Birth of a lioness (Wrath of a goddess book 1)

Prologue

Sitting on a flaming dais overlooking the vast universe, Ra sighed it is time to fulfill the promise he gave to his daughter it was his fault after all.

He was the one who tricked her and was the one, who made her into a weapon in the first place, then punished her.

Sekhmet's sole purpose was to be the hand of vengeance, his punishment, the wrath that was unleashed upon the ungrateful humankind.

The mortals forgot their place; they forgot their purpose, to worship them, to be loyal to the ones who created them, to him.

To be always beneath his feet. So he sent her, and she didn't fail. She killed and slaughtered the mortals, young and old no one was spared no one was safe from her wrath. She wreaked havoc upon them all.

The great god was satisfied with the outcome, proud of his choice, but bloodlust overtook his daughter, so she drank their blood till the last drop and asked for more, enjoying what she did and basking in the immense power that flow through her body.

So Ra had no option but to interfere; he became afraid of her, threatened; he didn't know she was that powerful, fierce, and savage. Yet again, why not? She was his eye. A fallacy on his behalf

To save what remained of the mortals, he poured 7000 jugs of ale tainted red with pomegranate that resembled blood into the Nile.

Sekhmet, who was in the haze of her madness, drank it all and got so intoxicated that her father had the chance to imprison her.

After three days when she woke, she was hurt by his actions, his trickery. In chains in a dark, dirty cell, she asked him why he did that. She was, at the end, doing his bidding. She doesn't deserve this.

Now she won't have a life like her brothers and sisters.

Now she is the hated one. The human worshiped her because they are afraid of her wrath not out of love. The rest of the gods treated her as if she was a vermin. An animal, a beast.

And then her father made a story of her becoming Hathor to appease the mortals?! She is not her sister.

She is the scarlet lady, and he was just a coward.

Ra felt ashamed of what he did to her so he promised one day she will have her own mortal body, a vessel to live through, a mate to have offspring with, to feel the love that now lost because everyone is afraid of her "The Lady Of Terror "This was the title she was given and that is what has become of her now.

And he will straight the wrongs he did.

Chapter One

Zosar looked at his daughter and sighed, again she's overdoing it. One of those days she'll hurt herself. Though he's very proud of her, no one is a match for his daughter even though she's still young but exudes power. One day she'll make one fine queen.

Wearing her red battle armor looking regal and mighty, her dark brown curly hair done in a warrior's braid with pieces of gold to show her status as a royal as a leader. Her feminine curves will never give you the idea of who she is or how much strength is hidden in that small body of hers.

Her sun-kissed skin glowing like gold, her face with soft features doesn't suit the snarl that graced it, the contrast between weak and strong, savage and kind is breathtaking, she indeed is the next queen of Egypt.

He sighed again when she threw a grown man twice her weight and size on his back. The captain of the royal guards had no chance. His advisor and friend Aharon patted his back laughing "Dear friend, don't worry, she's capable."

He rubbed his face tiredly and looked at his amused friend "I know and that's what scares me most, no one is a match for her, she doesn't know her limits yet. So she keeps pushing herself further, maybe the only exception is Mandisa." He smirked when his friend's face brightened.

"I'm so proud of my daughter my lord, one day she is going to be a great general."

The king chuckled, his friend is right the girl is tough as a nail, strong, stern no male can look her in the eye and not shiver and has a good military, education, and mentality background due to her father. Indeed she is going to be a good general for his daughter, it's not unheard of, but there are a few women who like being kicked and scuffle in the dirt, only these two would relish in something like that.

He was cut mid-thinking by Mandisa's voice goading the princess a few feet away.

"Come on, princess stop playing around with those poor men, find someone who's your size." She said, twirling her long spear that was a gift from him when she turned fifteen.

On the other side, his daughter smiled brightly, wiping her sweaty forehead "Oh my dear, dear friend I was waiting for you, it's just a warm-up you know?" then she snatched her curved daggers from their sheaths on her back which also were a gift for her 15th birthday, the spear and daggers were made together by the same royal blacksmith, they were made from a rare metal that fell from the sky, same metal his sword was made of and the precious stones that adorned them were from his treasury. The two weapons were meant to complement each other and a statement that these two are sisters.

She's his daughter's companion, born a day before her and is his best friend's daughter so as a result his daughter too.

"My king, today you seem occupied, is something the matter?"

