Chapter 8- Confessions
The following day, Heba had to move the few things that he had to another room. He would be in a room that was between the Princes' rooms so that he could be there is anything should happen.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Heba called.
Benshin walked in and said, "Hey. Hard to believe that you're not going to be able to challenge me anymore."
Heba smiled. "Yeah, but I may still need a training partner." Heba said.
"You know where the find me." Benshin said. He looked at Heba thoughtfully and said, "Looks like you'll be the one protecting the Princes now."
"Yeah. It's not like I could refuse an appointment from the Pharaoh." Heba said.
"Would you have?" Benshin asked.
"I don't know. I mean, we're talking about the Princes' of Egypt here. I'm not sure that I'm someone that needs to do this." Heba explained.
"Heba, you jumped into the middle of a situation that could have gotten you killed to save the Princes. I think that he is the perfect person." Benshin said.
"Heba."
Heba and Benshin looked to see Eternias standing in the doorway.
Benshin bowed before leaving.
"Yes." Heba said, turning to Eternias.
"I needed to give you this." Eternias said, handing Heba a set of clothes and a sword. "Since you're now the Princes' bodyguard, this is what you're supposed to wear." Eternias explained.
The shirt was a pale blue and the skirt was white with sandals.
"May I ask a question, Priest?" Heba asked.
"Yes, you may, and please call me Eternias." Eternias replied.
"Well, I was wondering if it would be possible for me to use my Sais instead of the sword." Heba said.
Eternias raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?" Eternias asked.
"I can fight with a sword. I would just prefer to use my Sais. I have fight with them since I was a child, and it's the weapon that I am most comfortable using." Heba replied.
"Hmm. I see. I have no problem with it, but you will need to ask the Pharaoh that. He's the one who has the final word on a matter like this." Eternias replied.
"The final word on what?"
Eternias and Heba looked to see Aknankanon standing in the room now.
Eternias and Heba immediately bowed to Aknankanon.
"Rise." Aknankanon said.
The two got in their feet.
"Now, what is it that I have the final word on?" Aknankanon asked.
"Pharaoh, I would like your permission to use my Sais in my duties as bodyguard to the Princes' instead of the sword. I am more comfortable with my Sais than a sword." Heba requested.
"Very well. You may use your Sais instead." Aknankanon said.
"Thank you, Pharaoh." Heba said.
"is there anything wrong, Pharaoh?" Eternias asked, knowing that Aknankanon did not come to the west wing of the palace very often.
"I actually was coming here to speak with you for a moment, Heba." Aknankanon said.
"Then I will leave." Eternias said, bowing and leaving.
Aknankanon looked at Heba and said, "Heba, I wanted to thank you for saving my sons."
"I was just glad that I could save them, Pharaoh. You thanked for this yesterday." Heba said.
"Not properly. Then, I was thanking you officially as the Pharaoh. Now, I am thanking you as a father. Atemu and Yami are the only children that I have, and I don not know what I would do if anything had happened to either one of them. I am truly grateful to you for saving them," Aknankanon said.
Heba was startled by this show of gratitude. He had not expected such words from the great Pharaoh himself. "I am glad that I could help, Pharaoh. I knew that I could save them, so I did." Heba said.
"If you do not mind my asking, how did you fight so well even when you were injured?" Aknankanon asked.
"I lived in a village on the outskirts of the kingdom as a young child. It was one of the areas that often was attacked by raiders and other kingdoms. We are taught as children to fight. I became a wanderer about a year ago, so I was faced with raiders even more so. I learned to defend myself in dangerous situation. I suppose I used that kind of instinct yesterday when those raiders attacked the palace." Heba said.
"I see. I am glad that you did save them. I am truly indebted to you." Aknankanon said.
"I'm glad that I could help, Pharaoh." Heba said.
"Well, if you will change into your clothes, I will have Mahado show you to your new chambers and where my sons are." Aknankanon said.
"Yes, my Pharaoh." Heba said, bowing.
Aknankanon left the room.
Heba changed into his new clothes. 'I suppose it doesn't look that bad.' Heba thought.
There was another knock on the door.
"Come in." Heba said.
Man threw open the door and bounded in, grabbing Heba in a tight hug. "Hi, Heba!" Mana shouted.
"Mana-can't-breathe." Heba gasped out.
"Mana! Let go of him!" Mahado ordered.
"Yes, Master." Mana said, letting go.
