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alottanothing · 4 years ago

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Left to Ruin: Chapter Nine

Summary: Ahkmenrah gathers medicines for Nouke’s mother. Kahmunrah is suspicious. The pharaoh and his friend explore Waset and find that time has only made their bond stronger. Ahk breaks a promise.

Previous Chapters

Word Count: 7478

Warnings: a tad angsty at the very end.

Tag List: @xmxisxforxmaybe, @r-ahh-mi, @theultraviolencefan, @hah0106, @rami-malek-trash, @diasimar, @sherlollydramoine, @flipper-kisses, @ivy-miranda-2390, @txmel, @sunkissedmikky, @concentratedsassandcandy, @babyalienfairy, @edteche2 (Let me know if I missed you, or if you would like to be added to the tag list)

A/N: Here’s another of my favorite chapters! I hope you enjoy it too. I was so pleased to see your responses to the last chapter, since it too is one of my favorite of this story. Your comments and gifs and overall reactions to this story bring me loads of happiness and a bunch of motivation, so thank you! Once again as a disclaimer, I am not an ancient Egyptian expert and google only knows so much. So yeah, I took so historical liberties while writing this to make my life easier, but tried to keep it as “authentic” as possible

Sleep was an elusive campaign the night the pharaoh saw his friend again. Seeing Nouke after so many years apart sparked latent sentiments into flames that were once nothing more than glowing embers of foolish longing. His body and mind were awake with a fervor that kept him tossing in his bed, and when a modicum of rest did attempt to take him, it failed to linger. Restless thoughts occupied his mind with questions gone unspoken—craving answers his heart yearned to hold. His better judgment kept them in his mind where they could dwell until the circumstances of their unforeseen reunion were resolved.

As he laid in the darkness of his chamber listening to the sounds of insects beyond his balcony with a smile on his lips, Ahk found it difficult to stifle a slight pang of guilt. His joy seemed wrong, in that it was out of Nouke’s misfortune that saw fit to bring their paths together once more. There were so many obstacles standing before them, duties to be done, roles to be played, and yet, for Ahkmenrah, none of them mattered. He would jump a thousand hurtles if doing so meant Nouke could be at his side.

She had reminded him of the impassioned tingle of true happiness her presence always lent and he wanted to hold onto it forever. Still, he found it cruel the gods saw fit to bring them together at long last out of desperation and sickness instead of the love he’d always held for her—more obstacles to face, he thought.

The warm fluttering of his heart brought to mind the most important answer he yearned for: did she share the love he felt? Or was it too late for them? Too much time lost, too many barriers separating their fated trajectory?

Ahkmenrah hoped not.

Life had been far kinder to him than most, thus it only seemed entirely too plausible for the gods to deny him the one thing he sorely wanted. The gods were as cruel as they were kind, and they had been plenty kind.

By dawn, Ahkmenrah adorned his usual raiment, the only evidence of his sleepless night the noticeable discoloration under his eyes. The eagerness pulsing through his body culminated raw stamina and it lit a fire under him that helped see him through his duties as fast as he could.

He skipped breakfast to spend the majority of the morning in the healer's temple: a wing of the palace a good walk from his own chamber. Ahk spoke with his high priest, Tak-Sharu, listing all the details Nouke left with him about her mother’s ailment.

“You look tired, my king. These symptoms you bring—”

“They are not mine; I assure you,” Ahk told him kindly, noting the lines of concern on his face.

Tak-Sharu matched the pharaoh’s kind expression and let out a sigh of relief.

“If I may speak freely?”

“Of course,” Ahkmenrah nodded.

“My skills would be better used if the afflicted were to come to me. I could more accurately suggest curatives."

Ahk agreed, wishing there was a way around the secrecy.

“Perhapse in time, my friend. For now, I ask you do your best with what I have provided,” the pharaoh said.

Tak-Sharu bowed his head with his understanding, “Check back come the days end. I should have the remedies you require prepared.”

“Thank you,” Ahk said.

“An honor, my pharaoh.”

***

The fiery impatience saw the pharaoh through most of his duties that day, the most arduous of which was meeting subjects in the throne room. Usually, he enjoyed meeting with his people. Being able to help them in some way was always his favorite part of his duty, but after a couple dozen, Ahk was certain the queue of civilians would never end. He fidgeted and sighed much too often for his restlessness to go unnoticed, still, he did his best to listen despite every thought in his head bursting with musings of his friend from the garden.

By the time he met with his advisors, Ahk's patience was running thin.

“Is everything alright, my king?” Merenkahre asked when the pharaoh spent the first half of the council meeting uttering nothing but a few approving or disapproving grunts.

Ahk didn’t respond, over-focusing on trying to focus.

“Ahkmenrah.” His father tired again with a stern tone.

Ahk blinked out of overzealous focus and turned.

“Father?”

