Falling for the Pharaoh

Nathifa - [A Father's Wrath and a Mother's Love]

I sat in my room, fearing what was about to come. My father was going to be furious when he heard of this.

But I was preparing myself. Maybe, if I argued well enough, I would be able to get out of here, to go back home... anywhere actually... anywhere but here.

When Anat walked into the room after a long time, I looked at her, a little upset. “Where did you go?” I asked.

She came up to me, getting onto her knees in front of me and took my hand in hers. “You need to tell your father the truth and apologize.” She said.

I raised both my eyebrows. “I will tell him the truth. But why should I apologize?”

“Because—”

“I’m going to argue with him until he decided to get me out of here.”

Anat threw her hands onto her head and began to groan. “Nathifa are you crazy?” She asked. “Do you really believe that’s going to happen?”

I looked at her and my heart sank.

“You know your father better than I do, he will never ever let you get out of here. Nathifa, you know that he will beat you if he has to.”

I looked away, tears escaping. “How do you expect me to stay here? Live with people that I don’t know and sleep in the same room as a man I don’t love!”

“You will learn to love him!” Anat said, wiping my tears away. “Believe me, Nathifa—”

Suddenly, the door opened.

Anat and I both got up right away and stepped away from me.

It was my father.

He looked angry, very angry but first turned to Anat. “Leave.” He said.

Anat hesitated, but bowed and left the room.

My father closed the door and looked at me. “Is it true?”

I hesitated. “Is what true?”

My father stood strangely still and suddenly, it felt strangely quiet. “Did you tell the Pharaoh that you didn’t approve of this wedding?”

I took a deep breath. “He asked me... so I told him the truth.”

“And what was the truth?”

“That I did not approve.”

Rage suddenly engulfed his face, he immediately picked up a small statue that was sitting on the table beside him and threw it against the wall, shouting at the same time.

I gasped, stepping as far away from him and possible and slowing beginning to cry again.

“How could you?” My father asked as he walked over to me. “I give you a life that ever girl in Egypt dreams of living and this is how you repay me?”

“I am not like the other girls, father.”

“Why?” My father asked, still shouting. “Because...” He paused. “What is your relationship with Ausar?”

“I love him, father.”

My father’s eyes widened. “What?” He asked in a voice filled with pure disgust. “My daughter says that she is in love with Ausar.”

“It’s true father, I—”

“Silence, fool!” My father yelled. “Do you know what type of family that boy comes from?” He asked. “You don’t know what I would give to get a chance to throw him and his father into a cage filled with wolves!”

“Father! You don’t know him!”

“I do, girl, I know him better than you do. The only reason I ever tolerated him was because your brothers acquaintance.”

“What exactly did he do that is so wrong—”

“Ask your maid, foolish girl!” He yelled. “I’m surprised that you don’t know. He is a vile man and not suitable for any woman. He and his father should wander the earth for eternity because neither heaven nor hell deserves their presence.”

“You are being so cruel!”

“His father murdered hundreds of civilians and the only reason he isn’t paying for his crime is because we do not have proof.” My father hissed.

“Ausar is not—”

“Silence!” My father shouted. “I will not hear you say his name again, do you understand?”

“But—”

“Nathifa! If you dare to say his name again I swear I will murder you right now and then go and kill him as well.”

“Then I will die!”

He suddenly slapped me across the face, shocking me so much that I began to sob.

“How could you do this to us?” He asked me, softening his voice. “Do you know how embarrassed I was, standing in front of the Pharaoh, trying to defend you... only to realize that he was right!”

I swallowed hard, still crying.

“Do you not believe me when I say that this Pharaoh will treat you well?” He asked. “I knew him since he was a small boy, Nathifa, I know how much of a kind person he is. Why do you not believe me?”

I looked away, wiping my tears away even though it was no use, they just kept coming.

“You have betrayed us.” He said, shaking his head. “Your whole family.”

I looked back at him.

“If you do not smarten up and accept him... if you don’t accept him as your husband and your king, we will lose all our dignity. We will never be able to face him again. Do you understand that?” He asked.

I pressed my lips into a thin line, but continued to sob.

“And I swear on the great Ra that I will never allow you to take a foot into my home again, and I will never, in my life, look at you as a daughter.”

My crying worsened and I dropped my head into my hands. How could he do this to me? He wasn’t even considering my feelings.

“Because Nathifa, you are the one who is making a mistake here. You.” My father then turned around and left the room.

Anat came running in the second he left, eyes filled with tears, and she hugged me.

We both cried together, and though Anat left and came back multiple times, I refused to leave the room for the next three days.

Being rebellious was something I did often. Usually I end up getting what I want when I do it, but this time was different. My father hadn’t returned after he left the other day, and the only person who had made an effort to talk to me was Anat.

But the third day, today, was the day that would possible change everything.

I sat on my bed, hugging my knees and staring at nothing when Anat opened the door. When I looked up at her, she smiled at me but as she closed to door, it flew open again.

Lady Akana walked into the room, followed by half a dozen maids. She quickly walked over to me and sat down beside me. “My Queen.” She smiled.

I looked at Anat, who looked startled.

“I have not seen you with the Pharaoh since you two had gotten married... is there some sort of problem, darling?”

I hesitated. I had heard a lot about this woman, not much of it was good, actually.

Anat was shaking her head, as if she was trying to tell me not to say anything. So I listened to her.

“No. There is no problem.”

Lady Akana looked strangely disappointed. “You can tell me anything, my dear.”

