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Chapter 4

Sand Storm




“What am I going to do?” I asked Widow.

“Nothing at this point,” Widow stated.

I had told her everything that I heard the day before. I couldn't believe I was in my own palace and didn't have the power to protect myself from people conspiring right under my walls to kill me.

“Should I just sit around and let them kill me.”
“Boxy won't let anyone near you,” Widow stated, “You and I both know that. You are safe. They tried already and that was an utter failure.”
I turned to Boxy. The quiet protector was sitting sharpening a spear. To a point I knew Widow was right but what if Boxy met a limit. There had to be something that Boxy couldn't do. I was shaking all of a sudden. I couldn't trust these people.

“What do I do about Nyla? Once that baby is born I'm dead.”

“Do you want the easy truth or the hard truth?”
I looked at Widow wondering.

“Hard.”

“Get rid of Nyla,” she stated, “It would be the simplest thing. I can send my Jackals to her in Thebes. By now General Si Ren is already in Thebes and gathering the forces. She isn't needed. We kill the Queen and we let Nubia live another day.”

“You want me to kill my child...” I said.

“That's not your child Menice...” she replied.

“It's mine!” I shouted.

I got up off my seat. I always knew Widow was very direct and straight forward but this had surpassed anything I could imagine her capable of. It sent shivers up my spine really to even think of something like that.

“I know you are upset, your majesty,” she stated “But be reasonable.”
'Thats out of the question. That child is Jabari's child and I am going to raise that child to be my heir. I've decided that. That hard advise is out. What was your easy?”

“Continue this game.”
'What game?'

“The game with the brothers. His brothers tend to think Darius needs something from you to turn his back on them. I suggest you figure out what it is.”



I spent days trying to figure out what I could do to build that bridge between Darius and I. I was even more surprised when a day and a half later the brothers actually came to me.

A messenger had come in while I was eating.

I was at a long hall alone with my guards and Boxy. Widow was off running the city which she normally did. Truth was I didn't have time to do the day to day events of a king. That was what the Vizier was for. I had bigger things to worry about. I had to worry about these brothers. The messenger was escorted in by a few of my guards. He was one of the Sea People I assumed. He had their sneaky little eyes and bulky bodies. I hated the fact that they were here in my palace.

He bowed in front of me.
“The brothers would like to invite you out with them to see the construction of the new wargs.”

“The boats they are building with my money,” I stated.

He paused for a moment.

“Yes.”

“And if I refuse?” I asked.

“Your refusal wasn't an option...that was discussed,” the messenger stated.

The tone he stated it in was different. Refusal wasn't an option. None of my messengers spoke to me like that. I could feel my hands shaking. I could feel the anger building up.

“I'm busy now.”

“The caravan to the construction piers are leaving now. It is outside the city and will take a time to construct.”
He was challenging me. None of these people had respect for me. It was almost like my opinion didn't matter. I didn't even have the respect any longer to FINISH my meal.

It was the first time I felt truly bad for myself. Why would a tear come to my eye?

“Get out.”

I couldn't have him see me cry. Why the hell were tears coming to my eyes? I was coming to a realization day by day. I no longer mattered. If I became weak all of my people became weak.
“Should I tell them you are coming.”

“LEAVE!” I stated.

He didn't get up. He didn't move. I could see Boxy gripping on her axe. Her slim, feminine figure disguised a dangerous woman. She was just waiting for my order. Still even with her I didn't feel strong. This messenger was getting the better of me. This messenger!

He wasn't moving. Not even an inch.

“I can't leave without an answer. I humbly apologize.”
In my own palace and in my own homeland this man was disrespecting me.

“Tell them I'll come. NOW GET OUT! NOW!”

I had given in. I had given in because I was about to tear up and I couldn't let him see me like this. I held my composure as best as I could until he left the room nodding.

As soon as he left I broke down in my hands sobbing. There was no one to comfort me. Boxy's only concern was that I was safe. The emotion didn't seem to interest her at all. I don't even think she looked my way. I felt my heart breaking. I felt so bad for myself. How did I find myself in this predicament?




I found myself above a camel. I had brought a host of Medjay guardians with me and was surprised when the brothers only had a few men with them. I hadn't consulted Widow before I left and every part of me knew that was probably a mistake. I didn't trust these people and had no idea where they were really taking me. Still the time of fear was quickly passing. I had to act soon.