“Where is your head?”

With Nouke, he thought.

Ahkmenrah sat up straighter and mustered a halfhearted smile to set the council at ease.

“Forgive my distraction—sleep eluded me last night. I long for some rest.”

The fib worked on everyone but Kahmunrah. His brother’s narrowed eye glare was heavy with suspicion across the table, and Ahk elected to ignore it. Kah loved to pick fights, and the pharaoh could almost guarantee his older brother would find an excuse to interrogate him as to why sleep never came. Ahk rolled his eyes and sighed preparing himself for when that moment came.

“In that case,” Meren said. “You may be excused from this meeting--a pharaoh’s mind must be sharp. Go. I pray you find rest.”

Ahk stood too swiftly, sending balls of light to twinkle in his vision, and left the council chamber uttering a too quick thank you over his shoulder.

The pharaoh took his supper with his sister and Satauhotep, as was their usual routine, giving the couple an inkling of a normal relationship. As always, Ahkmenrah spent the meal quietly envying their level of intimacy; every poetic glance and tender touch—even a shared chuckle—Ahkmenrah longed to share with Nouke. Especially then, with her suddenly back in his life.

The queen and her lover were much too preoccupied with one another to pay the pharaoh’s restlessness any mind. Ahk finished quickly and instructed Kamuzu to stay with them and to meet back in his chamber once they finished.

“Where are you going?” Setshepsut asked, finally noting the urgency radiating from her brother.

“I have errands to see to,” Ahk told her vaguely. “Enjoy your dinner.”

He left them with a quick smile and made his leave, headed for the healer's temple.

Ahkmenrah was glad for the long trek to the far wing of the palace were the priests concocted their medicines. The journey gave him a chance to release a portion of the pent-up energy flowing through him like the steady current of the Nile. The day was close to its end—his duties fulfilled, and he could finally let his excitement blossom. Every step he took was more buoyant, his golden robes whipping behind him whimsically as his smile stretched tighter across his face.

That glint of elation faded the moment Kahmunrah came into his sight; a frown quickly twisted onto his lips.

A large part of the pharaoh was angry with his brother for what he had done to Nouke and her family. Kahmunrah was to blame for much of Ahk's inner turmoil. Nouke was the cornerstone of his happiness, and his brother chose to rip it away by banishing her family. There was something about it that did not sit well with the pharaoh, the knots in his stomach writhed with suspicion. Kah was not above playing underhandedly; in fact, he excelled at such things. Removing Nouke was surely a purposeful gambit to steal away a little of Ahk's happiness, just as Ahk had stolen Kah's happiness upon being born. Nevertheless, Ahkmenrah smothered his irritation; it was best to keep Kah as far out of the loop as possible and far out of his mind as possible.

Although, Kahmunrah had a tendency to rear his smug face where he was not welcome.

Ahkmenrah's brother made stifling anger difficult, never more so then when he deliberately stood to block the pharaoh’s path. And for a second, Ahk considered shoving past him. By rights as pharaoh, he could have pushed his brother to the ground with little, to no consequence, but Kahmunrah was taller, broader built, and muscular from his time spent as a soldier. Ahk was lean and fit, but almost a whole head shorter. In truth, Kah was properly built to rule, and while Ahkmenrah would never admit it, Kahmunrah's physique always intimidated him to some degree.

Instinctively, Ahkmenrah gathered himself to his full height and puffed out his chest to appear larger; Kahmunrah was grossly unfazed.

“Are you ill, baby brother?” Kah’s brow creased with mock concern.

Ahkmenrah narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. He knew his brother was itching for a spat, but the pharaoh was not in the mood to argue.

“What do you want, Kahmunrah?”

A look of feigned hurt tugged at his arrogant features, and Ahk had to keep from rolling his eyes.

“I am only checking on the well-being of my only brother,” he said pragmatically. “My guards informed me you spent most of your morning consulting with the priests.”

Ahkmenrah knew better than to fall for Kahmunrah’s spurious compassion. He was fishing for a morsel of gossip to gnaw on, and Ahk was not going to give him anything.

“My business is my own. You will leave it at that, are we clear?” Ahk derived a certain pleasure out of watching Kah’s arrogance wither into annoyance, having gained nothing, prompting a slight smirk to settle on the pharaoh's lips.

“Of course, your majesty,” he quipped. “Your health was my only concern.”

“If that’s true, then I thank you for your sentiment, brother. Now step aside.”

Kahmunrah, bowed and made a show of stepping out of the way, gesturing with a swing of his arm for the pharaoh to proceed. He rolled his eyes and thanked his brother as he passed.

Ahk managed two full steps before Kah spoke again with his usual insolent tone, and Ahkmenrah stopped—his own annoyance stealing his amused smirk.

“I forgot to ask. What became of that thief my guards apprehended?”

