A/N: This is a one-shot based on Spike TV's miniseries Tut. I sort of missed the boat, but thought this couple deserved a fic anyway :) The title comes from a song in the play Aida, which I think really fits them.

Is it written in the stars? Are we paying for some crime? Is that all that we are good for, just a stretch of mortal time? Or some god's experiment, in which we have no say. In which we're given paradise, but only for a day…

Ankhesenamun was nervous beyond conciliation. Even Haret had given up on any attempt to calm her down. It was foolish, really. She had grown up in the royal family, watched siblings die, wars erupt, and her own father be poisoned, but as the sun just began to set on the harsh desert, the queen sat in front of her vanity and couldn't quiet her racing heart. Tonight was the night, she would finally be able to give herself to Ka. She had been his in mind and spirit since she was a little girl and he a boy she fantasized idly about, but finally there was nothing stopping them from being together.

She had mourned Tutankhamun, she still did. Even though the official mourning period was over and the rest of Egypt had gone back to their lives. He was her brother before anything else and she loved him dearly, but a part of her, the newly awakened selfish part that cared more for her own happiness than the political maneuverings of the kingdom, was giddy. It was an odd mixture of emotions that flurried within her for the past few weeks, and despite her immediate anger with him, Ka had been right to come to her as soon as they had returned. He openly admitted to her that Horemheb lied about who had planned out the sweepingly successful strategy.

"So that we will marry."

"So that we can marry."

Why had she been so cruel? Ankhesenamun closed her eyes and recalled the hurt expression on his face when she rejected him. She had been looking for someone to blame for Tutankhamun's sudden passing, grasping at straws and trying to make sense of her own devastation. Ka just happened to bear the brunt of it—but didn't he always? Since he had returned the year before from the extended campaign against the Hittites and thrown her world off balance, he had borne the wrath of her tumultuous feelings. It made her feel physically sick.

The vultures were circling, Ay and even Horemheb were eying the throne, and she again was just a pawn. A shudder passed down her spine as she relived the memory of Ay appraising her naked form as she got out of the bath. That was not what she wanted, another marriage where she did nothing but smile to the public and lie on her back when told to.

Ankhesenamun closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but it did nothing to quell the feeling of anticipation. She had no doubt that once crowned pharaoh, Ka would do his very best to care for the people of Egypt; she knew that just by the way he spoke about his troops, and the admiration he earned from them. He would be no one's puppet. Perhaps he wasn't a crafty noble who was gifted at manipulating others the way Ay was. In truth, Ka was very blunt and doggedly followed what he believed was right without any political tact, but Ankhesenamun thought that that was perhaps what Egypt needed: Someone who cared less about keeping the palace happy and more about securing the borders and protecting the common people. And had the backbone to follow through. In that, her brother had been weak.

No, the butterflies in her stomach came from an oddly virginal feeling she was having. It was like it was her wedding night, even though she had been through the motions many times in her life. It was common knowledge that Ka had lain with numerous harem women before, what if she wasn't as pleasing? What if she didn't seem as accomplished or her lack of knowledge showed? She knew what noises to make and how to feign excitement, but her servants sometime whispered about their own experiences, and they were nothing like what Ankhesenamun ever had felt or done with her half-brother. To her it seemed that the only things to come out of bedding were children and men's satisfaction. The closest reference she had to the murmurs of passion and satisfaction was her stolen moment with Ka before he left to fight the Mitanni; the night she feared she would never see him again and he would go to the Afterlife without her having kissed him one more time. Her face flushed and toes tingled at that memory.

She had gone through a rigorous process after returning from her meeting with Ay, feeling smug and gratified at having gotten to throw the old man's words back in his face. Partially that and partially a lesser-understood drive had compelled her to go through this routine alone for the first time in her life. Maybe it stemmed from the realization that she hardly knew herself as a woman, and only as the queen she had been meticulously sculpted into.

