Amneris stomach turned as she looked at them. The two people she
loved most in the world stood silent as their fates were decided. Aida
stood tall as she watched the Pharaoh, her eyes glazed over in a soft
acceptance that her life would be over in a matter of hours. Radames,
however, was a separate story. His face had a steady stream of sweat that
trailed down to his neck. His eyes were alive and wide and he looked near
to hyperventilation. He seemed to be ignoring her father's words, his mind
absorbed in some other consistent thought in his head. He didn't seem
aware of her watching him, her concern growing as the seconds passed. In
fact, he didn't seem to be aware of anything aside from the thoughts coming
from within his own head.
The Pharaoh, surprised at his lack of effect on the accused, asked, "Do you have thing to say?"
Aida said nothing, but allowed the tears to fall. Radames gave a couple of heaves as though he would vomit, then looked up, set his eyes on the pharaoh and said through a shaken voice, "It's not true."
Everything stopped for a moment as his words echoed through the room.
The Pharaoh rested his chin curiously upon his fist and asked, "Which part?"
"All of it," came the immediate answer. Radames seemed to realize the extent of his mechanical lie and shook his head, "sorry, not all of it, but most of it." He walked forward and approached the Pharaoh directly, "Sir, I am not my father, you know this. I have been loyal to you for years. Anything my father has done, he did on his own. When I arrived at the docks, Amonasro was already gone. He'd left his daughter and my servant, Mereb, who'd helped him escape. My father showed up minutes later and in his rage, tried to attack Aida. Mereb stepped in between and was killed."
"That was not Zoser's version."
"I'm sure it wasn't," Radames replied quickly, a strange new confidence coming over him as his tale grew farther and farther from the truth, "but at this point, I'm sure he would say anything to make me share his fate. He ran. Why would I remain if I planned to lie to you?"
The Pharaoh folded his hands in front of him, "You make a good point. Your credibility far out weighs his and if you tell me this, boy, I will believe you, but what of your relations with my daughter's handmaiden, a handmaiden who happens to be the daughter of my enemy? Would you deny that?"
Radames looked at Aida and said, "No, I wouldn't." He turned back to the Pharaoh, "Please, understand that for over a year, I've heard of nothing but what I am to give up for this marriage. I love, Amneris, you know I do. We grew up together, nothing can break what we have.but fear is a strong this and when Aida crossed my path.well, fate's a strong thing, too. I wanted to be with her, but I was willing to give her up when the time came."
Most of what he'd said so far was a lie and most everyone in the room knew it. The Pharaoh bent forward in his seat, "Are you saying you feel nothing for this woman?"
Radames swallowed hard and looked back to Aida once more. Her expression was not hurt, nor did she seem to be expecting anything. She looked at him steadily. No matter what he answered, she knew the truth of it.
"I can't say that," Radames answered heavily, "I've learned more from her in a matter of days than I have through most of my life. My feelings are present and they are strong, but I won't let them cost us our lives if I can avoid it. I pulled her into this and she went kicking and screaming. I've made a mistake and ruined us both." Aida's tears had dried. She'd listened to her lover lie about her father, her friend, and now he spoke of their love as a mistake. She understood why he spoke the way he did, but she couldn't help but question his sincerity. She looked to Amneris whose expression seemed to question the same thing.
The Pharaoh eyed Radames suspiciously for a moment, then leaned back in his chair and turned to Amneris.
"Daughter," he said and watched her jump in response, "You've heard his confession of infidelity. Knowing this, would you take back your husband?"
Amneris sniffed back her tears as she looked at Radames. Slowly, she nodded, "I would take him."
The Pharaoh smiled, "Good, then things will proceed as planned. I believe your loyalties are to this country and that you will take it far into the future."
Smiles appeared and three heavy sighs of relief were breathed. Amneris was nearly out of her seat and running for her husband's arms when the ominous "however" fell from her father's lips.
"However, I see little future with her," and he outstretched his long index finger towards Aida.
"Father-" Amneris began, but he cut her off quickly, "I will not spare her. She could bring our downfall, living inside this palace. Besides, boy, you have not been unfaithful yet, and I will not give you the chance to."
"No!" said Radames.
"Father, you can't!"
"I can and have, take her!"
Radames turned and sped towards Aida, but was caught by two guards as two others dragged the woman toward the door.
Amneris stood yelling, "Wait!" She turned to her father in the chaos, "Give them a moment, please!"
The Pharaoh hesitated, then seeing the desperation in his daughter's face, held up his hand, "Hold."
All four guards let go and the lovers ran to each other. Radames tried to embrace her, but Aida held him off. She looked at him intently and spoke words too soft for Amneris to hear. She brought her hands to his face, wiped the tears from it, then kissed him quickly. She released before he could get a good grip on her and went to the door without looking back once.
Once she let go, he fell. Radames sat on the floor and stared into the doorway where the woman he loved had disappeared. So lost was he that he hardly noticed when Amneris approached and stood by his side, watching the same darkness.
