Twenty Seven
OUR return to the palace was quiet since it was the middle of the night, though the few servants that still stirred were especially happy to see us. Walking down the halls, I was suddenly seized by dread as memories of my last moments here rattled through my mind.
We were both tired, but our minds turned over the horrifying discovery of Ahmose's tomb. And then I recalled his monuments in Karnak. I wondered if I should tell him everything I knew, but his grim expression frightened me. It needed to wait. Tonight, Ahmose needed to be left alone with his thoughts. This was something he had to sort through for himself.
He led me to my old chamber, which appeared exactly as I had left it, my clothing tucked away in my chests, and my cosmetics remained by my vanity. Ahmose came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
"I will leave my door open for you tonight," he murmured in my ear. "If you need anything at all, please come to me."
"I will," I promised, and kissed him goodnight.
The next day, I overslept, and Ahmose was already gone from his room. He spent much of the day busy with work, so I took the liberty to finally clean up. The hot bath soothed my dirty skin, and the oils were refreshing.
I fell asleep afterwards, worn from the feelings of foreboding that swirled in my stomach. I needed to rest before seeing Ahmose again, debating when the best time would be to confess all I knew; all I suspected. But rest soon turned into unrest as nightmares filled my head.
In the dream, I was with Clair in present day Luxor. We were on a dig in the Valley of the Kings, when we finally came across a sealed tomb. It was late in the evening, and Clair wanted to wait and open the tomb tomorrow when everyone was well rested, but I prompted we go ahead and open the tomb tonight. We had spent months searching for Ahmose's tomb, and I knew this had to be it.
We opened the tomb. We broke through the seal covering the entrance, and the light from our flashlights flooded into the ancient chamber. I felt no guilt in desecrating the grave, though I knew I should. I coughed as debris filled the air, and when the dust cleared, we could see nothing but gold. It glimmered as our flashlights bounced all over the chamber, searching for a corner that wasn't covered by treasure. We could only find one; a doorway that led to another chamber.
My heart pounded loudly in my ears. Ahmose had to be behind that door; I sensed it as fiercely as the flashlight in my wobbly hand. His mummy would be shrouded in a sanctuary of gold. I started to climb through, but one of the diggers caught my arm. Aunt Clair must have sensed my urgency to examine the mummy. She said, "Wait, Kara! We have to let the air clear first. Plus, we should catalogue all of these artifacts before we advance to another chamber." The dirty air made her cough.
"There's no time!" I replied frantically. It could take years to go through all of these artifacts, and I didn't have the patience to wait so long. Though there was no deadline, we were running out of time. I didn't understand why I felt this urgency to get to Ahmose. After all, he was an ancient king that had lived millennia before me; a man I had never even met. Why should it be so important for me to find him? I didn't know how to put these feelings into words, and I could tell by Clair's expression she wanted an explanation. She made no move to stop me when I climbed into the tomb.
The air was musty. A moldy odor lingered inside, built up from all the years of closure. I ran my fingers lightly over a statue of Ahmose gilded in gold. The dust it left on my fingertips was so thick, it almost covered them entirely. My heart pounded harder as I approached the entryway to the burial chamber. Clair was right behind me, followed by the diggers. The seal over the entryway was covered in hieroglyphics. To my surprise, I could read them perfectly.
"Ahmose, the tragic king, shall live on forever within these walls. Anyone who disturbs his final resting place shall befall misery and be faced with an eternal curse," I recited, brushing my fingers across the markings. Clair stared at me with wide eyes.
"When did you learn to read Egyptian hieroglyphics?" she asked.
Suddenly, a droplet of water dribbled down my cheek. I held my flashlight up and skimmed over the ceiling, searching for a leak. "Water is dripping into the tomb."
"No, Kara, you're crying!" Clair gasped, handing me her neckerchief. I dabbed my eyes, and realized she was right. My eyes were wet with tears, and my heart was heavy with grief. I recited the inscription over and over in my head, wondering what had made Ahmose's life so tragic. I traced my fingers over his cartouche as memories began to drift to me. There was something I was supposed to remember, something important. The memory was so close, I could almost grasp it, but it was always just out of reach.
