Nefertari, holding up her skirts to descend the bright limestone steps from her sanctuary, continued as fast as she could muster. Which, in her current condition, was a waddle. However, even the geese were waddling past her at a quicker gate. Sighing inwardly, she continued on her way. It would take her some time to reach the other side of the expansive temple complex. She wondered why they had placed the Hittite retinue that far away.

Stopping short of her destination, the Queen could hear through the honking of the geese nearby, sobbing and the pattering of feet heading in her direction. Curious, she waited. It was not long before a tall, lean young woman in a thin linen dress emerged from the numerous hanging chiffon curtains. The woman's face was hidden in her hands as she ran, but Nefertari was sure she could recognise her simply from the slender image of her body. "Seshen?" She called.

The young woman stopped immediately and wiped her eyes, surprised that someone had seen her in such a dismal state. Then realising it was no other but the Queen herself a short length before her, threw herself to the ground in obeisance. "Forgive me, your Majesty, I- I...." Her voice fumbled for the correct words.

"Do not worry yourself, my dear. Please stand and tell me what woes you have."

Immediately, Seshen stood and wiped her eyes again, smudging the thick kohl that had once accentuated them. Then, taking out a handkerchief hidden within her sash, she dabbed the salty tears from her cheeks.

"I know it could not have been Princess Isetnofret this time to have upset you. So, please, do speak of what ails you."

"A different princess, your Majesty," Seshen admitted with a low voice.

Nefertari looked at her with a sympathetic expression and sighed. She knew then the exact reason. "Princess Malawashina, I assume?"

"Yes, your Majesty," she lowered her eyes but spoke no more.

"You can speak freely, Seshen. You know that I will speak not a word of our conversation to anyone else," the Queen reassured gently.

"She was furious, my Queen. Our great Pharaoh obviously told her the truth. Princess Malawashina was livid at having been duped for so long."

"That, I am afraid, is understandable. I would too be agitated had I been in the Princess' situation."

Seshen nodded nervously in agreement.

"Do not worry yourself. She will forgive you. It was not your fault but the fault of my foolish husband."

Seshen's breath hitched painfully in her throat at such words. But, of course, only the Queen could ever insult the Pharaoh.

"Go now, and clean yourself up and rest. I am sure you must be tired."

Utati, weary from the day's events and exhausted from all the emotional turmoil which had just transpired within her mistress' quarters, slouched out from the storage room with more woven cotton blankets.

Nefertari could see how tired the young girl was and smiled. "Young lady, is your mistress in?" She asked with a gentle tone.

Utati, not even glancing up to look, groaned and answered as best as she could in Egyptian, "She does not wish to see anyone now, thank you," and continued on her way.

Nefertari waited until Utati was near the entrance of the Princess' rooms before she spoke again. "Even the Queen of this very Egypt?"

Utati stopped dead in her tracks, her entire body turning as solid as the sandstone statue nearby. The blankets fell from her hands as she twisted her body around. Her eyes shot open at the deific monarch before her, heavy with child, her bright amber eyes smiling down at her through the delicate lines of kohl and thick ebony lashes. "I know that you all must be so exhausted, but I only wish to speak to her for a short time as, sadly, this morning, I was indisposed," she rubbed her belly then.

Utati, blinking hard, her eyes still wide, nodded quickly and immediately backed away a few steps before turning to bolt back into the room.

Chuckling into her hand, Nefertari waited to be accepted an audience. She could hear a slight ruckus behind the doors until the young servant girl finally reappeared.

"Please, come in, your Royal Majesty."

Nefertari had not even entered the door when Malawashina and Utati threw themselves to the floor, pressing their foreheads hard into the carpets beneath them.

"Your royal Majesty, you honour us greatly with your sacred presence." Malawashina greeted, raising her head ever slightly to speak.

The Queen chuckled sweetly. "Please, the both of you, rise," yet they pressed their heads harder to the floor.

"I will not bite, I promise," Nefertari reassured with a smile. The younger girls rose hesitantly, almost tumbling over their skirts as they did.

"Your Majesty," they muttered in unison, their heads still lowered.

"I appreciate the respect, but please, be at ease."

Malawashina raised her head then, Utati still too afraid to do so, and upon seeing the Queen, took a step back, inhaling loudly. The stories of the Queen's immense beauty had travelled far and wide in their world, and from what Malawashina could see, they were all true for once.

"May I sit?" Nefertari motioned to the empty sofa nearby them. The walk from the other side of the expansive temple had indeed wearied her.

"Yes, yes, please, of course, you may!" Malawashina answered, immediately then turning to Utati to order some tea to be made. The young girl glanced at the Queen again before bolting off to do as commanded. Nefertari watched her as she ran from the room.

"Dainty little thing, is she not?" She smiled as Malawashina sat on an adjacent cedar chair, her posture stiff and alert.

"Oh, Utati?" Malawashina turned to look at the door where the girl had exited. "She can be when she wants to be."

This made the Queen laugh. "Oh, is that so? A feisty one then, I assume?"

Malawashina, too, managed to smile. "A little too much for her own good, sometimes," she answered affectionately.

