Queen of the Heavens (36 page)

“Why do you seek to join the order of Isis?” I asked.

“I wish to serve the Queen of the Heavens and know her love.”

“Isis’ love has no limits. She will love you regardless of what you do in your life.”

“They say you are Isis, My Lady. To be in your presence would be a great honor.”

“I’m a healer, but I also am Queen. You will see little of me, at least for some time, for I must perform my royal duties.”

The young girl looked into my eyes. “Being in your presence now is the blessing of a lifetime. If someday I could wash a cup from which you drank, or touch the linens on which you slept, I would be forever grateful.”

I smiled at the young woman. “I will accept you into the order, my dear, for you seem sincere, but always remember your greatest blessings will come not from me, but from the fruits of your healing work.”

Much joy filled my life, but no joy was greater than seeing my son mature into manhood. To my delight, Ramesses adored the beautiful Nefertari, who became his first wife. Like Sety and me years before, they set up household in the family’s great estates in Thebes and Memphis.

The couple quickly produced a son whom they named Amunherkhepeshef. I first held the infant when I visited Nefertari in her chambers shortly after she gave birth. My heart fluttered as I looked into the infant’s tiny dark eyes.

“You have done well,” I said to my daughter-in-law as she lay in bed at the Memphis estate, in the same room where I had given birth to Ramesses.

“Thank you, My Lady.”

“It is I who must thank you. My grandson is strong and handsome. He’ll grow up to be a worthy heir.”

“The Neters have blessed Ramesses and me. I want to give the Prince many more children.”

“Ramesses will see to it that you do. Have no doubt about that,” I told her.

At my urging, Ramesses also took Isnofret as a lesser wife, and he chose for himself numerous other women as lesser wives and concubines. My son knew of my dream that he would live to a great age, and he took to his responsibility of producing many possible heirs with great enthusiasm.

Indeed, as the years passed, I had difficulty remembering the names of all my grandchildren. Yet, I sensed clearly that while my son appreciated the allures of all the young women in his life, his affection would continue to be directed primarily toward Nefertari. This pleased Sety as well as me.

“Nefertari’s wit matches her beauty,” Sety told me one evening as we sat on a bench in the garden of the palace in Thebes, watching the ibises and other wading birds hunt for their sustenance.

“Ramesses loves and respects her,” I noted. “When Ramesses becomes Pharaoh, Nefertari will make a superb Great Royal Wife.”

Sety laughed. “Are you anxious for me to depart so our son can take the throne?”

I gave my husband a playful shove. “Of course not. You have many years ahead of you as Egypt’s ruler.”

“Yes, I do, and you will sit beside me through all of them.”

The next day, Ramesses and Nefertari joined Sety and me for a meal. After dining on antelope, we relaxed on the terrace with tea, chatting, and enjoying the sounds of the frogs and insects in the nearby pond.

“I’ll be leaving with Tuya in two days for Abydos to check on the progress of the temples,” Sety said to Ramesses.

“You spend much time there, Father.”

“The temples are dear to my heart, and to your mother’s. While I’m away, I’d like you to make welcome the dignitaries who visit Memphis.”

“Of course. I also would like to conduct training exercises with the army.”

“If you wish, but the army seems quite ready to repel any foe.”

“No doubt, but I question its readiness to march a long distance so it can take the fight to the Hittites.”

Sety looked surprised. “The Hittites have been rather restrained of late. They don’t seem to pose a threat.”

“The Hittites are always a threat, Father. They may seem peaceful at the moment, but no doubt they’re quietly building their forces so they can strike us when we least expect it.”

“Do you know this for certain?”

“It only makes sense. The Hittites are a vicious foe, and it has been a long time since our victory over them. Before they march against us, we must march against them, and finish what we began years ago.”

“You’re impatient, just as I was at your age. Wouldn’t you prefer to spend your time with the beautiful Nefertari, producing more children?”

“Father, you miss the point.”

“Do I?” Sety turned to Ramesses’ wife. “What do you say, my dear?”

Nefertari dropped her head and remained silent.

“Speak up,” Sety insisted, gently.

Nefertari looked at the Pharaoh. “I know my husband well, My Lord. For him to be fulfilled, he must know glory in battle.”

“Must he?” Sety asked.

