AIDA'S POV
Smiling briefly at Radames, I hesitantly eased his arm off my shoulders. Hardly daring to believe that he was actually my husband, I cast my eyes around. People busily carting off chairs and decorations confirmed my beliefs. Amneris had truly gone all out for us, but I was still concerned for her. Not many women were engaged to be married, and ended up allowing the fiancée and a women he secretly loved to get married. A soldier walked up to her, spoke, and caused Amneris to throw her head back and laugh. I smiled and rested my head in the crook of Radames' arm. Amneris would be fine.
"Radames," I whispered, looking up at him.
"Yes?" he murmured, hastily dropping a kiss onto my forehead. It was almost comical; we were still getting used to being able to be together in public, and the hasty kisses and quick hugs showed for it.
"I have to go speak with the Nubians," I said, and for once I was dreading it. They had been invited to the wedding, but needless to say, they weren't too happy with me. Yet, as I stood in my wedding dress, about to say my vows, my gaze flew briefly over the crowd. A tight feeling in my chest, much like the beginning feeling in the tomb, pressed against me. Though hundreds were gathered, Mereb's absence was a gap in my heart. Part of me tried to assure myself that he was there somewhere, but my vows were choked out as reality struck. He was dead.
"Aida?" Radames looked at me with concern. I noticed that he had released me, and I was just standing there. "Aida, would you rather I come with you? Moral support?" I panicked. That was the last thing I needed.
"No!" it almost came out as a shout. Startled, Radames jumped. "Sorry," I said quietly. "This is something I must do alone." Recovering, Radames nodded and smiled, kissing me softly on the lips. "I'll be back." Lifting my silk dress, I ran off.
~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Nice dress," came the first remark as I stepped through the gate to the Nubian camp. Sighing deeply, I sank to my knees. "Don't do that, you'll dirty it."
"Haven't you heard?" another voice quipped. "She married the Egyptian Captain. She'll have people do her washes for her." Finally, the voice of reason, a woman named Tianna interjected.
"Would you all relax and let Aida speak? Don't forget, she was nearing death a few days ago," Tianna said pointedly, glaring at the others. Flashing her a grateful look, I cleared my throat. Where to start? I had no idea…
"One at a time, could someone explain why you all are so angry with me?" It was a statement, not a question. Turning to Wes, a kind eyed man, I looked expectantly at him.
"Well, princess…" Wes began.
"She's not a princess!" someone snapped.
"Let him talk, Kisha!" Tianna said firmly. I just sat back in shock. These were the people who begged me to lead them? My friends? My people? Wes continued uneasily.
"Aida, we all rejoiced when we learned that you would be getting King Amonasro to safety, but were devastated when we learned of your capture. We prayed to the gods that you would be spared, yet when news of the sentencing reached our ears, we mourned. A great respect rose among us. Our faith in you had prevailed, and the fact that you would die for us…." Wes shook his head briefly. "Hours passed, and we still mourned. Then, we were told Princess Amneris needed our help in freeing you. We flew at the chance…"
"We especially didn't want you to die with that Egyptian filth," Kisha cut in. Weakness surrounded me, and I pressed my hands to my face, trying to stop the flow of tears. Leaning back on my heels, I swayed. "We still didn't know why you would be buried with HIM!"
"He got my father to escape!" I protested softly. People shouted their agreement. Tianna embraced me soothingly. Relaxing slightly, I waited for more, but what I received next sent waves of nausea and fatigue straight to my heart.
"Nehebka and Mereb are DEAD because of YOU!" Kisha yelled shrilly, lunging toward me. Gasping, I scrambled back, the hem of my dress tearing. Tianna leaped to stop her.
"Kisha! Don't treat her like that! How could you?!" Tianna whispered, horrified. Ignoring her, Kisha grabbed hold of the amulet around my neck and yanked, pulling the clasp free.
"No!" I cried. What was happening? Kisha held the amulet up triumphantly.
"Look!" she cried. "Who gave you this, Aida? It's an Egyptian amulet!"
"Radames gave it to me!" I forced my voice to remain steady, head high. Kisha laughed.
"Behold! Our beloved Aida has wed the enemy! The man who got us here in the first place!" I was horrified. She was trying to lead the Nubians against me! Biting back a sob, I wrenched open the gate, and stumbled out.
