Chapter Twelve –Departures, Deployments and Decisions Part I

See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer

A/N 1: The historical notes have been updated please see Chapter Twelve notes and the Glossary. If you're reading on fanfic dot net you can read the changes to the notes on AO3.

It had been two days since their trip to the quarries, the time between having been spent in complete relaxation at Andrea's insistence. She was concerned that Mereneith was pushing herself too hard and wanted her spouse to rest while she had the opportunity. The queen knew that the arrival of the fleet and return to Thebes would put the injured king back in the thick of things and she was familiar enough with the formidable woman now to know she would push herself not to show any sign of weakness to her soldiers or her Court no matter how she felt. Mereneith had acquiesced to her wife's wishes quite content to sit in the shade of the garden portico with her family, teaching Andrea to play Hounds & Jackals, strolling in the gardens of the governors estate and lazing beside the pool dozing in the afternoon heat, but now on the third day she was starting to get restless so had made arrangements to take a little exercise later in the morning.

The perfuming of the mouth had once again been a joyful, laughter filled affair shared privately by the royal family. This new routine gave Sesen and Segret time to themselves and allowed the small family unit to continue to learn about each other and bond without the distraction of an audience. Each morning they'd eat and talk and plan their day, the children being enthusiastic and vocal with their preferences much to the amusement of both their parents.

This morning saw the foursome relaxing on cushions beside one of the smaller ornamental pools in the garden. The girls chattered ceaselessly while they ate and threw bread crumbs in the pool to feed the fish darting below the water's surface. Andrea reached quickly over to pull Neith-hotep back when the little girl leaned over too far trying to reach into the water and touch a fish thereby nearly tumbling into the pool. The sudden movement shifted the bodice of her linen dress revealing a small round purple mark low on her pale chest.

"Oh Mama! You hurt yourself. Did you fall?" Neith-nodjmet exclaimed her concern when she spotted the bruise.

Mereneith glanced up to see what her daughter was talking about her lips twitching with a little smirk when she noted the mark her lips had made on her wife's alabaster skin earlier that morning. Andrea looked down startled a little and blushed a pretty shade of pink before adjusting the cloth to cover the mark once more.

"I, ah…no I didn't fall Nedjset, I just… umm I…" her voice trailed off.

Andrea didn't want to lie to the little girl but she wasn't going to tell her the truth of how the mark had come to be there either. The king came to her rescue distracting the twins' attention with talk of their plans for the day. Andrea sat back, still blushing but also absently rubbing her fingers over the hidden mark her thoughts drifting to earlier in the morning and the pressure of Mereneith's lips as they sucked and bit her skin there.

In the predawn light Andrea turned onto her back and stretched her arms over her head revelling in the now familiar warmth of the body lying beside her. She was in that state midway between sleep and wakefulness not yet fully aware of her surroundings. Vaguely her senses registered her bed-mate moving and resettling against her followed by the welcome stroke of a warm hand across her hip. The brunette gave a sleepy purr of appreciation before attempting to move closer to the contact and bring her arms down wanting to embrace her lover only to feel her arms held firmly in place by a strong hand on her wrists. Her half asleep mind struggled to work through the puzzle distracting it from registering the changing sensations elsewhere along her body including the feather light kisses that were being trailed along her jawline and down her neck.

"Mmm Merenee…mmmmmm" Came from Andrea's lips, a half murmur and half moan the younger woman edging toward full wakefulness.

Mereneith released her hold on the younger woman's wrists and began moving down along the body beneath her, she kissed and nipped and suckled her way along the beautiful column of Andrea's neck, then across her collar bone stopping at the soft skin at the top of welcoming breasts. Here she sucked hard pulling the skin in till the sting brought her lover to full wakefulness with a loud gasp. Looking down Andrea saw the bob of soft white hair dipping to brush over the already purpling bruise where Mereneith had marked her before the older woman moved further down her body.

Eager lips ghosted under Andrea's breasts revelling in the soft skin there and across her stomach, each kiss brushing just a little lower than the one before. Andrea inhaled sharply when she felt the wet trail of her lover's tongue swirl around her navel and couldn't help the giggle when it dipped inside, tickling and arousing her at the same time. The king continued her descent, warm breath moving over the dark patch of hair just above her intended goal she gave a pleasant little growl when she detected the scent of her lover's arousal but chose to tease the girl a little and continued her trail of kisses to the left along her trembling thigh.