Clair and I stepped back, and the diggers began working on the seal, breaking through it with their tools. When the seal was finally cleared, we shined our flashlights into the chamber. I was the first to step through, the first to enter the chamber since the day he was laid to rest, followed by Clair. The diggers remained in the other chamber behind us. My light flashed on the hieroglyphics on the walls that surrounded us. Tall paintings of the pharaoh surrounded by gods were bright with vivid colors. They were the most beautiful paintings I'd ever seen in any tomb.
A glimmer of gold caught my eye, and in the center of the chamber was a shrine. I opened one of its golden doors and saw yet another pair of golden doors. It would take forever to clear all of these shrines out, and I wasn't sure we had enough workers to do it.
"We should come back tomorrow once everyone has rested," Clair said again. I knew she was right, because moving these shrines would take a lot of work and a great amount of care to not damage the mummy inside. Just as we were about to leave, the shrines suddenly vanished, leaving only the sarcophagus inside.
"Incredible," I breathed. I wasn't even surprised to see the shrines dematerialize. Clair didn't seem to notice either. Instead, we both examined the golden lid intently. Adorned with stones and metals, the lid alone was worth a fortune. I peered into the eyes on the lid; a pair of amber gems that stared vacantly into the darkness.
"Gaze into these beautiful eyes," I murmured.
"This is what we've been waiting for," Clair whispered.
I heard a faint sound come from within the chamber. I turned around to see if one of the workers had come in, but they were still in the other chamber. "Did you hear that?" I asked Clair. We were both quiet for a moment, and silence swept over the tomb. The only sound that could be heard was the faint echoes of dust settling around us. I thought I had imagined it, but then I heard it again. I wondered if I was losing my mind, delusional from breathing in the toxic mold that grew in tombs like this. I looked at Clair. She watched the room expectantly, like she had heard it too. Then, there was a strangled cry coming from within the sarcophagus.
Images of Ahmose, bound and trapped underneath the lid, flashed in my mind and filled me with terror. He was groaning, struggling for air, quickly dying in front of us. "He can't breathe!" I screamed and started pushing at the lid of the sarcophagus. It was too heavy for me to budge. "Help me!" I screamed for the workers. They came rushing in moments later, and helped me push the thick lid. It grinded the gold base as it slid over and crashed onto the ground.
I took my flashlight and shined it into the base, searching for Ahmose, planning to pull him free if he was hurt. But when I looked in and saw what was waiting inside, I nearly dropped my flashlight. The workers staggered backwards, and Clair ran out of the chamber and vomited. The light I shined on him shook with my unsteady hand. My face felt cold as the blood rushed out of it. I tried to breathe, but all that would come out were tiny, petrified gasps.
That was when I realized what I was supposed to remember. Ahmose and I had been together at one point. He had been important to me, and I had loved him. I was supposed to protect him from Thutmosis. But somehow I was no longer with him, and had mysteriously returned to my original life, nearly forgetting all about him. And consequently, I hadn't been there for him when he had needed me.
I slumped over the sarcophagus and screamed over his mangled mummified form. He had been desecrated, his mummy chopped into pieces. Whoever had done this had only been interested in destroying him, as they had left behind all this valuable treasure. I reached down and clasped his broken hand, and continued to scream into the darkness.
Something warm brushed my cheek, and I awakened with a start.
My eyes shot open to soft firelight, the marble walls around me beautiful and familiar. My heart ached during those few moments of grogginess until I realized it had only been a horrible nightmare and I was still in ancient Egypt. Ahmose wasn't lying in pieces somewhere alone. He was still alive and well.
There was something cool and light as a feather resting on my chest. I grasped the stem and held the rose up, wondering how it had gotten there. Its petals were flaming red and vibrant. I glanced passed it and found Ahmose sitting at my bedside. His golden brown eyes were gazing down at me and he looked worried. I sat up and saw I was clutching his hand. I took a few deep breaths to clear my head.
