A Song of Ancient Times

       Today wasn’t just another day at the palace, today was the day the Egyptian convoy reach Goryeo (Korea) The king was holding the annual celebration that was every 4 years on the 21st of February. And after many years of drought without rain, he decided that he will make this celebration the greatest in the history of Goryeo. He invited Kings and Princes from all of his allying countries.  The Greatest of all of them was told to be The Pharaoh of Kemet (Ancient Egypt) Akhenaton. Only a few have seen him in person so he is like a living legend in many places.     “Today we either make a great ally or a terrifying enemy,” said the King Tae Min standing at the front gate of the palace with his sons Yu Jun, Min Jun, Joon Wo, Jin Wo and his only daughter Jae I. Yu Jun and Joon Wo were 11 years old, Jin Wo was 10, Min Jun was 8 and Jae I, she was the oldest with 15 years old. “I’m sure you will gain his favor with your wisdom, your Majesty,” the king's advisor said with his head bowed down as he was talking to the king.  On the horizon, they could hear the sound of the convoy as they approached the city gates. Saints are good, just how many are there for the sounds to reach this far in the city? The answer was coming closer to them by the minute. The streets were packed with people on both sides of the street waiting to witness the entrance of the Pharaoh, they were waiting for something Grand befitting a king. That was what they were going to get. Drums, musicians, dancers, and various other performers were now flooding the streets with many soldiers on horseback and others on foot. At the center of this carnival-like entrance was the pharaoh sitting on top of an elephant decorated with jewelry gold and silver. Sitting on his leather seat surrounded with silk curtains with his daughter sitting beside him. Singing and laughter and astonishment filled the streets of Goryeo and soon after that, the conveys grand entrance was now being in sight for the king and his followers beside him.  “What in God’s name is that” the first queen scoffed as she saw the grand entrance that the king is giving. “It’s as if he is showing off his wealth?” she continued. “I think he has the right to show off, with everything that he owns, he has all the right to do this,” the king said with a hint of a smile on his face. Next to him were his children looking out at the carnival in fascination with a sparkle in their eyes. “Mother look,” said Min Jun who was the youngest among them, “That’s an elephant! I saw it in a book before.” “Yes, it is my dear” the first queen replied with a smile at her son. As the convoy came to a stop a few feet from the palace gates a person appeared at the front of all of them dressed in purple silk he was royalty.  “BEHOLD!” he yelled spreading his hands on either side of him like wings as he spoke, “His Holiness, Great Pharaoh of Egypt Akhenaton and his daughter crown princess Nefertari” he bowed down deeply as he moved again to the back to where he came from. Servants rushing to put a staircase on the elephant that was now sitting down slowly allowing the pharaoh and his daughter to get down. Delicately the silk that was hiding the Pharaoh came to the sides revealing the long-awaited king of Egypt.  “W-what? He can’t be more than 26!” said the first queen in astonishment as she took in the sight.  A tall young man with brown tanned skin from the hot desert days with curly pitch-black hair and honey-colored eyes, dressed in white silk decorated with golden and silver threads exposing half of his chest as the silk was going around one shoulder down to wrap around his waist and falling delicately to the ground and golden sandals that go up to his knees.  He helped his daughter come down after him lifting her in his arms as if she was a feather, she was just as beautiful as her father the only difference is that unlike him, she has silver eyes that complimented her tanned skin color. The two of them looked as if they came straight out of a fairy tale, they were so beautiful as a painting. “We are honored to have you at our humble palace, Your Holiness,” the king said with a slight bow waiting for the interpreter to translate. “Aigooo, please stand straight you are way older than me Your Majesty,” said the pharaoh as he helped the king stand straight. “You can talk in Korean?” he said astonished yet again by this magical king in front of him. “Of course! If I were to stay here for a while I have to communicate and having an interpreter everywhere I go is not pleasant” he said chuckling. “You are intelligent as you are humble, please come on in. You must be exhausted from the long journey” he gestured for him to walk beside him.  Before he started to walk, he noticed the little princes looking up at him with wide eyes filled with sparkles. He sat down on one knee and played with Min Jun’s hair as he said “Oh hello young man. I have got a daughter who is just about your age I hope you get along with her” he said pointing at his daughter who was standing shyly with tinted cheeks. “You all as well,” he said looking at the rest of them with a smile on his face.     After all, retired to their room preparing for the feast that was going to be held in the Pharaoh's name later that night the King and his two queens were in his study room discussing the schedule for the next few days and prepare for the other guest’s arrivals.  “Just how many wives did he take to have all that power?” the first queen said to no one in particular. “I heard that he only married once and after she died when she was giving birth to his daughter, he didn’t marry again out of respect for her” the king's advisor said.  Something the advisor was missing was that what he said was according to the rumors. No one knew how exactly his Queen died. “What?” she said wide-eyed “Then how did he get all that power?” “It is something he gained himself from winning wars and alliances with other countries and of course from using his lands in the right way,” he said “everything he has is from his work he didn’t get anything from marriage” “What about his daughter? I heard that she is the heir to his throne? How can she when she is a girl?” she asked again “Their rules of inheritance are different; the king can give the throne to whoever he wants even if it’s one of his daughters,” he said. The king chuckled “Now that is a great king for a great country” he said “he is only in his 20’s yet he gained the trust of all his allies something that took me years to accomplish. When did he get the throne anyways? He is so young” “He got the throne when he was 16 Your Majesty after his father passed away. He did a great job preserving what his ancestors left him.” “He might be young and kind, but I have a feeling that we haven’t seen anything of him yet,” the king said before he dismissed the meeting.   Meanwhile, 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 (Ancient Egypt) the palace looks as if it was made 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.