The Song of the Bee-Eater (The Desert Queen Book 4) Page 5

  “I know this, Mother. I am just tired this morning.” Unexpectedly she pinched me under my arm and stood to her feet. “Ow!” I gasped at the pain.

  “Good! I am glad that hurt you. That will be nothing compared to what Tadukhipa will do. She’ll no doubt insist that her puny son be married to one of your daughters. I have heard this.” Her superior knowledge must have stirred her hunger because she reached for a piece of fruit too. “What will you do?”

  Desperately I whined, “What can I do? Your son has taken Ipy to his bed and refuses to speak to me for more than a few seconds. I think he’s never forgiven me for Kames.” Queen Tiye snorted at that comment. It was refreshing to talk to her like this. I wasn’t sure how long it would last, so I took advantage of her keen mind while it was still available to me. “I should have kept silent that day, the day when he announced that I was Great Queen. It was enough that you’d claimed the boy. I thought that with time, Akhenaten would change his mind about Kames. Instead he’s come to resent me, but I can’t think why. He loved his sister, and I think he also loved Ramose.”

  “Not enough to save them,” she said, tossing the apple core onto the silver platter.

  “No, not enough to save them,” I agreed, glancing at Menmet as she entered to tidy up my room. Queen Tiye growled at her like a dog, something she’d never done before, and I waved Menmet away.

  “I do not like that girl. She has the look of her father, Heby. She has his spirit too. You are wrong to trust her.”

  “Great Queen, she has been my friend for fifteen years and never once has betrayed me. And she hates her father. Why would you growl at her?” I said with a laugh.

  She did not answer my question but just snorted. “Then you are stupid and I cannot help you.” I did not argue with her further. I pretended not to worry about the time. Adijah would visit me today in the Queen’s Court. Unfortunately, he might be waiting a while. I couldn’t hurry the queen.

  I hunkered down in the chair, unsure what to do now. Oh, Akhenaten, how could you abandon us so? We are the women who love you!

  “I saw the stars fall last night, Nefertiti. I know that evil has fallen upon us and that it comes on the bottom of Tadukhipa’s sandals. If you have any sense about you, you will refuse her entrance into the palace this morning. Keep her away, for she will be the death of me, Nefertiti! And you too! She hates us all. She hates Akhenaten too!” Her eyes widened with strong emotion, and she began wringing her hands and rocking back and forth.

  “Calm yourself, Great Queen. All will be well.”

  “How can you say that? Nothing will be well again. And where is Kames, Nefertiti? I do not hear the baby. Give him to me.”

  I bit my lip. Queen Tiye was becoming agitated now. “Why don’t you go prepare to greet him, Great Queen? Ask your servants to prepare your finest clothes and dress your hair. I will send him to you when he returns, but we must be ready.”

  “Yes.” She smiled weakly and stood. She gathered the ends of her dingy gown in her hand and walked toward the arched entrance doors of my chambers. “And you will send him to me?”

  “Of course,” I said, smiling at her comfortingly.

  “Very well, but do not forget what I told you.” I could see by her expression that she herself had already forgotten her own words.

  “Yes, Great Queen.” I rose as she left me and watched her disappear into the corridor. “Menmet! Help me dress. I will have to skip the bath this morning. My guests will be waiting for me.”

  “I don’t see why you can’t make them wait. They are just Greeks, and you are the Great Queen,” she said testily. She was obviously still angry that Tiye had growled at her, but she’d have to keep her opinions to herself. More than once lately I’d had to remind Menmet that she was not to speak her mind so freely. What if someone heard her disparage Tiye or another member of the royal family? It would cost her her life, and I was in no position to help her.

  “Hush now. I’ll do the brushing. Find me something blue to wear.”

  “Yes, lady.” She scurried off while I tugged at my nest of tangles. Tonight I would do as Pah asked—I would cut my hair. I would shave it away. Could I really do that? It was the one thing that Akhenaten still loved about me. Are you going to let your vanity keep you in danger, Nefret? I heard my sister’s question ringing in my ears. No, I would not. I would do whatever it took to protect my children.

  “Lady, your son is outside and wants to see you.”

