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Part III
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Chapter 23
Ancient Egypt
Atem wasn't panicking. That was the last thing that Mana needed. He had felt near-panic in rare moments in his life, but had yet to taste the foulness of a full panic. When his mother was ill and had subsequently died, and when Mahado was bitten and was sick with fever, were the few occasions that he could bring to recent memory.
Now, it was Mana missing that may prove to be the tipping point towards breaking him. There was nothing left for a clue as to her whereabouts, but a few drops of blood on the floor that may not have even been hers. The blood was too dry to be useful in any tracking spells. The most they could do with it was identify the name of its owner, but that spell could take hours. It might not even work if the sample was too small. A few of his father's Item-bearers were already working on it, but answers might come too late. Mana needed him now. Atem felt like his safety was gone. The person who loved him, who knew him inside and out, who had experienced the good and the ugly things in his life and had not been frightened of him, had completely vanished from his grip.
This was the closest, most absolute feeling of near-panic that he had ever felt. It came close to crippling him.
He couldn't allow it to go that far. Mana needed him.
It had to be the middle of the night now. She had been missing since this morning. Hours had passed, search parties sent, guards put on alert, but there was no sign of her. Atem even scouted out their normal hideaways. Every vase was checked, even though neither of them hid in them anymore.
"Son, you must rest," Pharaoh had told him.
"Would you stop if it were mother?"
He had hurt his father with that comment, Atem could see it. He regretted making it, but didn't allow himself the time to indulge in regret. Aknamkanon hadn't urged him to sleep again after that. With a regretful, but understanding look, Pharaoh gave his shoulder a firm squeeze and offered all of the resources necessary to find her. Irynefer had come to Aknatem and had offered a small semblance of an apology. Atem could understand that his behavior was motivated out of parental worry. They were in a similar boat.
Still, he wasn't ready to completely forgive him just yet.
Atem made the decision that when Mana was found, and she would be found, he would marry her if she would still have him. Premonitions, parental intentions, or fears aside, he no longer cared about waiting. She had been adamant about staying, and the strength to refuse her had waned. He'd said so himself that premonitions were meant to be seen and learned from. Maybe, together, they could conquer whatever was threatening their future.
But first, he had to find her.
He mentally switched gears. Besides the blood, what information did he have? What were his instincts telling him? Something about the crowd of courtiers in the courtyard earlier that day was bothering him. He'd made a mental count earlier of the onlooking crowd to have something to distract himself from his and Mana's near-lovemaking, but now it was nagging at him. Something in him was telling him that it was important. One of the courtiers had been missing when he'd left. Mana had gone missing soon after he'd gone on the hunt. Some comments had been made that perhaps she had run away, too fearful of the social repercussions and Atem's displeasure. Atem quickly discarded those theories and did his best to stamp out the rumor. Mana wasn't one who would run away from things that were difficult. She could self-isolate to allow for time to think, but she always came back, ready to conquer whatever challenge.
"You love her," His father said. The two men stood together, looking out high over the palace that was devoid of sleep. Atem had never seen it so active so late at night. It seemed that everyone was working.
"Yes," Atem said, looking out from the balcony. He didn't look his father in the eye.
"I love your mother that way," Aknamkanon said. "I can understand what you must be struggling with."
Atem wanted to believe him. He had witnessed his parents' relationship his entire life, up until the moment his mother had died. They had been an unusual couple. They were devoted in much the same way to each other as they were to their duties. They had supported and had loved each other fiercely. Sometimes, Atem had been embarrassed to witness their affection for one another. He'd seen his father grieve her death, but Atem wasn't able to understand his actions before her death.
"Why didn't you pray for her?" Atem said, blurting out his thoughts. "In the temple that day, why didn't you ask for her life?"
Aknamkanon looked down at his son, his eyes weary and sad.
"I pray you never have to say goodbye to the love of your life. Doing so with mine nearly killed me,"
Atem stared at his father. He hadn't answered the question.
"You know that your mother and I conceived twice before we were blessed with you,"
Atem nodded, keeping his eyes on his father's, taking in every word.
"Twice, she gave birth. First to your sister, then to your older brother the following summer. Neither survived. Other than losing your mother, losing your siblings was the worst experience of my life."
Atem wished they had lived. He'd wondered what having siblings would have been like. A sister to tease and a brother to compete with. Together, they would have had fun and helped each other grow. Had they lived, Atem would have been the best little brother. The mantle of Pharaoh wouldn't have been his. It would have been his brother's. Would Atem's life be markedly different? He would not be the heir, just a boy who would grow into a man and have a normal life. A tinge of regret burned in his chest. He and Mana could have had a comfortable life together, no pressures of royal mantles to disturb their peace.
"Parents should not bury their children," Aknamkanon said, his voice was heavy, and it cracked on the last word. Tears flowed from his father's eyes, but the brokenness of his father's internal struggle did not break him completely. The pharaoh didn't speak for several moments.
Atem finally glanced away from his father's eyes, not from shame for his father's tears, but because looking at him was like looking at a mirror of himself. The vision Nefret had seen of Mana dying in childbirth, suffering because of the physical love they had shared nine months earlier, wasn't a pain he wanted her to suffer through. Perhaps, because of his mother's experiences, he didn't want Mana to suffer the way Mer-en did. It was the perpetual struggle for a man to watch the difficulties of pregnancy and motherhood in his mate and be completely helpless to do anything about it.
Atem hated feeling helpless. He did everything he could to avoid it.
"I think it may be worse for women to lose their children," Aknamkanon finally said. "I do not know for sure, but I know that your mother loved all of her children."
Atem knew that. Mer-en had loved him in the best possible way that a mother could love her son.
"What you do not know," Aknamkanon was unsure whether he wanted his son to know this or not. Would it comfort him? Or bereave him? "Is that your mother was pregnant when she died."
