Dagon Shwe-yar - Queen of the Rising Sun

Egypt was torn in two by war. In the north , in the cities of Mene, Tanis, and all the delta where the Nile flows into the sea, the descendants of foreign peoples had long ago invaded the country, destroyed the temples, caves, schools, and palaces, and then, after absorbing the wealth of the country, they ruled over it. In the south, in the city of Thiri , the descendants of the ancient Hari kings ruled over it. However, from time to time, they tried to drive out the harsh Semitic or Bedouin kings who were active in the countryside. But their strength was too small to succeed, and they were far from successful.

Princess Nefera was the only daughter of King Khepara of Thebes and Queen Rimako. Queen Rimako's father, King Gilon, had given her to Para to protect her from the attacks of the herdsmen and to strengthen his own power. Soon after Princess Nefera was born, King Khepara gathered all his troops and marched down the Nile River. The herdsmen attacked him from Memphis and Tanis, and Para was killed in the battle. Although his army was defeated, he still managed to defeat many of the enemy. The shepherds' generals abandoned their plans to continue their march to Thebes, gathered all their remaining troops, and retreated. The shepherd king, " Apepi," thus won the victory, and became king of all the Ostia. Some of the remaining generals of the king of Para also submitted to the shepherd king, Apepi.

The shepherds, tired of war, did not oppress the defeated Egyptians severely, nor did they exact exorbitant taxes. They also allowed them to freely practice their ancient beliefs.

There was one thing that King Sinnai demanded from the people of Thiwi. That was the remains of the deceased King Khephara, Queen Rima, and her daughter, Princess Nira. So Queen Rima fled with her daughter, Princess Nira, and went into hiding.

On the night of the princess' birth, the queen, Khemara, saw the goddesses Hathor and Isis appear and kiss her. The queen herself saw this and had a dream that night that the princess would be able to reunite the divided kingdom of Egypt, even though she would face many hardships.

The next morning, when the king of Para reported this to him, the king, who was about to go to war, consoled his queen. Then he told the monks of the temples of Hatha and Isis about the dream. This was an unprecedented event, so the monks wrote down the dream of Queen Rima and the visions of Khemara on three sheets of paper, one of which was given to Queen Rima to keep for her daughter Nefra, and the remaining sheets were kept safe in the temples of Hatha and Isis.

When she heard that King Para had fallen in battle, Rima had foreseen the suffering she would experience in a dream, so she did not grieve much, but only said, "Just as my wife died a horrible death, so will King Nanhla die a horrible death."

When King Apep heard this, he was greatly alarmed, for the Babylonians were the most skilled magicians in the world.

Thus, King Apeppi, the great king of Egypt and Babylon, consulted with his nobles, saying that if they were united, their shepherd kings who ruled at the mouth of the Nile would be in trouble. Then the chief nobles advised that, as the prophecy had foretold, the Egyptian princess born to King Chepara and the Babylonian princess would be able to unite the divided kingdom of Egypt, and that it would be appropriate to bring the queen and the child together.

"Rather than calling a fortune teller to tell me that I'm going to die, wouldn't it be better to let them both die?"

But, my lord, the dead are stronger than the living. And if what Micah says is true, the princess will not be able to be killed. If we let her go, they will join forces with the Babylonians and incite us to attack. Therefore, capture them and hold them captive...

"You are right, bring the queen and her daughter to my palace, but first, if you cannot negotiate a peaceful settlement, you must bribe the people of Thebes themselves to arrest them," he ordered.

When Queen Rima heard from her spies that the Shepherd King, Aphek, was plotting to capture her and her daughter, she summoned the remaining nobles and priests of Upper Egypt to a council.

"The shepherds say that our army has retreated to Thebes after my lord the king was killed in battle. Now, they are not only saying that, but they are also saying that they will send an army to capture me and my daughter, the princess. So, will you protect me? Will you just hand me over to him? Tell me your opinion."

Then the nobles declared that they had more than their due, since the shepherd king had won; that they were tired of the work of war, and that they desired peace, no matter who was called king in Egypt.

"If that's the case, then there's nothing left to expect from you. The king had to sacrifice his life for you. The monks said, "

Then the monks spoke one after another. One said that King Apep had sworn to protect her and that she would be safer in the king's palace, while another said that Queen Rima should seek help from her father, King Welon.

Queen Rima laughed heartily and said, “I think the gold that the Shepherd King threw has already reached your palace. Let me ask you a simple question... Tell me whether you will help us to escape from the underworld or not. If you will help me, I will be by your side until the end. If I do not accept your hand, I will part with you here. I will go wherever I go. If I reach the Shepherd’s palace, your mistress will die, and Egypt will be legally ruled by the king. Okay, I will leave for a while so that you can consult among yourselves freely. I will return at noon in an hour to hear your answer.”

After saying this, the queen bowed and smiled, leaving the room.

At noon, the Queen, accompanied by the courtier, who was carrying the princess, entered the great conference hall, but there was no one to be seen, no nobles or monks.

"I thought they left me alone, Khmer."

"'It's not like this yet, my lady.. The princess and I are still on your side."

