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.