The Prince of Nubia Read online

  Chapter Fifteen

  Neti slowly became aware of her surroundings. There was a softness that cushioned her body and the worst of the pain had dissipated. She felt thirsty, unbelievably thirsty, like she had not drunk anything for several days. She shifted, the comfort she experienced was not contrived by her mind, but a reality. She took in a deep breath. There was a mixture of scents around her, but none of the sharp staleness she had known before.

  Opening her eyes, she quickly clamped them shut again, the amount of light was stinging and burning her eyes. They started to water in response. The tears stung her skin and she made to wipe them from her skin, only belatedly realizing that she had been bound again, she could feel the restraints around her wrists. Yet there was no stinging, restricting sensation, and she moved her hand under the fabric that covered her, it was only then that she realized it was soft, and it smelled clean.

  She again slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times to accustom them to the light, bringing her hand up, noticing the clean, white bandage that had had been bound around it. She shifted, but before she could make another move, a face appeared before her, a Nubian face, slightly familiar and smiling like it was happy to see her.

  It went away just as suddenly and reappeared several moments later, this time with a cup, holding it to her lips. Neti hesitantly swallowed, her thirst getting the better of her. She reasoned that if someone had taken the trouble to bind her raw wrists that they were unlikely to try and poison her. She took a larger sip finally, registering the contents to be water and something else, possibly fruit juice of some sort, but it was difficult to determine.

  She tried to move again, but the voice instructed her to lie still, to rest, in her own language, which further confused Neti. However, she soon found her eyes growing heavy, it was seemingly impossible to keep them open. Her body again grew heavy as she felt tired, so very tired, and tried to think what was in the water. The darkness rose to meet her.

  ~~~

  There were voices, although she had no intention of coming back, her mind flitted over memories—ones of Moses arriving, finding her, the jarring as the scenery passed—clouds in the sky, waking in a strange room, yet it felt familiar. Every time she woke, she found herself in the same room, the same softness cushioning her body, the same smiling face that gave her more water. The light in the room changed every time, her body less sore

  She opened her eyes and looked at the roof. It seemed familiar but somehow out of place. She had no idea how she came to be lying there. She was certain it was a dream, one where she was powerless to do something. Neti had heard of such dreams, the dreams those who were going to die had. Drams that put one in a place where they wanted to be, a place where one was happy, safe. Yet she could not understand what had brought her here.

  She with all too familiarity remembered the feeling, emotions, and uncertainties she had felt on leaving this room. It brought back all the hurt, the heartache, the confusion, and the desolation she had felt. She wished herself from there, if they brought her back only to taunt her in such a manner, they might as well have left her to die. The sheet on her felt weightless, and movement became easier, the piercing, stabbing sensation she had experienced in her stomach region had also dissipated, and instead of thirst, she felt hunger.

  Again the face appeared. Her tongue seemed thick, swollen, clumsy, and she shook her head when the woman raised the beaker to her

  “Hungry,” she managed to say, wondering if the woman understood her, however, she seemed to because she disappeared. Neti could hear her bare feet padding on the ground. She spoke in some foreign tongue. Neti turned onto her back, her muscles at first resisting the movement, but finally shifting. She closed her eyes, having received confirmation enough as to her whereabouts.

  She heard a door scrape and the hurried footsteps of someone. She prepared herself to see him, not knowing what she would say to him only to feel a hand land on her forehead.

  Her eyes shot open in response to see a man she did not recognize. Her eyes quickly moved over him registering the colors of a healer and she immediately relaxed.

  The man checked her over before saying something to the woman who had been tending her. The woman nodded and turned from there.

  The man moved to sit on a stool, which had been placed next to her divan.

  “You had us all concerned,” he calmly stated.

  Neti did not want him to elaborate on who he meant. Her tongue also still felt too swollen to talk.

  “You have been here nearly a seventh day. They were told that we would notify them if you said anything. Requesting food is good, but I’m afraid I can only allow you beer and meat sauce until your body has regained the ability to process food.”

  Neti just nodded.

  “There are several people who wish to see you, although you are still weak, so I will let you eat first, and rest some more. It will not hurt them to wait a little longer.”

  Neti again nodded. The man reached out to her, patting her hand, “You will soon be better and back on your feet.”

  The woman reappeared with a beaker of mead and helped her to drink some, it was grainier than she was used to and swallowing at first was difficult. She had only half of it and indicated that it was enough, her stomach churning at the contents, although she managed to keep it down. She was encouraged to lie down again, only belatedly realizing she was clean and had a clean slip on.

  “You?” she asked the woman, pointing to the slip. The woman nodded. “Thank you.”

  “You should rest, the healer will speak to the others, they will want to see you.”

  Neti shook her head not really feeling up to seeing anyone.

  “He will not let them all come at once, you are not strong enough for that.”

  Her response puzzled Neti, because the only one who could want to see her she did not want to see, and she felt her body grow weary. She closed her eyes welcoming sleep.

