eat.” She sounded surprised.
“Stay here and I’ll get you something then.” Khenet stood and worked the kinks out from having sat in one place for so long.
“You don’t have to wait on me, you know.” Lady Tiya beamed at him, cheerful. “But I do appreciate the kindness.”
Khenet grunted and went to get the food. At least she’s polite . He brought her some soup, a few dates and another hard roll.
Sitting cross-legged, Lady Tiya picked at the food daintily, her focus on the river view and the pleasant scenery they passed. “I’ve never been far out of Thebes. I was on the previous Pharaoh’s barge once, on a short pleasure cruise.”
“You befriended the Usurper?” Khenet looked askance at her. He picked off a bit of the roll and chewed thoughtfully.
“We’d no choice but to attend her Court.” Lady Tiya smoothed her hair, reacting to his obvious disapproval, and contemplated the food. “My father’s a city official, in charge of granaries. He had to report to Pharaoh Lynefaraht twice a year.” She grimaced. “Someone told her I was a daughter of Nephthys.”
Khenet swallowed the next bite of bread the wrong way. He choked and coughed. “I meant to ask about that. Are you an actual child of the Great One?”
She laughed. “No. Gods, no. It’s an honorary title. Or a curse.” She stuck out her arm and pointed at a small birthmark, like a cartouche, over her pulse point. “See this? It’s the sign. I have a larger birthmark matching this one on my chest, over my heart.”
“Sign of what?” Khenet’s eyebrows rose and his forehead wrinkled. He tried very hard not to imagine what the other marking might look like on the curve of her breast.
“Our family is an ancient line, tracing to the first civilization preceding life here in Egypt. A few girls in each generation are born with this mark.” Lady Tiya tapped her wrist with a long finger. “Well, you saw, there are currently three of us, and we’re at the disposal of the Great One, Nephthys. That was the bargain my ancestor struck. Others in the family may choose to serve the goddess or live a normal life.” She sighed, eyes downcast. “A few have tried to escape the servitude of the mark. For them our family records reveal painful deaths at the hand of Nephthys, threats of banishment from the Afterlife. I—I did research in the archives after I was told what my birthmarks really meant.”
“Are you a priestess of Nephthys? Is that why you volunteered?” Khenet scratched his head. Why else would she go so calmly to her death?
“No.” She played with the dates, selecting one, then returning it to the plate before meeting his gaze. “Unlike my older brother, the priest you met in Thebes, I’ve didn’t receive the calling to serve in the temple. I don’t wear a ram’s wool garland, play a tambourine or carry statues of the goddess through the street in procession during the high festivals.”
“You sound relieved,” he said, studying her face.
“I’m more interested in life here, day to day, not the Afterlife or the doings of the Great Ones. I’d make a poor priestess, I fear.” Lady Tiya brushed the crumbs off her lap. “I was intrigued by my father’s businesses, his farms, the granaries.”
“So not a housewife either, I guess.” Khenet moved the plate out of the way as she uncurled her legs. “What does the mark bring you then?”
“No special powers or abilities. I’m quite ordinary.” Rubbing her wrist as if to remove the telltale blemish Lady Tiya laughed bitterly. “I volunteered because my poor cousin is about to be married while I’ve a suitor I don’t care for. I couldn’t bear to let her be chosen when she has such happiness in her grasp. My life seemed bleak in comparison.” She bit her lip and swallowed hard, turning her gaze away from him. She watched a pair of kingfishers dive into the Nile, emerging with silvery fish in their beaks. “I was to have an arranged marriage. You saw him,
“Stay here and I’ll get you something then.” Khenet stood and worked the kinks out from having sat in one place for so long.
“You don’t have to wait on me, you know.” Lady Tiya beamed at him, cheerful. “But I do appreciate the kindness.”
Khenet grunted and went to get the food. At least she’s polite . He brought her some soup, a few dates and another hard roll.
Sitting cross-legged, Lady Tiya picked at the food daintily, her focus on the river view and the pleasant scenery they passed. “I’ve never been far out of Thebes. I was on the previous Pharaoh’s barge once, on a short pleasure cruise.”
“You befriended the Usurper?” Khenet looked askance at her. He picked off a bit of the roll and chewed thoughtfully.
“We’d no choice but to attend her Court.” Lady Tiya smoothed her hair, reacting to his obvious disapproval, and contemplated the food. “My father’s a city official, in charge of granaries. He had to report to Pharaoh Lynefaraht twice a year.” She grimaced. “Someone told her I was a daughter of Nephthys.”
Khenet swallowed the next bite of bread the wrong way. He choked and coughed. “I meant to ask about that. Are you an actual child of the Great One?”
She laughed. “No. Gods, no. It’s an honorary title. Or a curse.” She stuck out her arm and pointed at a small birthmark, like a cartouche, over her pulse point. “See this? It’s the sign. I have a larger birthmark matching this one on my chest, over my heart.”
“Sign of what?” Khenet’s eyebrows rose and his forehead wrinkled. He tried very hard not to imagine what the other marking might look like on the curve of her breast.
“Our family is an ancient line, tracing to the first civilization preceding life here in Egypt. A few girls in each generation are born with this mark.” Lady Tiya tapped her wrist with a long finger. “Well, you saw, there are currently three of us, and we’re at the disposal of the Great One, Nephthys. That was the bargain my ancestor struck. Others in the family may choose to serve the goddess or live a normal life.” She sighed, eyes downcast. “A few have tried to escape the servitude of the mark. For them our family records reveal painful deaths at the hand of Nephthys, threats of banishment from the Afterlife. I—I did research in the archives after I was told what my birthmarks really meant.”
“Are you a priestess of Nephthys? Is that why you volunteered?” Khenet scratched his head. Why else would she go so calmly to her death?
“No.” She played with the dates, selecting one, then returning it to the plate before meeting his gaze. “Unlike my older brother, the priest you met in Thebes, I’ve didn’t receive the calling to serve in the temple. I don’t wear a ram’s wool garland, play a tambourine or carry statues of the goddess through the street in procession during the high festivals.”
“You sound relieved,” he said, studying her face.
“I’m more interested in life here, day to day, not the Afterlife or the doings of the Great Ones. I’d make a poor priestess, I fear.” Lady Tiya brushed the crumbs off her lap. “I was intrigued by my father’s businesses, his farms, the granaries.”
“So not a housewife either, I guess.” Khenet moved the plate out of the way as she uncurled her legs. “What does the mark bring you then?”
“No special powers or abilities. I’m quite ordinary.” Rubbing her wrist as if to remove the telltale blemish Lady Tiya laughed bitterly. “I volunteered because my poor cousin is about to be married while I’ve a suitor I don’t care for. I couldn’t bear to let her be chosen when she has such happiness in her grasp. My life seemed bleak in comparison.” She bit her lip and swallowed hard, turning her gaze away from him. She watched a pair of kingfishers dive into the Nile, emerging with silvery fish in their beaks. “I was to have an arranged marriage. You saw him,
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