I Fell In Love With A Pharaoh

Chapter 14

Amun showed up several days later while Hebe was taking a bath. The water felt very soothing after a long hard day of rearranging the Egyptian collection. Dante had bought some new items at auction and it had been up to Hebe to put them in the right order. Her muscles hurt from moving some of the items. They were always heavier than they looked.

Hebe's head rested against the edge of the tub. She loved how big the tub was, but it was a little too big for one person. A sigh escaped Hebe as the warm water eased her tired achy muscles. Music played softly in the background. It was a mixed CD that Helena had given her for her birthday years ago. The songs were all based on Ancient Greek and Egyptian music that had survived through the centuries.

"Where are your minstrels hiding?"

Hebe smiled without opening her eyes. "It's magic."

A snort from her right signified where Amun was. Hebe opened her eyes. Amun stood by the tub dressed in his Pharaoh regalia watching her with arms crossed. At Hebe's raised eyebrow Amun waved at her bath.

"You should have women to attend to you."

"Things aren't done that way anymore. People are too self conscious of their nakedness to bathe around each other."

Amun studied Hebe before he took off his crown and started stripping off the jewelry that he wore. Hebe watched him curiously.

"What are you doing?"

Amun was soon left in nothing but his shoes and kilt. "Since you have no one to tend to you I shall do it."

Hebe giggled before she closed her eyes. "There's some soap over there." Hebe waved in the general direction of the soap. "I think you'll find it familiar. I bought it in a bazaar in Egypt."

Amun was careful as he washed Hebe clean. His hands lingered only slightly over her most sensitive parts. A sigh escaped Hebe as Amun began to wash her hair. He chuckled. "I see that women in your time still love having their hair washed."

"It's so very relaxing."

"Do you not have problems with bugs in your hair like my people do?"

Hebe opened her eyes and looked up at Amun. "Some people still do."

"Well I am glad. I find your hair luscious like the grasses of the Nile."

Hebe giggled slightly before she closed her eyes again. Amun finished and moved over to sit on the edge of the tub. He watched her with dark eyes. Hebe watched him back before she had to withdraw from the tub because the water had gone cold.

Amun surprised Hebe by helping her dry off. Hebe preceded Amun into her rooms. She headed over to her vanity and sat down. Hebe's hands reached for the bottle that held the finest of olive oils directly from Greece. She rolled the bottle between her hands trying to warm up the liquid.

Amun watched her the whole while. He stepped forward and held out his hand when Hebe started to uncap the bottle. Hebe hesitated before she handed Amun the bottle. Amun poured some oil over Hebe's shoulders before he began to massage the oil into her sore muscles.

"Mmmm. That feels so good."

"I am glad that you like it."

Weak laughter filtered from Hebe's mouth as she let her head fall forward. "Dante bought some more artifacts from Ancient Egypt. I have never moved so much stuff in a single day before. I swear that my arms were going to fall off before we were done."

"What all did he buy?"

Hebe listed off everything that Dante bought. Amun continued to massage oil into Hebe's skin. Hebe didn't quite know how it happened, but soon Hebe lay on her stomach in bed with Amun straddling her as he worked on easing the sore muscles of her lower back.

Amun's hands had been everywhere including her breasts and groin. His hands had briefly glided over those parts. Not enough to make Hebe panic, but long enough for Amun to familiarize himself with her most intimate parts.

Hebe let out a contented sigh as Amun's strong hands worked out the kinks in her back. She was never one for massages, but Amun did a good job. Hebe also liked the feel of his weight about her hips.

"If you ever decided to quit being Pharaoh, you'd have a stellar career as a massage therapist."

Amun's hands stilled. Hebe could just imagine the frown on his face. "These are one of the times when you say things that I don't understand."

A giggle escaped Hebe again before she could stop it. "I know, but you still act like you do. Is that part of being a Pharaoh?"

"It is." Amun concurred as he went back to rubbing his thumbs up and down Hebe's spine in an attempt to ease the knotted muscles. "I have always been Pharaoh and always will be. I do not know any other way."

Hebe shifted enough so that she could peer over her shoulder at him. "Were you well loved as a child?"

Amun looked thoughtful as he ran his hands up Hebe's back and began massaging where her ribs started. "I had a very loving father and a mother who doted on me. They didn't make me soft. Father insisted on me learning how to be the best Pharaoh. I followed him from the moment I could walk. What about you?"

Hebe laid her head back down on her folded arms. She stared unseeingly at the wall. "My parents loved me as best as they could. My childhood was filled with fear and a protective streak that still wasn't enough to save my little brother from their grasp."

"I am sorry."

Hebe closed her eyes and wiped her wet eyes on her arm. "So am I."

Amun continued to massage Hebe's back. The soothing motion sent Hebe to sleep. Amun carefully climbed off of Hebe's waist and sat on the edge of the bed. He watched her sleep for a long while. Amun's gaze devoured Hebe. He found her beautiful and his body always reacted around her strongly.

Hebe rolled over onto her back with one arm thrown above her head and the other resting on her stomach. Amun reached out and lightly traced the hieroglyphics that marched up her right arm. It was a prayer to the Goddess Aset. Amun recognized it and was comforted that Hebe carried a little part of his culture with him.

Hebe let out a sigh and murmured his name. Amun stopped. He knew why women murmured his name in their sleep. He had seen the concubines do it. They desired him. Did Hebe desire him? It would make things so much harder if she did.

Amun stood up and paced away from where Hebe lay. There had to be a reason why they could see each other. Amun knew that his death was coming. Maybe that was why Hebe was visible to him. That thought offered little comfort to Amun.

Amun gathered his stuff and gave Hebe one last look before he left her rooms. As soon as he stepped outside her rooms, he was back in the palace.