“I will go first, my queen.”
“No, I will go.” I glided down the stairs quickly and heard the shocked voices of the priests. I walked amongst them, looking each in the eye. Maya stood watching, a blade in his hand. A child cowered at his feet. It was as I had heard, then. They were sacrificing children here.
“You will put down that knife and leave that child alone, Maya!”
He was so angry at my intrusion that he appeared ready to spit on me or stab me, perhaps both. I did not cower. “You think to interrupt the god’s worship? You do not command me, Desert Queen! You have no authority here! Get out now and leave with your life, if you value it!”
“You have distorted the worship of Amun! This is not the true worship! No god of Egypt has ever asked for the life of a child, yet you kill them with your own hands.”
“These children were given to the god, and we use them as we see fit. Now leave, or I won’t tell you again.”
I reached for the half-naked little boy. He had a fearful look on his dirty, pinched face.
“Come to me, little one!” I said as the priest approached me. The other priests stepped toward me too, but my guards were ready to shove their spears into anyone who withstood me. The boy clung to my leg, and the other children ran to me. There must have been at least thirty here in this dank, dirty cellar. The massive stone bowl in the center was on fire, but I could see that none had been burned yet today. Such hopelessness in the faces of the children. I wanted to pick them all up. Instead, I clapped my left hand over my own stomach and took the child by the hand with my right.
The priest grinned at me threateningly and stared at my belly. “Try it,” I said to him in a venomous whisper.
“Please, if my queen fancies a few children, take them. There will be more tomorrow. You cannot stop the worship, my queen.”
“Hear me now, priests.” I spun in a circle. “I claim all these children for the Aten. They belong to him now! These and those that come after them!” The priests hissed at me, but I continued, “These are the Children of the Aten! You will cease your unholy worship this day. No more will you spill the blood of a child here. My guards will be here every day to make sure that you obey my command.”
“You cannot do this,” Maya screamed at me, his anger reaching a dangerous level.
“I can, and I have.”
“I curse you, Queen Nefertiti. You will never carry that child to term. He will die in his mother’s womb, drowning in his own blood!” I gasped and raised my arm, as if I could protect myself from his curse with it.
I heard a shout from behind me. “Not before I kill you!”
Amenhotep!
His words echoed through the smelly room like a saving wind. I turned to him as a smile spread across my face. “My husband and Pharaoh, I have claimed these children for the Aten. Let them come serve the true god of light and love. I cannot sit idly by while these innocents give their lives for these greedy priests.”
“And so it shall be done. All children given to Amun are now property of the Aten. They are indeed Children of the Aten. Is there anyone who would argue with me?”
No one spoke a word against him, although it seemed like he hoped they would. Only Maya continued to look unafraid; he challenged him still.
“And for what you have said to my wife, the Great Wife of Amenhotep, you shall surely pay. Seize him now!” The guards rushed to do my husband’s bidding, and together we went up the stairs with the children. Many were lame and had to have help walking. A few priests, those who were intelligent enough to know which way the wind was blowing, decided to help us in our task. In fact, at least five removed their leopard skins right away, happy that someone had stopped the evil practice. They bowed low before us and begged us to allow them to help.
The children were hungry, confused and convinced they were going to die. I held on to the boy and let him cling to my leg without refusing him. Amenhotep gathered me in his arms. “How did you know I was here?” I asked him.
“I am Pharaoh. Do you think I do not know what you do, my love?”
“My love. How I love to hear you say that! Let us take the children to the Aten temple. I have already spoken to the priests there. They have a place prepared for the children. They will treat them with respect and teach them the ways of the Aten. Soon, your whole kingdom will worship him.”
“You never cease to amaze me, my wife.”
The children were carried away, and we walked outdoors to make the journey to our palace. Many people had gathered to clap and cheer for us. They heard what we were doing and were grateful for our help. Parents who had lost their children as debts to the temple received them back. Children who were unwanted or had nowhere to go were invited to stay at the Aten’s temple. It was a truly revolutionary day.
“You did not hear me, did you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You are now the Great Wife. My only wife and my love.”
I could hardly believe what I was hearing. “I thought the Hittites, the trials, what about…”
“You let me worry about those things. You just keep doing what you are doing. All will be well. Harwa and my mother have told me everything. You have done well, Nefertiti. You are Egypt’s true queen, but the time for celebration must wait.” His face changed completely.
I could see the subject pained him, but I asked anyway. “What has happened, my love? What worries you so?”
