Jewel Of The Nile [COMPLETE]

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Ankhesenpaaten, do you want to play with me please?" An eager little voice disturbed me from my studies. I was bent down over a little wooden desk with studying a piece of papyrus. I smiled, and looked up. Sure enough, standing in the entry way of the little balcony that I was on, was Tutankhaten. He had a small leather ball in one hand and was leaning against the wall with the other. His hair had not been cut in a while so it was dangling at the top of his shoulders, and his eyes were outlined in Kohl.
I put down my papyrus and stood up. "Ah, I suppose it would be better than this. Where is the sandal-bearer?"
Tutankhaten rolled his eyes. "You do not need sandals! We will just be in the courtyard. Unless you want to play out in the desert..."
"I think that you want to play out in the desert," I laughed. "No, you are right. We should just stay in the courtyard, otherwise the Pharaoh and Queen will be mad at us. And quite frankly, I do not want to experience that right now."
"Quite so," Tutankhaten agreed. "Come on. The sooner we start the longer we have."
I laughed. "That is very true."
I followed my brother back inside the palace, down the tile-covered, mural-cloaked corridors, to the colourful courtyard. Even from here, it was possible to hear the sloshing of the Nile waters in the farmlands. We were in the flood season, although it should be leaving soon. I prayed that Huy and Kahmose were keeping safe. Although the annual floods were essential for our survival, they could also be the cause of a person's demise. They could be swept away by the unpredictable floodwaters, or seriously injured by an animal that had followed the floods inland (such as crocodiles or hippopotamuses) that ultimately led to death. Thankfully, the palace was situated just outside the farm and marshlands, so the water would not affect us. And even if it did get that far inland, the high palace walls would keep out the water. Either way, we would be protected.
"Ankhesenpaaten, catch!" Tutankhaten spun around on his heels and chucked the ball at me. My reflexes were too slow and the leather ball hit me square in the head.
"Ow!" I laughed, rubbing my forehead.
Tutankhaten shrugged and ran to grab the ball that was about to bounce inside. "You should have been paying attention. It is your fault that you were not thinking fast enough."
"Oh!"
Quick as anything, I dashed forward, snatched the ball out of his hands and threw it at his face. "Fast enough for you now, brother dear?"
Tutankhaten grinned. "Aha! I see how it is."
He ran around me and down the courtyard near the water fountain. Laughing, I ran behind him, almost tripping from running barefoot on the pebbles.
Tutankhaten turned around and threw the ball at me, but this time I was prepared. I caught it with both hands above my head, grinning widely. The impact stung my fingers slightly, but I chose to ignore the pain. I was having fun with my brother, and that was all that mattered.
We played various ball games all morning. It actually felt nice to play with a form of toy. I used to have all kinds of dolls and toys, but as soon as my childhood left with my monthly bleedings, my toys were gotten rid of. That was many years ago now, but it did not matter. I entertained myself in other ways. Tutankhaten, luckily, still had all of his. I thought Smenkhkre had forgotten about him, or was not really paying attention to him.
Tutankhaten pointed at the door. "Ankhesenpaaten, go over there! I shall throw it from here!"
He was standing near a stone bench past the fountain. I did as he asked, positioning myself in front of the doors so that there was a less chance it would go inside.
Tutankhaten pegged the ball towards me. I ran forward to catch it but it soared over my head and hit the top of the door. It bounced inside and we heard a crash, followed by a squeaky, "Ow!".
A servant came out rubbing his head and holding the ball, looking less than impressed.
"Prince Tutankhaten, I believe this belongs to you." The man tapped his foot impatiently as my brother ran forward to get it.
"Er, yes. Sorry about that," he apologised, embarrassed.
"You must stop playing now. You have an archery lesson. The Pharaoh wants them to be made more frequently now," the servant informed us, and then left in a huff.
Tutankhaten and I looked at each other, and after a moment's silence, we burst out laughing. It felt good just to have fun with my brother. Lately, everything had seemed so stressed, and strained. If the Pharaoh was in a mood, everyone in the palace complex would know, and we would all become stressed as a result - but now, all of that had completely disappeared. And it was similar for Tutankhaten, too. Even though he was just a small child, almost nine years of age, he was the heir, and everybody expected him to act like a younger version of Smenkhkre. Everyone; all the officials, the vizier, the high ranked nobles...everyone expected this young child to act like a 30-year old. Uptight, professional, business-like. They all forgot that a child had to have fun, and forget about the stresses of a country, and to relax for at least a little.
