After more than a century of the Ptolemy pharaohs, Egypt had finally fallen
to Rome. Cleopatra's efforts to save Egypt had failed. If perhaps Julius
Caesar had not been murdered and if perhaps Marc Antony had not lost the
battle of Actium; then maybe Egypt's fate would have been different and
Cleopatra would not have been the last Pharaoh. The world will never truly
know what could have been.
After the defeat, Cleopatra was ordered chained and brought back to Rome like a common slave. Failing to convince Octavian not to make Egypt another one of the provinces of Rome, Cleopatra resisted Rome one last time. Cleopatra killed herself thanks to the poisonous bite of the asp. It was one last step of defiance in the face of the mighty empire. Though her tomb might never be found the resting place of her handmaiden and confident, Nefertiri would be.
Nefertiri, an Immortal Egyptian who had been alive since the time of Ramesses the Great drank poison to rest forever with her beloved Queen. Betrayed and feeling as though she had let down Cleopatra, Nefertiri would rest. She could not go forward with her life nor could she remain in the world of the living. It was during Cleopatra's long embalming ritual of mummification that Nefertiri drank her poison.
This in turn, left a problem for Raan one of the priests that helped mummify the body.
Raan was the mentor of Nefertiri and he had known her for almost a millennia. As a Priest of Osiris, it had been Raan who initiated Nefertiri in the ways of the Immortals. He had explained the ways of the game and imparted as much of his wisdom onto the fledging Immortal as possible. Raan knew her well. He knew that she wanted to rest with her queen but he also knew what Nefertiri truly was. As an Immortal Nefertiri would eventually awaken from the poison alive and well again, and yet could an Immortal recover from the intricate process of mummification. Her brain would be discarded and her vital organs would be dried and kept in sacred canopic jars. Could she survive that? The answer would probably be yes but what about her mental state? Would she have her memories? Would her brain regenerate back? Would she be the same? It was not something that Raan wanted to risk, even if her tomb would never be found.
He needed help. Not knowing of any other Immortals in the land other than his old teacher, and so Raan decided to ask Akhesenamen for help.
A messenger was sent for Ankhesenamen who currently resided in Saqarra. She came with great haste into the city of Alexandria, knowing that time in this rare instance was working against them. It took a full seventy days for the funeral and mummification. It would take thirty-five days for the actual steps and another thirty-five days for the funeral. They had many problems to solve. How did they keep her from being mummified while still allowing her to rest? That was their major problem although they did have one thing on their side. The Priests were speeding up the mummification. Cleopatra's remaining followers wanted to the put the Queen into her final resting spot as soon as possible lest Rome try to perverse her remains.
"Are you certain that Nefertiri understands the full scope of what she wants?" Ankhesenamen asked turning to look at her former student and mentor of Nefertiri.
"Yes," came Raan's simple reply. "Cleopatra is her queen. She explained to me that she did not want to go on knowing that she had let her down."
A frown crossed the lips of Ankhesenamen; "I find that notion quite silly. There was nothing that Nefertiri could have done to stop Rome from taking control of Egypt."
"Perhaps," said the priest, "But it is her wish. Will you help me or will you not?"
"I shall help you of course regardless of my personal opinions I will honor her wish." Ankhesenamen said, continuing to look at him. "She was my friend too." A thought crossed her mind, "How are you keeping her from awakening in the temples?" Surely the poison that she had drunk would have worn off by now.
"Every so often I re-administer the poison down her throat. I do not like it but short of putting her body in a sarcophagi, I can think of no other way to keep her resting." His explanation was simple enough. "I stave off the other priests attempts to prep her body by telling them that her soul is disturbed. She needs more time before we start. It has worked so far."
Ankhesenamen nodded, "How far have the priests gotten with Cleopatra?"
"Her brain has been removed and currently they are working on removing her vital organs and preparing them for their canopic jars."
"This is what we will do. You shall explain to them that Nefertiri had friends in the priesthood of Amun-Re on Saqarra that wished to prepare her body themselves for her afterlife. They wish to work in secret as their techniques are slightly different and they must not be disturbed." Ankhesenamen told Raan. "While I am making the final preparations to her body you will arrange for a sarcophagus for her." Ankhesenamen would select Nefertiri's most favorite small possessions and jewelry to rest inside with her. If she ever awakened she would at least have that with her.
