The Story Of Tetisheri
by Camille Nelson

Chapter 2

It has been a couple of weeks since last I wrote. I woke the next morning to find out that for a time I would be moving to the woman's' quarters to be taught the arts of a woman, for it is close to the thirteenth flooding and as I feel now my doom. Today I am up early and Amon is just coming into the sky, there is mist rising from the giver of life the Nile. The bulrushes and birds fly up with the slightest of movements. My heart is heavy at my future, but it is renewed a bit by the watching of the different birds, and how they live among the djet (papyri), how they raise their young and when raised send them off to start life anew. I guess that is what is happening to me too, but it is so hard. I have asked Mother Merytamon over and over again to work her wonders of magic on Father Pharoah, but right now it seems so hopeless. Even Testi and Iputi seem too busy, or even afraid for me. I wonder if they know that which I do not. I know that we are again fighting in the West and i pray to Aker that I will not be given in union to the people from there as I would have to leave the land of my heart. I would marry Father if only He would ask it of me, or one of my favorite brothers, but so far I have had no answers to my prayers and offerings.

Father Pharoah has given me a diadem of golden roses, and also a necklace of Horus, whom I love to wear, when I do not have to wear what, I must wear as a woman. I tried on the wig of Mother Merytamon and because she is bigger than I, it fell over my the hair above my eyes and almost over my little nose as well. All of the woman laughed and tittered at me, I was the color of the lotus in embarrassment. Is this what it is like to be a woman, I feel more like the Muu, (dwarf) who does tricks to entertain the woman. They all love him and dote upon him, but he is still sad and much like me. He and I have become friends and he tells me not to worry, that someday I will be a queen among women. Today I am to begin my studies about the Materials to brighten and color my face. The Kohl is made from the stone that I love to wear, the green one with lines of other colors within it, like the color of my eyes. Mother, says that it will make my eyes look even more green, but it looks such a dark color in the container that it looks almost as black as my spirit. Again the first of my tries make the women laugh, but this time I draw upon my warrior spirit of Aker and show them that I can do it not only right, but better than they can, and this will cause them to plot against me, but I care not! I am a warrior as Father Pharoah says and I will not let them laugh again, for someday I will be above them, they will see.

They call this Kohl and I will mix my own, just as I do the ink with which I write, the Kohl comes from Coptos, the red in my cheeks now comes from various red pigments from the mountains of earth (orche) I will use a stronger one on my lips to make them like the pomegranate fruit the men love so well. I will mix my scent from sandal wood, jasmine, sanfed fat, alcohol and oils. It will be my scent and all who smell it's exotic fragrance will know that the one who creates magic with flowers has come this way and will wind her spell around the man that she wants. I will be known for my magic and I will create it. I am told that I am supple of form and that the breasts that are forming in the thirteenth flooding are like the buds of the prized lotus flower. Mother smiles at me, for she knows that I will work my wonders upon the men to get what I want, just as she does. And I will be known for my magic just as she is. The other women fear us, better than them laughing at us or tittering behind their fat hands because we are different. They are unkind, but I must remember to never be unkind as they are. I will choose to have them as allies rather than enemies. Mother says that now I am learning to be smart, in such a way that no one is aware of it, like when Father Pharoah ambushes his enemies and wins his battles.

I am now to choose a wig that will be made for me. I will not cut my hair to the bare scalp, but use the wig to protect me from the dust and heat of the sun. It will be one of the new ones that is made in different layers from the hair of the slaves taken in battle, women into long braids and layered with beads woven in to the hair so that I may make a soft tone wherever I walk My dress will also be of the new style when I must wear it. It will me patterned with beads set in to the material in fanciful designs that I will draw, the capelet will be a shear as if I wear nothing at all on the top of my body and I will put the pigment of pomegrates upon my nipples as well, mixed with secrets unguents that mother has shown me it will not come off on the material. Mother Merytamon, has given me as a gift for learning so quickly and giving her pride in my abilities the highly prized Bronze mirror that is shaped as a djet (papyrus)scepter with the head of Hator. Hator too is called the Golden One and is the goddess of the tree that is called the sacred sycamore. She is known as the patroness of pleasure and music, which Mother says I must also learn. Hator is a woman who wears the sun disk and has the horns of a cow. Mother says that I must pray to her for happiness. She does not like to see me so sad and says that men will not like this and I must do all that I am able to make sure that they think of me as happiness. I will see that they do not forget me, then maybe this sad heart will not have to leave my beloved land.

Sometimes with the pantheon of gods and goddesses I know not which one to pray to. It is confusing. It is always don't anger than or this priest or priestess for they can hurt you and you will need their help to stay where you want to be. Why is life so confusing and seems such chaos to me. Am I stupid or is it the world that is. Mother would be displeased if she heard me think like that. It is a good thing that she cannot read my mind, although there are times that I think that she can, I look at her and she is looking at me with a slight smile upon her beautiful lips or a warning in her eyes and I know to be careful again. Is there no place to be safe?