Tutankhaten ran over to me. "Come to my archery lesson with me? Please?"
I hesitated. "I do not know...I have never wielded a bow and arrow before. I fear I shall either shoot someone or get shot!"
My brother tilted his head to the side. "Somebody once told me that you never know something until you try it - fate is not what you are given, it is what you take. Please, just for five minutes? If you do not like it you can go. But just at least watch me!"
I melted into a helpless grin. "I said that, did I not?"
"You did. Now hurry up! We are going to be late!" he exclaimed, grabbing my arm and trying to drag me off the pebbled path and onto the stoned tiles. "Ow! Your bracelets are almost as sharp as knives!" He whipped his hands away from my arm and rubbed his wrist.
I laughed. "Silly, silly boy. They are gems, not knives! No, for Aten would be disappointed in me greatly if I carried knives around on my bracelets. Come on, we shall go to your archery lesson, before I change my mind."
Tutankhaten led me out the back of the palace, up a small stoned pathway up to the sandy desert. In the background, the cliffs towered over us and cast a huge shadow. A small area of the sand was flattened out and about one-hundred and fifty cubits down were some targets, and in the distance you could see a pack of wild dogs.
"This is where I have my lessons," he stated, walking over to a medium sized metal box at the edge of the flattened sand. "And in here is where the bows and arrows are stored. Here, I shall get you one."
I tip-toed over to where my brother was. I had no sandals on and the sand was burning my feet after being in the hot sun throughout the day. There was no way I could possibly stand long enough and stay concentrated long enough to shoot a half decent shot, or even watch my brother. My feet were on fire.
I was hopping like a frog. It must have been quite comical to see; my brother, casually getting out our weaponry, myself, in my complete palace splendour, a beautiful dress, caked in jewellery, my hair done nicely, and myself just hoping from foot to foot.
Tutankhaten looked up and grinned at something behind me. "Adio! You are late!"
"I apologise, my Prince!" A voice from behind me shouted out. "I was held up."
I turned around to see a youngish man walking up the dunes dressed in the palace solider uniform. He had a bag of arrows strung over his shoulders and was carrying his bow.
"I see we have a visitor!" Adio called out, walking over to where my brother and I were standing. "I hope the Pharaoh has not sent you to spy on me. Tell him, for the last time I am not trying to murder the Prince. I am the best archer in the country; why would I waste my efforts on the Crown Prince?"
I stumbled over my words. "What - oh, oh no - I'm - I'm not -"
"She's not a messenger," my brother interrupted. "She's my sister."
Adio winked at me. "I know. Pretty hard to miss all that palace jewellery. Although it was quite a sight when I was walking up here and I see you, dressed all fancily and hopping around on one foot like nobody's watching. No sandals, I presume?"
I nodded, my face flushed red with embarrassment. I knew it would have been a sight to see me; and Adio just confirmed it.
"Here." He took off the sandals he was wearing and offered them to me. "Take them."
I became redder than I am sure I already was. "No, no it is fine. I shall deal with the sand. Keep your sandals."
Adio laughed, and shook his head. "Are you serious? My feet are adapted to the sand and the heat. Your delicate skin is not. Take the shoes and prevent yourself from getting serious burns."
I took his sandals gratefully and put them on, sighing from the relief of not standing on the burning sand. "Thank you," I breathed.
"So, are you participating in today's lesson? Or a you simply watching?" Adio asked, watching Tutankhaten get his bow ready.
"Yes, she is participating," Tutankhaten answered for me. "But she as never wielded a bow and arrow before. You shall have to teach her."
"No, I am not. I shall merely watch," I argued, trying to sit down on the box.
"But I have already gotten you a bow," Tutankhaten replied innocently. "You have to have a go now."
Adio grinned. "Sorry, Princess, but I have to obey the heir. Stand up, get your bow and get some arrows."
"But I fear I will be no good!" I protested, not budging from my seat. "I shall shoot you and my brother and be tried for treason."
My brother laughed. "Get up!" he exclaimed, grabbing my hand and trying to drag me up. "I am the heir and I command you to join in on our lesson!"
"And I do not comply with your command," I replied.
"Well I can have you tried for that."
"But you will not," I said smartly. "These are useless, idle threats, brother. I know you will never do anything to harm me, despite what you suggest."
