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Ankhesenamun was annoyed with herself; why was she so nervous? Even Harit had given up on any attempt to calm her down. It was foolish, really. She had grown up in the royal family, watched siblings die, wars erupt, and her own father be poisoned, but as the sun just began to set on the harsh desert, the queen sat in front of her vanity and couldn't quiet her racing heart.
Tonight was the night she would finally be able to give herself to Ka.
She had been his in mind and spirit since she was a little girl, but finally there was nothing stopping them from being together.
Ankhesenamun had mourned Tutankhamun, she still did. Even though the official mourning period was over and the rest of Egypt had gone back to their lives. He was her brother before anything else and she loved him dearly, but a part of her, the newly awakened selfish part that cared more for her own happiness than the political maneuverings of the kingdom, was giddy. An unprecedented mixture of emotions swirled within her for the past few weeks, and despite her immediate anger with him, Ka had been right to come to her as soon as they had returned. He openly admitted to her that Horemheb lied about who had planned out the sweepingly successful strategy.
"So that we will marry."
"So that we can marry."
Why had she been so cruel? Ankhesenamun closed her eyes and recalled the hurt expression on his face when she rejected him. She had been looking for someone to blame for Tutankhamun's sudden passing, grasping at straws and trying to make sense of her own devastation. Ka just happened to bear the brunt of it—but didn't he always? Since he had returned the year before from the extended campaign against the Hittites and again thrown her world off balance, he had borne the wrath of her tumultuous feelings. It made her feel physically sick.
The vultures were circling. Ay and even Horemheb were eying the throne, and she again was just a pawn. A shudder passed down her spine as she relived the memory of Ay appraising her naked form as she got out of the bath. That was not what she wanted, another marriage where she did nothing but smile to the public and lie on her back when told to.
Ankhesenamun closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but it did nothing to quell the feeling of anticipation. She had no doubt that once crowned pharaoh, Ka would do his very best to care for the people of Egypt; she knew that just by the way he spoke about his troops, and the admiration they had for him. He would be no one's puppet.
Perhaps he wasn't a crafty noble who was gifted at manipulating others the way Ay was. In truth, Ka was very blunt and doggedly followed what he believed was right without concern for political tact, but Ankhesenamun thought that that was perhaps what Egypt needed: Someone who cared less about keeping the palace happy and more about securing the borders and protecting the common people. And had the backbone to follow through. In that, her brother had been weak.
No, the butterflies in her stomach came from an oddly virginal feeling. It was like her first wedding night, even though she had been through the motions many times in her life. It was common knowledge that Ka had lain with numerous harem women before, what if she wasn't as pleasing? What if she didn't seem as accomplished or her lack of knowledge showed? She knew what noises to make and how to feign excitement, but her servants sometime whispered about their own experiences, and they were nothing like what Ankhesenamun ever had felt or done with her half-brother. To her it seemed that the only things to come out of bedding were children and men's satisfaction.
The closest reference she had to their murmurs of passion was her stolen moment with Ka before he left to fight the Mitanni; the night she feared he would go to the Field of Reeds and she would never see him again. Ankhesenamun knew that she could not let him face death thinking that his love for her was unrequited. Her face flushed and toes tingled as she thought of his brazen wandering hands that night.
As she began her rigorous beauty routine after returning from her meeting with Ay, Ankhesenamun couldn't help but feel smug and gratified at having gotten to throw the old man's words back in his face. That victory, along with a lesser-understood drive had compelled her to go through this routine alone for the first time in her life. Maybe it stemmed from the realization that she hardly knew herself as a woman, and only as the queen she had been meticulously sculpted into.
Nothing that she ever did was for personal satisfaction, and suddenly that thought bothered her. Every outfit she wore, headdress she donned, every pleasant nod and earth-shattering moan were for someone else's benefit. But somehow tonight, everything that Ankhesenamun did for Ka she felt as an extension of her own happiness. And she did not want to share that with any servant.
