That night, after the god Ra left the skies to go visit the underworld and the goddess Nut took his place, Aneksi was pacing her room feeling a bit restless. She could sense she was on the verge of a crucial moment in her life and wasn’t sure she liked the feeling. She was quite happy with her life and she didn’t want it to change for now, but something told her she wouldn’t be able to prevent whatever awaited for her.
Kiya, her servant, came in with her night meal and served it on a small table on the terrace. “You look distressed, young mistress,” she commented, with the familiarity of someone that had seen her grow up.
“I guess I am.” She took a seat at the table and started eating, though she wasn’t feeling very hungry.
“What’s bothering you, young mistress?” the woman asked, as she prepared the bed for her.
“My mother was telling me about the arrival of the emissary. Have you ever seen any of them?” she asked, trying not to admit just how curious she was about it.
“Yes, young mistress. They’ve been here at least three times, that I can recall. Those are days of celebration, and they usually leave us with more knowledge and a lot of blessings,” the woman replied with a pleasant smile.
“Usually?” she focused on that small word.
The woman’s face saddened a bit. “Yes, there have been times the gods haven’t been pleased with us and instead of blessings, they have punished us for our misbehavior and lack of faith,” the woman explained in a stern tone. “After all, they have put us here, so they can easily take us away from here and send us to the underworld.”
Aneksi sighed, not sure how she felt about the emissary’s visit. On her escapades around the city, she had seen so much cruelty and too much injustice to really believe in the kindness of the gods. Of course, she kept those feelings for herself, sure that no one would really understand her.
“I have prepared a bath for you, young mistress,” Kiya announced, with a faint smile as if trying to change the subject.
“Thank you, that will be perfect. It’s been a sweltering day,” Aneksi replied, finishing the food on her plate, before she followed her servant into the women’s bathroom in the house. The oval bathtub, made of pink marble was filled with warm water, scented with floral oils prepared in the house.
She allowed herself to sink into the water until it covered her whole body before she let Kiya help her wash. The woman loved to wash her light brown hair thoroughly, combing it until it shone beautifully down her back.
After her bath, the servant left her alone, but Aneksi was still too restless to sleep. She had changed into her nightgown, but she was feeling so suffocated that she quickly changed into her kalasiris. Grabbing her sheath gown, she threw it on over her shoulders before slipping out of the house, walking down the empty streets of the city, heading to the desert.
She knew if her father ever found out about her escapades he would toss her in one of his dungeons until he could to send her away to a new husband’s house, so she did all in her power not to be discovered.
It was so late in the evening she didn’t find anyone on her way to her favorite place in the desert, a small sandy hill from where she could watch the pyramid the Pharaoh was building. There was such a feeling of peace and calmness in the place; she could stay there for hours as she allowed her mind to clear itself and find the inner peace she longed for.
But that night, her rest was interrupted. Startled, she heard footsteps behind her and when she jumped to her feet a man she had never seen before was standing in front of her.
Tall, with a powerful body, wearing a short, white tunic, he came out of the palm trees behind her, at a fast pace, as if he was in a hurry to get somewhere. He apparently wasn’t expecting to find anyone in his way, and when he did, he stopped, as if astonished.
Aneksi wasn’t sure what to do. She had never found someone on her escapades, and she wasn’t sure how to act, what to do. After a few moments of uncertainty and in the face of the thick silence between them, she decided to walk away. But the moment she was about to walk by him, he stretched his hand and stopped her.
“What are you doing out here this late?” he asked in a husky tone.
His arrogant tone upset her, and she tugged her arm, trying to free herself from his grip, but it was impossible. He tightened his grip on it.
“I don’t think it’s any of your business. Please, release me. I need to get back home,” she said in her coldest tone, but he wasn’t intimidated by her polite demand
“I want a straight answer to my question,” he insisted.
“And again, I tell you, it’s none of your business. I’m a free woman; I can go anywhere I want,” she insisted.
He tilted his head to a side, and the goddess Nut chose that moment to come out from behind the clouds covering her and light the small rise allowing her a perfect sight of his face. It took her breath away. She had never seen a man’s face so perfectly chiseled, form its square shape, down to his noble nose, and strong chin. Now, she was sure he was foreign. She would have known him if he was a local man because the softness of his hand indicated that he didn’t belong to the laboring class.
“A free woman? I wasn’t aware there were free women in this society. They either belong to their fathers, husbands, or lords,” he said with a sarcastic tone.
“Then, you’ve been wrongly instructed.” She mocked him, not willing to admit he was right.
He chuckled, and the sound was so sensuous it sent chills of thrill down her spine.
“No. I’m sure I haven’t. But, for tonight, I’ll pretend I believe you, free woman.” He said, pulling her closer to him. “And since you don’t have a man to protect you, I guess I’m free to do this…” he added, dipping his head and claiming a passionate kiss from her lips, before she was able to utter a single word.
Aneksi had never been kissed in her life. Women like her were expected to keep their bodies untouched for the men they were meant to marry. She had never thought much about kisses or what happened between a man and a woman. So far her life had been filled with other interests, and the truth was she hadn't known many men that weren’t part of her family.
Perhaps, that was the reason why his kiss had affected her so much. At least, she wanted to think that; because she couldn’t explain how a simple kiss had been to obliterate the rest of the world from her mind, making her focus entirely on the feelings and sensations conjured by his lips over hers. The first touch felt like fire grazing her skin, igniting some powerful energy inside her that rushed through her whole body, making her gasp for air.
He used that opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth and take her in a maddening swirl, as he assailed and conquered every inch of her mouth. Only the urgent need of air made him release her lips and release her arm at the same time.
Breathing hard, and still submerged in the haze of pleasure and lust he had aroused, she didn’t realize he had released her immediately. Only his huskier voice seemed to pull her out of it.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“No one important,” she mumbled. Before he could say or do anything, she ran away from him, going as fast as she could, quickly leaving him behind.