and copper-skinned body, even if it belonged
to another person; she didn’t care about anything else. Praise the gods, Cheftu thought, the body she was in had emerged from
the eruption of Aztlan free of permanent scars, though RaEm was still boyishly frail. Without her wig or dress, one would
almost wonder at her gender.
The promiscuous priestess of HatHor appearing asexual: it was an interesting, ironic twist.
Wenaten rolled up the scroll, then drank his beer in one gulp.
“Aii
, well, shall you hear the news?”
RaEm nodded, smiling at him. Did the little man realize she would bed him just for the control of it? Cheftu wondered. He
leaned back with his own cup of beer to listen.
“Rumors fly thick and fast that Akhetaten has sent for his cousin,” Wenaten said.
Cheftu knew that the term
cousin
essentially meant anyone with a drop of royal blood. As the pharaohs of Egypt were known for generously spreading their seed,
it was possible that half of Egypt was a cousin of Pharaoh.
“Where is his cousin?” RaEm asked.
“Aii
, well, beyond the cataracts,” Wenaten said, lowering his voice. “Queen Tiye the Kushi was married before she became the consort
of Amenhotep Osiris, Akhenaten’s father. Tiye’s brother is Ay.”
Cheftu tried to recall any of these names. Amenhotep had been Hatshepsut’s father’s name, though it was Egyptian custom for
royalty to bear almost all of their ancestors’ names. Each pharaoh had his prenomen and his secret name, then a list of lineage
names.
“Ay is fan bearer to Pharaoh.” Wenaten hunched closer to them. “Tiye’s husband in Kushi gave her a child, before it was recognized
that she bore the throne right.”
Aye, the royal blood of Egypt coursed through the veins of the women, Cheftu knew. So even if Tiye were wed to someone else,
if she were the only royal woman left, it would be Ma’at that she wed again to serve the throne.
“She was brought to Amenhotep Osiris, leaving her child and husband in Kush.”
“A son?” RaEm said.
Wenaten shrugged. “No one has ever seen him, so it is assumed he is a son.” Wenaten muttered the rest. “Pharaoh needs a co-regent
so that while Pharaoh focuses on prayers and sacrifices to his hot god, someone else will handle the details of ruling an
empire.” He stared into the distance for a moment. “Some of the envoys have waited years for intervention from Pharaoh. Their
lands await rescue by Egypt.”
“How many Amenhoteps have there been?” Cheftu asked, trying to grasp the chronology, narrow down when they were.
Wenaten stared at him. “Amenhoteps have always ruled Egypt,” he said, his tone confused.
Aye, and it was the Westerners who broke the reigns of Egypt into dynasties, for the Egyptians had no sense of individual
rule. Even if Wenaten gave Cheftu a chronology, he wouldn’t recognize it, Cheftu thought.
“No one has ever seen this cousin?” RaEm asked, drawing Wenaten’s attention back to her. “He is an heir to the Egyptian throne?
I thought all the heirs were raised together?”
The envoy picked at some skin loose on his arm.
“Aii!
Thutmose was Akhenaten’s brother, but he died young. There was another brother who had died while he was yet in the cradle.
It seemed wise to hide any other heirs. Akhenaten, while he was called Amenhotep, ruled with his father, Amenhotep. Though,
truth be known, Tiye ruled them both,” he said in an undertone.
RaEm’s eyes gleamed. “Powerful women are still admired in Egypt?”
Wenaten pursed his lips. “She is more than a woman, she is a general!” He shivered. “Many a career soldier or diplomat has
been reduced to tears in her presence.”
“Does the queen mother live in Ak—the town where Pharaoh does?” Cheftu asked.
“What of this unknown son?” RaEm asked, glancing at Cheftu.
“Smenkhare is the third son—”
“Smenkhare could as easily be a woman’s name,” RaEm interrupted.
Wenaten answered RaEm.
to another person; she didn’t care about anything else. Praise the gods, Cheftu thought, the body she was in had emerged from
the eruption of Aztlan free of permanent scars, though RaEm was still boyishly frail. Without her wig or dress, one would
almost wonder at her gender.
The promiscuous priestess of HatHor appearing asexual: it was an interesting, ironic twist.
Wenaten rolled up the scroll, then drank his beer in one gulp.
“Aii
, well, shall you hear the news?”
RaEm nodded, smiling at him. Did the little man realize she would bed him just for the control of it? Cheftu wondered. He
leaned back with his own cup of beer to listen.
“Rumors fly thick and fast that Akhetaten has sent for his cousin,” Wenaten said.
Cheftu knew that the term
cousin
essentially meant anyone with a drop of royal blood. As the pharaohs of Egypt were known for generously spreading their seed,
it was possible that half of Egypt was a cousin of Pharaoh.
“Where is his cousin?” RaEm asked.
“Aii
, well, beyond the cataracts,” Wenaten said, lowering his voice. “Queen Tiye the Kushi was married before she became the consort
of Amenhotep Osiris, Akhenaten’s father. Tiye’s brother is Ay.”
Cheftu tried to recall any of these names. Amenhotep had been Hatshepsut’s father’s name, though it was Egyptian custom for
royalty to bear almost all of their ancestors’ names. Each pharaoh had his prenomen and his secret name, then a list of lineage
names.
“Ay is fan bearer to Pharaoh.” Wenaten hunched closer to them. “Tiye’s husband in Kushi gave her a child, before it was recognized
that she bore the throne right.”
Aye, the royal blood of Egypt coursed through the veins of the women, Cheftu knew. So even if Tiye were wed to someone else,
if she were the only royal woman left, it would be Ma’at that she wed again to serve the throne.
“She was brought to Amenhotep Osiris, leaving her child and husband in Kush.”
“A son?” RaEm said.
Wenaten shrugged. “No one has ever seen him, so it is assumed he is a son.” Wenaten muttered the rest. “Pharaoh needs a co-regent
so that while Pharaoh focuses on prayers and sacrifices to his hot god, someone else will handle the details of ruling an
empire.” He stared into the distance for a moment. “Some of the envoys have waited years for intervention from Pharaoh. Their
lands await rescue by Egypt.”
“How many Amenhoteps have there been?” Cheftu asked, trying to grasp the chronology, narrow down when they were.
Wenaten stared at him. “Amenhoteps have always ruled Egypt,” he said, his tone confused.
Aye, and it was the Westerners who broke the reigns of Egypt into dynasties, for the Egyptians had no sense of individual
rule. Even if Wenaten gave Cheftu a chronology, he wouldn’t recognize it, Cheftu thought.
“No one has ever seen this cousin?” RaEm asked, drawing Wenaten’s attention back to her. “He is an heir to the Egyptian throne?
I thought all the heirs were raised together?”
The envoy picked at some skin loose on his arm.
“Aii!
Thutmose was Akhenaten’s brother, but he died young. There was another brother who had died while he was yet in the cradle.
It seemed wise to hide any other heirs. Akhenaten, while he was called Amenhotep, ruled with his father, Amenhotep. Though,
truth be known, Tiye ruled them both,” he said in an undertone.
RaEm’s eyes gleamed. “Powerful women are still admired in Egypt?”
Wenaten pursed his lips. “She is more than a woman, she is a general!” He shivered. “Many a career soldier or diplomat has
been reduced to tears in her presence.”
“Does the queen mother live in Ak—the town where Pharaoh does?” Cheftu asked.
“What of this unknown son?” RaEm asked, glancing at Cheftu.
“Smenkhare is the third son—”
“Smenkhare could as easily be a woman’s name,” RaEm interrupted.
Wenaten answered RaEm.
Similar Books
