Chapter 20

On the morning of the coronation, the gods of Khemet had given the country a beautiful day, the skies somewhat cloudy, the sun's rays breaking through all the same, as though the skies were completely clear.

Akhenaten woke early, and roused Ksunamun without a moment's hesitation.

"Mmm, what?" she demanded groggily.

"It is morning, Ksun!" Akhenaten exclaimed as he leapt from the bed. "I shall be coroneted today, and when that's over and done with, I shall coronet you!"

Ksunamun stumbled out of bed and tried not to sway as she stood. She felt unrested, and a little ill, as well. She dismissed this as being a result of the stress she'd borne this last little while, and the lack of sleep.

The Prince was well rested, surprisingly, and took only a minute to dress fully for the day. He had decided upon a white robe. He would be presented with all manner of gold apparel and jewel during the ceremony. This he knew.

Ksunamun struggled into her gown, a creation of satiny gold fabric, stitched with sapphires. Atem-Ra help her, she felt ill. She tried to ignore it, though, and put on her bracelets, armbands, rings, necklaces, and a new pair of earrings she'd been given for this day.

"Are you alright?" Akhenaten forced her to turn and look at him. "You're awfully pale, Ksun."

Ksunamun shook her head, "Let me go, Akhe - please."

He released her, and she fled from the chamber.

Ksunamun returned to Akhenaten a few minutes later, looking guilty.

"How are you feeling, Ksun?" Akhenaten asked tentatively.

Ksunamun swallowed, and blinked slowly. "I'm feeling much better than when I woke, Akhe. Please, forgive me. I think I might be coming down with something."

"Do you want to stay here?" Akhenaten asked gently as he took Ksunamun's hand and met her eyes earnestly.

Ksunamun smiled weakly. "How would that look? The rest of the royal family there, the High Priests, the dignitaries - and your own wife absent?"

"Are you certain that you wish to come?"

"Aye, Akhe," Ksunamun said with finality as she kissed Akhenaten's knuckles, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The Prince and Princess were escorted to the Temple of Ptah well before noon. When they entered the grand temple, they found it filled to capacity with people, priests, actors on a stage, and plenty of anxious spectators.

Somewhere in the crowd Akhenaten knew his mother was sitting, deciding to try to remain anonymous. Other members of his immediate family were scattered throughout the temple, as well. The High Priests gathered in front of the altar of the temple, and all fell silent.

"Ksunamun," Akhenaten whispered, "You should go sit."

Deciding to be passively obedient, she grabbed a free seat and, as she sat, blew a kiss to Akhenaten. The Prince mimed catching it, and held his clenched fist to his heart.

Akhenaten approached the altar, and knelt, having been told to do so by Atemakhu a few days before. He looked up at the stage.

A play was beginning, which illustrated the gods, all gathered in the temple to witness the purification of Per A', daughter of Atem-Ra. Dear reader, I feel I must tell you before we go any further one thing. Per A' was to the Khemetians what we call in our modern time Mother Earth.

The woman who played the part of Per A' mounted the steps to the stage, and stood at its centre. It symbolized the goddess entering the temple. The Purification Rite was performed and repeated four times. Two men, one bearing the falcon mask of Horus, and the other the Ibis mask of Thoth, symbolically poured life-giving water over Per A' by waving heavy ankhs of gold at her.

Now, Per A' was symbolically reborn from the Primeval Waters. Now that she was pure, she was given a new robe of pristine white, which she pulled over the grey robes she already wore. She came before the man who played her father, Atem-Ra, and he accepted her as his daughter.

Khonsu, another of the gods, supported Per A' as she was given the ankh - life - from her father Atem-Ra's hands.

The actor representing Atem-Ra raised his hands, and spoke. "This is Per A', my own daughter. She is blessed among goddesses." He gave Per A' the crown and presented her to the assembly of the gods Mut, Khonsu, Ptah, Sekhmet, Nefertum, Nekhbet, Wadjet, Horus, and Set.

All of the gods in unison said a chant to Atem-Ra. "This thy daughter Hatshepsut shall live. We are satisfied with her in life and peace. She is thy daughter of thy form, thy vigorous seed. Though givest her thy Ba, thy power, thy magic, thy crown, even when she was still in the body of she who bore her. The lowlands are hers and the mountains belong to her, everything which the heavens wrap round, everything which the sea encircles. Thou hast made her thy female counterpart. Though knowest the future. Thou gavest her the portion of Horus in life and the years of Set in good fortune."

