Happiness lies in Hierakonpolis
Heroo 1

"In Hierakonpolis you will find your happiness ...", came a low voice in Atemu's dream, while he turned around in his bed as the first rays of sun of the day wandered over the horizon. They fell through the large semicircular windows and the bright, light curtains that fluttered in the gentle morning wind, directly on his bed for the night. The sun had tickled his nose uncomfortably warm and therefore he had pulled the blanket over his head. He was still tired and it was nice and warm under the covers.
Blankets weren't really necessary when you went to bed, as the heat of the day was stored in the walls of the residence, but the nights at this time of the year were cool all the time and as the night went on it got so cold that you had to wear a thin blanket needed to keep warm, at least when you were still solo like him and didn't have a wife to share the bed with.
Atemu smacked his lips and crumpled the soft pillow because it had flattened itself.Yesterday he went to bed late, Mahado and Seth had had a long conversation with him and Mana had chattered to him for hours, but he no longer knew exactly what she had said. It could hardly have been more than five hours before he found sleep.
He had just escaped half asleep again and had already begun to imagine a dream in front of his inner eye when the door flew open without warning and ten people happily broke into his bedchamber.
Atemu only registered this as if it were his strange dream, and the murmuring and chatter of the courtiers and the old vizier only sounded restrained in his ears. He wanted to ignore her, but then his dream came to an abrupt end.
"Pharaoh?", Shimon, one of the two viziers of Egypt and old teacher Atemus, went to his bed and looked down at him. He frowned and sighed as nothing moved under the blanket, made of soft, natural-colored linen.He already knew this theater. Even as a prince, Atemu had always done that when he had ended the night too late. Probably too much delicious red wine or beer had flowed again, which now gave him a hideous hangover. It wouldn't help Atemu this time, even if Shimon could understand that the young Pharaoh was trying to drown his grief in beer and wine. His father was only lost once, after all, and Shimon would have loved to trade with Akunumkanon since he was the elder. But Osiris had called Pharaoh Akunumkanon to the West and not him. He now had to take on his new task.
"PHARAOH!", The old man repeated louder and pulled Atemu the blanket a bit away: "Ra has already climbed up, it's time you got ready. The first business of the day is already calling and you are still in your bed . "
"What ?!", Atemu tried to open one eye, but then only blinked half asleep at his good old friend and teacher: "I am a prince ...""No ..." said Shimon regretfully, "... not any more, Atemu. I know, we are almost over the mourning period and you are not yet crowned, but the country can no longer be without leadership. Vizier and High Priest Akunadin and I will continue to take care of everything, but that does not mean that you can be lazy. On the contrary, you will be crowned tomorrow, so you have to go to Hierakonpolis first ... "
"What ?!", Atemu startled unexpectedly, and sat bolt upright in his bed: "Ouch!", He held his head and then slowly looked up to Shimon: "My father is dead ..."
"Yes!" Shimon confirmed with a nod.
Atemu closed his eyes, it dawned on him again what Mana, Mahado and Seth had talked to him about yesterday. They had wanted to cheer him up ... because of the death of his father, the Pharaoh who had made him the next Pharaoh, yes it had been a few days and weeks, but still, it still hurt. : "My head is buzzing ...""Yes ...", Shimon sighed and clapped his hands.
The courtiers came forward, armed with washing utensils, clothes, jewelry and make-up.
"You don't have long time, Pharaoh. Breakfast will be brought soon and by then you should be washed and dressed. Please hurry!", The old vizier bowed and stepped back so that Atemu could get up.
Atemu screwed up his eyes again briefly and then stood up. Going to the washroom was not as easy for him as usual, because the alcohol in his blood had not yet completely broken down and the rest of the tiredness in his limbs did the rest.
The courtiers followed him with singed heads. They were there to wash and clothe the soon-to-be Pharaoh. Atemu knew it differently, but it would make a bad impression if he insisted on doing it alone. He had to admit that he preferred to wash himself, but as a prince it was like being washed.The water was a little colder than usual when one of the courtiers poured it over his head.
Atemu snorted softly. Water had got up his nose, even if he didn't know how to do it, but the coolness drove the tiredness out of his body.