Nothing that she ever did was for personal satisfaction, and suddenly that thought frightened her. Every outfit she wore, headdress she donned, every sultry look, and every earth-shattering moan were for someone else's benefit. But somehow tonight, everything that she did for Ka she felt as an extension of her own happiness. And she did not want to share that with any servant.

Ankhesenamun bathed, luxuriously allowing herself to be conscious of her own nakedness, reveling in her sexuality instead of cursing how it relegated her to a secondary importance. She scrubbed herself as if she was a priest being prepared for a sacrifice; she wanted to look worthy of worship. No part of her was left unstudied, and the warm water mixed with the cool stone relaxed her. With a wistful smile she inspected her legs after shaving, letting her fingers wander along the smooth tan skin. Closing her eyes she pretended they were another's hands ghosting up her thighs.

She combed her long black hair until its luster was reflected in every wave, and massaged oils deep into her skin so that it shone a healthy bronze. Perhaps they weren't done as flawlessly as if her servants had done them, but Ankhesenamun took pride in her solo endeavor.

Despite minutes earlier having felt a brave delight in her naked form, as soon as she sent Haret off to fetch Ka, her insecurity and nervousness at the impending unknown made her have to stop herself from bolting to the armoire to grab something to wear.

Her mind wandered back to the harem women and their brightly colored translucent outfits, their layers of golden bracelets that clanged together with every rhythmic thrust. There was no way they enjoyed the overeager pawing they moaned and mewled at regularly, but once in a great while, she would see a flicker of something, something more. Perhaps it was only something a woman could tell the difference between, but she could see when the harem girls truly favored one of their guests. When they weren't secretly cringing under their heavily made-up façade. The way they would willingly touch and embrace a handsome young soldier who knew how to touch them in return. Sometimes Ankhesenamun would watch them for a bit too long, her stomach clenched as she vainly imagined what it would be like to be held that way—by someone who really wanted to hold her and cared if she wanted to be held.

Opening the gilded wooden doors, Ankhesenamun saw one dress had been pulled out and turned to face her. Haret. Her beloved cousin must have chosen this for her, knowing that she wouldn't be able to pick what to wear. It was a sheer silver dress without any additional adornment save for some small pearls on the shoulders of the matching robe. It reminded her that she was not one of those harem girls.

Inspecting herself in the floor-length mirror, Ankhesenamun ran a brush through her hair once more, unaccustomed to seeing herself without kohl or any head dress. Perhaps she looked too plain now…she began to pace the floor of her chamber, thoughts of her brother, the gods, bedding, and love-making all tumbling into one black swirling storm in her mind.

The thoughts didn't stop their onslaught until the door to her chamber opened with a creak. Her mind went blank as she turned around and her eyes met his. Everything else evaporated and she was left only with perfectly distilled thoughts of the two of them. "Thank you, Haret," Ankhesenamun breathed, willing her cousin to turn and leave as quickly as possible.

Ka smiled the warm, welcoming, patient smile he always had for her, and she found herself closing the space between them. As she gazed up at his face, drinking in every feature greedily, like a lost man having at last found an oasis, her brain scrambled to find words. He looked back at her with stone-faced intensity. She should have thought of something to fill the silence, but couldn't. Belatedly, she realized that Haret probably hadn't given him a reason for being summoned. Could he hear her heart pounding? She could. It made her embarrassed and she cast her gaze to the floor.

Again her selfish heart cried out at the wounds on his face, seeing the cut so close to his eye. It was a harsh reminder that so many men had died just weeks before; that even with the most inexperienced swing of a Mitanni sword he could have been in a pile of dead soldiers, from the shot of one jostled archer who lamented missing his intended mark. He could have fallen as Tutankhamun had. But at that moment, she would not have exchanged Ka for her brother, gods help her. As she leaned her forehead into his and breathed in his warmth, she didn't want to be anywhere but right there.

