Flail of the Pharoah (14 page)

Charmian’s eyes opened wide at this picture, which she imagined was a parody of nature. Tut-Tut gave a faint smile, leaning towards her to speak more softly. ‘But you, my dear, prefer to have a man exert his power over you, do you not? You have the soul of a slave, despite being favoured by the Pharaoh. You do not wish for power over men, but are content that a man shall have power over you. Am I right?’

‘Yes,’ she responded without hesitation. ‘I think it is my duty as a woman to—’

‘Forget duty!’ His tone was sharp and she flinched. ‘This has nothing to do with that. It is more to do with the satisfaction of your body and soul. Both crave to be subjugated by a powerful master, and you will not be satisfied until you have explored your desire for subservience to the full.’

‘But…’ She gazed at him in wonder, only partly following his meaning.

His eyes narrowed. Then he said, in more kindly tones, ‘Whatever your origins you have a slave mentality, my dear. You revel in being made to feel inferior and punished for your sins, but you are an innocent, and not just because you are in a foreign land. The ways of the world are unknown to you, and your own soul just as mysterious as everything else. It will take a very special man to show you the secrets of your own heart.’

‘The Pharaoh is a special man,’ she ventured. ‘And a powerful one. He is my master, and I am sure he will fulfil my every need.’

‘You know not of what you speak,’ Tut-Tut said harshly. ‘But one day you shall discover the truth, and then there can be no going back. Some are born to rule and some to be ruled, it is the will of the gods. Be grateful that the Pharaoh is a just man and, for now, be the king’s plaything and be content.’

‘But what if he tires of me?’ Charmian said anxiously. She knew well what a dismal existence was led by those women who had lost the king’s favour. ‘Or what if Queen Mira should deem me unfit for his bed? The Pharaoh listens to her, I know he does.’

‘The queen shall not trouble you, nor Prince Neshi. Their stars are falling, whilst yours is rising. I shall watch out for you, my dear, never fear. I shall be your secret guardian.’

Charmian could not think why she might need a guardian. The high priest spoke in riddles and she shivered in the dark and gloom, wanting to get back to the light and warmth of everyday things. Sensing this need, Tut-Tut bade her rise and put his hands upon her shoulders, muttering a blessing, then dismissed her with a faint, ironic smile.

Charmian left the temple feeling more mystified than enlightened. Was it true that she had the soul of a slave? If so, what did it mean? The high priest had suggested she might come to understand the secret workings of her soul in due course, but she was impatient to discover them now. She ached to understand these strange new worlds she’d encountered; the outward one, the Egyptian court, was becoming more familiar to her but the inner one, her own secret nature, seemed more obscure and bewildering than ever.

Losing her virginity to the Pharaoh and learning to please him in bed was all she had imagined she needed to do in order to feel fulfilled. So why did it seem as though she were filled with perverse longings, with the desire to have her pleasure spiced with pain? As she hurried back through the echoing corridors Charmian’s mind was racing faster than her feet.

‘Charmian!’ The fierce tone stopped her in her tracks, and she realised she was passing the queen’s door and Mira had spotted her. ‘Why are you in such a hurry?’ She frowned. ‘Don’t you know it is the hour of rest and relaxation? You should be in the harem with the others, resting. Where have you been?’

‘To the temple,’ she replied, bowing low.

‘For what purpose? I had not thought you a pious girl.’

‘I… I went to see the high priest,’ she replied, unable to think of a convincing lie on the spur of the moment.

‘You went to see Tut-Tut?’ The queen’s perfect brows arched in surprise. ‘Why?’

‘It was a private matter, your majesty.’

Mira’s frown deepened. ‘Secrets?’ She placed her fingertip below the girl’s chin and raised her face so she could not hide her eyes. ‘Already you have secrets? This is not good. You should have no secrets from me. What did you want to see him for?’

Charmian thought quickly. ‘I wanted to ask him some things about the Egyptian religion, about the gods and goddesses.’

