Chapter Nine
Suhad was pacing in anxious circles in the shadows of the small alley just beyond the prison courtyard when Tutankhamun made his stealthy approach. Her would be scream of terror as he materialized out of the darkness was stifled behind his hand as he anchored his free arm about her waist to keep her quiet and immobilized. She ceased in her bucking against him when his voice sounded in her ears above the panic that had begun to roar within them.
"Shh...shh, my love, it's me," he admonished her gently, "You'll give away our position squealing like that!"
Relieved at the knowledge that he was no assailant, but no less aggravated him, Suhad swatted at him as she ripped free from his loosened grip. "You nearly scared me to death!" she hissed, "Where have you been?"
"I ran into a small delay when procuring the horses and some...ah...improvisation was necessitated," he whispered in vague explanation.
Suhad regarded him warily. "And when you say procure, you mean..."
"I stole them, yes," Tutankhamun clarified without an ounce of remorse.
"Here he is, citizens of Egypt," Suhad muttered in a dry tone, "bask in his unmatched glory, your Pharaoh...common horse thief."
Recognizing that her grumpiness and sarcasm came from a place of dread and unease rather than real annoyance with him, Tutankhamun pressed a reassuring hand to her shoulder and ducked his head low to meet her darting eyes in the moonlight. "Are you certain you want to be a part of this?"
"It was my suggestion," she reminded him.
"That's not what I'm asking. I will not resent you should you decide you are not ready."
"I am frightened. This plan seemed so brilliant in the abstract but now that it looms before us in reality, I can't stop thinking about all the possible variables that might not fall in our favor. But it's a bit too late to back out now. I gave my word to you that I would protect you and I will." She stiffened her back and lifted her chin resolutely. "Did you manage to finish all of the preparations?"
"I did. Lagus and I should manage to leave the city shortly after you."
She nodded her approval. "Good. Then let us begin."
Tutankhamun took his position behind an overturned cart as the base of the prison hold, neatly pressing himself back into the shadows while Suhad sauntered up towards the gate towards the guards positioned there, her hips swaying suggestively as she did. Tutankhamun watched her departure with narrowed eyes. They had never actually discussed what means she would employ in order to lure the guard away from his post but judging by her provocative stride and the way she shrugged away her cloak to reveal her smooth, bare shoulders, he could hazard a guess...and he didn't like it.
He liked it even less when their target framed Suhad's hips in his grimy hands and began dropping kisses along the juncture of her shoulder and neck while she feigned pleased laughter. Tutankhamun rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, his hands clenched into fists as he warred with every instinct he had to spring up from his hiding place and beat the man into senselessness. He was still fighting to get the impulse under control when Suhad took the guard by the hand and began leading him down towards Tutankhamun's hiding place. The enamored soldier seemed to pay no heed to the infuriated protests of his companion, a fact that suited Tutankhamun just fine. His eagerness to leave his post would prove to be his undoing and Tutankhamun's way in.
As soon as Suhad made her way into position and the guard moved in to take what she had so generously offered him, Tutankhamun sprang up from his concealed place and struck the man hard across the back of the head with the heaviest item he'd been able to find...a large clay water jug. The soldier crumpled with a muted thud at their feet, his fallen helmet rolling heedlessly between them.
Tutankhamun glared at Suhad. "Did you really have to permit him to paw all over you that way?"
She scowled at him incredulously, countering his cantankerous question with one of her own. "Have you seriously chosen this moment of all moments to have an attack of jealousy?"
The chastisement in her tone was all he needed to shake off his lingering irritation. "You're right. That was petty of me. Let's finish this."
After stripping the fallen guard of his clothing and weapons, Suhad and Tutankhamun worked with furtive efficiency to bind the fallen man and secure him someplace where he could not cause trouble for them should he to regain consciousness in the meantime. When the task was complete, Tutankhamun swiftly began peeling away his own garments, committing each discarded article to Suhad as he assumed the soldiers dress and headgear.