It was only after a moment of revelry that Ka slowly pulled the robe off of her shoulders. Ankhesenamun sighed deeply, a shaky breath that she had to fight to calm. The robe held her captive around the waist and she finally had the courage to look up into his hawk-like eyes. Deliberately sliding her hands over his dark green tunic, she rested them around his neck, her fingers savoring the feeling of his soft hair. She wanted him to know that she was committed to him; he wasn't taking anything, she was giving to him willingly.

She could hear his breath hitch at the slight ministration; she still couldn't believe that she had the same effect on him that he had on her.

And what do we do now?

Ankhesenamun traced a hand along his jaw and the tense impasse was ended. Allowing the silver robe to flutter to the ground, Ka leaned in and kissed her. Even though she stood close, he grabbed her around the waist, as though he was still afraid she was going to shove him away as she had done so many times before. His lips were demanding and passionate, and she allowed herself to bend to his domineering will. But quickly his cool metal wrist bands against her backside were an unwelcomed distraction and she wanted them off. Smiling briefly, she leaned into him and held his tunic tightly. She wasn't going to push him away tonight. She was never going to have to push him away again.

It seemed like the moment the new reality of their situation crossed Ankhesenamun's mind it crossed Ka's as well, and he slowed his fevered assault. They had all the time in the world now. No one was going to discover them in an alcove or whisper about them in the courtyard. He held her with one hand gently cradling the back of her head as he gave her a series of light kisses which she eagerly repaid.

When he completely broke off the kiss, Ankhesenamun frowned slightly, gazing up at him to see what the problem was.

"I have to tell you something," he told her. His voice had an odd tone of exhausted resignation, a kind of uncertainty that immediately made her wary. As long as she could remember, Ka always had a cocky confidence about him that he brought into every situation; it was something she could trust in and lean on. His uncharacteristic hesitation made her blood run cold.

She pulled back slightly.

"I need to tell you what happened on the battlefield," Ka repeated with more force, seeming to have now committed fully to his course of action.

Her brain went into preservation mode. She didn't even think before responding, it was a complete knee-jerk reaction. "No."

"Ankhe," he pled, gently reaching for her arm in an attempt to keep her from walking away from him. She allowed the slight touch to stop her as if it was a vice grip, the way she always had. She could never deny him anything. "Ankhe, please, I need you to hear this."

"Why? Why would you want to reopen these wounds?" she shouted. An unjustified anger at him welled up inside of her for unknowingly ruining what was supposed to be a surreal experience. For spoiling the night that she was hoping to pretend they existed apart from their hellish reality.

Ka noted the hysteric pitch her voice had taken on and gave her a conciliatory smile, rubbing her arms pacifyingly. "Shhh…you must know that is not my intention, but you need to know the truth. Not Ay's version, not General Horemheb's. I want you to hear my words and know that I would weigh them against Maat's feather."

"Why do you insist it be done now?" she eyed him with newly forming suspicion. Curse these years in the palace, everything she heard had to be met with cynicism.

He sighed, slowly cupping her face in his hands. "Because you once told me that despite their problems, what you most admired about your parents' relationship was that there was never any deceit. They were always honest and knew each other's hearts."

"Did…did you kill Tutankhamun?" Her hands clutched his, but she didn't tear them away from her face. She liked being touched by him too much. Curse this man and the effect he had on her.

"Do you think I would?"

"I think that you knew our lives would be easier without him."

"So that's a yes." His hands fell to his sides and her face instantly felt cold without his touch.

Ankhesenamun opened her mouth but no sound came out. Of course she didn't really think he would kill her brother! She cursed her own wariness and stupidity. He was not that sort of man, no matter how much he yearned for them to be together. She had seen him pray at temple, and seen him grieve. Tutankhamun was his brother as well as he was hers.

She grabbed his hand to keep him close. "Tell me what happened."

