This is an aftermath from the last chapter. Thought I'd explain that in case some readers have a difficult time keeping up with the plot. I truly hope this chapter isn't offensive. Enjoy the latest chapter!
"Kahl! Kahl wait! Come back! Please don't go! I'm sure this can be explained! Don't leave!" Cartman raced down the palace halls in an desperate attempt to go after Kyle.
His shouts rang throughout the halls that it alerted the servants and even the Egyptian guards. Cartman had hoped that he could stop Kyle from leaving. He didn't want to lose him like this. But sadly it was already too late. Kyle was gone. Seeing that god-awful mural had been too shocking for him. And Kyle wasn't the only one. Cartman was still in total denial over the whole thing. It couldn't possibly be true. It had to be only a story. Hebrew babies didn't get slaughtered like that...did they? Could this unspeakable act really have been carried out?
Then Scott showed up, smiling arrogantly at the disaster he gone out of his way to cause. "That Hebrew is smarter than I thought. Oh don't feel bad, Eric. It's for your own good. Surely you know that Egyptians and Hebrews must never mix?"
Listening to the jeering laughter of his brother, Cartman was shaking with so much fury that he lost all control. Without warning of any kind, Cartman angrily leaped at Scott and tackled him aggressively to the ground. The women let out shrieks of horror when Cartman pulled out his dagger and thrust it inches near Scott's neck. The two brothers stared hatefully at each other while ignoring the commotion they were causing in the background.
"I swear I am going to kill you this time!" Cartman growled. "You did that on purpose. You wanted Kyle to see that mural! I won't let you get away with that. You're dead!" Cartman caressed the dagger against Scott's neck and smiled in satisfaction when he drew bits of blood.
"What is going on here?" A commanding voice boomed out. Their father had arrived just in time to see his two sons locked in a deadly fight with each other. "Eric, have you gone mad? Put down the knife and step away from there at once!" Cartman looked at the dagger in his hand and was so tempted to slash Scott's throat with it. "Eric, I said get off your brother and step away! Guards! Seperate my sons at once!"
A crowd had gathered in the palace to watch as the two guards came forward to firmly take Cartman by the shoulder and force him off his brother. Another guard had to step in to grab hold of Scott before he attacked his brother back. Once the two princes had been safely seperated, the pharaoh expressed his anger at the both of them. Scowling first at Cartman and then at Scott, he dismissed all the onlookers from the room before turning his attention toward the two of them.
"Come to my chambers at once!" he demanded.
Minutes later, Cartman and Scott stood side-by-side before their father in the throne room. The pharaoh was livid about their outrageous behavior. "Never have I've ever been so embarrassed! How dare you act like savages underneath my roof! I don't care whose fault this was, what I want is an explanation! What were you fighting about this time?"
There was a moment of silence, and then Cartman grudgingly spoke up. "It was me, father. I got angry at Scott. He like seriously pissed me off."
"Yeah. I was very rude to his "visitor," Scott added, his blue eyes lit up maliciously.
"A vistior you say? Who was this visitor?" The pharaoh looked expectantly at Cartman.
Cartman hestitated before he lowered his eyes to the floor. "It was...it was nobody. Nobody of importance. I'm sorry, father."
It had to be done. Cartman couldn't let his father know he had brought a Hebrew to the royal palace. He was still worried about Kyle and wondered if he would ever see him again. But even so, there was something he had to know. "Father, about that mural in the eastern chamber of the treasure room...Is is true? Do you really collect Hebrew newborns and then...then..."
The pharaoh didn't quite meet Cartman's eyes, but his expression turned solemn. "My son... Remember when I told you about tough decisions? Well this is one of them. You must understand that it has to be done. The number of Hebrews would have increased, they would have turned against us. I couldn't allow that to happen. In order to control the Hebrews, we must oppress them."
"By killing them?" Cartman accused. "By slaughtering their infants?"
"Please Eric... I did it for the sake of our kingdom," his father tried to amend. "It's the best way to keep order in our land. It's nothing to be upset over. After all, it's only Hebrews..."
It was exactly as Cartman had feared. The Hebrews were insignificant. Their lives were meaningless here in the kingdom of Egypt. Nothing was ever going to change that. Unable to look his father in the face, Cartman spun around and left the chamber without a word. Now that he knew the truth, it left him feeling emotionally torn. On the way to his room, Cartman stopped and sadly gazed out a window where he could feel the warm orange sun on his face. Somewhere out in that village, was a heart-broken Kyle. He'd give anything to see him, take him into his arms, kiss and comfort him. Would Kyle ever want to see him again after this?
