Kem Mau was only just through his window when there was a knocking on the door.
"One moment." He called, glancing around and grimacing when he realised that there was nothing for Plagg to eat, "Claws in."
His transformation fell and he reached out to catch his kwami partner, who looked exhausted. "Don't suppose you have some cheese?"
"I can send for some, but can you hold on a little longer? I've got…" When a second round of knocking rapped on his door, Plagg nodded and dove through the bed, hiding away from the prying eyes of the teen who walked through the door, carrying a bunch of scrolls and quills.
"I'm sorry, my Prince." Plagg's green eyes widened as the teen who walked through the door was a slightly less buff version of his wielder, tri-coloured hair and all, "But Grandfather needed me earlier. I'm available to help you now though."
"Atem, Heba. My name is Atem." The Prince sighed as he gestured to the study, "You're allowed to call me it."
"Yes, my Pr… Atem." Heba corrected himself, unable to help but wonder why, when he had been Kheper, he had been able to tell Pharaoh himself 'no'. Yet now he was around someone he wanted to consider a friend, he was nervous and lacked even enough confidence to use the Prince's name without reminding.
"Are you and High Priest Shimun okay? I know the healers were in his rooms." Atem asked as his scribe settled down to write the letters the Prince needed sent out. The brief surprised glance that Heba shot his way, made Atem wonder if him asking was weird and internally grimace. He was not used to interacting with people on an equal footing. That was part of why he had enjoyed meeting Kheper so much.
There had been no pre-judgement, no acting oddly because of Atem's station, no refusing to share ideas. Unlike everyone else.
He had been on equal footing with another for the first time in Atem's whole life.
"Grandfather didn't feel good." Heba shared, turning back to the work at hand and tilting his head as he tried to read the handwriting on one of the letters they needed to respond to, "So he asked me to get the healers in to see him and had me running errands for him. I know I'm primarily your scribe but…"
"No, no, it's fine." Atem waved it off, "I didn't really have time to work on anything then anyway. I just wanted…"
Heba paused and looked at the Prince, a small, slightly hopeful smile on his face, "You had enough time for a game?"
"And you're the only one who actually gives me a challenge around here." Atem nodded with a chuckle, "Still up for it?"
"Let me check none of this is urgent?" Heba asked, a warm glow in his chest helping him relax. When the Prince nodded again, the scribe examined the letters carefully. As he looked, Atem sent for some snacks from the kitchen, more for Plagg than for himself, but enough to make it look like he and Heba were eating while working.
It did not take long for them to work through the important ones. They had worked together long enough that Heba knew how to transcribe Atem's words into polite palace talk with ease.
After all, while he could appreciate Atem's desire to tell a noble who had been insulting him all morning but now wanted Atem to talk to his father on the noble's behalf, to go learn some manners first, that was not the most diplomatic way of handling it.
And Heba knew better than to directly transcribe Atem when he was cursing a Lord out for being an ass, instead turning the words into a polite suggestion that, perhaps, instead of asking Atem's support in uprooting a bunch of commoners who had been there first, the Lord in question found a way to work with the people who lived on the land.
They were nearly finished when there was a knock on the door. The one knocking did not wait for an invitation and Heba shot to his feet and bowed as the Pharaoh entered the study.
"Father?" Atem asked as, at a gesture from the Pharaoh, Heba straightened and went back to work.
"I just…" The Pharaoh hesitated, realising that most of his desire to talk to his son was just to reassure himself that Atem really was unharmed. "Kem Mau and Kheper came to talk to me."
"Oh?" At Atem's clear curiosity, the Pharoah unloaded what they had discussed. Heba kept an ear open but turned most of his attention to his work. He had learned a long time ago that sometimes acting like a piece of the furniture was a good way to overhear things he would not otherwise know.
Heba was busy enough with his work and Atem was distracted enough by his father, that when the snacks Atem had sent for arrived, neither noticed the Black Cat kwami stealing cheese from the platter. Or the Ladybug kwami who was taking the sweeter items upon the plate.
