Seven |

Ill Father, Stubborn Daughter

The man couldn't help but vomit in the bowl.

A burst of goosebumps shot from his shoulders, violently making him shiver before he flung himself back into his bedsheets. He let out a pitiful noise and rubbed his swollen eyes.

His body felt like it was on literal fire.

"Here, this ought to make it better!" Merit Ptah said as she rushed over to Pharaoh. She draped a cold, wet towel on his forehead.

"I beg of you, Chief Physician, please make it stop. I wish to see my daughter." he groaned.

"It's alright, my Pharaoh," she replied. She pushed back his sweaty blonde bangs and moved the towel on his forehead. "The medicine should work soon."

"How soon?" he asked miserably. His body was shivering with aches. "I feel like I'm in literal fire."

"You're just sick, my Pharaoh, not dying. It is just a fever, that's all." Mahad spoke, trying to calm his best friend. Atem shifted his gaze at Mahad and gave him a weak thankful smile.

Mahad had brought in the best doctors in all of Egypt and made them run every test available. It turned out to be food poisoning from undercooked meat.

Plus a fever as well.

Luckily the Pharaoh was still young and in excellent health. He should make a speedy recovery.

"Just give it a day, my Pharaoh," Mahad said with a small smile.

"Another whole day? I need to get better now!" he groaned.

Chief Physician Merit sighed and draped a cold towel on him once more.

"I know, but you need to get better. Egypt can wait. You cannot. I do not like seeing you so ill."

"I miss Anippe." Atem weakly let out.

Mahad couldn't help but smile.

The Pharaoh and his daughter were separated for precisely a week now, and it was killing them as they were never apart for this long. It was pure torture for them and everyone else, but the last thing the Palace wanted was for princess Anippe to get sick as well.

"She misses you, too. She's always asking for you," Mahad replied before Merit added jokingly, "Please get better soon. I fear that if you do not, our beloved crowned princess will destroy the Palace."

Atem let out a weak laugh before his features changed to determination. "Alright. I promise you both; I will get better."

Merit nodded before taking the towels in the bowl of cold water and leaving. Mahad gave Atem a gentle squeeze on his shoulder.

"You rest now. I will return later to check up on you."

"Thank you, Mahad."

It was evening when a "Psst!" awoke Atem.

With a groan, he sat up and strolled towards his balcony. The balcony's curtains were the only thing separating him and the person out on his balcony.

"Hello?" he asked, too tired to demand the guards outside his chamber's doors to seize the intruder.

"Papa?" his daughter's voice called from behind the curtains.

"Anippe?" Atem asked, his eyes widening at the thought of his daughter just a few feet away from him.

"Thank Ra, you're okay!" his nine-year daughter let out.

"Anipee," Atem began weakly, yet tried to act upset.

"How did you get up here? This balcony is at least fifty feet high from the courtyard."

Anippe was silent, which made Atem grow more upset at her.

"Anippe," he began, but his daughter cut him off.

"I'm not sorry, Papa. I had to see you!"

She let her head down as she whispered, "I miss you."

Atem smiled sadly at her trim figure on the other side of the curtain.

"I miss you too, my princess," Atem replied with a tender smile on his face. He had missed his daughter so much that just hearing her beautiful voice made him feel one hundred times better.

"I'm coming in!" Anippe stated suddenly. Atem saw her shadow reach out to grab the curtain separating them. As much as he wished to embrace her, he stayed firm.

"Anippe, no! You'll get sick too!"

"I don't care," she said firmly. "We can be sick together."

He frowned and shook his head. "No, dear. You have to stay healthy."

"Well, I don't!" she shot back.

She huffed and crossed her arms.

"I just want to see you, Papa."

At that moment, Atem wants to yank the curtains separating him and his daughter, just so he can grant her request, but then he remembered how awful he had felt these past few days.

His daughter was everything to him. He had to protect her at all costs. He would never forgive himself if he caused her to be in pain.

"I'm sorry, my love, but you can't come in. I promise you; I'll get better soon," he assured her.

"When I do, we can play together again. You need to be a bit more patient." Atem added as he saw her shoulders slump.