She bathed, luxuriously allowing herself to be conscious of her own nakedness, reveling in her sexuality instead of cursing how it relegated her to a secondary importance. Ankhesenamun scrubbed herself as if she was a priest being prepared for a sacrifice; she wanted to look worthy of worship. No part of her was left unstudied, and the warm water mixed with the cool stone soothed some of her ravaged nerves.
With a wistful smile she inspected her legs after shaving, letting her fingers wander along the smooth tan skin. Closing her eyes she pretended another's hands were ghosting up her thighs.
Her thick long black hair was hard to tame, but eventually its luster gleamed in every wave and her skin shone a healthy bronze from the olive oil lotion. Perhaps they weren't executed as flawlessly as if her servants had assisted, but Ankhesenamun took pride in her solo endeavor.
Despite minutes earlier having felt a brave delight in her naked form, as soon as she sent Harit off to fetch Ka, her apprehension at the impending unknown made her almost bolt to the armoire to find something to wear.
Ankhesenamun's mind wandered back to the harem women and their brightly-colored translucent outfits, their layers of golden bracelets that clanged together with every rhythmic thrust. There was no way they enjoyed the overeager pawing they moaned and mewled at regularly, but once in a great while, she would see a flicker of something, something more.
It was possible that it was only something a woman could tell the difference between, but she could see when the harem girls truly favored one of their guests. When they weren't secretly cringing under their heavily made-up façade. The way they would willingly touch and embrace a handsome young soldier who knew how to touch them in return. Sometimes Ankhesenamun would watch them for a bit too long, her stomach clenched as she vainly imagined what it would be like to be held that way—by someone who really wanted to hold her and cared if she wanted to be held.
Opening the gilded wooden doors, Ankhesenamun saw one dress had been pulled out and turned to face her. Harit. Her beloved cousin must have chosen this for her, knowing that she wouldn't be able to pick what to wear. It was a sheer silver dress without any additional adornment save for some small pearls on the shoulders of the matching robe. It reminded her that she was not one of those harem girls.
Inspecting herself in the floor-length mirror, Ankhesenamun ran a brush through her hair once more, unaccustomed to seeing herself without any kohl, jewelry, or headdress. Perhaps she looked too plain now…she began to pace the floor of her chamber, thoughts of her brother, the gods, bedding, and passion all tumbling into one black swirling storm in her mind.
The thoughts didn't stop their onslaught until the door to her chamber opened with a creak. Her mind went blank as she turned around and her eyes met his.
"Thank you, Harit," Ankhesenamun breathed, willing her cousin to turn and leave as quickly as possible.
Ka smiled the warm, welcoming, patient smile he always had for her, and she found herself closing the space between them. As she gazed up at his face she ardently studied every feature, like a lost man having found an oasis. Her brain scrambled to find words. He looked back at her with stone-faced intensity. Ankhesenamun should have thought of something to fill the silence, but didn't know where to begin. Belatedly, she realized that Harit probably hadn't given him a reason for being summoned.
Could he hear her heart pounding? She could. Her newfound timidity made her embarrassed, and Ankhesenamun cast her eyes to the floor.
Truly seeing the wounds and cuts on him for the first time, her selfish heart cried out. Ka had not made it through the battle completely unscathed either. It was a harsh reminder that so many men had died just weeks before; that even with the most inexperienced swing of a Mitanni sword he could have been in a pile of dead soldiers, from the shot of one jostled archer who lamented missing his intended mark. He could have fallen as Tutankhamun had.
But at that moment she would not have exchanged Ka for her brother, gods help her.
Ka didn't seem to require any real explanation. As she moved closer, he lowered his forehead to hers and Ankhesenamun relished his warmth, breathing in his slightly cinnamon scent. She didn't want to be anywhere but right there.
It was only after a time of basking in the quiet affection that Ka slowly pulled the robe off of her shoulders. Ankhesenamun sighed deeply, a shaky breath that she fought to calm. The robe held her captive around the waist until she finally found the courage to look up into his hawk-like eyes. Deliberately sliding her hands over his dark green tunic, she rested them around his neck, savoring the feeling of the soft curls at his nape. She wanted him to know that she was committed; he wasn't here to convince her of anything, she was ready for him, for them.
