Only run not too fast lest you should fall upon that sword and it should pierce you." Now Tua, who had heard such words before from Asti, smiled again but made no answer.
"You need a husband to hold you back," went on Pharaoh; "some great man whom you can love and respect." "Find me such a man, my father, and I will wed him gladly," answered Tua in a sweet voice.

"Only," she added, "I know not where he may be sought now that the divine Amathel is dead at the hand of the Count Rames, our general and ambassador to Kesh." So when he grew stronger Pharaoh renewed his search for a husband meet to marry the Queen of Egypt.

Now, as before, suitors were not lacking, indeed, his ambassadors and councillors sent in their names by twos and threes, but always when they were submitted to her, Tua found something against everyone of them, till at last it was said that she must be destined for a god since no mere mortal would serve her turn.

But when this was reported to her, Tua only answered with a smile that she was destined to that royal lover of whom Amen had spoken to her mother in a dream; not to a god, but to the Chosen of the god, and that when she saw him, she felt sure she would know him at once and love him much.
After some months had gone by Pharaoh, quite weary of this play, asked the advice of his Council.

They suggested to him that he should journey through the great cities of Egypt, both because the change might completely re-establish his divine health, and in the hope that on her travels the Queen Neter-Tua would meet someone of royal blood with whom she could fall in love.