NEFRET

ix. {mafkat}

1280 B.C.

19th Dynasty

Wadi Maghareh, Egypt

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The distribution of the weapons was treated as a festival and made as brilliant as possible to boost the morale of the soldiers who were going to sacrifice their lives for Egypt. Ramses made sure to greet every man and shook hands with all of them while handing out bows, spears, axes, and curved blades. Egyptian workmen learned to make the weapons and chariots more elegant and stronger than other foreign models; lightness was the chariots' distinguishing quality and one man can even carry a chariot on his shoulders without feeling tired. It was not long before the army was ready and Egypt was preparing to send its warriors off.

A great cheer rang in Waset as the soldiers marched in front of the palace. The constant stomping of their foot to the beat of the drums echoed through the valley, and flower petals were scattered by the wind as mothers, wives, and children, all waved their hands in a cheerful goodbye. Ramses looked regal aboard a chariot made of bronze and gold, his leather chest piece looked dashing with the blue crown on his head. Ramses smiled and waved to his people, wishing to calm them with his good nature and silently promising to bring their loved ones back. The pharaoh and his queen both stood near the entrance of the palace, pride and worry shone in both of their eyes. Lady Iset looked ravishing with her silk dress that hugged her body and accentuated her breasts. Nefret saw all of this from the crowds that gathered in front of the palace. She had never felt like such an outsider.

Hapuseneb stepped forward to make an announcement. "Egypt!" he proclaimed, his reedy voice tapering off at the end. "We stand as the audience to Pharaoh Seti's first war! I, Hapuseneb, the high priest of Isis, bless this battle in honor of the gods. May the god Amun bless Prince Ramses with the strength of the bull, and may the goddess Isis give our troops advantage when they need it the most."

"Isis is not a goddess of war," one person murmured, standing to the right of Nefret. "He should not invoke her blessings when she is weakest," Nefret said nothing, her gaze solely focused on Ramses. She gnawed on her lips nervously, wanting to speak to him but not finding a good time to approach.

"Now, the royal family steps forward to give their own blessing to the heir of Egypt, the morning and the evening star." The pharaoh embraced Ramses tightly, whispering something to his hear that made him nod. Queen Tuya was next, kissing his cheeks twice and stroking his chin softly. She, too, whispered something that made Ramses laugh and offering his own kiss in return. The royal couple stepped back, ready to send Ramses off, when Lady Iset stepped forward, followed by two men who were carrying something big that was wrapped in linen.

"She is not part of the royal family yet," someone hissed. "She is only a woman of the harem. How presumptuous of her!" Lady Iset, it seems, did not care, for her smile was so wide Nefret could see the white of her teeth from where she was standing. Her red lips and kohl-heavy eyes looked beautiful and seductive even from far away. She glided into Ramses' embrace and kissing him fully in the mouth. She smiled and motioned for the men to give Ramses her gift. Ramses unwrapped the linen and saw a jewel-encrusted sword. It shone brightly under the morning sun and was filled with stones of different hues. The hilt of the sword was gold, and it was two feet in length. It was a beautiful present, but not practical for war. Nefret saw Ramses give a tight-lipped smile, and handed the sword to one of his soldiers for safekeeping. Ramses brought his right hand up and the soldiers stood in attention. He brought it down, and the soldiers started marching, with the infantry in the front and the chariots in the back. When his chariot was near the place where Nefret stood, she stepped closer, hoping Ramses would notice her.