of the King,

  Lady of the two lands, Neferneferuaten Nefertiti,

  Living forever.

  —Akhenaten, 1340 BC

  Chapter One

  The Bloody Throne—Queen Tiye

  I tossed and turned on my golden couch, the sounds of the soothing fountain drowned out by the noise of silly little girls playing a hand-clapping game under my balcony. I huffed, slung back the silken sheets and waved the startled attendant away. There would be no sleep for me this afternoon, and I longed for sleep—just a moment’s respite from the sadness that filled my soul. My husband, the great and splendid Amenhotep, languished in Thebes. And if I had any hope of navigating the future successfully, I must remain here in the Grand Harem away from my husband’s court. It was difficult, but I was willing to sacrifice whatever time I had with Amenhotep in order to secure our dynasty.

  I could not trust these things to men, not even my brother Huya or my husband’s most trusted adviser, Ramose. Men were no match for the minds of powerful women, especially women like Kiya and her groping relatives.

  I knew what the prophets of Amun had declared: “No child of Tiye’s will ever take the throne. She is of common blood.” Yet my husband loved me more than he ever feared them. And that love and devotion had cost us everything—it cost us our son, Thutmose. Beautiful, smiling Thutmose, cut down in the desert at the foot of the sphinx, supposedly by some jealous god of the Red Sands. But I knew better. My husband knew better too. It had been the wretched priests who slew my son and left him to die in the sand. His body had never been recovered, but I knew he was dead, his light stolen from this world. What was worse was Thutmose would not be reborn, would never rise from death. His body had not been prepared for the journey, and he would undoubtedly remain in the darkness for all eternity.

  It had been a cruel deed and one I would never forget. Neither would Amenhotep. Just last night as I lay beside him, he whispered to me through his dry lips, “Do not forget Thutmose. Do not forget my son.”

  Obediently I had prevented the tears from falling. The order had been given: no tears would be shed in my presence, not even my own. I agreed and lovingly traced his face with my finger. I held him in my arms until he began to retch the black bile, and then I slipped away as he would want me to. I knew my husband well enough to know he despised appearing weak. To me he would always be Amenhotep, the Strong Bull Rising in Thebes; Amenhotep, Strong of Valor, and he yet lived. But for how long?

  Sitting on the edge of the cushion, I listened intently to the girls’ song.

  Put one date in the basket

  Now put two

  Put one date in the basket

  None for you

  Put one date in the basket

  Eat it up

  Put one date in the basket

  Time is up

  At the end of their song they would laugh and start again. The sound reminded me of life long ago, living in the Algat tribe with my many sisters. How we had squabbled over the smallest thing, like ribbons and bits of rare glass. What fools we had been to mar our time together with such pettiness. I remembered their names and the sounds of their voices, but their faces were lost to me. I, Tiye, Queen of Upper and Lower Egypt, did not know if they lived or lay dead along with my son. I had been forbidden to communicate with my family, and wisely so. Huya alone could I speak to, but never of the Algat, or of home, or of our siblings. To do so was an offense against Amenhotep. What great favor and benevolence he had shown to me, reaching down from his throne and choosing me, a nobody, to be his Great Wife.

  Walking to the balcony, I quietly listened to the girls’ song as I daydreamed about the past. I had done this quite a bit recently, ever since the Desert Queen appeared in my court with her Red Lands clothing and her rough desert language. How I envied her the freedom she had enjoyed. I wondered how many sisters she had and if she would miss them as I missed mine. I smiled thinking of my sister Shaffar, the most beautiful and silliest girl ever born. I missed her most of all.

  But I had been happy at times since those long-ago days. I had daughters of my own and even two sons, although it pleased Amun to steal one from me. My husband loved me above all women and had showered me with honors throughout our life together. Yet I did envy Nefret. I envied her freedom. The freedom to run with legs bare and arms wide. I envied her, and I would be the one to take that freedom from her as it had been taken from me.