His friend asked worriedly. He half-smiled, it was always strange how he's atoned to his emotions and feelings, but again not that unexpected they were the same as the girl's long-life friends raised together; he's more a brother than a friend. He smiled tiredly "You won't believe me if I said I don't even know what's wrong, it's just I feel like something ominous is about to happen soon. I'm worried about Tiye, you know she's all I've got after her mother has passed away and I lost Nubia and our......" sorrow and sadness filled him that he didn't finish, the wound in his heart felt so raw after all those years.

Aharon exhaled and looked at the girls, his voice low and worried "I feel it too deep in my soul but I can't pinpoint the reason for this feeling, all I know is that by the gods will everything is going to be alright."

The king faced him and held his shoulders tightly determination is written on his face "There's something I need you to do for me. Help me send both girls away from here for a while until everything is over. Maybe a hunting trip or something, anywhere but here, please my friend."

The advisor's eyes rounded; shocked it's the first time he sees his friend scared; maybe the king knows something he doesn't." I'll do my friend and thank you for considering my daughter as yours."

"One more thing Aharon, you need to give me your word."

"Anything my king."

The king's eyes bore into his "Promise me if the day has come and you have to choose between saving me or Tiye you will save her without hesitation, even if the situation was dire you would do it." The man fidgeted and averted his eyes, the king tightened his grip.

"Look me in the eye brother and promise me, give me your word, swear by the blood we willingly shared." Aharon looked the king in the eyes and saw the weight of his worry and nodded "I promise you brother I will do it even if it took my soul trying. You have my word."

They hugged and there was a long conversation said with no words, but it was well heard deep in their hearts. Something bad is about to happen soon and they needed to protect their daughters. The future queen and her protector need to be far away from here as soon as possible. Especially now, not only the nobles and officials were murmuring behind his back, but the royal family joined them too. They used to hide in the shadows and grumble about the fate of Egypt and the next Pharaoh, now they are scheming even though he doesn't have any proof of this but he is sure it is happening.

Because the next queen isn't just a mere mortal, she's something else something more, but no one knows it yet, she's not only the one who is blessed by the gods, she's touched by them and breathed their soul through her body. They always look after her because she bears their blood, she is one of them, but for now, weak in her human form still didn't fully bloom into her full power.

She needs to be away until she reaches her 18th name day only then he will see some rest as his daughter will

be the goddess she's meant to be.

Every Pharaoh has a god protecting him Zosar is honored to have Horus like his father and his father's father before him, but Tiye has someone else and unlike him, she wasn't born with the mark of the gods, the goddess itself descended to give it to her, It was a shock something like that never happened and he wouldn't believe it if he wasn't a witness to the whole ordeal himself.

After his queen gave birth to the princess and death took her, he felt the pressure and the presence of the company of a god, felt the power and strength of the vengeful goddess, he didn't know how to react or what to do at the moment except to kneel, his forehead touching the stone floor of the royal delivery champers like a commoner.

The beautiful goddess observed him and the few mortals who were within the room then walked to the body of the woman covered in blood, next to her a little girl with big brown eyes staring back calmly at her, still wet and bloody, the goddess smiled. "So this is the one my father made for me, this is how he imagined my features if I was born as an infant?" She touched the girl's right cheek, "So soft and plump, she said. The girl cooed and her small hand embraced the goddess' index finger.

The minor act stunned her, making her gasp because at this moment she felt the connection, she saw her past, she saw some of the little one's future, she saw the beginning but not the end; she saw herself reflected in her eyes. Her heart ached when felt the compassion that little soul felt for her after her father's betrayal, the little one wanted to protect her from those feelings and offered her a little squeeze of her tiny hand as if to say you are not alone not anymore.

Trying to be gentle, she held the small body awkwardly, trying her best not to harm the precious bundle. Kissing the princess's forehead, a faint glow started to form and move around it, then through her right arm, and then her wrist. A golden cobra raring her head rested there now.

"Now Tiye we are connected through my symbol, always I will be near."

Zosar looked with awe how can this cruel and vengeful goddess talk and hold his daughter so sweetly this can't be! And why is she even here?

The high-priestess took two steps tentatively approaching the goddess "It is a blessed day; you honor us by your presence O powerful one." Bowing again, the high-priestess evaded looking directly at the goddess's eyes.