"Once her body in the sarcophagus then there will be no need to keep applying the poison or to keep her in secret any more." Raan smiled to her, "Your plan seems to be well thought out. We must pray that it succeeds."
And pray they would. With the urgency to let Cleopatra rest in the afterlife the priests did not question Raan when he explained what would be done to Nefertiri? Ankhesenamen was not bothered as she placed Nefertiri's favorite jewelry on her body before wrapping Nefertiri's body in clean white linens. Raan made the rituals over Nefertiri's body as she worked and it was him who applied the final spells and hieroglyphics to her sarcophagus.
"There is one flaw in this," Ankhesenamen said looking onto Nefertiri's sarcophagus. "What if Cleopatra's tomb is invaded by thieves? What if the Roman's find her tomb and desecrate her remains?"
"It is a problem I am sure but not one that no other tomb has faced before."
"What if they find Nefertiri's sarcophagus and discover that the mummy inside is not what they think. Imagine what would happen if she awoken in front of them."
A look of horror crossed Raan's face as he realized the outcome of anyone coming face to face with an Immortal. Especially one that came back to life in front of them, it would not be good. "I see your point. Nefertiri will be very displeased if she ever discovers that she did not rest next to Cleopatra."
"Yes, I imagine that she will but it is a risk that I am willing to take and one that you too should be willing to take as well." Ankhesenamen told him in a tone that he had heard often when Raan was her pupil. She had used it often to rebuke him for making mistakes during training. Whenever she used it Raan knew that things would be done her way and none else's.
Raan inwardly cringed at the tone before nodding his head to her words. "Yes, of course."
Ankhesenamen nodded, "Good."
And so Nefertiri was laid to rest in a small tomb on the edges of what someday would be called the Valley of the Kings. Her tomb was small. Raan painted the customary hieroglyphics and artwork that were present on all tombs and Ankhesenamen painted her protective cartouche onto her sarcophagus. Small possessions were also left inside. Should anyone happen upon this tomb they did not want it to appear unordinary. Then the tomb was sealed. It would not be found until more than two thousand years had passed.
After the defeat, Cleopatra was ordered chained and brought back to Rome like a common slave. Failing to convince Octavian not to make Egypt another one of the provinces of Rome, Cleopatra resisted Rome one last time. Cleopatra killed herself thanks to the poisonous bite of the asp. It was one last step of defiance in the face of the mighty empire. Though her tomb might never be found the resting place of her handmaiden and confident, Nefertiri would be.
Nefertiri, an Immortal Egyptian who had been alive since the time of Ramesses the Great drank poison to rest forever with her beloved Queen. Betrayed and feeling as though she had let down Cleopatra, Nefertiri would rest. She could not go forward with her life nor could she remain in the world of the living. It was during Cleopatra's long embalming ritual of mummification that Nefertiri drank her poison.
This in turn, left a problem for Raan one of the priests that helped mummify the body.
Raan was the mentor of Nefertiri and he had known her for almost a millennia. As a Priest of Osiris, it had been Raan who initiated Nefertiri in the ways of the Immortals. He had explained the ways of the game and imparted as much of his wisdom onto the fledging Immortal as possible. Raan knew her well. He knew that she wanted to rest with her queen but he also knew what Nefertiri truly was. As an Immortal Nefertiri would eventually awaken from the poison alive and well again, and yet could an Immortal recover from the intricate process of mummification. Her brain would be discarded and her vital organs would be dried and kept in sacred canopic jars. Could she survive that? The answer would probably be yes but what about her mental state? Would she have her memories? Would her brain regenerate back? Would she be the same? It was not something that Raan wanted to risk, even if her tomb would never be found.
He needed help. Not knowing of any other Immortals in the land other than his old teacher, and so Raan decided to ask Akhesenamen for help.
