The Dragonfly Life- Chpt 1

"DRAGONFLY LIFE"

She sat upon her throne, her body splayed relaxed and catlike across it. Golden light spilled into the room through the large, high windows and bathed her in splendor. She lived in this palace in the time Ages before Christ, and she was Queen.
Idly, she plucked a berry from the silver platter beside her and put it into her mouth, gazing thoughtfully out the window at her land. Her large violet eyes surveyed the countryside wistfully, as she remembered days like this spent playing with childish companions she had not seen for many years.
Her chamber was large and bright; the walls golden gilt and hung with rich tapestries. Shimmering veils hung in the doorways and swayed mystically with the breeze. Her bed, in the center of the room, was huge and placed upon a darkly carved pedestal. Pale blues and greens floated around it, brought out in the bedcurtains. Beautifully carved tables were positioned around the stoned floor and four gold Titans held up the roof with their strong arms. This was her place, her sanctuary.
A knock at the door brought her from her remembering and she sat up, startled.
"Enter."
A small, balding man hurried into her chamber, bowing deeply. "Greetings, Highness. Have you slept well?" he asked. She smiled as she recognized her beloved Sehtna, an old friend whom she owed many favors.
"Ah, Sehtna! Do not greet me with such formality. You and I have been friends for a long time, and I am annoyed that you still speak so. Now, come on and say hello as you used to!" she ordered.
Sehtna blushed, embarrassed.
"Alright then... Why, hello Mariasha! My, how you have grown. You look more like your mother every day."
She clapped her hands with pleasure. "You are a funny man, Sehtna! I do love you so." She looked at him affectionately. He had been the only person to lean on when her mother died and she remembered every kind word he had ever bestowed upon her.
Mariasha had been made queen at the age of only ten. Five years had passed since then, and she found the role of Ruler very trying. She missed her mother with a passion, and now, the only person she had left to remind her of her was Sehtna. Her father was very bitter about some secret he had forbidden all in the palace to speak of when Mariasha was present.
"Now, do you wish to speak to me?" her eyes sparkled.
"Ah, actually Lady, I was sent here for a reason." Sehtna said timidly. Mariasha's heartbeat quickened.
"What is it?" she asked.
He looked at the floor. "Your father wishes to speak with you." Sehtna looked worried." He also wished you to be dressed in your best." He clapped his hands, and four bathing girls hurried into her chamber, carrying beautiful materials and combs and bathoils. "Good luck!" Sehtna whispered.
Mariasha did not understand. Why all the fuss for a simple meeting with her father? He had never requested her presence formally before...

After she was bathed and dressed, her body painted with lovely smelling oils, she was escorted to her father's chambers. The servants left her at the door and quickly left. She knocked nervously and then entered, her head bowed and arms reaching out in the respectful position.
"Rise, my daughter." commanded the old Pharaoh.
She rose, and went to stand by him. "Yes, Father?"
He turned to her. "Daughter, you are fifteen years of age. You are a woman already, and your beauty stuns easily the hardest of hearts. Though you are still young you are mature and ready, and I am sure you will step readily into the new position we have given you."
Her eyes widened.
"Father? What do you mean? I am Queen already...what do you mean by new position?"
Her father cleared his throat and looked right at her.
"Rameses has asked for you as his bride again, and I have given you to him. You will marry next month." He eyed her face, waiting to see her emotions.
Mariasha could only gape. Marry Rameses? He was six years her senior and was infinitely cruel. Even since he was a child he had always had a dark streak in him. She remembered him cornering her in the Palace gardens and trying to remove her veils to kiss her when she was only ten. At her refusal to obey him he had slapped her and called her "frigid", whatever that meant. She had cried and stayed in her chamber for days.
"But, father! I cannot marry him! Please, don't make me. You know what he is like..." her eyes filled with tears as she leant down to the floor in front of him.
Ammon sighed. "Yes, Daughter, I know what he is like. But he is offering alliance to us with a thousand golds for your hand. We need him as an ally, and he knows this." He looked sadly at his daughter. He truly had a fondness for his daughter, and didn't want her to be married to the cruelest man in the city, but he needed this alliance. His forces had suffered much more than they could bear in the past and had never had money to recuperate.
Mariasha shook her head."No, I will not marry him. I don't care what it means to you politically. This is my life!"
Ammon sighed again. Why was he always sighing? He was a King, and Kings should never need to sigh. "You must marry him. Besides, it is your duty as Queen to marry to gain certain political favors for your country."
She looked at him, saying nothing, her eyes full of tears and hurt. "All right, Father. I'll marry him." Better to let him think that while she planned her escape.
"Good, Child." Ammon knew what she was thinking. She would try to let him think that she had given in, all the while planning to run away soon before the wedding. He hated to burst her bubble of secret delight, but he was forced to.
"And, Mariasha, don't settle back down. Part of the deal is that you spend the rest of your maidenly life in his palace. He is sending a carriage for you at noon."
Mariasha's hopes were dashed. Oh, it was just like Rameses to do something like this! Now she had no chance of getting away.
Tears trickled down her cheeks. She stood up and resignedly bowed to her father. "Goodbye, Father. I love you well." She turned and left the chamber, leaving her father sitting very puzzled.