It didn't take long, then Atemu was freed from the cold sweat that had accumulated over night, rubbed with a fragrant oil that not only smelled pleasant, but also kept the annoying insects away. A servant had carefully shaved off his body hair, well, almost, Atemu would have had him thrown into dungeons if someone had tampered with his hair or eyebrows.
Many of the Egyptians shave all their hair, often because of the heat and the cleanliness that one without hair, in which sweat could collect and smell far too strong.
Atemu let himself be dressed in a white apron and shirt made of starched linen. Above the apron a wide blue ribbon that reached from his stomach to his knees and was cut to a point at the bottom.A belt made of three wider gold rings was tied from his waist to his stomach.
The courtiers put a wide gold collar on his neck and slipped a bangle over his upper arm before showing him earrings. That was actually useless, because Atemu always opted for the same ones that he had always worn. The wide gold bracelet that he wore around his neck had long been part of his daily garb.
"Great Pharaoh!", One of the servants opened a box, but said nothing more.
Atemu took a deep breath as he took the item out of the box. A jewel of great power and at the same time the symbol of the Pharaoh. The millennium puzzle that was hanging around his father's neck a few weeks ago. It had been wrapped in velvet and apparently cleaned. The rays of the sun flashed on the golden surface and the ribbon with which it was worn around the neck was new.
"From today you have to wear it!", Akunadin interfered, who wanted to see after the prince who would become Pharaoh tomorrow.Shimon had actually wanted to come, but Akunadin felt a need to inquire about Atemu's well-being. Akunadin was Atemu's uncle, so it was understandable that he should worry about his nephew.
"On ... Akunadin!", Atemu corrected himself, since it did not seem appropriate to address one of his viziers as Uncle. It was all very new, but it was good to know that there were people who worried and cared about him.
Akunadin smiled faintly, took the puzzle from his hand and hung it on his neck: "Your father's inheritance. Don't worry, following in his footsteps shouldn't be too difficult. Hurry up now, you have a lot to do , Today is tough and you should really have some refreshment now. "
"Thank you ...", Atemu grabbed his cloak, which he put on and then put the crown on his head. His hair was still damp, but it would be dry by after breakfast.And due to the quick departure, he got around the make-up.

"Please!", The servant put a basket with fresh bread on the table and a mug of milk, the third one, since Atemu was sitting at the table.
"Well, let's start then", Shimon rolled up a papyrus and began to read: "The daily plan for today, my Pharaoh. After breakfast you have to deal with the documents of the district lords and the two petitioners who are still yours Father has called for an audience. The thanks for your coronation must still be signed and approved by you. Before Ra is highest, you will leave with Seth and Mahado for Hierakonpolis, where the priests of Ra will be waiting for you. There you will have to attend a ceremony , which takes place in honor of Ra and you also undergo the purification ceremony so that you can perform the grain rites in the morning, but in the evening the daughters of the high dignitaries and neighboring kingdoms will still be there. ""Please?" Atemu raised an eyebrow. The day's schedule was full to the brim, but that wasn't what bothered him, it was something else that he hadn't expected. "Why do these women all come to Hierakonpolis?" Atemu asked, puzzled.
"Do we really have to explain this to you?" Asked Akunadin, who had made notes on a piece of papyrus. His nephew was not yet ready to take care of everything on his own, so he still did his work, but refrained from talking to the "current Pharaoh". For him it was a farce to call Atemu Pharaoh anyway, he was not crowned, and yet everyone was already addressing him as Pharaoh. Anyway, it couldn't be prevented and it was already a done deal.
"Yes, I ask!", Atemu stared at the two older men, even if he could guess the reason.
"You are seventeen years old and single. The people do not like it when you Pharaoh ascends the throne as an unmarried man.You must be aware that young girls will be married off with the onset of the moon blood. It is time for you to take a royal wife, the country hasn't had one for a long time. In addition, you don't have the problem of not being able to offer you anything, you put the land at your feet, "Akunadin sipped his milk:" Even if I don't mean that literally. "
"And you must have offspring soon, the sooner the better," Shimon agreed.
A chill ran down Atemu's spine. A woman! Should he find a wife? It was a joke, it just had to be a joke, a bad joke, but at least a joke.
"Offspring?" Atemu repeated slowly.
"Sure. Did you think you could dodge it? We know that the female sex has so far been of little interest to you, but you are Pharaoh now, or you will be