by Overton, Max
"Greetings, husband," she said with a smile. "Come and sit with us."
Akhenaten looked around the room then stared intently at the older girls, his vision swimming with images of the Aten, before lowering himself to the floor beside his wife. He put an arm around her and kissed her cheek.
"Look, daddy," Neferneferoura said, holding up a battered doll made of rags and wood. "I have a baby brother. His name is Akh'naten too, just like you."
Akhenaten smiled and flipped the little girl's side lock. "You'd like a baby brother would you?"
Nefertiti's smile faded. "Husband, this is not the time to discuss this again," she said in a low voice. "I do not want more children. I thought we were agreed."
"We do need to talk, beautiful one. Send the girls away."
Nefertiti frowned and searched her husband's face before saying, "Merye, take your sisters for a walk in the garden."
"Meryetaten can stay," Akhenaten said. "Ankhese, take your sister Nefer outside please."
Ankhesenpaaten took her little sister by the hand and led her down the steps into the garden. They sat by the pool and watched the bats flying over the water, catching insects. Meryetaten moved closer to her parents, intrigued at being included in the talk, wondering what was to come.
Nefertiti got up off the floor and sat down on a wide padded chair, the arms of which were carved to resemble open-jawed hippopotamuses. She regarded her husband coolly. "What do you need to say, husband? We have talked over all this before. When I birthed Setepenra the physicians said it would be unwise to have more children."
"I remember, Nefertiti, my beautiful one. But surely you can see my problem? I need a son to leave the kingdom to. Your father was here today ..."
"I am the eldest, father," Meryetaten interrupted. "Why can I not inherit? There have been ruling queens of Kemet before."
"Don't interrupt, Merye," Nefertiti said quietly. "What did my father say?"
"He wanted to talk about the succession. We had a long and frank discussion about the governance of Kemet."
"With respect, husband, what would you know about governing Kemet? How long is it since you took an interest in anything outside of this city?"
"I acknowledge the great help you have been to me, Nefertiti. You and your father have made my life as Aten's high priest much easier by attending to such dreary matters, but that is not the point. That is not what I want to talk about."
"I am not going to have any more children. I am over thirty and I have had six children. No more."
"I do not want you to."
Nefertiti frowned. "Then what did you and my father talk about?"
"He wants me...well, actually it was my idea...to bring Smenkhkare to Akhet-Aten and make him co-regent. He can then rule Kemet from Waset. He would eliminate those troublesome priests, look after affairs of state and such and leave me to rule here in Akhet-Aten."
"That is a good idea." Nefertiti's eyebrows rose in surprise, relief tingeing her voice. "And what did my father say?"
"Oh, he agreed. He has sent a courier off to Waset to fetch Smenkhkare. With Aten's blessing we can have the co-regency ceremonies next month."
Nefertiti smiled, getting up and embracing her husband. "Who says you are not a statesman, my husband. That is a wonderful solution. Smenkhkare is your brother so he will be loyal, he is young and handsome and is well loved in Waset, I hear." She hugged Akhenaten again then walked over to stand behind her daughter. "If I might suggest something that would make it perfect--marry him to Meryetaten."
"Your father suggested that too."
"Me? Marry Smenkhkare?" Meryetaten broke in excitedly. "He is very handsome." She blushed and hid her face.
"It would be a very advantageous match for all concerned, darling," Nefertiti soothed. "Your father needs a male heir and Smenkhkare as co-regent would of course become king in time. And you would become queen, child, ruling with him and giving him sons to rule after him. It is the perfect solution."
"Not perfect," Akhenaten said. "But a good short-term solution for the governing of Kemet. I would still like a son of my own body to follow me. Smenkhkare is my brother, not myself."
"I have said I will not have more children."
"I do not expect you to."
Nefertiti stared at her husband, trying to make sense of his words. "What are you saying, husband? You want to have children with another woman? Have you forgotten your holy vow to me, made when we were betrothed? You swore to have relations with me alone, no others."
"I know I did but that was before...before I knew you could not bear sons."
