Переведено для группы: https://vk.com/stagedive 3 страница

"Drives the advisors crazy that she won't wear the crown at these things," whispered Nina.

"Why should she, look at her. You could put everyone here together with her and still know who the king was," answered Sarah. She committed to memory the brief glimpse she had gotten of the pharaoh when Hawk stepped into the chamber.

Hawk continued her walk toward the throne looking at the tops of people's heads as she made her way since they were all bowed, all but one. His soft green eyes looked at her and by his look she could tell he thought she looked impressive. Hawk winked at Samuel and stopped. When he saw what she had done he knew he had been caught looking at her when he should have been looking at the floor, but rather than be cowered he winked back and smiled.

Everyone in the room was tempted to look up when they heard Ramses's rich laugh echo through the chamber. By the silence in the room except for her laughter they knew she had stopped walking before reaching the dais.

"Come here, boy, and walk with me," she told him through her mirth. Sarah almost fainted when she saw from her bowed position that it was Samuel that moved forward. God what has the boy done now? Too late she had realized that her son had not lowered his head when the pharaoh had walked in after her advisors.

Samuel walked up until he was at her side and waited to see if he was in trouble for not doing as Nina had told him. Hawk for her part stood with her arms crossed over her chest and admired the difference in the boy from just a few days. Gone were the dirty streaks on his face and the worn clothes and bare feet when she found him. With his combed blonde hair, fine linen tunic and new leather sandals Samuel looked to her like a Prince of Egypt.

Hawk looked at him with a somber face and arched her eyebrow as if waiting. He took the hint and bowed his head, which caused a smile to break out on the faces of Hawk, Corby and Dennu. Once he was in the correct position she tapped him on the top of the head and smiled down on him to let him know he was off the hook.

"Very good, son, now would you like to sit with me so you can see better?" asked Hawk pointing toward the throne.

"Yes, sire, I would," answered Samuel nodding his head.

She took his hand and continued on her walk to the throne. She flared her cape back so that it hung behind the backless chair and sat, Corby and Dennu taking up flanks behind her. Hawk motioned for Samuel to sit on her knee so that they could continue with this nonsense. With the boy settled she raised her hand and motioned to Corby.

"Hark all those who have business before Egypt, the Pharaoh Ramses IV bids you welcome. Come and pay homage to Egypt." Corby announced in a deep booming voice letting everyone know that it was now all right to look up. The silence was broken for a moment with the hushed murmurs of the court when they saw Samuel sitting with Ramses. The pharaoh leaned down and whispered in the boy's ear for a moment and they waited to see if she would explain who he was.

Samuel raised his small hand and silence once again fell upon the room. When he saw that what Hawk had told him worked, he turned around and laughed causing her to join in his fun and laugh along with him.

"Sire, King Neftu wishes an audience with you to discuss matters of his realm." The advisor who had addressed her bowed from the bottom of the stairs.

"Send his party in and Egypt will hear his woes."

Samuel jumped a bit on her lap when the drums started again but with a more frenzied beat. The moment the drums started the chamber was filled with dancers who moved their bodies in perfect sync with the beat. Samuel's eyes were glued to the floor watching the perfect bodies covered with leather and feathers go through their exaggerated movements. They were the announcers of King Neftu meant to impress the pharaoh. As quickly as the drums had started they stopped with the dancers parting along the middle of the room from the dais to the back. Once the last dancer moved from the middle there stood King Neftu and his daughter the Princess Dalia.

They moved toward the front of the room with a regal flair to where Ramses and Samuel sat finally arriving at the bottom step of the dais. Neftu bowed deeply from the waist showing Ramses the proper respect. Behind the African king stood his daughter Dalia, bowed but not as deeply as her father. She stood up straight and looked at Ramses with open lust in her eyes. It would be only a matter of time in Dalia's opinion before Ramses succumbed to what she had to offer.

"Pharaoh Ramses, I bring gifts from the rich land of the Nile and come to ask for the help that only Egypt can provide." Neftu started as some of the dancers laid skins and other treasures on the stairs leading up to the throne.

