Chapter 49 Chapter Forty Seven

Seti began his eleventh year of rule by offering sacrifices to the patron saint of the plateau at Giza.By his order, no outsider is allowed to enter this sacred precinct, the spiritual source of the nation. As regent, Ramesses accompanied his father into the small temple that stood in front of a huge stone sculpture in the shape of a king's head attached to a standing lion, his eyes looking toward the sky.The sculptors also erected a stele on which Seti captures the antelope, the beast of the God of Seth; fighting against the dark forces symbolized by the wild beasts of the desert fulfilled an important task for the Pharaoh.

The sight fascinated Ramses, and the power emanating from around the temple was absorbed into every inch of nerve fiber in his body. "Near the Nile," Ramesses admitted, "I saw it. We were face to face, and it stared at me as it did when we first met." "You want to give up the regency and the throne," Seti said, "but it stops you." Father saw what was on his mind.Perhaps Seti was the embodiment of the wild bull, testing his son in this way. "I didn't fully understand all the secrets of Abydos, but that long period of contemplation let me know that the mystery is actually hidden in life."

"Return there often to worship that temple. Osiris' mysterious prayer ceremony is one of the keys to maintaining the balance of the country." "I made another decision." "Your mother agreed, and so did I." Ramses wanted to cheer, but the seriousness of the area dissuaded him.Will he be able to read human minds one day like Seti? Ramses had never seen Yamenes so energetic. "I get it all, and I've checked it! It's incredible, and there's no doubt about it... Look, see!" The young clerk produced a pile of original documents, a jumble of papyrus, wood panels, and lime shards, and he went over and over all the evidence he had collected over the course of months before coming to this conclusion.

"That's him," he said with certainty, "that's his handwriting! I've even managed to trace his connection to his hacker, and the driver! Do you understand, Ramesses? Thief and criminal , it’s him! Why did he want to do this?” Ramses hesitated at first, but finally accepted.Amene did a marvelous job impeccably. "I'm going to ask him." Ramesses' sister, Dorant, and her husband, Shali, who is getting bigger and fatter, are feeding the lively tropical fish in the fish pond of the villa.Dorante was in a bad mood, the heat was making her tired, and she couldn't bring down her oily skin.Really should try another doctor and another ointment.

A servant enters to announce Ramses' visit. "What an honor!" exclaimed Dorante, stepping forward to hug her brother. "Do you know that people in the palace thought you were imprisoned in Abydos?" "The people in the palace always make mistakes. Fortunately, they are not responsible for ruling the country." The seriousness of the tone frightened the couple: the young prince had changed, no longer speaking in the typical way of a teenager, but with the poise of an Egyptian regent. "You've finally agreed to give my husband the job of running the barn?"

"You can leave first, my dear sister." Dorant was furious. "My husband talks to me about everything." "are you sure?" "Sure!" Shali's cheerful demeanor disappeared suddenly, and the former tutor of Ramses looked embarrassed. "Do you recognize the handwriting?" Ramses showed them the letter that told Seti and Ramses to set off for Aswan. Neither Sally nor his wife answered. "The signature on this letter is false, but the handwriting is clearly legible: it is yours, Shali. It is confirmed by comparison with other documents."

"It's a fake, an imitation..." "Your teaching position was not enough for you, so you devised an illegal business selling shoddy ink sticks with a guarantee of superior quality. When you sensed a crisis, you tried to destroy any clues that might reach you. Because You're familiar with archives and the job of a clerk, and this sort of thing couldn't be easier for you. But there's a mutilated copy of the document that my confidential secretary found in a dump ;he almost cost his life trying to find out the truth. For a long time he and I believed that Sienna was the culprit, and then Yameni realized that he had made a mistake. Of the names of the owners of the factory, only A bit of writing is still legible, but not the last part of Shane's name, it's yours. Besides, a year ago, you hired the coachman who led me into a trap. My brother is innocent, You are the real murderer."

The former tutor of Ramesses clenched his jaw and avoided the eyes of the regent, but Dorant didn't seem flustered or surprised at all. "You have no concrete evidence," Shali thought. "The court will not convict me with such trivial clues." "Why do you hate me?" "Because you blocked our way!" Ramses' sister yelled frantically. "You are nothing but a self-important brat, too proud of your own power. My husband is a fine, learned, intelligent, and adaptable man, and he lacks nothing to rule Egypt. Thanks to me, the lord daughter, he can have a legal status!"

