Bastet Mysteries book 1

1. Dawn

She walked quietly towards the kitchens. It was still very early, and the royal household was asleep. Almost. The king had already risen, been purified and dressed, and gone to greet the rising sun with the priests of Amun in the Window of Appearances. Maybe he would throw gold down to some especially distinguished official after sunrise.

The horizon was red, but Re had not yet sailed above it in his solar ship to illuminate the world for yet another day.

She headed towards the kitchen. The princess had now her own rooms, away from the throngs of the keneret where the king's wives and other children still slept. She was eight, old enough to start taking responsibilities, having survived the illnessess that had swept away many of her siblings.

The princess took those responsibilities seriously, knowing that she would be the next king's main wife after her father's death and would need to know all about the gods and how to pull the strings of the court to ensure the smooth running of the land. The princess was one of the most serious children she had ever seen.

She would go with the great dowager queen to the great temple and awaken the god Amun, who was resting behind closed doors. She was learning learn how to sing for him, how to dance, and invigorate him for the day to come, and how to anoint, feed and clothe him. She knew her actions were essential to keep the sun rising every morning. She needed to make the god happy for the balance of the world, Ma'at, to remain. The old queen, Ahmose-Nefertari was already very old, but determined to teach the little princess all she knew. When she died, the education would be continued by named priestesses.

Like her father the princess would rise up early, together with the sun, when most of the wives and children of the king were still fast asleep. The first daughter of the king had decided so when she was given her own rooms. And the servant had promised she would wake the princess at dawn every morning.

This, of course, meant that she, as her lady in waiting, would need to rise even earlier than the princess. But it was an honour, and she always slept lightly, and woke up to the smallest of sounds. Waking up early had always been easy for her. Others said she slept like a cat, ready to spring to action immediately.

She walked out of the palace and its beautifully painted walls and decorations. She crossed the yard that bathed in the pinkish light of dawn and headed for the kitchen. Maybe she could get some bread while she waited for her princess's breakfast being made.