Chapter 3: A Snake in the Shadows

Warriors from opposing countries faced off at a crowded banquet. Candlelight glinted off a hundred raised swords as they awaited a signal to slice each other to ribbons.

"It's alright," Pharaoh called off his henchmen.

His guards sheathed their swords, and parted way. The Nubian guards followed suit. Gwen breathed a sigh of relief. She yearned not for war and carnage, but for a peaceful resolution to her forced betrothal.

"Princess Gwen." Pharaoh smiled as she stood before him, undaunted.

"May I have a word, my lord?"

"Absolutely"

Gwen whispered to her regal betrothed, "my father married for love and chose a peasant. I only possess half royal blood. Surely a ruler of your stature…"

"I know exactly what you are and what you are not. Myron gave a full disclosure of your lineage," Pharaoh interrupted.

"I feel duty bound to inform your grace that I have been in the company of several princesses who are seeking such a union."

"All the more reason you should be grateful."

"With all due respect, my place is here, but Princess Imani fancies you, Princess Asha is completely besotted, and Princess Zoya…"

Pharaoh silenced her. "There is nothing you can say to dissuade me. You will be a princess of Egypt and that is final. Now choose an Egyptian servant and get acquainted."

"I'm not allowed to bring my own?" she asked with tears in her eyes at the thought of leaving everything and everyone she knew behind.

"Do you think I would be stupid enough to allow Myron to install one of his spies in my court?" Pharaoh clapped his hands twice.

There was a sudden clatter of footsteps. The Egyptian servants gathered and fell into a staunch formation, like an army.

Gwen refused to live under the magnifying glass of one of Pharaoh's spies. "I will choose none."

"Have it your way."

Pharaoh was about to choose one at random until a breathtaking woman walked forward. It was Ruptah, queen of the western territories, and older sister of Sobek and Pharaoh. Queen Ruptah was the only one capable of silencing Pharaoh, the only one he truly listened to.

Ruptah shook her head at him. "A harem boy is more than just a slave; he serves as a constant companion to your bride. Put thought into whom you choose."

"Perhaps you should choose," Pharaoh suggested.

Ruptah carefully considered each one. She pointed at the ivory face that stood out in a sea of tan skinned slaves. "I am familiar with that one. He is kind and loyal."

"Arthur," Pharaoh called with a snap of his fingers. "Become acquainted with your charge."

Gwen fled the celebration, her vision blurred by streaming tears. She felt as insignificant as a grain of sand being carried by the breeze. She detested her power-hungry uncle and his lecherous nobles. She was not going to miss the unwanted advances of those arrogant pigs who felt they should own the world. However, a marriage to Pharaoh wouldn't be any better; he was the worst of them all.

Gwen paced the floor of her elaborate chamber struggling to understand how so much could go wrong in a single moment. She felt relief at the sound of a knock on the door. She flung it open in hope of finding her friend, but Sobek was not the one at the threshold.

"I will understand if I am the last person you wish to see right now," Queen Ruptah assured her.

"Not at all. Please come in." Gwen fought back tears and offered her guest a seat.

Gwen wasn't shocked that Sobek would run to her big sister. Queen Ruptah was the one with poise and wisdom. Egypt lost its greatest treasure when Ruptah was sent west to marry a king.

It would have been customary to entertain a royal visitor on a lounge, with servants fawning over them the entire time, but Gwen was too tired to stand on ceremony, and too devastated to care what anyone thought of her. Gwen plopped down on the bed and Ruptah followed suit.

Queen Ruptah removed a necklace with a large diamond pendant, and placed it in Gwen's palm.

"I couldn't." Gwen tried to give it back.

Ruptah refused to take it. "I insist. On the night of my engagement I felt much like you do. I was given this necklace by my mother, not for its value, but for its strength."

Gwen appeared confused. "I don't understand, your majesty."

"A diamond is the most beautiful and resilient thing on earth," Queen Ruptah explained, "but much like women, the diamond is often underestimated. People are too distracted by its beauty to notice it's strength. Intense pressure and heat will destroy most things, but you are a diamond, Gwen. Pressure only makes you that much stronger. Heat makes you shine that much brighter."

"I don't know if I can do this alone."

"Sobek will be there, and I promise to stay in Egypt for as long as you need me."

"Am I to say goodbye to happiness forever?"

"Some people were born to be happy, and others were born to be great. Marry my brother and bring out the good man that is buried inside of him. Bless these lands with peace and prosperity. Be a diamond."