  I put the brush down and couldn’t hide my surprise. “Smenkhkare has returned? Since when? Yes, of course. Let him in.” I stood and tidied my gown. I gathered my loose hair and wrapped it around my hand before I tossed it over one shoulder. Smenkhkare hurried into the room, so anxious was he to see me. He was the spitting image of his father as a younger man, and in a strange way, he reminded me of someone else too. Alexio! My mind whispered the answer. It made sense. He had some of the Red Lands blood in his veins too. Why wouldn’t he have the look of our people?

  With a polite bow of his head he smiled at me and for a moment, all was right with the world. Until I looked into his eyes. He was hurting, deeply. “Have you eaten, son? You look well. I see you wear a new band. Let me see it.” I showered him with smiles and invited him to sit with me.

  “Is there anyone else here, Mother? I need to speak with you most urgently.”

  “No one is here, except Menmet. What is it?” My skin crawled for a moment. I hoped he was not here to confront me about the rumors. I knew what they were saying about Aperel and me, but it simply wasn’t true. And Tiye was right—I saw Tadukhipa’s hand in that evil gossip.

  “I need your help, Mother.”

  I leaned forward and grasped his hands. They felt rough and strong, like a warrior’s hands. When he didn’t soften under my touch I released them. He wasn’t a child anymore, and I couldn’t treat him like one. “What is it, son? What has happened? Is it your father?”

  “Yes and no.” Smenkhkare’s face tensed as he spoke. The grooves around his mouth deepened, and his young brow furrowed slightly. “Must you always think of him? He’s not worthy of you, Mother.”

  “Hush now, Smenkhkare. Do not speak so meanly of your father. He is Pharaoh. And,” I whispered, “we are never alone.”

  He nodded, “I am sorry, but the worst thing has happened. I finished the School of Agility. I did all that he asked of me. He offered me a prize, but he will not give me what I want. Instead he has done the unthinkable! I cannot do what he asks!”

  “My son! Why are you so upset? It cannot be as bad as all that. Can it?”

  “He was with Ipy, of course. He is like her lap dog, I think.” He paced the room now, uncaring that my servant was nearby. “He offered me a prize, said he wanted to honor me before all Egypt. The only prize I wanted was, well, I asked him for Meritaten’s hand, and he refused me. I am to marry Ipy’s daughter instead. He accused me of trying to steal his kingdom! Can you imagine that? I am his son! Why would I steal what is rightfully mine? Please, Mother. I do not know what has passed between you and my father, but can’t you help me now? Surely you see that Meritaten and I should be together.”

  In my tribe, brothers did not marry their sisters, but I had long ago abandoned my revulsion for these unions. This was the Egyptian way, at least for royals, and my disapproval would not change that. And if Meritaten did not marry a brother or her father, there would be no one for her. She might even end up like Sitamen. I shivered at the thought.

  “She loves me and I her. We know that we are meant to be together. Now that will not happen. Please, go to Father and plead my case. He will listen to you.”

  “No he will not, son. You should have come to me first, Smenkhkare. Now that Pharaoh has spoken, there is nothing to be done. You will have Ipy’s daughter as a wife, but do not lose hope. Pharaoh’s sons have many wives. It may be that you will have Meritaten in time. Prove to him that he can trust you. No doubt others have whispered suspicions in his ears.”

  �
��What could they possibly whisper? I have done everything!” He slammed his fist down on the table and glared at me. “And this is your answer? Can’t you see what misery your passiveness has brought us already? His concubine struts about wearing one of your crowns, and you do nothing. She’s bending his ear to her demands, and he’s obeying her. As if she were the master and he the slave!”

  “Careful!” I said vehemently. “Do not take that tone with me. You don’t know what I have said or done. Do you think I command Akhenaten? Have I ever been able to do so? You are foolish to believe it.”

  “Yet he does as she commands. It was she who commanded me to take Ankhesenamun. Don’t you care?”

  I felt great sadness to hear such a report, and even greater sadness to see my son’s disappointment, but there was no solution. “As I said, there is nothing I can do now. You must be patient.”

  “I guess the rumors are true, then. You have fallen out of favor—and why? Because you couldn’t keep your hands off Aperel?”

