Daughter of Re

Enemy?

                                                          Chapter two

Year 5

**

The last few hours had moved in a blur, the merriment of the last two days slammed to a halt. Nachtpaaten lay in his chambers with the royal physicians and his great wife by his side. Outside his chambers Akhenaten paced frantically, Mayati worried he would work holes into the floor. She sat leaning against her mother picking at her nails in worry. Together with her siblings they had prayed over and over again, father leading them each time till the sun went down. Meki had taken Ankie to bed after prayers; the young child should not be robbed of her sleep anymore mother had said.

The touches on the wall flickered in a hypnotic dance, as father gave up his pacing and returned to the palace temple. Grandmother had stayed behind with us, Mayati wasn't sure why and dared not ask in fear. She tried to be strong as her mother softly stoked her arm through the shawl her menat had placed on her shoulders. Tried to hide her emotions under a veil of stoic face like the elders around her, as the eldest she would learn by example.

Foot falls against the stone floor alerted the three women's attention. Coming towards them was a woman Mayati had never seen before; her style of dress wasn't Egyptian although made from the same fabrics as their own dresses were cut from. Her hair fascinated Mayati, it was long to her waist held together in a braid woven with gold thread, and it was grey. Mayati had never seen a women with grey hair before, her grandmother-like most women of the court always wore wigs and dyed their hair with henna. She looked to be the same age as Tiye, but what was she doing here? Mayati thought as the older women bowed before them.

"Gilukhipa, why have you come here?" Tiye asked blankly, with not much concern for the answer.

"My daughter sent me a letter about the race, if these are my son's last moments I want to be with him." She sharply replied not even looking at Tiye. She was Nachtpaaten's mother; Mayati could see the resemblance even in the dim light of the touches.

"Have you seen asked the Pharaoh's permission to come? Tiye's chin rose higher.

"Where is our Lord?" Gilukhipa directed towards Nefertiti.

"He is in the temple." There was a strange tension Mayati could sense although she didn't know why.

"Then I shall not disturb him at prayer, I will be at my son's side first." She moved towards the door. The medjay at the entrance, however remained still and unresponsive waiting for a signal. Seeing Tiye would not open, Nefertiti ordered them to open the door. Gilukhipa gave a small nod in her direction and descended into the chamber, Mayati tried desperately to look in as the door swung closed with finality. Tiye rose from her chair causing Nefertiti and Mayati to raise also, silently Tiye made her exit, giving Nefertiti a look as she passed.

She looked down at her daughter, smoothing the hair that had come loose from her braid. "Ipy." She called "It's time Mayati went to bed."

"But-"

"I inform you if anything changes." She kissed her daughter's head. Mayati looked back longingly as she continued toward the nursery.

Next thing Mayati knew a warm soft hand was waking her from her sleep; she groaned and pulled the blanket over her face to block out the soft orange light of the sun just rising. The blanket slowly crept away from her body leaving a chill in its wake.

"My princess, it's time to wake, you can't be late for morning prayers. Pharaoh will be cross if you don't attend." That was enough to get her out of bed; she joined her siblings in a state of undress as their menat's dressed them in their cotton day dresses and brought rose water to wash their faces. Mayati slipped on her morning milk as Ipy fixed her side lock, fastening a little bell at the end.