“Frightened is more.” Ahk bit out harshly, recalling the look of fear in Nouke’s eyes when he’d happened upon their squabble.

The impassioned outburst aroused a delightfully suspicious glower to take shape on Kahmunrah’s brow as he searched the pharaoh’s expression. Ahk cursed himself and did his best to regain his composure in hopes to lessen the look on Kah’s face.

“I let her go.”

“Let her go?” Kahmunrah’s nose wrinkled, eyeing him with distrust and bafflement. His words fell from his lips as though the act was entirely too heinous to speak of.

“She was hungry,” Ahkmenrah lied before his brother could concoct his own reasoning. “I gave her a satchel of food and sent her on her way. She meant no harm.”

Kah’s face contorted into several expressions as he digested the pharaoh’s words before deciding to settle on one full of scrutiny.

“Forgive me, brother,” he began, sounding every bit displeased as he looked. “But do you think such charitable acts are wise? Now any ravenous street urchin brave enough to scale these walls will think they will be greeted with a meal and not punishment.”

“What good is it to be pharaoh if I cannot help my people?”Ahk challenged, unwilling to let his brother have the final word.

To his surprise, Kahmunrah had no snappy retort; his brother simply eyed him with the same heavy glower he usually did. Just once, Ahkmenrah wanted to have a conversation with Kah that didn’t feel like he had to prove his status as king. Perhaps one-day…

“I trust you will enjoy the rest of your evening,” Ahk bid him rather coldly, done with his brother’s irritation--his own beginning to bleed into his tone.

The pharaoh didn’t wait for Kah to reply and left without another word.

The tiff with his brother left Ahkmenrah with a soured mood. All he ever wanted for himself, and Kahmunrah was to be more like kin—Ahk wanted a real brother. Countless times as he was growing up, he had extended an Olive Branch for Kahmunrah to take hold of, but he never grasped it. The pharaoh feared Kah would only ever see him as a usurper—a child who had taken away from him all he ever wanted. Ahkmenrah didn’t want to dwell on how often his brother surely wished ill upon him; Kahmunrah was ruled by his bitterness and a love for cruelty. All Ahk could do was hope that one day he would no longer look upon Kahmunrah’s face and feel a deep abiding rage and regret. Until that day, every moment not spent in his brother's presence was a blessed one.

When Tak-Sharu greeted the pharaoh with many curatives gathered neatly in a leather satchel, his mood shifted back into the thrill he’d known before Kahmunrah upset him. There were a number of elixirs, ointments, and teas to help soothe what ailed Nouke’s mother, and the high priest took his time explaining each to Ahkmenrah in detail.

“I will be making more of these medicines to store on reserve for your friend, my pharaoh, should they need them,” Tak-Sharu said with a pleasant smile.

“Thank you,” Ahk beamed, situating the satchel over his shoulder. “The gods smile upon you this night. I pray you enjoy the rest of it.”

He bid the other priests and healers in the temple a pleasant evening and turned lithely on his heel to make his way to his chambers where Kamuzu would be waiting. The vibrancy was present in his stride once more as he walked through the corridors, his smile growing at the thought of seeing Nouke again soon. No-one stopped him—his brother the last thought on his mind—and when he made it into the privacy of his chamber, Ahk was visibly bubbling with excitement.

“Evening!” he told Kamuzu with nothing more than an errant wave and a grin.

He hastily made for a nearby table and began removing each medicine and bundle of herbs for tea to make sure they were all there, as though during his trip, one may have vanished. Ahk grinned at them all. Among the vials, was a tiny scroll of papyrus marked with a set of written instructions that Ahk read thoroughly to reacquaint himself with the information he’d been given only a short time ago.

Nouke risked so much coming to him that Ahk wanted to be sure everything was just as it should be. He did not want to mess up any more of his friend’s life—she had been through enough.

When he was confident he would remember every instruction, Ahkmenrah carefully repacked the medicines and the scroll. He exhaled deeply, throwing a hopeful glance at the sky beyond the balcony, finding the sun sinking below the horizon.

“We should make our way.”

As Ahkmenrah made his way towards the door, Kamuzu stopped in front of him, and the pharaoh had to fight to keep his irritation from twisting onto his face. Twice his steps had been interrupted, and he was tired of it.

Ahk met his Medjay protector with pursed lips and inquiry on his features. Kamuzu responded by handing him a neatly folded bundle of garments. The pharaoh’s puzzlement sank deeper as his eyes teetered from Kamuzu, to the garments, then back to Kamuzu.

“These are servant robes,’ Ahk stated feeling as though he was missing some important variable as to why they were just handed to him.

It was only then, Ahkmenrah took notice of Kamuzu’s attire. The Medjay’s usual fine garb of armor and linen was swapped for garments much like the ones he’d handed over.

“My king, you are known by your people dressed in gold and finery. It would be wise to draw as little attention to yourself as possible.”

