“You wanted to see me, Majesty?” said Yuye, her lady-in-waiting. The girl bowed as she entered the queen’s quarters, making
it hard for Ankhesenpaaten to observe her.
Now that Tut was gone, the entire palace belonged to the queen, but she still kept to her rooms. It felt better that way.
Safer. The only change she’d made to palace life was to banish Tut’s lover, sending her back to her parent’s home with an
order never to return to the palace under any circumstances.
“Take a letter,” the queen told Yuye. She peered over the girl’s shoulder as she spoke, afraid of being overheard or caught
at what some would call treason.
1324 BC
YUYE CHEWED ON a fresh reed before dabbing it in an inkwell and pulling out a fresh sheet of papyrus. She was curious as to
the content of the letter and was eager to begin.
“My dearest King Suppiluliuma,” the queen dictated, her voice unsteady.
Ankhesenpaaten appraised the girl before she continued. If she could trust anyone, it had to be Yuye. Still the queen wasn’t
sure that sending a letter to the king of the Hittites was a good idea. They were Egypt’s enemy, and centuries of battle had
bred significant distrust between the nations.
But Ankhesenpaaten had a plan, a forward-thinking vision that would benefit Egypt now and in the future. The Hittites were
powerful, with a fine army and strong leaders. A marriage between the queen and one of the king’s sons could strengthen Egypt
for centuries to come.
She continued: “My husband is dead, and I am told that you have grown sons. This is fortuitous for both of us. Send me one
of your sons. I will make him my husband, and he will be king of Egypt.”
Ankhesenpaaten paused, searching for the proper words to end the letter. All she could do was blurt out the one thought endlessly
racing around her brain: “I am afraid for my life.”
Yuye looked up at Ankhesenpaaten, uncertain why the queen would say such a thing.
And that is when the queen finally caught a glimpse of Yuye’s eyes.
The lady-in-waiting clearly believed that the queen had murdered her husband.
1324 BC
ANKHESENPAATEN HAD BEEN badly frightened for exactly twenty-eight days in a row. She had counted each and every one. Now she
walked the palace courtyard alone as the sun rose on the twenty-ninth morning after Tut’s death.
The sound of water trickling from a nearby fountain gave her a false sense of calm, as did the sparrows flitting through the
fruit orchard. But she hadn’t touched her morning meal and was so nervous that not even a sip of water had passed her lips.
Today would be the day. She was sure of it. But she was certain about nothing else at the palace.
It took fourteen days for a messenger to travel from Thebes to the Hittite kingdom. If all went well, a prince would ride
to her palace this day and offer his hand in marriage. She would accept, of course. Aye had grown more terrifying with each
passing hour, imposing himself upon the palace as the pharaoh. But his claim would never be true if she did not marry him.
Once the Hittite prince arrived, the matter would be settled. Aye would once again be a commoner, forced to live out the rest
of his days as royal vizier. If that.
Just then she heard heavy footsteps. It was certainly not her lady-in-waiting.
Ankhesenpaaten turned to face Aye.
“Good morning, Highness,” he said stiffly. But there was something else in his look. A smugness.
“Vizier.”
“What troubles you?” he asked.
She took a calming breath. “That is none of your concern.”
While the queen stood, Aye sat on a bench, ignoring proper protocol. That in itself was bold and insulting.
“Stand up,” barked the queen.
The vizier smiled, then stood and took a step toward her. “Highness, there is still ample time before your husband’s burial.
But we must discuss the plan for succession.
Do you have a plan?
”
She said nothing.
“Highness, you need a king beside you to rule Egypt. You must understand that.”
“And I will have one,” she said.
“There is no one in the land more capable than I—”
“I said I will have one. Please do not discuss this delicate matter with me until my husband has been laid to rest.”
They were interrupted by Yuye, whose eyes hastily met those of the vizier. The queen noticed the look that passed between
them. Could it be collusion? She pushed the thought aside. Yuye would never betray her. And yet she felt certain something
was going on.
“There is a messenger to see you, Highness,” Yuye announced.
“Who is it?” demanded Aye.
