THE GREAT LADY OF ALKION

CHAPTER 35

Minutes turned into hours. Hours into days. Days into weeks and soon, a month had passed by since Astrid set foot in the Egyptian royal household. By now, she was already used to the palace life. She knew her allies and enemies well enough and despite this knowledge, she had to live on. Survival would be the best thing she would have for herself. Lucky for her, there was her trustworthy maidservant and her husband, Seti, who adored her. She and her husband had grown closer and she had learned to love him as he loved her. They had profound memories together and the only problems were that he was often sent away by the Pharaoh for official business and he couldn't bring her along. The second problem was Smenkhhare. Never once did he cease to show his desire for her and this brought along ill feelings from Meritaten who despised Astrid. Smenkhhare had appeared outside Astrid's chambers drunk  thrice before in need of her but she turned him down. On this new day, she had to listen to him.
She was sitting in the royal garden basking with Luciana beside her. Seti had been sent on a week long mission to Nubia and this was the perfect chance for Smenkhhare to approach the beauty freely. With a quick wave of his hand, the maidservants waiting on Astrid left at once.
" What are you doing here ?" Astrid asked when she saw him. She had to keep distance from him if she was to avoid trouble.
"I just need to speak to you. You have always avoided me and now that Seti is not here, it's a perfect moment for us to."
" You smell like a winery and I can feel it from here," she said as she sat up.
" It's nothing," he said and sat beside her. He really didn't get the meaning of space as she had told him earlier.
" I should go," Astrid said as she stood up ready to leave.
" Don't leave yet. I just got here and I need to have a chat with you. You look beautiful in that blue dress. I can't help but look at how great it is on you. I can see how lovely your neck and shoulders are. Not to mention all your beautiful features," he smiled as he took in her beautiful body. Oh how he wanted to have her in his arms and make her his. He licked his lips and continued to ogle shamelessly.
" I have things to do."
"Don't be as proud as Seti is. Why not stay here with me and let's have some fun."
"I don't have the time for that."
" You can't walk out on me," he roared." You were supposed to be my woman and I will make you mine."
"I will never be with a man like you."
"Oh, so you can only be with dear little Seti ? He is nothing compared to me."
"I forbid you to talk about him with disrespect. And yes, I can only be with him because he is a decent and honorable man unlike you who does nothing but indulge in wine all the time and care less about whatever goes on around him."
"Don't throw my faults on my face ever," he hissed." I can destroy you Astrid together with Seti. Don't push me."
" Oh really ? Go ahead Smenkhhare. Go ahead and if you lay a finger on Seti, you will find out that I am capable of doing worse things than you to protect those I love."
" Love ?" he said in a low tone. " You love Seti ?" he chuckled." He really is lucky. He does nothing and gets it all. From father's and the kingdom's favour, a good wife and success while I keep scheming and get nothing."
He bowed his head and Astrid heard a sniffle from him. Was he crying ?
" Go away from me," he whispered. She decided to do as he said.
"No. Wait. Don't go," he said as he held her wrist. On it was a wonderfully beaded bangle. He could tell that it was crafted and made by Seti. He had laughed at Seti for crafting jewellery when they were young but now he wished he could do it so he could please the woman before him." Sit down please," he begged.
She sat and looked away from him. Her mind wandered off to Seti. She really missed him even though he had left two days before. She would accompany him as he did his duties in the city and she would not get stuck with his regularly drunk brother.
" Astrid, I. I. There's something I feel I need to tell you. I don't know why but ever since I saw you, I always felt the need to tell you whatever was in my heart. I want to be a good man because of you."
With a quick look at him, she saw him looking at the ground.
" What do you want to tell me ?"
"I have been having a problem since I was young. I really need to get it off my chest and move past it."
" Go on."
" It's about my mother, Neith."
Astrid had heard bits of stories about Neith from the gossip Luciana had heard from the harem. Neith's death was related to the death of Seti's mother so she dared not ask him. She couldn't ask Asenath too nor Khafirin. It seemed that she could now get the whole story from Smenkhhare.
" I have never managed to move on after her death. She was killed when I was just eleven. Do you know something, Astrid ? If she had died because of some other cause, I would have moved on and accepted her death long ago but I can't when I know clearly that my own father killed her off."
Astrid took in a deep breath. This was not what she had expected. Smenkhhare looked at her and in his eyes, she could only see pain and hurt. Before her, he was not the mighty and fearsome man but a vulnerable man.
" She. She killed Seti's mother out of her jealousy. Mother always told me to be the best for father so that I would be made crown prince and so she could elevate her status. She also told Rashida to be charming and ensure that she was well educated so she could also earn father's favour even if she was a princess. Mother did that all the time and made sure to tell us that we deserved better than Seti did and look where her greed brought me and Rashida. We had to work hard to earn father's love when mother was found guilty of killing the Great Wife. I especially, had to work harder because I was a son to him and he had his favourite, Seti."
She now understood why he was arrogant and why he demanded fear from everyone. He had to do it not only to seem worthy to be Pharaoh's son but also to look unaffected by his mother's actions and make people know that he was powerful.
"I am really sorry to know what happened to you," Astrid whispered as she placed her hand on his shoulder. His stuff shoulders relaxed at her touch.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you a while ago."
"It's alright Smenkhhare. I forgive you."
" You must see me as a weakling now that you know that I am vulnerable," he tried to smile but failed." You must think that I am a lesser man who still cries over his mother's death and who wants to be favoured by his father."
" I don't see you as a lesser man for opening up to me. It's brave of you to actually. I'd just tell you to accept what happened. I know that Pharaoh loves you. He is not one to show his emotions to all but I see how he looks at you with pride. Don't feel bad about what your mother did. She made her choice and you're better than being a schemer. Just be a good and decent man and you will get the right things you deserve. Quit too much drinking as well. You're better than that Smenkhhare."
He took her hands in his when she stood up and kissed them. Just then Meritaten walked in on them.
" What is going on here ?" she shouted.