Chapter 13
Kevinkare stared at Meritaten, waiting for an answer.
“I... I’m not sure,” she murmured. The signs began nearly a month ago. I... Smenkhkare and I weren’t...” She blushed.
It was all Kevinkare could take: he fell back against his bed, having passed out.
Meritaten shook him. She almost called for his servants, but checked herself in time.
She found a basin of water and splashed some on his chiseled face. His blue-green eyes opened immediately. He leaned up and hugged her.
“I’m having a daughter? We’re having a daughter?!” he cried.
She laughed at his glee. “I’m so glad it’s yours.”
He joined in her happy laughter all the while hugging her. “I love you, Meritaten, you know that.”
She beamed.
Suddenly, Kevinkare sobered. “What if she looks like me?! We’ll be done for!”
“One day at a time, Kevinkare. We can’t change the child’s looks and neither can Smenkhkare.”
“But he can kill her and us.”
“Stop worrying. Let’s just be happy.”
“Will I even be able to see her?”
“You know we’ll find a way. We always have.” She took his hand in her own, raising it to her lips. “I must return before my absence discovered.” She stood up and headed for the window.
Kevinkare jumped to his feet and pulled her to him, all his pent-up emotions being released with only one kiss.
When they pulled away, Kevinkare whispered, “A woman in your condition shouldn’t be sneaking in windows and scaling walls.” He handed her the key to the side door in the gate. “Be careful, my love.”
She smiled lovingly up at him and slipped out.
Kevinkare didn’t know whether to be apprehensive or happy, but he decided to leave his daughter’s and his own fate to the gods and settled down to sleep for whatever was left of the night.
*******
The top of the conspirators were meeting again. It’d been five months since they’d all been together. It was a grand reunion with wine and beer flowing like river, but no one was in the mood to get drunk.
Once again, they had all gathered at Kevinkare’s household. The only extra person was Nefret, who refused to be left out considering she had nothing better to do.
“Besides,” she’d protested to Brianamun and Kevinkare, “I’m just apart of The Cause as the five of you.”
“Oh, it won’t hurt,” Brianamun had responded.
Kevinkare had raised his eyebrows, but hadn’t replied.
The five friends and the new addition were gathered in the garden.
“What’s our next step?” Howymose asked Brianamun.
He shrugged. “I’m not sure yet...” He turned to Kevinkare. “What’s the latest news from Meritaten?”
Alexhotep raised his eyebrows. “I thought you weren’t talking to her?”
“I wasn’t... Hey, how’d you know that Meritaten was here last night?”
Brianamun shrugged and grinned mischievously.
“Nefret, have you been snooping again?” Kevinkare glowered at her.
She tried not to look guilty.
“NEFRET!!!” Kevinkare cried.
“Stop bickering,” Brianamun sighed.
“That’s why I didn’t want her here in the first place. She’s my darned sister and doesn’t exactly bring out the best in me.”
Nefret giggled, but tried to hide it behind her hand. She couldn’t help but laugh at her brother when he got angry.
“Well, she’s here now, okay?” Brianamun said, trying to halt the childish conversation.
“Only because you’re--”
“Okay, okay, this is really enough,” Brianamun interrupted hurriedly.
Nickathor burst out laughing. He turned to Kevinkare, “What’s gone wrong with your life?”
“I’m just a little stressed out. That’s all.”
“Why?”
“Meritaten’s pregnant, but you guys can’t let this slip out. Wait till she at least tells her husband.”
“She told you first?” Alexhotep asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “That can only mean--”
“I’m not saying anything.” To prove his point, Kevinkare shut his mouth and watched with wide eyes.
“No time to guess,” Nickathor mumbled.
“I, personally, don’t wanna know,” Howymose stated.
“I do,” Alexhotep whined.
“Back to business,” Brianamun ordered.
“As I was saying, what’s our next step?” Alexhotep inquired.
“I do have an idea,” Brianamun said, “but I’m not sure exactly what to do about it. I’m not saying anything until I’m sure. It’s still too risky to even tell you all about.”
Unintentionally, he had peeked his friends’ curiosity as it was natural to expect.
“I shouldn’t have said anything to begin with,” he muttered. “I’ll talk to you all about this. All I need from all of you is to be ready to spring at any moment, but don’t let it show through in your work.”
“This won’t hurt Meritaten in any way, will it?” Kevinkare asked eagerly. Brianamun sighed. “No. She’s being left out of it, but I will probably need another female--”
“I know one. She’s riley, sarcastic, and all I ever wanted,” Nickathor said with a grin.
“That’s nice, Nickathor,” Alexhotep grinned, “but does she work for The Cause.”
“Well, I should think so.” He turned to his best-friend. “You did send for her, Brianamun.”
“Oh, yeah. That must be Aneski you’re talking about... the, um, Nubian, right?”
Nickathor beamed. “That’s her. She hates me, but that’s okay. Please let me work with her, Bri!”
The priest raised his eyebrows but smiled. “Sure, if that’s what you want, Nickathor.
“Just let me develop this plan more... I need to really think about it before we set to work to make it happen.”
“Well, if it’s feasible I propose a toast,” Nickathor stated, grabbing a mug of Kevinkare’s prized wine. He raised the glass.
“To victory,” Nickathor said.
“To new additions,” Kevinkare murmured.
“A-ha!” Alexhotep jumped up. “It is yours!”
Kevinkare blushed a deep shade of crimson. “That’s, um, none of your business.”
Alexhotep grinned evilly but kept quiet.
*******
Later that night, Brianamun and Nefret were alone in the garden. Howymose, Alexhotep, and Nickathor had returned home.
“Are you going to tell me what you have in mind?” Nefret asked him.
She was in his lap, and he was resting his head on her soft, thick hair.
“Not yet. I have so much to get straight... I don’t know what to do about it, but I know it has to be done. But it won’t be easy, and it’s going to take a lot of planning.”
“I’ll help you.”
“I know you will, but you’re already a wanted criminal. There’s only so much you can do.”
Nefret giggled at her title. “ ‘A wanted criminal.’ It sounds so forbidding.”
“There’s only one real question: who are we going to put on the throne? That’s what we need to figure out first.”
“Smenkhkare will be crowned should Akhenaten die.”
“I know that, but he’s just as fanatical towards Aten as Akhenaten. We need someone legitimate who’s either for us or who we can manipulate.”
The couple exchanged glances and hurried off to find Kevinkare.