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Chapter Text

NOTE: This chapter will be updated as new characters/names or words are added to the story, so pop back and look up anything you want to know the meaning for, both lists will be kept alphabetically. Historical notes will refer to chapters.

Historical Notes:

General:

I have tried to aim for a New Kingdom era (c. 1550-1060 BCE)  Egypt for most of the historical aspects of this story, but have imported things from the Old Kingdom (c. 2686–2181 BCE) and Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1650 BCE ) periods of which I am particularly fond.  (Henceforward abbreviated as NK, OK, MK respectively.) This means for instance that there will be mention of chariots (which do not appear in Egypt until c. 1650 BCE) and the elite chariot corps of the NK, but I have chosen that the political/military situation in Nubia to be more like that of the MK as an army of occupation against a still strong kingdom of Kerma further south of Nubia. It also means I am editing history somewhat in that I may refer to real rulers of Egypt but Hatshepsut won’t be one of them, and Miranda’s immediate predecessors will be ficticious.

While I have chosen to construct many details of Mereneith/Miranda’s life from my imagination,  I will be honest and point out that there are some aspects of the life of Hatshepsut the female Pharaoh of the 18^th Dynasty that I have outright copied; mainly because they are interesting and lend themselves to important aspects of the story I want to tell, likewise there are large elements of Hatshepsut’s story that I have chosen not to use because they do not fit the story I am telling.

I have been rather arbitrary in using English equivalents for ancient Egyptian or Greek titles and the transliterations of the titles themselves; my choices were mainly based on keeping the transliterations I liked the best (i.e. Irtpa-ha) and making it easy for the reader to understand the nature of the title, such as Mayor of Thebes or Vizier.  I will also admit I have been rather flighty when deciding on what place names to use for ancient sites, sometimes I have opted for the actual Egyptian name and sometimes I’ve gone with the more familiar Greek or Latin name. i.e. I have chosen to use the Egyptian Mennefer rather than the Greek Memphis for the old capital of Egypt, but have chosen the Greek Thebes rather than the Egyptian Waset for the new capital. The choice is I admit completely arbitrary and down to what I felt like as I was writing.  That said I’ve taken a little more care over people’s personal names and titles as you will see in the cast of characters/name glossary.

Chapter Two Notes

Egyptian Seasons

Akhet – Inundation (The annual flooding of the Nile) (July-October),  the first signs of the inundation, were seen at Aswan in the south  by the end of June, reaching its fullest at Cairo by mid to late September. The flood would then decrease in size around two weeks later, leaving behind a deposit of rich, black silt to farm.

The other two seasons were Peret- growing (November – February) and Shemu – harvest (March – June). During the growing season, after the inundation had receded, the Egyptians planted their crops - around October and November - and tended to the fields. The Egyptians watered their crops using an irrigation system of canals or by bringing water to the fields in basins or by using the shaduf, which is still in use in Egypt today, to raise water from the river to the bank of the Nile. By the time the Nile reached its lowest level, some time around March or April, the crops would be ready for the harvest.

Minos: King Minos of Crete features as an individual ruler and the subject of a number of Greek myths, notably the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, Daedalos and Icarus and the tale of his turning things to gold with just his touch.

Historically many scholars believe that ‘Minos’ was a title of the king of Knossos, rather than the name of only one king; much like Pharaoh is the title for the king of Egypt,

International relations:

In the ancient near east the relationships of the different countries to each other was often couched in familial terms relative to the dominance of the differing powers. Rulers who deemed themselves equal to each other addressed each other as brother, while those who acknowledged a lesser power base would address the rulers of a greater power as father and those greater powers would address them as son. Hence Minos addresses pharaoh as father rather than brother because the extent of his power is considerably less than that of the king of Egypt.

Chapter Three Notes

Braves of the King           It wasn’t until the NK that Egypt had a substantial standing army. From this time the Braves of the King were the elite shock troops of the Egyptian army. They were made up of a large chariot corps, archers and infantrymen. As the NK progressed they became almost exclusively a chariot corps.  Chariots would carry two people, the driver and a fighter whose main weapons were a bow and arrows, throwing javelins and as last resort the Kopesh curved sword.

Minoan Deities:  Very few specifics are known about the deities the Minoans worshipped. There is definite mention of more than one Earth mother goddesses including Rhea and Gaia, Poseidon god of the sea is noted with the epithet “earth-shaker”, and the God Zeus is later associated with the island of Crete as his birthplace. Given these connections I’ve decided to co-opt a couple of the oldest known Greek deities for Andrea to know and name from her own culture.

Hair Colour:  The Egyptians loved hair, they shaved it, straightened it, curled it, dyed it, dressed it, used hair extensions and wigs. While the vast majority of native Egyptians had hair colours ranging from dark brown to jet black, there is evidence for red heads and blondes as well,  both depicted in art and known from mummified remains. The god Set was said to have red hair, and the aged mummy of Ramesses the great shows evidence that he dyed his white hair with henna to make it red.  As Set is the god of chaos and definitely a baddy in my story I decided not to have the twins be red-heads, but still wanted them to be a little out of the ordinary so I’ve opted for making them sandy strawberry blonde.

Chapter Five Notes

Marriage: For most of the Pharaonic period marriage appears to have been purely a social arrangement that regulated property. Neither religious nor state doctrines entered into the marriage and, unlike other documents that related to economic matters (such as the so-called "marriage contracts"), marriages themselves were not registered. There is no particular evidence of any religious rite or ceremony that might constitute a wedding ceremony at any level in Pharaonic society.  Apparently once a couple started living together, they were acknowledged to be married.

So the small service described in this chapter is completely my own invention, but I have extrapolated what might constitute aspects of an Egyptian style wedding. There is little doubt in my mind that if any kind of symbolic ceremony did take place between ancient Egyptians when they married part of that would include amulets and libations to household deities. It would also almost certainly invoke some kind of fertility hope or reference as well. So these are included in the ritual I’ve written.

Chapter Six Notes

Osiris as a title: It was a common practice to denote deceased relatives, especially royal ancestors, by adding the prefix ‘Osiris’ to their name almost like a Mr/Mrs title.

Kopesh:  The long hooked sword favoured by chariot warriors in the New Kingdom. Introduced by the Hyksos invaders in the Second Intermediate Period it quickly replaced the battle axe as the weapon of choice for the elite chariot corps.

Nubia:

Egypt’s natural southern border was at Aswan were the Nile is disrupted by a stretch of hazardous rapids called a Cataract. There are six of these cataracts on the Nile they are numbered from north to south, starting at Aswan with the First Cataract. They meant a disruption to easy shipping requiring loads to be transferred around them and smaller ships to be towed from land or even portaged around them.

Egypt was active in the area south of the First Cataract from the Pre-Dynastic to the Greco-Roman Period (c.3500 BCE – 400 CE). This activity varied from mere incursions for raw materials such as stone for sculpture and building, gold and other minerals as well as exploitation of manpower, i.e. slaves, more specifically gathering captives to be deployed within Egypt’s military (an alternate name for Nubia was Ta-seti, the Land of the bow as the Nubians were famed for their archers.)  in the Old Kingdom, through full military occupation in the Middle Kingdom and then to actual colonisation in the New Kingdom.

 At first this activity went only as far south as the Second Cataract, later it extended to the Third and then the Fourth Cataracts where Egypt’s influence reached its’ furthest limit. The area between the First and just past the Second Cataract was Nubia proper and south of that was Kush. The capital of Kush was the site of Kerma just south of the Third Cataract; it was conquered in the early New Kingdom.

For the purposes of my story and my Egypt in it, I have taken certain details from all the different periods of Egyptian activity and woven them together to create my own set of circumstances in the Nubia and Kush that my characters deal with.

I will say that the lion’s share of the details I’ve taken from the Middle Kingdom because, well I do love the 12^th Dynasty fiercely!! Good old Senusret III amazing guy, seven feet of warrior king. Heheh.   And I do recommend you check out the great string of fortresses the Egyptians built between the First and Second Cataracts; they’re damned amazing, and heartbreakingly lost under the waters of Lake Nasser. Look up Buhen; it has ALL the elements famous in medieval castles, but more than 2000 years before the first castle in Europe.  I had the great pleasure of being taught by Professor Harry Smith who was in charge of the last excavation team in Buhen before the waters of Lake Nasser rose and covered the huge fortress. His eyewitness accounts were always amazing to listen to, not to mention his private photo collection which he shared with us. Ahhh great days.

Egyptian Military.

During the Old Kingdom there was no permanent army in Egypt. Each Nome (provincial district) was obligated to recruit a particular number of men, when needed who would campaign under the command of their local noble. The Middle Kingdom saw the rise of military activity and an increased use of mercenaries taken as captives on the field of battle. These mercenaries like the Roman auxiliaries, would settle in Egypt, often marry a native Egyptian woman and their sons in turn would sign on as mercenaries serving Pharaoh for generations.

After the foreign invasion of the Hyksos the situation changed drastically. The Hyksos introduced the horse, chariot, the kopesh sword and several other military innovations which the Egyptians quickly adopted and improved upon.

The New Kingdom saw the establishment of a standing army and the introduction of a new military aristocracy with several military commanders becoming Pharaoh. At its' peak The Egyptian army of the NK was composed of three divisions of a total 15,000 men  Each division numbered 4000 infantry and 1000 chariots which carried two men each, organized into ten battalions of about 500 soldiers, with further subdivisions down to single units of ten men each. Added to this there were at least an equal number of mercenary troops under Pharaohs employ very often used as guards on trading and quarrying expeditions in the desert regions and as a quasi-police force within Egypt itself as well as garrison troops. The Braves of the King were an elite corps made up of 500 infantry and 500 chariots and always guarded the king in battle. Parallel to the combat line of command there was a scribal administration organized on hierarchical lines and distinct from the combat officers.

*** In my story I have increased the number of divisions to eight to reflect an alternative background history of military activity, but I have also lessened the number of men in the divisions to 3000 infantry and 1000 chariots. Also factor in that the divisions on campaign would have left behind a third of their number as garrison troops in different parts of Egypt and that given the terrain in Nubia she would not want to have too large a chariot corps requiring feeding and watering of large numbers of horses. This means that Mereneith left three full divisions and the equivalent of one more with a large section of chariots included in the number. The troops she took with her numbered approximately 10,000 infantry and 3000 chariots. Those numbers would have been augmented by the 1500 infantry and 500 chariots of the garrison troops at Buhen and the other Nubian fortresses.  ***

Fortresses: The MK pharaohs built a string of 12 fortresses in Nubia the two largest of which were Buhen and Mirgissa, the remaining 10 were only a fraction of their size. The fortresses had several purposes, military, propaganda and economic in nature.  Buhen (or Bhn) is the actual ancient name of that fortress and Amara may hearken back to the first name of the town site there, per-Menmaatre (House of Seti I). We know from the other fortresses in Nubia and in the Eastern desert region of the Nile Delta that the Egyptians often gave their forts long descriptive names like The Wall of Horus of Nekhen, or The Mighty Arm that smites the Sand-dwellers. 

I’ve used that idea in naming the fictitious fortress that I replaced the real fortress of Semna with in my fic. I wanted my fortress to combine a number of the features of the smaller fortresses in Nubia. So the name of my fortress, Iminuserkhepesh –Huiefersy (ihm-ihn-ooser-kepesh, Hoo-ee-ef-er-see) means The Mighty arm of Amun, He Protects the South.

Chapter Seven Notes

It was a common practice on Egyptian battlefields for the victorious Egyptians to cut off either the left hand or the penis of their vanquished enemies and then give them to the military scribes so that their kill count could be recorded.  As the officers especially as well as the regular troops were rewarded based on the number of their kills this was an important part of the aftermath of battle.

WersuSeti:  See the glossary for definition and explanation.

Chapter Eight Notes

Love Poetry:  The ancient Egyptians were apparently a passionate sort and we have examples of love poetry dating from the MK (c. 2000 BCE – c. 400 CE) right through to the Greco-Roman period.  One of the interesting and recurring themes is the separation of lovers and their longing to be with each other. Given this fact I had Mereneith use the form and some of the phrases found in actual love poems in her letter to Andrea. Most notably I used it in Mereneith’s  referring to Andrea as her “beloved Sister.” In the love poetry, lovers are almost ubiquitously referred to as ‘Sister’ and ‘Brother’ to invoke the closeness of their relationship.

Historical/Zoological Inaccuracy: None of the snake species native to Crete are in fact venomous. There is a myth that explains the lack of deadly animals on the island being the result of a pilgrimage by Heracles to the birthplace of Zeus, after which he cleared the island of all deadly animals. The lack of dangerous snakes may explain the positive cult of the Snake Goddess evidenced by the lovely statuette of the female figure grasping a snake in each hand now in the Heraclion museum. The non-venomous serpents were considered a blessing, helping to keep the rodent population down without being dangerous to humans.

Note: For the purposes of this story I have created the fiction that there was in fact a species of venomous viper on Crete that formed part of the Goddess’ cult. Her priestess’s being treated prophylactically with their venom to semi-immunize them to possible bites as they learned how to charm the creatures for the cultic rituals practiced in the Goddess’ shrine. You’ll see in this chapter why this fiction is needed.

Chapter 9 Notes:

Anlamani: The actual names of the great kings of Kerma (dating from the Classic Kerma Period c. 1750-1580 BCE) are unknown to us, so I have used a name of a much later Napatan ruler from c.620 BCE a family successor of the king of the 25^th Dynasty.

Chapter 10 Notes:

Perfuming of the mouth:  This was the term used by the elite in Egypt for the morning meal. For all levels of society the morning meal was usually a light meal of fruits or vegetables, but may also have contained savoury meats and fishes in the upper classes. Most people only had two main meals in the day, the second one being a more substantial meal in the late afternoon. Exceptions would have included the banquets so often depicted in tomb scenes.

The Tour Egypt website has a very good section on what fruits and vegetables were available in ancient Egypt and at what period they were introduced. As with other aspects of ancient Egyptian history I have chosen to use the New Kingdom period as the timeline for this story.

fūl midammis:  This is the staple meal of cooked and mashed fava beans served with olive oil, tahini, boiled eggs or pickled vegetables in Egypt and the Sudan. It is particularly popular as a hearty breakfast base served with fresh bread. Versions of it date back as far as the Middle Kingdom so I’ve used it in this chapter.

Nofret/Nefert:  See glossary.

Nome:  See glossary.

Chapter 11 Notes

Unfinished Obelisk

Having walked myself on this great failed monument of Hatshepsut’s when I was in Aswan I just had to include it in the story. But as Hatshepsut doesn’t exist in my Egyptian timeline I’ve credited to a fictional ancestor of Mereneith.

The unfinished obelisk is the largest known ancient obelisk in Egypt and can still be seen in the quarry at Aswan. It was ordered by Hatshepsut  (1508–1458 BC), possibly to compliment her other great obelisk at Karnak (which was later brought to the Lateran Palace in Rome). It is nearly one third larger than any other Egyptian obelisk ever erected. If finished it would have measured around 42 m (approx. 137 feet) and would have weighed nearly 1,200 tons.

The obelisk is carved directly out of the bedrock disasterously cracks appeared in the granite as it was being carved and the project was abandoned. The bottom side of the obelisk is still attached to the bedrock. The unfinished obelisk offers unusual insights into ancient Egyptian stone-working techniques, with marks from workers' tools still clearly visible as well as ocher-colored lines marking where they were working.

Measurement:

Cubits:  The term is used for a number of different measurements used by many ancient cultures. In ancient Egypt there were two kinds of cubits. The Royal cubit measuring 52.4cm was used up to the very late period when it was replaced by the Greek cubit measuring 45cm.  There are many Cubit rods surviving that show the divisions of fingers, palms, fists and spans within the cubit.

River Measure:  Fields were measured in rods (52.4m) and long distances by river measures (10.5km)

The Semna Stelae

Ah me the bane of my 2^nd undergraduate year, the boundary stelae of Senusret III.  These refer to two stelae that the 12^th Dynasty king Senusret III set up in the fortress of Semna in Nubia. One dates from year 8 and the one I had to translate for my year 2 hieroglyphs exam from year 16, hence the bane of my life, lol.  

I decided to have Mereneith paraphrase a section from the year 16 stele when she talks about what will be written on her victory stele. It’s based on this:

Now, as for every son of mine who shall maintain this boundary, 18  which my majesty has made, he is my son, he is born to my majesty, the likeness of a son who is the champion of his father, 19  who maintains the boundary of him who begat him. Now, as for him who shall relax it, and shall not fight 20  for it; he is not born to me.

Check these new words in the glossaries for details:

Am Duat

Barque

Decan

Heb sed/Jubilee

Imryikat

Khonsu

Khnum

Nilometer

Seshat

Tekhen(u)/Obelisk:   

Some notes about Egyptian names and Royal titles:

Names were chosen with care to represent an individual's personality, their devotion to a particular god or location, or to reflect the times in which they lived. The simplest names were nouns or adjectives, such as Neferet ("beautiful woman"), User ("strong") or Nedjem ("Sweet"). Others took the form of statements such as Ptahhotep, ("Ptah is satisfied"), Tutankhamun ("the living image of Amun"). Some names ran in the family (Djau, a sixth dynasty vizier, had at least five brothers who shared his name). It was common to apply an epithet to help distinguish people with the same name, such as Aa ("great" or eldest) Hery-ib (the one in the middle) and Nedjes ("small" or youngest). Similarly, people often included the name of their father (the epithet Ir-en meant "of his body") or mother (the epithet Mes-en meant "born of").

Nick names and abbreviations were also common in ancient Egypt. "Meriamun", "Meriptah" and "Mereneith" were all abbreviated to "Meri" while "Nefertiti" was often shortened to Tiy. Nicknames such as Tahemet ("Queenie") were common while others (such as "Kyky" meaning monkey) seem to have been very personal. Ramesses' troops called him by the nickname Sese, "the vanquisher".

Most Pharaohs are known to us by their birth names but the king lists mostly use their throne names. For example, Ramesses the Great's birth name was Ra-messes Mery-Amun ("born of Re, beloved of Amun"), but the king lists record his throne name User-Maat-Re Setep-en-Re ("the justice/truth of Re is powerful, Chosen by Re").

By the MK the pharaoh went by 5 main names each associated with a specific title. These titles are listed below in the order in which they were added from the First Dynasty to the Eleventh Dynasty.

Horus Name (the oldest and until the OK the personal name of the king) (Pronounced: Hore-us)

Nbty (Two Ladies Name) (Pronounced: Neb-tee)

Horus of Gold Name

Nsw Bty – King of Upper and Lower Egypt name. Also known as the throne name or Praenomen. This is one of the names shown in the cartouche. (Pronounced: Ne-soo, bee-tee)

Sa Ra – Son of Ra name. Also known as the birth or personal name or the nomen also one of the names shown in a cartouche. (Pronounced: Sah-Rah)

Cast of Characters (Names Glossary) Listed Alphabetically   (***SPOILERS***)

                I’ve used a combination of ways to choose names for the characters in this tale. I either looked for ancient names/words that meant the same thing as the familiar character names, i.e. Serena means ‘tranquil’ so her character name in ancient Egyptian means ‘quiet’. Alternatively I looked for ancient names that sounded, alliteratively at least, like the familiar name or as near to them as possible. For several of the royal names I have used my knowledge of Middle Egyptian to construct usable Egyptian names.

Ahmose               Mereneith’s Charioteer from the Braves of the King. (Pronounced: Ahh- mow-say)

Amunmose II     Pharaoh and ‘earthly’ father of Mereneith, her predecessor.  Deceased before the story begins. (Name of an 18^th Dynasty Prince, means ‘Born of Amun’)(Pronounced: A-moon-mosay)

Andrea                 Princess of Knossos and priestess of the Goddess Rhea. (Ancient Greek name, feminine form of ‘manly’.  Definitely known from the archaic period but possibly not as old as Minoan period, but as it is Greek I decided to keep the name.) Given a new name in Egypt – Neferemkau {pronounced Nef- er- em-cow) meaning Beautiful of Souls. The rest of the titles given to her when she is made queen are a mixture of genuine titles held by two famous queens of Egypt, Nefertiti and Nefertari. (Miranda pronounces this name correctly- And-ray-ah) Mereneith will give her the pet name of Nefert (pronounced Nef – ert) roughly meaning in this context “My Beauty.”

Ariadne                The youngest of the three priestesses of Rhea, name held by Andrea between the ages of 10 and 18. (Mythological daughter of Minos and Pasiphae of Crete, means ‘most holy’. After she was abandoned by Theseus she was married to the god Dionysos.) (Pronounced: Air-ee-ad-knee)

Gorgo                   The middle of the three priestesses of Rhea. ( Queen of Sparta, wife of Leonidas (of Thermopylae fame), noted for her wisdom and good rule as regent for her young son. ) I was looking for a Greek name for this character so thought this was good. Means ‘of the gorgon.’ (Pronounced: Gore-go)

Irsu                        High Priest of Amun, First Prophet of the North and South (i.e. Irv) (Means ‘self-made man’ it was a semi-popular name at many different periods and may often have been given to someone after they’d achieved high office.)(Pronounced: Ear-soo)

Imefra                  Second Prophet of Amun, Sem- Priest , Steward of Amun’s Estates. Irsu’s henchman. (Pronounced: Im-ef-rah)

Kitane                   Keftiu servant woman given to Andrea by her uncle Rusa. We know very few female names from Minoan times but this is one of them. (Pronounced: Kit-a-knee)

Kenamun            Troop Commander of the Braves of the King, General, Commander of Chariots Commander of the Southern Fortresses,  Mereneith’s highest military commander and her right hand in Nubia. (Pronounced: Ken-a-moon)

Khnummesses  (pronounced Khu-noom- mes-sees) Local Governor of Syene whose palace the royal family stay in while they are in Syene.

Khnum-hotep   (pronounced Khu-noom-hoe-tep)  The eldest son of the Governor of Syene, he is 15 years old and very keen to become a soldier. Mereneith accommodates.

Mereneith          Birth name of the Pharaoh,( i.e. Miranda. )( Means ‘Beloved of Neith’. There was a real regnant queen of Egypt with this name in the First Dynasty, circa. 3000 BCE. She is connected to 3 kings of this dynasty as daughter, wife and mother, but she likely ruled in her own right as well, as evidenced by her ‘kingly’ tomb at Abydos. As I want to use the goddess Neith in this story I thought this the best name for Miranda, also the diminutive “Meri”  meaning simply Beloved will prove useful.) (Pronounced: Mare-eh-neet)

MeryAmun         Third Prophet of Amun, Steward of Amun’s Cattle and Scribe of Thoth (Pronounced: Marry-A-moon)

Mitanni                (Pronounced: Mit-an-nee) An  Indo-Iranian empire centred in northern Mesopotamia that flourished from about 1500 to about 1360 BCE. At its height the empire extended from the Zagros Mountains in the east through Assyria to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. Its heartland was the Khābūr River region, where Wassukkani, its capital, was probably located.

Nakht-Nebamun              Vizier of Upper Egypt, Irtpa-ha, Architect, Steward of Amun, Mayor of Thebes, High Priest of Thoth, ( i.e. Nigel )( Means strong one- Amun is Lord. Nakht was a popular name throughout Egyptian history, often combined with a god’s name or an epithet description.) (Pronounced: Nah-ket, Neb-A-moon)

Nashuja               Keftiu ambassador to Pharaoh’s court, ( i.e.  Kind of Doug.) (A male name noted in Linear B tablets from Crete. Was looking for a name for this character and figured this would be appropriate.)(Pronounced: Nah-shoo-ja)

Neith                    (Pronounced: Neet) Neith was an early goddess in the Egyptian pantheon, dating as far back as the First Dynasty. She was the patron deity of Sais, in the Western Nile Delta. Neith was originally a goddess of war and of hunting and had as her symbol, two arrows crossed over a shield, this symbol was displayed on top of her head in Egyptian art.

Her name may also be interpreted as meaning water. In time, this led to her being considered as the personification of the primordial waters of creation. She is identified as a great mother goddess in this role as a creator.

Neith's symbol also bore a resemblance to a loom, and so later in the history of Egyptian myths, she became the goddess of weaving. As the goddess of creation and weaving, she was said to reweave the world on her loom daily. An interior wall of the temple at Esna records an account of creation in which Neith brings forth from the primeval waters of Nun the first land ex nihilo. All that she conceived in her heart comes into being including Ra and  the first thirty gods. Having no known husband she has been described as "Virgin Mother Goddess.”

She is also shown in the form of a hermaphrodite with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics. Female deities are known to occasionally have male features: a bearded Isis figure holding a baby Horus has been found, Mut is shown as ithyphallic and called the self-begotten as was Neith who is also represented with an erect phallus in some papyri. Generally in art, Neith appears as a woman with a weavers’ shuttle atop her head, holding a bow and arrows in her hands. At other times she is depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, as a snake, or as a cow.

Neith-hotep (I) Great Royal Wife of the Pharaoh Amunmose II. (Mereneith’s mother) Deceased before the story begins. (Means ‘Neith is satisfied.’  Chose this as Miranda’s mother’s name to ground the association with the Goddess Neith.  The real Neith-hotep was the first queen of a united Egypt, the wife of Narmer of the First Dynasty circa 3100BCE.)

Neith-hotep (II)               Daughter of the King, Irtpa-hat, Great of Praises, Chief of Noble Women. (i.e. Caroline) Eldest twin daughter of Mereneith and Sen-nefer. Her pet name is Miwsher which means Kitten. (Pronounced: Neet-hoe-tep and Moo-sheer)

Neithnodjmet   Daughter of the King, Irtpa-hat, Lady of all Women. (i.e. Cassidy) (Means ‘Sweet one of Neith’) Younger twin daughter of Mereneith and Sen-nefer. Her pet name is Nedjset which means Little One. (Pronounced: Neet-noj-met and Nej-set)

Puamra                                (Poo-am-rah) Chief Herald of North and South.  Mereneith’s chief herald one of the great nobles of the court at Thebes. (There was a noble named Puamra who was a Treasurer in the reign of Hatshepsut.)

Ranefor                W’ab priest of Amun   A 16 year old junior priest duped by his superiors but rewarded by Mereneith. (Pronounced: Ran- ef- four)

Rhea                      Name of the High Priestess of the Goddess of the same name. ( Rhea is the wife of Chronos and mother of the main Olympian Gods. Gave birth to Zeus on Crete. She is noted as a mother-goddess sometimes conflated with Gaia. Certainly known from Minoan times.) (Pronounced: Ree-ah)

Rusa                      Andrea’s uncle, regent of the boy Minos, King of Knossos. (A male name noted in Linear B tablets from Crete.)  (Pronounced: Roo-sah)

Satneith               Chief Steward of the Great House, Chief of all Royal Scribes , Steward of the Chantresses of Amun, Priestess of Neith and Erpat-hat. (i.e. Emily.) A constructed name this one means ‘Daughter of Neith’. This type of construction was popular at all levels of Egyptian society. All the titles are real. (Pronounced: Sat-neet)

Segret                   Great Royal Nurse, Chief Steward of the Harem, Chief of Royal Beauticians, Priestess of Hathor,( i.e. Serena.) (The word segret means calm and would have been a known name in ancient Egypt. I chose it because of the meaning being similar to serenity. The titles are all known in ancient Egypt.)(Pronounced: Seh-gret)

Sen-nefer           (SetepenHor), General, Commander of the Chariots of North and South, Irtpa-ha, (i.e. Stephen) Mereneiths husband and father of the twins. (deceased before start of story) Name means Beautiful Man – Chosen by Horus (Pronounced: Sen-nef-er)

Sesen                    Chantress of Neith and Hathor.  Daughter of a priest of Thoth. (Name means Lily, can you guess who she is? Heh) She is appointed to serve Andrea, as her interpreter and as her beautician. (Pronounced: Ses-en)

Sethirkopshef     Scribe, Lector Priest of Set, Steward of the god Set’s estates in the north, Troop Commander (i.e. Christian) Name means ‘Set is his Strength’. Great grandson of Pharaoh Amunneferra through his mother. (Pronounced: Set-her-cop-shef)

Werhedjheket -               Nsw Bty or throne name of Mereneith. (This means ‘great white ruler’

Setepenamun   -‘chosen by amun’). I constructed this as Miranda’s throne name for the obvious reason of her hair colour. In this kind of construction the name after the hyphen is like a middle name and not always used in conjunction with it except in official titulary.)  (Pronounced: Wear-hedge-hek-et, Set-ep-en-a-moon)

Full Titulary for Mereneith

Horus Name                       Nebiseshep – Lord of Light (Pronounced: Neb-ee-seh-shep)

Nbty (2 ladies)                   Wahnesytmiraempet - She of the Two Ladies, Enduring in kingship like Ra in heaven (Pronounced: Wa-neh-seet-meerah-em-pet)

Golden Horus                    Netjeretkhauamun– Divine  Appearance of Amun (Pronounced: Net-jer-et-caw-oo-a-moon)

Nsw Bty (Praenomen)   Werhedjheket - Setepenamun – Great White Ruler- Chosen by Amun

Sat Ra (Nomen)                Mereneith – Beloved of Neith (Neferkheperu – beautiful of forms)

General Glossary:

Am Duat              (pronounced Am-doo-at)  The name for the underworld, the realm of the dead through which the souls of the dead must pass before being judged and allowed into the fields of Osiris. It is divided into sections with fearsome guardians at the gates of each new section. Even Ra travels through the Am Duat at night fighting off the attacks of the serpant of darkness, Apophis until he can be reborn the next day.

Amun                    (Pronounced: A-moon) Amun was one of the eight ancient Egyptian gods who formed the Ogdoad of Hermopolis. He was the god of the air and his consort was Amunet.  However, during the MK,  Amun was adopted by the Theban kings as the King of the gods with Mut as his new consort. He was promoted to the role of main national god by Ahmose I, the first pharaoh of the NK, because the king believed that Amun had helped him drive the Hyksos from Egypt. At this time he was also adopted into the Ennead of Heliopolis when he merged with the ancient sun god Ra to become the new god, Amun-Ra. The peculiarity of Egyptian religion did not mean that Amun-Ra replaced the previous two deities, it actually meant that in a sense there were now three deities; Ra, Amun and Amun-Ra and they could be seen as both interchangeably the same as well as three separate deities.  Yup the ancient Egyptians had multiple personality disorder at the heart of their state religion, lol.

Barque:                (pronounced Bark)  A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts having the fore- and mainmasts rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) rigged fore-and-aft. It has become used in Egyptological circles for divine boats that deities like Ra or Khonsu use to travel the heavens as well as those used in the official divine cults at the temples.

 Charis                  (Pronounced: Kh-air-is) Greek for ‘Grace’

Decan                   (pronounced deck-an)  Is the equivalent of our week. Ancient Egyptian months were each 30 days long and divided into 3 groups of ten days which were called decans.

Fellahin               (Fella –heen)  is an Arabic word for a peasant farmer and has been used to describe the mass of the population in Egypt since the early Middle Ages. As using the word peasant would be, to my mind just as anachronistic as this word, I chose to use the word I’m most used to seeing to describe the vast majority of the ancient Egyptian population.

First Prophet     of North and South. A title for the High Priest of Amun. As Amun was the pre-eminent state deity and king of the gods, so his high priest was the leader of all other priests of all deities in the country.

Hatiya                   (pronounced Hat-ee-ya) A title for a variety of high ranking nobles throughout Egypt, such as local princes, mayors and governors.

Helios                   (Pronounced: Heel-ee-ose) Ancient Greek deity the god of the Sun. There is no direct evidence that he was worshipped in Minoan times, but he does predate the later solar deity, Apollo who took over many of his characteristics and mythologies.

Heb Sed/             (pronounced heb-sehd)

Jubilee

One of the most important festivals related to kingship was the heb sed Festival, also frequently referred to as the royal jubilee or simply the Sed-festival. This significant celebration was a ritual during which the king's right to rule and his royal powers were renewed. There are many representations of this festival, which normally depicts the king running alongside the Apis bull in order to prove his fitness to rule.

Usually, this festival officially occurred after the king had held the throne for thirty years, but there is evidence that suggests that some kings, including those with relatively short reigns, celebrated their jubilee earlier. There is some evidence that seems to indicate that the king could, upon failing health or for other reasons, alter the normal span between such festivals, particularly after the first jubilee.

Hem-Netjer-Tepi            (Pronounced: Hem-net-jer-tep-ee) Means ‘first servant of the god’, namely the High Priest of a given deity

Horus                    (Pronounced: Hore-us)The name Horus or more properly Heru means  "the distant one" or "the one on high". He seems to have begun as a god of war and a sky god who was married to Hathor. However, the situation is confused by the fact that there were many Hawk gods in ancient Egypt and a number of them shared the name Horus. Each "Horus" had his own cult centre and mythology, but eventually they merged and were absorbed by the most popular Horus, Horus of Edfu.. He was the protector and patron of the pharaoh, and was considered to be the royal god even before unification took place. The Pharaoh was often considered to be the embodiment of Horus while alive and Osiris once he was deceased.

 ‘Hours’                The Egyptians divided the day into 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. The length of the hours however varied depending on the time of the year. So in summer the daylight hours although still numbered at 12 were longer than their corresponding hours of darkness. The differences weren’t huge perhaps taking ten minutes off each night hour and tacking them onto the daylight hours.

Imrykaat              (Pronounced: im-ree-ka-at)

One of many general titles in the Egyptian administration often translated as “Intendent” A rank usually lower than a Hatiya (overseer) used in many different areas of the bureaucracy such as the following. imj-r kAt nbt nt ni-swt - [Intendant] of all the works of the King

Irtpa-ha                (Pronounced: Ear-t-pah-ha) This is an Egyptian title which means ‘Hereditary Prince’.

Irtpa-hat              (Pronounced: Ear-t-pah-hat) Female form of Irtpa-ha, known from the titular of Nefertiti. So essentially this means  ‘Hereditary Princess’.

Ka (kau)               (Pronounced: Kah [kow])  The Egyptian word for soul, one of three that their mythology assigned to people. Kau is the plural form.

Keftiu                   (Pronounced: Kef-tee-oo) The ancient Egyptian name for the inhabitants of Crete. Kefti is the singular form.

Kemet                  (Pronounced: Kem-et) The name for Egypt in ancient Egypt itself, it means ‘the black land.’

Khat                       (Pronounced: Cat) The khat was a single coloured (usually white) head-cloth known as a royal head covering from the 1^st Dynasty onward. It has been suggested that during the Amarna period queens also wore the khat.

Khol                       (Pronounced: K-hole) An ancient cosmetic used in Egypt from early pre-dynastic times onward. Made from either galena (lead sulphide) or the sulphide of antimony. Used to darken the eyelids and as a mascara.

Khonsu                 (pronounced Con-soo)  A falcon headed deity the  god of the moon. Part of the Theban triad as the offspring of Amun and Mut. He sails the night sky as the moon even as Ra sails the day sky in a great boat called a barque.

Khnum                 (pronounced Khu-noom) The ram-headed deity held sacred around the 1^st cataract area of Aswan. A creator deity said to have fashioned the world and the kings’ souls on his potter’s wheel. Also associated with the mystery of the annual flood and measuring the Nile levels.

Kush                      (Pronounced: Koosh) In the OK and MK the area of Nubia south of Second Cataract of the Nile in modern Sudan. In the NK it came to refer to the whole of the area south of Aswan at the First Cataract.

Kyria                      (Pronounced: Keer-ee-ah) Greek for ‘Lady’

Kyrie                     (Pronounced: Keer-ee-ay) Greek for ‘Lord’                         

Lector Priest      This priest had not only to read the texts of the rituals, but in some ceremonies was a kind of prayer leader or choirmaster. From the OK onwards, members of the royal family often had this rank and office.

Mut                       (Pronounced: Moot) Mut was the mother goddess of Thebes. She was either depicted as a woman, sometimes with wings, or a vulture, she was often shown wearing the double crown of Egypt or the vulture headdress of the NK queens. Like Neith she was sometimes depicted as a male, one of her epithets was, "Mut, Who Giveth Birth, But Was Herself Not Born of Any".  This hermaphroditic depiction was, in part, due to the superstitious belief that there were in fact no male griffon vultures (the male is almost identical in appearance to the female).

Neb                       (Pronounced: Neb) Egyptian word for ‘Lord’ equivalent to Kyrie in Minoan.

Nebet                   (Pronounced: Neb-et) Egyptian word for ‘Lady’ equivalent to Kyria in Minoan.

Neferet/Nofret:     Most ancient Egyptian names were descriptive in some way, especially the most popular female name which is transliterated as either Neferet/Nefert, or more often as Nofret. The word nefer which means ‘beautiful’ was used in many formulations of royal names both male and female.  The addition of the feminine ending of ‘t’ extends the meaning to that of “the beautiful one” and will denote the bearer of the name is a woman. As in Nefertiti  which means the Beautiful One Has Come. (We pronounce this name these days as Nefer-tee-tee, but we should actually pronounce it as Nefert (the beautiful one) – ihtee (has come) ) 

                                Because nefert/neferet means ‘the beautiful one’ it was also often used as an endearment style address like darling even if it wasn’t the woman’s name.

Nilometer           (pronounced Nile-om-eter)  A Nilometer was a structure for measuring the Nile River's clarity and water level during the annual flood season. It was a step-like structure that measured how high the flood would be. The most famous Pharaonic nilometer was that in the sanctuary of Khnum on the island of Elephantine at Aswan, although there were others along the length of the Nile.

Nome                   (pronounced No-mmm) This is the later Greek name for the provincial divisions that Egypt was divided into from the late OK till the Greek period proper. I like the name so I have used it rather than the word province. I have not, however, chosen to use the Greek term for a the ruler of a Nome, the Nomarch. I prefer to use the actual ancient Egyptian term Hatiya.

Nubians               (Pronounced: Noob-ee-ans) The inhabitants of both Wawat and Kush. Both of these lands were interchangeably referred to as Ta Sety – the land of the bow and Nubia – The place of gold.

Phylarch              (Pronounced: Fiy-lark) This is a Greek word meaning the ruler of a Phyle (means tribe) and was the title of a commander of Cavalry in Athens in the Classical period. Later in Greco-Roman Egypt, the large mass of W’ab or lowliest ranked priests within temples were divided into groups each with a leader or officer called a Phylarch. I decided it was a useful designation for my story.

Sem- Priest        A high ranking priestly title, the Sem priests were particularly associated with the funerary cult, overseeing the embalming process and the burial ceremony. They were sometimes also priests of other gods or goddesses.

Seshat             (pronounced Sesh-at) Her name means she who is the scribe.  The ancient goddess of wisdom, knowledge and writing, predating Thoth, she also became identified as the goddess of architecture, astronomy, building and surveying. Also known as Mistress of the House of Books whose priests oversaw the libraries attached to many temples. Her principal sanctuary was located in Heliopolis.

Syene                   (pronounced: Sea-en) Ancient name from which modern Aswan is taken. Located at the First Cataract the town marked the traditional southern boundary of Egypt property. From the MK to the Late Period it was the southern most nome capital of the country. In Greek sources it is often known as Elephantine, a name that refers to the largest island in the Nile above the rapids and above the two modern dams.

Tekhen/Obelisk:  (Pronounced: teck-en (oo) /ohbellisk)

An obelisk (from the ancient Greek: ὀβελίσκος obeliskos meaning a squared metal spit to roast meats on.) is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. The Ancient Egyptian word for these monuments was "tekhen (plural tekhenu)" and they were classified as tekhenu-wr or tekehenu –Aa  meaning either ‘great obelisk’ or just ‘major obelisk.’

The surviving giant monolithic obelisks range in height from 9 to 32 metres. The tip of the obelisk might be covered in shining metal - gold or the gold-silver alloy electrum; this would catch the first ray of the sun just before dawn, dramatising the illuminating and life-giving power of the creator. These effects are specified in the inscriptions of New Kingdom obelisks, which also make clear the intimate relation of king and sun-god. Most often, pairs of giant monoliths of red granite from Aswan were erected in front of the massive double towers of a temple gateway. As a symbol of the sun, the creator-god of the ancient Egyptian pantheon, the giant obelisks marked the temple as a zone of sun worship. Therefore obelisks are not found in front of every temple, but only in temples associated with the sun-god.:

Tjehen                  (Pronounced:  Tch-eh-hen.)  Ancient Egyptian name for the Libyans who lived west of the Nile valley. It referred to any inhabitant of the western desert but most especially to those groups on the North African coast.                                                   

Ureaus :               (Pronounced: Yur-ay-us) The rearing cobra found on Egyptian royal crowns. It represents the protective goddess of Lower Egypt, Wadjt. It symbolically spit poison at the monarch’s enemies.

Wa’ab                   (Pronounced: Wa-ahb) The lowest rank of priest in a temple. The word means “pure”.

Wawat                 (Pronounced: Wah-what) Traditional name in the OK and MK for the land between the First and Second Cataracts south of Egypt Proper. During the OK and MK it bordered the powerful kingdom of Kush to the south. It was dotted by a string of 12 great military fortresses to from Buhen in the north to Semna in the south.

WersuSeti          (Pronounced: Wear-soo-set-tee) The construction means ‘Great men of Seti’, and it’s something I made up. Historically, although Kerma was a kingdom it still operated largely on a tribal basis so I’ve borrowed some of the tribal traditions noted in later periods in the kingdom of Meroe further south along the Nile. The WersuSeti are the body guards of the Kushite king and are modelled a little on the Spartan ideal of being raised together in year groups fostering a real sense of brotherhood within the ranks. Each group of 250 comes from a different tribe and though there are always a thousand sent into battle the size of the corps is considerably larger than that. The idea of the Egyptians honouring their sacrifice for their king is based on Alexander the Great’s honouring of the Sacred Band of Thebes at Cheronea.

Chapter Text

Mereneith Family Tree

Chapter Text

Prologue:

Off the coast of Byblos

The sun shone down from a bright blue sky bedecked with the odd puff of white cloud blown lazily about by a gentle breeze. This was a far more benign vision than the grey and sombre sky of the previous day’s storm that had caused the ship and its’  five attendant craft to take shelter in the bay of a small island only one day’s sail from the busy port of Kition on the sacred island of Kypros.