"Aida!" I heard Wes and Tianna call out pleadingly. Tripping occasionally, I fell beside the river, splashing the cold water on my dirt grimed face. Staring into the clear surface, I studied my reflection. Am I a leader? Am I a traitor? Did I take a step too far? I shook the last thought off quickly. Marrying the man I love was the right thing to do. Who was I really?
"Aida?" a voice gasped, clearly horrified. Yes…I know I'm Aida. Then I realized it was just someone talking to me. Wearily, I raised my head, and stared into the shocked blue eyes of Radames. Groaning to myself, I lowered my head. Of all people…I did NOT want him to see me like that. Quickly looking at myself, I surveyed my torn, dirty wedding dress, dirty and tear- streaked face, and a small scrape on my hand. My hand flew to my neck, and I gasped, feeling nothing. My amulet was gone. Springing to my feet, I could not look at Radames.
"I….left something important," I mumbled half aloud, lifting my tattered skirt to run. Radames grabbed my arm and spun me to him. I was pressed to his body, almost protectively.
"Aida, tell me what happened!" Radames demanded hoarsely, gripping my arms.
"You're hurting me, Radames," I said faintly. Automatically, he released his grip, while I gingerly rubbed my arms.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Aida, I look at you, and I know something happened. We have to trust each other to make it work! 'I'll put my faith and trust, and self in you.' Remember? We promised each other, Aida!" I swallowed the lump in my throat. I couldn't tell him what went on in the Nubian camp.
"We were just having a little fun," I replied, lying through my teeth. "We got a little rough, and my dress got torn."
"And that explains the tears on your face, right?" Radames said, raising an eyebrow.
"Tears of laughter," I answered quickly. Radames sighed, and nodded. My heart dipped. What kind of person was I? Lying to the man I've been married to for half a day? And the way he looked at me…the voice of Kisha screeched in my head.
"Nehebka and Mereb are DEAD because of YOU!" the voice screamed. With a small cry, I sank to my knees.
"Aida!" Radames yelled, grabbing my shoulders. "Aida please…talk to me! Please, Aida! Tell me what's wrong!" his pleas fell on deaf ears. I felt his fingers gently caressing the nape of my neck, and stopped. "Aida your…"
"Amulet," I finished. "I was just going back to get it." Radames nodded, then smiled warmly.
"Aida, you know your way home, right?" I stared at him, and I finally smiled. Home. I was married to Radames, no limitations. I'd be living with him for the rest of my life. Nodding silently, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. Think of Radames. Turning back toward Nubian camp, I held my head high, thoughts and images of my husband swirling in my head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Look who's back," Kisha remarked sourly.
"Stop it, Kisha. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous," I replied tartly. I glanced at Tianna, who winked at me. Studying her, I realized something. "You're right, Kisha, I'm not a princess. Not anymore. You don't need a princess. You have Aida, and you'll have to make to. Meaning," I ignored Kisha's murderous glare. "Meaning, the gods wont strike me down for falling in love with a man you may not approve of. The gods work in strange ways, so if falling in love with Radames was their doing, who am I to argue?" the Nubians broke into wild applause. I felt good. If I couldn't be their leader, they had to know they could function without me. "And one more thing, Kisha."
"What?" Kisha mumbled. Expectantly, I held out my hand, eyes even with hers. Though I just expected her to drop the amulet into my hand, she did something else. She reached beneath her dark hair, and unclasped the amulet from around her neck. She'd been wearing it. Nodding my thanks, I took it, slipped it on and walked out.
As I neared the palace, someone grabbed my hand. With a laugh, I whirled to embrace Radames. Shock and slight embarrassment flooded my face. It wasn't Radames, but Amneris. Amneris smiled at me.
"I haven't gotten a chance to speak to you," she said, before taking in my appearance. "Aida…"
"The dress, I know. I'm sorry," I said guiltily. "I'll have it repaired as soon as possible." Amneris was shaking her head and smiling.
"Come on. We'll get you cleaned up," Amneris said lightly. I was grateful that she didn't ask how I got the way I was. "Gods forbid, if Radames saw you…" she glanced at me. "Too late?" I nodded. "Well, you've got to look good for tonight."
"Tonight?" I echoed. Amneris grinned and nudged me. "Oh. Tonight." I smiled at her. Just then, she stared at me. Sighing, I secretly cursed the low-cut wedding gown for all the trouble it caused….exposing the amulet. I didn't want to lie to Amneris. I'd done that long enough. "Radames gave it to me," I said quietly. Amneris just nodded.
"How long?" I bit my lip and looked at her. This was going to hurt her.
