THE GREAT LADY OF ALKION

CHAPTER 79

" Be sure to hurry up. I cannot have any other maid to serve me," Rashida said.
"Yes my lady. I have already found the priest. Do not worry."
"Good. Remember that you will sneak him into the palace basements and I shall be there in disguise for the cleansing ritual."
"Yes."
"I can't thank you enough for your loyalty Anippe. You are a true friend and I trust only you."
" I am grateful to have you as my mistress."
" Now hurry up."
With a curtsy, she took the small sack on the table and left to bring back the priest she had arranged for.
Rashida paced around her room feeling anxious but happy at the same time. The nightmares, the anxiety, the fear, the terror she felt would all go once she was cleansed and Bennu's spirit driven away from her.
Finally, she chose to lie down and sleep as she awaited Anippe's return. Her sleep was interrupted when there was a knock at the door.
She rubbed her eyes and walked towards the door. Had Anippe returned that fast ?
Upon opening the door, there was a manservant.
He bowed and could not dare look at her.
"My lady, someone sent this letter to you," he said timidly.
"Who ?"
"It was a man and I have never seen him here in the palace but he told me to bring it to you and that it is important."
She took the letter as she wondered who had sent it to her. Perhaps it was Anippe. She opened the seal and rolled out the scroll.
"What are you still doing here ?" she snapped at the man." Are you waiting for me to read it to you ?"
"No."
He walked away and she huffed in annoyance before entering her room and shutting the door.
She looked at the scroll's writings and crumpled the paper in her hand. Her eyes darted back and forth before she took a stick and hit the gong by the wall. A maidservant entered her room and curtsied.
"What time is it ?"
"A little past noon my lady."
"Prepare my clothes. I am going out."
"Yes my lady."

Once dressed, she wore a black cloak and went out of the palace in a sedan carried by four men. The streets were very busy and she could not wait to reach her destination.
"Stop!" she ordered and the sedan lowered.
The curtain covering the opening of the sedan was pulled open by one of the men.
He held out his hand for her and she held onto it as she walked out of it.
"Do not follow me," she said.
"Will you be fine ?" he asked.
"Yes. No one will recognize me. Stay alert and wait for me."
" Alright."
She walked into a dusty building with many people inside. There were drunk men inside talking loudly with women dancing on a podium as they shook their waists to the rhythm of the music. Some brought food to the people in the crowded hall and she tried to push her way through.
She spotted a flight of stairs and walked up them and passed a man and a woman who felt no shame kissing in the presence of others. This was no ordinary inn. It was a brothel.
A group of scantily dressed women who had worn cheap jewelry were walking done the stairs laughing loudly and Rashida stopped them.
"Excuse me," she began as she held onto the hood of her cloak."Where is the seventh room ?"
"Look at her. She is hiding her face," one cackled drunkenly.
" Maybe she is a new girl here,"another added.
" Will you answer me or not ?"she muttered.
"It's second door to your left on this floor," the third one said.
Rashida walked past them and went to the door she had been directed to. She took in a deep breath and exhaled before pushing the door open.
She could not believe the scene before her eyes.
The only source of light was from the window and on the small wooden bed lay Baka and Bennu naked covered in only a light sheet.
Her hands were wrapped around his body and their legs intertwined. Her head lay on his chest and his hands were on her body. Both of them were asleep after their seemingly wonderful time together.
Anippe was truly together with Baka and she now didn't know who sent her the scroll but the information was pretty accurate. The scroll had stated that her maidservant was in that hotel with a man and she should go see for herself. Now there lay the truth in front of her very eyes.
She slowly shut the door and walked out of the building and into her sedan headed to the palace.

