Tiy and the Prince of Egypt

by Dee, Debbie

  Tiy chuckled to herself at her revelation. Amenhotep had been right. They didn’t look like they could be easily excited. It was all a matter of perspective.

  “What’s so funny?” Amenhotep asked.

  “They look like overgrown cows with horns too big for their heads. I bet they trip over them all the time. I can’t believe I let them frighten me. Really, I think I could walk up to one of them and kiss their wet little noses. Although, that would be disgusting, so I won’t.”

  Amenhotep gaped at her as though she had just admitted that she boiled baby turtles for fun and hand fed them to wild hippopotami. His eyebrows arched higher than she’d ever seen them.

  “What,” Tiy asked. “I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Look at them with their lazy jaws moving back and forth as if they aren’t even attached to their faces. I’d be surprised if there was half a brain in those overgrown cows.”

  Amenhotep raised his eyebrows even higher. “I said don’t be fooled by their placid behavior.”

  Tiy shrugged.

  Amenhotep smirked and picked up the reins. He kept the horses moving at a slow walk as they inched toward the senseless beasts. Tiy set her two javelins down and relaxed against the railing.

  The male she had thought was staring at her began moving his head side to side, his nose in the air. He smelled them coming before he could see or hear them. The poor dumb animals. Their sense of sight wasn’t even as strong as their sense of smell. No wonder Amenhotep had been able to kill fifty-six in one day.

  One by one, the heads of the bulls lifted as the chariot approached and one by one they showed their horns, twisting them from side to side.

  “What are they doing?” Tiy asked, starting to feel a little nervous again.

  Amenhotep looked at her and grinned. “They are preparing to attack.”

  Chapter 32. Deadly Stampede

  Tiy’s heart beat against her chest. She had been fooling herself into thinking they were harmless. She should have trusted her initial instinct and run when she had the chance instead of placating herself with lies. Amenhotep raised his bow arm, his eyes trained on his prey. There was no hope of convincing him to turn back.

  Tiy snatched two javelins with renewed fervor as Amenhotep released his arrow and sent it sailing into one of the larger bulls. The bull grunted and took off at a startled gallop, the rest of the herd following. Amenhotep didn’t miss a beat. He whipped the horses into action and sent another arrow into the bull before it could get any further. It grunted again and fell to the ground in a loud bellow.

  The herd scattered, but upon the call of the distressed bull, the herd regrouped into a dense mass of angry beasts, intent on exacting revenge and protecting their weak. The calves were gathered into the center of the hairy throng and the largest males pushed toward the front. Tiy no longer questioned their mental strength—their quiet lowing and loud snorting a demonstration of their cohesive intelligence.

  “Here we go!” Amenhotep exclaimed. He didn’t seem concerned. In fact, he looked like he was having the time of his life. Tiy wanted to throttle him for bringing her into the field, for bringing them both into such overwhelming danger. All of Egypt counted on them to lead their country, to carry them into prosperity and peace. And just when she felt she had found the strength to rule, she would lose it under a mass of angry hooves.

  Amenhotep steered the horses toward the rear of the herd and, after dropping the reins long enough to send Tiy scrambling after them, launched arrows at blinding speed. Dirt swooshed up around the herd’s thundering feet, filling the air with a brown cloud of choking dust. Somehow Amenhotep could see well enough through the cloud to find the best targets because it wasn’t long before dozens of bellows and calls of distress sounded over the rumble of hooves and clattering wheels.

  Still a good distance from the bulls, Amenhotep took up the reins with one hand and changed the direction of the chariot, coming at them from the rear. He drove to the center of the herd, tossing a few well-placed javelins before the animals could determine the direction of the threat. But the beasts seemed to gather their bearings quickly, turning to face the chariot as a unified herd. Amenhotep pulled the reins to one side and the horses took them into a wide circle that brought them to the rear of the herd again. This tactic worked several times and each time Tiy feared they would be swallowed by the herd’s ranks before Amenhotep noticed it was time to turn the chariot, but each time he was able to pull them away from harm before it was too late.

