Hope you like this. Thanks for the reviews everyone! By the way, I take no
credit for the song. It's by Bryan Adams. Enjoy!
*
"It wasn't my fault!" Atemu shouted at his cousin. "Well, maybe it was, a – a little bit, but that's beside he point!"
"Beside the point!? You knocked Mahaado out cold for seven hours! And you say that's beside the point!?"
"Sheesh, no need to burst a blood vessel. So what? He's okay now isn't he?"
"He has a lump the size of an ostrich egg on his head!"
"Mmm, ostrich egg. I feel like an omelet." Atemu walked past his fuming cousin and stood at the top of the stairs.
"Cook! Make me an omelet! With cheese!" He shouted down.
"Atemu! Stop thinking of your stomach and listen to me! You can't just knock one of your priests unconscious! Think of the image it would create with your people!"
Atemu stopped and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You know, that's a good point. I know!"
He said excitedly, his eyes shining. "I'll write Mahaado a letter of apology! Anzu!"
Atemu called. "Write me a letter of apology for Mahaado!" Seto rolled his eyes and sighed. Sometimes his cousin just didn't get it.
"You know Atemu, if you were even one third the Pharaoh Akunamon was, I'd probably die of shock."
"What? You think I can't rule Egypt properly?" Atemu demanded angrily.
"Correction cousin, I know you can't rule Egypt. At all!"
"Fine! I'll prove to you I can!" Atemu turned on his heel and strode out Seto's room.
*
Isis watched the Pharaoh all afternoon. What she saw was the most un- kinglike things a Pharaoh could do.
She observed Atemu overseeing the counting of grain, saw him supervise ship building, and even watched him helping peasants collect water from the Nile using a shaduf.
It astounded her that Atemu would take the time to help with the most menial tasks.
He even assisted in guarding the herds of goats and pigs for some of the farmers.
Isis went to see Seto about it. If anyone, the High Priest would know what was wrong.
"Seto, I believe there's something you should see." Seto looked up from his paperwork and sighed.
"What is it, Isis? It better be important." He got up and followed Isis. "Oh, it is Seto, it is."
She led him to a shady area beneath a cliff. Farmers and workers lined up to receive gold from Shinzuka.
The slim girl was counting out handfuls of coins to families, depending on the number of children that there was.
"What in Ra's name is going on here!?" Seto was outraged. Never had any peasants got money, especially of this amount.
"Calm down, Seto. The Pharaoh has decreed that depending on the number of children in a family, they shall receive a certain amount of gold every month."
Seto paled. This wasn't what he had in mind. "Do you perhaps have any idea why Atemu has done this Seto?"
The High Priest blushed. "Um, well I sort of told Atemu that he wasn't good enough to rule Egypt."
"You fool!" Isis hissed. "How dare you speak like that? Not good enough, indeed!"
Isis glared furiously at him. Seto drew back, alarmed. Isis could be very menacing when she wanted to be.
"Now listen here, Seto. I have seen what Atemu is like with the commoners. I have seen how well he makes harsh decisions. We have a great king, one that you should respect!"
"Fine." Seto sighed. "You know I do, Isis. It's just, what if something bad happens? What if he can't handle it?"
"I'm sure he will, Seto. Look at him. He has something great inside him." Seto looked.
Atemu was swinging a little girl round in the air, smiling and laughing.
The baby stuck her thumb in her mouth and nestled into Atemu's shoulder. Kissing her forehead, he cradled her in his arms and began to sing softly to her.
"//I had a dream – of the wide open prairie
I had a dream – of the pale morning sky
I had a dream – that we flew on golden wings
And we were the same – just the same
You and I//
//Follow your heart – little child of the west wind
Follow the voice – that's calling you home
Follow your dreams – but always remember me
I am your brother – under the sun//
//We are like birds of a feather
We re two hearts joined together
We will be forever as one-"
He stopped abruptly when he realized that Isis and Seto were watching him.
Blushing, Atemu walked over to them, the baby gurgling happily in his arms.
