An Egyptian Love Story

A special Valentine's Dat treat for those of you who liked "ANUBIS" and "A Father's Love". I only hope my stories are as good as Tehuti's (Tehuti 88- look her up here on ! ^^).

Rated PG for mild sensuality

Not much was said of Thoth in Egyptian mythology. True, his wisdom and loyalty to the other deities was heavily expressed, but besides that his character was somewhat vague. Apparently the Egyptians couldn't decide who his wife was, or if he even had one! However, there was one goddess that most ancient priests and modern Egyptologists could agree on as his consort. This is their story...

Thoth stood in the Great Library and Record Hall of Ra. He shuffled through various documents- plans for the new year, harvest season rotations, new souls entering the underworld, and other lists so long it would have taken three scribes to write one! So much to do yet, he thought, and so little time in which to do it all in.

A new figure entered the hall- the falcon-headed lord of the sun, Ra. "Greetings, Lord Thoth," he welcomed, approaching his divine scribe. "The great barge of the sun is due to leave at any moment. Shall I assume that you will assist me?"

Sighing, Thoth turned to Ra. "Oh, how I wish I could, Lord Ra," he replied, distressed. "However, I have much to do as far as organizing and finalizing these documents."

"It matters not- I shall have my daughter Lady Bastet assist me," Ra remarked, then noticing the hundreds of scrolls lying on the floor. "Lord Thoth, how many of these scrolls did I ask of you to rearrange?"

Picking up a scroll, Thoth held it to the light, to check for hidden details. "All of them," he replied, more enveloped in his duties than the conversation at hand.

Shocked, Ra grabbed the scroll from the ibis-headed deity of wisdom. "I requested that you account for every important document," he clarified. "Surely there are scrolls here which list only menial tasks and impossible figures!"

Clearly, Thoth was more than upset. "Do you question me, Lord Ra?" he inquired, his eyes intense.

Ra realized his mistake and gave the scroll back to Thoth. "I apologize, Lord Thoth," he said, still concerned, "but you do too much for me. Always I see you here- slaving over the scrolls and lists like the common scribe- and yet you ask for nothing in return. You deserve more than my undying gratitude."

Thoth stopped for a moment and turned his head. "Think nothing of it, Lord Ra," he stated. "You ought not concern yourself with my duties. Go, and rest assured that I am well."

Reluctantly, Ra turned and left for the sun barge. Thoth was always so careful, organized, level-headed, intelligent- he had done so much for him and their beautiful kingdom. There had to be a way he could truly thank him... but how?

Hours later, when the sun had completely risen above Kemet, Thoth was still in the library. His duties seemed to be going as well as could be expected. Despite how frustrating it was at times, he usually found his work to be rewarding.

Suddenly, five scribes stepped into the grand hall, each one grabbing a scroll. Confused, Thoth turned to them. "Scribes?" he thought aloud.

One of the scribes turned to Thoth and bowed at his feet. "Lord Thoth," he addressed, "Lord Ra has instructed his best scribes to assist you in your duties. Lady Maat has also come to your aid."

Before Thoth could ask for an explanation, a young woman entered the library. She was dressed somewhat plainly, but she was nevertheless beautiful. The elegant feather in her long black hair only added to her alluring image.

Wide-eyed, Thoth gazed at the woman in awe. Her beauty was indeed captivating- her simple clothes fell gingerly over her slender form, and her eyes... he could stare into them for all eternity and it would not matter to him.

The woman turned and approached Thoth, who was still a little shocked. "Lord Thoth, I presume," she said, extending her hand. "I am Lady Maat, goddess of truth."

Accepting her gesture, Thoth nodded and let a smile cross his crooked beak. "Welcome, Lady Maat," he greeted warmly. "I'm not in dire need of assistance, but I gladly accept what you have to offer."

A moment past, and neither on had said a word. Thoth could only smile and gaze at Maat, still holding onto her hand. She is a goddess, he thought.

Maat, however, was a bit unsure. "Lord Thoth," she remarked, "you may release my hand."

Caught off-guard, Thoth quickly released his hand. That must have seemed awkward, he thought worriedly. I do hope I haven't detoured her.

Just the same, Maat grinned. "Perhaps we should begin," she suggested. "What say you, Lord Thoth?"

Thoth smiled, relieved. "Yes," he replied with a nod, "perhaps we should..."

Later that evening, Thoth wandered away from the great hall. The documents had been taken care of for the day, and the scribes had long gone home. Even Maat had returned to her quarters... but his thoughts of her remained.