"Prince Tutankhaten, may I speak to you near the targets?" Adio asked suddenly. Tutankhaten looked surprised, but nodded, and they walked over to the small targets, one hundred and fifty cubits away.
I saw Adio bend down to my brother's height and whisper something in his ear. Tutankhaten frowned in confusion, but after about ten seconds his face lit up in realisation and nodded enthusiastically. Adio grinned, said something else, and quickly glanced back to look at me. I averted my eyes, becoming incredibly interested in the fascinating buckle on the sandals I was borrowing. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Adio look back at my brother and resume talking. I resumed watching them. Tutankhaten seemed very excited about something, and while Adio was talking to him, he pointed in my direction - a clear indication on who they were talking about. I crossed my arms, not in the slightest bit happy. As the two of them approached me, I kept my less-than-pleased appearance.
"It is rude to talk about people behind their backs," I called out when they became within earshot.
Adio shrugged. "On the contrary; it depends on the how we are talking about you."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
The two boys looked at each other. "We have decided to listen to your wishes," Tutankhaten explained. "If you do not feel comfortable, we should not be pushing you."
"Thank you," I replied, and sunk back into my make-shift seat.
The other two looked at each other once more, and Tutankhaten stood up just in front of me, directly in line with the targets, armed with his bow and an arrow.
"Ok..." Adio walked over and adjusted his bow shoulder. "Now line up, and get an aim. Visualise your arrow hitting the target. Make it so real you could almost touch the arrow midair. Remember to aim for a bit higher up than the actual target since you are shooting from a distance. Yes...now shoot!"
Tutankhaten let go of the arrow and I saw it fly through the air, spinning in an exact straight line, and shaking the target when it hit the centre of hit. I applauded profoundly,  until my hands were red and sore.
But Tutankhaten did not seem to notice. He ignored me, took another arrow that Adio gave him, and nocked his bow again.
Adio whispered something to him and Tutankhaten laughed.  What were they talking about? I would not lie; I was curious. But it was not my place to ask, to I remained seated.
The rest of the lesson, it seemed as though Adio and Tutankhaten were having the best of time. Yes, I was still curious. And Tutankhaten truly was good at archery; he hit the target continuously every time. Eventually I could stand it no longer. I stood up and sauntered over to where they were.
"Fine," I grumbled. "I shall have a go. But only because I wish, not because of you."
Adio and Tutankhaten glanced at each other, and laughed. "Well," giggled Adio, getting out an arrow from his bag strung over his shoulder. "Hand over your bow, Prince Tutankhaten. And you may wish to stand at a distance, so the arrow does not strike you."
Ignoring his comment, I snatched the arrow out of his hand and held up the bow.
"How do I do it?" I asked, confused. I had never such a contraption in my hands before - a weapon of destruction. This simple piece of wood could kill many hundreds of men if given the opportunity. And yet, here in my hands, it was helpless. As it was, it was just a simple piece of wood. But yet, if I picked it up, it became deadly.
With this thought in my head, I allowed Adio to walk around and position myself.
"Now, have your legs at a shoulder width's apart. As you hold up the bow with your dominant hand, the arrow rests on the other side of it. Rest the tip of the arrow on the little nook on the bow - see it? Now hold it between your two fingers on your right hand...good. Ok, so now what you need to do is keep your elbow up, and pull the string while you're standing horizontally, but do not let go just yet. Stretch out until your fist is under your chin and the string touches your nose. Ready...now, aim. Aim for the target. Visualise your arrow soaring through the air, and it hitting exactly where you want to go. Pull back further...and...release!"
I let go of the arrow and it jumped forward, sailing through the air just like Adio said it would. For a strange reason it made me think of a striking resemblance to people with it. We spent our entire lives tightening our bow and letting ourselves fly through, trying to get to that one, small dot on the target far, far away, but we forget to plan about any misfortunes. What if our aim is completely wrong, and we miss our target by miles? What if we release ourselves at the wrong time, when there is a terrible breeze around, and it pushes us straight into the grounds? We only ever planned for ourselves to hit the target. But what happens if we miss? We only get one shot; we do not have an endless supply of arrows. We cannot afford to miss and have no plan. We need to prepare ourselves for the worst, otherwise we will miss the best. If we focus too hard on our aim we will miss the scenery as we fly by.