He didn't know how long he sat there. In fact when he awoke in the wedding chamber, he couldn't recall how he'd gotten there. He was lying the bed, the bed that was to share with Amneris, his wife, for the rest of his life. She was seated on a stool, staring out the window. She looked at him and said, "My father's just been in. It's over. She's gone."
Part 1.more is coming soon.
The Pharaoh, surprised at his lack of effect on the accused, asked, "Do you have thing to say?"
Aida said nothing, but allowed the tears to fall. Radames gave a couple of heaves as though he would vomit, then looked up, set his eyes on the pharaoh and said through a shaken voice, "It's not true."
Everything stopped for a moment as his words echoed through the room.
The Pharaoh rested his chin curiously upon his fist and asked, "Which part?"
"All of it," came the immediate answer. Radames seemed to realize the extent of his mechanical lie and shook his head, "sorry, not all of it, but most of it." He walked forward and approached the Pharaoh directly, "Sir, I am not my father, you know this. I have been loyal to you for years. Anything my father has done, he did on his own. When I arrived at the docks, Amonasro was already gone. He'd left his daughter and my servant, Mereb, who'd helped him escape. My father showed up minutes later and in his rage, tried to attack Aida. Mereb stepped in between and was killed."
"That was not Zoser's version."
"I'm sure it wasn't," Radames replied quickly, a strange new confidence coming over him as his tale grew farther and farther from the truth, "but at this point, I'm sure he would say anything to make me share his fate. He ran. Why would I remain if I planned to lie to you?"
The Pharaoh folded his hands in front of him, "You make a good point. Your credibility far out weighs his and if you tell me this, boy, I will believe you, but what of your relations with my daughter's handmaiden, a handmaiden who happens to be the daughter of my enemy? Would you deny that?"
Radames looked at Aida and said, "No, I wouldn't." He turned back to the Pharaoh, "Please, understand that for over a year, I've heard of nothing but what I am to give up for this marriage. I love, Amneris, you know I do. We grew up together, nothing can break what we have.but fear is a strong this and when Aida crossed my path.well, fate's a strong thing, too. I wanted to be with her, but I was willing to give her up when the time came."
Most of what he'd said so far was a lie and most everyone in the room knew it. The Pharaoh bent forward in his seat, "Are you saying you feel nothing for this woman?"
Radames swallowed hard and looked back to Aida once more. Her expression was not hurt, nor did she seem to be expecting anything. She looked at him steadily. No matter what he answered, she knew the truth of it.
"I can't say that," Radames answered heavily, "I've learned more from her in a matter of days than I have through most of my life. My feelings are present and they are strong, but I won't let them cost us our lives if I can avoid it. I pulled her into this and she went kicking and screaming. I've made a mistake and ruined us both." Aida's tears had dried. She'd listened to her lover lie about her father, her friend, and now he spoke of their love as a mistake. She understood why he spoke the way he did, but she couldn't help but question his sincerity. She looked to Amneris whose expression seemed to question the same thing.
The Pharaoh eyed Radames suspiciously for a moment, then leaned back in his chair and turned to Amneris.
"Daughter," he said and watched her jump in response, "You've heard his confession of infidelity. Knowing this, would you take back your husband?"
Amneris sniffed back her tears as she looked at Radames. Slowly, she nodded, "I would take him."
The Pharaoh smiled, "Good, then things will proceed as planned. I believe your loyalties are to this country and that you will take it far into the future."
Smiles appeared and three heavy sighs of relief were breathed. Amneris was nearly out of her seat and running for her husband's arms when the ominous "however" fell from her father's lips.
"However, I see little future with her," and he outstretched his long index finger towards Aida.
"Father-" Amneris began, but he cut her off quickly, "I will not spare her. She could bring our downfall, living inside this palace. Besides, boy, you have not been unfaithful yet, and I will not give you the chance to."
"No!" said Radames.
"Father, you can't!"
"I can and have, take her!"
Radames turned and sped towards Aida, but was caught by two guards as two others dragged the woman toward the door.
Amneris stood yelling, "Wait!" She turned to her father in the chaos, "Give them a moment, please!"
The Pharaoh hesitated, then seeing the desperation in his daughter's face, held up his hand, "Hold."
All four guards let go and the lovers ran to each other. Radames tried to embrace her, but Aida held him off. She looked at him intently and spoke words too soft for Amneris to hear. She brought her hands to his face, wiped the tears from it, then kissed him quickly. She released before he could get a good grip on her and went to the door without looking back once.
Once she let go, he fell. Radames sat on the floor and stared into the doorway where the woman he loved had disappeared. So lost was he that he hardly noticed when Amneris approached and stood by his side, watching the same darkness.
He didn't know how long he sat there. In fact when he awoke in the wedding chamber, he couldn't recall how he'd gotten there. He was lying the bed, the bed that was to share with Amneris, his wife, for the rest of his life. She was seated on a stool, staring out the window. She looked at him and said, "My father's just been in. It's over. She's gone."
Part 1.more is coming soon.