3 Chapter 3

From the journal of Ellen Lambert:

Egypt ¨C The Beginning

I remember when the earth was young and I walked among the pristine hills and verdant valleys before the world could be called old.I lived in the heart of civilization, in Egypt, once the richest, most powerful country in what constituted our world at the time, in the 31st Dynasty, the reign of Pharaoh Hakor.I was born Ayelet in the city of Karnak, the only child of the physician Abiasaph and his wife Obiama.

Although the monarchy of Egypt would end soon, our country prospered under King Hakor, or simply Pharaoh, and we enjoyed the bounties of culture, science and medicine.Our religion consisted of many gods, each one responsible for our well-being, although some gods represented death and despair, the taking away of wealth and contentment.Those gods garnered places of reverence, not to be taken lightly.A religious man, Pharaoh built great tombs and altars to our gods, designed by the master craftsmen of our land and built by the slaves Pharaoh's army captured from other lands.

My father Abiasaph was appointed the court physician by Pharaoh.Because of my father's high regard and his talent for healing, our family received favorable positions in Pharaoh's court.I was chosen as chief hand maiden to Princess Taduhipa, the second oldest of the four daughters of Pharaoh and his important wife, the lovely and serene Anoka.My mother, Obiama, served the eldest daughter, Princess Merymet.And when needed, my mother and I also catered to the other daughters, Neferiti and Setepenre.Besides the princesses, Pharaoh had two sons, Maimon by Anoka, and Nepherites by his secondary wife, Kiya.

It is through Queen Kiya that my tale evolves for she made me what I am today and have been for many, many centuries.

But in my younger years as Ayelet, a hand maiden of eighteen, I enjoyed an idyllic life at court.I and Taduhipa-or Tadu as she preferred-were more like companions and best friends than as princess and servant, and we shared many things together, particularly our interests in the young men who held various positions at court.

Since I leaned toward my mother's coloring from her Assyrian roots, I possessed amber eyes and light brown hair.And because I did not want to call attention to my difference, I took pains to blend in with the others, those of Northern African roots with dark hair and eyes, and sandstone skin.I used kohl to line my eyes and root salve to bronze my flesh; and to follow custom, I wore delicate gauze sheaths that began just below my breasts and extended to my ankles.Occasionally, I wore a wig, either of woven flax or fine wool that had been dyed obsidian black, and often accented with a gilt headdress.Like Tadu, I possessed a slim but curvaceous body, a round face and even features, both of us deemed attractive by those in the palace with discerning if not overly appreciative eyes.

Merymet, the eldest daughter of Pharaoh, had been betrothed to Ranofer, first charioteer and master of the stables.That left Tadu who, at sixteen, had her pick of the eligible bachelors at court.I had my pick as well, and I developed an infatuation with one of the scribes-in-training by the name of Darshak, a truly handsome young man.

At nineteen, Darshak possessed a lean, taut body with a muscular chest and legs, emphasized by his simple white loincloth or kalasiris.His stunning eyes, the color of cool teal, were shaded by long, thick lashes, and his flesh held a coppery sheen.Unfortunately, once he became a full scribe, Darshak would wear a royal tunic to cover his youthful body; and worse, he would have to renounce most earthly pleasures.

Therefore, I made sure to fill his life with all things pleasurable before he dedicated his life to the sacred duties of his avocation.