Ahkmenrah: The Fourth King of the Fourth Kings

Chapter 91: Queen

"But you are also a woman."

"I'd look hideous in a dress."

"Have you ever worn one?"

Sabra paused. Once, long ago, in a far-off time, a far-off place. She was a little girl, in a white slip darting barefoot between the reeds. The sunshine had shone in veins and her eyes had sparkled with the light of a thousand stars.

"Yes." She answered. "It was long ago."

"Well...I had thought this might be so. Therefore I selected one from my own wardrobe."

"You didn't have..."

"Nonsense!" Huffed Shepseheret. "You are practically my daughter..."

Shepseheret took her hands and led her to what had once been the chamber that the king and queen had shared. Sabra stood in the room taking it in. It was beautiful, lacquered and accented with gold. Shepseheret emerged holding a dress of blue and a seperate gold and blue netting.

"Would you let me dress you?" Asked Shepsehret.

"It would be for the best." Answered Sabra flustered at the attention. "I wouldn't know how to wear it and I might make a fool of myself."

She felt herself blush.

"Come now, no need to feel any embarrassment," Shepseheret assured. "I was just like you."

"Really?"

"I was the daughter of Huni." Informed the Queen. "All I knew were shirts, kilts, and armor. On my wedding day, your aunt Seknut had laughed at my incompetence in dressing myself."

"That sounds just like her." Said Sabra smiling.

"Are you going to get out of those clothes or do I have to force them off you?"

Suddenly Sabra felt like a little girl, in her slip of a dress running through the mud, her mother chasing after her. She felt like running again. But she obeyed Shepseheret obediently and placed her clothes at the foot of the bed.

"These scars?" Asked Shepseheret.

Sabra had forgotten the scars that marked her body.

"They are relics of the past." She told the queen boldly.

Shepseheret nodded and placed the dress over her head. It was looser than what most women wore. The blue fabric was comfortable the upper edge ended just below her breasts, but the straps the held them up were just wide enough to cover them, but not entirely so leaving the sides exposed. Though she wouldn't have particularly cared if they were bare, as women sometimes wore them, she had never been afraid of showing some skin. They dress ended at her ankles. The fine golden net that ended at her thighs and was embellished with blue stones was placed over it. Finally, a sash was tightened around her waist. Her hair was loosened. There was no jewelry or makeup added. Yet in the end, Sabra decided she couldn't part with her sword so she strapped it to her waist.

"Is it done?" Asked Sabra.

"Yes. Would you like to look at yourself?"

Sabra nodded. A little nervous though she trusted the Queen. She looked at the copper mirror, what she saw wasn't just a warrior but a warrior woman. One could perhaps say for the first time she even looked...

"Beautiful..." whispered Shepseheret. "Almost like a...Queen."

"What will you be wearing?" Asked Sabra fighting her embarrassment.

"Purple." Answered Shepseret. "Merenkahre loved that color."

—————

Ahkmenrah didn't drink. The wine and alcohol haunted him. He busied himself instead with the fine food, the delegation and the commons who had come. He had made sure that today there was plentiful food (rich enough for a banquet) to be sent out to all the city. In effect, the whole city was feasting tonight. He had also sent over grain, from the palace's own treasury (he had, in fact, emptied it) to be distributed throughout Egypt along with the reports of his race and the assassination attempt.