He strode out of the hall and his family fell into line behind him. It was all very formal: None of them looked at me, not even my aunt, though I thought I caught sight of Amenophis’s head turning just a bit in my direction. Though the royal family left, I wasn’t abandoned. As if by magic, two female servants appeared beside me the instant that the last princess crossed the threshold. They escorted me back to my rooms, where I found Berett comfortably asleep on the folding bed I’d requested for her. Kepi was waiting up for me and helped me undress. I fell into my bed exhausted and slept like a stone until late the next morning.
I woke up to the sound of women laughing and the smell of fresh, hot bread. For one brief moment I thought that I was home, hearing the voices of Mery and Bit-Bit, and that everything from our departure for Abydos through last night’s feast was only a dream. My sweet illusion only lasted long enough for me to rub the sleep from my eyes and see sunlight streaming across the marsh scene on my bedroom wall.
So this is real, I thought, hugging myself. It’s real, and I’ll have to get through it on my own. Three years … It seemed like an eternity to be away from my beloved family, but also much too short a time standing between me and marriage to Thutmose. O Isis, be with me. Show me the good path here and spread your sheltering wings over those I love in Akhmin.
I got out of bed and looked around for Berett. Her bed was empty, though her harp was still there, leaning against one of the legs. She’s probably with Kepi and the girls, I thought. I found that my servants had already brought me water for washing and a dress to wear. I was happy to discover that it was one that I’d brought from home. I’d had enough of Aunt Tiye’s gifts. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was keeping count of everything she gave me, and that someday she’d demand repayment in ways I wasn’t going to like.
When I stepped into the outer room of my lodgings, I saw that I’d been right: There was Berett, sitting on the floor with a basket of small, round rolls and a drinking bowl of milk. Her cheeks were stuffed and she was chewing happily while Kepi and the other maids stood around, encouraging her to eat even more.
“Do you like that, my duckie?” Kepi crooned, stroking Berett’s hair. “Do you like bread? Say bread for me, won’t you? Come on, I know you can do it. Say bread. Listen, if you’ll just say anything, any kind of food that you can think of, I’ll bring it for you, but you’ll have to—Oh! Lady Nefertiti! I didn’t know you were awake. Good morning.” She and the other two bowed, then began fluttering around me, fetching a chair, a table, and my breakfast.
After I’d eaten, I sat back and looked expectantly at my servants. “That was very good, thank you,” I said. “Now tell me, what am I supposed to do today?”
The girls frowned, perplexed by my question. As usual, Kepi spoke for them all: “Why … whatever you like, my lady.”
“Isn’t there someplace I need to go? Something I ought to do?”
She shrugged and turned up her hands, empty of answers. “You have the freedom of the palace. You can go anywhere you like. If there are places where you’re not permitted to be, you’ll be told.”
“Only the palace?” I asked. “What about the city? I’d like to see Thebes.”
Kepi’s face became troubled. “I—It’s not for me to tell you that you can’t leave the palace without an escort or—or permission.”
“And yet you just did.” I smiled to let her know I didn’t blame her for being the messenger who brought me news I didn’t like. “Never mind. I think it would be better for me to be able to find my own way around the palace before I start trying to make sense of the city.”
“That’s a wonderful thought, my lady!” Kepi exclaimed. “We will be honored to help you.”
“Thank you, but Berett and I are going to explore on our own.”
I hoped that my refusal hadn’t hurt Kepi’s feelings. She was such a friendly, capable girl that I caught myself forgetting that she was a servant. The other two did what little work there was in my rooms, but they never spoke much. Either they were too timid or they wanted to keep me at arm’s length, except when they had to serve me. Kepi was different, and thinking about that gave me an idea for something I could accomplish that day.
With Berett holding my hand, I walked out into the sunlight. The halls of the women’s quarters were bustling with activity. We saw faces whose complexions ranged over every color from deep ebony to dark brown, to the golden hue of well-baked bread, to the palest tan. Most of the women wore white dresses like mine, though some chose to go bare-breasted and some wore simple sheaths instead of intricately pleated gowns. There were also a few exotic clothes, brightly colored garments from distant kingdoms that were no more than names to me. The ceilings echoed with many different languages, chattering, whispering, arguing. Even though I only knew the tongue of the Black Land, it was easy to tell a curse from a blessing. Sometimes I heard the sharp report of a slap, a distant wail of pain or sorrow, and the ripple of muffled tears.
Then there were the children. Aside from the babies and the toddlers who were still in their nursemaid’s arms, children ran wild everywhere. Their braided youth-locks swung and bounced as they skipped, scampered, and tumbled through the halls and gardens while gold earrings and necklaces with charms to repel demons and the Evil Eye twinkled against their naked bodies. Their laughter was sweeter than any music.
Every so often, one of them would rush up to Berett and demand to know who she was and if she wanted to play. My poor little girl pressed herself against my side and buried her head in the folds of my dress until the other child gave up and ran off to find another playmate. It’s only her first full day here, I thought. Things will change. But I wondered if they ever would.
“Why don’t we go somewhere else?” I suggested gently to Berett after about the sixth such encounter. “Yesterday I discovered a lovely little spot, a garden that’s so far from all this tumult that I only found it by accident, because I got lost. Would you like to see if we can find it again?” Berett nodded.