The Forgotten: Aten's Last Queen (18 page)

“Go back to sleep, Meket. You’ll need your strength when baby comes,” I said in a voice that was in the midst of singing. I hummed a song from our childhood as I wiped away the heat from her body.

“An, that feels so good, I don’t want to sleep. I’ll sleep when it hurts again,” she said weakly.

“Has the baby been kicking today?”

“Not this morning. He was last night though. It must be a boy, and he feels so big.”

“I’m sure he will come soon.”

“What is that perfume you are wearing today, An? Lilies?”

“I’m not wearing perfume. You must have left one of your bottles uncorked.” I smiled down at her, but she was staring at the ceiling. There was a confused look on her face.

“Thank you for coming, An.”

“Well, anything for my favorite sister.”

Once again, there was silence from Meketaten as I rubbed her feet and lower legs to help work out some of the swelling. She didn’t move. I thought she might have fallen back asleep. I continued to sing as I rewet the towel. My voice was nothing special, but it gave me a rhythm for massaging. It also helped to calm my fears. I was always distressed when looking at what my sister had been forced to become. There was no happiness here. There was just pain and despair. Was this truly the life of a queen?

“An, is what Pharaoh doing right?” she asked in a wispy voice.

“What do you mean?”

Meketaten took in a deep breath. It sounded difficult. “How can there only be one god? The world is so diverse. There are so many things. Animals, trees, water, wind, our people… how can there only be one god for all of that?”

“That’s a question for Father. He has lots of answers.”

“He gets mad when I ask him. What do you think?”

As I took in a slow breath, I felt as if the world had stopped for that moment waiting for my answer. Nothing else around me wanted to break my silent thoughts as they spun webs within me. “Well, I guess, if you think about it, everything is connected. There is water that can be used for so much. It keeps us clean. The fish we eat dwell in it. It helps the trees grow. The trees shade us from the heat and give us fruits to eat. The winds let us travel the waters so we can trade and find new foods and drink. I guess…” I took in another breath and let it out, “…I guess what I’m thinking is that one element complements the other. Maybe it’s not so much about how many things there are but how they work together.”

Meketaten was quiet. Her breathing rattled as a child’s toy might. “I like that. Maybe you did pay attention in our classes.”

“I should probably get going to the market. Beat the crowds to the best pomegranate stands.”

Her breath rattled louder, “Why? The gods are all here. Ask them for the fruits. I bet theirs taste better.”

I thought she was joking. “Are you testing me
again
? I’m not missing much by not going to school anymore! We’ve discussed this. I’m here for you. I do not want to start naming off our ancient gods.”

Meket raised her chin to the ceiling. “Look up there, I can see Nut. She’s smiling at me. She’d wave if she could, but then she’d disrupt one of the pillars.”

“Meket, what are you talking about?”

“The pillars? The ones holding up the sky, silly. See there?” Her voice sounded far away as she pointed with her left finger. “She’s right there. She’s telling me it’s going to be okay.”

“No, I don’t see.”

Just then my sister’s eyes rolled up into her head.

Her breath stopped. And my heart stopped…

I screamed as loud as I could for help, but the worst was yet to come. Her body started to move. It started with one arm, then the other, then her legs. Harder, faster, her whole body began to jerk. Her arms and legs thrashed around. My heart beat just as furiously, ever rising. I attempted to stop her so she would not fall off the bed. I fell atop her chest and lay my cheek against hers. Her head batted against mine like a rock. Her limbs assaulted me as I tried to hold her down. I could feel my skin being cut and bruised as her body moved in a violent dance. When I could get a look down at her, I could see her skin turning blue. I could not hear her breathing anymore.

Arms surrounded me and pulled me away. Nurses came in and held down her arms and legs. It was Tia who had me in her arms. I recognized her musky scent. She was trying to calm me, but my heart… it would not slow down. I could hear nothing but the rushing sound of waves in my ears. Tia’s lips moved, but nothing penetrated my fear. I jerked out of her grasp and fixed my eyes back on my sister caught up in her horrific throes.

