Chapter 28: Wedding bells
Dedyet kept sitting where she was for a few more minutes until she saw Ramses and his father, walking towards her. She was honestly surprised that they seemed to be done with their planned work already. Once the two stopped in front of her, Ramses spoke up loudly. He was obviously making an announcement!
"Father! Dedyet and I, we have something to tell you," he said, his voice filled with pride.
Dedyet's eyes widened. Uh? What was he talking about?
"We are going to marry."
Ramses' father couldn't hold his happiness back. "My son! That is great! Congratulations!"
"Thank you, Father," Ramses answered in an emotionless but somehow rather proud way.
"Congratulations to you too, Dedyet!" The pharaoh said to her, obviously happy.
"Oh... Thank you, Sir."
"Any messages from your brother?"
She gulped, thinking of the death threats he had send her. "He keeps behaving really stubbornly…"
"Ah, well. His loss. Am I right, my son?"
"Yes, of course, Father. You are a de Nile. Have you ever not been right?"
The man both smirked at each other.
Dedyet's eyes widened once again. Somehow, she felt confused and…upset.
"We must tell everyone that you are going to marry! The whole kingdom will celebrate!" Ramses' father said excitedly.
Dedyet blushed. "Do you really think so, Sir?"
"Yes, of course!"
"Maybe we should take it slow," Dedyet mumbled.
"Dedyet doesn't like change," Ramses said to his father, claiming to know everything about her. "I will try to comfort my future wife somehow."
"Ramses. I'm right here."
"Oh, Beautiful, there is no need to be afraid!"
Dedyet rolled her eyes. The de Niles were a really warm-hearted family… Yet, it was weird how everyone behaved differently if Ramses' father or his mother was around. As if they all had two faces…
The pharaoh spoke up once again. "I will leave you two lovebirds alone for now and make the fantastic news public, so that we can all celebrate together. This marriage will be arranged in no time."
"Yes, Father," Ramses answered, nodding. "I assume Neferia already knows I'm not going to marry her?"
"Oh, I haven't told her yet – it's not like her feelings are a big concern of mine – but a servant will do so immediately." The pharaoh turned to one of his servants who bowed down, leaving the halls quickly, in search of the prince's sister.
"Ramses!" Dedyet said when seeing her partner's father leave.
"What is it, Hun?"
"Have you heard how he talked about Neferia? She's his own and only daughter and it sounds as if her feelings don't even matter to him! Does she even have a say about her future?!"
"No. I haven't talked to her in a while, either. You haven't met her yet, have you?"
"No."
"She's always letting the male servants compliment her, the little, vain Neferia."
"There is something else, too."
"Yes?"
Dedyet spoke out bravely, "This is all going too fast."
"Ah, I can't wait to hold our first child in my arms!"
"Ramses!"
"What? Are you okay?"
"No. This time, I am not okay."
"What's wrong with you, my love?"
Now, the princess was a little angry. "I want to talk to my brother about this marriage!"
Ramses couldn't believe it. "What?! Why? He will only talk you out of it!"
Quickly, Dedyet calmed down again. "I want to talk to him one last time. Face to face, you know? He needs to know that this is serious."
Ramses bit his lip. "...I understand."
"I'm so sorry, Ramses, but… Could I leave already?"
"Now?"
"Yes."
"...We can have the servants bring you in our litter the next morning. If that's really what you want."
"Thank you, Honey." She gave him a kiss. "I think in a marriage, it's really important that both partners support each other. I'm glad we are already practicing."
"There's just one thing."
"Yes?"
"Don't come back saying you don't want me anymore." He was cold. Icy cold.
A few seconds of silence.
"Why is it that you want to marry me so fast? I feel like we barely had time to get to know each other," Dedyet told him.
The answer came quickly. "I feel like I know you better than anyone."
Another seconds of silence until Ramses asked, "Do you want to travel back all alone? I am afraid that your brother won't let you go again once you arrive."
"I don't know. I don't feel so good…"
Suddenly, he seemed worried. "Is it because of me?"
"No… I've talked to your brother and he is...weird."
"Who? Tut? You should give him some time. He's only sixteen."
"But I am sixteen, too!"
"Girls are more mature than boys. This is common knowledge."
"I didn't talk to Tut, Ramses. It was your other brother. He complained about being second in line and told me I was beautiful, yet interrupted me every time I wanted to say something. But once I told him that we are about to marry, he said he had to leave again."
"Ugh."
"What is it?"
"Jealousy. He's jealous of me."
"Oh. Okay…"
"Please, forget about him. Should we visit the garden? As you know, it's way more beautiful than the one you have in the Northern palace."
"I'm sorry to kill the mood, but… I think I just want to go to sleep."
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you ill?"
"No. Just tired and a little stressed."
"But of course! Preparing a royal wedding is incredibly stressful. Luckily, we have the servants and priests to do most of the work."
"...Yes."
More silence in the halls, until Ramses spoke up.
"Do you… still love me?"
"What? Of course!"
"Good. Sweet dreams then, my wife." For the first time, he kissed her forehead.
"Thanks, Hun…"
"I can't wait to finally marry you," Ramses added a last time.
Dedyet smiled at him, and left the halls.
Ramses had never seen a smile that fake before.
