Son of the SunList of players so far -Lij, the Pharaoh Knefer-Lijedefer- Elijah Sen-Adom, the harpist - Dominic Neferura-Ulive, Lij's wife and sister - Liv Menkh, Chief Advisor - Viggo Pen-Nekeb, A eunuch; body slave to Lij - Sean Astin Seti-Hop, a physician - Ian Mckellan Nefer-Aru, Lij's mother - Cate Blanchett Merit-Aton, Liv's mother - Miranda Otto Setep-Aton another royal physician - Chris Lee Orem, a eunuch, Liv's lover - Orli Captains of the Guard, Zeser-Amon - Sean Bean and His brother, Ankh-Aton - David Wenham Imhotep, the Royal architect - Billy Menep-Atifer-Ankh-Ra - Lij's Granny - An old woman with heart. Several friends, aquaintances and folks who merit mentioning, but no names, please! Part 1 � Awakening The young man sat on a wall in the garden outside his palace apartments, eating a pomegranate. The Egyptian sun shone down on his head, but its rays did not disturb the man. He enjoyed the heat. Lapped it up, like the cat which sat at his feet, rubbing its head on his gold brushed sandals. He looked out over the sand. The pyramids in the distance lending enchantment to the vista. Sacred edifices, wrought by the gods, for the gods, and steeped in enigma. One day he, too, would meet with them...these ancients, and learn the mysteries of life. The man sighed. It was nearly time to go - duty beckoned. He stood up, and checked his short, white pleated kilt for any sign of juice stains. None. Good! He glanced in the bronze mirror as he passed through his rooms. He saw a slight figure, rather below average height for a man, but nicely muscled - with honey pale skin, his dark brown hair not now concealed by a wig, and the enormous blue eyes he'd inherited from his father gazing back at him. The pectoral shone on his chest. Bracelets gleamed on his arms, the sacred scarab ring of the Egyptian kings rested, at home on his finger. He did not encourage his servants to loiter about his rooms, waiting on his every need, so he picked up the crown of the two lands, Upper and Lower Egypt, and put it on. It was time to go. His eyes, lined with thick kohl against the summer heat, turned to the water clock. He was late. He approached the doors, which swung open as if by magic. He walked down the corridor to the double doors of the throne room. They too, glided apart. He stood for a moment, surveying the room. There were about two hundred people there, all kneeling, with arms outstretched, palm down in obeisance. The Chief Herald recited his titles as the king walked between the bowed heads. "Kneel, kneel before your God - Horus, the Mighty Bull of Ma'at". Someone to his left sniggered. Lij's hand flicked out to the side, and the man was removed. That meant death. No one else laughed. "Mighty Bull of Ma'at!" reiterated the Herald, just in case anyone else doubted it. No one did. "He who is Diademed with the Fiery Uraeus. Beloved of The Gods. Beloved of Ma'at. Making Hearts to Live. Lord of the Earth. Lord of the Thousand Years. Lord of Nekhbet and per-Uarchet, Son of the Sun. Son of Gods. Pharaoh Knefer-Lijedefer, Living Forever. Great Royal Wife Neferura-Ulive, Lady of the Two Lands. Royal Sister. Daughter of Kings. Beloved of Pharaoh", the Herald continued, without a pause, as Lij's wife stepped out to walk behind him. He smiled at her, as she passed. She grinned back for they were also friends. They reached the throne, and the small chair beside it, and sat down. "Are you well, Liv?", the king whispered to his wife. "They said, last night, when I sent for you, that you were not well." "I was with..." The Herald was clearing his throat, again. Lij smiled. "Him?" he twinkled at his sister/wife. "Yes, him. Oh, do shush, Lij, or we'll be here all day!" "I thought you might be with child, at last." He stared out in front of him, as minor foreign kings came forward in robes of silk, to pay him homage, and kiss the ground at his feet. "I might be, my love. We shall hope, hmm?" After five years, it seemed a lost hope. He touched her hand briefly, reaching from his throne. A gasp went up from the assembly. Pharaoh showing human affection? No! What was the world coming to? He was God, and far above earthly feelings! The Chief Minister, and Pharaoh's cousin, Menkh, came forward, and fell on one knee at his feet. "Great One, there are some musicians sent from the Hurrians as tribute, which might please you. Slaves, but very adept, I'm informed." Lij glanced down at the older man kneeling before him. He wouldn't bother me with inferior players, he thought. They must be good. He wouldn't want to upset his best friend's little boy - and I'm still that little boy to him when we're alone. "Let them approach". His lips formed the imperious line that many knew so well, to their cost. The king was young, but he ruled with a rod of iron. Six