  ~~~

  Neti could hear the murmur of voices, low, stilted, in the distance. If she listened carefully she could make out those of Shabaka, Moses, and another person. She felt her forehead furrow, as she could not remember Moses traveling to Sylene.

  She shifted in the bed and the young woman tending her again appeared. She smiled and looked toward the others, saying something in her own tongue.

  Moments later Moses and Shabaka appeared in her vision. She avoided looking at Shabaka and instead focused on Moses, who smiled warmly at her, looking his usual unkempt self. He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it, “For a moment there, we thought you were going to take your place with the gods.”

  Neti smiled back at him, “And leave Yani to you?” She said, her voice hoarse.

  She knew she could not indefinitely avoid looking at Shabaka. And so she gradually shifted her gaze to him. He maintained a distance between them, the ease of their past interaction, missing. He looked older somehow, especially his eyes. They had always spoken for him in the past, and she did not like what she saw in them. She smiled weakly at him, not knowing what to say. She had no idea if he was married, as she had lost track of time. With Moses being here, a considerable number of days must have passed.

  She noticed the still-healing scar on Shabaka’s face, just above his eye and another on his shoulder, and was tempted to josh him about getting into trouble, but for some reason it felt wrong, like she had no right to. It felt almost as if he had seen and experienced something he should not have, that he had not been ready to. Her mind stalled for several moments, turning over what little she knew, but she came to the conclusion that they must have discovered who had held her captive. She looked toward Moses, because it seemed easier to ask him. “Rameke?” her voice was still weak, unused.

  “You come back from the dead and you ask about Rameke,” Moses mocked her. She noticed how Shabaka grew tense at the mention of the man’s name.

  Neti tried to nod, needing to know where he was, if they had captured him. She finally gave up t
rying to make her body comply with her requests, it tired her, and asked, “Where?”

  “He is in the detention chambers. We will be taking him to the pharaoh as soon as you are recovered enough to travel,” Moses calmly replied, his tone honest but considerate.

  “Charge?” Neti finally managed to say, needing to know if they had discovered everything about him, or if he was just being charged with kidnapping her.

  “They are still mounting,” Moses said, shaking his head, “It seems you unintentionally got yourself captured by the mastermind of Nubia’s crime circles. It appears he had something on everyone with influence. And he had interests in everything from desert raids to slave trade. The medjay are still following up and arresting people,” Moses said.

  “My capture wasn’t planned,” Neti flatly stated.

  “I know,” Moses said, “and from what we have determined, it appears that his desire to avenge his mother was the reason behind it. He wanted the person behind it.”

  “Aya,” Neti said, but refused to meet Shabaka’s eyes.

  Moses nodded, “I don’t know what went wrong with the supposed exchange. I think his focus shifted to hurting Shabaka in the end, since his father entrusted him with Aya.”

  Neti felt a tightening around her heart and nodded in response.

  “From what we have determined he had intended to leave you for dead, while attending to matters outside Sylene after the festival.”

  Neti closed her eyes and nodded, asking, “And my guard who was killed in the desert?”

  “He is receiving a proper burial,” Shabaka said, speaking for the first time, causing Neti to look at him and incline her head just an increment.

  “Garagh?” She asked, her eyes moving back to Moses, hoping he would provide an honest answer.

  “That fool nearly killed you!” Shabaka harshly exclaimed, causing Moses to turn to him and fix him with a firm glare.”

  Neti made to sit up, but was prevented by the nurse who pushed against her shoulders, saying “Not yet, you might be sick again.”

  She lay back, but angrily said, “He saved my life!”

  “Saved your life? No! More likely, he intended to end it!” Shabaka angrily threw back.

  Neti clenched her fists, “You were not there! So how would you know?”

  Shabaka hesitated for a moment before replying, “Yes, I know I was not there, but I can see the results, they speak for themselves.”

  “So you claim,” Neti challenged.

  “So I know. The healers here have had to undo his handy work,” Shabaka retorted.

  “She doesn’t know,” Moses said trying for reason.

  “Don’t know what?” Neti demanded.

  “Just leave it,” Moses said, visibly trying to calm the stalemate between Neti and Shabaka.

  “Garagh has medical training, he treated me after the desert, and he made sure they fed me.”

  Shabaka made to retort but fell silent when Moses instead spoke, “That explains a lot.”

  His comment earned him a glare from Neti, before she asked, “What is going to happen to him?”

  “He will be punished along with the others,” Shabaka deadpanned.

  “No! You can’t!”

  “I can, and I will,” Shabaka firmly stated. “If he had any interest in saving you, he would have let us know where to find you. But he chose not to, he chose to remain loyal to Rameke about doing the supposed right thing, and it nearly killed you.”

  “Rameke had something on him,” Neti flung back, suddenly coughing.

  The woman looking after her said something in their tongue and indicated toward the door.

  Shabaka looked at her, dropping his tone. “Rameke has something on a lot of people, but he had a choice.”

  Moses tugged Shabaka on his arm, “Let her rest, it is not good to upset her.”