  I was the most powerful woman in Egypt, and I was a slave. A slave to a fate I had not sought or ever desired. I thumbed away a rare tear as I listened to the girls sing a new song.

  Fair of face,

  Long of hair,

  Isis beauty

  Who can compare?

  Spell her name…

  Sacred bowl…clap, clap

  Fan of pleasure… clap, clap

  Fans of immortal winds… clap, clap

  Hawk’s fearless stand… clap, clap, clap

  Angry bees rose up inside me. How dare they sing praises to Kiya—spell her name, no less, and under my window! How dare they mock me so! Don’t they know who I am? In my rage, I grabbed a leather strap from a nearby table, walked out of my rooms and stormed down the marble staircase. Fearful servants and courtiers moved out of my way as I charged toward the group of girls who now stood in surprise. Without a word, I struck at them. They screamed in fear and pain, but I would not withhold their punishment. I swung the strap again, slapping bare legs and round bottoms. As young as they were, they had the good sense not to run but hunkered down obediently, covered their heads uselessly with their small hands and accepted my flurry of blows. They wailed in pain, and a crowd had gathered nearby, but not too near.

  I continued to beat them until my wrist hurt and I could barely breathe. In my delivery, I had managed to strike myself a few times. One welt on my lower left arm looked particularly vicious. I was so surprised by the appearance of my own blood that I dropped the strap and glowered at the gaggle of wounded girls. Their skin was well striped with red marks now, but I saw no blood. Nobody raised their faces to me, but they cried all the same.

  I turned my gaze to the people around me. They cast their eyes to the ground, except Huya, who stood as always nearly hidden against the wall. I summoned him with a wave and left the courtyard with Huya a few feet behind me. I would not retreat to my chambers or return to the harem; instead I made the long walk across the colonnade to my formal court to sit upon my blue throne. It amused me to do so and today, I needed some amusement. I almost smiled seeing the flurry of activity in the distance. I could hear the servants now: “The Great Queen is coming to her court! Make ready! Make ready!”

  Yes, I needed to sit on my throne. It was my latest gift from Amenhotep and likely the last. The huge golden chair was covered with lapis lazuli, and my name was beautifully emblazoned across the back.

  A shower of pink petals fell at my feet as I walked into the throne room. Two young slaves rushed before me with their baskets of flowers, careful to toss the flowers where I walked. As I approached the dais, they bowed low an
d disappeared from my presence, taking their baskets with them. Swinging my robes out of the way, I sat upon the throne and ignored my creaking knees. I held my back straight and kept my dark eyes fierce. The throne was so large and I so small, I had to retain this posture if I wanted to be taken seriously. Otherwise I would appear weak and ineffective, just a tiny woman wearing a crown that was never meant to rest upon her head. As was the tradition when the queen held court, my courtiers rushed into the chambers, still looking fearful and curious about what happened in the harem. Only the women had witnessed my outburst, but they would waste no time in recounting the event. Still, they would do so with respect. Of that I was sure. I smiled with pleasure knowing that I still struck fear into their hard, selfish hearts.

  “My Queen, you are bleeding. Allow me to send for an attendant.” My face a mask, I raised my right arm and watched the bright blood pour freely. I did not answer Huya, and I didn’t need to. He always knew what I needed without my saying a word. Such a good servant was he that I sometimes forgot he was my brother. He shouted for a slave and whispered his request to her. I couldn’t take my eyes off the glistening blood that now rolled down to my elbow. It had been so long since I had seen it. It had been many years since my lifeblood had flowed from between my legs. I watched in fascination as a drop of blood splashed onto my throne. I was not the only one to witness it. The gasp of the crowd broke the spell. I wondered at the sound when I heard a hoarse whisper from Heby, the ranking priest of Amun, at least for today. There was always a steady stream of new officials appearing in the courts of Amenhotep.