men came forward from the back of the crowd. Lij raked his eyes over them. Three men fell to their knees from the power of the mighty glance alone - closely followed by another two. One was left standing. One stared Knefer-Lijedefer straight in the eyes. One. Menkh put his hand out to make the slave kneel. Lij waved him away. "Who is this?" Lij asked the staring man. "Who is this that dares to stand before God?" He leaned forward, the short kilt riding up one finely muscled thigh. The slave's eyes moved downward, then back up again to Pharaoh's face, as if drawn there by a magnet. "Great One", he managed at last, with only the slightest hint of an accent. "I am yours to command!" He knelt at last. Lij felt a knot grow in his gut. Something... he did not understand. Strange. "What did they call you, your masters?" Lij enquired "My name is Sen-Adom, Lord. My friends call me Dom." Lij's eyes darkened. "What friends does a mere slave hope to find in Pharaoh's court?" he spat, crossly. He sat back, and the kilt shifted between his thighs, covering that which had been the object of Dom's attention for some time. "None, Great One. I play. People either like or dislike. I make no comment." "Play what?" The heat was rising between Lij's legs. What is happening to me? "The harp... Mighty Bull." Dom smiled. Lij scowled, his lips setting in a tight curve. The slave had spirit. Too much of it. "Send him to my chambers. The wretch needs taming!" Dom was hustled off by two guards. Liv looked at her husband in astonishment. He was glowing! "Lij?" She put her hand on his arm. In a lesser person, that was cause for death. He smiled at her. "I find his audacity amusing. I shall play with him... later!" His sister smiled back fondly. "Don't damage him too much, if you want him to make music for you, brother." Lij's eyes narrowed. "Oh, I want him to play, my dear. Yes." The interminable audience came to an end. The king escorted his wife to her chambers, and sat there for a while listening to her gossip, and drinking honey wine. She kissed him goodbye at the door. He allowed her kiss. A high honour. Lij did not like to be kissed by anyone, not even his wife. He stopped outside his apartments, and deprived a kneeling Nubian guard of his whip. He entered the room. Sen-Adom was lying flat on his face on the floor. The two guards standing over him bowed low to Lij, and went out. Lij unfurled the whip, and flicked it, absently, in the air. "Now I will teach you what happens to those who dare to look God in the eye, slave!" The whip came down, hard. Lij was very talented with the whip. Dom, cowering at the pharaoh's feet, screamed. And screamed again. Then he stopped screaming. Lij put the whip down. "You may rise!" he said, softly. Dom struggled to his knees. Six strokes of the whip was a mild punishment in this court, but Dom was not used to it. He had been a favourite in the house of the Hurrian lord, who had sent him as payment of tribute to Pharaoh when his cash ran out. He had shared a bed with the lord, but not his heart. Dom was sorry to leave as Michob had been good to him in his own way - never beating him over much, and was as gentle in bed with him as he'd be with his women. Michob had expressed sorrow when Dom left. It would not be so here, Dom thought. This Master would weep no tears over him. He rose to his feet, his back throbbing, his nerve endings stinging like fire. Ye gods! Every sinew was protesting. He had wanted the king's attentions, yes, but not like this. He wanted him lying on top of him in a fragrant bed, inside him, quivering with desire. Not standing over him with a bull whip. Dom's knees started to shake, and he fell down on one, unable to stand. "Sit down, before you fall again", Lij ordered. Dom moved to the stool at which the king pointed, and sank onto it, gratefully, not knowing what a signal honour was being conferred upon him. No one sat whilst Pharaoh stood. "The blood will stain the silk, Great One", a breathless Dom pointed out in a spirit of helpfulness. Lij stared at him. "What blood? There is no blood! I am not a child at play with a toy!" Lij was angry with the slave. What did he think of him? That he would scar him? Lij knew his whip better than that and could wield it with precision, measuring the strength of the lashes easily. Dom felt his back, gingerly. Gods, it stung! But he was right - there was no blood. Just the pain. Lij went over to a table against the wall, and took off his crown, and the heavy pectoral and bracelets. He turned to face Dom, who suddenly saw, not the Mighty Bull of Ma'at, but a young man. A young man in great need. He was Pharaoh, King of the Two Lands. And he desired men. He desired him. Dom had seen that look before. He was not sure how he felt. Frightened, if he was