"Neftu, my friend, we will discuss those matters later when we sit together and talk about the border raiders that are chipping away at what is yours and the rebels that are leading them."

"Sire, how do you know these things?" asked Neftu.

"I am Egypt, Neftu, and her eyes see wide and far, and her ears hear the slightest whispers in the wind."

Ramses stood Samuel up and sent him with a pat back to his mother before standing herself. Dalia's eyes followed the child until he came to a stop next to the beautiful woman standing next to Nina. She does not sit on the throne with her so my chances are not lost, thought the princess.

"Dennu, accompany Samuel and his mother back to their apartments. Perhaps later the boy would like to practice his shooting on targets other than myself."

"Yes, sire." The large man saluted her and turned to join his mother Nina and her two charges.

Hawk led the visiting party along with her advisors and Corby out of the chamber and to an open room that contained wide columns that were painted with colorful hieroglyphs. The slightly elevated room offered an impressive view of the city that while close to the palace, seemed a thousand leagues away. The low tables that were surrounded by plush pillows were loaded down with food that had been cooked with the flavors familiar to the visiting king and his entourage. Dalia immediately moved to seat herself next to Hawk not wanting to miss any opportunity to get next to the pharaoh.

Back in the throne room Sarah watched Hawk lead the visitors out for their negotiations she imagined. A feeling of jealousy came over her when she saw that both she and Samuel had been effectively dismissed, but the princess got to adjourn with the rest of them. The look of want was not so hidden on the beautiful face as Dalia walked out on Hawk's arm, and the fact that she was royalty meant that Dalia stood a better chance of being with Hawk than her. Dennu led them away back toward their rooms chatting with Samuel about the better points of the sling shot while Sarah followed trying to figure a way back to the pharaoh's side.

************************************************************************

"Ramses, would you walk with me and show me the river?" asked Dalia. The talks with her father and Ramses concluded with the promise of a legion of soldiers led by the pharaoh's cousin Philbus to wipe out the raiders that where becoming a greater threat to her father's rule. Now Dalia wanted to have her own talks with Ramses and extract her own promises that included the king in her bed. Having one of her attendants inquire as to who the boy and his mother were lifted any worry from Dalia's mind when she found out they were merely slaves.

"Dalia, I'd love to walk with you but know my answer will be the same as always when it comes to your requests. You are a beautiful woman Dalia, wait until you find the one person that will pursue you with as much vigor as you waste on me. I know that your father would love nothing better than such a permanent alliance with Egypt than to see you sitting beside me, but that will not be."

"Ramses, do not be so rash until you have tasted the fruit." Dalia moved closer and wrapped both her hands around Hawk's bicep.

"Sire, may I trouble you for a moment?" asked Sarah. Seeing the pharaoh walking along with the princess Sarah took a chance and approached the two as they were talking.

"Sarah, you may trouble me whenever you desire. What can I do for you?" asked Hawk. Relief flooded Hawk's body and she peeled Dalia's hands from her.

Sarah now had the pharaoh's attention and desperately searched for something to ask. Thinking only to interrupt them before the princess sunk in her claws, she hadn't thought ahead of a reason for her intrusion.

"Come on, girl, Ramses is waiting," hissed a perturbed Dalia.

"Corby, would you escort the princess to her quarters for the night, it seems there might be a problem that needs my immediate attention. Dalia we will finish our conversation in the morning." Sarah was amazed again as the guard appeared out of nowhere to do Hawk's bidding. She was beginning to wonder if the man had some sort of magic cloak.

"Yes, sire, princess, this way please," Corby bowed and swept his arm out leading the way.

"Sire, I'm…" started Sarah.

"Thank you, Sarah, for saving me the trouble of finding my own means of retreat. That woman has got more hands than the gods intended. Would you like to walk with me and enjoy the moon tonight?"

"Yes, Hawk, I would like that," answered Sarah taking the large hand that Hawk held out to her.

