Chapter 7: Power
When I arrived home and told Mama what had happened at the palace she looked at me as if Ra himself were standing behind me. Who would have thought that the "thug" she had forbidden me from seeing was actually the Prince and future Pharaoh in disguise?
"I am so sorry," she said as she grappled me in a tight hug. "I am sorry for trying to keep you away from your friend, the Prince!"
I couldn't keep a smug smile from spreading across my face. It certainly felt good to hear an apology. "I did not know he was the Prince at the time either, Mama. I am as shocked as you are."
Mama sighed happily as she let me go and threw her hands up towards the heavens. "Certainly the gods have smiled upon us and have blessed our family."
It surely seemed so. Thinking of this unusual circumstance, I could not stop thinking of how marvelous it was for the Prince and me to meet. A girl like me who had never paid much mind to the Royal Family, and who did not even know so much as what Pharaoh Aknamkanon looked like.
My mind filled with excitement and happiness, I laid down onto my cot to sleep. I laid there with a heart and mind full of hope for the future. The following morning, I awoke unsure if the events of the previous day were real or just a dream. My feelings were simply too wonderful to describe.
Without warning, the silence of my room was erupted by the sound of the door abruptly slamming open. I was bombarded by two very excited and boisterous sisters…and one silent and grumpy looking sister who drug her feet as she walked behind the others.
"How does it feel to be friends with the Pharaoh?" Kilah chimed eagerly as she hurried to my side.
"I cannot believe such a good thing could happen from running away. I wish I had been this fortunate!" Samira lamented playfully with a pat on back.
Nenet rolled her eyes and huffed with arms crossed and nose held indifferently in the air. Noticing this, a large grin spread across my lips and I had turn my face down to suppress it. Truly this was blessing from the gods if for this moment alone!
My sisters and I conversed over breakfast about how I came to meet the Pharaoh a few years ago and how we met again at the palace. I decided against going into the details of the feelings I had begun to develop for him and the night we almost kissed. I did not even mention the oasis we had gone to. It was a special place for Pharaoh and me after all. At this moment, I was almost numb with happiness.
After breakfast, I began preparing for the daily chores as usual. To my surprise, Mama hurried over and pulled the basket I had been carrying out of my hands.
"Don't worry about the chores today, Demi," she said softly. "Go see the Pharaoh. Don't keep him waiting."
I smiled at her and gave her a hug. "Thanks, Mama." I ran back into my room to clean myself up and look my absolute best for him. When I began making my way to the door, Mama quickly stopped me.
"Before you go," she said as she handed me basket of food. "It's not much but please give this to the Pharaoh for me." With that, I bid farewell to Mama and to my sisters and began the walk to the palace.
My heart throbbed uncontrollably within my chest. I walked gleefully past the various street vendors at the market, through the crowds, on what seemed like a long path to see my friend.
Atem…My heart skipped just thinking about his name. I wondered if I would get the chance to see him today. Now that he was King of Egypt, I was sure that he would perhaps be too busy to see me. I became a little disheartened at the thought but it couldn't be helped. Even if a passing glance was all I could receive from him today, that alone would make this trip worth it.
The excitement of my throbbing heart intensified when I caught sight of the palace. 'Soon…I'll get to see you again…' I felt a blush spread across my face the more I thought about him. What's wrong with me? I stopped in my place to let the feeling pass before I approached he burly guards that stood at the entrance of the palace's outer walls. They were absolutely intimidating: colossal giants compared to a small ant like me.
I cleared my throat and approached the guard that stood closest to the entrance. "Excuse me, my name is Demi. Could I see Mana please?"
He opened his mouth to respond but, as if on cue, the large doors behind him opened suddenly. I heard a jovial voice which I instantly recognized. How did she even know I was going to be here?
"Hi, Demi!" she exclaimed heartily and startled me with a sudden embrace. She nearly knocked me off my feet.
"Hello, Mana," I said awkwardly as I tried to compose myself. She was certainly friendly. "It's good to see you."
She pulled away and began chattering merrily as she led me into the palace. "Thanks! It's good to see you, too! I'm glad you came back. You're here to see Atem, aren't you?"
I nodded my head shyly.
"Unfortunately, he's occupied at the moment," she explained. My shoulders fell slightly which she noticed immediately. "But don't worry!" she added. "He should be done by later today. In the meantime, do you want to see what he usually does on an easy day like today?"
