Shadow of the Sun (The Shadow Saga) (47 page)

I am proud of you, Daughter.

I heard his words his words clearly, though they came not from his mouth but from his mind.

I couldn’t believe it. He accepted me. Unable to contain my joy, I impulsively hugged the student next to me.

“Oh,” said a surprised masculine voice.

I looked up into Archollos’ face and pulled back, horrified. Had he smiled, or was that smug look because I had shown emotion? That sneaky weasel of hidden rage popped its head up again within me. I had to slam the door shut upon it. He couldn’t possibly have known that he would be chosen. Even, I, the daughter of the Pharaoh, wasn’t certain.

Pa-Nesy stood before us with a warm smile. We peppered him with questions about time and clothing and whether we should still be secretive.

He answered all, then said, “Pack up one satchel of items, for tomorrow you will begin your residency in the Neophyte quarters. An invitation scroll has been sent to each of your parents with the official seal of the Royal House upon it. It will ensure that there would not be any problems for you to obey the wishes of the Aten.” With that decree, he dismissed us to go home in celebration of our new destiny.

My attendants dressed me in a brand new sheath of sky blue with a fine golden material draped over my shoulder and tied under my right breast. I snuggled my scroll in the fine embroidered purse around my waist. An elaborate wig adorned my head and as I fussed with the braid it came loose. An attendant scurried to fix the hairpiece by stuffing it back in but the weave again dropped to the floor.

My attendant presented me with a silver wrapped box. “Your Highness, please accept this gift from your father.” I opened the box and held up a gold
Right Eye of Horus
necklace with a sparkling jewel in the center hung upon a golden chain.

Then she bowed and handed me a scroll. “He said to be sure to read this.”

‘I am honored by this occasion. Please wear this necklace and remember that I am watching over you, Precious Daughter. Your devotion to the Aten gladdens my heart.’

Feeling elated, I arrived for dinner in the royal dining room. Netri sat at the head of the carved wood table. He placed his palms together and greeted me in ceremonial fashion. His eyes glistened with pride and his sallow skin seemed luminous with the light of a thousand candles. Meti’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as she saw this exchange. “You are late, Daughter. Did something keep you?” she asked.

“No, Meti, the attendants fussed with this wig. One of the braids tore out, so they decided to sew it back into place.”

She relaxed. “I see. Have they been checked for lice?”

“I forgot to ask, Meti.”

“Allow me to send my Royal Nitpicker to your quarters to oversee that all your wigs are well looked after.”

“The attendants proceeded to lay a banquet before us. Platters of great kabobs of beef hot from the grill, fresh fried mullet with a hazelnut savory sauce, rice with spinach, dried mullet roe with artichokes and sun bread.

Bountiful servings were heaped upon our silver plates. My father commenced with the praise.

“Great Aten, within our hearts and souls we give multitudes of blessings for the plentitude you have bestowed upon us in this earthly meal and through the primordial light from which you nourish our eternal souls. May we bow our heads in thanks,” he said in his reverent tone of gratitude.

“Ahhhhhh Ten,” we all said in unison, acknowledging the magnificence of our maker.

“You have indeed turned this land into one of plentitude. I was wrong, all I could see was barrenness. You have transformed this land of abundance and light with your vision and hard work. I apologize, my Heart. I just could not imagine that it could become a city of this magnitude in such a short period of time.”

Meti eyed me. I said nothing but felt joyful at her admission, chewing bitefuls of food one hundred times, liquefying it, thinking the name of the Aten over and over, thereby having my food blessed to add greater health and vitality to my body. The sacred scroll, proof of admittance into the Mystery School, burned in the pouch tied around my waist.

It would be an ideal time to present it to her after she finished eating.

I couldn’t keep my mind on the idle chatter because my stomach grew nervous. Tonight, she would understand that my destiny had been chosen for me by the Aten.

“Merit-Aten, please join me tomorrow for a ride up the Nile,” said Meti. “New importers have gathered at Memphis and the latest textiles and cosmetics will be presented for our approval. It is time you learn some of the responsibilities of running a palace when I’m not here,” she commanded in between sips from her jeweled wine goblet.

“Tomorrow is not possible, Meti, although it would give me great joy to accompany you. But, tomorrow—” I stammered, and pulled the scroll from my pouch and presented it. I hoped she would see greater value in me, as her first-born daughter, heir to the throne and now new Neophyte. She took the scroll, reading it with diligence. She pulled on her earring and grew agitated.

“What is this?” she demanded and stood up. “You were accepted into the first Mystery School of Aten?”

“Yes, Meti. I passed the test,” I said, trying to calm her.

