Shadow of the Sun (The Shadow Saga)

by Merrie P. Wycoff

  “Two of my pathetic attendants,” said Sit-Amun. Her voice was edged with ice. “I expect you to bring their akhs into this world alive.”

  Had she heard that my Meti lost her child? That guarded news couldn’t have reached Sit-Amun’s ears.

  “May I ask how long she has labored?” I pointed to the terrified woman in the corner.

  “No, you may not,” said Sit-Amun with a sneer. “Just deliver the baby and stop your questions.”

  Without a proper evaluation, I was limited in what I could do to help the suffering woman. I ignored Sit-Amun’s order and directed my next question to her. “Have you already gone into labor?”

  Sit-Amun sipped wine and dismissed her other handmaidens by ordering them to fetch her bags from the barge. Her wild fierce eyes made my heart race. I couldn’t let her see the power she used to have over me but I was not as weak as I had been in the past. Her golden necklace dedicated to Amun glittered in the candlelight. I shivered.

  “Yes, I shall deliver quite soon,” she said with certain smugness.

  How odd. Sit-Amun didn’t have the appearance of someone anticipating the delivery of her first child. Her nerves must be made of bronze.

  “A woman of your importance deserves a court physician. I am not worthy enough to bring forth a child of Amun,” I said, trying to excuse myself from this perilous task as I relit the lotus, eucalyptus and mandragore oils.

  “No,” replied Sit-Amun, a bit too brusque. “I command you to attend us.”

  I looked from one girl to the other, wondering which to assist first. My shoulders hunched and my hands sweated. I kneeled before the very young woman in the corner, whose velvety brown skin glistened with perspiration.

  She had delicate features with angled cheekbones, and her breathing raced alongside her fear.

  “I am here to help you. You must not tense up. It will only make your pain worse.”

  She rubbed her amulet and said her prayers to Amun. “Help me,” she pleaded and clutched her belly. I examined her.

  “It is time to assume the birthing position upon the bricks. Drop down like this.” Why wasn’t she relegated to a plain room down the hall? Surely her Mistress would prefer privacy and not east her first child in the presence of a lowly attendant. The head crowned. After the next expansion I ordered her to push. “A boy,” I announced, “but it is malformed.” The tiny mass in my hands whimpered, too weak to cry. I studied his shriveled limbs before it wested.

  “You stupid little river rat. I demanded a girl. Did you take those herbs?”

  “Yes, Mistress, I took everything you gave me. I swear I never missed a day.”

  “Move out of the way.” Sit-Amun pushed me aside. She leaned over the exhausted and frightened woman, “You sniveling little piece of cow dung. You deceived me. I counted on your obedience. This thing you birthed is worthless.”

  Sit-Amun hurled a black ball of energy at the young woman and knocked her back against the wall. She writhed before shrinking into a charred mass upon the floor. I stood paralyzed, my mouth open. My instincts urged me to hit her with a blue current but then I’d give myself away. Sit-Amun’s magic was too powerful.

  Sit-Amun, The Chief Royal Consort, turned her rage upon the other woman, who broke into panic-stricken tears. “Did you let me down, too? I will not have two disappointments today.” Her face contorted into cataclysmic rage. She raced across the room and pushed the expectant mother against the wall, choking her with one large, strong hand. Before I could do anything to stop her, Sit-Amun reached into the young woman’s abdomen. The pink flesh ripped apart and blood squirted into hot pools.

  The dying woman flailed and Sit-Amun pulled that baby right out of her body. “Another male.” Sit-Amun gave a snort of disgust and flung the squirming infant to the floor. She released the now-dead woman, who like her fellow attendant, collapsed into a bloody pile. “Liars, all of them. I should not have trusted them.”

  I watched helplessly as the tiny light faded in the newborn baby on the floor. The urge rose up in me to use my own powers to fight Sit-Amun.

  But I was stopped by the question of whether or not my powers were strong enough. If not, Sit-Amun would kill me. Would any good come from my death? No. I didn’t know what but there was more for me to do in this life. I needed to live. If I could just escape into the dark night, I could mix with the rabble rousers in the courtyard. She’d never find me.

  I eased toward the curtain.

  “Where do you think you are going?” Sit-Amun demanded.

  “My work is through. I shall summon another midwife to help you deliver your child.” I was sickened by the horrendous carnage in the small room, my mouth dry, my stomach sour.

  “There will be no child, you doddering little monkey.” Sit-Amun then ripped off her sheath to expose a padded pillow strapped about her waist.

  “All my plans are now rubbish. A first-born female heir to extend my line could have changed everything, but I was cursed with males.”

  “You are not pregnant?”

  “No. I am not that fortunate.” Her wild eyes blazed like torch lights.

