A Pharaoh and Her Beloved Queen - Chapter 3

A light gown draped from her shoulders down to her ankles. A cool breeze, saturated with river mist, drifted across the deck to swirl around Ye Zhiqing’s feet. The hem of her robe was embroidered with intricate, subtle lotus patterns; as she moved, the faint, elegant scent of lotus seemed to drift toward her nose. Edith turned her head, her pupils darkening as a flash of amazement crossed her eyes.

Once Queen Fu Jia shed her imposing aura, she appeared gentle and serene. Her slightly curly long hair fell quietly down her sides, and the radiant elegance flowing from her refined features unconsciously stirred the soul.

“Queen Fu Jia,” Edith spoke in a deliberately low, husky tone that lingered on her lips. Her beautiful lip line quirked upward as if she were savoring a fine, mellow wine, coating the hazy night with a sense of enchantment and a trace of ambiguity so faint it could almost be ignored.

“Your Majesty, Punt has fallen. Queen Fu Jia should no longer exist. You may simply call me Ye Zhiqing.” With a slight nod, Ye Zhiqing slowed her pace and sat down across from Edith.

With a calm expression, she began to enjoy the luxurious dinner. The alabaster tabletop, with its clear natural veins, was laden with exquisite pastries, fresh fruits, and neatly sliced, tender pieces of meat.

Ye Zhiqing was indeed starving. Her gaze lingered on Edith for only a few moments before she focused entirely on her meal. The female officials had already withdrawn; at this moment, she had no interest in debating royal etiquette with the Queen of Egypt.

Based on the situation when she first woke up, it was clear Edith had other designs for her, but Ye Zhiqing could guess a thing or two about why those plans were suddenly abandoned.

She ate quickly, yet the poise she had been taught since childhood was etched into her bones. Every movement was perfectly elegant and pleasing to the eye. Edith leaned back slightly with a faint smile, her deep gaze fixed on the woman across from her who was focused on the food—Fu Jia, or rather, Ye Zhiqing.

A predator lurking in the dark has enough patience to wait for its favored prey to step into the trap.

“Ye Zhiqing.” The name was a bit awkward to pronounce. Edith’s red lips softly released the strange name she had mentally rehearsed several times. She spoke slowly, as if tasting a rare vintage with a long, sweet aftertaste.

A comfortable, warm sense of fullness spread from her stomach. Taking a small sip of red wine, Ye Zhiqing paused to gaze at the vast, magnificent night scenery on both banks. The gentle, rhythmic sound of the waves brightened the ink-thick night, and a tender tranquility quietly soaked into the evening breeze.

Edith habitually picked up her wine glass and swirled it gently, her gaze as soft as moonlight as she stared at Ye Zhiqing’s profile—supple and beautiful as a scroll painting. Her thick eyelashes fluttered slightly as she enjoyed a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in many years.

This woman was intriguing, incredibly bold. No one would have imagined the cold Queen would have such astonishing patience for a prisoner of war.

“The artisans and civilians have already been transferred to production workshops near Thebes. This is the only thing I can do.” Edith’s sharply defined features took on an incredible softness under the shimmering light. Her deep eyes seemed to hold the vast stars; Ye Zhiqing stared for a good while before realizing her own lapse in composure.

Both were rulers who had been tempered for years. Even if their governing philosophies differed, they shared a startling unspoken understanding when it came to making decisions on certain matters.

Ye Zhiqing knew how difficult this small concession was for the Queen of Egypt. As the leader of the Golden Empire, Edith’s pride rivaled that of the gods.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Ye Zhiqing’s heartfelt and sincere gratitude successfully caused the Queen’s expression to relax.

“Zhiqing, I have shown sufficient sincerity.” With an intimate tone like that of a lover whispering in one’s ear, Edith watched Ye Zhiqing with burning eyes, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the cold table.

Like pearls falling on a jade plate, Ye Zhiqing’s heart skipped a beat—but only for an instant. The calm self-restraint etched into her soul did not allow her to show any inappropriate emotion.

“All of Punt’s remaining grain, gold, and jewelry are loaded at the port of El-Bahr. It is more than enough to handle the upcoming campaign against the Hittites.” Her calm black eyes remained untroubled from start to finish. Ye Zhiqing secretly surmised that the reason Edith had conceded so quickly must be that the situation in the Mediterranean was urgent. Knowing when to stop, she threw out the bargaining chip Edith wanted.

Her lowered lashes completely hid the scrutiny in her eyes, but the meticulous efficiency she unconsciously radiated could not escape Edith’s shrewd gaze.

The closer one got, the easier it was to be attracted—like an addiction that couldn’t be quit. Watching herself sink step by step while fully conscious, Edith actually felt somewhat lucky that she had suppressed the urge to tear up the surrender letter written by the Queen of Punt. Her surging curiosity had ultimately triumphed over her contempt.

To possess! Yes, to possess. She desperately wanted to claim her, to have her, like a precious object—or perhaps something else Edith was afraid to admit.

The cargo ships would sail from El-Bahr down the Nile; within a few days, they would reach the Mediterranean battlefield, solving the urgent crisis of dwindling military supplies.

Edith was not surprised that Ye Zhiqing had prepared long ago. Her eyes held irrepressible admiration. By storing the grain at a military port that was difficult to access by land, Ye Zhiqing had maintained the upper hand even while in captivity.