"Your brother wanted to fight on the front lines, right in the thick of it. I told him plainly that I had doubts about his decision but he did not heed me. I flanked him to keep him safe when we dismounted the chariots, but the Mitanni had reinforcements lying in wait in the ruins and our archers were quickly overrun. Lagus and I fought beside him but he sustained a flesh wound on the stomach. I examined the wound in haste and he didn't seem to be in grave danger. I appointed Lagus to stay by his side and protect him…Tutankhamun told me to go finish the battle, despite my protestations."

"You acted rightly, then. Ka."

He gave a breathy sarcastic laugh. "I left them. I sought my own glory. And once the enemy had fled I celebrated with the men. It was only after Lagus did not return to camp that I told General Horemheb where your brother had been left and he went to go retrieve him. I did not go myself."

"Surely Horemheb could look as well as you, if my brother had been able to be found…"

"You didn't hear his voice, Ankhe, General Horemheb was happy to not recover the pharaoh's body. He promised me that he would have the men double their efforts, but…"

"But you do not believe he did so."

She felt like his eyes were boring into her soul. "I believe that if the pharaoh was still alive when the general found him, he did not survive the encounter. He had no intentions of recovering Tutankhamun's body."

A tear slid down her cheek. "Why?" she murmured to herself. Just for a moment she wished to be free from the politicking and deceit.

"I should have gone back to the village and searched for him myself. His wound was not great, I'm sure he would have-"

"Do not do this, Ka." Ankhesenamun cut him off more forcefully than she had intended. "Do not do this to me. If what you say is the truth, then you have done nothing wrong. I dismissed you before, but I do understand that battles are not fought without chaos. You have hundreds of men to care for, and I know you do that very personally. You yourself did not escape the battle unscathed. If I had lost you both, I would…I would have lost my mind."

"You will not lose me as long as you want me," he vowed. Her viscerally protective response had seemed to reinvigorate him.

Feeling overwhelmed by emotion, she smiled wistfully and ran her hands up his arms. This was exactly where she wanted to be, this was where she belonged. "I have wanted you for 10 years, Ka. I want you until the Nile runs dry and the sun refuses to rise."

"Well…" he pretended to contemplate. "Barring any outside distractions, that could be doable."

Ankhesenamun grinned at his cocksure response and her spirits were lifted, he was just the same as he had been when they were children. When he had promised to save her from all of the monsters of the Underworld and all the snakes in the garden.

Without thinking, she pulled him close, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in the crook of his neck. She just wanted to feel him; his thick hair under her fingers, his warm skin under her lips and on her face as she rested it on him, his hard chest pressed against hers as his arms held her tightly like she was the most precious thing in the world.

Not gold, not victory, not power … it was her. She was his most prized possession. And the only one that returned his devotion zealously.

She sighed as the moment passed. She could have stayed like that forever, but surely that was not what Ka wanted to do. There were certain expectations that she had set herself, and she had to carry them through. An irrational wave of anxiety began to displace the joy in the pit of her stomach—soured by flashes of memories from her marriage bed: the pain, discomfort, the sounds… she was frozen.

"Ankhe," Ka breathed. He must have noticed her change in demeanor, his hands moving to cradle her face. She didn't turn her eyes up to meet his, she couldn't. She felt stupid and foolish, and unable to contain it.

"Ankhe, what's wrong?" There it was, his patience again. Always patient with her, always gentle.

"I—I can't … it's foolish, it's nothing."

To her surprise, Ka chuckled under his breath. He stroked her jaw with his thumb and turned her face to meet his. "Ankhesenamun. Your mind runs faster than your father's prized race horse. I can see the cogs turning behind your eyes. What is troubling you?"

Of course he saw it. Ankhesenamun truly believed Ka was the only person who could see through her, read her like common script. All of her carefully constructed walls and façades were no match for him. Vulnerability was not something she enjoyed.

Her eyes downcast, she admitted, "I'm frightened."

