Ambition

[niankhsekhmet]

This is another co-post with Tjeti and myself. There was a several month gap of posts, and this was being written at the time I was taking care of my mother who was terminally ill with breast cancer. I think I lost about three months in the process. During that time, Caesar and Cleopatra form an alliance and Sekhmet Meritamen invites Caesar and Cleopatra to Waset to gather forces against the wretched pharaoh, Neberjer Siamun Re. Rebellion is brewing, but who will make the ultimate bid for he throne? ;-)

Ambition The sails of the state barge of the First Prophet of Imen shook and snapped as the lumbering craft swung widely into the quay. A small feminine figure clad in carnellian colored linen stood motionless against the railing of the craft. Both crew and passengers made their way around her, preparing for their arrival in Waset. The river had become clogged with various trading vessels that carried goods of every type and description. Along the shore more vessels bobbed on the water as they were being loaded and unloaded with the wealth of Waset. After a few minutes, the state vessel of Imen turned into the opening of the Lake of Imen. This was Imen's private domain, that lay behind high walls. Impeccably cared for gardens were visible on both sides of the vessel. The dazzling buildings of white marble, with gold and intense color were a stark contrast to the endless browns and bright hazes and mottled greens between Alexandria and Waset. Home was in sight, and in the dwindling light of Ra, Sekhmet could make out the edges of her gardens and the porticoes of their great house that stretched out luxuriantly next to the outer walls of Ipet-sut. They had made home before nightfall just as Captain Necho said that they would. She was, she reflected, more than ready to be off of the boat! The tension on the vessel had been palpable. The Romans were nervous, particularly after Caesar's poisoing, Messalina's arrest and her brother Allanon's tirades where he could be heard grumbling loudly to KaRa about Sekhmet's ill-considered plots and plans. Some things never changed, she thought. Allanon was a fine and talented architect, but he possessed niether the mind nor the quick wit to be any good at politics. Only Itet seemed to be calm and ever himself - proud, cock-sure and efficient. By comparison, Itet would be formidible in matters of state if his lineage were any better. Perhaps it was something to consider later. At first Sekhmet did not notice that Caesar was standing beside her. It was only a soft rustle of his toga that made her aware of his presence. When the hatchet-faced Roman looked at her, she gave him a soft smile. "Welcome to Waset, Caesar." she said. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Sekhmet led the small, river-weary retinue thfough her gardens toward the home of the First Prophet of Imen. Tjeti did not meet them, as it was not proper for him to do so, but she could not help but half expect to have him meet her at the familar water steps upon their arrival. She explained to Caesar and Messalina that Tjeti would most likely meet them at the banquet the following evening, if not before and important matters would be discussed. Cleopatra nodded in agreement and all were made comfortable in the spacious and airy apartments in the opposite wing of the house from Sekhmet and Tjeti, and all needs were seen to - again, as was proper and expected of any well-born noble Egyptian. Sekhmet was silently grateful that Kemsit had left her home in some resemblence of what it had been before. She recalled Kemsit's'first caretakings of the home she shared with Tjeti shortly after their marriage. Kemsit had proudly taken it upon herself to organize Sekhmet's study and apothocaries in a fashinon that made complete sense to Kemsit's sensibilities, but made no sense in organization to the physician. Sekhmet had sworn silently to herself, even while smiling to Kemsit about her wonderful abilities as a Mistress of a Household, that she would never again avail herself of her sister-in-law's domestic assistance. While she could not bar Kemsit completely from the house without causing concern of her husband, he had laughingly understood why Sekhmet gave discreet and adamant instructions to her servants that Kemsit was never again to be allowed within ten paces of the study or the apothocaries. ******************************* Tjeti had received the dispatch from the North only a few hours before Sekhmet's arrival from the hand of a tired and hungry soldier who had barely escaped from the agents of Nebertjer. The man had been able to pick up a small skiff and made his way back toward . Even before he had finished reading the scroll, he had seen the name of his wife named repeatedly in the dispatch. Even before the ship was completely unloaded and the Romans and the Greek Satrap Cleopatra had been settled in their apartments, he had given orders to the servants to bring his wife to him immediately. While he waited for her, he paced the floor in agitation, scroll held tightly in his fist. As he paced he growled at his scribe, "See that I have maps, find out the troop numbers that we posess from Waset to the South. I want all conscription lists for the troops that are loyal to Imen and to me. Do this now. Give instructions to the rest of the servants that I will see my wife....alone." At last Sekhmet swept in, a delighted smile playing on her lips that faded quickly when she sensed Tjeti's mood. He wore a long pleated kilt of fine linen that swished about his legs, falling gracefully to his ankles. "I have brought supplicants to the feet of Imen, my husband."Sekhmet smiled then noting the crumpled scroll in her husband's fist, . "The break with the North is final then?" "If it is not, it soon will be, no thanks to you." he said, "So I take it that bringing the Roman and the Satrap here was your idea wasn't it, Sekhmet?" Tjeti stared at his wife incredulously He shook his head in