Amaraba sat regally plaiting her long black hair.
She was fron a poor family, but somehow she had made it into the palace as a Royal Concubine.
She was the Pharoh's plaything, nothing more than a pretty toy, although she was favored above the other girls, she was favored less than the queen, who was her only obstacle in the way of her becoming the King's consort.
The Queen was a skilled fighter, as was Amaraba. She was often battling the queen for the Pharoh's entertainment. Her wins numbered the same as the Queen's.
This angered the Pharoh's consort greatly, so much that she had plotted to kill her. The attempt was foiled by palace guards.
Amaraba fingered the gold plated, custom-fitted outfit before putting it on. It was a gift from the Pharoh himself, and it revealed much of her skin. When she wore it, she felt royally beautiful, and because it was a special gift, the King liked to see her wear it.
She slipped into the gold, it looked like it had been painted on.
She then carefully applied the face paint, perfecting the sweeping eye strokes.
Amaraba then looked into the mirror, one last time.
'The Pharoh will not be able to resist me tonight' She thought with satisfaction,
Amaraba felt eyes on her, and quickly looked to see who it was.
It was one of the young servant girls.
"The Pharoh wishes for you to meet him in the courtyard." The girl said shyly.
Amaraba looked kindly upon the girl, remembering when she felt the same.
"Tell the King that I will be along shortly." She instructed.
The girl ran off in the direction of the courtyard.
Amaraba exited the room, nodding at the guard, signaling that she was temporarily relieving him of his services.
She made her way to the courtyard, taking her time as she did so.
As she approached the courtyard, she could feel the intense heat through the windows. It was mid-year.
Amaraba presented herself before the Pharoh.
"Your Highness." She addressed him. "You wished to see me?"
It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
The Pharoh looked her straight in the eye, and there was a moment and a half of silence.
"The wife I have taken cannot bear me children." He steppped down from the throne.
Next he did something almost unfathomable, he waved the guards away.
The Pharoh took Amaraba's hand. "I know you are close with her, but I have sent men to kill her in the desert."
Amaraba suprised him with her apparent lack of concern and compassion.
"She tried to kill me, the only regret I have is that I don't get to see her die."
The Pharoh recovered well from his suprise. "I am arranging the marraige already."
Amaraba looked confused. "But you have children by some of the concubines."
The King ignored her reasoning.
Amaraba was finally getting what she wanted, and she didn't dare argue further.
She turned to leave, but the Pharoh placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I expect to see you at tonight's feast." He informed her softly.
She didn't turn around, but insted started walking away, back toward the Concubine's Quarters.
She nodded at the guards that had placed themselves just outside the doors. "You may return." She waved them in with the realization that soon she would be giving orders as the queen.
The thought thrilled her, she was almost as giddy as a schoolgirl, but she suppressed her urge to squeal with joy.
But there was another part of her that had to argue. 'What about your family?' It asked. 'Why have you forgotten them? They should be invited to the wedding. You must have 3 new siblings by now, you send them money, but is it enough? You should know, you should know your own family.'
She hated thinking about her family.
'I left my family behind when I came to the palace, it was a condition. And I took the offer. I'm still risking my head and neck, sending them money, if the Pharoh is to invite them, he will. I will not take place in this decision making, I will not!'
Amaraba now had no guilt to shake off, it had already dissolved.
She opened the door of the Concubine's Quarters softly.
Dhala was there.
Dhala had been there only days before Amaraba arrived at the palace. She wasn't much younger than Amaraba, and as far as her face told, possibly younger. She was also one of the few that had yet to bear the Pharoh a child.
Dhala looked up at Amaraba. She was laying on the large, round bed.
"You're glowing, and it's not the sun." She stated, wiping sweat off her forehead.
Dhala was Amaraba's best friend out of the entire company of concubines.
"The Pharoh is arranging a marraige."
Dhala was positively bouncing. "I better hurry and have him a son!" She exclaimed. "With you, he won't need the concubines!"
Amaraba shook her head. "While I am with child, he will, don't worry Dhala."
Dhala sat up and touched Amaraba's slender hips gently with her fingertips.
"Amaraba, can you keep a secret?"
Amaraba nodded.
"While I am happy pleasing the Pharoh, just the thought of children terrifies me. Will I become ugly after I bear children, like some of the women that were here, or will I become more beautiful?"
