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The Great King, the king of Egypt, son of Ra, Ramses beloved of Amun, speaks thus to the beloved lady of Hatti, The great Lady Puduhepa. See then, I, your brother, am well. My houses, my sons, my armies, my horses, my chariots and all the things in my lands are very well and thrive in comfort. So may you, my sister, also be well! May your houses, sons, armies, horses, chariots, nobles, and all things in your lands be very well! I speak thus to my sister; My messengers have come to me together with your messengers and have brought me the news that my brothers, the king of Hatti, Mursili, the Great King, and his beloved uncle, your husband, the Great Lord Hattusili, are in good health. The great Lord Hattusili, your beloved husband, has written to me thus; 'Let the people come to pour sweet-smelling oil on my daughter's head and let them take her to the house of the Great King, the king of Egypt, my brother.' The great King of Hatti land, too, has requested this of his most cherished cousin, her Royal Highness Princess Malawashina. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7BnP10iFe
This decision written to me by my brothers is wonderful!92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8kGx2vekT
Ra has approved of them. Horus has approved of them. And all of the Egyptian and Hatti gods have approved of them for making this fine decision to join two great lands into one forever.
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Nefertari nodded her head with approval, her rouged lips curving into a pleased smile. "Very well written, my beloved." she raised her golden gaze from the finely pressed papyrus sheet to look up into her husband's Kohl-lined emerald eyes. "The formalities are well-formed. I believe that Lady Puduhepa will be rightfully pleased upon your eloquent reply." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDIhQNsOHz
"You truly believe so?" Ramses answered, a mischievous grin crossing his thin lips. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBjKJy7IT7
"If I did not, husband, I would rightfully say so!" The queen pouted, feigning annoyance at the Pharaoh's questioning doubt. But, then, she gave a shrill shriek of surprise as he took her suddenly by the waist, pulling her against his well-defined musculature. Immediately he buried his face into the side of her slender neck and teased her lovely bronze skin with feathery kisses. Oh, how she was a beauty to trump all beauties within the heavens and upon the earth! Ramses relished in her unrivalled allure and her lovely company. No wonder he loved her more than anything else in the world. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqsOztNk52
"Oh, Ramses, you are impossible!" She laughed her sweet songbird laugh, her eyes sparkling with delight as she tried to push him away playfully.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuNpGwR7CD
"The babe within my womb does not approve of your antics." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngjdqKur9M
Looking at her then, he quirked a defined eyebrow at her. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyy5125jda
"Oh really?" he questioned, the mischief still written across his fine features as he caressed her pregnant belly. "Or is it their mother who does not approve?" 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhOAVvgabq
"Their mother, too, does not," she stated, entwining her bejewelled hands with his. "We have much important work still to do." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nGVycHV4K
"Can it not wait but a little while, my darling sweet?" He whined as he pushed the intricate braids of her heavy wig away to nuzzle her ear sensually. He almost thought he had her swayed to his temptations when, from her parted lips, escaped a sigh of arousal. But, as soon as her sweet sound reached his ears, she finally escaped his grasp. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7WP0WkBgE
"You are utterly impossible," she repeated with a loving smile, dismissing him much to his disappointment. "I will have this carved into a tablet and sent forth to Hatti immediately. However, we do have one slight problem ahead of us, my beloved husband," she warned gently as she then proceeded to wrap her slender arms around the hard biceps of her husband. As he looked down at her again, she pushed a tuft of his dark, auburn hair behind his pierced ear. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoeoiQl1TZ
He let escape a long, tired sigh as he ran his gold-capped thumb across her delicate yet well-defined chin. "Isetnofret…" 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FlIPL6TWr
"Yes," Nefertari replied, her voice dropping contritely. "You know she has always been indignant with the fact that she is not Great Wife. How will she now react knowing that you shall lower her status even more?" Her thick lashes flickered as her topaz eyes began to shimmer in the brazier's reddish glow. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLPGUCMHBR
"I will handle her," Ramses reassured. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6QAAcondf
"I hope it goes as well as you expect, my beloved star."
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Isetnofret was humming as she fixed her short, platinum entwined wig in the sizeable polished bronze mirror that sat upon her dark cedar dresser. Her maidservants had done an unsatisfactory job dressing her, so she sent the insolent fools out of her regal presence. Reaching out with her lithe, ring-laden fingers, she took her ivory kohl applicator and began thickly defining her obsidian eyes. Satisfied, she puckered her full lips and reapplied the rouge she had confiscated from one of her many other sisters within the harem. Then, with a fine-haired reed, she dabbed the malachite powder to her eyelids, smudging it along her lids to her utmost satisfaction. Wiping a pointed finger into the gold creme before her, she then smeared it above the long line of ebony Kohl she had drawn previously.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1HLztGXiB
"Such a beauty that could rival the great Isis herself, my darling." Came her favourite voice. It was so deep and delectable that she felt she could melt into her chair.
Twitching her pointed nose with anticipation, she spun around to face him, throwing her arms out in beckoning. "My beloved husband!" She cried out excitedly. "Finally, you have come to me!" 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lmN0UXG9o
"Yes," his voice was apologetic as he took her into his arms and lifted her from her chair. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdTLo72lvx
"I have been preoccupied as of late." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWFUU8pbWx
"Warming the beds of my sisters, you mean," she corrected almost harshly. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQY9TwDOMhE
Ramses frowned and cleared his throat at the slight. "I do have those obligations to adhere to as well, Isetnofret. You know that. But it is not that I was referring to." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDORsLyJrOR
"Oh, so we are obligations now, are we?" Isetnofret did not miss a beat.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHDA93gheX
The frown on Ramses' brow deepened. "Do not take my words out of context, Isetnofret." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7k7RzI3p6
"Then choose other words," she replied with an air.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgV6G379iuy
Ramses groaned impatiently at her, and to satiate her need, he grasped her firm rear and kissed her deeply. Then, after a grand moment of savouring her delicious mouth, he pulled away and looked down at her with affection. Her taste of milk and honey lingered upon his lips as he smiled. "I am sorry, my dear. You are not to be called obligations at all. You know what I meant." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunPs418yrg
"Of course, my sweet, darling husband," she hummed then. "Anyway, I have heard talk of peace with the King of Hatti," she began flatly.