They did not miss each other though and Plagg turned away from Tikki when he spotted her, unable to bear facing the Kwami of Creation after what he had been forced to do. Tikki opened her mouth to say something, then paused and put her paw on that of the Kwami of Destruction. Then gestured with her free paw to the window.
The pair flittered outside, not wanting to alert the Pharaoh to their presence and Plagg turned to Tikki and hesitated just a moment before saying, "The Prince isn't my Holder. I just smelled the cheese and was hungry after earlier."
"And that boy isn't mine. I just saw sweets and well… you know me." Tikki gave a weak chuckle, having always been awful at lying but not wanting Heba to be in trouble. "Are you okay, Plagg? I know…"
"Don't, honey cake." Plagg shook his head and drifted unhappily through the air, watching the stars far above him, "I know you're all still furious at me."
"Why would we be mad?" Tikki demanded with a huff, "We all know that when we gave up some freedom when we agreed to be bound to the Miraculous. You had no choice but to…"
"Sure, you're not angry now, but how long before Iberia becomes another 'dinosaurs' or 'Atlantis'? Just another thing to remind me of how careless I can be?" The cat hissed at her, straightening up to stare at her as his fur stood up on end, "The fact that none of you were teasing me about it…"
"We weren't holding back because we hated you for it!" Tikki's yell was louder than the Kwami of Creation intended, and she covered her mouth before glancing to the window. When no one poked their head out, she relaxed with a sigh. "We knew you weren't okay after we got you back. That what he made you do…"
She trailed off and gulped hard as she remembered the whole section of land that had just dropped off of the coast of Iberia.
"But we also knew that Lady Jie wasn't being entirely fair to you. You didn't choose to do any of that. You were made to. And it was making you miserable. So, we didn't want to keep reminding you of it."
Plagg's tail snapped back and forth as he considered her words. He wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that the other kwami understood, but it was hard. He had thought the King of Iberia was his friend too, that he wanted his help to make things better for his people.
And then the King had become Lehoia for the first time and Plagg had discovered what, exactly, he wanted to do with his power.
Wipe out every last one of his enemies…
"I… honey cake…" Plagg trailed off.
"If you're not ready to talk about it, I get it." Tikki promised, "But I'm going to be around the palace until this is sorted, just like you are so… if you want to talk, I'm here, okay?"
"Sure." The word was dismissive, but Plagg was relieved to hear it. He had been banned from interacting with his kwami friends, or humans, or anything else at all, by the King. The freedom Atem was offering him was like nectar in comparison and Tikki's offer just made it that much sweeter. "Shouldn't you get back to your Bearer?"
"Shouldn't you?" Tikki raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, yeah." He huffed, turning away then pausing, "Hey, Tikki?"
He heard the startled noise she let out at him using her name and winced slightly.
"Meet back here tomorrow night? If we're free to do it?"
"I… I'd like that." Tikki sounded happy to have the offer, "If my Holder isn't… you know, busy. We're not supposed to be too far from them, but mine hasn't said I can't talk to a friend."
"Good." With that Plagg darted through an open window three floors down to misdirect Tikki, before flying through the floors and hiding under Atem's bed, where he stayed for the rest of the night. While Tikki darted back into Heba's scribe pouch and settled down to listen as the boys said good night to the Pharaoh and finished their letters.
Both kwami dared to doze off as the pair settled down at their game board and started to unwind for the night, trusting their Holders to keep them safe as they got some well-deserved rest.
Atem regretted staying up until sunrise when someone pounded on his door early the following morning. He was not the only one. Heba, who he had allowed to sleep on his ridiculously large bed when the other teen had stumbled before he had even reached the door, was not much happier.
Both young men groaned as a second round of pounding on the door forced them fully awake, but Atem was up faster as Heba took a moment to process where he was and why. "Come in."
Mahad came rushing through the door, paused when he saw Heba sitting up, and let out an amused snort, "Well this saves time. Atem, the Pharaoh requires your presence, urgently and requests you bring Heba with you."