“Yes, I must,” Ramesses said in a sharp tone, which I had never before heard him use with his father. “Our temples are the grandest in the world. Our scholars are the finest anywhere. Foreigners marvel at the abundance of our fertile land, but we are Egyptians, and it is in our nature to fight. We must subdue the Hittites completely if we are to call ourselves men.”

To my surprise, Sety maintained his composure in the face of Ramesses’ verbal onslaught. “We must use our armies wisely, my son.”

“Of course we must, and it’s wise to fight the Hittites as soon as we can, lest our soldiers become complacent and lose their fighting skills. What’s wrong with you Father? You’re a brilliant commander and a fierce solider. If you don’t use your army, it will waste away.”

Sety’s composure diminished perceptibly. “The army will meet any challenge, and so will I,” he snapped.

“The challenge is before us now. We must show the Hittites our strength. Otherwise, they’ll assume we are weak and attack us first.”

“Enough!” I shouted. “We gather here to enjoy each other’s company and to show our love. Can’t this conversation wait for another time?”

“Of course it can, Tuya,” Sety said.

“Good. You and I will combine our talents and play Ramesses and Nefertari in a game of
senet
.”

Ramesses rose. “Not today, Mother. I have much to do tomorrow and I must get home before nightfall and rest.” He looked down at Sety. “Soon the cool weather will arrive, providing the opportunity for us to march. Consider what I have to say.”

Sety stood, faced his son, and spoke in a measured tone. “I always listen to your advice and consider it thoroughly. Now let our rancor end.”

Ramesses’ voice, too, diminished in volume. “I apologize for the harshness of my words, Father, but not for my sentiments. The time has come to fight the Hittites. Please, don’t delay.”

After Ramesses and Nefertari departed, Sety sat down next to me.

“Our son is ambitious,” I said.

“Would you expect him to be anything else?”

“No, but ambition need not express itself through battle.”

“It need not, but among those who would lead a nation, it always does. Perhaps I’m getting too old to rule, Tuya. My son saw what I did not. Egypt is the strongest country in the world, but if I don’t lead the army against the Hittites soon, neither Egypt’s foes nor my own subjects will respect me.”

“That’s not so.”

“Unfortunately, it is so. Tomorrow, I’ll tell Ramesses to prepare the soldiers in earnest. The army will march eastward soon after we return from Abydos.”

My heart emptied. “Must there be war?”

“Yes. It is a part of men’s nature.”

I took my husband’s hand. “You and Ramesses must return to me.”

A mist formed in Sety’s eyes, and mine. “Let us not talk about war,” he said.

That night Sety and I lay next to each other, doing our best to drive thoughts of death and battle from our minds.

XXXVI

With Sety and Ramesses away on campaign, I spent more time in prayer, beseeching Sekhmet to protect my husband and son, and asking Montu the war god to grant Egypt victory over the Hittites.

My prayers were not in vain. Three months after the army departed, a courier arrived with word of a great triumph. He carried, too, personal correspondence for me bearing the seal of the Pharaoh.

“My beloved Tuya. I trust this message will find you well. Our son performed bravely in battle and emerged unscathed. Through the grace of the Neters, the arrows and spears of the Hittites missed me as well. We will return directly to Memphis. I am exhausted and wish to rest. My thoughts are with you, and I long to see you again.”

The message worried me. My husband possessed more stamina than any man in the realm. The only other time I had heard him express a desire to rest was the evening before he became Pharaoh, having been plagued by his terrible dream.

The day prior to the triumphal procession of the army through Memphis, I journeyed to the outskirts of the city where the army had just encamped, for my concerns were such that I wanted to be with my husband as soon as I could.

Sety, with Ramesses at his side, stood to greet me as I entered the Pharaoh’s tent,

Sety held out his arms. “Tuya, what a delight to see you again.”

My husband had lost much weight, and darkness encircled his sunken eyes. As we embraced, I could feel his bony ribs against my breasts. “I’m thankful to the gods you have returned, but I must say, you do not look well.”

“The campaign was most arduous, Tuya, and I took ill soon after the great battle. I fear I’m no longer as young as I used to be.”

I smiled, and sought to hide my concern by making light. “Don’t tell that to Bastet. I suspect she would disagree.”