Amaraba placed her hand on Dhala's arm.
"You would become so much more beautiful." She assured what now looked like a much younger woman.
"Soon I will be moving out of the Quarters." Amaraba said sadly.
"We will miss you." Dhala's voice held a wistful smile.
Just then, another one of the concubines stormed into the room.
"You look angry Rhatha." Dhala observed.
Rhatha was Dhala's older sister, shorter than the other girls, she was often overlooked.
Rhatha brushed past Amaraba and began stripping her clothes off.
"The kitchen guard tried to rape me." She sounded disgusted.
"I'd be suprised if it hasn't happened to all of us." Amaraba shrugged.
"Tell the Pharoh, the guard will be sure to die."
Rhatha looked uncertain.
"He doesn't deserve any less." Amaraba reasoned.
Rhatha gave in, she put her clothes on and removed herself from the room.
"Do you feel like seeing an execution?" Dhala asked hopefully.
"I have other things to do, otherwise, I'd come with you." Amaraba apolagized.
Dhala just shrugged.
Amaraba left the room, but she hadn't made a few steps before she realized that she hadn't notified the guard of her return. She looked back toward the door and it dawned on her that she mustn't have been paying attention. The guard was at his post.
Amaraba found her way to the front doors of the palace, where two guards awaited her. They placed a purple robe on her shoulders, and escorted her to the Hall of Worship through the dismally dusty streets.
The guards stopped at the doors, while Amaraba entered the large building.
She came to the foot of a statue. It was the Goddess Isis.
Amaraba bowed low before the image of the Goddess, her purple robe brushing the dusty floor, confessing her wrongdoings and asking for the Higher Power's forgivness.
When Amaraba felt satisfied that she had been forgiven, she rose, kissed the statue's feet, then turned andd left without so much as a backward glance at the artfully painted face of the life-sized figure. It would have been a sin to do so.
Amaraba happily returned to the palace. Being outside the great stone walls made her feel insecure and out of place. She shuddered at the thought of it.
The guards removed her robe, and opened the doors for her.
Amaraba was lightfooted as she entered, relieved of the weight of the robe.
She called for someone to bring fresh fruit to the Concubine's Quarters, and made her way there herself.
She sat at the table there, before the tray, and merely picked at the fruit.
Now that she was finally going to become Queen, she realized that she didn't want it as much as she had originally thought she did.
In fact, she didn't know if she wanted to at all. She pondered this for a long while.
By the time night fell, she still hadn't left the table where the, now very warm, fruit still sat.
She picked up a piece of the soft fruit and hurled it as hard as she could against the wall.
"Stupid piece of fruit, going through it's life cycle without having to worry about marrying or bearing children." She muttered angrily.
The door opened to reveal the guard.
"Is everything alright My Lady?" He asked, quite concerned, looking at the splattered fruit on the wall and floor.
"Quite alright, thank you." Amaraba waved her hand in dissmissal.
"Anything for my Queen to be." The guard gave a short bow. "His Highness will be expecting you in the courtyard shortly."
She nodded and waved him away again.
She then turned to the mirror.
Amaraba took off the golden covering, and replaced it with cloth, even more revealing than the gold.
She unplaited her hair and combed it smooth, placing the woven beadwork on her head to create a glittery effect.
She left the room without looking back.
The guard followed her out into the courtyard and took his position by the door.
The table was already very niosy.
Amaraba took her usual chair, to the left of the King and began to eat.
The Pharoh stood, and the table quickly silenced.
Amaraba swallowed her food just as quickly.
"As many of you know, my wife, the Queen has dissapeared. I have given up all hope of finding her now, and I shall be taking Amaraba as my wife."
Amaraba stood, and the King kissed her, for show.
"I shall also abstain from any sexual contact with any woman until we have married."
There was a round of cheering and applause.
She sat down, rather embarassed, but not allowing it to show. She had not realized that the rest of the many people, other than the two guards, didn't know about the Queen's murder, and she didn't have a problem with the fact.
Amaraba was quite enjoying her status as soon-to-be Queen.
The Pharoh turned to her. "After the wedding, we will hire a bodyguard for you. You, of course, will have a great part in this choosing."
Amaraba beamed. The worry had faded a great deal, so much she could barely feel it.
She finished her meal in a very happy state.
