KIYA: Rise of a New Dynasty (Kiya Trilogy Book 3) Page 3

  “I’m growing older, Horemheb,” I answered, looking up at him. “I doubt I will be able to have many more.”

  “You should give me one while you have the chance.”

  “I can’t believe you even said that.” I glared at him.

  He shrugged. “As I have said before, you are the only tolerable woman I know.”

  I turned away from him. “You can be so vile sometimes.”

  He laughed. “Tut is upstairs.”

  I grinned. He gestured for me to go as he took Ezra’s hand. I did appreciate how much he loved each of my children, despite not being his. He always made sure Samuel had sufficient funds so he could educate them well, and would sneak trinkets and toys to them.

  He had begun to soften a little as he aged, but it was not something he showed publicly. He remained just as feared, maybe even more so among certain crowds. He and Ay clashed on a regular basis, mostly about religion, as Ay was a fierce supporter of the religion of Aten that Akhenaten had established.

  After the night I went with Horemheb to assassinate Smenkhkare and Mayati, I had developed a new respect for his power and skill. Tut went with him on campaigns, and he saw that same power I had witnessed, and was in awe of it. Tut trained with Horemheb, in hopes that he would one day be as skilled at warfare and fighting. Because of this, he had grown close to Horemheb and loved him like a father. Horemheb didn’t seem to resist it, either, and returned the feelings of love for my son.

  I pushed open the door to the library and saw Tut looking up at a shelf of scrolls. He ran his finger over them, apparently looking for something, until he stopped and slid one out. I stepped into the room and cleared my throat to catch his attention. He looked across and smiled.

  “Mama, come sit with me.” He tossed the scroll on the table, sitting in front of me to talk.

  It wasn’t long before Horemheb entered, with Ezra in tow, and sat with us.

  We chatted for a few minutes until Horemheb noticed the scroll on the table and frowned. “Who picked this out?” He lifted it and opened it up, quickly scanning it. “Tut, not this again.”

  “I don’t want to dismantle Amarna. It was my father’s city.” He snatched the scroll from Horemheb. “According to all the statistics I have been reading, the farmland is exceedingly fertile, and its location is perfectly situated halfway between here and Memphis―”

  “Tut, it is the center of the religion of Aten. We have talked about this―”

  “Commander, I believe keeping the city alive could be beneficial to us. I do not want it dismantled.”

  Horemheb scowled and folded his arms. “You don’t understand the implications of sustaining that city.”

  I rested my hand on Horemheb’s arm. “Horemheb, I know you are fervent in your convictions and want to move back to the old gods, but surely Tut’s points are valid. Good farming is always beneficial to the economy, and its location would provide a resting point for traders and travelers on the Nile―”

  Horemheb stood, his fists clenched. “I don’t want to hear this. I thought you, Naomi, of all people, would understand.”

  “Horemheb―”

  “No, I don’t want to hear it. You two talk. I’m going to find something less infuriating to do.”

  He marched out, leaving Tut and me staring bewildered at each other.

  I had collected Zakkai from his lessons with Samuel and found Eliora along the way home. Being most of her way through her pregnancy, she looked worn out. I helped her at the well and loaded her jugs up onto our mule-drawn cart to walk her home.

  “Thank you, Naomi.” She sighed. “I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.”

  As Zakkai and I unloaded the jugs, Rena rushed across to help. Once all of Eliora’s things were unloaded, Rena turned to Zakkai. “Your cousins are out in the field with their fathers if you wish to join them.”

  He grinned, knowing she referred to Adina’s older three, Eliora’s oldest, and her own two oldest boys. He glanced up at me and I nodded. “Go on, get out of here.”

  He rushed away. Rena took hold of Ezra and lifted him onto her hip. “You want to play, don’t you?”

  Aaron and Saul both grabbed her skirt and tugged at it, begging her to let them play with their cousins as well. Rena smiled at me. “I’ll take them all for a while. You go send the men home. It’s getting late and they will be famished.”

  She called Eliora’s children and they swarmed over to Rena’s house.

