Book 1. Pharaoh's Third Wife (The Palace of the Dazzling Aten, #1) / The Palace of the Dazzling Aten (ePub)

Ancient Egypt.
Pharaoh Ramses III ascends the throne. He has three wives Isis, Tyti and Tije. Isis and Tyti belong to the royal family. Tije is the daughter of a court dignitary. Tije is the mother of Pentaweret, the pharaoh's firstborn. However, the Pharaoh appoints his son, born of Queen Tyti, as his successor. In addition, he alienates his third wife and moves her to the Northern Palace, intended for senior concubines. Tije conspires with the High Priest of the temple of the goddess Meretseger to overthrow Ramses III and place her son Pentaweret on the throne. The High Priest keeps an ancient papyrus in the secret vault of the temple, according to which Tije is the heiress of the ancient gods. Tije and the High Priest win over the Dark Gods to their side. According to their plan, Ramses III must die from the curse. However, Nekhbet and Wadjet, the vulture goddess and the cobra goddess, are called upon to protect the pharaoh and his power. But Tije and the High Priest do not give up, they find new helpers and followers. The Palace of the Dazzling Aten, the home of the pharaoh's family, becomes the center of intrigue, black magic, betrayal and hypocrisy.
"...On the pylons, the monumental gates of the temple, one could see many images from the life of former pharaohs.
"...There was noise in the dusty air. Only the long and wide alley leading to the temple of the god Amon-Ra was free from the crowds of people. From the influx of curious townspeople, the Medjays armed with long spears guarded the wide alley. The Medjays were usually Nubians and served as city guards.
Granite sphinxes with the body of a lion and the head of a ram (cryosphinxes) of the sacred temple of the divine Amon-Ra stretched out their lion paws in front of them. The animal ram (considered a symbol of wisdom) has long been associated in Waset with the god Amon. The ram-headed sphinxes silently looked ahead with their granite motionless eyes, guarding the temple. The sounds of a noisy crowd of citizens were joined by the sonorous cries of vultures, flocks of which constantly flew to the noisy capital of the pharaohs from the territory of the Libyan mountains. Vultures spiraled over Waset in a high turquoise blue sky. These birds were considered the sacred protectors of the pharaohs.
He's coming! Pharaoh is coming!" A roar of voices flew along the alley of ram-headed sphinxes. The Medjays hurriedly pushed the people away from the central alley give free passage to the royal procession. The Medjays performed the duties of law enforcement officers, and there were also privileged detachments of the Medjays who served as the bodyguards of the pharaoh.
At the end of the alley of sphinxes, opposite the temple, a magnificent procession appeared. The day before the ritual, all participants in the procession early in the morning, when the sun was not so oppressively hot, crossed over to the east bank of the Nile in special boats. A special boat, designed as The Golden Boat of Ra, transported the pharaoh himself and his family across the Nile.
The pharaoh, his wives and children, his mother Tiy-Merenese, Nebamon (mother of the second wife of Ramses III), senior dignitaries, Medjays guards, High Priests of the western temples, servants and many others settled in the palace on the eastern bank of the Nile.
It was a palace adjoining the temple complex of Ipet-Res, which was called The Temple of Millions of Years (Usermaatra-setepenra). Ramses III did not live in this palace. After all, first of all, this palace was built in conjunction with the temple and was intended for various rituals..."