She was fron a poor family, but somehow she had made it into the palace as a Royal Concubine.
She was the Pharoh's plaything, nothing more than a pretty toy, although she was favored above the other girls, she was favored less than the queen, who was her only obstacle in the way of her becoming the King's consort.
The Queen was a skilled fighter, as was Amaraba. She was often battling the queen for the Pharoh's entertainment. Her wins numbered the same as the Queen's.
This angered the Pharoh's consort greatly, so much that she had plotted to kill her. The attempt was foiled by palace guards.
Amaraba fingered the gold plated, custom-fitted outfit before putting it on. It was a gift from the Pharoh himself, and it revealed much of her skin. When she wore it, she felt royally beautiful, and because it was a special gift, the King liked to see her wear it.
She slipped into the gold, it looked like it had been painted on.
She then carefully applied the face paint, perfecting the sweeping eye strokes.
Amaraba then looked into the mirror, one last time.
'The Pharoh will not be able to resist me tonight' She thought with satisfaction,
Amaraba felt eyes on her, and quickly looked to see who it was.
It was one of the young servant girls.
"The Pharoh wishes for you to meet him in the courtyard." The girl said shyly.
Amaraba looked kindly upon the girl, remembering when she felt the same.
"Tell the King that I will be along shortly." She instructed.
The girl ran off in the direction of the courtyard.
Amaraba exited the room, nodding at the guard, signaling that she was temporarily relieving him of his services.
She made her way to the courtyard, taking her time as she did so.
As she approached the courtyard, she could feel the intense heat through the windows. It was mid-year.
Amaraba presented herself before the Pharoh.
"Your Highness." She addressed him. "You wished to see me?"
It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
The Pharoh looked her straight in the eye, and there was a moment and a half of silence.
"The wife I have taken cannot bear me children." He steppped down from the throne.
Next he did something almost unfathomable, he waved the guards away.
The Pharoh took Amaraba's hand. "I know you are close with her, but I have sent men to kill her in the desert."
Amaraba suprised him with her apparent lack of concern and compassion.
"She tried to kill me, the only regret I have is that I don't get to see her die."
The Pharoh recovered well from his suprise. "I am arranging the marraige already."
Amaraba looked confused. "But you have children by some of the concubines."
The King ignored her reasoning.
Amaraba was finally getting what she wanted, and she didn't dare argue further.
She turned to leave, but the Pharoh placed his hand on her shoulder.
"I expect to see you at tonight's feast." He informed her softly.
She didn't turn around, but insted started walking away, back toward the Concubine's Quarters.
She nodded at the guards that had placed themselves just outside the doors. "You may return." She waved them in with the realization that soon she would be giving orders as the queen.
The thought thrilled her, she was almost as giddy as a schoolgirl, but she suppressed her urge to squeal with joy.
But there was another part of her that had to argue. 'What about your family?' It asked. 'Why have you forgotten them? They should be invited to the wedding. You must have 3 new siblings by now, you send them money, but is it enough? You should know, you should know your own family.'
She hated thinking about her family.
'I left my family behind when I came to the palace, it was a condition. And I took the offer. I'm still risking my head and neck, sending them money, if the Pharoh is to invite them, he will. I will not take place in this decision making, I will not!'
Amaraba now had no guilt to shake off, it had already dissolved.
She opened the door of the Concubine's Quarters softly.
Dhala was there.
Dhala had been there only days before Amaraba arrived at the palace. She wasn't much younger than Amaraba, and as far as her face told, possibly younger. She was also one of the few that had yet to bear the Pharoh a child.
Dhala looked up at Amaraba. She was laying on the large, round bed.
"You're glowing, and it's not the sun." She stated, wiping sweat off her forehead.
Dhala was Amaraba's best friend out of the entire company of concubines.
"The Pharoh is arranging a marraige."
Dhala was positively bouncing. "I better hurry and have him a son!" She exclaimed. "With you, he won't need the concubines!"
Amaraba shook her head. "While I am with child, he will, don't worry Dhala."
Dhala sat up and touched Amaraba's slender hips gently with her fingertips.
"Amaraba, can you keep a secret?"
Amaraba nodded.
"While I am happy pleasing the Pharoh, just the thought of children terrifies me. Will I become ugly after I bear children, like some of the women that were here, or will I become more beautiful?"
