I Am Ankesenamun, Tutankhamun's Wife

By Margaret W Price

This is a Mystery/Crime Novel set in the Amarna 18th Egyptian Dynasty, based on accredited historical facts about the main characters, recounted by Ankesenamun , the third daughter of the hereticPharaoh,Akhenaten,who broke away from the traditional worship of the chief god,Amun, with his famously beautiful Queen,Nefertiti, and brought in a new religion-Atenism- the worship of the Aten,or Sun-Disc.

It tells of Ankesenamun`s great courage ,determination and independence,in the midst of continual personal trauma,tragedy,bereavements and political dangers.

She is determined,against fearful odds,to uncover the truth about the sudden,unexplained deaths of her father and Tutankhamun,also the abrupt disappearance of her mother,Queen Nefertiti,being convinced that they were all murdered.

This brings her into dangerous conflict with powerful ,ambitious, ruthless men, who aspire to the Throne of Egypt.


The book includes most of the elements which make a novel interesting sex,royalty,pregnancy,adultery, religious quarrels, conflict,tension,danger and mystery---. Also incest,murder and suspected murder .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Mar 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781499094077

Margaret W Price

MARGARET W PRICE lives in Worcester Park ,Surrey U.K.,near London. British History-particularly Mediaeval and Scottish History-also Ancient Egyptian History-have always been a passion for Margaret,. Her debut novel,published early in 2013,"The White Boar and the Red Dragon",about Richard 111 and Henry Tudor,reflects her great interest in Mediaeval History, Her second Novel,"Prince Charlie`s Dirk", set in Scotland after Culloden,was inspired by her love of all things Scottish-as her mother had Scots ancestors-and this book is the result of her fascination with the Armana Period in Ancient Egyptian History.

Book preview

I AM ANKESENAMUN,

TUTANKHAMUN’S WIFE

MARGARET W PRICE

Copyright © 2015 by Margaret W Price.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 03/18/2015

Xlibris

800-056-3182

www.Xlibrispublishing.co.uk

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Contents

Prologue

Chapter One Aketaten - Horizon Of The Sun

Chapter Two My Early Life

Chapter Three The New City of Aketaten

Chapter Four Ay

Chapter Five Horemheb

Chapter Six Opposition

Chapter Seven Nefertiti

Chapter Eight Unrest

Chapter Nine Danger

Chapter Ten Death

Chapter Eleven Aftermath

Chapter Twelve The Disappearance

Chapter Thirteen The Royal Wedding

Chapter Fourteen The Puppet Pharaoh

Chapter Fifteen Meetings

Chapter Sixteen Partings

Chapter Seventeen Investigations

Chapter Eighteen More Investigations

Chapter Nineteen The Letter

Chapter Twenty Consequences

Chapter Twenty-One Dread!

Chapter Twenty-Two A Second Disappearance And A Confrontation

Chapter Twenty-Three To Make An End

PROLOGUE

They have shut me away in this dark place where I cannot see the blessed light of Aten, the Sun-Disc, or feel His life-giving warmth upon my body–—Here in this tomb -like chamber I shiver with cold–and with something else–dread––-.

I fear greatly that something awful is going to happen to me—soon–though I know not what––— I do not trust Vizier Ay, or the other Chief Priests–They are supposed to be holy men, who intercede on our behalf with the Gods.. But these are priests of Amun, not Aten, whom I was taught to worship by my honoured father, right from earliest childhood–-They say I will not be harmed–-So why am I shuddering deep inside—? It is not only with the cold and darkness of this awful place––—.

My dear young husband died. I miss him greatly. His death was so sudden, so unexpected. He was only nineteen. No-one seems to know how he died. But I am convinced that he was murdered for political reasons–—There has been a power-struggle going on for years between Ay, my grandfather and Horemheb, the army General, both of whom dominated my husband from the moment he became Pharaoh at the age of nine–—I would not be surprised if one, or both of them, had him done away with, as he had begun to question their authority over him, wishing to make his own decisions–—. Tutankhamun had no serious illnesses before his death . He did have a bad fall from his new chariot about a week or so before he died and was laid up with a badly broken thigh bone and a bruised skull where he had hit the back of his head hard when he fell. But the doctors told me he was progressing well. He was only unconscious for about three days, though he did have a bad headache for a day or two after that.. His leg seemed to be set properly under the expert hands of the Chief Court Physician, Pentu, who had bound it up very tightly with splints and bandages after he set the bone. Pentu said that it should heal very quickly, if it was well-rested and the Pharaoh was patient with his enforced inactivity, as Tutankhamun was, after all, a very young man. He was given strong doses of poppy-juice for the pain, which was considerable, but he bore it bravely and was quite cheerful, considering the circumstances, receiving visitors and his Chief Councillors;even going through the usual daily State papers given him by Ay, to read and sign––

I was not sleeping with him then, of course, but in a side-room, next to his––. The night before they found him, dead in his bed, I slept soundly enough–-He did not call out for me, not once–.-But, when I rose from my bed at sunrise and went into his room where we would pray together privately to the rising Aten every morning, I knew at once that something was wrong—very wrong—. He did not stir at my call, nor at my touch upon his arm–-When I touched it, it was cold, stone cold–—as I am cold now—so cold—and I knew at once that he was dead––—.

