Jewel Of The Nile [COMPLETE]

Chapter Thirty-Nine

My friends were astounded when I told them the news the next day.

"No," Huy gasped. "You're actually doing it? You're going to restore the old religion?"

I nodded wordlessly. I was still a bit unsure about the decision Tutankhaten had made. It was almost as though Ay had made the choice for him. But perhaps the Vizier was right. Aten never seemed to be there when we needed him the most. And what kind of god punished his most faithful followers?

Kahmose grinned a wonderful, dazzling smile. "This is great!" he exclaimed. "I always knew you'd be a great Queen, Ankhesenpaaten! Always!"

"What?" My head snapped up. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! Huy and Kahmose were actually...supporting this? Did that mean...

"You mean, you were actually supporters of this 'numerous gods' religion? You mean to say that you two have not been dedicated to Aten? That you have disobeyed my father's and my brother's laws all this time? To my face?"

I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. My own friends - Kahmose - were a part of the people that Ay had been referring to?

Huy and Kahmose looked at each other uncomfortably but remained silent.

"That's where you've been," I realised. "Huy. Whenever you were away, or acting strange - that's why. You were selling those statues and promoting this religion - weren't you?"

My friend stared directly at the ground, her long, loose black hair falling around her face. "Yes."

"And Kahmose - you knew about this?"

"Yes," he muttered quietly, the look on his face matching that of his sisters.

"I don't believe it. You lied to me, all this time." I felt betrayed. I was heartbroken. Kahmose had lied to me!

"We had no other choice," he replied sadly, looking me in the eyes.

Most days, I would love moments like these, but not today. Most days, his gorgeous, wonderful, greeny-grey eyes were filled with love and desire. Today, he was almost using his eyes to plead with me. His eyes were pleading for understanding and forgiveness.

"You were the Princess - the daughter of the Pharaoh who inflicted this upon us in the first place. How could we tell you the truth?" Kahmose begged, staring at me beseechingly.

"What does it matter?" Huy asked suddenly, looking up from the ground. "Ankhesenpaaten, you just told us you were abandoning the religion of the Aten and converting to ours. You just told us you were restoring the old gods. So why are our previous beliefs relevant anymore? We all have the same gods - the same religion - now. What else matters?"

I was mad. I didn't care whether or not Huy had a point. She - and Kahmose - had still disobeyed my father and brother when they were in power. They had still broken the law.

They had still lied to me.

They had still betrayed me.

I stormed out of her chamber, an unspoken rage boiling deep within me - not that I knew why. Why did this matter so much? Why was I so upset when, in actual fact, Huy was right. It didn't matter anymore. 

But it did matter. It mattered once. 

"Ankhesenpaaten!" Someone called out as I was marching back to my chambers. Ay was running to catch up with me. "My Queen! Please, I wish to speak with you."

I sighed angrily, turning around. "What?"

The Vizier bowed respectfully, either not noticing my foul mood or simply just ignoring it. "Ahmose is in the schoolroom, waiting for you. The Pharaoh is also there. You must commence your studies if you are to reinstate the old religion."