A/N: Happy birthday, Sapphire! I hope you enjoy chapter 1 – I tried to make this pretty cliff-hangery to make up for the fact that it's not a oneshot.

Chapter 1

It was a rare morning that Atem had the huge practice grounds completely to himself – well, except for the ever-present guards who were there to watch over him.

He was half-inclined to order them to hide out of sight. Their presence made his magic practice feel more like performance, and more practically speaking he didn't want to accidentally hurt any of them.

Because today he was trying to do something new: summon Ra for the first time.

Atem took in a deep breath, squaring his shoulders and shutting his eyes. He wouldn't have the luxury to do that in any combat situation, but for now all he was trying to do was call the god and sustain it long enough to make a bond with them.

"Come forth," he said, keeping his voice low, "And answer my call – winged dragon of Ra!"

He opened his eyes and held out his hands, the puzzle flashing as he beseeched the god from beyond the heavens. Light streamed in through the ceiling, beams breaking through the clouds and Atem felt the millennium symbol burning on the skin beneath his crown.

Power coursed through his veins in an overwhelming tide and Atem wasn't sure he could hold on – he'd never called to a spirit with such strength before – and he bit his lip, praying that the god wouldn't feel his fear as the golden orb began to descend through the clouds.

Guards nearby exclaimed in amazement and Atem's focus slipped, just for a moment, but it was enough: the golden orb wavered and then vanished from sight.

Atem let out a frustrated groan, dropping his hands to his sides. This was the fifth time now, and doing this in front of a watching audience was just humiliating.

He turned on heel and hurried out of the hall without a word to any of them. It wasn't good practice to give them anything to gossip about, but he couldn't help it.

He'd been on the throne almost a year now, but the feeling he'd been hoping to cultivate – one of confidence and certainty in himself and his new path following on from his father – had never materialised. Instead he was just left putting up a front at every verse end.

His mood only worsened when Seth appeared in the hallway before him and he remembered the one big event they had to face that day: the delegate from Nubia.

"Are they here?" Atem asked shortly. Seth nodded, looking him up and down.

"You look a little frustrated, Pharaoh," Seth said, and Atem tried to set his face back onto into his usual royal mask. He wasn't quite as good at it as Seth, at least not around people that knew him well. "Did you just come from the practice grounds?"

Atem said nothing. The look on his face was likely answer enough.

"Not giving up yet, are you?" Seth said.

"No. Of course not."

Seth grunted. Supportive comments were more Mahad's style than his, but he had his own way of motivating Atem. For now though he just said, "Put it out of your mind for now. Don't let one experience affect another – the delegates will be looking for anything they can weaponise against you."

"I know that," Atem said, though he'd absolutely needed to hear it. "Come on."

They walked side by side towards the audience room, Atem using the walk to get his head back into politician mode. He hadn't spoken to anyone from Nubia before, since they'd been quietly respecting previously created treaties and hadn't made a peep until now. Atem knew it was likely because there was a new ruler they had bothered to reach out at all – and that rarely meant anything good.

He'd assumed Seth was being quiet to give him the space to get his mind ready for the game ahead, so it surprised him when his priest spoke again.

"They may be intending on a show of flagrant disrespect," he said softly. "If that's the case, just give me the signal and I'll have them removed from your sight."

Atem turned and looked up at him, surprised. He chuckled dryly. "Hold your fire on that, Priest. We send them away without making a show of listening to their demands, we can consider our borders as good as invaded."

Seth made a non-committal noise. As they were fast approaching the audience chamber, Atem turned to him and took his arm. "Promise me, Seth. You do nothing without my express permission."

Seth shook his arm free. "Well enough. But you should consider that part of your position is knowing there are certain insults you should not be expected to bear. And we demand that level of respect at the very least."

Atem said nothing, letting his hand drop and facing the door instead. Of course he understood what Seth was trying to say, but the thought still nettled him. Demanding respect and expecting other nations to fall in line was much more likely to work for his father, not for him. So far as the Nubians knew, he was a young and untested ruler and they were likely to try and take everything they got.