  As Ra pushed the sun across the morning sky, the bulls began expecting their tactics and turned upon them more quickly. Amenhotep retreated into a thicket of trees and had to take the reins up in both hands to keep the horses from smashing into trees and thick shrubs.

  “The bulls are agitated,” Amenhotep called out over the sound of the chariot’s wheels thumping against the rough terrain. “I don’t want you out here while they are so aggressive.”

  “I don’t want you out here either,” Tiy called out to him.

  Amenhotep glanced at her with an impish grin. “I’m going to find another route back to the encampment. We just need to outrun them for now.”

  The bulls followed them into the thicket of trees, several of them outpacing the slower beasts and becoming bolder as their numbers decreased. A look of alarm passed across Amenhotep’s face and he thrust the reins into Tiy’s hands. Pulling his bow from his back, he sent a few quick arrows into the herd before abandoning the weapon all together for the sharp javelins. There were still several javelins near the front and Tiy kicked them toward Amenhotep as she directed the horses toward a wide clearing in the trees. With a healthy stretch in front of them, she tied the reins to a rail and took up a javelin.

  The bulls were nearly upon them, thundering on either side of the chariot. Tiy glimpsed the gnarled horns of the mature males, the sweat forming on their angry faces. There was no stopping them. Their horns lowered as they pulled closer to the chariot, preparing to slash them into pieces. Tiy hurled javelin after javelin into the hairy throng. Only a few slowed, but the larger, more robust bulls continued charging toward them.

  “Amenhotep!” Tiy cried. But she was too late. An enormous bull rounded a thick grouping of trees and charged at them from the side. With his head down and his horns lowered, he rammed into the belly of one of their horses, thrusting the tip of his horns into the soft flesh. The horse reared and buckled, breaking its harness as it fell. The abrupt motion sent the chariot hurtling forward. Amenhotep shot a protective arm out in front of Tiy, but it was a futile effort. Both of them were thrown from the chariot and into the trunk of a tall tree. Tiy grunted on impact and cried out as her body scraped down the rough bark.

  The bulls trampled over the fallen horse, the animal’s skin stripping off as the stampede crushed and mangled it. They barreled toward the unwounded horse, assuming the overturned chariot dragging behind it was the threat.

  Amenhotep rolled next to Tiy. “Are you okay?”

  Tiy moaned.

  Amenhotep jumped to his feet and lifted her limp body into his arms. “I need you to climb into this tree,” he said, pushing her toward the trunk.

  “I can’t move,” Tiy mumbled.

  “How badly are you hurt?”

  “I mean I don’t want to move,” Tiy said. She was fairly certain none of her bones were broken, but her entire body was on fire.

  “You need to get in the tree. The bulls could return.”

  Tiy didn’t need any more motivation than that. She let Amenhotep heft her into the tree and she climbed as high as she could manage, ignoring the loud protests from every part of her body. Once she was satisfied with the height she had reached, she looked down, expecting to find Amenhotep right behind her. But he stood at the base of the tree, watching her climb with his eyebrows pulled together, his lips pressed into a line.

  “Aren’t you coming?” Tiy said. Their chests were both heaving with exertion, her breath coming in quick, painful gasps.

&nb
sp; Amenhotep shook his head. “I need to find a way to get you back to the encampment.”

  “Someone will find us soon. Come up here before the bulls return.”

  Amenhotep shook his head again. “There’s no time.” He pointed to her head. “You’re bleeding, Tiy.”

  Her hand shot up to her head and her eyes opened in alarm, not because of the blood oozing above her left ear, but because both the scarf and wig were gone.

  “I don’t care about that,” Amenhotep said. “Although I’m interested to know what compelled you to shave your beautiful hair.”