"Now remember the plan," he instructed her as he readied himself, "After the fire has been set, take everything and run to the desert. Don't try and stay behind to wait for us. We will find you."
"What if you don't?" she considered in mounting anxiety, "What if this does not go as we have planned? What if this is the last time you and I see one another?"
He straightened and reached out to draw his knuckles along the ridge of her cheek. "Then know that I have passed on into the next life a happy man...because you loved me."
The two shared a lingering kiss goodbye before Tutankhamun broke away and began making his way up the same path that Suhad had taken earlier. He felt his belly churning with nerves and anticipation as he approached the lone soldier at the gate of the prison courtyard, acutely aware of the man's suspicious scrutiny as he neared. "He sent me to stand in his stead," Tutankhamun lied smoothly as he resumed the other guard's vacated post, "while he is otherwise occupied."
The other man grunted. "At least he remembered he has a duty," he said to Tutankhamun, "The undeserving dog."
From her concealed place below, Suhad watched for a few minutes while Tutankhamun made small talk with the guard, wanting to ascertain for herself that he had been successful in his ruse before turning her attention to the next part of their plan. Meanwhile, Tutankhamun kept a keen eye out for her signal, all the while keeping his unsuspecting companion engaged in idle conversation and simultaneously trying to attract Lagus' attention as he did. He affected a dramatic shudder when a sudden, stiff wind burst through the courtyard.
"A chill has set in the air tonight," he commented, "Should we not take the prisoners inside so that they might not catch illness and perish as a result of the cold? They can no longer prove to be sport to us if they are dead."
"Let them die," the Mitanni guard muttered, "I've no idea why King Tushratta allows them to go on living at all." He stabbed his spear over in the direction of the courtyard, his aim landing directly upon Lagus. "Especially that one," he sneered, "Many of our men died by his hand in the battle. I've no doubt that piece of Egyptian filth would kill us all were he ever given the opportunity."
In that moment, Lagus chose to glare at them both defiantly and he met Tutankhamun's eyes directly for the first time. Within the span of a single second, Tutankhamun watched a plethora of emotions flitter across Lagus' countenance...hatred, recognition, shock, disbelief, bewilderment and finally understanding. The seasoned soldier carefully masked his features, seeming to discern his pharaoh's intent without words. Tutankhamun deliberately turned his back to the courtyard again and appraised his Mitanni companion with impassive look.
"You're right," he murmured, "You should definitely keep an eye on that one."
He hadn't even finished making the statement when a sudden blaze just beyond the prison courtyard threw all the nearby guards into a panic with chaotic cries of "fire!" Thick plumes of black smoke billowed into the air, already beginning to obscure visibility in the area. As the confusion began to swell around them and people began scrambling towards safety, his companion bellowed the order to begin herding the prisoners back inside the hold. Tutankhamun made his move then with one well-placed elbow to the Mitanni guard's face. The man fell down at his feet, unmoving.
"You should have probably kept an eye on me as well."
Without any time to waste, Tutankhamun swiftly unlatched the gate to the courtyard, nearly trampled by the outgoing flux of prisoners as they swarmed their way to freedom. "Where are the rest of your men?" he demanded quickly when he and Lagus finally made their way to one another, "We must find them and leave immediately!"
"There's only me, my lord. The others did not survive." Lagus allowed himself only a brief instant of sorrow before launching his own questions. "How did you come to be here?"
"There will be time for answers later, my friend," Tutankhamun assured him, "For now, we must run!"
Just beyond the edge of the blaze, Suhad did her utmost to keep a visual on Tutankhamun and Lagus until they disappeared from her sights. Only then did she make a run for it herself. Finding her way to her pick-up point was no easy task. The streets were congested with frenzied citizens, scuttling soldiers and great plumes of choking smoke. Though her eyes and lungs were burning with acrid soot, the air growing increasingly stifled as the small fire she had set began to heave into a raging inferno, Suhad managed to find the horse and supplies where Tutankhamun had so diligently left them.
