This is a really old story, it was one of my first. So please excuse any mistakes and anything odd about the history because I'm not very sure of the mummification thing. :)
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Pharaoh Atem was in dismay; he had just lost yet another person dear to him. The mummification was horrifying and he had desperately wanted to escape the presence of the body, priests of Anubis and the small room. He lay now with tears in his eyes on his bed, not wanting to believe that it had really happened.
After years of guiding and loving him she was gone. The jewel of Egypt would be buried in the tomb with her husband as she had wished. The former Queen Akhifa was dead and nothing could bring her back. Nothing would ever let him see the warm smile of his mother ever again.
There was a loud knock on the door. Atem sat up and wiped away his tears. He glared at the door and unseen intruder to his sorrow. A knock came again, more urgent than the last. Finally, out of pure annoyance, he answered, “Enter.”
Shimon walked in looking out of breath, “My Pharaoh I’m sorry to disturb your grieving.”
Atem growled and looked away from the advisor, “What do you want Shimon?”
Shimon inhaled and said, matter-of-factly, “I just thought you’d like to know that sometime during the confusion of this morning an emotional turmoil that filled the castle had a peculiar effect-”
“Spit it out Shimon!” Atem was getting irritated.
He smiled, “Your wife, our Queen, went into labour an hour after you left this morning.”
Atem was shocked, his heart pounding, “She’s in labour?”
“Not anymore.”
“Why wasn’t I informed of this?” Atem demanded, standing up.
“You were preoccupied and she didn’t want to bother you.”
“Dammit, that woman never likes to bother anyone!”
They left the room and hurried towards the infirmary. Atem was shocked; his wife hadn’t told him the child was due so soon. Despite his irritation at her for not sending for him he was overjoyed, Egypt was going to have a little prince or princess. Not only that but it would be their child; the product of his and Sofia’s love for each other.
They reached the main door to the infirmary and were greeted by Sofia’s sister, Rayna. “This way she’s waiting for you.”
Atem followed her to Sofia’s bedside where he sat beside his Queen. “My love, are you awake?”
She opened her eyes, “I’m just a bit sleepy.”
Atem kissed her forehead and took her hand, “Were you waiting long?”
Sofia smiled at her husband, “Not long, no. The children were tired though.”
Atem’s eyes widened, “Children?”
“Yes my sweet.”
Rayna and a nurse arrived then and placed two bundles in Sofia’s arms. Atem took one from her and cradled the child close. Sofia, his beloved Queen, had given birth to twins.
She caressed the brow of the child in her arms, “This is the oldest by 3 hours. His name is Ahmad.”
Atem looked at the little prince; the older twin would be crown prince.
Sofia touched his arm, “This little one is Akhifa, your daughter.”
Atem started, “Akhifa, my sweet?”
She smiled and nodded at the adoring look in her husband’s eyes. Her cousin in law entered and took Akhifa from Atem and Atem took Ahmad from her. She smiled at her little family. She heard the cheering as the Pharaoh presented the Princess Akhifa and Crown Prince Ahmad to the people of Egypt.
“My people, we have indeed suffered a great loss today,” Atem’s voice echoed across the plains. “Our beloved Queen is gone, left for the afterlife to be reunited with her beloved, my father, the late Pharaoh Akhunamkanun. Do not despair for even in this dark time love and light prevail. Behold your Prince Ahmad and Princess Akhifa.”
The people cheered loudly at the sight of the children. Sofia closed her eyes, happy to bring joy back to these people who had just lost the Queen of Egypt; glad to give her husband reason to smile after the death of his mother; proud to name her daughter after the woman who meant so much to everyone in the kingdom.
As silence dawned the voice of the Queen magnified through the power of the millennium gauntlet she had been given years ago and she sang of hope and faith was restored in the people and joy filled the heart of the Pharaoh as he heard her voice:
Under the snow,
Beneath the frozen streams
There is life...
You have to know
When nature dreams,
She dreams there is life...
And the colder the winter,
The warmer the spring
The deeper the sorrow,
The more our hearts sing
Even when you can't see it
Inside everything
There is life...
Ohhh...
After the rain,
The sun will reappear
There is life...
After the pain,
The joy will still be here
There is life...
For it's out of the darkness
That we learn to see
And out of the silence
That songs come to be
And all that we dream of
Awaits patiently...
There is life...
There is life...
Ohhh...
For it's out of the darkness
That we learn to see
And out of the silence
That songs come to be
And all that we dream of
Awaits patiently...
There is life...
(There is)
There is life...
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