This story contains TRIGGER WARNINGS for rape, violence, blood, physical and emotional abuse, suicide (mentioned). READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
This warning applies to the story in general. NO SPECIFIC WARNINGS FOR INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS WILL BE GIVEN!
Chapter 13
Yugi pulled the reins of his horse, making the stallion stop in front of the mansion's entrance. Yugi got off the saddle, as did Lady Isis next to him. One of the double doors in front of them opened and Pharaoh Atem approached them, brows furrowed.
"I heard rumours about an attack in the city. Are you two all right?" he said, even though Yugi hadn't expected him to care enough about either of them to ask.
"We're fine but I'm afraid the rumours are true. A few commoners were injured but the worst damage is the anger for Nubia this attack caused. Even though I doubt the attackers were part of the Nubian military," Lady Isis said.
"And now that we're so close to sealing peace too… If that anger turns into something worse… My lady, I'd like to talk to you about this in private before we leave."
"Certainly, my Pharaoh," Lady Isis said and followed him inside. Yugi handed his reins to a servant who led the two horses around a corner, past a few dried out bushes. Yugi was just about to lean against the trunk of a palm tree when Kisara came out of the shadow of the entrance hall and towards Yugi. She wrapped her arms around him. The scent of her jasmine perfume reached his nose.
"There you are. You're not hurt, are you?" she said but gasped when she discovered the scratches on his arms.
"I'm fine, just shaken."
"You've got to tell me what happened. But I'm afraid we also need to get you ready," Kisara said and guided him inside.
His thoughts still in the city, Yugi let Kisara help him into a blue silk tunic with golden jewellery and a chiffon shawl around his arms to cover the scratches. They got into one of the palanquins that'd bring them and the rest of Pharaoh Atem's entourage to the southern border.
The fortress they found there was a long wall that included a bridge over the Nile. It was made from beige stone so it blended in with the sandy and rocky surroundings. Only a few green patches ran along the shore. Other than that the wall stood in the middle of the desert.
Rows of soldiers lined the path towards the entrance. Drums and trumpets played as they came closer to the large stone gates. As soon as Yugi got out of the palanquin, he felt the sun's rays stinging his skin through his clothes.
Hungry gazes followed him and Kisara as they walked behind Pharaoh Atem, his advisers, and servants. There was no village nearby and the soldiers probably hadn't seen their spouses in a long time. Up until the feast of peace Yugi would have enjoyed the looks of desire and small grins. Now he wished he could hide his body under a wide cloak.
The inner court too was full of soldiers in perfect square formations, spears and shields in their hands. Across from Yugi and the others was another large stone gate. Between the two gates and to Yugi's left, stood a small stage-like platform. Near its short set of stairs waited a bald man in leather armour with a sword and three golden bands around each of his upper arms. He and his subordinates knelt when Pharaoh Atem stopped before them.
"You may, rise General."
The general obeyed and exchanged a few words with Pharaoh Atem. Yugi and Kisara remained in front of the platform with the lower-ranking officials and servants. Pharaoh Atem, Lord Seto, Lady Isis, Lord Malik, the general, and a few others entered it.
Pharaoh Atem stepped forward and took a deep breath. He stood perfectly straight, wearing a blue shendyt, the nemes headdress, and golden jewellery that reflected the sunlight. No matter how Yugi felt about him, he couldn't deny Pharaoh Atem's proud and commanding aura.
But he saw hardly any adoration or happiness on the soldiers' faces. If anything, their clenched jaws and narrowed eyes expressed hostility. Well, it wouldn't be too surprising. After all, the person they all looked at now had caused the war with Nubia.
"Soldiers of Egypt!" Pharaoh Atem said, his deep voice echoing through the court. "In the past four years you have fought, bled, and suffered. You lost friends, comrades, and family members. But all this was not in vain. Thanks to your strength, courage, and endurance Egypt has beaten Nubia and forced them into submission!" The soldiers cheered, some raising their spears. "Thanks to all of you peace is returning. Your homes will be rebuilt and you and your loved ones shall live in safety. I vow to work out a treaty that will bring peace to you and many generations to come. The gods bless this divine land!"