Other patrons of the palace- deities as well as servants- began to notice something odd of Thoth. There was a skip in his step, and a merry tune in his heart. He noticed almost everyone, complimenting the lowest of slaves to the highest of gods. Most of all, a bright smile crossed his face and his eyes lit aglow like the desert moon.

Stopping, Thoth gazed ahead. There stood the statues of Ra's children- Shu, Tefnut, Hathor, Sehkmet, Bastet, Ptah, and others. However, it was the statue of Maat which drew his attention.

The ibis-god stepped towards the Maat statue, life-sized as were the others. He circled the statue, examining every detail carefully. When once again he stood before its face, he placed his hands on its shoulders and stared longingly into its eyes. It has not the complexion of Lady Maat, he thought with a heavy sigh, but it is sadly the closest I shall be to her.

Suddenly, a new voice startled him. "Lord Thoth?" he inquired.

Thoth jumped in surprise, then turned to see the new figure. "Lord Ra," he addressed, relieved. "You... you startled me."

Cocking his eyebrows, the falcon-god took notice of the odd scene. "Pardon me for asking," he started, "but why do you examine the statue of my daughter Maat?"

Thoth could not answer. He would never dream of lying, but to tell Ra of this fascination with his daughter? He stepped down from the statue, hoping to end the subject matter.

After a moment of silence, Ra spoke once more. "I sent word for scribes to assist you in your duties, along with my daughter Maat," he recalled. "She is the truth, and seeks in diligently. I do hope she has relieved you."

Nodding, Thoth smiled. In more ways than one, he thought...

Days, weeks, months past. Every day, scribes came to the library and filed through documents, as did Thoth and Maat. Not much had changed- other than Thoth's occasional mannerisms, Maat's curiosity, and even Ra's suspicions to a certain degree.

Of course, Thoth had kept to his daily routine (he had to), but more often he would stop for but a moment to admire Maat. Truth be told, he would have gladly approached her, but to say anything unrelated to their duties was bold; he spent much time around the deities, but he was nevertheless a bit shy. He considered it reckless to even mention love to her, lest she understand his intentions and turn him away.

Just the same, Thoth never minded this secret affection. So long as Maat was near, and that she had none to give her own passions, he was fine with watching her from afar.

However, Maat was somewhat concerned. Thoth rarely spoke with her, and it was always about the documents. She noticed his habits- sometimes he would stare at her, other times he would hide his face from her. It was odd, and they needed to talk about it.

Sighing, Maat raised her hand. "Scribes, I bid you leave early at my request," she reported. "Lord Thoth and I shall handle the rest of the documents. Go!"

When the scribes had at last left, Maat approached Thoth and snatched the scroll from his hands. "Lord Thoth, I must speak with you," she requested. "It is important."

Thoth let a warm smile cross his face. "Speak, Lady Maat," he assured. "You have my undivided attention."

"I certainly do," Maat replied. "Lord Thoth, I notice how you stare at me, then look away. Why is that?"

His smile fading, Thoth stuttered, trying to think of an explanation. Could he tell her? Should he tell her? Would she perhaps feel the same?

Maat interrupted his thinking. "Also, why is it that you never speak?" she asked. "You talk of these documents, but what of your life? Don't you wish to tell me these things?"

Now Thoth was in even more shock- so much, unfortunately, that his heart couldn't bear it. Not thinking, he turned and ran from the courts, hoping that Maat would not follow.

Surprised, Maat covered her mouth. Oh dear, she thought. I wasn't to forward, was I? Goodness, I hope he'll be alright...

After a great deal of running, Thoth finally reached his quarters. He fell to the floor in exhaustion, and perhaps heartache. "How foolish I was," he muttered. "Lady Maat must only see me as a scribe, though as divine as she."

The ibis-god stood and sauntered over to his bed. "Perhaps I ought to think not more of these passions," he admitted. "It would be daft of me to even consider her the type of goddess who might..."

His words trailing off, Thoth laid down on the bed and sighed. "What a paradox," he thought aloud. "The god of wisdom, acting like a fool? A disgrace to my own name, no less." He closed his eyes, drifting into a peaceful slumber...

Ra strode along the quiet corridors. He never slept for more than a few hours, but even this was early for him. His senses were far too alert to sleep; perhaps it was a sign?

A familiar shadow drew Ra's attention. He turned and approached the figure. "Dear Maat," he addressed, "you seem upset, my daughter."

Nodding, Maat stepped out of the shadows. "I am concerned with your scribe, Lord Thoth," she confessed, raising an eyebrow. "Tell me, father- does he usually act so strangely?"