  “You are blessed with the beauty of a thousand deities. You can choose any consort you wish.” I tried to reason with her, hoping she would return to her senses.

  At that moment a female voice called out to me from behind the curtain. “Merit-Aten, are you busy? May I offer assistance here? Other patients need your services.”

  Sit-Amun blanched and clenched her fists. Her wrath exploded. “Go away!” she screamed. “The midwife is tending to me and I have paid dear for privacy. Do not disturb us or I shall bring down the rage of Sekhmet upon you.”

  “Yes, Mistress.” The attendant’s tone indicated that she was startled and a little frightened. Her footsteps hurried away.

  Sit-Amun turned on me. “I thought I recognized you. You disappointed me by breaking your oath to get Mery-Ptah released, even though you got your cat. And now my love wested because of you!”

  “You did not reveal that my cat would be a ghost and hurt the Sesh. Nor did you mention that my fingernails would ache every time I held that moonstone. I uncovered your little plot to enchant me with magic. I am not the cowering child I once was.”

  “You still snivel in the same way. I have to admit, I am surprised you are alive still. I thought for sure my cobra would get at least one in your family,” she said.

  “I cannot, no, will not be of service to you. Be on your way, and I will not reveal these atrocious murders to anyone.” I marched to the curtain.

  “You will never see the light of Aten,” she said with a superior tone.

  “This time I shall carry out my promise to take away the thing your father loves most.”

  This could not be the end that Pentu had seen in the Soul Reflection Ritual. I refused to die by the hands of this wicked Amun sorceress.

  “Why did you murder your attendants’ children? If it was a child you wanted, why not raise one through the orphanage?”

  “I am surprised they think you could ever be a Per Aat. It is not just any child. No, I had an impeccable plan to crush your heretical Aten rule and return Amun to power. Do you recall the legend of Tuthmosis IV and his lesser wife Mut-em-wia, who had a divine conception with Amun?

  “Every school child knows about Mut-em-wia and her union with the deity Amun-Ra. That night she conceived the Holy Pharaoh of our lineage, my Grand Djed Amunhotep .”

  “Precisely, and I too, Sit-Amun, Royal Consort and the Mistress of the Two Lands, would pretend to have conceived a Divine Child of Amun. This child was to be the Deity incarnate and to reunite the Two Crowns of Khemit under Amun. When I took back the throne I could overturn Mery-Ptah’s deportment and restore his power as my consort and new Pharaoh. But these two male children were inferior. I was deceived. Someone will pay,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Why do you not simply bear your own?”

  She pointed a large finger at me. “You have no idea what my br
other did to me?”

  “I swear I know nothing.”

  “It is time you learned the cruelties of the ruling class. When I was a newborn, my older brother Amunhotep desired to rule with such ferocity that he concocted a plan. Knowing he could only come to power through a female from our lineage, he had the Amun Officials perform The Choosing Ceremony with me. I became his consort before I was even weaned.”

  I bristled at this story about Grand Djed. “It pains my heart that you had no choice, Sit- Amun. I understand how this must have grieved you.”

  “You think you understand? You little hedgehog, you have no idea what they did to me. So do not pretend to show me pity for the Choosing. What they did was far more savage and unforgivable. The mockery is that they made me the Royal Consort of Amunhotep The Magnificent.”

  Sit-Amun ripped her sheath to shreds and pulled the last stitch from her body.

  Horrified, I gawked at the penis between her legs. “You are a boy?

  How can this be?”

  “Mutemwia, my true mother wested shortly after my birth, so my older brother had me castrated. I was nothing more than a charade for him to prance out at festivals and on ritual days. Through no fault of my own, I am unable to produce an akh, yet I am chastised for being barren.

  While Ti-Yee raised me as her eldest daughter, Ti-Yee, Nefertiti and others humiliated me in front of my Sesh, while what little power I had was relegated to my younger brother, Akhenaten, Pharaoh of the Sun, when my consort announced your father as new co-regent.

  “I have lived my life in the shadow of the sun. That cursed orb has dispelled the darkness in which I thrive. By destroying the Amunites, your family has destroyed the only ones who truly cared about me.”

  “We did not know,” I cried out. “I swear to you. How can we bring you into the redemptive light of the Aten? Come join us and renew yourself. There will be no judgment of your past. Your future is all that is ahead now, and it can be bright. We shall make a place in the living light for you.”

  “Not if I kill you as retribution for Mery-Ptah. Then I promise to kill every female child in this Per Akh tonight. And I will castrate the males,” she said. Her lip curled. “But you, it will be a pleasure to drink your blood for the Heka Teckannu and consume your pineal gland as a treat.”

  She pulled back her hand to throw another black ball of energy at me.