"What?" Atem said, completely shocked. "She was pregnant?"
"A surprise to us both," Aknamkanon said. "But it was not meant to be,"
Atem remained silent, taking in this new information.
"I believe it was the pregnancy that killed her," he said. His voice was drenched in heartache. "Only the gods know for sure, but your mother and I had spoken in private. She could not bear it if she lost this baby."
"You think she chose death?"
"I think the children we lost were because of my sins, and that judgment was displaced to her."
The comments his father had made in that terrifying underground temple now rang in Atem's ears like a giant bell.
"You said that before… You said that thousands died—
"You would not remember this, but you learned of the Scorpion King and the threat he posed to us from your history teachers?"
"Yes,"
"The Millennium Items were created for the purpose of their defeat. Know this, my son, each life taken during your reign as Pharaoh will weigh heavily on you."
"But they were enemies—
"Enemies, true, to be sure, but each life is precious, my son. There was nothing left of the Scorpion King and his armies. The sands of Egypt were red with blood for months,"
"You think mother's death was punishment for their deaths. That losing my siblings was punishment,"
"I cannot know for sure, but this is a heavy weight I pray you will never have to bear. Your role as king will have its own burdens." Atem was silent for a long time, watching the expressions on his father's face. There was grief there, melded together with loneliness and a heaviness he couldn't describe. "I didn't pray for your mother's life because she asked me not to. She was tired and wanted to be with your siblings in the next life."
Atem thought back on the rage he had harbored towards his father for months after his mother's death. A large part of him had blamed his father for his mother's passing. He had no idea if there was truth behind his father's beliefs. Perhaps the gods were punishing his father for his actions. It was also possible that his mother's death had nothing to do with the obliteration of Egypt's enemies and the lives lost to achieve it. All of the rage he had felt towards his father now felt pointless and cruel. Atem regretted his knee-jerk reaction towards his father.
"Why didn't you tell me this when she died?" He asked, barely a whisper. His face was clouded in a thoughtful shadow.
Aknamkanon paused for several moments before he spoke. Atem could feel the weight behind his father's silence. It was oppressive, almost to the point of pain.
"You will understand this someday when you are a father, but there are choices you will make solely to protect your children."
Atem thought long and hard about what his father said. It wasn't long after the conversation ended that Aknamkanon left him alone. The Pharaoh placed his hand on Atem's shoulder, giving him another reassuring squeeze with the verbal promise to help him continue in the search for Mana.
Protect your children…
Would Atem be a father someday? A few men his age in court were already married, some with their first child on the way. If Nefret's vision came true, would Atem and Mana survive her delivery? He felt now that if Mana were to die, a large part of him would die with her. It suddenly struck Atem now that he hadn't asked Nefret about the condition of the child in her vision. His mind had been solely on Mana and her rough delivery. Now, that piece of information nagged at him. Had it been a son? Or a daughter? Could Atem somehow help Mana during her future pregnancy to prevent its impending difficulty?
Protect your children…
No, he could not fault his father for that.
It was later that evening when Atem realized that his father still spoke about his mother in the present tense as if he could still touch her, as if she were still alive. Maybe for him, she was.
Atem had never felt so close to his father as he did in that moment.
…
Mana had fallen asleep. She wasn't sure how long she was stored in the trunk, but it was long enough for her arms and legs to go to sleep, wake up, and go to sleep again, causing painful muscle cramps. When the trunk was opened, Mana could see dim light. She couldn't tell if it was sunrise or sunset. There were two men Mana didn't recognize. They weren't dressed as Egyptians, they must have been Macedonian vassals for Marija. They refused to look at Mana directly and didn't speak to her.
They pulled and tugged at her mercilessly and cut her bindings on her feet. Mana's vision had trouble clearing, but when she could see normally, she knew they were outside the city. There was nothing but the road and wilderness surrounding them. She guessed that they were on the Philistine road, the fastest way to return to Ur along the Fertile Crescent.
There was little traffic along the road, but Mana recognized the futility of trying to ask for help. Seeing people bound and tied up to a wagon was not uncommon. Slave caravans were traveling to and fro along this route. No one would stop to help her, even if she begged; every one of them would be a bystander, ignoring her.
Mana was thankful to be let out of the trunk. She had trouble standing; her knees wobbled and shook from abuse and lack of room to stretch. Her captors were unfeeling towards her and treated her like an object. They barely looked at or spoke to her. Marija must have given them specific instructions not to mingle with her.
The gag was never let out of her mouth. Her teeth ached, and the dryness of her mouth and throat was becoming painful. When her 'escorts' weren't looking, she chewed at them, praying for the release of breaking fabric. Her stomach growled. It occurred to her that she hadn't eaten in almost two days. She had awoke in Atem's room that morning and had rushed off to meet him in the courtyard before the courtiers had stopped her. Marija and her co-conspirators hadn't given her anything to eat or drink before stuffing her in her tiny prison.
One of the men gripped her arm tightly and tugged at her to mount one of the horses. Its reins were tied tightly to the wagon. Unless she could free it somehow, she wasn't getting anywhere by horse. She was too weak to run on foot. It would be too slow to help her get away. The likelihood of being overcome by her captors was too high.
But I need to think of something now!
The further she got into the wilderness, the less likely she would be able to return to Atem before Marija would attempt to manipulate and control him. She didn't doubt that Atem could see Marija for what she was. He had called all of the courtiers vapid tramps. He wasn't blind to their manipulation tactics, but what if Marija made attempts to control him by means outside of his control? What if she attempted to control Atem through the Item-bearers or through Pharaoh? It didn't seem likely to succeed, but Marija's tenacity scared Mana. Could she blackmail or force him to marry her somehow?
A painful sensation irritated her. Despite being dehydrated, she desperately needed to pee.