The drums and trumpets repeated the song from before and more cheering came from the soldiers. They had satisfied grins of victory on their faces, some still stared at Pharaoh Atem with contempt, and a few looked tired, their eyes empty. Lord Kek, not far away from Yugi, was the only one who rolled his eyes.
A little later, a bit of hot sand was just swirling around Yugi's ankles, a horn sounded. Heads turned when the other gate opened and a group of riders entered. Most of them were guards with scimitars, turbans, and cloth belts with red and white stripes. Their horses, all decorated with shimmering golden ornaments, were all in different shades of brown, except one. The rider at the head of the formation had a white mare.
The Egyptians moved to let the group through. They stopped not far from the stage and with a few others, the leader dismounted. He was a muscular, tall man with a few scars on his dark skin. He wore a pair of loose pants and a red sash around his torso and hips. His golden headpiece was shaped like a cap that looked like it had been forged to perfectly fit his skull. It had two snakes right over his forehead.
Lady Isis and Lord Malik had relieved smiles on their faces as they saw him – an expression he returned for a moment. But the other Egyptians had nothing but suspicious glances for the visitors and it was the same the other way around. Yet, Pharaoh Atem left the stage and walked past Yugi and the others, towards the leader.
Both were so tensed up they had a crease between their brows. Pharaoh Atem's steps and the blowing wind were the only sounds. Yugi held his breath when Pharaoh Atem stopped. After a moment of hesitation he gave a small bow and so did his opposite.
"Your majesty, King Rishid of Nubia, I hereby welcome you to my realm. I swear in front of your witnesses and mine that, as my guest, I shall share food and drink with you and you shall be safe from any harm. I shall treat you with respect since I wish to end the animosity between our countries and replace it with friendship, corporation, and peace."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Pharaoh Atem." The kings voice was deep and a little raspy. "I shall honour it and so shall my soldiers, advisers, and slaves."
Yugi winced at the last word. Only now he noticed a few people in the entourage who had no weapons like the guards and no fancy clothing like the nobles. Instead they all had golden collars around their necks, the only pieces of jewellery they were allowed to wear. Despite the heat, Yugi felt cold crawling over his skin.
For the first time in his life, he saw slaves.
Back at Buhen's mansion, Yugi couldn't stop staring at the slaves. From what he saw, they were no different from free servants. They did the same tasks, carried luggage into the nobles' chambers, took care of their masters' horses, and offered to provide them with snacks and drinks.
But Yugi knew that they were beaten and raped by those who had a higher status than them – which was everybody. How many of them had to endure torture and humiliation on a regular basis?
Being so close to a fate that would almost have been his made Yugi shudder. No, thanks to Cyndia and Pegasus he had grown up safe and loved in Asphaleia. They had protected him from a fate worse than death.
But hadn't he become Pharaoh Atem's slave by now? Nonsense! Pharaoh Atem wasn't forcing Yugi into anything degrading. Not yet at least. Though he could do so at any moment and if it caused Yugi to make the same decision as his mother, no one would hold Pharaoh Atem accountable.
Yugi chased these thoughts away and linked his arm with Kisara's. They were strolling through the corridors, past tall stone statues of different gods, the sounds of their steps echoing. Nobles, both Egyptian and Nubian, rushed past them on their way into one of the conference rooms. The peace negotiations would start as soon as possible.
Yugi turned to Kisara, wanting to start a light-hearted conversation to distract himself. But Kisara had a frown on her face, as if something worried her.
"Are you all right?" Yugi asked.
"I… Well…" Her gaze shifted over the marble floor. "It's about my work with the treasurers. They tasked me with counting the stored food. There's a quicker way of calculating the weight by measuring… Well, it's not important. But according to my calculations there are a few pounds of a couple of things missing. It was the same about a week ago. The other treasurers think I just made a mistake because I'm new to all this but I checked again and again. There's food missing, Yugi. I'm sure of it."