  I couldn’t breathe, my heart pounded. I sprinted toward the curtain.

  “Guard!” shrieked Sit-Amun.

  A soldier ripped open the curtain withdrew his sword and blocked my path.

  “Seize her!” Sit-Amun pointed at me.

  Instead, the guard, who looked strangely familiar, first looked at

  Sit-Amun then back at me. “Your Majesty.” He gave a slight bow to me then directed the sword at Sit-Amun. “You saved my family when the Amunites tried to murder my mother and rob my father for tithes. I am in your service for eternity.” He bowed again. “You may pass. I shall keep Lady Sit-Amun here until you are safely away. Peace be with you.” He pressed the blade to Sit-Amun’s throat. I looked into his eyes and I knew that if death was to be his punishment for his insubordination, he would calmly accept it—like a soldier.

  “Thank you, may the Aten offer you a thousand blessings.” I touched his shoulder, then without a backward glance at Sit-Amun, I fled the Per-Akh into the inebriated crowd of celebrators at the Hathor Festival. As I wound my way through the throng, I stumbled against a man who turned to me.

  Archollos! Relief flooded through me with such force that my knees almost buckled. He grabbed my arm. “Merit-Aten, join us. Do not run off.” I saw behind him Sarawat and Smenkhkare. I clutched at Archollos.

  “Someone is after me!”

  Sarawat reeled around. “You must have had too many red beers,” she sneered. “No one wants you. And, you do not need us; you never have.” She honked so loud she drew attention.

  “That is not true.” I reached toward Sarawat. “I have always needed you. You are the dearest friends I will ever have. I am sorry if offended you. I must go. You cannot be seen with me or you could get hurt.”

  “By who?” mocked Sarawat.

  “Sit-Amun killed two mothers and their children. Now, she is after me.” My ragged breathing and high voice startled them. I jerked my head to glance back. An irate figure stomped through the crowd, so furious that the revelers parted before her. “Someone must alert General Horemheb.

  Go. Save yourselves!”

  Archollos embraced me. “Merit-Aten, wait. You saved me from the line of slaves. I will find the General.”

  “She saved you?” asked Sarawat.

  “She saved me too,” said Smenkhkare, touching my hair. “When the Amun priest forced me to be a golden boy.”

  “That was you?” I asked.

  “How can we help?” asked Smenkhkare.

  “Protect the babies at the Per Akh. Especially Rennutet’s. Now go!”

  “Here, Sarawat, take Merit’s headdress and run in that direction to confuse Sit-Amun,” ordered Archollos. “I will go with you to fight.”

  “No, remember our pledge to the Aten. We cannot fight for peace. Besides, this is between Sit-Amun and me. Now, go! She is coming!”

  Sit-Amun locked eyes on Sarawat and took a few steps toward her. I watched, pleased that our ruse had worked. Then she stopped, sniffed the air, and turned back in my direction. I had to escape. The darkness enveloped me. Which way should I go? I closed my eyes. The birth house was back to the south. If I went North-West, I could hide near the animal cages. No one went there at night.

  The unlit stony path was difficult to traverse. Once again, Sit-Amun had transformed me into the cowering child who in my youth spilt ink upon her. Then my rage unfurled. That murderess! My feet scorched. Ego. I had cast judgment upon another.

  “Where are you? You wretched little brown hare, I can smell you. I shall send my watchers to find you.” Sit-Amun shouted her threats into the black void of the night.

  This time, I too had skills. The light in my crown and the Cosmic brilliance apparent only to my eyes illuminated my way. The smell of fresh dung spiced the air and I could see something pacing ahead. The Lion.

  It had to be the one I saw earlier. Its scent would make me undetectable. If I could just hide here until morning, I would be safe. Approaching the cage in a mindful way, I spoke to the animal’s heart.

  Please, I come in peace. Will you help me? I thought.

  The mighty beast plopped down, tongue out, and panted. Come closer, he thought. I obeyed, but only when our hearts and minds made the connection did I pull back the latch to open the cage.

  Nothing shielded me from the golden feline with the glowing eyes. He approached with caution and sniffed me. His hot breath stung my face. I waited for him to invite me into his territory. With no muzzle or leash upon him, he could kill me with a single blow.

  Suddenly, he leapt. Foolish me. My sheath was splattered in blood, no doubt offering the lion a tempting scent. I braced myself for the worst. Better the lion kill me than Sit-Amun. But rather than harm me, the lion stood on his back legs and embraced me with his front legs, his paws around my neck. I sagged against him, my heart pounding, then scratched his neck.

  “Lovely kitty. Good kitty.”

  “There is no hiding from me,” hollered Sit-Amun. “I swear I will track you down.”

  The vile desecrator got closer. How could she know? My heart raced.