WHEN MEMORIES WOULD NEVER BE ENOUGH
Chapter Nine - Appearances are Deceiving
"He is your cousin?" Atemu exclaimed while holding his breath, as he probingly stared at Xandra.
Glowering at Hyperion, Xandra said as angry tears flowed down her cheeks, "Many good Atlanteans and Egyptians senselessly and defenselessly died by your hand over the years. Did you show any form of mercy, as you butchered those poor people? Did you show any mercy as you ripped off the babes and murdered them in front of their mothers? Did you show any mercy when you ravished the women before their husbands? Did you show any form of honor or mercy for every unarmed man that you and your army killed? You have dishonored the gods and our race with your remorseless and savage ways!"
The captive quietly stared at her, undaunted that his tormentor's hazel eyes burned in deep-rooted rage. He then snickered. "You are an Atlantean, Cousin. Never forget that you are the very thing that you revile the most!"
The scenes from the massacre kept playing inside her head more graphically and intensely for each passing second. All her six senses spun beyond control, and her adrenaline ran amuck. With all forethought lost from her and blinded by rage, an incensed Xandra repeatedly slammed Hyperion against the now-bloodstained wall in response to his taunting.
Atemu grabbed her by the shoulders to rip her away from the intruder . "Let him go, Sister! Our laws will administer justice on him!"
Feeling the warmth behind her husband's strained voice, her chest heavily heaved as her emotions finally caved in. Without removing her glance or hold on Hyperion, she said through gritted teeth and tears, "How could you say this, Brother? You have not seen firsthand what he and his army did to our people!"
He tightened his hold on her, as he saw her tighten her clench on her left fist. "Please, Sister...."
She strengthened the hold against her captive's neck - making more bones crack, and torturing the intruder.
Amethyst eyes glistened as its owner appealed in the gentlest voice possible, "I beg you, for your own sake.... Let him go...."
Minutes later, the magical block against the bedchamber's heavy doors disappeared and the guards barged in. As each sentry had his eyes on the Pharaoh and awaited his orders, she shoved Hyperion against the wall - making him slump on the marbled floor.
Atemu relaxed, as her tight muscles softened. Greatly relieved, he gave his wife a brief but reassuring hug from behind. Feeling that she had been pacified, he then ordered his guards, "Take him away!"
As the guards pulled him out of the bedchambers, Hyperion kicked and hollered, "She is an Atlantean, Pharaoh! No matter how many battles she has won for you, and no matter how many times she pleases you in bed, she will always be your fiercest enemy! She will show her true treacherous colors when opportunity permits, and when you least expect it!"
Her eyes glowered and her muscles tightened once more - prompting the young Pharaoh to hold her back.
Once the sentries hauled away the still-screaming intruder to the dungeon, she flung her hands to be released from Atemu's hold. She then stormed towards the balcony - with her husband following suit. With her head feeling as if it was ten times bigger its normal size, she spent silent minutes tightly closing her eyes and deeply breathing. Once her gaze landed on a sleeping Egypt, she looked up the night sky as her eyes misted.
She never felt so tired in her entire life, until now.
He, on the other hand, observed her from a few feet - seeing her quiver from withholding the pent-up tears and anger within her. As her sobs became more audible, he slowly approached her and consolingly rested his hands on her back.
By the time that he stood beside her, she faced him and buried her face on his chest. As he consoled her, he felt her her warm tears and intermittent breathing. In his arms, she placed all the burdens she felt and shared it with him. Her sobs, for every passing minute, became more uncontrollable. Feeling so vulnerable, she held onto him as tightly as she could for comfort and security.
To console her, he did what he thought was best - he stood there, cuddled her, said nothing, and kept her company for as long as she needed him. Once he gauged that she had calmed down a bit and felt her slight movement, he whispered as he stroked her hair and tightened his embrace, "How I wish that I could have spared you from that vision, Sister.... No one should have seen that...."
She did not react from learning that Atemu - for some unknown reason - saw the same disturbing vision of carnage. Hazel eyes continued gazing at a distance, as its owner laid her head against his chest and her tears flowed down her cheek. In a tone that showed how sapped out she was in all aspects, she absent-mindedly muttered, "Our people.... I keep hearing their screams.... I should have seen their fate before it occurred, and I should have seen Hyperion's assassination attempt. In all the might and magic that we respectively have, we could not even save one soul from that town...."
