V.E.: YES, I know it has been awhile. YES, I know you guys must be really ticked off at waiting for so long.
Let me frank, I AM SORRY. Please bear with the fact that even I get lazy, bored, and uninspired like other mortals. I also know I said I would update Paradox, but I'm currently a bit uninspired to write for that right now. So all of you are just going to have settle with the new Princess of Egypt chapter.
And I suppose after last chapter, I'm going to have to say this again, so please pay attention.
Seto will not be coming in for a while, so please stop asking about when he's going to appear, okay?
Next time I have to say that, it won't be so polite. Now that that's out of the way, let's get this show on the road.
Quote: "Women have been called queens for a long time, but the kingdom given them isn't worth ruling."- Louisa May Alcott
Kisara's eyes furrowed looking down at the text in front of her.
Her finger traced the lines of pictures she was reading, scanning it all with an incredible speed that wouldn't have been possible a few years ago. A myriad of different emotions seemed to pass her face as she kept her eyes focused completely on the scroll of papyrus.
Where is it?
Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Looking for something?"
The white-haired princess almost jumped out of her seat as she turned to see Nephthys looking quite amused.
"Lady Nephthys, please don't scare me like that."
The priestess raised an eyebrow as she kept standing right by her former student's desk, which Kisara found a little surreal as Nephthys never really visited her room that much especially now with all of her lessons with Isis.
"I'll keep that in mind. Femi said you wanted to speak with me, is everything okay?"
Kisara shook her head, giving an otherwise disarming smile as she tried to draw attention away from the papers she was reading.
"Oh no, just working on a little project."
That didn't fool the eagle-eyed priestess as she focused on the scrolls.
"Oh really? And what kind of project would that be?"
The white-haired princess' voice reached the highest pitch she could go.
"Nothing."
The high priestess stared her down even more piercingly until Kisara sighed.
"Okay, maybe not nothing."
"Care to elaborate on that?"
Kisara took a breath before answering.
"Well, I've been reading about what the princesses and queens of the past were able to do."
Nephthys waited, waiting for her to continue which she did.
"And well, I guess I wanted to figure out what else I could do for Egypt."
The older woman's eyes softened.
"Kisara, what you've done is…"
The young girl held up her hands.
"Let me finish."
She did so as Kisara went on.
"Ever since I became a princess, most of my life is spent with either Atem, Mana, and Mahad, or tutoring with Shimon, or doing next to nothing with Nabirye and the other girls. I didn't feel like I was really doing anything. I know that I'm just a kid in more people's eyes, but that doesn't mean I like just sitting around the palace doing nothing."
She went on, Nephthys standing there and giving no indication of what she really thought.
"Then when I was helping those people, I just felt… like I could actually do something for this country."
Nephthys nodded solemnly.
"What you did really did make a difference. Most of the healers I know are quite surprised at how well the methods you've shown are working with their own patients."
"And I'm glad for that...but….I just want to do more."
For the longest time, the only thing that punctured the silence was the small meowing snores of Neftis on Kisara's bed.
Finally, Nephthys smiled at her former student.
Spoken like a true ruler.
"I understand."
Kisara looked up at her mentor with an incredibly skeptical look. The older woman went on.
"Believe it or not, I'm being serious. I know you want to help and I know you must be frustrated, but believe me when I say there's a reason. Yes, you are young and it may not seem like you're really doing anything, but all experiences have a purpose and can be lessons. Someday, when you're older and will play more of a role in Court matters, these experiences will help you."
The young girl looked up at the older woman with hope.
"You really think people will follow me? I mean, Nabirye…"
"Nabirye is someone to watch for, I'll give you that, but Kisara you have an ability to inspire people. Take Isis. It wasn't your words or status that impressed my niece, it was your actions that made her want to do something herself."
The seeress gazed down at the floor.
"I know it may not seem like much now, but you have done something incredible. Matter of fact, I should be apologizing to you."
That surprised the young princess she sat up straight and eyes widened at the words.
"Apologize? I don't understand."
The older woman slowly raised her gaze from the floor back to Kisara.