Gwen smiled through her tears. "Thank you, your majesty."

Queen Ruptah hugged her tight and tucked her into bed. For the briefest of moments Gwen remembered what it felt like to have a mom. Ruptah let herself out, while Gwen fought to focus on the duty of this marriage rather than the man. She was suffocating, drowning in an ocean of heavy feelings when a second knock snatched her to the surface.

Gwen flung open the double doors. It was Arthur. She shrieked and slammed the doors shut. How could I have been so rude?! She berated herself, drew in a calming breath, and then cracked just one of the doors. Surprisingly, Arthur wasn't offended by her reaction, just amused. He was smiling his amazing smile and Gwen found it hard to keep her wits about her.

She had to look away from Arthur as she told Osiris, "I wish not for an Egyptian slave."

"I'll have to inform Pharaoh," Osiris sternly warned her.

"As you wish," she spoke to the floor. "Sorry to have wasted your time."

"Very well." Osiris ordered the armed guards who'd escorted them, "string Arthur up. Twenty lashes should suffice."

Arthur fought against the brutes as they drug him away, soon to rip his flesh open with a whip. It wasn't fair, but slaves were often blamed and punished for things that weren't their fault.

Gwen screamed, "what are you doing?!"

"Seeing the slave punished, my lady," Osiris answered. "He's obviously offended you in some manner."

"No, no he hasn't," Gwen swore. "I was just afraid of losing everything I know."

Arthur breathed an enormous sigh of relief as Gwen opened the door further and snatched him in.

"Good evening, my lady." Osiris bowed slightly.

She politely nodded and closed the door, encasing herself and the slave in an awkward silence that seemed to span an eternity. He took two steps forward to lessen the distance between them. She took two steps back, restoring the gap.

Arthur took the initiative to speak first, "if you don't want me, you are welcome to choose another. I was out of line when I addressed you in the lower village. I knew not of your station."

This was the most awkward moment of Gwen's life, but after nearly getting him flogged she knew he deserved an explanation. "You've done nothing wrong. I'm just overwhelmed."

Arthur nodded understandably. "This betrothal came as a surprise."

"To say the least." Gwen laughed, despite the tears in her eyes.

"I can see why you would believe I am little more than a spy for Pharaoh, but it is you I serve above all others. It's the oath we take as harem boys, to never betray a lady's secrets," Arthur assured her while taking a few more steps forward, happy that she took steps forward too.

He reached out to her. She placed her trembling hands in his waiting palms. A sudden jolt of electricity surged through them at the feel of each other's warmth, and the air between them sizzled.

He looked away in shame. "I know I made a mess of things, but is it possible for us to start over?"

"Don't apologize for the way we met. No one has ever made me feel the way you do."

Her honesty ceased his breath. His heart swelled to twice its size. His chest could barely contain it. Out of loyalty to Egypt, Arthur willed himself to release her hands. Gwen's eyes darkened with disappointment.

"What do you want to do?" Arthur sweetly enquired.

Gwen was shocked. She hadn't been asked what she wanted since her parents were alive.

She remained dumbfounded for so long that Arthur repeated the question, "is there something you would prefer to do other than stand here, my lady?"

"Something we can't," she sighed, defeated.

"What makes you certain of that? We can do whatever you desire."

Gwen answered in a melancholy tone, "I wish I could go out with you. I want to see my city before I am forced to leave it, but I've become Pharaoh's political hostage. Would he even allow it?"

"You should probably grab your shawl. It's starting to cool off."

Her eyes brightened with glee. "It isn't against the rules?"

"No," Arthur shook his head. "Pharaoh demanded that we get acquainted. He never specified where."

"I want to see the Ruins."

Arthur was stunned by Gwen's choice of destination. Of all the places in the world, why would she choose the Ruins?

"Isn't that place cursed?"

"According to legend," Gwen smirked. "We don't have to go if you're not up to it."

He grinned with intrigue as his curious nature got the best of him. "After you, my lady."

Gwen and Arthur embarked on a legendary night, unaware that the worst kind of person had witnessed a kiss between the princess and the slave. A malicious serpent lurked in the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to strike…

Gwen stood firmly on a chariot that was trimmed in solid gold. Arthur boarded behind her. A cool wind blew in their direction and she nuzzled against him for warmth. He closed his eyes as he breathed her in, allowing her sweet jasmine scent to envelope him.

