Read Online The Pharaoh's Kiss (Reincarnation Romance Chronicles Book 3) by Dana Michelle Burnett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dana Michelle Burnett
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shadows, was Ay. Day in and day out he was there, watching my husband’s recovery and speaking in hushed tones with the other advisors. I grew to hate the sight of his aging face and eager eyes looking to me every morning and asking if Tutankhamun survived the night.
In the distance, I could just hear the faint sound of footsteps approaching. I turned to see Tutankhamun leaning on his cane and one of his servants at the end of the hall. He was out of bed and walking, but he looked so weak and worn.
I went to my husband, kissed his hand, and looked up into his thin face. “How are you feeling today my love?”
Tutankhamun leaned heavily on his cane, he looked down at his servant, “Leave us.”
I took his arm as the servants scurried away. I could feel how he was trembling with the effort to remain standing. I felt my heart sink and wished that I could give him some of my own strength. I would rip the very heart from my chest to make him whole again.
“Are you feeling well today?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said, but I knew it was a lie.
“I have missed walking by your side.”
He nodded, but motioned for us to stop so that he could rest. I could see the small beads of sweat breaking out across his brow.
“I must ask something of you,” I said cautiously.
“Whatever it is,” he panted. “It is yours.”
“You must dismiss Ay.”
“Ankhesenamun –”
“He means you ill.”
“If I dismiss him,” he said. “The priests would outcry, they would rally the people against me, and there would be war in the streets. He is my most trusted advisor.”
“Then we are both doomed.”
“I will never allow any harm to come to you,” he said as he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed each one of my fingertips one by one. “I promised you that, remember?”
“I remember,” I said as I reached out and smoothed back his hair once again.
“Good,” he said with a tired smile. “I need to rest now.”
“Of course,” I said as I took his arm again and began walking with him back to his chambers. We moved very slowly, the anger he felt towards his own body radiated off of him.
“I am sorry to bring you so much shame,” he said.
I looked at him curiously, “You have brought me no shame.”
“I have,” he said. “I am weak. How can I be Pharaoh and rule Egypt when I can barely walk?”
I sighed and patted his arm, “Do you know the moment I knew you would be a great king? It was not when you returned from battles, but from a moment that bore no witnesses.”
“What do you speak of?”
“It was a night long ago outside the palace of Akhetaten,” I explained. “You were in the courtyard, royal garb of any kind, and a beggar approached you asking for food. You could have sent him away or had the guard punish him for daring to speak to the royal prince of Egypt, but instead you placed your hand on his shoulder and guided him into the palace. You saw to it that he was fed and given enough food to take back to his family. That is the moment I knew you would be a great king, because you could show compassion.”
Once in his chamber, I helped Tutankhamun to bed. I smoothed back his hair and kissed his forehead. “Rest now my love.”
“Ankhesenamun,” he said as I prepared to leave. “I swear I will recover and I will be the king you remember and I promise I will always keep you safe, in this life and the next.”
I sat down on the edge of his bed, and took his hand. I watched the rise and fall of his chest as he fell asleep, almost counting each breath. I prayed to the gods to give him strength, to give me back the man that he had been only months before.
Once I was sure he was sleeping soundly, I got up and went to the door. Looking back at him asleep on the bed one last time, I tried to convince myself that he would recover, be strong, and that one day we would have sons that would rule Egypt after we were gone.
I went to my own chambers as the night began to set in. I was not tired, but
In the distance, I could just hear the faint sound of footsteps approaching. I turned to see Tutankhamun leaning on his cane and one of his servants at the end of the hall. He was out of bed and walking, but he looked so weak and worn.
I went to my husband, kissed his hand, and looked up into his thin face. “How are you feeling today my love?”
Tutankhamun leaned heavily on his cane, he looked down at his servant, “Leave us.”
I took his arm as the servants scurried away. I could feel how he was trembling with the effort to remain standing. I felt my heart sink and wished that I could give him some of my own strength. I would rip the very heart from my chest to make him whole again.
“Are you feeling well today?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said, but I knew it was a lie.
“I have missed walking by your side.”
He nodded, but motioned for us to stop so that he could rest. I could see the small beads of sweat breaking out across his brow.
“I must ask something of you,” I said cautiously.
“Whatever it is,” he panted. “It is yours.”
“You must dismiss Ay.”
“Ankhesenamun –”
“He means you ill.”
“If I dismiss him,” he said. “The priests would outcry, they would rally the people against me, and there would be war in the streets. He is my most trusted advisor.”
“Then we are both doomed.”
“I will never allow any harm to come to you,” he said as he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed each one of my fingertips one by one. “I promised you that, remember?”
“I remember,” I said as I reached out and smoothed back his hair once again.
“Good,” he said with a tired smile. “I need to rest now.”
“Of course,” I said as I took his arm again and began walking with him back to his chambers. We moved very slowly, the anger he felt towards his own body radiated off of him.
“I am sorry to bring you so much shame,” he said.
I looked at him curiously, “You have brought me no shame.”
“I have,” he said. “I am weak. How can I be Pharaoh and rule Egypt when I can barely walk?”
I sighed and patted his arm, “Do you know the moment I knew you would be a great king? It was not when you returned from battles, but from a moment that bore no witnesses.”
“What do you speak of?”
“It was a night long ago outside the palace of Akhetaten,” I explained. “You were in the courtyard, royal garb of any kind, and a beggar approached you asking for food. You could have sent him away or had the guard punish him for daring to speak to the royal prince of Egypt, but instead you placed your hand on his shoulder and guided him into the palace. You saw to it that he was fed and given enough food to take back to his family. That is the moment I knew you would be a great king, because you could show compassion.”
Once in his chamber, I helped Tutankhamun to bed. I smoothed back his hair and kissed his forehead. “Rest now my love.”
“Ankhesenamun,” he said as I prepared to leave. “I swear I will recover and I will be the king you remember and I promise I will always keep you safe, in this life and the next.”
I sat down on the edge of his bed, and took his hand. I watched the rise and fall of his chest as he fell asleep, almost counting each breath. I prayed to the gods to give him strength, to give me back the man that he had been only months before.
Once I was sure he was sleeping soundly, I got up and went to the door. Looking back at him asleep on the bed one last time, I tried to convince myself that he would recover, be strong, and that one day we would have sons that would rule Egypt after we were gone.
I went to my own chambers as the night began to set in. I was not tired, but
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