"I put you and Isis together, hoping you two would able to get along with each other. I failed to remember that sometimes actions can have the opposite effect. Moreover, I should have told either of you WHY it was so important you two got along."
Kisara leveled a questioning gaze at Nephthys.
"What do you mean 'why it was so important'?"
Once again, the woman adopted a solemn expression as she spoke calmly.
"In most other times in Egypt's history, the woman who holds the most power in Court is the Queen or Pharaoh's chief wife. However, since there is no queen, as the first female Sacred Guardian I hold that power. That's why I have such high standards for Isis. And it might have continued in this manner until Atem was pharaoh and he took a Queen."
Kisara finished the thought.
"Until I was adopted."
The sharp eyed priestess nodded.
"Yes. Now that you're a princess, you automatically have power at court. But this also leads to a possible problem between the royalty and priesthood, as there would be two women of great influence in court.
"I know this is still strange to you considering where you've come from, but Egyptian women have more freedom than most. We may marry at our family's behest, but we may leave our husband and keep our property. You know quite well from your lesson's how the mothers and wives of pharaohs exerted their influence."
Kisara stayed silent as her former teacher finished explaining.
"So if you and Isis hadn't settled your differences, even if you didn't mean to, you might have a caused a split in the inner Court in the near future."
The young girl honestly didn't know what to say to that.
"Oh my…"
Nephthys nodded.
"Yes. It was good thing the two of you are still learning and growing, and NOT set in your own opinions and unable to change them. I could name a certain priest who could learn from that. Speaking of which, exactly what did the two of you talk about that day we got back from the House of Healing? The two of you seemed completely different to each other after that."
Kisara raised a finger to her lip, smiling disarmingly.
"Sorry, we both promised not to say anything. Let's just say Isis and I worked out a few misunderstandings."
Nehpthys smiled, which was less tight and more natural than Kisara had ever seen her.
"So I figured."
Kisara glanced back at her notes, debating whether or not to say the next thing on her mind.
Her sharp eyed former teacher noticed the change and patiently waited.
Deciding to go ahead as there wasn't much to lose, Kisara took a deep breath and spoke.
"Actually, that's not the only reason why I pulled up the histories."
The priestess remained silent, only nodding briefly to tell her to go on.
"Well, I guess it's just bugging me. The more I talk to Atem, the more I try to read up the history, the more I have to wonder why there isn't a Queen at court. I mean, most Pharaohs had several wives and concubines. But according to the records, there's no mention of a queen since Atem's grandmother was around."
Nephthys nodded.
"Queen Theoris, a very strong willed woman who in some ways had more influence and power than her husband, but that is another story for another day."
Kisara glanced back at the papyrus scrolls in concern.
"Matter of fact, there is no mention of my foster father ever marrying taking any wife or concubine. I can't find Atem's mother anywhere in these records."
With that, Kisara slowly turned her focus towards Nephthys, whose face had become stone. She was pretty sure the last sentence was a lot more impacting than she had thought. Several minutes passed and nothing changed between the former mentor and student.
Finally, the Millennium Necklace wielder sighed, the golden eye glinting as she did so.
"Well, I suppose you were bound to notice that eventually."
Kisara relaxed in her seat as she looked at her mentor seriously.
"What happened?"
Nephthys pulled up the chair next to the princess' desk, an exhausted expression on her face.
"Before I say anything, I want you to understand nothing of what I say is to leave this room or ever be spoken of again. Got it?"
Kisara nodded solemnly.
"I understand."
"Even talking about this is taboo, especially around the Pharaoh. That means no telling Atem or anyone else."
The young girl felt her curiosity rising at all of this.
"Why not? Why is this so secretive?"
Nephthys took a deep breath before she spoke.
"The records you've researched are true, Pharaoh Aknamkamon has neither taken a wife or concubine. There were quite a few candidates, but the Pharaoh chose none of them."
Kisara's eyes sharpened in concentration.
"Wait, then what about…?"
"As for Atem's mother, no one knows who she was."
