The Sekhmet Bed (29 page)

TWENTY-EIGHT

There was no body hanging from the bow of the ship this time. Thutmose’s fleet sailed into Waset at noon. Ahmose and Mutnofret stood at the head of the water steps, a nurse holding baby Amunmose on her hip while Wadjmose tugged at his sidelock with one hand and held Mutnofret’s skirt with the other. A dozen guards surrounded the royal family, keeping the pressing crowd well back. There were cheers, shouts, victory songs among the rekhet and nobles who thronged through the city streets and crowded the shore. Pleasure barges sailed out onto the bright green river; wealthy men and women took their mid-day meals on the cool water, watching the return of Egypt’s victorious army. The varied music coming from so many boats was a confused,vibrant jumble.

Ahmose said nothing to her sister, didn’t even glance at her. Mutnforet was stiff and quiet, waving Prince Wadjmose back to the nurse’s side whenever the boy tugged too hard at her dress. The tension between the two queens was thick enough that it ought to have been visible: layer upon layer of woven reeds, perhaps, or a head-high wall of mudbricks.

From the time it appeared on the northern horizon, it took nearly an hour for the flagship to moor. Ahmose could see Tut’s smile well before the ship reached the shore. She smiled back, unable to constrain her joy with the proper dignity and quietude of her position. She wanted to wave to him, to jump up and down and shout like the rekhet. Instead, she clenched her fists and never took her eyes away from his face.

Before the sailors had even tied the ship into place, Tut had leapt from its side, splashed in the shallow water covering the lowest steps, and was striding up toward her, two steps at a time, like a boy returning from a hunting trip. Ahmose couldn’t hold herself back any longer. She scurried down the last few stairs separating them and threw herself on Tut, arms tight around his neck. He smelled of pitch and sweat. His skin was hot from the sun. His arms were around her waist, strong, sure, as real as stone. He said something into her ear, but the crowd was roaring so, she couldn’t make it out. She shook her head, grinning, and he led her by the hand to the stair head where Mutnofret and the children waited.

Ahmose broke away with difficulty, stood back as the Pharaoh held his second wife close for a long time. When she pulled back from their embrace tears slicked her cheeks. Her eyes were closed, and she was biting her painted lips together. Tut said something to her as well, but if Mutnofret heard she gave no sign.

Then the nurse brought the children forward. Two bright, healthy boys, sturdy and dark-eyed. The Pharaoh looked them over for a long time, his eyes wide with wonder. Then he picked Wadjmose up and tossed him into the air, again and again. The prince’s face flashed panic, then anger; then, as Tut continued to throw him high, the boy smiled wide. Amunmose was too young for rough play. Tut held him gently and kissed his fat cheek. It was good to see them with their father. It was good to see that Tut loved them well, even after so long away. Ahmose should have no trouble convincing him to do what was right.

Two litters had come for them, and more guards as well, to push the crowd back and away. Eagerly, Ahmose climbed onto the two-chaired platform. It was good to have her husband beside her again. The road up to the palace was lined with onlookers. They roared, and threw wildflowers in the litter’s path. The crowd was still too loud for talking, but Ahmose took Tut’s hand and held it with both of her own, relieved to have him beside her again, apologetic for all her many wrongs. She hoped her touch said enough, for now.

***

As on the night of the Festival of Khonsu, Twosre had lit all the lights in the queen’s hall. The tall, slender woman bowed in the anteroom when Ahmose entered. “Is there anything you require, Lady?”

“
Some wine, I think. And a bath. I’ll need you to shave my head, as well.” She’d wanted to have it done before heading to the quay, but after hours of offering and singing in thanks, there had hardly been enough time to dress appropriately and ride from Ipet-Isut. She set her wig on a stand in her bedroom and tugged irritably at the long stubble on her head. It itched in the heat. Most unpleasant. Hard to believe she’d allowed her appearance to slide so far. Well, that was at an end now. Her husband was home, home, home! She would rejoice, and send up more prayers of gratitude. And tonight, she would bring Tut to her bed to give him her love, as she had done with Ineni.

She took her time bathing, then oiled her skin with the sweetest-spiciest scent Twosre could find. Her own hands running over the smoothness of her body excited her. It was hard to sit still while Twosre scraped away the hair on her scalp. When she looked proper once more, she dressed in the sheer blue gown and painted her face. She was just sliding a silver torque onto her arm when a sharp clap sounded outside her door. No woman’s hands ever sounded so strong, so ready. She waved Twosre to the door, then hissed after her, “Leave us once you’ve let him in!”

Tut was across the antechamber and through her bedroom door in a few eager strides. She took a step back, all unaware, surprised by his powerful, unfamiliar presence. It had been so long since she’d been alone with him, she’d forgotten how he could dominate a room just by entering it. Words were lost to her. She stared at him, unblinking.

“
You’ve changed. Again. You’re a lovely woman now, Ahmoset. It’s what I said on the water steps.”

“
I beg your pardon?”

“
When you couldn’t hear me. I said, ‘You look like a goddess.’”

Her face flushed. “I suppose I did look more like a child when you last saw me.”

His eyes fell from her face to her breasts, rounding out proud and firm beneath the bright gauze of her dress. He said nothing, just looked.

“
I’m eager to hear about your battles. In your last letter you said…” she struggled to recall what he’d said. Her thoughts were all white and dense, river fog. “You said…a fortress at Ugarit.”