"Are you all right?" he asked gently. "You looked so restless."
I reached out and caressed his cheek, and then pulled him against me. I breathed in his sweet fragrance and savored his warm arms around me. "Yes, it was just a bad dream," I replied, hoping he wouldn't ask about it. I just wanted to forget it. His death was as fresh in my mind as his hand that clasped my back. Ahmose tucked the rose into my hair.
"You're safe," he reminded me gently. "Are you ready for dinner?"
"Dinner," I whispered, and brushed my forehead. I gazed out the window and saw it was night. I had slept most of the evening away. "I didn't mean to sleep for so long. I was very tired."
Ahmose's expression hardened and his eyes grew dark. "Why were you restless? What troubles you?" he asked.
"I'm worried about you," I confessed. He leaned in and kissed me gently.
"You shouldn't worry so much about me. I can take care of myself," he declared.
I sat at the edge of the bed, and curled my legs up to my chest. I watched the hearth burn brightly as the spring night grew cool. I was wrapped in a thin silver robe, and could feel the warmth of his hand as he placed it on my back. His lips moved to my cheek.
He noticed the forlorn look in my eyes and changed the subject entirely. "Come along. I believe if you have a nice meal, you will feel better."
I followed him to his chamber, and in the floor upon a rug were large pillows with flower petals strewn on them. Between the pillows sat two jeweled chalices and an amphora. "Are we taking dinner here?"
"I hope that is all right," he murmured, and brushed my arms with his hands, pressing his lips to the back of my neck. I shivered under his light touch. His lips trailed from the nape of my neck up to the edge of my jaw, catching the lobe of my ear. I gasped at the gentle touch, and his arms wrapped around my waist.
"The servants will bring dinner soon," he whispered and led me over to the pillows. He fixed a drink for me.
A statuette I had never seen before was now on a pedestal by the window.
"That's my mother," he said, noticing my admiration of it. "This is one of her most extravagant busts. The others were placed in her tomb, but this one I wanted to keep. Isn't she beautiful?"
A life-like imitation of her, it was the most beautiful piece of art I had ever seen. Its face appeared to have been carved by angels, deep inset eyes that were like staring at a pair of gold tourmalines, pout lips that framed its sharp chin.
"She's very beautiful," I breathed. The statue looked like marble or granite, but it was hard to tell with its bright colors. This bust depicted her as a woman, whereas many of her statues portrayed her as a man; a king rather than a queen.
"My mother was very ambitious. She wanted Egypt to prosper, worked hard to build a great empire and live up to my grandfather's reputation. She believed the gods created men to be the mortal embodiment of strength and protection, and felt her chastity would hinder her from being a great pharaoh. Thus, she wanted Egypt to see her as a man, and the world to revere her as one."
It was obvious Ahmose felt nothing but love and adoration for her, but he hadn't been the only one in line for the throne...
"How did she feel about Thutmosis?" My throat ached from his name.
Ahmose's face changed suddenly. His smiled faded and his eyes grew dark. Scorn flashed across his face. "Thutmosis was very ambitious too. He wanted to be pharaoh more than anything. He did everything he could to appease Mother, to gain favor with her, but she shunned him and concentrated fully on me. All of his efforts went to waste, even his bold strategy for reclaiming Syria. You can probably imagine how furious he was when Mother was praised for the victory he had won us. Thutmosis grew bitter and cold with time, and resented her for it." Ahmose paused as he deliberated his next words. "I think because of my mother's choices, he grew to hate me too."
I placed my hand on his. "You can't blame yourself," I said. I was surprised by how reassuring my tone was. "Thutmosis has a heart full of hatred. He is incapable of love. Regardless of what happened in the past, he would never be able to truly care about someone; not the way I care about you, in a way you deserve."
He smiled at me, and his face became gentle once again.
I traced the gems on the chalice with my fingers and admired their intricate beauty. My heart felt hollow, as did the chalice when I drank the rest of the wine. I could not help but worry for Ahmose, knowing what Thutmosis would do the first opportunity he found.