On the main foredeck stood a young woman looking out of place among the sailors and soldiers of the great warship, Poseidon’s Wrath. She stood solitary and proud in her full and multi-coloured skirts reaching to her ankles, her dainty feet clad in leather sandals chased in gold with garnet studs. The sun glinted off gold, roped round her neck, in her ears and coiling round her upper arms, there could be no doubt of her high station and none of the crew made any comment on her presence or attempt to break her solitude.

She was tall, slim, but with a pleasant build; curves in all the right places leading to a tiny waist, her long dark hair was curled and oiled into strands of ringlets that occasionally lifted as the breeze struck her creamy white skin.  The breeze ruffled the multiple flounces on her skirt and raised goose bumps on her bared arms and neck. Her deep brown eyes, flecked with sparks of gold, watched the hazy grey line of the horizon as her quick mind listed the possible names for the lands they were sailing past. She had stood here for the better part of the morning, enjoying the freshness of the open deck after the cramped confinement of her cabin the previous day.

Her stillness and beauty reminded all who saw her that she was, or at least she had once been, the vessel of the Great Mother, the destined High Priestess to the Goddess Rhea. But that was another life, a life she would never now know as she was despatched by her royal guardian to a very different destiny, she was to be the queen and consort of the Great Pharaoh of Kemet, Werhedjheket – the Great White Ruler. Her Uncle Rusa, the Regent for her cousin the boy king of Knossos, had decided she was worth more as a means to cement relations with Kemet than a means to cement the kingdom’s relationship with the Great Mother.

She had been given no say in the matter, much as she had had no say in her dedication to the Goddess when she was just five years old. The daughter of the king’s sister, she had been taken from her home and sent to the great cave and temple on the mountain above the plain of Knossos, there to learn and to serve the three priestesses of the Mother until she too was old enough to take her place in their company, to serve the Goddess and the kingdom for the rest of her life. She had gotten over the fright and homesickness in time, and had taken to her training with great joy and genuine devotion to the Goddess from which all life came.

When Mother Rhea had taken the High Priestess (also named Rhea, as the earthly vessel of the Goddess) back into her womb, all in the temple had moved to take their new place in the eternal cycle. Each woman and girl was re-born into their next progression and re-named accordingly. The eldest priestess became the new Vessel and took the name Rhea, leaving her name, Gorgo, to her junior.  It was at this time, when she was ten years old, that Andrea, daughter of the Princess Pasiphae, had become a full priestess and had been given the name Ariadne. Even now, eight years later, she still wasn’t used to answering to it, her sisters sometimes having to call her several times. To make things more confusing, all the temple servants and supplicants would only use the title of honour due to all priestesses of the Great Mother, Charis, as if it too was her name.  

Two moons ago her uncle had arrived at the temple with an entourage of servants, soldiers and almost a hundred laden donkeys. He informed the High Priestess that Ariadne would be leaving the service of the Goddess and taking up her duties as a royal Princess of the House of Minos.  Rhea had tried to argue that this was not the Great Mother’s will, but Kyrie Rusa had pointed out that this had happened in the past on a few occasions, and as long as the priestess was still only Ariadne it was permissible.  He’d called his niece forward and told her that she was Andrea again and that she would not be a priestess anymore.  When she’d said she didn’t want to leave the temple that she was chosen by the Great Mother for Her service, he’d smiled and praised her dedication, saying he knew she’d be as diligent in her new duties as a true Princess of Knossos. 

Her uncle had spent some time in talks with the High Priestess inside the temple as everyone else waited outside. When they emerged she called all to witness that the Great Mother had spoken to her, and that it was the will of the Goddess that Andrea give up her life as Ariadne and depart from Her service.  Andrea watched the woman’s face, she knew the signs, what to look for after a visitation from the Mother and they weren’t there, none of them were, she was lying, but the young woman didn’t understand why she was lying. She ran to her and protested, begged her on her knees to let her stay, to let her fulfil her appointed destiny as a servant of the Goddess. The older woman had raised her to her feet and told her that there were many ways to serve the Mother Rhea; she did not have to be a priestess to remain Her servant. She had blessed her and pushed her away before calling the priestess Gorgo to her side and turning to enter the temple.

Andrea had been in shock, unresisting as she was led to one of the donkeys and was lifted into the seat on its’ back. She watched as a young girl was led from the crowd and tears had spilled down her cheeks as she realised that she must be her replacement. It was like her life for the past thirteen years had never been, as if she had never lived. As the soldiers and nobles formed up around her and her uncle, the servants and the donkeys were being lead to the barns and out buildings to be unloaded and she finally realised that for all intents and purposes, she’d been bought.  

In the subsequent weeks she’d lived in a state of shock as her new life was laid out before her, she was to marry the Great Pharaoh, to be his Queen and bear his children so that the next Pharaoh of Kemet would also be of the blood of Minos, a fact that would bind their two great empires together.  No one seemed to care how truly unprepared and frightened this news made her feel, her life as a priestess had left her gravely lacking in knowledge in this area, as she was never intended to marry. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand the mechanics; after all, the Great Mother was the guardian of fertility and her sacred rites included both the mundane and the mystical in that regard. It was the more complex duty of interacting with a man as her husband and lord that she felt unsure about, what would be expected from her in that capacity.

She tried to learn as much about her prospective husband as she could, but her uncle and everyone else she asked were strangely vague when answering her questions. She knew that he was much older than she was; after all he’d been Pharaoh since before her own birth. Everyone was willing to mention his greatness and power, military might and firm rule of Kemet, but whenever she asked for details of what he was like as a person the answers all dried up.  Even her escort, Kyrie Nashuja, the Ambassador to Kemet who had lived there for many years and attended the Pharaoh’s Court regularly was often strangely reluctant to talk about her new husband.  What’s more, whenever she asked him he would have this sad pitying look in his eyes as he tried to fob her off with pat generalities about his hunting prowess and as he’d said once, ‘well formed looks.’   The only physical details she had, and they were something she’d already known, were that he had been touched by the Gods at birth and marked with eyes the colour of a summer sky and hair as white as the snows atop Mount Ida.

Prepared or not, Andrea had been sent off on the King’s flagship, escorted by four of the best warships in the royal fleet and accompanied by a trade-ship, stuffed to bursting with wedding gifts for Pharaoh. She had been given servants and everything she would need to make her journey as befitted a member of the House of Minos.  The journey was planned as a joyous procession and they’d stopped at several Islands as they sailed, including holy Kypros just 2 days ago.

Andrea sighed as she turned from her vigil and began to make her way back to her cabin. Tomorrow they would dock at Byblos, then Sidon, and the next stop would be their first port in Kemet, Hutwaret on the Great River. From there she had no idea how many days’ sail it would be until they arrived at hundred gated Thebes the capital city of the Lord of the Two Lands WerHedjheket, her future husband.

Chapter Text

The group of four soldiers and one nobleman moved swiftly through the halls of the palace trying to keep up with the commanding figure who strode purposefully onward some ten feet ahead of them.  The soldiers, the fittest and finest Kemet had to offer were all Followers of His Majesty, the Pharaoh’s personal bodyguards.  They would normally have surrounded the king, two before and two behind, but the Great One’s agitation had lent wings to her feet, or so it seemed to the heavier set men scrambling after her. The somewhat less fit nobleman was the Irtpa-ha, Nakht NebAmun the great Vizier of Upper Egypt, Architect, Steward of Amun, Mayor of Thebes, High Priest of Thoth and the king’s right hand.  His close relationship with the ruler allowed him to move quickly but with a strange calmness to his gait at odds with his speed.  He was content to follow behind his agitated friend and sovereign, keeping his own council until his input was requested.

The Lord of the Two Lands, stalked toward her private apartments with agitated purpose, her long, finely-muscled legs marking the familiar path with ease. As she moved past the flickering torches the light glinted off her several armbands, the electrum and lapis pectoral around her neck, and made the gold of the rearing ureaus on her brow spark as though spitting flame rather than poison. Her head was covered in the simple khat cloth with diadem and she wore a plain fine linen shirt over a pleated kilt, the ceremonial bull’s tail attached to the back of her gold and faience belt twitched more like an angry lion’s tail as she continued her hurried stride. 

The procession turned into a much wider corridor and the guards at the end of the hall stood to attention hurriedly reaching for the great gilded doors of Pharaoh’s private apartments, swinging them open just in time for the Great One to sweep through followed by her advisor.  The door closed behind them leaving the four soldiers wheezing and catching their breath in the corridor.

As the two entered the private reception hall, the three women present within immediately knelt and bowed their heads to the floor. Two of them remained in this position, while the third rose fluidly to her feet before seating herself on a low stool and pulling a finely decorated scribal palette and writing board onto her now crossed legs. A brush was plucked from behind her ear and quickly dipped in black ink, she sat poised and ready to write if so instructed. The young woman, who wore a many layered and intricate wig, a pleated dress of fine linen, several gold and carnelian bracelets, an electrum armband and sported heavily kohled and painted eyelids, was quite striking in comparison to the more plainly clad servants who remained with their heads to the floor.

“Eight days since the news from Wawat arrived Nakht! I’ve already waited eight days for them to arrive and now I have to wait three more days before I can leave to join the troops at Syene. The Gods alone know what I will find when I finally get there! No doubt it will be the king of Kush holding court in Buhen.” The monarch bit out as she impatiently pulled the diadem and Khat cloth from her head and flung them onto a low table, striding further into the room before she turned to glare at her small audience.

Addressing the pair still on the floor she snapped. “Warmed wine and honey cakes.”  The two women rose quickly and left to obey her command.

Taking the opportunity of his king’s distraction, her advisor and oldest friend decided it was time for some calming efforts on his part.

“What you will find when you get to Syene, Mereneith, are the Divisions of Khnum, Ptah, Montu and Horus of Nekhen fully gathered, provisioned and rested for the march through Wawat and the advance into Kush itself. The opportunity to send them ahead with the chariots and main provisions means you will sail swiftly with the men of the Division of Amun and the Braves of the King and the river route will allow them to be as well rested as their brothers.”

He paused as he noticed the glare and raised eyebrow that would have sent every other servant, priest and noble in the land fleeing in terror. He however, was the king’s companion and had known her since they were both children, godhead aside, they were like family. He knew that the absence of accompanying pursed lips meant that he was free to continue, at least for the moment.

“You’re launching a major campaign, not a raiding party and the troops you require could not have mustered any faster than that anyway. The only real difference is you’ve been terrorising your own House with your ill temper while you wait instead of that of the Governor of Syene.” Smiling as he saw some of the fire go out of his friend’s eyes he grinned as he carried on.

“As serious as the news from Kush is, what you’re really upset about is not being able to make your escape before the Keftiu arrive tomorrow, thereby successfully putting off your marriage by several more months.” The man paused as he took a small linen cloth from his belt and wiped away some of the perspiration caused by their hurried journey before continuing in mild exasperation. “Mereneith, this alliance was your idea, a way to get the nobles and priests to hold their tongues and to establish the outer image of Maat for the people. You can’t back out of it now.”  

Sighing in exasperation the white haired woman sat in one of the high backed chairs and gestured for Nakht to take the lower chair opposite her own. As he did so the servants returned and laid a platter of cakes on the table and poured out two cups of wine before they silently moved to the far end of the chamber.

The noble took a sip from the cup in front of him and watched as Mereneith followed suit. As he looked at her he couldn’t help grinning even more before continuing. “Hmm, or maybe your sour mood is more due to the fact that you’ll have to ‘consummate and run’, and won’t be able to enjoy your lovely new bride for more than a day before you have to leave.”

Having just taken a sip from her cup, Mereneith nearly snorted wine through her nose and swallowed it so quickly it caused her to have trouble breathing. Fortunately for her the resultant wheezing and coughing fit hid the blush that had graced her cheeks at her Vizier’s suggestion. When she’d regained control of her breathing and not knowing what she could possibly say, she chose not to comment at all.

Nakht decided to take pity on her and didn’t pursue the notion any further. The truth was, he really didn’t have any idea what his ruler planned to do with the little Keftiu Princess once they were wed. Watching his king as she carefully continued to drink her wine, the idea suddenly struck him that maybe Mereneith didn’t have any idea what she was going to do any more than he did.

They sat in companionable silence for a little while longer before Nakht pushed the tray of cakes toward Mereneith, and urged her to eat something, even as he snagged two cakes for himself. They’d been sequestered in the great chamber hammering out the details of the coming campaign against Kush since just past mid-day and it was now well past the fifth hour of night. He was starving hungry and finished off his treat quickly before reaching for two more. Enjoying the excellent cakes, he ruefully wished his king would re-think her aversion to the distraction of food during such meetings of state, especially when they ended up lasting for the entire day as the war council had done.

Mereneith finished a second honey cake, she was quite ravenous herself and even licked the tiny crumbs left on her finger tips, as she unknowingly echoed her advisor’s thoughts about allowing food to be brought to councils that lasted more than a few hours. Deciding against a third cake, she poured another cup of wine for herself and refilled Nakht’s cup at the same time.  Relaxing back in her chair her thoughts drifted to the necessities of the next day and she turned her attention to the young woman still waiting patiently on her scribal stool.

“I trust all is prepared for tomorrow Satneith?” the white haired ruler focused her gaze on the woman looking her over with a critical eye as she waited for a reply.

“Yes Majesty, everything is prepared and in place, save for the banquet itself. The dais is set to accommodate the entire Keftiu delegation as per your command and the chambers of the Osiris one, your mother Neith-hotep have been redecorated and prepared for the new queen.  A runner arrived at the third hour of night to report that the flotilla is moored two hours from the city and will arrive at the fourth hour of day tomorrow. The Second Prophet of Amun reported at the twelfth hour today that all was in readiness for the marriage and coronation ceremonies in the temple. The sacrifices have been made and will be prepared in readiness for the wedding feast.”  The young woman shuffled a section of papyrus from her case and checked some details before she continued.

“There was also a short note sent to me from the Chief of Women of the Great House of Mennefer to confirm that your gift of the Chantress Sesen has been received and she has been installed in the Princess’s service.” Finished with her report she waited for further instructions from her king.  Satneith had been Mereneith’s Chief Steward for more than ten years now and she knew all the little habits that her king espoused and one of those quirks was that no report was ever so thorough that she would not ask for clarification of some detail within it.

The monarch rose from her chair and once again began to pace the room, albeit in a less strenuous manner than before. “Is the regalia ready for the coronation and installed in the correct robing room?” Mereneith questioned.

“Yes Majesty, the Second Prophet Imefra was quite detailed on all the preparations. Your Majesty’s regalia is housed in the Great Robing room and the Princess’s regalia has been laid out in the Robing room of Mut.”

Mereneith nodded in approval but continued her pacing. She had an unsettled feeling about the upcoming ceremonies to be held in the great temple of Karnak. The feeling was perhaps understandable as she knew it had been the High Priest Irsu who had been behind much of the noble and priestly discontent that had necessitated this scheme of marrying a woman to provide the country with a Queen to act as counterpart to herself as King. Even when the other nobles and priests had accepted her solution for maintaining the outward and ritual aspects of Maat in this way, Irsu had continued to protest that it was blasphemy to try and trick the Gods in this way.  Mereneith had given him an effective and pointed reminder of who was the true incarnation of Amun and God on earth and he had finally subsided, but she still didn’t trust him.  Not for the first time the thought flittered through her mind that it was time to consider installing a new First Prophet to serve her father Amun and herself. But until that decision was made she must needs deal with the irritating little man.

Turning to servants still hovering on the edge of the room she ordered them to leave before she voiced her immediate solution to her misgivings to the two remaining occupants of the room.

“Satneith, tomorrow, when the banquet is fully underway, you will take the Third Prophet of Amun and you will inspect the arrangements in the temple. You will also take twelve Followers with you and leave them in place to guard both robing rooms until the ceremonies begin on the day after tomorrow, the Third Prophet may assign priests to match the guards, but they must be from Luxor temple and they must be only W’ab priests, none of higher rank. Make sure the guards are placed inside the rooms and make it clear that they are to accept orders only from you or their commander.”

Satisfied with this solution Mereneith strode over to the seated Steward and bent to affix her seal to the bottom of the order Satneith had written. It was not her first choice of action, but it would have to suffice for now, any move to remove the First Prophet of Amun would have to wait till after the king of Kush had been properly put in his place.

The demands of the day finally seamed to catch up to the king and she rubbed her temples in exhaustion. The next two days would be as demanding on her time as this day had been, indeed it was unlikely she’d get any true rest until she set sail for Wawat in three days’ time.

Walking back to the table she picked up her cup and refilled it before addressing her two companions.  “We’re done for the night. I expect see you both immediately after the Hymn of Rising has been sung. That’s all.” 

The Steward gathered her writing materials and bowed low before heading through the smaller door at the far side of the chamber. Nakht rose and placed his cup on the table before approaching his king.

“Sleep well Mereneith, the dawn will bring a new thing to Kemet and to you, may it be your Father’s blessing for both.”  

The white haired woman smiled wearily at her Vizier.

“Sleep well yourself old friend. You’ll be ruling while I’m away and I see even fewer hours of rest ahead of you than I see for myself.” Nakht chuckled at her and bowed before he turned and left by way of the great door they had entered through earlier.

Alone now, the king made her way onto the balcony as she slowly finished her wine. Looking out across the great city bathed in the light of the moon she wondered what her bride to be was doing right now. Was she asleep in her cabin, dreaming of what her new life and her new Lord husband might be like?  Was she too looking at the night sky, too nervous to sleep? Taking her last sip she made her way back indoors and headed to her bedchamber. As she passed through the doorway she shook her head in bemusement before muttering aloud.

“What in the name of Mother Neith am I going to do with a wife?”

Chapter Text

Andrea lay watching the dust motes floating in the morning sunlight streaming through the tiny gaps in the reed matting walls of her small cabin. She had been awake now for almost an hour, roused from her surprisingly restful night’s sleep by the motion of the boat as it weighed anchor just after dawn. Sighing in resignation, she knew it was time for her to rise and begin her preparations so that she would be ready for her presentation at the Great Court in a little over three hours’ time.

Looking around the cramped space she was reminded once again how much she missed her cabin on the great warship on which she had travelled to Egypt.  It had been too large a vessel to navigate the great river now that it was the dry season in the land of Kemet, and the Keftiu had transferred their goods and people onto river going boats at the ancient city of Mennefer. Thinking of their three day stay in the city of Menes’, with its famous White Walls, Andrea glanced over to the sleeping pallets set against the far wall and saw that they were empty, apparently her older and newer servants had both already risen for the day. Yawning, she stretched, sat up and swung her legs off the low set bed.

The light increased momentarily when the entrance matting was lifted and an older dark haired woman who had been with her since Knossos and a striking ebony skinned young woman who had been presented to Andrea as a gift from her soon to be husband when they stayed at the Royal Residence in Mennefer entered the cabin. Both women carried very large basins filled with steaming scented water which they carefully set on the floor before paying their respects. The Keftiu woman curtsied deeply and nodded her head, while the Egyptian went to her knees and touched her head to the floor before both rose together.

“Oh, Sesen, please, please don’t do that, I’ve told you how uncomfortable it makes me.  A simple bow of the head or a curtsey like Kitane is fine; you don’t have to kneel like that.”

Sesen smiled gently before saying in a heavily accented but fluent Cretan, “Good morning Kyria, I hope you slept well.” Without initially addressing the Princess’ comments she moved to the side of the cabin and dragged a very large shallow basin to the centre of the floor before looking at Andrea once more and giving her a cheeky wink.

“And as I have told you, more than once Kyria, you must get over your discomfort, and quickly. As of today everyone in the land, except Pharaoh, the little princess’ and maybe the Great Vizier, will be bowing before you whenever they enter your presence. It is how it has always been done, you must accept it.” The young woman approached Andrea and smiled sweetly to take some of the sting from her stern words. “Truly Kyria, it is no shame, but great honour to bow before the Eminent Ones in Kemet.”

Frowning in frustration, Andrea stood and released the clasp of her sleeping robe allowing it to slide down her body and pool at her feet before she stepped into the wide basin. Her priestly sense of modesty had been well quashed in her stay amongst the noble ladies of Knossos. The women’s rooms in the palace had been filled with noble ladies in various states of undress as they bathed together, exercised, and had their servants massage them, dress their hair and apply their makeup all in little cliques and groups.

“I know Sesen, believe me I know; it’s just so strange to me. So many things are strange here, it’s a little overwhelming.” Sighing she nodded her head for them to begin.

As she was speaking Kitane held her hair back and well away from her body, it had been washed, dried and oiled the day before and would need to be dressed after her bath. Sesen poured the warm scented water over her shoulders, allowing it to pool around her feet in the basin.  Andrea took a soft sea-sponge and washed her body carefully before allowing Sesen to rinse her with clear water from the second basin.  When she was finished bathing she stepped out of the basin and Sesen helped to pat her dry with a large piece of clean linen before Kitane allowed her hair to cascade over her shoulders again.

Andrea wrapped the linen around her body and padded over to the low stool and table set beside her bed. She watched in silence as Kitane and Sesen cleared away the bathing materials, removing them from the cabin before returning, one with a platter of food and the other with a pitcher of water flavoured with grape juice.  Eyeing the food, Andrea’s complexion turned a little green.

“I don’t think I can eat anything right now, but you should both break your fast before we continue.” She smiled at her servants. The elder took her suggestion as a command and chose several honey cakes, some figs and a boiled duck egg and went to sit on her sleeping pallet while she ate. Kitane was nearing 40 and had been a body servant to two great Ladies before being given to the Princess to accompany her to this strange land. She found the Princess rather strange and unworldly compared to her former mistresses, but she did appreciate the young girl for her kind and sweet nature.

Sesen poured two cups and handed one to Andrea before she sat at the girl’s feet and reached for a duck egg which she nibbled while she watched Andrea sip her drink. Finished with her egg, she reached for one of the small but very tasty pastries and turned holding it out to the dark haired girl in the chair.

“Kyria, please just try one of the honey cakes, I made them especially for you, they’re the ones with the nuts you said you liked. I know you’re nervous, but it will be easier to eat a little now.” She held the tempting treat up and looked into the dark eyes above her.  Andrea looked at the girl and the tempting treat and blushed when her stomach growled in anticipation, Sesen smiled and handed her the pastry.

The three finished their meal and then the real preparations for the day commenced. Andrea was grateful that Sesen seemed content to follow Kitane’s lead as they gathered the items necessary for her preparation, clothes, make-up and jewellery all items brought with them from Knossos.  Sesen had been eager to show her skills with make-up and had argued that Andrea should try to blend in, in the style of the queens of Egypt, but Andrea having been instructed in this by her Uncle, had been firm that this first presentation at Court required that she appear as a Princess of Knossos. Andrea had appeased the girl with the promise that she would definitely need her skills on the morrow when she prepared for her wedding and coronation.

Andrea sat on her bed as Kitane carefully braided and roped her hair with long strings of pearls, leaving two tendrils of hair in front of each ear she fixed the rope of pearls that formed the tiara across the younger woman’s hairline before she moved to sit in front of her mistress to apply her make-up. Just as she had applied the finishing touches they heard someone approaching the cabin, rapping on the support beam Kyrie Nashuja requested entrance.  Granted permission the Keftiu ambassador raised the matting and entered but remained at the door as he bowed to his princess.

“Kyria, I just wanted to inform you that we will be docking at the great quay of Thebes very soon. When you are prepared your litter awaits. I have seen to it that it is well curtained for your journey to the Palace.” He smiled at his young charge seeing for himself that she was nearly ready, merely needing to don her dress and sandals.  “You look very beautiful Kyria Andrea, you do your people honour.”

Andrea blushed prettily and gave the nobleman a shy smile. “Thank you Kyrie. I wanted to ask, is there room in the litter for Sesen to travel with me, or will she need to walk beside me?”

“There is room for two to travel comfortably in the litter Kyria. I will return when it is time to disembark.” Bowing once more the handsome man left the cabin. Walking toward the bow his face became sombre as he thought of the shock that awaited the young girl later in the day.  Not for the first time he cursed the cruelty of the powerful, especially the girl’s unscrupulous uncle. Kyrie Rusa and his machinations had been the main reason he had taken the post of Ambassador to Kemet, he wanted to be far away from the cesspit the Palace of Knossos had become. It irked him greatly that he was still bound to his orders from the man to keep the girl in ignorance of the truth about her future ‘husband’. Watching from the bow as the great city came into view, he prayed to Mother Rhea that the girl had the strength and presence of mind to calmly handle the reveal when it came.

Andrea stood from the bed as Kitane asked Sesen to help her gather the multi-coloured and intricate dress from the great wooden chest.  The dress was the standard style worn by noble ladies in the Court of Midas, and also by the priestesses of Rhea in the temple rites on Mount Ida. Normally made of soft spun wool, this dress had been specially made for Andrea from fine linen so that it would be cooler in the hot desert climate of her new country. Pleated and dyed in shades of blue, white and red the skirt sported seven layered flounces with a quilted apron studded with small uncut pieces of amethyst.

Arranging the skirts so that Andrea could step into it, the servants pulled the dress up slipping her arms into the half sleeves and began to fasten the heavily brocaded blue half bodice up the middle of her belly. The stiff bodice cupped and supported her ample breasts but left them uncovered, proudly displaying the bounty of the Great Mother for all to admire. Andrea had been wearing dresses like this on ritual and Holy days since the age of 13, and yet she still felt uncomfortable being on display to all eyes when she had to wear them. To try and minimise her discomfort she had firmly declined to have Kitane paint her nipples with henna, as was the common practice, hoping that her natural pale pink buds would draw less attention. Looking in the large mirror Kitane held up to her as Sesen laced her leather sandals, she hardly recognised herself looking back from the polished bronze surface. She looked every inch a princess, sighing; Andrea just wished she felt like one.

****

Satneith stood on the top step of the palace entrance watching as the procession made its’ way up the avenue from the main gateway.  Leading the way she recognised Ambassador Nashuja but not the five men who walked with him, these were two of the Ambassador’s new aides, the Captain and pilot of the great warship Poseidon’s Wrath and a nobleman from the Court of Knossos. Immediately following them was a large litter surrounded by twenty Keftiu soldiers sporting their fearsome boars tusk helmets, long spears, and large figure of eight cowhide shields. Bringing up behind the litter was a long line of servants carrying the multitude of marriage gifts Minos had sent with his cousin.

“I am Satneith, His Majesty’s Chief Steward. Welcome to the Great House of Thebes Princess of Knossos and men of Kefti. The king of Upper and Lower Kemet, WerHedjheket - Setepenamunawaits your presence in the Hall of Appearance.” The young woman stepped forward and bowed low before the party as it drew to a halt in the large portico.

“Please follow me.”  Without waiting for a reply the noblewoman turned and entered the main corridor.  As the party approached the end of the hall they were joined by a group of heavily armed Followers of His Majesty who blocked the way to the huge cedar doors of the audience hall. Turning to face the visitors Satneith bowed once more.

“Neb Nashuja with respect, your guards must relinquish their weapons now. They will be kept here with honour by Nehesi Captain of Fifty and your guards may then still escort your Princess into the Presence.”

Nashuja had known this would be the protocol and had briefed his men accordingly, so things went smoothly as his own Captain gathered his men’s weapons and handed them to the Egyptian soldiers for safe keeping. When the Keftiu soldiers reformed around Andrea’s litter they carried only their shields.

“Forgive me Neb Nashuja, but with permission, I must look in the litter before you enter.”

Nashuja frowned at this would be slight to their honour, but stepped back as he replied, “It is not my forgiveness you should seek Great Steward, but that of Kyria Andrea. Or should I say, your soon to be queen?” The Egyptian woman blushed at this reminder of proper etiquette.

Within the litter Andrea had been kept informed of what was happening by Sesen who interpreted as they waited. She had been able to see very little through the thick curtains as they travelled through the city, and despite a new swell of nerves at this delay she was still looking forward to being released from the confines of the litter.  Sesen faced her mistress and whispered.

“Kyria, I must leave the litter now anyway, shall I tell them it is alright for the Chief Steward to look in on you?” The servant patted Andrea’s hand gently when she saw those nut brown eyes go wide with fear at the thought of losing her companion and interpreter just as she needed her the most.

“Do not fear Kyria, I will always be nearby, that is why the Living Horus gave me to you, so that you would have a voice here in Kemet until you gain your own. Now, shall I go?”

Reluctantly letting go of the hand she held Andrea nodded forlornly and allowed Sesen to part the curtains and leave.  When she emerged from the litter she blinked a little in the brighter light and identified the finely dressed woman beside Nashuja as the Chief Steward and gracefully sank to her knees pressing her forehead to the ground before rising and giving a small curtsy to the Ambassador, she spoke first in Minoan and then in Egyptian so that all present could understand.

“Kyria Andrea says it is acceptable for the Chief Steward of the Great House to offer her greetings before she enters the hall of the Living Horus her soon to be husband.”

Inside the litter, Andrea had to quickly stuff a part of the curtain in her mouth to muffle her snort of surprise at Sesen’s choice of words. She was fairly certain that as courtly as the message appeared to be, there was also a fair dose of Sesen’s natural cheekiness as well. Unfortunately she was unable to remove the material from her mouth before the curtains were parted and a very imposing Egyptian woman bent forward looking at her quizzically. With a sheepish look the young princess pulled the material from her mouth, smiled and greeted her visitor as Sesen had taught her.

“Greetings Nebet Satneith, the Ladies Hathor and Isis look well upon you.”

Slightly taken aback at the use of her own tongue, the Steward sketched a small bow as she carefully examined the inside of the litter, looking for anything or anyone out of place. Finding nothing untoward, she spoke to Andrea.

“Welcome to the Great House of Thebes Kyria Andrea. My apologies for the intrusion Princess, no offence was intended.”  Satneith allowed Sesen to interpret her words before she bowed once more and pulled away from the litter.

Placing herself at the head of the group Satneith nodded to the doorkeepers who swung the great cedar doors forward ushering them into the Hall of Appearance. As they entered a man moved forward placing himself beside the Steward before the whole group moved further into the room heading toward the dais opposite the doorway.

Inside the litter Andrea watched the assembled nobles and ladies of the royal Court as she passed them by on either side of the hall. They were all dressed in fine and pleated linen, bewigged, bejewelled and heavily made up, both men and women, and they were all craning forward toward her, trying to get the first glimpse of the foreign princess who would soon be their queen. Her nerves starting to worsen the young woman tried to burrow back into the soft cushions of her small haven, wishing fervently that she were back in the temple precinct on Mount Ida, or in the women’s quarters in the Palace at Knossos, or indeed anywhere else in the world than where she was at the moment.

Standing behind a pillar at the back of the dais, Mereneith watched the approaching procession, the nobles and litter with its guards coming straight down the middle of the hall and the servants at the rear fanning out to fill the space behind them with the gifts they bore. Large amphorae of grain and olive oil, so large they needed two bearers, bolts of brightly coloured wool, more than 50 large ox-hide shaped ingots of copper and vast numbers of many shaped fine Cretan pottery and finally gold and silver bowls filled with long strings of pearls.

The procession came to a halt and the man who had joined them at the door stepped forward and struck the floor twice with the great mahogany staff he bore. At the first strike everyone in the room looked toward the dais, at the second strike the room became silent. The Herald of North and South then struck the floor a third time as he announced the entrance of the king.

“All bow before The Horus, Nebiseshep - Lord of Light, She of the Two Ladies, Wahnesytmiraempet - Enduring in kingship like Ra in heaven, Golden Horus Netjeretkhauamun - Divine Appearance of Amun, King of Upper and Lower Kemet Werhedjheket Setepenamun – Great White Ruler Chosen by Amun, Daughter of Ra Mereneith Neferkheperu - Beautiful of Forms.”

The last words rang forth just as Mereneith stepped forward and took her place on the ebony throne. While she settled herself, all in the hall bent in obeisance before her, the Egyptians on their knees with foreheads to the ground and the Keftiu bent on one knee with heads bowed. Though Nashuja was the noblest of them his bow was the deepest out of familiarity and genuine respect for the woman sitting on the Horus throne.

Mereneith sat, resplendent in a pleated royal kilt, her face framed in the stiff striped nemes head-dress with ureaus and vulture rearing from her forehead; she had chosen to forgo the ceremonial beard, saving it for the next day. Her chest was bare but covered by a great falcon pectoral of electrum, lapis lazuli and carnelian covering but not truly hiding the swell of her breasts. She wore several arm bands of gold and in her hands she held the jewelled crook and flail resting them on her lap. Looking out on her Court she surveyed the room before nodding at her herald who struck the floor a fourth time and all rose to their feet, a slight buzz of hushed and expectant voices filling the columned hall. She watched the bearers set the litter down and Nashuja step forward to assist the princess from behind the white curtains and to her surprise she felt her pulse begin to race.

Nashuja bent and parted the curtains reaching his hand out toward the white faced and shaking girl sat bolt upright within.

“Courage Kyria.” He kept his voice low and gentle. “Remember we are all in the hand of the Great Mother and she weaves our fate before we are born.” Andrea nodded calmed just a little by thinking of her goddess. As she swung her legs out and began to straighten up, Nashuja bent to her ear and whispered.

“Forgive me Charis, I was forbidden to prepare you as you should have been, it was your uncle’s direct order.” He looked into confused eyes and repeated his words. “Forgive me.”

Confused at Nashuja’s strange declaration, Andrea straightened her skirts as she turned with the ambassador to face the dais before them. Eyes firmly fixed on her toes she climbed the three steps and allowed the ambassador to guide her toward the throne. She bent into a deep curtsy with her head still bowed, but did not kneel or bend her body. Andrea had been told again and again that she was the princess of a powerful empire, Pharaoh was taking her as his queen and not a concubine and the manner of her obeisance should reflect this fact.

Mereneith had watched the young woman’s every movement taking in the details of her foreign but undeniable beauty. The ghost of a smirk flitted across her features at the studied depth of the girl’s genuflection. She had no doubt the princess had been tutored in exactly how low she should bow and not bow before a foreign ruler. Kefti was an important power in the Great Sea and on its coast, but they were not equal to the might of Kemet and the dignity of Minos had to give way to the ascendency of Pharaoh.

“Great Horus, Beloved of Amun, My master the new Minos sends greetings to his father Werhedjheket – Setepenamun and prays the Gods bless the union between Kefti and mighty Kemet and presents to you the bride’s price with his cousin to take as your queen. It is my pleasure to present to you, Andrea daughter of Pasiphae and grand-daughter of the great Minos, formerly Priestess of the Great Mother and Princess of Knossos.” He bowed low and backed a few steps away leaving Andrea as the centre of attention. Andrea remained in her curtsey with head bowed, waiting as she had been instructed for Pharaoh to bid her to rise.

Mereneith stood up and handed her sceptres to Nakht who had been standing behind the throne before she turned back to the woman before her and spoke. “We bid welcome to our son of Knossos’ gift and take the hand of the Irtpa-hat Andrea as our intended wife and queen.”

When the first word left the ruler’s mouth Andrea’s head shot up and her eyes widened in shock as they confirmed what her ears had told her, the voice had come from a woman not a man. She looked at the figure before her, noting crown and ureaus and then rapidly scanning the rest of the body below that. The swell of breasts and hip and the slender waist between, she looked and looked but her brain refused to accept the evidence in front of her, this couldn’t be true, surely it was some monstrous trick being played on her? She glanced back at Nashuja, seeing the look on his face and remembering his last words to her it slammed home that what she saw was the truth, her new husband, the pharaoh of Egypt was a woman. Her stomach roiled and her vision began to darken, she knew she was about to faint and could do nothing to help herself as her legs began to shake.

Mereneith had seen Andrea’s head jerk up and colour drain from her face as she stared at her with wide frightened eyes. Somehow she immediately understood that the princess had not been told of the special nature of her arranged marriage and anger flared in her eyes at those that had done this to the girl. She glared over the girl’s shoulder at Nashuja who hung his head in shame at the righteous indignation contained in Mereneith’s gaze.

Glancing back to Andrea the king noted the quiver in her stance and saw her knees begin to give way as she sank toward the floor. Without thinking, Mereneith stepped quickly forward firmly grasping her by the elbow and halting her descent. The young woman’s little gasp of surprise was hidden amid the collective murmur of approval for what appeared to be a courtly courtesy from the king to her new bride.

Slipping her arm around Andrea’s waist Mereneith began to move her toward the low chair set to the right of her throne. As they moved she spoke to the girl in her own tongue.

“You did not know, did you?” Andrea glanced up at her and shook her head confirming Mereneith’s suspicion.

“You were ill prepared, but you must not faint, you are a Princess of Kefti and are to be my queen.” She stared intently into frightened brown eyes. “Queens of Kemet do not faint. Do you understand?” Andrea gave a quick nod but could not find her voice to answer.

Mereneith gently lowered her into the chair. She looked over the entourage and spotting Sesen she motioned for her to step forward.

“See to your mistresses needs, fetch her some wine and then be her ears and her voice till we are done.”  The young Chantress bowed down before her king and then scurried of to do as she was bidden.

Mereneith took her seat on the throne next to Andrea’s chair and leaned over to continue in her heavily accented and less than fluid Cretan.

“You must get through the banquet and Court presentations, but I promise we will talk about this later in the evening. Can you do this?” Her gaze was piercing and Andrea had to stop herself from flinching away from its intensity. The dark-haired girl licked her lips and managed to squeeze out another of the Egyptian phrases her servant had taught her despite her state of apprehension and confusion.

“Yes Majesty.”

Mereneith nodded in approval and turned her attention back to the attendant court. As she gazed out over the crowd and went through the niceties of inviting the Keftiu to dine with them on the royal dais, she banked her rising ire and vowed that someone was going to pay for keeping Andrea in the dark. 

The guests made themselves comfortable and the servers appeared with the food and drink soon after. The king absently sipped from her cup and ruminated over Andrea’s situation. Mereneith realised that Andrea’s shocked response had most likely been deliberately engineered in order to embarrass her in front of her nobles. Her intended bride fainting at the sight of her would have been great fodder for the gossipmongers and those who were not happy with this contrived marriage. She knew the orders must have come from Knossos, but she knew just as well that the suggestion likely originated right here in her own court. 

One way or another she would find out the where and why of the matter and the gods help those responsible. In the meantime she gave her thoughts over to the immediate needs of the afternoon and focused her attention on the young woman beside her as several of the great nobles came forward to be presented to her bride to be.

Chapter Text

The Hall of Appearance hummed with conversation and movement as the great ones of Kemet feasted the newly arrived Cretan delegation and their young princess. On the dais, the royal party and the foreign dignitaries alternated between dining, talking amongst themselves and accepting the accolades of the high nobility as they each came forward to be presented to Andrea and she to them.

The Vizier Nakht had been the first to be formally presented and he had been quite taken with the Cretan princess’ obviously sweet nature. His greeting had been genuine and kind and the girl had reacted in similar fashion, charmed by his shaky attempt at a Cretan greeting. This good start boded well for the immediate future and the king’s planned lengthy absence. It would be Nakht, with the assistance of Satneith, who would have charge of helping Andrea navigate her new role at court, she would not be ruling of course, but she would have duties and responsibilities to carry out and she would need guidance.

Mereneith motioned her personal servant forward and handed him her cup.

“Bring me pomegranate juice and water.” Glancing over to the woman on her right she amended her demand. “A jug of it and two new cups.”  The servant moved quickly to do her bidding.

Leaning over to Andrea, who had just finished the last of her wine and was about to set her empty cup down, the king spoke in broken Cretan.

“It will be a long day Irtpa-hat, I suggest you follow my lead and switch to something more refreshing.” The stern look on her face was a clear indicator to Andrea that this was in fact more than a mere suggestion.

Andrea looked with relief at the king and smiled as she murmured her acquiescence. She was really very thirsty but had been drinking the strong wine, the finest vintage from the royal vineyards in the north, as sparingly as possible wanting to keep her wits about her in this strange place. Sesen, a native of Mennefer seemed to be far more used to the wine and had been keeping her cup full despite her requests to go slowly.  When the king’s servant returned she gratefully accepted the cup he handed her and raised it in toast to the older woman even as the king raised her own cup to her lips, despite herself, Mereneith found the gesture rather charming and nodded in her turn.

Both women’s attention was drawn back to the hall as four men approached the dais in a single group. Three of them were shaven headed and wore priestly robes with the spotted skins of leopards over their shoulders, the fourth was magnificently arrayed in fine linen and dripped gold and jewels from chest, arms, waist, even his sandals were embellished with the precious metal. He was tall, pleasantly built, quite handsome in the dark Egyptian style and he walked with a casual air of superiority.

Andrea watched the group arrive and bow low before the dais. As had happened periodically over the past hour or so, the king’s herald stepped forward to officially introduce the members of the group. Andrea leaned toward Sesen waiting for her to translate the men’s names and titles for her.

“The Irtpa-ha, Sethirkopshef, Scribe, Lector Priest of Set, Steward of the god Set’s estates in the north, Troop Commander. Neb Irsu, Hem-Netjer-Tepi of the Great God Amun, First of the Prophets of North and South. Neb Imefra, Second Prophet of the Great God Amun, Sem- Priest , Steward of Amun’s Estates. Neb MeryAmun, Third Prophet of the Great God Amun, Steward of Amun’s Cattle, Scribe of Thoth.”

Each man had bowed a second time when his name and titles had been spoken so that Andrea could identify who was who, even given the delay required for translation. She made sure to return their bows with a nod of her head for each of them. This had been distractingly difficult after the first set of name and titles as the young man, Prince Sethirkopshef, had given her a long appraising look that very obviously ended at her bare breasts at which he continued to leer as his fellows were introduced. The scrutiny made Andrea uncomfortable and she moved in her chair in an attempt to obscure his view of her chest.

Mereneith was not impressed with her kinsman’s behaviour and glared coldly at him as he shifted his focus from Andrea to the throne and its occupant. Not taken aback at the cold look, the arrogant young man grinned at his cousin before speaking.

“Many felicitations Mighty Horus, your bride to be is indeed a beauty. She displays most wonderful assets…to the crown.”  His look turned even cockier as he leered once again at Andrea. “Indeed I imagine your consummation will be the envy of the entire Court.” Apparently oblivious to the deafening silence that had descended in the Hall the foolish man finished off his comments in grand style. “I certainly know I’ll be jealous of you come tomorrow evening.”

The silence remained in the hall as the young man folded his arms over his chest and waited to see if the king would respond to his blatantly disrespectful comments. Mereneith remained silent for a time before finally speaking softly, in the too quiet hall however, her voice was heard by the entire assemblage of nobles.

