Going Forth By Day by Mary R Woldering

Author:Mary R Woldering [Woldering, Mary R]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781508731290
Publisher: Createspace
Published: 2015-04-11T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19: LILITU

At the evening meal, Naibe-Ellit met Prince Shepseskaf. She vaguely remembered his face as that of the man who had chosen Ariennu a week earlier. She danced a little for him when the other women danced, but tonight her heart really wasn’t in her work. When the evening finished, she retired to the shared women’s bedchamber, then lay awake for what she thought was several hours. She was incredibly tired and depressed about the state of her life. Fortunately, the prince didn’t send for her.

By the middle of the night, when everyone else was asleep, she got up. If there were no guards, she would simply slip out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the estate. A plant-stuffed plaza that led to a gate in the rear servant’s area could aid her escape. If I go, where will I go? Wse can’t take me to his duty in the temple at Khmenu, far away. It doesn’t matter. I’ll find his boat, hide in it, and compel him to order his men to turn around and go to Per-A-At where he should be. He doesn’t want to serve under the Great One anymore. We could start over there. That thought alone kept her awake and ready despite her long day.

Naibe crept quietly down the brick steps to the plaza level and then looked out toward the reflection pool. This one had the traditional pink and white sesen plants, which were now closed and resting beneath the surface of the water. They were waiting for a new day when the sun would rouse them and they would “Go Forth by Day”. She approached the water and pushed her toe into it, just to see if someone might be watching her. The water was still quite warm from the heat of the day.

Its seductive warmth beckoned and for a moment she thought: maybe a swim before I break away. Shaking away the thought, she paused, half-horrified that she had allowed herself to be so distracted by her surroundings. At any moment she knew she would rouse the attention of the guards on duty. That she didn’t see them now meant they were walking the perimeter in pairs. They would be back soon enough and her plans would be in ruins. If guards found her wandering, they would quickly usher her back to the women’s area and order a handmaiden to attend to her until she slept again. Everyone was friendly enough here, but she felt trapped. She didn’t like this place at all.

She stood at the edge of the pool thinking of Princess Bunefer, but keeping watch for the approach of any guards.

Use your magic to waken my womb, she says. I don’t know what she thinks I could do. She’s a Hethrt prophet, and a high ranking one too, she thought to herself as she stole past a large potted tree, pausing to check if she was being followed. Don’t they have a dancing series for that?

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