Atem was in a very good mood. He had a special surprise for his wife, particularly since her birthday was coming up. She had openly admitted she hadn't really celebrated it for most of her life because her relatives were less than pleasant towards her, and he was eager to make it special.
Particularly after she had coyly told him something that had everyone in a particularly festive mood.
Avatre was pregnant with their first child. While she couldn't tell the gender yet, his healers and Isis had confirmed she was indeed with child. Likely after a particularly 'fun' evening in which Atem discovered the source of why the bandits all knew of his wife as the 'she-demon'.
The sight of his lovely wife blowing armed men up with her magic was particularly...exciting.
Which was why Atem was having the palace artisans creating something particularly special for his wife. A crown, one that was properly fitting for the "Phoenix Queen", as everyone was calling her now.
Anyone who dared to say she was "unsuitable" for such a powerful post was silenced after that prank she played on the palace, revealing her animagus form. Only someone truly blessed by the gods of magic could take an immortal and sacred beast as their spirit animal.
Set might complain a bit about the price tag, but he could admit that at least his king knew how to spoil his wife...and that the gift in question was entirely appropriate.
A royal should look...well, royal. Avatre's taste ran a bit more simpler than most queens which made catering to her whims a bit easier on the budget, but also meant she would come up as 'lesser' when compared to the more gaudy women who ran the noble circles.
Which was why Atem was having a special and very distinctive royal crown made in honor of his beloved wife.
It was stylized phoenix crown based off Avatre's animal form. She had been all too happy to pose for the royal painters so that they might recreate it on her bedroom walls, unaware that Atem had suggested it with an ulterior purpose.
The craftsmen, eager to complete such a request from the Pharaoh himself, were pouring all their skills and effort into the task.
It was almost complete, which he was rather happy for. He had inspected the crown itself, along with the earrings and necklace that would go with it.
Atem raced home to his wife. With her pregnancy confirmed, she had agreed to limit her 'adventures' with the bandits until their child was born.
She had chuckled ominously and joked that she had only agreed so the fools could build their numbers back up long enough for her to 'get back in shape' magically.
A few weeks later, Atem eagerly awaited for his wife to arrive. The whole city was celebrating not only the fact that they had a future heir on the way, but also the fact that their king's wife was turning a year older.
It didn't hurt that Avatre had taken it upon herself to insure that all the healers in the capital were each given copies of the knowledge she possessed and were instructed to share it as much as possible with anyone who showed talent. The number of deaths in Egypt had gone down significantly.
Avatre turned to face him, a slight bump on her stomach showing her pregnant state.
"So what exactly have you been sneakily working on behind my back, my love?"
Atem warms at the loving term of endearment. He couldn't believe he had been so lucky to find such a wonderful wife.
He calmly moves aside to allow the palace slaves bring in the boxes. Avatre's stunned delight when they opened it was perfect.
"This is..." she said in surprise.
"A queen should have a crown befitting her status for royal events. And the one you normally wear is too plain," said Atem smugly. "Naturally you would also need proper jewelry to go along with the new crown."
Once the crown was properly placed onto her head, and the new jewelry added to it, Avatre looked every bit the royal queen Atem knew she could be. And since this was such a public event, there was no chance she would be able to deny the gift in question.
In private however, Avatre made her feelings about the gift known. Atem had a rather smug smile on his face for days, because she loved it.
This was it. The culmination of over a year's worth of experimenting and frustration. Atem was delighted that the hand-fasting ceremony had allowed him to unlock his own natural magic, as opposed to simply shadow magic. Because it allowed him to do this.
He took a deep breath...and sank deep into his magical core, following the pathways he had made with Avatre's help. He looked at his spirit beast calmly, and it stared back with a regal expression on his face.
The two of them simultaneously bowed to one another...one king to another.
Then his spirit beast charges at him, flowing through him and outward. While his mind would retain it's human intelligence, he had now gained entirely new instincts.
Atem opened his eyes...and found that he could see farther and sharper than he ever had in his life. He looked down, and saw taloned feet. Turning around revealed massive paws with claws meant for rending an enemy to shreds. He felt unfamiliar appendages on his back, and an experimental flap revealed majestic wings akin to the finest falcons he owned. He tried speaking, only for an unfamiliar cry to erupt from his throat.
Avatre helpfully summoned something with a reflective quality. A sharp beak and stunning red eyes greeted him.
He was a Griffon!
Atem crooned in delight, and attempted to fly on his new wings. Avatre didn't bother to hide her laughter as he failed. Miserably. Walking was even worse...Avatre was in hiccups by the time he gave up and sat down.
Once she calmed down (and wiped a few tears from her eyes), she calmly coaxed him into how he was to turn back. It took several attempts, but eventually he figured it out.
He pouted at his overly amused wife.
"Cheer up love, and look at it this way. Most people would never have the dedication or ability to turn into a normal animal. Much less figure out how to do a perfect transformation after only a year and a half worth of actual training. That you were able to pull it off without knowing how to cast actual magic previously and no prior exposure to it says a great deal of your ability and intelligence."
Atem perked up at that. She was right of course, she generally was. His lovely wife was a rare woman of wisdom and common sense.
Still, he had hoped to fly on his own without being at the mercy of his wife's insistence on insane stunts and pranks while they were flying.
Considering she was carrying a future heir, he wasn't the only one who had panic attacks when his wife decided she was tired of being cooped up and went flying...only to perform what could only been death defying stunts with such terrifying regularity, only to laugh it off.