Hawk looked over the woman before her, much like she had her son earlier in the day. Sarah, like Samuel, looked vastly different after a bath and new clothing. Not that Hawk hadn't found her desirable before, but now Sarah was awe-inspiring. Nina had taken extra care in pinning her hair up to mimic the style that the courtesans were wearing giving the young woman a very sexy appearance now that her neck was showing.

They walked along the rooms where earlier in the day Hawk had granted Neftu's request. She pointed out to Sarah the various monuments and other buildings of importance that were lit up with torches in the distant night. The small blonde listened to Hawk while enjoying the feeling of the hand that enveloped her own.

Stopping at the corner of the open room to look out at the black sky that was lit with its own celestial torches, Hawk gathered up Sarah's other hand. "Sarah, you look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you, Hawk." The blush that seemed to be constant since meeting the pharaoh was back on Sarah's face.

"The morning I met your son, I told him a secret that he promised that he would keep for me, and now I would like to share another with you. Do you promise, like Samuel, to keep my secrets?" Ramses moved closer to her but did it slowly so as not to scare the smaller woman.

"Till my death, sire."

"I lost my heart out there a few days ago," said Hawk pointing to the city. In the full moon's light they could both see the outline of the buildings and the oil lamps people had lit in their homes. Looking back to Sarah, Hawk continued, "To keep it close to me, I brought it back with me to my home. My one wish is to keep it close to me for the rest of my life."

"I promise not to share your secret, sire. Is there anything that I can do to help you keep it safe?" asked Sarah. She stroked Hawk's cheek as she remembered her conversation with Nina earlier.

"Never leave my side, Sarah. Stay here with me and let me love you. For that, I will give you all that I possess."

"You don't want me, sire, I am a slave as is my son. I know that you have given the ultimate gift of freedom but the rest of your people will always see me that way, and your advisors will never let a Hebrew sit on the throne of Egypt."

"Egypt gets to decide who sits upon her throne, my love, not my advisors. And, Sarah, I am Egypt." Hawk pulled the woman even closer and slowly dipped her head to kiss the soft lips under hers. The kiss remained soft and gentle echoing what her words had said just before. Sarah sank into the embrace and the strong body that provided it. How could she have lost her heart in such a short time? Hawk was so different than what she was accustomed to. The tenderness the ruler displayed was intoxicating.

"I'll not force myself on you, Sarah, so tell me now if this is something that you truly do not want." Hawk ran her fingers down Sarah's jaw to her neck fully prepared to walk away if that was what the woman wanted.

"Will you kiss me again so that I may decide?" asked Sarah. She tipped her head back again inviting the pharaoh to do just that.

Hawk took her up on the invitation pulling the woman against her with more desire and turned up the intensity of the kiss. She pulled the pins Nina had put in Sarah's hair out letting the blonde locks fall through her fingers. "I take it the answer is yes?" asked Hawk as she held Sarah close to her.

"The answer is yes, Hawk, and I think you knew that when I walked out and interrupted your previous moonlit stroll." When Dalia had pulled Hawk into a more intimate position, Sarah's feet had taken off from her room like they were on fire.

"Dalia will be crushed," said Hawk.

Hawk walked Sarah back to her apartment finding Nina telling Samuel a story about the pharaoh as a child. Both mother and son found out that Samuel wasn't the only one to get in trouble with a sling shot as a child.

"Old woman, where will the mystery be if you give away all my secrets?" bellowed a teasing Hawk. "And, you two, don't encourage her by laughing at her stories," she told Sarah and Samuel. Hawk took a seat in the chair by the bed and Sarah came to stand by her side.

"Come on, Samuel, kiss your mother goodnight and then it's off to bed for you." The boy kissed Sarah and Hawk goodnight after reminding the pharaoh of her promise of a chariot ride.

"I will stay with Samuel tonight should he need anything if he is to awaken in the night sire. Please have a pleasant evening." Nina told her for both their benefits.

"I will leave you now, Sarah, to get your rest," said Hawk. She pulled Sarah onto her lap so that she could give her a kiss goodbye, but her hands seemed possessed in wanting to feel Sarah's skin. Sarah initiated another kiss by pulling Hawk's head down by the two handfuls of hair she had a hold of when the pharaoh tried to pull away.

