Disclaimer: Aida and all it's characters belong to Hyperion Theatricals.
One month later
The doctor stepped outside the Pharaoh's chamber.
"You can come in now, Princess," he told her. Amneris looked up from
her chair outside her father's room, interrupted from her thoughts.
"Of…of course," she stammered, looking up at the
doctor. Gathering her dress together, she got to her feet.
"I need to fetch some more supplies," the doctor
said. A grim look crossed his face. "Princess, it's not in
the nature of my work to be pessimistic, but if there's any last words
you need to say to your father, I'd say them soon. I don't know how
many more days he has left."
Amneris nodded, afraid to speak. Any sound
might betray her feelings. The Princess would not be upset.
She was casually worried about her father, but was confident in the medicines
of healers and preferred to go back to her wardrobe. Amneris, on
the other hand, was terrified.
She laughed to herself. How silly of me, she
thought to herself. It's a waste of my time being here. Of
course my father will be all right. Why, and I'm missing my time
at the bazaar, and the other women of the palace must be wondering where
I am, and-
It was then Amneris realized that she was shaking.
She took in a deep breath, determined not to let the sobbing start again.
She'd spent too many hours on too many days outside her father's room on
the very same chair crying her eyes out. Amneris was determined not
to start again.
She strummed her fingers over the doorknob absentmindedly.
It was true; she could leave, and no one would think of it. The doctor
could tell the Pharaoh that his daughter was otherwise busy. After
all, that had been the message every day for the last two weeks, ever since
her father had been too weak to sit on the throne. So many times
she had almost come in when the doctor called, only to excuse herself,
or to run… Gods, anywhere but here, anything but the truth…
I can still get to the bazaar if I hurry, she thought
to herself, taking a few steps now to leave the Pharaoh's corridors.
If there are any last words you need to say to your
father…last words…last words…
A deep breath of air filled her lungs. Amneris
dug her fingernails into her palms. I have to, she realized with
horrifying reality. If just for his sake.
Amneris wiped her eyes before turning the knob.
Her father couldn't see her like this. She caught her reflection
on the metallic surface of the walls. A dreary-eyed reflection greeted
her. Gods, she looked ugly when she cried, she thought, realizing
that tears must have betrayed her after all.
I'm not crying! she mentally insisted. I…just
have something in my eye.
"Father?" she called softly as she entered the Pharaoh's
bedchamber.
The sight that greeted her ripped her heart.
Her father looked even worse than when she had seen him last. His
already pale skin was now almost completely white. His eyes were
open, but there was an unfamiliar glaze upon them. If it wasn't for
the familiar crown and clothes, she wouldn't have recognized the shriveled
man before her.
"Amneris…!" he said happily. He let out a
weak smile. Amneris thanked the gods for that gesture; now she could
begin to recognize the man in front of her.
"Father," she said, kneeling down by his bed.
You see? she argued to herself. He's fine. He's not going to
die…going to die…going to die…any last words…
"It's…so good to…see you," the Pharaoh said. Even
if all the strength was gone from his body and from his voice, it still
shown brightly in his eyes. "I was hoping to see you one last time before-"
"Don't talk like that," Amneris said quickly.
"The doctors have been telling the ministers that you're getting better
every day, and that you'll return soon." She smiled in spite of herself.
"I've so much to tell you, and-"
"Then tell it...quickly, child," he told her.
That sad smile returned. "I've told the doctors to keep news...of
my condition...quiet for the sake of Egypt. Gods...only know...the
spirit of our...country...ever since...Amonosro escaped. But I fear
this...may be the last...time I see you in...this world."
Tears unwillingly sprung to her eyes. It took
all of her strength not to let them fall. "That's not true," she
said. "That's not true! Don't tease me like that, father."
I have to get out of here, a voice inside her panicked. I have to
get out of here.
The Pharaoh lifted a shaking hand and enclosed it
around her own. When had it become so wrinkled? Amneris wondered.
The touch was both comforting and chilling. "It makes me so...happy
that you and...Radames are together. Egypt will...be in safe hands.
He's a good man, and he'll...lead our people...to the victory I wish I
could...live to see. He is loyal, and he...loves you. He'll
take...care of...you. I can die...because I know he will."
Amneris nodded. "Yes, father." Bitterness
welled up inside of her. If only you knew, she thought. If
only you knew…
Amneris didn't understand why she hadn't told anyone
about Radames' betrayal. She had ever right to, after all.
He had disgraced her, betrayed Egypt, and now would take the throne.
She needed to tell, if just for the sake of her country. There were
a few times she appeared before the court, ready to tell everything, but
then found she had no voice. The last time she had tried had been
only a few days ago. After excusing herself from the court with a comment
about some new fabric from Babylon coming in, she returned to her bedchamber
and vomited. She wouldn't, no, couldn't tell. No matter what
the situation between her and Radames, she couldn't justify taking away
his life. Gods, they'd bury him under the sands.
The door opened, revealing the doctor with a new
bag of supplies. "Princess, I need some time alone again with the
patient, if it's alright."
Amneris nodded, standing up. She needed to
get out of the room. Now. "Of course."