“Oh…” Ahk’s mouth hung open as understanding consumed him.

Suddenly, he felt embarrassingly foolish for not considering the necessity of a disguise first. The last thing he needed was word traveling that the pharaoh was sneaking beyond the palace walls to reach the council’s ears.

“Of course,” Ahk nodded. “Thank you, my friend—wise thinking.”

He changed quickly, leaving all his fine attire folded neatly on a nearby table. The crown on his head he removed last, setting it along with the rest of his raiment and ran a hand through his hair to fluff it into place.

It was an odd feeling to be dressed so humbly: a simple white shendyt that fell to his knees and a robe with a hood to mask his face. He felt acutely naked without the weight of his golden belts and collars, but the weight of responsibilities seemed less crushing without them to remind him who he was. It was though the fate of Egypt lived only in the golden ornaments he wore.

“Better, my king.” Kamuzu bowed his head with a faint smile of approval.

“Let’s go,” Ahk grinned, gripping the satchel of medicines tight.

Despite the halls being mostly vacant due to the hour growing late, no one paid him or Kamuzu any attention—a notion that filled Ahk with a sense of thrill. Never before had he passed so many faces, servants, guards, or noblemen without having to bear witness to forced bows or timid praise. Everyone they passed never so much as looked at him.

The newly acquired anonymity thrilled him, and he found himself trying to quell a puckish grin by pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. For the first time, he truly felt like “Ahk” instead of the pharaoh Ahkmenrah.

The sky that greeted him when they came to the West Garden was a masterful work of painted hues, rich with reds and deep purples as the sun began to sink lower. The vivid display prompted a full, unabashed, and toothy smile to Ahk’s lips—the exuberance he felt mirrored in the heavens above him. The goddess Nut had indeed blessed his impending journey by painting the heavens so vividly

The pharaoh took a moment as he tread deeper into the garden of his youth to gaze in wonder at the fiery skies, silently thanking the gods for bringing Nouke back into his life—even if only for a short time. However long their paths would stay intertwined; Ahkmenrah would be grateful.

Before any more of the light was lost to the black of night, Ahk’s learned steps carried him to the break in the foliage that lead him to the passage through the wall. Every stone was in perfect order, but Ahkmenrah’s keen glance easily found the single brick placed slightly askew. His eyes stayed transfixed on that solitary block as he recalled every moment leading up to the one he was in: all the times in his youth passing through the secret garden wall to escape the toil of the path he’d been given. Every venture past those stones was done on a foolish whim; this time, it was a second chance. A chance to save someone and to bring back the part of him that he had not realized was missing.

The pharaoh’s heart was pounding at the thought of ruining that chance, and it wasn’t until Kamuzu cleared his throat that Ahk snapped back to reality. Time was working against them; his absence could only go unnoticed for so long, they needed to get to work. Even so, Ahkmenrah refused to let something as trivial as time steal away an ounce of the peace he found when he was with Nouke.

Be it out of the need to see his friend again, or the daunting persistence of time, Ahk began tearing bricks from the wall, one by one, until more stones fell away from the other side as Nouke came into his view. Time for the pharaoh stopped indefinitely when every muscle in his body froze at the sight of her. She continued, however, never surrendering her task until she caught his gawking.

“What?” she asked, confusion settling on her brow as she turned to look behind her. “What are you staring at?”

“Nothing,” Ahk blinked as heat rushed to tint his cheeks, his hands resuming their task.

“Is everything in that satchel, wait, wha—” Nouke’s words halted as Ahkmenrah and Kamuzu passed through the breach.

“What are you doing?” she tried again, glancing at both, her brows creased with puzzlement. “Why are you dressed like that?”

Ahk was too happy to see her to find words, instead, he pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck. It took her a moment to register his gesture but eventually, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed just as tightly.

“I’m so glad to see you again,” he finally said, finding his voice, speaking into her neck.

He inhaled the sun-drenched scent clinging to her: the smell of soil and smoke—warm and soft like desert sand. There was a sweetness too, a fragrant undertone that he knew to be hers alone. The coupling delighted his senses, and he inhaled again to fix it in his memory.

Time was irrelevant as he held Nouke in his arms, realizing how easy it would be to forsake his duty and run away into the unknown, forever, if she asked it of him.

When he finally found the will to surrender his hold, he found a smile in place of her confusion.

“I’m glad to see you too,” she reached out and touched the simple white linen of the hooded robe he wore. “Why are you dressed like this?”

Ahk glanced at his servant attire, his hand trailing down the fabric until he met hers and took it.

“This was Kamuzu’s idea.” He threw a smile to his Medjay protector. “He thought it best if we tried to blend in.”

A flash of inquiry colored Nouke’s features, but she found the answer before she could ask the question.

“You’re coming with me, then?”

