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Chapter 1
Slowly her gaze scanned the horizon, her bright violet eyes studying the crooks and crevices of the ragged grey rocks that jutted from the hillsides in the distance. They emanated a sublime glow now as the rays of the waning sun bathed them with its last warmth of the day. They almost shone like citrines and rubies as she fixated her gaze, reflections of yellow and deep red hues shimmering as the sun descended to slumber. Oh, how she relished in the sun's rays, feeling a pang of sadness with the ending of each day. But, too, the moon held its mysteries and fascinations deep within her heart, and she appreciated that it symbolized rest and escape, escape from the turmoils and vexations created by her life at court. She would do anything to spend her days wandering through the immense gardens of wildflowers and rugged spruce trees within the palace courtyards or playing her harp or lute by the shimmering expanse of a private lake. But, alas, her days were preoccupied with her duties. She was a princess of the royal household of her cousin Mursili, exalted and grand king of all Hattusa. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLkI7WMG7A
The smoothness of her milky olive skin wrinkled into a frown as she thought of her displeasure towards her cousin. Twitching her petite, rounded nose, she pushed the ebony ringlets of her hair back behind her round shoulders as the chilling breath of Autumn swept through her private balcony. Her slim frame shivered slightly from its cool kiss, and she pulled her shroud evermore so over her shoulders. Flicking her long lashes upwards, she caught the cry of a hawk as it circled far above. She, too, longed for such freedom. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQjNXG2jmo
"Your highness, Malawashina?" A small voice called from the heavy mahogany doors leading to her terrace. Yet her ears could hear naught but the cries of the hawk, for it beckoned her to join it in its flight. "Your highness…?" It was that voice again, but now more desperate. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1rSiuOTrZ
Blinking hard, Malawashina turned to face the petite servant girl in her doorway. "Oh, my little Utati, apologies I did not hear you enter." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6UgKZJtBr
Utati, a small girl mature far beyond her years, did well to hide her displeased frown. She was often in trouble for apparently allowing her mistress to daydream and wander off too often. "Her royal lady Puduhepa, your exalted mother, seeks your presence currently." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTN5lARaoQm
Malawashina smiled to mask her inner displeasure. She wanted nothing more than to be left alone. "I wonder what it is now?" she mused. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9kyHy9n1W
"Who knows?" The young servant shrugged, her dark ash curls bouncing on her shoulders as she did so. "It most likely has something to do with your irritable cousin." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsMzrJFqu7
Malawashina glanced sideways at the girl, her expression becoming blank. "That is treason to speak such words, Utati." She warned. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuwIViyp2T
Utati huffed and pouted her round lips. "You know it to be true," she protested. "Now, please, your highness. Your esteemed mother awaits. If you continue to dally, surely I will be the one in trouble again." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN555lKImRm
Malawashina looked into the girl's obsidian gaze with remorse. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwFa896aGE
"And so we best not tarry here, little one." And without another word, she whisked herself almost teasingly past her servant. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr52OoS6e1J
"Do not call me 'little!'" Utati called out as she gathered her skirts to run after her mistress.
Puduhepa had passed down her beauty to her eldest daughter. Malawashina now stood patiently and in all her regal finery to be announced before her mother. Puduhepa, her chestnut locks flecked with strands of silver, stood tall and poised like a lily stalk fresh in bloom. Her bejewelled hands were folded calmly before her as she spoke to one of the many royal scribes, their faces aglow from the brazier fires nearby. Malawashina pertained that it was something important, for the expressions on their faces were rather severe.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UKznb7cJc
When Utati announced her mistress's arrival, Puduhepa tilted her head upwards with a brilliant smile. Then, nodding to the scribe, he quickly collected his things and made his leave. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIm9YG1nTA
"Ah, my darling daughter!" Puduhepa's grey eyes shone brightly in the firelight as she outstretched her arms to embrace her. "You took no time to arrive, so surely you must have caught wind that I have splendid news to impart to you?" Her smile brightened evermore. Yet, her cheerful demeanour only sought to shroud the pain within her heart that the news she was to tell would mean she would never see her beloved child again. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeb2kxzEILF
"Do you?" Malawashina answered, her face dropping unenthusiastically.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2DRiIh3oO
"Oh, my dear girl," her mother chimed, "Why such sourness?" 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBs7X5iGHJ
"I think you and I both know why."216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡso67la22Aq
"Oh, my darling," her mother embraced her warmly in reassurance. She understood well her daughter's apprehension. "This time, it is someone perhaps deemed worthy of your hand." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1pdyIKNSqz
"Who in this land is worthy enough?" Malawashina mumbled under her breath. "You know Mursili has wanted me in his bed for years."216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FlAXXglXc
"And yet he cannot have you." Her mother replied dryly. "He knows that. No, you will finally wed someone far more refined than that slimy, spiteful snake." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuWJ9Nuvh9
Malawashina quirked an eyebrow at her mother. Of course, the grand Royal Lady Puduhepa rarely resulted in insults of any type. But Malawashina knew how much her mother despised Mursili for what he had tried to do. Malawashina had been but a girl, and he was an oversexed, arrogant adolescent. He had caused a slight not easily forgotten nor forgiven. He had not changed much since that time, regardless. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCRF3TgJUW
Utati and Puduhepa's maid did well to muffle their snickers. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrTEnryK9V
"Then, tell me, mother, who is this person grand enough to marry me? No one within our territories exists!" She scoffed a laugh. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1XGATvjGq
"I never said it was anyone from here. However, that would indeed be preferable. But, no, you are to go to Egypt."
