THE GREAT LADY OF ALKION

CHAPTER 70

" I believe that you are now feeling better," Khafirin said to Rashida as she drank some water.
"I have. I can't tell you how glad I am to not have headaches anymore. Thank you."
"It is my pleasure to treat you. If you need anything, just send for me or Asenath. I shall take my leave,"he said and left.
" I am glad that you are alright. You had me worried since our wedding. I don't want anything to happen to you. Do you need something ? I could stay with you for the day,"Thutmose said as he sat beside her on the bed.
She rubbed her temple and stood up.
" I already told you that I am fine. Don't mind me. I don't like how you keep asking about me. I am fine. The wedding happened a moon ago so drop the questions."
"But I only want you to be comfortable. It is my duty as your husband," he defended.
"I know that already. You don't have to keep saying that you are my husband. You of all people should know that I didn't want this. I was forced to marry you. Things were fine with us relating as friends not like this," she said as she moved her fingers between him and her.
" I have heard that since we married. I know that it was not your choice and that I am not the one in your heart but we could get along instead of fight all the time."
" I am not having this conversation with you," she said as she sat in front of her mirror and put on her wig."Also, you don't to stay with me. I have Anippe to do that."
He sighed, took his headdress and left.
"Anippe!"
"Yes my lady."
"Take me out for a walk. It has been a while."
The two women walked out of the room towards the gardens.
"Mmmh, I love the air out here," Rashida gushed as she smiled.
" Yes my lady. Ra has indeed blessed us with the sun today."
" Pluck me that flower," she said as she pointed at a white flower growing in its green bush." Here. Place it on my wig."
As Anippe placed it on her wig, Baka walked into the garden coming face to face with Rashida who pushed Anippe's hand away.
She charged towards him and stood in front of him. Lifting her eyes to match his, she balled her fingers into fists.
"Good to see you again Baka."
"My lady," he said with a bow.
"The palace really is big if I haven't seen you for such a long time. Moreso that you are just a guard. How is it like ? Falling from grace to grass ? Did you honestly think that helping Meritaten would benefit you ?"
"I do not understand what you mean by that ?"
"Your memory escaped you ? Oh. Let me refresh your memory. Some time before you cheated me into thinking that you wanted to elope with me, you went missing. Nobody saw you and when you appeared, you acted strangely. Meritaten too couldn't be found. I have reason to believe that what happened then was the cause for you to betray me."
"I only went out of the palace to see a friend. I do not know about Lady Meritaten."
"A friend ?" she laughed." You dare deny and lie to me again. Who do you think I am ? Huh ? A child ?" she hissed as she grabbed his shirt pulling him closer to her." I loved you wholeheartedly not regarding my status yet you chose to side with her ? I don't know how you plotted against me and how much you were paid for it but do you know how much pain you caused me ?"
" I had no choice. She is Meritaten and you know how powerful she got because she was pregnant. She is also the wife of the eldest son of Pharaoh and daughter of a now powerful priest. Who was I but a mere general ?"
" I am the daughter of the most powerful man in the empire. I am higher than her. Now look at where you ended up. You were demoted to a nobody with few prospects and that is where you'll forever stay. You can't trust her."
" I was born alone and struggled to get to the position of general. I have to make calculations and schemes for myself. I may have fallen but I will rise. It is all about allying myself with the best. Look at you now. You also got married to a man you don't even love. You are stuck with him for life. If I accepted your love, where would it have gotten me ? I would have lost a position I worked hard for so I do not regret working for her because I know that she will be the one to help me achieve the things I want to achieve."
" You disgust me," she spat before walking away.

In Meritaten's room, she sat on a long chair with Bennu fanning her. Her father sat right opposite of her as they engaged in a conversation.
She jerked up and banged her hand against the chair.
"I knew it. I knew it."
"See. Your lack of being careful cost you a child."
"Father, I didn't know that I would be poisoned with mugwort and in addition to that, I was having it in my meals without finding out about it."
"That's the duty of your maid,"he yelled and Bennu knelt to the ground quickly.
"Everything had been tested for poison my lord. We couldn't have guessed that someone eyed my mistress's child," she said.
" I trust Bennu, father. She has been with me for years. Rise up Bennu."
" I will have to admit that Astrid was meticulous in this. We also need to strike her up with a blow similar to yours. I have an idea on what we could do."
" What can we do ? I have tried to bring her down but Pharaoh said that she was innocent. It is hard to tackle her down. Not to mention that she has Seti, Thutmose and my husband's support."
" You lacking to have Smenkhhare's attention is you failure. I can't believe that even after you married into the royals family and have access to anything, you are still a failure. Your sisters are better than you."
" A failure ?" she scoffed." Up until now, you still see me as an inferior daughter and not like your other daughters. I may be the daughter of a concubine and not like Meketaten and Setepenre who are from your main wife but I am a princess of Egypt. Do not make the mistake of seeing me as a weakling. Losing my child was my fault and I intend on avenging him."
" You will win my pride fully when you become queen of Egypt. Trample on all your enemies and win the throne. I will help you to do just that. This is what we shall do."
He began to tell her of the plot and a while later, the door flung open and in walked an angry Baka.
" What is wrong with you ?"
" You Meritaten are my problem. I am still waiting for what you promised me."
" Who is this ?" her father, Abasi, asked with disgust.
" He is the one who helped me take Rashida down. Relax Baka. I know what I promised you but you know that someone conspired against me and took from me what I valued. We both lost something but I think that I have a task for you," she said as she exchanged a sly smile with her father.