disappeared into the hall. I crossed the chamber and stood at Merit's window, looking out over the groves. On the western bank of the River Nile, Ramesses would be taking his afternoon meal with Asha and Iset. There would be dancing in the Great Hall come nightfall, and the news would spread that I had chosen to become a priestess of Hathor. I wondered if Henuttawy would swallow her sister's lie.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
I jumped, startled by Woserit's silent approach. "Yes, very," I acknowledged.
"Tell me, Nefertari. When you look out on these groves, what do you see?"
I hesitated. The sun was directly over the river, and birds flew between the long stalks of papyrus, calling to one another as kilted men worked in the fields. "I see a small clay model," I said. "Like the ones in the tombs, only this one is filled with moving people."
Woserit raised her brows. "That's very creative."
I flushed and looked out over the balcony again, to see if there was something else I had missed.
"What about the groves of sycamores?" she asked. "What do they look like to you?"
"They are beautiful as well," I said cautiously.
"But do you think they always looked so beautiful?"
"Not when they were saplings," I guessed. "Then their limbs wouldn't have touched and they couldn't have formed the tunnel that they are creating now."
Woserit was satisfied with my answer. "That's right. It took many years for them to grow and eventually bend into that form. When they were first planted here, I was your age. I can remember visiting the High Priestess of Hathor and thinking that her garden was extremely ugly compared to the ones we had in Malkata. I didn't see then that she was planning for the future. Do you understand what I'm saying, Nefertari?"
I nodded, because I thought I did.
"You are like a young sycamore right now. The viziers look at you and see a wild and untended garden. But together we are going to shape you for the future, so that when Ramesses looks at you, he doesn't see a little sister, but a woman and a queen."
Woserit's voice grew firm. "However, if you want my help, it will mean following my advice even when you do not understand it. In the past, I have heard that you disobeyed your nurse. There will be no disobedience if I'm instructing you."
"Of course not," I said quickly.
"And there will be times when what I'm saying may seem to conflict with advice your nurse has given you, but you will simply have to trust it."
I looked up to see what Woserit meant, and she explained.
"I am sure your nurse has told you never to lie. But a queen must learn to be a very good liar about many things. Is that something you are willing to do?" she questioned. "Lie when you must? Smile when you're not happy? Pray when the gods don't seem to be listening? How much is a place at court, and Ramesses's love, worth to you?"
I looked out beyond the sycamore groves to the crests of dunes that vaulted one beyond another. If the wind, which only had the power of breath, could make a hill, then surely Woserit could make a princess into a queen. "Everything."
Woserit smiled. "Come then."
I followed her into Merit's robing room, and she indicated the leather chair in front of the mirror. When I took a seat, she watched me from behind in the polished bronze.
"Do you know what they say about you at court?"
I met her gaze and shook my head.
"That your best feature is your smile. Now it's time you learn how to use it. Pretend that I'm an old friend," she said, "and you've seen me in the market. How would you smile?"
Even though I felt foolish, I grinned widely, and Woserit nodded.
"Good. Now, I'm an emissary that you've just met. How do you greet me?"
I smiled widely again and Woserit frowned. "You're like an easy girl in the harem of Mi-Wer, giving it all away," she criticized. "Start slow. You don't know him yet."
I let my lips curve upward but didn't show my teeth. This time, Woserit nodded. "Good. Now I'm the emissary and I've just
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
I jumped, startled by Woserit's silent approach. "Yes, very," I acknowledged.
"Tell me, Nefertari. When you look out on these groves, what do you see?"
I hesitated. The sun was directly over the river, and birds flew between the long stalks of papyrus, calling to one another as kilted men worked in the fields. "I see a small clay model," I said. "Like the ones in the tombs, only this one is filled with moving people."
Woserit raised her brows. "That's very creative."
I flushed and looked out over the balcony again, to see if there was something else I had missed.
"What about the groves of sycamores?" she asked. "What do they look like to you?"
"They are beautiful as well," I said cautiously.
"But do you think they always looked so beautiful?"
"Not when they were saplings," I guessed. "Then their limbs wouldn't have touched and they couldn't have formed the tunnel that they are creating now."
Woserit was satisfied with my answer. "That's right. It took many years for them to grow and eventually bend into that form. When they were first planted here, I was your age. I can remember visiting the High Priestess of Hathor and thinking that her garden was extremely ugly compared to the ones we had in Malkata. I didn't see then that she was planning for the future. Do you understand what I'm saying, Nefertari?"
I nodded, because I thought I did.
"You are like a young sycamore right now. The viziers look at you and see a wild and untended garden. But together we are going to shape you for the future, so that when Ramesses looks at you, he doesn't see a little sister, but a woman and a queen."
Woserit's voice grew firm. "However, if you want my help, it will mean following my advice even when you do not understand it. In the past, I have heard that you disobeyed your nurse. There will be no disobedience if I'm instructing you."
"Of course not," I said quickly.
"And there will be times when what I'm saying may seem to conflict with advice your nurse has given you, but you will simply have to trust it."
I looked up to see what Woserit meant, and she explained.
"I am sure your nurse has told you never to lie. But a queen must learn to be a very good liar about many things. Is that something you are willing to do?" she questioned. "Lie when you must? Smile when you're not happy? Pray when the gods don't seem to be listening? How much is a place at court, and Ramesses's love, worth to you?"
I looked out beyond the sycamore groves to the crests of dunes that vaulted one beyond another. If the wind, which only had the power of breath, could make a hill, then surely Woserit could make a princess into a queen. "Everything."
Woserit smiled. "Come then."
I followed her into Merit's robing room, and she indicated the leather chair in front of the mirror. When I took a seat, she watched me from behind in the polished bronze.
"Do you know what they say about you at court?"
I met her gaze and shook my head.
"That your best feature is your smile. Now it's time you learn how to use it. Pretend that I'm an old friend," she said, "and you've seen me in the market. How would you smile?"
Even though I felt foolish, I grinned widely, and Woserit nodded.
"Good. Now, I'm an emissary that you've just met. How do you greet me?"
I smiled widely again and Woserit frowned. "You're like an easy girl in the harem of Mi-Wer, giving it all away," she criticized. "Start slow. You don't know him yet."
I let my lips curve upward but didn't show my teeth. This time, Woserit nodded. "Good. Now I'm the emissary and I've just
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