“You look like a God today? Didn't the messenger tell you we were just going to look at ships?” Darius stated.

His brothers were ahead of us. I was riding on a camel decked out in gold that was led by a large Medjay warrior. I had spent half of the ride trying to remember the large Medjay warriors name. Behind me was Boxy's camel. The Medjay escorted us by foot. They had formed some sort of circle around me. Darius was a good horseman from what I could see. His brothers were all on horses however he seemed to have the grace with the animal that the others didn't.

“I'm a king,” I told him, “It's necessary.”

“Don't you think it makes you a target?” he asked, “When you go out in the public must everyone know you are their king?”

Darius smiled at me as though he had made a point or something. I didn't relate though.

“My people love me. They would never harm me.”

“How do you know that. Everyone has their own intentions.”

“I know because I protect them. They have no reason to hate me,” I stated, “If you are a good leader it isn't the people behind you that you should worry about. It's the people next to you that should concern you.”
He was riding close to my camel. He smiled when I said what I said. Darius was extremely handsome. His long hair flowed behind his horse and he seemed to always have this smile. The smile was sleek and refined. I couldn't believe at times he was related to a brute like Marcus.

“No one is next to you though so you aren't afraid of anything are you?” Darius asked me.

His questions always seemed like they had something else behind it. It was almost as though he was looking for some deeper meaning.

“Your brothers and you seem to be making more and more decisions...that a king should be making.”
I was sick about beating around the bush.

“Sharing power is something that my people have become used to. I don't think my brothers are really comfortable with the idea of a king.”
“What about you?”

“It did make me uncomfortable but seeing you I don't think you could ever make me uncomfortable,” Darius stated.

He was flirting again. His smile seemed to be the period after his sentence at that point. He was such a dangerous person and I think that must be a clue of what his brothers were so afraid of in him. He had a serpent's tongue.

Still I couldn't help but smile back.

“So would you treat me as a king.”
“No...”
“No?”
“No. I'd treat you as a god,” he stated, “If I had my way. Isn't that what Widow stated you are. You are the son of...hm...what is the god's name again?”

“Ra...”

“Yes,” he said laughing and smiling, “That is who you are. If I had my way but unfortunately I don't...”
We were getting stares. Most of them were coming from Axum and Torrance who were leading the caravan from the front right behind Marcus. They were too far ahead to hear what we were talking about but they didn't hide the fact that they were taking notice of us talking. I saw Axum and Torrance whispering amongst themselves. I could only imagine what they were talking about. I knew Darius being around me made them nervous. They didn't trust us together.

I would definitely give them something to look at.

“I don't believe you would treat me as a king,” I stated and laughed a little bit with Darius, “I feel like you are just like your brothers treating me as your equal.”
“They are fools if they can't recognize a god when they see one,” Darius stated looking at me.

“And you are different.”

“Very different.”

“Prove it.”

He laughed a little. He found this extremely amusing for some reason. I didn't see Darius as the type to back away from a challenge though. It was actually the opposite. His face seemed to light up when I propositioned him.

“Anything you want,” he stated extremely bluntly but with a lot of confidence.

“Kiss me.”
“What?”
His face was now half surprised and yet still had this sense of entertainment on it. He would not allow himself to lose face even for a moment. In his eyes I think he was a little bit more nervous about the proposition then he let off.

“Would you make the god king repeat himself?”

“It is against our laws to do things like that.”
“What happened to me being a god?”

“And you are a beautiful one at that,” he stated, “And if I were a Nubian I would in a second. But it is against our laws to do such things. It may bring about uneasiness.”

“I think some uneasiness is needed.”

“Will you trust me then?”

“What?”

“Will you trust me?” he repeated, “And use me?”

I didn't know what he meant by that. But I had to take advantage of this moment. Axum and Torrance were still looking at us.

I nodded, “Yes.”

At that same moment Darius moved into me and kissed me on the lips. His lips spread onto mine and we started to kiss. I thought it would just be a pec but I was surprised when his tongue entered my mouth. My camel seemed to stop at that moment. He grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me close. He tongue tasted so sweet. As the kiss ended he bit softly on the bottom of my lip sucking it as though trying to let this moment last. I could feel myself getting aroused.

Then I realized that the caravan had stopped. Marcus who was leading the caravan stopped and had turned around. I think Torrance or Axum grabbed him to make him aware of what was going on. Regardless of how it happened all of the brothers and their men were looking at Darius kissing me now. It was as though time had stood still.