"Are you tired, sire?" she asked.

"No, but if I don't leave I can't promise that I won't touch you, or that I could stop."

Sarah pulled away and stood before the seated ruler and repeated her actions from the first night she had spent in the palace and untied her dress letting it hit the floor. "As I asked you before, sire, does what you see not please you?"

"Yes, Sarah, it pleases me, but I don't want to rush you." The way that Hawk's eyes raked over her skin pleased Sarah inordinately.

"It is I who mean to rush you, sire." Sarah added seductively.

She sat on her knees in front of Hawk and worked on untying one sandal then the other tossing them aside. Motioning Hawk to rise, Sarah followed her to a standing position so that she could lift Hawk's linen tunic over her head leaving the pharaoh naked. Sarah then let her training take over and let Hawk make the first move.

The king moved to stand behind her close enough so that Sarah could feel the heat of her body but not close enough so that she could feel her skin. "Tell me, Sarah, what makes you feel good? I want to make you feel wonder, and I want you to stop me if I do something that does not. I want to touch you and help you release your passion. I want to make you feel so good that you will crave my touch and no other. I want to feel your heat."

As she whispered the promises in the small ear, Hawk began the mapping of Sarah's body with her hands. The words and her touch were having their effect on Sarah as her nipples grew hard and small bumps raised themselves on her skin as if she were chilled. The touches and the verbal onslaught were both relaxing her into Hawk's body and exciting her at the same time. The hands never lingered any one place for too long, exciting one area then moving on. Sarah could feel the wetness between her legs grow and it was a new sensation. No one had ever cared about her pleasure enough to excite her to the point that it would increase her comfort.

Sarah felt her knees start to tremble so she reached her hands back to hold onto Hawk. "Hawk, take me to the bed," Sarah requested before she fell to the floor. The hands that had been burning her skin stopped and then picked her up and carried her to the bed. Hawk placed her gently on the surface then covered the small body with her own bracing her hands down so as not to put her whole weight on Sarah. Lowering her head, Hawk kissed first Sarah's lips, then her eyes and then the rest of her face. She could feel Sarah's hands on the small of her back urging her to continue what she had begun across the room. Rolling off to lie next to Sarah, Hawk put her hands on the smooth skin of the other woman's body watching the nipples grow harder and the chills more pronounced.

When Hawk lowered her head to take a nipple into her mouth and dipped hand in-between Sarah's legs, she heard the small woman gasp. Rolling her fingers around to lubricate them Hawk started by pressing them up against the hard pebble that was the center of Sarah's excitement. The move caused Sarah's hips to rise up off the bed and her hands to grab Hawk's hair smashing her face into her breast. Wanting Hawk's mouth on hers again Sarah then pulled on Hawk's hair to give the woman a clue. Hawk kissed her as she continued to stroke the length of Sarah's sex enjoying the moans that were coming out of Sarah's throat. Sarah surprised her by rolling Hawk onto her back so that she could move her hips better to match the rhythm Hawk had set with her hand. The stars that they had walked under that night paled in comparison to the ones behind Sarah's eyelids when she lowered herself onto the long fingers.

"Ah...that feels….feels...so good," Sarah panted as she felt her body start to tense. Hawk had curved her fingers up and in and was using her thumb to stimulate Sarah's center to up the pleasure. Keeping her hand still Hawk let Sarah move as fast or as slow as would make her feel good. The pharaoh heard and felt Sarah's orgasm in numerous ways. One by the grunts Sarah was making, by the surprisingly strong grip on her shoulders and by the flood of desire that now coated her stomach. A doubling of the grip on Hawk's shoulders and the stilling of all movement followed by the screaming of the pharaoh's name sent Sarah over the edge falling to earth again by collapsing on the muscular body under hers.

