"Please accept this as a token of apology," you said, gesturing for Enkidu to place the large pot on the table. "They're freshly made by the ziggurat's cooks." You took the chance to offer the food the moment the two young boys whined about their empty stomachs. As the pot was placed on the table, they moved closer and inhaled the aroma of good food seeping out of the container.
"My, your highness, you didn't have to," their mother said as she fiddled with her hair. "This is quite embarrassing. We're only mere commoners."
Shaking your head, you replied, "We should be the ones shamed by the troubles the king has caused your husband. Rest assured, I will work on this."
The married couples had their eyes glued on the table as you were sitting in front of them. There before you, you can see it with your own eyes—the gap between the king and his people; a crevice that will take you a long while to bridge considering the number of people living in Uruk. It wasn't impossible, though, you believed.
It pained you to see how inferior they deem themselves to be in the presence of a royal. There was no written law that states that the rulers should be within hand's reach of their people but no law states otherwise. A nation is one a whole body where the rulers are united with their people, not apart from them.
The woman took the courage to stand and excuse herself. She headed towards their kitchen and soon after, you heard the sound of pottery clanking against each other as she prepares for lunch. You were left at the table with Ticus and his sons and you took this opportunity to apologize personally to the man.
Turning to him, you said, "My deepest apologies for what happened earlier," as you bowed your head a bit. "Y-your highness!" He said surprised. "Please, lift your head. It should be the other way around." He then lowered his head in return.
"The act of apologizing when one wronged another is a bare minimum of being human," you replied. "That doesn't exclude me nor Gilgamesh."
Before the conversation continues, Ticus's wife returned. In her arms, she carried plates enough to serve everyone on the table. She placed one in front of everyone and even included another one beside you for Enkidu despite his absence. Enkidu stands guard outside by the doorway, allowing you to take full control of the situation. After all, you both know it is better this way—to let you take lead.
Before returning to her seat, the wife opened the pot and started serving everyone. She first turned to you to serve you but you waved your hand dismissingly as you told her to help themselves first. After everyone had their shares, the young boys were about to dig in when their mom gently pinched them. "What should you two say first?" She asked.
"Oh," Aloy said before turning to you. "Thank you, miss!" He exclaimed. "Yay! Thank you!" Amad said right after.
"Amad, Aloy," their mom called. "She is a princess, soon to be the wife of the king, which means you should address her as 'Your Highness' or—" before she could further continue, you cut in. "There, there," you said. "It's okay to call me whatever you feel comfortable with," You told the boys, giving them a gentle smile.
"Please, make yourself comfortable," you said. "I am very much different from the king and I wouldn't treat you the same way he does." You motioned for them to dig in the food the same way the kids have.
"T-thank you, your highness," Ticus said before he started giving in to the food. "Thank you very much, my queen," his wife said alongside him. "The pleasure is and will always be mine," you replied, giving them a reassuring smile. As the five of you were eating, you took the initiative to start more conversations with them to ease the tense atmosphere.
"So the little one is Amad, his brother's Aloy, you're Ticus, and...?" you ended your sentence with a question as you looked at Ticus's wife. "E-Elia," she said. "My name's Elia." You gave another smile and said, "What a very pretty name." You saw her cheeks glow pink by the compliment you gave.
"Allow me to formally introduce myself," you said. "My name is (y/n), the princess of Al-Simr and soon to be the queen of this nation. It is my utmost pleasure to be in your presence." Surprisingly, introducing yourself as the future queen didn't leave a bad taste in your mouth. Maybe you didn't dislike it entirely. You only disliked the king.
Their eyes gleamed with adoration at your modesty. They've never encountered a ruler brimming with humbleness. Not like they've been under any other's governance aside from Gilgamesh and his father but what they're seeing right in front of them is the epitome of kindness. And that's when they realized: meeting someone this beautiful inside and out will never happen twice.
Still at a loss for words and the foreign sensation of respect, they remained silent but you saw the glimmer of hope in their eyes—a flicker of flame that ignites the love within your heart. A love that looks good on you exists in Uruk and you can find it among the people.
As time passed, they eventually started warming up to you which made you so glad in return. You couldn't blame them for building such high walls around them. Had you been in their shoes, you would've done the same. As your conversations shift from one topic to another, you found yourself asking about Ticus's duty at the ziggurat which eventually ended up in a discussion about the king.
"You've been serving the ziggurat even before Gilgamesh was crowned king?" You asked, surprise evident in your voice. Ticus replied with a nod. "That's right, your highness," he said. "I was the previous king, King Dumuzid's scribe during his latter years."
"Is that so?" You asked, sparkles visible in your eyes as you couldn't contain your astonishment. "You must be great at writing, then! For you to have served that long, you're amazing!"
Ticus scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward chuckle. "You humble me, my queen." You shook your head in return. "No, you deserve such praise," you said, giving him a reassuring smile. You wished you could've read what he wrote earlier but you didn't dare bring that up anymore, seeing how light the ambiance is now.
"Well then, I look forward to your new entry tomorrow," you said. "Oh, please take your time, though, no rush. If you're still feeling uneasy, you can always write again the next day."
"Speaking of the previous king, what was he like?" You asked. "Is he Gilgamesh's father?"
Ellia shook her head in response. "King Dumuzid is King Gilgamesh's uncle. His father was the king prior to King Dumuzid, King Lugalbanda." It was your turn to scratch your head. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that," you said as you chuckled in confusion.
"King Lugalbanda, Gilgamesh's father, was courageous and loyal. That said, he ruled over Uruk in peace and harmony for 1,200 years," Elia answered. Your mouth slightly hung open. "Wow, a thousand and two hundred years," you thought. "How could he have lived that long? Is he still alive?" You listened closely, paying attention to every detail, together with Amad and Aloy as they moved to sit on either side of you to listen to their mother's tale, too.
"When it came time to pass the crown, King Lugalbanda's brother, King Dumuzid was granted the crown though his reign only lasted for a century," she continued. "D-do you have any questions, my queen?"
"N-no, I think I understand it clear now," you said as you looked down to ponder about it a bit and let the information sink in. She smiled and continued. "You know, my lady," she started. "King Gilgamesh didn't use to be like that."
Your head lifted up at her statement. "When the king was a child, he was considered to be a king with aptitude for ruling superior to all others," Elia continued.
"The epitome of the ideal boy king," Ticus added.
Elia nodded in affirmation. "He was praised and lauded by the people to the point of infatuation as tolerant, sage, fair, and moral," she said. "He was a polite and modest boy."
"Much like Amad and Aloy?" You grinned as you rubbed the boys' heads and pulled them closer towards you. When you looked back at Elia, she was smiling. "He was much like you, my queen."
~~~ Author's Note ~~~
Hello! I'd like to thank everyone for being patient and for the never-ending support^^ Updates will be slow because I often get busy with school too but I will try my best to write updates whenever I can. I'm also working on a new cover for this book. Rest assured, this book won't be abandon.
Thank you so much and I hope you all stay safe!