The Golden Queen

Fourteen

Fourteen

AFTERWARDS, Menefer came by and spent time with me, mainly to catch up on her gossip. She was the eyes and the ears of the palace, but my lips, still tingling from the warmth of Ahmose's, were paralyzed, so I pretended to mostly listen when my thoughts drifted to him. Heat spread from my mouth to my cheeks every time I envisioned his arms around me. Before I had always been attracted to him, but our connection was undeniable now, and I was quickly plummeting towards cataclysm.

Menefer chatted, and I continued to half-listen. The same topics came up as usual; supposedly, one guard had been caught peeping through the foliage while some of the royal girls were swimming in the Nile, a cook was scolded for burning the bread, and Menefer swore she saw Kephri, Thutmosis' mistress, kiss one of the generals. Her gossip was usually very amusing, but I found little interest in it when all I could think about was Ahmose's lips on me.

We strolled through the garden and around the hedges to the pool. Through the canopies of the tall cedar trees, sunlight peeked through in small pinholes, breaking up the shadows that sauntered in the brush. I reached down to dip my hand into the shallow pool, breaking the glassy surface into ripples. We rested at the edge and let our legs soak in the water, warm from the long hot day.

Suddenly, Menefer sighed, and her pretty face darkened.

"Does something trouble you?" I asked.

She shuddered and heaved a deep sigh. "Kephri," she hissed. Menefer's honey colored eyes sparked with anger, and she scowled at her reflection in the pool. "I do not like her."

My stomach coiled and I seethed resentfully, recalling the night of the banquet. I knew what kind of woman Kephri was, the kind who seduced another woman's man for sport. I wondered if she had done just that to end up on bad terms with sweet Menefer.

"I watched as she shared a kiss with Horemheb," she muttered. Her slender hands curled into fists on her knees. "They were both hardly dressed. They must have spent the night together!"

"Were you spying on them?"

Menefer shook her head. "I cannot stand to look at her, so everything I saw this morning was by accident. I went to tidy up her quarters, which is the most horrendous chore for any servant. I believe she was raised by swine! Her chamber is a sty! I found scraps of food under her bed!" Menefer made a sour face. Normally, I probably would have laughed at her, but Menefer wasn't joking with me. She was very upset by whatever she had witnessed. "She is a vulgar woman and Horemheb and Lord Thutmosis are foolish for wanting her."

My stomach knotted and I wondered if Menefer was so upset because she had loyalties to Thutmosis. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "If this has upset you so much, why don't you confess what you saw to Lord Thutmosis? I'm sure he would reward you for your loyalty."

"No!" Menefer said sharply. "That would only cause trouble for Horemheb."

Menefer didn't have that kind of loyalty to Thutmosis. She was angry because she was in love with the general. We fell quiet, so I left her to wallow in her thoughts by the pool to explore the rest of the garden.

The fragrance of flowers wafted around me in an intoxicating breeze, caressing my cheeks as I passed under the shadows of the hanging cedar branches. Over in the corner, a patch of aloe vera grew in abundance. I had studied Botany in college, so I knew quite a bit about this plant. Aloe vera was often used to sooth burns, but if ingested, it could be used to treat constipation. It could even induce vomiting. I named more facts in my head as I examined the plant's prickly green leaves. Then, an idea occurred to me.

Menefer was still at the pool, her legs over the edge, her back turned to me. I knew she would love to get in on this if she knew what I was planning, but if I got caught, I didn't want to risk getting her in trouble too. I grasped one of the leaves of the aloe plant and tore it, dripping green juices on my hands. I stuffed it in my robe and planned to put it to good use later.