"For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD." Exodus 12:12
Four Hours before the 10th Plague
Queen Nefretari looked over the once glorious land of Egypt. Despite it was covered in darkness and the silence fell over the land. It seemed like Egypt was dying. Dead seemed more like it. Indeed it was. And it was all the fault of none other than her stubborn husband, Rameses.
She had heard Moses warn him of this Hebrew God coming to strike down the firstborn children of Egypt. She considered sparing herself and her son, but Rameses refused to believe it. He told her that their gods would protect them. She wasn't sure what to believe anymore. After witnessing these calamities that plagued Egypt, she wondered where their gods were. Why hadn't they heard their children's calls? Who was this Hebrew God that Moses spoke of? Why was Moses demanding that the Hebrew people to be released?
She tried to reason with her husband to save their family from this fate. If she lost her son, it'd be the worst thing. She remembered when her mother lost her baby brother to the Nile. How she wailed for days. But the stubborn pharaoh would not listen; he told her to stay put or suffer his wrath. She became afraid of her husband once Moses had returned from the desert, demanding the release of the Hebrew slaves. His heart had become so hard. He was cold towards his family.
She was afraid of dying at first, but realizing what her husband had allowed to happen to Egypt. After all the pain and suffering she had endured during the plagues, she didn't think it was too bad. If what Moses had said was correct about the great wailing in Egypt, she did not want to be there. She would rather take her death in stride and have her soul go to the Underworld to be judged by Osiris and be with her son.
Nefretari put on her finest funeral clothes, her jewels and gold, even using the last remaining of lotus oil to put on her body and hair. While standing on the balcony, she reflected on her life. Closing her eyes, she took in all of Egypt-though it stank of death, decay and sickness now, she still remembered her Egypt in its glory: the succulent smell of the lotus blossoms, the dry desert wind and the sand, the clean Nile. The sounds of the construction of the statues from the tireless work of the slaves. The echoes from the priests in the temples of the gods. The splashing from the river from the oars from the boats, hippos playing, ibises flapping their wings as they hunted for fish. The rustling of the reeds from the winds. Just every memory of her Egypt.
Her favorite memories were ones with her husband and his youngest brother, Moses. She smiled as she thought about her favorite parts of her childhood with the three of them. How they laughed and played, chasing each other in the palace walls, the gardens, splashing in the Nile. How Moses brought trouble with the two priests, Hotep and Huy.
Moses. Though they were fond of each other, but they chose not to express these feelings out of respect that she was engaged to Rameses since childhood. Her marriage to the heir of pharaoh was of great importance to her family.
Once everything was set, she thought about seeing Moses one last time. Just once to say goodbye. With her servant, she led her to the slave quarters. As she descended the palace steps in that direction, she reminisced with her memories, wishing it could be like it once was...long ago...before the plagues. Before Moses became this prophet for the Hebrew God. Before Moses fled into the desert.