Atemu's childhood
(Part 1 )

The snakebite

Narrative:
We are in ancient Egypt. A little prince named Atemu romps around carefree with his younger sister Amieliana and his cousin Seth in the large garden of the palace. He is often plagued by priests and teachers and is trimmed to be Pharaoh one day. His younger sister protects him wherever she can. The mother of the two had found her a few years ago on the palace steps and adopted and raised her like a child of her own. Now she is playing happily and exuberantly with her brother Atemu and their common cousin Seth, who is a little older than Amieliana and Atemu. His father is a high priest and brother of the current Pharaoh.

Amieliana:
* We play ball in the palace garden. We have a lot of fun and I have never seen Atemu as carefree as it is today. Suddenly I hear Atemu cry out in pain. I run up to him and see him lying on the floor with a painful face.He hit his ankle and it's very swollen. But that's not the worst. A cobra sneaks up out of the bushes. I run to Atemu and want to scare away the snake. But I'm careless and the snake catches my leg and bites my calf. But at the same time she lets go of Atemu. I still manage to kill the snake with a stick before I pass out. My plan worked. But at what price? *

Atemu:
I fell over a cursed rock and injured my ankle. Amieliana sees it and wants to help me, but suddenly a cobra appears and wants to bite me. Amieliana reacts quickly and is bitten by the snake for not paying attention. I call for Seth. I look at him desperately because my little sister is lying on the floor, unconscious and does not move. I forgot the pain in my leg. I only care about my sister who saved me once again.I ask Seth: *
Will Amieliana get through?

Seth:
* I hear Atemu's cry for help and rush to him. I see Amieliana lying on the ground and also that Atemu is injured. His left leg is very swollen. Not far away I see a dead snake lying on the ground. Atemu tells me what happened and I hear his legitimate question whether Amieliana will get through. I will answer:*
If we act quickly, she still has a chance!
* I start sucking on her leg. I try to suck the poison out and spit on the floor. Then I pick up Atemu and ask him, very worried: *
Can you go I would like to support Amieliana so that she can make it to the temple?

Atemu:
I will help you support them. I can barely move my foot. Together we can make it!

Seth:
* I nod to Atemu and together we support Amieliana. She is younger than the two of us and also very light and so we make it to the temple after a short time. There we meet my father.He is frightened and immediately asks us into the sacred room. Atemu just manages to put Amieliana on a bed with me. Then he collapses too, exhausted. I lift him onto another bed and father sends a priest to him to look after his well-being. Then my father sends me out. *
* I wait hour after hour. The queen also shows up and wants to know how her two children are doing, but there is no answer. She decides to wait with me. Again hours go by. The door opens again. *

Akunadin:
* I now go to my queen, who is waiting with my son Seth outside in the corridor. Both want to know how Atemu and Amieliana are doing and so I start: *
Queen fought, Atemu is better. He just has to take it easy on his leg, then it will be again. I can't predict anything about Amieliana yet. She has a high fever. If Seth hadn't responded immediately, Amieliana might have died. He sucked most of the poison out of her body and risked his life in the process.We can only wait and ask the gods for help.
(Why do I always have to bring the bad news?)
It is better, my Queen, if you return to the palace and tell your husband what has happened. I would like to stay with the royal children and carry out their treatment myself.
* The queen nods silently and leaves the temple sadly. My son also looks at me sadly. I hear him ask: “May I stay with them both, father?” I nod silently to him and put my arm around his shoulder and we enter the sacred space together. I watch Atemu and Amieliana sleep. Seth takes a stool and places it between their beds. *
(It will be a long night. I hope the gods will be kind to the two children)

Narrative:
This night is a night of choices. Seth and his father pray for the royal children. Atemu's father also made some decisions for the future of his two children.((More in other stories))

Amieliana:
* I have a restless sleep. I can feel Seth cooling my forehead. He gently wipes the sweat from my forehead with a soft cloth. I also hear my uncle pour something liquid into me. Then I notice how Seth brings me a new blanket and gently covers me. *

Seth:
* I sit with them all night. Atemu is doing better now. But with Amieliana the fever just won't go away. She's already sweaty two blankets. My father is also very concerned. He keeps taking her temperature. He always looks at me with a concerned look afterwards. I don't trust myself to say what I suspect. Father goes to the shrine at the other end of the room, kneels and prays for Atemu and Amieliana. I am not allowed to do this yet. I'm still in the middle of training to be a priest. But I know the importance of prayers to our gods. *

