The Queen Of Gods

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The bathhouse looked just the same as it had when I'd been here before. But that didn't make it any easier to step back inside.

"Are you alright, Hathor?" Khonsu asked.

How could he read me so well already? I needed to work on my mystery, clearly.

"As I'll ever be. Let's just get this over with," I said with a heavy sight.

The same priest who'd been manning the front desk before greeted us with a cold smile. "Back again so soon?"

"Tell Horus I want an audience." I didn't have time for the small talk this time, not when Horus was going to test my patience once I got an audience with him.

"He says no."

"You haven't even been to ask," Khonsu pointed out.

"Horus informed me to tell you no the next time that you came to visit," the priest said.

"Tell him Khonsu is here to see him," he responded.

A triumphant smile twisted at my lips. Having the moon god with me turned out to be a good thing. I should have known the moment Khonsu offered no resistance.

"I don't think..."

"It's not your place to think." The glow around him intensified.

The priest stepped back in shock.

"I think you'd best go tell Horus that we're here to see him and we won't go until he sees us," I said sweetly.

"Yes, yes." He scampered out of the room, a terrified look on his face.

"That's a useful talent," I observed.

"It doesn't do much else. I only wanted to get the point across. I wouldn't hurt him."

"You don't believe in violence to get what you want?" I hoped he said he didn't. It would be nice to find someone who shared my ideas of peace for everyone.

"It doesn't strike me as the most obvious solution to most things."

A genuine smile spread across my face.

"Your Eminences?" the priest asked, breaking through my thoughts with his shaky voice.

"Hmm?" I raised an eyebrow.

"He says no."

I laughed lightly. "Of course he does."

"What do we do now?" Khonsu whispered to me.

"We go see him anyway." I set off for the same room I'd met Horus in before, ignoring the weak protests of the priest. He probably realised this was what I was going to do the moment he told us what Horus' answer was. I had to admit, he was a smart man. If word of him got out, then Horus might find several other gods making offers to his priest.

Khonsu trailed behind me, not saying another word.

Horus wasn't on his throne any more.

"He has to make this more difficult for himself, doesn't he?" I sighed dramatically. I had to go through with this annoying search, but that didn't mean I was ready to spend all my time going after Horus, especially when I knew where he was and this was all just some ploy to be difficult.

A doorway caught my attention from just behind the throne. Knowing my luck, it would lead to his bed chambers. At least he'd probably be there, and think that I wouldn't dare enter them without permission.

He'd messed with the wrong goddess if that was the case.

I strode through the door, projecting as much confidence as I could.

Horus lay on his bed, a hand at a suspicious waist height. Everything was on display. If I wasn't so annoyed at him, I'd be impressed with what I saw.

"Eh-hem," I coughed.

He scrambled to his feet, grabbing a loin cloth beside him on the bed in an attempt to cover up.

"There's no point doing that, I've already seen it," I mused.

"Maybe I don't want you looking at me," he insisted.

I shrugged. "I'm the goddess of sexuality, you can't expect me not to." I smiled sweetly, but only because I knew it would annoy him.

Khonsu chuckled, but Horus ignored him.

"I thought you were the goddess of beauty," Horus shot back.

"I'm the goddess of a lot of things." The list was so long even I wasn't sure what the complete one was. I did know that sexuality and beauty were both on the list, though. As was motherhood. An odd combination at first, but I supposed sexuality and motherhood did fall under the same category.

"That doesn't give you the right to stare at me while I..."

"It could have been worse," I answered, keeping him off guard with a gentle tone. I had to admit this was fun. "You didn't have anyone with you. Though perhaps I should be worried about that. Does no one want to share your bed, Horus?"

His eyes narrowed. "Plenty do."

"Then why were you alone right now? Or did you not think that someone else being here might have chased me away?" It wouldn't. Something I was certain he knew.

"What do you want, Hathor?" He finished covering himself, and I had to admit I was relieved by that.

It wasn't that his nakedness made me uncomfortable, I couldn't care less about it. But it felt uncivilised to be talking to him that way.

Khonsu's disappointed groan from behind me was so soft, I almost missed it. Interesting. I wasn't the one Horus should be paying attention to, then.

"You know what I want," I pointed out. "The same thing dear Khonsu is doing for our people." I waved behind me at the moon god. Though I could feel the amusement coming from him in waves. He was enjoying this. Yet another reason to like the man. Though perhaps that was more to do with his apparent attraction to Horus than anything else.

"I'm not coming back to the temple with you," Horus folded his arms just as his loincloth dropped.

I didn't look down, more interested in watching his face and the way his eyes darted to the god behind me. Interesting. Was there history between the two gods? It was rude to ask, even if they were eyeing each other up in front of me.

"It appears that your virility isn't compromised by me being here," I mused. "Maybe you don't hate me quite as much as you claim."

"I can hate you and find you beautiful," he snapped, his eyes darting back to Khonsu.

Oh no. His virility wasn't to do with me at all.

"You have no real reason to hate me," I pointed out.

"That's what you think." The muttered words were soft enough that I had to assume I wasn't supposed to have heard them.

"Come back to the temple and we can spend some time together," I suggested. "Then maybe you won't dislike me so much." A slither of hurt wound its way into my heart. I wasn't used to people disliking me. To most people, I was the epitome of charm and grace. Why Horus couldn't see that was beyond me.

"No."

"Horus..." I wasn't sure why I bothered. He wasn't going to listen to me no matter what I said. But with Khonsu behind me, I knew I had to try.

"The answer is no, Hathor. Just like before. You're not welcome here again," he warned me.

"What will happen if I turn up anyway?" I asked, already knowing there'd be some kind of repercussion. He wasn't the kind of man to issue empty threats.

"I'll get an amulet to guard the door. I'm sure there's something that will ward off beauty and sexuality," he bit out.

"I think you want a curse there," I quipped, not in the slightest bit worried. Most of the people who could cast that kind of magic were in Seth's temple, either voluntarily, or by force.

The more I thought about Seth and his power in the world, the more I started to wonder why I'd allowed myself to be as oblivious as I had been. He was a problem, one that needed to be stopped.

"Fine." I sighed dramatically. "I'll leave you alone. For now. But I will convince you to come join the rest of us. It doesn't matter if it takes an hour or a year. You'll be on our side."

Horus' eyes widened. "Is that a threat?" A deep vein of accusation sat in his tone.

"It's not a threat. It's a promise." I spun on my heels, leaving my words hanging in the air for him to think upon. I had no idea how I was going to persuade him, but I was certain I'd manage.