I was crying and did not know when I had started. Or was it my blood running down my cheek from Meketaten’s surges? I did not care.

Meketaten’s limbs started to calm themselves. Her movements turned into twitches. As she slowed, I could see that there were feces and urine on the bed, and she was bleeding from her mouth.

I too started to shake. It was an emotion from my body instead of my heart, and I couldn’t control it. Her face was blue, just like my brother’s had been, but she couldn’t… I feared the thought… could she be dead? We were just talking.

It was then that my world went dark. I heard nothing…

Nothing remained.

*****

When I awoke, I felt weak and dizzy. Slowly I sat up and realized I was in a room that was vaguely familiar. Looking around, I saw Tutankhaten sitting in the corner staring at me with concern. I opened my mouth to say something, but his nurse Maia walked in.

“I’m glad to see that you are awake,” she said, sitting down next to me. “How do you feel?”

“How is Meket?” I asked quickly, escaping my grogginess.

Maia put her hand on my shoulder. Her fingers were like ribbons of warmth. “She is resting. The doctor’s apprentice will stay with her all day and night in case
it
happens again.”

I swallowed down the tribulation trying to escape me. “I saw blood on her lips.” My bottom lip began to tremble. My body shivered.

“She bit her tongue. It is a deep cut, but the doctor has sewn it up.”

“Then how will she eat? The baby needs food.”

“She will deliver soon. The doctor says that the baby has moved. It is ready to come. For now, she will drink.” Maia put her arm around me, “Tia is helping with Meketaten. We brought you here so we would not have to carry you down the stairs. There were many cuts to wash. Tia was worried that something more serious had afflicted you too. But you are well and will heal.”

“Are we cursed?” I could feel the sorrow rising again against my will. There was bile in my throat. “Why is this happening? She does not deserve this!”

“That is not something I could say.”

“But what do the people say? I command you to tell me the truth!”

Maia looked down at the floor and took her arm back, “Everybody speaks differently, Princess. Some people would say yes. Others would say that it is because Pharaoh who took a daughter who was too young. Nine is the age of a child even if her bloods did come. You know how the people love children.”

“Why doesn’t Aten listen? I pray every day. Why does He not answer my prayers? What else does He want from me? My life? If He asks, I will spill my blood to save her!”

“An! Remove that thought from your head.” Tia emerged in the doorway. She walked over and sat down on my other side. “This is the way of things. It is the way of Ma’at. We should not question these things.”

“Why shouldn’t we question? We never question. I think Father is defying Ma’at, and Meket is the one being punished! The gods never left.
They
are still here, but we left them. Maybe one of them could save my sister if Aten refuses to!”

“You cannot speak like this so loud. If your father hears you…”

“I don’t care anymore, Tia! Why does he want a boy so much? What did we ever do wrong? He used to love us!” I got up off the bed and left the bedroom. The light in the adjoining room was so bright. The reflection off the pool coming through the window blinded me for a moment. I turned around, and stars danced before me in the daylight.

“Princess, please rest some more,” Maia said.

“No, Meket needs a charm. Something. Something like she would have bought for our mother. I should have remembered that. I must get her one. It is what she would want.” I started to rush from the room, but Tia stopped me at the door.

“If you insist on going, let me go with you. It does Meketaten no good if you foolishly rush off and put yourself in the jackal’s den.” I could not argue with her, and I relented. There was no time to waste arguing.

Before leaving the room, I looked back and met Tutankhaten’s eyes. They were drooping, sad. I had caused this by my words. His hurt was my fault. I knew this as I knew the sky was blue. It was so simple a realization but so powerful as well. Suddenly I was disgusted with myself. What had fear and anger brought forth from inside of me? I had left others wounded in my anger’s wake. Why had I cursed Pharaoh for wanting sons especially when his son was sitting in the room with me? I had no idea how to fix this.

Tia gathered a couple of intimidating bodyguards to meet us at the entrance while I put together something to use as payment for the gift for my sister. I tried to push the image of my brother’s eyes from my thoughts, but when I did, Meketaten’s trembling body took over my heart. Tears bathed my face as I walked with Tia and our escorts to the stables.

