Eater of Hearts by Libbie Hawker

Author:Libbie Hawker [Hawker, Libbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Running Rabbit Press

Nefertiti

Year 2 of Nefer-Neferu-Aten,

Beloved of the Beautiful Appearance

Year 1 of Tutankhaten,

Lord of the Forms of the Sun

Nann had already commandeered a choice wing of the palace for Nefertiti, with spacious apartments built and decorated in the old, traditional style. Horemheb led the way, Meritaten held firmly in his grip. The girl didn’t even look up from the floor as they strode past pillars and dry, stone-walled courtyards, yellow in the sun. She seemed as limp and lifeless as an overused rag.

But when they reached Nefertiti’s new quarters and Nann shut the door behind them, life leapt back into Meritaten’s ka. She rounded on Nefertiti, eyes sharp with fury, her words snapping like sails in a storm wind. “Your Great Wife? What kind of twisted relationship are we to have now?”

This anger was good—better than the alternative. Nefertiti would rather see hatred in her daughter’s eyes than that dull, uncaring vacancy, the torpor that had hung over Meritaten even before Nefertiti had made her shocking announcement.

“That is not my intent,” Nefertiti said. “I am not debauched like your father was.”

“What difference does that make? You certainly are as corrupt as he was—and every bit as ravenous for power.”

Nefertiti knew she would be a fool to argue with Meritaten. The girl wasn’t entirely wrong. What she did now, she did for Tutankhaten’s sake—and, by extension, for Egypt’s sake. But however she excused it, this was a seizing of power. As for corruption—her heart had long since been soiled by the creeping filth of royalty. No one in this family can escape corruption, Daughter—not even you.

“Listen to me, Meritaten. With your help, this can be a clean, straightforward coup.”

“At least you admit this is a coup.”

“I won’t dance around the issue. Of course it’s a coup. Is there any other way to remove Ay from his proximity to the throne? You condemn me for immorality, but ‘Corruption’ is Ay’s ren, the name written on his heart! Half the iniquity of this bloodline began with Ay—with his insatiable greed for power.”

Meritaten folded her arms over her breasts, her fine jaw tensing. “Whatever you may think of him, Ay is also wise and experienced.”

“So am I.”

“And humble,” Meritaten added drily.

Nefertiti drifted to an ebony table, its edges inlaid with ivory stars. Nann and Ankhesenpaaten had already seen to everything: a tall jug of wine stood waiting on a tray, several cups made from polished horn standing nearby. Ankhesenpaaten poured two cups of wine, and Nefertiti took one, sniffing the robust, sweet vintage. The younger girl held the other cup out to Meritaten, but she turned her face away without so much as a word of thanks to her sister—a condescending refusal.

“Humility,” Nefertiti said, “is a useless virtue, and therefore it is no virtue at all. Should I pretend I don’t know how to rule the Two Lands? Should I pretend I never did it before, that I can’t do it better than Ay? And why should I act out such a farce? Because I am a woman?”

Meritaten sat on a long couch strewn with leopard skins.

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