She tried to voice this need through the gag, but they just stared at her. One of them apparently understood her babbling because he said,
"Take her over there," one said to the other. "Hurry up, girl, we have many miles to cover today."
She was pushed towards a tall pile of weeds. She gave the man a look, hoping for some privacy. There would be none. Trying to make this horribly embarrassing event move as quickly as possible, she hurried as fast as she could. When she was finished, they helped her to mount her horse and tied her wrists and hands to the saddle.
The sun was starting to set, giving them some relief from the heat. At some point, they threw a traveler's cloak over her, covering her torn clothes. She knew this wasn't done out of kindness. This was to hide her face from any passerby who might recognize her. She wasn't as noticeable as the Prince and Pharaoh, but she was well known enough that someone important might see and rescue her.
"Try and run, you'll regret it," One of them said, giving her a mean look. He let her imagination fill in the blanks around his threat. She stared at him right back, not glaring, but she refused to flinch in his gaze.
Mana believed him.
That didn't mean she wasn't going to try.
…
Atem was saddling his horse, ensuring the blanket was properly placed and the straps were snug, and he placed the weapons he thought he might need within reach. He couldn't wait any longer, he was going stir crazy. He hadn't slept, but despite this, he was fueled by energy from an unknown source. Resolved to find her himself, he made sure to pack anything he might need when he found her. First aid packs, water, four days' worth of food, and money in case he needed it. He prayed he didn't need any of it, that she would be found quickly and without violence.
The chances of finding Mana without involving a violent rescue were dwindling. Atem didn't like it, but he was prepared to kill, if necessary, in order to bring her home. He needed her, safe and in his arms. After his discussion with his father last night, the idea of killing another human being became even more distasteful. He believed in his father's words. He believed that every human being was inherently worthy of dignity and respect, that life was precious. This had been taught to him his whole life and it would be his duty someday to bear the life of his citizens on his shoulders.
But he also knew that there were some people who were so deeply entrenched in wickedness that only violence could bring them down.
Sometimes, in order to bring and keep peace, a powerful deterrent was necessary.
Peace through strength.
It was the entire purpose behind the Millennium Items. Egypt had a mighty army and navy, this was true, but it was the power wielded by the Item-bearers that supported that might. Atem's hand paused on the eye of Wadjet of his own Millennium Item. Could it help him? It had not granted him any unusual gift or power before, but could it reveal that to him now? Would it help him to find her?
"Your Highness," Seti's voice murmured behind him.
"What?" Atem said sharply.
"The blood came back positive. It is Mana's, but it was too old and dry to use for a tracking spell."
"I expected that," Atem said. It felt good to hear his hunch confirmed, but the blood wasn't any help to him now. Blood was the first and best possible means of locating someone with a tracking spell. Hair could be useful, too, but he was completely void of that.
Atem didn't see it, but Seti's eyebrow was raised inquisitively.
"Where are you off to, Your Highness?" He asked dryly, watching the scene in front of him. Seti's voice towered over Atem much like his shadow did.
"What does it look like?" Atem answered sardonically. He continued his work, not looking behind him. Seti didn't respond, but Atem heard the sounds of wood knocking around and a horse's huff. Atem turned and saw that Seti wasn't alone. Mahado was coming up behind him, a determined look set in his face. Seti and Mahado were both in riding gear, much the same manner as Atem was. Seti started to pull a horse out of its stall and dress it for riding.
"No," Atem said, before either of them could say something.
"Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of Seti?" Mahado said, opening his own horse's stall. "By now, surely you would have recognized that Seti's stubborn streak matches your own, Your Highness?"
"You may as well accept it," Seti said. He said it with such conviction that made it clear that there would be no other option. "We're going with you, Your Highness."
Atem nodded once. His face didn't show it, but inwardly he smiled. He could have ordered them to stay, and they would obey, but the warmth that was spreading from his core prevented him. He'd wanted to set out in search of Mana alone. He would be faster as a single rider, but three sets of eyes were better than one, after all. Between the three of them, very few things would be missed. Atem realized that he would need all the help he could get.
The three men mounted their horses and steered towards the gates.
"Have you an idea of where to look?" Mahado asked.
"I have two routes in mind as the most obvious to search, but there's only one route that is the fastest and the safest way out of the city. Plenty of traffic to get lost in,"
"Would they not take the less traveled roads or the secret ways?" Mahado asked, assuming Aknatem's use of the term 'they' since they had no idea who was involved in Mana's disappearance. "Less likely to be spotted by those routes."
Seti huffed as if annoyed with Mahado's question, like a schoolmaster who was irritated that his student wasn't seeing the solution to an obvious question.
"More traffic means there is a higher chance of being lost in the crowd and less likely that we could pick up a trail," Atem answered, keeping his eyes focused forward. Mahado was impressed by the critical thinking skills that Prince Aknatem naturally possessed. He would be even more impressed if he were proven right.
"They would have to smuggle her," Atem said, continuing his line of thought. "She's recognizable within the city, but outside of the city limits, no one would give her a second glance."
"Then, which route do you suggest we take?" Mahado asked.
"We're not going to the roads just yet. There is something I need your help with first. Something has been bothering me since we left for the hunt yesterday."
"What about it?" Mahado asked.
Atem waved off the question.
"Not now," he said, "It's just a hunch. I'll tell you when I have more information. Where are the courtiers today?"
"The courtiers?" Seti asked curiously. Seti and Mahado gave each other curious looks at the Prince's question. He had never been curious about their location before. In fact, he usually made a point to avoid them.
"A great many of them have volunteered to join the search parties. There are four or five groups that I am aware of. There is one close by." Mahado answered.
"Good, then we'll start there first."
It was after they reached the third group that Mahado thought that Prince Aknatem had lost his sensibilities. Surely there was a method to his madness, but Mahado was blind to it. The question the Prince asked seemed almost imbecilic in nature. Seti seemed to have caught on to whatever strategy the prince was using, but Mahado was left in the dark as neither of them was up to sharing it with him.
