Heretic of the Nile

008

Mereneith stood by the edge of the Nile waters, gaping in awe at the gargantuan vessel that was parked at the docks. If the revered sun god Ra truly travelled by ship across the skies, then she imagined his ship must look exactly like this.

Under the scorching rays shining down from above, the gold-painted hull shimmered with a blinding sheen of a million stars, dazzling the hordes of onlookers that had gathered to witness the departure of their great king. Intricate inscriptions lined the outer surface, telling impressive tales of the adventures and achievements of the kings of yesteryear. Over a dozen massive oars lined the side of the ship, the tips of their blades resting casually on the river bank like silent sentries waiting to be called to action.

"What are you doing here, girl? Hurry up and move that bushel up on deck! We're busy enough as it is."

Bony fingers grabbed Mereneith on the shoulder and a basket full of vegetables was shoved into her arms. She found herself pushed towards the ship's gangplank by a skinny matron, who promptly went about barking orders to the other servants after that.

Hugging the rattan basket close to her chest, Mereneith shuffled her way up the wooden boards. She held her breath as she placed one hesitant foot onto the main deck.

I'm standing on the king's ship.

She could only imagine how bug-eyed the snobby priests of the temple would be if they saw her now.

Not anyone could be allowed to step aboard the royal vessel, not even the respected priests of the Temple of Ptah. The only reason she was allowed to be here was because she was not Mereneith, junior crystal keeper—she was Mereneith, personal serving staff to Prince Kha. The high priest had granted her leave of absence for as long as she deemed fit, but he would never have guessed that this was what she was doing with her time.

She glanced down at the pendant hanging from her neck. A plain, ivory shell upon which the symbols of Kha's household had been carved, marking her identity to everyone she passed. If anyone found out that she was a fraud, then her crime would be punishable by death. Taking a deep breath to calm her rattled nerves, Mereneith looked around and hurriedly followed behind another servant who was carrying a similar basket of supplies to the ship's stores.

When she emerged, Mereneith was shunted to one side of the ship where she was made to stand in line with a host of other servants. The crabby matron who had given her the vegetables earlier paced up and down in front of them, delivering her lecture about the dos-and-don'ts for the duration of their travels, punctuating each instruction with a stern warning about being fed to Nile crocodiles. Mereneith's attention drifted halfway, distracted by the entourage that had stepped off the gangway and onto the main deck.

A few burly royal guards armed with menacing spears did a quick sweep of the surroundings, then parted to both sides to form a clear path. A tall, brooding man was the next to appear, his pleated shendyt adorned with a gold buckle that matched the elaborate cuffs and usekh collar around his arms and neck respectively. Upon his head sat a luxurious nemes, striped with ivory and kingfisher blue, with lappets that hung down past his ears and to his shoulders.

Even without any of those splendid accessories, the strength in his aura alone was enough to announce his identity to his numerous subjects.

Sneferu, King of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Behind him came the accompanying members of his court. Kha—the only one that Mereneith recognised—was decked in similar formal attire that she had seen him in on the day of the new year's temple rites, yet it did nothing to disguise the mischievous, carefree glint in his eyes. The young prince looked nothing like his imposing father, Mereneith thought. His features were softer, less defined, with gentle contours that reminded one of the river's waters. Stripped of his royal riches, one could never tell that Sneferu's blood ran through Kha's veins.