Ascension [A Yu-Gi-Oh! FanFiction]

10: Formalities

Even with the wind whipping through her hair and fresh air in her lungs, Satiah could not bring herself to feel joy. She had always loved traveling by boat, drinking in the sun's rays on the top deck while the world around her slowly drifted by — but today, no such amusements could lift what was left of her spirits. The final hours of their journey to Thebes were winding down, and with it would come the inevitable arrival of a future beyond her control.

As the ship curved around the bend of Dendera, the shining city of Thebes came into view. The royal palace rose above the bustling city like a mountain, its enormous pylons flashing nearly white in the late afternoon sun. Satiah couldn't bear to look at it for more than a few moments, so she crossed the ship to the western side, leaning against the railing to watch the Theban necropolis crawl past. The ship lazed by Hatshepsut's impressive mortuary temple, which was bustling with visitors and workers alike. Further on, the village of Set-Ma'at lay perched in the nearby foothills, guarding the entrance to the Valley of the Kings itself. Smoke from the village floated up from the foothills like white, hazy fingers, climbing the outcroppings in search of Ra's light. The sun was just now moving behind the ridgeline, casting long, triangular shadows down the mountainside to mark where each of the workers' own tombs sat nestled between the rocks.

Satiah traced her eyes along the winding roads to the top of the ridge, and she wondered whether she would be buried in the Valley along with her husband, or if she would end up entombed beside her mother and brother back in the Memphis necropolis — yet another aspect of her future that was clouded by uncertainty.

As Satiah contemplated the fate of her earthly body, her father came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She looked up and smiled at him, prompting him to give her a light squeeze. "Pondering the afterlife, my dear?" he said in a joking tone.

Satiah smiled wider. "Maybe," she said. "How long until we arrive?"

"At death's door? Who knows." Metjen laughed heartily when Satiah rolled her eyes. "But if you mean Thebes, we should be docking any minute now."

"I can hardly wait," Satiah said wryly. "What do the royals have planned for us this evening?"

Her father made a nervous sound. "Oh, you know, this and that. Introductions, awkward small talk." Satiah lowered her brow in suspicion. "And if I remember, the prince requested an hour or two of time alone with you as well."

"What?!" Satiah stood up straight, causing her father to release his hold on her. "And you're just now telling me this?"

Metjen's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry, Sati, it must have slipped my mind."

"I can't believe you agreed to that without consulting me," Satiah hissed, crossing her arms.

"My dear, neither of us is in a position to be refusing a royal request right now," her father chided. "Besides, the boy is harmless. I'm sure he just wants to take you on a tour of the palace. Can you blame him for wanting to have a conversation with his betrothed before he's married to her?"

"What for? It's not like it'll make any difference. Speak now, speak later — we're still chained to each other for the rest of our lives."

Metjen's face set with a fatherly look. "Now, Sati, you mustn't look at this like a death sentence," he said. "I know you never much cared for the idea of marriage — and to be honest, I was prepared to go to my grave without you ever settling down — but there is great honor in what you are about to do. You will sit at the right hand of the prince. That is the most powerful position you could have ever hoped for."

"I don't care about power either," Satiah shot back.

"Then you're not as smart as I thought you were," her father said. "Think what can be done with such power — what rules can be changed and traditions refashioned." Satiah turned her face away, considering the words. "Do you remember what you said, back before all this misfortune took place? You said you wanted to bring the Pharaoh back to the way of the light. What better way to achieve that than through his own son?"