Bil’Faridh was picturesque in the dying afternoon. The chaotic amalgamations of every Feline Clan glowed a subtle gold. Sparkling the sandy structures in the lion district, reflecting off the red and gold baubles. The eggshell white walls of the darkwood homes in the abandoned tiger district took on in the fiery colours well. Black tiles shone with a pristine sheen; ghost trees lost their momentary lifelessness. Pharoah Nadiyya sighed. Despite the chaos, there was always beauty in the capital.
She stepped away from her balcony with an empty wineglass and hovered over the full decanter, inhaling the sweet, fermented grapes. Hints of the cask wafted in soon after to moisten her tongue. The darkness flowed like silk into her glass. Her first sip was barely a drop, and yet bitterness and tart drowned in the sweetness. It soothed her throat, but the bitterness lingered on her tongue. Strengthened beyond the wine, leaking in through her bond.
“Come off your envy,” Nadiyya said to Pride, grinning.
“Envy? It is concern, girl, your love for this rotten fruit has spread to your boys, and I dislike it.”
Nadiyya spun around towards the open doors with narrowed eyes. Pride sauntered in with his perfect fur glowing and magnificent mane sweeping the floor. His golden eyes beamed with judgment that filled their bond. She stuck her tongue out at him, winning a snort.
“That was uncalled for, using my boys.”
“A concern you should consider, spoken with care. Keep your poison, girl, the old man comes.”
Soon enough, the methodical, sandalled steps whispered in the corners of her ears. The pharaoh drained her wine in one go and rushed before her mirror. Her face was plain, with a touch of kohl around her eyes. A golden circlet wrapped around her brow; her darkened head of curls were loose. She pouted her full lips and licked the droplets of wine still clinging to them.
Nadiyya straightened her sunny dress, admiring the amber suns stitched into it. The rest of her jewellery was bronze rather than gold. It suited her mood better, and reminded her of armour. Her ringed toes enjoyed the open sandals, pampered like the rest of herself in recent years.
“I do not think your appearance matters for this old one,” Pride nudged through their bond.
“Appearance always matters. How often do I have to remind you?”
Her Tamed Sinha’s laughter echoed in their bond as the click clack of the Nau’Van’s staff, now walking stick, loudened. She returned to the decanter and filled a second glass alongside her own. The Nau’Van arrived to her offer of a filled wine glass.
“Pharaoh,” The Nau’Van smiled.
“Nau’Van,” Nadiyya couldn’t stop herself from bowing, a small one.
“Please, you shouldn’t be bowing to me.”
Her chest fluttered when he studied her. ‘Old’ was a harsh descriptor in her mind, at first glance at least. His pale umber skin remained taut, despite the age spots littering his bald head. Silver clouds sparkled in his dark eyes, to match the salt amongst the pepper in his stubble. That was where signs of his age ended, the Nau’Van was a Tamer of course.
“That is my duty to you.”
“Ga… Nau’Van, you shouldn’t have made the journey. I would have come if you asked.”
“Not even a Nau’Van has that kind of authority.”
“There is no need for his formality,” Nadiyya stepped closer to the Nau’Van. Even hunched he was still two heads taller than her. His black robes were plain but welcoming, and she yearned to bury her face in them. He seemed to sense it, for his arms opened.
“Every time I see you, I still see that little girl who fought in the streets of the lion district.” Nau’Van’s hand caressed her back when she lingered in his embrace, inhaling his familiar scent. “Who would have thought you would stand here?”
“You did, you always believed in my underserving self,” Nadiyya sniffed and chuckled when she finally stepped away.
“Oh child, you are too hard on yourself.”
Nau’Van drained his wine in a flash and placed the glass on a nearby table.
“How could I not believe in your raw talent child?”
Nadiyya rushed to drag a chair closer, then mouthed an apology at his snarl. She insisted, he protested for his pride, but eventually gave in.
“I’m not old enough to have a pharaoh cater to me, Great Beast!”
An over-the-top denial, but she denied her humour with no help from Pride’s laughter in their mind.
“Where is Pharaoh Atum Ra? He must have a say in this.”
“I am his voice, Gawahir has many duties he spares me from, this is the least I can do.”