I was disturbed from my thoughts with a round of clapping and cheering. I had been so focused on my philosophy, that I had failed to notice that I had hit the target first time.
"Excellent shot, Princess Ankhesenpaaten!" Adio congratulated. "You may even be better than your brother! He took many tries before he hit it."
Tutankhaten snorted. "Beginner's luck, I tell you. But a good shot nonetheless. Congratulations, sister."
I nodded absentmindedly. I only had one shot...
With this realisation, I knew I had to leave. I had to see Kahmose.
"Ankhesenpaaten, where are you going?" shouted Tutankhaten as I ran back in the direction we had came.
"I have to go," I replied. "I shall speak to you later!"
"Wait! Where are you going?" he shouted again, but I was already out of sight.
Jogging, I realised I was still wearing Adio's sandals. Oh well. I would leave them with a messenger and send them to him.
I entered the palace, breathless. I would find a messenger for Adio's sandals and grab my cloak. I did not care that Smenkhkre had forbidden me to go into the city again. Perhaps I would change out of my royal clothes, so I would not attract attention to myself.
I took off the sandals and began the search for a messenger. But as I passed one of the rooms of to the side of the corridor I was walking down, I heard voices.
"How long has this been going on for?" My brother asked weakly. Panicking, I quickly pressed myself against the wall, making sure he and whoever he was talking to would not see me.
"Since your father's death. They only remained obedient because of Akhenaten. But know that he is dead, and you are the Pharaoh, I fear they believe that they need not worship Aten anymore. So yes, they are rebelling. You need to show
them that you wish to stay in Akhetaten."
It was Ay. Of course it would be Ay; why would it not be? But what were they talking about. People were rebelling? Again?
"Will they not listen to me?"
"I hate to say so, but the people do not like your father's religion. They yearn for the old one," replied Ay not, I noticed, answering the Pharaoh's question.
"Is there anything I can do?" Smenkhkre asked, sounding weak and vulnerable.
"I fear the most we can do is keep tabs on the situation at hand. But it is dangerous, my Pharaoh. You and Queen Meritaten are hated by the people for staying here. You and her cannot go out into the city for fear of being assassinated. And neither can your siblings, Princess Ankhesenpaaten and Prince Tutankhaten. You see, the people know they are to be married. But if they are found wandering the streets, then they may be kidnapped; especially your brother. If they kidnap him, they will teach him the old ways and teach him to hate Aten, like they do. Thus, when you die and he becomes Pharaoh, he will demolish everything you and your father have worked so hard for. They must not be out in the city. Ankhesenpaaten too, for if the scenario occurs with her, she will influence the mind of Tutankhaten. The palace is the only safe place. You may not even be able to visit the Temple, and the Great Palace."
I had heard enough. How could they possibly think I would abandon my faith? My life, my culture, my home. I would not be forgiving Ay for his words any time soon.
I continued on to my chambers, where I would grab my cloak and go. Perhaps I could keep the sandals until I next saw Adio.
I rounded a corner and immediately halted as soon as I saw it. My eyes bulged. I could not believe what I was witnessing.
It was Meritaten and Sete. They had stumbled out of her room and my sister was giggling. Giggling?
I gasped as I saw their hands clenched together. And then Meritaten did the most shocking thing: she stood on her toes and kissed him on the forehead.
I stumbled back, praying to Aten that neither had seen me. What had I just seen? and what would Smenkhkre do if he found out?

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HOLY HORUS!! (Egyptian pun). What's going on with Meritaten and Sete???????

So yeah. Sorry this chapter took so long to complete; I tried to have it finished by Wednesday but I'm just so busy.
But 400 views!!!! Yay!!! Thank you guys so much!

Anyway, I think I'm going to start a deadline for when I need to complete a chapter. And if I go past it, then my punishment is that the next chapter has to be published a day earlier. It's a win-win situation for all my readers!!! First one: I will have chapter 24 out by Thursday 🙃🙃

On other news... I got my work experience placement that I really wanted. It's a museum of art and archeology. Over 1000 ancient Egyptian artefacts, the guy told me. So yeah. Pretty happy about that.

That's it for now. Let me know what you think in the comments! I haven't gotten any new comments lately, so I would really love some!

See u guys in the next chapter!