“Kenamun.”

A very tall, handsome man approached the dais from the far end of the hall. He wore a short plain kilt of fine yellow linen with a worked leather belt, sturdy sandals and a simple white head-cloth. Unlike the gaudy young man he came to stand beside, the only jewels he wore were two large plain bands of electrum and gold circling his muscular upper arms, both bore the cartouches of his king and his own titles, Troop Commander of Chariots, General and Commander of the Braves of the King. Arriving in front of his king he gracefully made obeisance before rising and placing his right fist on his chest in salute.

Mereneith acknowledged him with a nod before speaking again.

“The horse transports for the Braves are due to sail for Syene at the tenth hour yes?”

“Yes Mighty Horus, five boats with the spare horses.”

Mereneith continued to address the Commander but moved her gaze back to Sethirkopshef as she spoke.

“It would appear that my kinsmen’s impatience to get underway for our campaign against Kush has adversely affected his good sense. As he is so eager to prove himself in his new role of Troop Commander, we will oblige him in his eagerness. See to it that Irtpa-ha Sethirkopshef is on board when they sail.” Noticing her kinsmen about to protest, her gaze hardened and her voice turned to ice. “That’s all.”

Kenamun bowed to his king and placed a heavy hand on the prince’s shoulder urging him to move off immediately. Everyone at Court knew that when those two simple words had been spoken you went about your instructions without delay. Sethirkopshef scowled in displeasure and disappointment at missing out on the following days’ celebrations, but allowed himself to be guided from the hall.

Mereneith now turned her attention to the remaining priests as did Andrea. The man at their head was older and much shorter than his fellows and the sly look on his face made Andrea shiver in revulsion. He put the young girl in mind of a deadly viper and she did not think the snake charms she had learned as a priestess would be of any use in taming him. Her impressions were strengthened as he spoke in an oily voice.

“You are both wise and just, Great One. Youthful high spirits often cloud good judgment. The young Irtpa-ha is indeed eager to prove his abilities in the field. He has spoken to me often of his heart’s desire to serve Kemet…” Here the man paused for a considerable time before almost sneering, “…And you Mighty Horus.”

“The Irtpa-ha is a man grown, First Prophet and his eagerness to serve long past due. I fear the fault may have begun when he entered the House of Life. It is obvious his education has been lacking at a fundamental point, both in duty and in manners.” 

The man stiffened at these words, he had been the prince’s first tutor in the House of Life when he had just become a Lector Priest of Set and the prince had been a boy of 12. He managed, just, to stop himself from scowling at the intended insult from Mereneith.

The son of an artisan, it had taken Irsu till he was almost 45 to reach the office of Lector priest and it had been unlikely that he would have risen higher. He always felt that the Lord Set, his patron god, had stepped in directly by putting the young prince in his charge. The connections he was able to establish from this relationship, especially with the boys’ mother Princess Meriset had enabled him to scheme and manoeuvre his way to the high priesthood of Set, then into the far more powerful priesthood of Amun.  He had removed several potential rivals on his path to becoming Fourth Prophet and Steward of Amun’s Vineyards.

That path had taken Irsu a mere three years before the gods smiled on him once again when he was entrusted with finding a suitable military tutor for Prince Sethirkopshef.  The Division of Ptah was camped to the north of Thebes having just returned from a campaign against the Libyans raiding the western oases. Their Troop Commander Sen-nefer had been more than willing to take the commission and remain behind in the capital to train the boy. The two men had worked well together and found they practiced similarly underhanded ways to get what they wanted. It had been Irsu that had come up with the scheme for bringing Sen-Nefer to the notice of Mereneith and the strikingly handsome and exotically fair-haired soldier had taken things from there to get himself into her royal bed.  When the king had been recovering from the birth of their twin girls, Sen-Nefer had  managed to get Irsu elevated to the high priesthood of Amun without raising suspicions but the following year he had over-reached himself and Mereneith’s retribution had been swift and deathly final. Mentally shaking his head at the memory, the priest cursed the dead man for the impatiently over-ambitious fool he’d turned out to be.

 It had taken all the older man’s wiles to ensure that he retained his position after Sen-Nefer’s attempted coups. The intervening six years had been spent establishing the necessary web of intrigue to back his current scheme to gain power. He had planned meticulously and this time he was going to win, but the time was not yet. With this in mind he swallowed his irritation and plastered on a fake smile as he replied.

 “As you say Mighty Horus, I am sure the campaign will be a better instructor for the Prince. My felicitations to you and the Kefti Irtpa-hat.” A gleam came to his eye as he finished. “It will be a momentous day in the Great God’s Domain tomorrow, a truly momentous day.” He bowed low and made way for the next group to be presented.

Mereneith motioned for Satneith to step forward and leaned in to speak quietly in her ear. She had seen the spark in the High Priest’s eye and knew her gut feeling about something going wrong during the coronation ceremonies was serving her well.

“Wait an hour before approaching Neb Meryamun, and take 16 Followers. Make sure two are always on patrol and liaising with the guards within the robing chambers at two hourly intervals. If anything is out of order inform me immediately and make a note of anyone who questions or objects to the orders.”

Satneith nodded and made her way back to her place on the end of the dais. She made a point of looking disinterested in everything around her but was in fact taking note of the small group of priests toward the front of the hall. The Steward didn’t know why the king had ordered these precautions, but she had never liked the High Priest, he was far too sly and secretive for her tastes, and the Second Prophet was no better in her opinion, definitely two hyenas of the same litter.

As the morning turned into the afternoon nearly everyone in attendance had had their turn to greet the princess and wish their ruler well for the wedding celebrations. Andrea had made a point of thanking many of the nobles and their wives and tried conversing with some through Sesen’s interpreting skills. Mereneith had smiled when she’d overheard the girl impressing on her servant that she must translate her comments as she spoke them, and not add any great court flourishes.

Mereneith was still impatient to get through these necessities over the next two days so that she could be on her way south, but she had to admit she was enjoying this chance to watch her bride to be and get a better understanding of what she was like as a person. It was proving to be quite enlightening; the girl definitely had more potential than she had thought would be the case.

The early afternoon wore on and Andrea was beginning to feel the heat more and more, despite the gentle swish of the numerous ostrich feather fans held by attendants all around the royal dais. They didn’t offer much relief merely moving the warm air from place to place. She glanced up at the light- grill above the nearest column and estimated that Helios was well on the way to bringing his sun stallions to their nightly stable. She took another sip of the flavoured water she was drinking and tried to discretely dab at the beads of sweat forming at her clavicle, trying to stop them rolling down her exposed chest.

No more comfortable than her guests in the heat, and noting that it was probably nearing the eighth hour of Day, Mereneith decided it was time to call a halt to the days’ official proceedings. Satneith had left as instructed, so she beckoned her herald forward instead, speaking quietly she gave instructions for the Great Royal Nurse Segret to bring her daughters to the new Queen’s apartments at the ninth hour. She estimated that would allow time enough to question the girl about her lack of preparation before she introduced her daughters to their new… her thoughts faltered trying to decide on the correct relationship title before concluding that it didn’t matter.  Andrea would be her wife and what relationship the woman would have with her daughters could find a suitable description once it had developed.

All sound in the hall abruptly ceased and every eye focused on the dais as Mereneith stood from her throne. She half turned to Andrea and held out her hand to the girl. Andrea hesitated for a moment, not absolutely certain what she should do, but when the king quirked her eyebrow and frowned in obvious impatience she quickly accepted the invitation to stand. She surreptitiously wiped her damp palm on her skirts before laying her trembling hand into the soft, warm and quite dry hand of the older woman who momentarily closed her fingers gently to stop the trembling. Turning to face the hall they both naturally repositioned themselves so that Andrea’s hand rested on top of the back of Mereneith’s hand as she had been shown by a Lady of the Court in Knossos.

“Stay and refresh yourselves as you see fit.” Her intense gaze scanned the room before she continued. “The coronation will begin at the fourth hour of day. Kemet will have a new queen as Maat, and my father Amun requires. So let it be done.”

Everyone in the hall and on the dais bowed low as the couple moved to leave the hall. Before they took their first step, Mereneith quietly commanded Ambassador Nashuja and Sesen to come with them and they both fell in behind the women as they made their way to the main doors. As they left the dais two Followers of His Majesty stepped behind the group and they were joined by two more as they left the hall.

Once the doors had closed behind them, Mereneith immediately disengaged Andrea’s hand from hers and led the way as they all walked silently through the corridors of the Great House of Thebes moving from the public and functional part of the palace toward the private royal quarters within the heart of the complex. Too nervous to attempt small talk, especially through an interpreter, Andrea tried to take careful note of their route through the confusing maze of corridors and guarded gateways and doors. After more than ten minutes the group came to a set of doors protected by two more Followers, who stood to attention and saluted, hands to chest, before swinging the ornate cedar doors open for them to enter.

They walked into a large outer reception room, very light and airy, with high ceilings. The walls were decorated with multi coloured tiles depicting flora and fauna of the Great River. The wall to the left had a smaller door in the corner leading into two smaller private reception rooms, servants’ quarters, a wardrobe and a bathing chamber and a large bedchamber. Opposite the main doorway what should have been the fourth wall of the chamber was in fact a pillared portico leading directly into a private garden.

The noise of their entrance brought two young women in from the garden who immediately went to their knees in front of their king and their new mistress. Mereneith dismissed them and motioned for Andrea to take a seat in one of the low chairs scattered around the chamber. As she sat, Sesen came and knelt beside her ready to translate as needed. Nashuja remained standing as Mereneith began to pace as she spoke.

“You did not know I am the female Horus did you Irtpa-hat?”

“No Majesty.” She looked sadly at the Ambassador. “No one would answer any of my questions when I asked about my new husband.”

“Who did you ask? Name them.” Andrea got the impression that unlike the members of her Court, Mereneith was a person of few and direct words, so she decided to reply in kind.

“Firstly the Ladies of the Court assigned to me when I arrived at the Palace in Knossos, then my Uncle Rusa, many times. Kyrie Nashuja, who I thought having been at your Court, would be the one who knew. He told me you were powerful and wise and you had two little girls and he said you were pleasing to behold and well-formed, but would never give any details.” 

Mereneith shot a look at the uncomfortable Cretan Lord when Andrea mentioned his physical descriptions causing him to blush in embarrassment.

“On the voyage from Knossos I asked the ship captain, the guards and even the sailors but they wouldn’t say anything at all. When we arrived at Mennefer and Sesen joined us I hoped to get some real information at last, but she only gave me the same vagaries as Kyrie Nashuja.” 

As she interpreted the part that included her own activity Sesen dropped her head and quietly whispered a heartfelt apology to Andrea. Not quietly enough however for Mereneith not to notice and she transferred her attention to the ebony skinned woman beside Andrea.

Sesen was the daughter of her late mother’s favourite priestess of Neith and she had been a member of the late Queen’s household from the time she was a child. She had been diligent and intelligent and had been sent to the House of Life of Hathor, her patron goddess, to train as a Chantress. While there her tutors discovered she had a gift for languages and she had been encouraged to pursue this avenue of service. The girl had become fluent in Cretan, Aramaic, several dialects of Libyan and even passable in Nubian. Mereneith had remembered her when the arrangements for her marriage had been finalized and had sent the girl back to her birthplace Mennefer, to serve the young Princess as interpreter when she arrived. The king watched her closely before speaking just two words.

“Who? When?”

Sesen took a breath and braved a look at the older woman before she spoke.

“When the Chief of Women in the Great House of Mennefer received word that the Keftiu were soon to arrive in the city, she sent for me and told me I must make no mention to the Irtpa-hat that you were the female Horus. She impressed upon me that this order had come from Thebes and I would incur severe punishment if I failed to carry out her instruction.” She paused and glanced over at the Ambassador before continuing. “When the Keftiu arrived at the Great House and I had been presented, Neb Nashuja took me aside and gave me the same instruction. I obeyed. That is all I know Mighty Horus.”

Mereneith had stopped her pacing to listen to Sesen and now she sat in one of the chairs that faced all the others before she directed her next question at the Ambassador.

“And you Neb Nashuja?”

Nashuja saw no reason to dissemble and answered her truthfully.

“The Regent, Kyrie Rusa instructed me not to tell the Princess anything about her proposed husband. He was most adamant that Kyria Andrea not know that you are the Female Horus.” He paused and Mereneith looked up at him. They exchanged knowing looks as he continued. “He is Regent to my Lord and king and I followed those orders as was my duty. I did not enjoy my instructions, nor did I enjoy the obvious malice the Regent expressed when he instructed me. He was quite gleeful in painting the scenario he believed would occur when the Princess was presented at Court. The last thing he said I found both interesting and confusing.”  He paused once more and looked meaningfully at the seated monarch. “He said it was the least he could do for his dear friend in Kemet, and he hoped the gift would be appreciated. “

Mereneith eyed the man pensively as she mulled over these new pieces to the puzzle she’d been working on for more than a year now. Her earlier anger at the man in front of her had dissipated with his explanation. He had done his duty and kept his honour as best he could by being honest with her now. He was, as she had previously thought, a good man to have as an ally.

While the king’s attention had been focused on the other two, Andrea had taken the opportunity to study the woman more closely than she’d been able to earlier in the day. She noted the calm beauty of her face, the strong chin, high cheekbones and even the small bump on her nose that managed somehow to add to, rather than detract from, the symmetry of the woman’s beauty. She noted the toned and muscled but obviously feminine body and was drawn back repeatedly to her striking blue eyes.  As she watched she wondered what the fabled white hair looked like, not even a wisp of it was visible under the tight fitting Nemes head cloth the older woman wore.

“The Regent mentioned no name or title for his friend?”

“No, Majesty. But the second time he mentioned the subject he referred more particularly to his friend in Thebes. ” Glancing guiltily at Andrea once more he continued. “Majesty I would request that you have someone suitable review the protocols required for tomorrows’ temple ceremony with Kyria Andrea.”

Mereneith hadn’t expected a positive answer to her enquiry, but was pleased enough to get the mention of Thebes added to her knowledge.

“Just the temple ceremony Kyrie? Are you sure?”  

“Yes Majesty. Kyria Andrea has been told fully about the marriage ceremony in the morning. I was only forbidden from preparing her for the temple ceremony. I believe Kyrie Rusa hoped for another mishap in public.”

The king’s eyebrow had risen at the new twist in the tale Nashuja had just added, but having clarified the situation to her satisfaction the king refocused on the princess who had remained attentive to the conversation as best she could with Sesen’s aide. The girls’ head was bowed and it was obvious that she was trying to hold back tears. Unbidden and unlooked for, a feeling of compassion rose in Mereneith’s heart. It was obvious the girl’s uncle cared nothing for her or her feelings in the matter and had no qualms for any misfortune that might befall his niece because of her lack of knowledge. She wasn’t sure herself what their relationship, outside of the public necessity, was going to entail, but she knew she needed to reassure the young woman that she did not hold her uncle’s plots against her.

“It appears Irtpa-hat that in his attempt to embarrass me your uncle has ill-used you greatly. It is unfortunate, but I will say I was pleased with how you handled yourself this afternoon. I will arrange for my Steward to attend you this evening to give you the instruction you require for the temple tomorrow morning.” Andrea looked up at her then, gratitude evident in her eyes. Mereneith nodded encouragement. “So we will once again thwart Kyrie Rusa’s petty little plot, yes?” She spoke in gentle and reassuring tones.

“I will not disappoint you Mighty Horus.” Andrea murmured as she relaxed a little with the knowledge that the king wasn’t blaming her for her uncle’s actions.

Mereneith was going to continue in more detail but was interrupted by someone knocking on the door so she broke off to bid them enter. The doors swung open and two small girls raced into the room followed at a more sedate pace by a strikingly beautiful woman dressed in fine but serviceable linen. The children had tumbled to a halt in front of Mereneith where they hastily sketched an obeisance before scrambling up onto the king’s lap and kissing her cheeks in twin synchronicity. Nebet Segret, the Great Royal Nurse, came and made her own graceful homage. When she had risen from her knees, Mereneith bade her find the Chief Steward and tell her to report to the king’s chambers at the First hour of Night.

“Neb Nashuja, I thank you for your candor. You are a man of honour and I hope you will long be in attendance at my Court. Your duty now in Kemet is to serve your Irtpa-hat with the same devotion you gave to a lesser lord. We will see you at the second hour of Day, in the king’s chapel.”

Clearly understanding he was being dismissed the Cretan lord bowed low toward Andrea and then the king before joining the great Royal Nurse as they left the room together.

Mereneith looked down at her children and smiled in genuine pleasure. “How are my hawklings today?” She gently straightened one girl’s side lock of youth so that it hung decorously over her right shoulder once more.  She listened to both girls tell her about their day, smiling when a disagreement over some small detail broke out.

Andrea watched the interaction between Mereneith and her children with fascination. Despite the obvious physical evidence to the contrary she suddenly realized that she had continued to think of the king as male. Seeing her with the girls changed that, it also allowed her to see the more human side of the god-king of Egypt, and she found herself greatly drawn to that. Leaning down to question Sesen she discovered the twins were nearing their eighth birthday.

The children continued to chatter away every so often shooting a shy glance at the two strangers. They were both wearing short pleated kilts, leather sandals and a simple gold collar embellished with multiple amulets. Their heads were neatly shaven save for the full side locks of fair, almost blonde hair neatly plaited and secured on one girl with a clasp of lapis and on the other, a clasp of carnelian.

Giving each girl a one armed hug, the king brought another little argument to an end as she refocused their attention on the seated figure opposite them. She eased them both off her lap so they were standing in front of her.

“It is time for you to meet my bride to be my hawklings. This is Nebet Andrea, Irtpa-hat of Kefti. She will be queen of Kemet and you must show your respects.” She placed a reassuring hand on each of their backs and urged them to step forward.

 Both girls glanced back at their mother who nodded for them to move forward. They crossed to the young woman and each bent to their knees briefly touching their foreheads to the floor, springing back up they looked curiously at Andrea taking in her foreign clothing and hair style. They looked at each other for a moment and then one stepped closer and boldly asked what they both wanted to know.

“Why is your dress open like that? Did it rip?” Andrea waited for Sesen to speak and smiled and shook her head when she understood the girl’s question.

“No little Princess it did not rip. This is the court dress of my country.” Hearing the strange words they didn’t understand both girls giggled. The girl who hadn’t spoken moved back to her mother’s side, where she patted her knee to gain her undivided attention.

“Mama why is she talking funny?”

Mereneith smiled at her younger by a few minutes daughter as she stroked her cheek.

“Nebet Andrea doesn’t speak our language Nedjset. That is why Sesen has to tell her what we say and then when Andrea answers Sesen can tell us what she says.” The girl looked back at both young women with interest while her twin got a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She looked back at Andrea and then purposefully caught Sesen’s eye.

“So I could order Sesen not to tell her that I think she looks fat, and she wouldn’t know what I said?”

Mereneith frowned slightly at her daughter, not entirely surprised at the girls’ cheekiness. Her little Miwsher had always been the more outgoing and certainly the more impish and naughty of the twins, but she needed to nip this little experiment in the bud. She made eye contact with the ebony skinned woman as she responded to her daughter.

“Perhaps you might if I had not already instructed Sesen to interpret everything spoken in the royal chambers.” Sesen nodded and quickly caught Andrea up on what had been said.

“Neith-hotep attend me. When you are old enough to command anything of any of my servants I will let you know. Until then you will show proper respect to your elders and especially to my wife.” Caught out by her mother’s stern look the girl blushed and nodded her head. Mereneith said no more, but raised her eyebrow at her daughter who took the hint and turned back to Andrea to apologize for her rudeness. She was her mother’s daughter however and though she said the words her little face mirrored her mother’s scowl of displeasure.

Andrea was hard pressed not to laugh, the child’s expression was a miniature copy of Mereneith’s and it was adorable. As out of her depth as she was feeling herself, she could only imagine the confusion a child of seven must be feeling at her mother taking a wife, especially a wife from another country who couldn’t even speak the same language. Leaning forward Andrea smiled at the girl to let her know her apology had been accepted.

“Perhaps you and your sister will be able to help Sesen teach me your tongue, that way we could get to know each other better.”  She winked at the girl. “With such good helpers I’m sure I would learn much faster.”

The twin beside Mereneith tugged on her kilt to get her attention.

“Could we Mama? Could we really help?” The king looked down at her daughter and smiled.

“I think that is an excellent idea. I’ll see to it that Nebet Segret makes the arrangements.” The little girl clapped her hands and ran over to Andrea and Sesen. She stopped short before shyly smiling and placing her hand on Andrea’s knee.

“Sesen, please tell the Irtpa-hat that my name is Neithnodjmet but everyone calls me Nedjset.” She nudged her twin. “And this is Neith-hotep but we call her Miwsher.”

Andrea gave a small bow of her head and smiled broadly as she expressed her pleasure at meeting the children. Mereneith watched the interplay between her children and the young woman. Neith-hotep had edged forward and was now joining her sister as they rattled off their myriad questions. She snorted to herself as she noted that each question started with them instructing Sesen to tell Andrea what they were saying and the end of each of Andrea’s responses was met with, ‘what did she say”.

After a while Mereneith noted the sound of the horns announcing the change to the Hours of Night and decided it was time to have the children sent back to the nursery. They would need a good night’s sleep before the long day ahead of them tomorrow. She was certain that Andrea was also in need of a rest after her long day. She stood and cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention.

“It is late my Hawklings and time for you to eat and then sleep. Come, I will take you back to the nursery now.”

The girls bid Andrea and Sesen goodnight and went over to their mother, each taking one of her hands. Andrea and Sesen rose and bowed before the king.

“I will send the Chief Steward to you just after the second hour of Night Irtpa-hat. She will help you prepare for tomorrow.” Andrea smiled and gave an added Cretan curtsy.

“My thanks Mighty Horus. You have been most patient with me today. I thank you for that too.”

“You did well in difficult circumstances Nebet, I was pleased.  The Good Goddess Neith watch over your slumber.”

With that the family trio swept from the room leaving the two young women to rest as best they could before the Chief Steward arrived.

Chapter Text

Satneith hurried along the torch lit corridors heading to the king’s private chambers. The young woman was clad in a plain sleeping sheath over which she had thrown a simple woollen robe to keep the chill of the predawn hour at bay. She looked rather haggard as she hadn’t stopped to don any make up and had only managed about three hours sleep before she had been summoned from her couch by the arrival of the small group who were even now trailing in her wake.

The four Followers of His Majesty had shown up at the Steward’s door less than half an hour earlier, dragging a frightened little W’ab priest with them. The priest looked to be hardly out of boyhood and the Steward surmised he was not long graduated from the role of acolyte in the temple. The guards reported that they had caught him entering the Robing Room of Mut in the ninth hour of night and their officer had dispatched them immediately to the palace before increasing the guard on both robing rooms for the remainder of the night. Satneith hadn’t wasted time on interrogating the boy herself, knowing that Mereneith would prefer to do that.

They arrived at the great golden doors leading to Pharaohs private rooms and were ushered into the outer reception room to await the arrival of the king. Two of the soldiers had ranged themselves on the inside of the doors and two remained on either side of the frightened figure with his face on the floor.  When the king arrived Satneith made obeisance and then stood, while the soldiers saluted fist to chest but remained standing and alert.

Mereneith had taken the time to dress and apply minimal make-up and to put on the Nemes head-dress before arriving in her outer chamber. She had her servants move the large chair so she could sit in front of the group before she dismissed them. She eyed the figure on the floor, noting the boy was fairly quaking from fear now. She redirected her focus to the soldier bearing the bronze armband designating him a junior officer before she spoke. 

“Report.”

“Mighty Horus, we were guarding the robing rooms in the Great God’s domain as we’d been ordered. We had just relieved the previous guard and entered into the holy space when we heard a noise from the back wall of the chamber. Before our eyes a small section of the wall slid forward into the room and this one,” he paused to nudge the boy with his toe, “came crawling through. We seized him without struggle. We tried to question him but he just kept babbling over and over again that he’d been commanded, it was the word of the Great God. We sent the priest attending to us to fetch our Squad Leader who sent us with the prisoner to see the Great Steward as commanded.  We were ordered to report the incident and that he had roused the rest of the squad to continue standing guard until relieved. We arrived at the Great House midway in the tenth hour of night and the Chief Steward brought us directly here.” Finished, the man bowed his head and saluted.

Mereneith sat in thought for no more than a minute or two before she addressed the figure on the floor, speaking in a stern but quiet voice.

“Straighten yourself Priest and look at me.”

The frightened boy only cowered further into the floor as if trying to burrow under the tiles to hide from his king. At a further nod of Mereneith’s head the two soldiers reached down and bodily straightened the boy but left him on his knees. Upright now, he still kept his eyes glued to the floor in front of him, afraid to look up.

“What is your name Priest?” Mereneith kept her voice low but gentled it somewhat trying to avoid frightening the boy further

“M..m..Mighty H..Horus, m..m..m..my name is Ranefor.”

“And how long have you served in the house of the Great God, W’ab Ranefor?”

“I…I have been a servant to the Great God these past seven years Majesty.”

“How old are you?”

“I will reach my f..f..fourteenth year in two months’ time, Majesty.”

Mereneith watched as the boy seemed to relax a little thanks to her calm and direct questions, she hoped this would continue, but it was time for answers and she would have them, gently or harshly if that was what was required.

“Tell me W’ab Ranefor, why did you enter the sacred robing room of Mut in the middle of the night?” She watched in fascination as the boy firmed his shoulders and finally looked up at her before he replied.

“The Great God told me to Majesty.” There was pride, awe and a large dose of fear in his voice as he made this declaration.

All in the room save the king gave short gasps of surprise at this statement. Mereneith was silent but her eyes widened a little and her nostrils flared with a sharp intake of breath, before she regained her equilibrium. She continued to study the boy in silence. She guessed from his work roughened hands and darkened skin, as well as his speech, that he was quite possibly a farmer’s son who had been put forward for temple service on the word of his village headman and scribe. It was unlikely that he would go much farther in rank within the temple, his days would be divided between prayer, study and the manual labour required to maintain the sacred areas of the temple where even the dust must be seen to by a priest.

“Great Amun told you to break into a sacred precinct in His own domain?”

The boy nodded his head in confirmation.

“Listen carefully W’ab; tell me everything, from the very beginning of your tale right to the time you were found by my Followers. Every detail, every word and step and action, do not leave anything out because you might think it unimportant. I will decide the import of what you tell me.”

The boy bowed his head and began to speak.

“My Master, Phylarch Khnummese, had instructed my brothers and me to sweep and scrub the inner hall of the God’s House in preparation for the coronation ceremonies. We worked from before dawn till the fourth Hour of night before we were allowed to retire to our sleeping cells. I had trouble falling asleep as I was hungry and had missed the evening meal and only managed a small loaf of bread for the noon meal. I lay on my mat and thought about the morning meal, I began to dose when I heard a voice call my name. I opened my eyes and looked, but my cell was empty. The voice spoke again calling me, so I rose and looked out into the corridor but there was no one there either. The voice was fainter in the corridor as I knocked on my Master’s door to see if it was he that had called me. The Phylarch was angry and told me I was foolish and had merely been wakened from a dream, before he ordered me back to my cell.

I returned to my cell and lay down, as soon as I closed my eyes the voice spoke again calling my name and for me to attend to his words.” The boy paused licking his lips before continuing his voice hushed in remembered awe.

“Then the voice grew louder and firmer and said. ‘I am Amun, the hidden One, and your Lord. Ranefor you are my beloved servant and will obey my command.’ I stumbled from my mat and made obeisance asking the Great God to command me. The Holy voice told me He was displeased with a foreigner being made queen of his beloved Kemet, the queen must be a daughter of Kemet. He would have his displeasure manifested by the work of his servant’s hand. I was instructed where to find the secret entrance to the robing room, and was told to remove the royal regalia and hide it in the shrine of the Goddess Sekhmet in the outer precinct. Then Mighty Amun said, ‘If you do this for me my servant I will raise you from your labours, I will make you a mighty Prophet of my House.’”  The boy stopped once more and pulled his shoulders from the grip of the soldiers as he looked his king defiantly in the eye before making his final declaration. “I am a servant of Amun Lord of Thebes and Great God and I obeyed His word.”

Mereneith ruminated on the details of the priest’s tale. The pieces on the game board were starting to become clearer and it would appear that someone very high up in her Father’s House was working toward her public discomfort. Cursing the timing of the king of Kush yet again she knew she would not be able to deal with this properly until she returned.  Eyeing the priest before her, her anger flared, not at the boy, but on his behalf, how dare someone abuse his simple but strong faith in his God this way. Oh yes, she thought, someone was going to pay. Sighing she decided it was time for some damage control and time for the more charismatic part of her nature to show through.

Leaning forward a little to gain the boy’s undivided attention she spoke at last.

“W’ab Ranefor, who am I?”

The boy blinked in confusion before answering hesitantly. “You are Pharaoh, Lord of the Two Lands, the Female Horus, the Good God in the Land.”

“And who is my father young one?” She watched as the truth came to the boy and his eyes widened.

“Y..yo..you are the truly b..be..begotten of the Great God, the Daughter of Amun.” The look of confusion increased on his face.

“Yes, young one I am, the Great God’s beloved daughter. Do you not think that if my Father was displeased with the wife I have chosen that he would have told me so himself?”

The boy’s face paled and he began to sag as the truth of her statement struck home. Yet, he knew what he’d heard, he had not imagined the voice in the night.

“I…I..don’t understand! Mighty Horus, I swear I heard what I heard and there was no one in or outside of my cell when I heard it. I swear by the Great God and my own Ka.” He bowed his head defeated by his own confusion.

Mereneith motioned to one of the guards and instructed him to bring a stool for the boy. When he was seated she spoke to him gently.

“Ranefor, I want you to close your eyes and think very carefully, I want you to concentrate on the voice. Think very hard, tell me if you have ever heard the voice before in the temple.”

The boy did as he was instructed, he thought of all the words he’d heard, how they were spoken, the volume, the speed, the accent…wait, the accent? His eyes popped open, the pupils immediately dilating as he realised he had heard the voice before, especially the inflection on the opening vowel of the Great God’s name. Looking into the king’s blazing blue eyes, any remaining colour drained from his face. Mereneith watched as recognition clearly registered on the boy’s face, followed in a flash by true horror and fear.

“Ahh, so you have found the answer.” To re-affirm the boys faith and to get the answer she needed she continued with a small lie. She wasn’t sure what name he would divulge, but she did have her suspicions. “I know the truth, but speak it here, now, so that others may know of the blasphemy that has been done in my Father’s House.”

At the word blasphemy the boy whimpered and cowered on the stool.

“The blasphemy was not yours young one, and it was not just the plan to desecrate the coronation ceremony, the blasphemy was also the coercion of a true servant of the Great God. Speak his name.”

Relief and wonder shone from the boy’s face as he once again found the courage of his faith and devotion, he spoke, clearly, with conviction and with detail.

“Mighty Horus, I know now the voice was that of Neb Imefra the Second Prophet. When you commanded me, I could hear again how the voice sounded. It was deep and had an echoing quality, but the way the voice said the name of the Great God, it was with the accent that only the Second Prophet uses.”

Mereneith sat back and digested this confirmation of her suspicions. She knew that Irsu was too canny to allow himself to be directly connected with the event but he would need to keep the number of his conspirators small and select. She had long known that Imefra was in Irsu’s confidence and now she had the means by which to hobble if not completely end the High Priests machinations. Hopefully, the removal of the Second Prophet would set the man back enough to allow Mereneith to deal with Kush without worrying that Irsu would make his move in her absence. Glancing once more at the young priest dejectedly slumped on his stool; she made several decisions, starting to put her own plans into action to counter this latest challenge.

“W’ab Ranefor, you are a true son of Kemet, a loyal servant to my Father Amun and to me. You have confirmed what I have long known, and now justice will be meted out in my Father’s House. The traitor Imefra falsely promised you rank and glory, but I will give you both as you so richly deserve.”

Ranefor looked at his king in awe and wonder, a look that brought a small curve to Mereneith’s lips, as she almost chuckled before continuing in a mildly amused voice.

“You are too young for the glory of being a Prophet just yet, but you are ready to start on that road to advancement. You will be apprenticed to my personal Lector Priest, Khamweset and will assist him in the duties of caring for my Father’s shrine as we travel through Wawat.”

Ranefor’s eyes grew wide and his face glowed with pleasure as he gracefully slid to his knees and bowed to touch his head to the floor. Rising he spoke from his heart.

“You are the Living image of Amun my king. I will serve Him and you with joy and with devotion.”

Mereneith gave the boy a full and true smile before dismissing him in the care of one of the Followers, with instructions that he was to be secretly put on board one of the transports and remain under guard until they set sail the next day. She then dismissed the remaining soldiers with instructions to report back to her at the first Hour of night with the rest of their squad. When they’d departed she called her servants ordering one to fetch the Vizier to her chambers and the others to bring food and drink.  

Nakht arrived a quarter of an hour later and Satneith filled him in on the night’s events. The decision was made to wait till after the coronation before they would remove the Second Prophet as quietly as they could in order not to tip their hand prematurely. They hoped that the man would co-operate once he was in custody and that he’d be willing to give up his master in this scheme. Their greatest problem was that Mereneith could not remain in the capital to oversee his questioning if he proved obstinate and it would fall to Nakht to take action against any co-conspirators that the Priest might implicate. To that end Satneith drew up specific documents which Mereneith sealed to allow Nakht full and unchallenged power to act in her stead.

Once the major concerns were dealt with they all broke their fast and Satneith was able to report her work with the Kefti princess the previous evening had gone well and she was certain the young woman knew what was expected of her and would not prove an embarrassment to her king during the ceremonies. As they were finishing their meal they all became quiet when they heard the Hymn of Rising being sung outside the king’s chamber. They looked meaningfully at each other as they made out the distinct voice of the Second Prophet of Amun singing the main verses. It would appear the First Prophet was staying in the Temple precinct this morning.

“I think I will make my prayers to my Father at my own shrine this morning. If I see that snake just now I’m afraid I might decide to crush him under my heel and damn the consequences.” Mereneith growled out in frustration. She was a master at politics and Court intrigue, but she hated both, she was a woman of action, and as dangerous as the upcoming campaign was likely to be, there was a part of her that was ready to glory in the freedom she saw ahead.

“Go, prepare as you must I will see you back here in an hour.”

They both bowed before making their way out of the main doors and past the group of priests, chantresses and acolytes grouped in the hall still singing of the glories of the rising God, Amun-Ra and his living Incarnation Mereneith.

****

Andrea sat before the mirror looking into the face of a stranger. She was tired having risen before the sun and after only a few fitful hours of sleep. She needed to be up early for the necessary preparations for the day. Her wedding day, her wedding day upon which she was to marry a woman, her shoulders slumped in despair as she physically resisted the urge to put her face in her hands and cry. Her servant wouldn’t appreciate it if she ruined all her hard work with a fit of tears. As promised the day before, Sesen had been in charge of her wardrobe, hair and make-up and she had proven her skill admirably.

Sighing a little, Andrea looked into the polished bronze once more and saw an Egyptian staring back at her. Her hair had been straightened, and then brushed to a fine polish before being braided into multiple strands weighted at their tips with gold and semi-precious beads of carnelian, lapis and turquoise. While she had bowed to the necessity of cutting some of her long tresses in order to accommodate the current court style, she had refused the suggestion of a much shorter cut that would allow her to wear a fashionable wig.  

Her eyes were highlighted in bold strokes of black kohl round the rim and over her eyebrows. The lids were painted a light blue-green and dusted with real gold flakes. The lightest tint of rose accentuated her cheekbones and her lips were painted a dark rather than bright red. She turned from the mirror and the heady scent of the lotus perfume Sesen had liberally applied to her body rose and surrounded her senses. It wasn’t overpowering exactly, but it was quite pervasive whenever she moved. She wore a sheath of very light weight,  blindingly white linen over which she wore an outer dress woven so finely it was almost transparent, and yet managed to hold the multiple pleats, tucks and folds that it contained. She had been told the outer dress was only for the wedding ceremony and would be replaced with something richer still for the coronation.

She wore gold, a lot of it, around her neck, on her arms, in her ears and around her waist; even her sandals were chased in gold and electrum. Her head was covered with an elaborate gold beaded coronet hung with lotus blossoms and tiny rearing cobras. All of it was so delicately wrought it hardly weighed anything.

Sighing, Andrea got up and made her way over to the low window overlooking her garden, where she carefully leant on her elbows as she looked up to the bright blue sky.

“Mother Rhea what am I to do? What will the Lord of the Two Lands require of me in this marriage? Am I only to be a puppet, a symbol for the people? Please Great mother help me.”

She continued to look to the sky, but no answer came, much like the previous evening when Satneith had been here to instruct her on her duties during the coronation ritual. While Andrea had tried to get the Steward to explain why the king needed to marry someone the woman had been infuriatingly single minded on concentrating on how the princess was expected to act and what she would be required to do on the following day. It wasn’t until the Andrea had insisted that she couldn’t understand the ceremony if she didn’t understand the reasons behind it in the first place, that the Egyptian woman had grudgingly explained some of the reasons for the marriage.

“It is a matter of Maat Princess. Maat is order and balance; it is the duty of all rulers of Kemet to maintain Maat, as laid down by the Great God Amun-Ra. In this balance there must be light and dark, the living and the dead, the red land and the black land, the north and the south, and the male and the female. The Great God Amun conceived of a new thing, to bring this balance into a single being, the power of a king and the beauty of queen found together in his own child, the very incarnation of Maat.  But the agents of the Lord of Chaos, Seth are not pleased with this thing, this miracle they do not understand. They have preyed upon the people saying that Maat is wounded that if there is a king there must be a queen that balance must be seen by all or there is no balance. In her Divine Wisdom and compassion for her simple minded people the Female Horus agreed to give them the form of Maat that they could see and understand.  That is all you need know, now can we please continue to the crowning and the entrance of the Gods’ vessels?” 

The tutorial had gone on for several more hours until the Chief Steward was satisfied that Andrea knew everything she needed to so that she would get through all the ceremonies without stumbling or any need for prompting. The complexity and length of the ceremony had frightened Andrea at first, and she was genuinely grateful to Mereneith for arranging her last minute instruction. As she lay on her couch trying to fall asleep she let a few tears fall when she thought of how her uncle had set her up to fail so spectacularly, possibly even fatally if she had truly disgraced herself and the Pharaoh had been so inclined. Apparently some ally in Egypt meant more to him than his own blood. She shuddered and sent up a prayer to Mother Rhea that she would protect her cousin Minos from his regent.

Hearing a sound behind her Andrea turned once more to face the room to see Sesen as she returned with a platter of her special honey cakes, trying once more to coax her mistress to eat something.  Looking at the plate Andrea’s stomach rebelled at the thought of food and she knew that this time the young Egyptian would be unsuccessful. She was thirsty though and gladly took the cup of fruit juice and water handed to her, taking a sip before she sat down.

“I’m sorry Sesen, if I ate anything now I’d be sick.”

Sesen came and sat on the stool beside Andrea placing a gentle hand on her mistress’ knee.

“You were alright last night Nebet, the Chief Steward was pleased with your effort, you will be fine.”

Andrea nodded and then bit her bottom lip as she looked at Sesen uncertainly, not sure if she should broach the subject that was truly bothering her.

“Sesen, I’m…I’m not worried about the ceremony, well not much anyway. It’s… I’m worried about after the ceremony.”

“The banquet?” Sesen asked with genuine confusion. “It will be much like yesterday and you managed that very well.”

“Not the banquet, I… I mean after that.” Andrea ducked her head as a blush crept up her cheeks before she mumbled the rest of her statement. “When the king and I… when we’re alone, in the be..bedchamber.”

Sesen’s dark eyes widened as she realised what Andrea meant. Her lips quirked on one side and she just stopped herself from giggling.

“Nebet, you must know what happens in the marriage bed, you said you were a priestess of the Mother, surely her worship is not so different in the land of Kefti that you don’t know ? ”

Andrea looked up and scowled at the grinning girl. “I know what happens between a man and a woman in the marriage bed Sesen, but, but that can’t happen w…with us, with two women.”

Sesen sat back in surprise, uncertain about how to approach this puzzle, she was given both a reprieve and a possible clue as Andrea added an after- thought.

“I mean, what could the point be? The king can’t give me children, she can’t enter…she has no…” She blushed again. “Well, um you know what I mean.”

Sesen leant forward and put her hand back on her mistress’ knee.

“Nebet, what is between a man and a woman isn’t about marriage or just about creating children. The Mother made our bodies so that we might take pleasure from them, pleasure to create new life, pleasure to share our love, pleasure for its own sake, pleasure to give another and pleasure just for ourselves.” She paused watching Andrea take in what she was saying; she decided she would take advantage of the girl’s many invitations to be less formal.

“Andrea, Nebet, have you never touched yourself? Given yourself pleasure? ” 

The princess’ blush now stained her cheeks, neck and even her ears as she shook her head in the negative before clarifying that she at least knew what Sesen was talking about.

“Gorgo, she, she made me watch her in the bath once. She touched her breasts and umm her nether lips. She said it felt good and told me I should try it.” Her blush deepened. “She said she would help me to do it if I didn’t know how. Is… will the king want… I mean…is that what…? She stuttered to a halt her eyes wide with fear and uncertainty.

“Dearest Nebet, I do not know. It may be that your marriage will be only symbolic as the Chief Steward said last night. It may be that Mighty Horus will decide to take you to her bed. If she decides to make you her wife in truth, just remember she seemed quite kind yesterday, I’m sure she will be as kind in the marriage bed.”

Andrea thought about the truth of what Sesen was saying. Mereneith had been intimidating in the Great Hall but had been a little less so in the privacy of the royal apartments. Thinking of her interaction with the little princesses she let a tentative smile appear as she remembered that gentleness and good humour.

Her ruminations were brought to an abrupt close when a servant appeared to announce the Vizier had arrived to escort her to the King’s quarters. Rising from her chair she beckoned Sesen to follow her as she made her way to the outer reception area to meet Nakht and be led to her future, be it good, bad or indifferent for her there was no turning back. What would be would be.

