The drums were rolling from thin air, the ground underneath the people's feet was shaking by the force of the hundred maybe more visitors who were almost at the gates of the Palace…the Palace of Goryeo.
The gated were wide open ready to welcome its guests from the faraway lands. The guests who were invited almost half a year ago come and attend the Annual Celebration in Goryeo. King Tae Min doubted their acceptance to the letter, the way from Kemet to here was a long way taking up to 3 months.
Yes, the visitor was the Great Pharaoh of Kemet. The King stood at the opened gates with his family around him. His two wives, 4 sons, and only daughter. The excitement in their eyes could be seen from a mile away as their tiny minds tried to capture the moment to the fullest.
The streets were packed with citizens as they came out of their homes to witness the upcoming of the Convoy from Kemet. A carnival-like entrance was made, a way to show off their wealth and power – not that anyone didn't know that.
The dancers and performers were leading the way to the palace, moving in rhythm to the music played by the musicians who were outlining the whole convoy like a fence. Amidst this tight formation walked the Pharaoh's throne as it was pulled by mammals. The silk curtains that were covering it hid the Pharaoh from view.
"What in God's name is that?" Said Queen Eun Ae, the first queen and mother to a candidate to the Throne, Joon Wo who was standing next to her not less excited than his siblings around him. "Showing off his wealth…" she hissed under her breath.
"When you are so high above like him then it would be weird not to, my Queen," King Tae answered his wife keeping his full focus on the sight in front of him. A voice inside him saying that this might be the last time for him to witness such a thing.
The Queen paid no heed to the King's words. Instead, her full attention was on the tanned man stepping forth in purple silk. In him, you could almost see the reflection of the blazing desert sun, the golden sand as it tickled your feet through the sandals. He was decorated with heavy gold, making it seem too heavy for him to move around freely.
As the rest of the convoy was halting still, everyone's eyes were atop him, watching eagerly for what magical performance this man was going to do as well. Instead, he lashed his smile bright holding his arms that were wrapped in silk next to him. The silk that was dangling to the floor making him seem like a bird.
"BEHOLD!" His voice rang, echoing on the walls of the buildings surrounding them. "HIS HOLINESS, GREAT PHARAOH OF THE EMPIRE PROTECTED BY THE GOD RA! PHARAOH AKHENATON, FIRST OF HIS NAME!"
And just as they waited to see the curtains fall off to see the legendary man. The man spoke again, "AND HIS DAUGHTER, CROWN PRINCESS TO THE THRONE OF KEMET, NEFERTARI FIRST OF HER NAME!"
This time they knew that he was done when he stepped aside gesturing for them to fix their eyes on the spotlight. The white curtains were drawn to the side by the maids, revealing the Royal family of Kemet to the audience.
The Pharaoh walked his way down the steps that led to his throne, his daughter following right next to him. They were both like nothing they have ever seen. Just like the man from before, you could see the sun in the color of their tanned skin, the little girl was blessed with hair as dark as ink, even from a distance you could see that her eyes weren't dark like how they all were. Her eyes were almost the color of the clouds, seamless gray complimenting her darker features and round face.
The Pharaoh towered over her as he leads the way to the gates to greet the King. He walked pridefully up the steps, his smile was so bright like nothing they have ever seen.
"It's great to finally be in your presence, Pharaoh!" Said King Tae as he bowed deeply for Akhenaton only for him to hold his shoulder and help him back up.
"Oh, please don't !" Akhenaton exclaimed as he helped him up. "I'm much younger than you, Your Majesty. Please be comfortable with me."
The king couldn't help but frown in confusion that Akhenaton couldn't help but notice.
"Oh, yes!" Akhenaton chuckled almost shyly. "I do talk your language. The idea of a person walking around me to interpret everything isn't…pleasing." He finally finished.
King Tae blinked a couple of times before returning back to reality. "Yes, Yes, of course, I understand!" he exclaimed. "This is my Family." He gestured to the crowd next to him.
"Mother, he is younger than Father!" Min Jun said, the youngest of the princes and Joon Wo's brother from the same mother. He tugged on his mother's dress to grab her attention as his eyes were fixed on Akhenaton.