"My dear Kara, you are so kind. You have brought companionship into my life. I would be lost without you," he said.
He watched me, his eyes drifting from my face to explore the rest of my body. My face suddenly felt hot, and the jittery flutter returned to my chest.
"You have made me very happy," he murmured, and leaned in to kiss me.
Moments later, the servants came into the room bringing platters of quail, bread, fruit, and figs and sat them before us. I had slept most of the day away, so my stomach was empty and the food brought a delicious relief to my aching throat.
When we finished eating, he turned to me and said, "Let us talk about your home. Besides the special people in your life, tell me what you miss most from your time?" I ran my fingers along the contours of his strong jaw. Truthfully, I missed science more than anything, but I wanted to give him an answer he had not yet heard.
"Women's rights," I replied. "Besides my family, friends, and technology, I would have to say I miss women's rights the most."
Ahmose scooted closer to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Women have rights in Egypt," he said. "They can buy and sell land. They can also leave an unhappy marriage if they choose. Compared to the empires across the Mediterranean, the women of Egypt are treated fairly."
"That's true," I admitted, though I couldn't say for certain if his statement about the western empires was accurate. His eyes were fixated and intense and he moved even closer to me.
"You're so beautiful," he reminded me. "Kara, you are an educated woman and were well-respected in your world. I would never want to offend you." He leaned in to whisper in my ear, "But if I told you I have these feelings that make me want to get close to you, would you change your mind about me?"
He kissed my lips and my heart whirled blissfully. "How close?" I whispered against his mouth, tasting the sweet juice of wine on him.
"Very close," he murmured, brushing his fingers through locks of my hair. "I cannot help it," he whispered. He reached to touch my face, but didn't. "Kara, what do you truly feel for me?"
A strong gust came in through the opened glass doors of the balcony and blew out the flames of the lamps. The room plummeted into darkness.
The bright moon flooded his chamber with an eerie light. Though it was very dark, I could still see his face, his sculpted form silhouetted by the night. The way the moon bathed him in white light made him appear unearthly.
"I am in love with you," I whispered in his ear. His eyes fell closed and he shivered as I lightly ran my fingers over his arm.
I reached for his tunic and peeled it over his head, leaving him naked from the waist up, his body aglow against the darkness. His chest was chiseled with muscles, and his skin was taut and firm. Seeing him this way, in all of his perfection, made something inside me tremble. I didn't know what was about to happen, but this fiery pang that engulfed my body made me want to pull him into my arms.
If it weren't for his subtle movements in the shadows, I would have mistaken him for a statue. He was absolutely stunning.
He cast me a coy grin, welcoming me to him with his golden eyes. The room was silent, but then I realized my breathing was erratic. I had been trying to contain my pounding heart, and now my breaths were ragged and uneven. He stretched his hand towards me, and into the moonlight I went, clasping it. He brought me closer to him, his lips brushing my hair. I reached out to touch his chest, pressing my hand against his well-toned body. His skin felt like fire beneath my fingertips. I traced them down his flat stomach. He shivered against my light touch.
He brushed his hand against the small of my back, eliciting a tiny gasp from me. He leaned down so our faces were nearly touching. I moved closer to him, nearly reaching his lips, my heart racing the entire time. Then we connected. As our lips pressed together, heat surged through my body. The feeling was so intense, my legs buckled beneath me and I slumped against him. His arms were strong around me as he held me to him, keeping me from falling. The lower half of my body tingled.
His lips were eager against me, trailing hungrily from my lips down my jaw, and to my neck. I gasped when he gently nibbled there, his teeth grazing my sensitive flesh. I squirmed beneath his delicate touch, his lips trailing back up my neck and to my ear. My arms slipped around his back and held him tightly against me. I clung to him as his lips brushed my ear, shivering when he whispered, "I need you."