"Is that my fault? Perhaps the fault is yours. Maybe you cannot sire a son."
Akhenaten flushed. "I am the king. Do not think to lay this blame on me. Besides it is easily tested."
"No doubt." A harsh edge crept into Nefertiti's voice. "And what woman have you chosen to favor with your royal member? I hope at least she is of noble birth."
"She is of the highest. I have decided to marry Meryetaten."
Nefertiti stared, every thought driven from her head. The only sign that the king's words had registered on her mind were her fingernails as they dug into Meryetaten's shoulders.
"Aah . Mother, you are hurting me." Meryetaten twisted, pulling away from her mother. Rubbing her shoulders, she backed away to stand in between her parents, looking from one to the other, unsure of what her response should be. "Wh... what do you mean, father? Marry you?"
"Yes, marry me, lie with me and have a son that will rule as king over the Two Lands after me, carrying the word of Aten to all the lands of the earth."
"You are mad," Nefertiti whispered. "Your Aten has finally addled your mind. You have been out in the sun too long."
"What? Mad to want a son to succeed me and carry on my work? It is obvious you cannot or will not bear a son for me, so for Kemet's sake and for the sake of my father the Aten I must look elsewhere for a mother for my son."
"Your daughter? You would impregnate your own daughter?"
"Why not? My father Nebmaetre lay with his daughter Sitamen and had a fine, strong son--Smenkhkare. He then bedded his other daughter Iset and had Tutankhaten. If he had lived, no doubt he would have lain with his daughter Beketaten and had yet another son." Akhenaten started pacing the room, flinging his arms about, his voice getting shriller and louder. The girls in the garden looked up in concern, wondering what was happening. "I tell you, I have had a revelation. It is the union of father and daughter that produces sons. I will marry Meryetaten and have a son to succeed me. Maybe even my other daughters when they are old enough. And Beketaten my sister. There are many fine young women who will give me sons."
Nefertiti trembled and tears made her eyes sparkle in the lamp light. "And what of us, husband?" Her voice shook. "Do our years together mean nothing? Have I not stood by you, even when you ripped Kemet apart with your religion? Have I not given you six daughters, beautiful, loving daughters ..." Tears started to trickle from the corners of her eyes. "Daughters that your god has snatched from us--Meketaten, her name means 'Protected by Aten'--where was his protection, husband? And my little Tasherit and baby Setepenra. Did I give my life and my love to you to have you and your god rip my heart out and trample it?" Nefertiti burst into tears and stood there, head lowered as her tears dripped and stained her gown, her body shaking with sobs.
Akhenaten frowned and glanced around the room, then at Meryetaten who was also starting to cry. "Stop that Merye, there is no need." He paused, and then took a step closer to his wife. "Nefer, my love, there is no need for this. Of course I love you and appreciate the way you have been by my side all these years. It hasn't been all bad though, has it? You are Queen of Kemet, you have power and prestige and riches. You are acknowledged as the most beautiful woman on earth; your likeness is painted by artists and fashioned by sculptors ..."
"And despite this you will cast me aside?"
"I am not casting you aside, Nefer my darling. You will remain as queen by my side
. All that will happen is I'll have a son by Meryetaten, your daughter--our daughter--why, it is almost as if you are giving birth to my son."
"What has happened to you, husband? You were once so loving. My joy was your joy and my hurt was your hurt. You promised to love only me." Nefertiti shook her head, wiping the tears from her cheeks and sniffing loudly. Turning, she walked to the edge of the wide verandah and watched as her two youngest daughters played in the darkness by the pool. A nearly full moon was rising over the Eastern cliffs, casting a pale golden glow over the garden. A fish jumped in the pool, the ripples spreading outward and distorting the image of the moon in the still water.