"The night of the announcement of your engagement," I barely whispered. Amneris shut her eyes tightly, and nodded.
"Let's go," was all she said.
"wait," I said suddenly. "Amneris, why did you do it?"
"Do what?" Amneris questioned.
"this. Free us from the tomb. Let us get married," I said slowly, looking carefully at her. Amneris smiled sadly at me.
"I knew you deserved a second chance," she replied. "You technically didn't do anything wrong, except try and free your father. Radames…I spoke to him already. He said he was torn. In his words, 'help the woman I love and die for it, or arrest her and be a hero. How anybody but she saw it didn't matter.'" Amneris paused. "I loved you both enough to let you love."
"Oh," I said softly, and we started walking. Suddenly, Amneris started laughing. Puzzled, I stopped and looked at her.
"For one week," she giggled. "I treated you as a regular handmaiden. And the whole time, you were a princess of my rank!" I grinned. It was pretty ironic.
"I'm not a princess," I said, recalling Kisha's words. "I'm married to Radames."
"Aida, listen to yourself! Just because you married Radames doesn't mean you're not King Amonasro's daughter, does it?" she was right. "Looks like lucky Radames married a princess either way." I nodded, smiling. "Here, come wash up in my room." Together, we walked into the palace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around me, just as Radames barged in.
"Amneris! I need to talk…" his eyes met mine. "Oh…erm…sorry…sorry," he said hastily as he turned around. My cheeks flamed, and Amneris, having seen the whole thing, grinned. She tossed me a robe, and being that I'd have to let go of the towel, I let the robe drop by my feet.
"Radames? Do you mind?" Amneris addressed him.
"uh, no," Radames mumbled, eyes riveted to the ground. "No, no I'll just…go…yes…Aida, see you later…"
"RADAMES! Go!" Amneris bent over laughing. Radames made a hasty retreat, almost slamming the door behind him. "That was too funny!" she said to me, as I dipped behind a curtain and slipped the robe on.
"Perhaps to you," I said, embarrassed.
"I haven't seen him that flustered since the time he came in…and apparently I had one thing in mind," it was her turn to flush, when she looked up at me. "And he had other things in mind." I was silent, deep in thought. I suddenly felt terrible.
"Amneris?"
"mm-hmm?"
"What are you going to do about a husband now?" The question was a bit direct, but I was curious, especially when Amneris' fair complexion colored, and she adverted her eyes. "Amneris…" I teased. "Is it that soldier you were talking with earlier?" Amneris gazed outside.
"Oh, Aida, it's dark out! And on your wedding night, too!" Amneris exclaimed. I laughed at her avoidance, but she was right. I realized that all I owned to wear was the flimsy white nightgown from the day I was captured, the purple dress Amneris loaned me, and the navy blue one from the night I was sent into the tomb. Sighing, I dragged out the navy dress, and stared at it with dismay. Slipping it on, I walked toward the door.
"Thank you for everything, Amneris!" I called over my shoulder. "I'll talk to you tomorrow!" Amneris nodded vaguely, then looked up.
"Hold on, one second, Aida! You can't honestly tell me you're going to Radames on your wedding night in that!" Amneris exclaimed.
"What's wrong with it?" I asked defensively. Amneris shrugged.
"Come." she took my hand and started sorting through her wardrobe. She was positively glowing. Amneris, the fashion princess, was shining through, obviously pleased to have a break from Pharaoh duties. Finally, she pulled out a sky blue dress with a navy sash that swept past the feet. "Perfect," she cooed. "Now, put it on." I complied, and Amneris broke into a grin. "Aida, Radames is going to pass out when he sees you! Now, hair and make- up!" Like a nervous horse, I shied to one side.
"Hair and make-up? No. no. Amneris, I really have to get going! I don't have time for…" my pleas went unheard, and I was dragged onto a chair for a half an hour, enduring prodding. Finally, Amneris was satisfied, and with a quick thank you over my shoulder, I ran out. The dress slowed me somewhat, but once my mind focused on what awaited me when I got home, I had wings on my feet.
I stood uncertainly in front of Radames' home, the home that was now mine as well. In raised my fist to knock, when the door flung open. I stared in silence at the man that was my husband, his hair combed, features shaded by the darkness, half bathed in moonlight. My heart fluttered to about 300 times its normal speed, my legs buckling slightly. All troubles from the Nubians fled, all worries gone. Staring at each other in silence, he took me into the glow of our home. Our home.
