THE GREAT LADY OF ALKION

CHAPTER 62

"Oh my goodness!" Astrid said and Anippe looked at the ground.
"My lady!" Baka gaped.
"Get out. Now!" Astrid ordered and he did as he was told." You too Anippe. Leave us."
"How dare you barge into my room without knocking ?" Rashida shouted as soon as Anippe left." You really have no respect for me."
"I wanted to see you and Anippe opened the door. I didn't expect to find you in the arms of Baka. What are you even doing Rashida ?"
" What ? What is your problem with it ? Stay away from me and my life Astrid. I am warning you."
" I will not leave you alone after seeing that. Why are you even with him ?"
" It is because I love him. Do you have a problem with that ?"
" Him ? Baka ? He does not love you and is only using you for your wealth. Do you know that he fools around with the women in the palace ? He has made some moves on Luciana. Do not trust him."
" I won't do that. He loves me and I know that he will stop that. He is a  man after all and I can understand that he has desires."
" He will stop that ? You seriously can't believe that."
" I believe him. When I tell my father about us and we get married, he will love me wholly."
" I can't even believe this. Can't you see that he does not care for you ? Even Seti knows about his character. How about when your father learns about this ?"
" You will not say a single word to him. I will do it by myself and at my own time. Stay away from this."
" Rashida," Astrid said as she supported herself on the table feeling disappointed." You are wiser than this. You will lose a lot if you do this."
" I know the value of relations and I will maintain all of them. My family's and those I have with Baka. I don't care if my father strips me of my titles. Didn't he have mother killed ? Stripping me of my titles is nothing to me."
" For such a shameless man, you are willing to throw your life away. Do you think he will be willing to lose his position as army general for you ?"
" I now see why Meritaten hates you. You just bring out and see the worst in everything. You have to ruin other's lives but you will not ruin mine."
" I see that you will not change your mind. For your sake and for your happiness, I will not allow you to end up with such a man," Astrid said and left the room.
" Ugh!" Rashida screamed and began to throw away the pillows on her bed and the pots in her room.
Anippe came running in and held Rashida's arms.
" Please stop this my lady. Calm down please. Calm down."
" I hate this day Anippe. I hate it. Nobody cares about me. I can't take it anymore. I just can't," she cried as she fell to the floor.
"I am here my lady. Calm yourself."

" You seem angry my lady," Bennu said as she rubbed Meritaten's shoulders.
" That foolish Rashida had the nerve to throw my background into my face and laugh about it. I will not let her step on me just because she is the daughter of the Pharaoh. It's time I put her in her place. I have tolerated her for so long and I am sick of it. I am tired of pretending that I even like her. She has been a thorn on my side since I married Smenkhhare and it tires me to follow her around and talk to her."
" We are lucky to have something against her. Her relationship with Baka. Pharaoh will be so furious when he learns that his only daughter is messing around with Baka. Our people whispered to me that he sneaks into her room a lot."
" Maybe Pharaoh needs to see his future son in law. Don't you think ?"she laughed.
There was a knock at the door and Bennu rushed to open it. A man whispered something into her ears and she smiled. She shut the door and rushed to Meritaten.
"Who was it ?"
"Our ears my lady. Something big has happened. Astrid and Rashida got into a heated argument and it was about Baka."
" The gods are on my side. This will be a good chance to kill two birds with one stone. Now listen to what you must do," she said and began to tell Bennu her plan.

In the corridor, Astrid walked quickly towards her room when she suddenly felt some painful cramping on her stomach. She groaned and supported herself with the walls but the pain came on more and more. She sat on the ground groaning in pain. She wanted to call out for help but she couldn't.
Coincidentally, Thutmose and Asenath were walking around and they spotted her now lying on the ground. They both rushed towards her.
"Astrid!" Thutmose called out as he tried to shake her gently.
"Blood!" Asenath shrieked when she spotted some blood on her light blue dress."Take her to her room. I will get father."
Thutmose walked fast rushing her to her room. He kicked the door open with one foot and lay her on the bed and Luciana who was cleaning the room was alarmed.
She kept groaning and clutching onto her stomach crying,"My child."
Khafirin dashed into the room and began to examine her. Soon, Seti, Ramses and Smenkhhare rushed inside.
"How is my wife ?" Seti asked as he knelt beside her.
"Her pulse is steady but I think that she got agitated by something and it is harmful for the child. Her distress harmed the child."
" The child ?How is it ?"
"It is well. She is lucky that I got to her early enough else we don't know what would have happened."
" Khafirin, take good care of her and my grandchild," Ramses said firmly in his hoarse voice.
"I will sire."
"My child. My child," Astrid said in a low tone as she rubbed her belly.
"Our child is doing well my love," Seti said as he placed her palm on his cheek." I am here. Nothing bad will happen to the both of you."
"I will have to prescribe some foetal stabilizing tonics for her. She cannot bear to be under stress or it will harm the royal child," Khafirin said.
"How did this even happen ?" Ramses asked." Are you not her maidservant ? You are supposed to be with her everywhere. How comes she got into this condition ?"
Luciana kneeled quickly and looked to the ground.
"My lady went to talk to Lady Rashida after ordering me to remain here."
"You have failed in your duty. You have to keep watch over her!" he roared.
"I have failed my lord. Punish me," she cried and kowtowed.
"She did not know that this would happen my lord," Thutmose said.
"Luciana is a good servant to Astrid, father. It was not her intention," Seti said." Please leave us alone. She needs rest."
They all left the room and Seti looked at his wife.
" Astrid," he called her as he pat her hair.
" Oh Seti. Our child was harmed because of me," she cried.
" What happened when you went to see Rashida ?"
" We had a misunderstanding Seti and I got agitated. It is not her fault. Please don't cast blame on her."
" What was it about ?"
" It was nothing serious. I promise."
" You don't need to. I know that you do not wish to tell me what it was about. I will not force you. Forget it. Khafirin has said that you need to rest. I will change you out of your dress and you will rest."
" Thank you."
" For what ?"
" For being there for me and our child. You have always watched out for us."
" It is my duty to and it's nothing I can't handle. Come now. Let me help you."