“Isn’t that great,” Kate said to Alex.
“It is. I was really worried that we might never see him again. Come on, Kate, let’s leave Cairo to enjoy the attention.” Alex took two glasses from a silver tray held by a waiter, then headed to a table in the far corner. Before they were seated, Bast and Ramses had joined them.
“Happy birthday, Kate.”
“Thanks, Bast.”
“Yes, yes, happy birthday. Did I ever tell you about my sixteenth birthday?” Ramses looked around. “Where is my Thoth when I need him?”
“I am here, my pharaoh. I think this is what you are looking for.” Kate had been expecting Thoth to give Ramses a glass of red wine, but instead he handed the great man a rather plain wooden box.
Ramses stood up, bringing the room to silence as all eyes turned to him. “On my sixteenth birthday, I received a present that has been special to me ever since. Today, I would like Kate to feel as special as I did.” He gestured for her to stand.
Taking the box from him she placed it on the table, opening it to remove a gold crown which she had worn once before, though at that time she had not been allowed to keep it.
As Alex placed it on Kate’s head, Ramses spoke: “We all know that Kate is a princess, now she really looks like the princess she is.”
The room erupted into cheers; there were many shouts of happy birthday. Cairo was overjoyed with the buffet, as well as the attention he was receiving. Alex was pleased to see Kate enjoying her birthday. He thought Ramses’ gift was quite perfect, so much so that he decided to keep his present safely in his pocket until later. To see the family looking so relaxed made the day even more special.
As the room returned to the general chitchat of any party, Bast mentioned that she could see how Cairo could melt anyone’s heart.
“Even if he bit your tail?” Kate asked with a grin.
“Perhaps not, but he does have an irresistible cheeky charm.”
“Yes, I admit it, I do,” Ramses said as he raised his glass, knowing full well that Bast did not mean him.
“Not you, Ramses, Cairo over there.”
“Well, as much as it hurts me to admit it, I doubt that I would have been able to melt Sekhmet’s heart. He does not look too bad for someone who has fought with a lion.”
“Lioness, Sekhmet is a lioness, Leo is a lion which confuses me a little.”
“It is your birthday, it is not a day to be confused.” Ramses was in a boyish frame of mind.
“Not today it isn’t. My birthday was a couple of weeks ago, but I’m enjoying my birthday party.”
“What day is it Bast?” Ramses passed her a special edition of The ADD.
She chuckled as she saw Today is the 27th July emblazoned across its cover, above a picture of Kate, below which was a secondary headline that read: It is the 27th July, because Ramses says that it is the 27th July. After turning the magazine first towards Kate, and then to Alex, it was agreed that today was the twenty-seventh of July.
“So, tell me, Ramses, how did you feel when your mother made you a princess on your sixteenth birthday; do you still have the dress?”
“She made me a prince! Sometimes, Kate, you drive me crazy.”
Bast couldn’t resist it: “I always wondered what had driven you crazy.”
Rose came over: “You all seem to be enjoying yourselves.”
“Oh, we are,” Bast said.
“Well, I am not,” Ramses tried, though failed, to hold a sulky expression.
“Just found out that it is Kate who has driven Ramses mad.”
“Really, are you sure, Bast, because for more years than I care to remember, I have put it down to the red wine.”
“It’s not me who has driven him mad, honestly, Rose, it isn’t.”
“Then who is responsible?”
“According to Kate,” Alex said, “it is because his mother bought him a dress and made him a princess when he was sixteen.”
“Ramses, wear a dress?” Cairo said rather loud, just at a moment of silence in the room, as he sat down with his friends.
With all eyes now on Ramses, there was only one thing he could do: “It was a very pretty dress, electric blue with sequins … MORE WINE THOTH!”
The laughter could be heard all the way to reception.
Chronology
As relevant to:
The Egyptian Adventures of Kathryn Black.
All dates are as noted by Alex.
Old Kingdom
Pepy II (Neferkara) became pharaoh at the age of five. He died after ruling for over 90 years. The Old Kingdom died with him.
First Intermediate Period
This troubled period of Egyptian history came about as the result of the breakup of the Old Kingdom.
10th Dynasty
Ankhtifi 2127 – 2048
New Kingdom
This very important period in the history of Egypt gives us some of the most recognised names:
18th Dynasty
This first dynasty of the New Kingdom started in 1550 BC.
Hatshepsut 1473 – 1458
Akhenaton – Dr Margretti 1352 – 1336
Tutankhamun 1336 – 1327
Ay 1327 – 1323
Horemheb 1323 – 1295
19th Dynasty
Seti I 1294 – 1279
1290, the year of Ramses’ birth, and of his red wine.
Ramses II 1279 – 1213
Nakhtifi I Ruled for less than a year before Merenptah.
Merenptah 1213 – 1203
Nakhtifi I Also ruled for less than a year after the death of Merenptah
20th Dynasty
Ramses III 1184 – 1153
The death of Ramses XI in 1069 BC brought the New Kingdom to a close. There would never be another Ramses.
Third Intermediate Period
21st Dynasty
Psusennes I 1039 – 991
From the end of this dynasty in 945 BC there was to be a mixed period of rule, starting with the Libyans.
Late Period
Between 747 and 332 BC Egypt was ruled by Kushites, before the last period of truly Egyptian rule. This ended with the Persian conquest of Egypt in 525 BC.
The Greek Period
Known as the Ptolemaic Period, it started with the:
Macedonian Dynasty
Alexander the Great 332 – 305
He was succeeded by two Macedonians before the:
Ptolemaic Dynasty
Ptolemy I to Ptolemy XII – of which six had queens named Cleopatra.
Cleopatra VII Philopator 51 – 30
During Cleopatra’s rule over Egypt:
Julius Caesar became ruler the Roman Empire in 49 BC. Marc Antony was his general.
Caesarion – little Caesar – was born in 47 BC.
Cleopatra had Arsinoe – her sister – killed in 41 BC.
Julius Caesar was assassinated on 15th March 44 BC – the Ides of March. By this time Marc Antony had risen to be second in command of the Roman Empire.
Marc Antony committed suicide in 30 BC, along with Cleopatra.
The Roman Period
Roman rule of Egypt started in 30 BC and finished with the division of the Roman Empire in 395 AD.
Also from this Author
You have been reading the fifth in the series of:
The Egyptian Adventures of Kathryn Black
The books in order are:
The Luxor Curse
Death in Luxor
Luxor Lost and Found
Gold of the Ancients
Ankhtifi’s Papyrus
and, coming in 2018,
Sekhmet’s Anger
The first three books form the Warlock Trilogy.
All are available worldwide from Amazon
in paperback and for Kindle.
Visit the Kathryn Black website:
www.KathrynBlack.co.uk
This book is written totally from the imagination of the author, and any resemblance to any person living, dead or very dead
is a total coincidence. Real places and names, where used, are also used fictitiously and are intended to add to your enjoyment of the story and nothing more.
Ankhtifi's Papyrus Page 21
