As the city of Thebes slept, a lone male figure hurriedly made his way through the rocky outskirts to the west. Stopping every so often, he would check to see if he was being followed. Detection would certainly mean a death sentence because of the contents he was carrying. Cursing that the night was not one with a full moon, he stumbled across the uneven pathway. At last, he reached a small cavern that was virtually unnoticeable in the rock's surface, unless you knew where to look.
"Are you there…?" The man called in a hushed tone looking in the cave's entrance.
"You're late." A voice answered from the murky darkness.
"Please forgive me, sir! The evening council ran longer than expected!"
A man with white hair stepped out. Even with the moon's low light, the number of scars that covered his body could clearly be seen. "Ah, so the Pharaoh got to hear about my exploits, did he?"
The other man shook his head. "Only the queen was present during the morning meeting. The king had to report to an incident at Karnak, which he should be arriving back from within a few hours. The High Priest did instruct for security to be tightened within the Valley."
The Thief laughed. "Ha! They could up their guards ten-fold and I'd still get by. Did you bring what I wanted?"
"Oh, yes!" The man rolled out a scroll containing the blueprints to a tomb.
Everything from the layout to the traps set were indicated. The Thief took it and studied it for a moment before smirking.
"This is the past pharaoh's tomb, am I correct?"
The man bowed. "It is! I thought you would be pleased."
"Very. What better way to insult the current reigning pharaoh than to plunder his father's tomb?" He handed the scroll back. "Take it, I don't need it."
The man looked at him dumbfounded. "What? The traps set in Akhenamkhanen's tomb are far more advanced than the ones previous. I've seen them, you may even have trouble."
"I highly doubt that. Are you forgetting who I am?"
"Oh, no, no! I was just..!"
The Thief raised his hand to silence him. The sky was now being filled with the sun's light. "You better scurry along back to the palace before they notice you're gone. I need to do some preparations for tonight." He threw the man a bag.
Opening it up caused a greedy glint to appear in the man's eyes. The bag was stuffed full of various golden funerary goods such as rings, bracelets, and amulets. "You are too kind, sir!"
"Think of it as a little gift from Thutmose. Now get going!"
"Yes, sir!" The man tucked the bag into his cloak before setting off.
The Thief watched him go. Having someone with inside intelligence was paying off nicely. Hopefully, the idiot didn't get caught, but like he cared. He just didn't want to be ratted out.
Akhenamkhanen's tomb had been one of his goals for a while now. It wasn't about the riches that the king buried with him for the afterlife. Oh, no. There was much more to it. All the other royal tombs he had plundered were either for fun or practice. Some of which he was pretty sure the current pharaoh didn't even know had been robbed. Tomb robbing was something like a game to him. Being caught would either mean being burnt alive or at the very least having his hands cut off, which certainly added to the thrill.
Make a stupid mistake, get a stupid reward was his motto. The goods inside meant little to him. Sure, selling them on the black market would turn an incredible profit but that wasn't the lifestyle he wanted.
Stepping out of the cave, he turned his attention to the palace. The early morning light gave it an almost golden look. The sight sickened him.
"Get ready, Pharaoh. There's a score that needs to be settled.
XxX
Atem had noticed it as soon as he had gotten back that morning. Mana hadn't been in her usual cheerful mood. Sure, she acted happy when he returned, but it seemed like something else was on her mind. The tomb robberies had already been discussed, so that didn't seem to be it.
They were only able to have a brief conversation before he was pulled away to write reports. Not to mention having to instruct the troops on how security was needed to be implemented. Seto had already advised it the day before, but he had to have the final say. By the time it was all said and done it was late evening. Meaning, he could finally retire to his chambers.
Entering, he saw Mana looking over some paperwork in their study. Picking up a page, she would stare at it intently while fiddling with her pen. A scowl appeared on her face when she realized she made a mistake. Atem chuckled.
"Looks like you're having fun."
"Loads of it." She said with a half-smile. "Taxes and numbers have never been my thing." Pushing the papers to the side she stood up and gave him a kiss. "How did the rest of your day go?"
"It was alright, but I'm more interested in how yours went yesterday. Shimon said that you did just fine by yourself. Although, he did say that something had been bothering you ."
The Queen felt a jolt go through her. Ugh, Shimon! He promised that he wouldn't say anything! She really didn't want to have this discussion right now. Sure, she wanted to tell Atem about Seto but decided against it. They were at each other's throats enough as it was, her being thrown in the mix would be a recipe for disaster.
"Oh, I'm fine! Nothing's wrong!" She said trying to laugh it off. "I want to know what happened over at Karnak! That's more interesting!" She patted the seat next to her telling him to sit. Atem eyed her suspiciously, he knew what she was pulling. He would play along, for now.