Atemu:
* I open my eyes in a daze.I see how Seth has turned to Amieliana and takes care of her. I call his name quietly and he turns to me. I laboriously ask him: *
How is my sister
* I hear him say that Amieliana is not doing very well and that my uncle is still very worried about her. I ask him if he can help me up so I can see Amieliana. He nods and sits me up in my bed. I see Amieliana tossing and turning restlessly in bed. I want to go to her bed, but Seth is holding me back. I start to cry and Seth says: "You are still too weak, Atemu. You can check on her tomorrow. But now go back to sleep!"
Seth covers me just as gently as my sister before I fall asleep exhausted *

Seth:
* I wake up because I got cold. The torches have burned down and the morning sun floods the sacred space with its golden glow. I must have dozed off. I look at Atemu who is sleeping peacefully. Amieliana is sleeping too, but still as restless as she was at night.My uncle comes and takes Amieliana's temperature again. He's still dissatisfied. I ask him: *
Will Amieliana make it, father?
* I look into his worried face as he replies, "I still can't tell son! But I'm happy that Atemu is better!"
My father looks at me again and asks me not to leave Amieliana's side until her fever has gone down. Then I see him leave the room. *
(Sure, he'll report to Pharaoh and the Queen.)
* After a while he comes back with some doctors and sends me out. I'm waiting hour after hour *

Narrative:
In the sacred space, priests and doctors come and go. The young priest has to look on inactive. He sees the priests running back and forth with white towels and jugs. Hour after hour goes by before his father comes out of the room and disappears. After a while he comes back and sits down with his son.Akunadin:
Seth, we blew Amieliana to get the fever down. She suffered a lot and is now very exhausted. I want you to stand guard by her bed again and pray for her. Atemu is all right again and he is allowed to leave the temple today, although I believe that he would also like to keep watch over his sister.
* I look at my son and he nods in agreement. Caring for and caring for the sick is part of his training. I am proud of my son, who masters and carries out his tasks with a lot of responsibility, even if he is still very young. *

Seth:
* I do what my father told me to do. Amieliana is sleeping and Atemu is awake. He is sitting on his bed. He has tears in his eyes. I give him a comforting hug. *

Atemu:
* I am sitting on my bed and crying bitterly. I saw the doctors and priests trying to save Amieliana's life.Seth takes me comfortingly in his arms and says soothingly: *
"Atemu, Amieliana will be fine. The bloodletting will help her. Believe me!"
* I hold him tight. I have to think about how many times my sister has helped me get through difficult situations.
(I'm always with you, little sister! Please get well and don't leave me!)
* I close my eyes exhausted and feel how Seth gently and carefully lays me in my bed. *

Seth:
* Atemu is still a little weak and falls asleep again. I am tending to Amieliana's wounds. The blood has seeped through the bandages. I'll get warm water and new sanitary towels. I care for her wound as I have learned to do. Amieliana writhes in pain. I'm very worried. It is now the second day that the fever has not gone down. I see the door open and my father come in. He sees me just putting the blood-pressed pads into a bowl.He nods to me and waves me over. Then he whispers to me:
"My son, I want you to wake Atemu. He has recovered and I want you to take him to the palace. He should relax completely in his room there. I don't want him to see how Amieliana is suffering. "
I'll do what my father told me to do. *

Atemu:
* I open my eyes and see Seth sitting by Amieliana's bed. I can just see him putting sanitary towels that are crowded with blood in a bowl. He looks at me and comes up to me. He says to me:
"My father asked me to accompany you to the palace. He says that you will find more peace in your room than here. Come on, Atemu!"
I look at Seth and then I look over at Amieliana. I suspect that my uncle's decision is related to the condition of Amieliana and that Amieliana tries to protect me from further bad experiences. I go to Amieliana's bed and kiss my little sister gently on the forehead.Then I leave the temple, accompanied by Seth. With difficulty I make it to the palace where my father receives me. He welcomes me and is relieved that I'm fine again. Even if I still have to gather my strength. But he doesn't ask about my little sister. He doesn't like Amieliana because she is not his own flesh and blood.