Smiling briefly at Radames, I hesitantly eased his arm off my shoulders. Hardly daring to believe that he was actually my husband, I cast my eyes around. People busily carting off chairs and decorations confirmed my beliefs. Amneris had truly gone all out for us, but I was still concerned for her. Not many women were engaged to be married, and ended up allowing the fiancée and a women he secretly loved to get married. A soldier walked up to her, spoke, and caused Amneris to throw her head back and laugh. I smiled and rested my head in the crook of Radames' arm. Amneris would be fine.
"Radames," I whispered, looking up at him.
"Yes?" he murmured, hastily dropping a kiss onto my forehead. It was almost comical; we were still getting used to being able to be together in public, and the hasty kisses and quick hugs showed for it.
"I have to go speak with the Nubians," I said, and for once I was dreading it. They had been invited to the wedding, but needless to say, they weren't too happy with me. Yet, as I stood in my wedding dress, about to say my vows, my gaze flew briefly over the crowd. A tight feeling in my chest, much like the beginning feeling in the tomb, pressed against me. Though hundreds were gathered, Mereb's absence was a gap in my heart. Part of me tried to assure myself that he was there somewhere, but my vows were choked out as reality struck. He was dead.
"Aida?" Radames looked at me with concern. I noticed that he had released me, and I was just standing there. "Aida, would you rather I come with you? Moral support?" I panicked. That was the last thing I needed.
"No!" it almost came out as a shout. Startled, Radames jumped. "Sorry," I said quietly. "This is something I must do alone." Recovering, Radames nodded and smiled, kissing me softly on the lips. "I'll be back." Lifting my silk dress, I ran off.
~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Nice dress," came the first remark as I stepped through the gate to the Nubian camp. Sighing deeply, I sank to my knees. "Don't do that, you'll dirty it."
"Haven't you heard?" another voice quipped. "She married the Egyptian Captain. She'll have people do her washes for her." Finally, the voice of reason, a woman named Tianna interjected.
"Would you all relax and let Aida speak? Don't forget, she was nearing death a few days ago," Tianna said pointedly, glaring at the others. Flashing her a grateful look, I cleared my throat. Where to start? I had no idea…
"One at a time, could someone explain why you all are so angry with me?" It was a statement, not a question. Turning to Wes, a kind eyed man, I looked expectantly at him.
"Well, princess…" Wes began.
"She's not a princess!" someone snapped.
"Let him talk, Kisha!" Tianna said firmly. I just sat back in shock. These were the people who begged me to lead them? My friends? My people? Wes continued uneasily.
"Aida, we all rejoiced when we learned that you would be getting King Amonasro to safety, but were devastated when we learned of your capture. We prayed to the gods that you would be spared, yet when news of the sentencing reached our ears, we mourned. A great respect rose among us. Our faith in you had prevailed, and the fact that you would die for us…." Wes shook his head briefly. "Hours passed, and we still mourned. Then, we were told Princess Amneris needed our help in freeing you. We flew at the chance…"
"We especially didn't want you to die with that Egyptian filth," Kisha cut in. Weakness surrounded me, and I pressed my hands to my face, trying to stop the flow of tears. Leaning back on my heels, I swayed. "We still didn't know why you would be buried with HIM!"
"He got my father to escape!" I protested softly. People shouted their agreement. Tianna embraced me soothingly. Relaxing slightly, I waited for more, but what I received next sent waves of nausea and fatigue straight to my heart.
"Nehebka and Mereb are DEAD because of YOU!" Kisha yelled shrilly, lunging toward me. Gasping, I scrambled back, the hem of my dress tearing. Tianna leaped to stop her.
"Kisha! Don't treat her like that! How could you?!" Tianna whispered, horrified. Ignoring her, Kisha grabbed hold of the amulet around my neck and yanked, pulling the clasp free.
"No!" I cried. What was happening? Kisha held the amulet up triumphantly.
"Look!" she cried. "Who gave you this, Aida? It's an Egyptian amulet!"
"Radames gave it to me!" I forced my voice to remain steady, head high. Kisha laughed.
"Behold! Our beloved Aida has wed the enemy! The man who got us here in the first place!" I was horrified. She was trying to lead the Nubians against me! Biting back a sob, I wrenched open the gate, and stumbled out.