Pulling her hand out from between their bodies Hawk moved her hand to Sarah's back to hold her in place. Sarah's breathing relaxed until it evened out in sleep leaving Hawk in an almost painful predicament. She decided to keep her word and not push Sarah, so she kissed the blonde head and joined her in sleep. Their positions didn't change for the whole night, and it was how Nina found the still sleeping bodies the next morning. Going back to take care of Samuel before the child had the opportunity to disturb them Nina let him go off with Dennu for a while to take in some target practice.

"Sire," said Nina in a soft voice.

"Yes," answered the sleep raspy voice.

"Neftu and Philbus are waiting for you in the column room whenever you are ready. I have taken the liberty of having food sent up for you and Sarah, and the maids are preparing the bath."

"Thank you, Nin. Where's Samuel?" asked Hawk. She relaxed back into the bed covered by the warm body of Sarah.

"He is with Dennu, sire, shooting at fish the last time I checked."

"Good, Nin, could you call Corby for me?"

"Yes, sire."

Hawk gently lifted the still sleeping woman off of her so that she could put on a robe before Corby arrived. Pulling the soft sheet so that it covered all of Sarah's nakedness, Hawk walked into the front room. She was glad that Sarah felt comfortable enough in her surrounding to keep on sleeping.

"You desire something, Hawk?" asked Corby. He bowed his head a little before taking in the rumbled look of the pharaoh.

"I desire a great many things, Corby, but less so than I did yesterday. Send someone you trust down to the quarry and ask for a sculptor with a wife that works in the slave hospice. If there is more than one couple that fits that description, ask which of them has a daughter by the name of Sarah.

Corby, explain to your men that they are not to frightened these people in any way, I only want to find out where they live. Once I am finished with my idiot cousin and Neftu, have Dennu and my chariot waiting. We are going on an excursion this afternoon."

"As you wish, sire," said Corby bowing slightly ready to leave the room.

"Hawk, where are you?" came the soft voice from the bedchamber.

Hawk turned her head toward the sound before turning back to her trusted guard, "That, my friend, is your cue to leave."

"I'm right here, my love." Hawk answered from the wide doorway.

"I missed you when I opened my eyes," said Sarah.

"You were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't want to intrude in your dreams."

"I'm sorry, Hawk." Sarah had a sorrowful look on her face as she sat on the bed holding the sheet under her chin.

The apology was not what she was expecting. Does Sarah regret already that she slept with me? Hawk prepared her face to mask any reaction that the rejection would bring. Just a taste of what her life could be like with Sarah in it made it unbearable to think what it would be like if the woman decided to leave.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Sarah."

"But you were so wonderful to me last night, and then I fell asleep."

"There will be plenty of time for that, my love, but for now we must eat so that we will have the energy for that later."

Hawk brought Sarah a robe like the one she was wearing and led her out to the covered part of the terrace where Nina had the table set up for their breakfast. Sitting on plush pillows, they fed each other bits of food from the various different trays there was to select from until they had eaten their fill.

"You make me so happy and make me feel so special, Hawk, that I would die if you took it away. I would be happy to remain just as your pleasure slave if you would promise not to send me away."

"You'll stay with me, my love, but not as a slave. I have other plans in store for you and your son. After today I want you both to move into my private quarters in the palace. These rooms are nice but everything I need to run the realm is over there." Hawk pointed the east wing of the palace. There was located not just her sleeping quarters, but the library and other essentials she relied on to make her decisions.

Hawk continued talking of the plans she had for Sarah and Samuel when she noticed that instead of happiness the small woman was crying quietly into her shoulder. Putting two fingers under the quivering chin Hawk asked with her eyes what the problem was.

"When you find out the whole truth about me you will send me away I know you will," sobbed Sarah. When Hawk pulled Sarah onto her lap, the small woman sobbed into the strong neck.

"Sarah, unless you are a cleverly disguised killer, I think I know everything there is to know about you."

"No, sire, you don't. I know that you are aware of what my position was in the last house I served in but there is something that I have neglected to tell you. Larlis has left me with child sire."