"The Aten has distorted you, husband. You have become so focused, so obsessed with your god that you are as blind to reality as you are becoming by staring at the midday sun." Nefertiti turned back to face Akhenaten, her face set and hard. "I reject your desires, King Waenre Akhenaten. I and my daughters will move to the North Palace tonight. You will not visit us there. You may play your little games with your god in your little city and ignore what is happening around you. I will have no part of it." She turned and called to her daughters. "Come Ankhese, Nefer. Come to your mother." Gathering her children to her skirts, she hugged them fiercely. "We are going to the North Palace, darlings. You like it there, don't you?"
Nefertiti walked past her husband to the door of the anteroom, her arms around her two youngest daughters. "Come Merye." Turning to look at him as she passed, she added. "I think Beketaten had better come with us too. If I left her behind, no doubt she would fall victim to your lechery." She beckoned to her eldest daughter impatiently. "Come Merye."
Akhenaten trembled with the stress of the confrontation but his voice remained calm. "Stay Merye. Stay with me."
Meryetaten took a step toward her mother then stopped, looking anxiously from one parent to the other.
"Stay with me and be queen," Akhenaten said, his voice low and cajoling. "Your mother abdicates her role by leaving me. She is no longer queen. Stay with me and be my queen. I need you by my side."
The girl licked her lips nervously. "Mother?"
"Don't listen to him, you little fool. He only wants to take advantage of you. Do you really want to spread your legs for your own father? You deserve better. Now obey me."
Meryetaten looked at her father. "I would be queen? Really queen? Not just a title?"
"In truth, Meryetaten, Beloved of Aten. I will chisel your mother's name from the monuments and substitute yours. You will be known as 'The Beautiful' and adored by all who see you. You will sit beside me on the throne of Kemet and our son will be king after me."
"I...I...mother, I cannot ..."
"You are a fool, Meryetaten, if you cannot see his lies. What do you think will happen if you produce another girl child? He will cast you aside for another."
"I...I would be Queen Meryetaten." She hesitantly walked over to her father and stood by him, facing her mother. She raised her chin defiantly. "I will be queen."
Nefertiti bowed her head and her body shook once more. Then without another look at her husband and eldest daughter, she swept from the room with as much dignity as she could muster, her younger daughters trailing after her, distraught and puzzled.
***
Three hours later, Nefertiti, her daughters, Beketaten and a whole bevy of ladies in waiting, cosmeticians, mistresses of the wardrobe, cooks, attendants and the many servants that keep a palace running efficiently, had moved over to the North Palace. As this residence already had its own staff, accommodation in the servants' quarters quickly became critical and matters disintegrated into chaos. Nurses hustled Ankhesenpaaten and Neferneferoura off to bed in the aired out bedrooms of the palace and set about preparing ones for Princess Beketaten and the queen.
Rumors sped through the palace, spreading like a dust storm in the howling west wind from the desert. The queen has deserted the king, some said. Others that it was the other way round. A few believed the Aten had commanded the split and one maidservant, who had overheard something from the king's apartments, said he was taking his own daughter Meryetaten as wife. This last idea was shouted down as being too absurd. Yet the princess concerned remained in the old palace and the queen was in a cold fury, snapping at any intrusion into her apartments. Only Beketaten was allowed in.
"Your brother has gone mad," Nefertiti hissed. "He has cast me off despite his vows, and plans to make Meryetaten his queen. He wants a son by her."
Beketaten thought about this for a few minutes. "He...he will force her?"
"The little bitch has agreed. She wants to be queen and cannot see what this means. She will cast her own mother aside."
"But my lady--sister--you are still queen. How can he do this?"
"He is the king, as he is so fond of pointing out," Nefertiti said bitterly. "He has cast me aside already for that whoring daughter of mine and will no doubt divorce me."
"The people will not support him, lady. You are much loved."
"Oh, Beketaten, you are young and naive. The people mean nothing. If the king has the army behind him he can do anything he pleases."
"Your father?"
