Prologue / The Arrow
A hidden princess practises archery
The first draft of this short story and first chapters are free for all to read. At some point those who have subscribed to the small monthly payment can continue reading - you should be familiar enough with the story to know by then if you are interested to continue reading. (I willl add audio to this later)
***
“No, Princess, no! Your aim is so poor today. What’s the matter?”
The arrow had hit the dome and fell down with a clank. The young woman lowered her bow and sat down on a chair with a huff, crossing her ankles. This caused her hem to rise, and revealed pretty kid shoes with a bow at the tip. A servant girl immediately appeared from behind a screen to offer her some lemonade on a tray. She took the amethyst glass with a gilded rim, and downed the sweet lemonade with one gulp. This caused a disapproving glance from her tutor, a stern looking woman. Her black clothing was in stark contrast to the light coloured, tightly corseted dress of her protege.
“Manners, princess! Manners! It is not proper to show your ankles! And a lady doesn’t drink like a sailor.”
Alexandrina turned to look at her tutor. She did not like her much. she had not even asked for her name, and because she had not, and called her only as Tutor. Who did not seem to mind this in the least, which in her present state of mind irked the princess even more.
“I don’t understand why I have to keep practising. Who cares how I aim? Or how I drink. Or if my ankles show? There’s no one here to see any of these things, and there never will be.”
For a while it looked like Alexandrina was going to throw her glass to the floor. Her hand trembled, but she took a deep breath and then placed the glass on the small table next to her chair.
Tutor shook her head. Her long black hair was in a tight bun at the nape of the neck, not a single hair out of place despite the long hour they had been practicing. Again in contrast with the loose, brown ringlets on both sides of Alexandrina’s face. The princess sighed, waiting for the inevitable lecture about manners to continue. It always did, no matter how small the offence was. All her life she had been corrected by her mother, her servants, and now her tutor.
“A lady must always behave as if she was being observed. All the more so when the lady in question is of the royal family. She needs to keep herself fit and beautiful to show good example to the lower classes who need educating in manners of style, taste and good manners.”
“And how, pray tell, am I supposed to show good example to them when they cannot see me?” Alexandrina sassed.
“True, it is out of the question for a princess of Amun’s royal family to get out and show herself in public. Yet those who know her will discuss her reputation and elegance and these rumours spread. Thus you must never behave in substandard manner, not even when you are alone, so you don’t unwittingly slip when in company of others. You must root etiquette so deep in your mind you never slip. Overweight is also a sign of lack of self discipline. A lady must pay attention to what and how much she eats, and she needs to exercise to keep her feminine form beautiful. She cannot look like an innkeepers wife. For a princess of your family, indoor sport is the only way to do that. And if you look around, this is almost like being outdoors. You should be happy to have the Ladies’s Dome to practise in!”
Tutor’s hand drew a wide arch to include the big building they were in. It was round and had a big dome, on top of which was an open eye that showed the sky. It was modeled after the Pantheon of Rome. There were trees growing in big pots and well-tended flower beds. Among the flower beds stood elegant little chairs and tables with pretty tablecloths, away from the opening in the ceiling. Round white pergolas strengthened the illusion of a real garden. High vases with flower arrangement gave colour to the otherwise dark green surroundings. Lanterns were hanging from the potted trees - candles burned there even during the day. The new invention of gaslights had not entered this place. Candles had been burning in the royal buildings for centuries, and would continue to do so. The gaslights were dirty, smelly, and their combustion tarnished and damaged any nearby objects.
In the middle of Ladies’ Dome, right under the eye was a real tree reaching for the light. A pair of pigeons had nested there this summer and Alexandrina had observed their free flight through the opening and into the sky with envy.
The tree was ancient, and twisted in form, standing in a little hillock that had not been covered with stone. Its roots twisted like snakes, half visible above the ground. Around the tree was a ring-shaped pond with water lilies. A pretty white garden bridge arched over the water.
Despite mimicking the appearance of an outside garden, the dome was in shadows. Only flowers and plants that could grow in near darkness had been planted, because sunlight could only reach down when the sun was at its highest.
Higher up on the wall was a walking platform with a decorative white railing. It passed windows shielded with metal grilles that let some light seep through, and allowed the hidden viewer look at the scenery through little star-shaped openings.
The surroundings were very pretty, but they were only an imitation of the outside world.