No one made any moves.

“STORM!”

It was Boxy's voice that had said that.

Boxy rarely spoke. I could see her kicking her camel a little and she threw something at me. At first I was confused but then I realized it was some sort of sheet that was laid on her camel.


It wasn't until Darius completely let go of me and I caught the shawl that I realized why she had thrown it. At this point our caravan was on a road that lead to the construction sights where many of the war ships in my navy had been built. The road was an isolated one that was a few hours walk from Meroe. To the right I could see the a sandstorm.

The storm was bigger than anything that I had ever seen before. It looked like a great wall moving towards us. The thing came towards us unrelenting.

I saw Boxy hop off her camel and she was making a mad dash towards me.

“Boxy!”

I reached out for her as well thinking maybe I should jump off the camel but when I made the dash to jump off of the camel the upcoming storm seemed to spook the camel.


I found myself being dragged by the camel. I was halfway off the camel at this point and I could see the storm looming over me. The dust storm kicked up all of the sands of the desert and was moving it towards us. Soon I began to see everyone around me become completely swallowed by it.

I tried to get back on the camel and somehow managed but ended up dropping the shawl. I tried to calm the camel but it was useless. It was panicking more than I was.

The animal ran in a direction that I wasn't quite sure. It just continued to run and I couldn't open my eyes to see exactly where were going.

“Boxy! Boxemnas!” I screamed out hoping that somehow she would be able to hear my voice, “Medjay! MEDJAY!”

It was useless at this point. My mouth filled with sand as I yelled and I began to choke. The animal continued to run out and it seemed like were going even deeper into the storm. The animal would not stop running and the storm seemed to be getting heavier and heavier.

Finally I felt someone grab the reins of the camel. The person was walking and before I could manage to open my eyes in the storm something was thrown at me. When I managed to catch it without seeing it I realized it was a shawl. I covered my head with the shawl.


I wasn't sure where I was leading but when the camel stopped I was pulled from it. The person grabbed me and lead me somewhere but I still couldn't see where we were going.

Finally I found myself being pulled indoors.

I fell to the floor coughing.

It was some sort of cabin from the look around. It seemed like it was abandoned from the empty look of it. I fell to the floor collapsing on the old cracked wood planks.

“We are completely sealed in here by the sand,” I heard the familiar voice say.

I turned around to see Axum there.

I started to panic a little bit.

“We can get out,” I told him.

“Did you not hear me?” he said, “I'm not even sure where you are. I went chasing after you. We lost everyone else. The last place you want to be is out in that storm. We can just wait until it passes over.”

“How long could that be?”

“Maybe hours. It was a powerful sand storm...”

I shook my head looking around this hut. It was a dusty, grimy looking place. It was a far cry from my palaces in Meroe and Kerma. The place smelled a little bit. The floors weren't marble. There was some fire burning loosely but it looked as though it hadn't been tended to in a while. It let in a dirty red hue in the room. There were no grand statues of gods. I could see cobwebs everywhere. It looked a little bit dirty. It was hard to imagine someone was probably living in a place like this. I could hear the storm all around us.

“How did you see me?” I asked.

“I was paying close attention to you. You seemed to be getting really close to my brother Darius,” Axum stated.

I crossed my arms. I didn't trust Axum. The quiet, seriousness that had attracted me to him seemed to all but disappear when I heard him talking to Torrance and Marcus through the floors of the palace. He was a schemer. They all were schemers.


He circled around the room looking around.

“What are you doing?”

I didn't trust him at all.

“I'm going to find something to lay down with. Is that ok with you? Your highness?”

He was patronizing me. I crossed my arms and watched as he pulled out a woven blanket from a hole in a cabinet. He didn't look back at me as he spread the blanket out on the floor and laid on top of it.

“We should be trying to get out of here?”

“Trust me. You are the king aren't you? I'm sure your people will come looking for you. Why risk getting lost in the storm again?”

I'd rather be out there with the Nubians then in here...with the enemy. The way he spoke to me was as though I didn't have a choice in the matter. I was quickly realizing that these people were stripping my power away one at a time. Axum completely ignored me and laid down on his back. He took off his shirt...shook the sand out of it and laid it over his eyes.

I watched as he fell asleep and took the opportunity to look around. I looked at the window. I wondered now if I could make an attempt to run.

