Disclaimer – I own nothing of Aida. All characters belong to the respected owners. Nuff said.
Italics are flashbacks, thoughts and song lyrics
A/N: after listening to the Aida soundtrack a million times in a row, I decided to try my hand at writing an Aida fic. This is my first fic, so be nice. Please.
Characters used (in order) – Zoser, Radames, Mereb, Amneris.
Summary – AU: A look into the life of a young Radames. His friends, his family and the life changing decisions he has to face…
Genre – General
Rating – K+
A young servant girl closes her eyes and gives one final push. The doctor holds up a screaming baby boy for the parents to admire.
"What shall we name him?" a young Zoser asks his dying bride.
"R-Radames." The servant girl responds, drawing in a last breath and collapses onto the bed. The doctor shoves Radames into Zoser's arms. Zoser, caught unaware, holds the screaming baby and does his best to soothe him.
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"Ready or not, here I come!" ten-year-old Radames called out. Mereb giggled and ran out of sight.
"Radames! Come here this instant!" Zoser called from the throne room.
"You're in trouble, Radames!" Mereb called out.
"Maybe, Mereb." Radames told his friend, running to the throne room.
"Yes, father?" Radames asked, stepping inside the throne room and walked to his father's side.
"You know I don't like you playing with that Mereb brat." Zoser scolded. Radames hung his head in shame and walked to the stables where the Pharaoh's finest horses were stabled. He always went there when his father scolded him for doing something he shouldn't be doing.
Pushing the large door open, Radames stepped inside the stables and looked up and down the rows of horses that were stabled there. He had never seen so many in one place. There were brown ones and white ones and red ones and black ones.
"Radames! Come here my child." Zoser commanded calmly. Radames nodded and walked over to where his father stood at the entrance of the stables. Zoser smiled and wrapped an arm around the ten-year-old's shoulders and led him to the palace.
"Father?" Radames started.
"Yes, my son?"
"What happened to mother?" this was the first time that Radames had asked about his mother.
"Oh. Radames." Zoser got down to his son's level. "Radames, I'm sorry to say that your mother was accidentally sold as a slave to Nubia. I'm sorry."
"You're lying, father. I can see it in your eyes." Radames told Zoser, his green eyes suspicious.
We all lead such elaborate lives
Wild ambitions in our sights
How an affair of the heart survives
Days apart and hurried nights
Seems quite unbelievable to me
I don't want to live like that…
"Radames! You don't think I would lie to my only son, do you?" Zoser asked, his tone rising.
"Father! Why on earth would you lie to me?" Radames tried so hard to fight back tears. He couldn't believe that his own father would lie to him about his mother.
Seems quite unbelievable to me
I don't want to love like that
I just want our time to be
Slower and gentler, wiser, free
We all live in extravagant times
Playing games we can't all win
Unintended emotional crimes
Take some out take others in…
Zoser took a deep breath and led his son to the courtyard. Radames looked up at his father as they walked.
"Radames, your mother was a servant girl who died of an illness after she gave birth to you." Zoser calmly explained. Radames looked at his father, unbelieving.
"Why should I believe you?" Radames inquired, folding his arms across his chest as he and Zoser continued to walk in the hot Egyptian sun.
"Because, my son, your mother gave everything up to let you live." Zoser answered, a solitary tear running down his cheek.
I'm so tired of all we're going through
I don't want to live like that
I'm so tired of all we're going through
I don't want to love like that
I just want to be with you
Now and forever, peaceful, true…
Later that night, Radames quietly snuck out of his quarters and silently ran to the stables where Mereb lived. Looking around, Radames entered the building where Mereb lived and put a hand over his friend's mouth. Mereb's brown eyes shot open in terror, but softened when he saw his friend standing over him.
"Radames. By the hawk god Horus, what are you doing here?" Mereb asked hoarsely.
"I have to tell you something, but not here." Radames whispered. Mereb nodded, quickly got dressed and followed his friend to a vacant stall of the stables. There, Radames told his friend everything his father had told him. Mereb listened with interest, nodding in the correct spots and questioning often.
As Radames finished, Mereb stared at his friend in confusion.
"What?" Radames asked.
"Do you know your mother's name?" Mereb questioned. Radames slowly shook his head and looked skywards.
