The Queen Of Gods

Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

I gestured to one of my priestesses, a girl named Titi. She wasn't particularly high up the hierarchy, but that didn't matter. All of them served me because they wanted to, and all of them were more than capable of doing any of the tasks I needed.

"Your Eminence." She dipped her head. "How can I serve you?"

"Can you deliver two letters for me, please?" I asked, holding them out to her.

"Of course. Where would you like them to go?" She took them from me, and held them tightly, as if she would never let them go.

"The top one is for the kitchens, the second is for Ptah. You can give that one to one of his priests, I know they'll get it to him," I assured her.

"Of course, Your Eminence. I'll see to it right away."

"Thank you, Priestess Titi."

Her face lit up at my use of her name, as if me knowing it was everything she'd ever dreamed of. I should make sure my priestesses remembered they were allowed to have lives of their own too. I knew some gods didn't like their servants mixing with others, but I had no problem with it. Especially when it would likely result in some love matches for them. Everyone deserved to find love.

Hmm. I seemed to have become a romantic overnight. Or perhaps it was the newly cleaned skin which was making me feel that way. It was hard to tell.

"Your Eminence?" Miane said.

I turned to face my High Priestess. "Is everything all right?" She wouldn't normally bother me unless something needed my immediate attention.

"Horus is here to see you."

"Me, or Khonsu?" I checked. It was probably the latter. The two of them seemed to have become important to one another particularly quickly. Though they were still in denial about it.

"You, Your Eminence."

I nodded. "Very well. Please clear the audience chamber and set out a jug of our best wine."

"With two goblets?" she asked.

"Make it three." I imagined Khonsu would join us at some point, and it would be rude not to have anything for him. "Send him in as soon as the wine is here."

She nodded, then hurried off to do as I'd instructed, though the audience chamber was already mostly empty. I looked around it, trying to work out where the best place was to sit. He'd always been perched on his throne when I'd gone to see him, but that didn't feel right. It wasn't me. I didn't want to wield any power over him. Not in the slightest.

Instead, I pulled up three chairs around the small table which normally housed the Senet board when it was being played. Someone must have thought to clear it away, though I had no idea who.

Moments later, one of the priestesses entered, then set down a tray with the wine I'd asked for.

"Thank you," I said softly.

She smiled, but didn't say anything. She must be one of the newer girls, then. Or one who had lived at the temple with Anku who wasn't used to me being around as much. It didn't matter, she'd be gone within a few moments. She excused herself and disappeared.

Horus walked in after a few more minutes, with Khonsu walking a couple of steps behind him. I was glad I'd guessed that one correctly.

"Welcome," I said. "Take a seat."

I poured the wine into the goblets and waited for the two of them to properly join me.

Horus took a seat, followed by Khonsu, though I couldn't help but notice that the latter shuffled his chair back a bit, as if wanting to distance himself from the conversation. Interesting. So, he either knew what Horus was going to say, and thought I wouldn't like it, or he had no idea at all, and was preparing for the two of us to go crazy at one another. Both of those seemed like reasonable responses.

"I was starting to think you never left your temple," I said.

Horus chortled. "Of course I do. There's plenty of interest beyond the four walls of a bathhouse."

"And yet, that's where you've been holed up for...how long was it?"

"Longer than I have any need of counting."

I smiled and offered him wine. He stared at it suspiciously.

It was all I could do to stop myself from rolling my eyes. "Poison wouldn't even work on you, what are you so worried about?"

"You passing off the bad stuff on me," he answered, a hint of truth in his words.

"That simply isn't possible," I assured him. "I don't keep any of the bad stuff in my stores."

"Hmm. I suppose the proof is in the drinking." He took a sip, then met my gaze. "That is good."

"I'm aware." I picked up my own goblet and took a sip.

Khonsu took his own, but only shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Rus has something to tell you," he prompted the other man.

I raised an eyebrow. They'd come up with adorable names for one another already? Things were progressing faster than I thought for the two gods.

"Oh?" I turned my attention fully to Horus, expecting him to say whatever it was.

"I agree to help you with your plan," he murmured under his breath.

It took a moment for his words to register. They hadn't been anywhere close to what I'd expected him to say, and I wasn't too sure how to process that.

"Come again?" I asked. The last thing I wanted to do was misunderstand what he'd said and the consequences.

"I'm agreeing to help with your plan," he said, louder this time.

"You mean Ma'at's plan," I pointed out.

"Fine. Ma'at's plan. Does it make a difference whose it is?"

I shrugged. "Not really, I suppose. Given there isn't much of one yet other than get the support of as many people as possible," I admitted.

"That doesn't sound like Ma'at."

"No. She's changed a bit. I haven't spent too much time dwelling on it." It's none of my business what the other goddess' exact reasons were, so long as it saved as many people as possible from horrible and painful deaths. "What changed your mind?"

Horus glanced at Khonsu. Hmm. Had he talked the other god around? It was interesting pillow talk if so.

"I thought about what you said, and you were right," Horus admitted softly.

"Say that again?" I wanted to revel in the moment he accepted what I'd said.

"No. I won't. You heard me the first time," he snapped.

"Sorry, you're right. I did." I took a sip of wine, calming myself.

"I still don't like you." He set his goblet down and crossed his arms. "Even if you have good wine."

"I don't particularly like you either," I countered. "But that doesn't matter if we have one another's backs."

He nodded. "Good. I'm glad that's settled."

I wasn't about to admit it out loud, but it felt sort of anti-climatic to have his ascent to the plan now. Like I'd been building up to some kind of showdown with him, and now nothing.

I shouldn't complain. At least this will keep Ma'at off my back, and I still have Atum to convince, and Amun to ask.

Horus didn't wait for me to say anything, but turned to Khonsu. "Is there anywhere private we can go?" he asked.

"There's my room?" the moon god suggested.

I sighed. "You have your own temple, Horus. How much more private can you get?"

"The priests gossip," he said by way of explanation.

"And I'm sure my priestesses will too." And I wasn't sure why that even mattered when the priests at his other temple were already aware of the situation.

"Let's go , we can figure it out," Horus announced, getting to his feet.

Khonsu shot me a look, as if he wanted to check I was okay with him leaving.

"Go," I mouthed. I wouldn't want to stand between the two of them. Not when it clearly meant as much as it did to both of them. From what I could gather, they were starting to spend every moment they could together.

I leaned back in my chair, sipping my wine as I watched them go. Soon, my priestesses would want to be back in the room, but for now, I was going to make the most of the quiet.