Pharaoh's Desire (25 page)

“Is there some trouble?” Nadesh asked.

 
“The soldiers have been inquiring about the Pharaoh. They are asking about a victory feast.”

“There will be no feast for now. Tell the men he is still recovering from his wounds.”

Baal crossed his muscled arms over his chest. “I can only tell that lie for so long.”

“It’s not a lie!” Nadesh hissed. “He
is
recovering.”

Baal appeared unaffected by his tone. “There are people who want to see him. It is unusual for him not to make an appearance, especially after winning a battle.”

“No.” Nadesh shook his head. “No one can see him except his advisors and his doctor.”

“And what of Kama? She has been here twice.”

Nadesh felt spasms of disgust bubbling in his stomach. He had been convinced that Kama was some passing fascination for Amonmose. With her exotic looks and bold tongue, it was easy for a man to be curious about her
talents.
In the past, he’d taken delicate matters like this into his own hands, and this time would be no different. He glared at Baal. “If you cannot shield him from these curious idiots, I shall find someone who can. No one is to see him—especially Kama!”

From his hiding place, Latmay watched Nadesh walk away. He had been approaching Amonmose’s room when he overheard Nadesh talking with Baal. The grand vizier’s voice was thick with anger, so Latmay had slipped into a small alcove in the hallway and listened, troubled by what he heard. Did the advisors truly think they could keep Amonmose ensconced from everyone? There was more going on than concern for the welfare of the Pharaoh. The question was whether Amonmose regain his memory before he lost the very kingdom he’d built.

“He doesn’t want me anymore.”

“Have you taken leave of your senses? Why would you say such a thing?”

“He’s been back for two days,” Kama told her mother. “Dyzet told me all of the soldiers have returned. Yet, each time I go to his chambers, I am told that he is not receiving visitors.”

“Whose words are these?” Mutema demanded.

“His own bodyguard. Baal takes his orders directly from Amonmose.” Kama sat on the bed in the room that used to be hers, wringing her hands in her lap. “What have I done to displease him?”

Mutema sat beside her, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulder. “Daughter…” She held her in her motherly embrace and rocked her softly. “Surely, there must be some misunderstanding. You and I will go there, and we shall get to the bottom of this.”

Kama held back her tears. “He has given orders that he will not see anyone. If he will not see me, he certainly will not see you.”

“Perhaps it is quite the contrary,” Mutema said. “He may be injured from battle and cannot stand the thought of you seeing him in such a condition.”

“But I love him! I do not care if he’s wounded.”

“You may not care, but perhaps he does. Remember, a Pharaoh must be strong. His people must believe in him. He is accustomed to presenting himself as a superior being. He cannot appear before anyone in a weakened state, including you.”

Kama let the impact of her mother’s words sink in. She spoke softly and lifted her chin from her mother’s shoulder. “Do you really think this the reason he will not see me?”

“Yes,” Mutema said. “And I can prove it.” She kissed Kama on the forehead and headed for the door. “I am going to his chambers this moment. When I return, I shall have good news for you. You will see.”

Kama nodded and gave her mother a lopsided, half-hearted smile. She had seen her mother overcome some amazing obstacles. If anyone could make things right, she could.

Mutema did not return with good news. Like Kama, she had been turned away at the doors to Amonmose’s room.

“I told you!” Kama burst into tears. “Amonmose has grown weary of me.
 
There can be no other explanation.”
 
Sorrow sliced into her flesh, and she clutched her chest, suddenly gasping for air.

“Kama!” Mutema ran to her side.

“I…I cannot…breathe,” she panted.

“Sit,” her mother said. “You must remain calm.”

“How? How...can I? …lost.”

“Ssh…you are not lost. You are heartbroken, but you are not lost.”

Kama let her mother hold her and rub her back. When she was a little girl her mother would hold her like this and make all the evil go away. She wished her mother could do the same now. “I do not want to hear riddles, mother. Speak plainly and tell me, what have I done to deserve this?”

“I cannot answer that,” Mutema said truthfully. “I can only tell you that often things that are not clear to us in the beginning will be revealed in time.”

Kama wiped her eyes with the heels of her hands. “This…this is my punishment for falling in love. I never should have, and as long as I live, I swear I never will again.”

Mutema offered no words of encouragement this time. She merely held her daughter and rocked her as Kama cried herself to sleep.