At least she was 'kind' enough to stick to the city when she flew.
Atem kept working at it until partial transformations became instinctive, though his food intake certainly went up. It was nothing compared to his wife, who ate voraciously at a neat pace. He had learned early on that Avatre had a habit of eating everything on her plate, but would not ask for seconds if it was empty.
Which was why he had discreetly instructed the palace staff to keep her plate full for at least three courses. It mattered little so long as it was filling.
After her pregnancy became known, her food intake had increased three times over. Oddly, his wife would discreetly slip into the palace kitchens and assist with the cooking...mostly to make a snack that would have some give her odd looks. Since she wasn't inflicting the rest of the palace with the concoctions and knew so much about healing, no one told her to stop.
After a month of being unable to get the hang of flying, Avatre offered a simple solution. A 'sink or swim' method as she called it.
Atem considered himself a great fool when he failed to ask what exactly that term meant.
Oh how he would regret that...for all of the thirty seconds it took for him to register what his wife had done, and for him to perform the quickest transformation in his life.
Ingrained instincts took hold once he registered the ground becoming far too close for anyone sane's comfort. While he trusted his wife to catch him, his animal brain refused to let him die that easily.
Which was why his wings began to beat weakly at first, before growing more powerful. It took him several moments to realize he was actually hovering.
Avatre trilled in triumphant amusement. Atem gave her a weak glare. She trilled in greater laughter at the look on his face.
After a few awkward attempts, Atem finally figured out how to move forward and they began to fly together properly.
The scolding Mahaad gave Avatre for the prank (he tended to watch for safety reasons) for dropping him and not catching him was legendary.
Avatre, however was unrepentant.
"Some chicks need the extra push to fly. He already had the muscle mass to fly, he just needed his instincts to kick in and show him how to do it properly. Overthinking it was why it took so long, and I did give him the option of the slow method or the quick one."
"Telling me that I could try the 'sink or swim' method five minutes before dropping me is not what I had in mind," said Atem dryly.
"It's the same principle of shoving someone off a boat in water too deep to stand. Some people figure out on their own how to swim, others don't. Then again this method was developed in water that doesn't have angry crocodiles and river horses around," she mused.
Atem stared at her.
"What? The water in my country doesn't have that sort of problem, though a few rivers and streams were a bit more dangerous than most."
At least he was able to go flying with his now heavily pregnant wife. Besides, the scare he gave several bandits who dared to attack some important merchants was delightful.
Atem clenched his fists as the women congregated in the birthing room. The screams were really getting to him, and who could blame him? Men were forbidden during a birth by sacred law.
After several long, agonizing hours, there was a distinctly different cry coming from the birthing room. Isis came out looking rather pleased as she had kept the gender of his future child a complete secret the entire time...even from an amused Avatre.
"Congratulations my pharaoh, the queen has given birth to a healthy son."
Atem politely but impatiently walked past the priestess, and into the room. Avatre held their newborn son in her arms...he had their fiery red hair and his parent's gem-like eyes. They held a deep royal purple that put amethysts to shame. He could tell without being told that the child had magic...a great deal of it in fact. Only those born blessed with the gift had such gem-like eyes, and red hair was often considered a blessing from the goddess that governed it.
It was why he had been given training so early.
The entire kingdom was very vocal about rejoicing...after all, the kingdom had an heir and the queen had pushed out a son on her first try!
He names their son Bennu, mostly in homage to her animagus form.
The sheer happiness he is feeling cannot be fully described in words.
Avatre, exhausted by her effort, falls asleep swiftly that night.
The birth of her son would be fueling her patronus spells for some time.
There was a darkness creeping into the land. A powerful mage was making his name in the worst ways, and it had Mahaad on edge.
So when there was a very serious attempt to kidnap the royal prince while they were traveling to check on some nobles, as they had failed to mention the "minor" detail that said mage had been within a day's ride of the area, Avatre turned positively deadly towards the poor bastard who attempted it.
Atem might have felt an iota of pity for the idiot...except this was his son they were trying to take. Honestly, the only mercy he gave the fool was a relatively quick death.
Avatre's rather public example she made of him made it clear how she felt about the matter.
However allowing his lovely, vengeful wife go after the would-be kidnapper did serve a rather important purpose.
Mostly because it provided a name to the mysterious mage causing so many issues of late.
Anubis, a man who stylized himself after one of the Egyptian gods of the dead. There wasn't much else to go on, but they were able to ascertain the man was a powerful shadow mage. None of the reports they had suggested he had any of the magic Avatre had been training so many of their local mages in of late.
And there were a large number of them. Atem was astounded at the number of people with magic in his capital alone who had gone unnoticed.
Including a rather pleasant young woman that had garnered the attention of Set, who was notorious for never glancing once in a female's direction with any sort of interest. Avatre had snatched her up in a heartbeat despite the female being a slave and had made her one of her few ladies-in-waiting.
Any complaints on the matter had dropped when, after being given a brief but thorough instruction from his wife, Kisara had produced a mighty dragon of white scales, blue eyes, and incredible power.
Coincidentally it was after that particular demonstration that Set had taken an interest in her.
Atem hadn't caught them courting...yet... but he had the sneaking suspicions his High Priest would be asking Avatre permission to do so publicly and damn what Akhenaden had to say about the matter.
Though why his father's brother was so interested in who Set married, Atem had absolutely no idea.