"Strangely?" Ra repeated. "He is intelligent, wise, dutiful, diligent, and kind, but I hardly think him strange... though I have noticed a few new feelings in him. Why do you ask?"

Sighing, Maat took the ostrich feather out of her hair and stroked it gently. "I see Lord Thoth every day, and his habits are quite unusual," she explained. "At many times, I have seen him stare at me, his eyes attentive and a smile across his crooked beak. The very next moment he stops, hiding his face with his hand or a scroll. He also seems quiet- very quiet. He never speaks a word to me about anything other than our duties. I realize that he is shy, but don't you find this at all odd?"

The falcon-god considered his daughter's words. It was indeed strange to stare in such a manner, and then look away; not once had he seen Thoth do anything of the sort. Not only that, but even the god of wisdom was not so silent to his own affairs. It all seemed strangely familiar.

Suddenly, Ra remembered an important detail- his eyes. He saw Thoth look at the Maat statue once before. Those were the same eyes Shu had for Tefnut, Geb for Nut, Ptah for Sehkmet, Horus for Hathor... and Osiris for Isis. Even Set- the enemy of the gods- had such eyes for Nephthys.

A grand smile crossed Ra's face. "Perhaps, my daughter, you should speak with him," he advised. "You may discover something of Lord Thoth you haven't before."

Maat shook her head. "I have tried, father," she informed. "He ran from me before he could truly answer my questions."

Still smiling, Ra continued on his way. "Ask again," he said. "Eventually, he will answer."

Though she would have debated further, Maat thought it best to at least try again. There wasn't anything at stake; why worry?

Thoth opened his eyes, finding himself in a beautiful garden. Every flower imaginable was in bloom, their perfume drowning out all others.

Then, a slender feminine figure walked past Thoth. She stopped and turned her head- Maat! She smiled, continuing her walk.

Quickly, Thoth stood and followed. her. The walk seemed endless, and still he could not approach her.

Saddened, Thoth sat beside a nearby pond, plucking the lotus bloom next to him. He breathed its scent, sighing in dismay.

A moment later, Maat approached Thoth and sat beside him. She gently touched the lotus bloom, caressing its soft petals.

In a gesture of kindness, Thoth gave the lotus bloom to Maat. They sat together awhile, and as he stood to leave she grasped his arm. He could not hear her, but he was certain that she had said, "stay."

Unsure, Thoth sat back down. At that moment, Maat laid her head on his chest, moving closer to him. He embraced her, nuzzling her cheek a little.

The lotus slipped through Maat's fingers and fell. It bloomed completely, and one soft petal touched the ground...

His eyes slowly opening, Thoth arose from his bed. A dream? he pondered. Only a dream?

Standing, Thoth looked outside the balcony. The moonlight brightened Ra's courtyards, from the smallest lotus to the tallest monument. It seemed to be a work of art all it's own.

The ibis-god smiled. "It is beautiful," he complemented, "but it still pales to the elegance of Lady Maat. She alone outclasses all of this..."

A though came to mind. Thoth walked over to his workspace and found a pen, some papyrus paper, and an inkwell. "A poem," he said, his very thoughts of her flowing upon the pages. "If I cannot show my affections outwardly, then this is how my passion shall be expressed. Perhaps one day- dare I be so bold- I will show this to her..."

Maat quietly approached Thoth's quarters. I'm going to get to the bottom of this, she thought. One way or another, I will find out what has Lord Thoth acting this way.

Once outside his courts, Maat hid behind one of the tall ebony pillars. She peered around the corner, watching Thoth write something one a papyrus scroll. He was working at an unusually fast pace, yet he hummed a merry tune to pass the time.

Now Maat was somewhat confused. She understood that he occasionally took some time off to write a few new incantations, but it was odd too see him so... excited.

At last, Thoth put down his pen. "Excellent work," he complemented, then looking dismayed, "but it could do with some more work. Read aloud, I could find the mistakes and work out the details." He cleared his throat, holding the scroll to the light...

My kind lady

Gentle lady

Most excellent,

Wondrous,

Beautiful lady

Each morn, I watch you come

Each eve, I see you leave

I view your eyes, those colored pools of light,

As you smile back, o lady of delight

Your wondrous, soothing voice encaptures me

Your lotus-petal lips, they rapture me

I long to feel your passionate kiss

To touch your delicate fingertips

I lose myself when you are near

But to lose you is my great fear

My heart would wake and leap for you,

My heart would ache and weep for you,

My dear sweet lady, I do love you...

