Jewel Of The Nile [COMPLETE]

Chaper Thirty-Four

The loud, thunderous boom of the drums outside the palace rang out across the city, marking the beginning of the procession. In the lead were the horses, followed by the viziers, the general and the courtiers, and finally the Royal Family: myself and Tutankhaten on one chariot, and then the Pharaoh and Queen on another one behind us.

As we rode out from the palace and up the small road that lead towards the towering cliffs, our people gathered along either side, cheering and celebrating as we sped past. I glowed with happiness, my cheeks aching from smiling so hard, my hand growing sore from waving so much. Smenkhkre and Ay were worried that we had lost the people's favour? It appeared they were wrong. The citizens of Egypt seemed to love as we rode past. Perhaps it was the fact that we were throwing a large festival which included luxuries they would not usually get, and without a price, but whatever the reason, our people were glad to see us. All the riches in Egypt could not compare with the feeling one gets when people are actually happy to see you.

The wind rushed through my neatly done up hair, messing it up completely. The charioteer refused to slow down; we needed to keep up with those in front of us. The wheels kicked up desert sand as we began to head in the direction of the cliffs, the chosen site for the sacred Sed Festival.

People began to make their way to the cliffs where a lavish banquet was already laid out and were the Thrones of Meritaten and Smenkhkre were, underneath a Royal canopy.

Tutankhaten laughed gleefully above the wind. "This is fun!" he shouted. "We should do this everyday!"

I smiled - more to myself, really - and glanced back to take a look at the Pharaoh's chariot. Smenkhkre was positively beaming as he rode past his people, lapping up their attention like a wild dog from the desert. He had his arms around my sister's waist, who was waving and smiling to those they rode past, just like a Queen should.

I understood the people's distain over my brother, but there was no possible way anyone who knew Meritaten could hate her. Not anymore, at least. Perhaps a year or two ago, but now? She had changed, and I daresay it was for the better.

"Your Highnesses, hold on to the sides of the chariot as we make our way up the cliff, please!" shouted the charioteer over the howling wind. Obediently, I complied, focusing my vision on the large, majestic cliffs that rose up from deep in the underworld. The colour matched that of the sand, the ground, the very thing that allowed people to live and thrive. The very thing that held the great nation of Egypt up.

Needless to say, the cliffs were a very sacred place to my family. I remembered that, during my youth, when Father was king, we would often march up to the highest point of the cliffs and present offerings to Aten, singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments like the sistrum. We would stay up there for almost the entire day, skipping luncheon and instead giving our food as offerings to the god, accompanied by prayers of good-fortune, wealth, and health.

Now this was to be the place where Smenkhkre and Meritaten celebrated their rule; the first of which many more would follow - hopefully.

The chariot bumped up and down on the jagged rocks, causing Tutankhaten to stumble and almost fall off the edge. I managed to grab his arm just in time, and pulled him back to safety.

"Careful, now," I warned. "We don't want to begin this spectacular day with a tragedy befalling the heir."

Tutankhaten grinned, but it soon disappeared, replaced by a look of complete and utter awe. I followed his gaze until my eyes landed at what was clearly the banquet, the largest I had ever seen.

Three long, wooden and gold tables stretched for cubits. They could easily sit one hundred people each. And lying on top of them was an enormous amount of food - foods of all kinds. Enough to fill the entire population of Akhetaten. Hippopotamus, roast mutton, mutton pastries, roast bird stuffed with figs, grilled catfish, date bread, honey bread, honey cake, fig bread, goose eggs baked until they were hard, beans baked with wild honey and herbs, papyrus stems, dishes of leeks and celery, barley beer, strawberries, grapes, fresh milk, cream, raisins, chickpea cakes spiced with cumin and onions, fresh radishes, fresh bread, lotus seed dip, lettuce - these were only snapshots of the luxurious foods laid out on the simple tables. Even though we in the palace were fed well, never was there such a variety of different foods in one place. The cooks must have spent hours upon hours slaving in the kitchens to prepare this no doubt delicious meal. I made a mental note to thank them greatly when we returned to the palace.