Ahk’s closed-lipped smirk unfurled into a toothy smile.

“The high priest entrusted me with the knowledge of how to use these medicines. Let me teach you and your mother.”

A peculiar fearfulness drifted onto Nouke’s face that Ahk had difficulty placing. She moved a half step away and pulled her hand out of his, her eyes falling to look at the sand.

“That’s not necessary,” she insisted. “You’ve already helped more than you’ve needed to, and I’m profoundly grateful."

Ahk closed the space she’d put between them, and took both of her hands in his.

“Nouke?”

She looked at him then, eyes still shimmering with an uncertainty he didn’t understand.

“Please allow me to do this. Allow me to apologize to your mother for what my brother has done to your family.”

Her eyes never left his, and some of that curious worry faded as her dark eyes quickly smoldered into pools of amber.

“Okay,” she murmured with a nod, squeezing his hands.

Nouke led them with practiced steps along the banks of the Nile, through the harbor and into the city with only the light of twinkling stars and Khonsu’s silver glow to help guide her. She swiftly wove them in and out of main thoroughfares, and down alleyways with ease. A fissure of newfound awe worked through Ahk as he followed, losing himself in the breathtaking sight of his city. Life pulsed through the streets: a thriving metropolis bursting at every turn with fresh scents and a vitality that drew the pharaoh’s wide eyes in every direction.

His heart pounded in his chest, his mouth hanging open as his eyes darted with childlike wonder. More than once Nouke had to call his name, motioning for him to keep up having gotten distracted by all there was to see. The third time, she rolled her eyes, cracked a fond smirk, and took his hand to pull him along. The weight of her hand in his only caused his smile to stretch wider.

Being among his people—seeing how the majority lived—was profoundly more fulfilling than Ahk could have ever imagined. The reality of his city was finally there for him to reach out and touch, his sandaled feet on the ground. From the platform of his golden chariot, Waset seemed vastly different. Time always stood still when he rode through the city. Everyone stopped to gaze in wonder at him during those parades; at ground level, no one cared who he was.

Ahkmenrah was completely immersed in his own culture for the first time. All the wonder and realization dug into him with a sharp pang of melancholy that turned his grin into a frown.

“This is the first time I’ve walked my own streets,” he thought allowed, glancing at his feet.

The regret in his tone was enough to make Nouke’s quick feet stop just shy of the mouth of the alley, leaving them secluded in the shadows of the empty side street.

She met his gaze with a silent question woven into her features.

“The only time I’ve ever seen these streets is from my chariot, with a hundred guards on every side of me.”

Nouke’s expression wilted, understanding his dismay.

“What about everything you must have seen when you left all those years ago?”

Ahkmenrah caught the optimism in her voice, but sighed and shook his head.

“Apart from venturing to temples and ruins, I spent a remarkable amount of time within the walls of houses of powerful men.”

Nouke gave his hand a squeeze and smiled softly on his behalf.

“Don’t dwell on those small details. You saw your empire firsthand—great things few men will ever see.”

Her words were gentle and drove out some of his wistfulness, letting a tiny smile return to his face—oh how I missed your hopeful spirit.

“You still owe me those stories,” she said through a grin that made his heart swell. “The ones about your adventures.”

“I haven’t forgotten.” He smiled back.

Nouke’s eyes sparkled in the faint sliver of moonlight breaking through the makeshift and broken canopies overhead. They were locked on his with the same abundant longing that was thrumming in his heart. Every part of Ahk fought to keep from scooping her into his arms to kiss her; to press her against the alley wall until the feel of her chased away every sorrow ever to plague him. In fact, he would have if Kamuzu didn’t clear his throat, purposely yanking them both back to the mission at hand.

A slight pink tinted Nouke’s cheeks as she turned away, tugging him into the open as she mumbled a sheepish, "We're not far now.”

As they neared the outskirts of the capital city, the buildings became more sparse and less well kept. Some of the structures appeared sturdy enough, surrounded by large fields of fertile land. Several, however, had ample land but the homes were derelict and unlivable. A heaviness grew in Ahk’s heart at the sight. The people living with such plight were strangers, yet he yearned to help them. He lived in such splendor while some of his people dwelled in hovels. The thought of Nouke and her family living in such squalor more than pained him—it broke his heart.

The pharaoh was tangled in his thoughts and the poignant ache in his heart, so much so, that he didn’t realize Nouke stopped in front of him, and he ran into her. The collision startled him and he quickly issued an apology that his friend shrugged off.

She turned her timid glance from him to the structure before them.

“This is my home.” The softness of her timbre sounded almost embarrassed, as though she feared the pharaoh would mock her humble home.

The dwelling was of modest means, two stories like many of the other farmhouses they’d passed: stables for livestock on the bottom with a space to live up above. Surrounding it was a fair bit of land, most of which was grown over field--abandoned with not enough help to properly till. The bit of cultivated soil that had not been forgotten was rich with healthy sprouts. Around it all was a sturdy fence.

