The Pharaoh's Lotus

Chapter 2

The Great King, the king of Egypt, son of Ra, Ramses beloved of Amun, speaks thus to the beloved lady of Hatti, The great Lady Puduhepa. See then, I, your brother, am well. My houses, my sons, my armies, my horses, my chariots and all the things in my lands are very well and thrive in comfort. So may you, my sister, also be well! May your houses, sons, armies, horses, chariots, nobles, and all things in your lands be very well! I speak thus to my sister; My messengers have come to me together with your messengers and have brought me the news that my brothers, the king of Hatti, Mursili, the Great King, and his beloved uncle, your husband, the Great Lord Hattusili, are in good health. The great Lord Hattusili, your beloved husband, has written to me thus; 'Let the people come to pour sweet-smelling oil on my daughter's head and let them take her to the house of the Great King, the king of Egypt, my brother.' The great King of Hatti land, too, has requested this of his most cherished cousin, her Royal Highness, Princess Malawashina. This decision written to me by my brothers is wonderful! Ra has approved of them. Horus has approved of them. And all of the Egyptian and Hatti gods have approved of them for making this fine decision to join two great lands into one forever.

Nefertari nodded her head with approval, her rouged lips curving into a pleased smile. "Very well written, my beloved." She raised her golden gaze from the finely pressed papyrus sheet to look up into her husband's emerald eyes. "The formalities are well-executed. I believe that Lady Puduhepa will be rightfully pleased upon your eloquent reply."

"You truly believe so?" Ramses answered, a mischievous grin crossing his thin lips.

"If I did not, husband, I would rightfully say so!" The queen pouted, feigning annoyance at the Pharaoh's questioning doubt. 

But, then, she gave a shrill shriek of surprise as he took her suddenly by the waist, pulling her against his well-defined musculature. 

Immediately he buried his face into the side of her slender neck and teased her lovely bronze skin with feathery kisses. 

Oh, how she was a beauty to trump all beauties within the heavens and upon the earth! Ramses relished in her unrivalled allure and her lovely company. No wonder he loved her more than anything else in the world.

"Oh, Ramses, you are impossible!" She laughed her sweet songbird laugh, her eyes sparkling with delight as she tried to push him away playfully. 

"The babe within my womb does not approve of your antics."

Looking at her then, he quirked a defined eyebrow at her. 

"Oh really?" he questioned, the mischief still written across his fine features as he caressed her pregnant belly. 

"Or is it their mother who does not approve?"

"Their mother, too, does not," she stated, entwining her bejewelled hands with his.
"We have much important work still to do." 

"Can it not wait but a little while, my darling sweet?" He whined as he pushed the intricate braids of her heavy wig away to nuzzle her ear. He almost thought he had her swayed to his temptations when, from her parted lips, escaped a sigh of arousal. But, as soon as her sweet sound reached his ears, she finally escaped his grasp. 

"You are utterly impossible," she repeated with a loving smile, dismissing him much to his disappointment. "I will have this carved into a tablet and sent forth to Hatti immediately. However, we do have one slight problem ahead of us, my beloved," she warned gently as she then proceeded to wrap her slender arms around the hard biceps of her husband. 

As he looked down at her again, she pushed a tuft of his dark, auburn hair behind his pierced ear. He let escape a long, tired sigh as he ran his gold-capped thumb across her chin. "Isetnofret..."