Free Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner Page B

who will dance for her beside thesacred river. Such an opportunity will honor your daughter’s talent without giving anything to
you
.” One corner of his thin mouth twitched up. “Well, Ay? Will you permit your sweet daughter to serve the goddess?”
    My father’s answering smile was as mocking as the high priest’s. “How can I refuse?”
    Bit-Bit woke me up on the morning of the festival by jumping onto my stomach. “Get up! Get up! You’re going to be late!” she cried, trying to haul me out of bed by the shoulders.
    “For pity’s sake, Bit-Bit, do you want to wake me up or kill me?” I got free of my sister’s grip before she could send the two of us tumbling onto the floor. “Is it even dawn yet? I swear, you’re more eager for today than I am.”
    “How can you say that, Nefertiti?” Bit-Bit was shocked at the very thought. “You’re going to get to dance in front of the whole city, and Mother will be letting you borrow her best necklace and bracelets
and
her jeweled wig! You’ve even got a new dress to wear! And afterward, I’ll bet that every important family in Akhmin is going to want you to marry their sons.”
    “What, all of them at once?” I liked teasing Bit-Bit a little.
    “You know what I mean.” My sister folded her arms across her chest and glowered at me for making fun of something that was very important to her. In the past year, Bit-Bit had begun to take an interest in growing up quickly and having a home of her own. She’d also turned into quite the flirt, though her pretty attempts at getting noticed werewasted on the boys of her own age. They were more interested in their own games, sports, and adventures. If they had the choice between stealing a kiss from Bit-Bit and throwing rocks at a hippopotamus, the hippo would win.
    “Are you in such a hurry for me to get married and move out of this house?” I asked.
    “You wouldn’t move far,” Bit-Bit argued. “You’d still live in Akhmin. I could see you whenever I wanted to. I could have
two
homes!” She threw her arms around my neck and gave me a kiss, delighted by her vision of the future.
    We joined our parents for breakfast. Because it was a special day for me, Mery had the servants add thick slices of watermelon, pieces of apple with honey, and sweet jujube fruit to our usual bread and beer. Bit-Bit and I stuffed ourselves until Mery put a stop to it.
    “Nefertiti, if you eat much more, you’ll be too sick to dance.”
    “And then I’ll never get married,” I said, with a playful glance at my sister. She made a honey-smeared face at me.
    “What kind of nonsense is that?” Father asked pleasantly.
    “Oh, Bit-Bit thinks that as soon as I dance, you’ll be buried under a mountain of marriage offers for me,” I replied, giggling.
    But Father didn’t laugh with me—he scowled—and Mery shifted uneasily in her chair. When their eyes met, they exchanged a look that sent prickles rushing up the nape of my neck.
    “What’s wrong?” I asked.
    “If I don’t start getting you ready for the dance, you’re going to be late, that’s what’s wrong,” Mery said briskly, rising from her place and taking me by the wrist. “You have to wash and perfume yourself, then I have to paint your face, help you into your dress, put on your jewelry …”
    I jerked my hand free. “
What
is
wrong?
”
    This time, Father did laugh. “What have I always said about this one, Mery? When she’s determined to know something, my little kitten is too smart to be deceived and too alert to be distracted.” He looked at me with a rueful smile. “Your sister has the gift of prophecy as well as song. I’ve already had to hear one marriage proposal for you.”
    I was astounded. “Someone asked to marry me?
Who?
”
    “It doesn’t matter,” he replied. “You will not marry him. I sent him away.”
    Bit-Bit groaned dramatically. “Father, how
could
you? What if Nefertiti’s in
love
with him?”
    Father pursed his lips.