"…Easy day?" I responded curiously. "Is there really such a thing for a king?"
"Oh of course," she giggled as if it were the silliest question ever. "He doesn't have any meetings today. On days like this, he sits on his throne as long as time allows and listens to the people."
We made our way into the palace as Mana continued chattering like an excited child. Once inside, she led me down a series of corridors until we arrived before a doorway with a royal violet cloth hanging before it. I mused for a moment at the intricate woven gold patterns and was snapped out of my thoughts when Mana swiped the cloth open.
"Here we are," Mana said in a whisper as she turned to me with a finger raised to her lips. "We have to be really quiet!"
I nodded in understanding and followed Mana into a different chamber of the palace that she had not shown to me the day before. My eyes traced the details of the chambers in a mix of curiosity and wonder. The elegant designs carved into the walls, the ceilings up much higher than anywhere else in the palace…Once again, I was left in awe and it took all my strength to keep my jaw from dropping. This was a completely different world than what I was used to and I was drinking in every second of it with open arms.
I followed Mana as my eyes still inspecting the chamber. It is a wonder I did not trip or bump right into her due to my distraction. When my eyes made their way down to the people that stood all around the chamber, I noticed more sturdy and scary guards all over this place.
"Let's stand here," Mana whispered to me as we stopped at the other side of the chamber beside one of the room's pillars. "Look there," she pointed. "There's our Pharaoh."
I looked over to where she was gesturing and my heart suddenly skipped once more. I do not know how I managed to keep a deep and hearty sigh from escaping me. Atem sat confidently on his throne and an indescribable aura of majesty and power exuding his very being. His eyes reflected an earnest sense of determination and concern to the man that stood before him. I could see why he was already held with such high regard by the people of Egypt, although he had only recently assumed the throne.
Atem was surrounded by a group of nobles who stood on either side of his throne and watched his interaction with the citizen carefully.
"Those are the Pharaoh's High Priests," Mana explained to me in a whisper. "As you can see, Mahad is right there beside him…"
It was easy to see the closeness between Atem and Mahad, as Mahad stood closest to the Pharaoh than anyone else. His stature was fully alert and almost protective of the Pharaoh. His eyes carefully scanned every corner of the chamber, every single person.
"And there's Isis, the only woman in the Pharaoh's royal court. I know she looks like a 'no nonsense' kind of lady, and when it comes to her duty to the Pharaoh, she is. But she's as sweet as can be! I know you'll like her once you meet."
I studied her carefully. She was quite beautiful, more than any other woman I'd ever seen. In all honesty, a small part of me felt a sort of envy for her. How lucky was she to be in such a high position and to be so close to the Pharaoh?
"There's another one of Atem's close friends, Priest Seto," Mana pointed out to a tall man with a scowl on his face. I grimaced at his expression. Gods help me had he noticed my insolence.
"Is he always that angry?" I asked half-jokingly.
"Oh yes," Mana said with a chuckle. "But don't worry…He's not as mean as he looks…well, sometimes. And there's Shimon. He's not a High Priest but he's the Pharaoh's vizier. His ties to the Royal Family run very deep. He's been working for them for many years. In fact, he was practically brothers with the Pharaoh's grandfather."
"There are actually a few more High Priests who are not present today," Mana explained. "They have other duties to attend to at the moment but when the time comes, I'm sure you'll have a chance to meet them. So what do you think of the palace so far?"
"Extremely impressed, as you can imagine," I said softly, trying to keep my voice down despite my obvious joy. "I have already learned so many things I did not know. For example, I never realized that the citizens of Egypt can actually have such access to speak to the Pharaoh directly. I never knew that was even possible."
"Atem and our former Pharaoh Aknamkanon aren't like your typical royalty," said Mana. "They actually care for their kingdom and their people. It could take months or even years for a request to be heard by the Pharaoh, as so many people seek the chance to speak to him. But Pharaoh Aknamkanon always did his best to attend to as many people as he could. That's why everyone loved him so much. And now, Atem will do the same…I'm so proud of him!"
I smiled her and looked over at Atem. There was undoubtedly something special about him. A sense of majesty and tremendous power, yet personable all at once. I was sure of it not long after we had met. Maybe that is why I was drawn to him, even when he was just a mysterious cloaked figure…a cloaked figure who somehow found his place in my life.
"Rest assured, I will have my advisors look into the issue," Atem said to the man.
