"Make him think you don't love him!"
"I would never, never do that, your Majesty!" Ariel cried, shocked.
"You think that just because he calls আপনি a princess that আপনি are worthy of that title?"
"Sire, আপনি are much mistaken in your beliefs! I প্রণয় Ramses আরো than I can possibly say!"
"You...love...him?"
"Yes, very much."
"Prove it."
The words were soft and dangerous. Ariel trembled. "What...what do আপনি mean?"
"Prove to me that আপনি প্রণয় him and are worthy to be his wife."
"But...how?"
"Leave him."
"What?!"
"Hurt him. Abandon him. Make him think আপনি don't প্রণয় him."
"How...how will that...? I don't understand."
"If আপনি do that, I will believe that আপনি প্রণয় him."
"But..." Seti was tricky, Ariel knew that from experience. "If I do leave him, you'll accuse me of not loving him and convince him that it's true! I just know it!"
"Will আপনি not risk that to be with him?"
Sobbing, Ariel fled from the room. She does not প্রণয় him, Seti thought to himself, scoffing...
Ariel was still crying as she went back to her room. When she had cried enough tears to flood the Nile again, she pulled herself together. What does Seti want me to do? she thought, miserably to herself.
"Ariel?" It was Ramses, outside her door. She jumped up at once, uncertain of herself. "Come in!" she called.
"Ariel, are you-?" He was cut off in mid-sentence as she threw herself bodily at him. "Oh, Ramses! What have I done?"
"What are আপনি talking about?"
She made a quick decision. It would hurt her and him too, but perhaps then Seti would see how much they loved one another. "I've done আপনি wrong. I'm so sorry."
"What? No, আপনি haven't!"
"I have, I have, Ramses! I've made a terrible error of judgment!"
"What? What do আপনি mean?" He looked into her eyes. She felt tears welling inside her but she bit them back.
"Oh, Ramses..." she pulled away from him. "I need to leave this frightful place. I need to be free." Yes, that was it; her freedom. "I feel smothered here all of a sudden. I need to go."
"Right." He was startled দ্বারা her sudden outburst but he shook aside all negative thoughts. "Then we'll leave, Ariel; if that's what আপনি want. We'll run away together-"
"No! No, I need to be alone!" she stammered.
"Ariel?" Ramses touched her arm. Ariel ceased her hurried packing and turned to look at him. The concern in his eyes cut into her heart. "What's my father been saying to you?" he asked, suspiciously.
Ariel took a deep breath. "He's made me see sense. I was so foolish, so silly!" She let out a false giggle that caused Ramses to raise an eyebrow. "My head was so muddled..."
"What are আপনি saying, Ariel?"
"I've been leading আপনি on, Ramses."
"No!"
"Yes, I have!"
"No! I don't believe it!" Ramses slammed his hands on the table, causing everything upon it to rattle. "This is my father's doing!"
"No! It's my own! I'm so sorry!"
"Ariel, stop this!" Ramses caught her দ্বারা the arms, staring into her eyes. "You know that what you're saying isn't true!"
"It is true, Ramses!"
"No, Ariel!"
"Every word of it is true!"
"This is my father's doing!"
"No, it isn't!"
"Look me in the eyes and tell me আপনি don't প্রণয় me!"
For a সেকেন্ড she almost faltered. Ramses looked at her, imploringly, waiting for her to admit that this was all a pack of lies and she truly loved him; he was looking at her with all the প্রণয় that she felt in her হৃদয় for him. But Seti wanted it this way and if it was the only way...could she risk it all for love, true love?
Yes, yes, she could.
Ariel looked straight into his eyes; never blinking, never faltering. "I don't প্রণয় you."
Ramses dropped his arms, staring at her in disbelief. "No...no, Ariel..."
A sob caught in her throat as she snatched up her bag. "I'm sorry! I really am!"
"You don't প্রণয় me?"
"No!" This last was a moan as she fled from the room...
"Father!" Ramses stormed into the room to where Seti was standing, talking to Hotep and Huy. "Father, what have আপনি been saying to her?"
"She is not worthy of you, son," Seti replied, bluntly.
"That's for me to judge!" Ramses shouted.
"She's gone, isn't she? Is that proof that she loves you?"
"You got to her, didn't you? আপনি knew she'd leave if আপনি manipulated her enough, didn't you?"
"Are আপনি accusing me of putting ideas in the silly girl's head?"