This may not be the moment
To tell you face to face
But I could wait forever
For the perfect time and place…
Mereb put a hand on Radames' shoulder and smiled slightly at him. Radames returned the smile and turned his attention back to his friend.
"I heard that your father is arranging your wedding – you're marrying Amneris, right?" Mereb asked, half teasing, half serious.
"Yes, it's true. I can't stand her. All she thinks about is clothes." Radames answered, climbing the stall wall and peering over at the horse next door.
"I'm glad that I don't have a control-freak of a father." Mereb joked, leaning against the stall wall. Radames let out a small laugh and climbed down from the stall.
"I'm meeting Amneris and Pharaoh tomorrow." Radames informed Mereb.
"Good luck." Mereb said, laughing as they left the stable and walked back to the building where Mereb lived.
"Hey Radames, can I ask you something?" Mereb inquired. Radames nodded.
"Can you stay with me tonight?" Mereb asked.
"You know I can't, Mereb."
"I know. But can't you break the rules just this once?"
"Mereb." Radames warned. Mereb hung his head and sighed. Radames hugged his best friend and headed back up to the palace.
We all lead such elaborate lives
We don't know whose words are true
Strangers, lovers, husbands, wives
Hard to know who's loving who…
The next morning, Radames stood before Amneris and her father in his best robes. Zoser smiled and took his place next to Pharaoh.
"Zoser, your son is too much of a troublemaker to be with my daughter." Pharaoh said, circling around Radames like a hawk.
"Sire, trust me. Once he and Amneris marry, he will calm down." Zoser told the Pharaoh, glaring at Radames. Radames hung his head, avoiding eye contact with Amneris, the Pharaoh and his father.
"I think he's worthy of marrying father." Amneris spoke up, walking towards Radames, her red hair bouncing off her shoulders like a sunset on the Nile.
"Amneris, I don't know." Pharaoh told his daughter, his tone uneasy.
"Your Majesty, should we let the children be left alone so they may get to know each other better?" Zoser suggested.
No! No! Please don't leave me alone with her! Radames thought to himself.
"Are you sure that's a wise idea, Zoser?" Pharaoh asked.
"I am certain, Your Majesty." Zoser said, bowing before the Pharaoh and Amneris.
"Very well. Nehebka will keep an eye on them." Pharaoh said, motioning to a black Nubian woman kneeling in the corner of the room. She looked up and walked over to where Amneris and Radames were standing. Radames could see that she was in shackles – obviously a slave. Pharaoh unlocked the woman's shackles and walked out of the room, Zoser following behind him.
Too many choices tear us apart
I don't want to live like that
Too many choices tear us apart
I don't want to love like that
I just want to touch your heart…
"How'd it go?" Mereb asked later that afternoon.
"Okay – she just talked about herself and her interests." Radames told him, throwing a piece of stale bread into the Nile. The two boys had gotten permission to ride two of the Pharaoh's horses for the day. They rode down to the Nile and sat on the shore, talking and let their horses drink from the cool river.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Mereb said, tearing off a piece of bread and threw it into the river.
"What's that?" Radames asked, pointing to a ship in the distance.
"A ship. Looks like more slaves are coming in." Mereb answered, a little hope in his voice.
"Mereb, I don't know…" Radames told his friend. Mereb shook his head, got up from his spot beside Radames and mounted his horse. He then galloped back to the palace without a backward glance. Radames sighed, mounted his chestnut mare and followed Mereb to the palace.
The boys handed their horses over to palace servants and ran to the docks where they watched the ship unload the cargo it had aboard.
"Wow. Nubians." Mereb was in complete awe. Radames watched the Nubians being unloaded from the boat. There were men, women and children of all ages and sizes. One child – a girl – caught Radames' eye. She had the same dark colored skin as Mereb did. She wore a plain robe that was two sizes too big for her. She also wore a veil that hid her face.
"She's beautiful." Mereb and Radames commented in unison.
"She looks so familiar." Mereb said, putting a finger on his lips and squinted against the hot Egyptian sun.
"Mereb, don't get any ideas." Radames warned his friend. Mereb laughed and headed down to the docks, Radames following closely behind him.
May this confession
Be the start...
A/N 2: don't own the lyrics to Elaborate Lives. Belongs to Sir Elton John and Tim Rice. 'Nuff said.