Disclaimer: Dic© owns everything, with the exception of Baset who is my own creation. This is a work of fanfic, no copyright infringement intended. The Character of Ardeth and the tattoo on Baset's arm will be familiar to fan's of The Mummy. They are copyright of Universal. The idea for this story and the character of Urbena came from the Point Horror Book, The Mummy by Barbara Steiner.
First to die
The light reflected off the boomera as it rose higher and higher, spinning like a top before it fell back to earth, less than 50 yards from where it had started with a splat.
"A good try my prince." This came from the tall bronzed man, dressed in the regalia of a royal huntsman who stood watching close by.
"Not bad" the young man kneeling beside the 5 year old said. The child merely stood staring at his handiwork.
"He'll be a fine huntsman one day huh Ja-kal?"
Ja-kal made no direct response; he merely jumped down from the hunting platform into the river mud and walked out to retrieve the broomera as the rumble of chariot wheels echoed around.
The horses skidded to a halt, spraying them all with mud. The charioteer leapt down, falling into a kneeling position.
"Oh great and mighty pharaoh, ruler of the Nile, beloved of Ra-"
"Get to the point Nefer!" the young man interrupted.
"The princess Urbena's barge has been sighted. She will be here within the hour."
The young man uttered a curse, which made the child laugh. He ran over to the chariot closely followed by Ja-Kal and the child. As Nefer jumped up to join them she glanced at Ja-kal.
"Baset's going to kill you."
Pesehet paced like caged tiger.
"This…This Urbena" she forced the word out, making it sound like a swearword. "She thinks that she can walk in her and…. And…!" words failed her, and she continued by knocking a vase to the floor where it shattered. Baset, her sister and guardian of her son Rapses, sitting near by, attempted to calm her.
"She's not Amenhotep's wife." She said slowly and with exaggerated patience. "She's here to be Nefra's wife. Ardeth" she indicated their brother with her right hand. "Has explained that to us already."
Ardeth who stood partly hidden in the shadows nodded.
"She is no rival to you Pesehet" he said gently. "You are pharaoh's wife, Mother of the heir to the throne, wearer of vulture crown, Queen of Egypt. She, at best, is a second rate princess within your household." Pesehet's face softened slightly and she stood with her back to them gazing into the courtyard.
"But supposing…supposing…"
"She won't!" Baset said firmly. "We all know-"
A clatter of horses interrupted her.
"They're back." She said getting to her feet. "You'd best get ready."
Pesehet gazed at her helplessly.
"Don't threat so" Baset said as she turned towards the door. "You and Rapses having nothing to fear from Urbena."
Pesehet nodded. Ardeth glanced at his youngest sister as he followed his younger sister out.
"You were very definite about that." He observed,
Baset shrugged, avoiding his eyes. "I have work to do."
Ardeth gazed at her hopelessly before responding "if you need me…"
"I know where to find you." Baset promised.
"By the Lord Jehovah I'd have more luck caring of a pack of hippos." Baset declared.
Ja-kal began to protest that this really wasn't fair, but Baset interrupted him.
"I don't want to hear it!" She said. "Go and get changed. Tia has laid out some fresh clothes in your room and there's hot water there too. I've got some ready for you too Nefer," she added. Nefer nodded and grabbed a linen towel from the pile. Ja-kal stood gazing at her.
"Go!" Baset said, more gently this time. "Armon and Rath are here and ready. They will protect us. And once I've bathed this mini monster," she lifted Rapses up off the floor and held him against her. "I go and get ready myself. By that time you and Nefer will be finished so you can take over."
Ja-kal knew when he was beaten so he walked off while Baset yanked Rapses over to the steaming wooden tub.
Nefer lent over and pulled the bar across.
That from her point of view was the best thing about this room. She could lock it.
It was kind of Baset to do this. Beside the streaming bathtub where the water came up to her chest, there was clean tunic laid out, along with her best jewellery.
She yanked off the leather guards on her wrist, and laid them aside, along with the huge circular neck collar that she wore. She then yanked her tunic off and clambered, like the cat on her amulet, into the bath. It was only when she had sat in the water for a few minutes that she dared remove the helmet that hid her hair.
She signed and lay back, enjoying the heat of the water and the scent of the rose petals added. Here was the only place that Nefertina could exist. For the rest of the world she was Nefer, the best charioteer in Egypt and guardian of the prince Rapses. That was the way it had to be, if she wanted live.
She dipped under the water to wet her hair, and her thoughts passed to her predecessor. Sobek, the best charioteer in Egypt. He had as far as any one could tell, lost control of the horses and been dragged to death. While it was a risk she ran everyday, she found it curious that a man who's reputation had been built on regaining control of a bolting horses in the heat of battle should have lost control. At least Nefra hadn't been in the chariot with him.
Nefra, son of Ahmose, Amenhotep's father and (if rumours were true) a kitchen slave. Too irregular to inherit the throne, but with too few alternatives to be cast aside. After Rapses, Nefra was next in line to the throne. After him, Lord Scarab Vizier of Egypt and a cousin of Amenhotep. She shivered she did not like Scarab.
A trumpet call yanked her back to her senses. Urbena barge must be getting closer. The princess of Nubia was promised to Nefra. If the marriage was a success, it could mean peace for generations. If it was not…
Another trumpet, nearer than the last one force her to hurry. The wind must be with them. She got out of the water and began to get dressed.
"Here you are Armon." Baset said, handing Rapses over. "Now," she continued. "If I come back and either of you have moved a muscle I will personally disembowel you."