The doctors said that he must have died in his sleep in the night–-perhaps from the after-effects of the skull injury—? But that had been a week ago—Surely it could not have been the cause? He did not even have a headache the day before–. Pentu unbound the bandages round the splints and examined the leg very carefully, in case it had become infected.. But the wound was clean and healthy-looking, apart from the usual bruising and swelling which was normal and to be expected after such a serious injury. But there was absolutely no sign of corruption-it seemed to have been healing well. Pentu shook his head and I heard him whispering with the other doctors and Ay, who had hastily been called–They shook their heads together.

I confess we are mystified, My Lady. There seems to be no clear-cut reason for the Pharaoh’s death. We have come to the conclusion that it must be some after-effect of the accident. Possibly he had a blood- clot on his brain? We shall never know, I fear. My deep condolences on your terrible loss.

But I did not believe this conclusion-not for a moment. I was convinced immediately that someone had taken advantage of his condition to administer poison-a poison which would be impossible to find-to do away with him–. Especially when I noted Ay’s reaction to the Chief Physician’s words. Was that a fleeting look of satisfaction on his wrinkled old face–or did I imagine it–?

No, he has been killed-done away with! I screamed, sobbing uncontrollably. It is too convenient, blaming his death on the accident! Someone evil has seen their chance while he was in a weak state and poisoned him! I know it! They counted on his sudden death being blamed on his severe injuries!

My Lady, you are beside yourself with grief! There is no evidence whatsoever of poisoning! There is no trace of anything on his lips or in his mouth or throat—I have checked most carefully, the Chief Physician assured me.

But I was still not convinced. Not by any of them. Young men in their prime of life do not just die–—And I made my opinions plain–– They did not like it. I could see that. They wanted me to accept their conclusions as medical men without question—But I would not–-I swore then and there in front of them all that I would get to the truth somehow–-nothing would stop me–They would not silence me––—!

But someone has tried to. I was put in here with no reason given;escorted against my will like a common criminal by rough soldiers from the palace, soon after they had taken away Tutankhamun’s body to the embalmers to begin their long, seventy day process before he could be buried–—I am not mad! I am not imagining things! And they inflict this isolation and imprisonment on me for a purpose, I am sure–-Perhaps to weaken my spirit and determination? And to force me to marry Ay––—.

Ay, my grandfather, the Grand Vizier, has visited me here once. He has been my only visitor. He insists my incarceration is for my own protection. From what, or whom? Is it not enough that I suffer so from this terrible bereavement? What have I done, what could I do, that they find the need to shut me away from the beauty of the world and Aten’s blessed light? And I am well advanced in my pregnancy––—. I know this is a punishment to coerce me to Ay’s will–It is particularly cruel to leave me here alone at such a time–-I carry babes but insecurely–—I have miscarried two before–-I pray fervently to Aten to keep this one safe in my womb until the proper time for its birth–––.

Is it because they are afraid that I will make a great fuss and really may uncover how my poor husband died? Or is it because I refused outright to marry Ay? I am but twenty-three-and he is seventy! And he is my Grandfather! Surely that cannot be right? I know he has longed to be Pharaoh for years, obsessively. But unless he marries into pure Royal Blood he cannot achieve this. That is why he is so determined to marry me. I am the only one who could make his claim valid–––!

I know that I will be forced to remarry, whether I like it or not. But not to an old, sick man. My young husband was fair to look upon;his breath was sweet, his body virile -Though he could not seem to give me sons -or even children that lived–– Two babes I had-both born dead before their time––I desire so deeply to keep this one within me to term–—But the terrible stress I have endured, am enduring, may make me miscarry again–And I am so alone and helpless here––-. Though I cannot see your blessed face, I entreat you, Aten, the One-and-Only -–—Take pity on me and protect me. And you, Hathor, Goddess of Childbirth, hear my desperate plea–––!

Aten did not smile upon me at my other babes’ birthings, though I prayed fervently to Him when I went into labour to let me bring forth healthy sons–Those pitiful little ones are to be reburied near my husband when they put him into the great tomb that is being prepared for him, to protect him for all eternity––-

Now I wait–-For what I know not––-And I grieve–-And I am filled constantly with this awful dread of what is to happen to me––-.