This search party was spread out over the route through the wetlands to the east of the city. Prince Aknatem checked in with the group captain, who, after giving a salute and bow, regretfully reported no clues to Mana's whereabouts. They could see a few courtiers, escorted by their handlers, mingling with palace workers who all appeared to be searching high and low for Mana. We'll see about that. Atem thought cynically.
"How far spread out are they?" Atem asked, referring to the searchers.
"A league or so, Your Highness," The captain replied.
"Round them up." He ordered. "Stay here," he ordered to Mahado and Seti.
Atem rode off, leaving Mahado and Seti to assist the captain. He was sure that Mahado thought himself mad, but Seti had caught on to his strategy almost immediately.
Atem made his way through the marshy area that the group had designated for themselves. Spotting two courtiers slightly isolated with their escorts, he rode up to them carefully, not wanting to break one of his horse's legs from careless riding.
"Ladies," Atem said, nodding his head in greeting. All of them bowed their heads to him.
"Your Highness," they cooed. One in particular had grabbed his attention. He recognized her as the one who had taken a stroll through the off-limits areas of the palace last year. What was her name? Marina? Manie?
"We're asking everyone to gather with their captain. We have an announcement to make," Atem said, watching their expressions very carefully. Both of them gave him nothing, their faces still as stone.
"Oh? Has Lady Mana been found?" One of them asked.
Marija. Atem thought as he stared at her. Her name came to him like a snake slithering over water. His gut was telling him something important.
"Please come with me," he said, nodding behind him towards the others.
"Of course, Your Highness," Marija purred. She behaved as if she were out for a casual stroll. The other courtier and their escorts soon left Prince Aknatem and Marija alone. She must have shooed them away with some silent motion, because he had heard no verbal command. Now alone, with her riding her mount behind his, he felt her staring at his back with a calculating gaze. He wished he could see behind his head. It didn't feel safe to leave her behind him.
Atem understood in his heart that Marija knew something about Mana's disappearance, but he had no evidence to present against her. That calculating and manipulative gaze could just be the normal front she put up for him whenever he was in her presence. There was a chance she knew nothing. But if she did know something, as it was now, there was nothing he could do to overthrow the leverage she had. She wouldn't tell him the truth.
He would have to make that change.
He would make sure that the rules of this game would weigh in his favor.
"Oh!" A cry rang out behind him. "Look there, Your Highness!" Marija was pointing to the ground. His eyes followed her hands.
"Is that not Lady Mana's necklace, just there?"
He dismounted, swinging his leg over the back of his horse to get a better look. It took only a few steps before he was there in front of her. He stooped down to look in the mud. Oh, Mana… His heart lurched. It was Mana's necklace, the one he had won for her. The clasp was torn and broken as if it had been ripped from her during a struggle. There were small, dried flecks of blood on it.
"Is it hers?"
"Yes…" Atem said, heavily. His heart ached. Someone had harmed her and had forcibly snatched her away from him. This was proof.
"Oh, dear!" She cried, "What has happened to her?"
Atem turned away, tucking the necklace into his pocket. Her warmth was gone from the golden band. He moved away from the spot, not seeing any other item of hers nearby. The ground was undisturbed otherwise. After a few more unsatisfying moments, he remounted and turned towards the others.
"AH!" A feminine wail sounded, and a horse neighed in loud protest, filling the space behind him. Atem whirled towards the sound, only to see Marija being thrown from her horse and landing awkwardly on her leg. The spooked horse took off in a random direction, galloping to the best of its ability away from them. Atem's own horse started at them wearily, unsure of the safety of its environment.
"Oh! My ankle, it hurts!" she cried. She was cradling herself over her leg. Dismounting, Atem knelt down and began to examine her.
"Oh, Your Highness, it hurts. I think I've sprained it. I don't think I can walk. Where has my mare gone?"
Atem turned his head and saw her mount about half a mile away, being rounded up by a few men he recognized from the palace. Turning his attention, he danced his hands around her right ankle, searching for obvious injury. There were no broken bones, no signs of heat or swelling. He didn't find anything, no signs of injury at all. She could have an injury, but he doubted it. Common sense told him that she was faking it.
"She's just there," He said, nodding towards her mare. "They'll bring her over."
"Could you help me, Your Highness?"
He quickly debated whether or not to help her. She might have a sprained ankle, or she mightn't. He knew basic injuries and first aid, but he wasn't a doctor. Of course, if she was injured, Atem wasn't the kind of man to leave a woman in trouble. Not even a snake-like woman like Marija.
He helped her up and let her lean against him. She repaid him by digging her fingers into his arm and breathed in sharply through her teeth when she tried to walk.
"Oh, I'm afraid I can't walk," she whined.
Sure, you can't…. Atem thought sarcastically. He had to keep himself from rolling his eyes.
"Would you carry me to my escort, Your Highness?"
He kept his face neutral, but inside he was screaming.
"Of course," He said with a fake smile.
He stooped to pick her up, and she wound her arms around his neck. Immediately, he regretted his decision to help her. She felt inherently wrong in his grip, like a jagged piece that didn't fit.
"Oh, my," she cooed. "How strong you are, Your Highness,"
"Uh, huh," He said, his voice and face flat. He started to make his way through the muddiest part of the marsh to the other side, where the small crowd was gathering.
"Oh, I do hope we find Lady Mana. I hope nothing has happened to her," Marija said, snuggling into his chest much like a cat would. She even started to purr like one.
"I have no doubt we will find her. Our Seer has seen her give birth to my son," Atem lied, Nefret hadn't told him of the child, but he got the reaction he expected. He felt Marija stiffen in his arms. Without giving her a full look, his eyes glanced at her face. She appeared irritated and nervous.