Andrea opened her legs to allow the older woman to settle more comfortably between them which she did, slipping her arms under both thighs and pulling the brunette's centre closer. She gave what sounded like a contented purr when the queen's hand made its way into her white tresses stroking through the silken strands and massaging her scalp in time to the kisses Mereneith, was now peppering up her inner thigh. Undulating and trying to press her hips forward Andrea mewled a soft entreaty for the king to move to where she needed her lips the most.

"Patience Neferti, all in good time." Mereneith chuckled before she moved to the other thigh and continued to kiss and nip her way along the tender flesh. Her lover's scent set her own loins afire and while her desire built she growled and nipped harder and left a matching bruise to the one on Andrea's breast before she finally moved to the glistening satin folds of the young woman's sex giving them a broad flat tongued swipe from entrance to apex humming in pleasure at the sounds Andrea made and the firmer hold she took of her hair as if trying to anchor herself…

"Mama… Mama did you hear what I said?"

Andrea snapped back to the present feeling the warmth in her blushing cheeks and refocused on her little family, but studiously avoided the merry blue eyes of her knowing spouse. A little while later Mereneith bid them a reluctant farewell in order to go and see to the dispatches just arrived from Thebes, leaving Andrea to see the children to their lessons. Neith-hotep went with Sesen when the young woman came to fetch the girls, but Neith-nodjmet had still been eating and the queen said she'd deliver her to the scribe when she was finished with her meal.

Andrea smiled at her step-daughter and reached out to smooth the little girl's unusual strawberry blonde side-lock checking at the same time that the plait she had braided it into would stay firm for the day. When her hand fell away it was replaced by the little girl's own which fingered the pretty red Menet amulet that tied the fine lock of hair off at its end so it wouldn't unravel. The little tie had been a gift from her step mother for her success in her studies and was now a prized possession she wore nearly every day.

"Nedjset you must finish with your food now, it's well past time for you to be at your lessons."

The little girl looked at the duck egg and bread left on her plate uncertainly.

"I'm finished Mama, I don't want any more to eat."

"Hmm your eyes were bigger than your belly were they?" Andrea laughed and gave Neith-nodjmet's stomach a friendly pat causing the girl to giggle.

"That's silly Mama, my eyes can't be bigger than my belly."

"Ahh, then maybe it was just your heart that told you your belly was bigger than it is?"

This time the brunette's fingers tickled fleetingly over the little girl's stomach just above her kilt and she giggled again before lunging into tackle Andrea back onto the pillows trying to tickle her in return. The queen laughed and squirmed just enough to reward Neith-nodjmet's intent before righting them both and rising to her feet pulling the girl up with her.

"Come now, I'll take you to join your sister. When you've finished your morning's lessons Nebet Segret will bring you to join us at the training grounds just as your mother promised."

The little girl cocked her head upward studying her step mother a moment before tugging on her hand and beckoning Andrea to bend down. When the queen bent the princess wound her arms around her neck and squeezed tightly while whispering into Andrea's ear.

"I'm glad Mama picked you to be my Mama too. I love you."

Andrea's heart squeezed in her chest, emotion overwhelming her she enveloped the girl in a huge bear hug, lifting her up into her arms.

"I love you too little Hawkling."

Neith-nodjmet laid her head on Andrea's shoulder well content to stay in the young woman's strong arms while they headed into the main house. The queen dropped her precious cargo off with Sesen opting to forgo joining the lesson this morning and making her way into the gardens instead.

Mereneith finished reading the last of the scrolls before sitting back in her chair contemplating their contents, while a frown worked its way onto her features. To some it might seem that the news from Thebes was good, but to Mereneith it was only proof that her hidden enemies were still several steps ahead of her and destroying their tracks far too effectively. She knew in her heart that Irsu was involved up to his neck in this, but although she could guess what he hoped to gain in power, she didn't know if he was its chief architect or merely a high ranking partisan. To properly destroy this conspiracy and root out her enemies she needed to find out which it was and she wanted proof, damming proof that would connect the First Prophet to the conspiracy before she would act.