Heba paled slightly, worried that he had somehow been outted for his actions yesterday but Atem ran a hand through his hair and rushed to his closet, understanding that if his father had gotten him woken up AND needed him to bring his scribe, something major was happening and that something would need to be notated. Heba was one of the fastest scribes in the palace, second only to the Pharaoh's own, so having them both to notate important meetings allowed them to have records of almost everything.
"Did Father say what's wrong?" Atem asked as he pulled out a fresh shendyt, not wanting to waste time with anything more if it was this urgent and paused before tossing a second one to Heba, who yelped as it landed on his head. "Borrow that, you can change later but Father wants us now."
Atem was pleased to see that Heba did not hesitate to scramble out of bed and pull on the clean clothing before snatching up his writing supplies and tying his scribe pouch to his belt, easily comprehending something was up.
"No, but I know a rider came to the palace gates this morning, in a panic and demanding to speak to the Pharaoh." Mahad shook his head as Atem headed for the door, his scribe in tow, "And now he's calling an all-High Court meeting."
"That's not good." Atem paused in the doorway, his expression twisting into a frown as he tried to work out how to transport Plagg without being obvious about it.
"Atem?" Mahad's scrutiny did not help matters, but the Prince was happy to see his kwami blink at him from under the bed. Then the green eyes disappeared through the floor, suggesting the Kwami of Destruction was going to follow discretely.
"Just tired, Mahad." Atem faked a yawn, making a mental note to get a pouch like Heba's scribe bag, so Plagg had somewhere to hide and he could carry kwami snacks. "Come on, father wouldn't be calling like this if it wasn't important."
It did not take them long to reach the war room, somewhere that had seen more meetings in the last twenty-four hours then it had in the last few years. Atem settled quickly on the chair next to his solemn looking father, while Heba stood to his right and pulled out a papyrus scroll and quill, preparing to take notes. The Pharaoh's own scribe was on the Pharaoh's left and gave Heba an irritable look but did not say a word.
Within minutes, the rest of the High Court had trailed in and settled in their chairs, looking as worried as the Prince felt. Once they were in place and the guards had closed the doors, the Pharaoh's voice filled the room.
"The village of Nekhen has burned to the ground."
Atem's eyes widened momentarily, and Heba's stomach churned, though they tried to crush the reactions to try and avoid giving anything away. Thankfully Isis's horrified reaction and the cursing of Abasi covered for him.
"Do we know why?" Akhenaden asked far more calmly than anyone anticipated, his sharp edged tone cutting through the shock. "Could it be Kheper and Kem Mau's fault?"
Atem shot his uncle and ugly look, displeased at being accused of such a crime but it was the Pharaoh who cut him off.
"Kheper and Kem Mau came to my chambers last night and spoke with me at length. Lord Kames was possibly in on the plan to attack the palace. He was certainly an accomplice to the theft of the magical artefact that caused it." The Pharaoh shook his head, "Shimun, I was told you could confirm that the one who attacked the item's true owners was a Shadow user?"
"Yes, my Pharaoh and I'd be willing to swear it in front of the Scales." At a look from Akhenaden, Karim placed the Scales upon the table, then gestured for Shimun to continue. "Just before midday yesterday, the Guardian of the Miraculous, the items Kheper and Kem Mau used last night to defend us, came to me, via magic, seeking sanctuary. The magic they used caused a portal that allowed their pursuer to follow. It was a canine human hybrid that reeked of Shadows and when destroyed, it shattered like one of our summoned creatures. It could only have been summoned by someone with training in Shadow magic. Which means someone who was trained in the palace."
"But you didn't see the summoner?" Isis asked as Akhenaden sat back, eyes narrowing.
"The portal closed when the Guardian collapsed and I immediately sought out the best treatment for them." Shimun shook his head, the Scales staying level as he told the truth, "Farasha, the one who sent Hasad at us last night? He's stolen a Miraculous from the Guardian."
