Chapter Five
Kevinkare returned as promised. Meritaten jumped up when she saw him.
“Sit down!” Kevinkare ordered.
She complied. “You don’t know how boring this is. You can’t mean to keep me locked up here like a prisoner.”
“If that’s what it takes to make your foot well: yes.”
She sighed, hating to be cooped up inside one room hour after hour for who-knows-how-long. It was even worse because she couldn’t move around.
Kevinkare stood awkwardly by the door.
“You don’t have to stay there like that,” Meritaten said, giggling. “Come on in.”
Slowly, Kevinkare walked over and took a seat on a papyrus mat before her.
“Is your foot, uh, feeling okay?” he asked, slightly embarassed.
“Do you only talk the trade?”
“Well, no, I, um...”
Both unexpectedly shy, they averted their eyes from each other.
A servant entered. “Her Majesty has come to see you, Your Highness.”
Kevinkare stood up, clasping his hands behind his back.
Meritaten bit her lip, but she knew she could not do anything to change whatever her mother wished to do.
Nefertiti swept in. She stopped in her tracks at seeing Kevinkare. Regaining her composure, she nodded her greeting to him.
Kevinkare bowed.
Nefertiti addressed him. “I need to speak to you privately.”
“As you wish, my queen.” Kevinkare turned to Meritaten. “I’ll be back to check on your foot tomorrow, Your Highness.”
He followed Nefertiti to her audience chamber. There he found his sister going through paperwork. Nefret looked up as they entered and grinned from ear to ear.
“Your sister already knows what I’m about to tell you.” Nefertiti lowered her voice. “I am not what you think I am.”
Kevinkare appeared confused.
“I am not the loyal follower of Aten that my husband and my people think I am. I was forced into this marriage by my father who is now a prominent official in my husband’s court.”
“Ay...” Kevinkare murmured aloud.
“Yes, that’s him. My husband’s strange ideas are foreign to me, and I don’t share them as I once did. When I was young, I blinded by visions of a new world that we’d rule jointly--a world of harmony. I fell in love with the Amenhotep, as he was once called, and out of love with Akhenaten. He told me that one particular god, Aten, had favored his father and himself. But he became fanatical. I couldn’t do anything to stop him because he did become Pharaoh. I was powerless against him. The gods will be angry with me for supporting him this far, but I can’t do it any longer.
“I needed a good confidant and the old mistress of my household was loyal to my husband. The other day I saw Nefret, and I knew somehow that she disagreed with Akhenaten. Perhaps it was Isis telling me, but when I told her that I was looking to betray my husband, she told me of The Cause. I knew bringing, um.... what was his name?” She looked at Nefret, who had slowly inched her way over to her new friend.
“Brianamun,” Nefret whispered, smiling supportively at the queen.
“I knew it was too risky to bring Brianaten here,” Nefertiti went on, “and Nefret told me that you were also involved. I knew you were here, so I sent for you. Will you help me, Kevinkare?”
“Of course, Majesty.”
“That’s the first thing we will be rid of,” she said, smiling fondly at him.
“Between ourselves, I am Nefertiti, and you are Kevinkare.”
“As you wish, Nefertiti.”
“I’d also like to apologize for any unfriendliness that I might have given off toward you. Towards the end here, I’ve been grouchy and an awful queen to my people. Now that there is hope, I promise to make myself friendlier.
“I personally didn’t like you because I thought you were a stiff supporter of my husband.”
He laughed. “I guess I’m a good actor then.”
Kevinkare had to admit that she had indeed lost the icy, cold aura.
“It would be a great privilege and honor to have the queen of our country working with us on The Cause,” Kevinkare went on.
“How can I help?”
“By telling us any and all of his weaknesses.”
“What... what are you going to do to him?”
“Anything and everything to get him off the throne, but as of right now, you are protected from the gods’ wrath.”
“Do you need anything from me now?”
“Weaknesses. When is he alone?”
“He’s rarely alone. At night he normally always has a young female companion with him. I may be his Great Royal Wife, but I’ve fallen from his graces lately.”
Kevinkare blushed.
“He always has bodyguards. It’s as though he knows that most people outside of Akhetaten hate him, and that they could visit at any time, his demise in mind.”
“If anything ever comes up, send Nefret here. She knows where to find me or someone else.”
“I will.”
“Until then, be careful when the two of you talk. You never know who could be listening.”
Nefret smiled, her eyebrows raised. “Yes, of course, father.”
Kevinkare bowed to Nefertiti.
“None of that either,” she scolded with a motherly smile at him.
“As you wish then. I’ll be speaking with you soon.” He left the room.
Nefertiti collapsed against the couch. “I feel like I’ve just unburdened my soul.”
“In a way you have,” Nefret told her, patting her hand supportively, “but you mustn’t act like anything’s different.”
“I’ll be much happier. That much I can tell you for sure.”
“That’ll be for the better. You can find your way back in Akhenaten’s, um, good graces.”
Nefertiti smiled, happy to have made her young friend and a whole host of others.
*****
Alexhotep could not solve the mystery. Whoever had planted the snake had been extremely careful to cover their tracks.
He was wandering through the palace halls, on his way to Akhenaten’s audience room. He didn’t know what he was going to tell him. He had to give Pharaoh his daily report, but he had no idea what to say. His head lowered, watching his feet walk, he made his way toward where he’d meet with the king.
A person in a hurry ran into him.
Alexhotep looked up.
It was Kevinkare. He looked like he couldn’t contain his glee. Kevinkare gave him a look that said, “You’ll hear about this later,” and took off again.
Alexhotep continued to the king.
He knocked on the office door.
“Come in.”
Alexhotep entered.
“Ah,” Akhenaten said. “How is the progress coming along?”
I’d better be honest, Alexhotep told himself. “There is no progress, Majesty. I’m stuck. I can’t think of anyway to do this. I’m sorry. I’ve followed every possible lead, and they all lead to dead-ends. Whoever has a grudge against Her Royal Highness has covered their tracks well.”
Akhenaten watched him seriously. “Well, you’ve done your best, and you get the job.”
“But I didn’t succeed!”
“As I said, you did your best. My old captain of the guard would have done worse. He would have lied to me. You were at least honest, and Aten has always approved of honest men. You get the job.”
“Thank you, Majesty,” Alexhotep bowed.
“You may go and greet your new soldiers.”
“Yes, Majesty.” He bowed again and left. Fool, he thought. Akhenaten had no idea that he was feeding himself to the lions.