"Good day, Pharaoh. How are you?" Isis asked politely.
Atemu smiled nervously. "Fine, thank you." Seto looked at the ground. "I didn't know you could sing so well." He said feebly. Atemu smiled.
"It's nothing." He looked up at the darkening sky and smiled. "Looks like the wet season is finally here."
The months when it rained almost non-stop was a blessing for both humans and animals.
There was a gurgle from the infant child in Atemu's arms. The Pharaoh put the girl on the ground and watched her toddle away.
Seto fell in step with his cousin as the three walked back to the palace.
"I'm sorry for what I said earlier, Atemu. You know I didn't mean it." Seto said shortly.
"No problem, Seto. But you were right. I need to get my act together if I'm ever going to be a good Pharaoh like my father." Seto looked at cousin in admiration.
He had never thought Atemu to be anything but a rude, unruly prince who couldn't even rule his way out of a paper bag. But today had proven differently.
Seto opened his mouth to say something, but all thoughts came to an unexpected halt when two palace guards came sprinting down the front stairs.
"Pharaoh!" One of them gasped as they bent over, panting for breath. "What is it?" Atemu asked sternly.
"The – the girls, in – in the harem," The fatter one collapsed in a heap. Atemu turned to the slimmer, fitter one.
"What happened?" He demanded. "They, they were attacked. We heard screams, but we got there too late."
"Show me." The guard led them quickly through the palace, stepping inside the white stone walls of the harem's quarters.
Isis gasped in shock at the sight that met their eyes. Girls lay scattered over blood-stained furniture, mauled beyond recognition.
Their limbs had been torn off, their teeth pulled out, and their eyes gouged.
Most of their clothes were shredded; their hair was matted and limp.
The girls flesh had been strewn all through the rooms, knife cuts zigzagging across their bodies.
Mai lay in the midst of it all, her body crumpled and bruised. Her mouth was open in shock, revealing bloody gums deprived of heir teeth.
There was one more thing Atemu noticed about her: Her mauled head lay two feet away from her body.
*
"It wasn't my fault!" Atemu shouted at his cousin. "Well, maybe it was, a – a little bit, but that's beside he point!"
"Beside the point!? You knocked Mahaado out cold for seven hours! And you say that's beside the point!?"
"Sheesh, no need to burst a blood vessel. So what? He's okay now isn't he?"
"He has a lump the size of an ostrich egg on his head!"
"Mmm, ostrich egg. I feel like an omelet." Atemu walked past his fuming cousin and stood at the top of the stairs.
"Cook! Make me an omelet! With cheese!" He shouted down.
"Atemu! Stop thinking of your stomach and listen to me! You can't just knock one of your priests unconscious! Think of the image it would create with your people!"
Atemu stopped and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You know, that's a good point. I know!"
He said excitedly, his eyes shining. "I'll write Mahaado a letter of apology! Anzu!"
Atemu called. "Write me a letter of apology for Mahaado!" Seto rolled his eyes and sighed. Sometimes his cousin just didn't get it.
"You know Atemu, if you were even one third the Pharaoh Akunamon was, I'd probably die of shock."
"What? You think I can't rule Egypt properly?" Atemu demanded angrily.
"Correction cousin, I know you can't rule Egypt. At all!"
"Fine! I'll prove to you I can!" Atemu turned on his heel and strode out Seto's room.
*
Isis watched the Pharaoh all afternoon. What she saw was the most un- kinglike things a Pharaoh could do.
She observed Atemu overseeing the counting of grain, saw him supervise ship building, and even watched him helping peasants collect water from the Nile using a shaduf.
It astounded her that Atemu would take the time to help with the most menial tasks.
He even assisted in guarding the herds of goats and pigs for some of the farmers.
Isis went to see Seto about it. If anyone, the High Priest would know what was wrong.
"Seto, I believe there's something you should see." Seto looked up from his paperwork and sighed.