"You know I am; and she isn't silly! She's confused, because of you!"
"She doesn't প্রণয় you!"
"She does! She told me so!"
"She was delusional!"
"How dare you? How dare আপনি tell me who to love?"
"She isn't-!"
But whatever Ariel wasn't, Ramses never found out; for, to the surprise of everyone, he grabbed his father দ্বারা the front of his tunic, his eyes ablaze with fury. "She's gone because of আপনি I loved her and আপনি took her away from me; আপনি ruined the best thing that has ever happened to me!"
Running through the dunes, Ariel suddenly stumbled and fell down. Catching her breaths, she began to cry again as she looked up at the palace she was leaving behind. Her home, her friends, her lover...
A sudden memory struck her, of being lost. She, Ramses and Moses had been playing Tag in the palace and she was it. But she had become হারিয়ে গেছে in the ট্যাঙ্গেল্ড maze of rooms and eventually ended up in the Embalming Chambers. That had scared her, the dead bodies in bandages and the people in Anubis masks and the jars of goodness knows what, so she had run away but become হারিয়ে গেছে again. She could remember calling out and crying as she ran through door after door, one room looking exactly the same as another. And then a hand touched her shoulder and she turned with a gasp. It was Ramses. "Hey, Ariel, আপনি alright?" Sobbing, she had pressed against him and he had hugged her. "Hey, it's ok."
"I was lost!" she sobbed. "I couldn't find you
"Ok, well, don't worry; you're নিরাপদ now. We'll find Moses and my mother and it'll be ok, you'll see."
How could she leave him after that?
"I must be strong!" Ariel declared, scrambling to her feet, all thoughts of running away abandoned. "I won't give him up! Ramses, I'm coming back to you!"
As she ran, all her প্রতিমূর্তি of Ramses played before her in her mind; as a child, a through their youth, now as he was, the strong, kind, fun, loving man that she loved so well; who needed her.
"Ramses!" Seti brushed him off. "You're mad, boy!"
"Perhaps, but I am in love! And no matter what আপনি say, I will have Ariel as my wife!"
"She doesn't প্রণয় you!"
"Yes I do!" Ariel cried from the doorway. Ramses turned. "Ariel!"
Throwing down her bag, Ariel darted into his waiting arms. "I do প্রণয় you! I প্রণয় আপনি so much! I'm so sorry I hurt you! I'm sorry!"
Ramses kissed her rapidly. "I knew আপনি did, Ariel; I knew আপনি couldn't mean it, my darling."
"I'm sorry!" she wept, as he continued to চুম্বন her. "I do প্রণয় you; I প্রণয় you! I প্রণয় you!"
"I know, I know. I প্রণয় আপনি too."
Ariel pulled away from him to look defiantly at Seti. "You can try all আপনি like to cast me aside অথবা convince me that I can never be right for your son; but I won't give him up. I will never give him up! Beat me, hang me, do whatever আপনি please but nothing will ever, ever stop me from loving Ramses!"
"And আপনি won't keep me from wanting to marry Ariel, either!" Ramses snapped, putting his arm around Ariel's waist and pressing her close to his body.
Seti stared at them both in surprise; he was absolutely flabbergasted. "Well," he said, when he could finally speak, and "Well," and that was all he could say.
"When do আপনি think he'll calm down?" Ariel asked. It was midnight and the pair of them were sitting on one of the great statues in the temple. Ariel was half-reclining with her back to Ramses; her body pressing into his front, her head resting against his chest, fingers entwined with his own, dreamily.
"Oh, I give him until পরবর্তি spring, my princess," Ramses murmured. Ariel smiled. "You know," he added, playing with a lock of her hair, gently teasing it with his fingers, "I really didn't believe that আপনি couldn't প্রণয় me, although আপনি were very convincing."
"I know. I'm sorry. Your father, he..."
"I know."
"I just thought...maybe it would make him see...but I could never leave you. I know that now."
"Good; because I can't ভালুক to be parted from you."
"Ramses..."
"Yes, my princess?"
"I প্রণয় you."
He kissed the শীর্ষ of her head. "I প্রণয় আপনি too. Ariel?"
"Yes?"
"That's twice I've called আপনি my princess and you've not objected to it."
"I know. But it will be true soon, so I don't mind so much any more."
He smiled. "Then I shall call আপনি my princess forevermore...Princess."
"I won't give him up!"