Alexandrina’s pressed her lips tightly together. The mention of overweight stung. Her chubby cheeks and round arms were not only a sign of youth. Lately she had been finding comfort in eating sweets to the extent her mother had ordered her to start a vigorous exercise regine with Tutor.
She took as deep a breath that was possible in her corset. She was certain she would have bruises on her ribs when her maid took it off in the evening. Because of the orders of her mother, she had lost the debate about how inconvenient a corset was in archery. She had only managed to persuade her maid not to tighten it as much as fashion dictated.
“It is not fair I must keep indoors and veil myself from everyone, while my brother can go out where ever he wishes!” she spat.
“You know full well, why this is, Your faith does not allow unmarried women to be outside of their houses. Their reputation would be irrevocably destroyed, if they were seen.”
The young woman got up. She was so short her head barely reached the chin of her tutor who herself was not very tall. The princess’s pale skin and light-coloured dress made her almost glow in the dark. Tutor’s skin had a beautiful olive hue, her hair was shiny black, and her dress was not a ladies’ dress at all. Instead she had baggy trousers and soft shoes that allowed her to move without hindrance. On top of her trousers was an imitation of a dress, with four slits reaching from waist down, that allowed her to run and jump. The reason for this could be seen under what looked like a short apron attached to her waist, until she pushed it aside. A row of sharp daggers in various sizes hung from a belt underneath.
She was not only an archery teacher - she was the princess’s bodyguard. She had appeared only two months ago when Alexandrina had become a woman of child-bearing age. No royal lady of marrigeable age walked even in their own palace without a female bodyguard shadowing her. The reputation of royal women had to remain irreproachable.
“ I can’t see why Amun would want women to remain prisoners in their homes. I have seen the outside world through widows and I see unveiled women everywhere! If our god demands imprisonment of women, I want to change my faith!”
Alexandrina lifted her chin defiantly.
“Do not ever say that to anyone! That is blasphemy!” Tutor said firmly. “You know what would happen if the priests heard that! Not even the King might be able to save you then! Even if the ordinary people could turn their devotion to other gods and goddesses, it is not an option to the royal family! You rule this land as Amun’s servants, and only Amun can stop everything from falling into chaos! It is the obligation of your family to make sure Amun is worshipped according to Ma’at to keep the world in balance.”
Her protege dropped the big bow to the floor to show she had had enough of shooting.
“Easy for you to say, you are not bound by Amun’s faith! I am wasted here! I am allowed to study, but not talk to strangers and make an intelligent discussion. I am not allowed to have a mind of my own!”
Tutor looked at her calmly and repeated what her mother had told her many times.
“No, you are not. As long as you are unmarried, you will do as your brother commands. If you are ever allowed to marry, your only role is to support your husband in his ambitions, and to give him heirs. Your brother will choose your husband and you will obey your chosen husband silently. You are not to speak to him unless he speaks to you first. You are to obey him in everything and do your best to support him in his endeavors. Then you can go out, if he takes you with him.”
The sound Alexandrina made sounded like a suppressed scream.
“In a closed carriage behind him. Veiled from head to toe if I step out. I cannot even see out from either the carriage or through the thick veil! Do you know how inconvenient that damn veil is? You are lucky you can walk unveiled!”
Tutor bent down and calmly lifted the bow from the floor.
“You must not swear! Manners! You are bound to the rules of the life you were born to. We must each stay in our given place in the society. It is the proper way of things, it is Ma’at. Your high position dictates you are to stay hidden. Your mother became Amunet, the Hidden Goddess, when she married your father as the old King’s wife had already died. The nearest female family relative of the king had to take the title and responsibilities of Amunet. She and her female offspring - you - must remain just that. Hidden. As do other royal women of immediate family as they may end up inheriting the title. If they have been seen in public even once, they are no longer hidden and are thus unfit to carry the title.”
Alexandrina gritted her teeth, red spots burning on her cheeks.
“I refuse to be counted among the royal women! I will give up my title! “ Alexandrina knew she sounded like a little girl having a tantrum, but she was seething.
“This you cannot do. It is not possible. And Amunet’s title is holy and cannot be freely gifted even inside the royal family It is the duty of the highest ranking royal lady to be Amunet, and only if a higher lady enters the family, will the title of Amunet pass to them. Your mother was given the title even before your father had inherited the crown. It is unfortunate your father died before he was crowned, may his name be spoken for all eternity. But it was your luck you were born as the granddaughter of the king of Amun, and your… specific circumstances were kept a secret.”