Netri rose from his seat, “My Heart, this is her destiny. The Aten chose her.” He extended his hand. “She was duly tested and Merit-Aten indeed held the first primordial light.”

“But I thought we had come to an understanding about this. Enough with this idealism! How will her path of purity save us if the Amunites raise their own armies and Khemit falls into chaos with a civil war?” She threw my sacred scroll so hard that it bounced upon the limestone floor.

My father’s face turned to a mask of horror. “How dare you denigrate the Aten? You will never speak that way again within these halls. Everything I am and do is in veneration to the Aten. Merit-Aten has chosen her own path.”

“Then clearly neither of you needs me to stand in your way. From now on, I shall uphold my royal duties as I so pledged, but your dream of Akhet-Aten has just died within my heart.”

N
o one greeted me the next morning when I knocked on the temple door. I slipped into my father’s palace and entered through his private door. Arriving long before the others, I resigned within my heart that this choice had indeed changed the course of my life. Sitting in this quietude, the solitary moments filled me. It was rare that I was ever alone.

Soon, other Neophytes took their places within the two half circles facing the royal throne. I kept my eyes upon the everlasting flame that burned above, suspended in a golden chalice. Pentu-Aten emerged and gave the morning blessing. Upon completion, my father took the throne and greeted us with silence as he surveyed us. Amaret the Seer sat at his feet, her eyes closed, yet she still studied the land for invaders. Her grey shocks of hair mixed with white streaks made her an alarming sight.

“I am now to be known as The Magistrate of Akhet-Aten,” said Pentu.

“You all start out as Neophytes at the same level. Upon your first day it is customary for you to answer two questions. Those of you, whose true calling is within these temple walls, will already know the answers. As I have stated before, you will undergo rigorous testing to prove yourself worthy to the Aten. Without testing, how could these lessons be of value? Life as a Neophyte is like walking up an endless staircase, the higher you ascend, the more you realize that you have only just begun the journey.”

We all nodded.

“Now, the first question. Please, for our records, state your name and your soul purpose.” Pentu pointed at me.

“Merit-Aten, First Royal Daughter and Beloved of Aten,” I said with a clear voice. “My purpose is to pursue the path back to the origins of the first primordial light.” It simply slipped from my mouth as I remembered my soul contract. Ego. Salvation. Revelation.

My father’s face remained placid. Pentu pointed to the next person.

“Keshtuat, daughter of Heshtuat, the Court Seamstress. My purpose is to write the history of this new Temple of Aten and to be a worthy scribe.”

“Ra-Awab, son of the Royal shipbuilder’s daughter, Tiat. My purpose is to learn the inner teachings of the Atenic law.”

“Sarawat, daughter of Sarat, the Royal wigmaker. My purpose is to embody the movement of the stellar patterns.”

“Smenkhkare, son of the Royal Harpist, Kiya. My purpose is to humbly abide by the truth of the first solarian word.”

“Archollos, nephew of King Alkaides of Mycenae. “My purpose is to ascend from darkness to light.”

What? Archollos had royal blood? What did his soul purpose mean? How curious. I lifted my eyes to see if Netri’s reaction had shifted at all, but it hadn’t.

“Abit-Hor, son of the wine importer from Kush. My purpose is to learn the rituals and serve in the temple for all my days.”

My father’s face made a slight change. His eyes narrowed and the pointer finger on his right hand flicked twice.

Without a word, Pentu walked into the group of eight females and seven males to tap the young man on his shoulder, signaling for him to rise. Pentu leaned in and whispered. The young man departed in utter shock. The rest of the group continued to give their names and purposes, yet I couldn’t take my mind off of Abit-Hor. Why did he have to leave? Abit-Hor’s purpose of dedication was simple yet clear. He wore the white robes as we all did, his appearance didn’t seem the slightest bit out of sort. Could that happen to any of us in any moment? What shame it would cause his family, for, like us all, no doubt believed this to be his destiny.

“It is done,” said Pentu-Aten with his gleaming robes of the sun marking his post as The Magistrate. “Do not allow your attention to drift to what has passed. Now, who knows the Law Of the Aten?”

“The Law of the One,” I replied. “The Unitive Principle. We are all one. The old law of Opposites is from duality consciousness and can no longer exist within this new theology. Good and bad no longer exist because the Aten has no enemies. There is no death, only eternal life.”

“Correct,” Pentu replied. “We now all abide under the ever-loving, ever-living light of the Aten. This theology is being presented for the first time ever. It is so revolutionary that Pharaoh Akhenaten believes if every Khemitian adopts it as the living principle in their daily lives, there will no longer be fighting and chaos. We will live in the eternal peace. Do you all comprehend this?”