Days later, Amonmose had fallen asleep fighting his own demons. The first time she came into his dreams, she was dressed in a torn, white linen sheath. The wind whipped her long hair wildly about her. She was beautiful, and every inch of her magnificent body inflamed his desire. But the feeling was not mutual; her tone was venomous.

“I am slave to no master!”
she yelled.

He saw the fire in her eyes, and it only made him want her more. He wanted to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. Then, as suddenly as she appeared, she was gone.

The next night, she came again. She crept into his dreams like a fine mist. She was riding with him in a litter, close enough to touch. Her dark skin was smooth like butter. Her black eyes shined like stars. This time when she spoke, she was not cruel, but she was still determined.

“Animals intrigue you. Exotic cities intrigue you. War intrigues you. Sire, I am not some pet or oddity to be kept caged for your pleasure. I am just a woman, a simple woman who begs leave to go home.”

He could see the quiet fear reflected on her face, yet still she fought against him. When he reached for her, she disappeared.

His latest dream was the sweetest of all. He was surrounded by a field of fragrant flowers. The cool night air tiptoed across his body, but it did nothing to calm the fire raging within him. Suddenly, the beautiful woman was lying beneath him, arching her hips against his. Her eyes were wide with desire.

“Your body is perfect from head to toe. You are everything a man should be. Now, make love to me.”

She freely offered herself to him, and he willfully took, asking no questions. He made love to her and satisfied them both, over and over. When he awoke, he reached for the warm body that surely lay next to his. But he was alone, and it was only a dream after all. It had seemed so real.
She
had seemed so real. Their feelings for each other had been undeniable. It was more than pure lust.

After that, Amonmose was unable to sleep. He got out of bed and walked to the mirror in his room. The face that stared back at him offered no clues. He had so many questions that no one could answer.

He went to the open window to get some fresh air and looked down at the garden below. This oasis was one of the few pleasures he had right now. The colors soothed him. The smell of the flowers drifting up to his window relaxed him.

His eyes scanned his colorful paradise, and he breathed in the fragrance of the exotic blooms. His eyes flitted over the treetops and past the bushes to the dense field of daffodils. A soft breeze whispered through the foliage, making the leaves move and take on strange shapes.

Then he noticed something out of place. The full moon illuminated a figure in the distance. His heartbeat quickened.
It was a woman
. He strained his eyes to see more clearly, but all he could make out was her long, white dress. He stood motionless, staring at her back.

Then she turned, and he could see her heart-shaped face. Her dark, mournful eyes stared into the distance. His breath caught in his throat. It was
her
—the enchantress from his dreams!

Amonmose rubbed his eyes and forced himself to think clearly. Obviously, he was still dreaming. He rushed to the washstand and splashed his face with water. He pinched himself, and the sharp pain told him he was wide awake.

He hurried back to the window, scanning the garden below, but she was gone. He shook his head. He must be suffering from delusions. There was nothing out there but the plants. He watched for a few moments as the wind blew a delicate breath through the canopy of trees.
That was it
. The wind had bewitched him into thinking he saw something that was not there.His heart slowed. All a mirage. He crawled back into bed and lay, waiting patiently for morning.

Kama walked slowly through the garden. She’d tried to sleep, but only a few hours after crying on Mutema’s shoulder, she found herself wide awake again. She’d left her chambers quietly and wandered the silent halls of the palace. Her steps had no purpose, and her feet somehow carried her to the garden.

It was a mistake.

Everything reminded her of Amonmose. She passed a tree laden with blue lotus flowers. That was the very spot where they’d shared a passionate kiss. It was a kiss to rival all kisses. The heat of it melted her to the core. Before that moment, she never knew a man could make a woman feel that way.

Walking on, she came to the field of yellow chrysanthemums. This was where Amonmose had professed his love for her with a smoldering look in his amber eyes. She remembered how her heart felt so full that day she thought it would burst.

She stopped when she came to a shallow pool of water surrounded by wildflowers. They had made passionate love next to this pond. He branded her with hot kisses and claimed her as his own. She would never know that sensation again.

Kama hung her head, fighting the tears of bittersweet memories. Why had the gods cursed her so? What had she done to warrant such punishment? She’d given everything she could give, and he’d cast her aside like a beggar’s rags. She’d thought she meant more to him. Obviously, she was wrong.

Kama shivered with the sudden sensation of being watched. She turned in a small circle, but all she heard was the faint wind ruffling the trees. She paused, and then remembered that Amonmose could see the garden from his window. Surely he was there, watching her. She looked up, prepared to meet him eye to eye. One look at her face, and he would know that she still loved him.