“Of course dear, you go ahead. If there is anything you need, you let us know.” Bettina said, looking up from her embroidery.“I will go and get your writing equipment.” Kopa said, going into the kitchen. When he came back, he had a stack of paper with him and a little wood box. “Here is your paper and inside the box you will find quills and ink. If you run out of anything, just let me know. You don’t need think about making it last. Use as much as you need,” he said handing it to her.“Thank you, Kopa, I appreciate it,” Mary said and then she went upstairs into her room.---Bettina put down her work and looked up at Kopa. He was sitting looking into the fire, he looked content and happy she thought, and she smiled at him.“She is an amazing person” Bettina said in a low voice, not wanting Mary to overhear the conversation. Kopa turned to her and gave her one of his fleeting smiles, a rarity even for her to see.“She is, isn’t she” he agreed.“I’m just worried that she sometimes gets

“You see, when we were first married, my lovely husband felt I needed a break from cooking.” Bettina started, ignoring Kopas plead. “He decided to make me breakfast and snuck down to the kitchen. When I woke up, I could smell something burning so I sprinted downstairs and found him trying to hammer out burnt eggs from my favourite skillet.” Mary did her best to suppress a giggle at the story. “You think that would be the worst of it. But he also had tried to roast bread, but with the egg-situation he forgot them over the fire and by the time I came in to the kitchen, they were black and so dry they almost caught fire. Then there was the fact that despite him only cracking some eggs, slicing bread, and stated slicing onions, had the kitchen looking like a disaster.” Bettina shook her head as if she still couldn’t believe it. “It took me an hour cleaning up his mess, and then I still had to cook breakfast. He’s been band from using the kitchen ever since. It was a sweet attempt, but my

“I didn’t know she was your guest sir Teeran. I wouldn’t have suggested she come with us if I knew” he quickly said. Mary saw his two friends also stood in attention, their smirks were gone.“She’s my daughter and is off limits, do I make myself clear?” Kopa said with a stare that could have killed.“Your daughter? Yes, of course, perfectly clear sir” Roan said, saluting Kopa.“Off you go” Kopa dismissed them. Mary and Bettina watched as the young men quickly disappeared.“Are you okay Mary?” Kopa asked.“I’m fine”“Of course she’s fine. Everything was just fine until you barged out scaring the poor boy” Bettina said with an accusing tone. Kopa grunted and steered them to start walking. “Kopa, Mary need to have a social life” Bettina said, a bit more kindly. “She can have as many women friends as she wants. But no men, especially not if they look at her as he did.” Kopa huffed.“Honey.”“No, this is my final word. Mary aren’t allowed to speak to any men unless I have approved of them

“Yes, and according to history the blessed man had a wife. But this was about saving the ruling family, to keep the country from fall into chaos. After a while the priestess got pregnant and was blessed with a daughter, Samiila. Everyone thought this was the salvation. But they were wrong. As Acmenaten grew up, he learned of how his half-sister was conceived and a feeling grew in him, that he was the only true ruler. As I told you before, there are many gods, not just one, and they are ruled by the mother and father of the gods. The priest and priestess were chosen to mirror this in the human world.” Tarina continued and Mary was amazed. “Acmenaten felt drawn to the father of the gods, and as he considered himself the one true ruler, he decided the same must be true for the gods. As soon as Acmenaten and Samiila ascended to be priest and priestess, Acmenaten declared his sister unworthy and proclaimed the only god mankind should worship was the father of the gods” Tariana said. “The p

“Do you expect me to let Mary go out alone with a man, an unwed man?” Kopa said quietly and Tenac saw his mother smile. Tenac wanted to tell his mother this wasn’t the time to smile. Not while Kopa looked like he wanted to squeeze the life out of Tenac. Tenac saw himself as brave and had faced more than one dangerous situation without panicking. But he was close to panic at this moment.“Kopa, it’s Tenac. You have known him his whole life, you have trained him, and you know he’s a good man. Mary will be safe with him.” Kopa just continued to glare at Tenac.“Kopa, it’s all right. If Tariana says we can trust him, then we can trust him. You know she would never put me in a situation I couldn’t handle” Mary said and Tenac saw Kopa finely averting his gaze from Tenac to look at Mary. Kopa didn’t look happy, but he nodded and then took two steps toward Tenac, bringing him almost nose to nose with him.“That’s my daughter, I like you Tenac, but that’s my daughter. If anything happens, if s