The Feast of The Tail Ch. 03

The oars beat the water rhythmically as the barge crossed swiftly from their palace Per-Hay, the House of Rejoicing, on the west bank to the Thebes on the east bank where Luxor lay nestled within it like a perfect white pearl.

The temples and buildings that came into view were covered with streamers of every colour, music rang out from the streets, there were cymbals, sistrums and bells jingling, along with a parade of dancing girls followed by drummers.

There were delicious smells wafting over to the boat, filling Iset with anticipation. Despite the fact that she had extravagant meals cooked for her in the palace everyday, there was something charming about being able to carouse with the people of Khemi, to eat what they ate, to immerse herself with the sights, sounds and experiences of normal life. To her, it was exotic. Something different. Something fresh.

Iset got up and walked to the edge of the boat to stand beside Djhutmose to get a closer look.

On the roads leading to the temple there were street vendors selling barbecued skewers of meat, sweet wines, honey cakes, flatbreads and dates.

It seemed that all the people of Egypt had flooded into the capital, the streets were full, laughter and delight filled the air. Whether rich or poor men and women poured into the temple wearing their best clothes to try to catch a glimpse of the Gods and Goddesses that would soon step out of the water.

"Look, we're nearly there." she said. "There's a bigger crowd than I expected."

The rest of the family rose up to join her. Sitamun stood beside Iset, leaning over the edge to take in the view. Great pillars of white stone in the harbour looked as though they were rising out of the water like lily stems, even from here they could see the painted petals of lotus flowers circling the base of each column.

"Enjoy today Sita..." Iset breathed to her sister, "today is for you as well as Pharaoh. A bride should enjoy her wedding day. Don't forget to stop and enjoy it."

"Thank you."

Waset was buzzing with life. Music was being played and women with streamers in their hair sang on a cobbled square while dogs barked and played around fat, happy children.

The people cheered as they saw the arrival of the barge and ran to the shore, to be as close to their rulers as they could reach, leaning over one another, and craning their necks to admire the sight of the spectacular clothes and shining jewels of the party.

The royal family began to wave absentmindedly towards the crowd.

Some people lost their heads and ran right into the water to get a better view. Staggering through the reeds and soaking their clothes. In the crowd a few voices called out.

"My lady, my goddess, Iset! Let your beautiful eyes rest upon me! Bless me with your gaze, sweet lady!"

Iset smirked.

"Great Queen, beautiful lady! Beautiful lady! Have I died? To see you is to be in heaven!" called out a swarthy man, his hand over his heart as he sank to his knees.

"Lady Iset, marry me!" called out a foolish young fisherman, forgetting himself as he strode into the water, nearly tripping over his own net.

"No, sweet Lady, marry me!" called out a besotted older man in a hand held carriage by the harbour borne by servants who were straining under his weight. "I am no one, although I have wealth and land, because you are not in my life, I am no one! I would give all that I am to you, Lady of Beauty! Dazzling lotus!"

Iset laughed and smiled and waved at them all.

"Men are so foolish." tutted Queen Tiye, shaking her regal head, the golden wings of her headdress glinting as she did so.

"Lady Sitamun! Princess! Oh beautiful one! Bless me, I have understood divinity since seeing you, turn your head towards my own, oh sweet princess!" Sitamun smiled a little and turned her head towards the voice that called out from the shore.

"Remember my advice girls, many men will whisper honeyed words to you today and many days from now, don't let them fool you, for the Gods' sake. You are the ones who hold all the power, choose wisely to whom you bestow that power. You are of Hatshepsut's dynasty, greatness runs in your veins, and our dynasty is the greatest Egypt has ever seen." she was careful to direct her words to her youngest daughters, the most naive and romantic. They would not be far out of her sight today.

The oarsmen began to slow the boat to bring the barge in gently.

"I dreamt of you last night, Djhuti. We stood among the Gods." Iset suddenly whispered to the Crown Prince. "Tonight after the festival, may I come to your chamber? I must tell you what happened."

"Of course." He nodded solemnly, mentally making cancellations of his plans to take a Mitanni concubine back to his bed. Dreams of the Gods were a serious matter. "I will wait for you. Wake me if I am sleeping."

Henuttaneb and Nebetah were quaking with excitement, the younger daughters were accustomed to attending such events, but they had never had real responsibility placed upon their shoulders.

"Henu, has my kohl smudged?"

"No, Nebet, it looks fine. You are lovelier than ever!"