Her head lowered down.

"You promise?" she asked weakly.

"Yes," he nodded. "I promise you."

After a minute, she stood up firm and let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine, Papa."

Atem smiled.

Anippe turned around and retrieved a small bag from her waist.

"I brought you some food."

Atem was surprised. "You didn't eat your lunch?"

Anippe shrugged. "I'm not very hungry. Besides, it's your favorite today."

"Ta'amiya?" Atem eagerly asked as if his love for his daughter could not have grown even more.

"No, it's batarekh," she replied without emotion.

Atem froze at the name.

Before he could react, Anippe burst out laughing.

"Of course it's not! They're ta'amiyas Papa!" she giggled.

"Anippe," Atem let out, setting a hand above his heart.

"Don't scare me like that again." he scowled jokingly as his daughter continued to laugh.

She placed the wrapped food on the ground before standing up and pointing, "It's right here, Papa. They are still somewhat warm. Please eat them and get better, okay?"

A big grin blossomed on Atem's features. "Very well, Anippe. I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye Papa!" Anippe replied before she made her way to the edge of the balcony and disappeared.

When he was sure she had left, due to the yelling of Mahad down below, he stepped out of the curtains and grabbed the delicious wrapped meal.

Atem noticed a pendant was holding the handkerchief from unfolding.

Taking it off, Atem brought it closer to his face and smiled at the realization.

It was the same pendant he had given her when she was sick of the cold back when she was younger.

The pendant was a cat figure, symbolizing the goddess Bastet, protector of children and homes from diseases.

Extra Scene:

"Why you ought to be ashamed of yourself, Anippe! Climbing up fifty feet high? You've gone too far, young lady!" Mahad scowled at the princess as she gave him an emotionless look.

"By the end of tomorrow, I want one hundred parchment scrolls saying, I promise never to disobey Master Mahad again. Do I make myself clear?" Mahad affirmed, crossing his arms.

"Yes, Master Mahad," Anippe replied.

With a final nod, he confiscated her rope and began to walk away. Anippe looked down at her shoes.

"Anippe," Mahad began.

The princess looked up to see Mahad's back on her.

"Next time, use the secret ladder on the west side of your father's chamber."

Anippe didn't say anything. She let Mahad walk away before her face broke into a huge smile.

Note(s):

"Bastet is the Egyptian goddess of the home, domesticity, women's secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth. She protected the home from evil spirits and disease, especially diseases associated with women and children." - worldhistory .org

"The first known female doctor was Merit Ptah who lived in Egypt around 2700 B.C. According to her son who was a High Priest, she wasn't just any doctor but "the Chief Physician". " - TODAYIFOUNDOUT .COM

According to Kazuki Takashi (the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh), Atem's favorite food is Ta'amiya while his least favorite one is Batarekh.

"Another type of bean identified from ancient sources is ful nabed, a pale variety of the common broad bean (Vicia faba). Pharaonic cooks almost certainly invented ta'amia or falafel, fried rissoles made from mashed beans, onions, garlic, and spices. Coptic Christians consume large quantities of falafel during Lent. The Copts are said to be descended from the ancient Egyptians and many of their traditions are so old that their origins may well lie in Dynastic times." - Hilary Wilson on ta'amiya in her book, Egyptian Food and Drink.

"Fish were also salted or pickled in oil and, in later times, great quantities of preserved first were exported from Egypt. In some scenes of fish preparation, removal of the roes is shown. The dried and salted roe of the grey mullet, known as batarekh, is considered a great delicacy in modern Egypt and is reputed to be a recipe as old as the pharaohs." - Hilary Wilson on batarekh in her book, Egyptian Food and Drink.

Reference: The book is titled Egyptian Food and Drink by Hilary Wilson and is part of the Shire Egyptology series.

Author's Note:

Hey guys. So I just found out that I'm leaving the city today and won't be back till a week or two. That's why I'm publishing this week's chapter today instead of tomorrow, Saturday. Hope you enjoyed it, where ever you are, cause by the time you'll read this I'll probably be freezing myself in Alaska. Take care and see you all soon.