Flail of the Pharoah (9 page)

‘I… um… I saw your father beat the queen,’ she began timidly.

‘You did?’ There was delighted amusement in the prince’s voice. ‘How? Where? On her bottom? Did he use anything – any implement?’

‘No, just his hand. He put her over his knee and spanked her.’

‘What had she done to deserve that, I wonder?’

‘She… she had me made up like an Egyptian girl, but it displeased the Pharaoh. He said I looked like a street whore, not a royal concubine.’

‘Hmm.’ Neshi looked thoughtful. ‘I wonder what made my mother do such a thing. Of course it is your natural beauty the king desires, and who can blame him? You are an exquisite creature.’

He reached out and touched the soft curtain of her hair, still damp from the bath. He wrapped a strand of it around his fingers and pressed it to his lips, then moved closer and kissed her neck. Charmian felt a shivery excitement but she remained perfectly still, like a rabbit in the eye of a snake.

‘Charmian,’ he murmured, his voice thick with some strange emotion. Obviously unable to help himself he seized her left breast in his hand and began to knead it. Charmian felt the nipple harden and a tingling went through her so that she could hardly bear to sit still and passive. Yet she knew she must. ‘Tell me more about what happened in the royal bedroom,’ he murmured, his lips brushing her ear seductively.

‘A-after the king had punished your mother he rolled her over on the bed and prepared to enter her.’

‘From behind?’ She gulped and nodded. ‘Could you see which orifice he entered? Did you see the size of his prick? Tell me everything, Charmian, or I shall say you have insulted me and you know where that will lead, don’t you?’

She knew only too well, so racking her brains for words to describe the spectacle she went on, ‘He thrust into her but I could see nothing much because I was too far away. But soon the queen was pushing against the bed and moaning as he thrust into her, over and over. The moans grew louder the more it went on, and the king began to grunt and sweat. They forgot I was there, they were so caught up in what they were doing.’

‘How long did it take, the whole thing?’

‘I… I cannot say. A while.’

‘Tell me roughly how long. Five minutes? Ten? Half an hour?’

But before she could reply the curtain was suddenly ripped back and, to her horror, there stood the queen with a look of intense displeasure on her face. How much of their conversation had she heard? The girl shrank away from the prince, hoping Mira would see she had been an unwilling confidant, and that Neshi had threatened her.

She need not have worried; it was soon obvious that the queen’s wrath was reserved exclusively for her son. ‘What are you doing here in the harem?’ she screeched. ‘You know that after the disgraceful episode with the Nubian slut you have been forbidden by your father to enter the women’s quarters. How dare you come here, and to Charmian’s bed too!’

‘I’m sorry mother,’ he replied, ‘I thought the prohibition was not yet in force.’

Charmian was amazed at the smooth lie that sprang so rapidly to his lips, and was equally amazed to see the queen’s manner instantly soften. ‘I thought it had been made plain that you are to move into Tut-Tut’s quarters. He is to teach you the ways of the gods, and the history of their relations with the royal house of Egypt. Did your father not tell you?’

‘Not in so many words.’ Neshi’s expression took on a pleading cast. ‘But must I go and live with that disgusting old man, mother? He is so boring, and so fat!’

‘Yes, you must. It is your father’s will. But now tell me why you are here, talking to Charmian in such a hole-and-corner fashion.’

Again Charmian was amazed at his quick-witted reply. ‘I was questioning her about the customs of her people. You know, father has often told me how important it is for the Pharaoh to get to know the ways of foreigners, so he can conquer them in war and live with them in peace. One day I, too, shall be Pharaoh. It is not too soon for me to learn such things, is it mother?’ He looked up at her with such an earnest, innocent expression that even Charmian was almost fooled, although she knew it was an arrant lie.

‘It is true, the Pharaoh must learn many things,’ Mira said. ‘That is why you must spend some time with the high priest, as I told you. But it is not right for you to consort with your father’s concubines. First Kiya, now Charmian. This behaviour has gone far enough.’