“
That and more. I’ve made good with the people of Ugarit. A few have sent daughters for the harem. We’ll be trading with them now, and through Ugarit we have access to goods from…” He was still gazing at her breasts. “You’ve changed.”

“
You said that already.”

His eyes met hers again. Then he was across the room, and she was in his arms so fast her breath caught. He kissed her; his mouth tasted of barley. She pushed her tongue into his mouth and flicked it past his teeth, as Ineni had done to her. Tut groaned. His hands were rough, urgent on her back and hips. She pushed away from him and went to her bed, started to undo the knots of her dress.

“
Wait,” he said.

Her hands fell, uncertain, at her sides.

“
I didn’t intend to come here and do this. I thought you’d still be too shy.”

“
What did you intend, then? I thought after so long away you’d want to do this.”

“
I do. I do. But we need to sort out a few messes first, Ahmoset.” His voice was gentle, but the words pricked her with fear.
What does he know?

“
This business of spending all your nights at the temple. It’s not maat.”

“
But I can’t stay here with Mutnofret, Tut. I am here for court every day. Isn’t that enough? Mutnofret is wicked. She threatened me recently.”

“
Threatened you? With what?”

“
She threatened to…to hurt me.” It was true, in a sense. She crossed her arms over her half-bared breasts, as if to hold back the rest of the story – the rest of what Mutnofret knew.

“
The floods, Ahmose. Something in my kingdom is not maat, and your spending so much time at the temple is the only thing that’s changed.”

“
Mutnofret
is not maat. The gods never wanted her to be queen. They gave it to me. She’s a danger in the palace, Tut.”

“
I’m not so sure about that.”

“
Has Mutnofret been telling you not to listen to me? She would. She’s been awful,
awful
since you’ve been gone. You were with her the whole past hour, weren’t you?”

“
What of it?”

“
And I your Great Royal Wife!”

“
Don’t you start with this, too.” He threw up his hands. “I don’t know why any man would have more than one wife. At least the harem women stay out from under my wig.”

“
She’s mad, Tut! She’s mad with jealousy. She wants to destroy me. She hates that I’m the Great Royal Wife; she’ll do anything to bring me down.” Like a struck spark, a solution flashed in her head. She said it before she could think. “Divorce her! Set her aside!”

“
What?”

“
She’s dangerous, Tut, I tell you! She’ll tear us apart if she can.”

“
Stop it. You sound like a petulant child.”

Ahmose pulled back, stung as if he’d slapped her.

“
All those nights in the temple haven’t been good for you, I think.” His chest stirred under his golden pectoral, the jeweled Eyes of Horus staring at her in rebuke. He was breathing heavily, and his gaze was hard and cold. At last he said, “This business with the Temple has allowed you to separate yourself from your sister too far. We’re a family, Ahmose. The royal family. We must be together, as one being, as one body.”

“
I can never be as one with her.” Tears came to her eyes. So easily.
Like a child
. She swiped at them, angry and ashamed.

“
You will be. Your husband requires it. Your king requires it. You will move back here to your apartments, day
and
night, and you will be a dutiful wife.”

“
I am the God’s Wife.”

Tut was silent. He turned away from her. Her lips trembled; she looked at his back, at the space between them, and felt defeated.

“
I won’t accuse you of lying,” he said. “I won’t accuse you of stealing. I won’t believe such terrible things about my wife. My god-chosen wife. I don’t know the truth of what’s happened, but I know what I will and will not believe.”

Ahmose could say nothing. She hugged herself tighter.

“
Move back to the palace,” he said. “Mutnofret will attend court again. And you will sit beside her, and be at peace with her. I won’t have my wife making such a fool of herself.”

Ahmose choked on a lump in her throat. It was half sob, half scream of rage. It fought to come out, and all it made was a weak coughing sound.

Tut turned and looked at her. “You’ve made poor choices, Ahmose. You’re young. I know what it’s like to be young and to have power. I wasn’t much older than you when I led my first troop into battle. I know. I know the trouble we can get ourselves into, when we’re young.”

The forgiveness in his voice was too much to bear. She needed no forgiveness; she was the God’s Wife. She deserved no forgiveness; she was wicked.

“
You need guidance. You need a husband to help you see which choices you should make.”

“
So I must leave my praying, and spend all my nights here, alone in my bed while you lie with Mutnofret. And what will the people think of me? What reason will we give them for my abandoning my duties at the temple?”

“
I’m sure that clever steward of yours can think of a reason. Why don’t you ask Ineni?” Tut bit the name off sharp. Ahmose glanced at his face, then away again. A slick, treacherous silence fell between them. When Tut spoke again, his voice was light, as if what he said was of no consequence. “Incidentally, Ineni has asked to be released from service. He’s off to become an architect. I expect we won’t be seeing him around Waset anymore. A shame. He’s a bright lad.”

Ahmose stilled her face. She stilled her heart. What he said was of no consequence. “I wish him well,” she said, as if it didn’t matter at all. Then she saw Mutnofret’s sly smile again, her crackling eyes at the Festival of Khonsu, Sitamun whispering in her ear. She couldn’t. She couldn’t do it. She could not give up what little power she had over Mutnofret. Her life would be a constant misery. “You must leave Mutnofret, Tut. Send her away. Please.”

“
I won’t hear that kind of talk anymore, Ahmose.” His voice was powerful, commanding. It was the voice of a general, the voice of a king. Ahmose shrank. “Mutnofret is the mother of my sons and my wife. It is your duty to find a way to live with her peacefully.”