Heretic of El Amarna

Chapter 14: Amenhotep

Kissing her was one of the best things I have ever done. She responded quickly to me, pressing closer to me, her arms going around my neck. I wove my fingers into her hair, deepening the kiss but not pressuring her to give me any more than she wanted to. When she responded with eagerness, I felt a thrill soar through me.

My heart pounded in my chest. She was the first girl I had ever kissed, and I was glad of it because it was all the more special to give her my first.

I moved away, feeling both hot and cold at the same time. My mouth was dry, and I moved my hands down her sides to rest them on her hips. “We should not be doing this…” I murmured in her ear.

She laughed. “I do not care. I am sick of hiding my love for you. If Thutmose thinks he is going to break me when I still care only for you, he had better think again. I have no intention of marrying him, and when my father gets back, I have every intention of making that very clear.” She whispered, biting her lip.

I grinned. “If you are not married by then…”

She jumped, turning to face me with a glare. “I will not marry that wretched, lousy excuse for a man!”

I raised an eyebrow. “What about me?”

She bit her lip, narrowing her eyes at me. “I cannot. We both know it. You must have your parents’ consent, and I mine. My father will not be back any time soon, and he wants me to marry Thutmose. Besides, he has already agreed to my marriage to your brother. I have no choice.”

I pulled her back into me.

She rested her arms against my stomach, her hands pressing against my chest, warm and soft.

I smirked at her. “Then let us hope Thutmose does not survive his severe case of belly cramps, shall we?”

She rewarded my joke with an airy laugh. “I could not… As much as I dislike your brother, I would not wish death on anyone. Not before their time, anyway. Besides, with a heart such as his, he should be wishing to stay alive as long as possible for fear Amat will devour his soul. Surely he will not be able to balance or be lighter than the Feather of Truth.”

I shook my head. “Of course he would not be able to do so… We are talking about Thutmose here. Cruel, incompassionate, inconsiderate… Hard-hearted. Those are to name but a few of his problems.” I bent my head, shifting her hair out of the way to whisper in her ear. “Harming you, however, is his greatest fault.”

“Hmm…” She wrapped her arms around me, pressing against me.

I gazed into her eyes, which were filled with love. With a gentle hand, I stroked her hair. “Nefertiti… The beautiful one comes… It is so fitting.” I murmured.

She tilted her head up to look at the sky, her chest rising and falling against mine as she took a deep breath. “You think so? Sometimes…” She shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder…”

I cocked my head. “Why would you? You should not doubt that you are beautiful.”

She laughed. “You would say that.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Would I lie to you?”

“Do you want me to answer that?” She teased.

I nodded.

Her face became serious. “I do not think you would.”

“Well then, there you go.”

She looked away from me and back over to the pond. She gazed with absent-mindedness at the fish swimming there. I followed her gaze.