His breath hitched at the slight ministration of her fingers in his hair; Ankhesenamun still couldn't believe that she had the same effect on him that he had on her.
And what do we do now?
Ankhesenamun traced a hand along his jaw and the impasse ended. Allowing the silver robe to flutter to the ground, Ka leaned in and kissed her. Even though she stood close, he grabbed her around the waist, as if he was still afraid she was going to shove him away like she had done so many times before. His lips were demanding and passionate, and she allowed herself to bend to his domineering will, melting into his chest as the little space between them vanished. The hands that had rested coquettishly around his neck were now fingers twisting in his hair and digging into his muscular shoulders. She wanted him closer still, even with the chills running down her spine at his tongue's tantalizing foray.
Ankhesenamun was pleased by the deep sound he made when her teeth grated his tongue and she sucked it for the briefest moment before biting his lip. She wanted to show him that the intensity of her desire matched or surpassed his.
But quickly his cool metal wristbands against her backside were an unwelcomed distraction and she wanted them off. Smiling briefly, she leaned into him and held his tunic tightly. She wasn't going to push him away tonight. She was never going to have to push him away again.
It seemed like the moment the new reality of their situation crossed Ankhesenamun's mind it crossed Ka's as well, and he slowed his fevered assault. They had all the time in the world now. No one was going to discover them in an alcove or whisper about them in the courtyard. He held her with one hand gently cradling the back of her head as he gave her a series of light kisses so tender and sweet they took her breath away.
When he completely broke apart from her, Ankhesenamun frowned slightly, looking up at him to see what the problem was.
"I have to tell you something." His voice had an odd tone of exhausted resignation, a kind of uncertainty that immediately made her wary. As long as she could remember, Ka always had a self-assured confidence about him that he brought into every situation; it was something she could depend upon. His uncharacteristic hesitation made her blood run cold.
She pulled back slightly.
"I need to tell you what happened on the battlefield," Ka repeated with more force, seeming to have now committed to his course of action.
Her brain went into preservation mode. Ankhesenamun's reaction was completely knee-jerk. "No."
"Ankhe," he pled, gently reaching for her arm to keep her from walking away from him. She allowed the slight touch to stop her as if it was a vice grip, the way she always had. She could never deny him anything. "Ankhe, please, I need you to hear this."
"Why? Why would you want to reopen these wounds?" she shouted. An unjustified anger at him welled up inside of her for unknowingly ruining what was supposed to be an emotional escape. For spoiling the night that she was hoping to pretend they existed apart from their hellish reality.
Ka noted the hysteric pitch her voice had taken on and gave her a calm smile, rubbing her arms. "Shhh…you must know that is not my intention, but you need to know the truth. Not Ay's version, not General Horemheb's. I want you to hear my words and know that I would weigh them against Maat's feather."
"Why do you insist it be done now?" She eyed him with newly forming suspicion. Curse these years in the palace, everything she heard had to be met with cynicism.
He sighed, his hands sliding up her arms to cradle her face. "Because you once told me that despite their problems, what you most admired about your parents' relationship was that there was never any deceit. They were always honest and knew each other's hearts."
"Did…did you kill Tutankhamun?" Her hands clutched his, but she didn't tear them away from her face. She liked being touched by him too much. Curse this man and the effect he had on her.
"Do you think I would?"
"I think that you knew our lives would be easier without him."
"So that's a yes." Ka's hands fell to his sides and her face instantly felt cold without his touch.
Ankhesenamun opened her mouth but no sound came out. Of course she didn't really think he would kill her brother! She cursed her own wariness and stupidity. He was not that sort of man, no matter how much he yearned for them to be together. She had seen him pray at temple and seen him grieve. Tutankhamun was his brother as well as he was hers.
She grabbed his hand to keep him close, hoping her gentler tone would ease his mind. "Tell me what happened."