I turned to Ramesses and embraced him.

“Did you attain all the glory you sought, my son?”

To my surprise, Ramesses looked sullen. “For myself, yes, but for Egypt, no.”

“Why do you say this? Your father and you won a great victory, did you not?”

Ramesses stood stone-faced, so Sety spoke. “Yes we did. Later in the week, we’ll begin our journey to Thebes to give thanks to Amun for the triumph. I’m looking forward to resting during the long trip up the Nile.”

“A well-deserved rest,” I said. “The cooks will fatten you up, and the river will pour into you its divine sustenance. You’ll soon be as strong as ever, and with the Hittites defeated, you’ll be able to devote yourself to temple building.”

“The Hittites defeated? I wish it were so,” Ramesses said as he turned his back to us.

“We achieved victory, and we should be thankful,” Sety said.

My son spun around and scowled at his father. “What good is victory when we leave our foe capable of fighting us again? The Hittites were ours. We had beaten them badly, and could have destroyed them to the man had we engaged them in a second battle.”

“Why did you not?” I asked.

“Because Father chose to make an overture of peace by giving back the territory we had captured in return for a Hittite promise not to march against us again.”

“The Hittites’ hatred for us equals ours for them, Ramesses. Perhaps my gesture will enable us to finally build trust and to live without warfare.”

“Trust the Hittites? Impossible. They can never be trusted. The Hittites will look at your gesture as a sign of Egypt’s weakness.”

“I meant it as a sign of Egypt’s strength, for we are great enough to be magnanimous in victory. We will speak no more of this. The deed is done.”

“For years to come, Father, our country will be paying for this deed of yours.”

“Enough,” Sety shouted, and then slumped into a chair. “Let us not quarrel with each other. I haven’t the strength.”

Sety gestured for me to sit down next to him. “Do you remember on the day of Ramesses’ birth, Tuya, the inquiry I had when I first held him?”

“I remember everything from that day. You wondered whether Ramesses would be a greater Pharaoh than you.”

Sety looked up at his son. “At the time, I feared that you might be. Now, for Egypt’s sake, I pray that your greatness will exceed mine. It can, if you remember that along with the flail of might the Pharaoh also holds the crook of compassion. For you to be truly great, Ramesses, you must combine strength and compassion in equal measure. Failure to do so could lead to your downfall, and to Egypt’s.”

“You have taught me well in the art of statecraft, Father.”

“I have taught you what I can, but the rest you must learn for yourself. I wish to be alone with your mother now. Leave us, and keep silent about your concerns. No one must know the Pharaoh’s son questions his father’s judgment.”

Ramesses walked over to Sety and the two clasped forearms. “Before the army and your ministers, you and I speak as one. You know this to be true, Father.”

Ramesses took my hand. “It is wonderful to see you again, Mother. I missed you.”

“Your safe return fills my heart with joy,” I said. “Listen to your father, and remember his words about strength and compassion. In all things, you must seek balance.”

“I always listen to Father, just as I listen to you.”

“Your overture to the Hittites was a noble one,” I said to Sety after Ramesses had left.

“I did not act out of nobility, Tuya. I had seen enough killing and wanted only to bring an end to the carnage.”

“Is that not noble?”

“It will seem so if peace prevails. If it doesn’t, my gesture will appear foolish and Ramesses’ counsel will seem wise. The Hittites have never shown us quarter. Will we have to fight them again because I didn’t destroy them when I had the chance? I don’t know.”

“You shouldn’t ask that question, for it will cause you anguish. Only the Neters know for certain what the future will bring.”

“I must spend more time with the Neters, in prayer and contemplation,” Sety said. “Perhaps they will let me know what the future holds for Egypt… and for me.”

Sety and I left for Thebes soon after the army’s triumphal march to the palace. Ramesses stayed behind for several days to await a delegation from Nubia bearing tribute of gold. I expected the trip on the river to rejuvenate my husband, but instead he became thinner and even more tired.

The night after leaving Memphis, we tried to make love. The desire was there, but Sety’s fatigue was so great even inhaling the aroma of blue lotus did nothing to excite his body. That night, I sent my strength into him as he slept, with the hope and expectation he would awaken in the morning with some stamina. To my chagrin, he did not.