  Tiy shook her head, biting her lip. She couldn’t tell him about Kepi. She still hadn’t figured out how to keep him safe from her threats.

  “Not now,” he said. “I’m more worried about the gash in your head. Hold your hand on it and I’ll return as soon as I can.”

  Tiy pressed her hand to the wound, suppressing a shutter as wetness oozed between her fingers. “Don’t go, Amenhotep,” she cried out to him. “Someone will come looking for us.”

  “We are too far into the trees. Too much time may pass before they even begin searching and even longer before they find us.” His eyes flickered to the blood dripping down her arm.

  “I’ll be fine,” Tiy said. “Let me come with you. I can keep up.”

  Amenhotep shifted from foot to foot. “No. Please, just stay in the tree. You are safe there, and I’ll know where to find you when I return. This is my entire fault. I shouldn’t have let the bulls get so agitated while you were with me.”

  “Please, let me come with you,” Tiy said as she began climbing down.

  “For once Tiy, let me be the one to care for you.”

  Tiy stopped, surprised by the force of his declaration. What did he mean? He was always taking care of her. Surely he wasn’t still trying to make up for the sandstorm or the other small incidents that seemed to crop up on their adventures together.

  Tiy wasn’t sure how to respond, so she simply nodded and watched him run in the direction of the runaway horse, his hand held to his side and blood running down his back.

  Chapter 33. Forever Changed

  Amenhotep killed forty bulls that day, sixteen less than on the hunt the day before. He had tracked down the runaway horse not far from the tree where Tiy hid, but it had been gored and trampled so badly that Amenhotep had to run the entire distance to the encampment. The terrain was difficult and he had also been injured in the fall—three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and a sprained ankle—yet he continued running until he could find a horse. He reached Tiy, hours later, and found her unconscious in the tree from loss of blood. Refusing to let anyone else carry her back to the encampment, he rode with her on horseback. He said it was the longest few hours of his life.

  Upon their return, he had several scarabs sculpted and inscribed with his achievement for all of Egypt to hear. The people proclaimed him strong and mighty, an embodiment of the gods, and protector of the Two Lands. Amenhotep proved himself to his people and received the respect he deserved.

  But something else changed in him, something that surprised Tiy, and yet seemed the most natural response to their harrowing experience. He seemed to find more reasons to touch her, to put his arms around her and hold her close. Every night he pulled her toward him and tucked her into the curl of his body as they slept. She craved his touch. Even a brief hand squeeze left her skin tingling with warmth.

  The frightful experience brought some perspective into her life, helping her discover that she needed him more than she had ever considered. The thought of him losing his life and leaving her alone became a fear she wasn’t sure how to cope with.

  Every night as they curled up together, he stroked the short bristles of her growing hair, the questions of how and why on his lips, but never asked. Tiy knew he wanted to know, that it took all his strength not to ask, but she had decided the best way to protect him would be to say nothing. What was the point of putting Amenhotep in further danger? He was guarded at all times, but she wasn’t about to take the risk of one of his guards succumbing to monetary persuasion and leaving him unprotected. Amenhotep’s life was more precious than a few extra gold coins, but would a guard smitten by Kepi’s charms agree?

  Tiy had yet to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why her head was shaved or at least an explanation that would satisfy Amenhotep. She had discovered early in their friendship that she was incapable of lying to him. If she tried to tell half truths, he would see right through them, or she would burst with guilt at her dishonesty and end up telling him the whole truth anyway. So she did her best to say nothing at all. The truth would only anger him, and she knew he wouldn’t take Kepi’s threats seriously and would put his life at risk the moment he exposed her. He would take public action by imprisonment, or worse. And who knew how many supporters Kepi had and if they would follow through with her threat.

  Kepi wanted to humiliate her, and she had, but Tiy had grown from the experience. She had become a stronger person, a Queen passionate about her country and capable of intelligent rule. She was beginning to embrace the person Amenhotep had seen all along.