With the sounds of laughter echoing behind her, she walked to her room and locked the door. As she passed her dresser she caught her reflection in the mirror. The right side of her chin was red and tender.
"That's another one from you Hordeth" she muttered.
Her husband had come when she was fetching water for the baths. When she had refused to come with him he'd hit her. Thank the lord Jehovah that Armon had come to help her. He'd "persuaded" her husband to leave. And he hadn't called Ja'kal.
She slipped her tunic over her head and slid slowly into the water. She'd fallen on her feet here, something she never thought could have happened in Egypt. And it could have all gone so wrong.
The story of Pesehet's and Amenhotep's courtship was the stuff of songs. How one day, while riding in the desert, the prince Amenhotep, as he was then, had become separate from his companions. How he had ridden over a sand mountain to an oasis and seen a strange, beautiful girl bathing.
Baset smiled in spite of herself. She should have been the water with her. But she'd got bored and ridden off. She had returned to find her sister, totally naked! And talking to a strange Egyptian.
What happened next should make her cringe, but it didn't. If she had to she'd do it again. After all it was the reason she was here. As Amenhotep had observed any woman prepared to put an arrow in her pharaoh to protect her sister, what would she do to protect her nephew?
On the other hand it was also what had led to Hordeth.
According to the law of her people no woman could marry till her siblings were either married or vowed. Ardeth had taken his vows, but Baset was till three months away from been of age. When the Grand Vizier of Egypt, the Lord Scarab, had offered the captain of pharaoh's guards, Hordeth, as her husband, the council of elders seeing only the advantages of a daughter of one of their own married to pharaoh's son had agreed. She had not exactly gone willingly into the marriage. She had meant to take her vows as soon as she was old enough, but she had vowed to do her best to be a good wife to him. She might have saved her breath. Hordeth was a monster who hit her regularly and worse. Her hands stroked the scars that crisscrossed her stomach. That had been when he killed the child in her womb. She had vowed then to leave him, and return to the desert, but then her brother, Ardeth had sought her out.
Ahmose and his son, Ineni, had died in what Ardeth called "questionable circumstances". The elders, worried about their investment, in the form of the child that Pesehet was carrying, wanted one of their own close to the Egyptian court. Pesehet had always been able to get any man to do anything she wanted and Amenhotep was no exception. He had readily agreed to her coming both as a hand maiden to the queen and later guardian to his son.
She shook her head to shake off the past and set out of the water on to a linen towel laid there. She dried herself and pulled on her best Egyptian dress, pure white, of the finest linen with thousands of tiny pleats. If she was honest she hated it. It was impossible to keep clean, so delicate that she lived in continuous fear that she would step on it and tear it and, it was too impractical, she could not keep up with Rapses in it and ridding was impossibility. But it had been a present from Rath, so she always wore it for special occasions so as not to offend him.
She glanced in the hand mirror again and winced. At least Egyptian women wore so much makeup that no one would notice her covering it up. It wasn't that she was ashamed of what he did to her. It wasn't her fault! But she didn't feel that she could cope with another argument with her fellow guardians right now.
They wouldn't be angry with her, no their anger would be directed at her husband and they would mystified with her refusal to leave him. Even Rath. They were all wonderful.
Ja'kal, the hunter and leader, was wise and kind, even if she was the only one who even vaguely understood his animal analogies. Rath, if you could get past his personality, was loyal and knowledgeable, even if he could never admit that he didn't know something. Armon was a gentle giant with an appetite to match his size, but threaten any one close to him and he was deadly. Nefer was always joking and teasing everyone. Yet his love of speed she was convinced would be the death of him. She laughed. Now even with in her head she thought of Nefer as a boy.
She gazed at her face in the mirror. Not bad.
She signed. She cared immensely for all of them but they could never truly care for her. After all, she thought as she dipped her fingers in a pot of paint and smeared it over her forearm covering the tattoo there, a triangle with the Eye Of Horus on top of it, how could you care for some one who was lying to you?
Urbena POV
I step off the litter and onto the back of the slave. I then descend on to the carpet. The people are cheering and as I climb the steps I turn and wave to them. They cheer even more. I enter the throne room.
The royal family sit at one end on a raided dais, my family now or very soon. I walked past the staring eyes of the courtiers with my head held high as benefits a Nubian Princess.
Pharaoh rises to greet me. He embraces me, calling me sister.
The queen remains seated. She makes an appropriate greeting, but her eyes watch me like a hawk. She does not like me.
Their son, Rapses sits still, struggling not to fidget. He is 7 or 8, and he watches me with a child untactful curiosity.
The guardians watch me, from behind their prince, but they watch everyone. The tall man, who I think is their leader, watches me with the same distrust he shows everyone else, except a young woman who stands at the edge of the crowd. His wife? I hope so and that I am so lucky.
The young man next to him gazes at me with a disdainful arrogance. His fingers are stained with ink, so I know he is a scribe. The third is as big as a house, with only one arm. The other is made of gold. He watches me with a degree of amusement. As does the fourth and youngest.
Finally my eyes rest upon Nefra. This is not our first meeting but is surely our most important. The passion in his eyes frightens me, though it is mirrored by my own. I duck my head blushing, but he takes his hand and leads me to the dais.
Ours is a love that the scribes will write off and the story tellers sing of, after he and I have been in our graves for a thousand years.
To Be Continued.
Cat 2
o.k. I've taken a liberty in this, as we have no idea that Amenhotep had any brothers, legitimate or otherwise. We also know virtually nothing about Amenhotep's wife, so I've made a bit up. It is historically likely that there would have been at least one true female guardian as a wet-nurse. Please review as this is my first Mummy's Alive Fan Fiction.