A messenger was sent for Ankhesenamen who currently resided in Saqarra. She came with great haste into the city of Alexandria, knowing that time in this rare instance was working against them. It took a full seventy days for the funeral and mummification. It would take thirty-five days for the actual steps and another thirty-five days for the funeral. They had many problems to solve. How did they keep her from being mummified while still allowing her to rest? That was their major problem although they did have one thing on their side. The Priests were speeding up the mummification. Cleopatra's remaining followers wanted to the put the Queen into her final resting spot as soon as possible lest Rome try to perverse her remains.
"Are you certain that Nefertiri understands the full scope of what she wants?" Ankhesenamen asked turning to look at her former student and mentor of Nefertiri.
"Yes," came Raan's simple reply. "Cleopatra is her queen. She explained to me that she did not want to go on knowing that she had let her down."
A frown crossed the lips of Ankhesenamen; "I find that notion quite silly. There was nothing that Nefertiri could have done to stop Rome from taking control of Egypt."
"Perhaps," said the priest, "But it is her wish. Will you help me or will you not?"
"I shall help you of course regardless of my personal opinions I will honor her wish." Ankhesenamen said, continuing to look at him. "She was my friend too." A thought crossed her mind, "How are you keeping her from awakening in the temples?" Surely the poison that she had drunk would have worn off by now.
"Every so often I re-administer the poison down her throat. I do not like it but short of putting her body in a sarcophagi, I can think of no other way to keep her resting." His explanation was simple enough. "I stave off the other priests attempts to prep her body by telling them that her soul is disturbed. She needs more time before we start. It has worked so far."
Ankhesenamen nodded, "How far have the priests gotten with Cleopatra?"
"Her brain has been removed and currently they are working on removing her vital organs and preparing them for their canopic jars."
"This is what we will do. You shall explain to them that Nefertiri had friends in the priesthood of Amun-Re on Saqarra that wished to prepare her body themselves for her afterlife. They wish to work in secret as their techniques are slightly different and they must not be disturbed." Ankhesenamen told Raan. "While I am making the final preparations to her body you will arrange for a sarcophagus for her." Ankhesenamen would select Nefertiri's most favorite small possessions and jewelry to rest inside with her. If she ever awakened she would at least have that with her.
"Once her body in the sarcophagus then there will be no need to keep applying the poison or to keep her in secret any more." Raan smiled to her, "Your plan seems to be well thought out. We must pray that it succeeds."
And pray they would. With the urgency to let Cleopatra rest in the afterlife the priests did not question Raan when he explained what would be done to Nefertiri? Ankhesenamen was not bothered as she placed Nefertiri's favorite jewelry on her body before wrapping Nefertiri's body in clean white linens. Raan made the rituals over Nefertiri's body as she worked and it was him who applied the final spells and hieroglyphics to her sarcophagus.
"There is one flaw in this," Ankhesenamen said looking onto Nefertiri's sarcophagus. "What if Cleopatra's tomb is invaded by thieves? What if the Roman's find her tomb and desecrate her remains?"
"It is a problem I am sure but not one that no other tomb has faced before."
"What if they find Nefertiri's sarcophagus and discover that the mummy inside is not what they think. Imagine what would happen if she awoken in front of them."
A look of horror crossed Raan's face as he realized the outcome of anyone coming face to face with an Immortal. Especially one that came back to life in front of them, it would not be good. "I see your point. Nefertiri will be very displeased if she ever discovers that she did not rest next to Cleopatra."
"Yes, I imagine that she will but it is a risk that I am willing to take and one that you too should be willing to take as well." Ankhesenamen told him in a tone that he had heard often when Raan was her pupil. She had used it often to rebuke him for making mistakes during training. Whenever she used it Raan knew that things would be done her way and none else's.
Raan inwardly cringed at the tone before nodding his head to her words. "Yes, of course."
Ankhesenamen nodded, "Good."
And so Nefertiri was laid to rest in a small tomb on the edges of what someday would be called the Valley of the Kings. Her tomb was small. Raan painted the customary hieroglyphics and artwork that were present on all tombs and Ankhesenamen painted her protective cartouche onto her sarcophagus. Small possessions were also left inside. Should anyone happen upon this tomb they did not want it to appear unordinary. Then the tomb was sealed. It would not be found until more than two thousand years had passed.