Nefer means 'good, beautiful', etc, etc, and sita means 'daughter' in Egyptian. That's why she's named so. And YES, I want her name to be different. I know everybody else names her Teana or Anzu or something like that, but I wanted to come up with something new, something unique.
Chapter 3: Naming Nonsense!
"So, her name is…?"
" βερίκοκο, Pharaoh-sama", Mahado added, as he gazed out on Egypt from the palace balcony. He then glanced at the young Pharaoh. He looked quite exhausted, but curiosity glimmered in his eyes as he stared at the young woman whom was walking around with the excited Mana. She was beautiful, for sure; but what was that other thing he saw in the king's eyes?... Admiration?
"Greek…", the Pharaoh mumbled for himself and shook his head. "I'll need to get her a new name. "We need to name her once more."
"And when we've done so?" Mahado raised an eyebrow. The Pharaoh didn't intend to KEEP her, right?
"We'll get her installed in the castle as a servant", the Pharaoh said. Mahado almost tripped backwards in astonishment.
"Is that true, Pharaoh?" Then he noticed his rudeness, and coughed. "I'm sorry, my Pharaoh. I… got a bit carried away."
"It's fully alright, Mahado. Everybody gets a bit carried away sometimes", the Pharaoh said, his eyes still looking at the girl. "Tell her to come to the throne room alone tomorrow, because I'll name her."
Mahado tried to stop himself from raising an eyebrow. Alone?
"Yes, Pharaoh-sama", was his only reply.
"This?"
"No, mistress – try this –"
"No, no, Senet – that's horrible – here, dear, try this –"
The young maiden felt herself drown in an ocean of different outfits she had to try. Some looked adorable, some looked downright horrible, but she had to try them out anyway. She looked beautiful with her newly washed hair and body, and was currently wearing a tight, sleeveless dress with a golden collar like Priestess Isis'. She was also wearing a golden crown of laurels she had brought along from Greece, and a pair of dark brown sandals, though not her own.
"Won't this do?" she asked desperately.
"I think it will", Priestess Isis said thoughtfully, eyeing her up and down.
"Yes, you look beautiful", Senet agreed eagerly.
"Thank you", she smiled in reply.
"Go out and take some fresh air, you look like you're sleepy", Priestess Isis said briskly and nudged her slightly towards the entrance. "C'mon!"
The woman grinned and yawned as she felt the cold night air tickle her nostrils as she inhaled it. A cold, but gentle night breeze started to blow and wrapped itself around her ankles like a scarf, making her shiver.
"Cold?" Senet approached, smiling.
"Yeah", she smiled back, "Is it always like this? Cold in the evening, hot during the day?"
"Yes", Senet nodded, "But you'll get used to it. Since you're going to stay."
"I am… going to stay? Here? In the palace?" The woman stared at her, half in disbelief, half hopefully.
"Of course! Or why would the Pharaoh otherwise name you?"
The woman turned away, staring at the stars which were twinkling at her cheerfully, and the moon, whose pale light lit up her face.
"How is the Pharaoh?" she suddenly asked. "Is he… kind? Humorous? Strict?"
"The first and the last alternative", Senet smiled at her. "I don't know about the humor part. You could ask Mana – she's grown up with the Pharaoh."
"Who's Mana? A princess?"
Senet laughed at the thought of Mana being a princess.
"No, but she's almost one. Very lucky, indeed… she's Priest Mahado's apprentice. He's the Pharaoh's favorite priest, I've heard. And even with all her mischief, the Pharaoh always forgives her. He's like her brother, or so I've heard. They've practiced magic together and everything."
"Magic…" The woman nodded slowly. "I see. Have you met the Pharaoh before?"
"Yes, I've seen him – many times – but never met him personally, like you will. Aren't you nervous?"
"To be honest… no." The woman drew a deep sigh. "Not to brag or something, but… when I was in Greece, I used to meet highly ranked people, like the Kaiser. I'm used to it. Meeting a Pharaoh won't be such a big problem… I guess."
Senet nodded slowly as the woman had done at the mention of magic. She had never met highly ranked people before she came to the palace. Even in the village, she had been quite poor, and taunted by the others. She belonged to a 'peasant's family'.
"How about the Priests? What are they, really?"
"There're seven Priests, and they work for the Pharaoh. They've got the Millenium items – which contain powerful magic – and they can see your Ka."
Senet fell in silence, and glanced at the woman, whom looked puzzled, and then realized that they probably hadn't known of people's Ka in Greece.
"Ka is a creature, which is based on your character", she explained, "Your personality, that is. The Millenium items can see, capture and fight Ka."
"Oh. I see. What's your Ka?" the woman asked, curious.