  Tiy determined to keep silent, but as time wore on, and as her hair grew longer, she could see that not knowing was wearing on Amenhotep. He was patient with her, acknowledging that she wasn’t ready to share the reasons with him, yet sometimes she could tell it hurt him, knowing she kept a secret from him. And that pained her almost as much as losing her hair had. She hated that he thought she couldn’t trust him.

  It wasn’t until he could wrap her hair around his fingers a few times that he finally asked, unable to contain the question any longer. They had just enjoyed the end of the lengthy Opet Festival with music, dancers, food and drink, and had fallen into bed exhausted. She was nearly asleep when he broke the silence.

  “Tell me, Tiy,” he said.

  “Anything,” she promised. He had spoken with such sincerity that although she didn’t know what he wanted, she knew she would tell him. His arm wrapped around her midsection and pulled her tighter to him.

  “Tell me why you shaved your beautiful hair. It was so unlike you.”

  Tiy stiffened in his arms. She had promised to answer him, but she had also promised herself that she wouldn’t tell him. It had taken more strength to stay silent than she imagined it would, but her silence had kept him alive.

  Amenhotep squeezed her twice. “Was it something I did? Something I said?”

  Her resolve crumbled. All this time he thought she shaved her head because of something he had done? Amenhotep could never do any wrong. “It wasn’t you,” she whispered.

  Amenhotep let out a long breath and relaxed. But after a while, his shoulders tensed and he squeezed her again. “Are you sure? You can tell me if I did something. You know I would never intentionally hurt you, right?”

  Tiy bit her lip. She couldn’t let him believe he had been the cause. “It was Kepi,” she said.

  Amenhotep sat up in bed, the blanket flying to the floor. “Kepi?” He sounded as angry as she thought he would be, perhaps more. His voice took on a lower, barely controlled tone. “I want to hear everything. Don’t hide anything from me, Tiy.”

  Tiy let it fall out of her mouth in a garbled and somewhat incoherent blurt. “She came here, and I don’t really know why, well, I mean, I know why, but at the time it seemed really strange. I was going to make her wait in my audience chamber, but then I didn’t. I should have. She was nice at first, and it caught me off guard, although I wasn’t really on guard to begin with. I didn’t even have any guards with me. I should have. I didn’t know what to say to her. She was so nice and had some wine and then I felt funny. She got in my face and said I wasn’t really Egyptian, or maybe that was on the note she gave me saying she was going to hurt you, or maybe she said that out loud. I don’t know. Either way I woke up on the couch with my hair gone.”

  She had spoken with far more hand motions than necessary. Her heart thrummed in her chest, her breath r
acing in and out. Amenhotep’s silent grip tightened and then began to shake. He was mad, furious, livid. She just knew it. She could feel the waves of fury roll off him.

  “Tiy?” he said in a deep voice.

  “Yes?” she whispered.

  “Is this why you gave Merymose the Nubian vizier-ship?”

  “Maybe?”

  “Tiy?” His voice grew in anger.

  “Okay, so what? So I sent Kepi and Merymose to the most wretched place on earth. They are practically rulers down there, which should make her pleased. It’s not as if I had them put to death.”

  “Tiy, that is exactly what should have happened. She assaulted the queen and threatened the king. Many men have died for lesser crimes.”

  “She hasn’t done anything to hurt you.”

  “And she couldn’t. I am surrounded by guards all the time. There are eight outside your door as we speak.”

  “It only takes one corrupt guard to accept a handout. It only takes one to distract the others so someone can slip into your chambers at night and hurt you.”

  “My guardsmen are loyal, and they are given a very comfortable life for themselves and their families. They have no reason to accept bribery or to see me poisoned. I have to trust those closest to me, or I will never be able to govern with a clear mind. I would be second guessing everyone and everything. That is no way to lead a country. And you mustn’t let your fear of people like Kepi consume you and dictate your actions. You are stronger than you know, Tiy, as are the people of Egypt.”