Excerpt: Desert Daughter

The desert beat outside the opulent room strived to distract the occupants inside from the beating down of the monsoonal rains, strains of melancholy dismissed from the jubilant tune. Outside, the Nile started to rise and flooded across the water gardens sending lilies scattering across the courtyard floors like petalled waves. The sticky summer heat was distracted by ostrich feather fans waving to the beat of the music played by a group of female slaves, dressed in thin shifts purely for decoration and aesthetic pleasure. One played the sistral, another the pipes and the others kept up the beat with a combination of harps and percussion instruments. This was accompanied by a troupe of dancers, performing for the viewing pleasure of a select lady lounging on a silk-draped couch.

The couch itself was made of gilded balsa wood, sanded down and covered in gold and jewels fit for royalty. Along the edge ran a series of hieroglyphs, each sentence asking Ptah to grant the owner long life and good health. A series of indigo scarves covered the mattress, embroidered with small jewels depicting the stars in the heavens and the goddess Nut in the sky arranging them. On the mattress itself was the object of the dancing demonstration, clapping appreciatively as the dancers twirled and flipped.

The lady herself was bedecked in only the best materials, her attire basically a linen shift of white clinging to her lovely curves. Thin legs were encased in papyrus sandals, strings securing them to her thighs by wrapping them around and around in a criss-cross pattern. The tops of these vanished into her shift, which was semi- diaphanous and showed off her other features. Her hips were curvy, shaped like the handles of an amphora that lead up to a thin, waspish middle. Under the shift, her two breasts stood out like melons and added to the voluptuous figure. Two small nipples stood erect under the linen, making two small indents of pink that showed her fertility.

A strong neck led up to a perfectly oval face, strong but also feminine and soft at the same time. Her chin was not too strong but at the same time, possessed the regal look of one bred in a palace. Two almond-shaped eyes were surrounded by black kohl, the edges coming out in a curved point and accentuated by jade green eyelids that showed whenever she blinked. Long black eyelashes were curled, adding volume to the already wide eyes which were surprisingly grey for an Egyptian princess. They were the hue of storm clouds, two orbs in a sea of white. Her nose was slightly petite, adding the aura of nobility with its proud stance. Two full lips completed the ensemble, painted a deep wine red to make them stand out from an otherwise olive coloured face.

Her hair was long and black, coiffed in waves down to her hips and held back by a simple gold circlet. Around her neck rested a wide jewelled collar, offsetting the deliberately plain attire and adding the last bit of royalty to her serene demeanour. It was studded with numerous jewels and precious stones, among them lapis and amethyst in the image of a Phoenix. Around her wrists rested two gold bracelets similar to the manacles used on slaves, studded with runes to Isis and a snake bracelet was seen encircling up her arm when she moved. Two delicate anklets rested near her feet, giving the sound of bells as they moved. Rings adorned her fingers, about seven in all with varying stones and charms on them.

Next to her on a pillow sat a papyrus scroll, stretched out to allow the obviously royal lady to read what was contained within. Getting up slowly, she dismissed the entertainers with a wave of her ring encrusted hand. They gathered up their instruments and hurriedly left the room, as servants began to clean up the dishes left from her meal and carry them out quietly without trying to disturb their mistress from her concentration. A dog with a jewelled collar gambolled around her feet but she ignored him, stopping only to scratch behind his ears distractedly. Reaching the curtain that served as her doorway, the silent lady closed the scroll and listened to the loud thundering of the rain.

A small smile passed her lips as she whispered the name of Isis for protection, then closed the curtains slowly to enclose the room in semi darkness except for the small flames of incense burning nearby. Laying back down on the couch, she opened up the scroll again and began to read out loud...