Nefertiti considered. "Yes, my father may be able to help. He is Tjaty, a high priest of Aten and still commander of the local garrison. We shall hope so, for if not, that madman will ruin all of us." She sat down on a couch in her suite and looked across at the young princess standing by the bed. "Do you know what will happen when Meryetaten produces a girl child? Oh, I am sure she will. My husband's member is short and his semen weak. He has not the strength to sire sons and he has the temerity to blame me for our daughters." Her voice rose from bitterness to anger and she got to her feet, clenching her fists in rage. "Do you know what he will do? He plans to force himself upon Ankhesenpaaten and probably little Nefer too--and you, Beketaten. He mentioned you by name."
Beketaten shrank back, shuddering, her hands unconsciously moving protectively in front of her. "No, I cannot. I will not. I am promised ..."
"Promised?" Nefertiti cocked her head in curiosity. "Promised to whom? By whom?" She smiled slowly despite her former fury. "Princess Beketaten--little Scarab--who keeps to herself except when she is with ..." The queen laughed. "Smenkhkare? You have promised yourself to Smenkhkare? Does he know?" She laughed again then shook her head. "It does not matter. Akhenaten means to bring Smenkhkare to Akhet-Aten and make him co-regent. There was talk of marrying him to Meryetaten though that may no longer happen. Either way, little Beketaten, your handsome young man is out of your reach."
"He will not leave me," Beketaten whispered. "He is good and strong and faithful."
"He is a man. He is governed by power and riches and by his testicles." Nefertiti shook her head though she still smiled. "Put him out of your head, Beketaten. We shall send you north I think, to the old king's residence in Ineb Hedj. You will be out of harm's way and later ..." Her voice trailed off and she sat down on the bed again, her attention drifting from her conversation. "Ineb Hedj," she muttered. "Yes, there's a thought. I could raise an army from Ta Mehu ..."
"My lady?"
Nefertiti shook herself. "Go to bed, Beketaten. We will discuss this again in the morning. My father Ay will be here soon and I need to talk to him privately."
Beketaten nodded and crossed the room, kissing the seated queen on the cheek before leaving the room. When the sound of her footsteps had faded, Nefertiti arose and went into the next room where she made use of the water channel toilet now installed in all the palaces. She rinsed her hands in a bowl of water with floating rose petals and dried them on a clean linen towel. Going back into her bedchamber she poured herself a cup of wine and carried it over to the window, where she sat. She stared out over the river, glistening in the bright moonlight, sipping her drink and waiting for her father.
Ay arrived as the moon dipped toward the west, casting its silvery glow into Nefertiti's darkened chamber. Only one torch still burned in its wall sconce, guttering low and throwing flickeri
ng shadows over the furniture.
"Daughter?" Ay stood in the doorway, searching the shadowed room for any sign of life.
A shadow moved, flowing up out of a chair beside the window, running toward the door. Nefertiti threw herself into her father's arms with a sob, clinging to him. She overtopped her father by a head but had anyone been looking, there would have been no doubt where the strength in that relationship lay. The wife of the king had been a queen for fourteen years but tonight was just a woman, hurt and bewildered and angry. Her father had been a force in the land since the days of the old king and was now second only to the king in power. As he comforted his daughter, his mind was cool, calculating, seeking the avenue of action that would benefit him the most.
"Father, he has thrown me over for that little slut Meryetaten. How could she do this? How could he?"
"I heard, daughter. Now calm yourself, stop crying. I brought you up better than that." Ay led Nefertiti over to the bed and sat her down. He went back out into the corridor and fetched another two burning torches, fixing them in the place of burned out ones in the bedchamber. The ruddy glow of the resinous torches immediately brought a more cheerful aspect to the room.
Nefertiti in the meantime, wiped away her tears and composed herself. Taking the double lapis and gold earrings from her left ear, and the heavy gold and onyx chain from around her neck, she placed them carefully on the bedside table before crossing back to the main table with its wine and fruit. She poured herself another cup of wine and one for her father too. Handing him his, she drank, looking coolly in his eyes, in control of herself once more.
"What can I do, father?"
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to castrate the lecherous son of a whore," she hissed viciously.
"Be serious, child. Besides, his mother was my sister and your aunt. Do not denigrate her. I repeat. What is it you want?"