The Pharaoh looked drowsy. "Wait, doctor,
can you leave us just a few more minutes? I want time with my daughter..."
There was a pleading, desperate look in his eyes. Strange, coming
from her father, always the aggressor.
Amneris couldn't speak. "I...I need to go,"
she said, trying to move towards the door. "I'll see you soon, alright?
The doctor...needs to help you. You're going to get better, father."
"Amneris...!" the Pharaoh groaned.
"Yes...father?" No tears, no tears, oh gods,
please...
"I love you."
Amneris nodded and smiled. "May the gods go
with you."
She didn't make it out of the Pharaoh's chambers
before she collapsed. For the first time, she didn't hold back.
She didn't have the strength any more. Amneris leaned against the
wall and hugged her knees against her chest.
"I...love you too," she whispered.
"Neris?" Radames called. He knocked again on
the door to his bedchamber. "Neris, are you in there? Neris?"
He shrugged. It must be safe, he thought. It was early, and
his wife was probably still with her women.
He opened the door and took a step inside to find
the princess of Egypt completely naked on her bed. The clothes she
had been wearing earlier that day were on the floor.
"Sorry!" Radames apologized. He turned around
so he no longer faced Amneris' naked form. She must be changing into
her nightgown, he realized. Heat began to creep up his face.
Radames was sure it was turning some interesting shades of red. "I
thought you heard me."
"No, as a matter of fact," the Princess answered.
"Knock louder next time."
Radames let out a laugh. "I didn't even
know that you knew how to dress yourself. You always get the women
to do it for you."
"I know a lot of things you probably didn't know
I did," she said. Her tone was flippant, but there was an element
of bitterness behind it. "Indian cooking, belly dancing, acupuncture…why,
I could take over your job as Pharaoh. Not that I would want to wear
the crown, it's so ugly, and it doesn't go with anything-"
Radames let out a sigh. Words had been spoken
between them, but they hadn't talked in weeks. Amneris knew the truth,
for sure, but it didn't mean she wanted to discuss it. The truth
hurt, but the silence was even worse. "Can we stop this?" Radames
asked.
"Stop what?" Amneris asked. "You can turn
around now. I'm sorry, by the way, if the sight of my nakedness scares
you so much. Maybe the Nubians can give you a crash-course in-wait,
that already happened-"
"This!" Radames exclaimed, now turning around and
meeting her eyes. "We're going to be married for the rest of our
lives, can we at least try to get along? You haven't even talked
to me in the last three weeks."
Something must have happened, he thought, to get
any sort of show of emotion from Amneris at all. Most days he'd been
lucky if she said good morning. Still, this wasn't much of an improvement...
Amneris shrugged and smiled. "Fine, you can
sleep with Shu, she's one of my handmaidens, and I can sleep with Minister
Haken. How about that? And then afterwards we can go shopping
at the bazaar."
Radames sighed. "How did you know, anyway?"
"About what?" Amneris asked innocently.
She knew, of course. She just wanted to hear
him say it. "About me and…her." The last word fell like a weight.
Radames knew his wife felt it just as heavily as he did.
"The night we were married I was out taking a walk.
I like to do that too, you know. I saw you kissing, and telling her
you'd give her the boat." She paused for a moment. "You let
Amonosro get away, didn't you?"
Radames froze. For one of the rare times
in his life he was truly terrified. While the news that he had slept
with a slave girl he might hurt his reputation, word that he had let the
Nubian king escape, even unwillingly, would bury him beneath the sand.
"It...wasn't on purpose. I wanted her to be safe. Letting the
king escape was never my intention. You...heard about the boat as
well?" He could only pray that he hadn't lost his voice.
"Over the sound of your kissing, somehow, yes."
A sad, serious expression crossed her face. "I'm not going to tell
anyone. Not for any great love of you, but because Egypt won't be
able to handle the death of one ruler only to find that the new one is
a traitor. I'm not as selfish as you think."
The word stung, especially coming from Amneris.
Traitor, his mind repeated. Traitor, traitor, traitor. I didn't
know, he told himself once again. All I did was fool around, the
exact same thing my father does ever gods damned night. No, it wasn't
just fooling around, Aida was so much more than-
Damn, he had gone so long without thinking her name…
"How many others were there?" Amneris asked.
She was turned away again.
"Just her," Radames replied. And it was the
truth. He couldn't tell if it was a relief or painful to speak openly.
"She was the first." Silence. "I promise I'm not lying."
"Then why?" Amneris' voice had grown soft.
"Why her?"
"Because I loved her. And I thought she loved
me."
"I love-loved you," Amneris whispered. Radames
couldn't tell if it was her intent to put the word in the present or past
tense.
"She was everything I thought I was ever meant
to be, everything I was about to lose and I wanted so badly-"
"Fine, I understand!" Amneris shouted. "Gods,
Radames, keep to your military campaigns. They come out a lot better
than your love speeches."
Radames sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean
to go off like that. Neris, I..." She wasn't listening, he
realized. She had picked up a brush and had begun combing her hair.
He raised his eyebrows. I tried, Radames thought.
That's doing better than she is right now.
Radames grabbed the top comforter and a pillow off of their bed and
began to arrange them on the floor.