disbelief. He motioned to a small female servant to close the door. "Of course it was." she inclined her head and smiled at him affectionately," It was better us that got to Caesar first, rather than Nebertjer. You make alliances where you can." she stroked his arm, wanting to soften his anger and assure him that all was well. They would weather the storm, and do it together. Who was Nebertjer after having flaunted Ma'at and made mockerly of it. "Are you thinking at all, wife?" he shook off her hand irritably, "You would betray your own countrymen, to Rome?" Sekhmet met him where he stood, her dark eyes looking up at his, searching, was he not glad that she had come home? "I am using Caesar and Rome, Tjeti! For you, for us! For Kemet, as the falcon serves the falconer! Surely you know that!" She began to feel her own anger rising at him now. They had a chance to beat Nebertjer overwhelmingly with Rome's help, could he not see it? "Nebertjer is weak, and feeble," she continued, " and the more the rest of the world sees this and understands it, the more they will also see that you and only you is best suited to the Throne of the Nejeru!" "Kemet does not need Rome!" Tjeti exploded, "And I do not need my wife deciding international policy for the country bearing my name, as representative of my house, under the banner of state of Imen! You go too far, Sekhmet!" throwing the papyrus that he had been clutching in his fists it unrolled at her feet, "Read what your meddlings have wrought my wife!" Sekhmet stooped gracefully to pick up the papyrus, And smoothed it with small fingers as she read: "............abetted in her treason by Sekhmet Meritmen, wife of Hmt Netjer tepe Ne Imen, Tjeti and KhemumRa, Mayor of Waset. Sekhmet, Caesar and Cleopatra have duped our High Priest Tjeti into lending “unwitting” support to a most nefarious scheme to seize the throne and put a Macedonian on the ancient throne of Egypt...." Sekhmet looked up from her reading into her husband's eyes. "So you think me a traitor as well, my husband?" she asked him, her own eyes narrowing, "You know what I serve and that which I am loyal to!" she threw the papyrus back at him and turned on her heel to leave. Deftly the High Priest caught her wrist and pulled her to him crushing her against his chest, "Are you loyal to Caesar and to Rome, or to your Husband and King, Sekhmet?" It was only a moment before Sekhmet understood what Tjeti had actually said, causing her to stop abruptly. Slowly she turned and looked at him. She knew that Tjeti would deign to see Julius Gaius Caesar and his mistress the satrap of Alexandria, Cleopatra Philopater. Sekhmet had brought them in the wish to make an alliance but it was here where she knew Tjeti felt she had erred in judgement. To him, Kemet could never make an alliance with corrupt and greedy Rome. For him it would have been worse than accepting the yoke of Parthia. To Tjeti the answer was clear - it would be letting jackals loose amongst the lambs - and he could not allow it. Tjeti knew not of Caesar's honor or wisdom but only that he was a Roman and ambitious. They were both painfully aware, that this meant that Rome's regard for Kemet was merely as a bread basket to be won so that Caesar could return home in triumph and bring either Nebertjer or Tjeti - or worse, both of them, in chains to parade before the populace of Rome. Tjeti and Sekhmet both knew that if there was any time, now was the time to strike at Caesar, when he was weak and a supplicant. Yet Tjeti was fain to demolish Caesar for he had done neither he nor Sekhmet any personal harm and he had come to their house as a guest. Tjeti could just finish him now that he had the chance but my Sekhmet had offered him hospitality and Tjeti didn't need to battle the rest of Rome as well. They would use his death as justification for attacking Egypt and in the end annexing it as they intended. The heat of anger quickly turned to another heat, and after so long a time as they had endured being apart it was like the storm of Set. Tjeti was hungry like a lion, but his wave wife was no prey - she was the lioness. Linen lay shredded and servants ran scurrying for cover as they retreated to the privacy of their bedchamber. Tjeti bit and she scratched and he threw her onto the soft cushions and she yielded to him and blushed beneath him like a maiden once more when they were first married. Hungrily he sucked at her lips like a man greedy for intoxicant, and she filled him like she was a chalice of wine. They were not done until the first light of day and it was clear that Tjeti would not be able to attend attending to the morning rites, for such he would have been considered impure. Impure either may have been, but filled up with love like water that runs over the lip of an chalcedony bowl and spills to the tiles. There was no end to the water for it is poured from above. The Second Prophet would have to tend to the temple and once the news was dispatched Tjeti and Sekhmet lay in peace, his arms wrapped about her waist and they slept until Ra was at His zenith within the sky.

Comments

[webcrowmancer.livejournal.com]

MMMMmmmm! Yum. YUM!!!

I swear, the tantalizing glimpses of political intrigue and strife between countries and civil internal problems is very very appetite-whetting. Makes me want to write. lol!!!

Plot, PLOT! Backstory!!! yaying!

And to have it turn neatly into strife that leads to lovescene, is just LOVELY. The passion in it. gah!

Also, I've noticed that the AU feeling of Caesar and Cleopatra being present throughout all these culminated for me in this, in a sense of being pulled farther and farther in. I've never seen this done so well. My first exposure to Caesar (and cleopatra) was in fact the Asterix and Obelix comics, when I was very young. Most of my Roman history knowledge sprang from them, although I'd been introduced to Egypt prior to that, at age 7. So I can very much admire the way you have poured all of this together. It's wonderful.