Chapter 40

Nefertnesu’s beauty was terrifying in its allure. How could anyone stand to be in the presence of such a creature, and not become slavishly devoted to the mere sight of her? It was a question Taisiya was beginning to ask herself. The queen smiled, her red-painted lips setting off the sparking turquoise of her kohl-rimmed eyes. She tossed a strand of glossy midnight hair over her shoulder, the waves cascading behind her flawless, light brown skin. Only her pointed ears marked her as fae, rather than the most beautiful of mages. As Nefertnesu sat back in her seat, Taisiya admired her perfect figure, accentuated by a gown with a tight, revealing bodice and a jewelled, tiered skirt. Whatever magic she wielded was as intoxicating as the sound of a silver-tongued mage’s voice and twice as lovely. If only the earthy taste in her mouth would stop distracting her from her open-mouthed appreciation.

“Sister, you’re being rude.” Mereruka clenched his teeth as he said it.

“Am I?” Nefertnesu asked primly.

“My wife is not your plaything.”

Taisiya was about to argue with Mereruka that Nefertnesu was not at fault and that he should keep quiet. Compared to Nefertnesu, her husband’s very presence was grating. The queen sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes, and even that was enough to make Taisiya’s heart flutter.

“Itet is right. You’re boring.”

When Taisiya blinked, the compulsion disappeared, along with the taste on her tongue. Nefertnesu was still blindingly attractive, but the need to worship at the altar of her beauty had gone. Taisiya scowled at the woman. Fucking fae magic.

Taisiya’s surroundings came into sharper focus. When exactly had they arrived in this place? She suppressed a shiver. The private courtyard afforded to the queen was shaded by date trees and surrounded by gilded columns. Perfume and floral scents wafted on a breeze created by servants bearing oversized fans. The ornamental pond in the centre was filled with shimmering, languidly swimming fish and floating lotus blossoms. Altogether, it was much too cheery a scene given the violation that had just occurred.

“Greetings, Princess Consort Taisiya. You may wish to wipe the drool from your chin. Never fear, my beauty has left many in a state much less dignified than yours.” She smiled winningly.

“Don’t give her the satisfaction of checking for something which isn’t there.”

Nefertnesu laughed, the sound like tinkling bells. Was anything this woman did physically unattractive? Taisiya had never been insecure, but this woman was going to give her a complex.

“What is a mage, precisely?” Nefertnesu asked. “You look like a witch, but your magic doesn’t hang about you like a rotting creature in the sun.”

Taisiya could only surmise that tact had also been removed in the ritual that had stolen a part of the queen’s soul.

“Most wield the natural elements.”

“And?”

“And we have never needed to describe our race to outsiders.”

“Yes, the Cursed Continent has hardly been a vacation destination for the rest of Oblivion.” Nefertnesu leaned back in her seat, apparently satisfied with Taisiya’s non-explanation.

“How do your children fare, sister?” Mereruka asked.

She lifted her shoulders in an elegant shrug.

“The eldest failed to survive the initiation. My husband will be wanting another in a few decades to replace him, selfish cretin. If I could have someone else ruin their body for me, I would. As for the younger ones, they’re being raised somewhere out of sight, ugly little beasts that they are. Motherhood is such a burden. It will be a relief when I can stop pretending to care. By the by, if Maat has a soul weaver, send them to Keftu. The last competent one disappeared some decades ago and we had to kill the recent one after he botched a number of initiations.”

“Good help is so hard to find,” Taisiya said, the sarcasm entirely lost on the queen.

Taisiya kept her horror off her face by an effort of sheer will. She finally understood what Mereruka meant when he described what became of heartless fae. Nefertnesu was wholly unaffected by the loss of her child, merely inconvenienced by it. She’d known noblewomen disinterested in raising and having children, but none so cavalier about the death of their own. Taisiya’s heart ached for the queen’s surviving children.

“It certainly is! Make no mistake, people are only worth what they can do for you. Never forget that.”

“I’ll engrave your words on my heart, Queen Nefertnesu.”

If she found any of these soul weavers, Taisiya would kill them herself.

The queen laughed again, the sound distinctly joyless.

“Your wife is charming, despite her physical shortcomings.”

“The standards in Maat are somewhat different from those in Keftu,” Mereruka said.

Nefertnesu shivered, her delicate features twisted with disgust.

“I try to forget that I was ever so weak and hideous. Are you certain you wish to remain so… defective, brother?”

Taisiya’s heart stuttered at the very thought.

Mereruka cocked his head.

“And fall victim to a botched initiation?”

She waved her hand dismissively.

“I shall invite you to Keftu when we capture a new soul weaver. Now, shall we get down to business? You’ve never bothered entertaining me for longer than it takes to exchange greetings.”

“We would like to make a deal,” Taisiya began.

Nefertnesu’s pointed ears twitched in unconcealed interest, giving her away despite her schooled expression. She turned to the nearest servant.

“Leave. All of you. Don’t return until I seek you out.” When the servants had done as she asked, she turned back to Taisiya and Mereruka, raising her chin. “Elaborate.”

“Your stores of the waters of the Hapi are probably running dry after all this time. A few miserly drops every year is hardly befitting for a sister of the king of Maat. I wonder what the court of Keftu would look like if you only had more to boast of. Who knows, perhaps you could even make a supplicant of your husband,” Mereruka began, a knowing smile on his face as he leaned back into his seat.