So far, Nefret's visions about Mana hadn't been helpful in locating her. All of her and Irynefer's visions only showed Mana, safe and in the palace, in some unscripted future time. Atem would eventually succeed in bringing Mana home, but all of the visions were presently unhelpful. What was the point of having such abilities if you couldn't use them for precision? Had they always been this unhelpful? Or was it just now, when he needed them most that they would fail him?
"Well, she's such a pretty little child. Who could blame you for wanting her?" Atem could tell she was trying to hold her composure. He resented her comments. Mana wasn't a child. She had periods of immaturity and naïveté, but she had grown into a strong and capable young woman. Sometimes, he missed her childlike nature, her peppy and gleeful optimism was a stark contrast to his natural, calculating cynicism and tendency towards pessimism. He was excited to witness the kind of woman she was growing into. He didn't want to miss a moment.
He was missing these moments with Mana, and he was sure Marija was either to blame or somehow involved. What if she had Mana's necklace and had it conveniently placed so she could 'find' it? He had no proof, of course, only a suspicion.
"She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," He said, continuing to gauge Marijia's reactions. She was trying hard not to react negatively, but he could feel her fingers dig uncomfortably into his neck. For a trained manipulator, she didn't have much of a poker face.
"As future Pharaoh, you have the freedom to taste as many flavors of women as your heart desires. I'm sure many highborn women will give you many sons. You could have many queens. I could be one of them." Her finger traced the line of his jaw.
"No," he said, looking her full in the face. "There will be only her," He was close enough to feel her hitch her breath in sharply. He could almost read her mind as her beautiful, lying eyes searched his. Was he serious? Could he really be so blinded by affection and love for such a girl as Mana that he would forsake his natural right to the tastes of other women? He would be forsaking his chance to have so many children. What sane future king would do such a thing? He couldn't possibly do that, could he?
He most certainly could, and he was about to prove it to her.
When the mud was deep enough to cover the tops of his ankles, he looked into Marija's eyes, making sure he had her complete attention.
"Listen to me, Marija," he said. Making sure he had her trapped, right where he wanted her, he stopped walking as he carried her.
"Yes?" She asked. She was hoping to change his mind. Marija was a beautiful young woman who was used to getting her way. Her sharp features made her a rare beauty in Egypt. Who wouldn't want her?
Not. I. Atem thought savagely.
Without another second, he threw her up quickly, then freed his hands from underneath her. Without his arms to hold her up or catch her, she fell unceremoniously ass-first into the deep mud pit. The sharp cold of the mud splattered all over her, up into her professionally braided hair and through her pretty, expensive dress. The Prince's legs and lower torso were splattered with mud and bits of marsh, but he seemed unbothered. She made uncouth and loud objections to his treatment of her.
He knelt down in front of her and leaned in. His presence looming over her was ominous. For the first time, Marija seemed visibly afraid of him.
"Listen to me, Marija. I am not someone to be manipulated or used, do you understand?"
He kept his eyes locked on hers until she either said something or nonverbally acknowledged him.
"Do you understand me?" He said smoothly, his voice was calm but undoubtedly threatening.
"Y-Yes, Your Highness," she squeaked out. He could tell he had shaken her. She finally looked away from him, defeated.
"Lady Marija!" An unfamiliar male voice said behind him. "Your mare... are you hurt? What has happened?"
It was one of her Macedonian vassals. It was probably the first time they had seen their Lady in such an undignified state. They looked curiously between the Prince and their Lady, confused and unsure of what to do.
"We just had a fall," Atem said, and all possibility of potential impending violence was gone from his voice.
"A nasty little fall," He said, leaning down towards her, whispering so only she could hear. He offered his hand to help her up, which she had no choice but to accept. His grip was strong and painful, as if he were trying to nonverbally express all his anger and distaste for her.
"Try to manipulate me again and see what happens." He whispered to her.
He left her there with her vassals to assist her. Suddenly, she could walk just fine.
It's a miracle. He thought sarcastically.
When the crowd of men and women were all gathered in front of their Prince, Atem rose to address the crowd. Atem stood with perfect balance on the saddle of his horse. He wanted to make sure everyone heard and saw him. Making sure that Seti had a good view of everyone from high on his horse, he waited for Seti's nod before he spoke. Mahado stared at them, waiting to see what would happen.
"Can everyone hear me?" The Prince exuded his authoritative voice as loudly as he could manage. He received verbal and nonverbal cues of ascent.
"It has come to our attention that Lady Mana has been kidnapped."
A low, scared thrum of voices rang out in front of him from the crowd.
"And," he said, making sure Seti was watching the crowd, he said, "we believe that some of you may be responsible,"
The scared voices got louder and almost indignant at the accusation.
"Now, if you would simply raise your hand if you are involved with her disappearance, then we can move on. You won't be punished, I swear it. If you tell the truth now, no harm shall come to you." He said all of this lightly, as if he were telling them the sky was blue.
He took thirty seconds to gaze over the crowd, watching all of them carefully. Not a single person raised their hand.
After the long silence, Atem said, "Well, it was worth a shot. You may continue in your search."
The crowd dispersed, nervously moving onto their prior tasks, giving Atem, Seti, and Mahado a wide berth. They gave the trio confused looks. Mahado was also confused. When Atem was sure they wouldn't be overheard, he huddled together with his friends.
"How many, Seti?" He asked sharply, with a hint of excitement. This time was different. Atem had gotten something out of this crowd that he hadn't received the first two times.
"Four," he said with an eagerness Mahado had seldom seen outside of the battle arena.
"I counted four as well. You can pick them out later?" Atem asked.
"Most certainly," Seti said.
"Would someone, please, be so kind as to tell me what is going on? Not a single one of those people raised their hand."
"I wasn't expecting them to," Atem said. "We were watching their reactions."
"Their reactions?"
"Come now, Mahado, isn't it obvious?" Seti said, with a disapproving tone.