"What are you doing?" Amneris asked.
"Sleeping on the floor," Radames answered.
"People will ask too many questions if I go somewhere else."
"Am I that revolting?" Amneris hissed.
"You haven't been sleeping well lately," Radames
replied. "I thought maybe if-"
"For gods' sake, my father is dying, what do you
expect me to do?" Amneris sighed. "Sleep on the floor if you
want to."
Silence again. Radames laid down and pulled
the pillow behind his head. "Goodnight, Amneris."
Midnight, Amneris realized. She sat up and
looked at the form sleeping beneath her. "Radames?" she called.
"Radames, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
No luck, he was sound asleep. One thing most
of the Egyptian army didn't know was that when the captain was sleeping
you couldn't wake him if you dropped the Sphinx on his head. Amneris
couldn't help but smile. Radames looked...peaceful when he was smiling,
as if the pain of the last few months hadn't happened. Like when
they were kids, and the most important thing in the world was who won the
next race.
"Aida..." he mumbled.
Pain stabbed through her heart. Amneris immediately
laid down under the covers again. Of course, she thought to herself.
I knew it. Gods, why does this even surprise me any more?
There was an urgent pounding at the door.
What now? Amneris wondered. "Princess, Captain! It's the Pharaoh!"
A week later
"We stand here today at the end of an era," Zoser
announced.
Several feet away, Radames tensed. The ceremony
had gone on for hours now in an endless regime of rituals, and he still
hadn't been able to sit down. Radames' relationship with his father
had been poor for the last month, but he still appreciated the fact that
he gave short speeches. One of the perks of being monarch must be
the actual throne, he thought. The rest of the court had to stay
on their feet. Next to him, tears began to spring into Amneris' eyes.
The last week had been hard for her, and seeing anyone else besides her
father wear the crown was going to be hard. Behind her mask, she
must be even worse. Radames put his hand around her own. He
immediately regretted his mistake. Amneris didn't show anything for
fear their arguing being seen by the public, but he could tell she was
uncomfortable. The tears quickly disappeared.
"Our Pharaoh was with our people for fifty years
before the gods took him from us," Zoser continued. "What gifts they
have given our great land the gods have taken back. Such is their
way. But now the gods have blessed us again."
"Radames, son of Zoser, come forward," the priest
called.
It was ironic that the spot they had chosen for
the coronation had such a great view of the Nile, he thought. The
palace was high enough that he could see over the crowd, could still see
his ship docked in the port. Only now it would never be sailed again,
at least not by him. Gods, how was this happening?
Radames took several steps forward and knelt before
the priest. As per tradition, he closed his eyes as the priests anointed
him with the sacred oils. The head priest broke into the ancient
tongue. Radames made out some of the words, but not enough to understand
the meaning. He wondered briefly what would happen if he tried to
run. You'd be buried alive, he reminded himself. Like I should
be now...traitor...
Nothing is an accident…
This isn't happening… he thought. His heart
began to race in panic.
We are free to have it all…
Her words echoed through his mind. If you
don't like your fate, change it!
We are what we want to be…
Aida...
It's in ourselves to rise or fall…
He could feel the weight of the crown on his head
now, it was happening, it had happened, oh gods...oh gods....
Fortune favors the free…
Radames opened his eyes to the crowd below him.
Terror filled his stomach. "Long live the Pharaoh!"
Author's notes: Sorry this took a while. Am I doing okay on Amneris?
She's a really hard character to write because she's such a fine line between
being serious and ditzy.
Some of the stuff I got from the Atlanta version (I've been having fun listening to the bootleg). Radames mentions in that version that the Pharaoh used to pick up him and Amneris and toss them both in the Nile (Radames says "I loved that" as Amneris says at the exact same time "I hated that"). Shu is the name of one of the handmaidens in the Atlanta version. Ugh, the version of "My Strongest Suit" was NOT very good…but it was kind of funny to listen to. Also, part of Radames' speech about why he loves Aida came from the Atlanta version where after Radames is captured Amneris more or less asks him this question.
As for Aida being Radames' first, this might not seem to make a lot of sense. After all, his career used to be enslaving. But the math doesn't really add up if you think about it. Using Adam Pascal as a model (NOT Patrick Cassidy, who looks a lot of older), Radames is in his mid-twenties. Let's say 25. He and Amneris have been engaged for 9 years, so his first time would have had to have been at 16 at the latest. Okay, actually, that's not all that young (especially for ancient Egypt), but that's assuming Radames is at least 25. He could be younger. Even if Radames was older or had been involved, it wouldn't have been with a slave, ruling out that he's had a lot of women via his conquests. He's thrown very off guard by Aida. The only thing this really leaves is other Egyptian women. I suppose it's possible, but I just never got the impression that Radames cheated on Amneris pre-Aida. Okay, so my logic's not great. But go along with it for the sake of the story.
Hopefully the next part won't take as long (we get to see what Aida
is up to). And eventually this story will stop being angsty, although
not for another couple of chapters. Please please review! I'll...um...give
you an Adam Pascal clone! (Um, actually I won't, because if I had
one I'd keep it for myself). Pretty please?