"I do apologise, Princess Malawashina, for not greeting you upon your arrival to the city this morning and for having come here unannounced."

"Oh, please, do not apologise, my Queen. I understand the reasoning well, and it was beyond your control. However, I do very much hope that you are feeling better."

"I am," Nefertari confirmed with a nod and a smile. "That is why I came here now, though I know you must be utterly exhausted. But, my dear, I did not want to be rude by not seeing you on this day."

"Please do not worry yourself, your Majesty. I would not have thought so at all!"

As she answered, Utati returned with a silver pot and matching cups of aromatic tea. Placing it on the table, her hands shivering nervously, she excused herself and left the room hastily.

"I do appreciate that, Princess Malawashina," Nefertari answered as she took the cup offered her. "So I will get to the other reason as to why I have come here with no notice. I am sure you know what it is I speak."

Malawashina's expression instantly dimmed, and she lowered her gaze at the notion.

"I truly did not want to talk about such a thing. But I understand how it has affected you, so I feel an explanation should be given. Of course, I am not the one who should give you the explanation, but as I understood from the very upset disposition of the Pharaoh, you wish to distance yourself from him for the time being. So I came to offer you an explanation, shall you wish to hear it from someone who was adamantly against it from the start."

Malawashina looked up at her. "It is unfortunate that all kings do what they want, inconsiderate of how it will affect others."

Nefertari scrutinised the princess' words, nodding with agreement. "Alas," she sighed, "It is a bane prevalent with the opposite sex, Royalty or not."

With this, Malawashina could not help but grin. It, however, quickly turned into a frown once more, and she sipped her tea to calm herself.

"I understand now that you may hate us Egyptians because of it and even regret coming here."

"It does not matter how I feel," Malawashina answered in a crestfallen voice, "I had no choice either way."

Nefertari looked upon her sympathetically. "That is the sad irony," she sighed. "For most great lands in this world, men are the pinnacles of knowledge and civilisation whilst we women are the columns built simply to hold the foundations together. Other than that, we are perceived as nothing more than vessels to breed and to obey."

Malawashina looked at her, somewhat surprised by the Queen's words. Nefertari noticed the Princess' expression and smiled softly before she continued, "However, this is not entirely so in Egypt. A woman has as many rights as a man. A woman can own and hold her own property and assets, be educated in the same school as men, apply for a divorce, and sleep with whomever she chooses before marriage."

Malawashina's eyes widened more so from the Queen's last words. "Truly?" Her voice was meek.

Nefertari nodded. "Yes. And this is for the common woman. Though you will have some stricter rules as a royal wife, overall, you will also have many more privileges. A lot more than I imagine you would have in your homeland of Hattusa."

Malawashina glanced down once more. "Indeed. Our laws there are... rigid. I am glad to have come here... but..." She hesitated.

"Speak your mind, Princess."

"I am furious," she blurted. "Furious at having been duped by the Pharaoh and the Crown Prince of all people!"

"That is to be expected. I do not blame you." Nefertari allowed Malawashina to continue with a gentle nod.

Malawashina felt the Queen would not think less of her for what was now boiling underneath. Thus, she permitted herself to form the questions raging through her.

"Why would they pull me along like that? I simply cannot fathom why they needed to dupe me for so long. What was the point?"

"There were... a couple of reasons, my dear." The Queen offered.

"Please explain then, my Queen, for it is eating me inside!" Her eyes were pleading, and a thin line of shimmering tears had formed on her lids.

Sitting back upon the sofa, Nefertari's expression still one of sympathy, she sighed and began to speak, "There are the obvious political reasons. As I am sure you are aware, the head monarch of a nation cannot visit another country. Especially a rival, even an old one, as it will be seen as paying tribute to said country and thus bowing down to their superiority. I know this sounds petty and trivial, but it is the truth of the matter. And thus, the Pharaoh could not reveal his identity for that reason. You may be thinking then, why did he bother going with the retinue? Why not just let the Crown Prince represent him?"

Malawashina nodded as those were the exact thoughts nagging at her. Nefertari took a sip of her tea while forming her following words carefully. Strangely, the tea seemed to calm the tumbling child in her womb.

"To be perfectly honest with you," she continued. "Prince Amunherkhepershef was absolutely terrified to go on his own. He was present at the battle between our two nations in Kadesh all those years ago. The Prince feared there would still be deep-rooted hatred, which is understandable enough. So he feared assassination, especially as a Prince from your land had been assassinated coming here not even a lifetime ago when the Pharaoh Tutankhamun's widow had requested to marry one of your royals. And so, this is another reason his father had elected to go with him in secret."

Malawashina's heart immediately warmed towards the Prince. "Oh, the poor thing... So much responsibility on his shoulders. So much to fear. It is too much of a burden for one so young to bear..." She thought.

