The Walls of Babylon

Coraline 张佳铭  220110123

1.

My father once imparted to me the philosophy of being a ruler. “One should spare no efforts in promoting what is beneficial to the country, while only achieving a portion of his own wants. Through training it is not difficult, my son — just a little restriction of your desires can achieve balance and harmony.”

For over twenty years I had been learning to be a proper monarch who sets examples to his people, an astute politician who has mastered the art of strategies, and a durable warrior who was able to gain the freedom of the nation. I inherited the intelligence of the glorious ancestors and have been deeply loved by everybody in Babylon City; it had always been so easy for me to exceed their expectations to make them love me even more. Eventually I came to the conclusion that I had already had my father’s principles down to a very fine art, that the faith and qualities in me was undoubtably steadfast and impenetrable.

— Journal of KingⅠ

The moon vanished mysteriously that night, for the first time in my life. A dark mood spread and anxiety bred in the crowd. Then I saw a troop of the servants of god appear as a strange line, twisting towards the city. Blood suckers! We were still at war so now they had another fantastic excuse to seize virgins and treasures. I sneaked out with a cloak, mixing myself with the people squeezing in the street, wishing to find a peaceful place without stinky clergy and insanity until the ceremony came to an end. Evading was for cowards but now it enabled me to remain rational and civilized.

“With respect, my prince. I thought you were supposed to deal with the event.”

A girl was walking beside me, holding a casual manner as if we had known each other before.

“Ah, you embarrassed me.” I replied, shrugged with a smile.

“Come with me!” She laughed and began to run, so we straightly went out the city and broke into the desolate wilderness. Surrounding by darkness, all I could hear was my heart beating.

“Feeling better?”

Her face was blurred by the shadow, but her voice was full of joy and energy. Exercise had made her sparkling. I had never met a young lady the same as her — pretty strong and full of passion — for usually I thought they were all like my mother, who was as gentle as the spring breeze and considered elegance as self-respect.

“Unfortunately lands here are so flat. You should come to visit my hometown and run up to the hills; that will make you feel like a conqueror!”

“I am a conqueror.”

“Oh, yeah, of course you are. You’ve won battles. I followed my father here to support you.”

We frolicked, talked, laughed aloud dramatically, and tirelessly ran across the vast fields for so long a time that, without any sign, the sun was rising. and I was suddenly able to seize her figure into my eyes and found out the dreamlike beauty of her features, which also appeared with a kind of determination and sharp consciousness.

“What’s your name?” I aroused and asked urgently.

“Amyitis,” after a quick silence she answered swiftly with a bowed head, “Amyitis of Media, and you’d better never forget that!” She emphasized solemnly, looking up at me.

I turned to my father as soon as I returned home with pounding happiness inside.

“As a late answer to your concern about my marriage, I have to say no Babylonish girl is fair enough that deserves my love, Father. I am confirmed that Amyitis of Media is the only girl that I want as a companion of my future life.”

2.

It wasn’t long before her arrival the princess of Media had won people’s hearts. The oaths of loyalty were made to her and ceremonies were made in her name, and Amyitis’s serene and elegant nature perfectly represented the royal style. As for my father, it was not an exaggeration to say that he was so proud, really breathing a sigh of relief when the girl’s identity was revealed. Such an alliance would surely suit everyone.

As I gradually took over the affairs from my father, I cautiously acted as he had taught me. I won battles and lands and made Babylon greater than ever before. I designed a hanging garden for my newly married wife to subside her homesickness. I spent a fortune on the city walls, making them impregnable. Surrounded by those walls, the city seemed so splendid that I flattered myself that every king would fight for the greatest glory of ruling it.

— Journal of KingⅡ

I once asked my future wife when first laid eyes on her, “is there only one Amyitics in Media?”

“Every girl in my city wants to be Amyitics, my lord, but only one of them has succeeded.”

I recollected myself and stopped asking more, giving her respect as I could. The great joy of witnessing my marriage relieved the heaviest sickness of my father, but it didn’t last long.

“The indulgent nature of human beings, especially of the kings, is overwhelming. Son; son, we are no more than other people, and we have to carefully use our prerogatives, or the savagery will come back again to ruin this land and all our previous efforts will be in vain.” He mumbled these words over and over again, which was much more like a comfort to himself than a warning to me, as he finally realized that we had all been through the torture brought by his cruelty. I wouldn’t doubt that kind words and expectations of me could make him feel better. He laid in bed, no different from an ordinary old man covered by the shadow of death, and had unfortunately lost his pride and confidence.

“It has been awfully hard on you, hasn’t it?”

I gently ran my fingers through his hair.

“Please don’t see the duties as a burden, father. I’ve made sacrifices. I know how it works. Had you ever made sacrifices yourself these years, huh? No, you have never, my dearest father; you had everything you wanted, and the decision that whether a pearl or a diamond was more suitable for your crown was never a big deal, just as you felt free to let the poor have the jewels, you’ve got plenty of them anyway.”  

I rose up, standing by the window. My beloved wife was pacing in the garden, watering the plants by herself.

“What an angel she is, bearing self-esteem inside and modesty outside, showing her obedience only to you and me. How lucky I am to have her as my wife! What a huge sacrifice I’ve made to have her, father! I was meant to be a king; now. I am a very good one. Open your eyes and see the prosperity outside this window! Look at those walls which separate us from the wilderness, gardens that bring us the scenery of Media, and other spectacular things I’ve made. Then let me tell you, the only concept they share with each other is sacrifice.”

I saw him crying, weeping like a child. “I failed to restrict myself, and I have no right to restrict you. Go and meet your wife’s maid — the one covered by a cloak. Kings do not need to be with only one woman through their lives.”

“I recognized her earlier than you think — the woman with no name — and she knew that. The thing between us — whatever you think it is — is beyond your intelligence. She is the only one that I will never touch.”

My father passed away at night when the moon escaped away second time in my life. The chains were broken. I became all alone. I used to believe that two things had made me grow — one was the coolness after bloodshed on the battlefield, while the other was the loneliness caused by the vanishment of the previous generation.

I stepped on the walls. The woman with no name appeared behind me. I could feel her existence.

I looked into her eyes, and she did the same to me. We let the emotion dash through our chests and break into the red sky as the violent wind stormed over us. We obeyed the rules of the universe but only against the natural attraction between us — far more than that, we had confrontations with other things. I could even tease at the gods that immortal as they were, they couldn’t see through what exactly we were fighting against. But we weren’t arrogant at all. In the dim dusk she was so still and detached. Her eyes cast upon me, which were the eyes of my self. We were already mad inside but smiled gently and indifferently, calm and solemn. At this moment we were completely fearless. Neither of us said a word or took a step, but fate could not separate us, let alone the walls underfoot.

3.

At the end of the city walls, the sundown was beaming, every day, every year, every generation. I was old and my passion had faded long before my father — the formidable king of Babylon, NebuchadnezzarⅡ — rested his scepter. Though we’d all been through his cruelty in his later years, I always respected him because of the unspeakable bond between us. The walls had witnessed everything of the betrayal, and I might not survive this time. The one who took my place shall never rest, while I already had.

— Journal of KingⅢ

（张佳铭）