"Your brother wanted to fight on the front lines, right in the thick of it. I told him plainly that I had doubts about his decision but he did not heed me. I flanked him to keep him safe when we dismounted the chariots, but the Mitanni had reinforcements lying in wait in the ruins and our archers were quickly overrun. Lagus and I fought beside him but he sustained a flesh wound on the stomach. I examined the wound in haste and he didn't seem to be in grave danger. I appointed Lagus to stay by his side and protect him…Tutankhamun told me to go finish the battle, despite my protestations."
"You acted rightly, then. Ka."
He gave a breathy laugh. "I left them. I sought my own glory. And once the enemy had fled I celebrated with the men. It was only after Lagus did not return to camp that I told General Horemheb where your brother had been left and he went to go retrieve him. I did not go myself."
"Surely Horemheb could look as well as you, if my brother had been able to be found…"
"You didn't hear his voice, Ankhe, General Horemheb was happy to not recover the pharaoh's body. He promised me that he would have the men double their efforts, but…"
"But you do not believe he did so."
She felt like his eyes were boring into her soul. "I believe that if the pharaoh was still alive when the general found him, he did not survive the encounter. He had no real intentions of recovering Tutankhamun's body."
A tear slid down her cheek. "Why?" she murmured to herself. Just for a moment she wished to be free from the politicking and deceit.
"I should have gone back to the village and searched for him myself. His wound was not great, I'm sure he would have—"
"Do not do this, Ka," Ankhesenamun cut him off more forcefully than she had intended. "Do not do this to me. If what you say is the truth, then you have done nothing wrong. I dismissed you before, but I do understand that battles are not fought without chaos. You have hundreds of men to care for, and I know you do that very personally. You yourself did not escape the battle without injury. If I had lost you both, I would…I would have lost my mind."
"You will not lose me as long as you want me," Ka vowed. He seemed reinvigorated by her innately protective response.
Feeling overwhelmed by emotion, Ankhesenamun smiled wistfully and ran her hands up his arms. This was exactly where she wanted to be, this was where she belonged. "I have wanted you for 10 years, Ka. I want you until the Nile runs dry and the pyramids crumble."
"Well…" he pretended to contemplate. "We could always bar the door, but somehow I believe Ay would make his way in regardless."
Ankhesenamun grinned at his cocksure response and her spirits were lifted, he was just the same as he had been when they were children. When he had promised to save her from all of the monsters of the Underworld and all the snakes in the garden.
Without another thought, she pulled him close, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in the crook of his neck. She just wanted to feel him; his thick hair, his warm skin under her lips and on her face as she rested on him, his hard chest pressing against hers as he held her tightly like she was the most precious thing in the world.
Not gold, not victory, not power…it was her. She was his most prized possession. And the only one that returned his devotion zealously.
Ankhesenamun sighed as the moment passed. She could have stayed like that forever, but surely that was not how Ka had envisioned the rest of the night. There were certain expectations that she herself had set, and she had to carry them through. An irrational wave of anxiety began to displace the joy in the pit of her stomach—soured by recollections from her marriage bed: the discomfort, the sounds…she was frozen.
"Ankhe," Ka breathed. He must have noticed her change in demeanor, his hands moving back to her face. She didn't meet eyes, she couldn't. She felt stupid and foolish, and worse for being unable to contain it.
"Ankhe, what's wrong?" There it was, his patience again. Always patient with her, always gentle.
"I—I can't…it's foolish, it's nothing."
To her surprise, Ka chuckled under his breath. He stroked her jaw with his thumb and turned her face to meet his gaze. "Ankhesenamun. Your mind runs faster than your father's prized race horses. I can see the cogs turning behind your eyes. What is troubling you?"
Of course he saw it. Ankhesenamun truly believed Ka was the only person who could see through her, read her like common script. All of her carefully constructed walls and façades were no match for him. Vulnerability was not something she enjoyed.
Her eyes downcast, she admitted, "I'm frightened."
He gathered her in his arms again, hugging her to his chest and pressing a sympathetic kiss to her temple. Ankhesenamun's heart swelled and she felt the sting of tears, new tears. Different tears.