Navigating her way towards the outer gates of the city proved to be an easier task than Suhad had anticipated. Most of the Mitanni inhabitants were too preoccupied with the sudden fire that had sprung up in front of the prison that they failed to closely scrutinize a lone woman traveling in the dead of night with a single horse and enough parcels to keep her for a week's journey. Despite the low profile she maintained, however, Suhad did not take an easy breath until she was far beyond the fortress walls. Only then did she mount her horse and begin riding at breakneck speed across the open desert, as if the entire Mitanni army were in pursuit. She did not stop until she finally reached the Egyptian border.
Once she was absolutely certain she had not been followed by the enemy, Suhad took a break to water the horse and relieve herself. The night felt uncharacteristically humid and the sticky moisture in the air caused a light fog to hang low to the ground. Suhad lingered for a moment, peering through the opaque wall of clouds in hopes of catching some sight of Tutankhamun approaching on the horizon. The night remained silent. Disappointed, but not yet to the point where she felt worry, Suhad climbed back atop the horse and resumed her journey towards the hidden oasis.
Very few people outside of her grandmother's immediate family had knowledge of that desert treasure. It was a large pool of crisp water that stretched for nearly two kilometers and was surrounded by several rows of stooping palm trees bordering all sides and thick tufts of verdant grass. When she and Tutankhamun had first set off on their journey the oasis had been the place Suhad had been most excited to share with him. She had never imagined that, by the time they finally reached it, they would not even be on speaking terms. Now, thankfully, things were mended between them but their opportunity to enjoy the oasis alone as she'd originally wanted had been lost.
Suhad was still lamenting that loss when she finally reached the sanctuary. To keep from torturing herself with worst case scenarios in relation to Tutankhamun's tardiness, she preoccupied herself with readying the camp for their arrival. After concealing the horse between to palm trees and securing him there, Suhad turned her attention towards starting a fire, setting up the camp and preparing a small meal in anticipation of the men's arrival.
It was only when she had completed everything she could think of and there yet remained no sign of them that Suhad began to panic. She prowled the perimeter of the camp like a caged lioness while she debated the wisdom of jumping on her horse and going after them. She had resolved to do exactly that when the approaching thump of thundering hoof beats sounded in her ears and caused the ground to rumble beneath her feet. Her instinct was to grab a nearby jug of water and douse the fire before quickly concealing herself in the shadows. However, before she could execute that plan, Suhad heard her name being called.
Instantly recognizing Tutankhamun's voice, Suhad burst through the wall of palm trees into the desert clearing just as Tutankhamun brought his horse to a trembling halt and made a stumbling dismount. The two closed the distance between them with glad cries, wrapping one another in an embrace so tight it was impossible to discern where one began and the other ended. They kissed again and again as if to reaffirm the reality of being in one another's arms. Both were blissfully oblivious to Lagus, who stood witness to the loving exchanges of affection between them with growing discomfiture.
Suhad lightly ran her hands over Tutankhamun's face, neck and shoulders, gradually becoming aware of the bruises, cuts and burns that were scattered across his upper body. "You've been hurt."
"It's nothing," he reassured her, trading an unspoken glance with Lagus, "Just a few scratches, that's all."
She fingered the singed skin along his inner wrist. "This is no mere scratch. I will get my salve. It will help you heal faster." She flicked a glance towards Lagus, noting for the first time that he stood alone. "Where are the rest of your men?"
"They are all dead," he told her.
"I'm sorry," Suhad murmured with genuine sympathy. She gestured towards one of the pallets she had set up. "You should take a rest. I will see to your wounds when I am done with him."