“What would you be willing to give us for more?” Taisiya asked, raising her brow.

“I would require much more than I am currently allotted,” Nefertnesu said.

“Would an amphora as large as say, my wife, allotted once per year for the rest of your life, be enough to tempt you?” Mereruka asked.

“Ten amphorae. And they should be as stout as Inkaef,” Nefertnesu countered.

“Two amphorae,” Mereruka replied.

“Nine.”

“Four.”

“Seven.”

“Six. Final offer,” Mereruka said.

“This is acceptable. Name your price.” Nefertnesu smiled.

“Give up your inheritance rights to the throne of Maat.” Mereruka’s tone was serious.

Nefertnesu’s puzzlement was plain, then she broke into peals of laughter. She wiped tears from the corners of her eyes, never once smudging her make-up.

“That’s it? You’re a fool to think I cherished such a thing. The only good thing about Maat is the Hapi, and as you’ve just proven, there are ways to get that without having to rule it. I will renounce my rights. Are you certain you don’t want anything else? I may feel my first pang of guilt since my initiation if you leave it at that.”

“Naturally, that you never communicate about my motives or the waters I will be giving you.”

“Naturally. I agree.”

And that was that. But Taisiya couldn’t help thinking of the queen’s children, awaiting a terrible fate or a grisly death. Like it or not, they were her nieces or nephews, and a Dragonsblood protected their own. Mereruka was about to seal the deal when Taisiya placed her hand over his.

“And one of your children. Your favourite,” Taisiya said.

Nefertnesu’s expression was as vicious as it was exultant.

“If you weren’t so plain, I might think you fae, Princess Consort. Consider the deal made. A lifetime of access to the waters for my rights to Maat and one child of mine, as well as my silence regarding your rather adorable ambitions.”

Taisiya felt a sudden weight between them, one that sunk deep into her bones. Strange, that there was no taste on her tongue, just a simple, undeniable knowing. The deal had been struck.

“Though, once again, you’ve made fools of yourselves. I don’t favour any of my children.”

Nefertnesu’s smile was as cold and beautiful as fresh snow.

Mereruka waited until they were walking down a deserted hallway before whispering to Taisiya.

“Why did you ask for a child of hers?”

“Several reasons,” she answered cryptically.

“Such as?”

Taisiya surreptitiously glanced around before she replied in a hushed tone.

“A hostage for good behaviour. Though she may not favour them, I suspect if harm came to one at another’s hand, it would make her lose face. In future, if we decide to expand, it would be good to have an ally ready-made to govern Keftu. Lastly, compassion. I can’t imagine being raised by that creature.”

Neither could he. Not after he’d been raised by the true Nefertnesu.

“All that ran through your head in the moments before she was going to agree?”

Taisiya nodded, refusing to meet his incredulous stare.

Mereruka bit back a grin. Sometimes she could be unexpectedly adorable. He’d purposely asked after the queen’s children, hoping to demonstrate exactly what he meant by heartless fae. The change in her posture from merely formal to tense had been almost imperceptible, save that he knew her well enough to notice and he’d been watching. Taisiya had wanted to save those children from their fate the moment she knew what would become of them. Though he might have enjoyed teasing her for it, he settled for kissing her palm.

“My wife is so quick-witted.”

He might have swept her up in a proper kiss when she blushed at his knowing tone, but a flash of yellow caught his eye. They were no longer alone, and he hadn’t heard the interloper sneaking about.

“Who goes there?” Mereruka demanded.

Hemetre shyly tip-toed her way around a brightly coloured column, the look on her face tremulous.

“Your Tranquility, Your Harmoniousness.” She bowed.

He could see her trembling as they approached, the peach blossoms of her hair rustling in a non-existent breeze.

“What are you doing, sneaking about, Your Most Treasured?” Mereruka asked.

“I… I’m trying to keep away from the heartless fae delegation roaming the halls. They… scare me. You never know when they’ll be violent. His Eternal Serenity doesn’t understand…”

Mereruka pinched the bridge of his nose. Hemetre, though having won the position of royal concubine and in possession of her own independent fortune, was not always the brightest in other matters. In the short time he’d known Hemetre, she’d mentioned her fear of the heartless fae. He supposed since she’d grown up in Keftu, she would know better than most what cruelties they were capable of. It was no wonder then why she’d come to Maat, where there were no fae so afflicted. Her green eyes pleaded for permission to escape. A single pang of pity lanced his heart. She’d made a good bargain with him and paid up without a fuss. He supposed he owed her some small token of aid.

“If you want to avoid them, then stay away from this group of buildings. Queen Nefertnesu herself is staying just down the way.”

Hemetre squeaked in terror.

“I-if you’ll please excuse me…”

“Go.” Mereruka nodded.

She took off at a sprint, her flowing gown snapping to and fro as she disappeared around the corner.

“What in the hells does anyone see in that silly creature?” Taisiya asked.

She was pretty to be sure, but vapid and jealous, interested only in the acclaim her current position afforded her. No doubt she would soon rue the day she’d coveted Khety’s attentions.

“I really couldn’t tell you. Now, shall we retire to the barge and celebrate our success? I’m eager to be out of this pit of vipers.”

Taisiya chuckled.

“It is a bit crowded, with us here. Let’s give the rest of them some breathing room, for a time at least.”