Child of the Alliance by Kylie Quillinan

Author:Kylie Quillinan [Quillinan, Kylie]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter 21

“Do you think you should write to your father?” Ettu asked me later that day. “Tell him you are with child?”

It was barely mid morning, but already the day was uncomfortably hot. She had opened the shutters as soon as she rose, but there wasn’t even a whisper of a breeze today and the air felt heavy. I couldn’t see her from where I lay on a couch, but could hear her walking and straightening things around the chamber. I had my hands on my belly, which was still as flat as it had ever been, and I was feeling far too lazy to lift my head to look at Ettu. Ahmose said it was the growing babe which made me feel so tired, but surely it was too soon for that, given my belly hadn’t even started to swell yet.

“My lady?” Ettu prodded.

“I suppose I should. I was waiting until I was more certain.”

“Lady Ishtar might have already written to him.”

Of course she would have. She would be eager to reinstate herself as our father’s favourite.

“And Henutmire might not be the only person who has figured it out,” she added. “It would be better for your news to come from you, not your sister.”

“If Ishtar had heard, she would have come to ask me,” I said. “She would want to hear it for herself. I don’t think she would tell Father if she couldn’t be sure it was no more than gossip, even if she was writing to tell him of her own babe.”

“It is your decision, of course. I only know that I wouldn’t want my father to hear such a thing from my sister, especially…”

“Especially what?”

I swung my legs down and manoeuvred myself around to sit up. My head spun a little from the sudden movement and I clutched the couch while I waited for it to stop.

“Especially since she’s now an Ornament,” Ettu said. “Surely she would have written to tell him that.”

“I suppose so.” I didn’t tell her I wondered whether Father had sent Ishtar to me with the expectation of her catching Pharaoh’s eye. I was all but certain it was Father’s way of ensuring at least one daughter would bear a son for the alliance. I couldn’t tell anyone, though. It was too humiliating. “Very well then. I will write to him today. Send for the scribe.”

Pentau arrived a couple of hours later. He was a skinny little man, with a belly that sank in beneath his ribs, and a scalp that looked naturally bald rather than shaven. He glanced around the chamber, and I was sure he took note of who else was there: Ettu, Merytre and Ahmose. Tall and Half were in their bedchamber, with the key to their door secured in my pouch. They had been warned to be absolutely silent and still while the scribe was here. I had little doubt he spied for the administrators and would be swift to tell them of any suspected anomaly.

Pentau dropped

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