CHAPTER FOUR
'A year of Lessons'
The next morning, when Anck-su-namun aroused she felt a little unfamiliar with her surroundings, but then realised she had been accepted in the Pharaoh's royal court, he job to be one of his treasured concubines. A few minutes' later three servants entered the room, each one carrying, food, body-paint and jewellery. Her servants names where Kiya, a motherly lady, Enehy, hard-faced and stern and lastly Hebeny, who was not a year older than Anck-su-namun herself and had a serene expression across he face. Kiya and Hebeny smiled at Anck-su-namun, as they placed her food and jewellery on the dresser, but the bitter Enehy glared at Anck-su-namun and spoke of nothing.
Kiya: "You must be Anck-su-namun, our newest arrival, welcome my darling," She chuckled as Anck-su-namun backed away and tried to hide under her covers,
"Do not be afraid, we're your servants for the rest of the time you spend in the palace, so you should not feel that you have to hide from us," She smiled gently and placed her hand out for Anck-su-namun to take.
Anck-su-namun whose arms were wrapped around her body looked up at Kiya. She was a lady in her early fifties, if even that, and had a wise, motherly look on her face. Anck-su-namun felt that she could trust this lady and let herself be mothered by her. So she let Kiya take her hand and be led to her bathing quarters.
At first Anck-su-namun felt embarrassed to be naked in front of three unknown ladies, but then she realised it did not matter as they were all scarcely dressed. The bath was beautiful and relaxing. It was a large circular marble tub filled with temperate water. On the surface of the water were lotus and hibiscus flower petals. Anck-su-namun closed her eyes and felt the warm water wash over her like a wave,
How content I feel, I could stay here forever, I do not want to leave.
But Anck-su-namun had to leave the bath in order to be painted. The painting was the worst thing Anck-su-namun had ever experienced. It took three hours, where she had to stand motionless and up-right. She had to admit the patterns were exquisite but the effort of having it applied was tiring. After the paint was applied, jewellery was placed around her neck, wrists, arms and belly. She was given a gold headdress to wear that adorned her hair. Hebeny applied her bronze and gold coloured make-up and finally she was finished. Anck-su-namun quickly bolted down her food and went off to her first lesson of the day - dance.
****************** That very morning, Imhotep woke up to the call of a falcon. The sky was still dark, but the humidity of the air was already starting to seep through the doorway. He dressed himself in the golden loin-cloth of a priest and went to begin his morning prays to Osiris. It was only an hour later when one of the other priests dashed into the temple with scroll made from papyrus in his hands.
"Imhotep! Imhotep!" he gushed. There were many frowns and shhhh's from the other priests who were praying.
"Imhotep, here is a letter from the Pharaoh. You must read it straight away. Imhotep took the letter and started to read.
"It says that as I have proved worthy, on my 21st birthday, which is tomorrow, I will be appointed High Priest and Royal Vizier to the Pharaoh. Great Osiris! This is it. Finally after all my studies I have been blessed by the Gods themselves."
"Imhotep, you will have to go down to the sacred bathes and bathe for the rest of today in order for the ritual tomorrow to be sacred."
"Right, I will be at the sacred bath and half an hour, I just have to see someone first." And with that Imhotep rushed off to see Ashait, to tell him of his good fortunes.
^^^6^^^^^^***** There you go, PLEASE Review!!! I need to no if I should change ne thing, or if my grammar is terrible Thanx Xoxo sare p.s I will update regularly :)
'A year of Lessons'
The next morning, when Anck-su-namun aroused she felt a little unfamiliar with her surroundings, but then realised she had been accepted in the Pharaoh's royal court, he job to be one of his treasured concubines. A few minutes' later three servants entered the room, each one carrying, food, body-paint and jewellery. Her servants names where Kiya, a motherly lady, Enehy, hard-faced and stern and lastly Hebeny, who was not a year older than Anck-su-namun herself and had a serene expression across he face. Kiya and Hebeny smiled at Anck-su-namun, as they placed her food and jewellery on the dresser, but the bitter Enehy glared at Anck-su-namun and spoke of nothing.
Kiya: "You must be Anck-su-namun, our newest arrival, welcome my darling," She chuckled as Anck-su-namun backed away and tried to hide under her covers,
"Do not be afraid, we're your servants for the rest of the time you spend in the palace, so you should not feel that you have to hide from us," She smiled gently and placed her hand out for Anck-su-namun to take.
Anck-su-namun whose arms were wrapped around her body looked up at Kiya. She was a lady in her early fifties, if even that, and had a wise, motherly look on her face. Anck-su-namun felt that she could trust this lady and let herself be mothered by her. So she let Kiya take her hand and be led to her bathing quarters.
At first Anck-su-namun felt embarrassed to be naked in front of three unknown ladies, but then she realised it did not matter as they were all scarcely dressed. The bath was beautiful and relaxing. It was a large circular marble tub filled with temperate water. On the surface of the water were lotus and hibiscus flower petals. Anck-su-namun closed her eyes and felt the warm water wash over her like a wave,
How content I feel, I could stay here forever, I do not want to leave.
But Anck-su-namun had to leave the bath in order to be painted. The painting was the worst thing Anck-su-namun had ever experienced. It took three hours, where she had to stand motionless and up-right. She had to admit the patterns were exquisite but the effort of having it applied was tiring. After the paint was applied, jewellery was placed around her neck, wrists, arms and belly. She was given a gold headdress to wear that adorned her hair. Hebeny applied her bronze and gold coloured make-up and finally she was finished. Anck-su-namun quickly bolted down her food and went off to her first lesson of the day - dance.
****************** That very morning, Imhotep woke up to the call of a falcon. The sky was still dark, but the humidity of the air was already starting to seep through the doorway. He dressed himself in the golden loin-cloth of a priest and went to begin his morning prays to Osiris. It was only an hour later when one of the other priests dashed into the temple with scroll made from papyrus in his hands.
"Imhotep! Imhotep!" he gushed. There were many frowns and shhhh's from the other priests who were praying.
"Imhotep, here is a letter from the Pharaoh. You must read it straight away. Imhotep took the letter and started to read.
"It says that as I have proved worthy, on my 21st birthday, which is tomorrow, I will be appointed High Priest and Royal Vizier to the Pharaoh. Great Osiris! This is it. Finally after all my studies I have been blessed by the Gods themselves."
"Imhotep, you will have to go down to the sacred bathes and bathe for the rest of today in order for the ritual tomorrow to be sacred."
"Right, I will be at the sacred bath and half an hour, I just have to see someone first." And with that Imhotep rushed off to see Ashait, to tell him of his good fortunes.
^^^6^^^^^^***** There you go, PLEASE Review!!! I need to no if I should change ne thing, or if my grammar is terrible Thanx Xoxo sare p.s I will update regularly :)