They continued, "We give her dominion over the lands in peace. We give her all life and good fortune on out part; all food on our part; all sustenance on our part. She is at the head of all living Ka's together with her Ka as King of Upper Khemet and Lower Khemet on the throne of Horus like unto Ra, forever and ever."

Akhenaten's neck was becoming stiff. As he rubbed it, Per A' was led from the stage, and in front of the altar, to be presented as the Heir to Upper and Lower Khemet for her people. The priesthood followed behind her.

The actors portraying Nekhbet and Wadjet approached Per A' in greeting. Their greeting was given in unison. "Welcome, welcome, o daughter of Atem-Ra! Behold thy law and order in the land. Thou arrangest it, thou puttest to rights what is faulty in it. We acknowledge the descendant of him who created us. Thy soul is created in the hearts of thy people so they say: She is the Kamutef's daughter whom the gods love!"

Akhenaten continued to watch the play being acted out as the two crowns were brought forward by Nekhbet and Wadjet. Both present the crowns to Per A', uttering their names.

"Nekhbet. The crown Nekhbet of Upper Khemet, the Great House and your Nurturing Mother is before you!"

"Wadjet. The crown Wadjet of Lower Khemet, the Lady who is on Her Papyrus and your Nurturing Mother is before you!"

Djehutii, the Divine Scribe who had been watching and recording everything that was said and done, stepped forward. "I establish for you then, the crowns of Atem-Ra, and you shall live eternally on the throne of Horus like Ra."

Then, the full title of the New King was pronounced. "Per A', Uniter of the People, peace has returned. Lioness protecting from evil, Truth is the Heart of Ra, Daughter of Atem-Ra, Beloved of Nut, Ma'at-Ib-Ra Nesnut Hatshepsut."

Per A' had now symbolically manifested herself in Akhenaten.

The two crowns of Khemet were carried to the Shrines of Upper and Lower Khemet, in preparation for the Dual Shrines. Everyone who'd been in the Temple of Ptah had come to the Shrines, to witness this.

Per A', accompanied by Nekhbet and Wadjet, Horus and Set, approached the shrine of Upper Khemet.

The doors to the shrine, called the Doors to the Horizon, were opened. Sutekh Seth stood here where the crown had rested behind the doors. He addressed the crown, which was now incarnated as the goddess. "He has come to you, oh Hedjet; he has come to you, oh Watchful Neret; he has come to you, oh great one, he has come to you, oh Great of Magic, being pure for you, and fearing you. May you be pleased with him, may you be pleased with his purity, and may you be pleased with his speech which he says to you. How kindly is your face, for you are content, renewed, and rejuvenated, as the father of the gods fashioned you. He has come to you, oh Great of Magic, for he is Horus, encircled with the protection of his eye, oh Great of Magic!"

Akhenaten, remembering that he was at this moment Per A', said his prayer to the crown of Upper Khemet. "Ho Hedjet! Ho Ini-Crown! Ho Great Crown! Ho Crown of great magic! Ho Watchful Neret! Grant that the dread of me be like be like the dread of you, grant that the fear of me be like the fear of you; grant that the acclaim of me be like the acclaim of you; grant that the love of me be like the love of you. Set my bi-sceptre at the head of the living, set my shm-sceptre at the head of the spirits, and grant that my sword prevail over my foes. Ho Ini-Crown! If you have gone forth from me, so have I gone forth from you."

The crown, personified as the goddess Nekhbet by Sutekh replied to Per A'. "If Hedjet the Great has borne you, Hedjet the Vulture has adorned you; if Hedjet the Vulture has borne you, Hedjet the Great has adorned you, because you are Horus encircled with the protection of his eye."

Sutekh Seth, doing perhaps the most important thing he would ever do as the High Priest of Set, lifted the white crown of Upper Khemet, and placed it on the head of Akhenaten, who was now playing the part of Per A'.

Akhenaten, still as Per A', approached the Shrine of Lower Khemet, still accompanied by Nekhbet and Wadjet, Horus and Set.

This Shrine was a mirror image of the first, and it too, had Doors to the Horizon. These were opened, revealing the second crown.

Ksunamun pushed through the crowd, so that she could see Akhenaten a little better. Sometime between the Temple of Ptah and the first of the Dual Shrines, he'd been given an ornate collar of gold and semiprecious jewels.