  “Rena, you have saved me.” Eliora groaned. “Now I can cook in peace.”

  “You don’t even have very many!” Rena teased. “Naomi has seven and I have nine, but you have only five.”

  “Thank heavens.” She smiled. “I’m glad I haven’t been cursed with our family’s fertility.”

  We laughed before parting ways. I led the mule-drawn cart to the fields. I scanned the land, searching for the herd. I saw them off in the distance, and Zakkai running toward them. I decided not to rush; he would be terribly disappointed if I arrived at the same time he did

  I soon saw his cousins run out to meet him. The men appeared over a crest behind them. Malachi saw me and waved, running to meet me. I smiled, glad to see my husband. He rushed over and swept me up in his arms, kissing me.

  “Dear Naomi, I have missed you!”

  I laughed. “It has only been a few hours, Malachi.”

  He kissed me again. “So?” He swung me around and called to Nathaniel to take the mule for us. He then looked into my eyes. “Would you like to see the lambs? They are strong and healthy this year.” He rubbed his belly and licked his lips. “I’m looking forward to sinning, so I can eat them after the sacrifice.”

  I laughed again and slapped his shoulder. “Malachi!”

  He ran back to the herd with me in tow. As we passed the men, they all called to us and laughed. Malachi began showing me the herd, but once we were out of sight, he grabbed me and kissed me again.

  “I want to have you right now,” he murmured, then carried me behind some boulders and made love to me with great enthusiasm, to my great delight.

  Afterward, he sat leaning against the boulders with me in his arms.

  “Naomi,” he whispered. “How did we manage to get so blessed?”

  I smiled to myself as he ran his fingers through my hair. “We must have done something right. I think it was the worshiping in secret back in Amarna.”

  He chuckled. “That must have been it, because things only seemed to get better after that.”

  I nuzzled closer to him, wishing the moment would never end. His fears of Horemheb taking me away had died down, to my relief. It had taken him awhile to accept that I was not going anywhere, and it had never helped that Tut grew more and more attached to Horemheb. It had been a gradual acceptance for him, which I did everything I could to aid, and now our relationship couldn’t be much better. I loved him with my whole heart, and the very sight of him coming home at the end of the day made my heart skip.

  “Naomi,” he whispered. “We should probably get back.”

  I sighed sadly. “Must we?”

  I looked up at him and saw him smiling. “Yes, we must. We have five children to see to.”

  I groaned. “Can we just leave them with Rena for the night?”

  He laughed. “Oh, Naomi, she has all nine of her children still living under her roof―”

  “So she won’t notice five more,” I said, curling closer to him.

  He laughed and lifted me as he stood. “Well, I would like to see my children.”

  He carried me back toward town as we laughed and kissed the whole way. But our jovial spirit dropped when we found ourselves facing Horemheb. He stood waiting for us by the small hut. He had arms folded and wore a scowl, but he refused to look at us. Malachi placed my feet back on the ground.

  “Horemheb, what brings you here?” I asked.

  “I need you to do something for me,” he responded as he pushed off from the wall and turned to look at me. “The Nubians are thre
atening war.”

  “I know,” I said. “Tut has told me―”

  “I would prefer to avoid a conflict if possible,” he said, cutting me off. “So I need you to write to Abimbala.”

  I stared at him in shock. “Me? But I’m nobody now.”

  He sneered. “You were never nobody, Naomi.” He stepped closer to me and Malachi’s hand tightened on my robe, ready to pull me away. “Abimbala was your friend. She won’t have forgotten you. She is married to her cousin, the prince, now, but even without that, as the eldest daughter of the late king, she has powerful sway among their people.”

  “So what do you want me to say? ‘Abi, please don’t fight the Egyptians’? I don’t think having a Hebrew write would be wise. It would be seen as a joke, considering how we are perceived by the general Egyptian population”

  “You know Tut and I are doing all we can to control that.” He glared quickly at Malachi before returning his attention to me. “Write to Abimbala for me. Tell her if we are forced to go to war your husband may be conscripted as another attempt to cull the Hebrews.”