"But all food needs to be rationed right now."
"Indeed. So someone is breaking two laws by stealing from the storage."
"What did you say?" a familiar voice asked. Lord Seto had approached them, holding two scrolls. Kisara hesitated.
"My lord… It's like I said. I think someone is stealing food. But the others don't believe me…"
"Tss! That's utterly unprofessional of them! Please bring your documents with your calculations to my office. I will take a look and decide if we should act," Lord Seto said, sounding less arrogant in Kisara's presence, as usual.
"As you wish, my lord," she said.
She and Yugi returned to their room. There she showed Yugi the scrolls that were full of Kisara's neat handwriting. They delivered them to one of Lord Seto's assistants and spent the rest of the afternoon with a few matches of Abtu Sheta.
Raffia blinds were half covering the windows, keeping out part of the heat. As they played, Yugi tried to cheer Kisara up with the silly puns she usually giggled about like a girl. But today she only had polite smiles for Yugi.
"What are you so nervous about?" Yugi asked after taking the last two of Kisara's fish with a combo move. Kisara placed her cards on the table and hugged herself.
"It may be stupid but… Remember how I told you about my so-called sister?" she said and Yugi nodded. After the death of her loving adoptive father all power in the family had gone to his natural-born daughter. She had always been jealous of Kisara and once their father had died she had subjected Kisara to cruelties that still made her mistrustful of most people. "All I can think about is that she'd call me a silly goose for thinking I got anything right. She'd tell me to shut up and probably throw something at me…"
Her voice was cracking. Yugi took her hand in his, caressing her knuckles.
"She only said and did these things because she was jealous of your relationship to your father, your voice, your talent when it comes to mathematics… None of what she said was based on facts."
"I know. And yet, somehow I… I…" She sighed. "Sorry. Now I really am being a silly goose."
"That's all right … as long as you don't leave your feathers everywhere," Yugi said, enticing a chuckle from Kisara. "But honestly, I don't think you have anything to worry about. You're a genius with mathematics. You always calculated everything whenever we gave out food in Tamiat. And remember how we always sat together after dinner in the whore house? We'd come up with some equations and you solved them in no time. Besides, Lord Seto believes in your skills too or he wouldn't have given you all these scrolls."
He nodded at the table between their beds, which was stacked with papyri. A tiny grin spread on her face.
"Thank you, Yugi."
Someone knocked. It turned out to be a servant who poked his head into the room.
"Excuse me but Lord Seto has asked Kisara of Tamiat to join a meeting with the Pharaoh and a few others," he said. Kisara's posture straightened.
"I see." She stood up but paused and turned to Yugi. "Do you think you could come with me?"
"Of course."
Together they walked upstairs, into a corridor they weren't usually allowed to enter. Lord Seto was waiting right next to a door.
"There you are, Kisara." His gaze fell on Yugi and he raised an eyebrow. "Yugi of Tamiat, I'll have to ask you to leave."
"Well… My lord…" Kisara linked her arm with Yugi's. "It'd be easier for me if Yugi could be by my side. He already knows everything anyway and he'd never tell anyone else about this."
Yugi put up his most trustworthy face. Lord Seto eyed him as if he were indeed a spy.
"We'll need your utmost discretion, Yugi of Tamiat."
"You can rely on me to stay silent."
After one last moment of hesitation he said:
"Good. Please come with me."
All three entered the room. In the middle stood a table of dark wood with four jackal figures in the middle. Around it sat Pharaoh Atem at the head, Lady Isis, Lord Malik, and two others whose names Yugi didn't know. Yugi and Kisara sat down next to each other while Lord Seto took his seat at Pharaoh Atem's right. Under the table, Kisara reached for Yugi's hand. Her palm was sweaty and Yugi gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"If you allow me to begin," Lord Seto said and Pharaoh Atem nodded. "Kisara of Tamiat has been assisting the treasurers since her arrival. Among many other things they keep track of the food in storage. Kisara has noted that there is something missing from the following: bread, lentils, onions, garlic, apples, pears, and beans. They are only small amounts, probably in order to not draw any attention. This has happened twice this past week."
