Jewel Of The Nile [COMPLETE]

Chapter Three

Father had prayed that no more deaths would befall our family, but it seemed that Aten had been looking the other way when he had said that. Barely two weeks after the funeral of my beloved sister Meketaten, Smenkhakre was struck down with some kind of illness. The doctors said that they had never seen anything like it. Meritaten was distraught. I must be honest and say that I didn't mind the possibility of Smenkhakre dying. He was never nice to me. But many bad things seemed to had been happening to us lately. Even father seemed to develop a nasty cold. Perhaps because of this, he was making the rules even harsher. My sisters and I were not even allowed outside the palace unless we were going to the temple with everyone else now. He knew that Smenkhakre would probably not survive, and did not feel comfortable with Tutankhaten as the new heir, but what choice did he have? Because of this, Tutankhaten was rarely seen anymore, except for meals, as he was having private lessons on how to rule a kingdom like that of Egypt. Sometimes, even father came to tutor him, I heard.
Mother mainly kept to herself. While she was still my father's chief wife, she was no longer his favourite, and it was affecting her deeply.
I often spent most my time in my chambers, or playing with my little sisters, but there was not much to do. Occasionally I would be able to play a game of senet with one of the maids, and once with Meritaten, but those were rare events.
This particular day, rumours were flying around the palace that Smenkhakre was extremely bad today. Father was paranoid as to what caused his sudden downfall. He then thought that Smenkhakre had been poisoned, and that our family was being murdered by some of the city's residence, one by one. At the time, I pinned it down to paranoia, but afterwards I realised that it had to do with political reasons, and perhaps personal motives, if we were being murdered.
It was a very unsafe time.
We had more and more guards around us, all the time. Security was increased tenfold.  I could not go anywhere without someone making a note about it. But there was not much we could do about it. I was not like Meritaten. I knew that Father made and changed the laws at his will, and us girls could not convince him to change his mind.
Today, possibly because of the downfall in Smenkhakre, Tutankhaten was not having any lessons. He ran up to me. "Do you want to play in the gardens, Ankhesenpaaten?"
I grinned. "Of course! We don't see much of you nowadays; it would be stupid to say no!"
We headed to the gardens, followed closely by - surprise, surprise - about twenty guards.
It's because of him, I realised. If it was just me, only one, two, maybe three guards would have accompanied. But my brother was suddenly much more important. He would always have this many soldiers around him. If I were the betting type, I would say that they even followed him in his lessons! I'd bet Ahmose wasn't happy with that!
I felt sorry for Tutankhaten.
About halfway to the gardens, he spun around and stopped me. "I have an idea" he whispered. "Why don't we spy on the guards?"
I laughed. "Ok," I agreed. I turned around. "Thank you," I addressed the guards. "But you are dismissed now. We are not leaving the palace complex. There is no need for you to worry."
One young guard looked extremely distressed. "But the Pharaoh's orders are to-"
"I am the new heir. You must follow my orders too. And I order you to obey my sister." My baby brother could put on quite a commanding voice when he wanted.
The soldiers looked at each other, then spun around on their heels and marched off. No doubt they would be going to the Pharaoh, perhaps sooner rather than later. But that was something we would deal with at the time.
Tutankhaten smiled. "Ok, now you go that way," he said, pointing to a passage to my right. "And I'll go this way. We'll meet up in the grand chamber."
I nodded. Before I could say anything, my brother had sprinted off. I grinned, and went along my path.
I was walking for a good five minutes before any signs of civilisation. I was beginning to think that this corridor was, in actual fact, a tunnel leading out into the city. Or that I was lost, and I had ensured that no guards would follow me.
But thankfully, I spotted a gap in the walls and my theories were proven wrong.
I lent forward to see, then jumped back, gasping.
It was my father's chambers. He was talking with the vizier, Ay. Thankfully, they hadn't seen me. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation.
"No! They can't! This is preposterous! Do you not think that I have enough to worry  about without the stupid ideals of the people?" My father yelled.
Ay bowed. "I'm so very sorry, but we must discuss this now. They are straying from Aten! There have been rumours of people secretly making statues of the old Gods, and selling them. Many people buy them. How else do you explain the sudden increase in wealth to the poorest of citizens?"
My father was silent. Ay continued. "They secretly worship the old Gods. If this is happening in the capital, where Aten is at his height, what do you think about the rest of the county? The priests of Amun have been preaching, and it has reached even here. You are no longer in the favour of the people. You must regain their favour with you, and Aten - quick!"
"Who are these supposed 'statue sellers?' They must be put to death!" My father commanded. I shrunk back even more. My father could be scary when he wanted.
"Akhenaten! No! You know as well as I that executing those whom the people love will only result in more displeasure towards you! The most we can do at the moment is stay aware of this. You are right, you main concerns are here, with Smenkhakre and Tutankhaten."
Father was looking thoughtful. "Is Smenkhakre's condition really that bad?"
Ay nodded solemnly. "Yes."