"There is nothing to be frightened about."
Finally she felt brave enough to attempt an explanation. "I know that, but I just…I keep seeing…what I felt…"
Ankhesenamun kept hoping Ka would cut her off and interject some helpful philosophy, but he remained silent, running a hand over her back as she stumbled over words in a way she knew was most undignified. He wanted to hear those words anyway. He wanted to hear her words.
"...I want to feel like I did when you kissed me before leaving for battle."
That seemed to be coherent enough. Ka knew what she was saying. He knew her heart.
He kissed her hair again. "That's how you will feel."
Ankhesenamun sighed deeply at the velvety sound of his voice so close to her.
His fingertips traced the bare skin of her arms as he continued to whisper in her ear. "My lips on your neck…"
To her delight, Ka began to kiss slowly down her neck, starting under her jaw. The breathy noises of his lips on her skin made her shudder. She hardly noticed his hands had worked their way under the straps of her gown. "…my hands on your breasts…"
The sheer fabric fell off of Ankhesenamun's shoulders and pooled at her feet. Closing her eyes in delight, her fingers moved to weave themselves in his hair as he continued his onslaught, hands ghosting over the newly bared skin of her chest leaving goosebumps in their wake. A chill ran down her spine and she couldn't stifle the sharp intake of breath when his thumbs grazed her nipples.
Ankhesenamun could feel her heart pounding, and as her stomach clenched her grip on him tightened.This was how she wanted to feel the whole time. To feel consumed by him. As his kisses trailed across her collarbone and ventured lower, she exhaled contentedly.
"…between your legs, stroking your thighs…"
The blood rushing was loud in her ears, and his husky voice stirred something deep within her. "Yes."
Yes, yes she wanted that. Mimicking him, she ran her hands over his muscular arms, savoring the feeling before she pulled his shirt down. Like the last time they were together, Ankhesenamun spread her fingers over the broad expanse of his back, only this time she worked to help him remove the article of clothing completely—there was no worry about being caught. No need to quickly right themselves.
Ka undid his belt, sliding off the green outer robe and quickly followed with his metal arm bands. Ankhesenamun watched eagerly, greedily, as he bent and flexed, his wavy hair falling in his face. She tried to commit this image to memory; if she could remember anything in perfect detail the rest of her life, let it be this night.
He turned back to her with a teasing smirk, and her lingering concerns were superseded by the fear that he wouldn't continue to touch her. A fire had been started within her, and his every move fanned the flames. She met his gaze evenly, running a hand through her hair. "You seem to be too far away to make good on your last promise."
With a small 'tisk'ing sound, Ka quickly crossed the tile floor between them and scooped her up in his arms, eliciting a surprised laugh from Ankhesenamun. He deposited her unceremoniously on the bed with a chuckle, and she sat up, feigning indignation.
Before she could form a retort to his boyish antics, his mouth was on hers again, hot and searing. It took her breath away, but only lasted a moment. She frowned at the lost contact, but Ka had taken the moment to pull off his remaining tunic before joining her on the bed.
"Forgive me, my queen," he murmured roguishly, leaning toward her and reclaiming her mouth.
Ankhesenamun smiled and immediately acquiesced, wrapping one hand around his neck while the other explored his chest. She could feel the hard muscle, the indents and bumps of battle weary flesh, an ugly bruise still colored his ribs and she trailed her fingers over it lightly.
"Does this still hurt?" she whispered. He watched, riveted, as she leaned down and kissed it.
Ka covered her hand with his and moved it up over his heart. "After a while, you get used to the pain. It does not bother me."
Ankhesenamun was perturbed by the thought he lived with a measure of constant pain, and she stroked his face tenderly.
"Do not be disheartened, my queen. I can surely still make good on my promise," he joked, nipping at her bottom lip playfully and kissing her once more.
Allowing herself to be guided back against the abundance of pillows, Ankhesenamun reveled noiselessly in the slow way Ka began to worship her.
