Did I say that the last chapter was the longest one I translated for this story? I'd better scratch that. THIS chapter is the longest single chapter I had to do. It seems that Youlan has finally decided to add more depth to her chapters by writing more. A good thing for the readers, ne? Happy Halloween to those who are planning to go trick-or-treating this weekend!
Replies to Reviewers!
NeferNeferi - Hey, haven't heard from you in a while! Want to know what those women will do? You'll get some idea in this chappie so enjoy!
WaterGoddessMizu - Hehehe, Benghazi isn't gone from the story ... just you wait. She'll be back and it isn't a good thing.
Proxima Centauri - Aswan? Hmm ... it does sound slightly like it. But I don't think that's what she was talking about since the sentence says something like the girl is the first princess of "so and so" kingdom. Aswan was never a kingdom during Egypt's history. Even if it ever was one, it certainly wasn't a kingdom during the 18th dynasty. Oh well, the character isn't very important to the storyline so it doesn't really matter.
Tameri finds out who Atem really is in this chapter so she now has a reason to stay in the competition. But even if she didn't find out, I don't really think she'll just 'give up' and leave. One, she's afraid that it's not possible for her to leave the palace until the competition is over and two, she feels that she owes it to her friend Shebi to see the competition through.
And on to the story we go ...
Chapter 32
At this moment, Tameri was sitting in a chair in the room she was assigned to when someone knocked on the door.
"Miss Tameri?" A young girl's voice asked timidly.
"Yes? Please come in." Tameri stood up and went to open the door.
A girl about the same age as her stood in front of her. Tameri saw that the other girl seemed a bit at a loss at seeing her open the door.
"How ... how do you do? I ... I am a maid sent to attend upon you." The girl stammered, looking very nervous.
"Maid?" Tameri didn't seem to understand. "You just said ... what do you mean by attending to me?"
"As long as you have any needs, I will not hesitate to go through fire and water to fulfill your wishes."
"Going through fire and water?" Tameri creased her brows, thinking, 'Isn't this statement a bit too overstated?' Moving away from the door to let the maid enter the room, she said, "Please come in here. We can talk about that inside."
"Eh?!" The girl appeared to be overwhelmed by the favor bestowed upon her as her body moved, anchylosely, to follow Tameri inside.
"What is your name?" Tameri asked as she gestured for her to sit down.
"This ... this servant-girl's name is Halima." 1 She was thinking the whole time that it was completely inconceivable that Tameri would ask her to sit down because in all the time she had been in the palace, no one had ever asked her to sit down in such a manner. It was as if they were equals.
"Halima? What a pleasant sounding name." Tameri smiled, feeling a sense of friendship for the other girl.
"Ah ... May I ask if you need anything? Maybe some light refreshments?" Halima asked.
"I don't need anything right now." Tameri responded.
"What?" Halima's eyes widened as she stared at the other, seemingly as if she had seen something extremely rare!
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Tameri was confused at the way Halima was watching her.
"Because ... this servant-girl has never ..." Before she had a chance to finish, she had been interrupted by Tameri's voice.
"You can stop calling yourself 'servant-girl'. Just call yourself 'I'."
"But ... but you're the master and I'm the servant. We can't break the rules like this." Halima quickly began to reaffirm her own low status.
Tameri looked at her. "Are you my maid or not?"
"Yes."
"In that case, you must listen to me. If I say that you can call yourself that way, you can." Tameri found herself unable to adapt to this kind of relationship between master and servant.
"What?!" Halima was so surprised at hearing this, her mouth was hanging open! How on earth could there be a master like Tameri, who treated her servants so leniently?!
"Are you clear on that?"
"This ... I understand."
"Very good." Tameri smiled at her. She would rather become friends with Halima than be her master. "Now I would like to take a stroll around the palace. Can you go with me?"
"Of course."
Halima took Tameri around the palace, helping her become familiar with the surroundings. Tameri couldn't deny the fact that Halima was a very good commentor.
"This is the garden in the palace. There are many kinds of plants and animals that were tributes from foreign countries." Halima gestured with her finger.
"Wow! How pretty!" Seeing such a place so abundant with green plants, Tameri couldn't help but give it praise. She noticed a small white rabbit dawdle by her legs in curiousity and found herself picking it up in her arms.
"Miss Tameri, you can go to the lotus pond to take a look. Right now they are in full bloom and the ones over there are quite beautiful." Halima recommended as she pointed towards a pond.
