Day 1 of the reign of Setenet Ahit-Kau
"Mother, I think I should be there," Pleaded Apui. She sat across from her mother at the breakfast table. Her mother's wife, her father the Lord Consort Piaa, and her older sister, Htuabi had joined them for breakfast as well on the special day.
Her mother's wife, Lady Kemmes, spoke up, "Apui, Lady Nestem is your mother, you need to trust that she has your best interests in mind and not question her decision any further." Htuabi gave Apui a side-eye.
"I just want to see her," Apui lamented, resting her head on her fist in disappointment.
"I think you can wait a little while longer, Apui. Soon enough you will meet her firsthand," Htuabi said.
"Easy for you to say, you've already met her at scribe school," Setenet said, eyeing Htuabi angrily.
"Well honestly Apui I don't think you would be very pleased even if you did see her, some of the other students say she's cutthroat and ungenuine. I only greeted her once, but she didn't even look at me."
Nestem finally spoke up, "Htuabi, hold your tongue. I have told you before, we will not speak poorly of the First Princess. You do not know her. And she has much more of Isitobu in her than you. If I catch you speaking wrong again I'll-" She paused to think, flustered, and looked to the courtyard pool next to the table, "I'll throw you in the pool with the fish!"
Apui chuckled, rarely hearing her mother get that angry.
"And you, Apui, no more out of you. You'll stay here for the coronation and we will be skipping the feast and eating at home in consideration for you," Nestem said.
The girl sighed again, poking around at a date on her plate.
"How many times must I tell you that there are people who want you killed, and badly. Leaving our house is a real danger for you," Nestem said, this time with a softness in her voice.
"Don't worry Apui, we'll have our own celebration here," Piaa said quietly. Apui smiled at him, trying to remember to be kind and serene.
"Thank you, father, but I think I'll just spend today with Isitobu, praying that when I do join the temple, I will be prepared enough to help the First Princess" Apui said, getting up from the table and heading to her room. She sat down at her vanity, and looked at herself in a hand-held mirror. It was silver with a bronze handle, very valuable. Her half-brother had brought it home for her. He'd found it in a village they took from the northern savages. It was one of her most prized possessions, but she hated to look at herself in it. Seeing her face only reminded her of the great burden Isitobu had bestowed on her.
She was a bloodless child, with skin and hair as pale as milk, eyes blue like the sky, and two small horns the color of inner-shell. Isitobu had marked her for a great destiny this way; someday she would become the Arch Priestess. Apui was honored and thankful of course, but it was also a great burden. People wanted her dead so that their children, normal girls who were not bloodless, could instead rise to the position. She couldn't go out very often, and if she did she had to be kept in her family's palanquin. She had to be taught at home and could not go to scribe school with the other affluent girls, like her sister. City festivals, even for the family matron, Hapmu, were certainly not allowed.
After a while Htuabi peered inside the room and cleared her throat. Apui threw a backwards glance at her. "Apui, I have a question," she said. Apui nodded once at her and she sat down on the bench at the food of Apui's bed. "Why haven't you joined the temple yet? Arch Priestess Nezet has already told us she'll step down and retire as soon as you are ready. If you want to leave the house so much why don't you? You could be starting your induction as soon as possible, in what, a few weeks from now?"
"More like a few days." Apui said, looking at her feet.
"Your period is in a few days? Well you should leave now, otherwise you'll have to wait another month!"
"I'm not ready Htuabi."
"You're being naive. Don't think those priestesses are just going to throw you to the wolves day one. Most of them are just as scheming and ambitious as the politicians. They're not going to let you loose until you want to be let loose, do you understand?" Htuabi asked. Apui looked up at her and shook her head. "What I mean is this: you go be their figurehead for a while and let the priestesses think they can control you and coach you. In the meantime you'll be figuring out the lay of the land and getting out of this house. When you're ready you can really seize your power and start enacting the change you want."
"You're starting to sound like a politician yourself. Is this what they're teaching you in scribe school?" Apui asked. Htuabi shrugged. Apui had to think about it for a second. The planning and plotting seemed against Apui's core instincts. She had always imagined she would be a beacon of honesty and virtue as an arch priestess. Manipulating the other priestesses, even if their aim was to manipulate her, seemed immoral. "Well. It's not the worst idea I've ever heard. The only problem is I have no experience in politicking."
Htuabi waved her hand around, dismissing Apui. "It's not hard," Htuabi said. Apui suddenly had an idea and gasped.
"Well what if I gave you a commission, as my personal scribe? You could help me, coach me, protect me from plots I may not see?" Apui asked.
Htuabi thought about it for a second. "I still have a year and a half before I graduate, and I haven't trained as a priestess, so it might take some doing for the other head priestesses to allow me to work and live in the temple,"
"But that really wouldn't be beyond my power, Arch Priestesses before me have done other, similar things."
"It would stink very strongly of nepotism though," Htuabi warned. Apui folded her arms in contemplation. "Listen, Apui," Htuabi stood up, "I have to get ready for the festivities but we'll be back later, for the feast. Think about it till then. Pray on it."
Apui nodded. "Okay."
"I think it may work out very well in your favor," Htuabi reached over and put a hand on her little sister's head, "And I know you are a very moral and good person, so what's good for you would be good for our empire."
Htuabi left Apui alone, sauntering off into the blinding courtyard sunlight.
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