"Henu, are you nervous?"

"No." she lied.

"I might be a little nervous." she giggled, "but excited."

"Don't be nervous." whispered Iset to her younger sisters, winking. "You are ladies of the eighteenth dynasty." she said, mimicking her mother's voice making the girls laugh.

Tiye missed nothing, but merely rolled her eyes.

They grew up so fast, the Queen thought to herself.

An offer of marriage was very likely to be made tonight by a Mitanni, Babylonian or Hittite prince to one of her daughters and she would have to navigate the offers very carefully. It was not her desire to send her children away, since she knew that all foreign princes were beneath her. Even if a prince came from a rich and powerful kingdom he was still not truly considered royalty to an Egyptian, since he would not have the blood of Amun-Ra running through their veins, but despite this she also did not want to offend any of her allies by denying a match. While it was true that Egypt was the most powerful of all the kingdoms, with the most wealth, Queen Tiye still valued having friends in foreign lands.

From time immemorial no daughter of the king of Egypt is given to any foreign country, nor will they be under *my* rule. Queen Tiye thought to herself.

It was important to keep royal blood pure. Why dilute the blood of the Gods?

There was a saying in Egypt that stated that the most suitable wife for a Pharaoh of Egypt was the daughter of a Pharaoh of Egypt.

The purity of the royal line was preserved by marrying a woman who was sister, daughter and wife of a King, and the children of such a match would always have the strongest claim to the throne.

Queen Tiye was a shrewd woman and she already had many plans for the future. She intended only for her children to sit on the throne, her own son and her own daughter, together. Since Sitamun was to be married to Pharaoh one of her other daughters ought to be set aside to be married to one of her sons to solidify his claim to the throne, and Iset was the obvious choice in marriage to Djutmose since they were constant companions and respected each other as equals. Iset would be a challenge for any husband, it was of utmost importance that she was matched with a man she regarded highly.

For Amenhotep however, a match would be welcome for political friendship. Tiye weighed the possibilities on the scales. A Hittite or Mitanni woman could easily be brought onto Egyptian soil, although Tiye would have to ensure that they would be nothing more than a secondary wife.

If a foreign princess was married to prince Amenhotep a political alliance could be made or strengthened, but if Hotep succeeded his father as Pharaoh because something happened to his brother Djhutmose then this would mean that one of her daughters would not sit beside Pharaoh if he made a foreign woman his primary wife. This could be dealt with, if he was made to understand that such an arrangement was inadvisable.

He could take as many foreign women as he wanted as concubines and secondary wives. There would always be a chance that children from concubines could one day sit on the throne if he had no sons from his primary wife, and perhaps married to one of his daughters to strengthen the bloodline, but all that planning would only be necessary if his brother did not become Pharaoh.

While Djutmose was the crown prince, his succession was not guaranteed. Even if he was named as co-regent and his position as future Pharaoh was strengthened, accidents had to be taken into consideration.

It was painful to think about, but the Queen had to be prepared. If Iset was promised to Djhutmose then Hennutaneb was the next best candidate of marriage to her other brother, but it would be normal for a Pharaoh to have minor wives, and of course if her daughters bore no sons then a son of a foreign princess could become Pharaoh and be married to her granddaughter.

There was also love. Tiye was born a commoner and had married Pharaoh because he was too powerful to care. He had no need of a political match, he had the power to choose love. Shouldn't she allow as much to her own children? A parent naturally wants the same standard of living for their children as they had themselves, if not better. Tiye wanted better. Only the best. But who would they choose if they could marry for love? There was much to think about. She would have to discuss things with her children, perhaps they had not yet thought of the future, but the time had come.

They passed the two guardian statues of Amun who stood side by side at the narrow entrance to the T shaped harbour, as the oarsmen steered the barge into the thin strip of water lined by rows of palms they caused a trio of flamingo to spread pink wings and take flight. They slowed the boat and skimmed the cool blue water with their oars as they floated into the harbour of the temple, which opened out into a rectangular lake filled with lilypads.

They all stared up at the Temple of Karnak, two great square arches of white stone stood side by side covered in heiroglyphs and coloured images of the Gods towering high above four levels of stone stairways.

"My Queen, your Royal highnesses, we have arrived at the City of the Living." announced the captain, bowing his head.

Immediately, in perfect sync with the captain's announcement, the plank was lowered by the boat boys in preparation for the royal family to descend.