"And you know his name how?" Akhenaden demanded, "I wasn't under the impression that he had outted himself yet."
"He hasn't." The Pharaoh spoke up, gesturing for Karim to put the Scales away, "But Kheper and Kem Mau did exactly what I asked them to do and started investigating. They're the ones who discovered his name and gender and they brought that information to me."
"I'll admit, I'm surprised they don't have the grace to present themselves here to us." Abasi let out an ill amused huff.
"I'm not. Kheper had the audacity to talk back to the Pharaoh. He clearly has no sense of propriety." Shada shook his head. Heba internally winced at the comment, having spoken out of urgency at the time and wishing he had been a little more careful.
"Our Pharaoh called this meeting rather suddenly and we don't know who they are without the disguise spells." Isis interrupted, "There was no way they could have known to come."
"There is a way we could find out." Akhenaden stared at Isis, "You said you couldn't see their identities?"
"They're as blank to me as you and the rest of this court is." Isis nodded.
"And you said the Miraculous were given out yesterday, did you not, Shimun?"
"I didn't state that." The eldest of the High Priests frowned, wondering what he was up to.
"But you did say that the Guardian didn't seek sanctuary until yesterday, which means she wouldn't have been able to choose assistants until she had gotten here." The Pharaoh's brother pointed out, "I believe Kheper knew about the theft, after all."
Heba let out a soft breath at the word 'she' and double checked his notes to confirm his suspicion. He bit his lower lip at the confirmation that no one had given the Guardian's gender, which meant Akhenaden had either stolen it from his grandfather's mind or he had already known Jie was a woman.
He just was not sure how to bring it up. His job at these meetings was to stand and write, not to speak. He was not of high enough rank for that. He was essentially just a piece of the furniture.
Maybe it was something for Kheper to bring to the Pharaoh later…
"What's your point, Lord Akhenaden?" The use of his title suggested that Isis was getting irritated. "I did not lie."
"I didn't think you did, Lady Isis. But would it not be possible to see who you could see yesterday morning, who you can't now?" He asked slyly, "If someone has dropped off your radar, then it's possible that…"
"Do you have ANY idea how many people there are in the palace?" The Necklace Bearer stared at him, "I would have to search the individual traces of every single noble, royal, servant and slave! That's hundreds of people. Do you think I have time to do that?"
"I don't see why not. Your temple duties aren't as…"
"Oh, do not." Isis's hiss cut Akhenaden off, "My temple duties involve ensuring that the orphans and sanctuary seekers who came to my temples actually have food, water, clothing, everything they'll need. I am at it most days and nights, while your temples…"
"My brother is going to be spending more time at his temples." The Pharaoh verbally stepped in before the situation could get any more heated, "And he's going to be getting himself an assistant for palace guard duties. In fact, might I suggest something similar for yourself, Lady Isis?"
The only woman amongst the High Court paused and sat back, her shoulders sinking as she considered his words. "I… will look and see if I can find someone I can rely on."
"You'll look for that, but not for those…"
"Enough, brother." The Pharaoh cut Akhenaden off, "Goading Lady Isis does nothing. She is right, searching through the entire palace for the identities of Kem Mau and Kheper is pointless. Besides, I promised them myself that in exchange for their loyalty, I would allow them their covers."
"Why?!" Shada demanded, then paled as he realised he had yelled at the Pharaoh, who was watching him with a raised eyebrow. "I mean, my Pharaoh, with all respect, knowing who they are allows us to call on them much easier."
"Yes, but we don't know who Farasha is and you know yourself how easy it is for secrets to get out." Atem spoke up, glowering at Shada, "Until the enemy is identified, possibly painting a target on the backs of our helpers is counterproductive."
Heba relaxed a little at the knowledge that Atem was willing to back his father in protecting him and Kem Mau.
"How can we be certain they're protectors? Not assistants of this Farasha, trying to get into positions where they could hurt Egypt?" Shada insisted, "We know nothing about them."
