"But she laughed softly now that her anger was spent, and I led him
forth to seek a physician, who should bind up his wound. And when he was
gone, I returned, and spoke to her, wringing my hands.

"'Oh, Royal Lady, what hast thou done? Thou knowest well that thy divine
father destines thee to wed the Prince of Kush whom but now thou didst
smite so fiercely.'

"'Nay, Rei, I will none of him--the dull clod, who is called the son
of Pharaoh. Moreover, he is my half-brother, and it is not meet that I
should wed my brother. For nature cries aloud against the custom of the
land.'

"'Nevertheless, Lady, it _is_ the custom of thy Royal house, and thy
father's will. Thus the Gods, thine ancestors, were wed; Isis to
Osiris. Thus great Thothmes and Amenemhat did and decreed, and all their
forefathers and all their seed. Oh, bethink thee--I speak it for thine
ear, for I love thee as mine own daughter--bethink thee, for thou canst
not escape, that Pharaoh's bed is the step to Pharaoh's throne. Thou
lovest power; here is the gate of power, and mayhap upon a time the
master of the gate shall be gone and thou shalt sit in the gate alone.'

"'Ah, Rei, now thou speakest like the counsellor of those who would be
kings. Oh, did I not hate him with this hatred! And yet can I rule him.
Why, 'twas no chance game that we played this night: the future lay upon
the board. See, his diadem is upon my brow! At first he won, for I chose
that he should win. Well, so mayhap it shall be; mayhap I shall give
myself to him--hating him the while. And then the next game; that shall
be for life and love and all things dear, and I shall win it, and mine