"I will forever be in your debt, your Majesty," the man said thankfully as he bowed respectfully before departing.
Atem stood up from his throne turned to Mahad. Mahad leaned in closer to the Pharaoh and nodded. Atem began making his way towards a doorway not too far from his throne.
"Hey, he's taking a break!" Mana suddenly exclaimed. Clearly, she forgot to keep her voice down. She grabbed me by the hand and began hurrying towards the door from which we had come. "Now's our chance to catch him!"
As we walked briskly through the halls, my heart rate increased at the thought of getting to see the Pharaoh again. Sure enough, we found him in a hallway with his back turned to us as he conversed with Mahad.
Mana let go of my hand and giggled mischievously. She leapt into the air and lunged right at the Pharaoh, startling him in a backwards embrace. "Atem!" Her enthusiasm was contagious and I could not help but to laugh.
"Good morning, Mana," Atem greeted her. He didn't even seem bothered by her embrace at all. He was probably used to this. She let him go and he turned back around to face us.
"Good morning to you, too, Atem," she replied warmly. "I brought you a visitor!"
Atem looked up at me and our eyes met. My pulse throbbed wildly once again as I could almost feel myself melt into his violet eyes. I caught myself and gasped, quickly bowing. Why does this keep happening?!
"Forgive me," I quickly said.
"Good morning to you, Demi," he greeted me with a warm smile. "Do not worry. I am happy to see you have come back to visit me."
I looked up at him and smiled shyly. My eyes fell to the ground demurely. "Of course…I am grateful for the opportunity to come see you again like this without having to hide, my Pharaoh."
"I already told you that formalities are not necessary," he assured me softly. "Please consider me one of your friends, as you have before."
"I-I'm sorry," I apologized casting my eyes down and mentally slapping myself. I am such a fool. "I am still getting used to all this..."
Atem smiled at me knowingly. "I understand. Rest easy."
As I looked up at him, our eyes met once again in a momentary silence, as if frozen in time. His aura was absolutely enchanting, drawing me in and I was helpless to resist it. Not that I wanted to either.
The sound of Mana clearing her throat snapped me out of my momentary trance and I broke the gaze off awkwardly.
"Oh yes, I have a gift for you…" I trailed off and I dug into the bag hanging off my right shoulder. "…from my mother. It's not much, but she wants to apologize for thinking negatively of you when you were Cloaked Boy…"
Atem chuckled at the sound of that familiar name. "Tell her she does not need to apologize for anything. I understand her completely."
I pulled out the food which was wrapped within cloth and held it out to him. "It's not much, but we would be honored if you accept it."
"Of course," he said gently grabbing it from my hands. I do not know if it was intentional for his fingers to softly brush against my hands as he did so. Whether it was intentional or not, the contact sent chills down my spine. What is wrong with me? "Tell your mother I said 'thank you' and 'hello'," he added, locking his gaze with mine once again.
I could have stood there all day gazing at him and it would be enough to make me happy. Before either Atem or I could say another word, Mana once again cleared her throat.
"Oh I just remembered," she said enthusiastically. "I have to ask Mahad something…"
Mahad looked at her curiously. "What is it?"
"Let's go over here!" Mana walked past him and dragged him along with her as they walked off. She looked back at us and winked as she hurried out of sight with Mahad into the next room.
"I still have some time before I have to go back to the throne room," Atem said. "Should we take a little stroll?"
"That sounds lovely," I smiled. With that, we made our way down the halls of the palace towards no direction in particular.
"How did your mother take to the news?" he asked, sounding a little amused. "Was she surprised?"
The memory of her shocked face made me laugh out loud. "To say she was floored is an understatement," I chuckled. "She didn't even know what to say other that 'I'm sorry' for trying to keep me away from you."
"I am glad there will not be any more trouble," Atem said with an earnest smile. "Everything worked out, do you see?"
I never thought something like this could happen. I don't think anyone could have imagined this. I grinned at him and nodded. "Absolutely! But I'll try my best not to wear out my welcome…I see you're often busy, as would be expected."
"You worry too much," he said with a sigh as we stopped in the middle of the hall. He turned to me and smiled warmly. His handsome smile made my heart patter. "I reached out to you for a reason, Demi." I looked up at him curiously. "…I owe you an explanation for that night…"
'That night…?' I thought, and realized in an instant what he was talking about. The night we watched the night sky and almost kissed in the darkness. I felt a blush spread across my cheeks.