"I am Sekhmet the goddess of War and destruction, I name her the blood of my blood the flesh of my own TIYE, the goddess queen, the one equal to me, the one who shares my power and will, the one my ichor runs through her veins." Sekhmet said, raising the princess above all heads, presenting her to them, letting her power show in every spoken word. She looked around again "What happened here right now won't be repeated to any living soul until her 18th name day." She handed the king his daughter back and left in a burst of light and warmth as she has come.

Aharon, the high-priestess, the physician, and some servants who were present kneeled their entire body on the ground and chanted

"All hail TIYE the goddess queen ".

The girls loud voices and shrieks seeped through the fog that clouded his mind; he smiled adoringly at them but then grimaced when he saw the condition the captain of the royal guard was in "Are you well Abasi? She didn't hurt you that much, did she?" he was sincerely worried about the male but deep inside was proud of his daughter, the male's cheeks darkened and not because of the heat of the Egyptian sun "Your highness, my body can take anything the princess would threw at it, but my pride is another thing. It is wounded beyond repair my lord." The king patted his shoulder sympathetically before using his golden cane for support and walked to the simple throne chair under the shade, his legs hurt from supporting his weight for so long especially in this heat.

Aharon followed him with the sulking warrior trying to salve his wounded ego "I'm sure you went easy on her captain after all you were one of her strict tutors, there is no way she would excel you." The male scratched the back of his head embarrassed "That is the thing sir, I wasn't complimenting her, it is the bare truth. Princess Tiye is getting stronger, I don't know how or why, but each time we spar, it is getting harder to match her. Even today I got so tired and she still brimming with stamina that is why I asked Mandisa to try to tire her some more. This surplus needs to be channeled well or else I'm afraid to think of the consequences." The captain's voice was filled with awe and admiration it was obvious to Zosar these circumstances were intriguing to him.

He rested his legs on a footstool, eyeing the male trying to read him and what is on his mind while his advisor kept on talking joviality "Then tell me what do you think of my daughter?" The warrior straightened his back making his friend chuckle and amends his mistake "I meant strength-wise young man nothing else."

He thought for a while as if to analyze the question, "Your daughter is a great warrior, my lord, I would be at ease if I knew she has my back in battle. She is fast and agile, a quick thinker she can see the problem directly and find its solution in a blink of an eye. She and the princess really complement each other." the king leaned forward intrigued now.

"How so? Please elaborate." The warrior mimicked the king before speaking "Mandisa is calm and collected while the princess has a temper and she rushes to act before thinking, she is like her leash. Taming the wild beast inside her." When the silence stretched, and the male understood what he just said and how he insulted the king and the princess, he dropped to the ground and kneeled "Please your highness, forgive my audacity. For a heartbeat I forgot my place please punish me as you see it fit, if you commanded me to take my life right now I won't hesitate." He drew his sword and angled it to his throat.

"Father what is happening in here? Why is Abasi asking you to take his own life?"

The king accepted her kiss on his cheek and chuckled "Oh the captain of the royal guards just insulted you right in front of me." He smirked at the perplexed look on his daughter's face and blew out laughed when the male's face paled

"Princess forgive me, it was a mistake punished by death." Tiye cocked her head, looking at her father and then the male. "What did he say, your highness?"

"He just called you a beast which Mandisa tamed and put in a leash?" The king kept laughing at her expressions. She scratched her head "But father, he is rather right why punish him?" The king's laugh boomed throughout the training arena.

"Father Stop tormenting the male he did nothing wrong. Please captain Abasi, stand up." The male didn't budge but looked at the king who was still laughing wholeheartedly. He nodded his head, making the man stand and sigh in relief.

"Thank you, your grace for your kindness."

When the king finally regained his composure asked him, "Be honest and tell me captain who is the scariest between us me or princess Tiye?" the male took three steps away before answering, "The wild boar your highness." he said running away and the princess on his tail.

Tiye relaxed in the hot steaming water even though it's the hot season. Nevertheless, the hot water helped her tired aching muscles; she has been spending a lot of time training these days because her father was forcing her to do so. He stretched her limits to busy her day in silly demands. Such as learning the right etiquette of the court like some shallow, frivolous girl, he sends her some tutors who always rub her the wrong way, and it ends badly. She exhaled and dipped her head into the lukewarm water, cutting the world out.

The king has been suspicious recently, and it is getting on her damn nerves; he needs to treat her as an heir, not just a little female or an ignorant princess.