His tongue darted out over one of her hard nipples and she couldn't help but grab hold of him tighter, throwing her head back while her fingers dug into his hair. This wasn't like anything she had done before. But he wasn't done with her, casting a glance up at her, Ka and began an onslaught in earnest—touching and tempting, sucking and flicking, until both breasts throbbed exquisitely. Ankhesenamun was lost in the growing tension within her. She couldn't voice any meaningful thoughts. It was just all him.
And she needed him closer. Ankhesenamun clutched the bedding momentarily before grabbing for his hand. Without disrupting his rhythm, Ka linked his fingers with hers and pinned her hand up by her head. His sucking was hard then soft and she heard a tortured whimpering sound—only to realize it was coming from her own throat.
Ka's hand drifted down her body, and he seemed to be taking note of everything. The smallness of her waist, the curve of her hips, the strength of her thighs, each one was paid attention to. Ankhesenamun was almost lulled into a trance by the light ministrations of hands and mouth, but she wanted him back to her again. "Kiss me."
He grinned, his body flush against hers as he reclaimed her lips in an unhurried, languid kiss.
One of his hands moved back down her body, his calloused fingertips dragging deliberately. It was like every move he made was intent on marking her. Ankhesenamun opened her eyes to see Ka staring down at her. She was mesmerized, unable to look away as he started touching her hot damp flesh. Her body thrummed with anticipation and when he slid a finger inside of her, stroking into glistening depths, she couldn't help the way her hips lifted for him and her toes curled.
"Oh," she whispered. Their faces were so close their noses touched and breath mingled.
"Oh?" Ka echoed, his fingers curling inside her.
He knew exactly how to touch her. Her back arched as he increased the speed and pressure of his fingers. Ankhesenamun whimpered in earnest, one hand desperately clinging to his arm while his piercing gaze watched her come undone in his hand. She never imagined intimacy this intense.
After a moment, Ka recaptured her mouth, his tongue thrusting hotly through her eagerly parted lips. His fingers never stopped their shattering quest. "You wanted me between your thighs," he rumbled.
Ankhesenamun thrashed helplessly, the fire within her that had been building now carried her along urgently. When Ka worked his way back down her body and replaced his fingers with his mouth, her eyes flew open. She was going to say something, anything— this was surely not something…his tongue touched deep, slick recesses and lazily admired them — she couldn't have formed an intelligible thought to save her life.
Her world tightened, tightened, tightened, and then exploded in a mad mindless burst of sensation. She could hear herself cry out for him as the euphoria crashed over her like fading waves.
He was there, steadying her and stroking her down from her high. Ka moved back up her body, holding her as his mouth sought hers once more. "Ankhe."
Ankhesenamun could taste herself on his lips and was speechless. She could feel his hardness between them and a deeply-rooted anxiety attempted a resurgence. She tensed.
"I promised you, there is nothing to be frightened about."
He knew. He had known exactly what she had meant. And he was right, there was no need to be afraid with him. Not ever again. Because to him she was not just a thing to be used, not just a duty to be performed. Her heart swelled with love for him at that moment, and she pulled his mouth back to hers with as much passion as she could.
Ka returned her kiss, happy to receive her fevered affection, and as he did so she felt him test her, the familar stinging causing her to freeze. As a force of habit, Ankhesenamun shut her eyes tightly and waited for the discomfort.
"Relax."
He ceased any movement of his hips. Hands and lips caressed her reassuringly and without insistence, leaving burning trails in their wake. They renewed her unfamiliar sense of urgency, the anxiety fading, and Ankhesenamun whimpered at the flutter of sensations that coursed through her. One overwhelmed all others, an ache of incredible closeness she hadn't felt before. With a sigh, she released the breath she had been holding. Wanting nothing more than to kiss him, she gathered Ka's face in her hands and brought his lips to hers.
That movement back to meet her lips slid him deeper inside of her and she cried out, instinctively clutching him tighter while her back arched toward him. Ka watched her intently, their foreheads pressed together as he gauged her reaction. "Did that hurt?"