“That is none of your concern,” Ankhesenpaaten said. Her heart was beating wildly. “You are dismissed, Vizier.”
A dark-haired man was led into the courtyard after Aye departed. The visitor had left a small retinue behind at the gate.
One look told the queen this was not a Hittite prince.
“What is the meaning of this visit?” the queen asked. She looked at Yuye in desperation.
Yuye only shrugged as the Hittite, clearly uncomfortable in the presence of the queen, struggled to explain himself.
“I have a message from my king,” said the Hittite. He handed it to the queen, and she read it quickly. Then the Hittite verbalized
the message. “Where is the son of the late pharaoh? What has become of him?”
Ankhesenpaaten nearly flew into a rage. “Do you see a male child wandering the palace halls? Do you? Do you see a young prince
on a chariot galloping about the grounds? Oh, what I would give for a young boy. Does your king think this is some sort of
trick? Did my letter to him seem insincere or unclear?”
The Hittite shuffled his feet and lowered his eyes. “What shall I tell my king?”
“Tell him this: ‘Why should I deceive you? I have no son, and my husband is dead. Send me a son of yours, and I will make
him king of Egypt.’”
The Hittite stood there not sure what to do next.
“What are you waiting for?” asked the queen. “We are running out of time! We have until my husband is buried, no longer.”
As the Hittite fled the palace, Yuye slipped away to find Aye.
The queen stood alone.
1324 BC
THE HITTITE PRINCE’S NAME was Zannanza.
He and his entourage rode fine white horses down the well-traveled dirt road to Egypt. He was pure Hittite by birth, his father’s
pride and joy. At age twenty-two, Zannanza had already demonstrated courage on the battlefield and shown confidence and diplomatic
skill in the royal court. His impending marriage to the queen of Egypt would unify the two nations and make history.
Zannanza would be the new pharaoh and would possess a level of power not even known by his father. The messenger had told
the prince that the Egyptian queen was a beautiful young woman. He had described her as “fiery” and “graceful.” Zannanza was
eager to meet her and take her as his wife.
Now Zannanza drank from a water skin, then passed it to his vizier. “Do you see them?” asked the vizier.
“How could I not?” Zannanza replied.
It seemed that the queen had sent a welcoming party. A small band of Egyptians waited at the border, taking refuge from the
sun in a verdant oasis. Zannanza imagined they would have something to eat—fruit, perhaps. And fresh water. He had ridden
hard all day.
Zannanza and his soldiers and courtiers galloped toward the waiting Egyptians.
As they arrived, a small man with a potbelly trotted forward on his horse to welcome them.
“Greetings. I am Horemheb, the queen’s general. She sends her best wishes, Prince.”
“I am Zannan—”
The Hittite prince’s words ended abruptly. He had not seen the archers behind the tents, nor the arrow racing toward him straight
and true that would pierce his forehead. He toppled off his mount, royal blood flooding onto the sand in a massive pool.
His entourage suffered a similar fate. Anyone who escaped the arrows was chased down and hacked to bits by Egyptians wielding
swords and axes. As buzzards circled, Horemheb dismounted and walked over to Zannanza.
With his sword, he severed the prince’s head and held it high. Horemheb’s men cheered and then raced to loot the other bodies.
“For the queen,” Horemheb said with a sneer, throwing the head into a bag for its trip back to Thebes.
1324 BC
THE THRONE ROOM WAS DARK and depressing. Ankhesenpaaten and Aye had argued for hours, beginning just after dinner. Now it
was midnight, and the queen and the royal vizier spoke by the light of the moon. This same debate had raged for more than
a week, and this night the words chosen were no different.
The queen’s protestations were heated and loud, unmuffled by draperies and potted plants.
Anyone still awake in the palace could hear her frantic voice, and she knew it.
“Make no mistake: I will rule as king. And you will be my queen,” said Aye.
His hands were on his hips as he glared at the stubborn young woman. His sagging neck and paunch made him look more like her
grandfather than a man capable of fathering a royal heir.
“I will not do it,” she shot back, panic-stricken as he moved closer.
Ankhesenpaaten paced, trying to buy time.
Yuye entered the room, as if on cue.