As Suhad tended to Tutankhamun's wounds, Lagus quietly noted the intimate dynamic between his pharaoh and the village girl who had saved his life. Tutankhamun had provided only a few answers to his endless questions during the brief break they had taken in the desert, namely the events Lagus had missed during his imprisonment and a vague explanation on how Tutankhamun had come to be involved with Suhad. Presently, they were too far away and spoke much too softly for Lagus to discern their conversation but their body language was all that he needed.
Suhad often leaned in close to Tutankhamun when she spoke to him, her body gravitating towards his without conscious thought. Pharaoh Tutankhamun, for his part, was equally drawn to her. He watched her intently...the curve of her mouth when she smile, the small gestures of her hands, the way she tossed back her head when she laughed...it was evident his pharaoh was a keen admirer of all of it. There was an intimate familiarity between them that could not be denied. It was clear from the way they looked at one another and the way that they touched that there was much more between them than friendship or passing fancy.
After she finished dressing the last of Tutankhamun's wounds, Suhad pressed a fervent kiss to his bandaged hand and then rose to approach Lagus. "Now it's your turn."
He laughed lightly as she knelt down before him. "Should I also expect such loving kisses as you are bandaging my wounds?" he teased her.
His pharaoh was swift to answer that question and without a hint of amusement. "No, you should not."
Suhad and Lagus exchanged a secret smile at Tutankhamun's obvious and very needless jealousy before Suhad set to work. She inspected the blistered skin of Lagus' forearm, whimpering in remorse as she ascertained the severity of the burn. "I am so sorry for this," she said earnestly, "No one was meant to be hurt."
"You owe me no apologies," Lagus replied, "Your courageous actions tonight and in the past led to my freedom and my pharaoh's continued good health. For that, I will always be grateful to you. Thank you, Suhad."
"It is I who should be thanking you," she countered softly, "After all, you saved him first."
Once she was finished tending to him, the three of them sat down before the fire to enjoy the meal that Suhad had prepared earlier and Lagus was able to gain a few more details surrounding Tutankhamun's experiences following the Mitanni battle. After they had finished eating, Lagus then excused himself in order to wash away the accumulated stench and grime he had acquired since his imprisonment. Suhad waited until he was well beyond the trees before she turned to address Tutankhamun.
"Does he know about all of it?" she asked, "About Ka and his betrayal."
"He knows everything but not the details. We still have those things left to discuss."
"Then I will give you time to do so in private." She reached up to lightly skim the singed skin along his collarbone. "What happened? You and Lagus should have been far away from the fire."
"The Mitanni cut off our escape," Tutankhamun explained, "We had no choice but to double back."
"And expose yourself to the fire I started," Suhad concluded grimly, "How many people perished this night due to my actions?"
Tutankhamun gently took hold of her chin and nudged her to look at him. "Do not beat yourself up with guilt for this, my love. It was our plan together...and it worked. Whatever blood that was shed tonight is upon both of our hands."
"Should that provide me with comfort?"
"I would kill a thousand men, Suhad, if it meant keeping you from harm."
Suhad nestled into his waiting embrace, sighing in contentment when he held her fast against him. "As I would for you, my love."
They were snuggling comfortably before the fire when a freshly bathed and shaven Lagus returned to the camp. Sensing the commander's anxious desire to speak with his pharaoh alone, Suhad scooted from Tutankhamun's arms and rolled to her feet. "I think I shall have a bath as well," she announced before adding in a lower tone just for Tutankhamun, "You may join me when you have concluded here." Tutankhamun had a difficult time repressing his answering grin as she walked away. Both he and Lagus watched her departure in mutually admiring silence though for very different reasons.
"Suhad is quite an exceptional woman," the commander remarked casually.
A little too casually and Tutankhamun picked up on that instantly. "I agree. She is beyond exceptional and yet it seems to me that you are prefacing that observation. So, what is it?" He appraised Lagus with an expectant glance. "Speak your mind freely."
"I fear that Suhad may prove to be a distraction for you during this most unstable time."