His one major weapon was the threat of the Egyptian gods to level any military sent their way, and he couldn't even reliably summon all of them yet…

Atem turned to the guard by the door and nodded, waiting for them to introduce him.

The doors opened. He took another deep breath, raised his head, puffed out his chest and headed inside.

Three Nubians were sitting at the table. They rose and bowed to him as he approached, waiting for him to sit before they resumed their own seats. Seth took the seat at his right hand, as per usual, and waited for Atem to lead.

"Good morning," Atem said. "I trust your stay has been pleasant so far?"

They nodded, a nervous tension between them as they exchanged glances. "Yes, Your Highness," the man said.

"I was surprised when I received your message," Atem continued. "But I imagine that now some time has happened since the changeover to my stewardship of Egypt, you were anxious to ensure all our agreements still stand."

They said nothing. Their silence was starting to wear on Atem and he looked at each man in turn before adding, "You have nothing to be concerned about in that case," he said. "I intend to fully uphold all the agreements my father placed before you, and I trust in you to see the sense in doing the same."

Another pause. This time Atem didn't attempt to fill it, instead regarding the men with annoyed disapproval.

"You would do well to answer the Pharaoh," Seth said, tapping his fingers on the table.

There was another pause, but this time the shared glance between the men suggested they had come to some kind of unspoken accord. "We appreciate the respect for the agreement," the leader said, "But it is no longer enough."

Atem kept his expression neutral, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Seth was tensing up. "Oh?" he said. "In what respect?"

"The eastern borders have long been disputed, and we have no intention of maintaining our trade routes without some concessions."

"And what would that include, pray tell?" Atem said, clasping his fingers together and resting them on the table. "You must realise that those borders have stood for years under my predecessor's reign and those people are multiple generations of Egyptians. It is not my intention to ever secede that territory to anyone who merely believes they have a claim to it."

"Our leaders demand the return of the land we disputed all those years ago. We let it slide all this time, but now that the situation has...changed, we see no reason not to rethink our position."

Atem began to answer but Seth cut across him, leaning forwards and growling, "And what reason is that?"

Atem made the mistake of giving into his annoyance at the interruption and glaring at him, and his priest didn't notice. But the men did, and the snide, superior looks on their faces only got more pronounced.

"How long has it been?" one of them asked Atem, his tone almost conversational. "A couple of months or so, a year at most? But there hasn't been any major trials on Egyptian soil yet, has there?"

Atem glared them down, not liking what they were implying. And worse still, he could tell by the clenching of Seth's fist that he was getting more wound up by the second.

"I fail to see the relevance of that," Atem said, trying and failing not to sound irate. "We have the same armed forces, the same border guard. We are very much the same nation."

"Really," the man said, looking him up and down with a slight chuckle. Despite himself, Atem bristled – under the delegate's gaze, he didn't feel like the king who was well-respected and listened to within his own lands. He felt like a child in a royal costume, with the Puzzle resting heavily around his neck. "I think that remains to be seen."

Suddenly Seth's chair clattered back as he stood up and snarled, "That is enough! I will not sit here and listen to you disrespect the Pharaoh like this!"

"Priest Seth-" Atem started to say, but it was too late – the delegates had already risen, the leader grinning from ear to ear. And worse, Atem couldn't order Seth to back down without looking weak himself.

"I will let my leader know of your response," he said, already heading to the door with the others in tow. Atem rose to his feet, too, but they barely noticed – they were already bowing and retreating from the chamber. "And if it is to be war, you will hear soon enough."

They vanished from the room, leaving Atem and a fuming Seth standing alone.

Long, long moments passed as Seth's anger calmed – but Atem's grew.

"Thank the gods they're gone," Seth finally said, "So, how do you want to handle this?"

He turned and met Atem's gaze, and had the gall to actually look surprised when Atem returned his look with thunder in his eyes.