"Aida!" I heard Wes and Tianna call out pleadingly. Tripping occasionally, I fell beside the river, splashing the cold water on my dirt grimed face. Staring into the clear surface, I studied my reflection. Am I a leader? Am I a traitor? Did I take a step too far? I shook the last thought off quickly. Marrying the man I love was the right thing to do. Who was I really?
"Aida?" a voice gasped, clearly horrified. Yes…I know I'm Aida. Then I realized it was just someone talking to me. Wearily, I raised my head, and stared into the shocked blue eyes of Radames. Groaning to myself, I lowered my head. Of all people…I did NOT want him to see me like that. Quickly looking at myself, I surveyed my torn, dirty wedding dress, dirty and tear- streaked face, and a small scrape on my hand. My hand flew to my neck, and I gasped, feeling nothing. My amulet was gone. Springing to my feet, I could not look at Radames.
"I….left something important," I mumbled half aloud, lifting my tattered skirt to run. Radames grabbed my arm and spun me to him. I was pressed to his body, almost protectively.
"Aida, tell me what happened!" Radames demanded hoarsely, gripping my arms.
"You're hurting me, Radames," I said faintly. Automatically, he released his grip, while I gingerly rubbed my arms.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Aida, I look at you, and I know something happened. We have to trust each other to make it work! 'I'll put my faith and trust, and self in you.' Remember? We promised each other, Aida!" I swallowed the lump in my throat. I couldn't tell him what went on in the Nubian camp.
"We were just having a little fun," I replied, lying through my teeth. "We got a little rough, and my dress got torn."
"And that explains the tears on your face, right?" Radames said, raising an eyebrow.
"Tears of laughter," I answered quickly. Radames sighed, and nodded. My heart dipped. What kind of person was I? Lying to the man I've been married to for half a day? And the way he looked at me…the voice of Kisha screeched in my head.
"Nehebka and Mereb are DEAD because of YOU!" the voice screamed. With a small cry, I sank to my knees.
"Aida!" Radames yelled, grabbing my shoulders. "Aida please…talk to me! Please, Aida! Tell me what's wrong!" his pleas fell on deaf ears. I felt his fingers gently caressing the nape of my neck, and stopped. "Aida your…"
"Amulet," I finished. "I was just going back to get it." Radames nodded, then smiled warmly.
"Aida, you know your way home, right?" I stared at him, and I finally smiled. Home. I was married to Radames, no limitations. I'd be living with him for the rest of my life. Nodding silently, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. Think of Radames. Turning back toward Nubian camp, I held my head high, thoughts and images of my husband swirling in my head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Look who's back," Kisha remarked sourly.
"Stop it, Kisha. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous," I replied tartly. I glanced at Tianna, who winked at me. Studying her, I realized something. "You're right, Kisha, I'm not a princess. Not anymore. You don't need a princess. You have Aida, and you'll have to make to. Meaning," I ignored Kisha's murderous glare. "Meaning, the gods wont strike me down for falling in love with a man you may not approve of. The gods work in strange ways, so if falling in love with Radames was their doing, who am I to argue?" the Nubians broke into wild applause. I felt good. If I couldn't be their leader, they had to know they could function without me. "And one more thing, Kisha."
"What?" Kisha mumbled. Expectantly, I held out my hand, eyes even with hers. Though I just expected her to drop the amulet into my hand, she did something else. She reached beneath her dark hair, and unclasped the amulet from around her neck. She'd been wearing it. Nodding my thanks, I took it, slipped it on and walked out.
As I neared the palace, someone grabbed my hand. With a laugh, I whirled to embrace Radames. Shock and slight embarrassment flooded my face. It wasn't Radames, but Amneris. Amneris smiled at me.
"I haven't gotten a chance to speak to you," she said, before taking in my appearance. "Aida…"
"The dress, I know. I'm sorry," I said guiltily. "I'll have it repaired as soon as possible." Amneris was shaking her head and smiling.
"Come on. We'll get you cleaned up," Amneris said lightly. I was grateful that she didn't ask how I got the way I was. "Gods forbid, if Radames saw you…" she glanced at me. "Too late?" I nodded. "Well, you've got to look good for tonight."
"Tonight?" I echoed. Amneris grinned and nudged me. "Oh. Tonight." I smiled at her. Just then, she stared at me. Sighing, I secretly cursed the low-cut wedding gown for all the trouble it caused….exposing the amulet. I didn't want to lie to Amneris. I'd done that long enough. "Radames gave it to me," I said quietly. Amneris just nodded.
"How long?" I bit my lip and looked at her. This was going to hurt her.
