AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Slowly, he ground out a few words, boring into her unreadable gaze with the intensity of his own:
“You do not have to ask me.”
“I know,” she quickly and firmly underscored this fact.
“Then, why do you?” he wanted to know.
He listened intently for her answer. It was important to him.
She took in a deep breath and slowly released it in a full-bodied shrug.
He waited further for her to speak, but nothing more was forthcoming. The shrug was her only answer.
They stared at each other like two great colossi preparing to do battle.
“Are you asking me to be your whore?” he rasped low, a staggering, unexpected pain flooding every crevice inside of him.
Her eyes blazed wide at this. He’d surprised her with the question, showing that it was not the reason behind her request.
Then what was?
“No.” Her answer was calm, though she trembled.
What was she thinking? Why wouldn’t she tell him?
“That is not my intent,” she said haltingly, carefully.
“I do not… this is not… I would never wish to debase you.”
She grimaced. As if she realized the same moment he did that he was debased simply by virtue of being her slave, having been sold and bought at the market like a portion of meat.
“You are… you mean…”
For an eloquent, shrewd, charming woman, Heba was suddenly rendered speechless and awkward.
Finally, she said, “You mean much to me. I am asking. Not commanding.”
“You would allow my answer to be no?” he pushed, just to be clear.
She frowned, clearly not liking that possibility, before purposely smoothing her brow.
“I wish it isn’t,” she murmured, looking away from him.
“I only need to… do this… until I successfully deliver a male child.”
Shai understood immediately what she was really asking.
He wasn’t blind. Nor was he dumb. He’d seen the crocodiles and jackals swirling around the Pharoah and his Queen for years now. There had been many assassination attempts that he and the king’s guard subverted.
He could even guess the cause of the people’s discontent without hearing the whispered Palace rumors from others: The Queen needed an heir to secure her position as her ailing, impotent husband slowly rotted away.
Heba was in danger.
What was his purpose in life but to protect her from all dangers?
She could have chosen someone else to stud for her, he supposed. A Consort who would become the next Pharoah. And then they could formalize the pact with marriage once Thutmose was dead.
He wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d chosen that route. His role would never change. No matter where she was, whom she was with, he’d always be her Shadow. He’d always stake his own life to protect hers.