The princess looked at Tutor sharply.
“Yes. I am aware of everything. The Duchess took me into her confidence once I had been chosen to guard you. I am to remain your bodyguard as long as I am fit to do so or die in service. As a Sister of Neith I have taken the vow of silence regarding anything I learn during my service to the royal family. My own sisterhood will have me executed if they hear I have disclosed anything of the royal life to anyone.”
Alexandrina stared at Tutor, not knowing how to react to this confession. Tutor continued speaking, undisturbed by her stare.
“The old King has no other living offspring but you and your brother. None are likely to appear anymore either because of his illness…”
Tutor stopped speaking abruptly, lifted her hands, palms outward towards the sky and chanted:
“Life, prosperity, health to the King of Amun.”
Her student continued staring at Tutor, but now with a triumphant glint in her eye.
“You are to join in the good wishes for the king!” Tutor looked at her.
“And you are not to talk ill of him in the first place. What if I let my brother know you have told me the king is ill? That, I’m sure, is not the proper way of things and something the king’s successor should be aware of.”
She enjoyed the look on Tutor’s face. For once her expression showed worry, and she opened her mouth to say something. At that moment then there was a knock on the door. The servant girl appeared from behind the screen that hid her presence when she was not needed, and ran to the door, her hand on the hilt of her short dagger.
“Who is asking for entry?” she asked.
“The Duchess is here to see the Princess,” a voice from behind the door said.
The girl opened the door. Another servant wearing similar black clothing as Tutor, was behind the door. Behind her stood a figure covered in thick, black veil that reached from her headdress to her toes. The veil was so thick the lighter oval of her face was barely visible. The servant curtsied deep in front of the Duchess who sailed through the doorway without as much as a look at her. When she walked, the flowing veil revealed a bright red hem and golden shoes. Her bodyguard closed the door to the dome, stationed herself next to the doorway and acknowledged the presence of Tutor with a slight nod. Tutor answered in kind.
Alexandrina’s servant hurried to help her remove her veil, revealing a dark-haired lady with strong resemblance to her daughter. Under the veil she wore a beautiful red dress, embroidered with black jet stones that marked her as a widow. On her head she wore a red headdress circling her head. It curved to a spike at the back of the head, pointing straight up. A golden curlicue reached upwards from the front towards the ceiling.
She looked around in the great dome building, and up to the eye in the circular dome. The servant girl hurried to bring her a chair and refreshments. The Duchess sat down and did not look one bit relaxed with her rod-straight back and wasp waist. She took a tiny sip of the glass of wine given to her and elegantly placed it on the table.
“I have come to fetch Alexandrina,” she said to Tutor who curtsied low in front of her.
“Yes, your grace,” she said.
“Let us see what Drina has learned,” she said, not addressing her words to her daughter who had not got up from her chair. “Manners would be a nice thing to begin with.”
Her daughter sighed and stood up.
“What is the point of manners when there is no one to see them?” she asked.
“I am here to see them,” her mother said, now looking at her daughter. “I have come to take you out with me. I am wearing the official dress of Amunet for a reason.”
Alexandrina’s mouth opened in surprise.
“Mama? Really? I can get out?”
“Yes, we are going to see your brother get engaged. We have found him a wife and there will be an official engagement ceremony in an hour’s time.”
“Who… What… What will happen to me, then?” Alexandrina asked.
Her mother observed her sternly. She then looked around to see no servant was near. She gestured Tutor to go away and Alexandrina to come closer before she spoke in a quiet voice.
“His wife must never hear the truth of your existence. That would be a scandal. You are presented as Edward’s younger sister to her, and you will hold on to that story if you do not wish to end up in the Monastery.”
“Yes, Mama,” she curtsied now.
The Monastery. No, she would never go there. Her brother’s wife would never hear of their secret.
“Now that your brother will get married, I will pass the title of Amunet to his wife. But only after they are married and after the old King enters the Duat- life, prosperity, health to him, so that day will be far in the future. On that day your brother will become King of Amun and his wife will become Amunet. After that your destiny is no longer in my hands, and your brother will decide what to do with you. As the King’s Mother I have a secure place in the palace, but you must convince your brother you are of use to the kingdom- either married or unmarried.”
“And if my brother decides I am not to marry, I will grow into an old prune and die alone without anyone even knowing if I am alive or dead!” Alexandrina stomped her foot to the ground.
