I would never be pitied. Clenching the reed pen in my hand, I wrote as quickly and firmly as I could, and when a tear smeared the ink on my papyrus, I blotted it away with sand.
WHILE COURTIERS filled the Great Hall that evening, Asha and I waited on a corner of the balcony, whispering to each other about what had happened in the edduba. The setting sun crowned his head in a soft glow, and the braid he wore over his shoulder was nearly as long as mine. I sat forward on the limestone balustrade looking at him. "Have you ever heard Iset so angry?"
"No, but I've never heard her say much at all," he admitted.
"She's been with us for seven years!"
"All she does is giggle with those harem girls who wait for her outside."
"She certainly wouldn't like it if she heard you say that," I warned.
Asha shrugged. "It doesn't seem she likes much of anything. And certainly not you--"
"And what have I ever done to her?" I exclaimed.
But Asha was saved from answering when Ramesses burst through the double doors.
"There you are!" he called across to us, and Asha said quickly, "Don't say anything about Iset. Ramesses will only think we're jealous."
Ramesses looked between the two of us. "Where have both of you been?"
"Where have you been?" Asha countered. "We haven't seen you since your coronation."
"We thought we might not ever see you again," I added, a little more plaintively than intended.
Ramesses embraced me. "I would never leave my little sister behind."
"How about your charioteer?"
At once, Ramesses let go of me. "It's done then?" he exclaimed, and Asha said smugly, "Just a few hours ago. Tomorrow I begin my training to be an officer of Pharaoh's charioteers."
I inhaled sharply. "And you didn't tell me?"
"I was waiting to tell you both!"
Ramesses gave Asha a congratulatory slap on the back, but I cried, "Now I'll be the only one left at the edduba with Paser!"
"Come," Ramesses said, placating me. "Don't be upset."
"Why not?" I complained. "Asha is going to the army and you're getting married to Iset!"
Asha and I both looked at Ramesses to see if it was true.
"My father is going to announce it tonight. He feels she'll make a good wife."
"But do you?" I asked.
"I worry about her skills," he admitted. "You've seen her in Paser's class. But Henuttawy thinks I should make her Chief Wife."
"Pharaohs don't choose a Chief Wife until they're eighteen!" I blurted.
Ramesses studied me, and I colored at my outburst. "So what is that?" I changed the subject and pointed to the jeweled case he was carrying.
"A sword." He opened the case to produce an arm-length blade.
Asha was impressed. "I've never seen anything like it," he admitted.
"It's Hittite, made of something they call iron. It's said to be even stronger than bronze." The weapon had a sharper curve than anything I had seen before, and from the designs carefully etched onto its hilt, I imagined that its cost had been great.
Ramesses handed the weapon to Asha, who held it up to the light. "Who gave this to you?"
"My father, for my coronation."
Asha handed the iron blade to me, and I gripped the hilt in my palm. "You could use this to decapitate Muwatallis!"
Ramesses laughed. "Or at least his son, Urhi."
Asha looked between us.
"The emperor of the Hittites," I explained. "When he dies, his son, Urhi, will succeed him."
"Asha doesn't care about politics," Ramesses said. "But ask him anything about horses and chariots . . ."
The double doors to the balcony swung open, and Iset fixed us instantly in her gaze. Her beaded wig was adorned with charms, and a talented body servant had dusted the kohl beneath her eyes with small flecks of gold.
"The three inseparables," she said, smiling.
I realized how much she sounded like Henuttawy. She crossed the balcony, and I wondered where she'd gotten the deben to afford sandals with lapis jewels. What gold had been left when Iset's mother died had long since been spent educating her.
"What is this?" She looked down at the
WHILE COURTIERS filled the Great Hall that evening, Asha and I waited on a corner of the balcony, whispering to each other about what had happened in the edduba. The setting sun crowned his head in a soft glow, and the braid he wore over his shoulder was nearly as long as mine. I sat forward on the limestone balustrade looking at him. "Have you ever heard Iset so angry?"
"No, but I've never heard her say much at all," he admitted.
"She's been with us for seven years!"
"All she does is giggle with those harem girls who wait for her outside."
"She certainly wouldn't like it if she heard you say that," I warned.
Asha shrugged. "It doesn't seem she likes much of anything. And certainly not you--"
"And what have I ever done to her?" I exclaimed.
But Asha was saved from answering when Ramesses burst through the double doors.
"There you are!" he called across to us, and Asha said quickly, "Don't say anything about Iset. Ramesses will only think we're jealous."
Ramesses looked between the two of us. "Where have both of you been?"
"Where have you been?" Asha countered. "We haven't seen you since your coronation."
"We thought we might not ever see you again," I added, a little more plaintively than intended.
Ramesses embraced me. "I would never leave my little sister behind."
"How about your charioteer?"
At once, Ramesses let go of me. "It's done then?" he exclaimed, and Asha said smugly, "Just a few hours ago. Tomorrow I begin my training to be an officer of Pharaoh's charioteers."
I inhaled sharply. "And you didn't tell me?"
"I was waiting to tell you both!"
Ramesses gave Asha a congratulatory slap on the back, but I cried, "Now I'll be the only one left at the edduba with Paser!"
"Come," Ramesses said, placating me. "Don't be upset."
"Why not?" I complained. "Asha is going to the army and you're getting married to Iset!"
Asha and I both looked at Ramesses to see if it was true.
"My father is going to announce it tonight. He feels she'll make a good wife."
"But do you?" I asked.
"I worry about her skills," he admitted. "You've seen her in Paser's class. But Henuttawy thinks I should make her Chief Wife."
"Pharaohs don't choose a Chief Wife until they're eighteen!" I blurted.
Ramesses studied me, and I colored at my outburst. "So what is that?" I changed the subject and pointed to the jeweled case he was carrying.
"A sword." He opened the case to produce an arm-length blade.
Asha was impressed. "I've never seen anything like it," he admitted.
"It's Hittite, made of something they call iron. It's said to be even stronger than bronze." The weapon had a sharper curve than anything I had seen before, and from the designs carefully etched onto its hilt, I imagined that its cost had been great.
Ramesses handed the weapon to Asha, who held it up to the light. "Who gave this to you?"
"My father, for my coronation."
Asha handed the iron blade to me, and I gripped the hilt in my palm. "You could use this to decapitate Muwatallis!"
Ramesses laughed. "Or at least his son, Urhi."
Asha looked between us.
"The emperor of the Hittites," I explained. "When he dies, his son, Urhi, will succeed him."
"Asha doesn't care about politics," Ramesses said. "But ask him anything about horses and chariots . . ."
The double doors to the balcony swung open, and Iset fixed us instantly in her gaze. Her beaded wig was adorned with charms, and a talented body servant had dusted the kohl beneath her eyes with small flecks of gold.
"The three inseparables," she said, smiling.
I realized how much she sounded like Henuttawy. She crossed the balcony, and I wondered where she'd gotten the deben to afford sandals with lapis jewels. What gold had been left when Iset's mother died had long since been spent educating her.
"What is this?" She looked down at the
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