  Neti laid back and thanked the woman, before again closing her eyes.

  ~~~

  The next time she awoke, Hassim and his mother were in attendance, the young man again looked taller than the last time she had seen him, and she was thankful for the woman’s company. Hassim told her of all the happenings in the palace, and that everyone was there. Neti was thankful for his exuberance; it was infectious in a way.

  Moses came to see her, without Shabaka, stating he had matters to tend to. Neti left it at that, allowing Moses to discuss their return to Thebes and his impatience at getting back.

  “We will return in time for the Opet festival, which means Ramesses will be in Thebes, so we don’t have to go to the palace.”

  “I would think you would enjoy going to the palace,” Neti teased him.

  “I used to, I like Thebes more now.”

  “I dare say Yani has something to do with it.”

  “True,” Moses admitted, smiling warmly.

  “It will be my sister’s child’s first Opet. I look forward to sharing it with her.” They had an unspoken agreement not to mention Shabaka, but Neti knew it was hard for Moses at times, especially since he had to know of the impending marriage.

  ~~~

  Neti eventually managed to move about the chamber at her own pace, however refrained from leaving it, her strength was not as she would have wished it to be, neither did it return fast enough to suit her.

  There was a knock on the door and her attendant went to open it, bowing low while addressing the woman. Neti looked at her. She seemed familiar, but at the same time remained completely unknown to her. The woman entered her chambers, her elegant movements were like those of a graceful antelope, and they made Neti even more aware of her clumsy attempts.

  The woman looked at Neti for several moments before she spoke, introducing herself. “I am Queen Amarna, Shabaka’s mother. I fear that if I were to wait for Shabaka to introduce us, you would be leaving before he did so.”

  Neti looked at her, not knowing what to say to the woman,

  “I can see you are shocked. Perhaps we should talk, as I have been longing to meet you. I have heard so much.”

  Neti gestured to the pillows at one end of the room, and they moved to sit. Having just made themselves comfortable, the queen addressed her attendant in her own language. The woman nodded and left.

  “That is better,” the queen said, turning to Neti. “Servants need not always know what is discussed.”

  Neti just nodded in response.

  “You are more silent than I was led to believe. Although a lot of what I’ve heard is true.”

  “Such as?” Neti said, finally finding her voice.

  “That you are small in stature,” the queen said, smiling, “You are at least a head shorter than Shabaka. And at the moment, you are quite frail-looking. Although I have been warned that you have a quick mind, and a mouth that speaks it.”

  Neti’s brow furrowed at that, “Who told you such things?”

  “Maathorneferure said that you are a great ally to have. And as much as I value her friendship, I was starting to wonder of your actual existence. You always seemed to elude us. Even when it appeared that our paths were to cross.”

  “I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you mean.”

  “That is because, unlike others, you focus on what needs to be done, not pressing to extend social formalities. That is possibly why you and Shabaka work so well together. He has never cared much for them either.” At the mention of Shabaka’s name, Neti visibly swallowed. The queen continued, “I had not seen him for some time, and when we arrived here, I could see he had lost something of great worth to him.”

  Neti’s eyes distended, “Oh, no, not one of his brothers.”

  “Your concern for them is also noted, but we returned after your disappearance. He felt it keenly”

  Neti did not think of her response as she said, “As much as I felt his.” Only belatedly realizing what she had said, she amended it, “We have always worked well together.”

  Neti’s reply and the correction caused the queen to look at her, questioningly, “I do not know
of what you speak, or what you attempted to correct, but I can see when my son is drifting. And he is, at the moment. He knows not what to do.”

  Neti shook her head, “There is little I can do. He has not spoken to me.”

  The queen nodded, “That is because he holds himself responsible for what happened to you. You and the work he does with you are of great importance to him. He has found his place in the world and he has grown since being sent to Thebes. I believe I have you to thank for that.”

  Neti nodded, “We only did as the pharaoh requested.”

  “I was told you were modest. Your honesty is refreshing, as it is sometimes difficult to trust those around me.”

  Neti again nodded.

  “You are welcome in our home, as a friend, as a companion, and as an equal to my son. You are also welcomed as a friend to our kingdom. You have done us a great service, and we thank you for that.

  “I have done no such thing.”

  “You might not have been as directly a part of it as you wished. But as Shabaka has informed me, you often point him in the right direction.”

  Neti nodded, not knowing what to say.

  The queen stood, “I do not have as much time to spend with you as I would like. There are several arrangements that still require my attention.”

  “The royal wedding?” Neti asked, since no one had seemed willing to tell her anything

  The queen looked at her, questioningly for a moment. “There is no royal wedding being arranged, unless you know of something I do not.”

  “Aya,” Neti hesitantly said.

  “No one has told you?” the queen questioned.

  “Sometimes I think no one ever tells me anything.”

  “With the cases building against Rameke, the king annulled all the inheritance and claims. With that a young trader came to claim Aya. Shabaka is to return to Thebes with you and Moses.”