Hatsu

In Short

Set in ancient Abydos during a time of rigid religious devotion and hidden political machinations, the narrative follows Princess Hatsu as she inherits a reluctant crown under the shadow of dying kings and plotting priests. Alongside her faithful Israelite companion Miriam and the mysterious military captain Alric, Hatsu navigates a world of hypnotic trances, sacred animals, and escalating divine conflict. As the prophet Moses demands freedom for enslaved Israelites, Egypt faces catastrophic plagues and the death of its firstborn. The story endures through its blend of historical romance and mystical drama.

The Story

As Tothmes the First lies dying in the Palace of Tears at Abydos, Princess Hatsu faces a grim destiny dictated by royal tradition and political survival. Surrounded by the silent worship of animal deities and the heavy decrees of the priesthood, Hatsu laments her lost faith and the crushing weight of the golden crown she is expected to wear. Meanwhile, Alric, a handsome captain of the king's guard and a skilled practitioner of occult arts inherited from his Syrian grandfather, uses hypnotic trances on Hatsu’s loyal Israelite attendant, Miriam. Through these trances, Alric probes hidden memories and secures his position as an eternal sentinel dedicated to protecting Hatsu against the internal dangers of the royal court.

Guided by Zelas, the great high priest of Osiris, Hatsu is eventually presented to the populace as their queen, surrounded by sacred beasts and symbols of divine favor. However, true stability eludes the court. Years later, under the reign of the impaired Tothmes the Second—an afflicted king led by a young child—the kingdom faces a severe reckoning. The Hebrew prophets Moses and Aaron arrive as emissaries of the God of Israel, demanding repeatedly that the Pharaoh release their people from bondage. The queen defiantly rejects the warning, dismissing the prophecies of natural disasters and divine retribution.

As predicted by the prophets, the land suffers through a series of devastating plagues, culminating in the final, agonizing curse: the death of the firstborn throughout all of Egypt. The young prince passes away, eager to lead his deceased father through the golden gates of heaven, while the impaired king also perishes. Amidst widespread wailing and utter devastation, the remaining restraints are broken, and the Israelites finally depart to freedom under divine guidance. Tothmes the Third remains behind to begin the arduous task of rebuilding Egypt into a stronger, wiser nation.

Following these momentous events, Hatsu, Alric, and Zelas vanish completely without a trace, leaving no mortal witness to their departure. Centuries later, a mysterious parchment scroll recovered from Syria reveals the truth behind the centuries-old legend. Written by an aging Alric at the close of his long life, the manuscript recounts the hidden maneuvers, the occult mastery, and the enduring personal bonds that tied him to Miriam, Hatsu, and their child across the vast expanse of time.

How It Unfolds

The dying king On a luminous summer evening in the ancient city of Abydos, Tothmes the First lies upon his deathbed within the solemn Palace of Tears. Princess Hatsu sorrows deeply over her inescapable duty to the throne while her faithful Israelite attendant, Miriam, counsels patient obedience to the laws of the land and the gods.

The hypnotic bond Captain Alric uses a small glass disk and focused willpower to place Miriam into a deep, obedient trance within the stone temple halls. Through this occult control, he learns of past existences and swears his absolute, unyielding loyalty to protecting the troubled princess from court intrigues.

The divine ascension Guided by the mysterious high priest Zelas, Hatsu experiences a mystical encounter within the inner sanctuary of the temple. She is subsequently pushed forth before the adoring populace, who enthusiastically hail her as their divinely favored queen amid fawning sacred animals and drifting flower petals.

The Hebrew warning Years later, the shepherd prophets Moses and Aaron appear before the lavish court of Tothmes the Second to demand freedom for the enslaved Israelites. Despite urgent warnings from the king's afflicted young son and the looming threat of natural calamities, Queen Hatsu defiantly refuses their requests.

The final reckoning A series of devastating plagues breaks the strength and spirit of Egypt, culminating in the tragic death of the firstborn on the very night the impaired king passes away. The young prince gently slips away to guide his father into heaven just before the Israelites finally depart.

The hidden scroll Centuries after Hatsu, Alric, and Zelas vanish into apparent myth, a Syrian scholar finally decodes an ancient parchment scroll left behind. Written by an aging Alric in his twilight years, the recovered text reveals the true, enduring human heart behind the legendary Egyptian history.

The People

Princess Hatsu desires personal freedom and truth, but her path is blocked by royal duty, religious expectation, and political survival. She ultimately accepts the crown as a revered queen before mysteriously vanishing into legend. Miriam, a wise Israelite maid and nurse, wants safety and peace for her mistress, yet finds herself entangled in court secrets and hypnotic control by Alric. She remains steadfastly loyal and maternal, deeply attached to the royal children. Alric, a captain of the guard and sorcerer of Syrian descent, wants above all to serve and protect Hatsu from afar, though his love for her complicates his life and his marriage to Miriam. He ends his days as an aging mystic in Syria, recording the hidden truth of these events on a cryptic scroll. Zelas, the high priest of Osiris, wishes to guide Egypt's leadership through divine theater and political manipulation, successfully placing Hatsu on the throne before vanishing alongside her. Tothmes the Second, the impaired and childlike king, wanders through a court dominated by stronger wills until his death during the final plague. His young son, possessed of prophetic insight, wishes only to guide his father to heaven and peacefully passes away to join him.

In Its Own Voice

Reflecting on the heavy burdens of her royal inheritance and her deep grief, the princess laments her absolute disillusionment with the established religious order.

"There are no Gods! there is no one God!"

Describing his unique and irreverent perspective on his tedious duties within the temple, the captain expresses his open disdain for traditional mortuary rituals.

"Perhaps, I say, if you had been selected and then detailed to instruct the natives as to the salting and other disgusting mortuary preparations, you would have come in time to regard these things as I do, as only powerful through their offensiveness to one's nostrils!"

Speaking with gentle authority inside the inner sanctuary, the high priest reveals his vital role in shaping the royal lineage.

"I am, Princess, Zelas, the High Priest of Osirus."

What It's Really About

The book explores the tension between institutionalized religious dogma and genuine spiritual longing. Through the ancient Egyptian setting, it questions the validity of ritualized worship, animal veneration, and absolute obedience versus individual conscience. It also examines the intersection of political power and occult influence, suggesting that history is often shaped by hidden forces and secret maneuvers rather than public pageantry alone. Beneath the exotic romance and biblical parallels lies a deeper inquiry into human memory, destiny, and the enduring nature of love across time. Fessenden uses the contrast between rigid Egyptian traditions and the monotheistic conviction of the Israelites to probe how societies handle crisis, governance, and spiritual transformation.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate turn-of-the-century historical romance mixed with melodramatic mysticism and biblical epic elements will find a fascinating literary curiosity here. Reading this work feels like stepping into a heavily ornamented, incense-laced Victorian parlor interpretation of the ancient Nile, complete with secret glass disks, hypnotism, and dramatic royal posturing. It offers a distinct window into how early twentieth-century American authors imagined ancient civilizations through an intensely romanticized lens. Modern readers should be prepared for period-specific language, stylized dialogue, and an earnest, breathless narrative pace that prioritizes emotional grandiosity over strict historical realism. Despite these dated conventions, the atmospheric world-building and the peculiar blending of Egyptian mythology with Hebrew history create a memorable and unusual literary artifact. What stays with you long after finishing is the haunting image of the silent stone cities, the hypnotic trances conducted in shadowed temple corridors, and the lonely, cryptic scrolls left behind by extraordinary figures lost to the mists of time.