“Of course,” he grimaced. “Please Nadiyya, sit before I stand again.”
She snorted and obeyed. Pride lounged beside her; she dug absently in his mane while the silence grew. Nau’Van opened and closed his mouth a few times, eyes never leaving her.
“Tell me child, how are you?”
Nadiyya saw Garam return. A name he refused in the name of his strictly followed duty, though she wondered if he had forgotten it. No, not the father who replaced the one who abandoned her days after her ninth birthday. The Nau’Van of the Lion’s Tamer’s Council, arriving in Bil’Faridh with Pharaoh Heydar Atum Ra. The Great Beast smiled on her when he plucked her from her horror and set her on an undeserved path.
“Grateful for each day,” Nadiyya said with a beaming smile. He grunted. “And you, Nau’Van?”
“Uneasy, not for the induction of course. More for the instability of the Feline Clans. Trouble darkens the horizon.”
“I feel it too.”
“This civil war must end. A shadow upon my heart warns me of something worse approaching, and it will need all over united to face it. For we are one clan, despite the differences we place upon ourselves. It is a civil war, that enough should prove what should be during peace.”
“We are eager to see its end, Nau’Van, I assure you. “The emperor is a prideful man; he refuses to see his defeat and surrender.”
“Perhaps he thinks the same of us Lions?”
“I’d sooner trust our proven victories over the thoughts of a madman. You would have us give up all our advantages, for what?”
“I would have you be decisive! Why else did Atum Ra enlist the Leopards and Cheetahs into our fold if not to deliver the final hammer stroke into the northeast? If the emperor is so prideful, then force him to kneel.”
“Marching into the Dhaar Province is no simple matter. Despite his madness, the man is still a master tactician. Nau’Van, it would be simple for Gawahir and I to fall on our own swords and welcome the emperor to take the capital.”
“That would be decisive, and if it meant the end of the war?”
Nadiyya’s eyebrows rose. There was no jest on the Nau’Van’s scent. It was treason.
“Maybe the Tamer’s Council have neglected their role in the clan, if such thoughts cross their Nau’Van’s mind?”
“I didn’t come here to discuss clan conflict, child,” Garam softened.
It didn’t remove her discomfort however, Nadiyya resisted the chill running down her back.
“Is the induction for Zaki alone?”
“Have we not already decided Mazin will travel north?”
“No child, the prince is not alone to be inducted by the elders. The elders wish to know if he is to be bonded alone.”
“Zaki is the crowned prince, he deserves his own day in the sun. It will soften Mazin’s exclusion, which wounds him still.”
“Very well. As for Mazin, have you decided on his guard and departure?”
“A day after, the evening perhaps. Masters Galel and Kamaria will guard his way.”
“Very good,” The Nau’Van’s scent betrayed him.
He lingered for a moment, tapping his sandals while his eyes wandered. Nadiyya sipped her wine, he waved away her offer to refill his. Whatever was on Garam’s tongue struggled to escape. She feared the possibilities and chose not to encourage him. It had been an enjoyable visit so far.
“Before I depart,”
“Leaving so soon?”
“There are other Tamers who require my attention, Pharaoh, but there is a final matter which the council has begged me to resurrect. Do you remember the offer we made decades ago, to join our ranks?”
“Nau’Van,” Nadiyya said, half-relieved, the other half rather mournful. Garam’s expression stilled her tongue.
“Pharaoh, your son, there is potential in him that far surpasses even you, forgive me for saying so. Prince Mazin has caught their eye.”
“Really? Well, I should warn you Mazin has his eyes set on distant horizons. A duty that will keep him rooted in place will not entice him.”
“All I ask is for the chance to offer it.”
Nau’Van groaned as he rose with the aid of his staff. Nadiyya joined him on her feet, resisting the urge to offer a hand.
“Be my guest, Nau’Van.”
Nau’Van Garam smiled at her, bowing lower than she liked. It took an age for him to rise, and once again she wished to bury her face into his chase.
“I regret my neglect. My retirement is long overdue, you would have made a fine Nau’Van. We might have spent more time together; I could have been…”
“Oh Da,” Nadiyya wrapped her arms around him, fighting back tears.