I collapsed against him, and he swept me back against the pillows. I held onto him, longing for his touch, craving to feel his body on mine. His lips crushed against mine once again, kissing me with more urgency. Our entwined bodies felt like fire against the cool silken rug. Ahmose's firm chest was pressed deliciously against mine. Once again his lips trailed from mine down my jaw. He kissed my neck tenderly, and pulled at the straps of my robe to expose my shoulders. I whimpered as he pressed his lips there, and then lightly trailed his tongue over my collarbone.
He pressed his lips to my sternum, and started to trail lower. I gasped but his lips captured mine once again, kissing me so softly, I panted. His hand was just as soft, cupping my cheek and brushing his fingers over my lips. The sensation that flooded my body drained my lungs. Adrenaline pumped through my blood, and I trembled underneath him.
His breathing was just as heavy, warming my cheeks as he gazed into my eyes. He held my face, grasping it like my heart. He leaned in to whisper in my ear, "I love you."
"Ahmose," I gasped.
His lips were hot and eager, probing mine, suckling them, and tasting them. "Gods, you are beautiful," he murmured. He breathed in my hair and said, "Tonight I have realized how much I truly love you." He rose from our bed in the floor and lit a lantern, coming back from the table with a small box in his hand.
He opened the lid and inside was a golden ring shaped like a scarab beetle. The body of the beetle was amber shaped into a perfect oval. The edges around it were inlaid with gold, and its golden wings were encrusted with amethyst, turquoise, ruby, and lapis. "It belonged to my mother."
"It's very beautiful," I breathed.
"She wore it on her wedding day," he said, taking the ring and slipping it on my finger. My heart quivered.
"Wedding?" I echoed, admiring the ring suspiciously.
His lips lifted into a smile. "Will you marry me?" he asked, and leaned in to kiss me. I nearly dropped the box.
He pushed me back on the pillows and climbed on top of me, ravishing me with his lips once again, trailing hot kisses from my jaw to my neck down to my shoulders.
"I love you, Kara," he panted. "I want you to be my wife, the mother of my children, my queen."
The thought of getting married this soon made my mind spin. It was a huge decision, and yet I had given it no thought at all. It never occurred to me that one day we may marry each other. After things had fallen through with my ex, I had never considered marriage again. It was a commitment that was supposed to last forever. But could two people truly sustain that devotion when humans were doomed to succumb to volatile emotions?
He sensed my distress and moved away so I could sit upright. "Kara?" he whispered, waiting patiently for me to speak.
"You...want to marry me?" I murmured, trying to fit the words together, to make sense of the phrase.
"Yes," he answered without hesitation. I nervously fingered the gems on the ring, and wondered if Hatshepsut had felt uncertain when this ring was first placed on her finger.
He lifted his hand and clasped my fidgeting fingers. "It's such a big decision," I began tensely.
"You need to think it over," he realized. For a moment, his expression changed, as if he was making sense of it in his mind; wrapping his brain around the fact I wasn't as certain of him as he was of me. He sighed and reached for my robe, adjusting it as if it had never been askew just moments before. "Until you have made your decision, you are safe from my touch."
"I didn't mean that," I replied, sensing my pulse ease. I held onto his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "But aren't there more important matters at hand that must be dealt with first?"
"Such as?" he asked, refilling our chalices.
"Well, we still don't know who murdered Kephri."
He eased back against the pillows. Handing me the drink, he replied, "You are certain the servant girl was innocent?"
"Of that, I am absolutely certain. Menefer wouldn't harm a fly," I answered.
"Before, you said you believed a man killed her."
"A man," I echoed, and memories of that night came hurling back to me. I closed my eyes and saw the dark corridor as I wandered it to Thutmosis' quarters. "I remember!"
Ahmose sat upright and took my hands in his as he moved his drink aside. His expression shifted into a worried scowl as he examined me. "What is the matter, Kara? Tell me."
"I remember now why I went to Thutmosis' room. That night that seems so long ago now...I can't believe I had forgotten I went to confront him about Kephri. I believed he was the one who murdered her, and I demanded he turn himself in so Menefer could be freed."
Ahmose's eyes slanted. "He denied having any involvement."