Chapter Text

**

The group stood at the end of the spacious room facing the open shrine in its large alcove. The Third Prophet of Amun, MeryAmun stood to the side of the statue of Amun-Ra attended by two acolytes. Andrea studied the image of the Great God standing mid stride and bearing the Was sceptre and the double plumed Atef crown. The gold work was exceptionally fine and as Andrea took a closer look her eyes widened when she thought she detected a slight resemblance to the woman standing at her side. Blinking back her surprise she pondered how that might have come about; had the sculptor been trying to flatter or had he been trying to record his belief in his king’s divine parentage. Casting another sidelong glance at Mereneith she decided she’d wait for a different time to explore her own feelings on that subject.

The ceremony was quite different from the rituals practiced in her native Crete, but Andrea found the symbolism involved fascinating. Thus far it had been a matter of herself and Mereneith exchanging a series of ritual objects each one blessed by the priest and each balancing the other in the true spirit of Ma’at. She had given Mereneith a lotus blossom, a Menet knot amulet of carnelian and a small but anatomically correct female torso made from turquoise; in exchange Mereneith had given her a mandrake flower, a golden Djed pillar amulet and a small figure of the goddess Neith in her hermaphroditic state, proudly ithyphallic. As each item was handed over the recipient brought it to their lips to receive the symbolic essence of the object.

The exchange of the fertility amulets had caused the Princess to blush so deeply Mereneith had been afraid she might actually faint, but she rallied and handed the little figure of Neith to Kyrie Nashuja who was standing in for her cousin in the ritual and had received each gift for safe-keeping, while the Vizier Nakht had done the same duty for Mereneith.

Gifts exchanged, the Third Prophet now took the golden censor from the hands of one of the acolytes and turned back to the two women in front of him. Each of the little princesses came forward, the elder Neith-hotep handed a carved spoon filled with granules of incense to her mother while the younger girl, Neithnodjmet, performed the same service for Andrea. They each then poured the granules into the censor causing a lazy spiral of smoke to rise from the cup as MeryAmun swung the censor back to the shrine and recited the prayers of completion, the smoke continuing to curl around Amun’s golden limbs.

Prayers completed the priest handed off the censor and took the cup held by the second acolyte. He gave it to Mereneith who sipped from it before holding the cup out to her bride so that Andrea could touch her lips at the exact same point before taking her sip. Mereneith then handed the cup back to the priest who raised it high over his head before lowering it and spilling a red stream over the small stone offering table set before the shrine. Handing off the empty cup for another, the same sequence was repeated with water and then a final time with wine again.

Gifts exchanged and libations made, the Third Prophet of Amun smiled at the company and intoned the final benediction of Amun for his daughter and her chosen, pronouncing them joined and thus marking the end of the ritual. At the edge of the group Satneith breathed a sigh of relief that at least one hurdle of the day was now behind them. Mereneith took Andrea’s hands and bent forward to graze her lips over those of her blushing bride, smiling at the little gasp of surprise the brunette couldn’t manage to hold back. She continued to look at the girl until she met her eye allowing a teasing twinkle and small smirk to grace her features. To her delight Andrea answered the challenge darting forward to fleetingly return the kiss. Pleasantly surprised, the king eyed the girl, thoughtfully processing the pleasant experience afforded by the brief kisses. Continuing to muse over her new wife’s beauty and sweet nature she thought she might decide to reconsider her intentions in regard to their personal interactions.

Andrea bowed her head again, surprised by her own bravado and trying to process her own pleasure with the short kisses. Her attention was redirected when she felt a gentle tug on her dress and she looked down into the smiling face of Neith-nodjmet who tugged on her dress to make sure she had Andrea’s undivided focus. Glancing over at the nearby Sesen she asked her to translate her request.

“Sesen, will you please ask the Irtpa-hat what we should call her now. May we call her mama too?”

Mereneith held her hand up to the Chantress and knelt next to her daughter.

“Is that what you’d like to call Andrea, my Nedjset?”  The little girl smiled shyly up at the brunette woman and nodded to her mother.  With that Mereneith had Sesen interpret the request.

Andrea looked surprised, but smiled gently at the little girl before she replied Through Sesen.

“I’d like that very much and I’m honoured you want to call me mama, but what should I call you in return Irtpa-hat?”

The little girl smiled and clapped her hands. “You may call me Nedjset as well. Tell her it means ‘Little One’ Sesen. And you can call my…”

She was interrupted by her twin who had had quite enough of being spoken for by her sister.

“Well I’m going to call her Nebet Andrea, and she can call me Nebet Neith-hotep.” The small red-head held her chin up as if challenging anyone to disagree with her demand, which apparently no one was in a hurry to attempt.

New family titles decided upon, the small group made their way to the king’s private reception room. The priest and his acolytes paid their homage to Mereneith and left to return to Karnak in good time to attend their duties for the rest of the day’s ceremonies.

The others eyed the low tables set with a light breakfast of cakes, fruit and juices. They all waited for Mereneith and Andrea to seat themselves in the chairs of honour and then arranged themselves on the various stools and large cushions around the tables. Neith-nodjmet dragged one of the largest cushions over to sit at Andrea’s feet causing Mereneith to smile affectionately at her daughter’s obvious preference for the Cretan woman’s company.

They ate and drank for the better part of an hour before Nebet Segret arrived to escort the girls to the temple where they would be seated on the raised viewing platform in the Inner Court past the Great Columned Hall. They would be able to witness the coronation and blessing from the Gods in the company of the highest nobles in the land. Those who remained did so for only a few moments before they too went their separate ways to take their appointed places in the procession that would make its’ way from the palace to Mighty Amun’s personal domain.

***

The inhabitants of Thebes gathered along the nearly two mile route from the Great House to the domain of Amun at Karnak. The wide avenue, marked on both sides by a continuous row of ram headed sphinxes was also lined with soldiers keeping the thronging populace away from the royal procession. Andrea noticed the boys and men as they clambered onto the pedestals of the hundreds of statues trying to get a better look at their king and her new bride.

Startled when her litter bobbed precariously, she gripped the wooden arms of her throne, her bearers struggling with a dip in the road before they righted themselves. They waited a moment for the accompanying fan bearers to rearrange themselves so that their massive ostrich feathered fans were situated statically above Andrea’s head providing a protective shade from the scorching mid-day sun. She licked her lips and re-focused her vision on the king leading the procession far ahead of her litter.

Mereneith was some three hundred yards ahead, leading the procession in her chariot; resplendent in her armour and the blue and gold Kepresh war crown.  She had decided to travel this way to give her subjects the opportunity to see her as the strong war leader that was needed to deal with the enemies of Egypt. As she and her troops would be setting sail well before dawn the following day, this was the only chance the populace would have to see their king before her coming absence from the capital. She had carefully dictated the distance between her and Andrea’s litter so that the dust raised by her wheels and the stamping feet of her military escort would settle by the time her bride traversed the same patch of road. She wanted to ensure the populace also had a clear view of their new ‘almost’ queen.

Holding on to the side of the chariot with sure hands and keeping her stance easily, her charioteer guided the vehicle down the centre of the smooth avenue. This was not her war chariot, light and swift, able to carry her into the heart of battle like a flash of lightening, nor was it her hunting chariot heavily built to handle the ruts and rocks of the hunting trail, this was her state chariot, large, impressive and ornamented with gold and electrum from the wheels to the yoke polls. As intended, she made a truly impressive vision of power and majesty.

The procession wound its’ way through the city, past the great enclosure of Amun’s divine consort, Mut, where her priests and acolytes swelled the rows of onlookers. Shortly after the temple of Mut the main avenue angled to the right as it made its’ way to the southern entrance pylon of the great temple of Amun. They passed through a series of three great pylons and their interim courts before halting in the smallest of the courts that abutted the great columned hall of the main temple axis. Both Mereneith and Andrea dismounted their respective modes of transport and were lead through a short maze of corridors until they separated to enter their respective robing rooms.

Andrea was relieved to see Sesen waiting for her in the Robing Room of Mut, but less enthusiastic with the presence of the four noblewomen also in attendance. These ladies were the High Priestesses of different deities, Hathor, Isis, Mut and Nephthys, as well as the wives of some of the most powerful nobles in Thebes. It was to be their honour to dress Andrea in her regalia, with the exception of the crown and to escort her into the inner courts of the temple. Sesen ‘s role here was only that of interpreter, her position of Chantress of Hathor would not allow her beyond the outer courtyard of the Great Columned hall.

The women were actually quite kind and went about their duties in a gentle but business-like manner always affording Andrea the title of Princess and waiting patiently for the delay of translation. They carefully painted Andrea’s hands and the soles of her feet with henna allowing this to dry before they re-shod her feet with golden sandals. They replaced the dainty gold and semi -precious stones of her coronet with a much heavier multi-beaded headdress that imitated the vulture wings of the Goddess Nekhbet flowing down to reach her shoulders.   They then added a specially quilted bodice of gold cloth over her golden sheath dress, the quilting was cleverly done, giving the impression of bird feathers , now all Andrea needed to do was wait for her summons to the Great Court of the First Pylon where she would start the final step to becoming Queen of Egypt.

***

Mereneith made her way through the corridors with familiar ease only to be greeted by a group of very agitated priests and four of her Followers milling outside the Great Robing room. When she appeared the figure of Irsu moved forward from the mass of white robes and bowed low but not to the knee as was the custom within Amun’s domain and was about to address her directly when she barked out a command to know what this gathering was about to the senior Follower of His Majesty who had remained in attendance at the temple.

“Mighty Horus, the Second Prophet of Amun, Imefra has been found dead in his chambers a half an hour ago. The priests say a cobra attacked and bit him and he died from the poison.” The soldier saluted and stepped back to stand with his fellows.

Irsu pushed forward once more and was once again kept silent by his king’s raised hand. Mereneith looked appraisingly at him and the group with him, which noticeably was lacking the Third Prophet among its’ number. Making her decision quickly she spoke, addressing the First Prophet in a dangerous growl.

 “Show me.”

With that she pushed a Lector priest forward to lead the way with two of her guards moving off flanking him and left Irsu and the other priest to follow her with the rest of her escort bringing up the rear. They returned through the nearest pylon and followed a narrow corridor leading off from the far wall of the court toward the south-west corner of the Great enclosure where the priestly living quarters were situated. Ten minutes brought them to the well-appointed chambers of the Second Prophet.  Mereneith sent two of her men ahead to make sure there were no snakes still within the chamber.  When they returned with the all clear the group moved through the outer chamber into the inner bedchamber where they found the body of Imefra in an ungainly sprawl on the floor beside his sleeping couch.

Mereneith bent to examine the body noting the black and swollen neck where she could just make out the puncture marks of at least four separate bites, one directly to the artery explaining the larger than usual amount of blood around the wounds. She nudged the body over to examine the other side of his neck and torso and discovered yet more bite marks on his chest and legs. This was no simple attack by a single cobra, the extra set of bites meant there had been more than one snake involved. It was also proof that it was unlikely the man had been bitten here in his chambers. Mereneith knew that the royal guardians, while deadly, only attacked when startled unawares, they could strike more than once in rapid succession but would then make an escape as quickly as possible, and any secondary serpent in the area would have fled immediately, not waited around to join the fray.  This could only mean a deliberate set up for the Second Prophet, probably in a small enclosed space somewhere, and not an unfortunate accident while he slept.

As she straightened up from her examination, the First Prophet pushed forward and this time would not be silenced.

“This is the judgement of the Great God! Amun has spoken! He has put his seal of wrath upon this marriage and this would be queen. See here he has struck down one who spoke for the foreign woman to make her queen over Kemet! The coronation must not….” He was brought to an abrupt halt when Mereneith interjected.

“Enough!” She glared at Irsu, anger and disgust warring on her features as the older man looked back and couldn’t quite hide his own glare. Mereneith could see his deceptions, his lust for power in the pinprick pupils of his glaring eyes; once again she cursed the king of Kush for his damnable attack forcing her to split her attention at the worst possible time.  Still she would triumph, over the king of Kush and most certainly over this creeping scorpion in front of her.  She addressed the group not raising her voice but speaking with authority and conviction.

“Enough! The First Prophet speaks the truth when he says this is the judgment of MY Father Amun the Great God.”

There was a collective gasp from those present including Irsu who took an involuntary step back at this completely unexpected declaration.

“It is indeed my Father’s judgment that the blasphemer, Imefra, was due just punishment for his transgression, but the man’s transgression was not the support of His daughter’s choice of queen.” As she watched those in the room, she noted that her emphasis on her filial relationship with the God was having the desired effect on all save the man directly in front of her. 

“The Great God, my Father, told me to watch in the night that a traitor and blasphemer would be revealed and a true servant would be deceived and tested and would be vindicated and so it came about.”  She then related the story of Ranefor to them all, without mentioning the boys reward or whereabouts. “And so my Father, Mighty Amun-Ra, King of the Gods, Ruler of the Heavens has meted out his punishment as he will always do to those who would transgress against him and his beloved Daughter.”

The room broke into whispers of awe and murmurs of agreement at the mightiness of their God and the swiftness and finality of his judgment and punishment. Mereneith ordered the body be removed and burned and that Imefra’s name be stricken and erased from every document he’d ever signed or was mentioned on. His destiny was complete annihilation in this life and the afterlife, even Ammit, the Great Devourer would go hungry in the Hall of Judgment for no soul of Imefra would exist for her to consume. 

Her command stated, Mereneith immediately headed back to the Great Robing room to prepare for the ceremony. As they had made their way to Imefra’s rooms, she had sent several of her men to inform all involved there would be a delay in the commencement of the ceremony, but giving no indication of the reasons for the delay.

Andrea stepped out from between the two pillars of the small portico on one side of the Great Court even as Mereneith did the same from the portico set directly opposite. Her tall frame was now clad in the full regalia of the Pharaoh of Egypt, God and King of the Two Lands. She wore a brilliant, multi-pleated, white linen shirt and similar kilt that fell to her knees and was fronted with a starched and pleated triangular apron. Her gold and leather belt had the long bull’s tail attached at the small of her back and bore her royal cartouches as it’s’ buckle in the front. A huge pectoral of electrum and lapis covered her chest and, much to her irritation, kept bumping into the stiff leather and gold, fake beard that jutted down from the centre of her chin, firmly secured by a leather strap tied at the back of her head above her ears.

For the first time Andrea saw the impressive Double crown of Egypt in all its’ splendour. The white baubled dome of Upper Egypt cradled within the dark red nest with rising lip at the back of Lower Egypt, two crowns brought together to make a new one just as the lands had been brought together to make mighty Egypt in those long ago days. Andrea also noted the final emblems of kingship, the crook of the good steward and the flail of the Lord of justice grasped firmly together in one hand.

When the two figures met in the middle of the great court, Andrea sank quickly to her knees and made full obeisance before her husband, her lord and now her king. As she rose with slightly less grace, Mereneith granted her a small smile of encouragement and the young woman managed to steady herself sufficiently before they turned and began to walk through the crowds of lesser nobles and State officials and lesser priests toward the long portico that led into the Columned Hall.  

When they entered the gloomy chamber Andrea nearly stumbled with temporary blindness due to the sudden change from bright sunlight to the darkness of the stone roofed hall, the gloom only lessened by small grilled windows close to the roof allowing some light to penetrate the mysterious space.  The two continued to pace along the main corridor through the hundreds of pillars, the space to either side eerily empty of all save the Divine presence. Emerging into the smaller court beyond Mereneith slowed the pace allowing a blinking Andrea to readjust to the bright sunlight.

This smaller court held temporary raised platforms where the highest nobles in the land were comfortably seated to properly witness the coronation as it took place in front of the small pylon that marked the entrance to the inner temple and the Holy of Holies where Amun dwelt, observing and absorbing all that passed in this his earthly domain. Andrea took a moment to glance to her right where she could just make out two small figures being restrained from leaning over the guard rail set at the edge of the platform; it would seem her new daughters were intent on getting the best view of the ceremony possible. The thought caused her to smile in genuine affection.

At this point there was a flurry of movement and a number of figures moved quickly forward from the depths of the inner temple toward the royal couple eventually coming to surround Andrea and separate her from Mereneith who continued forward to mount the massive stone throne that faced out toward the nobles. Beside the stone throne was set a much smaller and far more delicate chair of ebony inlaid with ivory and gold. Placed in the centre of the chair was a huge golden crown, the great crown of Mut, the chief crown of the Queen. The base was a circlet of rearing cobras fronted by a bejewelled king cobra and vultures head hanging lower than the circlet. From within the circle of snakes rose the delicate curved horns of Hathor cradling the disc of the sun from which rose the two great falcon feathers of Amun. Andrea could only imagine how heavy it was going to be if it was solid gold and prayed that it wasn’t.

The figures surrounding Andrea were all dressed in blinding white linen sheaths with jewelled arm bands and pectoral collars and all wore intricately carved, decorated and frighteningly life-like masks, some human, some sacred animals. These were the Goddesses of Egypt come forth to welcome and bless the newest member of their company, the consort of the God-King. There were the Two Ladies, the goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt, vulture headed Nekhbet and Cobra headed Buto, beautiful Isis complete with miniature throne on her head, cow-headed Hathor, winged Nephthys, Amun’s own consort Mut, lioness Sekhmet and the cat Bast as well as several lesser known deities from along the length of the mighty river.

They swirled and circled round Andrea as she tried not to succumb to dizziness from their constant motion; as they moved they bowed and touched her face, her body, her breasts and thighs, all offering their blessings of health and fruitfulness. Suddenly she felt a considerable weight land on her shoulders as Nekhbet and Buto draped a heavy cloak of gold cloth embroidered as the wings of a great bird over her shoulders and secured it to her dress and bodice. Then they whirled and spun away from her toward the sanctuary melting into the inky blackness of the large doorway in the inner pylon, and Andrea was left alone facing Mereneith on her throne.

“This is the wife of my body, the sister of my soul, my mate who now I take as my queen, to bear my children and to rule beside me in the blessing of all that is good and right according to Ma’at and in the eyes of my Father Mighty Amun-Ra, King of the Gods, Creator of the world.”

Andrea made obeisance at these words and then rose and stepped forward until she was a few steps in front of Mereneith on her throne, where she sank to her knees and bowed her head. There was another flurry of movement from the inner sanctuary and out stepped one more Goddess, masked with the face of a beautiful woman wearing a crown that combined an unstrung bow and a weavers shuttle. The patron deity of the King and her mother before her, Neith, had come to especially bless this union.  She was over six foot in height and moved with regal grace as she strode to the smaller throne and gathered the golden plumed crown into her hands before approaching the kneeling woman in front of her.  Mereneith also stood and moved to flank the goddess.

“My sister, my wife, you are no longer a daughter of Kefti, but a true daughter of Kemet and as one born anew I give you your name. Henceforth you are Neferemkau, she who is beautiful of souls.”

Mereneith smiled reassuringly at the confusion on Andrea’s face, knowing the poor young woman couldn’t understand her declaration. At this point Mereneith departed from the planned ceremony and repeated the formulation, as best she could in her broken Cretan, so that Andrea would know what had just occurred.

Neith stepped forward and raised the crown over the kneeling woman before lowering and securing it to her headdress. As she performed this action she spoke in a rich deep voice that reached to the raised platforms so that all could hear.

“Blessings of the gods of Kemet be upon you my daughter, chosen of the Chosen of Mighty Amun-Ra Lord of Heaven.” The goddess bent and took Andrea by the elbow helping her up from her knees.

“Rise up Neferemkau, Lady of Grace, Lady of the Two Lands, Great of Praises, Great King’s Wife, Lady of all Women, God’s wife, Mistress of Upper and Lower Kemet.” The crowd gasped as the goddess took the golden clad figure into a tender embrace, none apparently noticing the jerk of the new queens shoulders as the taller figure appeared to kiss the queen’s cheek.

When Andrea had looked up into the masked face of the vessel of the Goddess her breath caught in her throat and her vision blurred a little as the mask appeared to melt away and behind it she recognised the visage of the Great Mother Rhea. The goddess smiled at her servant and pulled her into an embrace that she might speak in her ear. Andrea’s shoulder jerked in surprise when the words the goddess spoke were in her native tongue.

“My beloved child, I wear many faces to my many children but all are one and the same in the centre of mystery, for I am the Mother of all things. You have served me with a glad and loving heart and you will be rewarded.” She pulled away saying her final words as her beautiful face morphed back to that of the painted mask of Neith. “Be brave, have faith, all will be well.”

With that the divine vessel of the goddess touched Andrea’s forehead in a final benediction before following the path of the other goddesses back into the main sanctuary. When she was gone Mereneith stepped forward and Andrea could see the fading signs of wonder on her face and she wondered if the king had heard and understood the goddess’s words. Mereneith nodded and took her hand as she turned them toward the sanctuary entrance. They stepped around the two thrones and made their way to the threshold where they both stopped waiting for the priests to step forward.

Irsu now appeared in his full regalia, jewels gleaming and newly acquired leopard skin clasped across his shoulders. He held a great golden incense burner in the shape of a forearm and hand holding a bowl filled with the smell of divine myrrh, that most pleasing scent to the gods. Meryamun stood beside him with a smaller burner filled with frankincense. They both wafted the censors over the royal couple as they intoned the ancient prayers of blessing and completion. Their differing tones of voice were clear to the royal couple, the First Prophet’s words being ground out through clenched teeth while the Third Prophet’s clear tenor vibrated with awe, respect and indeed pleasure at the fulfilment of the divine will. When the censors dimmed the two priests had the bowls refilled and two more Lector priests stepped forward to hand similar censors to each of the royal couple.

Mereneith and Andrea moved forward and the two priests followed behind them as all four stepped into the coolness of the inner temple. The great doors behind them were left fully open so those in the outer court could see and follow their progress. They paced through the outer hall flanked by many small shrines until they came to a set of bronze plated doors that were swung open by two Lector priests, again leaving them open as the quartet continued on into the inner chamber, the last before the Holy of Holies.  The clever architecture of the gradually lowering roof, combined with the relatively short length of each chamber meant the crowd outside could still clearly make out the group as they stood before the solid gold doors of the inmost sanctuary of Amun.

Royal couple and priests alike lifted their censors and began to move them side to side, fanning the coals and increasing the wisps of scented smoke rising into the air as two more Lector priests moved forward and slowly opened the heavy doors to reveal the Holy of Holies. The space within was only dimly lit by high clerestory windows, but the gleam of Amun’s golden limbs seemed to burst forth from the gloom as soon as the light of the torches around the outer chamber reached into the inner chamber. 

The four figures raised their censors high and the First Prophet began to intone the Hymn of Praise in his slightly wheezy voice, broken only as MeryAmun and the Lector priests burst forth with the required responses. As the hymn ended, Mereneith and Andrea handed their censors to two more attendant priests. Mereneith then took Andrea’s hand and lead her three steps into the inmost sanctuary before she spoke in a loud clear voice that only faintly carried back to the outer court.

“Blessed are you my Father, Mighty Amun-Ra, King of Heaven, who engendered me to be Your Presence on earth. As you, my beloved Father commanded I have given Kemet a queen that Ma’at may be maintained as You have commanded.”

With complete synchronicity the royal couple knelt before the great golden statue.

“My Father, grant us your blessing that the land of Kemet may know your will and follow your beloved Daughter in joy!” Mereneith raised her voice, so that this time the words carried clearly out to the waiting nobles.

Then the royal couple bent forward and paid homage to the King of Heaven staying bowed with their heads pressed to the warmth of the beaten gold of the sanctuary floor. They stayed there for some minutes before Mereneith began to raise her torso only to be stopped in mid motion as a deep, thundering voice boomed forth from her Father’s image, radiating out through the sanctuary, the small outer court, through the columned hall and rolling on to the throngs in the great outer Court.

“It is done. It is well done my beloved Daughter.”

The outer courts erupted in cheers and shouted exclamations of wonder, awe and joy at the Great God’s stated pleasure and blessing for their mighty king, His daughter. The sounds of jubilation travelled back into the inner sanctuary rolling over the royal and priestly party and echoing within the Holy of Holies seeming to blanket the golden statue in the adulation of Mighty Amun’s people.

Mereneith sank back down to her forehead before rising, bringing Andrea with her and bowing her head once more in thanks to her divine parent. She looked over at Irsu whose complexion had turned almost as white as his priestly robes and whose eyes were wide in shock as he stared at the great statue. Seeming to sense the eyes observing him he looked over to Mereneith to see the king staring back at him with a cold hard look. This brought him back to his senses a little as his hatred of the woman, divinely begotten or not, surged through him. He noted the face of the female Horus showed no signs of what she was feeling, no surprise, no triumph, no sign of animosity even, it was a completely blank yet intent look and this confused the priest no end.

Irsu’s natural religious scepticism quickly reasserted itself as he began to wonder who within the Holy precinct had betrayed him by orchestrating this trickery, one that he had used himself in times past. Glancing at the Third Prophet he noted the haze of genuine faith and awe that fairly shone from the fools face as he bowed again and again to the statue of Amun and to the king and her consort, babbling prayers and benedictions as he bobbed, allowing him to dismiss the man as his potential foe. The idea that it truly had been the Great God’s voice speaking did not for a moment enter the twisted labyrinth of his furtive little soul. Looking once more at Mereneith who was now speaking in a low voice to the Keftiu woman, Irsu reined his thoughts and feelings under control once more and began doing what must be done if his greater plans were to come to fruition. Divine voices not withstanding he would triumph over this so-called king and he would have his long schemed for reward. No set backs or temple tricks would stand in his way.

Andrea was trembling with her shock at the divine utterance of the golden deity. The appearance and the comforting words of her own goddess had only filled her with awe and gratitude, but the great and booming voice of the unknown Amun-Ra had left her frightened and unsure, not east of all because she was uncertain of what exactly the voice had said.

Mereneith seeing her consort’s quivering shoulders stepped to her side and spoke to the girl once more in her limited Cretan trying to reassure the young woman and tell her of the Great God’s blessing on their union and her installation as Queen. When she had calmed Andrea sufficiently she turned back one final time toward the image of her divine parent and raised both her hands in the air in acclamation and thanksgiving before she turned, took Andrea’s hand and strode back out to the small court.

As the royal couple emerged into the sunbathed courtyard the watching nobles once more erupted in cheers and acclamation, the sound catching and igniting an answer roar from the outer court and faintly from the far distance a final echo of the roar from the populace crowded outside the sacred precinct’s walls. The king led her new queen and helped her settle in the smaller throne before she sat in her own stone seat.

The Chief Herald of North and South, Puamra,  stepped forward and intoned the titles of the king and his new queen, declaring the new order in Egypt and reiterating the divine benediction given, ordering all to bow before their divine monarch and her consort.  Everyone, including the herald himself, made obeisance before the King and Queen of Egypt, rising and bowing again three times before regaining their feet and continuing to cheer and applaud.  Mereneith couldn’t keep the smile from her lips as she spotted her beloved Hawklings cheering right along with everyone else as well as blowing kisses towards the enthroned couple. She was hard pressed not to give into her laughter when her Nedjset grabbed hold of Segret’s hands and began to lead her in a jaunty little dance.

After several minutes accepting the adulation Mereneith stood up as the Herald banged his staff several times and called for silence. When the crowd had finally quieted down Mereneith stepped down from her throne, beckoning Andrea to follow suit.

“Today is a time of joy and feasting. Eat, drink, dance and bless the great God Amun-Ra for his blessing and bounty bestowed on Kemet from His mighty hand. Tomorrow the sons of Kemet go forth to punish the vile Kushite who dares to raise his head and his hand against the might of Kemet. He will be crushed into the dust of the desert, his women, his sons and daughters will be brought back as captives to serve the God’s estates in Kemet. So let it be done!”

The crowd broke into a cheering frenzy once more as the royal couple retraced their earlier path through the small court, great columned hall and into the main court beyond. Here they were met by the roar of the larger crowd getting their first look at their newly crowned queen. Rather than walk across the court, they were seated side by side on wooden thrones set on a single great litter that was then raised to the shoulders of some 60 muscled servants. The litter continued out the main entrance through the largest of the temple pylons and down another paved avenue bordered by huge ram-headed sphinxes almost twice the size of those that had lined the route from the palace to the temple.

This new avenue was short and led directly to the sacred quay where the God’s great gilded cedar barque bobbed gently at its’ moorings. Beside the divine vessel rested the king’s flagship the ‘Mighty Arm of Amun’ with the gangplank down waiting for the arrival of the royal party. Mereneith and Andrea stepped down from the lowered litter and walked up the gang plank as their thrones were carried up behind them and set on the foredeck of the ship under a tented awning erected to protect them from the late afternoon sun. Once the royal couple were settled the huge ship pushed off from the quay and the oarsman dipped their huge paddles into the water working the rise and fall smoothly, rowing against the current to carry them all the two miles south to the Great House of the King.

When Andrea rounded the corner of the awning her eyes lit up in gratitude as Sesen stepped forward offering her a cool drink of water to slake her thirst. Mereneith ordered some cushions for their chairs and sat down, likewise gratefully accepting a drink from her cup-bearer and downing the contents in a single gulp before demanding more. They sat in companionable silence as they sailed past the river banks thronged on both sides by the entire populace of Thebes eager to get another glimpse of their God-king and their new queen.

When they arrived at the palace they both retired to their private chambers to remove the heavy royal regalia and re-dress for the banquet in something far more comfortable. Mereneith’s preparations were the simple removal of the ceremonial beard and swapping the cumbersome double crown for the far more comfortable nemes headdress. Andrea shed the heavy cloak and the bodice remaining in her original cloth of gold sheath and was finally rid of the heavy golden crown replacing it with a delicate gold coronet shaped like twining branches, leaves and flowers, the petals set out in inlaid faience of different colours.

The rest of the early evening and night was taken up with another huge banquet in the main reception hall of the palace. This time the celebration was much less formal than the day before, the dais set with piles of cushions and low tables to dine while reclined on the cushions. The dais was also reserved just for the royal party and their servants this evening and Mereneith and Andrea were joined by the little princesses as soon as they had returned to the palace and had a short nap. Neith-nodjmet settled on the cushions right beside Andrea with Neith-hotep grudgingly settling in on the other side, placing herself between Andrea and her mother.

Both girls proceeded to take on their new duties of language tutors quite seriously and spent the evening trying to teach Andrea the entire Egyptian tongue in one sitting. Andrea gamely tried to keep up with them, genuinely touched by their enthusiasm, until Mereneith intervened and told the girls to slow down and use Sesen’s skills to talk with Andrea. When Neith-hotep began to sulk, Mereneith poked the little girl in the ribs as she reminded her daughter it had taken her a few years to master the skill of speaking.  Reluctantly Neith-hotep broke into giggles as her mother continued to poke and tickle her ribs. Neith-nodjmet leapt to her twin’s assistance and launched herself over Andrea and attempted to help her sister tickle their mother. The royal battle lasted for several minutes until both Hawk and Hawklings lay gasping for breath large grins on all their faces. Once again Andrea was charmed at the easy affection expressed between Mereneith and her children.

The little girls were sent off to bed just after the second hour of night. Mereneith embraced them both and spoke quietly to each before calling Nebet Segret forward to escort them to the nursery. This was the last she would see of them before she left for Kush in the hours before the following morning’s dawn.  Neith-hotep had thawed enough that she bade Andrea goodnight in a sleepily friendly wave which the Cretan woman noticed over the other twins’ head. Neith-nodjmet was giving her an enthusiastic hug while at the same time engaging Sesen in negotiations to spend time with Andrea on the following afternoon. Promise obtained, the little girl bade her new ‘mama’ good night, and dove in for a final hug from her mother, then joined her sister taking Segret’s free hand as they left the hall.

Mereneith and Andrea remained at the banquet half way into the fourth hour of night before the king decided it was time to retire. Leaving the rest of the guests to continue celebrating into the late hours she summoned Puamra to call for silence. Before she rose to her feet and addressed her guests.

“My friends, this has truly been a glorious day, complete with my Father’s blessing. A fitting day to see His daughter off to the battles that wait in the south. Be assured that we will sail back from Kush victorious and lay the spoils of our conquests before My Father’s throne.  Irtpa-ha Nakht will be a worthy regent until my return. May Amun-Ra the King of Heaven bless your paths as He will bless mine.”  Finished her short farewell to her court, she turned and held her hand out to Andrea, helping her rise and steadying her once she was standing. Smiling she laid the young woman’s hand atop her own and descended the side of the dais. Mereneith paused to speak with Nakht to instruct him to come to her chambers in an hour to discuss some last minute instructions.

Mereneith ushered a now very nervous Andrea into her inner reception room, sending her waiting servants off to get some wine. As they’d passed through her outer chamber her eyes had immediately drifted over to the table and chair that served as her desk. It was piled high with papyri, carefully rolled and stacked and all still awaiting her attention before she would be free to leave for Kush with a clear mind. She knew it was unlikely she’d see her sleeping couch before she left for Kush. She would have to catch up on her sleep as she sailed southward.

When the wine arrived the king dismissed her servants and encouraged Andrea to sit before handing her a cup of wine and taking the chair beside her, taking a sip of the potent drink she had avoided earlier in the day before speaking. Mereneith had made the decision that this conversation was one she must have without the aid of an interpreter, but had taken the time to ask the Chantress for some of the words in Cretan that she would need for the subject she intended to discuss.

“You did very well today Nebet.” The girl nodded her head in thanks for the praise, but didn’t raise her eyes to meet Mereneith’s , studying her golden cup as she held it in both hands, so the older woman pushed on with what she had to say.

“Andrea we must talk. I hope my Kefti is fluent enough for you to understand.” At this the young woman looked up, a blush stained her cheeks and she hunched her shoulders uncomfortably before ducking her head. Mereneith made as if to continue but stopped when Andrea began to speak.

“M…Majesty, I… I have not been truthful with you. I, well I know much more of your tongue than I allowed you or anyone else to know.” The brunette looked up to catch Mereneith’s strange look which combined surprise and a certain understanding. Detecting no hint of anger she continue.

“I did not mean to deceive you Majesty, I well, I just…I don’t know…” She trailed to a halt uncertain how to explain her actions. 

Mereneith smiled gently and answered for her. “You needed to protect yourself in some way, people would speak more openly if they believed you could not understand them and that gave you knowledge that you could use to your benefit should the need arise.”  Andrea blushed and nodded in agreement at Mereneith’s description before she once again apologised for her deception.

“Where did you learn the tongue of Kemet? I thought you had been raised in a mountain temple far from the House of Minos?” Mereneith settled back, encouraging Andrea to speak in Egyptian to try and gage her level of fluency. She was pleased to see that the girl’s Egyptian was just about as good as her Cretan and she imagined that like herself, she could understand a little more of the language than she herself could speak.

Andrea told the tale of the Egyptian trader who came annually to trade at the temple and to offer his homage to the Great Mother. How he had come one winter, four years ago, when the storms of the season arrived early and he had been caught out on the mountain as he travelled. He’d been knocked off his donkey and pinned under a huge tree trunk blown over by the gale. He was rescued by some shepherds who brought him to the sanctuary where the priestesses cared for him. Andrea had always liked him and spent a lot of time with him over the several months it took his two broken legs to heal. He spoke fluent Cretan but enjoyed the task of teaching her to speak his tongue. When his legs had healed he left the precinct and never returned, but Andrea tried as best she could to retain what she had learned.

“I imagine more has come back to you the longer you have been surrounded by people speaking the tongue of Kemet.” Mereneith offered as she considered this interesting change in circumstances. The girl wasn’t exactly fluent and needed more instruction before she would be able to hold her own in conversation, but for the moment her unknown fluency would still be useful to her as she navigated the ins and outs of the royal Court.

“Nebet, thank you for trusting me with this information, I understand why you wished to keep it to yourself. “ She looked earnestly into brown eyes before she continued.  “Andrea, I would like you to keep this information to yourself. Allow the twins to help with your instruction and allow them to see your improvement as a gradual thing. Keep the advantage you have and let it help you as you grow accustomed to your new station here in Thebes.” Andrea nodded and accepted Mereneith’s advice, grateful for her understanding. The king looked at her appraisingly before starting again.

“Nebet, I know that you are feeling unsure and out of your depth with this strange situation. Having a husband who is in fact a wife must be very confusing.” She leant forward elbows on her knees. “The truth is Andrea, when this union was planned I really hadn’t thought beyond the political needs of the situation. Since your arrival I have realised that there is also the issue of the marriage couch.” She sighed and made to run her hands over her hair, meeting the nemes head-dress she pulled it from her head, shaking out the silver white mane underneath.

Andrea was mesmerised by the silver halo as it settled around the strong face. She noted the stray lock that settled over the older woman’s forehead and felt an overwhelming urge to lean forward and sweep it back into place. Looking into piercing blue she saw the woman behind the crown, the mother of mischievous little girls, she saw someone she could get to know. She watched as Mereneith brushed the stray lock back herself and sat back in her chair.

“You are a very beautiful woman Andrea, with a sweet nature. I will be honest and say I don’t know how we will negotiate the details of our relationship and I won’t have the leisure to explore that until I return from Kush. Until then know that I am pleased with you and look forward to getting to know you better and for you to know me better. In the meantime the one thing you should know now, is that when we are alone, or with only the girls or Nakht you should call me Mereneith, as I will call you Andrea. Neferemkau, however accurate a description it may be for you, is only a throne name.”  Mereneith caught the little yawn the brunette tried to stifle and smiled at her continued tired attention. Mereneith rose from the chair just as her servant entered to announce the arrival of the Vizier. She ordered that he wait for her in the outer chamber and dismissed the servant before turning back to the young woman who had stood even as she had.

“It is expected that we share the marriage couch tonight but it is unlikely I will retire before I sail, the Vizier and I have too many things still to deal with before that.” She walked over to Andrea who had started to sway with fatigue, and took her elbow turning her toward the doorway in the far wall. “The bedchamber is through there, go, and get some rest.” The young woman nodded and bid Mereneith goodnight before disappearing through the door.

Two hours before dawn Mereneith tiredly entered her bed chamber, she had bathed and then dressed in her inner reception room so as not to wake her slumbering bride. She stepped toward the large couch in the centre of the room moving past the great carved lion’s paws that made up the piece of furniture’s legs, and gazed down at the woman still sleeping soundly. The long dark hair fanned out across a pillow cushioning her head and one bare shoulder peaked out where the single coverlet had slipped down to just above her breasts. She was a vision of beauty and Mereneith took a few minutes to enjoy that beauty before she reached out to gently shake the bared shoulder, gasping at the softness of the skin beneath her fingertips.

Andrea woke with a start and sat up in the bed allowing the coverlet to slip to her waist, coming more to herself she looked up at Mereneith before she reached hastily for the sheet and pulled it over her chest. Mereneith couldn’t help the tiny smirk at this action given the full view the woman had afforded of her chest the entire first day they’d been together.

“I’m about to leave for the quay and wanted to say goodbye first.” Mereneith spoke in a low tone.

“That was kind of you Maj..Mereneith.” Andrea smiled shyly and reached out to touch the king’s arm. “Be careful Mereneith. Make sure you return safely. The Great Mother watch over you and all Kemet’s sons who fight by your side.”

Touched by the benediction Mereneith covered her hand with her own and bent to kiss Andrea’s forehead. Straightening once again she bid her farewell.

“Good luck with my Hawklings Andrea. Don’t let them get the best of you, because believe me they will try.” Andrea grinned and nodded her agreement.  Mereneith smiled, disengaged Andrea’s hand from her arm and left the chamber swiftly heading toward the quay. Kush awaited and her heart beat harder as her anticipation grew with each lengthened stride ultimately taking her south to the heat of battle.

Chapter Text

Mereneith climbed the last step up to the parapet acknowledging the sentry who brought his spear to attention beside him but did not take his eyes from the sandy horizon. She stood beside the tall man and surveyed the desert floor beneath the towering outer ramparts of the mighty fortress. Spread out below them were the carefully spaced horse lines of the chariot brigades flanked by neat rows of tents for the charioteers and their mounted warriors and beyond them the further tents of the Braves of the King and the Division of Amun.  Glancing back over her shoulder she saw similar neat rows of tents taking up the huge space between these outer ramparts and the walls of the fortress proper. Nodding to the soldier she moved off to do a circuit of the outer walls before she gathered her Commanders to go over the latest reports from the southern forts.

When she’d arrived at Aswan three days after sailing from Thebes she had been pleased to see her General, the Troop Commander Kenamun had already dispatched three of the four assembled Divisions south to the Fortress of Buhen along with a large flotilla of supply ships. They waited for two days for the ships to return and then the supply ships were reloaded and the rest of the troops had sailed against the noticeably rising flood waters of the inundation joining up with their fellows eight days later. Mereneith had spent the day inspecting the troops and chariot corps, acquainting herself with her lesser officers, and letting the men see she knew her trade when it came to war. This was, after all, not her first campaign, even if it was likely to be the greatest campaign so far of her reign. She would be content if it were the greatest of her reign ever, war was a wasteful endeavour and not one she actively chose to pursue.

The Commandant of Buhen had given over his quarters to his king during her stay and had moved in with his second in command. The meeting of senior officers however, needed to take place in the courtyard of the temple of Horus as the only enclosed area in the fortress that could accommodate the numbers.  The latest news from the south appeared to be that the king of Kush had withdrawn to consolidate his forces after having raided as a far north as the settlement of DedunSai. The garrison from Amara had come to the town’s support and the Kushites had attacked only once before withdrawing to the south.

As promising as the successful Egyptian defence against a raiding party might have been, the reported number of the enemy massing further to the south, 10-12 thousand strong was of much greater concern to the Egyptians. Small raiding bands from Kush of a few hundred up to occasionally a thousand men, were a sporadic but constant event on the frontier, but the deployment of such a major force as the one reported had not occurred for more than 150 years. Something had happened to make the king of Kush reckless enough to strike with such force and risk the might of Egypt’s retribution. Mereneith and her senior officers were particularly concerned about this unknown element in the equation. Kenamun, who knew his king well enough to know she prized truth above courtly niceties, made a suggestion of what might be at least partially responsible for the action. The Kushite ruler had only recently taken the throne and was a young man of 19 intent on making a name for himself and distinguishing himself from his forebears; Kenamun suggested that his youthful lust for glory might be coupled with a lack of respect for the female Horus, thinking that a female ruler would not prove any sort of challenge to his own warrior prowess.  Those officers who knew Mereneith and had campaigned with her in the past had all let forth a laugh at that which had brought a gratified feral smile to Mereneith’s features in response.