What if he wanted to kill me?

He could get rid of me right here. No one would know. No one would blame him.

His brothers already wanted to get rid of me.

They were already talking about it!

A cement block was right there in front of me. I picked it up and looked back at Axum laying there on his blanket. I could save myself now. I could get rid of him before he got rid of me. It would be one of three down. No one knew we were together. No one could would find his body.

We could argue that he was killed in the storm.

I went over Axum with the the brick and leaned over him. I could do it! I could bash his head in right now! How many hits would it take? Two or three? I had never killed a man with my bare hands but I'd seen Boxy do it. She made it look so easy. How hard could it be?

Come on Menice.

You are king. Aren't you? Do this for Nubia.

I looked down at Axum. There was something so familiar about him. Jabari used to sleep on his back like Axum was doing. Axum was so handsome and looked so innocent when he slept. Why was my heart beating faster every time I looked at him.

This was my enemy! I raised the brick.

It was him or me...

Him or me!
And for a moment looking down at him with this brick raised over my head I thought I saw Jabari.

“Jabari...”

No!

It was Axum. His eyes were opened now and he was watching me with this brick over his head.

Axum swung at me, slapping the brick out of my hand.

“Get over here!”
I could see the anger in my eyes as Axum came for me. I could tried to kick away and make a run for it but he tripped me grabbing onto my feet.

“Get off of me! Get off of me!”
I tried to kick at Axum. Picking up the brick and tossing it as his head but he was quick! He was too quick. I finally was able to get up off the floor and tried to make a run for the door but I felt his huge arm come over me and swing me around.

I went flying to the other side of the room crashing on the door.

I could see him standing over me now making an attempt to pin me but I managed to knee him in his crotch and push him off. In the moment I thought about jumping back on top of him but there was no way I could wrestle Axum. He was warrior. This was what he did.

Where was Boxy? Where was my General Si Ren?

They would have made quick work of him.


“You little brat!” He said when I got him in the groin area.

I managed to get back to my feet again and he was back to his feet. I had picked up the brick and against the wall. He had a knife in his hand. I had no idea where he was hiding the knife but I assumed it was somewhere on him. It was a short knife not long enough to really but he could cut me if he wanted to.

“You going to kill me?” I ask him.

“Funny thing to ask after you tried to kill me,” Axum replied.

“Put your knife down!”
“I'm not one of your fucking servants or slaves,” he replied, “You put YOUR brick down and I'll think about it. You started this.”
“No way.”

“The quicker you learn that you aren't in control the easier it is going to be for you. You LOST your power the day we took over your city. All you have now is the title. Come to terms with it. You will learn to cooperate.”

Cooperate?

The way he was talking to me it was clear that this was the only true statement that any of them had said since I had gotten here. Finally the cat was out of the bag. I wasn't meant to be king in their eyes. I only had the title but they had the power.

I had played the wrong card. My power had not been in my physical strength ever. I was in a state of desperation.

“You'll kill me anyway,” I tell him.

“Put it down and we act like nothing happened,” he replied, “No one will no about your little burst of courage. None of my brothers will find out. You don't put it down I break your arm and my brothers will have you spend the rest of your reign locked up in one of your temples.”

“You threaten me?”

“You give me no choice.”

I dropped the brick. I felt so defeated by him. I had never felt so defeated by someone. I could feel my anger growing and I just sat down by the fire.

He put his knife away and sat on the dusty table that was in the room. He was staring at me. He had this strange look in his face.

“You people are strange,” he said, “I'll never get you. You have been defeated. Your entire army was annihilated. You don't give up.”

You think my army was annihilated. You are wrong. General Si Ren gathers the rest of my army now and when they come for you...oh brother...

“My knees don't bend that way.”

“They should, if you know what's good for you,” Axum stated, “I can't believe you just tried to kill me.”

Like you aren't trying to kill me...

“I wouldn't have done it. If I wanted you dead. I would have done it. I had the brick in my hand for a long time.”

If you didn't remind me so much of Jabari you'd be dead.

He shook his head.

I could tell he was still in some sort of shock.

“I'm going to look around for something to eat.”

I looked over at the water that was collected near the fire. I put my hand in it and felt the heat from the water. There was no doubt whoever lived here was using this as drinking water or something. They had probably boiled it. I didn't have time to drink though. I began to undress at that moment.

“What the hell are you doing?” Axum asked me.

