THE GREAT LADY OF ALKION

CHAPTER 28

Charles handed his daughter over to Seti and smiled at them. Julian glared at the two. There was the woman he thought he would marry. She was the one Charles would hand over to him but here was someone else having the honour. He looked down and shook his head in disappointment.
Seti held her hand as he looked into her eyes.
"You look beautiful," he whispered.
"You look charming as well," she whispered back.
"Thank you," he mouthed as he led her to their designated seats. It was obvious that they were smitten with each other.
The wedding celebrant was a well learned sage from Alkion. He wore a red robe and black trousers and shirt. His hair was grey and he was about seventy seasons old.
He talked of the values needed in a marriage and the importance of being one in marriage so that it could last. He talked for a while and he called Astrid and Seti to the front. He helped her stand and led her by hand to the front.
"It is time to recite your vows to each other," the old man said as he held the silver plate on which two golden rings were. Astrid began her vows.
"I, Astrid, Princess of Alkion, do accept you, Prince Seti as my husband. I will honour and respect you all the days of my life. I will hold your hand and be there for you through the good and the bad until death parts us."
With those words she took a ring from the plate and slid it on his ring finger as the guests cheered and clapped. When the cheering died down, Seti began to recite his vows.
" I, Seti, Prince of Egypt, take you Astrid to be my wife. I will share the good and the bad times. I humbly give you my hand and my heart as I pledge my faith to love you. Just as this ring I'll give you is a circle without end, my love for you will be eternal. Just as it is made of incorruptible substance, my commitment to you will never fail. With this ring, I marry you."
As he put the ring on her finger, she looked at him as she tried to take in the vows he had recited to her. The cheering from the guests seemed so far away as she thought of each and every word he had said. They were the most beautiful words she had heard in her life and for some strange reason, she knew that he would fulfill what he had promised her.
"I now pronounce the two of you as  husband and wife," the old man announced and the room ran wild with claps and cheers for the newly weds.
Therese clasped her hands with joy as Charles put his hand over her shoulders. Very proud parents they were. Fabian and Aretha were equally happy for Astrid and mostly Anthony who had saved his kingdom and married his eldest granddaughter to a powerful empire.
Smenkhhare rolled his eyes when everyone cheered and Meritaten tried to lay her head on his shoulder but he moved away.
"You need to be happy for your brother," she said to him and he rolled his eyes in annoyance.
The newlyweds walked together hand in hand outside the big room as the other guests followed them outside. There would be a banquet outside in the gardens.
The king had decided to share the joy of the union with his subjects by providing wine fountains and food all over the villages in the kingdom to celebrate his granddaughter's wedding. It was her birthday too and he ensured that that would be a very big day worthy of her.
Many lined up to present their gifts to Astrid and Seti who sat at the front table. They also bowed before them as a sign of respect as well. Never before had Astrid smiled as much as she was on her wedding as presents were presented to her and her husband. That was very strange to her. She now had a husband.
Food was served in abundance with many delicacies both Egyptian and from Alkion. There were all kinds of meat ranging from pork, beef, fish, quail, mutton, wild boar, chicken to duck all served in expensive bowls.
There were Egyptian dancers to entertain the guests. They performed amazing feats, leaps, twirls and bending their bodies in tune with the music. This was an amazing performance that impressed the nobles of Alkion.
People drank the expensive wine provided to their satisfaction. Two out of those who drank it were not happy at all. Both were sad and infuriated because of one common person. Astrid.
" That's enough Smenkhare," Meritaten said as she took the wine goblet from him and he shook his head looking down.
"Why do you have to interfere with everything I do ?" he slurred. She blinked her tears away but this wouldn't be the first time she was trying to keep him from drinking much wine.
"Come on Smenkhhare. You need to pull yourself together. This is your brother's wedding and you can't embarrass yourself by drinking like this. You are still Pharaoh's son," she begged.
Ramses approached the two and Meritaten bowed.
"What's going on here," he asked as he looked at Smenkhhare who did not bother to acknowledge his father's presence as he took another gulp of wine.
"Smenkhhare is drinking too much and I want to stop him before he does something that could embarrass both of you."
"Smenkhhare," he called but there was no response."I am talking to you."
He took the goblet away and Smenkhhare looked at him." Why are you drinking too much ? Do you forget that you are a dignified prince of Egypt ?"
"I am sorry father but this is too much for me to accept. Seti is lucky once more. He is obviously favoured. He married the woman I would be marrying today."
" It's that again ?"
" What else father. If I could have her then everything would be fine but nothing is."
" You are married to Meritaten. If you need another wife, then you will find another but not your brother's wife. It is wrong."
" Meritaten ?" he laughed." I don't care for that woman. I only married her to maintain my honour and hers."
Upon hearing those words, she walked away feeling the sting deep in her heart. This was how much her husband disliked her. He had set his eyes on Astrid and she began to immediately dislike Astrid. If this continued, she would make Astrid's life miserable when they got back to Egypt.
" Stop complaining now because you should have thought through your actions before you did what you did. You should have known that sleeping with a priest's daughter before marriage would have you marry her."