"Really?" Still holding the flocky rabbit in her arms, Tameri trotted over to the pond. Halima was right! The lotus flowers in the pond had all opened, each one of them a masterpiece in its own right.
"The lotus pond draws its water from the Nile. You can go to the shores of the Nile itself if you follow this path." Halima pointed to the source of the water with her hand.
"This place is truly beautiful." Tameri gasped in admiration, her eyes looking at the blooming lotus flowers. As she broadened her view, she saw that the flowers were swaying with the blowing wind, providing a wonderful contrast to the flowing waters of the Nile River in the background. It looked like the river had been paved with a pink carpet of flowers. She couldn't think of any other place that would have such wonderful scenery!
Tameri continued to stand there, joyfully intoxicated by and enjoying the beauty of nature around her.
"Halima." Tameri was sitting at the edge of the lotus pond as she called out.
"What is it, Miss Tameri?"
"Where have the others gone? Why do I see no one else here?" Tameri was stroking the rabbit in her arms.
"I think they've probably all gone to the main hall." Halima answered.
Tameri lifted up her head. "What are they doing in the main hall?"
"What else? They're just trying to get the Pharaoh's attention." Halima shook her head. "Those women, all dressed up so extravagantly and with their thick makeup. It makes even a woman like me want to vomit! Just look at them. Not only would the Pharaoh dislike them, I don't think any man would be fond of them."
"Oh ... is that so?" As her question had been answered, Tameri didn't bother to say anything more.
Halima watched her for a while before speaking. "Miss Tameri, I truly find your motivation for coming here a bit odd."
"Odd in what way?" Tameri continued to tease the white rabbit in her arms.
"For most girls who come into the palace, they would try their best to meet with the Pharaoh at least once." Halima looked up at the sky. "Then they can find an opportunity to become his consort. Yet you are different ..."
"Oh? Is that right?" Tameri didn't seem to think much of it.
"I think you don't have any interest in the Pharaoh. Am I right?"
Hearing that, Tameri pondered the thought for a moment before smiling lightly. "Maybe that is the case here." From the beginning, she never thought of wanting to come into the palace. If it wasn't for Shebi ... oh well ... forget about it ... "Halima, I'm tired." She put down the rabbit and watched as it ran off swiftly into the short thicket.
"Then let us go back. You can get some rest so you can deal with the banquet later this afternoon."
Ten Minutes Before the Banquet Begins
Atem walked slowly and unwillingly towards the place where the banquet was being held. Once he thought of having to handle those women, who only wanted to try and seduce him, his headache grew even stronger.
"Ah ... how unlucky I am ..." He sighed as he prepared himself before stepping into the main hall.
"Your Majesty!" As he had expected, the group of women had been waiting for him.
"Your Majesty, I am Kamama!"
"Pharaoh, I'm Mutemwiya! Please remember me."
Once the group of women had seen Atem walk through the doors, they began to cling to him like a bunch of flies.
'If I had known about this, I should have just come here later ...' He sighed again. Even after he had been seated in his place as the host of the banquet, someone tried to sit closer to him. In his eyes, this kind of action made them even more detesting!
'Why did Mother bring in such women ... by the gods ...' Atem continued to look cold throughout the banquet. As for the silly actions of the women, he didn't bother to care. 'Sheesh ... Where is that Seto ...' He looked towards the empty seat near him. Atem had originally hoped that when Seto appeared, the attention of the women would shift over to him. Otherwise this banquet would be like hell for him! He tried to bear through the repeated attempts of the women to catch his attention.
At the Same Time; In a Corridor
"Eh? Where is Halima?" Tameri was pacing back and forth along the pavement. Just a few moments ago, she had lost track of Halima who had been acting as her guide. "How terrible. I am going to be late to the banquet." She began to feel worried. 'It isn't great for me to be late there, right?' As she was thinking anxiously to herself ...
"What are you doing over there?" A male voice asked.
"Me?!" She quickly turned around to see a man dressed in the robes of a priest approach her. "I was going to attend the banquet but ..." She stopped talking.
"You're lost?" He asked.
"Hmm ... I don't know where my maid has gone ..."
"... Come with me." The man said. "I'll take you over there."
"Really?" Tameri asked happily. "Thank you." She raised her head to see his appearance more clearly. But ... the pair were surprised when they realized who the other was.
"Tameri?!"
"Seto?!" The pair called out at the same time.
The person in front of her ... wasn't he the one who came for Uro?! He ... why was he here?! Tameri's eyes widened as she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Seto?! Why are you doing here?! And the clothes you're wearing ... Can it be that you're a priest? A high priest?" She finally recognized the robes he was wearing.
