Chapter 16: Letters and plans
The days were passing horribly slowly, but Dedyet's answer came soon enough.
Dear Ramses,
Your letter has made me cry. I feel with how much love and emotion it is written. But let me tell you, my life is a disaster. I love my brother a lot and I know that it seems harsh, but… Setpenkhamun keeps ruining everything. He doesn't know that we have contact and I'm scared that he'll find out. He is a bad ruler and sometimes also an impolite person. I sometimes wonder why I still live with him, but then I remember that I have no one else but him, and that we are the royal family of this kingdom. It would be selfish to just leave… And also dangerous. Talking about my own brother like that already has Seth's wrath on me and letting the people of this kingdom down would be a fatal mistake. I know that. I want to act in a morally good way. But how? What can I do? I don't have any authority over my brother. He won't accept my help. I think he feels weak, because he has had his sister ruling with him. But is that so bad? All I want to do is help the poor people in this kingdom. Who cares that there have been better pharaohs or royal families? Who cares that he is unable to rule alone? No one is here to teach him and… I am sorry for my rant. You might not understand me, because your family already is perfect. As you know, mine is not.
In love, Dedyet
Ramses sighed after reading this new letter of hers. He wanted to do something and help her, but how? His father was done with Lower Egypt. He couldn't unite the country himself. For that, he had to become pharaoh and marry Dedyet to make her leave her household. Her brother had to give up, so Egypt could be united and would grow to be a paradise!
Just that there were several obstacles in this plan… Dedyet wouldn't want to let her brother down. Ramses was not yet pharaoh. He didn't want to ask her to marry him yet, not without even seeing her. And what about his father? He wouldn't agree, unless Ramses would unite Egypt himself without anybody's help. The distance was the biggest problem. And also, Setpenkhamun's persistence.