"Do you confirm that, Kisara of Tamiat?" Pharaoh Atem asked. Kisara's fingers twitched but her face showed none of her nervousness.
"Yes, my Pharaoh." Her voice was more steady than Yugi had expected. "I checked it several times, always with the same result."
"I also went over her calculations, as did some of my assistants. Kisara is correct. Someone stole food, probably a few days ago," Lord Seto added. Kisara's scrolls were lying in front of him.
"Theft is always a crime but it's a lot more severe under our current circumstances," it came from Lady Isis, her expression stern.
Yugi thought about the man without little fingers who had shouted at him on his first day of work in the city. His wife and children were dying and wouldn't that be an understandable motive for theft? Of course it was still wrong and the food was being rationed for a reason: to prevent chaos. Yet…
"We will begin questioning everyone who is involved with the food storage. If it wasn't one of them, someone bribed them to do their bidding and we'll find out who," Lord Malik said.
"Maybe you should wait." Pharaoh Atem's suggestion was met with confused expressions. "Drawing attention to something as essential as food might be unwise. If the thief feels safe, they will steal again. It might be better to catch and punish them discreetly."
The others stroked their chins or mumbled to each other.
"But if we punish the thief publicly, everyone would know we don't tolerate theft," Lord Malik said.
"If the people think everyone is following the rules, it's more likely they will too. That way they have no reason to think we're not handling the situation properly and things will continue to go smoothly," Lord Seto added. Silence followed.
"Lord Malik, Lady Isis, Buhen is yours. The decision is up to you," Pharaoh Atem said. The siblings turned to each other.
"I think Pharaoh Atem has a good point. As much as I hate having to let the thief go for now, it's wiser to uphold peace, especially after that Nubian attack in the city. We might stir up fear if the people hear about a food thief," Lady Isis said. Her brother considered it.
"I see your point. Then I shall install a few trustworthy people who keep an eye on the treasurers, deliverers, and kitchen aids."
"Good. Maybe Kisara can further check the supplies," it came from Lord Seto, causing Kisara's eyes to widen. Lord Malik glanced at Kisara with a sceptical expression, as if Lord Seto had suggested the task be taken care of by a gazelle.
"Are you sure I should leave something so important to a whore?"
"She already works with the treasurers. It's the most inconspicuous thing to do. Besides, I vouch for her reliability."
Lady Isis examined Kisara, taking a deep breath.
"What do you say, Kisara? Would you be willing to accept this responsibility?"
Kisara chewed on her bottom lip but then she stretched out her chest and, pressing Yugi's hand so hard he had to grind his teeth, said:
"Yes, my lady. I will assist you to the best of my ability. Besides, keeping secrets is part of a whore's job anyway."
The siblings glanced at each other, then each gave a small nod.
"Very well then, Kisara of Tamiat. Please keep an eye on the supplies and inform any person in this room of unusual observations, should you make any," Lord Malik said.
"I will not disappoint you, my lord, my lady."
Kisara's grip on Yugi relaxed a little as they talked about details concerning the plan. Once everything was taken care of, the sun was already being swallowed by the horizon, glowing in a gentle orange. Pharaoh Atem ended the meeting and one person after another left the room. Yugi was about to tell Kisara that she had done well when Lord Seto came over and placed a hand on Kisara's shoulder.
"You did everyone a great service," he said. Pink stains appeared on Kisara's cheeks.
"It was nothing… Besides, no one would have listened to me if it hadn't been for you."
"It's still you who did the work. You really mastered the techniques from that one papyrus. But why did you do the equation this way?"
He placed her own scroll on the table. Kisara let go of Yugi's hand and pointed at her own handwriting.