  I shot to my feet at hearing such words coming out of my son’s mouth. How could he believe such lies about me?

  “Will you bring us all to ruin now, Mother?”

  I slapped my son across the face. How dare he repeat evil palace gossip in my hearing! Wounded, he towered over me as if he were tempted to strike me back. Tears burned my eyes, but I would not release them over such lies. And to hear them from my own son’s mouth! Without another word, Smenkhkare stormed out of my room. I heard a clattering of trays in the outer chamber, evidence of his anger.

  “Lady? Are you all right? Has he harmed you?”

  “Leave me, Menmet. Tell my guests I will not see them now. I have to…I have matters of state to attend to. See that they are entertained and assure them that I will see them this evening.”

  With a bow she said, “Yes, lady. I will go now.”

  As she left me alone, I slid out of my clothing and into the bath. There was a razor nearby. It shone brilliantly in the bright sunshine that filtered through the many windows. All it would take would be one swipe—no, two swipes—and the life would seep out of me. As quickly as I entertained the idea, I dismissed it. I would never do such a thing. I wanted to see my children again, my mother, others who had passed. If I took a life, even my own, that would weigh against me. No, this was not an option.

  I sank into the water and let it cover my head. The tears wouldn’t come, but my heart was broken. As I emerged from the water, my hair sticking to my body, I heard a sweet sound. I had not heard it in many years: short, chirpy trills and a long one. It was the song of the Bee-Eater! Then I spotted him. He bounced on my windowsill, witnessing my nakedness with no fear or timidity.

  This was the sign I’d been promised! There was no denying it! After a few moments, he burst into song again and suddenly flew away. I eased out of the bath and dried my body, patting it with a fresh linen towel.

  Yes, it was time. I retrieved the razor and began hacking at my hair. I did not have much time. Menmet would be gone for a while, making the arrangements for Adijah and his company. I did as Pah instructed. As I sliced, I dumped the hair into a basket, one that I would burn on my own. No one must know what I was doing. No one could know. Finally, as I clumsily shaved my head, I wept. My image in the polished bronze mirror was more than I could bear. I wept harder.

  Now I was truly the Queen of Despair.

  Chapter Seven

  A New God—Akhenaten

  “Horemheb has left the palace at the queen’s command, and he was not alone.” I leaned toward Saho and kept one eye on my wife as she approached my throne. It was a formal entrance, but this had been my wish for today. It was a special day, as she would soon discover.

  “And?”

  “Kames accompanied him. They left this morning.”

  I waved Saho back and watched Nefertiti now. My skin burned with the heat of my anger. I felt Ipy’s eyes upon me, but I was riveted on my wife’s cool exterior. She might make these others believe all was well, but I knew her. I knew inside she was twisting, like a battle banner caught in a strong wind. And I was the storm bringer! How could I have been so foolish to trust her? Against all my father taught me, I allowed my heart to lead my mind. My counselors had been correct from the beginning—she would betray me. She was not an Egyptian and not of royal blood. I believed now that she couldn’t help but lie, she was of the corrupt Red Lands blood. They were all crooks and worse. And there was no truth in her. It was lucky for her that I did not drag Aperel’s dead body through the court, since I heard she loved him so well.

  To make matters stickier and far more threatening, her sister—whom she called Pah but whom all Egypt knew as Nephthys, the high priestess of the Green Temple of Isis—now assisted her in her schemes. Nephthys had lied to me before the court, and whether she knew it or not, she’d placed herself in grave danger.

  If I believed the priestess, the recent celestial display meant nothing more significant than that my kingdom would soon be awash with the glory of the heavens. That heaven would soon come to earth and my “Golden Kingdom,” as she called it, would be established forever. Anyone with sense knew that the falling stars signified something important—something evil—but she had acted as if nothing was amiss. She’d cast those solemn green eyes upon me, and I wanted to believe her, so like my wife was she, only she appeared untouched by time. As far as I knew, she’d never been a mother, and her thin waist attested to this observation. The differences between the sisters were slight, and only someone with a gift for observation would be able to identify them correctly. But I’d been studying people all my life. Discerning their true identities was a talent I prided myself in.

