The Story Of Tetisheri
by Camille Nelson
(As written by Tetisheri and later after the finding of the Roseta Stone to
French, much later to English)
Chapter 5
She sets up a trap to catch Prince Khaemweset as her life long mate. She is reminiscent of trickster in the Indian legends.
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This is the day of the night that I have waited and schemed for. I am
wearing a special material that Father Pharaoh bought for one of his special
wives, but when I saw it and expressed such a love of it, he said that I
could have it. It is as dark a blue as the night and shimmers like the stars in
the field of night sky. The wig is of a dark ember red. A new color of a
slave caught from some islands and brought here. Her hair was very long,
so they took only half and left her with almost as much as they took. It
looks like the embers of a fire, burning but dark and mysterious. It is cut in
five different levels for interest and heavily beaded with beads the same
dark blue of the dress and doted with expensive silver to simulate the stars
in the sky. I have mixed several colors of Kohl that I have found and mixed
myself to accentuate my eyes with mystery and depth. The material over
the my breasts is thin enough to see through to the promise of what the
breasts may become. I wear the collar of small gold roses, strung on
thread of gold that Father Pharaoh gave me, and my slippers are of silver,
which mother Merytamon says is more costly than gold as we have so little
of it. She wonders what I am up to.
I have both the interest of her and
Father Pharaoh, now as I have taken such great pains with my appearance
tonight. I have mixed a perfume of the river lily, iris and some very rare
flowers, that cause an odor that is mysterious and elusive. You smell it and
it causes your head to turn to see where it is coming from, and before you
know it, it is gone again. The air full of the heavy fragrances that cover
unpleasant smells or are just poorly made, which makes mine that much
more interesting. Some of the beads in my hair are the shapes of stars, so I
have the not of this world look that I wanted to achieve. I am ready for my
personal battle. Hit and run, have him see me and then I disappear. I will
make sure that this is a night that he will not forget soon. I will make no
overt meeting tonight for there are other celebrations to increase his interest
until he is mad with curiosity. I want him to want me as I do him. You
cannot do that with direct confrontation, but with skirmishes like a battle.
He is a warrior and would be interested with no less. He is a great warrior
and deserves the best of offense, he will find that I am an opponent that is
his equal. I was going to bring Aker, but was afraid that in his enthusiasms
that he might make me clumsy and that is definitely not what I want. I have
been practicing with Iputi the glide, instead of walk, that makes men notice
you. You have the appearance of floating instead of walking. Tonight must
be perfect in every way.
The weather is perfect for the feast, a gentle breeze wafts through the hall,
softly billowing the transparent materials, to appear as gentle clouds. The
oil lamps caste a golden glow upon the walls and their shadows make the
murals appear to move as if they were alive. The fragrances and spices mix
in an intriguing embrace. Palm leaves brush against one another as the legs
of the crickets making soft, gentle noises. It all blends together to create a
reign of peace and contentment. Off in the corner I see Prince
Khaemweset talking to one of his aids, unaware of the women around him
trying to attract his attention. I float by and the fragrance that I am wearing
reaches his nostrils and he looks around to see from where the unusually
pleasant fragrance is coming from, but by then I am in another spot. His
face wears a puzzled appearance, but he carries on with his conversation. I
will glide by again and then wait for awhile. Again he wears the quizzical
look, but can find no direction from which it comes. He is attracted, but
knows not why. I will not meet with him tonight of for several feasts yet. I
want to get his full attention. In the meantime I want to keep him guessing.
The other women are so similar, I will be the one to stand out within his
memory. Stir up his curiosity. I am patient when it comes to building up a
strong desire within him. I want him to be driven crazy with curiosity about
the woman that has bewitched his senses and then his emotions. I will
advance upon him one more time before the evening is through, to leave
him with the unconscious curiosity of what it is that has entranced him. It
will be like a long ago memory that he cannot quite reach.
Many men have approached me this night, but I am not interested in any
but one, Prince Khaemweset. When I return to my quarters Iputi is beyond
curiosity. She and Teshi have stayed awake, way beyond their time of
rest just to hear what has happened, and of course to plan for the next
encounter. I think the next time I will have my outfit designed of another
beautiful material, but to look like a variation of a warriors outfit and the
fragrance will be another of my creations, along with the makeup. Iputi is
as excited and into this as I am, she is the daughter of a disposed king and
so she understands what I feel like and is as my best friend. Teshi, has
much knowledge that he can look up by going to the library and impart to
us to create a costume that no one else would think of. I might even go as
one of the Gods in one of the feasts and be carried on one of the barks of
the Gods, or sacred boats, in miniature form. It will be fashioned as a
floating temple, which will be fronted by miniature obelisks and flagstaffs,
highly adorned cabins, within which I can look out and only allow someone
to look in at my discretion. This will be a wonderful experience for me and
will teach me how to keep his interest as the years float along. I will always
be his main wife, he just doesn't know it as of yet. But he will.
Father Pharaoh has devised a calendar of lucky and unlucky days of the
year. The bad or good fortune of a particular day is dependant upon the
past events that are connected with that date, and concerned gods, omens,
battles or prophecies for that specific time. The calendar is used by the
literate and upper class of Egypt in much the same way as Horoscopes are
used in the future. I must make sure that I attend only those propitious
days that will lead to Prince Khaemweset and My alliance and union.
Father Pharaoh and I are going hunting again, this time at Edfu, which is a
city that is located north of Elephantine Island in Upper Egypt, called
Behdet by the ancient Egyptians. It is the capital of the second nome of
upper Eygpt and is the cult of Horus the Falcon worshiped from early
times. Tombs from early times and discovered in the necropolis of the city
as well as step pyramids dating to the third century. The Nile enters the
great valley of Edfu and the city has always been considered a militarily
strategic defense of the nation against the forces of Nubia. It is here that
we will use our falcons to bring down the game. I love being with Father
Pharaoh and all though I don't like to kill things I will do about anything to
be within his company. Besides it gives me time to think of what I will do
next to attract the attention of Prince Khaemweset. I have heard in the
gossip that he is somehow intrigued, by a woman, that he knows nothing
about, except that she is so different and mysterious. How Iputi and I
laugh, Me mysterious, well maybe just a little, but I am going to learn how
to be more mysterious as I can see that that is what keeps his attention. He
shall not know who or what I am until he is almost crazy with curiosity.
I am the only daughter of Father Pharoah that is interested in the things of
men and not of woman, except when I have need of it. I love to go out in
the chariot and to be with him when he is hunting and to know about what
is going on in the policies of our nation. Gossip usually bores me to tears,
except of course when it concerns me and Prince Khaemweset. Iputi and
Teshi are already busy designing and building the bark in miniature, and
picking the most ospicious day to attend one of the feasts so that again I
might hit and run and attract more of Prince Khaemwesets curiosity.
© Camille Nelson. All rights reserved.
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Chapter 1 |
Chapter 2 |
Chapter 3 |
Chapter 4 |
Chapter 5 |
Chapter 6 |
Chapter 7 |
Chapter 8 |
Chapter 9 |
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