Relief surged through Ahkmenrah, drawing a content smile to his lips. Her home stood in stark contrast to some of the neighboring shelters—its foundations seemed strong and the land fertile. It was far from the life she’d known in the palace, but the little farm was something to be cherished.

“You and your mother work all of this by yourselves?” Ahk asked as Nouke led them onto the grounds.

She nodded, “Yes, although we’ve fallen behind a bit since my father passed.” Nouke’s sight wandered to the overgrown fields, and she sighed. “But we get by.”

“You should be proud,” Ahk told her with a soft grin. “Your father, I’m certain would be.”

Nouke met his glance with a half-smile, biting her lip, but said nothing as she took him up the stairs and into her home, leaving Kamuzu to guard the door.

For all the home was on the outside, the interior was sparse. In the center was a table with simple wooden stools and a singular oil lamp to light the entire space. The small flame flickered in the breeze from the cut-out windows, casting elongated and dancing shadows upon the walls. In the obscurity of the dim light, Ahk could make out clay pots, woven baskets, and various sacks lining the walls while varying herbs dried from the rafters above them.

Maketaten sat facing them near the table, her frail fingers struggling to weave a basket in the soft orange glow of the lamp. The sight of Nouke’s mother stirred a hundred fond memories of his childhood; she had always been so kind to him—a trusted servant and friend to his own mother. Ahkmenrah had missed Nouke so much, but as he stood watching Maketaten silently, he realized he missed her too.

“Mother, you should be resting,” Nouke scolded gently as she approached.

Ahk lingered behind, not wanting to startle the woman.

Even in the dull light, Ahk could see how much Nouke favored her mother; the same delicate but subtly strong features graced them both, and it made him smile.

Maketaten shook her head stubbornly in response to her daughter, not moving her focus away from her work. A cough rattled her, disrupting her task for only a moment, and insisted she was fine.

“You are back sooner than I thought. You were gone so long yesterday; I thought you—” Her eyes moved from her work to her daughter as she spoke, stopping only when she caught sight of the pharaoh.

A sudden look of confusion mixed with a fair amount of horror, and she gasped. With trembling hands, she tossed aside her would be basket and attempted to kneel.

“My king!”

Ahk rushed to the woman and helped Nouke set her back on her stool. A sharp stab of guilt cut into him seeing the fear so prominent on her brow. Maketaten's brown eyes were wide and scared as she looked to her daughter who was kneeling in front of her.

“What have you done?”

“She’s done nothing,” Ahk assured her in a soft tone. “Nouke came to me, asking for my help. Please do not be afraid.”

In slow increments, the shock and fear began to ebb, but her dark eyes continued to watch him, as though she expected him to recant his kind words. Finally, she turned to Nouke.

“You went to the palace?”

Nouke nodded and took her mother’s hand.

“I have to help you, mother. I cannot lose you like father.”

A tender smile turned Maketaten’s lips upward, and she caressed her daughter's face on either side with open palms, drawing her close to lay a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“My brave, foolish girl,” she sighed. “You could have been killed.”

Nouke shook her head, “That was Kahmunrah’s threat, not Ahk’s. He wants to help. Let him help.”

Maketaten moved her sight to the pharaoh, a subtle touch of skepticism in her tired eyes.

“I am no one, my king,” she said softly. “Why have you come to help me?”

There was a tenuous sound of defeat in her voice when she spoke, as though she suspected him to hold an ulterior motive to want to help someone beneath him. Ahk wasn’t surprised or offended by her obvious distrust given her history with his brother, but Ahkmenrah was not his brother, and he wanted to prove it.

“I have come to help you because your daughter asked me to," Ahk paused, stealing a glance at Nouke beside him.

Her amber eyes were watching him in admiration, glistening with moisture in the light of the singular flame. Her reverent beauty struck him at that moment, and his breath caught sharply as his heart leapt in his chest. Ahk blinked back to Maketaten feeling heat rise to his cheeks.

“A-and I’ve come to apologize for what has been done.” Ahk pulled the satchel from around his torso and began removing each of the medicines, placing them on the table as he continued.

“My brother is unworthy of your forgiveness, and by default, myself. I come to you, not as the pharaoh Ahkmenrah.” He looked at Nouke. “But Ahk: the little boy whose happiest memories are those spent playing with your daughter in the garden. Let him help you.”

When the pharaoh’s eyes looked back to Maketaten, disbelief was shining in her features.

“Please,” Ahk implored. “I cannot bear to see such grief in your daughter's eyes.”

After what could have been simple seconds or several minutes, Maketaten’s features softened, and she nodded, smiling at them both. Nouke threw her arms around her mother, sighing with relief.

