Act 2

Tut Ankh Amon leaves the palace incognito and explores the marketplace in Memphis. He is shocked to find that his people are far less from being well off. There are many beggars and almost everyone complains about the exploitative taxation. Show me your wares
Upon his return to the palace Tut Ankh Amon uses his authority for the first time. He demands a fairer system of distribution for the harvest. The Members of the Royal Court are in an uproar. Ofir collapses out of anxiety and must be treated by the palace physician Meba. Ay is proud of his protégé who has finally shown some backbone and is providing for his people. Haremhab has to give in and retreats humiliated, but still very sure of himself.

The Strong Prevail

Ankhesen Amon, who as queen is the incarnation of Hathor, the goddess of love, dances with her priestesses in honor of the goddess. Dance of Life
Her thoughts are, however, with her husband. She now sees the true being within Tut Ankh Amon and is sorry she had misjudged him. Tut Ankh Amon appears in the temple and the two teenagers come to the conclusion, at first hesitantly and somewhat awkwardly, that their band of friendship that started as children has become a band of love, meant for eternity.

Can You Feel the Rush?

Haremhab is, for his own reasons, pleased that their relationship has deepened. He has started spinning a cunning web of intrigue. Without informing Tut Ankh Amon, supposedly for the purpose of securing the peace between Nubia and Egypt, he has arranged a marriage between the Pharaoh and princess Saamiya, the daughter of the Nubian king, Kashta. She should become his second royal wife. Tut Ankh Amon and Ankhesen Amon who have sworn eternal fidelity are shocked. As Tut Ankh Amon discovers that Saamiya has been forced to leave her true love behind in Nubia he decides to allow her to return. Everyone, even Ay is outraged at this. Kashta will certainly see the refusal of his gift of a royal princess as a brutal violation of his honor, and the ramifications are clear. Tut Ankh Amon is convinced he is doing the right thing because he is following his heart, and believes king Kashta will understand. Because Egypt’s prosperity is directly connected to the annual flooding of the fields by the Nile Tut Ankh Amon sails, as is the duty of the Pharaoh, out onto the Nile to invoke Hapi the god of the Waters. Invocation On The Nile

When an arrow hits the lead bull of a herd of Hippos the animals panic. In their headless flight they capsize Tut Ankh Amon’s boat. The Pharaoh finds himself underwater, caught between the huge bodies of the animals running amok and sinks to the bottom. Since the search for the Pharaoh had gone on unsuccessfully for three days a power struggle breaks out in the Court.

Wrath of the Gods

Ay and Haremhab both try to claim leadership and Ankhesen Amon tries to put them in their place. Suddenly a group of lookouts enter the Hall and report that the water level of the Nile is unexpectedly rising greatly. One of the lookouts unmasks himself and he turns out to be Tut Ankh Amon. The Pharaoh has the arrow that hit the hippopotamus as proof that he was the victim of an assassination attempt. But that’s not all the bad news. Ankhesen Amon informs her husband that princess Saamiya and her entourage where ambushed and killed on their way back to Nubia. King Kashta is already marching with his army towards Egypt. Tut Ankh Amon sees Haremhab as the perpetrator of this unlucky “coincidence” but cannot prove it. He wants to spare his people a war with Nubia at any price and decides to face Kashta and his army alone. Ankhesen Amon begs the gods to protect her husband on his dangerous mission. You and I

At the Nubian army camp, Tut Ankh Amon is able to persuade Kashta, who is blind with rage and grief over the death of his daughter, to stop his campaign against Egypt and duel with Tut Ankh Amon, man against man.

Duel with Kashta

Tut Ankh Amon wins the bitter fight, spares Kashta’s life and offers his friendship. The two kings declare their respect for one another and vow to keep peace between their two countries. On his way back to Memphis, Tut Ankh Amon is beset with dark premonitions. He feels his end is near and wrangles with his fate. Will Anyone Remember Me Tut Ankh Amon receives a triumphant welcome upon returning home. Alone with Ankhesen Amon it is clear that she too feels their impending farewell. They swear eternal love for each other and don’t want to think of the future they only want to enjoy each moment they have. Every Moment With You

Tut Ankh Amon must leave, never to return....

Eternity Is In Every Breath You Take

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