"The damage was more extensive than what I thought it would be. The backside of the temple was partially destroyed where something had made its way in. Even stranger were these clawed prints in the dirt next to the debris. Both Mahad and the priest were unable to see them."
"Now that's really weird. I wonder why Mahad couldn't see them? Especially if some sort of magic was involved." The Queen said puzzled. "Plus, what on earth could break in there? And why would it want to? It seems like the monsters housed in the tablets would have driven it off. Especially Temu and Iusaaset."
Atem shrugged. "I thought the same thing, but Mahad said the monsters were never disturbed. The part that has me worried is that both Slifer and Ra's tablets were disfigured."
"What! How could that even be possible?" Mana yelled out. That was definitely something that needed to be figured out. For something to actually break into the temple was a feat in itself, but to get to Slifer and Ra's tablets? That was even more frightening.
The Pharaoh continued on. "I'm not sure either. That was the reason I summoned Slifer, I had to make sure he was alright. As for Ra, there's really no way to tell. There's absolutely no way he could be summoned right. The priests are hard at work trying restore his image, but the damage has already been done."
"Is there any possible way that Thutmose's tomb robbery and that could be connected? His Summoning Cartouche was stolen and if his monster was strong enough someone could have used it to break into the temple." Mana suggested.
"There's a possibility, but it's too early to know for sure. They either connected or just a very unlucky coincidence for us. Now." He turned to face her. "I told you my story, now let's hear yours. Something happened, am I right?"
"I told you it's nothing. It was just hectic yesterday, that's all." She responded slightly laughing. The resulting look on Atem's face showed he wasn't buying that for a second. He sighed.
"Mana, I'm your husband. I know you better than anyone and I can tell when you're upset." He gave a her a grin. "And you know that I'll do whatever it takes to fix it."
"It's just…" She quickly looked away from him so he couldn't see the tears forming in her eyes. Standing up, she went out onto the balcony. The Pharaoh watched her go not understanding. What was going on? Getting up, he went out to join her.
"Please tell me what's wrong." He said pulling her into a hug. "I can't help you if you don't tell me."
The Queen was quiet for a moment before answering. "Do you still love me?" Her voice was just above a whisper.
Atem was at a loss for words for a moment. "Huh? Of course I do! Where would you get the idea of me not?"
"Why did you decide for me to be queen or for that matter your Great Royal Wife?"
Atem tilted his head slightly not understanding. Where were these questions coming from?
"Because you're my only wife. Naturally, you would be granted those titles." He said slightly chuckling. Mana sighed. This was getting nowhere.
"You could've had your pick from any number of royal women to marry. Why did you pick me? I'm no royal. In fact, if Mahad hadn't brought me here as a child I would still probably be living on the streets right now." She wiped at her eyes once more.
The Pharaoh's mind was whirling. Where was all this coming from? Why did she think she didn't deserve to be his wife or her role? He held her out so he could look into her eyes.
"If you think I regret my decision of marrying you, then you're wrong. I chose you as my queen because there is no one else I would rather have. I love you for who you are, royal status or not. If you're worried about making mistakes, then don't be. You've only had training a short time; I've had it my whole life."
She couldn't hold back her tears any longer. He just didn't get it! "How can you still love me? All I do is mess things up that you have to fix!" She removed her crown. "Seto was right, I don't deserve this role!"
Oh, no. She didn't mean to say the Priest's name. Looking into the Pharaoh's eyes, she saw them turn from a comforting crimson to a dark ruby red.
"What did he say to you?" His voice was almost demanding.
She didn't know how to respond. Of course, she was mad at the Priest but at the same time he was right about what he said. The words she wanted to say didn't come out in time as Atem had already stormed off. This was bad! He didn't get this upset often but when he did…
XxX
"Come in." Seto said in response to the knock at his door. The Pharaoh stepped in loudly slamming it behind him. The Priest looked up for a moment from his scroll to see who it was acting in such a manner.
"What do you want at this hour?" He said going back to reading. Since they were alone, all formalities were dropped. Atem walked over and pounded a fist on the desk to get the Priest's full attention.
"Just what exactly did you say to Mana while I was gone?" The anger quickly escalated in his voice. "Because of you, she's thinking that she's undeserving of her role."
Seto barely reacted. "All I told her was that she needed to take her role more seriously. Correct me if I'm wrong but being the Queen of Kemet requires some level of competence. So far, I have seen very little." He stood up and walked over to the shelf to return the scroll.
Atem glared at him. "You are making your assumptions based on a few mistakes she's made in a short time. She is going to make them. I know that everyone else seems to know that. With each passing day I can see her strength and confidence grow. She will become a great ruler in her own time."