A servant entered her champers after asking for permission, holding a wooden box that contained a variety of fragrant oils and herbs to help her relax more and treat the bruises she gained from today's scuffle. She sighed, enjoying the relief that it brought.

A court messenger came with a letter from her father "The king requests your presence, your highness, princess Tiye to attend the council meeting today and he insists on wearing formal attire." He gave her sides glance before clearing his throat "He said literary, and I quote 'please, a princess today not a feral boy'." He added quickly "His words your highness not mine." With that, he scurried away, holding his rope in his hands so not to stumble while he fled.

Tiye laughed quietly, she didn't blame the male who ran so she won't punish him; she knows those are her father's words she heard them before and more than once.

She was about to get out of the pool regretfully when her friend entered her champers unannounced as usual. Looking her up and down, she quirked a delicate brow, asking a silent question.

"King's orders. He wanted me in my armor. What is going on, the palace feels....unsettled?"

"I know nothing. He asked for my presence in the throne room and ordered me to wear formal too.'' She walked to her bed and stood waiting for her servant to dry her wet body. Her heart skipped a beat, it must be something serious. Her father has been acting weird for a while now. But at least today she's going to know what's wrong for sure, if not she will throw a fit. He already thinks of her as a little girl so she is going to act like it.

Her servant harried to help her, drying up, dressing her, and brushing her long tangled hair. Tiye pursed her mouth in distaste, looking at her reflection in the mirror she looked so.... womanly in that white velvet gown with so much gold adorning it which made her stomach churn. She hated this.

She wore her big golden wristband, hiding her birthmark. Her father said it's not a normal thing to show and flaunt it around, it's where the gods blessed her, or to be specific Sekhmet marked her. She doesn't know why the lioness goddess would do that but it's known that every heir to the throne has a god looking after him, protecting and guiding his ruling, but again why the goddess of war, destruction, plagues, and everything awful would bless her.

She must be cursed by someone to have this fate; she would be hated by all as a result. It is said you gain some of the characteristics of your guardian and she sure doesn't need this, she has her plate full already.

She asked her father once before about that but his answer was because her mother died giving birth to her and as a last wish she asked the gods to protect me in her stead; she was disappointed though. She wanted maybe Horus or Hathor or anyone else but as an alternative she got the Savage lady.

A knock on the door interrupted her musing, "The king is waiting princess."

She stood following the servant, walking elegantly, her head held high prideful, her friend _ not a friend now _ her protector only one step behind. It was something not needed and uncalled for. She can protect herself perfectly well, but it's a tradition in every generation there must be a protector, a human shield you can call it that, for the pharaoh.

"Princess, are you armed?" Her protector asked quietly. Her voice was just above a whisper, looking around suspiciously.

"Yes Mandisa I have my daggers on me, but can you feel it the air is thick and tense?"

"Yes, my princess, the palace doesn't feel safe anymore, something is about to happen."

"I think my father called us today for that reason."

"Just be careful, my princess, and know I got your back.''

She nodded silently, looking ahead when she reached the throne room and the guards announced her arrival; she took a deep breath, raising her head, squaring her shoulders, walking with the pride of a queen to be.

The commissionaire of the royal court announced her arrival

"All hail princess Tiye, (Chione) the daughter of the Nile, (Maye) Ra's beloved, (Neith) the one who stands above all others, all hail (Thema) the queen."

She staggered, her heart beating picked up quickly, and her eyes round with surprise. What has just happened? Thema? The queen? She looked her father's way slowly, trying to comprehend the whole situation. The great hall was silent, nothing can be heard, and even the breaths of the occupants. They stood frozen in place like the huge columns that surrounded them on each side, only her unsure steps now resonated around. Her father has just officially named her the heir to the throne, the next queen, the next pharaoh.

"My beloved daughter, how are you faring?" The king greeted her with his arms raised, beckoning her to get closer

"I'm always in a good health by your blessings, my king," She said, curtsying, paying her respects for her father the king.

"No Tiye. Future queens bow to no one." He said, holding his hands for her to help her stand up. She took her place next to her father's throne and Mandisa again, one step behind. She regarded the council members who are murmuring among themselves now, gauging their reaction. It varied between shock, uncertainty, and anger. Of course, her uncle and cousin filled the last category they didn't approve of her.

''what's the meaning of this, brother?"

Hanbal shouted angrily. His brother has just ruined everything. All this hard-working and planning turned to dust.