The Eyes Have It

Chapter 10: The Choice

"There must be something, a loophole, fine print" the fact that Ahkmenrah is fighting this hard to be mortal, is a little surprising to me, I didn't even know it was something he was thinking about, I've never really thought about the reality of our relationship once I reach 30. In my head I always pictured marrying him, settling down with our babies and living happily ever after, but it never occurred to me that it could never happen, I'll continue to grow old while he'll still be the man in front of me, fighting for a relationship that seems impossible. When his father doesn't reply Ahk looks at him with a raised eyebrow "there is something, isn't there?!"

Merenkahre sighs and grabs his sons arm, tugging him to a more private area of the room "come" he says softly.

I watch them as they stand at the far end of the room, whispering, Ahkmenrah looks upset, confused and lost all at the same time, Merenkahre looks like a man who has to be cruel to be kind, he looks concerned for his son. I look to his mother and frown, she must know what they're talking about "that doesn't look promising" I comment.

"My son might not agree with him sometimes, but Merenkahre only wants what is best for him, as with all parents and their children. Ahkmenrah has always been a good son, he always listens and obeys, hopefully he will do the same today" she looks at me with such a sad and pitiful look in her eyes that tells me there is no hope, and if there ever was it's gone now.

The two men rejoin us, Ahk can barely look at me and won't say a word, Merenkahre is silent also, his wife seeking to comfort him, whatever he had to tell his son must have hurt him deeply "so?" I finally say sheepishly "is there a chance?"

Ahk slowly takes my hand, his eyes glued to my fingers as they glisten over with tears. Eventually he manages to look up at me, no trace of happiness on his features "no" he looks like his father has just told him that the world will end in 10 minutes, like his puppy just died, like all happiness and light has been wiped from the earth. What the hell did Merenkahre tell him?

*** (a few moments before)

"What is it father? Is there something we can do?" Merenkahre sighs deeply, his sons eyes are so full of hope, he can see that Ahkmenrah truly wants to spend a mortal life with Celeste, and if he can't then he may never be happy again.

"Son... my precious son, what you would have to do to spend a life with that wonderful girl is inconceivable, you would have to ask of that which should never be asked, an inhumane request that would rob her of the life she knows today" Ahkmenrah's face slowly falls, he has an inkling about where this is going "the tablet states that all decadents of our family after me will be protected from a mortal life, binding them to the moon. If you were to marry Celeste then she would technically become a member of the family"

Ahkmenrah's eyes light up, he smiles wide as he thinks of the years he could spend loving Celeste "this is good news! We could spend eternity together"

"Ahkmen, if you asked this of her then you would take away her life, she must die for the ritual to be completed. Do you understand what that would mean for her?" Ahkmenrah's smile fades again, he looks across the room at Celeste, she's watching them carefully, she knows it's not good "she would have to leave everything behind, her family, her friends, her home, her job, any chance of her having a family of her own. When she asks you if there is a way, you must first ask yourself if you could ask her to give up her life, to watch everyone she loves grow old and die, you must ask yourself, will you say yes, or will you say no?" Ahk looks at his father with questioning eyes, begging for his father to tell him what to do "if you choose no, then you must never tell her" is all he has to offer.

The two of them rejoin the women at the other end of the room, both of them look just as sad as the men, his mother must know of Ahkmenrah's choice. Just as Merenkahre predicted, Celeste asks if there is a chance, as Ahkmenrah takes her hand he thinks about what he would be stealing from her, the chance to raise a family of her own, to outlive her parents as nature intended, to find someone that could offer her everything he is unable to. A happy, long, mortal life that mortals take for granted, to be immortal is to be trapped, to watch everyone around you die, how could he ask that of her? How is that fair?