Ahkmenrah took his time explaining everything about the curatives so both Nouke and her mother knew how to properly administer each, just as Tak-Sharu had done for him hours before. When he finished, Maketaten gave him a warm, motherly smile, laying a gentle hand to his cheek.

“You have a kind heart, my king. You always have. Thank you.”

Ahk held his hand over hers, his smile growing under her touch.

“It has been an honor to help you,” he told her. “Whatever you need, just ask.”

“All I need now, I think, is rest,” she said struggling to her feet.

Ahkmenrah jumped to help her stand.

“I’ll help her to bed,” Nouke said as she maneuvered to hold most of her mother’s weight. “Wait for me on the roof?”

Nouke tossed a pointed glance to the back corner of the room to a ladder that led through a cut out in the ceiling. His eyes followed and he nodded, moving to easily scale the wooden rungs.

In a sense, the roof of the farmhouse reminded the pharaoh of the balcony in his chamber. The 360-degree view was more than he had at home; a turn of his heel allowed him to marvel at endless horizon and sky in every direction. Scattered about were more clay pots and baskets, but nothing particularly worthwhile apart from one corner.

Constructed from a collection of rudimentary barbels: sacks and mats and old, dusty cushions (whose origins had to have begun in a noblemen’s home, abandoned, to be found again) was a nest of sorts. A smirk tugged at Ahk’s lips, heartened by its existence. What a perfect place for a dreamer like Nouke to spend hours gazing at all there was to see. In times of loneliness, the moon and the stars were ample company; Ahkmenrah knew firsthand their quiet hospitality. She undoubtedly knew it too.

“I come up here to think,” Nouke’s voice carried softly on the breeze, drawing Ahk’s eyes away from the nest and glittering heavens above.

“To think…and to cry,” she admitted, coming to stand beside him.

A doleful smile fought to work its way on to her lips, desperate it seemed to keep the mood light.

Ahk only nodded understanding, but lost for words to say.

A silence fell between them, their gazes lingering on the other until Nouke broke it to step closer to the edge of the roof, mustering a true smile as she looked out over the city.

“Isn’t the view magnificent?” she mused.

Ahk didn’t follow her gaze. His eyes were transfixed on her, hypnotized by the way the desert breeze danced through her dark hair.

“Mmhm,” he murmured, moving to stand a little closer.

“I hope I didn’t frighten your mother too terribly.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of her as he spoke.

When the wind swept her hair to reveal the smile on her face, the sight prickled his skin with goosebumps. In the silvery light, Nouke was more enchanting than any sight of any city he had ever perceived. Without the cloud of grief and fear to veil her features, all that remained was her beauty--the spirited girl he remembered from his youth.

Nouke chuckled slightly, “No I don’t think so.”

“Good,” he grinned. “Good.”

The pharaoh’s eye wandered the horizon and when he found his palace nestled far in the distance, he remembered time was working against him. His evening with Nouke had not been long enough.

“When do you have to go back?” Nouke asked softly as though she could feel the vexing grasp of time closing in on them too.

That time, the sadness in her tone matched his own; the end of their reunion was upon them.

“Sooner than I would like,” he sighed.

There was still so much he wanted to share with his friend, but duty called—as it always would. Setshepsut was undoubtedly already waiting for him in his chambers for another night of marital charade. The thought alone exhausted him.

“Then we should go,” Nouke said, sensibly trying to suppress the pain in her features. “I’ll lead you back.”

As she began to turn away, Ahkmenrah tapped into his latent yearnings and no small amount of courage and reached out to take her hand and pull her close. He felt the hot breath of her startled gasp sweep over his skin, and it fanned his desire. Nouke’s eyes locked with his, dilating, and before she could pull away, or he could think rationally; Ahk captured her lips in a gentle—chaste—way, marked with soft pressure and held breath.

His heart was pounding, and his head felt dizzy when he pulled away just enough to gauge her reaction—Nouke’s eyes bursting with stardust. In a second, her timid lips were against his again, and he didn’t hesitate to welcome them. Her kiss was slow and lazy and perfect. Nouke molded herself to his frame, throwing her arms around his neck to deepen their kiss; Ahk grinned at her eagerness and snaked his arms around her waist to hug her even closer.

Both were smiling and unwilling to surrender their hold when their mouths parted.

“Stay here,” Ahk implored, tilting his forehead against hers. “Watch your mother tonight. Kamuzu can lead me back safely.”

She nodded, “Okay.”

Ahk grinned at her breathless awe as he reached to sweep the pad of his thumb over her lips and down along her jaw.

“Come to me tomorrow?” he asked, his sight fixed on where his thumb traced her mouth.

There was a faint hint of apprehension that flashed in her dazzled eyes, but she chased it away with a slow blink before she nodded.

“Okay.” Her wistful murmur made him smile, and he kissed her again.