“There is nothing to tell—”

“Lying is a sin. Do you know that?” She asked as she got up.

I looked at her.

“Will you tell me the truth, or will you continue to lie?” She asked me.

“There is nothing to tell.” I repeated.

Lady Akana took a deep breath. “Then let me tell you what I think.” She said. “If there are no problems, then you not being with the Pharaoh is wrong. You should be doing his bidding, do you understand that, my Queen.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“And as for that maid.” She pointed at Anat. “I’m going to get rid of her.”

“No!” I said as I got up. “You will do no such thing!”

She looked at me carefully. “And who’s going to stop me. Are you going to go tell your husband?”

I hesitated. “I am your Queen.” I said. “I don’t need to tell anyone.”

“You may be the queen but I have more support then you’ll ever get. People want to spit on you for staying away from the Pharaoh. Rumour’s are going around, my dear. One rumour being that you’re in love with another man.”

I bit my lip. People wanted to spit on me?

“Girls.” Lady Akana called. “Take the maid.”

Two of Lady Akana’s maids grabbed Anat, who started to try and fight them off.

“Leave her alone!” I said.

Lady Akana smirked. “This is her punishment for—”

“That is enough, Lady Akana.”

We both looked at the door and saw Lady Iset walk in. She looked upset, which was shocking enough, but to add to the shock, her voice was stern and almost scary.

“I ask that you leave my daughter-in-law alone.”

Lady Akana narrowed her eyes. “I’m doing her a favour, Lady Iset.”

“Please. There is no need for that.” She stepped aside and gestured at the door. “Leave now.” She then turned to the other maids. “Let go of her now.”

They did, to Lady Akana’s dismay, immediately.

“Now go.”

The maids left and after a short moment of Lady Iset and Lady Akana staring at each other, Lady Akana left too.

Before closing the door, Lady Iset looked at Anat. “My dear, I have arranged something for you. Lin, an elderly maid is waiting for you in the kitchen. I asked her to teach you how to make special oils, soaps and fragrances. She will be your teacher now.” She smiled warmly. “You will have classes with her once daily.”

Anat bowed. “Yes my Lady, thank you.” She said before she walked out of the room and Lady Iset closed the door.

She then walked over to me, picking up a comb off the dresser and then took my hand. “Come now, sit on a chair.”

I let her take me to a chair and sit me down. She then stood behind me and started combing my hair, gently pulling out the knots.

“You haven’t combed your hair in a while, have you?”

I didn’t respond.

She didn’t wait for a response though. “Be very careful with Lady Akana... she is not someone who wants to be your friend, all right dear?”

“Why?” I asked, trying to keep my voice toneless.

“Because she doesn’t like my son very much. And she would do anything to bring him down.” She sighed. “This is what happens when the Pharaoh marries more than one woman. Competition forms, especially when the woman bore a son.”

“She wants her son to be king.”

“Yes.” She said.

We were then both quiet for a moment as she combed my hair, however, she broke the silence soon enough. “So it’s true then?” She asked. “You are in love with another man?”

I hesitated. “...yes.”

Lady Iset sighed. “And you want to leave the palace?” Her voice was still friendly. “Would you like a divorce?”

I hesitated again, but then nodded. “Yes.” But then I thought of my father and his threat. Was that really what I wanted?

“But you do know that divorces are not welcomed so easily in royalty... do you not?”

I nodded. “I do.”

“But you still want it? With all of your heart?”

I thought about that, thinking of my father again.

But before I could respond, she spoke again. “Then I will help you.”

My heart suddenly started to race. She would?

She took some hair from behind my ear and began to braid it. She did the same with some hair on the other side of my head.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I know how it feels to be forced into something.” She said. “Of course, both of our situations are completely different... you were forced into marriage... and I was forced to deal with my husband marrying another woman... forced to watch him lose his love for me and love someone else.”

I suddenly started to feel very bad.

“But I know how it feels to be forced to do something... and it feels horrible. Which is why I want to help you.”

I felt her tie both the braids together and she came and kneeled down in front of me. “What I said before is true, a divorce is not welcomed the Royal Family. But there are other ways to get around that rule.” She said.

“Like what?” I asked, a little sceptical.

“I could be cruel to you.” She smiled. “If you have a reason, such as that one, you may be granted a divorce... because you do not want to live with a cruel mother-in-law.”

I scoffed. “How would anyone believe something as... unbelievable as that? Everyone knows you are so kind.”

“People change, my dear. And trust me, if we try, you don’t know what we can make people will believe!”

I shook my head. “This is...”

“And it would make sense to your father, would it not? He would think that I was mad at you for not loving my son, it would make sense.”

“I don’t think—”

“Please, accept this offer.”

I hesitated again. “You would do this... just for me?”

She smiled and stood up. “I must admit, it is not just for you. It is also because I love my son.” She smiled and looked away sadly.

I looked at her, a little confused.

“I guess... I may have forced him into this as well.” She sighed. “I should have given him time. Time to think about whether he really wanted this or not.” She took a deep breath and then sighed again before she looked at me. “I want my son to find true love... and in his current state... he cannot. My son has swore that he would never marry more than one woman, because he knew how much his father had hurt me... so if you stay, my dear, my son will never find true love.”

I bit my lip, feeling guilty and horrible.

She then started to walk to the door. “Think about my offer, my dear, and let me know soon.”

When the door closed, I sat there in shock.

She was giving me the chance to leave. This is the chance that I’ve been waiting for.