Amaraba placed her hand on Dhala's arm.
"You would become so much more beautiful." She assured what now looked like a much younger woman.
"Soon I will be moving out of the Quarters." Amaraba said sadly.
"We will miss you." Dhala's voice held a wistful smile.
Just then, another one of the concubines stormed into the room.
"You look angry Rhatha." Dhala observed.
Rhatha was Dhala's older sister, shorter than the other girls, she was often overlooked.
Rhatha brushed past Amaraba and began stripping her clothes off.
"The kitchen guard tried to rape me." She sounded disgusted.
"I'd be suprised if it hasn't happened to all of us." Amaraba shrugged.
"Tell the Pharoh, the guard will be sure to die."
Rhatha looked uncertain.
"He doesn't deserve any less." Amaraba reasoned.
Rhatha gave in, she put her clothes on and removed herself from the room.
"Do you feel like seeing an execution?" Dhala asked hopefully.
"I have other things to do, otherwise, I'd come with you." Amaraba apolagized.
Dhala just shrugged.
Amaraba left the room, but she hadn't made a few steps before she realized that she hadn't notified the guard of her return. She looked back toward the door and it dawned on her that she mustn't have been paying attention. The guard was at his post.
Amaraba found her way to the front doors of the palace, where two guards awaited her. They placed a purple robe on her shoulders, and escorted her to the Hall of Worship through the dismally dusty streets.
The guards stopped at the doors, while Amaraba entered the large building.
She came to the foot of a statue. It was the Goddess Isis.
Amaraba bowed low before the image of the Goddess, her purple robe brushing the dusty floor, confessing her wrongdoings and asking for the Higher Power's forgivness.
When Amaraba felt satisfied that she had been forgiven, she rose, kissed the statue's feet, then turned andd left without so much as a backward glance at the artfully painted face of the life-sized figure. It would have been a sin to do so.
Amaraba happily returned to the palace. Being outside the great stone walls made her feel insecure and out of place. She shuddered at the thought of it.
The guards removed her robe, and opened the doors for her.
Amaraba was lightfooted as she entered, relieved of the weight of the robe.
She called for someone to bring fresh fruit to the Concubine's Quarters, and made her way there herself.
She sat at the table there, before the tray, and merely picked at the fruit.
Now that she was finally going to become Queen, she realized that she didn't want it as much as she had originally thought she did.
In fact, she didn't know if she wanted to at all. She pondered this for a long while.
By the time night fell, she still hadn't left the table where the, now very warm, fruit still sat.
She picked up a piece of the soft fruit and hurled it as hard as she could against the wall.
"Stupid piece of fruit, going through it's life cycle without having to worry about marrying or bearing children." She muttered angrily.
The door opened to reveal the guard.
"Is everything alright My Lady?" He asked, quite concerned, looking at the splattered fruit on the wall and floor.
"Quite alright, thank you." Amaraba waved her hand in dissmissal.
"Anything for my Queen to be." The guard gave a short bow. "His Highness will be expecting you in the courtyard shortly."
She nodded and waved him away again.
She then turned to the mirror.
Amaraba took off the golden covering, and replaced it with cloth, even more revealing than the gold.
She unplaited her hair and combed it smooth, placing the woven beadwork on her head to create a glittery effect.
She left the room without looking back.
The guard followed her out into the courtyard and took his position by the door.
The table was already very niosy.
Amaraba took her usual chair, to the left of the King and began to eat.
The Pharoh stood, and the table quickly silenced.
Amaraba swallowed her food just as quickly.
"As many of you know, my wife, the Queen has dissapeared. I have given up all hope of finding her now, and I shall be taking Amaraba as my wife."
Amaraba stood, and the King kissed her, for show.
"I shall also abstain from any sexual contact with any woman until we have married."
There was a round of cheering and applause.
She sat down, rather embarassed, but not allowing it to show. She had not realized that the rest of the many people, other than the two guards, didn't know about the Queen's murder, and she didn't have a problem with the fact.
Amaraba was quite enjoying her status as soon-to-be Queen.
The Pharoh turned to her. "After the wedding, we will hire a bodyguard for you. You, of course, will have a great part in this choosing."
Amaraba beamed. The worry had faded a great deal, so much she could barely feel it.
She finished her meal in a very happy state.