The rest of the meeting dealt with the details of troop deployments, scouting necessities and the coming march along the Nile as they headed south to confront the Kushites. It was at this juncture that the prince and now Troop Commander, Sethirkopshef made his presence known by querying why they didn’t just portage the ships of the fleet around the cataract and sail from Buhen to the fortress of Iminuserkhepesh -Huiefersy. He’d taken note that some 35 of the supply ships and four of the transport ships had been moved in this way in order to ghost the marching army carrying the chariots and extra gear and food that would keep them supplied in the barren areas they would be travelling through.

At first Mereneith and her senior officers indulged the question as it came from someone new to military campaigns and it was an acceptable way for him to learn, but when he’d been told the reason and he had followed up with the demand rather than request, that he travel with the flotilla, the gathering cooled considerably to the haughty young man. Mereneith eyed her kinsman, resplendent in a coat of golden scale armour that would be of little help to him in battle save to make him an easy target to hundreds of bowman greedy to claim such riches for their own. She reminded herself he had no experience in this and tempered her annoyance when she spoke.

“Why would you want to travel with the supply flotilla Troop Commander?” Her choice of title was deliberate and she hoped he would take the hint. Alas the young man appeared to be oblivious to her tone and her words as he snottily replied.

“I am an Irtpa-ha and should not have to sweat and slog through sand dunes as we travel, it is beneath my dignity. I shall travel with you, Majesty, in the comfort of the lead ship of the fleet.” The young man planted his feet and crossed his arms over his chest daring anyone, even the king to gainsay the rightness of his claim. He’d faltered a little in his resolve at the rumble of chuckles from the hard military men around him when he’d said the second part of his statement, but he chose to see this as their collective dislike of having to provide the proper respect to two royal personages instead of just one. He continued to look at his distant cousin, waiting for her to agree to his claim.

Mereneith stifled her sigh of irritation with the young man, unsurprised at his ignorance and haughtiness and stepped forward till she stood directly in front of him. She was pleased to see that she topped his impressive stature by a good two inches and could look down at him to make her point very clear.

“You believe I will be lolling on a couch on the foredeck, fan bearers and cupbearers seeing to my needs as I sail and my men march under the fierce eye of my Father the great God Amun-Ra?” Her eyes bored into the prince who flinched at her casual reminder of her divine parent. Sethirkopshef took a half step back, realising he’d gravely miscalculated the woman before him. He looked at the other men scrabbling for a hint of support from any one of them but meeting only hard looks ranging from pity and annoyance to outright hostility.

“You are new to campaigning Irtpa-ha, and it seems that my late unlamented husband was as great a failure as a military instructor as he was as a Consort. Allow me therefore to correct his faulty instruction. I, and all who hold command under me, march with their men, we march as one, we serve as one and we fight as one. This, Troop Commander, is how you lead men, from the front, not from the rear.” She tried but she just couldn’t keep the sneer from her voice as she finished. “And not from the side and on your back in the comfort of a supply ship.”

The prince had the good grace to blush at this very public lesson, but his eyes held pure venom and he glared at Mereneith’s back as she turned and walked away dismissing the meeting as she did so.

***

Andrea sat among the comfortable cushions piled on the floor of her private reception room and smiled at the two little girls busily instructing a number of servants where to put down the food and drink, and bowls and ceramics, and an array of dozens of other small items on the three low tables in front of the young woman. She shot an amused look at Sesen who was seated beside her ready to assist the young princesses in their lesson. The Chantress managed to note the girls’ attention refocusing on the two of them and adjusted her jovial smile to something a little more serious for the instruction about to take place.

The king had sailed some five hours earlier and Andrea had thought it would provide some distraction for Mereneith’s Hawklings if they were to start her lessons that morning. She smiled again as the little girls each dragged a cushion to sit beside and between the tables before making themselves comfortable and facing the two women.

“Sesen, please tell Mama we talked about this yesterday and Miwsher and me decided that it would probably be best to teach her the words for the things she will need most of all like food and clothes and jewels and stuff like that.” She beamed at the dark skinned woman when she relayed Andrea’s approval of the system and compliment on the little girls’ intelligence for coming up with the plan.

They spent several hours with the princesses teaching the Queen the individual words for each item and giggling when her pronunciation wasn’t quite right or her accent twisted the sounds into a slightly different word altogether. Andrea bore the giggles gracefully and about an hour or so into the session hit on an idea that she thought the girls might like and that she thought Mereneith would probably approve of as well. As the children taught her the Egyptian words for each item she in turn started to teach them the Cretan word for the same item.

Neith-hotep was very enthusiastic with this change in arrangement and took to the new words with great glee. Neith-nodjmet enjoyed herself as well but felt it far more important that Andrea learn Egyptian as quickly as possible so they would be able to speak to her more easily. She liked Sesen, and it was kind of fun having the extra dimension of translation going on, but she longed to be able to have private conversations with her new parent without the need for a go-between.

The lesson lasted until an hour past mid-day when Nebet Segret returned to take the girl’s back to the Royal nursery for their mid-day meal and afternoon sleep. Sesen organised the servants to remove the remains of the lesson and the delivery of a light mid-day meal for the queen before they too took the opportunity for a nap. Andrea had discovered that sleeping through the oppressive heat of the early afternoon was a well-used custom in Egypt practiced by the highest to the lowest in the land as their circumstances permitted. As she stretched out on her couch one of her servants moved forward and she felt the cooling air moved by the sway of the great ostrich feathered fan waft across her sweating skin. The regular swoosh of the fan quickly lulled her to sleep.

Later in the afternoon she met with the Chief Steward in her outer reception room. Satneith was there to begin the queen’s instruction in some of the duties she would need to carry out and to inform her of the events she would have to attend in the coming weeks. The efficient noblewoman had tailored these events to ease the new queen into her role as gradually as could be managed. The first week held only one event which was a small banquet to be held for the noble Ladies of the court to meet the Queen in a more informal setting than the two State banquets Andrea had already attended. This meeting was necessary for the Queen to eventually choose those Ladies who would be her attendants for religious and Court functions.

The following week required Andrea travel across the river to the village of Setma’at to oversee the distribution of wages to the royal funerary workers and to meet with the Chief Engineer and the Royal architect Djedu in order to commission them to begin the search for a likely sight for her own tomb in the Valley of the Silent Goddess. These activities would require several days in the week and provision would be made to accommodate the Queen in one of the small palaces attached to the mortuary temple of her husband’s grandfather the Osiris Amunmose. Andrea was a little taken aback by the matter of fact way the Steward had introduced the morbid subject of death into the conversation. A few words from Sesen about the major importance of getting the work started on her tomb as it would take several years to complete mollified her a little, but she wasn’t completely convinced of the necessity until Satneith pointed out it was Mereneith who had left the command that this be done while she was in Nubia.

The week after that and Andrea’s duties began to multiply, beginning with a nocturnal vigil in the royal shrine of Hapi the god of the great River, on the Night of the Tear in order to ensure a good flood, not too low and definitely not too high. This was followed by her attendance at the Court reception for the new ambassador from Mitanni and then she would need to prepare for the festival of Mut where she would have to fulfil the role of divine vessel for Great Amun’s consort. Satneith was adamant that Andrea needed to begin immediate lessons in dance and music for the last of these events as she would be required to lead the priestesses in the central ceremony of the festival.

When Satneith finally departed Andrea felt truly drained even though this had only been the planning session for the duties, she felt as if she’d already carried them all out in the space of a few hours. She released Sesen to her own devices for the remainder of the evening and made her way into the garden adjoining her rooms. Wandering amid the greenery she came to a small pool teeming with fish and sat down beside the water. She drew her knees up and hugged them to her chest as a wave of homesickness swept over her and she let the tears fall as she hadn’t since that first day when her uncle took her away from the Mother’s shrine.  She cried for the loss of her old life, the loss of the life she was supposed to have had and she cried for her new life in this strange and different land.

She tried to think of the kindness of Sesen and indeed that of Mereneith as well, but this was still an alien place with strange unknown customs, unknown gods, and she felt very small and alone. As her tears continued to fall she shivered when a cool breeze brushed past her shoulders. Looking up when she felt the breeze again she immediately noted that the pond surface was smooth, not a single ripple disturbing the water. She felt the breeze a third time and noted that trees and plants around her remained as still and unmoving as the water in the pond.

The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck rose when the breeze brushed past her a fourth time, only now she swore she could hear words whispered as it passed over her body. “Be brave, have faith, all will be well.” The words of the Mother, spoken the day before during her coronation, quietly echoed in the still garden and brought Andrea’s tears to an awed halt. Wiping at her wet cheeks Andrea stood and raised her arms in the posture of supplication. Her face shone with renewed wonder as she recited the evening prayer to Mother Rhea, adding her own hymn of gratitude for her blessing and reassurance.

***

The march from Buhen to Iminuserkhepesh took six full days. The army had marched close to the banks of the river for most of the distance save for a day and half at the midway point where they loaded up with supplies of water and struck out across the desert to avoid a large bend in the river that would have added more than two days to their journey had they stayed by the water.  The fleet sailed quickly ahead and met main body of troops when they re-emerged at the riverside having followed a well-used desert trail.

As they marched the Egyptians were pleased to see the mighty swell of the annual floods rising daily and rushing their gift of water and rich black earth northward to the fields of Egypt. The floodwaters making it necessary for the tag-along fleet to row the whole way fighting against the current and the shifting hazards the churning brown waters brought along with their gifts. One or two of the ships had run aground in the shifting channels of the river, their borrowed pilots from Buhen and the local area unable to foresee the changes made by the flood. Other ships had pulled the stranded ships from the sucking; shifting sand-spits and none had been lost or damaged.

When the walls of the largest of the southern fortresses, Iminuserkhepesh -Huiefersy, appeared a great shout rose from the throats of more than 14000 men when they saw the blue and white streamers of the royal pennant flying above the ramparts. This stronghold was less than half the size of mighty Buhen and made up for the lack of an outer fortified wall by being mounted on the only raised rock outcrop for miles around. From its’ heights the fortress was able to monitor all river traffic and all land traffic on both sides of the river for miles around.

Mereneith, General Kenamun and her Troop Commanders left the junior officers to see to the troops’ encampment and went to meet with the Fortress Commander. His news was grim; the Kushite forces were massing once again and had been seen only a few miles south of the border town of Soleb some four days earlier. Their numbers were closer to 14-16 thousand at least 6000 of which were the famed archers of Ta-seti. Mereneith’s immediate action was to organise a rigorous and wide ranging scouting system and set it in motion, she wanted no surprises as they headed toward the enemy. Her second action was to order the men to be ready to march two hours before dawn, her plan to rest them for a few days after their march from Buhen abandoned with the new intelligence from further south.

Three days out from Iminuserkhepesh the king ordered the chariots be brought from the ships and assembled, the road along the banks was well packed and wide all the way down to DedunSai and she wanted her shock troops ready for any surprises that might await the slight bend in the river that hid the small fort of Amara from their view. When they struck camp the next morning the 3000 strong chariot corps led the way, the Braves of the King, infantry as well as chariots at their centre.

A day later the dawn was still an hour away when two of the advance scouts came galloping over the dunes in their haste to get their news to the king. One man had an arrow still embedded in his shoulder when he fell from his mount at Mereneith’s feet. Their news brought all to a state of hyper alertness and a flurry of more scouts were sent out to east and west as well as cautiously south once more. The scouts had seen smoke rising in a dark plume on the horizon and had dismounted to get a closer look. When they’d reached the top of the dunes that gave them clear sight to the small fort they saw that as they’d feared it was the source of the smoke. The great gates stood drunkenly askew and the ground around the walls was littered with the bodies of Egyptians and Kushites, the fort was lost but it had not died an easy death.

The scouts crawled back to their tethered horses and made off as fast as they could, they thought they’d made good their escape when they stumbled upon a small group of Kushites swimming in the shallows of the swollen river washing away the grime of battle. One of the enemy had not been in the water and had managed to fire off a volley of arrows one of which hit its mark.

Mereneith sent the injured man to be tended to and called her Troop Commanders together to plan their advance. As the king set out her instructions she made sure that her inexperienced kinsman’s troop of 500 chariots was safely wedged between her own troops and those of General Kenamun who would be leading the right flank. She was also careful to make sure Sethirkopshef understood his orders precisely. She may have been pressured into giving him a higher rank than his experience warranted because of his status, but she wanted no mistakes made just because this was his first battle.

They marched for an hour before another scout returned and reported the raiding party was just beyond the next dune and numbered a thousand or so men, about half of which were archers. Mereneith, the Braves of the King, and the chariots pulled ahead of the main body of troops and fanned out to form a wider massed front as they picked up speed. The infantry Braves had moved to the flanks, trotting double time to retain their place just to the rear of the flashing chariot wheels their job, to capture any of the enemy trying to flee the central battle.

Mereneith felt the breeze on her face as her charioteer, Ahmose, urged their horses forward increasing the pace as they rounded the great dune that had been the last barrier between her and her prey. She stood tall, her bow already strung and arrow notched as the milling mass of Kushites finally came into full view. They gave a mighty shout and turned to meet this surprise attack, causing the king to think fleetingly of their stupidity in obviously not having sent any scouts of their own to keep them informed of possible reprisals. Letting fly her first arrow she shouted her praise to her Father Amun as the bolt sped straight to its’ intended home, the throat of a massive warrior just bringing his axe forward to swipe at the first of the chariots to sweep into the swirling mass of dark skinned bodies.

The action was swift and short lived the weight of the chariot charge rolling over the Kushites in minutes leaving a third of their number dead or wounded from the first onslaught and too dazed to mount an effective defence as the chariots wheeled about and returned for a second attack before circling the dwindling group and picking men off from a distance. Eventually a handful some 140 tired and wounded survivors finally laid down their arms in surrender. Mereneith was delayed in attending these captives as Ahmose had been wounded in the thigh and she took the time to take the reins herself and drop him off for the doctors to tend before she returned to the area where the captives had been taken.

As she trotted her team toward the heavily guarded prisoners, many unable to stand because of their wounds, she caught the flash of a raised sword in the mid afternoon sun. Dismounting and throwing the reins to another charioteer she pushed through to the scene at the centre of the crowd and saw Sethirkopshef wiping the blade of his sword on the hide kilt of a body sprawled at his feet.  Kenamun was standing beside him a scowl etched deep into his features and a restraining hand on the young man’s shoulder pulling him away from the body. Sethirkopshef rounded on the General his sword arm rising to strike at the man for daring to lay hands on him. As his blade descended Mereneith’s own deadly kopesh hooked the weapon out of the boy’s hand and in the next instant she was standing before him her blade hard against his throat.

“You dare to raise your hand against my second in command? You’re brother in arms and your superior?” Her voice was low and deadly and caused those around them to take a step back from the royal confrontation. Sethirkopshef glared at her angrily.

“He has no right to lay hands on my royal person.” Breathing heavily he took a step back away from Mereneith’s blade which had remained poised near his throat and picked up his own weapon. The heat of battle still beat in the young man’s veins and this thundering euphoria overrode his common sense and allowed him to follow this up with a very dangerous statement. “You’re not the only one with divine blood in their veins Mighty Horus!” He spat her title out with a snarl of derision. “I too have the blood of the great Osiris Amunneferra the Good God that was, just as much as you do Mereneith.” He continued to glare at her, the battle rush still lending strength to his anger.

Mereneith eyed him with dislike, amazed at his ridiculous statement comparing his diluted blood stream three times removed from the great Osiris Amunneferra with her direct descent and immediate divine parentage. Her arm shook, she itched to slice his impudent tongue out and silence his whining and haughty posturing for good and all, but he was her kin and she would not have his blood on her hands. Swift as a cobra strike her sword whipped down and to the side hooking Sethirkopshef’s weapon and sending it flying from his hand a second time. As soon as the weapon was clear Mereneith stepped forward and struck the man across the face with her fist so hard he collapsed to one knee. Holding his aching jaw he looked up into eyes hard as basalt and cringed back from the controlled rage he saw there.

“Hear me and take note kinsman, for I will not say this a second time. I allow you this one last indiscretion because it is obvious you are still in the haze of battle fever, but this is your last allowance. Defy me again, disrespect your military superiors and I will break you down to spearman and you will end your days in the backwater of Amun’s Garden of Kharga in the western most oasis.”

The colour drained from his face at this very real threat of exile, he shuddered at the thought of this fate worse than death and felt the battle fever clearing causing him to sag and sit back in the dust of the desert floor.

“General Kenamun I give you my kinsman’s fine golden armour in recompense for his insubordination. Please see that he is issued with a sturdy leather corset before we march tomorrow. In the meantime have him assigned to the groomsmen for the rest of the day perhaps attending to the horses will cool his blood sufficiently that he will learn some sense before our next engagement.” Kenamun waved forward two junior officers who assisted the prince to rise and led him off to the horse lines to begin his punishment.

While the prince was being led away Mereneith took the time to examine at the prisoner he’d killed. The man’s kilt was of fine supple cowhide, he wore gold bangles on one ankle and both arms and his body was criss-crossed with numerous wounds including the gaping slash across his neck inflicted by Sethirkopshef. With interest she noted the jewelled headband from which sprouted a two large hawk feathers that had once reared proudly over the man’s head but which were now wilted and torn as they lay on the ground soaking up the blood of their owner. This man had been a man of rank in Kush, a chieftain of his own clan, the jewels indicating he may even be a member of the ruling family. Raising her eyes to her General she merely raised one eyebrow and the man began to describe what had happened before she arrived on the scene.

The surviving Kushites had been disarmed and gathered together to wait for her questioning as had been ordered. Suddenly the prince had thundered up in his chariot and leapt from the moving vehicle before he began strutting in front of the captives railing away about their foolishness in attacking Egypt and threatening them with their woeful fate when he brought them before the Great God when they returned to Thebes. The wounded chieftain had derided him for being nothing more than a nursing babe demanding to see his true conqueror the great She-Devil and then he spat at the prince’s feet.

It was this insult that had prompted the young man’s murderous reaction apparently. However, Kenamun stepped forward and spoke in a low voice that only Mereneith could hear.

“Before he spat at the boy Majesty he said something strange to the prince, something about ‘The King of Kush’s pet snake would strike in Thebes before the boy could make good on his threat.’” The General looked meaningfully at Mereneith before adding. “It was actually then Majesty, when the Irtpa-ha unsheathed his sword, before the man had finished speaking and before he spat at the boy.”

Mereneith stood in silence as she mulled over this strange statement and the young man’s reaction to it. It would seem that Rusa of Crete was not the only one with ties to a traitor in the capital, eyeing the dead man once more, she wondered if it was the same viper or a different snake altogether. Given her kinsman’s actions as Kenamun observed them she began to wonder if the prince too was involved in some way. It was hard to tell at this point, he may have been drawing his sword in response to the earlier insults and not the cryptic statement. Confronting the boy if it was just another act of youthful stupidity would only make matters worse between them and added strife on campaign was not something she wanted to happen. She ordered the most severely wounded prisoners be killed and the others sent to the doctors while their fellows had their arms bound behind them and were marched off to the river to be placed aboard the transports.

When the group of prisoners moved off Mereneith spoke quietly to Kenamun enquiring how well he knew the junior chariot officers in the Division of Ptah. This was the Division over which Mereneith had made Sethirkopshef Troop Commander and only one month before.

“All the junior officers in the Division are sound Majesty. I know three of the Officers of 50 and the Commander of Two Hundred Senuser and I entered our apprenticeship together and served as spearmen then bowmen in the Division of Horus before I earned my place as Commander of Bows in the Braves. Senuser became an Officer of 50 in the Division of Ptah and then rose through the ranks as I did until he became a Commander of Two Hundred just before I became Troop Commander of the Braves.  I have him marked for the next Command rank that becomes available in the Braves Majesty.” The man finished and waited patiently on his king’s command. He had an idea of what she might demand and if he was correct he agreed with her acting on her suspicions about the prince.

Mereneith instructed Kenamun to have Senuser brought to her tent later that night to receive instructions about keeping a close watch on Prince Sethirkopshef. She made it clear that this was to be done quietly without the young man finding out, a task easily accomplished as the prince refused to mingle much with his own officers preferring the company of the other Troop Commanders as proper to his rank.

Mereneith walked back to her chariot and leapt up and into it even as she took the reins from the waiting soldier who’d been holding them for her. She started the horses moving toward the horse lines as her mind turned away from the carnage around her and the annoyance of her kinsman’s behaviour, real and potential, and focused on what was waiting for her and her troops further south. With a satisfied grin she urged the horses to a gallop. Successfully routing the small advance raiding party was hardly a resounding victory in itself, but it was a nice way to kick off the campaign proper and Mereneith finally took the time to savour her first blooding in this conflict.

Chapter Text

Andrea walked through the coolness of the garden enjoying the respite of being on her own for an hour before she would be required to dress and attend Court with Nakht-NebAmun. Today she was required to hear the dispatches that arrived from Aswan in the early hours of the morning; she hoped they held good news from the south. She was tired, the month may have started off slowly but Satneith had then scheduled her for different ceremonial and Court duties every single day for the past two and a half weeks. As much as her Egyptian was improving, the long hours of ritual and boring reports was truly beginning to wear on her nerves.

She had so enjoyed the first ten days of the king’s absence, when she’d been able to intersperse her duties with regular lessons from the twin princesses almost every day, as well as taking several of her meals with them and sharing a visit to the royal menagerie their great- grandfather, the Osiris Amunmose had created when he brought back animals and plants from his campaigns into Mitanni, Nubia and Tjehen. Andrea missed the little girls, in the strangeness of her new surroundings and duties, getting to know them had been a balm to her spirit. She was fascinated by how alike they were in appearance but how different they were in character and temperament. Thinking of her schedule for the coming days she sighed when she realised it was unlikely she’d get to see them in the next few days either.

Too restless to sit by the pond or merely roam close to her rooms the Queen decided to explore the very large and well-tended garden. Walking into a much denser patch of trees and shrubs she just caught the fading sounds of hurried whispers. Andrea stopped, keeping still and quiet as she listened carefully, perhaps the Mother was talking to her again. A few seconds later she smiled when she realised the voices belonged to the subjects of her morning’s musings.

Staying very still, she tried to pinpoint where the voices were coming from, the next flurry of whispered conversation pointed her toward a very dense section of Acacia trees on the other side of the pathway. Moving as quietly as possible she came up on the clump of trees spotting the two girls holding the low hanging branches in front of themselves to shield them from prying eyes on the parallel path beyond. Very soft giggling had covered the final steps of her approach and she was able to bend down almost next to them. Both girls let out gasps of astonishment when she whispered conspiratorially

“Who are we staying away from?”  She wasn’t sure if she’d used the correct Egyptian words, but apparently the girls understood her question, Neith-nodjmet throwing herself into the young woman’s arms and giving her a tight hug as she very quietly whispered her reply.

“We’re hiding from Segret. She’s on the path three groves over.” She finished her statement by holding her finger in front of her lips, telling Andrea not to speak loudly. Andrea went along with their hiding and quietness but tried to find out more details.

“Why are we hiding from your nurse, Nedjset?” She redirected her attention to the other girl when Neith-hotep answered instead of her sister.

“Segret says we must have our counting and reading lessons.” She frowned as she continued. “It’s not fair that Princesses have to learn these things, none of the other noble girls have to have lessons. Anyway it’s stupid for us to have lessons, we can just call a scribe if we wish to have something counted or read or if we want to send a message.”

Andrea had a hard time keeping a straight face as Neith-hotep’s bottom lip jutted out, the childish pout at odds with her older looking scowl, so reminiscent of the girl’s mother. She nearly lost the battle with keeping a hold on her mirth when an image of Mereneith with the same combination of scowl and pouting lips flashed in her mind. Calling herself to order she whispered her next question to both of them.

“Don’t you like learning new things? You seemed to enjoy learning some of the words from my land.” She watched as Neith-hotep’s scowl deepened before she turned her back on the Queen and her sister to once more keep watch for the Royal Nurse. Looking at the other twin for some clue about her sister’s obvious dismissal, Andrea’s heart dropped at the sad look on Neith-nodjmet’s face as the girl mumbled.

“That was a long time ago Mama.” She half looked up at Andrea from beneath lowered lashes. “Are you displeased with us? Did we do something wrong?  ”

“No Nedjset, you didn’t do anything wrong.”  She exclaimed as she pulled the little girl into her lap and hugged her tightly. “I’ve just been very, very busy with my own lessons I’m afraid.”

Neith-hotep turned to them and pushed her hands down in a shushing motion silently telling them to be quiet and jerking her head in the direction of the far path. The other two occupants of the little hiding spot heard the light tread of Segret and her softly calling the girls’ names. Andrea could hear the concern in the woman’s voice and knew she must let her know where her charges were hiding. Sighing, she hoped Neith-hotep would get over her anger with her before Mereneith returned, but she had her doubts. She decided to try and let the children make the decision to give up their truancy first before calling out to their nurse.

“Girls you shouldn’t hide from Nebet Segret, she must be very worried about you, won’t you please let her know you’re here?” Neith-nodjmet looked uncertain and her sister glared at Andrea for the suggestion before simply saying. “No, shan’t.” With that statement she crossed her arms over her chest, stubborn determination in every fibre of her little body.

Andrea thought for a moment, noting the rising agitation in the voice calling the girls’ names. Finally she came to a decision and spoke more firmly, allowing her voice its’ normal volume.

“Nedsjet, Neith-hotep, I am very sorry that I haven’t spent time with you, that is going to change. Go with Nebet Segret, do your lessons, and we will spend the afternoon together.” Neith-nodjmet’s face lit up with joy at this news, her sister looked reluctantly interested but still held on to her scowl. Andrea looked at the older twin and added. “I promise Neith-hotep. I will join you at the tenth hour and we will spend the whole evening together.” The little girl reluctantly nodded her head in agreement. The three of them moved from under the tree and went to find the worried royal nurse.

Andrea had listened patiently as Sesen translated the finer details from the reports arrived from Aswan, pleased that Mereneith’s progress had been smooth and the troops had departed as planned. The last of the news was that the army had made it safely to the staging post of the fortress of Buhen and were preparing for the gruelling march south from there. She sent up a quick prayer to the Mother to protect Mereneith and her men and to bring them safely home.

The Queen asked the Vizier and Chief Steward to remain behind when the other ministers and nobles had left the room. Still not wanting to let slip how much her Egyptian had improved she used Sesen to translate. She requested that Nakht assist Satneith to change her schedule so that she definitely had at least a couple of hours to spend with the Princesses every day, preferably in the late afternoon so that they could have their evening meal together.

“Impossible. You’re the Queen and you have obligations at Court that must be met. You’re expected to lead the Chantresses of Amun at the New Moon festival in seven days and must learn the steps before then.” Satneith looked askance at the woman sitting before her. “We don’t want a repeat of the Festival of Mut. Then there is the annual vetting of the Servants of the Great House and the Ambassador from Byblos will be returning in five days and must be welcomed, there’s also…” The Steward was brought up short in her litany of duties by a quiet but forceful interjection in Egyptian from Andrea.

“Enough!” The young woman watched as the tall thin Egyptian noblewoman snapped her jaw shut in surprise at her interruption. The continued look of bemusement on the elegantly bewigged and made up woman nearly had Andrea laughing out loud, but she managed to control herself and continued in a firm even voice.

“I fully realise there is much I need to learn in my new role and that I have Court duties I must do my best to attend. But you seem to have forgotten that I am also the King’s Great Wife and that means I am the Princesses’ mother. I have a duty to them as well and I have been derelict in that duty.” She looked with meaning at both the nobles before her. “That ends now. We will simply have to find a way to balance all my duties.”

Satneith, having gotten over her surprise started to stress the impossibility of any reduction to her schedule only to be brought to a halt once more when Andrea stood up and stepped down into the woman’s personal space. She instructed Sesen to relay her next words as precisely as possible so there would be no mistaking her meaning.

“As you so rightly said Nebet Satneith, I am the Queen. You’ve made due without one for the past 20 years I’m sure you can manage without one for a few hours each day. I leave it to you and Neb Nakht- NebAmun to make the necessary decisions about which events I absolutely must attend. Just note that whenever possible I will be with the children from the tenth hour of day till the second hour of night. If a ceremony requires me during those hours you will ensure that my morning is free instead.” She stepped away from Satneith and sat back down before finishing what she had to say. Nakht-NebAmun stepped forward and laid a restraining hand on the Steward’s arm. He turned his attention to the young queen, bowed his head in acknowledgement and smiled approvingly.

“As you say Majesty, you are the Queen and all will be done as you have commanded.” His smile broadened as he continued. “I’m sorry we dictated your schedule rather than discussing it with you first. I am sure that the king will duly chastise me for our oversight when she returns.”

Andrea smiled at the man whose charming nature she had come to value over the preceding weeks before continuing with more instructions for the pair.

“I will also need a list of noble families living in Thebes who have daughters of an age with the Princesses. I want to have an informal banquet with the families, including the children, as soon as it can be managed. And search out female scribes attached to any of the temples or shrines here in Thebes, or further afield if there are none here. I want them brought to the palace in three days times so that I can interview them.”

Tapping her chin in thought she did a mental check to see she’d covered everything she’d intended to cover, satisfied that things were now in hand she nodded and sat back on her chair before unknowingly choosing a phrase to dismiss them that was often used to great effect by the king.

“That’s all.”

***

Mereneith strode from her tent a stern look on her face as Kenamun fell in beside her while they walked toward the gathering of senior officers she’d ordered a quarter hour earlier. They were a half day’s march south of DedunSai, or what was left of the border town. They’d arrived two days previously to find the town destroyed, its’ inhabitants, both Egyptian and native Nubian, either dead or taken captive. They’d found nothing alive in the burnt out shell of the town, human or animal. The bodies that remained had been terribly hacked to pieces, a sight that would not leave the mind of any who saw it for a very long time. They’d done the best they could to gather the remains and bury them in a single grave, but they left the small number of enemy dead for the desert scavengers. Every soldier who marched south that day vowed that they would be avenged on the vile Kushites.

The king walked through the throng of waiting officers until she reached the centre of the group. The scouts had reported an hour ago that the main force of Kushites was a little more than half a day’s march to the south. They had been moving slowly, encumbered by their captives and the plunder they’d amassed from Amara and DedunSai, and had made camp by the river to rest and regroup.

They were undisciplined, travelling and fighting in their tribal groups and according to one scout, a Nubian from Buhen who had insinuated himself into the enemy camp, some of the tribal rivalries were breaking out into actual clashes within the Kushite ranks. He was also able to discover that the enemy had decided to rest a full day where they currently were, in order to divide their spoils. This was excellent news and Mereneith and her inner circle of advisors, General Kenamun and the Troop Commanders for the Divisions of Amun and Horus had made their battle plans accordingly.

“Attend me. The enemy are half a day south of us, camped by the river and will remain there for the next day at least. The scouts will be sent out before us and we will march for the next five hours through the heat of the day so that we can make camp before the sun sets. The men will rest well in the night and we will break camp and travel in battle formation two hours before dawn.” She took a spear from one of her attendant Braves and began to draw a map of the terrain they would travel over so that all the officers could clearly see where they were going.

“The chariots of the divisions of Amun and Horus will travel here on the left flank, as soon as the enemy is sighted they will swing wide out into the desert and come round to contain the Kushites and prevent them breaking and running. The foot and bows of the Division of Amun will follow them as swiftly as they can to assist in the containment.” She drew a wide arc in the sand to demonstrate the manoeuvre she was describing.

“Three of the troop ships will come along the riverside with contingents of bowmen on each and drive any of the Kushites near the river back into their central mass. Then the remaining divisions of chariots will charge the centre before peeling off to meet with the chariots of Amun and Horus thus encircling the enemy.” Mereneith looked up at her officers, noting how the charioteers had arranged themselves in a group separate from the infantry and bow commanders. The chariot corps was the noted elite of her forces, but they could not win an engagement on this kind of terrain without the aid of their brothers on foot. No stranger to men’s vanity and sense of their own importance, she glanced at her kinsmen as this thought came to mind, she made her next order crystal clear.

“We will shock them with the first charge of chariots, after that this battle belongs to the infantry and bowmen. On no account are any chariots to regroup and try a second charge unless they see the infantry in retreat. There will be little to no room for chariots to manoeuvre in the mass of Kushites but you will circle the edges of the battle containing any Kushites who may bolt and firing into the enemy from a distance.” She stared at each of her chariot commanders, stopping for an extra admonishing glare toward Prince Sethirkopshef.  He had completed his punishment amid copious amounts of cursing and complaining but he had behaved himself since Amara. That said the look of hatred in his eyes whenever he caught sight of the king as they marched had been noted by all those around the young man and the Commander of 200, Senuser kept a closer eye on him than he might otherwise have done.

In a low and deadly voice she continued. “There will be no quarter given, no surrender accepted until you hear the horns blow three times in quick succession. Amara and DedunSai will be avenged. The gods will accept the blood of our enemies as payment for the kas of those whose names we did not know and allow them to enter the Fields of Osiris.” The men looked grimly back at her and nodded, accepting their king’s justice on those who had slaughtered her people. It would be red death on the red sands till the third note sounded.

Plans made, Mereneith dismissed them and they hurried to ready their men for the march, ensuring extra water was brought from the ships to see them through the fiery heat of the mid-day sun. Each man was issued with a ration of food to be eaten as they marched, and extra water bottles they could fill from the jars carried by the donkeys attached to their units, timing now was everything.

They’d made camp just as the sun set and every man sharpened and checked their weapons before trying to get some rest for the early start the next day. The march begun before dawn had gone at a slow pace so the horses and troops would be fresh and ready for the enemy. Mereneith had no intention of leading her troops on a hurried forced march and then sending them exhausted into battle. 

The scouts returned two hours after dawn, with the report that the Kushites still didn’t appear to know of their approach and that the enemy numbers had been slightly reduced by a great clash between two of the tribal leaders resulting in a short battle followed by one of the Chieftains removing his forces and heading south in the middle of the night.  The last scout to return, rode in to report this group of Kushites, some 1500 strong, was indeed several hours south of the main group and still on the march when he had turned back.  Mereneith adjusted her battle plan, augmenting the foot and bow that would travel with the chariots of the Divisions of Amun and Horus so that they would be prepared should this force change its’ mind and return to the main host.

The clash of battle rose even louder than the thunder of horse’s hooves and chariot wheels that had preceded the armies meeting. Mereneith lead from the centre mounted behind Ahmose who handled the chariot with skill and precision. The king felt the rays of the sun not as an oppressive heat, but a warm cover of protection raining down from her father as she scattered His enemies before her chariot wheels. The initial charge successfully made, even the king’s chariot wheeled to the outer rim of fighting and turned to contain any of the enemy who might try to flee her justice. Mereneith exhausted her supply of arrows and short javelins before urging Ahmose as close to the edge of the fighting as he could get them so that she could make good use of her battle axe as she swung again and again at the screaming mass of bodies milling around her almost stationary chariot.

A Kushite appeared in front of them and made a swing of his axe at the king’s horses before they reared up and kicked out at him sending the man tumbling to the ground a bloody pulp where his face had once been. The momentary shock of the horses backing away had caused Mereneith to lose her grip and she fell back out of the chariot, barely touching her shoulder to the ground before she was upright and meeting the attack of a massive man wielding a battle axe at least three times the size and weight of her own.  She used her lighter more agile body and managed to get in under the giant arc of the man’s deadly swing, bringing her shortened grip on her axe in at an angle and embedding it in the man’s gut before leaping back and reaching for the last of her weapons, her kopesh.

Fighting her way back to her chariot she flinched as pain seared through her left shoulder and looking down she noted the arrow that had found the gap between her leather corset and the bronze scale mail of her hawk’s wing cuirass. She reached up and broke the end of the arrow away as she leapt up into the chariot Ahmose had managed to move closer to her. She tried holding on with her left hand but the pain shot through her shoulder and she was forced to hold her sword limply in her left hand as she gripped the rail with her right hand. Ahmose wheeled the horses about and got his king to the far edge of the battle calling on a group of ten Braves of the King to follow them. As they left the field there was a mighty shout of fury behind them followed by more shouting from both Egyptian and Kushite voices. The king glanced back to see if this was due to her leaving the field, but could just make out that the shouts were coming from the far side of the battlefield. In the heat and raised dust of the fighting she couldn’t make out what was happening so returned her attention to her more immediate situation.

When they were on the outer edge of their own troops Ahmose pulled the chariot to a halt and threw the reins to one of the Braves before helping Mereneith to sit on the floor of the chariot, her back leaning on the front panel. He helped her remove her cuirass and then used his dagger to carefully remove the arrow head from her shoulder. He poured water from the flask he had with him over the wound and gave the remaining drink to Mereneith who gulped it down, wishing fervently that it was wine. One of the Braves tossed Ahmose a piece of cloth torn from his own kilt and he bound up the wound as best he could before securing the king’s hawk wing armour over the dressing. He knew his sovereign and as long as she could stand, she would remain on the battlefield.  While he was seeing to her field dressing some of the Braves had brought up a huge supply of throwing spears and placed them in the carriers on the sides of the chariot. They knew her wound now made using her bow impossible for Mereneith.

Mereneith gave a feral grin and thanked the troopers for the gift before gritting her teeth and pulling herself up to a standing position in the chariot. The Braves nearby raised a huge shout and the whole group turned back into the battle, the foot soldiers making a tight shield around the slow moving chariot. The slowness of the chariot allowed Mereneith to keep her footing without gripping the side and she used her good arm to mark her targets and fling her spears into the dwindling mass of the enemy. They moved past a knot of enemy bodies and no one was quick enough to stop the living man hiding among them from managing to thrust a spear at the back of the king’s chariot as it passed. Though the Kushite’s life did not outlive the thrust of his weapon, he did manage to graze the king’s thigh causing another deep gash to open and bleed freely down her leg. 

The rush of battle meant Mereneith didn’t realise at first that she’d been wounded a second time and she continued on into the fray. When at last her batch of spears was gone she ordered Ahmose to swing wide toward the river so she could get a better look at the field of battle. It was only then that the stabbing pain in her leg became apparent and she ripped a piece of cloth from her own kilt to bind up her thigh and staunch the sluggish bleeding.

From her slightly higher vantage point on a raised part of the river bank, Mereneith surveyed the battlefield noting the huge number of dead over which the survivors continued to fight. As she’d fought she’d noticed some of the Kushites throw down their weapons and try to surrender only to be gutted or beheaded where they knelt as her troops carried out the order that no mercy be shown until her signal came. She estimated that of the original host of nearly 14000 that had met them, a little less than two hours previously, there were less than 4000 left still standing. It was time to bring this to an end; she called her trumpeter and ordered the triple blast to sound.

The fighting died down quickly once the few survivors realised the Egyptians would now accept their surrender and Mereneith began to tour the battlefield to receive reports from her commanders.  She came to the area on the far side of the field from where the great shouts had risen previously and her heart plummeted as she noted the large number of broken chariots, felled horses and the piles of Egyptian dead that were even now being sorted from the bodies of the enemy so they could be properly honoured and cared for. Casting her eye over the carnage she thought there could be over a thousand dead charioteers and infantrymen in this small area of the battlefield.

Bending down beside the nearest body, bearing an officers badge of office, she turned the half missing face over to see the other side and tears sprang to her eyes as she recognised the once handsome face of Senuser, Commander of 200 in the Division of Ptah. Swiping at the tears, her blood began to boil as she noted that all the bodies bore the badge of the same Division. Rising she strode over to a living member of the brigade who was helping to move the bodies of his brothers. Allowing him to gently lay his burden down she took hold of his arm when he stood straight and growled a single sentence.

“What happened here?”

The young charioteer raised haunted eyes to lock with the shocking blue eyes of the woman before him. He bowed his head to his king, but his strained and equally angered voice answered his sister warrior and not his sovereign.

“We had followed the general order to peel off to the edge of the battle after the first charge and we were containing our section of the boundary. A foot soldier from the Division came running to the Troop Commander and started yelling and waving to a section of the main battle not too far from where we were holding the line.” The man’s voice rasped and caused his words to stumble to a halt as he tried to wet his lips with a dry tongue. Mereneith motioned for a water flask and handed it to the man herself urging him to drink.  Thirst quenched he continued.

“When the soldier had finished talking, the Troop Commander called the regroup and formed us into a wedge ordering the Division into the main battle. Commander Senuser came up on his chariot and argued with the Troop Commander but the order remained the same. We circled to gain some speed and charged into a large group of Kushites, pushed right through them only to come up against a much denser group.” He gulped at the memory before continuing.

“They were all huge men, and fought like demons. They formed a solid wall in front of us and the ones we’d pushed through, surrounded us in the rear. We couldn’t move and they started targeting the horses.  The Troop Commander then ordered us to dismount and form up on foot.” He looked up anger and confusion writ large across his weary features.

“We thought we would try to break free the way we’d come, but the Troop Commander ordered us forward. Then we saw what he was aiming for in the swarming mass. The Kushite Royal totem was just ahead as was the Kushite king.”

Mereneith let out a gasp and snarled her next thought. “The arrogant fool! He took Chariot men on foot against the WersuSeti?”  The young man nodded in sad resignation. The Prince had led men armed with nothing but either a mid-length curved sword or a battle axe and no shields against the elite heavily armed foot soldiers of the Kushite king. These were the Kushite version of the Braves of the King, but due to their background and training, much more dangerous than their Egyptian counterparts.  They were a force of about 1000 men organised in groups of 250 each which comprised men of the same age who had been raised together since the age of five to be the finest warriors of the Kushite nation. They knew no other occupation than war. Cursing her kinsmen and wondering at the same time where he was she nodded at the soldier to continue.

“The Troop Commander was wounded several times and many men fell but we continued forward, no order to retreat was given. We were down to less than half our men when the rest of the Division appeared and fought their way to us before we finally rolled over the WersuSeti by sheer weight of numbers.”  He pointed to a large mound of bodies behind them that was still being added to by some of the Kushite prisoners under heavy guard.

“General Kenamun ordered that the WersuSeti be honoured with a burial.” He turned and looked at his king before adding solemnly. “They are no more, but each of them took an escort of at least two sons of Kemet to the Halls of Osiris.” He swayed a little as he ended his tale, exhaustion finally catching up on him. The king noted he bore a number of wounds and yet had still been seeing to his fallen comrades rather than retiring to the medical tents. Mereneith gave him her own shoulder to lean on before two of his fellows came forward to help him walk away to the camp lines being set up well to the north of the battleground.