  With hooded eyes I studied Nefertiti as she bowed before me. As everyone in attendance expected I waved my hand and invited her to sit beside me. With some hesitation she walked up the dais and took her seat on her gold and turquoise throne. Once she settled into place, the rest of the court gathered around us to witness the formal announcement. I’d not been kind to Nefertiti, and I’d not allowed anyone to prepare her for what was to come. I longed to hurt her as she’d hurt me. I wanted to see her writhe in her place before my royal court.

  And now it began. As planned, Ipy came before us first and fell to her knees with her ceremonial bowl upraised above her head. This traditional birth announcement might not shock my wife, but it was only the first in a series of blows I was set to deliver. “Bless me, Daughter of Isis. I am with child,” she purred to my wife in her childlike voice. To my utter disappointment, Nefertiti did not blink or hesitate in acknowledging Ipy. She accepted the pitcher of water from Saho’s hand and walked down the stairs.

  I could not see her face, as she had her back to me, but she did everything that was expected of her. She poured the water into the bowl and said in a pleasant voice, “I, Nefertiti, the Daughter of Isis, also called Neferneferuaten by my loving sovereign and husband Akhenaten, bless you, Ipy. May your child be born with beauty, health and wisdom as befitting the child of our sovereign, Akhenaten. Rise and be blessed.” Nefertiti passed the pitcher to her servant Menmet and graciously helped Ipy to her feet. Ipy drank from the bowl, accepting the blessing of the Great Queen. Then to everyone’s surprise, Nefertiti hugged the concubine as if she were greeting a long-lost relative. Applause thundered through the court at the unexpected show of affection.

  Once decorum was restored, Nefertiti spoke in a commanding voice that was a beautiful mask. “Come now, Ipy. Take a seat of honor beside our Pharaoh. The goddess has blessed your womb with precious life. In you is the seed of our Pharaoh’s greatness.” The gathering clapped respectfully now as Ipy and Nefertiti ascended the steps together. I glared at them both, and Nefertiti calmly glided toward me and stood beside my throne as if to remind me of her place here. I could feel the tide of sentiment turning in Nefertiti’s favor. Ipy’s smile seemed silly compared to Nefertiti’s serene expression. Ipy had no idea what had just happened. She glanced at me expectantly as she rubbed her
stomach and smiled stupidly. I felt Nefertiti’s hand on my shoulder, and it felt like flame on my skin. How could I still love her? How was it possible to feel the depth of hatred that I felt yet yearn for her so intensely that I would even now forgive her if she would only ask me? Aggravated by my own sentimentality, I waved to Saho to continue the order of events.

  Somehow Nefertiti had known what I planned; she knew what to do. Someone had betrayed me and my wife, the Great Queen, outplayed me. Once again I could not give Ipy what she wanted most, to be named the wife of Pharaoh. Her expectant expression did nothing to persuade me. Instead, I waved my hand again, signaling for the service to move along quickly. Suddenly, the shiny gold doors of the court opened once more, glinting like flames in the midday sun.

  “But…” Ipy whispered to her handmaiden. One look from me and she said nothing else. This at least I would do. I would not allow my wife to steal this moment from me. She would not have my son. If he wanted to marry, let him also learn how to rule. Today I would make my son co-regent. It would be a symbolic gesture but one that would surely capture his loyalty like a bird in a snare. Never again would he plot against me with his mother, as I knew he had earlier. He did not approve of my judgment, but he would soon learn who was the master here.

  “Come forward, Smenkhkare. The throne recognizes you.” I felt Nefertiti shift nervously beside me. Ah, so she did not know this…

  That knowledge pleased me greatly. Smenkhkare’s tall frame reminded me of someone I had not thought of in a long time. How much he looked like Thutmose! It was truly uncanny! The sight of him made me shiver, but I leaned forward and summoned the young man closer. He closed the distance quickly and knelt in humility. He also had no clue why he’d been summoned to the Court of the Aten. Birds chirped and a cloud flitted across the open pavilion, casting a small shadow over the affair. It did not stay long, and the murmuring it caused ceased with just one look from my prophet, Saho.