  I winced. That was something I feared. He straightened and rested his hands on his hips, having received the reaction he desired.

  “Curse you, Horemheb.” I shot him a fierce glare.

  He grinned and bowed. “Thank you. As much as I could do with a good battle right now, I don’t think Tut could handle another issue on his plate.”

  I grunted and walked away from him. “I’ll have a letter prepared for you by tomorrow afternoon.”

  Horemheb turned and followed us. “I have brought a guest to your house, as Tut requested.”

  I paused and turned to him. “Who?”

  “He made me swear an oath that I would not tell you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Of course he did.”

  Horemheb hung back out of sight as we collected our children from Rena’s house, then joined us again once her door shut. Zakkai, who had heard stories from Tut about Horemheb, always found him fascinating and talked hurriedly to him, asking questions and not giving him a chance to answer before spitting out another.

  Rachel clung onto Malachi’s robe, having never been terribly fond of Horemheb. I knew she found the stories she overheard her brothers talk about frightening, so she tried to avoid Horemheb at all costs.

  Malachi lifted her onto his hip and kissed her cheek. “How is my little princess?”

  She giggled and reached for his face. “Papa, Itani is the princess, not me!”

  He feigned offense. “No, you are my princess because your mother is my queen.”

  I smiled and wrapped my arm through his, noticing the quick bitter glance Horemheb gave Malachi. Rachel giggled as Malachi tickled her, and a moment later, Aaron and Saul began bouncing around in the cart. I turned to stop them but Malachi spun and gave them the look that only a father can give and instill fear in his sons.

  “Naomi, no more sons, please,” he teased.

  Back at the house I saw two chariots in front of it, which meant Tut was there waiting for us to return.

  As we unhooked the mule, Tut rushed out and lifted me off my feet. “Mama, I can’t wait any longer, you’re coming with me.”

  He ran me inside, where I found myself facing Gerlind and who I knew must have been her two daughters. “Mama, meet Delila.”

  I quickly examined the older of the two girls. She bore a surprising resemblance to Itani. She had removed her wig so I could see she had black hair, and she had the long pointy chin of her father, which Itani had also inherited. She had the same full lips and slender frame, but where Itani had my eyes, Delila had Gerlind’s blue eyes. Delila was also very pale skinned, like Gerlind.

  Delila stepped forward and offered me her hand with a bow. “It is an honor to meet you, Naomi. My mother has spoken about you with great love, and now Tut tells me of his great admiration also.”

  Tut grinned and grabbed her around the waist. “Isn’t she lovely?”

  “She looks awfully like Itani,” I couldn’t help saying.

  Tut scowled at me. “Mama! That’s disgusting! They look completely different.”

  I glanced over at Gerlind, who grinned with amusement. She stepped over to me and kissed my cheek. “How are you, dear?”

  “Well, thank you, Gerlind. When did this happen?”

  “A few weeks ago. Ay insisted upon it. It was Tut or his son Nahktmin.”

  “I didn’t know he had a son,” I responded, surprised.

  She nodded. “He has three children. Nefertiti was the oldest, then there is Mutnodjmet, who is about the same age as me, and last of all is Nahktmin, who is a few years older than Tut.”

  “Mama!” Tut snapped. “I brought Delila here to meet you. Stop talking about Ay!”

  “I’m sorry, son.” I smiled and gestured for them to take a seat. I glanced back when I heard the door open and the children all came running in. Malachi appeared with Horemheb beside him, and I saw them have a quick, tense exchange before Horemheb disappeared.

  We sat and ate together. It pleased me to find Delila as delightful as her mother. I watched Tut with Delila, and saw by the way he looked at her that he was completely enamored, which made me happy. Gerlind’s daughter as my son’s wife was too good to be true, and I clasped Gerlind’s hand tightly in mine.

  The conversation remained lighthearted, and as usual, Tut and Malachi soon had us all laughing as they bounced witty remarks off each other. By the way Delila stared with shining eyes at Tut, I knew that she was also quite infatuated with him, and something beautiful was blooming.

