The Last Dynasty {Complete}

Chapter nine

The streets had smelled of incense as the entire court and the priests of Amun walked through the temple as prayer filled the air...as I muttered the prayer of Amun fueling the incense in my hand that lets it sweet smoke fill the temple as the well tamed to be sacrificed bull walks behind us.

The reason I had come to Karnak to pray to Amun was for the festival to celebrate the powerful God, I walk silently on the beautiful flowers being dropped by priests...I of course I Left no smile on my face since this was a serious matter...I don't take my time as we reach the doors that leads to the darkness of Amun room where only the pharaoh and high priest may enter.

The bull is taken to a separate room where they will sacrifice it to Amun, Naki bows to me as I enter the room still holding the incense...the room is lit by torches held by priests that are in a high enough status to be the next high priest. I hand Amunhotep the incense that he circles around the room with to stand behind the beautiful statue of Amun.

The door is closed and I begin the prayer...we pray for about two hours on end raising and lowering our voices to match our determination for the prayer and the health of Egypt...I take dyed cloths of red,green and blue and put it one by one on the shoulder of the black statue of Amun...I take a stack of offerings and lift them so Amun can see them..."Amun! I give you these offerings of wine, food that is delicious and fruit that is juicy" I say loudly falling carefully to my knees on a cushion and raising the offerings into the air.

The priests bow their heads and keep them down still clutching the torch hard, we chant the praise of Amun "Amun, mighty God of Egypt, Amun savior of Egypt" we mutter over and over...until the priest blow out their torches and the door opens to let in a dim light and shrouds Amun's face in darkness.

I'm slightly blinded by the light of the torches as I am handed incense and we begin to leave the great temple, my exit is silent and filled with the smell of incense...The shrine that had been carried through the temple had been placed in its own chamber shrouded in darkness since it was a statue of Amun. We step down the stairs silently our way being lit up by my Royal guard as we walk through the night in silence.

I climb onto my chariot with no help and Naki plants herself besides me with a pregnant belly sticking out from under her breezy linen dress...Today I have taken a serious step as ruler of Egypt...She is silent as she clings to my arm as soon as my reins snap and my horse begin to trot...I am in silent as my chariot comes down the path from the beautiful temple of Amun to the harbor where the great Royal harbor lays with my barge awaiting my arrival, my chariot takes on speed as I snap the reins and the guard do not take their time to catch onto my speeding chariot.

I am quick to stop my horses before we reach the harbor so my chariot doesn't flip...We step off the chariot ready to be escorted my son Tuthmose waits on the harbor with his wet nurse who bows to me as soon as we come to the dark harbor the floats in the cold Nile...there is no one here since Lord Rameses the governor of the city had put the city on curfew since there has been riots of the homeless taking place across Egypt demanding homes.

Tuthmose bows to me respectfully though he is only four years of age and wears a short kilt of fine linen, a light golden collar and his short sidelock is decorated with golden beads as mine has been before I had become pharaoh of Egypt. He reaches for me but I pass him and climb aboard the barge...painted brightly, I sit on the empty golden throne awaiting me...My seriousness hadn't faded since I had realized my true place as pharaoh of Egypt and that I hold Egypt steadily in my hands.

Tuthmose stands besides his wet nurse after they board "to Memphis!" I hiss towards to the captain who bows to me and orders his men to begin rowing in Greek...I take no time to look over to Tuthmose who stand by my court interested in their talk of politics and of way end the rioting...I give a small smirk which he doesn't notice since he is listening to the grown men speak of the problems that should be fixed before it is to late.