  “Blood has been spilled on the throne. Royal blood! This is not a good omen. No, it is not.” Heby’s words traveled through the room quickly as my courtiers shared them with the onlookers. As quick as lightning, Huya sopped up the blood with a bit of linen. But before he could dispose of it, Heby stepped forward to collect it.

  “The blood of the Great Wife is sacred, steward. You can trust me to dispose of it properly.” Heby wisely kept his head down to prevent me from seeing the greed in his piggish eyes. No doubt he would use my own blood to work some obscene magic on me. Anything to raise the status of his pet cow, Kiya. He was the Mitanni woman’s courtier, wasn’t he? He raised his outstretched hands, expecting to receive the bloody cloth for whatever use he had in mind. How I would have loved to snatch Huya’s blade and lop off Heby’s grasping fingers! I was sorely offended by this exercise, but I could not refuse him. The priests of Amun held too much power over the people, and their confidence had been bolstered by the unredressed murder of my son not ten years ago. A day of vengeance would come for Heby and his brothers! But today was not that day. It was too soon, and my plans were not yet complete. I gazed at Huya, my eyes telling him what I wanted to say. Huya folded the cloth carefully and placed it in the fat priest’s grimy hands.

  I glared at Heby as he backed away with his unexpected treasure, his shiny head bobbing and glowing with excessive sweat and expensive oils. Quickly, before anyone else could claim my blood, Huya wrapped my arm himself, first rubbing stinging ointment on the skin. I didn’t flinch but kept my eyes trained on the people, who watched curiously. As he tended to his ministrations, I studied the faces. Yes, I still had a few friends here, but only a few. I had been right to add to my retinue. The young, beautiful Nefret would certainly stir the pot. I noticed that Kiya had not bothered to appear before me, but I did spot her companion Inhapi.

  “Inhapi, where is your mistress that she cannot attend me?”

  “You are my mistress, Great Queen.” She smiled pleasantly and nodded as she spoke, as if she were trying to convince herself of her own lies.

  “I refer to Queen Tadukhipa.” I didn’t bother to return her empty smile. And then I added, “Some people call her the Monkey, but I prefer her proper name. Don’t you, Inhapi?”

  “Yes, Great Queen. I believe Queen Tadukhipa is tending to her daughter, Baketaten.”

  Beside me Huya whispered, “She is one of the children you punished.”

  I sneered down at Inhapi and said, “Well, go get her now. Her daughter can wait. Am I not the Queen of Egypt?”

  “Yes, Great Queen.” She backed away and left the courtyard to fetch the Hittite princess. How dare Kiya avoid waiting upon me?

  “I see my daughter Sitamen, wife of Pharaoh, is here today. Tell me, Sitamen, what request have you for me? Have you brought me a present? I can see you have something in your hands.”

  “Greetings, Greatest of Pharaoh’s Wives, Keeper of His Heart. I have indeed brought you a gift.” I waved my daughter forward and waited to see what she would bring me. I studied her as she walked the processional to my throne. Taller than me by a head, Sitamen had the slim body of a maiden, a fair face and long, slender fingers. Draped across her arms was a wide silk ribbon in ivory and gold. Sitamen would have made a lovely queen, but alas for her, that would never be. She would never know the love of a kind spouse or feel the hard body of a man next to her, for she was of royal blood. She would die intact just as she had entered the world. My daughter bowed slightly and smiled up at me, offering her gift as she had when she was a child.

  I examined it politely and touched the fabric, careful to keep my bloody finger from staining it. The gold stitching was clean and perfect, a simple motif of golden leaves wrapped around a resting snake. It was not a symbol that I recognized, and it likely had no significant meaning. Sitamen lacked the ability or desire to achieve any political goals. Of all the people in Upper and Lower Egypt, she was the least likely to rise up against me. I both loved her and loathed her at the same time. I sometimes wondered how I ever had given birth to such a passive child.

  “Who sewed this ribbon, Sitamen? It is well done. It is good to have such a talented slave in your household.”