Father began to pace the room. "Well, fix him. Get more physicians. More medicine. He must get better! If he and I die, Tutankhaten becomes Pharaoh. I cannot allow that to happen! He will bring the entire empire to ruins. Smenkhakre must get well."
"I assure you, my King, that everything that can be done, is."
I accidentally knocked the wall of the corridor with my foot. Both my father and Ay looked up. I pressed myself against the wall. Then, once I was certain they had looked away, I ran back down the way I came. I could hear Ay reassuring the Pharaoh: "I am certain it was nothing. Merely a mouse or rat."
Father went off in another rage. "I want that hole sealed up! How many times have I asked for this? What if someone sneaks into the palace? They could kill me while I slumber, and get away with it! What if..."
I was out of hearing range by then. I was sprinting with all my might. Thus, I soon reached the spot where my brother and I first decided our game, and the the great chamber.
Tutankhaten was already waiting for me. "Ankhesenpaaten!" he exclaimed. "You have been so long! I was about to leave - I thought you had stopped playing. Where have you been? What did you find?"
I forced a smile. I couldn't bear to tell him what I had overheard. "Nothing. It was a dead end."
My brother's smile disappeared. "Oh. Well, listen to what I found!"
He lent in close. My eyes widened as he whispered the secrets of the guards. "Really?" I asked, astonished. "How could we not know about this?"
Tutankhaten shrugged. "I don't know - they didn't say. I guess it is just like a servant's entry or exit - so that it doesn't concern us," he replied.
"Wow."
"Yeah. Do you think we could go see it? Tonight?"
I laughed at his enthusiasm. "No, I think it best if I investigate, alone. It may not be safe for you. If it is, we can go together the next night. But yes, just let me go first."
"Oh, ok. What do you want to do now?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
Tutankhaten thought for a bit. "Do you want to go to the gardens to play? Or continue this game?"
After the close call last time? "I think maybe we should play in the gardens."
"Wait!" We turned around to see Ay pacing quickly towards us. "Tutankhaten, you are required in your lessons again. Ankhesenpaaten, I wish to talk to you alone. May we go to your chambers?"
Without waiting for a reply, he quickly lead the way, even though I knew perfectly well where my own chambers were. I smiled apologetically at my brother - who was standing in confusion - then followed hurriedly to keep up. I couldn't think about what Ay might want - I was certain that neither he nor my father had seen me, so what would he want? I was about to find out.
"Leave us," Ay commanded to my servants as he stormed in, like he was the Pharaoh. When they had all left, he faced me. "I know it was you in that hole in the Pharaoh's room."
I opened my mouth to protest; to ask how, but he cut me off. "How is not relevant. What is is that you must never do that again. It was a very close call. If your father learnt that it was you, then, well, even I would not be able to help you. You are a princess of Egypt, Ankhesenpaaten! You cannot be spying on anyone, let alone the Pharaoh - your father! I cannot believe you!"
"It was for a game!" I argued, even though I knew that I had already lost.
"A game? When are you going to grow up, Ankhesenpaaten? You are no longer a child. You cannot be playing stupid games with minorities. You are above that."
"Minorities? I was playing with my brother! He is more important than me!" We were yelling now. I would not be told off by Ay, whether I should have or should have not done it.
"You were playing a game with Tutankhaten and you just happened to wander down a disguised entrance leading to a hole in your father's room where you stayed for ages listening to our conversation. We were in his chambers for a reason, Ankhesenpaaten."
"Disguised? If that is how you disguise things, Ay, then no wonder you are worried about people sneaking in and murdering us. The passage was right next to me! It was not covered, and had no one guarding it. Of course I walked down! How was I supposed to know it was a secret corridor?"
"That does not deny the fact that you purposely stayed and listened to our private conversation!"
"I overheard but one bit. I soon left!" I lied.
"I don't believe you."
I was silent for a bit. "Are we really hated that much that the people are poisoning us?"
"This is why you shouldn't listen to other's private talks," Ay said softly.
"Answer my question."
Ay sighed. "It was a slight exaggeration, I admit. Your father has a, um, tendency to be ignorant of the situation at hand and react swiftly to it. He would not increase guard or anything, really, unless I exaggerated the truth. So no, the reality is not as bad as what you heard."
I gave a short, curt nod, even though I didn't know if he was lying or not. It was the best I could get. Perhaps later, I could go to Ahmose and demand to know what he knows.
Ay cleared his throat. "Well, now that we have that sorted, I have other things to occupy myself with." He took a few steps closer to me, and stroked my hair. I backed away. "Watch out, my dear. It is not safe anywhere, not even here. Be wary of whom you trust, for even our supposed friends may in actual fact be our most dangerous enemy."
With those cryptic words, Ay exited my room, leaving me wondering if he could mean anyone in particular. But my only real friends were in my family. Unless he meant Sete.  But Sete was one of the best guards assigned to the palace. He could not be an enemy.
I tried to reassure myself. Ay's words were probably not referring to anyone. They were probably just for caution.
Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that he chose those words for a reason.
Nowhere is safe. Not even here. Nowhere is safe.