Mereneith might have been in a similar state but her anger gave her strength and she whistled for Ahmose, jumping up behind him without waiting for him to stop. She winced as the move tore at her wounded shoulder and leg and she felt the sticky wetness of renewed bleeding from both wounds.  They paused on their way to collect General Kenamun who relieved Ahmose of his reins and drove the king himself so that he could give his report.

The battle of course was won, and casualty reports were still being compiled but he reported the captives were numbered at 3250, so far. He’d ordered the Division of Khnum and the chariots from the Divisions of Montu and Horus to head out after the missing tribe of Kushites. Mereneith looked sharply at him when she heard this order and he correctly interpreted the look as he replied to it.

“Their orders are to fight till the enemy are less than a third in number and only then to take their surrender before returning with their captives.”  Mereneith nodded in approval. The renegade Kushites would not escape the edict of her retribution just because they had been absent from the main battle, she would have her due in their blood as well. Other than their outright victory the only good news that Kenamun could offer his king in consolation for her losses was the news that at least the idiot Sethirkopshef, after sacrificing so many soldiers to the cause, had managed to actually kill the young King of Kush in the melee.

They passed the rows of military scribes taking note of the prisoners and tallying the baskets of severed right hands that would give them the final grisly count of the enemy dead. The prisoners were being used to clear the dead from the battlefield, their countrymen would be left for the scavengers, but the Egyptians would be hastily washed and buried in a deeper and properly dug out common grave with a monumental mound raised above it. There was no chance for them to be preserved by the embalmers art. Their names, recorded by the scribes, would be carved onto a stele of granite and set in place by the burial and a copy would be set up in the fortress of Buhen. Their bodies might not be preserved, but their names would not be forgotten and she would say prayers to her father that He speak for them in the Hall of Judgement that they could pass into the Fields of Osiris in peace.

They finally arrived at the ordered chaos that was the medical tents and Mereneith jumped down from the chariot, swaying only slightly from her blood loss and exhaustion, before righting herself and marching into the first tent demanding to know where Prince Sethirkopshef was being treated.  She was told the Prince’s wounds had been many and some severe and he had just been moved to the main tent for the Chief Surgeon to work on as soon as possible.  Without pausing the king headed for the tent at her best speed given her own injuries.

All moved quickly out of the King’s way as they made short bows and went about their business. She walked into the operating area and called a halt just as an orderly was about to give Sethirkopshef a draught of milk of poppy. She strode over to the table on which the prince had been laid and loomed over him, mighty in her wrath and indignation. Only the sight of the deep and bloody gash that had sheered the skin almost completely off his left cheek  and the obvious multiple wounds on the rest of the man’s body kept her from grabbing him by his throat and shaking him. 

Wounds notwithstanding, he would know of her anger. She leaned right into his face, ignoring the bloody flap of skin as it tapped her own chin and roared out her rage.

“MY MEN!!! MY true sons of Kemet!! DEAD!!! Because of you!! Because of your stupid vanity and thirst for glory!!!” Despite herself she slapped the uninjured side of the young man’s face causing him to scream in agony as the skin tore a little further on the injured cheek. Mereneith continued, less loudly as she pulled away in disgust.

“MY MEN!!! My men, who knew their orders and knew you disobeyed, but followed anyway,   because they knew their duty to obey their Commander. Damn you to the gullet of Amit! Their lives were not yours to waste!”

Mereneith suddenly swayed again as gout of red appeared from under her cuirass. Her face paled and beads of sweat appeared before Kenamun stepped forward and eased her away from the prince who was still howling in pain. He ducked under her good arm and supported her out of the room into a different tent as the surgeons and orderlies moved forward to deal with the prince.

Kenamun eased the king onto a chair and began to carefully remove all her armour, leather corselet and bronze hawk wings. The junior surgeon and doctor who had followed them from the main tent both moved forward to treat her wounds. Mereneith held them off for a moment before instructing Kenamun to have enough water and linen brought so that she could bathe properly before having her wounds dressed. Several basins and jars of water arrived with gratifying speed and Mereneith unabashedly stripped and began to wash the grime of the battlefield from her body, Kenamun equally unfazed by either his king’s nudity or her femininity assisted her as a body servant, making sure she didn’t damage herself further.

When she again sat in nothing but a strip of cloth to cover her loins, she waved the two medical men forward. They cleansed her wounds with water and wine and the surgeon removed a small piece of the arrow head still in the shoulder wound before stitching it closed and applying a clean soft linen bandage smeared with honey and resin and binding it in place. While he worked, the doctor saw to the leg wound and applied some healing salve to a myriad of other small cuts and scrapes that liberally covered the king’s body. When they were finished she dismissed them with her thanks and then dressed properly in a linen robe belted at the waist. She dismissed Kenamun as well and told him to see to his minor cuts and bruises before reporting to her tent with the other senior officers in an hour’s time.

The army moved a mile north of the battle ground and set up camp while they waited for the remaining Divisions to return from their mission. The wounded who survived were moved to the comfort of the ships, Sethirkopshef among them. His cheek had been sewn back on and the hole in his thigh closed, as had the half a dozen other slash and puncture wounds spread over the rest of his body.  The doctors were keeping him drugged to allow the healing process to begin.  They looked with pity on the once handsome face, knowing that even with their skill the young man was going to be horribly scarred.

The advance party returned early the following day bringing with them a mere 150 captives. They had caught up with the fleeing Kushites in the sixth hour of night and fallen on their sleeping camp when the moon was high. They followed their orders, but in the chaos of night and the dim light of campfires the Kushites had been easy targets and more than a thousand had died in the first quarter hour of the attack. The remainder had fought on until only the small handful of wounded and exhausted men finally gave up the fight and surrendered. When the troops handed over their prisoners they also gave the scribes their baskets of grisly tally sticks. 

The outcome of the engagements was complete victory. The enemy captives numbered 3325, their dead, over 12000. The Egyptians had lost 3111 men, 1400 of them from the Division of Ptah, and they had another 200 severely wounded.  The pride of Kush had been ground under Great Pharaoh’s heel. It would take a generation to build their forces up to strength and Mereneith had plans to add extra assurances that this kind of foolishness did not happen again for a very long time.

They had discovered that among the prisoners were two members of the royal clan of Kerma, the dead king’s first cousin and his more distant cousin several times removed.  Mereneith had their wounds treated and had them bathed and clothed before they were brought into her presence.  She sat on her travelling throne, resplendent in her cleaned and polished armour and wearing the blue and gold kepresh war crown. In one hand she held the flail and a kopesh; there was no sign of the shepherd of her people in this grim warrior.  Behind her the shrine of Amun stood open and the boy priest Ranefor moved the censor before the Great God’s small likeness, invoking Him to witness His daughter’s judgment.

The prisoners were brought in and forced to their knees and then their faces in front of her throne. She eyed them for a moment letting the silence set the mood before she nodded her head and the soldiers either side of the prone men pulled them to their knees.  One of the garrison officers from Iminuserkhepesh stepped forward to interpret for her.  She kept her voice low and even as she spoke and the officer took her cue and did the same.   Mereneith mapped out the extent of their folly in allowing such a rash young man to claim the throne, knowing full well that the king of Kerma was chosen by a group of royal clansmen from among the whole of the royal family. They had now paid for this folly in blood.  She then laid out the terms under which she would refrain from continuing south with her forces and wiping Kush from the face of the earth.

The royal clansmen were released and given passage back to Kerma and an escort of half the Division of Khnum travelling on seven ships from the fleet. Their instructions were to report to their remaining kinsmen the events that occurred and to instruct them to choose a new king. When they had done so, the new king and all the royal family, women and children as well, were to travel to Iminuserkhepesh where he would swear allegiance to Pharaoh as his overlord and Mereneith would confirm his rule. The Kushites would also arrange that 3000 boys between the ages of 10 and 14 would be sent north to Buhen as soon as possible and then every five years after.  The boys would be trained as mercenaries and deployed in other parts of Egypt and her empire.

When they begged to take their king back so that they might bury him with his ancestors they were told they would not be granted the body of their king, who had been decapitated, his head preserved in honey until it could be presented to Amun in His sanctuary at Thebes when they returned.  The men looked grim at this news but could hardly object in the circumstances. Their final instruction was to return in twenty days with the new king and the royal family and meet Mereneith at the fortress of Iminuserkhepesh -Huiefersy

The next day, the Kushites and their escort headed south and the Egyptian forces started a slow march north, favouring wounds and strained muscles and allowing the horses a much needed respite. They arrived back at the fortress seven days later and made camp in the shadow of the rocky outcrop with the fortress on top of it.  Mereneith and her senior officers were housed in the fortress itself as were the still seriously wounded.  The recovering wounded were sent north to the greater comfort of Buhen, Prince Sethirkopshef among them. The ships would drop them off and bring more supplies back for the waiting troops.

The king had given strict instructions that Sethirkopshef be kept well out of her sight on the march, her anger still burned brightly against her kinsmen. Had any other officer disobeyed as he’d done they would have been executed, but Mereneith had loved the young man’s father as her own brother, even though it was through his mother that the Prince claimed his royalty. For the memory of his father she would not have him killed, but he would be punished. She demoted him to Captain of 25 in the small chariot corps of 250 attached to the fortress of Buhen. He would live out the remainder of his days in the garrison, never allowed to rise above a Commander of 200 and that promotion he would have to work for with focused dedication. Her hard bitten garrison troops would care nothing for his conceits and claims to royal blood. Their comrades who had been in the battle and who would see to the erection of the memorial stele in Buhen would also see to it that all there knew the circumstances of the young man’s new posting.  If he matured and became enough of a man he would endure the punishment and earn what rewards were still open to him. If not, he would be short lived on any military encounter he was sent on.

The heat increased as the flood waters continued to rise and race toward the north, the Egyptians encamped under the scorching rays of Amun-Ra, counting the days until they too could join the race for home.  They had worked out a rota for shifting the Divisions every two days so al would have the opportunity to rest nearest the river where it was marginally cooler.  In the fortress, Mereneith spent her days in discussions with her officers, planning the new frontier defences and deployments and making contingency plans should the Kushites be foolish enough not to come as commanded. The latter activity left Mereneith restless with worry for the safe return of the troops she’d sent as escort, enough Egyptian blood had been spilt already as far as she was concerned. 

***

Mereneith woke suddenly to the sounds of splashing water and a soft giggle followed by a sweet voice singing in a strange tongue.  Disoriented she looked around her and realised she was in her own bedchamber in the Great House of Thebes. Hearing more splashing she rose from her couch, the ultra-soft linen of the sheet slipping over her naked form as she moved toward the garden entrance in her reception room. Moving sure footedly she pushed through the overgrown greenery, frowning and making a note to speak to the Chief Gardener about this new and unacceptable lapse.

As she moved through the prickly leaves and branches she felt not one sting or scratch on her completely exposed skin, but as the sounds of someone swimming and splashing in the bathing pond grew louder she forgot to ponder the strangeness of the situation. Pushing through the last of the foliage she stood forth on the warmed tiles surrounding the large pool in front of her. At the far end of the pool she could make out the smooth milky lines of a woman floating on her back, the long black tresses of her hair splayed out around her head.  Watching, the king saw the woman kick her feet and flutter her arms to move her floating body backward toward the end of the pool Mereneith stood beside. 

The young woman was still singing as she gently moved herself along in the water, and with a gasp Mereneith realised she was singing in Cretin, this must be her new bride Andrea.  Her gasp must have been verbalised loudly enough to carry over to the swimming girl because she suddenly splashed her hands rapidly as her legs disappeared under the water and she tried to stand up. Unfortunately she was still in the deeper end of the pool and she sank under the surface for just a second before re-surfacing and moving closer to the shallower water.

Once more in control of her body the young woman ducked under the surface and shot forward until she was only a few feet away from the steps leading down into the water. She emerged from the cool cocoon of the pool and slowly rose till she was standing in water that lapped around her

waist, laughing she brushed the hair off of her face and smiled over at her now revealed admirer.

Mereneith looked on in fascination as the water beaded down over the girl’s golden skin, licking her lips she watched as it trickled over full breasts, nipples a dark brown and taught from the cold of the water as it rolled over them. A flash of heat shot straight to her sex and she felt her own wetness on her thighs when the girl smiled and held one hand toward her in invitation as she slowly stroked a line from her neck down the centre of her chest and allowed her other hand to disappear into the water rippling around her body. She continued to smile and beckon the older woman to join her and it took all of half a second for Mereneith to acquiesce.

Entering the pool and moving swiftly down the steps the older woman was hard pressed to decide if it was the cool of the water or the enticing vision of her beautiful bride that caused her nipples to tighten so rapidly, the intense sensation causing another surge of heat straight to her centre. Moving forward she reached out for the extended hand and pulled a giggling Andrea into her firm embrace.  The girls’ giggles were abruptly silenced as Mereneith’s lips pressed passionately into hers sealing them together in a deep drawn out kiss that ended with both of them gasping for air.

Mereneith reached up and cupped a full breast, revelling in the soft weight of it in her hand. She gently slid her thumb across the protruding centre hardening the small nubbin even more and causing Andrea to moan in pleasure as she pressed her entire body into Mereneith’s.  The older woman bent her head once more, but this time latched onto the column of the brunette’s neck where she began to suckle and nip her way down to the girl’s collar bone and across to the other side of her neck. Andrea threw her head back to grant her more access and sighed her contentment while one of her hands dipped once more under the water and eagerly sought out her partner’s aching centre. Barely had she grazed over the hyper sensitive folds than both women jerked apart at the sound of a trumpet blast. Mereneith tried to guide the girl’s hand back to where she desperately needed her touch only for them to both jolt in surprise as the trumpet sounded again and then again.

Mereneith jerked upright in her camp cot as the sound of the trumpet blasted through the air for a fourth time announcing the change from the Hours of the Night to the Hours of the Day. Leaning back on her uninjured elbow she wiped the droplets of sweat from her brow as she tried to get her rapid breathing to slow down. A dream! It had been a dream!  Moving restlessly under the thin sheet she became aware of the moisture coating her thighs and the echoing tingles of a climax moving through her thigh muscles. Glancing fuzzily around, her mind confirmed the fact that she was still in the Fort Commandant’s bedchamber in Iminuserkhepesh.

Her heart rate calmed, she got up and wiped her body down with a cool cloth, running the cloth between her legs setting off rippling aftershocks from her dream induced pleasure. When she finished she sat on a chair and poured herself a cup of water as she went over what she could remember of the vivid dream.  She’d never experienced pleasure such as that in or out of dreams, in the past, most certainly never with her husband. It would seem that her sleeping mind had made a decision about the direction her marriage would be heading.  Shivering in memory once more, she smiled as she thought of the beautiful woman waiting for her so far away to the north.

Finishing her drink she decided against returning to the sweat-soaked sheets of her bed instead she dressed and made herself ready for the day instead. Noting that the Kushites had only four more days to arrive, she thought forward to the days and weeks of diplomacy and travel still ahead before she could return to Thebes and perhaps enact her dream in truth; she was not pleased with the idea of the long wait, but decided to get on with the matters at hand.  Chuckling as she left the room for the early dawn lit courtyard she hoped she would at least be treated to a repeat of the dream a few times while she was still so far away from the dream’s star attraction.

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Laughter rang through the garden accompanied by the sound of splashing water and the occasional squeal. The king’s Steward followed the sounds and came to an open area that housed a large ornamental pool in which the two princesses and the Queen’s servant Sesen were noisily frolicking. The Queen was sitting on the edge of the pool, her feet and lower legs immersed in the pool as she watched the girls play, a soft smile on her face.

Satneith couldn’t help a broad smile from blooming on her own face as she watched the Royal Nurse, Segret erupt through the water’s surface and splash the girls, the ebony skinned servant and the Queen, all of whom merrily splashed her back with hands and feet. She paused to enjoy the vision of Segret’s beautiful body, naked and dappled with sunshine and water droplets. The wonderful sight of her lover was something she’d been missing in the past weeks as all her time was taken up with matters of state. The young Steward sighed as she thought of the news she was about to deliver and its’ repercussions for herself and Segret and resolved to clear her schedule for the next two days so she and the beautiful noble woman could spend some quality time together. That decided, she moved forward and made her presence known to the royal party.

“Majesty.” She bowed to Andrea and then smiled at the attentive princesses. “Highnesses.” Much to the little girls’ delight she accorded them each a small bow. “Nebet.” Satneith smiled brightly at Segret who returned her smile even as she swayed sensuously through the water toward the pool’s steps. As she reached the top of the steps she took one of the linen towels and wrapped it around herself before turning her attention to Andrea and Satneith.

“Majesty, as it appears the Chief Steward requires your attention I shall take their Highnesses to the nursery and have them ready for the evening meal within the hour.” She was about to turn and address the mournful objections coming from her charges, still in the pool, when Satneith held her hand up in a staying motion.

“No need Nebet Segret, my news is for all of you, not just the Queen.” Having said this she retrieved a sealed roll of papyrus from the small satchel she carried over her shoulder and held it out to Andrea; waiting for the brunette to dry her hands on another piece of linen before handing her the scroll, the queen took it, calling Sesen over so she could interpret as she read out the message. Waiting for her servant and friend to make her way to the pool’s edge she thought for a moment then changed her mind and instead held the scroll back out to Satneith. Andrea made the decision that the Chief Steward knew that her grasp of Egyptian had considerably improved and didn’t see any reason to hide that fact from her anymore.

“Nebet Satneith, if you would read it and then if there is anything I didn’t quite understand Sesen can interpret for me.”

The older woman’s expression warmed a little with the realisation that the Queen had indeed been improving her language skills. She inclined her head and took the scroll back before breaking the seal.

“Majesty, some of what may be in this letter I already know from the dispatches to the Court, but I imagine there may be more personal messages within.” So saying Satneith started to read.

“Second Akhet, Twelfth Day of Menhet, in my 21^st Regnal year.Greetings to my beloved SisterNeferemkau, may Neith watch over you and my father Amun give you blessing. I trust my Hawklings have been keeping you entertained and I send greetings and my blessings to them through you.

By the grace of my father Amun the vile Kush have been rightly chastised and I will return in triumph with my troops as soon as matters have been settled here in Wawat to my satisfaction. We wait at my fortress of Iminuserkhepesh for the Kushites to arrive to bring their surrender and fealty. When all is disposed as I wish we will start our return journey.

 My Sister, I have thought and dreamed of you here in the barren lands of the South. Your kind eyes and sweet smile, so shortly known, have been ever in my mind. I am longing to feel your embrace and grow impatient with our separation. To that end I have decreed that you, my Hawklings, and what servants you require will travel immediately to Syene there to await my return closer at hand than you are now.  Nebet Satneith has been given instructions for your escort and travel let your needs be known to her and all will be as you command.

Fly swift and safe to me my Sister that we may wander in the garden of discovery together. I will count the days till we are together once more.

Your Lord, your husband, your beloved Sister, Mereneith.

Satneith let the scroll snap back and looked at the queen with some amusement when she noticed the young woman’s very pink cheeks as she blushed over the intimate wishes hinted at in her spouses’ letter. She was about to say something further when she felt cold droplets of water flutter over her feet when the two princesses dashed out of the pool and threw themselves at Andrea squealing in delight.

“We’re going to see Mama!! We’re going to sail on the Great River and see mighty Kemet!!!” They uncannily stated in perfectly synchronised unison.

Andrea smiled indulgently and nodded.  “So it would seem little Hawklings. Now dry off and go with Nebet Segret. You will need to decide what you wish to bring with you on this trip.”  Noting the glint in Neith-hotep’s eye she added. “You may each bring four individual items to play with, and four joint games, but no more. There is no need to pack the entire nursery for our travels.”

Segret smirked at the little girls sheepish grins and gave Andrea an approving nod of acknowledgement. The older woman had been very pleasantly surprised at how well the young Kefti woman got on with the princesses and how well she seemed to take to the role of a kindly but firm parent.  The Queen’s recent changes to the nursery routine had made her job all that much easier and her charges were happy and thriving. Supervising the girls as they dried off and dressed she started mentally listing the things they would need on the journey, as the list grew she turned to the Queen to get her instructions on something.

“Majesty, should I make arrangements for the Princess’ tutor to accompany us to Syene?”

Andrea watched the girls noting how their faces fell just a little as they looked to see what she’d say.

“No Nebet, there will be no need for the tutor to come along, Sesen will see to the girls’ needs as we travel. Have the tutor and her assistant continue with the lessons for the Princess’ new classmates while we are away, that will allow them to catch up somewhat with Miwsher and Nedjset.”

“As you command Majesty, I’ll take their Highness’ to the nursery now so we can make a start.” Bowing to the queen first Segret turned and shooed the girls in front of her before discreetly turning and blowing a kiss to the Chief Steward as she passed her, causing Satneith to blush slightly and stare at her toes in embarrassment. When the little entourage had departed, the Steward cleared her throat and returned her attention to Andrea.

“I have arranged to meet with Vizier Nakht-Nebamun in two hours so we can discuss the logistics of your travel Majesty, perhaps you would like to join us so that we can ensure your requirements are known?” Andrea smiled, noting the respectful tone of the invitation, a great improvement from the Steward and something only recently attained.

“That would be quite acceptable Nebet Satneith. Are you meeting in the Council chamber?”

“If it is acceptable Majesty, perhaps we could meet in your quarters?”

“That is acceptable.” Andrea rose and Sesen, who had remained silently attentive, moved forward to gather the remaining linens. “I shall see you then Nebet Satneith.”  She bowed her head toward the Steward and nodded at Sesen to follow her as she made her way through the garden toward her apartments. Satneith wasted no time and headed to the nursery to speak with Segret and make arrangements to see her later in the evening.

***

The young priest stumbled from the room and careened down the hall as the sound of crashing objects echoed behind him. Blood dripped down into his eyes from the cut on his forehead and he stumbled as his vision blurred before he hastily wiped the blood away and continued to flee the apartments of the First Prophet.  He had been attending to his duties, delivering the High Priest’s evening meal when he’d been hit squarely in the head with a heavy bejewelled goblet when he entered the reception area of the private apartments. The Lord Irsu was in a raging temper such as the Wa’ab had never seen before, grasping any and all objects that came to hand and hurling them at the walls, or in the case of the goblet, at the hapless young priest, his other servants having long since fled the scene of his rage.

On the floor, under an overturned table lay the tattered and torn missive that had caused Irsu’s anger and loss of control. A dispatch from his agents in the South informing him of Mereneith’s victory and Prince Sethirkopshef’s wounding and his disgrace and sentence to exile in Wawat. Irsu had snapped and raged at having to rely on yet another incompetent fool, first that idiot Sen-Nefer and now this young arrogant princeling. Were his plans always to be thwarted thus? His raging resulted in every stick of furniture being broken or overturned and every smaller item in the room being dashed against the wall before he eventually began to calm sufficiently to think clearly. Finally losing steam he rooted through the debris for the papyrus, picking it up and calling for his servants to come and clear the mess away.

Letter in hand he moved into his small office space and sat behind his desk to think. True, the Prince was injured, but he yet lived, all was not lost. He scolded himself for being surprised at Mereneith’s decisive victory over the Kushite barbarians. Sighing he reconciled himself to the loss of the gold that, along with promises of a half-hearted and hobbled response from Egypt, had induced the young king of Kush to commit his forces on such a grand scale. Youthful hotheads seemed to be the bane of his plotting and scheming, he only hoped that Sethirkopshef’s injuries and disgrace would make him a more biddable agent in his own plans for power.

Chewing on a reed pen the First Prophet reviewed the current state of play and figured out which of his plans needed to be changed, rescheduled or abandoned. He needed to pull back and play for time, but he burned to be revenged on the She-Demon, Mereneith. Continuing to  brood, his thoughts turned to the new Queen and he grimaced once again, noting that none of his petty little schemes for her embarrassment and disgrace had come to fruition any more than his plans to sabotage the coronation had done. He grinned as his mind began to form a new plan, that bitch Mereneith may be out of his reach for the moment, but the Kefti slut wasn’t. His grin widened as he called for his personal servant and ordered him to fetch one of his less salubrious minions, one whose services had recently proven useful and highly effective.

***

Andrea made her way through the palace corridors, preceded and followed by her escort of four Followers of His Majesty, treading the now familiar route between her apartments and the Royal Nursery. She had the princess’s with her, each holding onto one of her hands as they chattered excitedly about spending the night in the Queen’s apartments. Andrea had noted the relationship between the Royal Nurse and Chief Steward and informed Segret that she would have the girls stay with her for the night, thus relieving the woman of her charges and freeing her to spend the time with her lover before they left Thebes.  Segret had happily thanked her for the kindness and promptly gone in search of her lover.

Andrea’s meeting with Nakht-Nebamun and Satneith the evening before had gone smoothly and been highly productive. Content to let them deal with the details of transport, security and logistics, she had dictated her personal requirements and those for the princess’. The latter had included the raising of higher side rails on the ship on which they would be traveling to ensure no inquisitive little Hawklings could accidently slip overboard, as well as an extended cabin to allow for greater comfort for the entire royal party as they travelled.

After the meeting, the Queen had discussed the preparations needed with her two chief servants, Sesen and Kitane. The Cretan woman had remained in her service but kept aloof from the other servants only really interacting with Sesen. This self-ostracism was in large part due to her reluctance to truly learn the tongue of her new country. Despite Andrea’s gentle encouragement, Kitane maintained she was too old to learn a new language and was quite content with having Sesen interpret anything more complicated than the very basic commands she had learned to order around the lesser servants in their daily tasks required by the Queen. Unfortunately, this had not endeared her to her fellows and they had made a cruel game of goading the woman by claiming to not understand even her basic commands in their native tongue. Sesen interceded for her when she could, but she wasn’t always available and at those times Kitane would often just see to a task herself rather than delegating the task. In the turmoil of preparations for the royal trip she had given up completely on communication and decided to do all the packing herself so Andrea and Sesen had left her to her work and spent the morning with the children helping them pack.

The royal party swept into the outer reception room of the Queen’s apartments and Andrea sent the girls into the garden, she’d left instructions for a meal to be laid out by the pool and Sesen would be waiting for them.  One of the Followers trailed after the girls and the other took up his post by the main door as Andrea moved into her personal reception room on the way to her bed chamber. She’d made arrangements for a small travel version of the girls’ favourite game of Hounds and Jackals to made for them and she wanted to give it to them this evening so they could choose a another game to bring with them on their trip. Knowing that Kitane would be in the bedchamber she called out as she moved across the outer room.

“Kitane, did Master Carpenter Khu deliver the game for the children?” 

There was no response, so she continued toward the bed chamber, walking through the doorway to be greeted by the sound of her servant’s scream of terror. Andrea saw Kitane jump back as the basket she’d been opening tumbled to the floor beside her, spilling its’ contents as it fell.  The older woman followed it’s descent to the floor, clasping a hand to her shoulder as she clumsily scrabbled backwards away from the chaos of cloth in front of her. The queen watched as the linen moved and suddenly two large cobras emerged rearing up nearly half their body lengths and puffing out their hoods as they turned to face Andrea and Kitane who lay moaning in pain at her Mistress’ feet.

Hard earned and trained instinct served Andrea well as she immediately stepped between the agitated snakes and her injured servant. She reverently invoked the Mother’s name, allowing it to come forth from her lips as an almost hissed sibilant ‘hhhRRrrhhhhhhhheeeeeaaaaa’. The sound caught the attention of the serpents and focused them on Andrea. The Cretan Priestess reappeared as Andrea began the swaying movements of the Snake Dance, her arms and body moving in fluid motions as she chanted the incantations of Mount Ida here in this foreign land. The cobras appeared to be transfixed and began to mimic her movements, swaying gently from side to side. Andrea continued, willing herself to sink quickly into the trance of the dance.  The absence of her heavy woollen skirts had her feeling slightly off balance as she moved her body in her form fitting linen dress, but she quickly found her rhythm and moved closer to the snakes inch by inch.

A low moan of pain came from Kitane who had started to convulse where she lay on the floor, her body reacting to the venom entering her bloodstream. The noise caused the cobras to suddenly rear higher in uncertain agitation. Andrea chanted louder to cover the sounds of the woman’s distress and moved ever closer to the snakes as she continued the familiar words and hissings of the chant. Finally just a foot away, her body swayed low, her arms outstretched, she invited the Pharaoh’s guardians into her embrace, not sure if these much larger and more dangerous creatures would accept the invitation or lunge in attack. To her relief the sturdy bodies moved along her arms, her continued gentle movements encouraging the snakes to shift and twist and eventually twine themselves round her forearms with just the space of their hoods rising from around her wrists. Her fingers stroked over the back of their hoods, encouraging them to fold this sign of aggression closed and allowing her fingers to close round but not yet grasp them just below their closed mouths.

Timing now was everything, her body’s movements and her chants must be maintained as smoothly as possible as she searched out a likely receptacle for the cobra’s to be placed in that could be quickly secured. She worried that these, much larger and stronger serpents would prove unwieldy if not actually unruly when she tried to ease them off her arms and away from her body. She was used to the much smaller snakes most of them harmless save for the deadly sand viper, of her native land. As with all priestesses, she had been given regular small doses of the viper’s venom until she had built up immunity to its effects. She had been bitten only once, when she was 16 and other than the wound itself had suffered only mild illness rather than the paralysing and slow death that the uninitiated would have experienced. Eyeing the much deadlier snakes now in her grasp she prayed her conditioning would hold good against their stronger venom should she not be successful.

Spotting a large clothes chest with a hinged lid on her bed she moved towards it, still using the swaying steps of the dance and singing the snake songs. Positioning herself over the box, she added a fervent but silent prayer to Mother Rhea as she changed the tempo of her movements and the cadence of her chant. With relief she felt the coils around her arms loosen and begin to unwind starting at the tails and moving toward the head of each snake. Finally when the only contact was her gentle grip around the cobras’ heads she eased their bodies down into the clothes chest, allowing the snakes to naturally coil in the bottom of the box.

Schooling herself to continue the much slower, wordless ‘release’ chant and not to hold her breath in supressed fear, Andrea gently released her grip and allowed her arms to fluidly sway slowly away from the deadly reptiles. She was nearly ready to close the lid when a horrid, wet, rasping noise rose from behind her as Kitane let forth her last strangled breath agitating and angering the cobras, one of which attempted to strike at Andrea’s disappearing hand. She quickly managed to slam the lid shut, but not before one of the striking snake’s fangs had grazed the side of her thumb in its’ unsuccessful lunge. She draped her body over the box making sure the thrashing serpents within could not dislodge the lid and yelled for help. Even as she heard the thundering approach of the Follower of His Majesty stationed in her outer chambers and the hurried footsteps of more servants, she started to suck at her wound, spitting blood and the traces of venom she could taste mixed with it onto the floor until all she could taste was blood.

When help arrived she ordered ropes to secure the lid of the chest, and not moving until they were brought and securely tied. As soon as it was safe she called for water and thoroughly washed out the small cut on her hand, feeling the wound burn but feeling confident she had successfully neutralised the danger of the venom. Satisfied of her own survival, she moved over to Kitane’s body and knelt beside it, gently straightening the woman’s limbs and smoothing her facial features of the agonised clenching of her joints and jaw the poison had wrought. Sitting fully, she placed the dead woman’s head in her lap and let the tears fall as she softly sang a lullaby she’d heard the older woman sing on their journey to Kemet.

Andrea wasn’t sure how long she sat like this, only becoming aware of her surroundings again when Sesen’s gentle voice spoke to her in quiet Cretan urging her to allow others to take care of her dead servant and to let the physician examine her wound. In a daze she allowed herself to be helped to her feet and guided to a chair where one of the king’s doctors examined her hand asking what she’d done in the aftermath of the almost bite, and commending her presence of mind before thoroughly washing the wound with vinegar and wine and recommending it be allowed to bleed freely and not be bandaged so he could monitor its condition and be sure they weren’t binding up the poison with a dressing.

Andrea’s attention refocused when a makeshift litter appeared and several servants began to move Kitane’s body. Noticing that the Vizier had arrived along with more Followers, she called him over and spoke in a trembling voice.

“Neb Nakht, see to it that Kitane’s body is taken to Kyrie Nashuja’s estate immediately, she will be buried according to the rites of her homeland. Sesen, please ensure that  all of her belongings are gathered and make sure they are also sent to Kyrie Nashuja, that she may take comfort from them in the place of shadows and shades.” Her voice caught and she found that she could not continue as she began to cry again. The Vizier stepped forward and assured her that her orders would be followed.

“All will be as you command Majesty.” Nakht- Nebamun spoke gently to the young woman and directed a number of Followers to escort the body and Sesen from the room. The young Scribe, whose movements had been vouched for by the Queen, was to be escorted and protected as if she was a member of the Royal family. The Queen had been adamant on the matter; she would not lose another valued and loyal servant, especially not one she counted as a true friend as she did the young Chantress of Hathor.

When the Vizier had been informed of what had transpired, he had called up a full troop of Followers, posting them in groups of four at all entrances in and out of the royal quarters, including the internal entrances from the enclosed royal gardens. He’d then ordered the assembly and detention of all the servants who had been given entry to the Queen’s quarters that day. Someone had had the audacity to try and assassinate the new Queen and had almost succeeded and he was going to find out who that was, even if he had to put every servant in the palace to the question. Mereneith would want heads as well as answers when she returned. In the meantime Nakht had arranged with Satneith to bring in his own personal servants, none of whom had been in his service for less than ten years, to take the place of the palace servants currently detained. He and the Chief Steward would be busy for some hours tonight, reworking the travel plans for the Queen and the Princess’. The additional security required would necessitate the provisioning an extra ship in the planned flotilla and they had only a day to make these new arrangements.  He looked kindly on the frazzled Steward, sorry that her planned time with the Royal Nurse would not be possible before she left for Syene. Still, he thought, at least they could look forward to her eventual homecoming.

The Princess’ had finally been ushered into the room by their guard once Kitane’s body had been removed and were now seeking and giving solace as the Queen gathered them into her embrace. Despite the shock of events he knew he could not delay their departure, indeed he felt it best to get them on their way as soon as possible reasoning that they could be guarded more ably in the close quarters of a ship’s cabin and the small palace of a local Governor, than in the sprawling corridors and chambers of the Great House of Thebes.

Seeing the Queen’s continued distress and the growing agitation of his King’s Hawklings, Nakht pulled the physician aside and ordered the man to add an appropriate amount of poppy juice to the royal cups to allow them all to sleep through the night and be fresh for their departure in the early hours of the following day. Leaving the man to see to his potions, the Vizier made his way over to the Queen and quietly told her about the poppy juice, her only reaction to nod in acquiescence, grateful for the promise of a dreamless sleep after the stress and sorrow of the day’s events.

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine – Reptiles, Restitution, Rewards and Reunions - Part 2

See Previous Chapters for Disclaimer

Mereneith felt a trickle of sweat roll down her back slipping under her leather belt and finally stopping when her linen kilt absorbed the salty moisture. The heat of mid-afternoon this far south during the season of inundation was furnace hot and the deep shade of the linen awning under which she sat offered little respite from the heat itself. The king’s head throbbed under the heavy blue Kepresh crown, the tightness the result of the extra linen padding she’d added to absorb the sweat on her forehead. Her hands gripped the handles of her flail and kopesh in a firm hold as she at last saw the Kushites approaching the fortress entrance, the entourage surrounded by twice their number of her own troops.

The heat aside, the king was already in a grim mood, having been made to wait an extra four days for the flotilla from Kerma to arrive at the fortress quayside. That she was not even angrier was only due to the troop commander in charge of the fleet having sent a messenger ahead to explain that the delay had been because of the extended process the Kerman’s needed to find a suitable candidate for the kingship. The Commander’s note had pointed out that he had been firm, what was suitable to Egypt was the only criteria the elders of the tribes needed to consider. Once they had made their choice to his satisfaction he sent the king what information he could gather about the successful candidate. Now Mereneith would have the chance to assess the man herself.

The Egyptian escort fanned out to the edges of the fortress courtyard while their Commander led the Kushite royals forward stopping several feet from the raised dais before he commanded them in their native tongue, to kneel before Pharaoh. The women and children slid easily down and bent their heads, the men moved more slowly to obey, especially the man that led the group. Looking up he met the implacable gaze of his predecessor’s conqueror, holding the gaze for only a few seconds he swallowed hastily and bent his forehead to the ground.

Mereneith let the delegation remain in their obeisance for a few minutes as she processed her first impression of the new Kushite king; he was in his mid-30s, older than his predecessor but not too old to establish a new royal line. She considered the look he’d given her before bowing down, it hadn’t been defiant, merely a maintenance of his pride and an assessing with a final flash of acknowledgement, almost as if he had been satisfied that indeed he was before a warrior and not just a woman dressed up in armour. Mereneith appreciated these external hints of what the man might be like and proceeded to tell her Commander to instruct the king and his eldest sons to stand. She then nodded and a servant came forward and placed a low stool beside the Kushite ruler inviting him to sit. The man nodded and settled himself with as much dignity as he could as he craned his neck upward to look at his enthroned captor. The rest of the delegation were told to seat themselves and the new king’s three eldest sons came and sat to either side and just behind their father. Mereneith commanded the women and children be seated in the shade of the fortress walls that they might take what respite from the heat they could; the adult men were not accorded any such relief, not even their ruler.

Mereneith then proceeded to make her intent clear to the new ruler, waiting patiently as her words were translated. The king of Kush was afforded no chance for a response, this was not a negotiation, it was Pharaoh making her decrees known to her vanquished enemy. The new king knew that failure to comply with the Egyptian’s edicts would result in the destruction of his capital Kerma and the Kushite people as well. He was a pragmatic man and would do what needed to be done to save what remained of his people. No longer would their gaze be set to the north, if and when they were able to recover the manpower they had lost to his predecessor’s vainglorious dream they would focus attention to their south and the desert dwellers to east and west and leave Wawat to Egypt.

Mereneith and her advisors had hammered out the details of surrender and reassessed her original decision about the tribute of 3000 boys every five years. She had decided she did not want to denude the Kushites of all their fighting capabilities after all they acted as an effective buffer between Wawat and the hostile tribes much further south on the Great River. To that end the stipulation had changed to a 1000 boys between the ages of 10 and 14 to be sent north every five years. She also added that the number of Wersuseti would no longer exceed 500 in number and the boys to be sent north would receive the same initial training as those who would enter the Kushite Royal Guard.

The Kushites had brought 500 boys with them as a show of good faith as well as the 1000 women and girls destined to be handed over as captives to be given to whomever the Pharaoh saw fit. They would augment the 3000 plus captives already held by the Egyptians. Mereneith received with aplomb the gold, ebony and other luxury goods the king had brought as a gift to her in apology for his kinsmen’s actions. The only time the Kushite appeared to balk was when he was told that five of his ten sons, the three eldest, and two youngest, were to be taken to Egypt as well as three of his lesser wives. Although the language used mentioned fostering and educating the boys until they were ready to return to Kush all present knew they were in fact hostages for their father’s good behaviour. Mereneith also firmly stated that the tradition of voting any of the royal clan into the kingship was now at an end and the king’s eldest son would be groomed to succeed him. Several of the Kushites showed their displeasure at this announcement including the king, with scowls and muttering, but they knew they could do nothing to resist the edict and quickly subsided.

The sun finally began to descend into the western desert and Mereneith raised her flail and kopesh from her lap as the King of Kush rose, stepped forward and bowed once more in submission before his new overlord, this time going all the way down, and head to ground. Raising his head, but still kneeling, he pronounced his oath to be faithful to Egypt and her ruler and included his successors in that oath of allegiance. Satisfied, Mereneith stood and pronounced the meeting at an end, dismissing the delegation back to their ships, less the captives they would be leaving behind and plus the small contingent of Egyptian officers who would now be resident in Kerma to advise the new ruler and of course to monitor the Kushites and report back to Pharaoh at regular intervals.

When the last of the Kushites had vacated the courtyard Mereneith rose and called her Commanders to a meeting in her temporary quarters. They had spent the days of waiting covering redeployment of troops to Dedun Sai and planning building works to enlarge the fortress there to double the garrison size, Mereneith had no intention of ever being surprised like this again. Now that things were finally settled here, they could begin the march north to Buhen tomorrow, and from there they would sail for Syene. If all went well she would be reunited with her Queen and her Hawklings in a little more than half a month. With this thought foremost in her mind she greeted her commanders with an uncharacteristically soft smile and called the meeting to order.

****

The royal flotilla had been sailing for five days, already one day longer than it would normally take to get from Thebes to Syene. The rowers were fighting against the onslaught of the flood waters from the south, aided only a fraction by a brisk wind from the north which still left them at least a full day’s sail from their destination. A shadow crossed the early morning sun, and some of the soldiers watched avidly having spotted the incarnation of Horus and pointed him out to the Queen who sat under an awning on the foredeck. The princess’ were still asleep in the main cabin and Andrea was taking the opportunity for some alone time. She looked where the soldiers pointed and shaded her eyes to watch the great hawk circle lazily over the desert sands before flying out of sight toward the eastern horizon. She hoped the sighting was a good omen for news from the south.

Their departure from Thebes had been quiet and almost unremarked, for which the Queen was grateful. Nakht-Nebamun had started his investigations into the attempt on her life but nothing had been discovered before they left the city. Andrea had been a little withdrawn and very quiet as they travelled, still mourning the loss of her servant for whom she prayed to Mother Rhea each morning. The sense of guilt for having been the agent that took the older woman so far from her homeland, only to die a horrible, painful death, was at times overwhelming.

Sesen and Segret had tried to keep the twins amused and occupied to allow Andrea her space in the cramped quarters aboard the ship. The girls had spent the first day of travel excitedly watching Egypt unfold before their eyes, it was the first time they’d ever been beyond the confines of Thebes and they revelled in the experience, sitting for several hours at the raised gunwales looking between the slatted boards and chattering to each other as they shared their impressions. Unsurprisingly the novelty of watching the miles and miles of the churning flood swelling around small villages raised above the water level on little islands, waving to the children and fellahin who watched them pass, and the distant view of the odd small temple or shrine soon palled and they sought other amusements. On the second day they had talked to the sailors and asked a thousand questions about all the things needed to sail a ship that size. On the third day it was the turn of several Followers of His Majesty to instruct the girls on weapons and fighting techniques. To their obvious delight, one of the younger officers began to teach them how to use a throwing stick to hunt geese and other waterfowl when they had moored in the early evening in order for the Queen and Sesen to make a pilgrimage to a local shrine of the Lady Hathor.

