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While the queen stood, Aye sat on a bench, ignoring proper protocol. That in itself was bold and insulting.
“Stand up,” barked the queen.
The vizier smiled, then stood and took a step toward her. “Highness, there is still ample time before your husband’s burial. But we must discuss the plan for succession. Do you have a plan?”
She said nothing.
“Highness, you need a king beside you to rule Egypt. You must understand that.”
“And I will have one,” she said.
“There is no one in the land more capable than I-”
“I said I will have one. Please do not discuss this delicate matter with me until my husband has been laid to rest.”
They were interrupted by Yuye, whose eyes hastily met those of the vizier. The queen noticed the look that passed between them. Could it be collusion? She pushed the thought aside. Yuye would never betray her. And yet she felt certain something was going on.
“There is a messenger to see you, Highness,” Yuye a
“Who is it?” demanded Aye.
“That is none of your concern,” Ankhesenpaaten said. Her heart was beating wildly. “You are dismissed, Vizier.”
A dark-haired man was led into the courtyard after Aye departed. The visitor had left a small retinue behind at the gate. One look told the queen this was not a Hittite prince.
“What is the meaning of this visit?” the queen asked. She looked at Yuye in desperation.
Yuye only shrugged as the Hittite, clearly uncomfortable in the presence of the queen, struggled to explain himself.
“I have a message from my king,” said the Hittite. He handed it to the queen, and she read it quickly. Then the Hittite verbalized the message. “Where is the son of the late pharaoh? What has become of him?”
Ankhesenpaaten nearly flew into a rage. “Do you see a male child wandering the palace halls? Do you? Do you see a young prince on a chariot galloping about the grounds? Oh, what I would give for a young boy. Does your king think this is some sort of trick? Did my letter to him seem insincere or unclear?”
The Hittite shuffled his feet and lowered his eyes. “What shall I tell my king?”
“Tell him this: ‘Why should I deceive you? I have no son, and my husband is dead. Send me a son of yours, and I will make him king of Egypt.’”
The Hittite stood there not sure what to do next.
“What are you waiting for?” asked the queen. “We are ru
As the Hittite fled the palace, Yuye slipped away to find Aye.
The queen stood alone.
Chapter 83
Egyptian Border
1324 BC
THE HITTITE PRINCE’S NAME was Za
He and his entourage rode fine white horses down the well-traveled dirt road to Egypt. He was pure Hittite by birth, his father’s pride and joy. At age twenty-two, Za
Za
Now Za
“How could I not?” Za
It seemed that the queen had sent a welcoming party. A small band of Egyptians waited at the border, taking refuge from the sun in a verdant oasis. Za
Za
As they arrived, a small man with a potbelly trotted forward on his horse to welcome them.
“Greetings. I am Horemheb, the queen’s general. She sends her best wishes, Prince.”
“I am Za
The Hittite prince’s words ended abruptly. He had not seen the archers behind the tents, nor the arrow racing toward him straight and true that would pierce his forehead. He toppled off his mount, royal blood flooding onto the sand in a massive pool.
His entourage suffered a similar fate. Anyone who escaped the arrows was chased down and hacked to bits by Egyptians wielding swords and axes. As buzzards circled, Horemheb dismounted and walked over to Za
With his sword, he severed the prince’s head and held it high. Horemheb’s men cheered and then raced to loot the other bodies.
“For the queen,” Horemheb said with a sneer, throwing the head into a bag for its trip back to Thebes.
Chapter 84
Tut’s Palace
1324 BC
THE THRONE ROOM WAS DARK and depressing. Ankhesenpaaten and Aye had argued for hours, begi
The queen’s protestations were heated and loud, unmuffled by draperies and potted plants.
Anyone still awake in the palace could hear her frantic voice, and she knew it.
“Make no mistake: I will rule as king. And you will be my queen,” said Aye.
His hands were on his hips as he glared at the stubborn young woman. His sagging neck and paunch made him look more like her grandfather than a man capable of fathering a royal heir.
“I will not do it,” she shot back, panic-stricken as he moved closer.
Ankhesenpaaten paced, trying to buy time.
Yuye entered the room, as if on cue.
“What is it?” asked the queen. “Do you have news? Tell me.”
Chapter 85
Tut’s Palace
1324 BC
AYE BURST OUT LAUGHING. “Yes, she has news. Tell her the news. Tell her the fantastic news about her Hittite prince-who is riding here to save the queen and become pharaoh.”
Ankhesenpaaten glared at him. “You knew?”
“Of course I knew.” He laughed some more before turning his attention back to Yuye. “Your lady-in-waiting has been a useful spy. Please, Yuye. Tell the queen the news she has so longed to hear.”
Shame coursed through Yuye’s body, and she couldn’t meet the queen’s gaze. When she spoke, it was in a low monotone. “The Hittites received your missive, Majesty. Their king sent a son to Egypt to marry you and serve at your side as king.”
“And?” asked Ankhesenpaaten.
“And this prince, whose name was Za
Yuye placed a leather bag on a table. Aye stepped forward and emptied the contents onto the floor. The prince’s severed head hit the tile with a loud thud.
Ankhesenpaaten staggered backward. She could barely breathe as she looked at the head, then faced the vizier.
Aye showed no deference to her now. He mocked her openly. “You are a traitor. I control the priests, I control the money, and I control Horemheb,” he declared. “Choose wisely, Majesty. You can either marry me and keep your life, or you can choose to die, just like your husband.”
Aye turned and paraded from the room, sandals slapping softly. He took the girl Yuye with him, and that night, to be safe, he made certain she would keep quiet-by slitting her throat. If the lady-in-waiting could betray the queen, she could betray him as well. And the stakes were too high for that.