Chapter 9: Meant to be?
The palace was quiet for hours until the families were called into the dining hall.
When Ramses arrived he got an angry glare from his father. Setpenkhamun's bleeding wounds were quite obvious.
"I utterly refuse to eat lunch with this man!" The pharaoh yelled after seeing Ramses taking a seat. "He is an aggressive being!"
"You definitely owe the pharaoh an apology," Ramses' father told him sternly. "Your behavior was anything but okay. I'm ashamed that you're my son!"
Ouch. Ramses took a deep breath. "I am sorry," he mumbled.
But Setpenkhamun completely ignored the apology. "I don't know why these men even came here!" He said to no one but himself.
"We want this hate to stop," Ramses' father clarified.
"What hate?!"
"The hate between Upper and Lower Egypt."
The conversation got interrupted by several servants entering the room with golden plates in their hands. Lunch began, and Ramses and his father were the only ones not eating ("The food could be poisoned!" His father had warned).
Lunch passed in no time. The atmosphere? Rather negative.
When the plates were cleared, Ramses' father quickly sat down next to Setpenkhamun and they began talking about Egypt's economy.
Ramses took his chance and walked up to Dedyet who was helping a little bug that had gotten lost in the palace to crawl out of one of the windows.
"Hello, Dedyet."
She turned her head, smiling. "Hello, Ramses."
"Do you want to go outside?" He asked.
"Sure. Just let me help this little beetle here."
Ramses watched the beetle successfully reaching the outside. "The garden seems to be a place you really like…" He said.
"Oh, definitely. It's my favorite place."
"The garden we have in our palace is waaaay prettier," he told her as they started walking, a smirk on his face.
"Oh is that so?" She replied, an even greater smirk on her face.
"Yes, that is so. It's a simple fact."
"You de Niles really like to brag, do you?"
"Dedyet, we are here in peace, really."
"I know, I know. And I really appreciate it. This kingdom needs help."
A sudden thought flashed through Ramses' mind: He was actually betraying Dedyet. His father and him had come here and invaded the royal family's privacy for the sole purpose of manipulating Dedyet into a marriage with Ramses, so that he could take over Setpenkhamun's kingdom! He was… He was using her!
Dedyet started small talk, no idea about the thoughts that went through Ramses' mind. "You know, my brother has been ruling for quite some time now. Five years, to be exact."
Ramses quickly tried to overcome his thoughts. "So, when he started, he was…"
"Sixteen. Like I am now."
"Wow. That really is early to start."
"Yes…"
The hated silence returned. Only their footsteps were heard. The way to the garden seemed to be endlessly long.
"Is…there a certain reason for that?" Ramses asked, already regretting this question.
"You are a really curious man, are you?"
He laughed nervously. "No! Err- I'm sorry. I didn't want to bother you in any way."
"No, it's okay. You don't bother me at all."
Ramses watched Dedyet sitting down on a bench, realizing that they had already entered the garden several seconds ago.
He sat down next to her.
No one was talking.
"So… Are you lonely here without your parents?"
As there was no answer, Ramses turned his head, surprised to find Dedyet angry.
The princess stood up. "Are you an informal or what?!"
"No!"
"Then why are you always asking me about them?"
"Sorry, I'm just curious…"
"Then you are by far the most curious person I have ever met in my life!"
"Well, the de Niles are very special," he told her, smirking arrogantly.
But Dedyet wasn't laughing at all.
"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I won't do it again."
"I think everyone deserves a second chance," she told him, "But right now, I don't think I can do it."
"What… What does that mean?"
She faced the ground. "I need some space."
And so she left the garden. Ramses kept sitting there, lost in thoughts.
What was her secret?