Chapter 5 – Divine Voices Part 2
A/N1: The marriage ceremony is non-historical and my own invention. Please see Historical notes for chapter 5 for clarification. Likewise the coronation is also my own invention but parts are based on images on many temple walls in Egypt, including Karnak and Luxor.
A/N2: The entry in the historical notes for the god Amun has also been updated with extra information.
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 assistant 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 her 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 as 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 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 few 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.