“You have heard, I am sure. Ramose has been found with my sister. He will be burned this morning in the Golden Bull—the one in the temple courtyard here—and there is nothing I can do. It is the law. In fact, I go there now. I do not expect that you should have to see this. Go home, and I will meet you there.”
“No,” I said. “My place is at your side. I must be there for Sitamen too.”
“You should know that I have forbidden her to speak to me. And when the burning is complete, she will be banished from here.”
“No, Amenhotep! Say it is not true. She is your sister!”
“It is the law, Nefertiti. There is nothing I can do.”
“Yes, there is. Just like we stopped the sacrifice, we can do this too.”
Then I saw the truth. Amenhotep did not want to save Ramose or Sitamen. It surprised me, and for the first time I saw my husband in a new light. He was not perfect as I imagined but flawed, jealous and easy to provoke in areas of loyalty and respect.
“But she has adopted his son. I had hoped to send him away too, but my mother interceded on his behalf. That should please you since you love children so,” he said, looking at me steadily. We stepped out of the dark rooms and climbed up yet another level to the auditorium that overlooked the Golden Bull. The fire under it had been built. Occasionally, a priest would toss a living thing, like a rabbit or a snake, into the fire to test the heat. Whatever they consigned to the flames died quickly. I hoped it would be the same for Ramose. He had not been my friend, but he had brought the Meshwesh home to Zerzura. And Ayn had loved him. Ayn! I am so glad you cannot see this! The place began to fill up with witnesses called to see justice done.
Queen Tiye stood by her daughter, Sitamen. The girl looked sick, as if at any minute she would throw up on her mother, but Tiye did not leave her side. I could see the worry in the old queen’s face.
Others came too. I saw members of the court, including the scribes, Memre, Huya, and so many familiar faces. Even Tadukhipa made an appearance. She wore all her elegance, which seemed out of place since she was about to witness the death of her friend Inhapi’s husband. It did not appear to matter to her.
Surprisingly there was not much pomp in the proceedings. Ramose was brought out, and Sitamen’s cries grew louder and more pitiful. She called his name. He looked up at her and smiled as if to say, “All is well.”
Standing so close to Pharaoh I could see the tears in his eyes as he said, “Ramose, General of Egypt. You have been found guilty of adultery with Sitamen, my sister and wife. Therefore you are
consigned to the flames to burn. But since you have been my friend and a friend to my father, I do not deny you access to the Otherworld. You will be buried in a grave that is befitting your station, and all manner of things will be done to facilitate your journey to my father’s side. While you leave in shame, you will arrive in peace. Serve him in the Otherworld as you served him here.”
“What of my son, Pharaoh? Please. What of my son?”
Suddenly I spoke up. I had not planned to speak, but I did. “I, Nefertiti, am now the Great Wife of Amenhotep. As my first act, I claim your son as my own, as our own. He will be raised in our household and eat at our table.” Tiye and Amenhotep shot me a look of surprise, but neither said anything. Tadukhipa’s face crumpled, and she steadied herself by putting her hand out to the servant who stood next to her.
“Thank you, Great Queen, Nefertiti. It is more than I deserve.” I nodded at Ramose and ignored Amenhotep’s shocked expression. I watched sadly as the handsome, brave general of Egypt was bound with ropes and stripped of his clothing. He would leave this world as he entered it.
“No! No, Ramose! Please, let me go, Mother! Ramose!” Sitamen pulled and tugged, but Tiye would not let her go. Four large priests stood beside the golden bull. They whispered something to the doomed man and held out a cup, probably offering him a drug to help him cope with the flames. He obediently took a few sips.
“I love you, Sitamen. Forgive me, Pharaoh, but I do, although this is a great sin. I pray that this fire will purge me.”
“Amenhotep,” I whispered in desperation. Even as I said it, I knew I could not stop this—and neither could he. The priests came and picked up Ramose. Without much warning they pitched him into the fire, and he began to writhe and scream. Suddenly, a flock of birds flew over the fiery bowl, circling it as if they were there to witness the death of the brave man. Ramose screamed as the priests stoked up the fire higher. He would die soon, but the agony he would suffer no one would ever forget.
Sitamen quit her struggling. She seemed transfixed on the birds that swirled above Ramose. They were unusual birds, blue birds, and not the kind that normally liked to scavenge a burning body—or any body for that matter. As her attendants pointed at the unusual sight, one of them let loose of her hand. I saw her face. I knew what she would do, but before I could speak, Sitamen ran with all her might and leaped over the side of the railing, her arms outstretched as if she too could fly. Instead she tumbled into the fiery pit below. She joined Ramose in the fire, and together they screamed until they were dead. The guards ran to rescue her, but the heat was so great that no one could have gotten near the pit without losing their own lives.
