Neith looked her father in the eyes as he reached for her hands. He shakily took them and clasped them in his wrinkled hands. "My princess," he croaked. Neith showed no emotion.
"Yes?" She asked.
"You will learn to rule. It will take time but-" The dying king's body shook with nasty, body-heaving coughs. Neith shuffled closer uncomfortably, wiggling her rear to get her dress to go back down as she was pulled forward by her father's cough.
"But I know you will be a good queen. One day." He said, rubbing his thumb over her right hand. She nodded. She noticed her father growing tired. His eyes began to fall heavy. She watched in a neutral expression as her father breathed slower and slower until he was gone. She kissed her father's hand and tucked him in as if she was simply putting him to bed. After a few moments of eerie quiet, she exited the room. She knew the embalming, the burial, and the afterlife ceremony wouldn't be for a while, but Neith was already exhausted.
Neith sighed heavily and looked at the girl that was waiting for her. "Your majesty..my condolences." She whispered. Neith pursed her lips.
"Thank you." She said plainly. She detested her servent her father had assigned, Anat was bothersome and mousy. Every time Neith yelled at her, the girl just bowed her head with her hands at her side. No fighting back, no angry tears as the princess tore into her like a starving wolf at a freshly killed carcass. Nothing. Neith hated it. Anat was weak, Neith was not. The princess would get her to break some how, she just had to figure out how to do it.
The princess turned away from her, walking away. She waved her hand. "Come. We must prepare for the embalming. We have a ceremony to plan." She said harshly. She turned to Anat, her voice low, her eyes dangerous.
"My father is not to be wasted a moment longer. He is just as important as all the other pharaohs. His life was just as precious. Do you understand?" She growled. Anat nodded, avoiding Her Majesty's terrifying glare.
"Look at me when I speak to you!" Neith barked, grabbing Anat's face, squeezing her cheeks with her fingers, her nails digging into the flesh of her jawline. Anat stared at her with wide, fearful eyes.
"I-I'm sorry your majesty.." Anat whispered weakly. Neith wrinkled her face in disgust and growled, shoving her face away. Anat grabbed her face, cradling the nail marks on her lower cheeks and jawline.
"You're useless. Not even the vultures would scavenge your body." Neith hissed, stalking off, leaving Anat alone in the palace hallway, a small breeze ruffling her hair and soothing the redness of her small wound.
YOU ARE READING
The Pharaoh and Her Love
Historical Fiction(The cover is a work in progress) King Ur's last two decrees was that his only child, princess Neith was to take on the role of Pharaoh, a role not easily accepted by a woman in 3,000 BC. His second decree was to get Neith a servent, not only to he...
