Promise
Promise
Preparations were nearly complete when Percival finally appeared near the great flag of Kedet, outside Ssta-Mastaba.
"Percival? Is something the matter?"
He smiled at me, but differently than usual. He seemed to have something on his mind: he suggested we go for a walk. My work was finished, so I agreed. The days ahead promised to be exhausting, and a little relaxation could only do me good.
"For any further questions, speak to Misra. She will be able to answer them, she knows her subject better than anyone."
The soldiers nodded as we walked away with the leader of Koperdam. He gestured toward Mistra-Itrw.
"How about we sit by the riverbank?" he asked.
I nodded, the jewels of my crown clinking softly. Unfortunately, I could not remove it, not with eyes surely fixed upon us. We walked for a while, greeting workers as they harvested honey and sugarcane, until at last, we were alone. I noticed that Percival was carrying a wicker basket, which he set down on the ground. He took out a cloth and spread it out so we could sit, followed by an array of delicacies straight from the market of Kedet - most of them the costliest items available.
"Well, now…" I said, simply, taken by surprise as he continued to unpack food from what seemed to be a bottomless basket.
"That’s not all," he added.
Percival pulled out two magnificent ornaments, pieces I had already spotted once before. Not daring to buy them myself, I had reluctantly left them behind in the Golden Quarter. Now, he was presenting them to me, inviting me to try them on.
"Percival! You should not have…"
I took them with great care. Such works of art were almost too exquisite to be worn, even by the Queen of Kedet. Turning them over and over, I examined them from every angle. Then, I felt the artificer’s fingers rest upon the backs of my hands as he slid the bracelet onto my arm.
He stepped even closer, the pendant in his hands. I dared not move as he reached around me. He took great pains to avoid touching my neck while fastening the necklace, yet I could still feel him brush against me here and there. After a few long seconds, he drew back slightly. I leaned over the water; my reflection alone revealed that these new jewels made me look breathtakingly beautiful. I did not know what to say.
"Thank you, Percival," I whispered simply.
Afterward, we shared a meal together. Then…
"No… not yet…"
The sky turned black, and everything froze. I sensed someone behind me, or perhaps… something. It sounded as if… there were several voices speaking at once, all of them feminine.
"What will you do now, Semet?" the voice asked, slowly.
I tried to turn around, but in vain. I, too, was frozen, though, it seemed, my consciousness remained intact.
"I… I don’t understand. What am I supposed to do?"
I heard the sound of footsteps. The thing had drawn closer. "Chosen or not, Queen or commoner, your time is limited. You know this better than anyone."
"Is that a threat?"
"Why would I threaten you? I am your ally."
"Then what…"
"Percival, too, is… fleeting. You all are. Take responsibility, my child. Listen, at last, to your heart."
"Wait… Ib-Deben!?"
Daylight returned. I had to make an immense effort to ensure nothing showed on my face in front of Percival. Otherwise, our meeting would surely have been ruined.
*Take responsibility. Listen to your heart.*
The words echoed, or perhaps she was repeating them inside my mind. Taking a deep breath, I rummaged through my satchel. During one of my many escapades to Koperdam which had worried the citizens, who never knew where I’d vanished to, I had bought a little something for Percival. "For later," I had told myself…
I pulled out a small box, simple and made of copper.
*"A ring? For a man? Do you know what that signifies here in Koperdam?"* the jeweler had asked me.
*"The same thing it does in Kedet, I suppose,"* I had replied, amused.
*"That man is one lucky fellow!"* he had laughed.
"Percival…"
He looked up, curious as to what the box might hold, then his eyes widened as he discovered its contents.
"Semet… Is this…?"
I placed my hands on Percival’s shoulders.
"I no longer want to have to hide this relationship. Let us make it an official union. Two great nations bound by friendship and even love, for the good of both our peoples. And for our own good as well."