The Story Of Tetisheri
(As written by Tetisheri and later after the finding of the Roseta Stone to French, much later to English)

Chapter 7
The meeting of Prince Khaemweset and Tetisheri happens at last. Pharaoh has an important request. There is a murder. The picture of Tetisheri is thanks to Rick Smith and this chapter is dedicated to him for his generosity.

I am nervous today. Before it was like a game, changing personalities with my clothes. Now I must be a woman and show Prince Khaemweset my truest being. What If he doesn't like me. I pretend to be the warrior and in many ways I am, but in this, I am just a young woman and my heart is vulnerable. The more that I hear of the exploits and the honorable way that Prince Khaemweset handled himself among the Hittites, the prouder I am or him. He is a true Prince, he has never pillaged or hurt a woman as many have. Many say it is because he is a Prince, but that is not so and does not keep Prince Amonhirwonmet from being like Shai the pig, not even as courageous as Penu the mouse. My skin would crawl at the thought of the touch of his hand upon my person. I have tried everything at my command to get rid of him, but he hangs on like a leech. I know in my heart that it is no for love of me he hangs on to me, but for some way that union with me would be an advantage to him in some way, that of yet I do not fathom. To be touched by Prince Khaemweset would be like having Horas enfold me in his wings and protect me for life.

Father Pharaoh is so disappointed that the game is through, he has begged me to reconsider as he was enjoying it immensely. But I must now act the woman and do the right thing and find out if Prince Khaemweset will like me enough over time to union with me. It must be good for both of us or it would not be for either of us. He is a great warrior and deserves a warrior wife by his side, one who will continue to learn and take care of him and give him strong and wise sons and daughters. As nervous as I am and as vulnerable as my heart feels, Iputi and Teshi say that they will help me, because I still want to look my best for him, but my best that is me. Both Teshi and Iputi say that I am beautiful of form and spirit as well as pleasing of face and should have no worry, but they are my friends and tend to be decisive in my favor. I will leave this to Hathor and ask her help in this instance.

Tonight I will wear a dress that is much more like me for the festival, it will be the color of the sky and the sea and under the color of state I will wear the Horas that Father Pharaoh gave to me. I will leave my hair unadorned and natural. I will be me for this night, the game is over. Horus please let him like me for me and respect the ability that I have to interest him. I will pray to horus. Oh great horus, whose eyes are the sun and the moon, who is the celestial falcon, god who soars into the sky to scout the terrain for minions, turning into a winged sun disk, help me to be victorious in my quest for Prince Khaemweset. Help me oh great one, whose emblem I will wear forever.

The festival has begun and there is much imbibing, but Prince Khaemweset is not taking anything, and is looking around as if searching for someone special. I am going to wait until everyone has boarded the bark, because we are supposed to pair off and he and I are alone, then at the last minute I will step in after him. This should give us some time to get to know each other. Before the festival, Father Pharaoh, has requested my presence tomorrow for an important mission. I am worried that he will send me to the Hittites as an offering of peace as there is unrest again. But my heart is for some reason at peace and conscious of only tonight and what I have dreamed of for so long. Imputi and Teshi have been such good friends, I trust them so much more than any of my other brothers or sisters. I know them better and consider then close to me and honest.

The crowd is getting boisterous and some are even out of hand, but than this has been a year of many happenings and all are thankful for the harvest to be done. I have grown much as a woman, I am close to my fourteen flooding and am already considered a woman, by all who know me. Father Pharaoh has much trust in the way I use the knowledge that I have studied hard to achieve and will continue to do so, for I never intend to be a second wife and live in the Harem, that isn't for me. I will be first or nothing. I will not be a part of a highly organized bureaucracy that has the women function primarily to supply male heirs to the throne.

At last the time has come to step aboard, I feel an arm reach out to grab mine, and luckily it misses, as it is Prince Amonhirwomef. Thank you Oh Horus for coming to my aid. Now the bark pushes out onto the sacred lake and each has paired of and I am finally with Prince Khaemweset. I know not what to say, so I will wait and let him start the conversation. "I have asked around about the strange women who is like the enemy in a battle. Who hits and runs away and hits again." "By any chance do you know my half sister who that might be?" A slight smile passes across his lips and is gone as he is amused by my surprise. "I might." I am flustered and am at an unusual loss for words to describe how I feel. Father Parhaoh would be amused to see me at a loss as he says I talk incessantly and am never quiet and then teases me about being a pest at the same time he puts his arm around me and hugs me tight. I look into eyes that remind me of Father and yet are within a person in his own right. He comes closer and says to me "I hear that you killed a black manned lion and that you are raising it's cub, no one but the strange magnificent goddess I saw for only moments at a time at the last festival, would be capable to do such a thing. She is like a general, is she not?" In my mind I wonder where the general went, but I pray to both Horus and Hathor to bring words to my lips so that he will not think me slow and stupid. "Yes, I know the person of whom you talk, it is I. But then you knew that already. I have cared for you since the morning that I first saw you bathing in the Nile." We each have surprises for the other, for his eyes widen in surprise. "But that was in the spring and why did you wait so long to approach me?" "You always had so many women around you and you seemed so disinterested in them, that I wanted to show you that I had more substance than the rest and was a warrior in my own right as Father Pharaoh says." "I didn't want to waste my chances with you, and wanted to be honest with you when we finally met." "That is good, for you acted like a general and have opened my ranks, and I want to find out more about you and who you really are." Again the smile passed his lips and leaped into his eyes and finally I know that he is interested. We spend the evening together and find that we have so much in common and make arrangements to go out in the chariot to visit some of his private temples, that he has not shared before. I could not be more happy, I reach for the pendant of Horus that Father Pharaoh has given me and to my dismay it is gone. I let out a cry of dismay and Prince Khaemweset asks me what has happened. I tell him that I have lost my emblem of Horus and he says to me "Fear not little one, I will have the lake drained so that we may find it for it came from Father and I know how much it means to you being his favorite. I will take care of it for you." My heart leaps, how could anyone so strong be so wonderful? He is so unlike Prince Amonhirwomef. The one who looks are as a god and insides a decaying corpse left for the vultures.

It will take at least three days to drain the sacred lake and the same amount of time to fill it again, but I am assured that my amulet will be found. I cannot describe the joy within my bosom at the wonderful spirit that fills the body of Khaemweset as he has requested that I call him.

After the fourth day, ( which by the way, I have seen Khaemweset every day and late into the evening, am in a blissful state) my amulet has been found. Because of the turmoil I have asked to put off the meeting with Father Pharaoh till the amulet I so prize has been found and Father complied. He seems very pleased to see both of us so happy. But still I am concerned as to what Father Pharaoh wants, as he does not call me to him in secret very often and only when there is something of great moment.

Today something terrible has happened. Some of the Princes were out on a hunt and saw vultures circling in the sky. When they went over to see the trouble, they found the four day old body, or should I say what was left of the body of Prince Amonhirwomef. There are no visible signs as to the cause of death, but it must have happened on the night of the festival. Know I wonder if he had something of great importance to tell me when he reached out to touch my person, as this is not done without permission of the person to be touched. I think back and he had a haunted look within his watery eyes. Because I hated him so, I may have let my half brother down in his time of greatest need. He was always into trouble. Father Pharaoh, says that we must try to find out what happened and to honor him even if he was not a likeable person. I will comply with the wishes of Father. Life has taken some very pleasant and strange turns in a very short time.

© camille nelson. All rights reserved!

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | back to Web Published Fiction




© 2000-2001 Lunacat^tm