If the agreement stood, Ye Zhiqing could achieve her goal. If not, she had ample time to destroy the valuable cargo ships and sink them into the deep Nile.

The grain and wealth Edith so desperately needed would simply vanish. Even if the gold and jewelry could be salvaged, the time required would be enough to ruin Edith’s plans. The Queen’s expedition to Punt would naturally become a laughingstock; Edith could almost see the sour, gloomy faces of those old conservatives back in Thebes.

However, putting everything else aside, what interested Edith most was that Punt was nestled in the upper reaches of the Nile, surrounded on three sides by high, steep mountains. The Queen of Punt had been confined there since birth and had never set foot in other lands—so how did she understand the internal situation of Egypt so clearly?

The possibility of a mole could be entirely ruled out. The appearance of the Punt people was quite different from that of Egyptians. Even if a spy had infiltrated Thebes, only Edith and her closest ministers knew the true state of the battles on the Sonjung Peninsula and the Mediterranean.

Moreover, the fact that grain and finances were tight had been kept strictly secret by Edith for several years. Even the court ministers weren’t necessarily aware; only a few trusted confidants knew, and it was impossible for them to betray her—let alone to Ye Zhiqing, who was thousands of miles away.

“Zhiqing, I truly fear I cannot restrain the urge to kill you.” The whistling river wind whipped the torches standing on the side of the ship. The flickering shadows added an inexplicable chilling air.

Ye Zhiqing looked up, but instead, a bright smile spread across her face. She looked Edith directly in the eye. “Your Majesty Edith, you are the greatest King on both banks of the Nile. To you, Zhiqing is but an insignificant grain of sand.” Her tone was sincere.

Edith said nothing, her red lips curving slightly.

“Queen of Punt, are you not worried for yourself?” Ye Zhiqing’s posture was too carefree—free and light like the wind skimming the Nile, impossible to grasp or conquer.

“Your Majesty, that Zhiqing is standing here safely now—is that not your will? Worrying cannot change anything. It is better to think about how to gain the greatest benefit, don’t you agree?” Cunning was hidden within her warm smile, soothing Edith’s suddenly restless heart.

Edith had already tacitly accepted Ye Zhiqing’s presence; furthermore, the Queen of Egypt would have many uses for her in the future. Ye Zhiqing truly wasn’t worried.

Edith picked up her wine glass, tilted her head, and drained it. A sudden spark of interest appeared in her amber eyes.

Punt and Egypt had been at a stalemate for years. During that time, generals had sent back messages praising the Queen of Punt for having a wisdom not inferior to the goddess Thoth. Edith had thought it was an exaggeration, but now it seemed the praise was quite fitting.

Sharp, burning golden specks suddenly appeared in her amber eyes as a dark light flashed through.

The calm and composed Queen of Punt was too detached, like a high deity that could not be profaned.

Edith lowered her eyelids as a wicked thought germinated in the dark corners of her heart, spiraling out of control. She desperately wanted to tear away the Queen of Punt’s mask of calm. She wanted this woman—who was alluring without even knowing it—to be terrified and trembling, only able to lean on her and rely on her completely.

That would surely be a sense of satisfaction and conquest beyond compare.

It would be much better than this—where even if her country had fallen, she could remain as light as a breeze, clutching her enemy’s most vital throat during a negotiation with a faint smile.

It was rare for Edith to feel a sense of frustration—both for the complex emotions arising because of Ye Zhiqing, and for how easily she had compromised with this woman.

Beside her, Ye Zhiqing completely ignored Edith’s fluctuating expressions. The night breeze brought a slightly salty scent. Ye Zhiqing slowly wandered to the railing. She hadn’t looked closely at this giant ship before, but seeing it now, she was full of wonder.

The silhouette of a massive bronze cobra head was faintly visible at the bow. Three massive cedar logs served as masts, bound tightly in the middle by equally massive iron chains. The Eye of Horus was embroidered in gold thread upon the sails, symbolizing the Pharaoh’s protection by the Sun God.

There were three levels of cabins on the deck. Ye Zhiqing was currently on the highest level; looking down, every corner was visible at a glance.

The carvings on both sides of the railing were unique and exquisite. Aside from the deck, the entire hull was covered in gold leaf. Pearls with a clean, white radiance were inlaid in an orderly fashion along the sides of the ship, lighting the bottom deck as if it were day. The edges of the deck were engraved with abstract, ancient, and mysterious script.

Valuable silk products and rare jewelry were squandered as easily as sand. Thinking back to the glass-textured bath from earlier, which shimmered with colorful ripples under the light of various jewels…

It was breathtaking and magnificent.

This giant ship didn’t look like a warship at all; rather, it looked like a fine work of art that should be displayed in a gallery.

The wealth Egypt possessed was indeed incomparable to Punt’s. Thinking of this, Ye Zhiqing felt somewhat relieved. As a transmigrator from the 21st century, she could never feel enthusiastic about war; it was a psychological and physiological instinct to reject and avoid it.

If Ye Zhiqing had seen this extremely luxurious ship beforehand, with her inherent way of thinking, she might not have had the confidence to bargain with the Queen of Egypt based solely on her own guesses.

The mere lingering aura of a sleeping beast is enough to make one hesitate—let alone when Egypt was not sleeping at all.