Her mother reached out and grasped her arm. She spoke directly to her ear.
“Lower your voice! The servants will hear and you can’t have them gossip about you. You should be happy you are even alive! If people knew the truth of your existence… You would not live hidden in this luxury. You would be a slave to the Monastery, and remain alive only because you are of different sex than your brother, and because you were not born poor so your right to live could be bought.”
Alexandrina knew this. No one was to know she was her brother’s twin - and more. A fact she had found out much to her mother’s dismay by going through books in their private library one day. She was searching for a book about Cleopatra and Anthony, and found a usually locked cupboard was left open with ancient-looking books. In it was the royal family’s record book where the court scribes wrote all the births.
She had taken it out and leafing through the royal family history came to the latest records. There were the names of her parents. Prince Edward of Kent, and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Underneath their names were the names of their children: herself and her brother. Alexandrina Victoria, and Edward William. To her shock she found her birth date was the same as her brother’s. They were twins!
She had to sit because of the shock. And even more confusing had been that her name had been written first. The names were always written in order of birth - especially when it came to twins. It could be a matter of life and death should it come to choosing which child was allowed to live.
She had always thought she had been born a year after her brother and now confronted her mother. She ended up locked in her rooms for weeks until she had agreed to keep the knowledge a secret. Her mother had said that the country needed a future king, and he should be a man. It was unheard of that a woman should rule in Amun’s name. When Alexandrina had mentioned Elizabeth, her mother had slapped her on her face.
“She was an exception, the only living heir after her brother died. What do you think would happen if you started demanding the rights of the firstborn? Do you want your brother to end up to the Monastery? Or worse?” the Duchess had asked. “Don’t even dream you could be the next ruler. Twins cannot rise into a position of power, you know that full well. And this means your brother as well, if you went about telling you are the firstborn. Ma’at would be destroyed and the country would fall into chaos when pretenders would start warring for the crown.”
“Does Grandfather know of this?” Alexandrina had asked.
“No. He was never interested in us, and the royal midwife who delivered you was mute and unable read or write. When I suspected I was carrying twins I made sure the midwife would be unable to speak the truth of you.”
“Unable? How?”
“It doesn’t matter, how. She has now passed to the Duat. The only ones who knew the truth were her, your father, and the scribe who would not be bought. Also in the Duat now.”
Something in the way the Duchess mentioned Duat made shivers go down Alexandrina’s spine.
“Does Edward know?” she asked.
“No. And you should never tell him. I have the book in a locked bookshelf for a reason. I have also convinced him that the only person who has the right to touch and mark the events of the royal family is the court scribe. The present one is well paid to confirm this to him, should he ever ask. Which I doubt, as Edward never was interested in reading old books. Your name cannot be erased from the books as it is covered with the official stamp of birth with both your names. The stamp reaches over the stamp of birth of your own father whose name would have to be erased too to remove it. After being used these birth stamps are destroyed, so even if a new one was made, it would not cover the remains of the old seal completely.”
Alexandrina had held her hand on her stinging cheek and the Duchess had grasped her by the shoulders and looked deep into her eyes.
“I know my son. Edward has a temper, he is prone to violence, and he is hungry for power. I would not put it past him to draw a line over your name in the birth records so he could rule in Amun’s name without a blemish to his name. And for that to happen… You must understand what that would mean. You may be in danger even if Edward never learns the truth about your birth. Your possible husband and children may also try to grab the crown. For these reasons I have started searching for a reliable bodyguard for you, now that you will soon become old enough to marry. Your bodyguard cannot do anything if Edward himself attacks you, but she can deal with everyone else. It is in your best interest to remain out of sight and silent, and never voice any strong opinions of your own.”
So Alexandrina had promised to keep silent, anger and fear consuming her from inside every passing day.
She later learned that all the servants with access to the library were imprisoned for interrogation. The official explanation was that a golden necklace had been stolen. The servants’ every move was checked, and those who had not been near the library were let go. But three of them never reappeared. Alexandrina had asked her maid what had happened to them, but she had paled and refused to answer.
After this Tutor was hired as her bodyguard.
“Now, let me see what you have learned.”
The Duchess spoke with normal voice and turned to see the Tutor, gesturing her to come closer.
Tutor walked to them and simply bowed her head in front of the Duchess. The Sisters of Neith were exempt from constant curtsying after the first, formal obeisance. They had to remain in a position to be ready to face any threat, and being down in a deep curtsey was not such.
