Heretic of the Nile

006

Kha was helping Rahotep with building ships out of reeds and they had already amassed an entire fleet, bobbing peacefully on the surface of the queen's bathing pool. Queen Hetepheres was reclining on her chaise as usual, watching her two sons with a bemused tilt at the left corner of her lips.

"Kha, help me with this one," Rahotep called out with his saccharine-sweet voice, holding out his partially-made ship in front of his older brother. "Why can't I get the reed to stay in place?"

Kha took the boat from out of his brother's hand, carefully threading the loose strands through the tiny gaps until the hull of the toy ship was complete. "I've already taught this to you a dozen times," he griped, tossing the finished toy back to the little boy. He jabbed at Rahotep's forehead with his index finger. "How did someone as brilliant as me end up with a kid brother as dumb as you?"

Hetepheres's thin brows knitted inwards in a frown. "Kha, is that how you should be speaking to your brother?" she said with displeasure etched in her voice.

"I was just joking," Kha replied, shrugging his shoulder nonchalantly. He was used to the blatant favouritism that his mother showed towards Rahotep, so these barbs didn't really hurt him anymore. He stared at the fleet of reed ships floating on the water, wondering when he would be old enough to sail out to sea on a real ship so that he could leave this bothersome palace behind. Kanefer and Nefermaat had gone out on expeditions to faraway places with their father before, but he had never had the chance.

"Your Majesty, Tiye is here," Isis said, walking over to the queen.

Shortly after, the young Tiye appeared through the passageway and entered the queen's bathing courtyard. She was wearing a simple sheath dress made of beads, much the same as the one that the queen was wearing, with an expensive necklace of gold and ivory hanging around her slender neck. Behind her were her two servant girls walking quietly with their heads bowed down.

"Your Majesty," Tiye said, kneeling and prostrating herself on the ground. This was the first time she was greeting the queen as a member of the king's harem, so there were certain formalities that could not be ignored.

Hetepheres waved her hand, beckoning for the girl to rise. "There's no need for all this," she said, her voice sounding as mellow and calm as the waters of the Nile. "We all serve the king and that makes us sisters now, doesn't it?" Hetepheres smiled, but there was no warmth in that.

"You flatter me, Your Majesty," Tiye replied, keeping her gaze lowered.

"Come closer," Hetepheres beckoned.

When Tiye came over to her side, Hetepheres ran her fingers along the side of the girl's cheek, the smile on her face broadening further. "Such delicate skin. Such a beautiful face," she quipped. "It's a pity."

Tiye looked at the queen questioningly.

Hetepheres retracted her hand and closed her eyes. "Now that you have joined the harem, I trust you will know your place and do your best to serve the king. I don't react well to... troublemakers—if you know what I mean."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Tiye said obediently. She bobbed her head and said her goodbyes before hurriedly leaving the queen's quarters, as if she was afraid of lingering a moment longer.

Kha was not surprised. His mother had a way of terrifying the other women in the harem with only a well-positioned tilt of an eyebrow.

It was only after Tiye stepped out of the queen's quarters did Kha realise why he found her so familiar. This was the girl that had met secretly with Kanefer during the new year's banquet! Even though she had been cloaked by shadows that night, he was certain from the shape of her silhouette and her manner of speech that they were one and the same.