sahure is known to have been succeeded by neferirkare kakai, who until 2005 was believed to be his brother. that year, a relief originally adorning the causeway of sahure's pyramid and showing sahure seated in front of two of his sons, ranefer and netjerirenre, was discovered by verner and another egyptologist, tarek el-awady. next to ranefer's name the text "neferirkare kakai king of upper and lower egypt" had been added, indicating that ranefer was sahure's son and had assumed the throne under the name "neferirkare kakai" at the death of his father. since both ranefer and netjerirenre are given the titles of "king's eldest son", verner and el-awady speculate that they may have been twins with ranefer born first. they propose that netjerirenre may have later seized the throne for a brief reign under the name "shepseskare", although this remains conjectural. the same relief further depicts queen meretnebty, who was thus most likely sahure's consort and the mother of ranefer and netjerirenre. three more sons, khakare, horemsaf, and nebankhre are shown on reliefs from sahure's mortuary temple, but the identity of their mother(s) is unknown.