He was such a vision to her right now; his beautifully tousled hair, the warmth in his light brown eyes, the concern he had for her comfort above all else. Ankhesenamun had never felt so cherished. Smiling up at him, she raked her nails over his shoulders, nipping his lips and hooking her legs around his waist. She wanted more of him, more of this, now. "Ka…"
With one smooth thrust she could feel him encased fully within her, deeper than she had ever imagined. She moaned indulgently as any discomfort at being stretched taut eased into pleasure, and immediately his lips were back upon hers to kiss her soundly. After a moment, Ka lifted his lips a fraction above hers; his hand moved to cup her face and her eyes fluttered open. "Alright?"
She stroked his face tenderly, never breaking eye contact as she moved a rogue lock of hair from his brow. "I love you."
In response, Ka took one of her hands in his, lacing their fingers together. The simple demonstration of affection spoke volumes, it said everything Ankhesenamun ever needed to hear. I am here with you. For you. Always. Touching his forehead to hers, he began a slow, shallow rhythm and her hand gripped his back as the steely muscles tensed with power underneath.
Once it was clear she was at ease and adjusted to him, he began to thrust in earnest. In response, Ankhesenamun wrapped her legs up around his hips as tightly as she could, keeping him exactly where she wanted him as tension coiled in her stomach like a spring. Reveling in the friction and matching his thrusts, she wanted him as deep within her as possible, nothing else mattered. Ka seemed to feel the same way, like they could just stay this way forever, so desperately close together in their perfectly fevered synchronicity.
But that couldn't be. No sooner than they had fallen into a natural rhythm, a mounting urgency threatened to overwhelm her. Ankhesenamun's grip tightened on his abused skin, fingernails digging into his shoulders as she ground against him. She needed more, needed him harder and faster.
"Ka..."
Sliding one hand down her body, Ka gripped the back of her leg, coaxing it up over his shoulder. Ankhesenamun hissed at the change in angle and his next few rough thrusts were her undoing.
Ankhesenamun convulsed around him with a cry muffled only slightly by the open-mouthed kiss they shared. He surged deeper within her, his pace becoming reckless and his arms tightening around to keep her right where she needed to be. She had no awareness of her surroundings, it was all just uninhibited love.
When she finally felt his warmth fill her, small waves of pleasure rippled through her entire body. It was extraordinary.
Ankhesenamun sighed languorously, stretched out on the bed with sleep seeking to take her. She relished the feeling of Ka's body on hers, heavy and slick with sweat as it may have been, and wrapped her arms around him. To her dismay, he tried to move away almost immediately, and she made a sound of protest. He chuckled and the adoring look he gave her caused her heart to skip a beat. Acknowledging her objection, he lazily kissed down her chest, his tongue dipping in her navel before eventually shifting to lay beside her.
They dozed for a while, for the moment allowing themselves to be unconcerned with the complex issues outside the chamber door. Both happy to remain in their warm safe nest as the sun set.
It was Ka who broke the reverential silence, propped up on one elbow, his fingertips brushing over her shoulder and down her arm. "Was that the way you wanted it to be?"
What a question. Ankhesenamun turned her gaze to him, knowing her starry eyes must be giving her thoughts away. But he still wanted to hear her words, even if he thought he already knew the answer. Unable to resist, she stroked his face, her thumb tracing his perfect mouth. "That was the way I did not even know it could be."
Ka smiled like a conqueror before settling back down into the covers. He placed light, unhurried kisses across her collarbone and ran his fingers along her spine, pulling her closer to him. "That's the way it will always be if you want it to."
If she wanted it to. Ankhesenamun could have cried. Ka was the only person in her world who allowed her to do things on her terms; that's the way it had always been. He saw her first, then her title, sometimes to his own frustration over the years when she sacrificed her personal health and happiness for the kingdom.
But it would not have to be that way anymore.
Taking his hand in hers, she laced their fingers, holding his gaze while she kissed his knuckles with deliberation. "I would like that."
It was a secret pact they were making, known only to each other and more binding than anything the high priest could ordain. Ka kissed the back of her hand and the pact was sealed.
Nothing could divide them now.