  Then, I remembered Ankhe. I felt bad for her. She had admitted to me her love for my son and was deeply committed to him. I hoped Tut would be wise and cautious with his feelings, and would guard them appropriately so as not to cause hurt or conflict.

  When we finished eating and I brought out some fruit for a treat, Gerlind stood and whispered in my ear, “Let’s step outside for a moment.”

  I nodded. I squeezed Malachi’s shoulder affectionately before Gerlind and I slipped out the door. Horemheb’s chariot was still in front of the house, but he was nowhere in sight. I shrugged it off. He had probably gone to find a senet house to play games and drink while he waited for his royal party.

  Gerlind wrapped her arm through mine as we walked along the riverbank. She pulled off her wig and dropped it at the side of the narrow path, then took off all her jewelry, dropping them also and leaving a trail behind us. Unburdened from her finery, she took a deep breath and sighed. “How wonderful it feels to be free of such restraints!”

  I laughed softly. “Dear Gerlind, you were always the most patient of us all.”

  “Ha!” she exclaimed. “More like the most submissive! I’m not even brave enough to speak to Ay, but I fantasize about poisoning him in his sleep. I swear; he will never die just to spite me.”

  “I thought he told you everything,” I said.

  “He does, but only because he thinks I am mute.” I laughed, which made her smile. “Naomi, I’m so glad I can visit you, and I’m so glad my daughter was given to Tut. I feel she is safe with him, and they will care for each other.”

  “I agree,” I nodded. “Except Ankhesenamun has told me she loves Tut, and I fear she may hold within her mind her mother’s jealous wrath. If she finds out Tut loves her second…” I let the thought hang.

  “Hmm.” Gerlind touched her chin. “Isn’t it funny how things seem to cycle back around? I will warn Delila to keep hers and Tut’s feeling concealed. There is no need for a repeat of you and Nefertiti if it can be avoided.”

  We fell quiet for several minutes, until I thought about the revelation she gave me about Ay’s children. “So Ay has a living son and daughter?”

  “He does, yes.” She tilted her head and looked up at me. “His son was just a small boy in Amarna. Mutnodjmet resides in Abydos, and has since the reign of our husband. She moved there so she didn’t have to be his wife under her sister, whom she despised. She defies her fath
er and refuses to marry. She prefers to remain in solitude. I have met her once, and she is pleasant to behold but not pretty, which was surprising after Nefertiti. I think that is why she cuts herself off from the world, because she is always compared to her sister.”

  “And what of his son?”

  “Nahktmin is a soldier and Ay’s heir. He’s just like his father; clever, cunning, but also has the fearlessness of youth. When I heard he wanted my daughter, I had to arrange for someone else. So when Tut beheld her and I saw he was smitten, it was too perfect.” She sighed deeply. “Oh, the intrigues.”

  “I’m glad I am growing too old for them,” I responded. “I am content in my little corner of the world, raising my children and caring for my husband.”

  “But, dear Naomi, you will always be caught up in the intrigues of the palace. Once a royal, always a royal.”

  “I know.” I groaned. “But I can pretend.”

  She giggled.

  knocked on Horemheb’s door, and a few moments later, he responded, “Come.”

  I pushed open the door, carrying his clean laundry. Under the pile, I held a letter for Abi. I placed his clothes on his bed before handing it to him. “As promised.”

  He plucked it from my hand and glanced at it. “Thank you, Naomi. Hopefully this will do the trick.”

  “Why didn’t you ask Gerlind to write? She was closer to Abi than me.”

  “Because she belongs to Ay,” he answered, pulling off his hat and rubbing his hair. “The Nubians despise Ay and that boy general of his.”

  “Do you mean his son?”

  Horemheb looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “It’s good to see you are keeping on top of things. Yes, I do mean his son, that foulmouthed, bloodthirsty―”

  “Sounds like someone else I know when he was young.”

  Horemheb pursed his lips. “I was never foulmouthed.”

  I smiled as I put away his clothes.

  “And my blood lust was always under control. He wants to fight everyone, and gets quite rough when he trains with Tut. I’m fairly certain if given the chance, he would kill him.”