“Mazin is a better choice.”
“Hah!”
“Forgive me, I know strict adherence to my duty has robbed you, troubled you, even in this meeting. Know this, my child, if it was between duty and you, I will always choose you.”
She wept when he squeezed her and they remained locked in each other’s arms for some time. Nadiyya pulled away and felt the kohl staining her cheeks, but still pecked his cheek. He wiped her face with a cloth from his robes, which he left with her and she watched him departed. Outside her doors she watched his hunched strides drag him away. Heart quivering until he vanished from her eyes.
Pharaoh Nadiyya stood over the decanter, but hesitated to refill her glass. Garam’s dismissive words to their war effort returned. It was so unexpected from him, let alone a Nau’Van. What was worse was her mind seemingly found it viable, albeit for a blink, and that was troubling. The sweet bitterness soothed her.
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She returned to the balcony. This time Bil’Faridh was a picture of perfection. The sunset was at its most colourful, washing the chaos with lavender fire. An involuntary moan escaped her as she sipped, gazing over the districts.
“The moment you turn a blade towards yourself will be the day I walk on two limbs,” Pride sent with morbid amusement.
“I do not know how I should take that.”
Pride snorted aloud, then grunted and rose from his lounging. His overgrown focused on her closed doors, soon after the approaching boots reached her ears. A spike of annoyance surged from the Sinha suddenly. Nadiyya turned and frowned at him.
“What now?”
The answer knocked at her door, but the palace guard announced their arrival.
“A Leopard for you, Pharaoh Nadiyya, word from the kumkani.”
A handsome, umber skinned man stepped in, with a growing beard and an organised head of black hair. He wore ochre robes with black beads in the kumkani’s style.
“Master Sinalo, what a surprise,” Nadiyya said.
“Pharaoh Nadiyya,” he bowed. “Kumkani Lihle offers an invitation to join him for supper.”
“No!” Pride spat.
“Would he mind joining me instead?”
“That is agreeable, Pharaoh.”
Sinalo bowed before departing. Pride’s sourness soiled their bond.
“I grow weary of this,” Nadiyya said.
“You waste time with the kumkani while your husband neglects you.”
“It was not I who chose seclusion.”
“Do not behave like a child.”
She almost snapped at him, but that would only please the beast. All he received were her emotions through their bond.
“I will ignore you now.”
“As you always do, child.”
“I might just sleep with the kumkani to spite you.”
Pride’s tail slapped down onto the floor.
Every golden brushstroke on her lips renewed Pride’s anger. She enjoyed every moment, especially when she freshened her kohl, extending her lashes and eyebrows. Nadiyya tilted her head before the mirror, studying the bulbous black amulet around her neck. She tried the sky-blue Sinha, crowned by a jagged golden sun. A gift from Gawahir and the one she chose. Dabbing perfume on her neck and wrists ended Pride’s torture.
The greys arrived first, streaming in with steaming trays of honey glazed pork. Grilled leeks and baked potatoes, alongside a vegetable soup spiced with ground cumin. Raisin cakes steamed in a wonderful pile, alongside fresh baked bread. After the beer, wine and water came a bowl of samp and beans, with minced mutton and a mouth-watering, unrecognisable spice. Lihle’s only request.
Nadiyya smiled and thanked every grey ghost. Her room glowed with lantern and candle light. The night sky outside was starless, failing to match the beauty of the departed sunset. She adjusted her dress while enjoying the flickering lights in the city down below. A brisk night breeze whispered around her.
Honey tickled her nose, then it became a lingering aroma, dragging her away from her balcony. The approaching slippers brought a smile to her lips. Lihle was always preceded by honey, honeyweed was a favourite of his. She wasn’t a pipe smoker herself, but if she were, honeyweed seemed a wonderful choice.
“Nadiyya,” Lihle grinned upon arrival. Dressed in rich black linens hanging from his rippled physique. “You are a jewel, as always.”
“Oh my, Lihle, a compliment already?”
“You deserve many more,” she kissed his cheek. “I’m thankful you accepted my invitation.”
“Kind of you to pretend I didn’t force you to come to me.”