Dolan took her husband's hand and pushed him forward. "Ambition has driven you to your wits," said Ramesses, "in order to spare your parents from punishment, and I will not file a complaint. But I order you to leave Memphis and live in a small village in the country, never to return again. Come here, if you make another small mistake, you will be deported instead." "I am your sister, Ramses." "That's what makes me tolerant and vulnerable." Despite his brutal physical abuse, Yamenes agreed not to appeal, and for Ramesses such an act of kindness had a healing effect on the wounds his sister and former governess had just inflicted on him.Had Amene insisted on a fair verdict, he would not have objected; all the young scribe had in mind now was to be able to invite all the relatives and friends of the Regent to the wedding of Ramesses and Nefertari.

"Sai Dawu once again obtained a large amount of venom and returned to his laboratory. Moses will arrive in Memphis the day after tomorrow, and only Yaxia...he has set off, but the number of days of the journey is not yet certain." "We'll wait for him." "I'm so happy for you... I heard that Nefertari is the most beautiful girl in the world." "Don't you think so?" "I have the ability to judge whether a papyrus or a poem is delicate and beautiful, but the beauty of a woman...don't be too hard on me." "How is Homer's health?"

"He can't wait to see you." "He will receive our invitation." Amene looked nervous. "Trouble?" "Yes. Yours... I tried my best to stop it, but it couldn't last long. Esther insisted on seeing you." Esther was about to throw a tantrum or curse at her lover, but she restrained herself as he approached her.Ramses had changed, changed a lot. He was no longer just the amorous boy she once loved, but a real regent whose position became more and more important to him. The young woman felt she was confronting a man she didn't know well and had no control over his thoughts.Her resentment was gone, replaced by awe. "Your visit is my honor." "My mother described your performance to me." "I'm worried, really. I look forward to your return!" "I will marry Nefertari tomorrow." "She's beautiful...and me, I'm pregnant." Ramses gently took her hand. "Do you think I will abandon you? This child will be ours. Tomorrow, if fate should let me reign, I will choose Nefertari as Grand Empress. But if you will, and she accepts, you will live in the Palace inside." She leaned close to him. "Do you love me, Ramses." "Abydos and the wild bull showed me my true nature. I may not be like others, Esther. My father has placed a burden on my shoulders that may overwhelm me, but I think Try this test. You are passionate and lustful, expressing the madness of teenage love, and Nefertari is queen." "I will die in my prime, and you will forget me." "I am the king of a country, and a king of a country never forgets his family. Do you want to be part of his family?" Her lips met his. The wedding was small and there was no religious ceremony.Nefertari hoped to hold a simple wedding banquet in the countryside, under palm trees, among wheat fields and broad bean flowers, by the side of a steep canal where cattle and sheep drink water and the ground is covered with mud. In a short linen dress, with lapis lazuli bracelets and a carnelian necklace, Nefertari was dressed like Queen Dua.The most well-dressed one is Ya Xia, who just returned from Asia in the morning.He was surprised to find that he was in such a remote country, but he was surrounded by the Great Queen, Moses, Yamenes, Sai Dawu, a famous Greek poet, a lion with huge paws and a mischievous dog. dog.The diplomat prefers a feast in the palace, but he is very reserved, and he shares the wild food with everyone under the teasing eyes of Sai Dawu. "You don't look at all comfortable," the snake-bottle expert pointed out. "This place is charming." "But wild leather stains your beautiful robes! Life is hard too...especially when there are no half-snakes around." Despite his poor eyesight, Homer is still attracted to Nefertari, and he reluctantly admits that she surpasses Helen in beauty. "Thanks to you," Moses said to Ramesses, "I have a day of real leisure." "Is Kanak busy with work?" "The construction project is spectacular, and any mistake will lead to a total failure. I check all the details non-stop so that the site can operate normally." Seti was not present at the banquet, and although he sanctioned the marriage, the pharaoh could not relax for a day, Egypt would not allow him to do so. It's such an easy and enjoyable day.On the way back to the capital, Ramses held Nefertari in his arms.Back at the palace, he took her across the threshold of the room, and they became husband and wife in the presence of the law.