"What were you watching for?" he asked. Sometimes it was best to just ignore Seti.
"When I asked," Atem said, looking up at his friend. "Everyone else was looking around, hoping to see someone else react, but four of those people didn't look around. They only looked at me."
"This is proof of what?"
"They're involved," Seti said. "Why look around to see if others will react when you know you are the guilty party?"
"T-that's genius," Mahado said, catching on to the ruse. "That's why you both got excited with this crowd's reaction. The first two crowds we met had everyone looking around at everyone else…, but it doesn't prove those four people kidnapped her."
"It proves they know something," Atem said. "And what a manipulative gaggle of tramps they all are,"
"They were all women?"
"Every single one," Seti answered, crossing his arms. "This could be tricky,"
"Tricky?" It took Mahado a second to catch on. "You're saying four courtiers did this to Mana?" He could scarcely believe it. How could four ordinary, prim and proper women tackle and overpower a powerful magician's apprentice? Even without mastering her full capabilities, Mana could make a powerful enemy. Did they have help? Did they know something that could incapacitate her?
His mind went to the Prince's possible next move. If he were to interrogate them too harshly, he could start a war. Not harshly enough, they wouldn't give up any information. Mahado didn't believe that Prince Aknatem would allow for torture or violence against women. It went completely against his character, but… would he, for Mana's sake? Surely not. He wouldn't cross that line, not for Mana, or anyone else. He valued his humanity far too much for that. Mahado had never witnessed any evidence of ruthlessness in him, but then again, Aknatem sometimes got this… glint in his eye when matched against a worthy opponent in battle. Could that part of him appear and show up now and do what was necessary to win?
This wasn't a match. It was a real life challenge. He wouldn't. Couldn't harm a woman. He refused to believe it. Mahado had faith in the Prince's character and in him as a leader, despite his youth. Mahado knew that Prince Aknatem would honor that loyalty.
"Yes," Atem said. "This will be troublesome, but I think I can make her talk,"
"Her?"
"It was Marija," The Prince's lips got thin with pressed anger. "I knew it. Conniving bitch,"
"We can't kill her," Seti said, unhelpfully. It was so casual as he said it, as if he were telling them he was shopping for food. Sometimes, Seti scared Mahado. They were fortunate to have him as an ally.
For a moment, Mahado was horrified that the Prince might consider killing Marija.
"I wasn't going to," he answered, too slowly for Mahado's liking.
"How do you know it was her?" Mahado asked, hoping to redirect the conversation away from potential violence or murder.
Seti answered instead. "The other three looked back and forth between Marija and Prince Aknatem, but Marija was the only one who never redirected her gaze away from him. It has to be her. Her behavior betrayed her." It sometimes amazed Mahado how two men, completely unrelated to each other, could appear so in sync with their thinking and strategy. Mahado had known the Prince far longer, yet Seti was so easily able to anticipate most of Aknatem's moves.
Atem was silent for a long moment. His head lowered with his eyes closed in deep concentration.
"We need to call off the search, round everyone up. We're going back to the palace. Mahado, Seti, I need you to round up the four suspects. When you do, take them somewhere private where I can speak to them. Do it quietly. None of them together or with their vassals. I need to speak to them individually."
"What about you?"
"I will have the captain call off the other search parties. I will meet you at the palace."
His two friends nodded, both offering a brief salute, before turning to complete their tasks.
Atem turned his horse and ran at a full gallop back home.
He had work to do.
…
Mana's stomach growled through most of the night and again throughout the start of the next day. They had only given her one weevil-infested, hard as a tack, roll of bread to eat and stale water to drink. She had never shied away from roughing it before. She had been on a few of the boys' camping trips when she had been younger, before she had been told she could no longer participate.
Those trips had always been educational trips for Atem, Mahado, and the other boys. She had just been along for the ride, but she still treasured their time together, even with their stuffy teachers and mentors in tow. They had been escorted, of course, by several palace guards, but their silent presence hadn't detracted from the fun. The boys had taken time to teach her what they had learned, even when they weren't supposed to. It was back when Mahado still enjoyed playing on occasion. Those times seemed so long ago now, a lifetime or two of memories shaped into one life. Atem and Mahado had taught her how to fish, how to find edible plants, how to find her direction, and most importantly, how to avoid and escape crocodiles. Sometimes they lurked in the most inconvenient places. She had to be sure to avoid them when she made her escape.
"If you ever find yourself with a crocodile after you, run in a straight line as fast as possible away from it. If you find it gaining on you, don't panic. They can't endure land sprints for long. Just keep going. Climb something tall if it's available." Mahado explained.
"What if I'm in the water with one?" Mana had asked.
"Pray," An eight-year-old Atem said. "Without divine intervention, you probably won't live through it." He made a wide, scary smile and threw up his hands like a monster's grip. He completed the ensemble by snapping his teeth loudly. "Snap, snap, and you're on your way to the afterlife with no limbs."
Mana shuddered.
"They're faster swimmers than they are on land," Mahado said, ignoring the Prince's attempt to scare her. "But they're lazy. They'll give up on you if you run fast enough. They prefer to sneak up on their prey."
She now laughed a little, trying to imagine a lazy crocodile. A horrid little children's nursery rhyme went through her head that Queen Mer-en had taught her.
"Five little monkeys sitting in a tree,
Teasing Mr. Crocodile, 'Can't catch me',
And along came Mr. Crocodile
Quiet as can be…
And SNAP,
Now, only four little monkeys sat in a tree…"
Her captors had stayed along the most trafficked route with plenty of provided water, but soon the wilderness would not supply them with what they needed. Their wagons would have to be burdened down by water barrels. That would slow them down, give her time to make her escape and run home, or get away in time for Atem to find her. She had already made up her mind to escape. The hard part was planning it for the most opportune moment.