"... I am a priest, that's true." Seto answered. "But why are you here?"
"That ... that's because ..." Tameri began to recount what had happened ...
Five Minutes Later
The two walked towards the main hall as Seto was listening to Tameri's explanation.
"So your friend abandoned you?" He asked disapprovingly.
"Yes, that's right ... " Tameri said. "It wasn't my intention to take part in this competition." Suddenly, an image of Benghazi's unfriendly eyes fluttered in her mind as she thought to herself, 'Instead, I've attracted some trouble to myself ...' She looked over at Seto as she spoke again. "But ... this is unexpected ... Seto ... I never thought that you were a priest in the palace. How did you meet Uro then?"
From what she remembered, Uro was a member of a trade caravan and a commoner. How could he know a high ranking priest? She found this very strange indeed.
'It seems that she still doesn't know who Atem really is ...' Seto looked over at her. 'I think I should simply tell her the truth ... so she can avoid embarrassing herself later on ...' He realized what he was thinking and wondered why he was worrying so much about her.
"Tameri, Uro isn't a commoner."
"What?" Tameri didn't quite believe him. "He's not a commoner? What is he then, a Pharaoh?" She blurted out without thinking.
"That's exactly who he is." Seto said tersely.
Hearing this, Tameri's whole body just froze right there. "What? Did I just hear you correctly?" She asked astonished. "Uro ... Uro's the Pharaoh?!" Just looking at him, he didn't look like one at all ...
"Just looking at him, he may not seem like a Pharaoh. But he truly is the Pharaoh of Egypt." Seto had seen through what she must have been thinking. "And his name isn't 'Uro'. His real name is Atem." 2
Atem?! Tameri found herself unable to digest all of this new information.
"Hey, are you alright?" Seto thought she had just been struck dumb by what he had told her.
"I'm fine ... I feel fine ..." Her mind was in a complete disorder so she tried to clear her thoughts and messages in her head.
Seto continued to stare at her with a doubtful look until he was certain she was well before speaking. "... Stop looking so dull-witted. People at the banquet are going to laugh at you."
'Dull-witted?' Tameri creased her brows. She had just been surprised at what she had heard. Did she really look like that right now? "Do I look dull-witted to you?" She asked.
"... Even the stone statues look more alive." Here goes his mouth again.
"What? Stone ... stone statues?" She had never seen such a rude man, she thought. "Hey! Don't you think that your metaphor is a bit odd?" Tameri was beginning to get angry.
"Then we'll just change it to stones." Seto answered.
"Seto!" Tameri felt that he was bullying her. "You've gone too far!"
"Calm down." He put his hand on her shoulder. "We've arrived at the entrance to the main hall. If you want everyone to notice you, then do as you wish."
"You ..." Tameri was still angry with him. "I'll get back at you later." She whispered.
Hearing this, the corners of Seto's mouth went up slightly. He then led her into the main hall.
The arrival of the pair drew the attention of everyone present. They were watching in complete surprise. Seto had always appeared very dignified and stately, with a cold and arrogant air about him. Tameri, on the other hand, gave people a fresh feeling when they saw her. She usually had a insipid expression on her face while her eyes eluded gentleness. The two were a strong contrast, since one was of fire and the other water. No one would have ever thought that the two could get along.
Seto led Tameri in with a calm expression since he had been to many of these banquets before and wasn't surprised at what he saw. Yet Tameri looked like she was at a loss at what she was seeing. It was her first time coming to such a banquet, after all.
"This is your seat." Seto took her to the only empty seat there. It was the one farthest away from where the Pharaoh was at. The 'better' seats had long been seized by the group of 'flies'. "Your maid should be arriving soon, so just sit here." He turned around to leave.
"Wait a minute." Tameri called to him. "No matter what, I still want to thank you for bringing me here. But ..." She paused. "You better remember that I will repay my 'debt' to you."
"Oh?" Seto thought that was interesting. "I look forward to it."
"... Shouldn't you be going over to him?" Tameri's eyes looked over at Atem. "He's been looking at us for a while."
"That's true. I will meet with you later."
Seto noted that Atem's gaze had not only confusion but some interest. 'That guy's probably going to ask me a whole bunch of questions ...' He thought. Just as he thought, once he had seated himself at his place, Atem leaned over towards him.
"Hey. I never thought you would be interested in women. When did you meet her? How far along are you with her?" It was obvious he was interested in the details.