The queen looked sceptical. ‘You never showed such interest before. Anyway, if you want to know such things you can ask me. I am the high priestess of this land.’

Charmian scented danger in the air. The queen looked flushed and excited, as if she thought to catch her out again. Then an unpleasant thought seized her. Perhaps Mira suspected her of having an illicit meeting with the crown prince! ‘If you do not believe me, you have only to ask Tut-Tut,’ she said.

Mira laughed. ‘Why should I not believe you, Charmian? You would not be foolish enough to lie to me after the punishment you received, surely?’ Her voice dropped almost to a whisper as she added, ‘Or is it further punishment you desire, another taste of the whip? You are a strange little thing, and perhaps you have exotic tastes.’

The queen’s forefinger traced the girl’s jaw line and then down her throat in a gentle, insinuating fashion. Charmian could feel her nipples hardening beneath her loose gown, and there was a stirring in her belly. The tension was exciting her unbearably, yet she knew not why. ‘I… I do not understand, your majesty. I went to see the high priest, that is all. I did not know I was doing anything wrong.’

A burst of tinkling laughter came from Mira’s throat as she tossed her head back. ‘Oh my dear, you are quite priceless. Hi thee to the harem, before I die laughing!’

But Mira was in no laughing mood. As soon as the dainty foreigner had turned her pretty heels and fled down the corridor, a deep gloom settled on the Egyptian queen. What could she do to combat this malaise, of which the innocent girl was the source? Restlessly she paced in her chamber, unable to either quench or satisfy the longing in her soul.

‘I shall go to the Pharaoh,’ she decided at last. There was no point in brooding about what might be. The gods counselled men to live in the present, to enjoy the great gift of life and be grateful.

She summoned Iras to perform her toilet, instructing her to make her look as beautiful as possible. Years ago, when both her body and her passion for Seti were young and strong, the royal couple had wiled away many an afternoon in erotic dalliance. What if she could rekindle that spark, make him love her again as he had once done? What if she could turn the fond friendship their marriage had become into a hot affair again? She grew excited.

The king seemed pleased to see her. He lay on his perfumed couch wearing a scanty loincloth, sipping palm wine and nibbling a honey cake while musicians played soft notes. Seti smiled, beckoning her to his side.

‘My queen,’ he greeted her, stroking the natural hair that lay, artfully arranged, about her smooth shoulders. She nestled in beside him.

‘Master,’ she murmured, toying with the cloth belt loosely knotted at the base of his firm stomach. ‘You have been out hunting today, have you not? I thought perhaps you could do with a massage.’ She looked pointedly at the cabinet where the precious oil of moringa was kept.

He chuckled. ‘I have slaves a-plenty to perform such a service. You and I have affairs of state to discuss.’

‘Have we?’ she asked, widening her eyes in surprise and fluttering her long lashes at him, wishing that affairs of another kind were on his mind.

‘You know all is not well with our borders. The Libyans are restless and I have heard reports that their war chariots are patrolling close to the Egyptian frontier. We cannot permit such warmongering. I shall ask Tut-Tut to make some figurines for the anathema rituals.’

‘Now is no time to talk of war,’ Mira said reproachfully, stroking his cheek.

He sat up, brushing her hand away. ‘On the contrary. In a few weeks the festival of Opet will be upon us, and the people distracted by all the ceremonies and feasting. If an enemy wished to strike at the very heart of Egypt, when would be a better time?’

Mira sighed. She had heard such talk from him before yet Egypt had never been more secure, no Pharaoh more powerful. Must they spend their time in military talk instead of romantic dalliance? ‘Seti, you have spies everywhere. If something serious were brewing you would know of it long beforehand. So why worry?’

‘It is all very well for you. The defence of our country lies ultimately in my hands, not yours.’

‘I know, but if you wish to discuss these matters why not call a meeting with your generals? I am your wife, and surely deserve to be treated more gently?’

She gave him a yearning look, and for a second thought he was about to succumb. His brown eyes searched hers briefly, but there was to be no rekindling of their ancient passion, no spark of the former fire.