Continuing to stroke her long black hair, he murmured, "Human beings are never meant to be omniscient. If humans are meant to see what Fate has in store for them before events occur, then where would hope spring from? What would faith and trust's role be in people's lives, if foresight is part of the human condition?"
With quiet firmness laced in her voice, she said, "I should have been able to do more for them, and for us...."
"Losing oneself to hatred is never the answer," he calculatedly replied. "Vengeance is reserved for the gods, Sister. We, as rulers, must administer what is equitable - you have taught me that valuable lesson long ago."
"I did not know any better back then. I guess that years of warfare would shed off any softness, cautiousness, or naïveté within me," she remarked with a resigned sigh.
Knowing that the intruder's scathing words plagued her mind, he said, "You are your own person. It does not matter if most of your bloodline fell into corruption. Every human being is predisposed to commit evil. The mere fact that you are thinking of these matters means that you are less of an Atlantean. I beg you, however, to stop blaming yourself for our people's deaths. As Queen, let the law prescribe the punishment for Hyperion's crimes."
The approaching sound of sprinting footsteps eventually ended a few feet from where the royal couple stood. Seconds later, the myriad and panicked screams of the Pharaoh's sentries echoed through the hollow hallways.
Startled, the young couple turned around and were stupefied.
In the blink of an eye and with all his might, a desperate and enraged Hyperion hurled a dagger aimed straight at Xandra's heart.
Even though the closest sentry to the scene struck Hyperion from behind with his sword, it was already too late for anyone to stop the dagger.
Atemu dove and pushed Xandra aside from the line of fire - making the latter dive face down against the cold marble. Before the dagger's sharp end hit the marble and chipped a portion of the smooth stone, its blade gashed the Pharaoh's exposed arm.
Seeing her husband's bleeding arm pushed her rage further beyond its limit. She rose from the floor, picked up the dagger, and then stormed towards her cousin as a group of sentries restrained him.
Most of the guards surrounding the area backed away. Some of the ones who held Hyperion loosened their grip on the prisoner.
Using all the strength and weight that she had, she pinned him against the wall. She held the sharp blade against Hyperion's neck - nicking some of the skin and making him bleed. Her heart raced faster and her bloodlust drove her closer to the edge, as rich and thick crimson oozed from the fresh wound.
As Atemu applied pressure on his gashed arm, he called out, "As tempting as it is, Xandra, do not do it!"
Everyone stood there, as each one braced for her next move.
With hazel eyes pinned and blade still against her cousin, she intently muttered under her breath, "Be thankful, traitor, that my husband still lives....."
Atemu, who braced himself throughout the entire time, relaxed from hearing her words.
Without removing her sights on the would-be assassin, she dropped the blade - making the weapon chillingly clang against marble. Then in a firmer voice, she told the guards, "Take him away, and make sure that he faces the council and the people at dawn. He has to pay for his crimes against the people, and against the Pharaoh."
"As you wish, my Queen," said the sentries' commander, as his men hauled Hyperion away - leaving Atemu and Xandra alone by themselves at the balcony.
As she looked at the departing guards, he walked towards her, squatted, and picked up the dagger from the ground. After closely examining the weapon, he then froze and muttered, "Sister -"
She then turned to face him. A concerned look crept on her face, as she saw him still applying pressure on his bleeding left arm.
A tightlipped Atemu gazed into her eyes, as he said, "I will be all right.... You have to see this, though." He then removed his right hand from his deep wound and let the dagger rest on his open palms.
Her eyes narrowed, as she inspected the dagger. Upon close inspection, her narrowed eyes widened in shock. She stammered, "No.... It just cannot be...."
The weapon that rested on the Pharaoh's open hands - the one that almost killed either one of them minutes ago - was the same one as the Mage Council's ceremonial dagger.
End of Chapter Nine
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Normal Disclaimer
Yu-Gi-Oh is the copyrighted property of Kazuki Takahashi. Xandra / Emrys, Hyperion, and this fanfic are mine. This fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only, thereby releasing the author from any form of liability.