"I'm sorry about that, Heba." Mahado apologized.
"It's all right. I ma used to this type of reaction from Mana." Heba replied.
"Well, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to your new chambers and to the Princes." Mahado said.
Heba nodded and followed Mahado out of the room.
"So, Heba starts his new duties today." Seth said.
"That's what Father said." Atemu replied, laying on his bed and looking through a book.
Yami smirked. "Yes. He'll be near his lover all the time now." Yami said.
Atemu threw the book at Yami, who ducked. "Shut up, Yami! He is not my lover!" Atemu growled.
"No, but you would like him to be." Seth remarked.
Atemu threw a pillow at him, but Seth caught it.
"You know, that's really not going to help." Seth said.
"And neither is the constant teasing from you two." Atemu said, glaring.
"Well, if you'd just tell him how you feel, everything would be just fine." Yami said.
"Not on your life." Atemu said.
"Well, if your flushed and blushing the entire time that you are around him, Heba is bound to figure out that something is up." Seth said.
"He won't find out." Atemu said.
"Atemu, you were flushed and blushing when he was in Mahado's study with us the day that we ditched Lydia. Being around him all the time will make you seem like an idiot if you don't tell him the truth." Seth said.
Atemu glared. "For the last time, drop it!" Atemu shouted. He slung open his door to find a startled Mahado, Mana, and Heba outside.
"Is everything all right, Prince Atemu?" Mahado asked.
"Yes. Everything is fine." Atemu said, looking a little flushed.
Yami and Seth smirked with 'I-told-you-so' looks on their faces.
"I was just showing Heba where he will be staying, and the Pharaoh asked me to bring Heba here." Mahado said.
"It's fine, Mahado. " Yami said.
"Then I'll leave. Come on, Mana." Mahado said.
"can I-" Mana started.
"No. You have training. Now come on." Mahado said.
Mana followed him as he left.
"Well, if you'll excuse me, I believe that I will be going." Seth said.
Atemu sighed as he walked back into the room.
Yami grabbed Seth and whispered, "Talk to Father."
Seth nodded before leaving the room.
"Is there anything wrong?" Heba asked.
"No. Just Atemu giving me and Seth our daily threat of ending our lives." Yami said, smiling.
"Well, I wouldn't have to if you would two would stop with all of the constant teasing." Atemu growled.
"Well, you shouldn't be so damned stubborn." Yami shot back.
"It's my life, and you need to stop meddling in it!" Atemu retorted.
"If you wouldn't come complaining to me whenever you have a problem, then I wouldn't have to be involved in your life!" Yami argued.
Heba watched the two argue. 'I think that I am going to be getting headaches a lot having to be around them so much if they argue like this all of the time.' Heba thought.
Seth found Aknankanon in his study. "Pharaoh, may I speak with you?" Seth asked.
"Certainly, Seth. What is it?" Aknankanon asked, turning to face his nephew.
"Well, Yami and I were wondering if you would talk to Atemu about this dilemma with him and Heba." Seth explained.
"Why is that? I thought that you were all convincing him to talk to Heba." Aknankanon said.
"We have tried, but he won't do it, and I think that part of the reason is that he's afraid that you won't approve and something will happen to Heba as a result." Seth explained.
Aknankanon sighed. "I see that Eternias did not tell Atemu that I said I accepted that relationship." Aknankanon said.
"No, I don't think he did." Seth said.
"Very well, Seth. I will talk to Atemu about this." Aknankanon said.
"Thank you. I know that Yami will be happy to hear that." Seth said. He bowed and left the room.
Aknankanon sighed. "It would seem that getting Atemu to tell Heba the truth is going to be even harder than I thought." Aknankanon said.
Later that day, Atemu met his father in the gardens.
"Father, a servant said that you wanted to talk to me." Atemu said.
"Yes, I do." Aknankanon said.
Atemu sat beside Aknankanon on the bench. "what is it, Father?' Atemu asked.
"I wanted to talk to you about Heba." Aknankanon said.
Atemu started to get nervous. "Why? He's just my bodyguard now." Atemu said.
Aknankanon looked at his oldest son. "Atemu, I know about your feelings for Heba." Aknankanon said point-blank.
Atemu looked at his father, startled. "I'm going to kill Yami." Atemu muttered.
"Yami didn't tell me." Aknankanon said.
"Then who did?" Atemu asked.