Although he had invited Lagus' candor Tutankhamun still found himself growing irritated with the commander's words. His first instinct was to flood Lagus with endless arguments as to why he was wrong or even chastise him for making the statement at all, but Tutankhamun realized doing so would be counterproductive. He wanted to encourage Lagus' honesty with him, not stifle it. That would only happen if he was willing to listen to older man's counsel, even when it galled him to do so. He knotted his jaw in obvious displeasure over the frank observation but otherwise remained silent, granting Lagus his tacit permission to continue.
"General Horemheb and Ka have already maneuvered against you," Lagus told him, "You cannot show them any vulnerability as they have already proven that they are not bound by sentiment."
"I know that."
"And do you know you will likely have to regain your kingdom by force and that the asking price will be both Ka and the general's blood?"
"I know that as well. I came to that unpleasant conclusion weeks ago."
"General Horemheb has a great deal of popularity with the people and there is likely to be unrest with his execution," Lagus continued wisely, "In addition to that, we cannot be sure that Ka and the general were working independently in their schemes against you. No one can be trusted at this time. The number of conspirators within your palace is yet to be determined. We have no idea how deeply this treachery has fomented. A purging will need to occur and very quickly. You cannot afford to have your attention diverted, my lord."
"Suhad is no mere dalliance," Tutankhamun bit out, "I am not using her for distraction. She is with me because I want her with me, because she has become a part of me."
"And that is exactly my point, my lord," Lagus intoned softly, "It is plain to see how deeply you care for her, dare I even to suggest, love her. I could see it the moment you both laid eyes on one another and your enemies will be able to see it as well. I have no doubts that they will use her as a means to control and manipulate you and your people."
"How could anyone use Suhad to manipulate the people? She saved my life and risked herself on behalf of all Egypt! She will be a hero to them all!"
"Suhad is part Mitanni, my lord, and we are at war with the Mitanni."
Tutankhamun leveled him with a steely glare. "Suhad is Egyptian, Lagus, and she is loyal to her pharaoh...she is loyal to me."
"I meant no offense towards her, my king. She is extraordinary and fearless and I can see quite easily why you are taken with her." Only when the young pharaoh began to relax his rigid stance did Lagus continue. "Your enemies will not care that she saved your life and fought on behalf of Egypt. They will use her mixed heritage to make it look as if you are colluding with the enemy. They will use it to their advantage and try to turn your people away from you."
"So then what are you proposing?"
"You must take her back to Amurru where she will be safe."
Tutankhamun wasn't surprised by the suggestion but he groaned nonetheless, his features contorting in a rare display of vulnerability. In that instant, he looked to Lagus every inch the nineteen year old boy that he was. "I cannot," he mumbled hoarsely, "I recognize the wisdom in what you have said and I even agree with you that she would be safer in her village, but I cannot be without her." He regarded Lagus with glistening eyes. "Do you understand?"
The commander jerked a terse nod. "I suspected you might say as much."
"And you don't approve," Tutankhamun concluded in a grim tone.
"I fear for her," Lagus clarified, "and for you, my lord. These times are critical and dangerous and, in being together, you both walk a very tenuous line. But...I stand with you no matter what. Suhad has obviously gained both your loyalty and trust and I have no reservations that it was well earned. Therefore, she has earned my loyalty and trust as well. I will protect her with my life, just as I will protect you."
Tutankhamun reached up to squeeze his shoulder briefly in a show of gratitude. "Thank you, my friend."
Later, as he set off to join Suhad, Tutankhamun did not find himself as comforted by Lagus' last reassurance as he had hoped he would be. Instead, he found himself turning over Lagus' warning words again and again in his mind and considering the veracity of his statements, despite his firm resolve to do the opposite of what the seasoned commander had suggested. However, Tutankhamun could not completely banish the nagging worry that his decision to disregard Lagus' caution was the wrong one.