He gave a rueful smile. ‘I know you are trying to seduce me, Mira, and I thank you for the compliment, but our relationship has moved on. You are my equal in every sense, but for pleasure I must look elsewhere. There is nothing I can do about it. My desire is focused on young flesh and pretty faces, and I must follow the course that nature has set out for all men.’

The queen was piqued. ‘You wanted me that time when the girl was watching, when you spanked me and then rode me with your rod at full strength. Oh Seti, that was such a glorious night. Who is to say we might not repeat it?’

He regarded her sadly. ‘Did you not understand why I was so aroused, wife? It was the presence of the girl that put fire into my loins. All the while I was thrusting into you I had my eyes on her face, delighting in the look of utter astonishment I saw there. To see such naivety is rare, and it had a wonderfully invigorating effect upon me to see her innocence being shattered in a single night.’

Mira felt utterly crestfallen, near to tears. She wanted to hide, but there was no place to run. She was Queen of Egypt, and she must brave it out. ‘I see,’ she said dully.

He kissed her gently on the forehead. ‘You still have a privileged position as my wife, and your son is heir to my throne. But when it comes to love I must look elsewhere. Every wise woman knows in her heart that it must be so. Accept it, Mira.’

She nodded, although her heart felt as though it would burst with pain, and as she rose from the couch she decided to try one last ploy and fell to her knees. ‘If I have displeased you, my husband, then punish me severely for I cannot bear to be out of your favour.’ There was a pause and she held her breath. If only she could make him spank her naked buttocks again they might progress to intimacy, as before. It was her last faint hope.

But then came his reply. ‘No, you have not displeased me in any way. I have no desire to punish you. If you wish to please me, do it through the pale girl. Train her to be my most skilled and delightful concubine, and I shall recognise that you have served me in the best way you can. That shall be your task now.’

Mira was filled with the utmost horror, but knew she could say nothing. She murmured something barely intelligible and rose to her feet, kissed the Pharaoh’s hand and left the room, barely able to control her shaking body. A welter of negative emotions was filling her heart like poison filling a cauldron, and she didn’t know where to go or what to do. That girl! That whore! That usurper of the king’s bed!

She decided to take a turn in the garden, hoping the scented air would revive her spirits and calm her soul, and it wasn’t long before she came upon Neshi, playing Dogs and Jackals with one of his younger half-brothers.

‘Ah, my son,’ she said, recovering her composure. ‘When you have finished your game, perhaps you would keep me company for a while?’

‘Of course, mother,’ he replied dutifully.

Once, Mira reflected, he would have rather been with her than anyone else. His little face would have lit up as soon as she came into view. Now he preferred the company of his male friends and would prefer to be with the girl, Charmian.

That gave her an idea, and as soon as Neshi joined her she whisked him away to a shady bower where they might have a private conversation. ‘My son,’ she began, in the soothing tone she always used to placate him, ‘have you recovered from that wicked girl’s attempt to seduce you?’

His habitual smirk changed to a look of pained anxiety. ‘I’m not sure. I still have disturbing dreams where she leaps on me from behind a bush and tears off my loincloth. Are all women like that?’

Mira did her best to reassure him, but then artfully turned their conversation in a different direction. ‘You must have wanted to punish that wanton creature yourself, instead of having Tut-Tut perform the task. What did you feel when you saw her being whipped in the temple?’

‘You are right mother; my hand itched to wield the whip. I was the one who’d been wronged, not that obese priest. If there was any true justice in this land the victim should be the avenger.’

Mira was pleased by his reply, since it mirrored her own feelings. ‘When you are Pharaoh you will be able to change the laws of the land, subject to priestly approval, of course. All the more reason to choose your high priest with care. But listen, if Charmian makes any kind of advance towards you in future, however slight, come straight to me. We shall not report it to your father. Instead we shall arrange for you to punish her in private. Do you understand?’

A broad grin swept over Neshi’s face. ‘Oh yes, mother, I understand perfectly well!’