“I prefer coming to you.”
Pride grumbled while he lounged, but the kumkani made his way to the beast. For all his dislike of Lihle, her Tamed Sinha still purred when he scratched behind his ear.
“You enjoy touching what is not yours.”
“What!” Nadiyya said aloud, eyes widening at Pride, but thankfully Lihle laughed.
“I did not realise the pharaoh owned you, Sinha.” Lihle’s eyes sparkled at Pride’s gold. “Or is this your own envy?”
Nadiyya laughed as she filled two glasses with wine. Lihle dragged her chair out then thanked her for the wine.
“Please forgive my Tamed.”
“Far from the first time I’ve suffered similar anger.”
“The Tamed of jealous paramours?”
Kumkani Lihle smiled while he filled his plate across from her. Nadiyya lingered over the samp and beans, enjoying the aroma.
“In a manner of speaking.”
Lihle was always shy regarding his loves. She enjoyed squeezing any shred of information out of him.
“I’ve noticed your growing interest in my love life.”
“Rather, I’m impressed with your ability to keep so many partners happy.”
“It’s almost as if you wish to experience it first-hand.”
Pride didn’t like that.
“Oh no, being the seventh of your heart would do me no good. I demand to be the only one.”
“A shame. Gawahir is a lucky man.”
Nadiyya filled her mouth to keep her tongue from slipping out something inappropriate. His mention of Gawahir awoke a yearning within her however, who was no doubt hunched over his desk in the war room. Sudden fire danced on her nose amongst the thick broth, Nadiyya stifled a cough in surprise.
“How is it?” Lihle asked.
“A pleasurable shock to the senses,” she said, fighting back beads of sweat. “You might have warned me.”
“I expected a better nose on you.”
“I prefer your compliments.”
Lihle’s laughter was generous.
“Are you softening me for a better trade deal?”
“A fool’s errand Pharaoh, no, I come for another reason. Your boys.”
“Should I be worried?”
“The opposite, there is nothing left for me to teach them.”
“Mmh.”
Lihle’s eyes narrowed at her, but she focused on her food, begging her heart to remain calm.
“I expected a different reaction.”
“Forgive me, I hate disappointing,” Lihle didn’t play her game, which killed her smile. “Please don’t leave Bil’Faridh because of this.”
“No, even if I wanted to, Gawahir wouldn’t allow it. He is eager to keep the inkosi and myself here. It wouldn’t hurt to continue sparring with the boys as well.”
“Who knew a pharaoh had such power.”
“When the Lion and Tiger bare their claws, the Felines choose sides. Us Leopards learn this at birth, doubtless the others have their own variations. Perhaps the truth has waned over the years, but here we are again.”
“Gawahir is no Imhotep the Black, but he has his own strength.”
“A Master Tamer Pharaoh at his side would be my guess,” Lihle pushed his half-eaten plate away and whipped out his beaded pipe. “May I?”
“Of course.”
She enjoyed the sweet smoke. Even Pride shared his quiet appreciation for hit, but the moment she thought to mock him, Lihle’s curiosity returned.
“Speaking of Imhotep, the legend of that pharaoh reminds me of another. One closer to home, Mam’Cirha.”
“A famed Kumkani?”
“A woman of power before our unification. Golden, touched by the Great Beast, some archivists have claimed.”
“Sounds very little like Imhotep,” Nadiyya’s heart quivered.
“Perhaps, as far as I know she didn’t possess a third eye, though she did wield the sun. A power that rivals it maybe, forgive me, the archivists aren’t clear on such matters.”
“Stories trouble most archivists.”
“Fantasies often mask truths, in my opinion, though most do not delve in search of them these days.”
Nadiyya filled her mouth with wine, having long since cleaned her bowl and plate. Her mind danced, fighting to suppress her swelling chest, unaided by the kumkani’s honeyweed. It was a rare thing for a dual wielder to willingly train the boys, she hadn’t stopped wondering what his true reasons were.
A kumkani might train their own child, but it wouldn’t be an expected duty. Why Lihle accepted training Lions at the capital was beyond her. First, she thought he might have lusted for her, though she soon learned it was just his nature. There were times she caught him gazing at the boys. Not as a watchful trainer, but with curious eyes, seeing beyond, perhaps discovering more than he should.