  “Oh no, Great Queen. No slave sewed this—this is my work. See the way the stitch is hidden along the seam? Memre says she has rarely seen any work so well made before. I made this for you. Perhaps you can wear it at the Sed festival. I would be honored to see you wear it…Mother,” she added in her child’s voice.

  I withdrew my hand from the ribbon and sat up even stiffer. For the second time that morning anger burst from my belly. “What do you mean by sewing away like a slave? Do you think this is a proper activity for a royal daughter?” I heard snickering in the gallery but did not correct the guilty party. Sitamen needed to remember her place. She should feel ashamed for wasting her time on such menial projects. Sitamen’s bright smile vanished, and she stood open-mouthed before me. That too made me angry. “No more of this. Next time bring me something of value, Sitamen.” I dismissed her with a wave of my hand and looked for someone else to entertain me. How I longed to see an Amazon again or maybe one of the fair-skinned Pymere from the faraway northern lands.

  “Great Queen, Aperel, the Master of Horse, has presented you with six new horses. They are in the courtyard now.”

  “Come forward, Aperel.” I recognized the face. I had seen him many times in my husband’s court, but this was the first time I’d had the chance to speak to him. He stood tall and straight and, despite his title, did not appear as if he had just stepped out of the stables. He wore a fine blue tunic with a collar of red stones. He was a handsome man with very few scars and a pleasing voice.

  “Thank you for receiving my gifts, Great Queen.”

  “I thank you for the horses, Aperel. I cannot wait to see them.”

  “Whenever Your Majesty would like to see them, I will be happy to show them to you.”

  “Let us go now. I am anxious to see these fine gifts.” I stood serenely, surveyed my court again and walked carefully down the dais. There was no one else with the potential to amuse me today. I extended my hand to Aperel, who bowed and blushed as I touched his hand. It was only a light touch, but I was sure that someone would mistake it for something more. Poor Aperel. Did he know what he was doing?

  As we walked I encouraged him to tell me about the horses. How fast did they run? Who were
their sires? Could they pull a chariot? I felt bored before he answered even the first few questions, but I enjoyed smelling his sandalwood skin and hearing his deep voice. He did nothing inappropriate, yet my mind wandered occasionally.

  Oh, Amenhotep! My love! How long has it been since we have lain together as man and wife?

  Aperel left me as I climbed the viewing gallery with my court. We watched the horses sprint, walk and parade for thirty minutes. It wasn’t until the display was nearly over that Kiya appeared, looking very unhappy. With total disregard for protocol, she neither presented herself to me nor acknowledged me in word or deed. If my husband had witnessed such open abuse, he would have punished her severely. Her gaggle of ladies clustered around her, but they wisely bowed to me and repeated my name. Kiya waved her blue fan furiously as if she were in the midst of a heat stroke. Huya saw her too. I saw his jaw pop angrily at her affront. My brother was a proud man, prouder than even I was.

  Poor unaware Aperel continued with his narrative until I finally stood and applauded. I had no idea how long this lecture would have continued without my interruption, but my stomach was rumbling and my mouth was dry.

  “Thank you, Aperel. I shall tell Pharaoh of this generous gift. You have pleased me greatly.” Aperel bowed low and whispered something to the horses, who also bowed the knee. I applauded again and laughed aloud at the trick. Looking again I could see one horse had failed to follow orders. Instead of bowing her knee she snatched her head away, proudly refusing to participate with the Master of Horse. He scolded and clucked at her, but I laughed again.

  “What a wonderful trick, Aperel!” I called down from the galley. “I think you should name that one Tadukhipa—it does not have the intelligence it needs to know when to bow down.”

  The Master of Horse did not argue with me. He replied loudly, “Yes, my Queen. It shall be done.”

  I turned to leave the gallery but paused. My court paused with me. “On second thought, do not put such a burden on so beautiful a horse. We shall forgive her this time. I am not without mercy.”