Seto mounted off his horse in the village where his lover lived. He looked around, watching for the glimmer of her white hair in a sea of people with dark complexions.
Then, he heard a laughter ring out behind him. Such an arbitrary thing that he almost didn't notice except for the familiar sing songy voice that followed it. He had not heard this person in years. Whipping his head around, his eyes scanned for a voice he couldn't put a name to. It took him a few seconds before he spotted her. Brown hair, green eyes, a smile not as big as he remembered but still, it was her.
"Mana?" He yelled from across the crowd of people. The smile on her face immediately dropped as she glanced up sharply, meeting his eyes. Mana picked up something he could not see as people walked in front of her and she disappeared into the crowd. Seto ran after her in the direction he saw her run, calling after her.
Mana had been missing for years, no one sure of her whereabouts or why she left. Not even Mahad gave a reason as to why his best apprentice suddenly left the palace, never to return. The prince was particularly hurt by this, begging his father to send out search parties to locate her but the old king would not. That was something that burned in Seto's mind, he understood she had done something against the palace and he needed to know what.
He rounded a corner as he saw a lock of brown hair swing behind a door with a slam. Seto huffed, annoyed at Mana's insubordination even years after the last time he had seen her. He knocked on the door. "Open. This is Priest Seto." Silence followed. He knocked, louder this time. "Mana open this door, I know it is you." Silence again. He knocked more than once this time. "Open up in the name of the Pharaoh or I will break down this door." He waited a few seconds before he began to prepare to break down the door. Before he struck, the door creaked open and half of Mana's face appeared before him.
"Which Pharaoh?" She asked quietly, making him feel a little foolish for being so abrasive.
"Pharaoh Atem.." Seto replied, shocked she wouldn't know such information.
"Hm." Mana replied, looking down at the ground.
"We need to talk, Mana. I have questions that need answering." Seto tried to keep his intensity in the face of Mana's gentle spirit.
Just then, a small child appeared by her legs, grasping one tightly and peering up at him. Seto glanced down quickly, then shot his eyes back up to Mana.
"Does he answer your question?" Mana said quietly, picking up the small boy and holding him on her hip. Seto blinked, shocked by what was before him. Mana opened the door wide, and gestured for Seto to come in. "I don't want to make a scene out here, you weren't supposed to find me."
She led him into a modestly decorated house. The bed, a small kitchen and a children's play area all in the one room. Mana sat down on the floor on a pillow, putting the small boy down by a set of toys which he began to play with.
"You became pregnant at the palace, and you were sent away." Seto pieced together out loud. Mana didn't say anything, but held a quiet look at Seto that answered him. Suddenly, he remembered rumors swirling around about Mana three years ago.
"And of the father?" Seto asked as his heart raced a little. Were these idle rumors among bored noblewomen true?
"Look at him again Seto, and you will know the answer to that."
Seto looked at the boy for the first time, having only glanced at him initially. He was around two years old, dressed in just a cloth diaper. The rolls of fat on his belly and his small feet almost made Seto smile. The little boy was looking right at Seto with a blank look as children often do, and that was when Seto saw it. Amethyst eyes.
"He is the Pharaoh's." He whispered, half a question and half a statement. The child glanced at his mom and then back at Seto. As he studied him, the resemblance became uncanny. His black hair with the red tips, little blond bangs falling near his colored eyes. He smiled at Seto and mumbled something in toddler.
Mana smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "You're not supposed to know about his paternity but how much longer can I keep it a secret when he is his father?" Mana gave an apologetic look, stroking her son's hair.
Seto sat, taking in all this information. He stared at the boy, who was babbling nonsense to his mother. He got up to walk towards a toy, falling over his own feet and letting out a howl. Mana sighed, picking him up and shushing him, but the little boy continued to cry.
"Oh, you're fine." Mana said in a sing songy voice, trying to hold her son, who fussed out of her arms and cried harder. Suddenly, a pot on the countertop began to shake. "Stop!" Mana commanded, grabbing the child gently and bringing him up into her arms. He began to quiet down, and the pot too stopped moving.
"What the hell was that?" Seto asked, bewildered.
"'My son, he is peculiar…" Mana's voice trailed off, setting her now content child back on the ground.
"What do you mean?" Seto asked.
"When I was pregnant with him, I became full of power. Any strong emotion sent objects shaking, anything I could imagine I could do. I could think to myself 'plum' and suddenly, a plum would appear." Mana moved her arms about as she spoke. "I thought I was coming into something with my magic, becoming the magician I was always supposed to be…" She sighed, sitting back on the pillow on the ground.
"And then he was born." She motioned to the boy, happily playing again with his toys. "The second they cut his cord, I lost all ability to do magic. He on the other hand, has abilities that scare me."
"He is extraordinary, not even Mahad could do that at two years old. He has to come see this boy, Mana." Seto urged.
Mana shook her head. "I can't let him go to the palace, Seto. They will recognize him as Atem's immediately."
"Mana, he is gifted like I've never seen before. Imagine his power. Don't squander it."
Seto got up. "Now I have to on my way. I will send Mahad here to see the boy. Trust me, Mana. He is destined for greatness. No one will care about him being a bastard when they see what he can do."
"Seto!" Mana spoke as he began to walk out the door. "How is Atem?" She said sheepishly.
"He is well, and a strong King." Seto said blankly, exiting the door. As he left, he turned to get one more look at the toddler, who smiled at him and waved. "Bye bye."
Seto awkwardly waved back. "Bye kid."