Deep blue eyes went from sharp to wide in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Though normally Kisara would have thought Nephthys might have been lying or deliberately not saying the whole truth, she got the distinct impression that her former mentor was telling the full truth as the older woman continued.
"What I am saying is that I don't even know who she was. The only thing most of Court can tell you is that almost a decade ago, the Pharaoh announced that an heir to the crown would be born, at which some months later the Prince was born. Some people once spread rumors that it was possible that he wasn't the Pharaoh's child, but obviously that's not true."
Kisara nodded, having spent a little time with her foster father and noticed how the two had shared not the same eyes but similar personalities. They were definitely related.
"As a result, for months all anyone could gossip about was who the lady was. Some think she might have been a young noble, some a priestess, others a slave girl, and a there was one rumor that suggested it was some captive princess from a conquered nation. The whispering got so bad, it led the Pharaoh to state that the next person who would even think about discussing the topic would suffer severe consequences. Needless to say, Pharaoh Aknamkamon's words were obeyed."
She unconsciously gulped at the thought of being there when her foster father had made that announcement. Suddenly, she could understand why people weren't willing to talk about it.
"So you can't tell me anything really?"
Nephthys nodded.
"The only people I can say who probably know who she was are Vizier Shimon and that one eyed stiff. Although, I have do have my own suspicions as to who her identity is, I can hardly confirm them."
Kisara sighed at that.
"It bothers Atem though."
"I know, but even so it is not our place to tell him. That is the Pharaoh's alone."
Kisara looked down, a little disappointed but knowing very well she couldn't repeat this. She looked up as she heard Nephthys cleared her throat and asked a question.
"Kisara, do you want to be queen someday?"
She had to recheck what she heard to hear if it was correct.
"Excuse me?"
"Do you want to be queen someday?"
Kisara paled, remembering her prior history lessons of how princesses usually became queens.
"Umm…well…."
Nephthys waved her student's thoughts away.
"Not what I meant. Kisara, as princess and only other heir to the throne, if Atem were die without any children to succeed him you would be the only one left to take up the crown."
That paled her even more so.
"You've got to be joking."
"I do not joke. What I'm trying to say is, don't underestimate your importance here at Court."
Kisara smiled at the woman's encouragement, pretty sure part of the reason they were talking about this was to get away from the previous topic.
"Thanks."
Nephthys nodded, her voice still grave.
"Although, it also means the man you DO marry will have a legitimate claim on the throne."
Kisara groaned.
"I don't want to think about marriage right now."
"Don't worry, you're a young princess with more than enough prospects. You have plenty of time to think about it later."
Kisara sighed in relief as she remembered something else Mahad had mentioned earlier today.
"Oh yeah, I head that Master Khalid sent a letter today about his apprentice."
That put her former mentor in a sour mood.
"Yes, and with no mention of when this mysterious apprentice of his will come to court with him. Seriously, when are we going to meet this boy?"
Kisara smiled in amusement at her teacher's annoyance.
"You're this interested in someone whose name you don't even know?"
Her teacher scoffed defensively.
"Of course! A boy raised by peasants being taken on Khalid, who is impossible to please! Anyone would wonder."
Kisara chuckled to herself.
"Well, maybe we'll meet him eventually."
Nephthys snorted, in a very unladylike fashion.
"Let's hope so, or else I'll take a personal trip to visit the two myself."
V.E.: A week chapter, I know, but it does set up some things we are going to see in the story in the future.
The Seto thing should pretty much obvious.
Now for those of you who have read the manga and seen that picture of Atem's mother, I have to say this. I mainly follow the anime, the only time I will usually reference the manga would be in regards to Season Zero. In other words, I'm disregarding it. Though the anime of the Millennium World was better than the manga at characters and the world, it still didn't give us enough time with it.
Atem's mother will be brought up again in the future, though it won't be a major plot of this series. I will also mention Seto's mother again later on.
I also should mention Kisara's line in the succession and her marriage will definitely come up again, and will definitely be a major plot in the future. Let's say her and Seto will have some interesting conversations then.
Please. Review.