I think of my father, the Enlightened One, the Pharaoh Akhenaten–-. Yes, I give him the name that he always used for himself, when we left the old capital city of Thebes and went to live in the newly constructed capital, Aketaten-the Horizon of the Aten. They made me change my name too when we later returned to Thebes after my father’s death. I had been Ankesenpa’aten before–- From then on I became Ankesenamun, when the old chief God Amun was reinstated;the other Gods also-and the Aten reviled–-They compelled us to change the ending of both my husband’s name and mine too, from - aten to -amun, when they reviled and villified the Great Aten and tried to erase him utterly from men’s minds and hearts–They did not succeed though-any more than my father had succeeded when he tried to erase the Amun–Lip-service can be paid-but the secrets of the heart cannot be revealed easily–—

The Chief Priests of Amun condemned my father for his belief in the One True God, Aten, the Sun-Disc-Blessed Ra––-Akhenaten told me and all the people in our Middle Kingdom New City, devoted entirely to the worship of Aten, that the other gods were just fictional creations of men;that they did not really exist–The Chief Priests of Amun damned him for what they called this terrible blasphemy. He was called heretic;the evil one–-They hated him venomously–—

He hated them equally–—If he had had his way, they would have become completely obsolete too, like their false gods-no longer needed, their power over the people eradicated at the roots—He tried to do away with them completely–He tried hard-. But they would not stand for this, So they attempted to force him to publicly denounce his beliefs, to bring back the Old Ways and the Old Gods– He resisted them fiercely–

But they were too strong for him in the end–-too entrenched in their ways and traditions, which had long been the bedrock of Khemet’s Religious Beliefs for millennia––-

My husband also only gave lip-service to them, after my father was killed—For he was killed, I am sure of that—He was killed for being a Visionary, out of step with his country and with his people–-After he died, the Chief Priests forbad his name ever to be uttered again.—For to say the name of one who is dead is to reincarnate him–His name was erased, hacked out viciously from public buildings, also pictures of him with us, his family–—And those of Aten, the One-and-Only––

It is a wicked world we live in—I feel helpless against these dark forces which rule men’s hearts, which rule the world–—I believe in an Evil One, but not the ancient false god, Seth, though his image and reputation are very fearsome–-This Evil One takes over men’s hearts and minds and forces them into unnatural and despicable acts;he makes them brutal, cruel and vicious—tempting them with power and riches if they do his will––—.

Whoever marries me will be the next Pharaoh, as I have no sons;no children at all to inherit the Throne of the Two Lands. The first son I bear to my new husband will be the heir and the next Pharaoh, after Ay-who is sure to get his way somehow–—He is clever and cunning. Maybe it will be the fruit of this pregnancy, which is probably Tutankhamun’s -though there is a good chance the baby could be another’s––—

Out there are power-crazed men, who will do anything in their ruthless ambition to become Pharaoh-I know it! Ay wants to rule truly, not only in name, but in fact. He ruled my young husband with a rod of iron all his life, together with Horemheb-and made the most crucial decisions -indeed, nearly all decisions-for him, whether he liked it or not. And in the last few years Tutankhamun hated this and often objected volubly to it-but was invariably overruled. Ay and Horemheb always made the excuse that it was necessary, as he was so young when he ascended the throne, and that their experience of the world far outweighed his.

Ay will probably force me to marry him against his will. I have protested and will continue to do so, but it will very likely avail me nothing. Women, however strong, have always to bend to the will of men, eventually––Ay thinks it is his right to be the next Pharaoh—. that he has waited long enough already–—He resented my husband’s youth, I know, that he should become Pharaoh of the two lands at such a young age—while Ay grew old awaiting his chance–Perhaps he decided to take this when he saw the opportunity which presented itself with Tutankhamun’s accident–? He had also grown angry that Tutankhamun no longer accepted his authority with a good will, and argued with his Vizier frequently. It had become a battle of wills. That was when the real trouble began, I suppose–—Perhaps it was Ay himself who crept in at the dead of night, knowing that this was his one and only opportunity to administer the death-drug which left no trace––-when I was not in my husband’s bed because of the pain from his leg and all were deep asleep—even the Pharaoh’s bodyguards in the alcove at the other side of the room -though at least one of them should have remained awake at all times to guard him. Or perhaps he paid someone else, silent-footed, who, with deadly intent, carried out the evil deed for him—? Then there is General Horemheb, of course. A highly ambitious and able man; a clever and ruthless man. He had also influenced my young husband greatly and resented it when his advice was taken sullenly of late–—I am aware that he has harboured a burning desire to rule for many years, knowing his own great abilities and perhaps feeling the Throne should be his, in recognition of them–?

If I am allowed to live, I will find

Reviews for I Am Ankesenamun, Tutankhamun's Wife

[ClairOssian · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

As an Egyptologist I found the story juvenile and just a bit more involved form of the standard “bodice ripper” novel. The author did take more than the usual effort to learn something about ancient Egypt and the end of the Middle Kingdom but the tale is filled with nonsense. It would have made the story better by far to have let one or more Egyptolgists read it and point out the more glaring errors. Better luck next time.