The Priest scoffed. "In her own time? Listen to yourself! Just because you love her doesn't mean you should have made her queen or your Great Royal Wife. Love has nothing to do with running an empire." He shrugged. "Her talents are modest at best, however, that is all. She doesn't have the right mind set to be queen. I know deep down in your heart you feel the same way. Or I guess you like fixing all of her silly mistakes? This is exactly why I objected when you first proposed the thought of marriage to her. I always hear you go on and on about strengthening Kemet's relationship with our allies. Well, you blew the easiest way by turning down the several princesses that were offered to you."
"There are other ways to create a powerful empire besides having multiple marriages. Why would I want someone to rule alongside me that I don't love or trust Kemet with? That ideology may work for you, but it doesn't for me." The Pharaoh shot back.
Seto laughed not believing what he just heard. "She's a sorceress alright, she has you under her spell! Just listen to yourself! It's not about what you want, it's about what is best for the kingdom. I seriously doubt this country will benefit any being led by some lowly trash that was lucky enough to be swept in off the street."
"What did you just call her?" Atem's voice was eerily calm even to the Priest. Although, it didn't seem to deter him any.
"You heard what I said." He narrowed his eyes. "Her status doesn't change just because she married you. As a matter of fact, did she agree to this because she actually loves you or…?"
A loud cracking noise filled the room as Atem's fist connected with Seto's jaw knocking him to the floor. The Pharaoh stared down at him in utter disgust.
"I will not sit here and let you insult my wife. If you feel the need to do so again, by all means do it. However, you may want to think long and hard about it. Your punishment next time may be more severe." He started to walk out the door but stopped. "It's always been so odd to me how you talk ill of the lower class when you once part of it."
Seto stood up wiping the blood off his face where Atem's rings had cut him. "I thought that subject was never to be spoken of again." The tone in his voice made it sound like a threat.
Atem ignored him as he stepped out into the hallway closing the door behind him. To his surprise, Mana was standing a little way down within hearing distance.
"How much did you hear?" He asked.
"Most of it." She kept her gaze to the floor.
The Pharaoh sighed not knowing what to say. Mana thought about Seto's words. It sounded like he really did hate her. Honestly, it wasn't something that surprised her, it just made it worse to actually hear him saying it. Especially the part about marrying Atem because of his title.
"Come on, it's late." The Pharaoh said taking her hand. "Let's go back to our chambers." She simply nodded.
Walking back, Atem thought about what to do. Should he tell her about Seto's past? It was intertwined with one of the worst decisions of the dynasty, in his own opinion. Maybe, however, it would give her insight as to why the Priest held such disdain for her. He knew he'd have to tell her eventually, might as well do it now.
Once they settled back into their quarters, he began to talk. "Seto's actual life before he became a high priest is known by very few within the kingdom. Living outside the palace walls must have really hurt his pride as he grew up. Ever since he returned, he had always seen the lower class as nothing more than the sand beneath his feet."
Mana felt like her jaw hit the floor. Seto was from the same class as she had been from? There was absolutely no way! "But how is that possible? He's your first cousin...! Isn't he?" She asked with her voice shaking slightly.
"He is." Atem sighed. "It's quite a long and complicated story."
"Well, we've got nothing but time." Mana said sitting down in a chair. "I'm too riled up to sleep anyway."
"Fair enough." The Pharaoh took a seat next to her. "As you may have heard before, my father's younger brother, Priest Akinadin, was hungry for power. He always held the belief that he should have instead been crowned pharaoh while Seto was prince. The two brother's philosophies differed greatly. Father believed in a peaceful reign while Akinadin thought that a kingdom should only be ruled by brute force. One day, Akinadin's actions led him astray. I suppose you have heard of the Millennium Tome?"
Mana thought for a moment. "I think I remember Mahad telling me something about it. He said it contained spells that were used by the gods. Otherwise, it was considered cursed."
Atem nodded. "A few days after I was born a mysterious group of invaders known as the Sea Peoples launched an invasion to conquer Kemet. They were nothing but nomads with the only intention of destroying the homes of others. Even the greatness of the Hittites and Mycenaeans stood no match to them. At the time, our numbers were greatly weakened due to sickness caused by famine. Father was at a loss of what to do. There was no way our soldiers would have been able to combat their forces. Surprisingly, the nomads were able to summon monsters just as powerful as our own. Allied help was out of the question due to them turning their backs on us.
I loved my father dearly, but I have always disagreed with the way he handled foreign policies. He was more interested in the affairs within Kemet instead of strengthening the connections with her allies. This in turn led to what could be seen as either a blessing or a curse.
Akinadin had always dabbled within the dark arts allowing for him to gain knowledge of various spells that were within the realms of taboo. With seven days left until the invaders arrived, he suggested using a spell from the Millennium Tome. Which, at the time, was unable to be deciphered. However, Akinadin and his magicians did just that. This one spell in particular used alchemy to create seven golden items that could strengthen Summoning Monsters. Father agreed to the plan due to the enormous pressure of saving the kingdom. However, he didn't know what kind of sacrifices it required."