Physical prowess wasn't my strong suit.

I had another.

“I'm going to bathe...”

His eyes were circling me. Even without looking directly at him I could feel his eyes lingering on me. I took all my clothing off, completely stripped of the layers and let them fall in large heaps on the floor. I grabbed onto a cloth and dipped it in the water.

“Can't you do that later?”

“I don't know how long I'll be here,” I stated, “I'm dusty. Why am I making you uncomfortable?”

I put the cloth over my neck and let the water drip down the sides of my body. My attendants would be doing this if they were around. My body was so soft from the sea salt baths. My stomach was flat and toned. My ass was round. My penis was long and had a natural weight to it.

Axum was still staring...at my body, “You just held a brick over my head while I was asleep. I think you really like making me uncomfortable.”

“Do I look like I could hurt you?”

I turned to him.

As I assumed his eyes were staring at my backside the entire time and when I turned around abruptly his eyes fell to the ground in embarrassment.

“Torrance thinks your dangerous. Marcus thinks you are immature. Darius thinks you are alluring.”

I took steps closer.

“What do you think?”

“I think you are all of those things,” he stated and took a step away, “I should look for food.”

He was searching the cabinets when I grabbed him from behind. At first he seemed like he was about to struggle but then he didn't. He didn't have his shirt on. The muscles on his back was so defined. Was he seducing me or was I seducing him? It was hard to tell. He had a strange hold on me. I could feel my body start to quiver under him.

“You'd turn your back on someone who you thought just tried to kill you.”
“I don't know if you really did try to kill me. I just know what it looked like.”
“What does your heart say?”

“It says...that you thought about it. It says you changed your mind.”

“Why?”

“I don't know.”

“Turn around.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I'm scared to look at you.”

“You'd rather turn your back to me then look at me. Aren't assasins more dangerous from the back.”

“You aren't an assassin. You are a siren,” he stated, “You are more dangerous from the front. Sirens lead men to their deaths.”

There was that word again.

“I wouldn't hurt you.”
“You promise?”

Promise? The strange way he said it took me back a little bit. It was a strange thing to say. No one had ever spoken to me like that.

“Yes.”

I didn't know if meant it or not. At that moment it was too cloudy to understand. He was my enemy. He was. I knew that for a fact but at that moment I felt like I wanted this as much as he did.

He turned around and his eyes locked onto mine.

“Why are you doing this to me?” he asked.

I didn't let him finish before I started kissing him.

He pushed me away.

“We have laws. We can't break them.”

“I am the law in Nubia.”

I kissed him again and this time he didn't push back. This time it was him that “cooperated”. Whatever laws that were in his mind he didn't care about. I watched him as he picked me up and wrapped my legs around his torso. Axum was so strong. These sea people had unnatural strength about them.

He kissed me eagerly. I could not imagine such passion could come from such a reserved person. His tongue went deep in my mouth.

My body wanted him so badly as he sat me on the blanket below. He turned me around and began kissing the back of my neck.

He went lower kissing my shoulder blades and licking down my back.

He stopped at the very top of my ass and began making soft circles. I moaned as he did it. Then he got lower and separated my ass. His tongue went deep into my ass. He started tonguing me down. I could feel my body shake as his tongue licked all through me. My hands grabbed for anything I could reach as I screamed out in ecstacy. It lasted a few minutes until I couldn't take it anymore. Axum seemed to get off on the fact that I was in loving it. At some points I was exaggerating. I wanted him to feel like he was making me melt.

“Axum...”

“Yes?”

“I want it Axum.”

He gave it to me. His penis entered me as I moaned like a little baby. His thrusts were slow and he held my hand the whole time. He comforted me. He kissed me on my neck. He was strong and he was gentle.

We made love several times in the next few hours only stopping to cuddle silently.


It got to the point that I don't think it was physically possible for us to make love any longer. We laid together in our own body fluid. It was strange because I hated filth but I didn't mind the stickiness and sweat. He laid so close to me and his arms held me close.

“What are you doing to me?” he asked.

I didn't answer. I just smiled and kissed him.


It was about an hour more that the Nubian scouts finally caught up to us. Luckily they were my own people. They didn't seem concerned at all about the fact that they found us naked holding each other. My guards had come out in full effect and I was taken away escorted back to the palace.

And I knew even though I had submitted to him by putting down that brick I had lost a battle but I was winning the war...