XV: A Wind Called Fate
I watched from the window the future Pharaoh of Egypt ran up the path, swinging his hunting weapon carelessly. Before long the bolas had left dents in several pillars and scattered several servants. "He gets his wild streak from you."
My eyes closed as I tried to hide my mirth, but to no avail. I glanced back at my husband and smiled. "And his stubborness from you."
Amenutept chuckled, and joined me at the window to watch as Rapses's lead guardian stopped our son and led him away to where he could practice without terrorizing the servants or buildings. "He will be a fine Pharaoh. When he's grown."
"Allow him to be a fine Prince first, and a boy." I chastised gently.
"I'm going to miss you both." He told me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
I smiled, leaning back in his arms. "We will miss you. Can you not stay until tomorrow?"
"I wish I could, but the rebellion has already taken a heavy toll. I dare not delay." Amenutept released me, and stepped back. I turned away from the window, knowing already that he was wearing his battle armor.
"I wish you would take Ja-Kal."
"I want him here to protect Rapses." He told me.
"But we aren't going anywhere. What danger could there be that his other guardian's could not see too?" I asked, hoping he'd agree to take his head hunter. I trusted Ja-Kal with something far more precious than my life - the lives of Rapses and Amenutept.
"I don't know how long I'll be gone. I want him here."
There was something in his tone that bothered me. "Amenutept, is there something you're not telling me?"
He reached out to caress my cheek. "Don't worry. I'll tell you when I'm certain."
"Certain?" I repeated, worried despite his attempt at reassurance. He silenced me with a kiss.
"Don't steal any chariots while I'm gone." He told me, and I blushed.
"You'll be saying that twenty years from now." I told him.
"I hope so." He smiled gently at me before leaving the room.
I turned back to the window, and saw Scarab down below watching Ja-Kal train Rapses. I felt an old familiar feeling of uneasiness settle over me. It had been growing stronger, my uneasiness over Scarab. Steadily since that fateful day all those years before when we'd returned after Amenutept's near death by posioned arrow. I brushed it aside when I could, chided my over-active imagination when I could not. And now? I saw Amenutept emerge than, and Rapses ran forward to say goodbye one last time. One last time...there was a feeling, a sense of dread in that moment. My husband and son saying goodbye with Ja-Kal watching on one side and Scarab on the other. Nefer pulled up then, to take Rapses to his lessons, and the two parted to go to their own chariots. Looking back, it was almost tragically symbolic. They rode the wind away from eachother, as if to their destinies. As I had many years before. A wind called fate.
Yshta
The End
I don't know if that was really cool or really corny, but I couldn't think of how else to end it. It can't end happily, really, after all we all know Rapses dies in the end. I guess I could have ended it on their marriage instead of years later with Rapses, but I really wanted to show them years later. Specifically Amenutept's by now infamous farewell to her about not stealing chariots. So it actually is a semi-sad ending, and the last line balances rather precariously between cool and corny, but over it now is! Yay! Finally finished it! About time too, right? -'
Salmon
I watched from the window the future Pharaoh of Egypt ran up the path, swinging his hunting weapon carelessly. Before long the bolas had left dents in several pillars and scattered several servants. "He gets his wild streak from you."
My eyes closed as I tried to hide my mirth, but to no avail. I glanced back at my husband and smiled. "And his stubborness from you."
Amenutept chuckled, and joined me at the window to watch as Rapses's lead guardian stopped our son and led him away to where he could practice without terrorizing the servants or buildings. "He will be a fine Pharaoh. When he's grown."
"Allow him to be a fine Prince first, and a boy." I chastised gently.
"I'm going to miss you both." He told me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
I smiled, leaning back in his arms. "We will miss you. Can you not stay until tomorrow?"
"I wish I could, but the rebellion has already taken a heavy toll. I dare not delay." Amenutept released me, and stepped back. I turned away from the window, knowing already that he was wearing his battle armor.
"I wish you would take Ja-Kal."
"I want him here to protect Rapses." He told me.
"But we aren't going anywhere. What danger could there be that his other guardian's could not see too?" I asked, hoping he'd agree to take his head hunter. I trusted Ja-Kal with something far more precious than my life - the lives of Rapses and Amenutept.
"I don't know how long I'll be gone. I want him here."
There was something in his tone that bothered me. "Amenutept, is there something you're not telling me?"
He reached out to caress my cheek. "Don't worry. I'll tell you when I'm certain."
"Certain?" I repeated, worried despite his attempt at reassurance. He silenced me with a kiss.
"Don't steal any chariots while I'm gone." He told me, and I blushed.
"You'll be saying that twenty years from now." I told him.
"I hope so." He smiled gently at me before leaving the room.
I turned back to the window, and saw Scarab down below watching Ja-Kal train Rapses. I felt an old familiar feeling of uneasiness settle over me. It had been growing stronger, my uneasiness over Scarab. Steadily since that fateful day all those years before when we'd returned after Amenutept's near death by posioned arrow. I brushed it aside when I could, chided my over-active imagination when I could not. And now? I saw Amenutept emerge than, and Rapses ran forward to say goodbye one last time. One last time...there was a feeling, a sense of dread in that moment. My husband and son saying goodbye with Ja-Kal watching on one side and Scarab on the other. Nefer pulled up then, to take Rapses to his lessons, and the two parted to go to their own chariots. Looking back, it was almost tragically symbolic. They rode the wind away from eachother, as if to their destinies. As I had many years before. A wind called fate.
Yshta
The End
I don't know if that was really cool or really corny, but I couldn't think of how else to end it. It can't end happily, really, after all we all know Rapses dies in the end. I guess I could have ended it on their marriage instead of years later with Rapses, but I really wanted to show them years later. Specifically Amenutept's by now infamous farewell to her about not stealing chariots. So it actually is a semi-sad ending, and the last line balances rather precariously between cool and corny, but over it now is! Yay! Finally finished it! About time too, right? -'
Salmon