Meritptah Shemsu-Ra
Mut Nisut Meritptah Shemsu-Ra
A Queen by Circumstance, a Pawn in the Game of Nobility
Meritptah was born into House Shemsu-Ra, a family that, only a generation ago, was nothing more than prosperous merchants. Their wealth came from trade, dealing in rare spices, exotic silks, and precious metals, making them one of the most influential trading houses in Kemet. It was the father of Akl-Abanoub III Suten-Amen, who granted them noble status, elevating them into the ranks of the court in recognition of their loyalty and financial contributions to the kingdom.
Despite this newfound status, Shemsu-Ra was never fully accepted among the old noble families. Their origins in trade were seen as unworthy, their bloodline lacking the prestige of dynasties that could trace their ancestry back for centuries. Their nobility was a matter of political convenience, not tradition.
Meritptah’s fate was decided not by her own ambition, but by the ambitions of her house. She was offered as part of a diplomatic arrangement, given to Pharoah Akl-Abanoub III as a wife in a gesture of unwavering fealty. She had no illusions about her purpose—she was to secure Shemsu-Ra’s future and cement their place within the royal court.
Her greatest triumph came when she bore the Pharaoh a son, Pharaoh Akl-Abanoub IV Suten-Amen, the first living male heir. This single act secured her influence within the royal harem, allowing her to rise to the same status as the Pharaoh’s favourite wife, Anippe-Pakhet Khepri-Djeser. Yet, it was a bitter victory, for Meritptah knew that she was not loved, only needed.
She resented Anippe-Pakhet, despising how the Pharaoh favoured her despite the fact that she had failed to produce an heir. Their rivalry was quiet but fierce, fought in whispers and courtly maneuvering rather than outright confrontation. Anippe-Pakhet had the Pharaoh’s heart, but Meritptah had given him what he needed most—a son.
Despite her rise, she never forgot where she came from. She understood the precariousness of her position, knowing that one misstep could send her and her house back into obscurity. She played the game of courtly politics carefully, ensuring that her son’s position remained untouchable and that she kept her title of Mut Nisut.
Unlike many of the women in the royal harem, Meritptah did not see her son as a tool for personal power, nor did she manipulate him into being her instrument. She was deeply aware that his survival meant her own, but she also saw in him something that the court never would—potential beyond being a mere figurehead. She raised him with caution, instilling in him an understanding of courtly dangers, the value of loyalty, and the necessity of power.
She was not an affectionate mother, nor a cruel one. She was practical. She did not fill Akl-Abanoub IV’s head with grand notions of love or trust, for those had no place in a ruler’s life. Instead, she taught him to see people for what they were, to measure every alliance carefully, and to wield power with intelligence rather than brute force. If she had any ambition beyond securing her house, it was to see her son not just survive, but rule wisely and outlive those who underestimated him.
Her greatest fear was that, despite all she had done, the old noble families would never allow the son of a Shemsu-Ra woman to rule unchallenged; this was somewhat realised when, prior to his death, Akl-Abanoub III decreed the marriage of her son to Anippe-Pakhet's daughter, Pharoah Auset I Suten-Amen. Furious about this, but sensible enough to keep it to herself, she sought out allies amongst noble families - promising them that their daughters could join her son's harem and potentially sideline Auset entirely.
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