Nezzar

Part One: Letters From Dogs

Amytis' hands lay damp on her thighs. When she wove her fingers, thin gold rings pressed against each digit. Jingling ornaments hung from the seams of the sand-coloured veil that shielded her face, and a weighty gold crown sat snug upon her brow.

Resisting the urge to bounce her feet, Amytis counted her breath instead. Her time at the queen mother's table had not been as tasking as she had feared. King Nebuchadnezzar had been cordial with his mother, and she in turn had been affectionate with Amytis. She wouldn't stop cooing about Amytis' 'great beauty' and how Abila was a dear friend.

Your mother is such a delight to be around-a sister to me.
Do you know we exchanged letters since you were little?
Media is such a beautiful kingdom; I am most glad it was not destroyed by war.

She had said the last sentence with a pointed look at her son. King Nebuchadnezzar had not reacted to her statement. He remained at ease; no smiles but no frowns either. Halfway through the meal, he had excused himself and promised to be present for their joining at the Esagila.

"I will tell you all you need to say and do at the ceremony, dear child," Queen mother Tiamat had said as she went about filling her plate. "It is nothing that will take your strength. What you should concern yourself with is the wedding feast."

And as Tiamat had said, their joining ceremony at the temple was carried out smoothly. The only overwhelming part was when she had to ride upon an open chariot along with king Nebuchadnezzar as they made the trip to the temple. The people had lined the road, throwing hibiscuses, ululating, waving red ribbons, and bowing. Amytis had never been more grateful for a veil in all her existence.

Before a chief priest, temple musicians and singers, a handful of the king's relatives, and palace officials, the rites of their joining were performed and a clay slab was presented. On it, King Nebuchadnezzar inscribed the record of their joining along with the treaty with Media.

Now darkness had come and she was heading back to the palace for the wedding feast in a horse-drawn carriage. The king had left in a separate chariot immediately after the main wedding rites were performed. Before leaving, he had whispered in her ear his need to attend to an urgent matter.

"...wait for me. We shall appear together at the feast." Those were the first words he had spoken to her since he left her bathing chamber earlier in the day.

There will be no veil covering her face at the feast-no shield to hide behind. Her appearance with king Nebuchadnezzar will be an official presentation of Amytis as the new queen of Babylon before those who mattered enough. It was all overwhelming. Almost too much.

I am all alone. Perhaps, if my mother was with me or Usman-

"Child?"

Amytis snapped her gaze to Tiamat. The queen mother was sitting opposite her, attired in folds of purple and gold with lines of jewellery here and there. Even through the veil, Amytis could still make out her birthmark. Like spilled red ink at her left temple. The mark added a strange sort of fierceness to the otherwise gentle features of Tiamat.

"Yes, my queen," Amytis answered with a slight tilt of the head.

"You are queen now. I am queen mother." Tiamat chuckled and sighed soon after. "In time you shall learn to relax in my presence. I perceived you were sad at my table. Did my son cause you grief?"

"No!" The defence flew out before Amytis could stop it. She cleared her throat and mellowed her voice. "No, Queen mother."

"That's a relief. My son can be a frightening man to those who do not... understand him." Crossing her legs at the knees, she leaned forward. "I know this must feel overwhelming, but you must be bold." She patted Amytis' clasped hands. "Lift your head. Stand tall. Deal wisely with the king's officials. There are scorpions among them, and they will want to use you for their benefit."