Ten |

A New Baby

"Anippe, just what are you doing?" the man yelled.

"I'm trying to see Uncle Seto and Aunt Kisara's new baby!" the princess replies from above.

"Get down before Mahad sees you!"

Anippe pouts, "Shada, please, can I go in?"

Shada shook his head before extending his arms so Anippe could jump into them.

"Sorry, princess, but the rules are clear. You cannot enter Priest Seto's chambers unless his approval or the Pharaoh's."

Anippe crosses her arms as she lets out a scoff.

"Come on now, jump," Shada says.

Anippe stares at Shada's wide-open arms and prepares to jump from her high position before she hears the chamber doors open.

She rapidly changes her position to jump inside the chamber before Shada's strong arms whoop out of nowhere and grab her.

"No! Let me go! Please! I want to see the baby!" Anippe yells as she struggles against Shada's arms.

"Well, with all that ruckus you're causing, I don't think I'll let you in."

Anippe stops what she's doing and turns to her Uncle.

"Seto!" she beams.

He raises an eyebrow at her.

"Can I please please see my new cousin? Please?" Anippe begs.

Seto sighs as he pinches his nose bridge.

"Fine, you can enter. But under one condition."

Anippe glows in happiness as Shada looks at Seto, uncertainty.

"You are on your absolute best behavior. Kisara is still tired from giving birth, and your cousin needs to sleep. Meaning you are silent as a cat. Understand?"

"I give you my word as princess of Egypt," Anippe replied dead serious, making both Seto and Shada speechless.

For a moment, Seto just looked at her eyes, and she looked back at him, firmly.

Seto's face broke into a small smile.

"Very well. Come along now."

Between Shada and Seto, Anippe quietly marched inside the chamber and took notice of Kisara's form. She was silently sitting on the bed, holding the new family member in her arms.

Servants and midwives rushed out of the room while others stayed silently for instructions at the end of the room.

Kisara perks up and smiles at Anippe's entrance.

"Hello princess, are you here to meet your new cousin?"

Anippe nodded, "Indeed I am."

Kisara gently turned the baby in her arms so Anippe could see its face. A baby boy was gently sleeping in her arms. His sleeping face snuggled to her chest. His soft breathing and sudden coos.

"He's your new cousin, Astennu." Anippe heard Seto say.

The crowned princess could only stare at the new baby.

He had soft brown hair, just like Seto. His skin tone was a mix between Kisara's pale skin and Seto's tan skin. But, what color were his eyes?

"I see you beat me in meeting the new family member." her father's booming voice announced.

Entering Seto's chamber with a small smile, Atem nodded at his daughter before settling his attention on Seto.

"I am proud of you both. Now you will know the best gift of the gods, parenthood," he said, strolling over to his daughter's side.

"Hiya Papa," Anippe whispered with a huge smile. Atem looked down at his four-year-old summer princess.

"I thought we were going to come to visit your new cousin together." Atem pouted sarcastically.

Anippe blushed in embarrassment.

"Oops, I forgot."

Both Atem and Seto chuckled before going back to looking at Astennu.

Shada rolls his eyes, knowing Anippe was trying to look innocent.

Somehow Anippe noticed Shada's little stunt, which made her stick her tongue at him. Shada looked offended.

"Kisara," Anippe began, turning away from the Priest so he wouldn't scowl her for her rude behavior.

"Why did you name him Astennu?"

Atem shot Seto a cheeky look, whereas Seto sent him a death glare.

Kisara giggled.

"Well, princess, contrary to Egypt's traditions and your parent's custom, I didn't name our son. Seto did. He'll answer that for you."

Seto coughed nervously, making Atem and Shada grin at his suffering.

Anippe turned to her Uncle, intrigued at his response.

"Well, you see, Astennu means god of the moon. Just like your parents named you after goddess Anuket, we named Astennu after Khons."

"Why?"

"Er, well."

Seto sighed before crossing his arms and rocking them side by side like he was holding a baby.

"When you were an infant, you couldn't stop crying one night, and no one was there to attend to you. So I rocked you back to sleep under Khon's gaze."

"What does that have to do with his name?" Anippe pressed, but her father silenced her.

"He's getting there, be patient."

"Well, before I entered your room, I was dead set on not having kids. I did not have a good childhood. My father abandoned my mother and me when I was young. Then I lost my mother in a village fire until I was reunited with my father a couple of years later. I met Kisara, and just like me, she had a horrible childhood. Yet, she wanted children to give them a life she didn't have. Unlike me, who was traumatized by being a failure of a parent. I was scared and unsure if I could grant Kisra that wish."

Kisara smiled tenderly at Seto.

"But when I held you, Anippe, and rocked you back to sleep, I talked to Khons."

Atem smiled softly.

"Watching you hold onto me as you slept, I knew what Khons was trying to tell me. That I had to let go of my fears and embrace my new life. That life with a child wouldn't be so bad."

Seto chuckled, "Here we are now, four summer years later."

Seto stopped rocking his arms and smiled at Anippe.

"That is why he is named Astennu, to honor the god who allowed me to see beyond my fears and flaws. However, I would like to thank you too. For teaching me that I can be a father."

Anippe smiled at Seto's words.

"I'm happy for you."

"So am I," Seto replied with a smile.

Suddenly an awful sound rang across the room.

Young Astennu was wailing for immediate attention.

Anippe cringed at how his screams pierced through her ears.

Atem coughed before picking up Anippe.

"Well, we've been intruding for a while now. We'll come by again tomorrow. This time together, right, Anippe?"

Anippe nodded.

"Goodbye, and thank you!" Kisara managed to say as the midwives tried calming Astennu down.

Before stepping out of the room, Atem leaned over at Shada and whispered in his ear, "Can you bring the gift I have for them from the room next to my chambers?"

"Yes, my Pharaoh," Shada replied before sprinting out of the room.

As the Pharaoh and princess walked down the palace's hallways, the little girl couldn't help but hear the rapid whispers of the staff. The excitement in the court was everywhere. Everyone was thrilled with the arrival of the new baby.

Once Anippe and her father were a reasonable distance away, they found Mahad and Isis in one of the spell rooms.

"Ah, I assume you met the new baby," Isis spoke with a gentle smile.

"Yeah! He was so tiny! It was super exciting too!" Anippe exclaimed eagerly.

"Everyone in the palace is excited to meet the new baby." Mahad chuckled.

Turning to her father, Anippe asked, "Was my birth this exciting, Papa?"

Both Isis and Mahad became silent, watching how Atem tried keeping his face expressionless.

Anippe felt her father tense.

Isis suddenly scooped her from her father's arms.

Before Isis could begin to walk away, Atem slowly leaned over and softly kissed his daughter's forehead, refusing to meet her curious eyes.

Atem's lips turned to a small melancholy smile.

"The day you were born is a day Egypt will never forget." is all he managed to whisper to her before Isis began to walk away.

"Come, Anippe," is all Isis whispered.

Anippe turned back and frowned at the scene unfolding in the spell room.

Mahad was embracing her father as if he was trying to soothe him.

But why?

It wouldn't be till a few years that Anippe would learn the truth of the day of her birth.

Note(s):

In ancient Egypt, women had the full right to name their children as they carried them. This is why Kisara doesn't answer Anippe's question, as Seto named their child.

Author's Note:

Hiya all. Sorry for the late update, and a bit of a depressing chapter. I haven't been feeling well due to family complications. I hope you all are safe and taking care of yourselves. See you when I see you.