"Is he Samuel's father as well?" asked Hawk. Sarah was surprised not to find a look of disgust in the blue eyes that seemed to being looking into her soul when she lifted her head up.

"Yes, sire, he is and even if you don't want me now please send me anywhere but back there again. Master Larlis wasn't the most kind person when he found out I was pregnant with Samuel because I could not accommodate his needs."

"Sarah, this is your home now and if it would please you, I would be honored to help you raise this child too. You're not the only one who has captured my heart, my love, your son has had a hand in my emotional captivity as well," said Hawk. With a large hand she wiped the tears streaming down Sarah's face. The woman on her lap soaked up the attention by leaning into the healing touch.

"You would accept this child as your own?" asked Sarah with doubt in her voice. To have the pharaoh say yes would be too much to dare and hope for.

"Your sons will rule Egypt when I am gone. They are not of my blood but they will be of my heart." Even though there were still tears in Sarah's eyes, the smile returned to her face and she ran her own hand along the pharaoh's cheek. Hawk leaned forward and softly kissed Sarah lips, which tasted salty from all the crying.

"And how, sire, do you know this will be a son for you? There is another possibility you know." Sarah asked with a much-lifted spirit.

"I am pharaoh, love, that makes me always right."

Sarah laughed at that answer then spent another long sweet moment kissing her savior. Her good mood continued as Hawk carried her into the bath holding her in the water so that she could relax. "You have to be careful now and not do anything strenuous. I have to tell Nin to keep an eye on you when I can't be there." Sarah had a feeling this pregnancy would be a lot different than her last. Sarah smiled as under the water Hawk ran her hands along her midsection trying to find evidence of the child she carried.

"I will miss her when we move to the other end of the palace," said Sarah. She pulled her hair to the side and rested her head on Hawk's shoulder loving the feeling of the large warm body behind hers.

"Nin isn't going anywhere, love, she will be happy I'm sure to return to her own set of rooms located not far from our own. She was here only to offer you comfort and welcome on my behalf," Hawk said as she kissed the inviting neck under her lips.

"You are so sweet."

"Don't tell anyone that or I will be forced to feed you to the crocodiles. Now unhand me, woman, and let me finish up with Neftu and Philbus then I have a surprise for you."

"What are you doing with Neftu and Philbus?" asked Sarah. The realization came quickly that the question was inappropriate of her and Sarah bowed her head. "I'm sorry you don't have to tell me."

"I am sending Philbus with Neftu as the leader of the legion I promised the king to get his local raider problem solved. Philbus will of course be furious but it will teach him a valuable lesson on disobeying a direct order from me. There's that and the fact he struck the child who is to be my adopted son," Hawk answered just as quickly. It was her way of letting Sarah know that there where no secrets between them now.

"Well then you do have to tell me what my surprise is."

Your surprise is I'm taking you and Samuel for a ride this afternoon."

"That isn't a surprise that's torture and you know it. Did you mean that about Samuel?" asked Sarah jumping back to something Hawk had said.

"No."

"Oh I thought not." Sarah lowered her head again thinking that she had misspoken for the second time that morning.

"I meant that about Samuel and the child you now carry, Sarah. You do understand though there will have to be some changes in the way that Samuel and this baby will have to be raised, but perhaps their origins will give them better insight on dealing with the slave population. But a ruler of Egypt has to be more than a Hebrew, my love, he must be history."

"They will become you?"

"Yes." It was now Hawk that lowered her head thinking that Sarah could not live with that possibility.

"That would be my greatest hope. You aren't the monster my father talked about and if my children were to become more like you, that would be a treasure." After another quick kiss Hawk lifted her body out of the bath and stood while the attendants finished their job.

Sarah watched and was again overtaken by the powerful force of her jealousy as the servants dried and dressed Hawk. She was sorry that the morning had gone so quickly and she had not had the opportunity to touch the tall lean body. "Sire, isn't there anything else that I could interest you in, besides going for a ride?" Sarah asked as she moved the girl that was combing Hawk's hair to the side. She finished the job then moved to tie off the tunic that had been pulled out for the pharaoh.