My new room is only for a short period of the crossings of the moon and then I will be like I like it again alone at least for awhile. It has columns that look like the lotus upside down and pictures have been painted around the room at Father Pharoah's orders to please me of Meidum Geese and of the Bennu bird. Bennu is the bird of the ancient legend that raised itself from the fire and sheltered in the Persea tree the solar cults and the bird is used in the rituals of resurrection. Father says that this will remind me that I am changing from an egg into a royal woman. As if I didn't have enough reminders already of that unfavorable occurrence. Still I remind Father Pharoah, that he has promised me a hunt before I am forever lost in union. Father Pharoah laughs and kindly lays his strong hand upon my cheek and says that I have the mind of Abu (elephant) known not only for the ivory of his tusks but for the mind that does not forget. I know that he loves me as he does not the other children as I am the one he chooses to be with the most and even that is not much when he is tending to war and the ruling of a land. With all of this work, why would anyone want to be an elder one, not me, I want to hunt and run in the short skirt of a royal boy and be by fathers side, instead of being bound up in the tight ceremonial clothes of a royal woman. Maybe it would have been better to have been born a one that is not royal, but I know in my heart that I would loose my head with the first word that would come from my willful heart. So be it, I am left to my fate.

Tonight there is to be a feast. Father Pharaoh, must begin each and everyday with a communion with the god of whom he is the representative. He goes to the temple and is greeted by a priest who is dressed as the god. The masked priest then embraces Father Pharaoh as if he were his father and the ritual has begun again to impart to Father the Sa-Ankh (fluids of life) and then Father is able to extend to the people of his nation in turn the Magic that was achieved in the pact between the god and Father. But tonight is a special feast, a manifestations of the divine love of the human existence that is woven into a the pattern of life of the Egyptian people. It will be for the men and Father and will be attended by the Friends of the King. These are the highest of distinguished officials who have become close to Father Pharaoh and have access to Him as counselors or attendants. It will be an amazing time. The men will drink, get dizzy, feast, tell tales of other times and watch the naked slaves from Kush dance the exotic and erotic dance of the snake, before the men couple with the woman of their choice for an evening of what they call fun.. Tetsi has promised to bring me the dress of a young prince and make us a hiding place outside the feast, so that we can see what one looks like. I hope that we are never found, for poor Tetsi would most likely pay with his life and I think that father would use his Flail on me, favorite daughter or not, it would make no difference.

I hear Testi, he has not only brought the clothes of a young male, but a clock that will hide most of me and has made us a nest almost in the flowers that grow so lavishly by the railings. I can hear the men telling their tales. My favorite is being told now, or Sinuhe the Sailor. Sinuhe being so afraid for his life, and he leaves his beloved Egypt and has a series of adventures. He visits the courts of Palestine and Syria and fights against a giant, before returning to Egypt where he is forgiven. It takes quiet awhile before the telling of all the adventures are over. Then the music begins to sound the way an Egyptian Cobra would move and from the corner of the room, comes a dusky colored girl, without any clothes, a snake coiled around her neck and going for her waist, her body covered in oil so that it may shine. She starts by crawling as the snake does and then little by little she manages to get on her knees without the use of her hands which stay by her side. All the time the companion in the dance is playing a flute as if she is entranced by the music. The snake around her neck sits on her shoulder and it's skin flares as does the cobra, and they both weave back and forth as one. The men cannot take their eyes from her, or her body. Testi tells me that she is known for being as seductive as the snake she uses. That men are lost within her eyes. He says to never look at them for they are a trap from which some men never leave. He also says that although a slave that she lives like a princess with wealth beyond his dreams. Testi and I smother our awe and then laughter at how the men stare at her breasts. But still they are in awe of her talent and control over her body. We are getting tired now, but it is not the time to leave as the guards are abroad, so we fall asleep as no one can see us. Tomorrow is another day.

The sun disk warms our nest and we both wake at the same time. Yawn and stretch as would Sekhmet and as the sun disk touches the water for the first time, I see the most beautiful young man that I have ever seen. His aura is of gold. The sun caresses his bronzed body and it ripples like the water that he bathes in. He is a god come to earth for me to see, but he sees me not. I know how busy father is with the alliance between him and the Hittites and that if I am not careful I will be sent there to cement the alliance and now that I have seen the god become man I know where my life must now lay. I will pray to both Isis and Aker and any other gods that can help my cause and answer the most ardent prayer of my life. I must start first thing today and find out the gods name, for he will be mine. I am not without magic also.

© camille nelson. All rights reserved.

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