Chapter 4

"Please, Akhenaten, tell me what troubles you? You seem so preoccupied."

The two were sitting side by side in front of the fire. Neither was tired - it wasn't very late - and they were biding their time until both felt fatigued enough to sleep.

Akhenaten stared into the dancing flames for a moment, contemplating his answer. "I would tell you if I knew myself what it all was. It seems to be a mixture of things, and they've blended so well that they've become the one massive burden."

Ksunamun fumbled for Akhenaten's hand with her own, and he grasped it subconsciously, lacing his fingers with hers.

"I accept as true now that being a Prince is not as simple as us commoners have been led to believe."

"Trust me, Ksunamun; many a time I have wished I were a commoner, so I'd only have to worry about things that directly involve me." He paused, and looked up into the sky. "You see the stars?"

"Yes." She said softly, craning her neck to better observe the heavens.

"Well, if each of those stars were a burden, that's how many I carry." He sighed, "Not only do I carry my own burdens, but those of every person in Khemet, as well."

"How do you manage, Akhenaten?" She asked breathlessly.

There was a brief silence, followed by a deep exhalation before the answer came. "It takes a lot of prayer. I've grown up to understand that in order to be a good leader and good to my family, I must put my gods first, others second, and myself last."

Ksunamun maintained a reverent silence. The more she learned about Akhenaten's philosophies, the more she was drawn to him. She had thought the crown Prince of Khemet would be arrogant and snobbish - he was anything but.

A yawn escaped her against her volition, and it drew Akhenaten's attention. "Are you getting tired?"

"A little, aye. I want to rest at the moment though, not sleep."

"Very well, Ksunamun." Akhenaten grabbed one of the stout candles and lit it carefully with the flames from the dying fire. "Hold this." He requested, handing the candle to her.

She took it, and Akhenaten lit a second candle. This he kept in his hand, as he stood, and gestured for Ksunamun to do the same.

When she too, was standing, he pressed the second candle into her free hand. "Take these to the tent, Ksunamun." he whispered as he kissed her cheek.

They parted, Ksunamun going to the tent, Akhenaten taking up his goblet and dropping to his knees at the stream. He filled the goblet, and doused the dying embers of the fire with the water. He filled the goblet once more, and unleashed water over the smouldering wood until there was nothing save smoke issuing from it.

At last, Akhenaten was satisfied that the fire was safely extinguished, and made his way back to the tent, following the small flickers of light that came from the candles Ksunamun still held.

"Here, let me lie down first," he said haggardly. "The ground is hard, Ksunamun."

"I know that," she said ruefully, as she rubbed the small of her back, "But why would you lying down first change that?"

His eyes widened at the sheer naiveté of what she'd just said. "You will see." He answered ambiguously as he took the large blanket and partially unrolled it. He laid it out in the tent-like shelter, so that half of it covered the ground, and half was still in an untidy sort of roll, clenched in his hand. He then climbed fully into the tent and lay on his back, the blanket still half in his hand, half serving as a sheet of sorts.

She stared at him for a moment.

"Come on, Ksunamun, I'm not going to wait all night."

"What should I do with the candles?"

"Blow one out, bring the other in. If we're careful, nothing will catch fire." Akhenaten responded simply, "Come on."

She blew out one candle as Akhenaten prescribed, put it on the ground, and poked her head in a little further. "There's no room."

"What are you talking about? There's plenty."

"There's about a hand's breadth on either side of you." She contradicted.

Akhenaten chuckled. "Who ever said that you'd sleep beside me?"

She flushed. "Well, no one - but - surely." She hesitated.

Akhenaten smiled up at her. "Here I am, your human couch to recline on and slumber. Come on, it'll be more comfortable than the solid ground, I can assure. So, just climb up on top of me and we'll figure out a way to make you comfy. How does that sound?"

"It sounds, like the most crazy, and yet wonderful, idea I've heard tonight." She laughed as she obeyed Akhenaten, moving so she was on top of him, her legs straddling his hips, her eyes level with his neck. Her eyes swept over the bronze flesh of the Prince's neck and shoulders. Without realizing what she was doing, she dipped down, placed her lips against his neck, and kissed it, over and over again, her mouth trailing from just behind his neck to his collarbone on the left side.

"Please," Akhenaten rasped, "Don't do that. It's driving me."

"I'm sorry, Akhenaten." She apologized.

"It is alright. It was in a good way, I promise. It's just that if you keep doing that, I'm going to end up doing something I really ought not to do with you ... yet."

She flushed. She did not want to push him that far yet. She would be dishonoured, and so would he, unless she were a Princess.