"Well, for this one I…"
After a few more sentences Yugi was unable to follow the conversation. He got up, stretched, and exited the room. In the corridors Yugi noticed the spicy smells of cooked food. Of course, it was almost dinner time.
Yugi was about to make his way back to his and Kisara's room. But as he walked, King Rishid came in his direction, followed by two slaves with golden collars. Yugi stepped aside and bowed. King Rishid rushed past him, towards Pharaoh Atem who was exchanging a few words with Lady Isis and Lord Malik. The siblings smiled as they saw King Rishid and bowed. Pharaoh Atem gave him a nod.
"Forgive me for not sending someone to you first, Pharaoh Atem but I have an urgent matter to discuss with you." King Rishid's polite words couldn't hide the frustrated tone. "Is it true that earlier today three Nubian commoners attacked the city?"
"I'm afraid it is," Pharaoh Atem said.
"Then why did you not inform me of this? A violation of our armistice concerns me as well. It seems to me as if you're deliberately provoking another conflict."
Pharaoh Atem's expression hardened and even from afar Yugi could feel the icy atmosphere between them.
"Rish… I mean, your majesty." Lady Isis stepped forward. "It's unlike you to jump to conclusions like this. And please, let us not bring the past into this."
Pharaoh Atem straightened his posture.
"Your majesty, I have no evil intent whatsoever. Yet, I do admit that not informing you of that attack was a mistake on my part," he said so honestly not even Yugi could doubt him. "I'm afraid we just had to deal with another issue, hence why the error occurred. However, I can swear to you by each and every god that I have no desire whatsoever to behave as irresponsibly as I did in the past. I offer you my sincerest apologies."
Pharaoh Atem lowered his head, making Yugi's jaw drop. King Rishid's anger left his eyes and was replaced with a calmer expression.
"I apologise as well. I assumed things of you that are no longer true. I shouldn't have spoken so rashly."
"I'm glad we could sort this out. May I invite you into my drawing room where I'll further inform you of today's attack?" Pharaoh Atem said and gestured at a corridor behind himself.
"I gladly accept."
Pharaoh Atem suggested to Lord Malik and Lady Isis to come with them and they agreed. Together they walked away until they turned around a corner and their voices and steps began to fade away. Yugi scratched his upper arm.
He had expected Pharaoh Atem to either offend the king or play down his concerns. Didn't everyone say that Pharaoh Atem had a horrible temper?
Yugi's stomach grumbled, so he decided to change his clothes for dinner.
While both Egyptians and Nubians worked on the peace treaty, Yugi helped out in the city day after day. The plaza where they always passed out food began to feel familiar, the shape of its surrounding buildings, the dried out palm trees, the empty stone ponds with colourful mosaics. Yugi also began to recognise the people who were there every day. There were a woman who had lost a leg but still gave everyone kind smiles, a priest who offered emotional and spiritual guidance, a little boy who always pointed at the guards' horses, and many more.
The worst hunger was starting to subside but this also meant that people were able to direct their attention towards other things. Mostly that meant Yugi. The commoners pointed and whispered about him but the other volunteers were a lot more straightforward.
Between refilling baskets and pouring out soup they asked Yugi many private questions. How had Yugi become Pharaoh Atem's personal whore? How many times a night did he take Yugi? How much did it cost him?
Some stared at Yugi's body or even asked for a "service". Every time Yugi felt the urge to slap them but he remembered Mai's training. So he just smiled and said that all this was private. After all, whores from Tamiat were well-known for their discretion towards their customers. The answer disappointed them and didn't stop them from prodding Yugi for more information.
A young noble woman with chin-length black hair was the most persistent. She had been following Yugi all day and by now he considered her as charming as a mosquito. They were just bringing a few empty crates back to the carts.