We took chariots to the marketplace. It was the safest way to travel at the moment. Anyone in the streets could attack walkers. Chariots were much more difficult to stop.

I was glad to see that Amyntas was selling today. His stall quickly cleared as we drew near. Since I had first met him, he had grown tall. His hair was curlier and an even lighter shade of blonde. His skin had tanned into a light brown color instead of the red common among his people from too much exposure to Aten. And his eyes were as luminescent as ever. Muscles began to line his body, though they were not muscles of a soldier. Instead, his were muscles of someone who moved quickly and agilely to create his beautiful pieces of art. He once told me that the tongs he and his father used to remove gold from the heat were made from bronze, and bronze would melt if it was kept in the furnace for too long. A skilled goldsmith had to be quick to get the gold out without melting his tools at the same time and tainting the blend.

Though I visited him often, I had never seen him with these eyes I now looked through. Riding toward him, I felt comforted. I felt as if there was an answer, a way to help, a way to make things right, and his eyes looked at me with joy. Here was something good in my life. Here was someone tall and beautiful and happy that I was near. Everything about him was genuine.

As we drew closer, I felt as if things could not move fast enough. Everything about me was too slow. My body was moving at a much more rapid pace than the world, and it needed to catch up. It was infuriating me that I was helpless to change it. But maybe this small thing I sought could appease the gods. Maybe they would finally come to my aid and heal my sister. My love did not seem to be enough.

We had taken two chariots. I quickly stepped down from mine. The drivers stopped them behind me. Then the guards took up positions on either side. Tia stood beside me but at enough of a distance to give me some privacy.

I walked over to him with urgency driving my feet. “Amyntas, I need something. My sister is sick with child. Please, do you have anything to get rid of the demons?”

Amyntas’ face grew worried. He leaned toward me and quietly said, “An, you know my people do not believe in magic spells or tokens.”

I tried not to let the frustration show on my face, but my voice was stained with it. “This is not about you.
She
believes! Anything you have to give her strength. Please! You are the best goldsmith I know of. She needs something tangible to hold on to.”

He nodded his head and looked around his table. Then he crouched down and began fidgeting in a basket. When he came back up, he was holding a beautiful gold necklace. It seemed on fire in the daylight. It was made from a multitude of interlaced gold hoops. Each hoop was made from the thinnest layer of gold that circled around one another. There were also lapis beads decorating every other hoop. It was the most stunning necklace I had seen.

“I made this for the most beautiful princess in Kemet, but I hope your sister will be able to use it well. May it bring her luck.”

“Oh, Merytaten does not like necklaces. She says they weigh down her head and get caught in her hair.”

“Why would I be talking about Merytaten?”

I looked up. His eyes were a deeper green than I had ever seen. Was it the light or the realization I had just come to? I felt absorbed by them and did not want to leave their depths. My heart fluttered in my chest, and I felt stupid for not seeing it sooner.

“I promise to craft something even better the next time you come to visit,” he continued.

My face flushed, and he laughed. The guards gave him a sour look, but they did not move. They were not my usual retinue who came with me to the market and who were accustomed to our shared laughter.

“I always seem to do that to you,” he said brightly. I smiled back. I did seem to flush more when he looked at me. I could not find the words as easily as he had to describe it.

Tia finally broke my thoughts. “Come, An, we must get back to the palace. We are lingering too long.”

I looked around. People were staring at us. They looked at me as if I was a piece of rotted meat.

“I hope I am not causing trouble for you by coming here.”

He also looked around. “Nah, my father will get them all a round tonight at the ale house. They’ll quickly forget.”

I handed him a basket full of whatever I could find in a hurry. It included gold pieces that had broken, bread, and a liter of wine. I did not know if it would cover such a lavish piece of jewelry, but he took it without worrying about the weight. He knew better than to argue with me.

I smiled, a flush still playing on my cheeks. “Thank you. Please pray for her.”

“I will.” He bowed to me then, straight from the waist with his hands behind his back, his usual goodbye. I took my cue and left. The guards stayed at my side as we stepped up onto the chariot.