"That went pretty well, don't you think?" Came Scott's cold voice. Cartman fought to control his murderous impulses as he heard his brother's evil chuckle. "I wonder if I should tell father the truth? About your precious Hebrew friend? You know his opinion about Hebrews."
Cartman turned around and shot him a deadly look. "One of these days, Scott... I'll kill you and I'll even make it look like an accident. I promise you that..."
Later... Kyle wasn't quite sure how he'd done it, but he managed to run all the way home. After seeing that horrible Egyptian mural, Kyle had to get out of there. Despite Cartman's voice calling out to him, he ignored him and was determined to get away. Kyle wiped the tears in his eyes and tried to get his emotions in order when he approached his house. Through the window, he could see his parents and his brother half-way through dinner. They all looked up in alarm when the door banged open, and in came Kyle who was out of breath and looking highly distressed.
"There you are, Kyle. You're just in time for dinner. Go wash up before you... Kyle? What's wrong, bubbe? You look terrible." Sheila noticed right away that something was wrong. Kyle looked to be in shock and his eyes were red and sore from crying. "Oh my god! What happened to you, Kyle? Did someone hurt you?"
Both his parents were already on their feet and hurrying over to Kyle who looked ready to faint. But Kyle found the strength within himself to move his legs and go sit over in a chair. Ike had forgotten about his food and was looking over at him with a scared look. Sheila held Kyle in her arms and wouldn't stop looking him over as if she thought there might be bruises on him. But it was his father who gently gripped Kyle by the shoulders and tried to get him to talk.
"What happened, Kyle? It's alright, son. You're safe now. Just tell us what happened. Did someone hurt you? Please Kyle, you're worrying your mother."
Kyle slowly looked up into his father's eyes. The same green eyes that he inherited. "Dad... I want the truth about something. Is it true that the Egyptians come down to the village and round up all the newborn baby boys and...and take them away? Answer me! Has this really happened?"
Sheila gasped and immediately looked to Gerald who had gone pale. They both had not been expecting these questions. Kyle could see it in their faces...they knew exactly what he was talking about. And now they didn't know what to say to him. In fact, it was the one thing they dreaded on having to explain to their children. Sheila's eyes began to fill with tears and Gerald looked pitifully at her. After what felt like hours of silence, Gerald finally rose to his feet and looked more serious than Kyle has ever seen him.
"Ike...Go in the other room. I don't want you to be around for this conversation. You're too young, you're not ready to hear this," he said firmly.
"But dad...why?"
"I said go Ike!" Having no choice, Ike left the dinner table and went into the back room and closed the door behind him. Gerald and Sheila turned back to Kyle and hoped they could find the right words.
"Kyle...," Gerald began softly. Kyle's heart ached in his chest and he held onto his mother's hand for support. "This isn't easy for us. But we would have told you the truth sooner or later. But yes... The Egyptians have come to our village and taken away our baby sons. They come at a time where they feel there are too many of us. The Pharaoh has ordered his men to take all the newborn sons because he feels that they are the main threat. They take our sons away and we never speak of them again. It's easier that way..."
Kyle felt as if he'd just been dealt a heavy blow. So it was true. His worst nightmare had just been realized. How could they do that? And then he thought about Cartman. Cartman will become the next Egyptian king. So does that mean it'll be his job to...to... Kyle couldn't finish the thought. He didn't want to think this way about Cartman. Not about the man he was starting to have deep feelings for. Cartman could never do such a thing...could he? At this rate, Kyle didn't know what to think anymore.
"Why? Why would they want to kill us off? What have we ever done...to them!?" Kyle didn't bother to wipe away the tears from his eyes, couldn't control the sorrow in his tone of voice.
"It's because they think we're beneath them," Gerald gently explained. "The Egyptians are a proud race. But they feel threatened by the Hebrews. So they enslave us in order to ensure that we won't ever rebel against them."
This was too much. Kyle finally gave in to his emotions and buried his head into his mother's bosom to let the tears flow freely. Sheila stroked his soft red hair to comfort him the same way she used to when he was a little boy. And it was right at that very moment when Kyle was once again reminded of his place in life. He was only a Hebrew slave. He was nothing... How foolish to think that he could mean something to the Prince of Egypt. Deep down inside, Kyle knew what he had to do...
"I can't see him anymore. I'll never be able to look at him the same way. When I see Cartman...it'll be to tell him good-bye. It's for the best."
But thinking about this only broke his heart more. He thought about Cartman, his devilish handsome charms, his seductive smiles, his chocolate eyes sparkling with intelligence and mischief. Despite his misguided ways, deep down Cartman was the most passionate, strongest, desirable man he'd ever met. In his own way, Kyle had come to see Cartman as his equal as well. And severing the bond between them would not be easy.