"Do you have to do a lot of crazy stuff for the Pharaoh? I heard he's into some rather rough things… Just nod or shake your head!" she said, buzzing around him no matter how quickly he walked. Yugi wiped his forehead, ignoring her. "Oh, come on! I bet after a boring day of negotiations he can't wait to be distracted by his pretty whore, right?"
"My dear cousin," a voice said before Yugi could snap at her. It was Lady Isis, standing behind them with one brow raised. "I think what you're talking about is neither relevant to your work nor is the Pharaoh's whore comfortable with your tactless behaviour."
"I wasn't being tactless!" the woman said, hands raised. Yet, she hurried away and began cutting onions for the vegetable soup. A grin flitted over Yugi's lips.
"Thank you, my lady," he said.
"She can be quite obnoxious. If she bothers you again, let me know. But for now, it's time for your lunch break."
"Thanks," he said but hesitated to walk away. By now, being around Lady Isis had become much easier but an invisible wall still remained and Yugi knew why. He took a deep breath. The words had been forming in his mind for days, yet he played with his hands now that they were about to pass his lips. "My lady, I… Back in Waset, at the feast of peace I… I said some rude and untrue things about your home. I'm sorry."
He bowed to her, for a moment fearing her rejection.
"Thank you, Yugi," she said gently. "Allowing your mind to change and admitting your mistakes are signs of strength. I accept your apology."
He felt as light as a sunbeam. He had expected to have his mistake rubbed in his face.
"Thank you for accepting it. If someone had talked like this to me about Tamiat, I'd find it a lot harder to…"
"It is hard. But there was something a lot more serious that I forgave the Pharaoh. Since then, letting go of my anger and pain has become easier for me."
"What did Pharaoh Atem do…?"
"That's a long story."
She patted his shoulder as she walked past him and returned to her work. Yugi promised himself to ask her another time for the details. For now, he grabbed another stuffed loaf from a basket and left the plaza.
"Guards, please come over here! My little brother injured himself!" said a teenage girl to two guards. They followed her, almost running into Yugi in the process. It seemed to be an unlucky day in Buhen. She wasn't the first commoner who needed the guards' assistance today.
Again, Yugi allowed himself only three bites of his lunch. Today the loaf was filled with cheese and vegetables, flavoured with pepper and thyme. While Taia's favourite food seemed to be fish she also loved cheese.
The burned down backyard lay in the shade of another hill of rubble, making the air pleasantly cool at this time of day. As soon as Yugi whistled, Taia came out of her hole and jumped at Yugi with a happy bark. Grinning, Yugi sat down against the leftovers of a wall and fed her until every last crumb of the loaf was gone. Afterwards she licked his face as if she wanted to thank him.
"I love you too," he said with a laugh, and rose. He pulled a small leather ball from his tunic's pocket and offered it to Taia. She sniffed it. "Want to play?"
Yugi threw the ball into different directions and Taia always managed to catch it. Yet, he tried in vain to get her to bring it back to him. Taia only gave him confused looks and waited until Yugi would come to her and throw the ball again. Yugi had so much fun he almost forgot to go back to work.
"Goodness, I probably should have gone back already." Yugi took the ball from Taia's mouth and slid it back into his pocket. He patted her one last time. "See you tomorrow."
He walked away, back into the warmth of the sun. But this time he heard steps behind himself and turned around. Taia was following him, snout open and her tongue sticking out. Even though it was cute – or because of that – her behaviour sent a sting through Yugi's heart. He bent down.
"Look, you've got to stay here. I'll be back tomorrow. I promise."
Yugi made another attempt at leaving but Taia was right behind him again. He knelt down and let a hand run through her fur. Taia was wagging her tail.
"I would love to take you with me, I really do. But if Otogi…"
Before Yugi could finish, he heard a familiar voice again, and it made him tense up in an instant.
"Over here! Search that alley too!"
Taia reacted like last time. Her happy expression disappeared and she hid in her hole. Yugi crawled in there as well, his heart thudding. Just when he had disappeared behind a bend he heard steps in the backyard.
"All safe? Good!"