Marija must have warned them to keep her gagged. They only removed it long enough for her to drink and eat quickly before it was stuffed in her mouth again. First, she needed something to free her hands. That would naturally take care of the gag. She knew a temporary spell that would paralyze her captors. She had been meditating on it since she'd been aware of her situation. She was certain she could perform it perfectly if given the chance.
I just need something sharp…
She had her eyes on the damaged wheel bearings. They would be sharp enough to cut through rope. The hard part was doing it when they wouldn't pay attention.
She'd have to work quickly.
She did it in small increments. A little here, a break, and then a little there. Over the course of a few hours, she had her bonds mostly weakened. She nearly cried for joy when the pressure was completely relieved on her wrists. Stopping herself, she pretended to be still bound when one of her speechless kidnappers glanced at her.
Don't look over here. I'm not doing anything. I'm just a poor, defenseless female…
When they broke for evening camp, she made sure to sleep as far away as they would let her. She'd watched them previously as much as she could to study their schedule. It was what Atem and Mahado would have done. The more they knew about an enemy, the higher the chances of bringing them down. She tried to embody their fighting spirit.
She placed herself next to the wagon as she had done the night before to settle in for sleep. Her body was restless for her escape. Trying not to be too obvious, she feigned sleep, her eyes closed, but her body was aware of every sound.
She quickly learned that when one person was resting, the other was keeping watch over the camp. It was insane to run through the desert at night, but she had little choice. She decided against stealing one of their horses. It would draw too much attention, and she wasn't the strongest rider. She also chose not to try and incapacitate one of her captors. She had no idea how to do so without accidentally killing one of them. An unsettling heaviness settled in her stomach at the thought of it. No… I can't do that.
Her hands now freed, she slowly removed her gag. Her mouth was dry, and her jaw was in pain from being forced open for so long. She tried to mutter a spell under her breath, but nothing happened. She couldn't pronounce the spell properly because her mouth was so dry. Taking a moment, she tried to settle down. Don't panic. Atem wouldn't panic. You can't panic either.
Damn! If she could just get her hands on some water…, but the nearest source of water was too close to her captor for her comfort. She'd have to try and get away without her heka to support her.
As soon as she got home, she was going to study nonverbal spells from Mahado.
She started to inch her way slowly away from the camp and had almost made it before the campfire exploded in a rush of heat and blue flame. The small campfire had erupted into an inferno that threatened to burn them all in its rage. The horses screamed and neighed in a state of nervous agitation. The sleeping captor immediately jumped up to react too slowly to save himself.
Mana was thrown into chaos and fire as their little camp erupted in a flurry of activity and screams.
…
The three courtiers immediately gave up Marija as the main conspirator. As soon as Atem walked into one of the rooms, his commanding (and scary) countenance overpowered one of the ladies, and she started to cry immediately. It got to be so bad that her words were unintelligible. He left, unable to learn anything new, except that her guilty behavior proved to him that she was involved. The next courtier lasted much longer and managed to point the finger at Marija before she started crying.
Am I really that scary? He thought, slightly alarmed, that he could appear so intimidating.
He tried to lessen the severity of his anger, but it was difficult to control. When it came to Mana, he was learning that it was difficult for him to control himself around her. He'd wanted to hit Marija as soon as he'd heard how violent she had been to Mana. In his mind, Mana was covered with bruises, her beautiful skin battered and swollen from physical abuse.
It wouldn't do. He couldn't hit a woman, no matter how much he wanted to or how well deserved. He took several minutes to calm down before he went in to interrogate her. When he finally walked into the room where Marija was, all of the anger threatened to burst forth again. She sat on a small couch, seemingly in a perfectly comfortable position, and looking at her nails. She wasn't afraid, unlike the other women. Instead, she looked bored and irritated, as if she had been inconvenienced. She was still dirty from the mud pit. They hadn't given her any time to get clean.
Good. Atem thought with satisfaction.
He was much calmer on the outside than he was on the inside. Inside, he was screaming at her, scaring her, throwing her out of his home, never to darken their doorstep or hurt Mana ever again.
"So, here you are," she said. "Are you going to answer why you have so rudely put me here?"
He was silent for a long time. He didn't even look at her. He deliberately moved slowly around the room, taking his time to move a chair and placing it in front of her. He even took the time to dust off the seat before he sat in front of her. His voice was barely neutral.
"From what I have learned, you are the one responsible for Mana's disappearance," He said in a low voice.
"I would think not," she said, completely comfortable in deceit. It was so easy for her to lie. "Such a thing would be beneath me."
"You're a liar," he said, still calm. "If you have hurt my betrothed, I will make sure that you are not the only one to pay for it."
"Hmmph," she said. "Everyone knows she isn't your betrothed. Her father rejected your offer."
Atem hated to have that thrown in his face, especially by her.
Atem got closer to her, making sure to tower over her. He summoned all of the malice in him and funneled it into his face. If he looked like a monster, so be it. Mana needed him.
"Marija," he said. "Is there any part of you that doubts that I can't make you tell me?"
She stared at him, unflinching her gaze at his. She searched his eyes, unable to determine if he was telling the truth or not.
"Are you threatening me?"
"I am beyond threatening, Marija. I am promising you that I will make you talk. The level of severity depends on you."
He would never hurt her, not physically at least, but she didn't know that.
"You may scare the other little girls, but you don't scare me, Prince Aknatem. I know what lies in your future."
Atem's heart fell into his feet.
Shit. He thought. What does she know?
"You two were so foolish to scream such things at each other. Anyone could have overheard such vulnerable information. Your reign as Pharaoh is not long for this world, Your Highness."
Now, who is threatening whom? He thought. He had to hand it to her, she was an avid opportunist.
"I don't care what you think you've heard. All I want to know is what you have done with Mana. Where is she?"
She was silent for a long moment. He could see the thoughts dashing behind her eyes, and he didn't like it.
