Sands of Time
Chapter Fourteen
Isis slipped into a light slumber as visions of the future flooded her mind, as they usually did, but somehow she learned to sleep through them. She jumped when she heard a gentle rap on her door. "Enter, Young Pharaoh." She beckoned him and he slowly walked into her chamber. "What is wrong? Do you wish to know of the future?"
"I do but first. Why didn't you warm me of my father?" he looked at her dangerously. "It is your job to protect me from this. Your job to warn all of us about things like this." He growled. "Can you guess what I will have to do now?"
She sighed and pulled off her necklace and handed it to him. "Fine, take it. But no one else will be shown the future."
"It will show me the future if I will it!" he walked out gripping the necklace tightly in his fist. "Seth!" he growled and waited for him to walk up to him. "Take this thing and throw it into the treasure room." He snapped and tossed it to him before vanishing down a dark corridor.
"Seth." Mahado slipped from the shadows, "he's getting worse. And the Queen is not doing so well either."
"We can't let Atem know anything of his mother's illness. We need to give him time to recover from his father's death." Seth warned, "Give this back to Isis. She'll need it. I will go talk to him." He said softly and walked toward the Atem. "Atem. I know losing your father is hard but you should know that his journey to the afterlife was a successful one. Karim and Shada confirmed it."
"Seth! You are on dangerous grounds. Leave me be."
"Come, now Atem." Seth Pressed, "I will not leave you alone when you are so hurt. We are friends, are we not?"
"No we are not. You are a priest and you work for me. That is all." He turned to leave but Seth grabbed his shoulder and turned him back. "Let go."
"No. There is no need to push me away. I will not abandon you and I will not die." Seth smiled when Atem gasped. "Ah, see you cannot get anything past me. You are upset because everyone you love seems to be leaving you. Well I won't leave you. Ever. And your people won't leave you. We all need you. Isis, Karim, Mahado, Mana. So please try to cheer up."
"I don't know. If Anzu were still here then this would not have happened. I have angered the gods by abandoning her. They sent her to me as a gift and what do I do? I lose her. She's gone forever and there's nothing I can do to make it right again."
"My Pharaoh, please understand. Anzu is on a journey and wherever she is I am sure she is thinking of you."
"Pharaoh" Anzu thought, "When the time is right I will cut out that glorious heart of yours." She smirked as her plan went into action with the sound of the whistling wind. Anzu slowly snuck into the palace walls carrying with her a covered basket. "Predict this one, Isis." She smirked and gently set the basket down in her room and removed the lid before slipping back out unbeknownst to the people inside.
"Thank you Mahado. I know I should have warned him but I tried." Isis said as she sat silently on her bed next to him after Mahado have given her the necklace back.
"I know you did. He's just really upset. His father meant everything to him. Of course you know how close they were."
"I do and that's why I told him that it was a natural death." She looked down at her hands.
"You mean it wasn't?" He looked at her seriously. "What are you talking about?"
"The Pharaoh was murdered. I didn't want Atem to have revenge on his mind so I didn't tell him. Perhaps I should have. Mahado I'm sorry."
"N-no. I would have done the same thing." He confessed and calmed her down. "Isis, we have a wedding tomorrow and you need your rest. Just get some sleep." He smiled and stood up. "I shall be next door should you need anything."
"Thank you again." She smiled and laid back. "Um, Mahado." She whispered before he could take that last step from her room. "Good-bye." She smiled sadly as tears stung her eyes.
"bye." He smiled, "till tomorrow." And with that he gave a nod and left the room. Isis sighed and walked over to the basket and set it on her bed.
"Hello there. So this is the end. I wish I knew why but it seems the gods have seen it fit for me to die this way." She reached her hand in and flinched as a desert snake dug his fangs deep within her flesh. She laid her head down on her pillow and closed her eyes, never to open them again.
Mahado discovered the body early the next morning and found himself wondering if she were trying to tell him last night when she said 'good-bye'. "Forgive me my Pharaoh there is something I must tell you."
"What is it?" he said not looking at him as he watched the embalmers take her away.
"I was not supposed to tell you this but in light of the circumstances I think you should know that your father was murdered. And since, it seems, Isis suffered a similar fate I thought these crimes might be connected." He spoke softly and backed up slightly from the outburst that was sure to come.
"Murdered!" he growled, "Well, it seems the guards are not doing what they should be doing! Seth I want you to call all of the guard to my throne room and I want to find new ones to take their places. Take Shada with you so that he may search their hearts for any signs of darkness. Only those with a pure heart may serve me. Now GO!" he yelled and stormed off toward his throne room.