Read Online Flail of the Pharoah by Rosanna Challis - Free Book Online

chastised by such a strong man, to humble oneself before the lash and submit one’s flesh to torment. A strange excitement was stirring in her bowels as she witnessed that primeval scene of punishment.
    Before the sentence could be completed, however, there was a sudden noise in the doorway and into the queen’s chamber strode the Pharaoh himself.
    ‘Stop!’ he called, in the commanding tone proper to his station. ‘Neshi, desist at once. What is going on here? Speak, my queen.’
    He was frowning sternly, standing in his magnificent apron with his legs apart and his hands on his hips. Queen Mira hurried up and made her obeisance.
    ‘I did not wish to trouble you with this minor matter, your majesty. One of your women insulted the prince, that is all, so I thought it best if he administered justice by his own hand. He is old enough to perform such duties now.’
    The king’s face remained severe as he turned to his son. ‘What was this “minor matter?” Speak, Neshi.’
    ‘Father, the woman slandered me to my face, and my mother too.’
    ‘Why would she do such a thing?’
    ‘She was behaving improperly, father. I rebuked her, and then she came out with a torrent of abuse. I had to tell mother, although it pained me to do so.’
    Charmian, watching this exchange, thought Neshi looked sly and furtive. For the first time it crossed her mind that he might have invented this whole story. She saw Kiya twist around, straining to see what was going on, and Iras went to help her rise to her feet. The poor girl could hardly stand, and leaned upon the servant girl heavily.
    King Seti turned again to his wife. ‘Why did you not inform me of this?’
    ‘I thought it too trivial, sire. It is an internal matter regarding your harem, but you have more important things to attend to.’ She put a placatory hand upon his forearm. ‘I thought you would be glad to be spared this tiresome business.’
    Without a word the Pharaoh walked slowly over to Kiya and looked her directly in the eye. She stared back at him, her expression neither one of pleading nor of anger, but one of mere resignation. He spoke softly to her, words that Charmian could not catch, and then addressed Iras. ‘Take her back to her quarters and make sure she is properly cared for.’
    Iras helped Kiya draw on her shift, although it was obviously painful to pull the tight material over her raw and tender buttocks, then she led the hobbling girl slowly from the room. The atmosphere seemed to lighten once they had gone, but the Pharaoh’s frown did not lift. Instead, he confronted his wife and son.
    ‘Whatever that girl did or said, you should not have taken the law into your own hands,’ he said. ‘Only the Pharaoh can dispense justice in the Kingdom of Egypt. Never forget that.’
    ‘I am sorry, sire,’ Mira said, her head bowed. She sounded contrite.
    ‘Sorry, father,’ Prince Neshi added, although Charmian thought he sounded as though he didn’t mean it. He seemed to still be in a state of exhilaration, panting slightly from his exertions with a light sweat beading his brow. His fist was still curled around the handle of the flail, and his father’s eyes now lighted upon it.
    ‘Give that to me.’ Neshi handed it over. ‘Now leave your mother and me alone. I wish to speak with her in private.’
    Charmian assumed that meant she should go too, but the Pharaoh seemed not to have noticed her at all as he stood with his back to her. She half-rose to her feet, but then the queen shook her head so she sat down again. Why would Queen Mira want her to stay? Another mystery. Perhaps she needed a witness for the scene that was about to occur.
    ‘The lad is hardly more than a boy, Mira. You put too heavy a responsibility upon his shoulders by allowing him to chastise that wretched woman. And did you have any more than his word for it that she had mouthed those insults?’
    ‘I… not really,’ the queen confessed. ‘But why would our son lie? Besides, the