Then they sat in the great hall for a long time, focusing on the images of Egyptian gods painted on the wall and praying.

"My spirits say that if we stay here, the treacherous chieftains and monks will capture us and hand us over to Apali. I think they have been bribed to do so. What do the spirits of the monastery say?"

"I thought you said to run as fast as you can from here."

"Of course, running is fine... Where should we run to escape his clutches? It won't happen in this southern region, Mara. Only people who will betray us will."

Here, yes, ....... but no one will come looking for us in the north. There is an old saint who is descended from the Thigi dynasty, my grandfather and brother. His name is 'Roi'. I have known him since I was a young girl. He is the priest of a secret sect called the Sunrise Sect. This sect is very powerful, and the royal tombs in Memphis are located in the forest, which are the pyramids. I have lived there for more than 30 years. Because of this, no one dares to approach these pyramids, not even shepherds, the great master said.

"How scary is a ghost picture?"

"They say they saw a beautiful woman with bare breasts. I can't tell if it's the spirit of a woman buried in those rocks... or a ghost warrior from hell. Anyway, no man dares to come near this place after dark."

"Why... why are men always afraid of a beautiful woman?" . . .

"That's right, my lady, the man who saw him went crazy and died wandering around in the desert. Otherwise, my lady, you would have had to climb up behind him to the top of a pyramid and fall to your death."

"You're just making up nonsense, Khmer. Instead, try the words you just said."

"If we can reach those tombs, we can live in peace with the Sun. Even the Veduins dare not pitch their tents within a mile of this place. The King of Buthihain and his concubines say that this place is cursed since their two princes perished there."

"So we'll have to stay there at least until we can escape to Babylon. Father will be ready, of course. But how are we going to get there, with a child fighting on the border, and a child like that, Khmer? I don't know if your grandfather will accept us or not."

The question is easy to answer. I met a boatman from a rice field in Mansit City today and heard a message from Nghia. The man's name is ' Taw'. *

"How did you find me, Khmer? Tell me."

“This is how it happened, my lord. When I went down to the pier to kick the donkey, I saw a strong old man in a sailor’s uniform leaning against a palm tree and looking out over the Nile. There was also a merchant ship on the shore. He told me that he was waiting for the snow to fall in the city, that he had come from Memphis and that he had offered the donkey flowers to the donkey so that it would bloom. So when we met, I asked him about the situation in Thich Nhat Hanh, and that King Para had been killed in the war, and that his queen had been wounded and died, and that his daughter had been killed. When I told him that I had not, he seemed very happy. He knew the name of the princess. When I asked him about the matter, he said that a wise saint had told him, that he was even related to the princess’s guardian, and that he himself had not dared to write. "I was ordered to find you and tell you a message... from the great master."

"What kind of news?"

So I thought there must be a lot of Khmer in this city. What if I get the wrong person? He said it's not that difficult. I gave him a piece of a stone tablet with a verse written on it. He said if he could remove part of the verse written on it and reveal the remaining part, he would know that it was the woman he was looking for. So at the end of his verse, I removed the remaining part. That's not all, the woman would have the piece of the verse hanging on her body. I want to find this Khmer woman, so I'll tell her how to help her."

"So how do you respond?"

'I will help you, of course. But first, show me the part of the bracelet you have.' So he looked around to see if there were any people nearby and showed me a piece of the bracelet that was tied with a string. It was uneven, like a dog's tooth cut in the middle. When I saw it, I knew. Because many years ago, my ancestor, the saint, gave me another piece of this bracelet. He told me to send it to him as a reminder when he needed help, because it was really important. So I pulled out the part that was hanging around my neck and connected it to the part that I was holding in my hand. It immediately clicked. "The king looked at this and nodded. Now, he was very surprised to see Lady Khamr so unexpectedly. So before we continue talking, tell me the name of the man who gave you the piece of clothing, where he is, and everything you know about him. So I told him that he was a priest of a great sect that lived under the shadow of the tombs called the Pyramids, that he was handsome despite his white hair and beard, that he was a very religious person, that he could talk to other spirits when he was alone in a quiet place, and that he knew everything that happened in Egypt, and that he could see in the dark like a cat because he had been in the shadows for so long. "So, he said, "That's enough. Because of his age, he didn't look good when he was young, but he must be the only one. Just listen to what I say, and his attitude changed immediately. "Your face is also smiling and clear. Shira's face is as if she had to take on an important task, your majesty."

"Well, keep talking."

Here, Khema vividly recounts the conversation between him and the boatman, "Taw," as follows.

"Listen to me, my lord, the king you raised in your youth has been killed by shepherds and is now in the tomb. So do you want his queen and daughter to follow this path?"

"What kind of question are you asking?"

"Well... I don't want you to go. But the danger they will encounter is great. Saint Roy already knows that they are planning to kill all three of you. The people involved in this plan are in this city, Your Majesty. In a day or two, they will come to the Queen, and since it is not safe to stay here, they will ask her to move them to another safe place. The place they will take them is not anywhere else. The prison in Tanyu City. If they cannot be summoned by force, they will forcefully capture them and hand them over to the shepherds."