honest, but he wanted him, too, desperately. Lij said "Come!" and Dom went. They stopped at the bed. Dom took his tunic off, got on the bed and lay down. His back screamed at him, but he ignored it. Lij just looked at him. The heat ran down Dom's legs and into his member. It rose stiffly. Pharaoh smiled, and got onto the bed with him. Dom turned over. Lying on his stomach, he couldn't see what the king was doing, but he heard the rustle of linen. He felt cool hands on his thighs, parting them, and he got to his knees resting his head on his hands. Would his back be touched? He tensed in anticipation of more pain. The hands moved to his sides, and he felt his entrance being breached. Holy Mother Nile, it hurt! He cried out...he couldn't help it. Suddenly the thrust became a push, and the push became a glide, and the heat must have dried up his brain, because the pain was lessening. Something started to rise within Dom. He didn't know what, but he liked it. The hands didn't move off his sides, just gripped harder. The King was panting, now, and with two or three frantic thrusts he came, spurting his seed into Dom. Dom was still hard, but the Pharaoh rose from the bed. "You have our leave", he said, brusquely. Leave to do what? Go? Finish myself off? What? He stared at Lij who was wiping himself with a fine linen cloth. "You may go!" he heard. Go where? He got up from the bed, and dragged his tunic back on. He was still hard, and the tunic stuck out in front like a tent. "I do not know where to go, Great One." He made sure his head was down, eyes lowered. "Just. Get. Out." Lij hissed. Dom grabbed his sandals, and left the room. Lij sat there, naked and hot, just thinking, until someone tapped at the door. "Majesty?" His body servant insinuated his head around the door. "May I?" Lij turned his body round to face the older man. "Oh, come and do what you must, then", he sighed, as the slave came forward with sweet oils and a comb. "The bath, Great One?" Lij nodded. Yes, the bath. Wash the scent of...Dom off his body. Dom. It sounded...nice, his name. Foreign, but nice. "Tell them the harpist must return to me, tonight. And bring his harp this time - if he has one, that is. If he hasn't...provide one!" The King walked out onto the balcony, where the bath with its attendants was located. He sank into the warm water, and let the soothing oils work their magic. He had had men before - but not like this one. It was different, somehow, even if he could not explain, even to himself, how different it was. It was very....pleasurable! He thought, lazily moving his arms in the water. He began to wonder if Dom had enjoyed it, and the thought startled him. He wasn't used to considering the pleasure of others, just in taking his. Liv, he knew, loved him dearly - and he loved her in return, but their love was sister for brother, nothing more - there was no joy for them in the marriage bed, just duty. He found his satisfaction, such as it was, elsewhere - and so did she. Oh, he had concubines and women enough, and to spare but he didn't worry about whether he pleasured them or not. He thought of Ahmose, biggest and loudest of his women. There was no doubt of the joy she got in his bed - shouting and screaming and bucking under him like a horse. But he made no conscious effort to give her the pleasure - it just came. The same as in his relationship with Zeser-Amon, his captain. As big as the man was, as old as he was, Lij still made him cry with pleasure. Or was he being naive? He didn't know. Perhaps Menkh could enlighten him. He sent for his Chief Advisor. Menkh sat down as the king commanded. He rubbed his chin at the questions. How did you instruct a king, even a king who was one's cousin, about the finer points of love - making? "Well, Great One - I have always thought that both partners should receive equal pleasure from...it." There! He'd said it! "How do you know, Menkh , that you've pleased them?" "Well, Lord, when you run your hands over her...his...their body, kissing them, and tasting them with your tongue...or rather..." amended Menkh, seeing the shocked expression in the boy's eyes... "when they take you into their mouth...." What? Lij thought, listening in amazement. He'd never... �...and putting your - their - your fingers inside..." Lij listened, entranced. "And if it is a man, Lord, you can find, not too far inside the passage..." This was all so new! It sounded very enjoyable. He would try it with Dom. It was only during the evening meal, smiling at his sister/wife across the table in her rooms, that it occurred to him that not for one moment had he thought of trying these things with his women. Only Dom. Dom. The thought grew more...more intense. He couldn't wait for dinner to finish. He wanted to experiment...with Dom. |