Andrea rose from her chair and began to walk toward the small cabin at the rear of the deck that she had procured as a shrine to Mother Rhea, bypassing the larger cabin where the Princess’s and her servants still slept. It was time for her morning prayers and her heart felt a little heavier as it had each morning since Kitane’s death.

As she passed the larger cabin she felt a small hand reach out and take hold of her own in a gentle grasp before looking down in startled surprise into the pale green eyes of Neith-nodjmet. The little girl gave a gentle smile and squeezed the Queen’s hand.

“May I help you say the prayers for Kitane this morning Mama? I don’t know the Kefti ones, but I remember a prayer of Isis that we learned when our grandmother went to the fields of Osiris three years ago. May I say that one for Kitane?”

Andrea was touched at the little girls’ wish and knelt down to be on eye level with her before she answered.

“Did you know Kitane very well Nedjset?”

“A little bit mama. I liked her, even if she was a bit stern with the other servants. I asked Sesen to tell her I could help her learn the tongue of Kemet, the same way Miwsher and me were helping you.” The little girl cocked her head in thought before continuing. “Sesen said she thanked me but it wasn’t necessary, she would manage. I still tried to practice my Kefti words with her after that and I think she really liked that, she always smiled anyway and often gave me honey cakes.”

Andrea brought the girl in for a hug, hiding the few tears she allowed to escape and trickle down her cheek. Releasing Neith-nodjmet she smiled sadly but nodded her head.

“I think Kitane would appreciate your prayers Nedjset, come we’ll pray together to Mother Rhea, Lady Isis and Lord Osiris. I will teach you my prayer and you can teach me yours.” So saying Andrea stood and together they made their way to her cabin and her little shrine to the Goddess. The presence of her sweet souled step daughter was healing for Andrea and she added a heartfelt request to the Great Mother that she would watch over the girl and see that she thrived. When they were finished with their prayers they joined the rest of the newly risen royal party on the foredeck and broke their morning fast together, both Sesen and Segret were pleased to see the young Queen in much better spirits.

“Mama, will our Lord Mother be in Syene when we get there tomorrow?” The question came from Neith-hotep. All the adults made no mention of the slip the little girl made in calling Andrea, Mama instead of Nebet. After her initial reluctance at the wedding to accord a parental title to the new Queen, the elder princess had seemed to unthinkingly succumb to her twin’s enthusiasm and more often than not would also call Andrea, Mama.

“I don’t know Miwsher. It would have taken many days for the messengers to bring her orders to us and even then she and the army must wait to make sure the new king of Kush knows what he must do to please the King and Egypt. Then they must march many days to get back to Buhen before sailing to Syene. I think it more likely that we may have to wait some time in Syene for her to arrive with the army.”

Both girls looked disappointed but quickly moved on to making plans for filling their time while they waited for their mother to return from the wilds of Wawat. As they talked a plan was formed to have the young officer, Senibi, continue their throwing stick lessons. The Follower of His Majesty in question was standing guard not too far away and Andrea and Segret couldn’t help but laugh at the combination of rueful smile and blush the young man exhibited over the princess’ co-opting of his services.

Andrea let the girls make their plans, knowing they wouldn’t have time to manage all their ideas as they would be returning to their studies under Sesen’s tutelage. She had allowed them a respite from their daily lessons as they travelled, but did not want them to get too far behind, especially as the changes she'd made in their school routine seemed to be working out so well. Watching the children chatter away, shee hoped that Mereneith would approve of her input into her daughters’ education. The Queen unknowingly gave into a nervous tick of her own and began to chew on her lower lip as she thought how best to bring the subject up with the King. Finally deciding to slay that hippopotamus when it appeared, she re-joined the conversation with some of her own ideas for their stay in Syene.

***

The crew of the King's flagship were going about their duties with a minimum of chatter and activity, the banter and jocularity heard on the other ships all but non-existent despite their victories and impending homecoming. They were all anxious to avoid drawing the attention of their obviously agitated and moody monarch. Mereneith split her time between prowling the deck from bow to stern and back again, and sitting in her travelling chair under her awning and casting brooding glares at the churning waters, flailing oarsmen, her attendant guards or any other poor soul unfortunate enough to wander into her field of vision.

After a strenuous march and a brief stay at Buhen to finalise the troop reassignments, including that of Prince Sethirkopshef, Mereneith and the bulk of her troops had set sail for Syene looking forward to the flood hurrying them on their way north. Unfortunately the unpredictable waters were proving quite a challenge as the ships had to navigate shifting sand banks and the large amounts of debris in their path, including huge trunks of trees, smaller branches, spars and even some boulders. The ships pilots insisted on the need to go very slowly and in single file or risk the deadly flotsam damaging a vessel or two or more ships getting tangled in each other's oars as they maneuvered their way through the chaos. They also insisted on mooring the fleet each night, unwilling to chance the dangers of the river during the hours of darkness. This was not helping an increasingly impatient King intent on returning to her family and new bride.

They were now a little over a day’s sail south of Syene and Mereneith had spent the entire two hours since sunrise pacing the foredeck without a break. She finally sat and broke her fast with fruit and honey cakes, enjoying Kenamun’s companionship as they ate and discussed plans for raising new troops to replenish the Divisions of Ptah and Amun who had born the greatest losses. They were making final decisions about officer promotions when there was a loud sound of crashing and shouting from midway along the line of ships. Several sailors ran past them toward the bow of the ship as the pilot guided the craft to the river bank and they jumped off with mooring ropes to secure the ship as the pilot had the great anchor weights lowered from the stern.

Mereneith and her General stood and watched at least five other ships perform the same maneuver behind them. As the ships came to a standstill on the bank, they could see the reason for the earlier sounds, several transports were packed together, their oars tangled and many actually sheared off from the force of impact with the other ships. At the centre of this chaos they spied one of the horse transports wedged against a newly visible boulder, listing precariously with a gaping hole in it’s’ side. The sounds of the distressed horses in the hold mixed with the cries of the men attempting to release them from the ship’s hold before the craft began to sink in earnest. The ships following behind maneuvered into a series of lines across the river trying to provide a breakwater to allow the horses to swim ashore.

Mereneith disembarked and moved back down the bank to help the soldiers from the stricken ship and oversee the corralling of the horses as they swam to shore. The initial chaos on land and the river slowly sorted itself into a sort of order as the rest of the flotilla worked to bring the other damaged vessels to a safe standstill in the line of ships and disembarked their own cargos of horses and soldiers. The king ordered them to make camp as her ship captains and pilots assessed the extent of the damage and made plans for what needed to be done in order for them to continue on their way. When they were ready the chief Captain and Pilot made their way to the Royal tent which had been set up under the dubious shade of a few straggly acacias on a hillock a few hundred feet from the river bank.

The report was definitely not to the king’s liking; the horse transport was a complete write off and eight other ships had sustained varying amounts of damage that would require at least a day to repair to make the craft properly river-worthy. Logistically the most difficult thing to deal with was the large number of damaged oars that would require four of the ships to be closely towed using only their steering rudders. It would be dangerous and tricky in the flood waters and would require taking things very slowly as they rowed northward. All this was likely to add at least three possibly four days to their journey time. Mereneith was not happy with this newest obstacle to her plans and took some of her frustration out as she growled her dismissal to the Captain and then shouted for the rest of the people in attendance to get out leaving her to pace the confines of her tent.

When the sun reached its’ zenith Mereneith called Kenamun and her other Troop Commanders to immediate attendance, once gathered she wasted no time in explaining that she was loathe to wait around for days while repairs were made when they were so close to Syene, so she’d decided she was going to continue the journey on land. She ordered her chariot to be prepared and called for an escort of 25 chariots from the Braves of the King to be ready to depart within the hour. With the good king’s road that followed the river between Buhen and Syene she estimated they would arrive in Syene sometime in the late hours of night. After a quick and heated discussion with Kenamun she had agreed to increase the escort number to 50 chariots with their combatants knowing it would take some of the pressure off the damaged transports and speed the rest of the fleet on their way.

The chariots thundered along the well-marked road at a steady pace that ate up the miles without over tiring the horses. Mereneith enjoyed herself swapping with Ahmose to take a few turns at driving, they stopped every three hours to allow the horses a rest and to take the opportunity to drink some water and wipe the dust of the road from their faces. The ride was more bearable once the sun had set and the heat of the day was behind them. They slowed their pace once full dark had settled although the moon was near to the full and its’ silver light bathed the desert sands. The squad finally reached the gates of Syene just before the ninth hour of night and made their way directly to the Governor’s palace where Mereneith thanked them for their escort and dismissed them to report to the town guard for billeting.

Moving through the outer reception areas Mereneith was met by the Governor himself hastily roused by a servant with the news of the king’s arrival. The man wore nothing but a short kilt hastily wrapped around his waist and tied in place. Mereneith admired his respectful if sleepy demeanour as he guided her to his own private chambers where the royal party had taken residence since their arrival several days previously. The Governor noted but made no comment on the fact that the king was limping favouring her left leg and holding her left arm stiffly at her side. Arriving at the master suite he left her with some servants who he instructed to bring water so Mereneith could properly bathe and clean the dust of travel from her body before she changed into a simple sleeping robe cinched at the waist with a corded belt.

Clean and somewhat refreshed Mereneith made her way to what she had been told was now the royal nursery but found it empty as she had found the bedchamber she’d been directed to after her bath. Before she could turn to demand an explanation from the Follower of His Majesty on duty at the entrance to the inner chambers, Segret made her way into the room and bowed before her king. Rising she explained that Andrea and the Princesses had taken to sleeping on the roof to take advantage of the cooler air. Mereneith bid the noble woman good night and took the narrow steps to the roof two at a time, startling the guard at the top as she emerged. Realising who his spear was pointed at he stood to attention and saluted.

“Where are they?” She asked quietly and he pointed to the far end of the roof where a trellised awning was situated. Nodding her acknowledgement Mereneith began to make her way toward the little pile of cushions and bodies under the light shelter. She paused and smiled when she was close enough to see her Hawklings nested down beside the beautiful Cretan girl, Nedjset cuddled into Andrea’s right side and Miwsher snuggled into her sister.

Slipping her sandals from her feet Mereneith knelt on Andrea’s left side and gently stroked the dark tresses away from her forehead. The young woman stirred a little and then settled once again. The king took a few minutes to just soak in the lovely sight of her small family contentedly sleeping, safe and well and she knew the months of marching and fighting were all worth it. Compelled by the sweet half smile on her queen’s lips Mereneith bent and brushed her own lips across Andrea’s forehead, pulling back slightly when she woke and looked at her with sleep hazed brown eyes.

“Mereneith! You’re back!” She exclaimed in surprise but in a whispered tone. She struggled to disengage from Nedjset’s embrace but Mereneith laid a firm hand on her shoulder urging her to stay in place and not disturb the little girl.

“Have you room for one more in the nest?” She asked with a twinkle in her eye. Andrea, now very much awake blushed prettily but nodded her head at which signal Mereneith positioned herself on her right side beside Andrea.

“I have found myself quite anxious to see you and my Hawklings my sister, and took the last leg of the journey by chariot to speed that happy occurrence to fruition.” She grinned impishly as she noted the girl’s blush deepen.

“It is a blessing to see you safely returned Majesty. The girls will be so happy.” She made no mention of the fact they both continued to whisper in an effort not to wake the twins.

“Hmm, as am I to see them again, but I am also very tired and think a few hours of slumber would be an even better homecoming just at the minute. Turn over Nebet Andrea and go back to sleep and hopefully I will join you in slumber with all good speed.”

Andrea obeyed her husband/wife’s instruction and turned on her right side settling Nedjset more comfortably in her arms at the same time. Just as she settled her head on the cushion she felt the coverlet lifted and Mereneith moved to pull her wife close into her embrace as she settled the covering over herself. Favouring her injured arm and leg she spooned the younger woman taking in her fresh clean scent and nuzzling her neck as she found a comfortable position to lay her head down. Finally settled she gave gusting sigh of contentment and allowed her exhaustion to wash over her at last, and fell into a contented sleep within minutes, oblivious to the now very awake young woman in her arms.

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten – Rest, Relaxation and Romance

See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer

Historical Notes have been updated under the heading of Chapter Ten and also in the alphabetic glossaries.

Stereo high pitched, delighted squeals of, “Mama!” woke Mereneith only seconds before the voices were followed by a double body tackle as Neith-hotep and Neith-nodjmet launched themselves over a slowly wakening Andrea. The girls smothered their mother with kisses and hugs and exclamations of joy at her presence. The greeting lasted some minutes until one of the girls inadvertently pressed her knee into the king’s injured thigh causing her to suddenly sit bolt upright as she let out a pained groan.

“Easy, easy my Hawklings.” She said as she gently moved the girls off her body into the space the now fully awake Andrea had created between them. Mereneith reached out and tugged each child’s side lock affectionately as she smiled at their obvious joy in her return.

“You must be careful with the old Hawk my darlings, I’ve had my wing punctured and a few claw marks in my leg as well.”

The twins looked in confusion first at Mereneith and then Andrea who had gasped at the news before softly enquiring.

“You were hurt?” the young woman’s eyes showed concern as they scanned the king’s body for signs of her injuries. Noting the look Mereneith was touched by Andrea’s worry and reached over to gently stroke her cheek.

“Yes I was Nefert, but I am mending well.” She smiled at the light blush that bloomed on her wife’s cheeks at the endearment she had used. She looked into those soulful brown eyes until her children once again demanded her attention.

“May we see Mama?” Neith-hotep asked with some interest, the concept that her godlike mother could be hurt was a foreign one and she was trying to process it into her world view. Neith-nodjmet, always the gentler of the two, placed her hand gingerly on her mother’s arm and asked.

“Does it hurt a lot Mama? Have the doctors not healed your wounds?”

Mereneith smiled at the little girl reassuringly even as she moved her sleeping robe to honour her sister’s request to see the wound.

“It hurt when it happened my Nedjset, and for a long while after, now it’s just a bit stiff and itchy. And yes the doctor took care of it, and stitched it very neatly so the scar won’t be too noticeable.”

The twins and Andrea leaned forward to inspect the still pink scar that ran for nearly five inches around the midpoint of her outer left thigh. They noted the tidy little notches left behind by the doctor’s stitches and how the skin around the scar was still stretched as it continued to heal. Andrea also noticed the rest of the older woman’s tanned and well-muscled bare leg and ducked her head as another blush made its way to her cheeks.

“May I touch it Mama?” the ever bold Neith-hotep asked. Mereneith nodded and the little girl reached out and gently drew her small fingers across the puckered skin. She felt the hardened skin and each bump, before her little hand came to rest above the damage, gently patting her mother’s leg in comfort and looking up at her smiling face before she broke into a smile of her own.

“I’m glad it doesn’t hurt now Mama.”

Mereneith pulled the girl into a hug and reached gingerly for the other twin with her injured arm. Andrea smiled at the happy little group and quietly added her agreement to her step-daughter’s sentiments.

A noise from the far side of the roof terrace drew the family’s attention just in time to see the Royal Nurse Segret emerge from the stairwell. She made her way toward them and the twins scrambled up and ran to her, each of them babbling over the other as they told her about their mother’s surprise presence. Segret allowed the girls to pull her over to the pavilion where she gracefully made obeisance before standing and addressing her king.

“Greetings Mighty Horus, it is a great pleasure to see you returned from the dry lands of the south.” She grinned at her sovereign’s knowing smirk.

Mereneith had noted the absence of any comment of her victory, she knew from the twinkle in the noblewoman’s eye that bothering to mention the obvious successful outcome of her campaign was a redundant exercise. The princess’ stayed by Segret’s side, each trying to pull her onto the mountain of cushions under the awning so she could join the little family reunion. Mereneith motioned for them to stop pulling on the young woman’s arms.

“Hawklings, why don’t you go with Nebet Segret and bathe and dress, your Mama and I will join you in the garden shortly and we will share the Perfuming of the Mouth together.”

No sooner had the king spoken than the little girls changed the direction of their tugging, now dragging their nurse back toward the stairwell happily agreeing to their mother’s suggestion. Mereneith smiled at them before turning her attention back to the young woman by her side. She noted the still worried look with which her wife was watching her.

“Are you truly alright Maje… er Mereneith?” she asked in a gentle voice. Mereneith smiled and patted her knee reassuringly.

“Indeed, I am Nefert. The shoulder wound was much worse and is still very stiff but grows looser each day.” Mereneith continued to smile as Andrea accepted her reassurance on her condition.

“So, shall we refresh ourselves and dress for the day? I’m sure the Hawklings will be impatient for us to join them.” Turning back to Mereneith she noticed her having a little trouble getting her leg under herself in order to rise. She lent down and offered her hand to the king as a brace to lever herself up. Mereneith took the proffered hand and stood then she let go of her hand and took a moment to adjust the belt on her sleeping robe. Once she was settled she reached out for the younger woman’s hand and they headed for the stairwell hand in hand.

Less than half an hour later the Royal family and Segret and Sesen were comfortably situated beside a small ornamental pool in the governor’s extensive gardens enjoying their morning’s repast. Mereneith was impressed with the grounds of the small palace, noting that while the building itself wasn’t very extensive no expense had been spared on the gardens which covered a large area with fruit trees, plane trees and acacias as well as a number of ornamental pools and one large and very deep bathing pool at the very centre of the complex.

The princess’ enjoyed themselves as they flitted between eating, talking to the adults, watching the small fish dart about the pond and playing with the Governor’s cats. Mereneith and Andrea sat in two chairs while the rest of the group made themselves comfortable on another pile of soft cushions.

Andrea had been the one to order the food for the Perfuming of the Mouth and she’d gone a little overboard thinking that the king would enjoy a good variety of foods after the austerity of campaigning. As a result three low tables were laden with a huge selection of melons, grapes, pomegranates, figs, dates, various sweet cakes and pastries, different types of bread, boiled duck eggs and even roast duck and dried fish. There was also a large bowl of ful with garlic and sesame, which Mereneith was currently enjoying scooping up with a small flat loaf of bread.

Finished eating, the girls stood both sides of Mereneith and took it in turns to fill her in on all their adventures since she’d been away. They took great glee in describing how they had been teaching Andrea Egyptian and Mereneith was impressed with their own grasp of the Cretan they had been taught in return. Neith-hotep moved quickly on to the changes that had been made in their own lessons, enthusing about the results with abandon. She detailed how they now shared their lessons with more than a dozen daughters of the Theban nobility aged between seven and ten. Neith-nodjmet interjected that she particularly liked Sitamun, the daughter of the Chief Herald Puamra, and Neith-hotep followed up with her preference of BaketHathor the daughter of the king’s Chief Engineer Djehuty-hotep

Andrea had grown very tense when the girls had brought up the subject of the changes she’d made to their education, unsure whether the king would approve of her interference. Wanting to assure Mereneith that she had thought the changes through properly and exercised caution in their implementation, she spoke up when the girls paused in their narrative.

“Majesty…”

The king’s eyebrow rose in objection to the title in this family space. Andrea flushed slightly and ducked her head in acknowledgement.

“Mereneith, I, um, just thought that Miwsher and Nedjset would enjoy their lessons more if they had suitable classmates near their own age with which they could share them. I had Nebet Satneith approach the noble families with daughters of the right age and invited them to allow their daughters to join the girls. Ten of the families agreed and now the girls have 15 children to share their lessons with them. I…I hope I did no wrong in doing this, I only wanted our Hawklings to be happy.” Having finished what she had to say, Andrea gave in to her nerves and bit her lower lip waiting for Mereneith’s reaction, as did the princess’ who had noted the interaction between the two adults with interest. Neith-nodjmet had smiled like the sun when Andrea had referred to herself and her sister as ‘our’ Hawklings.

“No my Nefert, you did no wrong, it was an excellent idea and well implemented.” She smiled at her wife and snuck a hand out to tickle Neith-hotep under the chin. “Our Hawklings certainly seem pleased with the changes.”

Neith-hotep giggled and pushed her mother’s hand away. Mereneith chuckled and returned her attention to Andrea.

“I am a bit concerned that such a large number of pupils must be very difficult for the venerable Scribe Amunhotep to accommodate.” Mereneith voiced her only worry about the strain on the girls’ elderly tutor.

“Oh, um, well I had Sesen gather other scribes to assist him. I thought it would assuage the other parents’ misgivings if the other scribes were women and Sesen found several possible candidates in the temples of Hathor and Mut. She and the Scribe Amunhotep chose three to be his assistants. It all seems to be working very well so far. I suggested that they stay behind to help the children catch up to where Miwsher and Nedjset are in their studies, and Sesen has been giving the girl’s their lessons every day since we arrived.”

“Very well thought out my Queen, and implemented.” Mereneith smilingly congratulated Andrea.

Neith-nodjmet watched her step mother blush in pleasure at the king’s praise and leaned in closer to her mother’s side, tapping her knee to gain her attention.

“Mama, are we going to go home now that you’re here?” Mereneith lifted her up and carefully settled her on her good leg.

“Not just yet my Nedjset. We must first wait for the troops and the prisoners I left behind to arrive here in Syene. That may take a few days.” She cuddled the girl and pulled Neith hotep into her other side.

“I thought it might be nice to just relax and spend some time with my family for a few days.” Both girls cheered at this news and scrambled to both ask what they would be doing and then make their own suggestions all at the same time. Mereneith called for them to slow down and they eventually quietened enough for her to speak again.

“This morning I must read the dispatches from Neb Nakht NebAmun and you need to have your lessons with Sesen.” Both girls began to pout in disappointment. “But I thought after the noon sleep we would all enjoy a swim in the Hatiya Khnummeses excellent bathing pool.” Again the children cheered and both hugged their mother to show their happiness.

Sesen and Segret escorted the children to their lessons while Mereneith and Andrea made their way into the suite of rooms the Royal family was occupying.

“Your mastery of our tongue is coming along very nicely Nebet Andrea. I am pleased, and impressed.” Andrea blushed and Mereneith chuckled.

“Thank you. The Hawklings have proven to be diligent teachers.” Andrea’s eyes sparkled with mirth recalling some of the more hilarious moments of their lessons. She shared the one where Neith-hotep insisted on teaching her the words for the different parts of the body, just in case she needed to describe something to a doctor if she hurt herself. Mereneith doubled over in laughter at the description of Neith-nodjmet kicking her sister for the very vulgar terms she offered their step mother for a woman’s breasts and nether lips. Mereneith asked what the words were that Neith-hotep had used and her laughter lessened as she wondered what servant or gardener her daughter had overheard to have learned those words. She certainly knew that Amunhotep would never have taught her such language.

They entered the suite’s reception room and Andrea led Mereneith to a table on which rested a large inlaid wooden box. There was a chair set beside the table so that the king could lay out the correspondence her Vizier had sent with the queen. Mereneith sat in the chair and pulled the box forward lifting the lid on the small pile of scrolls within. Before she could reach for the uppermost document, Andrea laid her hand on Mereneith’s to stop her.

“Please, before you read these, I need to tell you about one of the events Neb Nakht NebAmun will have written to you about.” Mereneith withdrew her hand from the box, rose and retrieved another chair which she set beside her own and motioned for Andrea to sit down. The younger woman sat down and clasped her hands in her lap before she proceeded to describe the events of the attempt on her life. She spared no detail, but her voice was low and strained, and she was unable to stop the few tears that fell as she detailed the death of Kitane. Sniffling, she ended her tale with a statement she had thought many times since it had all happened, but had not verbalised before.

“It’s my fault she died. If she hadn’t been my servant she would still have been safe and sound in Knossos.” Her voice was small and forlorn as she wrestled with the sense of guilt she still felt.

Mereneith shifted her chair closer to Andrea so that their knees touched and reached out to gently wipe her tears away before lifting her chin up so that she could look into her eyes.

“Was Kitane a slave?”

Andrea shook her head in the negative.

“Did you choose Kitane as your servant Andrea?”

“No.” She answered quietly.

“Did she ask not to come with you at any time?”

Again the younger woman shook her head.

“Did she ask you to be sent back to her homeland once you arrived here in Kemet?”

Another shake of the brunette locks answered the king’s question.

“Then you have no claim to this guilt you have chosen to burden yourself with, my wife, and I forbid you from continuing to indulge in it further. This was not your fault Andrea, it is solely the fault of the hyena or hyenas who tried to take you from me and I promise you they will pay for that and for the life of your servant.” She stroked the young woman’s cheek comfortingly. “And believe me Nefert, I will find them and I will utterly wipe them from existence in this life and the next.”

Andrea looked into stern blue eyes and gave her husband a watery smile in thanks for her kindness and understanding. This was almost immediately followed by a small hiccup of laughter as she realised that in her thoughts she still used the term husband for her very female partner. Mereneith asked her what made her laugh and chuckled herself when Andrea explained.

“Hmmm, and so I am Nefert, so I am.” At this point the king pulled her queen forward and gave her a gentle, but very thorough kiss, which turned quickly into a series of kisses that left them both a little breathless when they, finally pulled apart. Mereneith smiled at the young woman as she sat back looking a little dazed but with a pleased smile on her lips.

“That’s something I hope we’ll be able to explore together over the next few days.”

Andrea ducked her head as yet another blush graced her cheeks accompanied by a pleasant shiver of anticipation at Mereneith’s statement. She still wasn’t exactly sure what that exploration would entail but given how wonderful their kisses made her feel she was willing to trust Mereneith to lead the way to something equally pleasant. Looking up shyly from behind lowered lashes, she saw the king’s indulgent smile but also noticed a spark in her clear blue eyes as she watched her young bride, blushing deeper, Andrea realised that she was waiting for a response.

“I… well, yes that would be… I mean I look forward to seeing more of…” She broke off and took a breath before finishing. “That would be very nice Mereneith; I look forward to the opportunity as well.” Taking hold of her nerves she straightened and looked directly at the king, smiling at the older woman’s nod of approval.

“Now, my Queen, I must see to these dispatches and I’ll want to speak with the Hatiya as well. I doubt I’ll bother with the noon sleep myself, but look forward to joining you and the children later.”

Andrea stood, recognising this as her dismissal. “I’ll go and join the twins then I think.” She smiled tentatively before continuing. “I’ve been having Sesen teach me the same lessons as the children; I thought reading might be useful for my duties as Queen.”

Mereneith nodded in acknowledgement, well pleased with Andrea’s forethought and determination to be a good and helpful consort. She watched as Andrea came round to her side and with a pleased smile of surprise raised her cheek to meet the kiss the girl bent to give her before her departure. After Andrea had kissed her cheek she moved her lips closer to Mereneith’s ear and gave her parting comment.

“I also thought it a good idea for me to be able to read your personal letters myself, my sister, no need to share your sweet words with others.” So saying she kissed the ear near her lips, straightened and glided from the room, while Mereneith watched her somewhat dumbfounded and with a slight blush of her own gracing her cheeks. Well then, she thought, possibilities on possibilities it seems, before she turned back to her work.

***

Mereneith moved through the well laid out gardens making her way toward the sound of laughter and conversation. Her pulse quickened as remembered dreams made their way into her mind’s eye and she tamped down on her consequent arousal, reminding herself that this afternoon was for family time with her children. Coming to the end of the pathway she turned right and went through an archway of trained vines which led to the large bathing pool. Andrea and the children were assisting Sesen and Segret to arrange the cushions, towels and clean clothes along several benches at one end of the large rectangular pond. Neith-nodjmet spotted her mother’s arrival and raced over to her closely followed by her twin. The girls each took a hand and tugged her enthusiastically toward the other women, two of whom made obeisance before rising to continue their tasks.

Andrea smiled at Mereneith and the children, noting the king had changed into what looked like another sleeping robe tied loosely at the waist. She had donned a similar robe as had Sesen and Segret they were excellent for an afternoon of swimming and sunning oneself by the pool.

The children had already shucked their small kilts and had actually been in the water when their mother appeared. Now they were busy urging Sesen to join them, they loved the ebony skinned scribe because she played with them in the water, never seeming to tire like their slightly older Nurse did sometimes. Sesen however looked to the king for permission who chuckled and told her not to keep the princess’ waiting. The young woman nodded and proceeded to trot toward the middle of the pool where she jumped in with folded legs creating a small tidal wave that splashed over the giggling twins who then splashed back at her when she surfaced. Segret removed her own robe and sedately walked down the set of steps at one end of the pool, gradually getting her body wet and preparing to join the merry party.

Mereneith noted that Andrea had not removed her robe yet, but had merely folded the hem up and tucked it in her corded belt raising the cloth to just above her knees before she took two steps into the pool and sat down on the edge with just her feet and calves in the water. Puzzled, she doffed her own robe and now nude like the others came to sit beside the younger woman who looked her way and immediately blushed, much to the king’s amusement.

The blush didn’t last long before it was replaced with a dismayed little gasp when Andrea caught sight of her shoulder wound. Concerned brown eyes examined the mottled scar on the older woman’s left shoulder. It was much larger than the wound on her thigh and far less neatly stitched. It was formed of a circle about the size of an average sized pomegranate the skin rose in a number of pink and white veins of damaged scar tissue leading into a puckered depression at the centre of the wound. Andrea reached out a shaky hand and gently ran her fingers over the damaged skin before looking into calm blue eyes.

“It must have hurt terribly.” She said in a soft voice. Thinking of Mereneith in such pain caused her heart to squeeze inside her own chest and she sought reassurance that she was indeed mending.

“Are you sure it is better now?”

Mereneith took hold of her hand bringing the fingers to her lips and kissing them before replying that she was indeed healing and not in any ongoing pain unless she put too much strain on her arm and leg. Andrea narrowed her eyes at that information and said just a little sharply.

“You mean like riding in and driving a chariot through the night?” Her eyebrow rose challengingly and Mereneith gave her the closest thing to a sheepish grin of which she was capable, but nodded all the same.

“Yes, such as that.” She gently opened Andrea’s hand up and kissed the palm. “But sometimes the discomfort is worth it.” Mereneith squeezed her hand before letting go and allowing it to drop into Andrea’s lap. Her wife didn’t seem to have a response to this declaration so Mereneith followed up with a promise to take things much easier now that she had returned. Andrea nodded and accepted this assurance before her attention was drawn to the small group of swimmers by the yelp of glee that Neith- hotep gave as she broke through the water’s surface.

“I did it!!! I did it Sesen, I tumbled right over under the water!” The little girl looked over to her parents and shouted. “Did you see me Mama, and did you Mama?” She seemed to have no trouble using the same title for both of them and they both grinned at the excited little girl.

“I’m sorry Miwsher, your Mama and I were talking, and we missed your wonderful acrobatics. Do you think you could do it again for us?”

Mereneith smiled at her daughter who promptly pulled in a great breathe and ducked under the water where the two women could just make out her tiny form tumbling over in a tight circle before her legs came down under her and she shot up to the surface. Andrea clapped her hands in appreciation and Mereneith congratulated her on her prowess. Not to be outdone her sister proceeded to attempt the same trick. Her tumble wasn’t quite as clean as her sister’s and she splutter somewhat when she resurfaced as water had gotten into her nose as she turned, but the adults applauded nonetheless and Miwsher was equally pleased with her twin’s efforts.

Mereneith turned back to Andrea and took her hand. “Come let’s join them.” The younger woman held back pulling her hand from Mereneith’s grasp as she ducked her head down in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry Mereneith, I can’t swim.” The king looked at her in genuine surprise. The information made more difficult to process as images from her dreams of a naked Andrea blithely frolicking in the water came vividly to mind. Once again tamping down the arousing thoughts she stood and pulled Andrea up with her. Reaching toward the brunette she carefully undid her belted robe and moved it off her shoulders revealing a delectable expanse of creaming white skin. She slipped the robe completely off the now shivering Andrea and tossed it toward the benches before she reached down and took a trembling hand in a firm grasp.

“Then I will teach you Nefert.” She smiled and carefully stepped backwards down the stairs leading her bride into the water until they were both waist deep at which point Andrea pulled back and stopped their progress. Mereneith smiled. The others watched the twin’s with a look of disbelief at seeing Andrea actually in the water. During their visits to the palace pool in Thebes she had never been deeper than a few steps into the pool and here she was standing in the pool proper.

“Mama! You’re going in the pool! I thought you didn’t know how to swim?” She made her way over to Andrea’s side, the water up to her shoulders so she moved rather slowly. Mereneith smiled at her and explained she was going to teach Andrea how to swim. She encouraged her to go and play with the others so Andrea could concentrate on her lesson. The child reached out and patted the brunette on her arm in encouragement.

“You can do it Mama, it’s really easy, much easier than learning to write.”

Andrea smiled and patted the girl on her shoulder. “I’ll try Nedjset, thank you.” The little girl grinned and returned to her play.

“Just a little further Nefert, we won’t go over your head but we need the water a little deeper for our purposes.” Mereneith firmed her grip and Andrea moved reluctantly forward until the water came up over her breasts, almost to her shoulders. At this depth, the king’s extra height allowed her to easily support her partner’s body as she got her to stretch out and float near the surface of the water.

Andrea fought her nervousness and trusted Mereneith to make sure she didn’t dip completely under the water. The firm touch of the king’s hands on her back and under her legs as she helped Andrea float on her back were both comforting and just a little arousing to the young woman. They spent nearly an hour together by the end of which Andrea was able to comfortably float on her back and had managed to move a little on her front keeping her face above the water as she paddled with her hands to keep herself buoyant.

When she’d had enough, Andrea made her way out of the pool and dried off before donning her robe. She left Mereneith playing with the girls, enjoying their squeals of delight as their mother hefted them up out of the water so they could dive back into the pool. The girls swam like little fishes and so did their mother as she dove under the water swimming from one end of the pool to the other without rising to take a breath. Andrea’s breath caught in appreciation of the beauty of her partner as she rose from the water, her hair shaded to grey and slicked back and the water beading over her tanned and fit body.

It was a magical afternoon and Andrea’s heart was full with happiness when the little family packed up in the early evening so they could all get dressed for the dinner party, not exactly a banquet, to which the Governor Khnummeses had invited them.

They gathered in the palace’s main reception room as the horns sounded the change to the hours of night. Here the Governor, his two wives and four children, two boys and two girls, joined them for a very pleasant evening. The girl’s got on very well with the two youngest children and Andrea enjoyed the conversation she had with both of the ladies of the palace. Mereneith chatted with them all keeping the subject matter light and not touching on anything too serious, although she was willing to satisfy the curiosity of the Governor’s eldest son, Khnum-hotep about the campaign in the south. The young man was 15 years old and desperate to join the army much to his mother’s dismay and his father’s disquiet as he intended the boy to succeed himself as governor of the great Southern Nome. Mereneith said nothing either for or against the boy’s desires but decided to observe and talk with the young man over the next few days.

The horn sounded the fourth hour of night and Mereneith saw that Neith-nodjmet was curled up next to Andrea sound asleep and Neith-hotep was trying valiantly to hide her tired yawns. She sent for Segret and Sesen to take the girls off to sleep, suggesting that the four of them take advantage of the roof pavilion while she and Andrea remained in the master suite of rooms. Both women bowed respectfully but cast knowing glances at each other as they gathered the twins up in their arms and made their way from the room. Sesen sent good thoughts to her mistress and said a brief prayer to Hathor that she found joy in the king’s embrace. Once her children were gone, Mereneith thanked Khnummeses and his wives for their excellent company and bid them good night. Rising she offered a hand to Andrea who took it and tendered her own thanks to their hosts before they made their way out of the room.

***

When Andrea and the king arrived back at their quarters they were met by a young charioteer bearing a report from the fleet. Mereneith took the papyrus, dismissed the man and then suggested Andrea prepare for bed and she’d join her when she finished reading the report.

Andrea went into the bedchamber and removed her many pleated dress and her jewels, replacing them with a diaphanous nearly transparent sleeping gown that Sesen had chosen and packed specifically for the king’s return. It hung from her shoulders by two silver clasps and was girdled at her waist by a thin linen cord woven through with filaments of gold thread. She removed her makeup and brushed her hair through till it fell lightly around her shoulders and down her back. When her preparations were complete and Mereneith had not yet arrived her nerves started to get the better of her and she began to pace in the small chamber until she’d finally settled in front of the small window. Looking down on the garden and then up to the nearly full moon shining brightly above. Staring at the boat of the god Khonsu, she battled with her nerves as she waited for Mereneith.

Mereneith finished reading the report which informed her that the repairs would take two more days before the fleet could sail for Syene to arrive the day following. She smiled not in the least put out by the news that she would have three full days to spend with her family. Putting the report in the inlaid box with the other dispatches from the morning, Mereneith made her way first to the bathing room where she divested herself of her kilt, shirt, Khat head-cloth and her collar, she ran her fingers through her white hair till it settled as she liked it best. She then pulled on the simple sleeping robe she’d worn earlier in the day. Loosely tying the belt in place she headed to the bedchamber kicking her sandals off at the door of the bathing chamber.

She moved silently on her bare feet pausing in the bedchamber doorway to watch as Andrea stood looking out the window. The silver beams of the moon shining down on her created a silver halo outlining her still form. Nefert indeed she thought, truly a beauty, she smiled and mentally added, my beauty. With that thought she moved forward into the room stepping right up behind her moon gazing wife. Gently she placed her hands on the young woman’s shoulders enjoying the small gasp of surprise that escaped Andrea’s lips. Before the brunette could turn around Mereneith firmed the grip on her shoulders to keep her facing the window. Andrea seemed to understand her intent and stayed where she was allowing Mereneith to gentle her touch drawing her fingers down the slopes of her bride’s shoulders.

Bending a little she placed a kiss on the nape of Andrea’s neck causing the fine hairs there to stand on end as she placed several more kisses down over her left shoulder. Moving back up that long elegant neck she made her way to a perfectly shaped ear using her teeth to lightly nip the lobe before kissing the slight sting away.

“I dreamed of you in the far south Nefert, on so many, many nights.” She whispered breathily into the delicate shell of the ear, her lips almost but not quite making contact.

Mereneith repeated her pattern of kisses on the other side of Andrea’s neck, her hands stroking down over the girl’s upper arms. She was enjoying the faint shivers she could detect running through her soon to be lover’s body.

Moving her hands back up Andrea’s arms the king flipped the simple clasps open on both shoulders causing the ultra-fine linen to slip down Andrea’s torso, front and back, leaving her bare from the waist up. Without pausing, she moved her hands down and around her body so that she gently cupped the ample breasts that had been revealed. Pressing herself into the girl’s back, her hands began to stroke and knead each breast, feeling their pliant weight in her palms. She continued peppering kisses along the column of Andrea’s neck until the brunette leant back onto Mereneith’s right shoulder and turned her head in to capture the older woman’s lips in a fiery kiss. The king’s arousal surged and her tongue pushed into Andrea’s mouth to dance with the tongue it met there. She also began to tease and pinch the erect nipples under her hands causing the young woman in her arms to groan in pleasure.

Andrea was lost in a haze of pure sensation, at first she’d tried to analyse how it was that her partner’s touch on her shoulders and then her breasts, had led straight to a throbbing sensation between her legs. As the king had continued to kiss her neck she decided she needed more contact and instinctively let her head fall back welcoming the lip lock and then the invasion of the questing tongue that followed. When Mereneith concentrated her attention on her sensitive nipples she couldn’t help the groan that answered the firmer touch. Each pull on her nipples jolted straight to the apex of her legs and she knew she needed something more even if she wasn’t sure more of what exactly.

Pulling away for air the younger woman brought her hands up to the king’s hands on her breasts pushing them down she turned in the embrace so that she was now facing her partner, then reached her hands up behind Mereneith’s neck and pulling her into another searing kiss. The king returned the kiss as she ran her hands over the smooth muscled back and down to the slim waist, pulling Andrea closer and deepening the kiss further.

Suddenly the brunette pulled away and frantically reached for the opening of the king’s robe pulling it apart in a quest for more skin to skin contact. Mereneith enthusiastically assisted her pulling her corded belt loose and shrugging the robe off in one swift movement.

“Oh!” Andrea exclaimed at the sudden appearance of Mereneith’s naked form in all its’ glory smiling at the beauty of the tanned muscles of arms, legs and belly on display to her, before her eyes fell on the mottled scar on the older woman’s shoulder. Her movements slowed and she bent her head to the wound, gently kissing the criss-crossing scar again and again wanting her kisses to take away any and all pain Mereneith might still feel from her wound. She then lowered her lips along the king’s chest. Not sure what prompted her, she kissed her way to the centre of the breast under her lips where she took the already taut and aching nipple between her teeth and tugged then suckled avidly when Mereneith brought her hand up and held her head firmly in place as she groaned in pleasure. After a few minutes the brunette moved to the other breast and continued with her attentions.

Eventually Mereneith, panting in arousal, pulled her wife back up to her lips as she fumbled to find the knot in Andrea’s belt, she wanted her as bare as she was herself, and she wanted it now. Even though the fabric still clinging to the girl’s waist was incredibly fine it still stood in her way and that would not be allowed to continue, unfortunately the overlap of the bodice of the robe over the belt was causing a problem until finally with a growl of frustration Mereneith managed to loosen the belt sufficiently to push the offending material over Andrea’s hips and down her thighs. Not giving the brunette the time to step out of the material she then bent and lifted the girl in her arms and began to carry her over to the bed. Setting her burden down on the soft, down filled mattress, she grunted at the stab of pain that shot through her damaged shoulder.

Andrea noticed the grunt and the grimace and the haze of her arousal faded a little allowing her to reach out and gently stroke her partner’s wounded shoulder.

“Gently my husband, gently I don’t want you hurting yourself further.” She admonished with a concerned smile.

Mereneith grinned at the appellation and bent down capturing kiss swollen lips once more as she joined Andrea on the bed.

“As you wish my wife, gentle it shall be.”

Mereneith gazed at the body beside her, stroking her hand down over Andrea’s arm, ribs and hip as she enjoyed the view of the beautiful woman. The king noted the difference in certain details of the real woman and the woman she had become familiar with in her vivid dreams. Dream Andrea had been tanned a deep bronze with large brown nipples and large areolas, and as she continued to assess her wife, she realised somewhat smaller breasts. The real woman was quite different, although her skin was slightly darker than when she had first arrived in Egypt, it was still almost milky white, although the king had noted a charming splash of feint freckles across her nose and a few on her upper chest. Real Andrea’s areolas were rather small and surrounded small pink nipples centred on decidedly larger breasts than in her dreams.