Akhenaten smiled, feeling satisfied. Ksunamun was positively starving for affection. If she were his, he knew he could more than quench that thirst, slake that hunger.

He would only admit it to himself, but he was really coming to want to possess Ksunamun. She was yet so enigmatic, that was a large part of her appeal. He wanted to learn her secrets, to know more about her, more of her, than any other human being. Specifically, more than any other man. Akhenaten wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her even closer to him. He knew it was clichéd of him, but it just felt so damned right.

It felt so right to have this wonderful, stunningly beautiful creature so close to him, so close, he could hear her heartbeat. Her pulse was racing, he could tell. He was pleased. He was positively exuberant that he could make this woman react to him. He'd been so depressed before, his confidence in himself diminished. It was an incredible boost to his ego to find that he and Ksunamun were sharing this rapidly growing bond of attraction. He decided he would foster it, whatever the cost. He was enjoying this far too much not to.

His thoughts were broken as Ksunamun moved, now resting her head on his chest, over his heart.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked softly.

"Oh, Akhenaten, I could fall asleep right here."

Akhenaten smiled. "You're not going to fall asleep very soon, are you?"

"The sound of your voice keeps me awake," she sighed contentedly, "It makes me want to stay awake, just so I can listen to you."

Akhenaten shivered involuntarily. It had been caused by a combination of Ksunamun's words, and the fact that her hot breath had fanned across the flesh of his chest as she had spoken.

"Are you alright?" Ksunamun gently questioned as she ran a finger across Akhenaten's upper arm.

"I'm fine," he responded automatically, "More than fine."

"Are you sure I'm not too heavy for you?"

Akhenaten chuckled. It was a mellow, melodious sound. "Sweet Ksunamun, you'd never be too heavy for me. I might look scrawny, but I am quite strong," he paused, "I can even lift up and carry my own father."

"I guess I do not have to worry, then." Her giggle was followed by another sigh.

"You never will have to worry about anything again if I have anything to say about it," Akhenaten said softly.

"What are you saying, Akhenaten?" She questioned.

"What I'm saying is, that I want to help you, Ksunamun. I want to dry your tears, to lift you up when you're feeling low, to be the one you turn to when you need someone."

Ksunamun was speechless. She digested what she'd just been told for a moment, then rested her hand on the right side of his neck, her thumb caressing his jaw. "I think there's something else you need to tell me, Akhenaten. Something you've already told yourself."

Akhenaten cocked an eyebrow subconsciously. How did she know? That did not really matter. What did, was that she seemed to know, so he might as well tell her.

He drew his breath in sharply, his chest rising enough to jostle Ksunamun. He tightened his grip on her to steady her, but not enough to hurt her. "Ksunamun, I think there's a chance I could fall in love with you."

"You know what, Akhenaten?" she questioned playfully.

"What?"

"I think the feeling is mutual." She whispered. "You know, I think I'm not tired enough for sleep yet." She thought pensively for a brief moment. "Why don't you tell me some of what's troubling you? I really do care."

Akhenaten tried to read her eyes. They were still so exasperatingly inscrutable, so he surmised - hoped - that she must be telling the truth. "I know you do. I'm just not sure if I can find the right words to express a lot of it."

She kissed his collarbone in a slow, taunting gesture, her tongue daring to taste his flesh. "Try, please."

Akhenaten sighed, "All right - for you."

"Thank you, Akhenaten." Ksunamun replied blissfully. She wanted not only to have Akhenaten tell her his troubles, but she wanted to simply hear his voice.

"If you want to know what's really aggravating me, perhaps I should begin with the fundamentals. My father came down with an illness about a week ago. That wouldn't be so serious, except it is not a regular illness. In fact, it is one the healers have never encountered before. Nothing that they do works to remedy him. So, the priests have all been called on to make sacrifices and to pray." He paused. "You must understand, my father is an old man. He's near death anyways. This illness - is just speeding things up too much. I'm not ready to let him go."

"I understand, Akhenaten." She murmured as she sat up, straddling the Prince's hips as though he were a horse.

"I know you do, Ksunamun. My father has been giving me guilt trips. I know it is inadvertent, but I nevertheless feel pressured. My father will only have perhaps a week left at most, or so I've been told. After that, I do not know how long I can stall until I must be coroneted. I cannot even think about passing the crown to anyone else. Firstly because I promised my father that his blood would keep the throne for at least two more generations. Secondly, because there is no one I could give the crown to with a clear conscience. We are surrounded by people who care more about themselves than anyone else."