‘Are you saying the future Pharaoh does not need to learn about women, mother?’ he asked cheekily.

Mira laughed. ‘Of course not. Every man should know something of the female sex although there are some mysteries, sacred to Isis, that should remain hidden.’ She looked thoughtful. ‘I have come here this morning for the opposite purpose, to teach Charmian a little more about the ways of men. Perhaps you can be of some use after all, my son. But first we must go somewhere more private, to my apartments. Follow me, the pair of you.’

Charmian was puzzled, but she rose from the bed and slipped on her sandals then followed the queen and the prince at a respectful distance, relieved that the situation seemed to have been defused, for the time being at least.

Once they reached Mira’s chambers she dismissed Iras and led them into the curtained alcove where they could be completely private. She bade the young couple sit on her bed while she sat down in an ornate gilded armchair, facing them. Charmian felt a tension in the air that both excited and frightened her.

‘Today, Charmian, I think it is time for you to become more intimately acquainted with the male organ,’ Mira began. ‘Neshi, may I trust you to be completely discreet about what will happen here? Remember that your position as crown prince will be placed in jeopardy if you breathe a word about this to anyone.’

‘Yes, mother, I swear it,’ he replied, looking as puzzled as Charmian felt.

‘Then loosen your tunic, my son, and let the girl see what gift the gods have bestowed upon you.’

Neshi feigned embarrassment well. ‘Must I, mother? I… am rather shy.’

‘You will have to lose your shyness sooner or later. Better you reveal yourself to a girl for the first time in this safe setting, don’t you think? It is not good for a future Pharaoh to be unsure of himself in such matters. Come, untie yourself.’

He unfastened his tunic and Charmian found herself looking at a sturdy erection. His penis was not as large as his father’s, so far as she could judge, but it was a sizeable organ all the same and appeared to be fully erect. She stared in fascination at the brown shaft with its dusky pink tip, where a single drop of milky liquid was oozing from a small slit.

‘You may touch it, Charmian, to feel its warmth, its strength,’ Mira told her.

Tentatively she reached out with her forefinger and stroked the taut, veined skin. It felt smooth and nice. She surrounded the shaft with her tiny fist and squeezed it. Neshi gave a low moan.

‘Now see what is underneath,’ came the queen’s command.

Below the rearing phallus was a divided sac, somewhat like the small purses made of soft hide that men carried in her own country, containing the precious jewels that were their currency. She cradled it in the palm of her hand, feeling its warm softness and peculiar weightiness.

‘Now you now what a man’s cock and balls feel like,’ Mira stated matter-of-factly. ‘They are to be treated tenderly, with respect, for they hold the very stuff of life.’

‘Mother, this is torment for me,’ Neshi complained, his voice strained.

The queen gave a brisk nod. ‘Of course, I am sorry, my son, I should have considered your needs. You are dismissed. Please go to your new quarters in Tut-Tut’s apartments, where you will have the necessary privacy to relieve yourself. I shall continue Charmian’s instruction now.’

The prince seemed to tear himself away from her reluctantly, and Charmian sensed her own power. He had wanted her to play with his precious jewels a bit more. She had seen the look of rapture on his face and knew his pleasure had been profound. Within her, too, had arisen a desire to prolong that encounter, yet they were both subjects of the queen and must obey her will.

As he rose to leave, the prince gazed down at her for a few seconds. His expression clearly communicated the message to her, ‘you and I have unfinished business’. Yet she feared what might result from this and lowered her gaze modestly, trying to quell the rising passion in her breast.

When Neshi had gone his mother turned to Charmian, saying briskly, ‘So now you have seen and felt a real male organ. It is not difficult to prepare a man for the act of penetration, especially one as virile as my husband and, as you have just seen, his son. But a woman needs longer and more subtle preparation, especially if she is a virgin, like you.’

Charmian sat wide-eyed, her hands clasped between her thighs. What new revelations was the queen about to unfold for her?