Yugi peeked around the corner and saw Lord Kek in a hooded cape with the same sack in his hands as last time. Yugi made sure to crane his neck as Lord Kek opened it and held it out to three others. Yugi gasped and slapped his palm against his mouth right afterwards. Luckily, they hadn't heard him.
The robes the three men took out had red and white stripes. Just like the attackers from last time had worn them.
"I don't know about this. Since the last time the lady brings a lot more guards from the mansion…" one man said.
"Did you idiots really think I didn't consider that?! I hired a spy to distract them all. Just do what you did last time and you'll get your food. I got it from the storage a few days ago and some of it is about to go bad so you better hurry!" Lord Kek snapped. "Now the headscarves and make it so your faces are hidden. Good. Now go!"
Yugi leaned back against the cool soil and just sat there as their steps faded away. He repeated what he had heard in his mind over and over but there was no doubt. Lord Kek was both behind the food theft at the mansion and the attacks in the city!
He had to tell someone! But what if he was wrong? He had been sure before and in the end he had hurt so many. Otogi would tell him to stay out of it. He was too stupid to think for himself anyway! And Otogi was always right!
After all, if he warned anyone he might cause a mass panic. He'd once again be the cause of blood and screams of pain. But if they really attacked…
Yugi's thoughts went back and forth until Taia licked Yugi's hand. Either way, he had to go back to work. Surely he had been wrong as usual and there was nothing to fear.
He wormed his way out of the hole and removed some dirt from his clothes, legs, and hair. Taia already came after him, tearing at Yugi's heart yet again. He threw the small leather ball into another corner and Taia while ran to catch it, Yugi hurried away.
At the plaza, everything was like before. The volunteers passed out food while many commoners sat cross-legged in groups, eating their vegetable soup. They were chatting and the soup's parsley scent wafted through the air. But Yugi couldn't spot any guards.
Yugi checked every direction. Where were they? Were they here at all? What if they were in danger? Yugi flinched when he felt a hand on his arm. He whirled around and saw Lady Isis.
"Is everything all right? Where have you been?" she asked, brows furrowed.
"I… I…"
Yugi felt as if he was standing at a crossroads with no idea which path led into a pit of snakes. Before he could come to a decision, a male voice yelled:
"DEATH TO EGYPT!"
It happened as quickly as last time. The three men in striped robes jumped from a roof. They pushed, stabbed, this time also threw a burning torch at a table with food. It caught fire and people shrieked and cursed. A few courageous ones tried to catch them but the three hit their heads with spiked clubs. With a few baskets in their arms they ran away, leaving back chaos.
People were getting buckets of water to put out the fire, did their best to help the wounded, and called for doctors. Meanwhile, Yugi was still standing at the same spot as if he had turned into a statue. He hadn't misunderstood anything. This had been Lord Kek's doing.
"What the… Where are the guards?!" Lady Isis said but no one answered her.
"They were Nubians! Again!"
"If this is how they behave at our armistice they won't care about a peace treaty either!"
"Then why should the Pharaoh sign it?!"
"Death to Nubia, I say!"
The crowd murmured in agreement, some even shouted the last statement over and over. Lady Isis stepped on an empty crate and all heads turned towards her.
"Please, stay calm!" she called. "All the wounded will be treated! We will continue passing out food in a bit! Pharaoh Atem and Lord Malik will hear about this!"
It soothed the crowd only a little. Two doctors arrived soon and took care of the injured. Others managed to put out the fire but the table and the food on it were no longer of use. Yugi wanted to help as well but his body wouldn't move. All the while three sentences repeated in his mind over and over, heavy like lead and bitter like poison:
You could have done something. You knew about it. This is your fault.
"What's wrong, Yugi?" Lady Isis asked. "You're shaking."
Yugi looked at his hand realised that she was right. Only horrible things had ever come out of him speaking up. He could still end up making it worse. But if he only told them what he had seen and heard…
"My lady, I… I think I know who's behind all this."