Chapter Two
Aida watched as Amneris pulled Radames into her bedchamber by the collar. He acted all googly-eyed, for Amneris, but looked over at Aida at his last chance. She waved slightly as he disappeared.
Aida: Though your gone, I know you'll be back sometime Showing me my path, that of love and benign Forever will you stay in my heart You may be pushed away, but we'll never part
Radames: (in Amneris' Bedchamber, sitting on her bed beside her) Though I am pulled away from you, I'll be back in time to come My love for you will always bloom This perfect love can never be corrupted, though it may be by some
Both: But I will always be with you Through wind and rain and snow A different kind of love for us Many see this as a crime, although we cannot see We knew, we loved, we know
Aida smiled as she saw Radames singing with her in her mind. She rose and walked towards the slave shelter. Nehebka was bringing her linens out to get ready for wash day. She looked up and smiled as Aida approached.
'Linen day, you need to collect the princess'," she said. Aida nodded and looked at the horizon.
"Aida?" Nehebka said. Aida shook her head as she came out of a daze.
"Sorry Nehebka, what?" "You need to come back down to earth, Aida. I don't know where you've been these days. We may not be home, but." Nehebka sighed. Aida put a comforting arm around her.
"We'll make it out of here, I promise. But right now, I need to collect Amneris' linen. I'll meet you and the other girls by the river in a couple minutes," Nehebka smiled as Aida headed over to Amneris' bedchamber.
"Amneris?" Aida shouted through the door. "Its Aida, I need to collect your linens for wash day. Can I come in?" She slowly turned the handle, cracking the door just enough for her to see into the dark bedroom. Hearing a faint coughing coming from the washroom worried her. She opened the door all the way and walked in. There, she saw Amneris' shadow looking as if she we sick. Aida puzzled for a minute for why she would be sick. But then "Oh yes," she thought. Morning sickness.
Aida quickly grabbed Amneris' linens and scooted out the door. She sighed, actually feeling sorry for the poor girl. It must be hard to be a princess, especially a pregnant one. Wait a minute, she was a princess. She thought that the heat was getting to her. Or maybe Radames. Aida remembered back to when she was back in Nubia, rampaging around the palace, teasing the guards and flirting with the visiting princes. Aida sighed, she missed those days. She walked over to the slave shelter, gathered the lingering girls, and they headed for the Nile.
* At the Nile, a couple hours later
Aida dipped Amneris' nightdress into the cold Nile waters. It had already numbed her hands, so it didn't feel too shocking. She was laughing and having a great time with the other handmaidens.
"Aida! Do you remember when we hid Neya's pants on the roof while he was in the sauna? Oh gods! We just about killed his reputation when he found it hung on your father's thrown!" Aida laughed and remembered when she and Nehebka pulled that little stunt. Neya was one of the palace guards, and he always spent time in the sauna. Aida opened her mouth to say something when-
"So that's why my shirt ended up on the roof of the palace last wash day, a couple of playish girls" Aida sat shocked at the voice she heard. She felt Nehebka and all the other girls tense up. She turned around and looked into the face of the man.
"Radames,"
Aida watched as Amneris pulled Radames into her bedchamber by the collar. He acted all googly-eyed, for Amneris, but looked over at Aida at his last chance. She waved slightly as he disappeared.
Aida: Though your gone, I know you'll be back sometime Showing me my path, that of love and benign Forever will you stay in my heart You may be pushed away, but we'll never part
Radames: (in Amneris' Bedchamber, sitting on her bed beside her) Though I am pulled away from you, I'll be back in time to come My love for you will always bloom This perfect love can never be corrupted, though it may be by some
Both: But I will always be with you Through wind and rain and snow A different kind of love for us Many see this as a crime, although we cannot see We knew, we loved, we know
Aida smiled as she saw Radames singing with her in her mind. She rose and walked towards the slave shelter. Nehebka was bringing her linens out to get ready for wash day. She looked up and smiled as Aida approached.
'Linen day, you need to collect the princess'," she said. Aida nodded and looked at the horizon.
"Aida?" Nehebka said. Aida shook her head as she came out of a daze.
"Sorry Nehebka, what?" "You need to come back down to earth, Aida. I don't know where you've been these days. We may not be home, but." Nehebka sighed. Aida put a comforting arm around her.
"We'll make it out of here, I promise. But right now, I need to collect Amneris' linen. I'll meet you and the other girls by the river in a couple minutes," Nehebka smiled as Aida headed over to Amneris' bedchamber.
"Amneris?" Aida shouted through the door. "Its Aida, I need to collect your linens for wash day. Can I come in?" She slowly turned the handle, cracking the door just enough for her to see into the dark bedroom. Hearing a faint coughing coming from the washroom worried her. She opened the door all the way and walked in. There, she saw Amneris' shadow looking as if she we sick. Aida puzzled for a minute for why she would be sick. But then "Oh yes," she thought. Morning sickness.
Aida quickly grabbed Amneris' linens and scooted out the door. She sighed, actually feeling sorry for the poor girl. It must be hard to be a princess, especially a pregnant one. Wait a minute, she was a princess. She thought that the heat was getting to her. Or maybe Radames. Aida remembered back to when she was back in Nubia, rampaging around the palace, teasing the guards and flirting with the visiting princes. Aida sighed, she missed those days. She walked over to the slave shelter, gathered the lingering girls, and they headed for the Nile.
* At the Nile, a couple hours later
Aida dipped Amneris' nightdress into the cold Nile waters. It had already numbed her hands, so it didn't feel too shocking. She was laughing and having a great time with the other handmaidens.
"Aida! Do you remember when we hid Neya's pants on the roof while he was in the sauna? Oh gods! We just about killed his reputation when he found it hung on your father's thrown!" Aida laughed and remembered when she and Nehebka pulled that little stunt. Neya was one of the palace guards, and he always spent time in the sauna. Aida opened her mouth to say something when-
"So that's why my shirt ended up on the roof of the palace last wash day, a couple of playish girls" Aida sat shocked at the voice she heard. She felt Nehebka and all the other girls tense up. She turned around and looked into the face of the man.
"Radames,"