"Kem Mau protected my son last night." The Pharaoh stared the Key Bearer down. Shada could not stand the gaze and looked away first, "If he wanted to harm Egypt, he could have left Atem for dead. Or Kheper and Kem Mau could have attacked me when they came to my rooms last night. They swore to me that they were Egyptians and they were just trying to help."
"We are getting off the topic anyway." Atem spoke with a levelness to his tone that Heba recognised as him trying to control his irritation, "The more important thing is, father, do we know if there's any survivors from Nekhen?"
"I have sent a platoon of guards out to get details, but it doesn't look good." The Pharaoh's grimace spoke volumes. "The runner who brought me the information told me that he checked the ruins and they were still smouldering. If the Guardian had to escape Nekhen by magic, then that means it was attacked around midday yesterday and possibly burned down overnight."
"It should take longer for a village to burn." Akhenaden frowned, suddenly cursing himself for using magic to speed the fire along. Destroying Nekhen had been essential after the Guardian had escaped him, otherwise they would have reported the presence of himself and the guards when the investigation started.
He was not happy about having to do it, but once he got his hands on the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, he would be rewriting time anyway and Nekhen would be as good as new. All those lives were just another sacrifice for the greater good of Egypt. Just like the last village he had needed to burn.
"He was a Shadow mage and we know there are Ka beasts who are able to use fire." Isis grimaced, "Those poor people… we need to give them proper burial."
"We will do everything we can." The Pharaoh agreed, "But this brings me to my point. Farasha is not above destroying citizens of this nation to get what he wants. That makes him an enemy of Egypt."
"My brother, we don't even know what he wants." Akhenaden pointed out, "If we just…"
"He destroyed a village and sent a minion to attack my son. He is not a friend to Egypt." The Pharaoh shook his head, refusing to listen for a change, "I will not have someone we have trained here at the palace trying to steal enough magic to overthrow the stability that cost our family so much."
Silence fell at that.
The Pharaoh had lost many children during the Great War that had forced the creation of the Millennium Items. Atem's older brothers had fallen one by one, while his older sister had been taken from the palace as a hostage during the final days of the war and had never been returned. The Hittite King who had been leading the assault still swore blind that he had never issued the order to take her, but his people were no longer welcome in Egypt and would not be until she was returned. If she even could be.
Akhenaden had sacrificed much too. After the Princess had gone missing, he had sent his wife and son away until it was safe, only for the village they had gone to, to burn down before he could call them back.
Both men had lost so much to instability and war, that it was understandable that the Pharaoh would not welcome another attacker.
"So, either we catch him, and he is tried for treason, or he gets what he wants and your rule ends? Am I hearing you correctly brother?" Akhenaden's tone suddenly became level and even, enough so that Heba adjusted his position so he was slightly more behind Atem. He could recognise an impending verbal explosion coming when he saw one.
"I will not negotiate with a murderer."
"Noted." Akhenaden rose from the table, much to Atem's surprise. "Well, if that is the case, I should get to work on finding an apprentice to help organise the guards. We'll need them ready to be active at a moment's notice."
The Prince who, much like his scribe, had expected a verbal explosion, watched with shock as his uncle left.
"While he's working on that." The Pharaoh sighed after a moment or two, "We need to come up with an idea of how we're going to handle this moving forward. If there are more attacks, and the destruction of Nekhen suggests there will be, we need a way to alert the whole palace."
"What about the old war bells?" Atem asked, still hopeful that last night had been a one off but wanting to be ready just in case, "The ones you had taken down that rang loudly enough that you could hear them from almost anywhere in the palace?"
"We can get them set up in the palace and the city, my Pharaoh." Isis agreed, smiling at the Prince. "The network we had during the war would cover much and not only alert us, but Kheper and Kem Mau as well."
"That is a good start." The Pharaoh allowed, "What else would you all suggest?"
As the High Priests leaned forward, Atem had the feeling that today was going to be a long day…