Of all the people in the palace, she thought,it has to be my mother!
She peered over the tops of the flowers to see Queen Bintanath, blazing like a poppy in a long red dress that was belted with gold. Two wide straps loosely covered her breasts, and over that, she wore a wide lapis and obsidian collar in the shape of a vulture, its wings stretching over her broad shoulders. A delicate lattice covered her mother’s favorite wig, which had been a gift from a visiting emissary many years before. Sita only remembered him because he’d brought the first pomegranates to the kingdom—fruits now cultivated freely in Thonis and in the gardens at the Temple of Amun. Sita had been a child when she’d first tried one, and she still thought they were the most delicious things she’d ever tasted.
The emissary, like so many others, had commented that Sita and her brother must have gotten their good looks from their mother. Seeing her now, Sita had to agree—although she hopedthat time would be kinder to her than it had been to the queen. Her mother’s face and body, long and elegant as they were, looked as if life had whittled her into a collection of flint-sharp edges.
The two monkeys chose that moment to dash down from their perch and skitter across the queen’s path. She startled slightly, her ochre-stained lips curling, before recovering her composure. Sighing, she brushed an invisible mote of dirt from her dress and refocused on Femi. His wiry black hair, cut short like most of the palace guard, shone with sweat.
“I’m looking for the princess,” the queen told him. “I know she likes to come here in the afternoons. She should be preparing herself for the festival tonight, not lounging in the dirt with monkeys.”
Femi shook his head. “My apologies, Queen Bintanath, but I haven’t seen her.” He stood awkwardly, with one leg half-crossed in front of the other. He looked as if he wished the ground would open and swallow him whole.
The queen huffed with irritation. “I’ve looked everywhere else. She must be here.Sitaaa!” The last was shouted at a pitch that sent the long-tailed monkeys scampering back into their tree.
Sita’s mind whirled, knowing she had only moments before it was too late to act. What was she supposed to do now? Without more than a few seconds consideration, she flipped onto her back, grasped her amulet in her hand, sent a quick prayer to Isis, and sat up.
Both Femi and the queen noticed her immediately.
“There you are!” the queen said, exasperated.
Femi stared at her with a mortified expression. “Princess Sitamun…” he said weakly, dropping his head in deference to her.
“Oh, hello, Mother, Femi,” Sita said, making a big show of yawning and stretching before rising to her feet. “I was in the seventh sleep. My tutor had me reciting passages from the Taleof Sinuhe today, and all that reading made me tired.”
Queen Bintanath rolled her eyes. “I’m going to have to speak to that man. I don’t know why he insists on wasting your time with silly stories when you should be focusing on politics and taxes. A king’s daughter should know those things.”
But I love the stories, Sita thought.They’re certainly more entertaining than taxes.But she knew better than to argue. “Yes, Mother,” she said instead.
The queen waved her closer. “Now come along, your attendants are waiting. I thought you were excited about the Bast Festival—and yet here you are, sleeping instead of getting ready.”
“Iamexcited!” Sita retorted.
“The palace cats are more prepared than you!” Her mother went on as if Sita hadn’t spoken. “Ugh, you smell like fish. Tell your attendants to add some cyprinum oil to your bath, and your hair…”
Sita started to follow her mother out of the garden but was arrested by Femi’s searching gaze. “Do you often… ah, nap in the pleasure garden, princess?” he asked carefully.
“Oh yes, all the time,” Sita replied, feeling mischievous. “I always have such vivid dreams.” She shot him a provocative glance.
The guard’s throat bobbed. He opened his mouth as if to ask something more, but then he glanced toward Queen Bintanath’s receding figure and closed it.
Sita suppressed a smile, delighted at her reversal of fortunes. Just a moment ago she’d been panicked about her reputation, but now poor Femi was worried about his own. This was the perfect opportunity to reassure him that she was on his side, that his secrets were safe with her, that she could betrusted…
“Are you attending the Bast Festival tonight?” She tried very hard to sound casual.
“I am,” Femi replied. “All the guards will be on hand to ensure the safety of the revelers.”
“So, you must have gone to the last festival,” Sita said, eyeing her mother. She’d been waylaid by one of the lesser wives, who appeared to be plying her with questions. “And two others before that, since you joined the guard four seasons ago.” She said that last part without thinking and regretted it immediately.Why should you know how long he’s been here? He’s going to think you’ve been counting!
Femi smiled, as if he knew he now had the upper hand. “Why yes, I did,” he said. “How good of you to remember.”
Sita licked her lips. Why was she being so stupid over this man? He was nothing, just a servant. A weapon to wield. She could have him if she wanted. All she had to do was say the word…
But you don’t want him that way. You want him to come to you.
You want to play the game, just like everyone else does.
“What was it like?” she asked.
“The Bast Festival?”