"No one, really. When we first saw him after his first fight, I noticed that you seemed attracted to him. Eternias later told me that you have feelings for him, and that you were worried that I would have him killed because of his social status." Aknankanon said.
"I just didn't want anything to happen to him because of me." Atemu muttered.
Aknankanon looked at his son thoughtfully. "Atemu, I think that there is something you should know about your mother and me." Aknankanon said.
"Mother? Why?" Atemu asked.
"Atemu, when I first met your mother, I was a teenage Prince. She was a servant girl in the palace." Aknankanon said.
Atemu looked at his father in surprise. "Mother was a-a servant?" Atemu asked.
Aknankanon nodded. "I fell in love with Amara the first time that I saw her, but like you, I was too afraid to talk to her about it. I was worried that my father would have something done to her. With Shimon's help, I was able to tell Amara. It seemed that she felt the same way. When I finally told my father, he approved and allowed us to get married, so I would be a bit of a hypocrite if I didn't approve of you having feeling for Heba." Aknankanon said.
"But, Father. What about an heir?" Atemu asked.
"Atemu, you're not the first one to fall in love with a male. Egyptian law recognizes adopted children as children of the couple." Aknankanon said.
"You mean-" Atemu ventured.
"I mean if you and Heba get together, you can adopt, and that child will be the heir to the throne." Aknankanon said.
"So, then, you don't mind if anything happens between me and Heba." Atemu asked just to make sure.
"No, I don't." Aknankanon replied.
Atemu had been thinking about what his father had said all day. 'Maybe I should tell him. I know that there's a chance that he won't feel the same way, but if I don't tell him how I feel, I am going to be driven out of my mind.' Atemu thought. He sat up and looked outside as the sun sank. 'I have to do it, and then maybe I can feel at ease about all of this.' Atemu thought.
There was a knock at Atemu's door.
"Enter." Atemu called.
Heba opened the door and said, "I was just making sure that you were all right, my Prince."
"I am fine, Heba." Atemu said.
"Very well, Prince." Heba said and turned to leave.
'It's now or never.' Atemu thought. "Wait a moment, Heba." Atemu said.
Heba stopped and turned back around. "Yes, Prince." Heba said.
"Could you come in here for a moment?" Atemu asked.
"Certainly, Prince." Heba said, walking into the room and closing the door.
"Heba, there is something that I would like to talk to you about." Atemu said.
"Very well, Prince." Heba said.
Atemu wasn't sure how Heba would react, but he had to tell him. "Heba, I know that I don't know you very well, but I know that this is true, and I really think that you should know. I know it might not suit you, but I think that I should tell you." Atemu said, starting to ramble.
"Prince, you're rambling." Heba said.
"Oh." Atemu said, blushing. "Well, maybe I should I get to the point." Atemu said. He took a deep breath and said, "Heba, I like you. A lot. Actually, I think, no, I know that I am in love with you. I just wanted you to know that." Atemu said, blushing a little more.
Heba couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Crown Prince of Egypt was in love with him, a commoner. That was not something that Heba had expected.
But he also knew that he couldn't let it happen.
Heba looked down and said, "I'm sorry, my Prince, but I do not feel the same way."
Atemu felt his heart sear intolerably with pain at hearing those words. 'I can't be surprised by that. I knew that this could happen.' Atemu thought, but it didn't change the fact that it hurt. It felt more like someone had stabbed him in the heart. He forced his voice to sound calm and even as he said, "It's all right. I understand, Heba."
"If there is nothing else, I will retire now." Heba said.
"No. There is nothing else." Atemu said.
"Then I will bid you goodnight, my Prince." Heba said and left the room.
Atemu sat down on the bed and let the silent tears fall at the feeling of his broken heart.
Heba had closed his door and leaned against as tears fell down his cheeks. 'Forgive me, Prince, but this cannot happen. You and I cannot be together.' Heba thought.
'Promise me that you will live. Promise me you will find a new reason to live.'
Yugi's final words to him once more came back to him.
Heba walked over to his bed and sat down. 'I can't, Yugi. As much as I would like to have a life with the Prince, I cannot do that. I cannot do this.' Heba thought. He buried his face in the pillows and cried at his own broken heart.
Yeah. I know you want to kill me for having Heba say no, but I'll explain why in the next chapter.
The next chapter will have a depressed Atemu, a talk between Heba and Aknankanon, and an attack on one of the Princes.
R&R.