THE GREAT LADY OF ALKION

CHAPTER 67

The doors were opened and in walked Ramses with his daughter. The guests looked on as they made their way to the front of the hall. All eyes were on the bride who looked very beautiful with a smile on her face as she walked towards her groom. Thutmose's eyes were fixed on her and his eyes got teary at the sight. His prayers had surely been answered.
Ramses handed her over to him and he held her hand gently.
"You are beautiful," he whispered to her with a smile.
She looked away at Khafirin who stood in front of them.
He chanted some incantations invoking the protection and blessings of the gods upon the two who would be united in marriage.
"May the gods bless you in your marriage and may you both be like Osiris and Isis," he said after his chanting.
The guests clapped and Ramses stood up from his throne and spoke.
" I am pleased to have my daughter marry Thutmose. May the both of you live happily. Let the feast begin!"
The doors were opened and in walked female dancers dressed in white chest cloths that did not cover their torsos and blue skirts. They shook their bodies in tune with the harps and flutes as they moved their hands in synchrony. Magicians were brought in too to add to the entertainment. Food and drinks was served to the guests in the hall who were now mingling and talking with each other in groups. Some sat down to eat while others enjoyed the entertainment from the dancers.
"I and my wife congratulate the both of you on your marriage," Seti said."Here are the gifts we present to you."
Astrid took a tray from Luciana and on it was shimmering fabric.
"This is some fabric I had gotten from Alkion. My family was not able to come here so they sent these for you. It will make lovely clothes for the both of you."
Anippe took it and placed it aside.
" These bracelets, earrings, necklaces are for you Rashida. A woman needs lovely adornment to look good for her husband. These pieces suit you well. Here is some perfume for you from the East. Thutmose, Seti and I found you this silver belt."
Thutmose took it and examined it before speaking.
"It is exquisite. The design on it is perfect. Thank you very much."
" Not forgetting this quiver and arrows since you love hunting. I also give you a hundred acres of land in Abydos." Seti said.
" Thank you very much I love everything you gifted to us,"Thutmose said happily.
" I thank you as well for your kind gesture," Rashida said.
Astrid smiled and she followed Seti to find a place for them to sit.
Meritaten and Smenkhhare approached the couple and congratulated them.
Meritaten handed Anippe some dresses and make up for Rashida while Thutmose received a golden dagger and some land in Luxor.
"This is a marriage blessed by the gods," Meritaten said."May you be happy."
"I also wish you dear sister happiness with Thutmose. I trust that he will make you happy."
"I will do my best," Thutmose said.
"I believe so too. I will be happy," Rashida said as she rubbed her temples.
"Are you alright ?" Thutmose asked her.
"It's just some headache."
"I shall call Khafirin here," Smenkhhare said.
"It's alright brother. I will be fine. Maybe it's the anxiety I had before the wedding. I shall be fine."
"Alright. I shall leave and meet some of my friends,"Smenkhhare said and left. Meritaten followed suit and stood beside him when he was greeted by a foreign official.
"Smenkhhare," the man said in a cheery voice.
"Eldad," he said in an uninterested tone.
" It is good to see you again. I can still remember how diplomatic you were when you came for the peace talks in my kingdom. You truly are a wise man."
"Am I ?" he dragged the words.
"You are my lord. You won my utmost admiration. Care to introduce this lovely woman ?"
" This is Meritaten,"he answered as he shifted uncomfortably on his feet." She is my wife," he added after a while.
" Oh I see,"he said as he lustfully looked at her." She really is shapely and beautiful even when expectant. Not to mention those lovely eyes. My goodness I have never seen eyes like those."
Meritaten scrunched up her face and placed her hand over her exposed cleavage from her green dress. That man had no shame at all and he had the nerve to look at her in such a manner and not to mention, in front of her husband.
" Would you at least have some respect for me ? How dare you lust after my wife in my presence ?" he hissed and got closer to the man and grabbed his shirt."Let's go Meritaten.
" That was the first time you defended me,"Meritaten said when they sat down.
" It's nothing,"he said as he gulped down a goblet full of wine. His eyes moved towards Astrid who was eating a grape fed to her by Seti. He balled his hands into a fist and he gulped down another goblet of wine.
"It means a lot to me Smenkhhare when you do things like this for me. It makes me feel as if we have a bright future ahead of us as a couple. We can end up in love and look at how our marriage began as a bad memory. I think that love will bind us together."
" What binds us together is our unborn child. That is what keeps me with you. Otherwise, we would not be like this. It would be better if we got divorced and I let you marry a man who will love you because that man just isn't me."
" Why does it have to be this way ? I have loved you all along and I have been patient with you. Turns out you're with me and are good to me for the sake of our child," she began to cry.
" Not that again,"he groaned." Must you cry over everything ? I need to leave."
He finished off the wine, stood up and left.
" Stop crying my lady," Bennu said as she knelt beside Meritaten.
" It's alright,"she said as she wiped off her tears." Once our child is born, I am sure that he will love me."
" Yes. That is why you need to avoid distress and give birth to a son for him safely. That will surely make him love you and forget Lady Astrid."
" I always wonder what she has that I don't. How is she better than me ? Is it because she is a royal princess while I am only a priest's daughter ?"
" She is not better than you by any means. She just has a way to control your husband."
" I can't stand seeing her with her annoying smile,"Meritaten said as she looked over at Astrid who sat on the opposite side.
"This is such a grand ceremony," Asenath told Astrid.
"I agree with you. Pharaoh did outdo himself this time."
"Of course it has to be grand. It's my sister's wedding and we all know how important she is to father," Seti said as he put a grape in his mouth.
"Look at them there. They look good for each other," Astrid said.
"It's too bad that Rashida doesn't look and feel so,"Asenath said."It reminds me of the both of you. Only Seti looked excited about the marriage."
" Well, that's something I regret. If I knew that I would be this happy with him, I would make sure to show it out to the world," Astrid said as she placed her hand on his and they smiled at each other.
" Look at the both of you looking all in love. I am the one not married. Do not make me jealous," Asenath joked.
" Well, if you have a man in mind, I could help you,"Seti said.
" I was only joking. I have no one in mind. Maybe I will in time. That is if father won't force a man on me like he has tried to," she said as she looked at the dancers.
" He has ?" this from Astrid.
" Of course he has. I won't hear the end of it after this feast. Luckily I have always found a way to escape from it."
" Seti," a man said as he joined the three.
" Amsi," Seti said as he stood up and Astrid stood as well." What a pleasure to see you here."
" A pleasure to see you as well,"he said."I suppose this is your wife, Princess Astrid. My name is Amsi and I trained in the army with Seti."
" A pleasure to meet your acquaintance," she said with much grace.
"Good to see you Asenath," he said as he looked at her. She smiled and nodded. Astrid sat down and took a sip of her pomegranate juice.
"Where have you been ?" Seti asked after patting Amsi's back.
"It has truly been long since we met and I did not have time to congratulate you on your wedding and now I can see that you are about to be a father," he said.
" Yes, we are about to have a child soon and we are delighted,"Seti answered as he looked at Astrid who blushed and placed her hand on her protruding stomach.
" I have seen Khufu and Babu around."
" Really ? Let's go and catch up. It has been long since we all met,"Seti said with excitedly." I shall leave, Astrid."
" Sure."
The two men left and disappeared into the crowd.
" You know Amsi ?"
"Of course I do. He was a bully when we were children but he got along well with Seti. It felt uncomfortable to see him after so long. It reminded me of how he was when we were younger."