‘You saw how my husband entered me. He did not come in straight away, but spent some time working me into a frenzy of longing. Last night he beat me, but at other times he might kiss and caress me for many minutes before he judges that I am ready to be penetrated.’

‘Why does he not enter you at once?’ Charmian ventured to ask.

‘Because my inner channel would be dry and the forced entry of his phallus would be painful for me, and unsatisfactory for him. A degree of lubrication is essential for a smooth coupling. If the woman cannot provide enough, the man must use oil or grease.’

‘How can a woman provide it?’

‘Through desire alone. If a woman truly longs for a man to enter her, the secret wellsprings within her body will flow and her channel will become wet and slippery for him to enter. A skilful lover, like the Pharaoh, will know how to rouse a woman’s desire and then she will be ready for him.’

‘I see.’ But it all seemed very strange to Charmian, like two pieces of machinery that needed oiling before they would work well together.

‘This will seem peculiar to you,’ Mira said, reading her expression. ‘But it is nature’s way. I am telling you all this because the king has told me he wishes to initiate you tonight.’

‘Tonight?’ Charmian had not thought it would be so soon and was filled with dread.

‘Don’t be alarmed; there is nothing to fear. You should be honoured that the Pharaoh desires you so much he cannot wait a day longer. All you have to do this first night is relax and enjoy the experience. You are fortunate that your first time will be with a considerate lover, not some brute of a man who has drunk more than his share. Such is the fate of many a captive woman. You should thank the gods that you were brought here, and not sold to some barbarian or into sex slavery.’

Charmian tried to gain comfort from these words, but her mind was still reeling at the prospect of sharing the Pharaoh’s bed. She believed he would be kind to her, but after seeing his son’s endowment the idea that such a sturdy organ could penetrate her was both strange and unnerving. How would she feel afterwards? Would the experience change her? She would no longer be a prized virgin but a grown woman, like the others in the harem, including the queen herself. And what if the king lost interest after deflowering her? What would be her fate then?

Charmian dared not voice these fears to Mira, but remained meek and silent as the queen went on to explain how she must prepare herself. This time she would not be dressed as an Egyptian, but her natural beauty must be allowed to shine forth, as the Pharaoh had commanded. But before she went to his chamber she must present herself to the high priest for ritual purification in the temple.

‘I shall take you there, when Iras has oiled your body and dressed your hair,’ she explained. ‘But for now you have had enough preparation. Come with me into the garden, for some air.’ She smiled. ‘We shall not let the sun burn your fair skin, yet I am sure my husband would like to see some roses in your pale cheeks. Come, Charmian, and let the scents of the flowers and herbs calm your soul. Today is the most important day of your life, and you must face it with dignity and courage.’

It was evening, and Charmian followed Queen Mira into the antechamber of the great temple, where Tut-Tut was waiting for them. The fat priest bowed low.

‘Your majesty,’ he began unctuously, ‘it is indeed a pleasure to be of service.’

‘This is the new concubine,’ she said. ‘You know what to do. Make sure the girl is well prepared for the Pharaoh’s bed tonight.’

‘Of course, my queen.’

Charmian thought she detected a coldness in Mira’s manner as she was handed over to the high priest. Yet she had no time to brood on this. Tut-Tut led her into the dark recesses of the temple, where huge columns reared up in the gloom and seated figures of the gods occupied niches in the sandstone walls.

‘Come to the sanctuary of Isis,’ Tut-Tut said in sibilant tones. ‘There the goddess shall bless your first congress with the Pharaoh.’

Charmian felt uneasy in the man’s company. He wore a simple white robe with a knotted belt, no doubt concealing a grossly corpulent body, judging by the rolls of fat his neck and arms revealed. He had a rancid smell too, compounded of sweat and incense. The idea that such a man was deemed fit to ‘purify’ anyone seemed ridiculous.

Nevertheless the girl followed him into the inner sanctuary where a statue of Isis, with the child Horus on her knee, was clad in the most beautiful blue and gold garment. Charmian needed no second bidding to fall on her knees in adoration of the goddess.