Despite her worry, there was a trickle of comfort. It was easy to trust Lihle, outside of his arguable disregard for Gawahir.
Would it be bad if he knew?
“Do you believe you have found the truth in these stories?” Nadiyya asked.
“Suspicions,” Lihle said after a few puffs. The silence agonised her, but Pride’s interest spiked. “Even if these truths were proven, my heart would warn me, because certain truths aren’t for everyone’s ears.”
Nadiyya bit her tongue, though her comfort grew, against the ever-present worry.
Bil’Faridh slept. The night-time revellers had long since given in to their drunken stupor. Passed out in urine drenched alleyways or splayed out upon the open balconies of their homes. A breeze lifted the subtle stink to her nose, worsened by the ever-present humidity.
Nadiyya sipped her wine glass. Her body hummed with the effects of the many glasses that came before, after Lihle’s departure. She burned beyond the influence of the capital’s weather. Her finger’s tingled, her cheeks were flush. The warmth made a slow journey down her body, and the yearning for Gawahir increased.
Phantom scents forced their way into her nose, of Gawahir drenched in his own sweat, mingled with her own. Her tongue moistened while recalling his lips, and the wine failed to wash it down. She crushed the empty glass and wiped the fragments away, leaving her palm unscathed.
Pride irritated her mind through their bond, but she focused on her rushing blood. The Sinha pummelled her swimming mind until she couldn’t ignore him any longer.
“What do you want?”
“Nadiyya?” Gawahir asked with narrowed eyes in the dim light.
She spun around and beamed. Her first step towards him was a stumble, but she caught herself before continuing.
“Are you drunk?”
The ornate furniture rippled like heat waves all around her. The floor shifted, daring to steal her balance as she approached her husband. She gave up fighting her want, and hoped Gawahir didn’t see the hunger on her face.
His eyes darted around the room, focusing on the table where three empty decanters lay on their sides. Nadiyya giggled when his eyes landed on her.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
She buried her face into his chest, inhaling the scent that haunted her, with the addition of ink. The man barraged her with his sniffing.
“Was Lihle here?”
“Hours ago, stinking up the place with his pipe.” Nadiyya said.
She smelled nothing beyond him, though he grumbled at her answer. It soured his scent and almost marred her mood. Her hand explored his chest, digging beneath his bland robes.
“Nadiyya wait,” Gawahir whispered, then shuddered when her hand went lower. “The door.”
She slammed it shut and splintered the wood, rushing back towards Gawahir without care. Nadiyya ripped off her dress while she rose to taste his lips. His growing stubble pricked at her, and her greedy hands resumed their enjoyment. Her fingers curled around the bulging warmth between his legs.
Gawahir’s hands abandoned his own clothes as they grabbed, pinched and squeezed her nakedness. She nibbled on his lip, then pushed away. Nadiyya tore off his robes, swaying to catch herself from losing her balance. The wine addled her but she slapped his attempt to help her away.
“You forget your strength,” Gawahir said with a chuckle, massaging his wrist.
“Sorry.”
She kicked off her slippers and stood on her toes, dragging Gawahir to their bed with their lips locked together. One hand on his neck, the other enjoying the gushing blood within his phallus. He moaned as she stroked it, then yelped when he lifted her. Nadiyya sank into their mattress and Gawahir crawled over her. She guided him into her, wrapping her legs around him after his first thrust, forcing him into a rhythm of her own making.
Nadiyya fell asleep, but she knew it was after Gawahir did. The memory of her pleasure pulsed through her still. Her head weighed more than Pride’s and swam with wine. She gagged at the sudden rising bile in her throat, then fought it back down. The jagged sun crowning her amulet poked her chest, but she didn’t care. It was empty to her left, yet Gawahir’s lingering scent made his absence worse. Night’s darkness deepened in her room.
The pharaoh snatched her amulet off, snapping the gold hook, and tossed it to the floor with a clang. Her anger wouldn’t allow her eyes to moisten. Nadiyya curled into a ball and forced sleep to whisk her away again.