Crucible of Fate

through a test of faith, but your fate was to be semel-aten. How else could you be here?”
    There was a valid argument to be made.
    “You came from around the world, you killed Ammon El Masry in Mongolia, a place—I would lay you odds—that he never saw himself being. So many paths had to intersect to bring you to the place you had to be to take his life. I find it all fascinating, but for me, when the question was posed, I answered.”
    “I’m glad.”
    “I am quite proud to be your steward, my lord.”
    “Thank you.”
    “And I will stand with you and the others until things change.”
    We stared at each other for long moments.
    “Didn’t you ever want your own life, your own family?”
    “Not all men are meant to be mated, my lord, and some, like yourself, sire no children, but that is service in some of its many forms, is it not?”
    It was.
    “I am here to serve you, my lord, and your sekhem.”
    I had to ask. “And you see no abomination in my mate being another man?”
    “Who am I to question the workings of fate, my lord?”
    Indeed. “Thank you for saving my life.” It bore repeating.
    “Thank you for making it easy,” he said hoarsely. “If you actually liked honey in your tea, things would all be quite different at this moment.”
    “Perhaps you are my guardian.”
    “Perhaps.”
    As I related the story to Jamal in the throne room half an hour later, I puffed out some air. “It seems that I can trust no one but those in my closest circle.”
    “No, my lord, you can trust me,” he said firmly. “I, too, like Kabore, can be trusted. I am your man.”
    But how could I take his word?
    Jamal seemed pained. “I have news, and it is not good.”
    I twisted around against the stone edge of the patio off to one side of my room. “How? What’s worse than hearing that the woman in charge of bringing me my meals just tried to kill me?”
    “Shahid Alon is Elham El Masry’s champion.”
    The former second in command of the Shu. The man who had resigned his position instead of choosing to protect me, he was the one going up against Crane’s champion. It took a minute for that to sink in. “So that’s where he went when you all swore allegiance to me.”
    “Yes. I told you he had resigned his position, but I had no idea where he went.”
    “Why would you? He was no longer your concern.”
    “I simply want there to be no misunderstanding between us. I had no correspondence from him, and so was not aware that he had sworn his life and loyalty to Elham.”
    “I know,” I said softly. “Had you known, you would have alerted me.”
    “Yes, I would have.”
    “I didn’t know that Elham could bind men to him, as he is not a semel.”
    “Even though he has no tribe of his own, he is, in fact, a member of your tribe, the tribe of Rahotep. He can still bond men to him as he is the heir to the semel.”
    “The man is not my heir,” I corrected him.
    “But by law he is, and as you have not put forth a new heir, if you were to die….”
    “Then he would be semel-aten.”
    “Yes.”
    I had to laugh. “I will announce an heir tonight.”
    “Excellent, my lord, but about Shahid—”
    “What about him?”
    “You’re not concerned?”
    “Of course I am,” I said brusquely, “but what would you have me do?”
    “My lord,” Jamal came closer. “I’ve tried to speak to Shahid, and so has Taj, but he won’t—he seems very set on his course and—”
    “I’m sure he is.”
    He moved closer still. “Perhaps if you were to—”
    “Even if he liked being in bed with me, even if he remembered, that does nothing to help my cause.” I said, going back to gazing out at the valley and across to the mountains. “He thinks I’m unclean, and perhaps he knows that better than anyone.”
    There was only silence behind me, so I assumed Jamal had nothing more to say. I could shock anyone if I put my mind to it.
     
     
    I T WAS hot, but it always was. There were different degrees of heat. But it was never cool except in the shade or sometimes at night. So on the dais at one end of the coliseum, even under the canopy of silk stretched over the throne, I was cooking in my robes. The layers suffocated though the material itself was lightweight. But it was the least of my problems. The worst was the scene before me.
    Crane reappeared when they called for the challenge, walking in from the courtyard, matching the stride of his man. I received no explanation; he didn’t even acknowledge me