“Your grace?”
“Now, I want to see the Princess hit the target. You have been teaching her archery for two months already, so I expect to see progress.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“If you do not hit the mark, I will not take you out with me,” the Duchess said to Alexandrina.
Alexandrina straightened, squeezing the bow in her hand.
“I will hit the mark!”
“Well then. Let us see. Tutor - what is the mark she is to aim for?”
Tutor looked at Alexandrina and for a fleeting moment there was a strange expression on her face. Her pupils were dilated, and she swallowed as if she was nervous. She hid her emotions well, she always did, but Alexandrina was certain she was nervous now. Instead of answering the Duchess, Tutor asked a question.
“Could I ask your grace where the engagement will take place? The ceremonies have already started?”
“Why would you be interested?”
“Not out out of idle curiosity, your grace. I feel I should be allowed to accompany the princess as her chaperon and bodyguard. As a Sister of Neith I can protect the Princess if need be. You hired me for this purpose, so I take it to be my duty to follow the princess when she goes out. It is always dangerous for the royal ladies to leave the safety of their palace. A simple lifting of their veil would damage their reputation.”
The Duchess considered.
“Yes, you are right. The engagement will be officially announced in a hour, and yes, the ceremony has begun already. The future king is sitting on the stone throne in front of the Westminster Temple as protocol dictates, waiting for the bells of midday. The officials are now taking their proper places to witness the ceremony, to see all is done according to Ma’at. The royal ladies are to escort the bride-to-be to him when the sun is at its highest, to show our acceptance of his choice of wife. You may come, but you will not address anyone and you will keep your hands on your daggers all the time.”
“I will do so,” Tutor bowed. “Now, princess. Let us show how you have learned to handle your bow.”
She held the bow towards the Princess who took it.
“That is a very big bow!” the Duchess remarked.
The bow was almost as tall as the princess who carried it.
“It is. It is heavy to use, but as the princess has the tendency to… roundness, I considered it to be good exercise to change from the small bow into a bigger one. It is not a military bow, but heavier than ladies’ bows. As you can see, after one month of practice, the princess is considerably slimmer.”
The Duchess’s lips tightened at the mention of her daughter’s plump form, but she knew Tutor was correct. Alexandrina was short, and liked sweets and past. Tightening her corset required considerable force in the mornings. But now that the Duchess looked at her daughter for the first time in weeks, she could see her arms were still round, but not as much as they had been. The Duchess herself was very proud of her feminine, but slender form, and she considered overweight to be a sign of slackness. She ate very little and punished herself immediately with brisk walks on the palace corridors, if she noticed any weight gain.
She now nodded to Tutor, who turned to talk to Alexandrina.
“You know where the target is. You have done this on many occasions.”
She turned to talk to the Duchess.
“This may surprise you, but you cannot see the target here. It is outside.”
“Wait - what do you mean by an outside target?” the Duchess asked.
“Your grace - we have placed a target outside in the garden, and have been practising shooting through the eye of the ceiling, directly to the target. The bow is so powerful we would need to shoot at the walls otherwise.”
The Duchess looked at the big bow suspiciously.
“And this is safe?”
“Indeed, your Grace. I know the curve of the arrow’s flight and where it lands. When the princess practises, we only shoot into one direction and there is another sister of Neith to keep people out of harm’s way. If your grace would like to see the targets, I have some brought in to show the princess how she has developed.”
She hurried away and returned with rolls of cloth. She opened them, one of top of the other, on the floor. Each had a painted circle in the middle, with a number. The cloths were full of little tears, each marked with different coloured paints. Tutor pointed at the little holes.
“See, your grace… We have marked each week’s practice with a different coloured paints. In the beginning the princess did not even hit the cloth, but this week she has reached the central circles. That is good progress.”
“How does she know where to aim?” the Duchess was intrigued, watching the holes in the fabric.
“If your grace would look up on the eye of the sky…” the tutor pointed.
The Duchess shadowed her eyes and looked up. The sun was just creeping mid-sky. The hour of Amun-Ra was near.
“What am I looking at?” she asked.
“You see the rack placed at the edge of the opening? My assistant has climbed up there and placed it at the right location. There are ten openings in there, and the princess aims at the one I tell her with all her power, and shoots. The left being number ten, the rightmost one number one.”