Gwen couldn't believe he was passing her the reins. She enquired with excitement, "are you sure about this?"

"You said you wanted to learn," he reminded her, with a charming grin.

Men had promised Gwen many things, but they never kept their word. Suitors would pledge to cut their mother's heads off if they believed it would land them a girl with a hefty dowry. Arthur was different. He honored his promises.

One of his hands gripped a rail to anchor them. His other hand wrapped around her waist. Gooseflesh rose on her skin and her heart skipped a beat. It was difficult to convince herself that his embrace wasn't intimate, that it was merely for sake of her safety.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. They looked in each other's eyes for a warm tender moment, before he helped her snap the reins. The horses took off like bolts of powerful lightening. The chariot raced down the deserted roads, opposite the festival.

Gwen's braids whipped wildly in the breeze. Arthur smiled with delight at her squeals of joy. He reached down to help her steer. His hands felt like warm cocoons around hers, as the horses galloped through the city.

Gwen and Arthur could see the Ruins coming into view. They were breathtaking, even at this time of night. Toppled pillars lay covered in a soft blanket of moss and vines. Crumbling monuments and temples sprawled about a lush green landscape. Vines grew up the walls of an ancient castle, weaving in and out of its stone windows. The pleasant scent of flowers wafted in the air. Enchanting fireflies lit up the night, as they floated around the ancient Ruins.

The horses slowed to a trot as they came closer. Arthur and Gwen rolled to a stop as they reached their destination. He helped her down from the chariot. Still under the intrinsic high of their chariot ride, Gwen felt an urge she hadn't since childhood.

She picked up her skirts and ran ecstatically through the labyrinth of towering trees and ruined buildings. Arthur chased her lovely fleeing form, like two nymphs in the garden of paradise. Her shoes slipped from her feet and she left them abandoned; they'd been killing her feet all night, another thing in her life putting restrictions on her and she yearned to be free in this moment, free with him.

He ceased and looked around after losing sight of her. A firefly illuminated her smiling face as she peeked around a tree. Gwen beckoned him before running off again. He laughed and pursued her until she was his captive. She stood wrapped in Arthur's arms, her bosom heaving from their joyful frolic.

A tingle swept through him and his gaze lingered for an inappropriate length of time. He could not deny that her sheer presence stirred all of his senses. She could find neither the will nor the want to push him away. He was a penniless commoner and she was betrothed to another, still the yearning was no less. He yearned to kiss her so badly but he could never have a girl like this. Gwen was forbidden fruit.

She whispered in the darkness, "go ahead. It wouldn't be the first time."

"I… I can't. I'm sorry." With heavy sadness, he let her go.

Her heart sank. "It's different when you know who I am."

"It's different when I know what you are. To truly know who you are would take a lifetime, one I am most willing to devote, as your humble servant." He bent low to kiss her knuckles.

Gwen caressed his cheek. "For all our hardships the fates have given us this beautiful night and I am grateful for even that."

His downtrodden expression lifted with the warmth of her touch. "I am grateful if only to serve you, to be calmed by the serenity of your voice, counseled by your wisdom, and gaze upon your beauty."

Her heart pounded as she stood before him speechless. No man had ever talked to her this way. It felt incredible to have a man look at her as more than a breeder of sons or a provider of dowered lands.

Arthur and Gwen explored the Ruins in comfortable silence until they found a place that spoke to them. It wasn't the biggest structure, nor was it the most beautiful, but it beguiled them to enter.

They crossed the threshold. Only the walls and fireplace remained. The floor had become a bed of grass and the ceiling was no more. They started a cozy little fire in the hearth, and lied together on a blanket. Gwen's head rested upon the cradle of his shoulder and he wrapped one arm around her. They gazed up at the heavens counting stars and admiring the constellations.

Gwen couldn't help but ask, "when I bumped into you, the slave driver said you had asked to smell the pies, not eat them, but smell them, why?"

"I would rather not say," Arthur shook his head with an awkward smile. "You'll think I'm pathetic."

"I will not judge you. I promise."

They rolled onto their sides to face one another.

Arthur confessed, "I had a family once. Each year my memories of them grow fuzzier. Many philosophers are beginning to say that scent is the closest sense to memory. When I smell a fresh baked pie I recall having an older brother who doted on me. He worked hard but was never too busy to take me fishing or carve a toy for me. I remember my father's hearty laughter, and how I was his greatest joy in life. Just a whiff of a pie helps me recall the kindness in my mother's eyes. I can hear her angelic voice singing me awake in the morning and putting me to sleep at night. I remember that if only for a brief time I mattered to someone. Please tell me of your family, your majesty."