"I don't know", Senet said, curling her hair with a finger. "They've never used the Millenium items on me."
"So what Millenium item does mistress possess?"
"Millenium Tauk, I think. It can see in the future…"
"What an amazing power", the woman whispered for herself, and then said a bit louder: "Do you wish to become a Priestess?"
Senet fell in silence once more, thinking about it. Did she want to become a Priestess?
"Yes, I guess", she said thoughtfully. The woman grinned at her.
"Believe in your dreams", she said philosophically, "And they'll come true. A wise man in Greece told me that."
"Thank you", Senet smiled, but they were interrupted by Priestess Isis:
"What're you chatting her for? We must of course escort you to the Pharaoh!"
"Pharaoh… are you sure about this?" Mahado asked, looking at the Pharaoh a bit worryingly.
Who knew about that woman? She could be an assassin – you should never underestimate a stranger, no matter what gender the stranger was.
"Yes, why not? Mahado, it's nothing to worry about", the Pharaoh said, eyeing Mahado's little frown. Mahado looked taken aback, and immediately said:
"Of course! I'm sorry, my Pharaoh."
"Nothing to apologize about. Is she here now, Shimon?"
Shimon, the short, high-ranked old man, peeked out of the doors.
"Yes, my Pharaoh. She's here with Senet and Priestess Isis."
"Good. Exit, now", the Pharaoh said, looking eager and relieved.
"It's nothing to worry about. Just remember, keep your head low and don't look at the Pharaoh. It's rude of a stranger to do so", Priestess Isis reminded her for the thousandth time on their way there."
"Yes, I will, mistress", the woman repeated obediently for the thousandth time.
"We'll wait for you at the house. You remember the way, don't you?" Priestess Isis asked.
"Yes, I do, mistress", the woman repeated again. "Farewell, mistress. Farewell, Senet."
"Goodbye and good luck", Senet smiled at her. "See you later!"
And Priestess Isis and Senet twirled around and left. The woman gazed after them as they disappeared out of sight in the long corridor. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door three times.
"Who is it?" she heard a dark voice ask.
"I… am the nameless stranger, my Pharaoh", she said uncertainly. Without knowing why, she felt extremely nervous. But she had never been nervous in front of a highly ranked person in her entire life; so why was she now?
"Come in", she heard the voice reply, and the large, heavy doors opened for her. Two guards stepped aside and let her inside. The darkness engulfed her, and the little stream of light from the corridor let her see the throne, and a pair of feet. She walked uncertainly in and stopped a few meters from the throne.
"Go, my faithful guards", the Pharaoh's voice commanded, and the two guards chorused 'Yes, Pharaoh', bowed, and closed the doors again.
Total silence fell in the room, where the woman was now alone with the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh gazed curiously at the woman, where she was half-sitting on the floor, bowing in front of him.
"Tell me, are you from Greece as it is rumored?" he asked, sounding quite nice – and actually curious. The woman was astonished at this.
"Yes", she stammered. "I… I was the highest advisor's daughter."
"You were? Oh… I see. How come you're in Egypt now?" the Pharaoh asked, sounding as though they were just having a normal conversation and he wasn't the Pharaoh of Egypt whom wanted to know where she came from so he knew what to do with her.
"I… I fled. Greece is in war, my Pharaoh", she informed him, "And I was a captured slave, whom escaped from the ship with another prisoner, and came to the land of Egypt. The other prisoner sacrificed her life to save me, my Pharaoh… and that's how I came to Egypt."
"How do you know how to speak Egyptian? If you're from Greece", he asked, and a sudden suspicion was noticed in his voice.
"I was taught different languages in Greece. I can also speak French, German, Greek, English and Spanish."
"I see." The Pharaoh nodded slowly, as though he had suddenly understood.
The woman felt her cheeks burn. She was so nervous, without knowing why; and she wanted to look up at his face, but all she could do was to look at his feet.
"So you've never been to Egypt?" he asked slowly.
"No, my Pharaoh."
"I see", he repeated once more and nodded again. "Do you know what your fate will be?"
"No, my Pharaoh, but I hope for the best", she said, and the last was a mere whisper. He smiled at the woman.
"You don't need to worry. We're going to let you stay, but first… you need a name."
"Yes, my Pharaoh."
The Pharaoh looked disappointed. All throughout the conversation, she had been quite… blank. So different to Mana. He shook his head. Well, beauty wasn't everything sometimes…
"I think your name shall be…"
He searched for different names in his brain, but only one came popping up. At last, he said…
"Your name shall be… Nefersita."
And for the first time, Nefersita looked up, surprised, and then looked down again in shame and guilt for breaking a rule. But the Pharaoh only grinned.