"You have done well," Meritaten stated as she smiled." Good.Very good."
"This is the last time I am serving you. I have done a lot and I have not seen any benefit from working for you."
"I pay you more than I should. You need to remember that your family is under my grasp so don't think of rebelling."
" You dare threaten me with my family ?"he said as he raised his voice." What do you think I feel when I am among the lowly guards when I was a general of the Egyptian army ? Giving me money won't give me the satisfaction I need. When I chose to help you, it was because I thought you'd grow as powerful as you had claimed."
" Would you calm down Baka ? I am only a few steps away from success. As I promised you, this would be your last task."
" Do not forget that I know everything about you from how you arranged the loss of Astrid's child, Rashida and Anippe to poisoning Pharaoh so think twice,"he said as he grabbed her arm.
" Who told you ?" she gaped as she tried to free herself.
" I know all about you Meritaten. You are so poisonous that you had already planned on killing the sovereign."
" If you know what's good for you, you will keep your mouth shut. You are also involved in all of this."
" I am not. I know how evil you are and if you mess with me, you will suffer the consequences,"he hissed.
" Enough with the threats. We are allies after all. There is no need for us to argue. It can't be that you are  still in love with her and that makes you go against me."
" Of course not,"he huffed and took off his headdress.
" Here is your reward as promised,"she said as she dug out a pouch filled with silver coins from her silk bag. He grabbed the pouch from her." It was nice working with you Baka and I am sorry we fought again today. Enjoy your hard earned wealth."
" I will."
He took out some coins from the pouch and rubbed them with his fingers.
" Good old silver," he said with a smirk plastered over his face and kissed the coin in his hand.
She smiled and walked two steps away from him and his smirk disappeared from his face.
He placed his hand over his chest and began to groan in pain. His knees wobbled and he fell to the ground kneeling.
"What did you do to me ?" he groaned as his face got all sweaty. His veins were now visible on his face and he began to cough.
"I only gave you what you deserve," she said without turning back to look at him."This is about making sure that Smenkhhare becomes Pharaoh. You know too much and I need to be cautious."
He coughed out blood and lay on the ground looking at her.
"Damn you !" he groaned." You will die a wretched death."
"But at least I will die as queen of Egypt," she smiled wickedly and walked away.
He lay on the ground as he tried to breath but soon, he expired.

A nervous Anippe entered the palace and went straight to Rashida's room. She knocked and entered. Rashida was on a chair by the window stroking her cat that purred at her.
Rashida looked back at her then at the cat on her lap and Anippe began to fiddle with her fingers.
" I did not find the priest," she began." It seems that he got tired of waiting for me and left already but don't worry. I shall seek him out tomorrow."

Silence.

" Are you alright my lady ?" she asked nervously as she approached Rashida.
" Are you sure you went to find him ?"
" Yes. I did,"she answered as she looked at the floor.
"Those marks on your chest and neck. Where did you get them ?"
" I... I.. I must have reacted to something I ate along the way. You know that food outside the palace may not be wholesome."
" Really now ?" Rashida dragged the question as she placed the cat beside her on a blue cushion and stood up still facing away from Anippe.
" Y...yes," she answered and stood behind Rashida.
Rashida swung swiftly smacking Anippe across her face.
Anippe knelt quickly before Rashida who was very angry. Her chest moved up and down rapidly and her eyes became bloodshot.
"How dare you lie to me ?" she screamed and began to strangle Anippe with her hands."You were sleeping around with Baka in that cursed inn."
" I don't know how I ended up there my lady. Believe me,"she said amidst her tears.
" You do not even feel shame parading yourself in that brothel with that scoundrel."
" No my lady. I didn't."
" I gave you another chance and this is how you repay me ?"
" No,"Anippe struggled to say as her face paled from being strangled and Rashida let go.

"I swear to the gods that I have no dealings with him. I was on my way to find the priest but someone threw some powder at me and I only remember waking up naked beside him."
" If anything I have done is revealed, I will kill you!" she barked and pushed Anippe back to the ground.
Rashida's breathing quickened and Anippe rushed to help her.
"Get away from me. Damn you. You are a wretch!"
After saying those words, she fell to the ground.
"My lady. My lady," Anippe cried out as she shook an unconscious Rashida.
She dashed towards the gong and hit it. A guard passing by walked in to see what was happening.
"Get the royal physicians. Hurry," Anippe shouted at him and he rushed out immediately.