"My mother was no royal, just a village medicine woman, who captured the heart of a king. The nobles had assured my father that he would find a respectable wife, and that women were lined up across the continent seeking his proposal. The king had attempted courtships with noblewomen and even a few princesses. It never amounted to a thing, despite the fact that he and these women had many things in common. For my father, there was nothing more boring than perfect."

Arthur was confused. "Wouldn't a king yearn for a queen he had everything in common with?"

"Gods no," Gwen chuckled as the fire sent dancing shadows over her face. "That is pleasing at first but…"

"At some point you grow tired of courting yourself," Arthur concluded. "It's not a relationship that goes the distance."

"My father asked the council how can you grow as a king or even a man if the woman you wed holds conversations about things you already know and politics you already agree with?"

Arthur nodded. "Your father was a brilliant king. Had he married a mold of himself there would have been no check and balance, no contrast."

"Precisely," Gwen said. "He didn't need a woman who saw eye to eye with him on everything. He needed a woman who could aide him in seeing from an entirely different perspective. Mother helped him see through the eyes of the people he ruled. My parents fought from time to time but together they grew, as did our kingdom. They started out a king and a commoner from two completely different worlds. Mother was humble. Father was prideful. Mother preferred small gatherings with family and friends. Father preferred hosting the most extravagant parties in the realm. When they first married, they didn't agree on most politics; and that system of balance gave Nubia its most prosperous reign in history."

"The queen was his polar opposite and yet his perfect match," Arthur stated thoughtfully. "It makes sense actually."

A tense silence fell over them as the firewood crackled and popped.

Gwen addressed the elephant in the room, "there is obviously something between us. We can stand on ceremony and pretend it doesn't exist, but that won't change the truth. What are we supposed to do?"

"Remember that our duties are more important than our feelings," he sighed, "and try not to love each other."

Arthur could not bring himself to say goodbye on the morning following the best night of his life. The words pained him too deeply. As breaking dawn sent dancing shimmers over her beautiful face, Arthur made a stealthy exit from her chamber.

Gwen awakened an hour later, pained by his absence. She understood why he couldn't say goodbye, but that realization made her miss him no less. She draped her soft feminine curves in a silk robe that left little to the imagination. Gwen sauntered across her chamber. She stood upon her balcony gazing down at the kingdom of Nubia. People were already flooding the streets in droves to begin the next day of festival.

Pharaoh had not been able to travel with his builders, so the house slaves had to take their place for the moment. Arthur and the others were instructed to build a shrine at the festival to honor Pharaoh… as if the Emperor of Egypt didn't already have enough monuments, temples, and statues. Gwen had never met anyone so in love with his own image. This shrine would take days to complete and Arthur was already dreading it.

This tribute to Pharaoh was a depressing reminder that Gwen would soon be married to a lecherous tyrant. To make matters worse, the only man alive who valued her would be doing construction under hazardous conditions for the next three days. She would worry every moment until he returned.

Gwen looked up at the sound of a ruckus in the hall. Sobek shoved past protesting chambermaids. She burst into Gwen's room unannounced.

"There was an accident," Sobek heaved, completely out breath.

"Who?!" Gwen shouted impatiently.

Sobek put her head down and tears filled her eyes.

Gwen's mind raced. If it was a family member, the nobles would be informing me. If it was a Nubian servant my maids would be delivering the tragic news. Sobek is here. It must be someone from Egyptian court, someone personal to me.

Gwen shook the princess by the shoulders and demanded, "is your brother unwell?! Tell me of my betrothed! Is it serious?!" Gwen had not been jumping for joy to marry Pharaoh, but she would never wish harm on him. If only for Sobek's sake, Gwen hoped for the best. "Is my betrothed unwell?"

"It's Arthur"

Sobek's admission stole the breath from the Nubian princess. Gwen felt dizzy and nauseous at the thought of tragedy befalling him. Gwen's legs felt weak, and she lowered to the floor, for fear that they may not support her. Sobek knelt beside her, wishing she could do anything to soften the blow.

At last Gwen willed her petrified vocal chords to produce sound; she spoke in little more than a whisper, "how bad is it?"

Sobek shook her head and hugged her friend. "I'm so sorry."