Cringing, Thoth let the poem fall to the floor. "Mediocre at best," he commented, taking out another blank scroll. "I could do better."

Meanwhile, Maat stood still behind the pillar, her hand on her chest and her eyes wide with amazement. Such imagery, she thought as she watched Thoth sit down to write again. That poem came from his heart- it had to!

Maat stepped out from behind the pillar and approached the divine scribe. "Lord Thoth?" she addressed.

Thoth stopped writing and placed his pen down. "Lady Maat?" he whispered, turning to see who it was and jumping in surprise. "Lady Maat!"

Smiling, Maat watched as Thoth scrambled to brush the scrolls from his workplace. "I listened to that poem, Lord Thoth," she informed. "It was beautiful, exquisite."

Shocked to hear this, Thoth turned back to Maat. "Thank you," he replied, his head low in slight embarrassment. "It is my own composition."

"You write well," Maat complimented. "It sounded to me like a love letter. Do you have a lady friend?"

Eyes widened, Thoth did not speak. Here he was again- at that awful crossroads between love and heartache, and only Maat could determine the passage. He couldn't ask her- he feared that she would deny him.

The goddess sighed. "I see," she uttered, turning to leave. "I ought not pry into your personal affairs. Perhaps it is best this way."

Almost instantly, Thoth reacted on impulse. "Wait!" he cried out!

Halting, Maat turned back to Thoth. "Yes?" she inquired.

With a heavy sigh, Thoth reached for the ground and picked up the poem. "You may have it, Lady Maat," he answered. "Perhaps you should see."

Accepting it, Maat unfolded the poem and read to herself. Once finished, the heading drew her attention...

To My Dearest Lady Maat

Maat was speechless. I don't believe it, she thought. This wonderful, splendorous, awe-aspiring poem is... for me? Me? It is I he adores?

His heart heavy, Thoth noticed Maat's shocked expression. "I thought as much," he assumed, reaching for the poem. "I shall destroy it-"

Immediately, Maat pulled the poem away from Thoth. "No," she finally said. "I... I wish to keep it, Lord Thoth."

Thoth was surprised, to say the least. "You... you like it?" he pondered aloud.

Nodding, Maat grinned. "This poem, Lord Thoth- it flatters me," she admitted. "What have I done to deserve such desire?"

"You have always deserved it in my heart, Lady Maat," Thoth replied. "You never did anything to earn it- except, perhaps, come into my life in the first place."

The goddess blushed slightly, but she soon thought of something she hadn't before. "Lord Thoth, why did you not tell me sooner?" she asked.

His head hanging low, Thoth shuffled his feet. "I did not think you would... appreciate me," he confessed. "Though divine, I am but a mere scribe to Lord Ra, and you one of his most excellent children. I lack certain qualities that other, more attractive deities have."

Laughing, Maat shook her head. "Is that what worried you?" she inquired again. "Lord Thoth, you are more than a mere scribe- you have invented all knowledge, both human and divine! I may speak the truth, but you wrote it millennia before I knew it!"

Then, Maat approached Thoth, touching his arm. "Once more, outer beauty should not matter to you," she advised, looking him over, "though I must admit that I find you... well, quite attractive."

Shocked, Thoth felt his heart leap into his throat. "Attractive?" he repeated, his hands shaking.

Maat nodded once more. "Again, appearance does not matter," she said, taking his hands. "All that truly matters is who you are, and you are a wonderful being."

There was silence. Neither Thoth nor Maat spoke, or even moved, but both seemed to be sharing the same thought.

A moment later, Maat reached for Thoth's ibis head. "Bring your face forward," she requested. "I wish to see it closer."

Not hesitant, Thoth bent forward and looked into Maat's eyes. Those same eyes that had attracted him had brought him nearer to her. How he adored those eyes.

Smiling, Maat touched Thoth's lightly feathered face. ""You have a beautiful face, Lord Thoth," she complemented quietly. "So warm, so gentle..."

"Thank you," Thoth mouthed, drawing closer to her. The moment he yearned for so long was finally near.

Lost in her passions, Maat closed her eyes and looped her arms around his neck. Thoth embraced her, drowning in his emotions. They held each other close as their lips touched for the first time.

All the while, Ra stood in the shadows of the corridor. He smiled with pride, for with that tender show of affection, his scribe and his daughter had sealed their fate...

Outside the corridors, in Ra's courtyards, beside a small pool, a lotus flower bloomed in full. In the glistening moonlight, a single white petal fell into the water...

The End =^-^=