She closed her eyes and gently rubbed her forehead, feeling the headache start behind her eyes, already anticipating the arguments that lay ahead with Nakht NebAmun and Her Council all of whom would undoubtedly urge her to act now and not wait for concrete evidence. Letting out a frustrated sigh she found herself once again questioning the importance of keeping that long ago vow. Her grandfather, the Osiris one Amunmose I had been weak willed, easily influenced and ruled by his whim and fleeting fancies and Mereneith's beloved Egypt had suffered because of his capriciousness. Much of her father's reign had been spent cleaning up the messes her grandsire had made and re-building a strong kingdom to leave to his successor. When she in turn came to the throne at the age of 19 she had made a private and public vow to rule always in the spirit of Maat. At the time Mereneith hadn't realised the burden she had placed on herself and though she had kept to that vow this was not the first time she had queried the wisdom of making it.

Shaking off her irritation the king came to a decision, it was well past time that she returned to Thebes so she could properly search for and destroy the nest of vipers residing in her capital. So she thought, regardless of the whereabouts of the fleet, she and her family would be sailing north at dawn two days hence. Rising from her chair she picked up her riding gauntlets and headed out to the gardens to find her queen.

Andrea stood tall and graceful beside the ornamental pool, her face raised to the life giving rays of the sun, her hands above her head, palms up feeling the warmth. Her heart swelled with a feeling of joy and contentment that she poured into her prayers to Mother Rhea sharing her gratitude and adoration for her Goddess in full measure. The final stanza of the Morning Prayer left her lips and she lowered her arms into a final deep bow before straightening into a relaxed stance feeling focused and energised for the day. She jumped in surprise when her solitude was broken by a familiar voice from behind her.

"The Mother of all must be truly delighted in her faithful daughter Neferti Andrea. Walk with me a little before we depart for the training grounds."

Mereneith stepped forward offering her hand to the younger woman who took it willingly moving easily into the crook of the king's arm before strolling further into the gardens. Mereneith discussed several of the details from the dispatches, extending her consort's understanding of the workings of her government. She was pleased with the questions and requests for clarification Andrea interjected from time to time showing her quick grasp of complex issues and providing the clear impression that given a year or two the woman would be a force to be reckoned with at court and someone that could be left as regent should anything require Mereneith's absence from the capital again in the future. The king paused for a moment before broaching the final subject she wished to discuss.

"Neb Nakht's investigation into the cobras has yielded some results, but not provided all the answers we need to find who was ultimately behind that deed, and all the other subterfuge of which you have been the target, my queen."

Andrea's body stiffened , images of Kitane's ugly death immediately coming to mind with the king's words and even Mereneith's solicitous squeeze of her shoulder couldn't completely dispel the sense of foreboding that settled in the pit of her stomach.

"They found the servant who brought the basket into the Great House before passing it off to one of your unknowing servants with the tale that you had ordered it to be set in your bedchamber."

The knowledge that her own servant had not meant her ill offered the queen a little comfort. The Cretan beauty was always kind to those who served her no matter how menial their official position within the household might be and she had been distressed to think that one of them might have harboured enough hatred for her to want her dead. This point aside however it was still clear that someone wanted her out of the way and though she understood that the attempt on her life had more to do with an attack on the king, she still couldn't wrap her mind around how someone could be willing to kill innocent people to achieve their goals. Glancing to the side and noting the older woman's creased brow she realised how dear her spouse had become to her and the snake of fear writhed and twisted in her belly at the thought of losing her. Shuddering Andrea hugged Mereneith closer to her side. Mereneith returned the embrace and continued her tale to the end thus far, of the Vizier's agents finding the snake charmer who had provided the serpents dead by the many bites of his own charges.

"I have conquered Kush and ground that enemy in the dust, now it is time for me to flush these hyenas from the corridors of my palace and utterly destroy them in this life and the next. You must prepare the Hawklings for travel Andrea. In two days we head north with a fleet or without one."

Their walk had brought the royal couple through the gardens and inner courtyard into the central audience hall of the Governor's residence where the man and his son, as well as other local nobles were waiting to accompany them on their morning outing. Mereneith and Andrea barely had time to adjust to the dimmer light before they were each tackled round the waist by an excited princess impatient to be off to the training ground for their promised treat.

Hugging Neith-nodjmet to her side Andrea was a little concerned that the girls had forgotten to perform obeisance to Pharaoh in this more public setting before approaching her and she looked uncertainly to see how Mereneith would react to their impetuousness. She grinned in sheer joy when Mereneith smiled and suddenly picked up both girls, one under each arm before proceeding to carry the giggling, squirming children out into the bright morning sun. Governor Khnummeses smiled warmly at Andrea and bowing directed the queen toward the door as the small entourage followed the king down the steps to the waiting litters.