“How fascinating! To shoot through the opening to a target one cannot even see! Where did you get that idea?”
“The rumours of the future king’s marriage were whispered in the palace corridors. The princess suggested we might congratulate the new king at his upcoming wedding by showing showing her archery skills. No one would see her, no one would know it is she who shot the arrow into a target the king sees. But it would be a greeting from his sister. The arrow will be special too, as the princess practises with golden coloured arrows, like sunbeams. The arrow will be like a message from the sun directly to the king.”
The Duchess lowered her gaze, as the sun was hurting her eyes.
“How extraordinary indeed. But proper, as the princess cannot not show herself. The thought of a golden sunbeam from the sun directly to the future king is original.”
Tutor bowed her head, clearly pleased that her idea was accepted. It had been her idea altogether, but Alexandrina did not mind stealing the honour.
“Let us show your good mother how good you are in archery.” Tutor turned to Alexandrina. “Aim carefully and you will have a chance to get out.”
Her choice of words was a bit strange, but Tutor was not English so who could expect her to be familiar with the finer nuances of language. Alexandrina placed the arrow carefully. She saw the marker in the opening, a rake with ten openings.
“Aim at number three,” Tutor said.
Alexandra was certain she had never shot at number three before. She needed to turn slightly to aim properly. She concentrated, drawing a deep breath while she drew the string taut, feeling her newly found muscles tense against the fabric of her sleeves. She let air out of her lungs, and relaxed, staring at the target until she reached the feeling she had learned to listen to. It told her instinctively she would make the arrow shoot straight through the right opening between the spikes of the rake.
“Don’t overthink it. Trust the feeling. Let it fly,” she heard Tutor’s often repeated words in her mind.
And so, when the feeling told her her aim was right, she let the arrow go with a twang. It shot through the third opening and disappeared in the sun.
“Well done!” Tutor clapped her hands in a show of excitement Alexandrina had never wittnessed before.
“Will someone go and fetch the target for us to see?” the Duchess asked.
“It is best we go and see for ourselves on our way to the ceremony. You will see the target and know if the princess hit it,” Tutor said. She had red spots on her cheeks like she was excited about something. Or nervous. Probably nervous Alexandrina had not hit the target. It would be embarrassing for her and for the Princess. For the first time Alexandrina hoped she had hit the target - the Duchess might well send her back inside if she had not.
“Yes, we will be late soon. Drina - your veil,” the Duchess said
Alexandrina put the bow away, and took off the archer’s glove and forearm cover. Her servant approached with the heavy veil and a wide-brimmed hat that would lift the veil off the top of her head and her face so it would not flatten her hair. She placed these on her mistress with experienced hands. Alexandrina, however, was not used to the veil yet. As a girl she had not been required to wear it, but after she had become a woman the cursed thing had appeared immediately.
“Are we ready?” the Duchess asked.
“Yes, Mama,” the princess answered. “Are we going to see Edward’s bride now?”
“Yes. She is waiting the Amun temple to be veiled. We will go through the women’s side door.”
They walked to the door and knocked on it. The servant outside opened it and they stepped out to the corridor leading from the dome to the palace. Both Tutor and Duchess’s bodyguard walked with them - Tutor behind them the other bodyguard in front of them.
“Who is she? His bride?” Alexandrina asked.
“She is the daughter of Aset.”
The Duchess’s voice revealed her emotions. She was pleased. More than pleased - triumphant.
“What?” Alexandrina stopped so that Tutor nearly bumped into her back. “How can that be?”
“Amun’s priests managed to catch her when she went out carelessly. They had waited for the opportunity for a while already. She has been kept safely in her cell ever since.”
“But… Hasn’t her mother searched for her?” Alexandrina asked.
“Move along now… Yes of course. She had her suspicions where her daughter was, but today after the engagement has been blessed by the high priest, there’s nothing she can do anymore. The word of the king of gods is binding.”
They walked along the corridor leading to the royal palace next to the Westminster temple of Amun - the main temple in the land.
“What is that noise?” the Duchess asked.
They could hear shouts and screams from outside, but the windows from the Ladies’ Dome were so high they could not see outside.
“The mob, probably, trying to see if there are rich pickings to be made from the pockets of the officials,” Tutor said. “I think it is best we use the roundabout through the palace to get to the temple instead of going out and entering through the official women’s entrance.”
“Quite so. I hope our soldiers will clear those dirty people away before the bride comes out,” the Duchess said.
