Egypt's Bad Romance

Chapter II - There can only be one pharaoh

Copyright © 2012 preciious-diamondz

Chapter II - There can only be one pharaoh 

It was a gradual build up of events over three years, but like all things in life – it was the one straw that finally broke the camel’s back.

Cleopatra had always viewed Ptolemy as a pesky fly she could never quite shoo away. Being his wife did not help things either – it just added to the tension. He had three advisors that got in his ear too, warning him to keep an eye out for his devious older sister. None of the advisors liked Cleopatra much, and they knew her well enough to know that when the right time came, she would use any opportunity to take the throne for herself, and ultimately power away from them. They decided that Ptolemy would not be able to watch out for Cleopatra, so they took turns instead by spying on her.

One sunny morning, Pothinus watched as Cleopatra left her private chamber with some scrolls in her arms. She looked around and held the papers in her arms even more protectively, as thought someone would come and snatch them from her firm grasp.

She hurried away from where she was, almost at a running pace. Pothinus struggled to keep up with her, stopping every now and then to catch his breath. A few times Cleopatra would also pause and look around, but Pothinus managed to stay out of her sight every time.

Finally, Cleopatra stopped for the last time outside the palace’s library. Carefully she shifted all the papers she was carrying into one arm while she used the other to turn the handle of the door.

Pothinus remembered the other entrance to the library, so as soon as Cleopatra had left his sight and gone into the library, he came out from his hiding place and quickly made his way thought another section of the palace, knowing it would lead him to another way in.

                                                              ***

Meanwhile, Cleopatra walked through the library, determined to find somewhere quiet and isolated. In her arms she carried important documents that needed to be signed. She feared she would be interrupted while finishing her secretive task, so she had moved to the royal library knowing hardly anyone would be there, especially this early in the morning.

Cleopatra smiled as she found a table that was hidden from plain sight. Taking one last look around, she carefully dumped the scrolls onto the large wooden surface and pulled up a chair to sit on. She picked up one scroll and opened it, taking out a thinking block of wax and a candle. She lit it and pushed it away from the other papers to ensure nothing would catch alight. Pulling the first scroll back towards her, she read over it slowly and made sure nothing had been left out.

Once Cleopatra was satisfied with her handy work, she took a thin brush and tipped it in the ink that had been left on the table. With it she signed her name at the bottom, leaving no mention about her co-ruler Ptolemy. All it read was ‘Cleopatra VII – Daughter of Ptolemy XII, Pharaoh of Egypt’.

She was completely aware of the trouble she could get into for leaving her brother’s name off official documents such as the ones before her, but the risk was more than worth taking. Another female pharaoh from the past by the name of Hatshepsut had done things that many would label as controversial, although the royal family of the time had done a good job at covering it up.

Cleopatra looked back down at the other documents; she had to get them signed before anyone else came to find where she was.

She set to work in an orderly manner, reading over what she had written and then proceeding to sign her name on each of the papers. Once everything had been read and signed, she began to seal each document. She had nearly completed her final task when she heard footsteps within the library.