Athena The Princess of Egypt

BC1000・・・

The Nile shimmered beneath the western sun. The Temple of Luxor and the Pharaoh’s palace overlooked the bustling city of Thebes below, as merchant vessels drifted ceaselessly along the Nile.

The flickering torchlight cast its glow upon walls adorned with vivid murals of Egypt’s rivers, trees, and wildlife in brilliant reds and greens. The Pharaoh took the hand of Ashendra, who was soon to become his queen. The Pharaoh was but a boy of fifteen. He wore a gold-and-navy striped nemes headdress above sun-bronzed skin, thick black brows, and dark eyes that gleamed like polished scarabs. His nose was proud, his chin finely cut, and the arms extending from the sleeves of his blue-dyed linen robe were slender enough to belong to a young woman. At his side stood Ashendra, the elder bride-to-be. Her skin was as dark as polished ebony, her long silver hair flowed like spun silk, and cool grey eyes shone beneath its silken strands. Draped in a gown of shimmering silver, she possessed a quiet grace that seemed to belie her years.

“Your Majesty, be at ease. I am by your side.”

“I see.”

A trace of uncertainty lingered in the Pharaoh’s smile as he drew aside the crimson drapery and stepped into the great hall, where the rulers of many nations awaited him. Long black whiskers framed his full lips, while beneath thick brows that swept outward like the fronds of a cycad, a pair of jet-black eyes watched with quiet intensity. His head was shaven to the crown, leaving his hair to fall long behind, and a crimson sash bound the black robe that marked his rank.

“Tomorrow is the day of Your Majesty’s coronation. Your bride shall stand beside you, and at last you shall receive the blessing of Amun-Ra. Hold your head high, Your Majesty, and let all who behold you witness the dignity of their Pharaoh.”

“I know...”

At Amenhotep’s words, the Pharaoh’s fingers tightened around hers.

“Once Your Majesty has received the Rite of the Sun God’s Blessing and become the living incarnation of the divine, only then shall you become the true Pharaoh. Thereafter, even the heavens themselves shall bend to your will. We shall proceed at once to the Rite of Abundance.”

Amenhotep read aloud from a papyrus scroll as he led the Pharaoh toward the banquet table.

Before them stretched a banquet fit for kings: platters of roasted quail, fresh bread, and baskets overflowing with grapes and figs covered the tables, while musicians from every corner of the kingdom filled the hall with graceful melodies.

“To all who have gathered here, you have my gratitude. May prosperity ever bless both your kingdoms and mine. Tonight, I ask only that you set aside the affairs of state and enjoy the feast.”

With that, Pharaoh descended from the dais beside Ashendra, raising cups and exchanging greetings with each ruler in turn. Among the musicians, one of the flautists concealed a poisoned dart within the tip of his flute and silently took aim at the Pharaoh.

The moment Ashendra caught the flautist’s suspicious movement, she threw herself before the Pharaoh. The poisoned dart struck her in the neck, and she crumpled to the floor.

“Ashendra? No... It cannot be. Stay with me, Ashendra!”

The Pharaoh caught her as she collapsed to the floor and pulled the poisoned dart from her neck.

“Guards! Seize him!”

Amenhotep pointed at the flautist and shouted.

“A physician! Quickly! Ashendra! Ashendra!”

The Pharaoh’s anguished cry echoed through the stunned chamber.

At that very moment, in Athens, the seventeen-year-old Princess Athena slipped through a wooden door at the rear of the palace, a grand edifice upheld by towering stone columns overlooking the Aegean Sea. She raced down the stone steps that traced the fortress walls and reached the blacksmiths’ quarter, where she paused to listen to the rhythmic songs of the smiths as their hammers rang against glowing iron.

♪ Our iron rings! ♪ No foe shall stand! ♪ None can break us! ♪ No foe shall stand! ♪ None can match us! ♪ Strike! ♪ Strike! ♪ Our iron brings ♪ Fortune’s hand! ♪ Fair Greece, our glorious land! ♪ All hail Athena, goddess grand! ♪ Our princess shines, a goddess bright! ♪ All hail Princess Athena!

“Morning, Princess! Off to the sea again?”

“Take care out there!”

Athena, with her long golden hair falling in gentle waves, eyes as deep and clear as the sea, and skin as fair as sunlit sand, smiled and waved to the blacksmiths as she passed. She dashed through the blacksmiths’ quarter, raced across the beach, cast off her shawl, and plunged headlong into the sea. In waters as blue and crystal-clear as sapphire, Athena was welcomed by a pod of dolphins. Schools of brightly colored fish gathered around her before she drifted alongside a great sea turtle, the two gliding together through the tranquil sea.

Slipping off her sand-covered sandals, Athena padded barefoot through the rear entrance of the palace. No sooner had she stepped inside than one of her maids came hurrying toward her.

“My goodness, look at you! You’re soaking wet! His Majesty has been looking everywhere for you. Come now, quickly!”

Once her maid had helped her into a fresh gown, Athena was ushered into the audience chamber. There, she bowed before the King and sank gracefully to one knee.

The young King sat upon a golden throne, a vast mural of the sea unfolding across the wall behind him.

“Ah, there you are at last, Athena.”

The King rose from his throne and drew Athena into a warm embrace.

“Leave us.”

At the King’s command, the guards bowed their heads and withdrew from the chamber.

“There is something I must tell you, Athena.”

He hesitated for the briefest moment.

“I would have you wed the Pharaoh of Egypt.”

“What...?”

“It is only natural that you should be surprised. Hear me out. The King of Egypt has recently lost his queen and is now in mourning. You, too, have come of age, and he has just lost the one who stood beside him. I would have you stand at his side... and become the bridge between our two kingdoms.”

“It’s all so sudden...”

“Yes... Even so, I cannot help but feel for the King of Egypt. Yet this is also an opportunity.”

The King fell silent for a moment, his gaze drifting beyond the palace windows toward the distant sea.

“His council believes that, should he take a new queen, the ill omen that has befallen his reign will be laid to rest, and the affairs of state may at last move forward once more.”

“Yes... Brother. I shall go to Egypt.”

“Ah... then you understand.”

“If it is your decision, Brother... then so be it.”

“Thank you, Athena. With this... I can devote myself fully to the unification of Greece at last...”

When Athena returned to her chamber, she threw herself face-down upon her bed. After a long while, she rolled onto her back and lay staring at the ceiling.

At last, she rose and drifted toward the window.

♪ I have no friends to call my own. ♪ No heart to trust with all I hide. ♪ Only the friends who wait beneath the sea. ♪ Within these palace walls. ♪ I’m only a doll dressed up each day. ♪ The husband I’ve yet to meet... ♪ Will he ever speak with me? ♪ Will we find a way to live as one? ♪ Are men gentle? ♪ Or are they to be feared? ♪ If I could choose just one wish... ♪ I would greet each day with a smile.

A sparrow, marked with a tiny crimson circle upon its brow, fluttered down beside Athena and greeted her with a cheerful trill.

“My... who might you be? Will you be my friend?”

“Chirp.”

The sparrow fluttered playfully around her head.

“Hehe... It’s a pleasure to meet you, little sparrow.”

After sharing a final embrace with her brother, Athena left the palace with her attendants and began the journey to Egypt.

At the harbor of Egypt, servants loaded baggage onto waiting camels while Athena struggled to keep her balance atop one of them.

From within a crystal sphere, a witch with long slit-pupiled eyes watched her every movement. Countless serpents writhed upon her head in place of hair.

“So... you shall not have him. The Pharaoh belongs to me... and to me alone.”