“You said she is waiting to be veiled? You mean she isn’t yet?” Alexandrina asked.
“The moment the high priest announces her to be the future Amunet, she will be veiled. Until then, unfortunately, she is not veiled, as her faith does not require it. Most improper, I have to say,” the Duchess said. “But as long as she is never seen unveiled as Amunet, her reputation remains pure.”
“Here, let me lead the way,” Tutor said. “I see better as I am not veiled and I know the way.”
They followed her through surprisingly empty corridors. Alexandrina saw the faint light of the candles through her veil and tried very much not to trip on the hem of the black fabric.
“Where is everybody?” the Duchess asked when they stepped from the corridor into the palace proper. “Even the lackeys are gone.”
“Probably in the outer corridor windows to witness the engagement,” the tutor said.
“Ah yes. You don’t usually get to see the future Amunet without veil. I don’t even remember when was the last time the Great Consort came from another faith and was unveiled before engagement. I know she is quite pretty, so they will remember this day for the rest of their lives,” the Duchess said.
“This way…” the tutor turned to one of the parlors and closed the door behind them. She walked to the wall and pushed a carved rose on one of the panels. With a click a hidden door opened.
“Careful now, it is dark here… I will take a lantern…”
She took a pretty metal lantern from a hook standing by an armchair and placed one of the burning candles from a table chandelier in it.“Here, follow me. It may be best you lift your veils to see better. There will be no strangers here.”
Relieved, Alexandrina collected the voluminous veil into her hands and lifted it up and on her hat. It felt immediately easier to breathe.
The corridor went straight for a while and then they reached downward steps.
“Hold on to the railing…” Tutor said.
Alexandrina had not been inside these hidden corridors before. If members of the royal family needed to be taken to safety quickly, they could be used. There were many within the walls, that much she knew.
The steps ended in a heavy oak door. The Duchess gave a big ancient looking key to Tutor who opened the lock. It was well oiled, and opened without a sound.
They now stepped to a little side room of the great front yard, behind the pylons of the Westminster Amun Temple. No ordinary person could enter the yard. The Duchess and Alexandrina pulled their veils down to cover themselves from view before stepping out.
The moment the door opened, the screaming and shouting attacked their ears.
“That does not sound normal!” the Duchess said, scared.
Tutor, for some reason, took a deep breath like she was enjoying the chaotic noises.
“Don’t worry, the soldiers are blocking the entrance to the temple,” Tutor then said. “Do you want me to go and see what has happened?”
“Where is the bride?” the Duchess asked.
“She is held behind the second gate. Would your grace prefer I go and fetch her?” Tutor asked.
“Yes, yes… Please do… And you, Drina, go with her just in case, to be safe. You can show the guards my sign. I will go and see what all this is about. Most improper that the guards cannot make the mob quiet!”
The Duchess opened the embroidered pouch hanging from her waist and took out a golden plaque in the form of two feathers side by side.
“Quickly now!” Tutor grabbed the plaque and almost ran towards the second gate and its guards who had their swords in hand.
Alexandrina ran after her, trying not to trip on the flowing veil.
“I’m on Amunet’s business!” Tutor showed the plaque to the guards in front of the second pylon, and they stepped aside.
“What has happened?” Alexandrina tried to ask the guards, but Tutor pulled her away before they had a chance to answer.
“Where is the bride?” Tutor demanded to know from a group of female servants huddled together, looking scared. A shaking hand pointed to the side at a closed door that led to a similar storage room as the one they had used to enter the Temple.
“Give me the key!” Tutor showed the Amunet’s golden sign and one of the servants dropped another heavy key in her hand. They hurried to the door, opened it and stepped in, closing the door securely behind them in front of a servant who had tried to follow them.
And there she was - a dark-haired young woman, only a teenager, dressed in a fine red dress much like the Duchess’s. The only thing that was missing was the red headgear. She sat on a chair, trying to figure out what was going on outside. When she saw them, she got up as if not believing her eyes.
“Are you unhurt and well?” Tutor asked.
“You came!” the girl shouted, and ran to hug her.
“Did you ever doubt it?” Tutor asked.
“No. Not really. Who is this?” the girl turned to look at veiled Alexandrina.
She lifted her veil, baffled at what was happening in front of her.
“I am your sister-in-law. Your… husband’s little sister.”
