NEITH [Completed]

CHAPTER THREE: The Pharaoh

Kind words are short and easy to speak but their echos are truly endless.

- Mother Teresa.

Aahotep's POV

The summer heat was always unbearable, and the evening breeze, now hot and humid, only made things worse. Flies and mosquitoes clung to the sweat on my skin, enjoying their feast.

The palace buzzed with activity in preparation for the coronation ceremony. I could hear the commotion even from my chambers, located deep within the palace. I never understood why so many resources had to be wasted on something as trivial as crowning a Pharaoh.

My head throbbed as I stared down at the desk covered in various scrolls and papyrus. Leaning back, I massaged my temples, hoping for some relief.

For the past two weeks, I had been working on a plan to improve communications with the fourth cataract, but I was nowhere near a solution. The frustration gnawed at me.

Egypt's empire stretched vast—from Syria in West Asia to the fourth cataract of the Nile River. Ever since my father, Akhenaten, passed away, the country had been in chaos. I was certain the Hittites wouldn’t miss this opportunity to strike again. I needed to find a more efficient way to communicate with our borders to minimize bloodshed.

On top of that, the unrest caused by the nobles was growing. It was time to silence them for good, I thought grimly.

My mind wandered to my father. To the people, he was a great Pharaoh—kind and compassionate. But to me, he had always been a harsh, relentless man whose primary goal was to mold me into a worthy heir to carry out his vision.

From the day I was born, my path was set. I had to follow in his footsteps. That’s why my father personally trained me in everything—politics, swordsmanship, and beyond. It wasn’t out of love or concern, but because he trusted no one else to do it.

The only people he did trust were his childhood friend, Adio, now the general of the royal army, and his loyal servant, Abu. He didn’t even trust my mother, the queen, and his first wife, Nefertiti. Although I was a prince, I trained harder than most soldiers. Day after day, I was drenched in sweat—and sometimes blood. Rest only came when I was too ill to continue.

To the world, he was a compassionate king. To me, he was a ruthless man who placed the kingdom above everything else, including his own family. At least, that’s what I believed—until a few months ago.

It happened when my father was on his deathbed. I had gone to inform him about the damage caused by bandits near the southern border when I overheard a conversation between him and Adio.

He spoke of how he had wanted to be a better father but was constrained by circumstances. Until that moment, I had harbored nothing but hate for him. The mere thought of him used to fill me with disgust. But hearing those words left me shocked. And when he passed, I even shed a tear or two—something I never thought possible, given our strained relationship. Perhaps I didn’t hate him as much as I believed.

Though I knew he regretted how he treated me, I could never forget the torment I had endured. His vision might have been for the greater good, but that wasn’t enough for me to forgive him completely.

Recently, I had begun to doubt whether I could uphold my father's vision. I trusted only a handful of people—Adio, Abu, and a few others. As I thought back to the court proceedings earlier that day, I let out a deep breath.

In line with tradition, I had to marry before the coronation. I was vehemently against it. The country was in turmoil following my father's death, and marriage was the last thing on my mind. But the council, stuck in their old ways, disagreed. Why couldn’t they focus on something more important for a change?

I stood up, desperate for fresh air. My headache had worsened, and my frustration was mounting. Everything felt like a mess. There was so much to do, and not enough time.

I decided to seek out Adio. Perhaps he could offer some guidance on these problems that seemed to have no solution.

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Author’s Note:

Hey guys! How are you doing? This chapter was from the perspective of our soon-to-be Pharaoh. What do you think of him—like him, hate him? Leave a comment and let me know!

If you enjoyed this chapter, please vote by pressing the lovely little star at the bottom of your screen. It would really make my day!

Hope you all have an amazing and awesome day! Love ya! ❤❤