“What is it?” asked the queen. “Do you have news? Tell me.”
1324 BC
AYE BURST OUT LAUGHING. “Yes, she has news. Tell her the news. Tell her the fantastic news about her Hittite prince—who is
riding here to save the queen and become pharaoh.”
Ankhesenpaaten glared at him. “You knew?”
“Of course I knew.” He laughed some more before turning his attention back to Yuye. “Your lady-in-waiting has been a useful
spy. Please, Yuye. Tell the queen the news she has so longed to hear.”
Shame coursed through Yuye’s body, and she couldn’t meet the queen’s gaze. When she spoke, it was in a low monotone. “The
Hittites received your missive, Majesty. Their king sent a son to Egypt to marry you and serve at your side as king.”
“And?” asked Ankhesenpaaten.
“And this prince, whose name was Zannanza, was met at the border by General Horemheb. They had a discussion. Then the prince
and his men were slaughtered. A courier galloped here this day with the news—and this.”
Yuye placed a leather bag on a table. Aye stepped forward and emptied the contents onto the floor. The prince’s severed head
hit the tile with a loud thud.
Ankhesenpaaten staggered backward. She could barely breathe as she looked at the head, then faced the vizier.
Aye showed no deference to her now. He mocked her openly. “You are a traitor. I control the priests, I control the money,
and I control Horemheb,” he declared. “Choose wisely, Majesty. You can either marry me and keep your life, or you can choose
to die, just like your husband.”
Aye turned and paraded from the room, sandals slapping softly. He took the girl Yuye with him, and that night, to be safe,
he made certain she would keep quiet—by slitting her throat. If the lady-in-waiting could betray the queen, she could betray
him as well. And the stakes were too high for that.
1324 BC
THE WEDDING RING WAS made of glass and glazed in blue. It had been commissioned to commemorate the important ceremony. Inside
the band were inscribed the cartouches of the newlyweds:
Aye and Ankhesenpaaten
.
The queen slipped the ring onto her finger and pretended to be blissfully content. The banquet hall was filled with revelers,
and the party would continue well into the night. Bulls had been slaughtered, then roasted over open fires. Beer was served
in copious amounts. Try as she might to be a quiet bystander, Ankhesenpaaten was the queen of Egypt. Her every move was being
watched, and the country’s more illustrious and well-connected residents were curious whether she was truly in love with her
new husband.
Hence, the importance of wearing her ring and appearing radiant and happy to all.
She wore a white gown with a floral collar, and eyeliner that showcased her deep brown eyes. Aye stood across the room with
Horemheb, looking very much like the old and prosperous pharaoh he now was. He was forty summers older than his teenage bride,
and he already had a possessive wife his own age.
How much longer Aye would live was anyone’s guess. And then what?
Would Ankhesenpaaten be forced to marry yet again? And who would that be? A foreigner, perhaps?
The only solution, she decided, was to become pregnant with Aye’s child. There was no other way to protect herself.
As the party grew louder and more festive, Ankhesenpaaten suddenly felt feverish, clammy. A wave of nausea swept over her.
Within seconds she was on her knees, vomiting all over the floor.
Servants rushed to the stricken queen. Aye gazed at her from across the room, his wife Tey now at his side, but he did not
go to Ankhesenpaaten’s aid.
It was then that the queen locked eyes with her new husband. She saw his look of conceit and triumph and did her best to return
it.
When that failed, Ankhesenpaaten waved away the servants and rose unsteadily.
But she crashed to the floor again, this time banging her head and losing consciousness.
The Hittite prince had been carrying a plague virus. That virus had made its way to the queen. That was the story Aye would
tell and then record for all history.
A few days later, Ankhesenpaaten was dead. Bowing to his older wife’s wishes, Aye refused to bury Ankhesenpaaten in his tomb—or
even in Tut’s.
Instead, the queen’s body was taken downriver and fed to the crocodiles.
November 26, 1922
CARTER CLAWED AT THE HOLE once again, trying to enlarge it enough to see through to the other side. He was sweaty and winded,
and his tobacco-stained fingertips were raw from pulling at the coarse plaster and jagged chunks of rock.