In a swift movement, he hugged her to his chest and pressed a sympathetic kiss to her temple. Ankhesenamun's heart swelled and she felt tears prick her eyes, new tears. Different tears. "There is nothing to be frightened about."

Finally she felt brave enough to meet his eyes. "I know that, but I just…I keep seeing…what I felt…"

Ankhesenamun kept hoping Ka would cut her off and interject some helpful philosophy, but he remained silent, holding her tightly as she stumbled over words in a way she knew was most undignified. He wanted to hear those words anyway. He wanted to hear her words.

"I want to feel like I did when you kissed me before leaving for battle."

That seemed to be coherent enough. Ka knew what she was saying. He knew her heart.

He kissed her hair again. "That's how you will feel."

Ankhesenamun sighed deeply at the sound of his voice in her ear.

His fingertips traced the bare skin of her arms as he continued to whisper in her ear. "My lips on your neck…"

To her delight, Ka began to kiss slowly down her neck, starting under her ear. The breathy noises of his lips on her skin made her shudder. She hardly noticed his hands had worked their way under the straps of her gown. "…my hands on your breasts…"

The sheer fabric fell off of Ankhesenamun's shoulders and pooled at her feet. Closing her eyes in pleasure, her fingers moved to weave themselves in Ka's hair as he continued his wicked onslaught, his hands massaging the newly bared skin of her chest with practiced skill.

Ankhesenamun could feel her heart pounding and her grip on him tightened. This was how she wanted to feel the whole time. To feel consumed by him. As his kisses trailed to her décolleté and lower, she couldn't stifle a satisfactory moan.

"…between your legs, stroking your thighs…"

The pounding was loud in her ears, and his husky voice sent a delicious spasm down into her core. "Yes."

Yes, yes she wanted that. Mimicking him, she ran her hands over his muscular arms, savoring the feeling of his warm skin before she pulled his shirt down. Like before, Ankhesenamun spread her fingers over the broad expanse of his back, only this time she worked to help him remove the article of clothing completely—there was no worry about being caught. No need to quickly right themselves.

Ka undid his belt, sliding off the green outer robe and quickly followed with his metal arm bands. Ankhesenamun watched eagerly, greedily, as he bent and flexed, as his wavy hair fell in his face. She tried to commit this image to memory, if she could remember anything in perfect detail the rest of her life, let it be this moment.

He turned back to her with a teasing smirk, and her lingering fears were superseded by the fear that he wouldn't continue to touch her. A fire had been started within her, and his every move fanned the flames. She met his gaze evenly, running a hand through her now tousled hair. "You aren't between my legs."

With a small 'tisk'ing sound, Ka quickly closed the space between them and scooped her up, eliciting a surprised laugh from Ankhesenamun. He deposited her unceremoniously on the bed with a chuckle, and she feigned indignation.

Before she could form a retort to his boyish antics, his mouth was on hers again, hot, searing, claiming. It took her breath away, but only lasted a moment. She frowned at the lost contact, but Ka had taken the moment to pull off his remaining tunic before joining her on the bed.

"Forgive me, my queen," he murmured roguishly, leaning over her and reclaiming her mouth. Ankhesenamun smiled and immediately acquiesced, wrapping one hand around his neck while the other explored his chest. She could feel the hard muscle, the indents and bumps of battle weary flesh, and raked her hand over his abs causing him to hiss. She liked that sound.

"Mmmmhhmmm…" Ankhesenamun purred in Ka's ear. "I like that noise."

Not one to be outdone, he chuckled, biting down on her earlobe. "I can make you make that noise too," he whispered teasingly.

She moaned as he lifted her and lowered his head at the same time. His tongue darted out over one of her hard nipples and she couldn't help but cry out, throwing her head back into the pillows. But he wasn't done with her, and began a slow erotic teasing—touching and tempting, sucking and flicking. Ankhesenamun was lost. She couldn't voice any coherent thoughts.

