3
Prologue
I was all too excited. My crowning was within one week. Now I am never settled. My father, Pharaoh Minosa was extremely displeased with this. He is always telling me the same thing. "A Queen of the Nile should never be gleeful, but serious and understanding." And I always tell him the same thing back. "Well, when I am queen that law shall change." He gives me a scowl, but I can tell that he is smiling at my wittiness on the inside. But the next day, a boiling sun came peeking up over the desert below. It thirsted our crops and lowered the river. Over-crowed villages began fighting for food and water. And herds of cattle and sheep were dying. Father was even more upset. He yelled at me and smacked my face –not too hard but enough to make it hurt- saying that this was my entire fault, that the Gods were punishing us for my ignorance. I dared not cry. Father always wanted me not to. I heard rustling at the door. While Father was still disciplining me, I looked over at my shoulder. I saw my servant peeking through the doorway at me with her bright golden eyes. Father grabbed my jaw and pulled me to his face saying that I should never look away when an elder is speaking to me.
That night, I cried to myself in bed. I sobbed softly, so that way Father wouldn't hear me. I let it all out. I was deeply hurt by the fact that the hot, terrible day was my fault. He was right. I act like a child when I am nearly sixteen years old. I was now a woman. And I should act like one. In the morning, I, Tia Tanne, will go through the most glorious transformation: From immature child to a grown woman. Now all I had to was to wait for sleep to catch up with my always running mind.
The day so far was going as well as I had planned it. I woke up early that morning, beating the sun. I went to the servant's chamber and woke the servants barking them orders and telling them to make a large breakfast. They moaned and grumbled, and it nearly killed me to see them slave away. But this was Mother's job. And now it was my turn to do it. By the time my father came out of bed and into the dining room, breakfast was already on the table. And the sun was saying good morning to everyone. My Father stood at the table, dumbstruck. I waltzed in, humming a jolly tune.
"Good morning, Father," I said. He still stared. "I woke up early and woke up the servants, so that way you wouldn't have to." He smiled as if he had never been more proud of me. I was beaming. I had never felt so loved by my father before. I liked this feeling, and I was hoping that this joy on my father would never leave. But even I knew that nothing lasted forever. But I was not going to think about the future just yet. Father watched in amazement as course by course breakfast came. We ate in nearly silence, which I did not care for. I tried to start a conversation, but no words came from my mouth. Finally, Father spoke to me.
"Tia Tanne," he started. I knew that he was going to speak to me about important manners. Could he be talking about my crowning? "You have shown me great improvement in your ways. You now act just like your mother acted." He paused for a moment. "If…if you show this improvement for the rest of the day, I may grant you the crowning …early." I nearly jumped out of my seat. I caught myself, and simply said, "Thank you, Father." He had a pleased look upon his face.
I continued my day just the way that Mother would have: Ordering the servants about, helping Father run the villages, and planning out my crowning evening. I was glad to see Father so happy, but I did not like this feeling that I was getting. I did not feel like myself anymore. I was no longer the person I was. I am now the person I was supposed to be. The way Father and Mother wanted me to be. At nightfall, I slipped into a soft, silk robe and rested in bed for a while. I fell asleep much quicker and easier than I had the night of my transformation. I was awoken in the middle of the night, by someone. Someone was pushing me and telling me to wake up.
"Wake up. Princess, wake up." I slowly opened my eyes and lightly glanced above me. I saw that it was my golden-eyed servant. I sat up and asked if there was a problem.
"Princess, come with me," she whispered. "Your Father has something to show you." I got up and tied a shawl around my shoulders.
"Good. Now follow." I was led by my servant to the outside gardens. I saw that she had a horse tied to a tree. She got onto the saddle and made herself comfortable and signaled for me to climb onto the back. Once I had gotten on, she pushed the horse to a full-speed gallop.
"Please," I said yelling against the wind, "slow down!" Finally, the horse came to a stop. I saw that we were in the middle of the desert. I got off of the horse, looking for my father. I glanced at the landscape, but there was no one to be found.
"Are you sure that Father was he-" I turned around. I noticed that the servant and the horse were gone. I did not know where I was. The night was growing colder by the minute. After nearly an hour of waiting for my servant to return, I finally realized the truth. She was not coming back. I was stranded in the desert. I was going to die.
After the news of my disappearance, Father was frantically searching for me. For I was the only heir to the thrown of Egypt. After many long days of searching, my Father became weak from exhaustion. He had not eaten for days, and has worked during many of the night hours without sleep. He was growing desperate. Many of his advisers suggested that we give up on my search. He would bang his fist on the nearest wall saying, "We will not give up until Tia Tanne is safe at home!" Once the advisers left, my golden-eyed servant entered.
"Your Highness," she respectfully said, "if the Princess is not found, I will humbly yield the thrown." My Father looked at her at first hesitantly but then gratefully and said:
"Oh, Cleopatra! Would you?"