"Hey! I apologize, Pharaoh," said Queen Eun Ae as she grabbed her son behind her. Akhenaton grinned at the little boy as he gestured for the Queen that it was okay. Yet he wasn't ignorant to his older brother's stares. Joon Wo couldn't keep his eyes off of him.
Akhenaton squatted down to the boy's level. "I have a daughter that's around your age." He mumbled loud enough for the two of them only, pointing to his daughter standing a step behind him – clearly anxious that she was doing literally nothing. "I hope you take care of her." He patted Joon Wo's head.
Now Joon Wo's eyes were glued to the daughter instead of the father. In her, he saw a great resemblance between them yet…he saw how much different they were. Though, he thought where the Queen was? There was the father, daughter, now where is the mother?
The king led the way into the Palace, next to him was his queen and on the other side was the Pharaoh talking to one of his men. "Don't you feel ashamed to bow to a boy, Your Majesty?" Queen Eun Ae said keeping her voice low, hating the idea that the stranger king from faraway lands could understand their every word.
She frowned when she heard the King chuckle under his breath as his shoulders rocked up and down. "That man you are calling a boy brought empires to its knees," he confessed with a smile. "You might want to watch your words or we are next. We haven't seen half of what he is capable of." And with that, he walked away leaving the Queen burning her own anger and perhaps…jealousy.
Nefertari watched as her father walked away, and started to walk behind her maid, the little princess was roaming the palace with her two maids. The palace was completely different from the one she came from, unlike in Kemet the palace looks as if it was made of a block of gold on the ground from the blazing sun this one was filled with different colors that steal the eyes as if it came straight out of a painting.
"Look, Canaria, those trees look so beautiful…" she said but stopped when she saw that her maid wasn't behind her as always. I'm lost she thought, but she didn't panic she knew they would find her sooner or later and she could talk a little well so she could ask anyone how to go back.
Her father was very persistent in learning their language saying that it's a simple courtesy and like he always said interpreters can translate your words but never your sincerity not to mention they can never be trusted, so she complied.
She looked back up at the tree, it's so beautiful she said under her breath. She started walking towards it looking up at the beautiful soft pink color flowers that were blooming, she placed her hand on the tree bark feeling the rough texture underneath her fingertips.
She was into it that she didn't notice the little prince looking from the other side at her, he has never seen anyone like that since their genes are completely different from her, but none or less he thought that she looked like a fairy.
He believed that even more when a sweet breeze blew causing pastel pink petals to fly all around her as if it's a scene from one of the fairytales his mother tells him now and then when he has trouble sleeping.
"Joon-ah, what are you doing? We are searching for you" Jae I said to his older sister, she followed his gaze to see what he was so into until she saw the little princess as well. She kneeled to her brother's height ruffling his hair with her hand "Why don't you go ask her to come to play with you?" she said with a grin.
"W-will she accept?" he looked back at her with puppy eyes. She gave him a reassuring smile and pushed him gently towards the cherry blossom tree.
As the princess started to hear footsteps, she turned her head to see a shy boy walking towards her. His sister was still standing there ready to help her brother if needed.
"Hello, I'm Nefertari and you?" she said with the sweetest smile, she knew that he was a prince she remembered seeing him at the gate but they were never introduced.
"O-oh, h-hey I'm Joon Wo," he said looking down at his foot his face flushed from embarrassment.
"Hey, Joon Wo. Are you okay? your face is turning pink." She said tilting her head and getting closer to the young prince.
"I-I was wondering if you want to come to play with me and my brothers?" he finally said gathering all the courage he had in his tiny body to hold his head up and look at her, she was a few cms taller than him so he had to hold his head up to look at her.
"Sure, I would love to!" she said her eyes sparkled along with him, both thankful for this little introduction. Nefertari didn't want to spend the next couple of weeks alone since her father was going to be busy with guests and Joon Wo wanted to have someone to talk to other than his brothers. They both needed a friend.
He pointed towards his sister who was still standing where he left her and took Nefertari by the hand to introduce her.
"Noona! This is Nefe…Nefi…" he tried to say but her name was too unfamiliar to his tongue he couldn't say it which she couldn't hold her laugh at.
"I'm Nefertari. You can call me Tari" she said remembering the first person to call her that was her mother, that was what her father always told her.