So this is what it was like, pure exquisite pleasure. Love-making. She clutched the pillows for a moment before giving them up for the temptation of his hair. His sucking was hard then soft and she heard a tortured whimpering sound—only to realize it was coming from her own throat.

Ka's hand drifted down her body, and he seemed to be taking note of everything. The smallness of her waist, the curve of her hips, the strength of her thighs, each one was paid attention to. Ankhesenamun was almost lulled into a trance by the light rubbing of his hands, until he was touching her hot damp flesh, stroking into its glistening depths. She whimpered at the sudden sensation.

Ka covered her mouth with his again, his tongue thrusting hotly through her eagerly parted lips. His fingers never stopped their shattering quest. "You wanted me between your thighs," he rumbled.

Ankhesenamun thrashed helplessly, forces within her building, carrying her along urgently. When he worked his way back down her body and was suddenly nuzzling her swollen flesh, her eyes flew open. She was going to say something, anything, this was not like anything she had ever…his tongue touched deep, slick recesses and lazily worshipped them.

Her world tightened, tightened, tightened, and then exploded in a mad mindless burst of sensation. She could hear herself cry out for him as the euphoria faded.

He was there. Ka covered her with his big body, holding her as his mouth sought hers once more. "Ankhe."

Ankhesenamun could taste herself on his lips and was speechless. She could feel his hardness between them and the deep fear attempted a resurgence. The memories.

"I promised you, there is nothing to be frightened about this time."

He knew. He had known exactly what she had meant. And he was right, there was no need to be afraid with him. Not ever again. Because to him she was not just a thing to be used, not just a duty to be performed. Her heart swelled with love for him at that moment, and she pulled his mouth back to hers with as much passion as she could.

Ka returned her kiss, happy to receive her fevered affection, and as he did so she felt her flesh stretching. As a force of habit, Ankhesenamun shut her eyes and tensed.

"Relax."

His hands moved over her body lovingly, distractingly, leaving burning trails on her skin as he pushed in deeper. She whimpered at the foreign, yet surprisingly satisfying, feeling. One of incredible closeness she hadn't considered before. With a sigh, her legs fell open and she held him tightly as his lips found hers again. Her tongue tentatively sparred with his, and he growled when hers made a brief foray into his mouth. Yes, she liked that noise.

Ankhesenamun raked her nails over his back in appreciation, and hooked her legs around his waist. She wanted more of him, all of him, now. "Ka…"

With one smooth thrust she could feel him encased fully within her, deeper than she had ever imagined. She whimpered in satisfaction as the mild pain of being stretched taut eased into pleasure, and he kissed her avidly. After a moment, Ka lifted his lips a fraction above hers; his hand moved to cup her face and her eyes fluttered open. "Alright?"

She stroked his face tenderly, never breaking eye contact as she moved a rogue lock of hair from his brow. "I love you."

In response, Ka took one of her hands in his, lacing their fingers together. The simple demonstration of affection spoke volumes, it said everything Ankhesenamun ever needed to hear. I am here with you. For you. Always. Touching his forehead to hers, he thrust harder and her hand gripped his back as the steely muscles throbbed with power underneath it. He was moving rhythmically now, and her legs wrapped around him as tightly as she could, reveling in the friction. She wanted him as deep within her as possible. The pressure was building again and her fingers tightened on his abused skin as she convulsed around him. He surged deeper within her, his arms tightening around her until he finally collapsed, calling her name.

Ankhesenamun sighed deeply, relishing the feeling of his body on hers, heavy and slick with sweat as it may have been, and wrapped her arms around him. To her dismay, Ka tried to move off of her almost immediately, and she made a sound of protest. He chuckled and raised his head to look at her.

She had a lot of things to say to him, but in that moment, with only the sounds of their harsh breathing to break the silence, she chose not to. Caressing his face adoringly, she laid her head back on the plush pillows. With her hands softly running through his hair, he rested his head on her chest.

They had all the time in the world now.