Ramses rolled his eyes away from her sight. "It seems you ladies are very adept at talking." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpbuekQQoe
"We are adept at a great many things, my king. You should be aware of that by now," she corrected slyly. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0d7oF8rVgY
He could not help but let the corners of his lips curl into a grin. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmgpMniXrJ
"Indeed," he kissed the side of her cheek lovingly. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ86tq3XXkP
"But concerning the gossip you have heard about, there is more that I must tell you."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaGhI3JGkH
She swayed gently in his arms as she rested her head against his warm chest. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPGi9K1i44
"Oh?"92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rLcIQUYsx
Ramses tightened his embrace around her. "You will not like it." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyEDYr6GqU
Her head snapped up to stare at him. Already he could feel her body stiffen under his strength. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDqHUjh68U
"To seal this peace, I am to marry a princess of Hatti." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LHNr75GMH
Isetnofret groaned then and partially relaxed her body. "Oh, how delightfully wonderful," she grumbled sarcastically.92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8aizUZBFr
"Due to her stature as a princess, the King of Hatti has demanded her a high position." Once more, he could feel her body stiffen and the heat boiling within from her impending anger. She knew his words meant only one thing. "I regret to inform you, but the position to be given to her is yours."92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsy5HkJKiKt
"W...what!?" She forced herself out of his arms, but he did not resist and let her go.
The marbled aqua vase smashed to a thousand minuscule pieces against the intricately painted lotus head pillar. So hard had it made an impact, flecks of their treasured Egyptian blue paint flew off from the granite. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡML4ARzjkMQ
Ramses stood as firm as the pillar as the vase flew millimetres past his head. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEp1amUwoKY
"How could you do this to me!" She screeched, her voice filled with a rage that could wrack the heavens. "Have I already not suffered enough with these whores? And now, you wish to depreciate me to the same level as the rest of them?" She wailed. "And for a dirty foreigner, no less! The enemy!" 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQoCEE8MtW
"Hush, now!" Ramses' voice deepened in a warning. "I will not have you insult a royal princess!"92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOrP008UWY
"Princess? Am I not a princess?" She barked. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4103uoxmAq
"In marriage only!" He retorted, his voice raised and now furious. "Am I not the one who took you as my wife and made you what you are? You would be nothing if it were not for my generous and good graces!" 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLOs9LJa7l
She stepped back, the fury and the pain burning in her eyes. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARQhkewf94
Seeing the hurt written upon her sharp features caused Ramses to retract and feel deep remorse at his use of words. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4KWt5SS0T
"My love, I am so…." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZwdIy67ya
The rings on her nimble fingers bit his skin as the palm of her hand made contact with his tanned cheek. Her eyes widened in terror at what had just transpired, yet she stood fast and adamant in her anger.
Slowly he wiped the blood from the cut with his fingers, his unreadable stare boring into her very being. But, of course, such an act meant only one outcome. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYbAIBEpEK
"I will grant you this outburst," he began slowly, reigning in his seething anger. "But you will never do such a thing again, do I make myself clear?" 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoK9bDqgtw
"Yes, abundantly," she replied, her voice a mere squeak. "But," she continued. "Am I worth so little that you would replace me with a foreigner?" Now her freshly painted Kohl began running rivulets down her cheeks. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUiC375err
Once more, the Pharaoh's demeanour became contrite at seeing her pain. "Oh, my darling Iset…." He sighed and pulled her into his strong arms tightly. "It had to be done. Please try to understand. As part of the peace treaty, I am to marry their princess. A condition of that is to give her your title. In fact, they had wanted the title of Great Wife!"92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcd27gAjma
"Then why did you not give them that!" She grumbled against his chest. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jxWRrN5ow
"You know I could never do that to Nefertari. I know; how could I do this to you, then? But it was either this or remain at war with Hatti for all eternity. So which would you rather have, Iset?" He gently took her face into his hands to gaze into her dark orbs. "You know I would never replace you," he reassured sweetly. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvG1YYtIvog
Isetnofret frowned indignantly and pouted. "You would no sooner have me living in a filthy gutter!" 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaw5ULORvY
"Never!" He protested. She went to argue once more, but he silenced her with another delicious kiss. "I will name a holiday in your honour to prove my devotion. And a grand celebration it will be!" 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81WS3Q8JDz
"Truly?" Her eyes widened, sudden excitement returning to her voice. 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYvacqqTZK
"And not only that…." He swayed her in his arms, tickling the nape of her neck with his soft lips. "There will be feasts in your honour. And all the riches of this very Egypt will be celebrated for the world to see. And on the day of the first celebration, we shall present you to the masses, heavy with child, a beacon of the grandness of our legacy." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvPZ3hk07y
Her eyes widened in awe. "But I am not with child…." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSlwim9Dv8
"You soon will be if I have anything to do with it. Forgive me for having neglected you for so long." 92Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6I0A701ege
Before she could reply, he took her mouth once more with his. Then, he whisked her with all haste to her bedchambers.