"…yes…?" I choked out so softly it was almost inaudible.
Atem hesitated before speaking again. He became visibly flustered with rosy red cheeks like mine and eyes that could not look at me straight. I never thought I'd see the Pharaoh of Egypt in such a state. "…you see…"
"Pharaoh!"
We were interrupted by a burly voice. Atem and I looked in unison at the person who called to him. A tall man in a hat and blue robes approached. I recognized him immediately as one of Pharaoh's High Priests. The one that looked quite unfriendly…
"Priest Seto," Atem responded. "What do you need?"
"An emergency meeting has come up," Priest Seto explained. He did not even turn to look at me at all. It was as if I was not even there. I was merely a decoration on the wall to him. I managed to keep the dirty look off my face.
'Do not take it personally…' I mentally convinced myself.
"I see," Atem replied, sounding a little disappointed. "I will be there shortly. Please give me a moment with my friend, Demi, here…"
I put a smile on my face and bowed respectfully.
"Very well," he responded, not even acknowledging me. "We will wait for you in the conference hall. Please hurry on your way, Pharaoh."
Atem nodded and Priest Seto went on his way.
"…Not a very friendly guy, I see…" I said lowly to the Pharaoh.
"Perhaps not," Atem said with amusement as he turned to me. "But looks can be deceiving. He is a good person and a loyal friend of mine. Please forgive him."
"I'll take your word for it," I said dryly.
"In any case, I should head off now," he said apologetically. "I am sorry I could not give you more time right now…"
I hid my disappointment well, or at least I hoped so. "I understand. I know you are busy."
"This should not take very long," he said. "Do you have any plans for later this afternoon?"
My face lit up but I tried my best to keep my composure. "I do not…"
"In that case, if you'd like, please meet me in the garden in about two hours," he said. "I will make up for cutting our conversation short."
I could not stop a smile from spreading on my lips. He really seemed interested in spending time with me. "All right…I'll wait for you…" I agreed.
"Thank you," he said with a smile. "I will be sure that you do not grow bored until then. Mana!" He turned his head and called out to her.
"Yes, Pharaoh!" Mana's cheerful voice filled the air as she zoomed into the hall to his side. I barely even noticed her as she came in.
Atem turned to her. "Please, keep Demi company until I return. Please be sure to provide her with anything she needs."
Mana nodded gleefully and replied, "You do not have to worry about anything, Atem!"
Atem looked at me once again. "Feel free to eat if you are hungry or relax in the garden if you'd like. Mana will be here with you so that you will not be lonely. Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask her."
I could hardly believe his generosity and concern. This was certainly not how I would expect royalty to act towards a commoner like me, yet here he was opening his palace, his home, so eagerly. I could not wrap my mind around it.
"I really don't know how to thank you," I said to him. "Really…you're very kind to me, Your Majesty…"
"My name is Atem," he said with an amused grin.
I mentally slapped myself again. This was going to take some getting used to. Nevertheless, Atem did not look annoyed or bothered. His looked at me with understanding before bidding farewell for the time being.
"I will see you in a few hours, Demi," he said kindly before turning around and departing. I watched intently as he disappeared further down the halls and, soon, out of sight.
"Don't worry, he'll be back soon!" Mana said cheerfully as she came in front of me and pulled me out of my thoughts. "Let's go to the garden. We can relax in there until he's done. Or, if you're feeling a little tired…I can take you to get a hot bath and a massage! It's absolutely glorious!"
Such luxury! I was almost ready to jump on that offer with barely any hesitation. However, I paused. I did not find it proper to take advantage so soon after meeting with the Pharaoh again.
"That's sounds lovely," I said gratefully. "But, I think we can go relax in the garden. It's a lovely day, after all."
"Okay, that's not a problem," Mana agreed. "But if you change your mind, let me know! I can make it happen!"
I thanked Mana earnestly as we made our way towards the garden. I enjoyed Mana's company and her lively and boisterous stories as we wandered about the garden and sat near the fountain. I marveled at the beautiful flowers that surrounded us. The day certainly was beautiful.
Nonetheless, I could not stop thinking of my conversation with Atem in the hall. He was going to mention that night we almost kissed right before we were unfortunately interrupted. I wondered what he was going to tell me about it. What was on his mind since then? I grew nervous. Was he going to apologize some more? Did he regret it?
I anxiously awaited Atem's return to find out the answer, and above all, to be able to spend time with him once again.