"What is it, Isis? It better be important." He got up and followed Isis. "Oh, it is Seto, it is."
She led him to a shady area beneath a cliff. Farmers and workers lined up to receive gold from Shinzuka.
The slim girl was counting out handfuls of coins to families, depending on the number of children that there was.
"What in Ra's name is going on here!?" Seto was outraged. Never had any peasants got money, especially of this amount.
"Calm down, Seto. The Pharaoh has decreed that depending on the number of children in a family, they shall receive a certain amount of gold every month."
Seto paled. This wasn't what he had in mind. "Do you perhaps have any idea why Atemu has done this Seto?"
The High Priest blushed. "Um, well I sort of told Atemu that he wasn't good enough to rule Egypt."
"You fool!" Isis hissed. "How dare you speak like that? Not good enough, indeed!"
Isis glared furiously at him. Seto drew back, alarmed. Isis could be very menacing when she wanted to be.
"Now listen here, Seto. I have seen what Atemu is like with the commoners. I have seen how well he makes harsh decisions. We have a great king, one that you should respect!"
"Fine." Seto sighed. "You know I do, Isis. It's just, what if something bad happens? What if he can't handle it?"
"I'm sure he will, Seto. Look at him. He has something great inside him." Seto looked.
Atemu was swinging a little girl round in the air, smiling and laughing.
The baby stuck her thumb in her mouth and nestled into Atemu's shoulder. Kissing her forehead, he cradled her in his arms and began to sing softly to her.
"//I had a dream – of the wide open prairie
I had a dream – of the pale morning sky
I had a dream – that we flew on golden wings
And we were the same – just the same
You and I//
//Follow your heart – little child of the west wind
Follow the voice – that's calling you home
Follow your dreams – but always remember me
I am your brother – under the sun//
//We are like birds of a feather
We re two hearts joined together
We will be forever as one-"
He stopped abruptly when he realized that Isis and Seto were watching him.
Blushing, Atemu walked over to them, the baby gurgling happily in his arms.
"Good day, Pharaoh. How are you?" Isis asked politely.
Atemu smiled nervously. "Fine, thank you." Seto looked at the ground. "I didn't know you could sing so well." He said feebly. Atemu smiled.
"It's nothing." He looked up at the darkening sky and smiled. "Looks like the wet season is finally here."
The months when it rained almost non-stop was a blessing for both humans and animals.
There was a gurgle from the infant child in Atemu's arms. The Pharaoh put the girl on the ground and watched her toddle away.
Seto fell in step with his cousin as the three walked back to the palace.
"I'm sorry for what I said earlier, Atemu. You know I didn't mean it." Seto said shortly.
"No problem, Seto. But you were right. I need to get my act together if I'm ever going to be a good Pharaoh like my father." Seto looked at cousin in admiration.
He had never thought Atemu to be anything but a rude, unruly prince who couldn't even rule his way out of a paper bag. But today had proven differently.
Seto opened his mouth to say something, but all thoughts came to an unexpected halt when two palace guards came sprinting down the front stairs.
"Pharaoh!" One of them gasped as they bent over, panting for breath. "What is it?" Atemu asked sternly.
"The – the girls, in – in the harem," The fatter one collapsed in a heap. Atemu turned to the slimmer, fitter one.
"What happened?" He demanded. "They, they were attacked. We heard screams, but we got there too late."
"Show me." The guard led them quickly through the palace, stepping inside the white stone walls of the harem's quarters.
Isis gasped in shock at the sight that met their eyes. Girls lay scattered over blood-stained furniture, mauled beyond recognition.
Their limbs had been torn off, their teeth pulled out, and their eyes gouged.
Most of their clothes were shredded; their hair was matted and limp.
The girls flesh had been strewn all through the rooms, knife cuts zigzagging across their bodies.
Mai lay in the midst of it all, her body crumpled and bruised. Her mouth was open in shock, revealing bloody gums deprived of heir teeth.
There was one more thing Atemu noticed about her: Her mauled head lay two feet away from her body.