Now I can breathe a sigh of relief. Actually don't know whether to laugh or cry to be honest.

It's not what you are thinking either.

I met my husband today. Even though it's what I have always dreamed about, my mind is in turmoil. What I have known (the court, music, my friends) will all vanish as I start my new life as a wife.

I don't know anything about being a wife or running a household. My only hope is that some of the slaves that we get will be trained in this so they can teach me.

My whole life has been music. Either at the temple with my father or here at Pharoah's court. I honestly don't know what I am thinking at the moment.

I can't tell if I am outraged at what Pharoah has done or not. It's what I have wanted (to have a husband and kids) since I was little girl but I guess the way it was done was a little abrupt.

Fortunately it happened after the concert. Ahhhh yes, the concert.

My mind is wandering today. I can't focus on anything. I wonder why?!?!?! ;-)

I will say that the concert went off without a hitch. I knew the solo would be "alright on the night". I worried for nothing.

That dignatory??? Well, it was the Nubian after all. I was so disappointed. I thought it might have been someone from the far-east talking about the wonders he had seen and the goods that he had aquired.

Everyone gets so excited when there are new spices or new exotic scents and cloth.

But it was just someone that Pharoah had invited to talk with him on an existing trade route. Totally boring.... :-(

Well, it's getting close now. If I thought the palace was in an uproar at the start of the week, this can't really be compared to that. It's frantic!

I will be definitely looking forward to my holiday after this concert.

But for now I have to concentrate. My best flute is starting to become a little hard to play. I'm not sure whether it just needs a cleaning again (although I'm sure I did one a couple of days ago) or it needs more attention.

Fortunately I have a back up flute just in case but there is something about this flute that works well and has the right resonance for the pieces that we are playing.

Even though it's a stressful time for everyone, especially the soloists, we still have the occasional laugh.

What was it that made us crack up laughing.... ohhhh yes, I remember now. One of the Nubian dancers fell into the pool whilst they were practicing. They were doing a balancing act on the side of the pool and one of them overbalanced and landed head first into the pool! It was so funny!

Fortunately he wasn't hurt but I will never forget the look of horror on the chief dancer. Now that was funny!!!

I hope that he didn't get into too much trouble.

Speaking of trouble, a few of the servant girls got into trouble today. I am surprised that they weren't hauled off to the slave market to be sold.

One of the servants dropped a tray the perfumed cones on the floor. Waset was not happy. Actually not happy is probably an understatement. Furious wouldn't even come close either. He was just about to let fly when one of the senior advisors to the Pharoah came through the door.

Waset humbly bowed his apologies and both of them cleaned up the mess. I bet that when they got back to the kitchens, Waset probably did let her have it.

Getting back to the concert, I realised that it's tomorrow!! I think my nerves have just jumped ten fold.

I guess I will have to make a decision on my flute tomorrow just before the concert. If I fiddle with it now, it may be unplayable tomorrow. When we do the warmup, I will use both flutes and make the decision tomorrow as to which one I will use.

I better get a goodnights sleep then. Staying up late to write in my journal has calmed me but if I am bleary eyed, I won't be able to concentrate. So, this is the last entry before the concert.

I will let you know how it goes.... :-)

After practice, Norfret and I, sat around chatting about the dreaded up and coming concert. You know how girls are when we get together! :-)

Norfret saw a stranger walk past the doorway. It was someone who we haven't seen before. His clothes were not Egyptian. He was Nubian.

Still don't know who he is, probably a king or something. Every week, Pharoah gets a delegation from another land asking for help.

What a let down! Both Norfret and I were led to believe that it was someone really important! I will have to get back at Aiya for this! She knew all along but enjoyed seeing us squirm....

On that note (no pun intended), I think I will go to bed! Not much else happening anyway. Must go and find Jasmine and put her to bed too.

Goodnight :-)

Well, what can I say.....

Practice makes perfect I guess. I hear the concert music buzzing around in my head even though we have finished our scheduled practice for the day.

Ever get a song in your head that won't go away? It's driving me crazy!

My solo seems to be getting better although time will tell. I usually get them in the end but still a little nervous.

I think Norfret is the same as me. This concert next week is going to drive us both insane! Still haven't found out who this dignatory is yet. Might have to dig a little harder. I don't think Aiya knows but I will find out from someone. Mmmm..... I wonder if the Chief Scribe Peshdet, knows?

I really need to go out in the gardens, yet again, to lie down and hopefully relax with the perfume of the lotus. It always makes me unwind from a hectic day. I need something that doesn't involve music all the time.

But first, I must clean out my flute. It gets clogged up from all the playing. It's not an easy job but I would prefer to do it myself after what happened a couple of years ago.

I remember after the Feast of Opet, I asked Mandisa to get one of the servants of the house to do it. Never again. He wrecked my very best flute!

You are meant to use a papyrus reed to get up inside it and clean around the holes. Instead the servant used a stick and badly stratched the inside of it, thus altering the pitch. I was furious for days afterward!

Even though I hate doing it, I haven't lost a flute since. Well, I guess you can count out the one that was sat on by my mother or the one that was chewed up by the cat.

It was my fault for leaving them lying around. I know how much my cat Jasmine, likes to play with things. :-)

Speaking of her, I better go and put her to bed now. I am getting sleepy too. It's definitely that time of night.

Good night (YAWN!!!!) :-)

Not that this is a typical day, especially when the whole court is in an uproar! We have been told to practice hard for the concert to be held the next week. My fingers are aching from holding my flute, and my lips are dry and cracked from playing so much.

My friend, Norfret, a gifted musician on the lute, has callused finger tips and can hardly pluck the strings. Both of us are so tired. My wig feels heavy in the heat along with the ornate gold collar around my neck. Even my earrings feel heavy. Fortunately the linen tunic I wear is very cool.

Our conductor Aiya, has told us to rest the next day. I am pretty sure that I won't be going near my flute tomorrow.

The concert is for a visiting dignatory. As to who, we do not know but knowing the Pharoah, it is someone who needs to be impressed with Egyptian entertainment. Everyone who comes is impressed with Pharaoh's court.

We start with a few of the Nubian dancers and their drums. Their gyrating to the fast beat has everyone stunned. They keep in time to every single beat. Pharoah only pays for the best. They make everyone what to get up and dance themselves. Not that it's allowed. Pharoah would probably throw them in jail or have their heads cut off if they did that.

After the Nubians, comes the feast. Everyone gets so hungry watching them. Whilst the meal is being served, the Egyptian dancers come out. Scantily clad women twisting and turning to the beat of the drum. Some only wearing bracelets around their wrists and ankles and not much of anything else. The music is a little slower but still a lively beat.

After the feast is cleared away by the servants, the dancers become more suggestive. The music gets softer and more seductive. This is the time where the lute and the flute have their solos. Both Norfret and I have to work hard on those solos. I would hate to think what would happen if I hit a wrong note during the solo!

Maybe I should practice tomorrow after all.

Tonight I just want to go out into the lotus gardens and look up at the stars and empty my thoughts of this concert.

I have instructed my servant to put perfumed lotuses into the pool. Their sweet scent will fill the air and make me feel completely relaxed.