Seto gave him a blank stare. "I only helped guide someone to the banquet so what's so strange about it?"
"Well, you're usually so serious looking. I never believed that you actually quite skilled with women."
Seto glared at him this time, thinking, 'If I don't stop this now, the guy's going to just keep talking more nonsense!' He spoke, "I merely helped her by leading her here. How is that going to develop into anything? What a bunch of nonsense ..."
"Helped her? Since when did you become so kind-hearted?" Atem asked.
Seto didn't respond but the other saw his expression and decided not to continue with his questions.
"Alright, alright. I won't ask anymore." Atem leaned back into his seat. "Fortunately, you came ... otherwise I think I'll be killed here ..."
"Eh?" Seto was confused for a moment until Atem looked over at the guests seated to his right. "... That's true ..." Lines and beads of sweat began appearing on his forehead. Those princesses were staring at both of them with looks that bordered on hunger. They were also batting their eyelashes and giving them seductive winks.
"It's a bit better now than at first ... before you came ... the target of their stares were just me ..." Atem closed his eyes to avoid seeing those looks.
Seto, on the other hand, simply glared right back with a warning look. Those shameful women, seeing that expression on his face, turned beet red and looked somewhere else.
"Seto, thanks." Seeing that they weren't looking at him, he breathed a sigh of relief. The other man just humphed boredly for a moment in reply.
In Another Area of the Hall
The old Queen softly called over the official who was in charge of screening the girls.
"Who was the first one to pass the test?" She asked with interest.
"That ..." The official glanced over at the group of girls, wanting to find Tameri. "was her. The girl sitting at the end and currently admiring the dancers." He spoke in a low voice.
The old Queen looked in that direction ... and felt amazement. It was the same girl who she had seen that day of the test! "Is that so? Her?" She gazed at the other quietly ... the girl with the purple eyes ... "What is her name?"
"Tameri." 3
'Tameri?!' This name deeply shocked the Queen! "What did you say her name was again?!" She thought that perhaps she had heard incorrectly.
"It's Tameri. Is something the matter, Your Highness?"
'How can that be?! That girl's name ... how can it be the same as my daughter who had died so many years ago?! If it is a coincidence ... isn't it a bit too ... coincidental ...' The old Queen felt herself go weak at the thought. 'If the girl in front of me now is my daughter ... then who was the baby who died in the flames sixteen years ago?' 4 With so many questionable points with this girl, it's quite difficult to just dismiss them as being happenstance ...
As the old Queen continued to think it over, the more odd she thought of the whole thing. Finally she stood up in preparing to excuse herself.
"Mother?" Atem looked up at her in confusion.
"It's nothing ... I'm just a bit tired. Uro, you must treat them all respectfully."
"Why don't you let me escort you back?" Kamama's brain quickly realized an opportunity.
"No, let me go with you, Your Highness." Mutemwiya, perceiving Kamama's scheme, immediately spoke.
"Your Highness, what about me?"
"Please ... Your Highness ..."
The other girls, all unwilling to concede, began to voice their desire to escort the old Queen. Only two girls did not join in.
Semiramide was coldly looking at the shameless women and their actions. Tameri was still absorbed in admiring the lithe and graceful dancers, so she was ignoring everything else.
The old Queen, seeing the princesses vie with each other, merely smiled lightly and didn't speak.
"By the gods ... those women ..." Atem's whole face was black with annoyance as he put his head in his hands. 'They're actually trying to take advantage of this to get close to Mother?! They probably have no good intentions ...'
Seto, although not saying anything, clearly showed his disdain at their tricks by the expression in his eyes and face.
"Thank you ..." The old Queen naturally had some idea of what they were thinking. But they weren't going to be able to get what they want from her. "I have my own servants to escort me so you all can stay here and enjoy the festivities. I'm thinking that you probably have more interest in my son though." She continued to smile softly.
Hearing her words, the girls all were acutely embarrassed and didn't know how to get out of this sticky situation.
Still smiling, the old Queen led her maids off as they slowly left the main hall.
Translator's Notes:
1 How many names must I change here? I guess as many as I have to.
2 Youlan originally had a surname with it ... but it's really strange sounding. I don't even remember if he ever had a surname mentioned anywhere in the manga or anime so I didn't include it.
3 Same thing here as note 2. I don't recall ancient Egyptians having surnames ... even if they did, it sure doesn't sound like this.
4 I didn't translate a sentence here because of note 3. It basically mentions that Tameri shared the same surname as a former maid who had once served the old Queen.
Posted on October 30, 2004.