Bringing her hand up to stroke over one of those pink buds, Mereneith decided the reality was better than the dream and bent down to replace her fingertip with her lips. The sweet mewling sound this elicited from Andrea as she arched upward to encourage the contact was also more satisfying than any dream. Mereneith moved to slightly cover the younger woman’s body and continued her suckling, allowing her hands to map the soft skin beneath her fingertips.

Andrea’s haze of arousal had surged back to a new height the minute her lover’s lips had closed around her pale pink nipple. Her body reacted to Mereneith’s caresses and she pressed herself against the king’s body as they moved in mutual exploration. She felt a strange pull build just beneath her navel that seemed to be connected to the throbbing in the little nodule at the top of her nether lips. Her legs opened naturally when Mereneith insistently pushed her good thigh between them and she surged into the older woman when the thigh made contact with her damp centre. The two lovers found a natural rhythm and moved against each other, skin gliding on skin over a thin sheen of sweat.

“Please, I.. please…” Andrea gasped breathily begging Mereneith without being quite certain what it was she was pleading for from her lover. Mereneith knew and moved her hand between the young woman’s legs, her fingertips sliding through the obvious arousal she found there, the slick folds opening to her touch. Andrea’s body leapt into the touch as her hips rose to press her centre more firmly into the older woman’s gentle touch. She exhaled a strangled, “Yes!” as she continued to undulate against Mereneith’s hand.

Mereneith looked down into the glazed eyed and openly panting face below her and smiled at how lost in passion her young bride had become. Breaking off her attention to her lover’s sex she reached and pulled Andrea’s hand down from where she clung to her lover’s neck and pressed the girl’s hand into her own soaking folds. At the first touch of her fingertips to the liquid heat between the king’s legs, Mereneith saw Andrea’s eyes widen and then refocus as she concentrated on following the movements her hand was being guided to follow. When the older woman was sure Andrea would keep her hand where it was, she returned her own hand to the girls centre and smiled when her lover began to mirror the movements she was making on her own sex.

Andrea looked up into eyes with a small ring of blue around dark centres wide with arousal, a halo of soft white hair she reached up with her free hand to touch and pull Mereneith into a deep kiss even as she continued to move her hands between the older woman’s legs and felt the king’s sure touch on her own nether lips. Breaking off from the kiss Mereneith lowered her lips to Andrea’s ear and spoke in a strained voice.

“I want to claim you Nefert, to make you mine.” Andrea looked up and nodded her agreement, never ceasing her hand’s movements. Mereneith smiled. “This may hurt a little my love, but I promise the pleasure will wash over the sting in no time.” Again Andrea nodded trustingly and her hips surged a little as Mereneith dropped two fingers to tease the girl’s entrance, gasping a little in pleased surprise when Andrea mimicked the same move to her own entrance.

Mereneith gently pressed into Andrea as her thumb took up firmly stroking over the girls well lubricated pleasure pearl. She moaned as yet again her lover matched her moves. The older woman watched the face below her as her fingers moved deeper and encountered a thin barrier which she pulled a little away from before she braced herself on her good arm and pushed her fingers in once, twice and on the third stroke pushed firmly through the barrier noting the gasp and the slight wince of pain that flashed in the chocolate depths of her lovers eyes. Her own gasp of pure pleasure joined Andrea’s as yet again the girl mimicked her and drove her fingers into Mereneith’s opening following the pace the king set.

Andrea felt the sting of her maidenhead falling to the king’s thrusts followed by the euphoric sensation of feeling her lover moving deep within her in a delicious friction that seemed to connect with that of Mereneith’s thumb against the apex of her nether lips. The pull behind her navel increased and she rocked into the thrust of fingers and thumb, her body straining toward something just beyond reach. She continued her own thrusts into the damp heat between the king’s thighs and watched fascinated and temporarily distracted at the sight of Mereneith throwing her head back and calling out to Neith even as she felt the older woman’s inner walls squeeze tightly round her fingers for several heartbeats before they were released.

Still feeling little pulses of those inner walls clenching onto her fingers Andrea was distracted when she felt her own muscles tense across her whole body just before a great wave of pleasure exploded out from under Mereneith’s thumb and from the fingertips moving deep within her sex. The young woman gave a great exhale of breath and her hips jerked a few times as that explosion of pleasure seemed to roll back toward her centre in decreasing aftershocks. Mereneith kissed her and gently withdrew her fingers from within her wife even as Andrea once again followed her lead and removed hers as well before they both relaxed back into the mattress and tried to bring their respective breathing under control.

Mereneith raised her hand noting with a strange sense of awe and a swelling of fierce pride the thin ribbon of red on fingers also sticky with the evidence of Andrea’s pleasure. She had claimed her bride and Andrea was now and forever hers. Smiling she sent a silent prayer of gratitude to her father Amun and the Lady Neith for the gift of her young wife.

Andrea for her part watched the play of emotions wash over her lover’s face as she studied the evidence of her maidenhood with a smile of contentment. For the first time since leaving the Mother’s temple on Mount Ida, she felt truly complete and whole within her own skin. The soft voice of the Goddess whispered through her mind. “Be content my daughter, all is, as it should be.”

The young queen looked up into her husband’s eyes and smiled at the loving look she was receiving from her well contented spouse. Mereneith carefully wiped her hand on the far side of the bedding and then stroked her fingers down the side of Andrea’s cheek, chuckling when she noted the girl’s nostrils flare at the scent that could not so easily be removed from her hand. She leant down and gave her wife a gentle kiss.

“You were a joy in our first exploration together my sister, a true joy.” She kissed her again and grinned in pleasure at the resurgent blush that accompanied her next statement. “I look forward to many such expeditions in our future Nefert.”

Getting her blush under control, Andrea moved closer to Mereneith before giving her reply which she punctuated with a gentle kiss to the little bump on the bridge of her lover’s nose.

“As do I, my husband.”

With a little sigh of contentment Andrea turned more fully onto her side and snuggled into Mereneith’s welcoming embrace as the king wrapped her good arm around her wife before pulling the light linen coverlet over both of them.

“Mmmm, well, tomorrow will be soon enough for more adventures. Sleep now.” So saying, she bent and kissed the top of Andrea’s head. They both settled comfortably into the mattress and slipped into a contented sleep within minutes.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven – Rest, Relaxation and Romance part II

See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer

Mereneith enjoyed the first few days following her late night arrival in Syene immensely. The days had been spent eating, swimming, sunning and gaming with her family and the evenings feasting with her trusted governor and his family. The nights too had brought their bounty in the sweet and oh so satisfying embrace of her young bride. The king could not remember being this contented in her entire life, indeed she barely felt a flicker of annoyance when informed the fleet would be delayed another two days before arriving. She did however decide to use the time for some official business and so began organising the commemoration of her victories over the Kushites.

The fourth day of the king’s stay found her sailing the river once again. The sun shone down dappling the water’s surface, the dazzling spots sporadically obscured by the small flotilla of papyrus skiffs moving through one of the flood channels. The smaller craft, some with short sails and a single steering oar darted around one larger vessel like ducklings seeking protection from their mother. In this instance however it was the ducklings doing the protecting with many of the punts carrying Followers of His Majesty, all well-armed and alert. Some were monitoring the countryside round about and others kept a weather eye on the main craft and its occupants. The other skiffs contained servants, supplies and local dignitaries and officials come to celebrate the presence of the living Horus and her family in their small corner of Egypt, the experience of a lifetime for most of them.

The larger, wooden boat carried the royal party, the governor and his son, several servants and a small group of Followers along with the regular crew. Bigger than the papyrus skiffs by far the wooden boat was still considerably smaller than the great river ships of Mereneith’s military fleet. The boat was the Governors official transport and its smaller draught allowed him to navigate the major canal systems in his province during his inspections for much of the year.  

The little armada of sixteen craft had departed the governor’s water steps an hour after sunrise heading south against the current that was gentling now to its usual strength, the strong flood waters noticeably beginning to recede. It was nearing the end of the fourth month of Akhet and once the flood had completely ebbed leaving the irrigation canals full and the deposits of rich black earth covering the fields, it would be time for the planting to begin once more.

Mereneith had been immensely pleased the night before to hear the priests of Khnum report that the flood was in the high end of the cubits of plenty on the sacred Nilometer in the ram headed deity’s shrine, meaning that the growing season would be bountiful and the taxes in the coming year abundant. She had been gratified at yet one more sign of her divine father’s blessing, added to the success of her marriage and victory in the south this was shaping up to be a defining year in her reign. The trouble makers would be hard pressed to gain adherents with these obvious signs of the Great God’s pleasure.

The royal party were comfortably arranged with their host on the upper deck under a specially constructed awning that would offer shade later on with the rising heat of the day. The twins, their nurse Segret, Sesen and the young Khnum-hotep were sprawled upon a mountain of cushions enjoying the rocking of the deck beneath them. Mereneith and Andrea sat on two folding chairs and Khnummeses sat a little lower on a stool to the king’s left enjoying their conversation about hunting.

Mereneith would have preferred to join the others amongst the cushions, but the journey although intended for pleasure also had an official purpose that required a degree of royal decorum. They were taking advantage of the just waning flood waters to travel directly to the granite quarries a short distance south of the town.  One of the accompanying skiffs carried her chief engineer and the quarry master who with her priest Khamweset had found a likely and propitious seam of pink granite from which to carve three large victory stele to commemorate her successes in the south.

Each stele would be twelve foot high and four foot wide, carved and decorated with all the exploits of the campaign including the wiping out of the WersuSeti and death of the Kushite king, though the detail of who dealt that lethal blow would not be included nor would the mention of the horrible losses the action had cost the Egyptians. The names of those killed would be carved on a separate stele set up in Buhen where their brothers in arms could remember them and as an object lesson to the princely Captain of 25 chariots responsible for their deaths. These massive granite testaments would be set up at Dedun Sai to remind any Kushite visitors of the inexorable might of Pharaoh, and the other two would be dedicated in the temples of Amun in Thebes and Ptah in Menefer to likewise remind the people of Egypt of the greatness of their God-king.

The first cutting of a royal monument was always a solemn affair with blessings and prayers for a successful outcome hence the presence in the party of Mereneith’s priest and his apprentice, brought by chariot two days before on the king’s orders. The presence of the king made it even more solemn and Khamweset had liberally added prayers and benedictions to reflect this.

Andrea, deep in conversation with Sesen, jumped in surprise and looked up when she heard a shout rise from the lead boat and felt their own vessel tack sharply to the left heading to follow the smaller craft into the wide mouth of a canal leading toward the eastern hills. She noticed that the canal cut through the rocky outcrop of the quarry itself continuing to head east before she noted a sharp turn back northward to the still water covered fields in the distance. It was a striking landscape of rock and water rather than the sand and water she’d become used to on the journey from Thebes.

The queen, who had been resting her hand on Mereneith’s knee while they pursued their separate conversations, felt her hand covered and gently squeezed. She looked over into the brilliant blue eyes of her spouse and saw Mereneith raise her other hand to point to a section of the quarry they were about to pass.

“Look carefully there Nefert Andrea when we pass that huge boulder you will just be able to see a massive squared off length of rock embedded in the quarry.”

Andrea, blushing prettily at the now familiar endearment, followed Mereneith’s directions and when they passed the boulder she did indeed see what appeared to be a monolithic stone beam slanted slightly upward looking like it was erupting from the rocky base of the quarry. Squared for most of its considerable length it tapered off to a pyramidal cap at the top the only part fully free from the bedrock beneath.

“That is the cursed tekhen of my ancestor the good God Amunemhat. He wished to raise the tallest and greatest tekhenu ever seen before in Kemet to adorn my father Amun’s house of Karnak. He planned to cover their tips in gold to reflect the shining glory of Amun in his form of Amun-Ra, Lord of Light.”

Mereneith’s expression became sombre watching the failed monument fade away behind them. She’d been careful to instruct her engineers to search for her stone well away from the reminder of her ancestor’s failure when they went out to survey the day before.

“He wanted to commemorate his unprecedented third full Jubilee with a permanent marker of his ninety year reign over Kemet. He came to the throne when he was just a babe in arms and still reigned in his 94^th year. Unfortunately he had come to believe that his unusually advanced age meant that he had no need to ascend to the Barque of Ra to receive his godhead like his ancestors before him. He believed he was already immortal and would rule the land for an eon as Osiris had in the beginning time of Creation.”

The monument now out of site Mereneith sighed and her voice became melancholy as she relaxed back in her seat pulling Andrea with her by the hand and continued her sad tale.

“He issued the order that both monuments were to be 80 royal cubits high, which meant they would be nearly 30 cubits taller than any other tekhenu in Kemet. The idea came to him late, less than a year before his Jubilee Day. In his impatience and worry he ordered that the workers should hew and cut by day and by torchlight at night to be sure the tekhenu would arrive in Thebes for his Jubilee inside a mere eight months.  Amunemhat’s folly extended into madness and he did not seek out the Great God’s blessing for his endeavour nor did he send the priests with the engineers to find a pure vein of rock that would cleanly deliver him the stones he required.”

Pausing a moment Mereneith noticed that the deck of the boat had fallen nearly silent. The children and the adults not involved in working the oars and rudder had all drawn closer to hear her tale. The twins and their companions were sitting right at her feet now, attentively hanging on her every word.  

“They began carving the first tekhen as soon as the engineers had marked it out with their red brushes, the large stone pounders raised by 1500 workmen rang out for four decan forming trenches on both sides before the smaller mallets and metal chisels replaced them to shape the tip and sides of the great stone needle. The Imrykaat of the workmen and the engineers intended to complete the removal and rough dressing of only one tekhen first so it could be shipped north and engraved while the second one was quarried, perhaps hoping that it would mean the king would definitely have at least one of the great monuments for his Jubilee celebrations.”

Andrea noting the raspy sound of Mereneith’s voice, interrupted the tale to offer the king a cup of watered wine to slake her thirst before she continued.

“After four months had passed, the Imrykaat sent word north asking for more workers to be sure the deadline could be met and soon there were nearly 3000 men toiling under both Ra and Khonsu’s barques by day and night. They had started the work at the tip of the tekhen and quarried downward toward the base and excitement grew amongst the workers when they reached the last fifteen cubits and they doubled their efforts to finish this first giant wonder.

On the fifteenth day of the second month of Akhet, at the tenth hour of day disaster struck! A great crack appeared ten cubits from the base splitting the stone diagonally across the entire body of the tekhen and ruining any possibility it would ever rise to kiss the rays of Ra’s Holy Barque. No one knows exactly how it happened, maybe it was a series of miss-strikes with the hammer in the guttering flames of the lamps or maybe a tired quarryman wiping the sweat from his brow in the cruel heat of the day let his hand slip on the chisel, or maybe as the Priests believe, it was the direct intervention of Amun who split the rock to punish the king for his presumption.”

“But Mama how do we know when it happened but not how it happened?” Neith-hotep interrupted speaking from her seat near her mother’s left foot.

“Ah my Hawkling you ask a wise question, it is a good lesson to learn that when and why are not always remembered together.”

Mereneith smiled at her eldest daughter who preened under her mother’s praise.

“Did you take note what day I said it happened?”

Neith-hotep deflated a little trying to remember the date her mother had mentioned but it wasn’t an interesting part of the story to her so she couldn’t recall. While she struggled to remember her sister timidly offered the answer in her stead.

“It was the first day of the Ipet festival wasn’t it Mama? The fifteenth day of the second month?”

“That’s right Nedjset, well done.”

The little girl blushed at the praise but gave a beaming smile as well.

“It was indeed the first day of Ipet and in honour of that the workmen had been given one day off to rest, pay homage to Amun and celebrate, the only free day they’d been given in those four months. The mystery of how it happened arose because when the crack appeared there was no one working on the tekhen.  The stories say that the workmen were pulled from their revels by the sound of a great rending and tearing from the quarry and when they rushed to investigate they discovered the crack.”

Andrea thought about what Mereneith had said and asked her own question.

“Majesty, I understand the date being remembered so well, but if they’d been feasting and celebrating did they really note the time of it as well?”

Mereneith smiled at the brunette and brushed her thumb across the back of the girl’s hand.

“Ah that is the heart of the tale Nefert.  The time is known so well because disaster struck not just here in Syene but also 18 river measures north in Thebes as well. On that day at the tenth hour Amunemhat died suddenly during the Ipet feast. Moreover he died while boasting that his tekhenu would rival the monuments of Osiris even as he, Amunemhat, would surpass that God’s rule over Kemet. His boast was too much for the Gods’ patience and they destroyed him and his tekhen in punishment. The priests tell us that Amunemhat is the only Living Horus who was not welcomed into the Barque of the sun to join the company of the Gods. Instead he had to make the journey through the Am Duat alone as the souls of all men must, only to beg forgiveness of the Lord of the Dead he had claimed to be greater than in order to avoid the utter destruction of Amit.”

Mereneith’s voice became stern and solemn looking down to her attentive offspring at her feet.

“Attend me my Hawklings. To be the living Horus and to be destined to share the divine journey of Ra for eternity, you must always protect, follow and be one with Maat. It is indeed Maat to strive for greatness, to do more than those who came before you and to tell of one’s achievements when they have unfolded, it is not Maat to boast of intentions and promises of things yet to be achieved.”

Andrea watched her step-daughters solemnly take in their mother’s instruction. Glancing at the woman beside her it occurred to her for the first time that there might have been more than just political expediency in the king’s decision to marry. Andrea could see now, Mereneith believed on some level it was her duty, not as Satneith had said, to merely uphold the image of Maat, but to truly do so as a proper ruler should. This new knowledge settled some of Andrea’s ongoing anxieties about her spouse’s intentions and allowed her to finally believe in the permanence and importance of her marriage.

“So you have to make your great stelae because you already defeated the Kushites right Mama? That’s Maat, isn’t it?” Neith-nodjmet brought their attention back to the present expedition and Mereneith smiled at her little princess.

“Yes Nedjset that is indeed Maat.”

***

An hour later and the large gathering of royalty, nobles, soldiers and servants were scattered across an uneven plateau facing an impressive granite rock-face which rose to a height of 25 feet at its highest and extended 60 feet across before being broken by prior stone working.  Further back behind the new arrivals stood the quarry workforce, their foremen and the Imrykaat of the quarry, all ready to begin the real work once the ceremonies were complete.

The solemn drawing of the cord ritual had been the first one conducted where Mereneith, Khamweset and the chief Engineer had measured out the three monuments and marked their boundaries. Now just a few feet in front of the rock face, the royal party watched while the priest and young Ranefor chanted their prayers and benedictions over the set of tools laid out on a small folding table, anointing them with water and oil. Each bronze chisel and hammer stone bore Mereneith’s cartouches and royal titles as well as the year of her reign, these would be carefully buried beneath the plateau when the stelae had been quarried and removed.

When the sonorous chanting finished Mereneith picked up a hammer and chisel stepped forward to the rock face knelt on one knee and carefully placed the chisel on the black splash of paint that marked the lower right corner of the first stele. Using the hammer stone in her good arm she swung forward and made the first mark in the pink and black speckled surface of the rock a little surprised at the muted but musical sound created by the bronze chisel against the granite.  Standing she turned and was greeted by the cheers of those assembled behind her.

“With the blessing of my father Amun I have crushed the vile Kush and diminished them as none of my ancestors before me. Let these words of granite bear eternal witness that whosoever shall follow me as Lord of the Two Lands if they maintain this balance they are my true descendants, but if they loosen their hold and allow the Kushite to rise they are no true descendant of me or mine. So let it be written, so let it be so, now and tomorrow.”

This declaration was met by another great cheer from those gathered that continued to roll and echo off the quarry walls for some minutes. Ceremony complete, the dignitaries nearest the royal party began to move off, headed back to the waiting boats, all eager to get back as speedily as possible to escape the rising heat of mid-day.  Mereneith gathered the twins into a hug and spoke to them quietly before signalling Segret and Sesen to settle them in the litter they had been carried in on the journey through the quarry. Neith-hotep was pouting and sulky at being sent back to the boat for the mid-day sleep despite struggling to contain a yawn when she threw herself down beside her sister before the bearers raised the litter and most of the royal party and some of the soldiers gathered round to escort them to the boats.

“Now my Queen there is something I wish to show you without such a large audience. I’m sorry for the heat of the day, but you may use the extra litter if it becomes too much or you wish to rest.”

Mereneith smiled at Andrea and waved her hand to the left indicating the curtained vehicle and its bearers who, along with the chief engineer and the Imrykaat of the quarry, the priest Khamwaset, two fan-bearers and a contingent of Followers of His Majesty remained to escort the royal couple to wherever the king planned to lead them.  

“I should be fine with walking, but I thank you for your thought of my comfort Majesty.” 

Andrea nodded at the king before shyly reaching out to take the older woman’s hand in her own. Mereneith met her part way taking the offered hand and tucking it around her right elbow. The king was charmed by her young bride’s apparent desire to have an almost constant physical connection whenever they were together. Ever since their first night exploring the delights of the marriage bed, Andrea had touched her at every opportunity, holding her hand, touching her knee, elbow, thigh, the small of her back, whatever the circumstance allowed. The king had woken each day with her wife wrapped tightly round her, not a sliver of space between them, a position she felt Andrea would have been content to maintain for the whole of the day had she been able to do so.

“Well then, let us begin. Master Khu.” The king summoned her chief engineer who immediately stepped forward.

“Lead the way Master Khu, I want to be back to the boats no later than the 7^th hour.”

The man bowed low assuring her their destination was no more than an hour’s walk to the south-east and Mereneith gave the order for the group to move off. The soldiers spread out around them allowing Khu to step into the lead followed by Mereneith and Andrea with the fan bearers shadowing the royal couple, the massive ostrich plumes of their fans providing some welcome shade. Behind the fan-bearers came Khamweset  and the Imrykaat with the litter bearers after them before the rear-guard of soldiers.

They travelled carefully over the rocky landscape occasionally broken by sections where the bedrock was deeply buried under sand and long stretches of pebbled and sandy scree. Eventually the land dipped into a small gully before leading sharply up to an escarpment. Andrea struggled a little going up the steep incline and was grateful for the anchor Mereneith provided, she was also pleased that the king had insisted she wear practical leather sandals when they had set out that morning.

 Reaching the top of the outcrop, the group gave a collective gasp when they looked across this remote spur of the main quarry. It was a breath taking sight, a wide, almost perfectly flat expanse of speckled pink granite bedrock uncharacteristically free of any substantial covering of desert sand, rocks or pebbles stretched out before them.  It was almost as if the plateau had been set as paving for the base of an unseen temple

“Does this place have a name Master Khu?” Mereneith spoke her voice sounding unusually loud in the silence of the hills.

“Majesty, Imrykaat Djau says it is called the Foundation of Seshat.”

Khu had been Merenith’s  chief engineer and master builder for most of her reign and was quite comfortable speaking easily with his king. The Imrykaat of the quarry, Djau, was much younger and though equally skilled and confident in his abilities had never met anyone of higher rank than the Governor and had not yet mustered the courage to speak up in front of his ruler instead relaying information through the Chief Engineer.

“Is it sacred to the Divine builder then?” Mereneith asked in concern. She would not disturb a sacred place no matter how perfect for her needs.

“I do not believe so Mighty One. Imrykaat Djau says not and none in the Brotherhood have mentioned any connection nor has there ever been a temple or shrine to the Great Lady here. I imagine one of the builders of the past saw its precision and beauty and wished to honour Lady Seshat with the name.”

“If it’s not a sacred place why does it appear to have never been quarried before? The stone seems sound and quite choice. Is there a fault in the rock here? ”

The king asked her question over her shoulder before looking forward and stepping onto the smooth surface ahead, Andrea following closely after her. Unseen behind them the engineer smiled broadly at the royal couple and replied.

“No indeed Majesty, it is very sound and the seam goes to a depth of at least 20 cubits. My father did soundings here for your grandfather the Good God Amunmose when he commissioned the stone for his two great likenesses set up at his Temple of Millions of Years. It is, I believe simply too far from the river Majesty, and being at the top of the escarpment it presents great challenges to transport the stone once it is quarried. It is much easier to find what is needed in the main quarry.”

Mereneith turned back and studied the man she’d known all her life, who had served her father before that and had started his apprenticeship in the reign of her grandfather, she knew he would be truthful with her. Master Khu lowered his gaze but remained calm under her scrutiny. His title was more than an honorific, after more than 35 years serving three kings faithfully and skilfully, as both engineer and architect, he was indeed a master in his craft. Without false pride, he knew he was the right man to make his unique sovereign’s will a reality in stone.

“And you Master Khu would you be willing to harvest this stone and break the challenges of bringing it to the river?”

Her gaze intensified and her voice laced itself with challenge.

“Could you do it?”

The engineer’s skiff had been close enough to the royal boat earlier on and he had heard much of Mereneith’s tale about the cursed Tekhen of Amunemhat. Noting her unblinking gaze and the intensity of her question something clicked into place in Khu’s mind and he was unable to stop the gasp of surprise that escaped his lips even as his eyes widened in amazement. Mereneith understood immediately that he had figured out her intent but stayed silent waiting patiently for his reply.

Khu looked past the royal pair and allowed his gaze to carefully roam the plateau turning a full circle and studying the pathway up to the escarpment and the route beyond to the canal. He assessed the landscape using his epiphany to inform his calculations before turning back to the king. His engineer’s heart raced with excitement at the honour and the challenge Mereneith was putting before him his elation apparent in his voice when he answered.

“Given the proper amount of time and the right number of workmen, yes Majesty I would do it.”

He paused before reiterating his statement to answer Mereneith’s more pointed query.

“Given the time and manpower Majesty I can do it.”

Andrea had watched the exchange with interest, listening carefully to the conversation in hopes of better understanding the reason for this expedition to the far reaches of the stone quarry. She’d had no prior indication about the journey from Mereneith, the king’s invitation after the ceremonies being the first she knew of it. Though no one noticed it, Andrea’s eyes had widened in understanding at almost the exact same moment as Master Khu reached his epiphany about the king’s intentions, their sharp minds having raced to the same conclusion, Mereneith intended to succeed where her ancestor had failed.

Mereneith looked from her engineer to her wife noting the understanding in both their expressions before smiling and shifting her gaze out over the rocky plateau. Without looking she reached behind her meeting her wife’s immediately proffered hand to bring the brunette forward to her side. In a firm and even tone she voiced her thoughts.

“If my divine Father wills it, in four years’ time I will run the Heb Sed on my Jubilee day and on that day I will deliver the Great God his long promised glory with the raising of the tallest tekhenu Kemet  has yet seen. Their tips will be coated in the yellow river of Wawat, graven and polished to kiss the rays of Amun Ra Lord of Light.”

Though she had not raised her voice, the king’s words seemed to boom and echo across the escarpment rolling back on those watching and instilling a sense of awe and purpose in them all. As one the group raised their faces to the bright sun overhead, eyes closed to protect from the piercing glory of the God’s golden Barque.  The priest Khamweset raised his hands to the mid-day sun blessing Horus Behdety, Ra Horakhty, and Amun-Ra before he began to sing the Great Prayer of the Sun, those who knew it raising their hands in praise and joining their voices to his, the sweet harmonies rising to god above. Mereneith squeezed Andrea’s hand before letting go and raising her hands to lend her voice to the choir of praise, her bride matching her stance and not knowing the prayer gave her praise wordlessly but with her heart.

“Homage to thee, O glorious Being, You who have all sovereignty.

When You rise in the horizon of heaven a cry of joy goes forth to You from all people.

O You beautiful being who renews Yourself in Your season in the form of the Disc, within Your mother Hathor.

Therefore in every place every heart swells with joy at Your rising forever. The South and the North come to You with homage and send for their acclamations at Your rising on the horizon of heaven.

You illumine the Two Lands with rays of turquoise and gold coloured light.

O Ra, who is the heir of eternity, self-begotten and self-born, king of the earth, Prince of the Duat.

O You god of life, You are Lord of love, Amun-Ra Lord of Light, all men live because You shine and are crowned king of the gods.”

The sound of voices faded and the group lowered heads and arms before opening their eyes and taking in their surroundings again, allowing a few minutes to get their bearings. Mereneith looked on with satisfaction and content and confident that she would deliver what she promised because she planned and worked for it, unlike her ancestor Amunemhat.  

“So Master Khu, you have four years and you may requisition whatever men or materials you may need in that time.” She reached forward and grasped the older man’s arm and hand in a firm grip. “Help me to bring honour to my father Master Khu and you will have your tomb in the place of Princes to share their eternity in Fields of Osiris.”

“It will be done my king because you command it and your Father Mighty Amun, blesses you in all things.” The engineer returned the king’s grasp with purpose and promise.

Mereneith was pleased with the day’s outcomes and gave the order for the party to return to the boats. Andrea joined her in the descent from the escarpment the king helping her keep her footing and once or twice the younger woman returned the favour when Mereneith’s injuries intruded with a reminder that she wasn’t yet healed. When they reached level ground Andrea managed to persuade the older woman to join her in the litter for the remainder of the journey. The king though loathe to admit it was tired and her leg ached terribly so she reluctantly acquiesced to her wife’s request but did so with the fiction of wanting to educate her bride about the Hebsed and Jubilee celebrations.

Andrea went along with the justification and listened attentively to the king’s tutorial, or she did until the moment Mereneith nodded off about halfway through the journey. Making sure the curtains of the litter were drawn she settled herself beside her softly snoring husband, and joined her spouse in slumber.

Chapter Text

It had been two days since their trip to the quarries, the time between having been spent in complete relaxation at Andrea’s insistence. She was concerned that Mereneith was pushing herself too hard and wanted her spouse to rest while she had the opportunity. The queen knew that the arrival of the fleet and return to Thebes would put the injured king back in the thick of things and she was familiar enough with the formidable woman now to know she would push herself not to show any sign of weakness to her soldiers or her Court no matter how she felt. Mereneith had acquiesced to her wife’s wishes quite content to sit in the shade of the garden portico with her family, teaching Andrea to play Hounds & Jackals, strolling in the gardens of the governors estate and lazing beside the pool dozing in the afternoon heat, but now on the third day she was starting to get restless so had made arrangements to take a little exercise later in the morning.

The perfuming of the mouth had once again been a joyful, laughter filled affair shared privately by the royal family. This new routine gave Sesen and Segret time to themselves and allowed the small family unit to continue to learn about each other and bond without the distraction of an audience. Each morning they’d eat and talk and plan their day, the children being enthusiastic and vocal with their preferences much to the amusement of both their parents.

This morning saw the foursome relaxing on cushions beside one of the smaller ornamental pools in the garden. The girls chattered ceaselessly while they ate and threw bread crumbs in the pool to feed the fish darting below the water’s surface. Andrea reached quickly over to pull Neith-hotep back when the little girl leaned over too far trying to reach into the water and touch a fish thereby nearly tumbling into the pool. The sudden movement shifted the bodice of her linen dress revealing a small round purple mark low on her pale chest.

“Oh Mama! You hurt yourself. Did you fall?” Neith-nodjmet exclaimed her concern when she spotted the bruise.

Mereneith glanced up to see what her daughter was talking about her lips twitching with a little smirk when she noted the mark her lips had made on her wife’s alabaster skin earlier that morning. Andrea looked down startled a little and blushed a pretty shade of pink before adjusting the cloth to cover the mark once more.

“I, ah…no I didn’t fall Nedjset, I just… umm I…”   her voice trailed off.

Andrea didn’t want to lie to the little girl but she wasn’t going to tell her the truth of how the mark had come to be there either. The king came to her rescue distracting the twins’ attention with talk of their plans for the day. Andrea sat back, still blushing but also absently rubbing her fingers over the hidden mark her thoughts drifting to earlier in the morning and the pressure of Mereneith’s lips as they sucked and bit her skin there.

In the predawn light Andrea turned onto her back and stretched her arms over her head revelling in the now familiar warmth of the body lying beside her. She was in that state midway between sleep and wakefulness not yet fully aware of her surroundings. Vaguely her senses registered her bed-mate moving and resettling against her followed by the welcome stroke of a warm hand across her hip. The brunette gave a sleepy purr of appreciation before attempting to move closer to the contact and bring her arms down wanting to embrace her lover only to feel her arms held firmly in place by a strong hand on her wrists. Her half asleep mind struggled to work through the puzzle distracting it from registering the changing sensations elsewhere along her body including the feather light kisses that were being trailed along her jawline and down her neck.

“Mmm Merenee…mmmmmm”  Came from Andrea’s lips, a half murmur and half moan the younger woman edging toward full wakefulness.

Mereneith released her hold on the younger woman’s wrists and began moving down along the body beneath her, she kissed and nipped and suckled her way along the beautiful column of Andrea’s neck, then across her collar bone stopping at the soft skin at the top of welcoming breasts.  Here she sucked hard pulling the skin in till the sting brought her lover to full wakefulness with a loud gasp. Looking down Andrea saw the bob of soft white hair dipping to brush over the already purpling bruise where Mereneith had marked her before the older woman moved further down her body.

Eager lips ghosted under Andrea’s breasts revelling in the soft skin there and across her stomach, each kiss brushing just a little lower than the one before. Andrea inhaled sharply when she felt the wet trail of her lover’s tongue swirl around her navel and couldn’t help the giggle when it dipped inside, tickling and arousing her at the same time. The king continued her descent, warm breath moving over the dark patch of hair just above her intended goal she gave a pleasant little growl when she detected the scent of her lover’s arousal but chose to tease the girl a little and continued her trail of kisses to the left along her trembling thigh.

Andrea opened her legs to allow the older woman to settle more comfortably between them which she did, slipping her arms under both thighs and pulling the brunette’s centre closer. She gave what sounded like a contented purr when the queen’s hand made its way into her white tresses stroking through the silken strands and massaging her scalp in time to the kisses Mereneith, was now peppering up her inner thigh. Undulating and trying to press her hips forward Andrea mewled a soft entreaty for the king to move to where she needed her lips the most.

“Patience Neferti, all in good time.” Mereneith chuckled before she moved to the other thigh and continued to kiss and nip her way along the tender flesh. Her lover’s scent set her own loins afire and while her desire built she growled and nipped harder and left a matching bruise to the one on Andrea’s breast before she finally moved to the glistening satin folds of the young woman’s sex giving them a broad flat tongued swipe from entrance to apex humming in pleasure at the sounds Andrea made and the firmer hold she took of her hair as if trying to anchor herself…

“Mama… Mama did you hear what I said?”

Andrea snapped back to the present feeling the warmth in her blushing cheeks and refocused on her little family, but studiously avoided the merry blue eyes of her knowing spouse. A little while later Mereneith bid them a reluctant farewell in order to go and see to the dispatches just arrived from Thebes, leaving Andrea to see the children to their lessons. Neith-hotep went with Sesen when the young woman came to fetch the girls, but Neith-nodjmet had still been eating and the queen said she’d deliver her to the scribe when she was finished with her meal. 

Andrea smiled at her step-daughter and reached out to smooth the little girl’s unusual strawberry blonde side-lock checking at the same time that the plait she had braided it into would stay firm for the day. When her hand fell away it was replaced by the little girl’s own which fingered the pretty red Menet amulet that tied the fine lock of hair off at its end so it wouldn’t unravel. The little tie had been a gift from her step mother for her success in her studies and was now a prized possession she wore nearly every day.

“Nedjset you must finish with your food now, it’s well past time for you to be at your lessons.”

The little girl looked at the duck egg and bread left on her plate uncertainly.

“I’m finished Mama, I don’t want any more to eat.”

“Hmm your eyes were bigger than your belly were they?” Andrea laughed and gave Neith-nodjmet’s stomach a friendly pat causing the girl to giggle.

“That’s silly Mama, my eyes can’t be bigger than my belly.”

“Ahh, then maybe it was just your heart that told you your belly was bigger than it is?”

This time the brunette’s fingers tickled fleetingly over the little girl’s stomach just above her kilt and she giggled again before lunging into tackle Andrea back onto the pillows trying to tickle her in return.  The queen laughed and squirmed just enough to reward Neith-nodjmet’s intent before righting them both and rising to her feet pulling the girl up with her.

“Come now, I’ll take you to join your sister. When you’ve finished your morning’s lessons Nebet Segret will bring you to join us at the training grounds just as your mother promised.”

The little girl cocked her head upward studying her step mother a moment before tugging on her hand and beckoning Andrea to bend down. When the queen bent the princess wound her arms around her neck and squeezed tightly while whispering into Andrea’s ear.

“I’m glad Mama picked you to be my Mama too. I love you.”

Andrea’s heart squeezed in her chest, emotion overwhelming her she enveloped the girl in a huge bear hug, lifting her up into her arms.

“I love you too little Hawkling.”

Neith-nodjmet laid her head on Andrea’s shoulder well content to stay in the young woman’s strong arms while they headed into the main house. The queen dropped her precious cargo off with Sesen opting to forgo joining the lesson this morning and making her way into the gardens instead.

***

Mereneith finished reading the last of the scrolls before sitting back in her chair contemplating their contents, while a frown worked its way onto her features. To some it might seem that the news from Thebes was good, but to Mereneith it was only proof that her hidden enemies were still several steps ahead of her and destroying their tracks far too effectively. She knew in her heart that Irsu was involved up to his neck in this, but although she could guess what he hoped to gain in power, she didn’t know if he was its chief architect or merely a high ranking partisan. To properly destroy this conspiracy and root out her enemies she needed to find out which it was and she wanted proof, damming proof that would connect the First Prophet to the conspiracy before she would act.

She closed her eyes and gently rubbed her forehead, feeling the headache start behind her eyes, already anticipating the arguments that lay ahead with Nakht NebAmun and Her Council all of whom would undoubtedly urge her to act now and not wait for concrete evidence. Letting out a frustrated sigh she found herself once again questioning the importance of keeping that long ago vow. Her grandfather, the Osiris one Amunmose I had been weak willed, easily influenced and ruled by his whim and fleeting fancies and Mereneith’s beloved Egypt had suffered because of his capriciousness.  Much of her father’s reign had been spent cleaning up the messes her grandsire had made and re-building a strong kingdom to leave to his successor. When she in turn came to the throne at the age of 19 she had made a private and public vow to rule always in the spirit of Maat. At the time Mereneith hadn’t realised the burden she had placed on herself and though she had kept to that vow this was not the first time she had queried the wisdom of making it.

Shaking off her irritation the king came to a decision, it was well past time that she returned to Thebes so she could properly search for and destroy the nest of vipers residing in her capital. So she thought, regardless of the whereabouts of the fleet, she and her family would be sailing north at dawn two days hence. Rising from her chair she picked up her riding gauntlets and headed out to the gardens to find her queen.

Andrea stood tall and graceful beside the ornamental pool, her face raised to the life giving rays of the sun, her hands above her head, palms up feeling the warmth. Her heart swelled with a feeling of joy and contentment that she poured into her prayers to Mother Rhea sharing her gratitude and adoration for her Goddess in full measure.  The final stanza of the Morning Prayer left her lips and she lowered her arms into a final deep bow before straightening into a relaxed stance feeling focused and energised for the day. She jumped in surprise when her solitude was broken by a familiar voice from behind her.

“The Mother of all must be truly delighted in her faithful daughter Neferti Andrea. Walk with me a little before we depart for the training grounds.”

Mereneith stepped forward offering her hand to the younger woman who took it willingly moving easily into the crook of the king’s arm before strolling further into the gardens. Mereneith discussed several of the details from the dispatches, extending her consort’s understanding of the workings of her government. She was pleased with the questions and requests for clarification Andrea interjected from time to time showing her quick grasp of complex issues and providing the clear impression that given a year or two the woman would be a force to be reckoned with at court and someone that could be left as regent should anything require Mereneith’s absence from the capital again in the future. The king paused for a moment before broaching the final subject she wished to discuss.

“Neb Nakht’s investigation into the cobras has yielded some results, but not provided all the answers we need to find who was ultimately behind that deed, and all the other subterfuge of which you have been the target, my queen.”

Andrea’s body stiffened , images of Kitane’s ugly death immediately coming to mind with the king’s words and even Mereneith’s solicitous squeeze of her shoulder couldn’t completely dispel the sense of foreboding that settled in the pit of her stomach.

“They found the servant who brought the basket into the Great House before passing it off to one of your unknowing servants with the tale that you had ordered it to be set in your bedchamber.”

The knowledge that her own servant had not meant her ill offered the queen a little comfort. The Cretan beauty was always kind to those who served her no matter how menial their official position within the household might be and she had been distressed to think that one of them might have harboured enough hatred for her to want her dead.  This point aside however it was still clear that someone wanted her out of the way and though she understood that the attempt on her life had more to do with an attack on the king, she still couldn’t wrap her mind around how someone could be willing to kill innocent people to achieve their goals.  Glancing to the side and noting the older woman’s creased brow she realised how dear her spouse had become to her and the snake of fear writhed and twisted in her belly at the thought of losing her. Shuddering Andrea hugged Mereneith closer to her side. Mereneith returned the embrace and continued her tale to the end thus far, of the Vizier’s agents finding the snake charmer who had provided the serpents dead by the many bites of his own charges.

“I have conquered Kush and ground that enemy in the dust, now it is time for me to flush these hyenas from the corridors of my palace and utterly destroy them in this life and the next. You must prepare the Hawklings for travel Andrea. In two days we head north with a fleet or without one.”

Their walk had brought the royal couple through the gardens and inner courtyard into the central audience hall of the Governor’s residence where the man and his son, as well as other local nobles were waiting to accompany them on their morning outing. Mereneith and Andrea barely had time to adjust to the dimmer light before they were each tackled round the waist by an excited princess impatient to be off to the training ground for their promised treat.  

Hugging Neith-nodjmet to her side Andrea was a little concerned that the girls had forgotten to perform obeisance to Pharaoh in this more public setting before approaching her and she looked uncertainly to see how Mereneith would react to their impetuousness. She grinned in sheer joy when Mereneith smiled and suddenly picked up both girls, one under each arm before proceeding to carry the giggling, squirming children out into the bright morning sun.  Governor Khnummeses smiled warmly at Andrea and bowing directed the queen toward the door as the small entourage followed the king down the steps to the waiting litters.