Then Tiye let out a cry of agony, summoning it up from the depths of her soul. “Sit-a-men! My daughter!” Amenhotep was on his feet reaching for her, but it did not matter.
He raced down the stairs to stop the proceedings but it was too late, they were dead, bound together for all eternity.
Amenhotep cried out and cursed Amun. “I will never serve you, murdering god! Do you hear me? Never!” He stormed out of the temple, and I walked behind him. We would never set foot in another temple of Amun as long as we lived.
The news of the death of Ramose and Sitamen had not yet reached the populace, for they greeted us with joyful cries. Amenhotep pulled the litter closed and wept with all his heart. I sat beside him and held him close. What could I say? Nothing. His misery was complete.
Too soon the litter stopped. We stepped out knowing that we would face the crowd again. While they did not yet know that Ramose was dead, that Sitamen had sacrificed herself for love, they did know that I was now the Queen of Egypt, the Great Wife of Amenhotep.
“Hail, Great Wife!” they cheered to me. Amenhotep put on a smile. He was not happy or in the mood to celebrate, but we could not deny the people their happy moment. Sadness would come soon enough.
“Hail to you, people of Egypt.” One of my servants appeared with bags of coins. Amenhotep directed me to cast the coins to the people, and so I did. I showered gold down upon them, and they cheered me as if I were Isis herself.
As I did, I spotted a face in the crowd, a face I had not expected to see. It was the face of my sister, Pah. I looked again, and she was gone.
Then I heard some words, her words, as if they were whispered in my ear, “Hafa-nu, Mekhma Nefret. Hafa-nu!”
“Hafa-nu!” I cried loudly to the people. They did not hesitate to call back using the Meshwesh blessing. Soon all of the people gathered, most of the people of Thebes, were speaking the words of the Red Lands, “Hafa-nu!”
Amenhotep stood beside me and whispered in my ear, “You have done what I asked. The people love you, Nefertiti. This is truly your kingdom—and I am your slave.”
I kissed him. I probably should not have done so, not after all we had seen that morning, all the heartache that was still to come, but I kissed him. The crowd cheered again, and I reveled in the moment. Even then I knew there would be few moments like this one.
As baskets of flowers were poured out upon us, we stood together for that glorious moment and let the people celebrate. Whether they realized it or not, we were in a new age, an age of peace and love. Let this morning’s sacrifice be the last. I was more determined than ever to let love reign in Thebes and in all the Red and Black Lands.
I could do it. I could make it happen.
This was my kingdom, and I was finally Nefertiti.
Coming soon, the final chapter of the Desert Queen saga:
The Song of the Bee-Eater
Read more from M.L. Bullock
The Seven Sisters Series
Seven Sisters
Moonlight Falls on Seven Sisters
Shadows Stir at Seven Sisters
The Stars that Fell
The Stars We Walked Upon
The Idlewood Series
The Ghosts of Idlewood
Dreams of Idlewood
The Whispering Saint (forthcoming)
The Haunted Child (forthcoming)
The Heart of Idlewood (forthcoming)
The Desert Queen Series
The Tale of Nefret
The Falcon Rises
The Kingdom of Nefertiti
The Song of the Bee-Eater (forthcoming)
The Sugar Hill Series
Wife of the Left Hand
Fire on the Ramparts (forthcoming)
Blood by Candlelight (forthcoming)
The Starlight Ball (forthcoming)
Athena’s Revenge (forthcoming)
The Sirens Gate Series
The Mermaid’s Gift
The Blood Feud
The Wrath of Minerva
The Lorelei Curse (forthcoming)
The Island Jinx (forthcoming)
The Fortunate Star (forthcoming)
The Southern Gothic Series
Being with Beau
Connect with M.L Bullock on Facebook. To receive updates on her latest releases, visit her website at M.L. Bullock and subscribe to her mailing list.
About the Author
Author of the best-selling Seven Sisters series and the Desert Queen series, M.L. Bullock has been storytelling since she was a child. A student of archaeology, she loves weaving stories that feature her favorite historical characters—including Nefertiti. She currently lives on the Gulf Coast with her family but travels frequently to exotic locations around the globe.
The Kingdom of Nefertiti (The Desert Queen Book 3) Page 15