“No, you are not,” the tutor said. “You are your brother’s twin, and the firstborn at that.”
“What… How… You cannot say that!” Alexandrina took a step back, horrified. “You are bound by your oath of silence!”
Tutor turned to look at Alexandrina and somehow appeared a completely different woman now. Her expression was stern, and she looked at Alexandrina like she was a queen and not a hired soldier.
“I said it so that you know that if you try to stop us and call for help, we will tell your secret to the whole world,” Tutor said. “Now, give your veil.”
When Alexandrina did not move, the girl in red snatched it from her, making her hat fall off. The bride grabbed that too, and then quickly placed both the hat and the veil on her head.
“No! What are you doing?” Alexandrina was so stunned she could barely speak.
“I am preventing this marriage from happening. And you will sit still in this room and be silent like a mouse.”
“You have no right!” the princess raised her voice.
“I have all the right in the world. I am her aunt.”
Tutor’s words punched the air out of Alexandrina.
“You are…” Alexandrina’s jaw dropped.
“I am Nekhbet. My sister Aset sent me to deal with this charade when she realised Amun’s High Priest’s plot to subjugate the faith of Isis. I am taking my niece with me and you… In a few moments you will see how your life has changed. I hope you will use your new power well.”
None of what had happened made any sense to Alexandrina.
“What power? I have no power! Never had! And I never will!”
Tutor looked at her and placed her hand on Alexandrina’s shoulder in an almost supportive gesture.
“Perhaps not before. But now you do. You will understand soon.”
“But…”
“Sit. Or do I need to knock you unconscious?”
“No, no…” Alexandrina sat on the chair the daughter of the First Priestess of the great temple of Isis had just vacated.
“We will leave now. I will lock the door behind me, and take the key. They will think I have come out with you as they cannot see who is under the veil. I will send word you are behind the door as soon as we are at a safe distance. That shouldn’t take long. Everyone will think they see the Princess taken into safety by her bodyguard and they will let us pass. Once they have the door opened, you will understand everything. I wish you every success.”
Alexandrina sat, mute with surprise. Without objection she watched the door close behind Tutor who was no bodyguard but the Second Priestess of the worldwide faith of Isis. The girl who was meant to be Edward’s wife was the daughter of Isis’s First Priestess Aset.
She heard the key being turned in the lock and then she was alone.
It took an hour for the soldiers to start banging at her door, and another hour to open it. It was of heavy oak, and the lock on it was medieval that could not be picked. They had to open the door by chopping it to pieces with axes.
The Duchess stood behind the soldiers, together with what looked like every official of the palace. When she saw Alexandrina, she did an unexpected thing. She knelt on the floor so that the thick veil spread like a dark puddle around her.
Then the soldiers who had just hacked the door to pieces did the same. Behind them the officials of the palace knelt like a wave of red and gold among the great lotus pillars.
Alexandrina did not understand a thing. She got up and carefully walked trough the remains of the door. No one raised their head, but gave way by backing away from her.
The corridor they thus formed led to the middle of the great pillared hall. There was a stone pedestal and… someone lying on it?
She did not want to believe what she saw. But she had to blieve the evidence of her own eyes.
In front of the stone pier stood a priest wearing the mask of Anubis. Another priest was reciting an ancient spell for the protection of a deceased.
On the stone pier lay her brother Edward, with an arrow piercing his left shoulder, its tip deep inside his body.
The same golden coloured arrow she had sent flying from the Dome of Ladies.
The sound of steps from behind. Panicking, she turned, expecting to see soldiers coming to kill the murderer of their future king. But no. It was the oldest counsellor of the King. She had not met him before, but she knew who he was from the medal he was carrying around his neck.
He lifted a red sash, embroidered with golden ram’s heads, and carefully placed it on Alexandrina. It hung from her left shoulder, across her body to her right hip, where a clasp in the shape of a leopard’s head bit the loose ends of the sash in place.
“Life, prosperity and health to the heir of Amun’s Crown,” he said.
“Life, prosperity and health to the heir of the crown!” the shout of the ones present echoed through the temple.
Pigeons, scared of the noise, took flight to the sky.
At a nearby rooftop a woman wearing the black dress of a Sister of Neith wrapped her hand around the shoulder of a teenage girl. She had changed to a modest servant’s dress and tucked the bundle of her previous red dress behind a chimney.
They watched the birds take flight.
“It is done,” the woman said. “Come, let us go.”