"In that case, there is not much time. What is your plan, Your Excellency?"

"Here it is - my boat is carrying travelers who have fled from the town of Sioux due to the shepherds' persecution. A woman, exactly like Lady Kemar in size and appearance, came with me, claiming to be my sister. A young, pretty woman with a three-month-old baby in her arms, said she was my wife. I will tell the port officials the same thing. They will have to stay in this town for my friends, so they will sleep there. Do you understand me, Lady Ma?"

"I, the Queen, and the little girl understand that they need to take their places. Tell me when and how."

"I have a plan, Lady Khema, tonight I hear there is a festival to honor the god who guards the Nile. Many boats will be rowing the river with oil lamps. I will return to the harbor early so that I will not meet these boats. Before they arrive, I will open the boat to the wind and sail down the river. Come disguised as a peasant woman among these flocks of sheep."

"Where will this journey end, my dear?"

"We will end up under the shadow of the pyramids where the saint is waiting." The accommodation is poor, but the danger is safe, he said.

"We also imagined it before. But who knows if we are not caught in a trap now? Are you from the shepherds, or from the traitors? Are you not luring us for a bribe - who knows?

"It's a question worth asking - you've heard the message. You've received the ceremonial armband. I myself have sworn an oath. But in a matter of such risk, it's worth asking - I don't even know how to answer."

When they arrived at this place, Khema said to the Queen Mother, "Yes, Your Majesty.. How can I trust this person so quickly?"

"That's why I'm worried. I'm not worried about myself. I'm worried about the old lady and her little daughter."

"I know, Khmer.. keep talking."

“If you say this, it’s like he’s not sitting still, and he thinks that someone is watching us talk, even though this place is deserted. At that time, we were standing in a clearing with our backs to the dock, near a single tree. No one could see or hear us talking. To my left, there was a shrine with a deity statue. I saw that he was looking at this shrine. At that time, the snow had broken, and when he looked in the direction he was looking, he didn’t think there was anyone here before, but he saw an old man kneeling in the shrine, showing off his clothes. He also raised his head and asked, “Is it someone else? It’s my grandfather.” He was different from when he gave me his hand, he had changed a lot. So he asked if there was a great saint here, or if there were many saints. At that time, I said, “Yes, of course… I am.” I see. The saint is real, why didn't you tell me that he came on your boat? I ran to the shrine. But when I got there, I couldn't find anyone. There was no place to hide. So he said, "Good people are very strange people, Lady Khmer. They can be in the same place at the same time." So I said, "I hope you will meet me at the shrine." Then the queen agreed and said, "We must turn around without any disturbance. Where can we get the peasant ministers?" Then the forest went to the place where I first met him and took out an agate bag from behind a stone. In this bag were the clothes we needed. "Okay... I hope you will wear these clothes and wait here for two hours before you go to the temple the next day," the forest said, and left. So I, "I can't help but feel sad that I'm returning to the palace, but I'm going to say it now, because I've made up my mind not to say anything until I know how the nobles will respond today."

"Please open the package, Mama."

"I've seen it, Your Majesty.. As you said, there are the kinds of clothes that peasant women wear when traveling. They even brought a shirt for your daughter."

"Come and see"

Queen Rima and the chief minister Khema looked at the clothes that the ' Ta ' had brought in their private chambers and then hid them somewhere. The queen was still living in the palace, but the outer gates of the palace were guarded by soldiers, and at the entrance to the palace was one of Para's three servants, a giant named Ru, a Viennese man. Ru had carried six shepherd warriors from the battle after King Para had fallen in battle. The queen and the chief minister were sitting together in a conversation near the bed where the princess was lying.

The queen was very nervous. She stared at the sleeping princess and paced the room, "Your plan is very dangerous. If you run to Memphis as you say, it will be the same as falling on your face. I'm talking about the messenger from the high priest. But the high priest is not here now, Khmer. So is it possible to arrest us?"

"The armband is still there, my lady. Look... The one-piece and one-piece fit together seamlessly."

"The next thing I know is that you're right. If you know that Shin gave you a piece of the puzzle, is it possible that he somehow took the rest from you to deceive us? This person is not your friend.

“I didn’t know who he was. So I was still skeptical in my mind about whether to believe him or not, but when I saw that he was the saint himself, I believed him.”

"That's right.. But think about it, Khmer. The Egyptians are skilled in magic and sorcery, aren't they? Why are you the only one who saw that the goddesses appeared to you and blessed your daughter?"

"My dear, I dreamt about you too."

"I dream. But I don't think it's important to dream, do you? I dream like this everywhere I go. I've seen the old man who lives far away again. Are you just imagining things? -- And why are the gods in Egypt different from the gods in Weiweilong?"

"Just as people are different from each other -- so are spirits, Your Majesty. Each has its own country and its own spirit."

'Well.... That's probably true. So what a stranger says.... You see. It's not good to risk it with evidence. This matter is not only about my life and death, but also about the throne of Egypt. I dare not believe this man's words. If I believe him and go by boat, will I only end up down the Nile? Will I end up in the shepherds' prison? " | Isn't it better to stay where you are? Your gods are.....