Mariasha was in the bathing chamber, holding a small gilded mirror up to her face. She saw her large violet eyes, small nose and rosebud mouth. Did others see her so? Was it because of how she looked that others always stared at her, joked rudely about her, laughed at her as though she were only a face? Was the entire world ruled by how people appeared?
In a fit of anger, she smashed the mirror against a bathing pool. Small fragments of glass spilled across the floor. Mariasha slowly walked up to them, heedless of the little bits that crunched under her feet. Looking down, she could see her face reflected but grossly distorted in the glass. Would people always bid for her if that were how she looked? As if in a trance she crouched and grasped a piece of sharp, broken glass. Dazedly, she raised it up until it was barely an inch from her soft cheek. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. This was going to hurt...
"Mariasha! Stop! What are you doing?"
She gasped and dropped the glass as wiry arms seized her and lifted her up from the floor.
"Put me down! I order you, put me down!"
The hands put her down. She angrily spun around and faced her 'attacker'. And gasped.
"You!" she cried.
Rameses bowed, with a mocking smile on his lips.
"At your service, Highness."
She slapped his face and spat, "I will have you buried alive, you impertinent rat! How dare you come into my chambers unannounced and touch me!"
He stared at her, his cold golden eyes narrowed.
"I am your fiancé, Highness, and you will treat me with respect. I have come to collect you to take you to my palace." He clapped his hands, and two armsmen came into the room.
"I knew you would never come willingly, so I have brought some... help." he smiled chillingly.
The guards advanced on Mariasha. "Get back, fools, I am the Queen! If you touch me I will have you all killed!" The guards faltered for a moment. Mariasha saw her chance and ran for the doors to her chambers, in the opposite direction. "Get her!" commanded the Prince.
Mariasha sped towards the golden gilt doors at the end of the bathing chamber. She was nearly at the door when she was grasped about the waist and hoisted into the air, her legs kicking wildly. Rameses caught up and slowly, slowly reached inside his finely made tunic to withdraw a cloth and a small corked bottle. He took out the stopper and held the cloth against it, tipping it upside down. Then he approached her. She watched him warily as he gifted her with a tender smile.
“Fear not, Highness. I only wish to make your journey easier.”
Mariasha thought quickly and developed a plan. She relaxed a little in the guards’ arms. What Rameses and the guard didn’t know was that she had been excellent at holding her breath in temper tantrums as a child.
Rameses pressed the cloth over her nose. For about twenty seconds she feigned struggle, then pretended to give up, drawing in an imaginary breath of air. She threw back her head and shut her eyes halfway, gasping weakly, then pretended to fall in a faint. The cloth was removed from her face. As inconspicuously as she could, she drew in a fresh breath of air.

She felt herself being carried throughout the palace, then taken outdoors into warm sunlight. She realized she must be in a back court, for Rameses would nor risk looking like he was taking a resisting bride.