Malawashina's bright eyes faded like a star that had finally lost all its light and had dulled away into the abyss. "E...Egypt?" She repeated automatically. Short gasps came from Utati and her servant girls, who stood only a few feet behind. Puduhepa shot them a quick, warningful glare and the young girls retreated a few steps. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDkfMD8Y9u
"You should be pleased, Malawashina. You are to be married to the Pharaoh! A grand honour. With your marriage, our great nations shall finally be at peace."216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbezFNietLH
"But they are the enemy!" Malawashina almost shouted, her usual milky brown face now pallid with indignation. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BhICWveD3
"Hush your voice!" Her mother reprimanded as she took her daughter by her wrist and pulled her deeper into her chambers, away from prying eyes and ears. By the time they reached their desired destination in Puduhepa's private gardens, Malawashina was already in tears. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxBNNaBIBz
"How can you accept this, mother?" She sobbed, finally. "That...that man, if he can even be called such; that beast they so call Pharaoh ordered his armies against us. Because of him many of our brave warriors were slaughtered, and much of our territory lost." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqFRLQQdDi3
"Such is the cost of war." Her mother answered calmly, sighing then as she glanced up at the brilliant glow of the moon rising above them. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6ZV99dgzn
"Kadesh has been disputed territory well before our time and thus has always been fought over, my dear. Not only between Hatti and Egypt, you know this. But our greatest and most powerful contenders have always been the Egyptians. Yet did they manage to take Kadesh this time? No, my dear, they did not." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1jFnj7wtTB
"A great victory for our people…." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5uCsm9HtX
"No, my dear, it was not." Her mother corrected gently. "We suffered the most losses. That was made abundantly clear. But they, too, lost many. You must understand that these men, both our own and their own were fathers, brothers, uncles, and husbands. Now they will never return to the people that loved them, and may be devoured by the great goddess Taknaš, or, as the Egyptians believe, be not allowed to cross into the Duat."216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGoEiVNeu4
Malawashina's usual graceful demeanour was now afflicted as she hung her head in sorrow. "They all died for nothing. Only for the greed of power." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡREw4PYws81
Puduhepa's grey gaze also dulled from sorrow, and she took her daughter's soft face into her hands, stroking the tears from her cheeks. "You are right," she said finally. "There is never a justification for war; For all the senseless killing. But men will never believe nor understand that. Men only want to puff out their feathers like a bunch of pompous peacocks." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmrGbrrYRF
Malawashina chuckled as she sniffed, flicking her lashes upwards to look into her mother's loving gaze. "Roosters more like it," she added. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAp895mwN9
Her mother too chuckled then and embraced her once more. "You needn't worry, my darling Mala. These roosters have finally decided to reign in their cockiness and come to peace. It is far more beneficial in every sense of the word. Egypt is prosperous, and her Pharaoh holds great influence and respect throughout the world. Hatti would greatly benefit from this through political marriage, and trade agreements if your cousin can keep his senses intact for long enough." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdxSixY0sU
"Well we have reached the political marriage agreement already," Malawashina grumbled, still not impressed with the idea. "Who came up with this idea anyway?" 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6FxbGdgXTk
Her mother pushed out the creases that had now formed on her daughter's brow due to her frowning. "Your father did," she answered. "But it was, in fact, the Pharaoh who requested you."
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Malawashina stared at her mother, stunned to the core. "And Mursili agreed to this?"216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIP83n4gWED
"He had no choice. As part of this arrangement, the Pharaoh requested a bride no less than a princess. Your sister is far too young to marry, and you are the only unwed princess remaining in our lineage. Also, he had heard of your beauty and wit." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUvaVVhBiz
Malawashina rolled her eyes at her mother's attempt at flattery. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYgVVDN7Qj
"Oh mother, it is well known he has many women in his harem. I will be just another broodmare to be discarded once he's had his use of me. If he even chooses to have one." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhumEgGw1x
"Ah, but you are wrong!" her mother laughed, some sparkle again returning to her eyes. "As part of the agreement, you were to be given a high rank within the harem! The highest!"216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ckl7RQmdU
Malawashina's eyes shot open and her dainty mouth almost hit the marble floor beneath them. "Surely the Pharaoh would never give up the Great Queen Nefertari's position! The whole world knows that she is his moon and his stars! His most beloved! I've heard of the grandeur of the temples he has built in her honour!" 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnhVtmI9fQ
"And you are right, my darling," her mother nodded. "He would never give up the position of my sister, the Lady of Grace, Nefertari. So instead, you have been placed as Grand Princess, secondary wife."216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmENG7y2Jee
Malawashina gasped. "I would displace the Princess Isetnofret, would I not?" her voice shook in disbelief. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HFpeAryCp
"You, my darling, are of royal blood. She is not," her mother stated factually. "A sacrifice he was willing to make, and one much to your advantage." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64IqI0n5Eb
"I am not ambitious enough to hold such an advantage." Malawashina lowered her gaze. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWutqHaMeLr
Puduhepa brought her daughter's face up to look at her directly. 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUgfQvMFIa
"Oh, but you are, my child. You are my daughter." 216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50LsfRn2Jo
"The dowry…?" Malawashina then hesitated.216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOBY570cvoA
"Worth a thousand times more than your weight in gold."216Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Q93LDDRQF
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