"Also, life at court can be utterly overwhelming." Queen Nefertari continued without a beat, noticing the Princess's demeanour change. "The Pharaoh cannot stand to be stuck in one place for too long. He has this wilder side that needs unleashing from time to time, and travelling helps tremendously with it. He is known for visiting many places within this very Egypt almost every year. Besides that, he is exhausted from all the women thrown at him. Someone always wants a higher standing, wealth, or recognition by the Monarchy. Of course, he was rather enthusiastic about receiving the offer for your hand, but understand that he is tired of how superficial and extravagant many of these other women are to garner his affection and approval. Most would not hesitate to gauge each other's eyes to gain an upper stance in our internal hierarchy." Nefertari frowned at this notion before sighing once more.

"Despite my best efforts to keep calm and harmony within the harem, because of these... sisters, especially the concubines... It cannot always be so. The Pharaoh is sick of dealing with them. And thus, he chose to join the retinue to Kadesh to see for himself what type of person you truly were. He thought that if you knew who he truly was, then he would not be able to see your true self. As I said, I strongly advised against it, but he was too insistent."

"Did I pass?" Malawashina asked almost absentmindedly, her head already spinning with the information the Queen was willing to share.

Nefertari smiled warmly. "I would not have been here if you did not. He was as excited as a schoolboy to meet you officially. He was up before dawn to prepare for that meeting, browsing through his wardrobe himself."

A spark of amusement glinted in Malawashina's eyes as she imagined the mighty Pharaoh, a god walking amongst men, fussing over his attire. "Is that so?" She asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

The Queen simply nodded. "Nothing of what I just explained is enough of an excuse to have lied to you, but I hope you now at least understand why he chose that path."

"I will think about it." Malawashina concurred, her voice low.

"Shall we punish him?" Nefertari then asked casually, a mischievous grin crossing her full lips. Malawashina's eyes shot open at the suggestion, and she felt a sudden cold chill run down her spine.

"Punish the Pharaoh?" She repeated hesitantly. "Is that even possible?"

"There is always a way." The Queen winked. "The silent treatment is a good start."

Malawashina almost choked on the tea in her mouth. She could remember her mother using the same tactic on her father after some trivial marital spat. Instead, she put her cup back on the tray.

"I am intrigued, my Queen. What else can you suggest?" 

 Returning to her chambers, Nefertari was not surprised to hear the rigorous creaking of her bed and the impassioned noises coming from the other side of the door. Her feet were hurting, and she was tired, so carefully opening the door so as not to make a sound, she entered and took a seat behind the partition wall separating them. Then, taking up a scroll from the small table beside the chair, she began to read, patiently waiting for the coitus behind the partition to finish. When it did, and she was sure they had descended from their height, she stood and made her way around to them. Then, exhaling loudly, she spoke, "And now I have to usher my servants to change the bedsheets! It is not that they had enough other work to attend to!" She scowled at them, though more so to tease.

Ramses and Isetnofret almost fell from the bed in surprise and fought for the one sheet to cover their digression.

Nefertari rolled her eyes and yanked the sheet right from their hands. "Why try to hide? It is not like I have not seen you both in this state before," she grinned slightly as she placed the sheet on a nearby table. "Now, I expect that you have both calmed down?" Her voice was stern as she pinned her amber gaze on them.

"Yes, my Queen," replied Isetnofret with a slight grin. "Very much so."

Ramses shot her a sideways glance at this, for he could not hide his boyish grin.

"Let us hope this event bears fruit, my dear sister. Now, off you go." She waved her hand towards the door.

Isetnofret, still rosy-cheeked, quickly kissed their husband's cheek before clambering off the bed to pull on her dress. When Isetnofret was gone, Nefertari turned to the Pharaoh, who was still naked and shining with sweat. The mere sight caused her to tremble with desire, and a deep heat pooled within her very core. Then, stilling herself, she smiled once more down at him.

"Next time you wish to take her in my bed, dearest husband, just remember how hungry she is to take my place and crown as Queen of Egypt."

Ramses simply shook his head. "Are you not a testy one today? You told us to hump out our anger, did you not?"

"Your Queen indeed did, but she did not expect you to make such a mess of her bed! Your Queen is pregnant and hungry. Do you expect her not to be testy?" She answered plainly.

"If only I could satiate your hunger," he suggested playfully, yet his words only sought to make her scoff.

"Is that all you think of?" She frowned disapprovingly.

He looked at her, a little stunned. "Of course not," he answered, quickly getting off the bed to dress. "Isetnofret and I at least made amends."

"Well, I am glad for that," Nefertari's voice softened as she sat at the end of the bed.

"Are you alright?" His voice was gentle as he came to kneel before her.

"Oh, I am well, just a little tired, that is all," she gave a weary smile. "Why is the Hittie retinue settled at the furthermost part of the temple anyway?"

Ramses took up one of her feet and began to massage it gently.

"To be honest, I am not sure. I suppose to allow our privacy. I did not bother asking the High Priest about it," he answered honestly.

"May I ask what occurred between you and Princess Malawashina?" His voice was optimistically cautious.

"Not now, my love. I am too tired. Ask me again at the evening meal."

The evening meal came with all the pomp and celebration expected for the retinue's first evening in the capital. Yet, as he sat there, sipping fleetingly at his wine, Ramses stared at the empty chair of the Hittite Princess.