"The night of the announcement of your engagement," I barely whispered. Amneris shut her eyes tightly, and nodded.
"Let's go," was all she said.
"wait," I said suddenly. "Amneris, why did you do it?"
"Do what?" Amneris questioned.
"this. Free us from the tomb. Let us get married," I said slowly, looking carefully at her. Amneris smiled sadly at me.
"I knew you deserved a second chance," she replied. "You technically didn't do anything wrong, except try and free your father. Radames…I spoke to him already. He said he was torn. In his words, 'help the woman I love and die for it, or arrest her and be a hero. How anybody but she saw it didn't matter.'" Amneris paused. "I loved you both enough to let you love."
"Oh," I said softly, and we started walking. Suddenly, Amneris started laughing. Puzzled, I stopped and looked at her.
"For one week," she giggled. "I treated you as a regular handmaiden. And the whole time, you were a princess of my rank!" I grinned. It was pretty ironic.
"I'm not a princess," I said, recalling Kisha's words. "I'm married to Radames."
"Aida, listen to yourself! Just because you married Radames doesn't mean you're not King Amonasro's daughter, does it?" she was right. "Looks like lucky Radames married a princess either way." I nodded, smiling. "Here, come wash up in my room." Together, we walked into the palace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around me, just as Radames barged in.
"Amneris! I need to talk…" his eyes met mine. "Oh…erm…sorry…sorry," he said hastily as he turned around. My cheeks flamed, and Amneris, having seen the whole thing, grinned. She tossed me a robe, and being that I'd have to let go of the towel, I let the robe drop by my feet.
"Radames? Do you mind?" Amneris addressed him.
"uh, no," Radames mumbled, eyes riveted to the ground. "No, no I'll just…go…yes…Aida, see you later…"
"RADAMES! Go!" Amneris bent over laughing. Radames made a hasty retreat, almost slamming the door behind him. "That was too funny!" she said to me, as I dipped behind a curtain and slipped the robe on.
"Perhaps to you," I said, embarrassed.
"I haven't seen him that flustered since the time he came in…and apparently I had one thing in mind," it was her turn to flush, when she looked up at me. "And he had other things in mind." I was silent, deep in thought. I suddenly felt terrible.
"Amneris?"
"mm-hmm?"
"What are you going to do about a husband now?" The question was a bit direct, but I was curious, especially when Amneris' fair complexion colored, and she adverted her eyes. "Amneris…" I teased. "Is it that soldier you were talking with earlier?" Amneris gazed outside.
"Oh, Aida, it's dark out! And on your wedding night, too!" Amneris exclaimed. I laughed at her avoidance, but she was right. I realized that all I owned to wear was the flimsy white nightgown from the day I was captured, the purple dress Amneris loaned me, and the navy blue one from the night I was sent into the tomb. Sighing, I dragged out the navy dress, and stared at it with dismay. Slipping it on, I walked toward the door.
"Thank you for everything, Amneris!" I called over my shoulder. "I'll talk to you tomorrow!" Amneris nodded vaguely, then looked up.
"Hold on, one second, Aida! You can't honestly tell me you're going to Radames on your wedding night in that!" Amneris exclaimed.
"What's wrong with it?" I asked defensively. Amneris shrugged.
"Come." she took my hand and started sorting through her wardrobe. She was positively glowing. Amneris, the fashion princess, was shining through, obviously pleased to have a break from Pharaoh duties. Finally, she pulled out a sky blue dress with a navy sash that swept past the feet. "Perfect," she cooed. "Now, put it on." I complied, and Amneris broke into a grin. "Aida, Radames is going to pass out when he sees you! Now, hair and make- up!" Like a nervous horse, I shied to one side.
"Hair and make-up? No. no. Amneris, I really have to get going! I don't have time for…" my pleas went unheard, and I was dragged onto a chair for a half an hour, enduring prodding. Finally, Amneris was satisfied, and with a quick thank you over my shoulder, I ran out. The dress slowed me somewhat, but once my mind focused on what awaited me when I got home, I had wings on my feet.
I stood uncertainly in front of Radames' home, the home that was now mine as well. In raised my fist to knock, when the door flung open. I stared in silence at the man that was my husband, his hair combed, features shaded by the darkness, half bathed in moonlight. My heart fluttered to about 300 times its normal speed, my legs buckling slightly. All troubles from the Nubians fled, all worries gone. Staring at each other in silence, he took me into the glow of our home. Our home.