"I don't believe he was involved," I continued. "At first I suspected him because of her affair, but I have changed my mind since that night. I truly believe he misses her company. He would harm her, but I don't believe he would want to be completely rid of her. Someone else must have wanted her out of the way."
"But who?"
"The same fiend who tried to kill you," I professed. I remembered wandering the halls of Karnak, seeing Ahmose's image everywhere as his name graced walls and pillars that would come to forget him. In my time, he had been replaced by Thutmosis. And so I told him everything, about all I knew of Karnak and the only reminiscence ever discovered of him: the tablet.
Ahmose sunk back against the pillows and listened as I foretold his grim fate. His eyes darkened as he fell into a pensive state, fingering the gems on his chalice though he did not drink from it. "I do not understand," he murmured finally. "Thutmosis has so much hatred towards me in his heart he is determined to rid me from Egypt entirely."
I sighed and watched the moon as it outshined the thousands of stars around it. "It would seem so. And what of the guard who was arrested? The one believed to have planted the asp?"
Ahmose's lips receded into a thin line. "He has been dealt with."
He had been sentenced to die. Ahmose wouldn't say it outright because he knew my feelings on the matter, but I could tell by his suddenly rigid demeanor the hefty weight his words carried. If only Thutmosis could be rid of as promptly without having his life terminated.
He must have sensed my thoughts. "Do not worry about Thutmosis. You won't ever have to worry about him again. He has been sent away. Since I found you in Karnak, I cannot forget your words...about how he forced himself on you, and how afraid you are. I do not want you to ever be afraid here. This is your home now. And his new home is in Megiddo, where he has been banished."
"What about Iset?" I gasped. I was thrilled that Thutmosis was gone, but Iset was my friend.
"She went with him," he replied. "I would have allowed her to stay if she wanted, but truthfully, I am glad she is gone. She worships Thutmosis...will do anything he bids. I no longer trusted her to be near you in fear she may try to harm you if Thutmosis ordered it."
My heart ached. I had never sensed that kind of treachery from Iset since she had been a good friend to me, but Ahmose's words held truth in them and it frightened me. "I'll miss her," I mumbled, though the one I truly missed was Menefer.
We fell silent afterwards and lay against the pillows together, Ahmose's arm resting warmly around me as I curled up by his side. I tried to resist my urges, to fight off every fiery tendril that singed my blood as I lay with him, but I couldn't stop my head from resting against his chest and admiring the steady thumping of his heart. It was beautiful and melodic, a sweet sound I could never live without. The safe harbor I found in his arms made my eyes fall heavy as sleep started to envelop me once again.
His cheek rested against my forehead, and when he shifted his face slightly, my heart quickened when his lips brushed my forehead.
"Are you drowsy?" he whispered into my hair.
"No," I replied, though my groggy tone betrayed me. I sat up and smiled at him.
He reached out and brushed a stray hair from my cheek. "You're so tired. Come along, I will escort you back to your chamber," he murmured. I took his hand and he helped me to my feet. "Thank you for having dinner with me this evening," he said as we strode through the marble doorway that led to my chamber.
"I love spending time with you," I answered while stifling a yawn. When we came to my door, Ahmose took my hands in his. I looked into his warm honey eyes. "But I haven't given you an answer." The ring on my finger suddenly felt several pounds heavier.
"Sleep on it," he whispered. "It is not a decision that should be made in haste. Take your time."
"You are right," I agreed. "I really need to think it over."
He glanced back at his own doorway that led to his sleeping quarters. "My door is open to you any time," he continued. "If you ever feel afraid, or if something is troubling you, you can come to me. I want you to feel safe here." He pulled me into his arms for one last embrace. The warmth of his body consumed me, and I wanted to remain like that forever. I didn't care about anything anymore. He was all I wanted. I wanted to feel every last inch of his body against mine. I raised my arms and was just about to wrap them around his back when he suddenly pulled away. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said with a smile.
Reluctantly and regrettably I said good night and closed the door behind him.