The Queen felt her stomach turn. In all her years of practicing magic she knew that some forms were much darker in nature than others. "Alchemy always requires something to be given up. What was the starting base?"
"Within the hills surrounding the Valley of the Kings once laid a village known as Kul Elna. It was used as housing for the royal tomb builders. As time went on, it became overrun with criminals and thieves. The thing about this village was that it was surrounded by a large wall, meaning only one way in and one way out. It was constructed in this matter during the days of the tomb builders so materials and individuals could be accounted for.
Akinadin knew of this layout allowing him to place his men accordingly. In a single night, the every villager was slaughtered. Their very body and souls were turned into molten gold to create the seven Millennium Items. It was said that each Item contained its own individual power, but I was never told of what type. Once Akinadin brought these back to Thebes, victory was a sure thing. Father's Millennium Pendent granted him enough power to summon his God of the King, the Winged Dragon of Ra. With Ra's help, the Sea Peoples were utterly destroyed. It wasn't until later that Akinadin's actions were revealed. Despite Kul Elna being made up criminals, Father couldn't stand the thought of the killings being justified. With the very balance of Ma'at on the line, he banished his own brother."
"I had heard about the invasion, but not about what actually ended it." Mana had a puzzled look on her face. "So, what happened to the Millennium Items? This is the only time I've heard about them. Also, Seto would have been a couple years older than you. What happened to him?"
"Upon Father's final wishes, the Millennium Items were to be sealed away, never to be used again. As for Seto, Akinadin took him along with his wife and fled. Father had searched for the two after they went missing but to no avail. It was later reported that Akinadin disappeared shortly after leaving the two to live in a small village somewhere near the Delta. Years later, Seto returned to the palace where he was accepted back by Father who had repented his actions. Seto said that he had forgiven him, but I truly believe to this day he hasn't."
Mana leaned back in her chair. Wow, she had never heard that story before, there was definitely a reason why. Hopefully wherever the Millennium Items were, they wouldn't be found again. Her skin crawled. Using human sacrifices…the Items would have to be inherently evil, especially from the type of souls that were consumed. If those fell into the wrong hands…
"Mana?"
She turned her attention back to him. "Sorry, I was just thinking over some stuff. I guess I can see where Seto is coming from though. It's not really his fault, it was just how he was raised."
Atem looked shocked. "You're really forgiving him? Well, I can't!" He said angrily. "Not after his insults and how he's treated you."
Mana frowned. It seemed like it wasn't going to be easy to connivence the Pharaoh. Forgiving the Priest wasn't easy for her either, or something she wanted to do. But it seemed to be better to move on than to hold a grudge. There was truth in Seto's words about needing to take her role more seriously. She knew that there still was going to be mistakes made, but she had to be more confident in her skills. Otherwise, she was just going to drag everyone down, Atem included.
The Pharaoh finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be like this. I just want to keep you happy and safe."
"Who says I'm neither one?" She questioned taking his hand.
Atem kept his eyes to the floor. "I do. I can't even keep my own cousin in line."
"You're wrong. Spending each day with you is what makes me happy." She gently kissed him on the cheek. "As for keeping me safe, you don't always have to be there to protect me. I'm not a helpless little girl anymore. I have to learn to stand on my own two feet. Even if that means butting heads with Seto." She saw the Pharaoh grin slightly at that. "I want to rule this country alongside you with my own strength. These are my people that I need to protect too."
Atem smiled hearing her words. "Do you want to why I chose to marry you instead of the others?" Mana looked at him, interested. "I have always loved you for who you are. Your status never mattered to me. It's a person's heart that closes the gap between those boundaries. Yours has always shown true and that is exactly what your role requires. You are a fair and just ruler, I've seen it with my own eyes. You are always eager to do what is right for the people no matter the task."
Before Mana could speak, a quick knock on the door was heard. The two glanced at each other. "You may enter." Atem responded. Shimon quickly stepped in almost out of breath.
"Shimon? Is everything alright?" The Pharaoh asked jumping to his feet with Mana behind him.
"M-my apologies for bothering you two at this hour! But, word was just received that the late Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen's tomb has been disturbed!"
The principal wife, or Great Royal Wife, was among the highest in status. She was allowed to participate in various religious and official functions alongside her husband. Using Mana as an example, she is Atem's only wife so she would be both Queen and his Great Royal Wife. The headdress that is associated with this title is the vulture crown, which depicts the goddess Nekhbet.
The first woman that is known to have worn the vulture crown was Queen Tetisheri, who was the wife of Pharaoh Senakhtenre Ahmose (circa 1550's BC). The most well known depiction of the crown is of Queen Nefertari who was the Great Royal Wife of Ramses II (1279-1213 BC). A mural of her wearing the crown can be seen in her tomb in the Valley of the Queens.