“I’ll have Kamuzu waiting for you at sunset.” He pulled her against him in a lingering embrace, inhaling her intoxicating scent to hold him until he could be close to her again.

“Until tomorrow,” he whispered against her ear, feeling every beat of her wild heart in perfect rhythm with his own.

“Tomorrow,” she echoed in a breathy timbre full of enchantment.

Ahkmenrah left her with a tender kiss to the back of her hand and a sweet farewell, feeling his spirit at last rejuvenated.

The trek back to the palace seemed longer somehow. None of the sights captivated Ahkmenrah as they had only hours ago. His heart begged for him to turn around and go back, but his mind and the omnipresence of his responsibilities kept him moving onward.

A sigh worked through him as his feet beat against the earth with a listless tread. Despite how genuinely grand his evening had been; he was disheartened how quickly it had progressed. Never had he given any heed to how fickle time was; one moment could feel like a thousand—drawn out like an ache—while others could come and go so rapidly they left no air inside his lungs. It wasn’t fair.

By the time he and his guardian reached the passage through the wall, Ahkmenrah’s feet pulsed with soreness. They lingered in the garden long enough to replace the dismantled stones, leaving one askew to mark the passage for the next venture. Only a few servants or guards passed them in the halls due to the lateness of the hour and just as before, he was invisible to them dressed humbly. The only set of eyes that met him with any recognition were his brothers.

It was a fleeting glance at first, but Kah’s cold eyes looked at him from the length of the hall with puzzlement and intense scrutiny. A suspicion marked Kahmunrah’s leer, but Ahk had no interest in explaining himself. Instead, the pharaoh cast his brother a glower of equal intensity and carried on without so much as a hello.

When he came to his chamber door, Ahk turned to his protector with a soft grin.

“Thank you, my friend. I appreciate your loyalty and your companionship.”

A small smirk ghosted over Kamuzu’s lips, and he nodded, “Goodnight, my king.”

“Goodnight, Kamuzu.”

The Medjay left with a respectful bow.

The two Medjay standing at either side of his door uttered a hello and goodnight, also inclining their heads. Satauhotep was there too, looking confused by the frock the pharaoh wore. Ahk grinned impishly and offered no explanation before he entered.

As evidenced by her lover waiting beyond the chamber doors, Ahkmenrah found his sister inside. She was asleep on his bed, with a scroll of Egypt’s histories still in her hand. She stirred awake at the sound of the door's closing, her heavy-lidded eyes quickly dismissing him as a servant, yawning, and stretching. Only when the pharaoh smiled did her eyes dart open, and she bolted right up.

“Ahkmen?” Her voice was groggy when she spoke, but enveloped with confusion. “Where have you been?”

She paused, her eyes skirting over his attire, “Why are you dressed like a servant?”

Her tiredness slowly came back to her with another yawn, and she rubbed at her eyes despite the heavy Kohl lining them. She chuckled, though, when he couldn’t stop grinning.

“I haven’t seen you smile like this in a long time.” Set thought a moment, chewing her bottom lip, watching him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like this.”

Setshepsut smiled too, “What happened?”

Ahkmenrah motioned for her to sit back on the edge of the bed, and he joined her.

“Nouke,” he told her. “I was with Nouke.”

A look of bewilderment surfaced on his sister’s face, and she urged him to tell her everything. Ahk was almost certain he was speaking much too fast and with a level of exuberance that greatly diminished the coherence of his story, but the smile on Set’s face told him that she understood anyway.

“Well are you going to see her again?” she asked, eager too.

“I’ve asked her to meet me here tomorrow,” Ahk beamed. He could hardly believe it. “I’ve finally found someone I love to be my second wife! Oh Set, you were right. I did give my heart to her years ago,” he paused long enough to take a breath, his excitement blinding and somewhat exhausting, but he didn’t care.

“I-I feel as though I may burst from all this joy!”

Setshepsut’s smile faded, although, Ahk was too preoccupied with the love in his heart to notice.

“Second wife?” she murmured sadly.

Ahkmenrah nodded, too caught in his own happiness to see the betrayal and heartbreak drift onto her features.

“Yes, Just as the council and father has asked me to do. I know father wanted to have a say in my choice of a bride but—where are you going?”

Ahk watched in bemusement as his sister stood and walked to the doors. Suddenly, he could see the tense lines of her body and the wilt of her shoulders. She tossed him a pained glance.

“I’m very tired,” she said, her usual sing-song voice suddenly hollow.

“Set?” His confusion stole all the thrill from his features as he tried to understand what had chased her away.

“I’m happy you found her, Ahkmen. You deserve that happiness…”

The anguish in her tone was palpable, and it settled uneasily in the pit of Ahkmenrah’s stomach leaving him with a sting of guilt he couldn’t place.

Next Chapter-> Chapter Ten: When It Is Gone

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