"Perhaps, we could work out a trade?"
She was trying to back him into a corner. Hadn't he told her just that morning that he was not someone to be manipulated? Perhaps she needed reminding, but he stamped that down. He decided instead to play along, for now.
"A trade?"
"Hmm," she nodded. "A trade. I will tell you what direction she is heading and what condition she is in, if you do something for me."
'The direction she is heading'...This nugget of information instantly revealed a few things to him. One, Mana wasn't alone, she would be escorted. It would be the only way to ensure she didn't come running right back to Thebes, to be reunited with him. Two, Mana may not even be in Egypt anymore. There were numerous directions she could be heading. He needed more information to guarantee a speedy rescue.
And three, it meant Mana was most likely alive and safe. If not bound against her will. It was a small consolation to his heart.
"I'm listening,"
"I want you to get me pregnant,"
Of all the things he thought she would say, that was nowhere on the map. It was so far off the map that it wasn't even in the same country. His poker face faltered and crumbled.
"What?! You want me to get you pregnant? Why?"
She peered at him, debating whether she should tell him or not.
"Does it matter? If you get what you want and I get what I want, we both win. Why not have some fun in the meantime?"
He got up and gave himself distance from her and allowed himself space to stare outside the window. There was no way in hell that he was going to do such a thing. It would be a betrayal to Mana and to himself and the covenant they had made together. Not to mention, if Marija were to get pregnant by him, he could see her taking his child away from him. His son or daughter would go back to Macedonia with their mother. He could never allow himself not to be a father to his child. He wanted to be more than just a donor to life. He wanted to be part of that child's life, even if he despised the child's mother.
Under no circumstances would he ever betray the love he felt for Mana by getting someone else with child. No way in hell.
But he had to make Marija think it was an option.
"You don't have the leverage to keep the reason for wanting to get pregnant from me. You must tell me. If I were to help you bring a child into this world, I must know why."
She huffed, crossed her arms, and turned her head away from him. For a moment, he thought she wasn't going to tell him when she finally freed her voice.
"If I do not marry you, my family will have me marry a lord in our province. He is repugnant to me. He is old and beneath me. Someone like myself is worthy to marry much better. I must confess, when I was first told that I was to court a fourteen-year-old Egyptian Prince, I was expecting a weak little child. Still, marrying a child would be better than marrying that horrid old man. Imagine my surprise when I saw how strong, how mature, and how pleasing to the eye you are."
Flattery will get you nowhere, Marija.
"Getting pregnant by a future Pharaoh, even without a marriage covenant, would give me plenty of leverage to live comfortably the rest of my life,"
"The mere fact that you are referring to a child as leverage speaks volumes to me, Marija."
"I am the way that I am. I won't apologize for it."
Atem stared at her, bewildered and irritated by her unsavory methods.
"I feel sorry for you, Marija. Your words make me wonder who twisted you. I wonder what you must have endured to grow up treating people this way." He said, genuinely sad for her.
She rose one perfect eyebrow at him, but didn't speak. He continued.
"To be so manipulative, so detached from genuine human connection and companionship that you would think to behave in such a way, makes me feel sorry for the sad little girl that must live in you somewhere."
"I will never accept pity," she sneered. "Not from a doomed future king,"
He chose to gloss over the 'doomed king' comment.
Focus on her. Keep her guessing.
"I'm not asking you to," he said gently. "But I wonder, if I could implore that little girl in you, the part that desires a true connection… I wonder if I could ask her for her help. Can she help me find Mana?"
She said nothing and raised her nose at him, looking away.
He was diving into unknown territory here. His first instinct had been to wrestle the information he needed out of her, but seeing how twisted and broken she was forced his inclination to move towards kindness. He did pity her. Clearly, Marija had been made into the present person that she was. Had it been an unkind, unloving mother that had done this to her? Had she been used, manipulated, and abused herself? He didn't know, or care for the details, but he could tell he was getting to her. A part of him felt ashamed, as if he were exploiting a vulnerable weakness in her.
Clearly, Marija wasn't the only manipulative person here.
What was he supposed to do? He didn't trust Marija, much less want anything to do with her sexually. But what if it was the only way to find Mana and bring her home? So far, none of the clues he had collected had given him the direction he needed to go to bring her home. His educated guess told him which direction she had most likely been taken, but it wasn't a guarantee. What if he set out in the wrong direction? It would only delay and potentially sabotage his attempt to bring her home. What if he did have sex with Marija, and she gave him the information he needed, and he brought her home? Would Mana forgive him? Could he forgive himself? Could he let a child of his just disappear into the ether of Macedonia, never knowing its father? He didn't want his first sexual encounter to be with a woman who wasn't Mana.
"Are you going to accept my offer or not?"
Mana, forgive me.
He said nothing for several moments before giving her his answer.
…
Mana was bound, again, but this time she was bound in the middle of two burly mountains of men. Something that lacked this time, too, was the gag. A small consolation. After the explosion of the campfire, their camp had been overrun by marauders. Mana had been hit again, this time behind her head. She had been hit hard enough to see stars but not to lose consciousness. Her vision blurred as her perspective swam in her eyes. She immediately felt dizzy and had to try and stop herself from vomiting. Before her vision was completely useless to her, she saw the blurred image of one of her captors being stabbed to death by some unknown masculine shape.
"What of the girl?" One of them yelled to the other after they had effectively stamped out their camp.
She didn't want to die. She silently prayed to whomever would listen that she might live. Please, don't let me die! I want to see Atem again, please! She refused to cry. Showing weakness to men like these would only excite them.
"She'll be good sport I think…"
"Heh heh, I know some who'd love to make sport of her. She's pretty. Got a pretty mouth too…"
I will not! Mana thought resiliently.
"Wait, she's wearing expensive clothes and gold. She's dirty, sure, but no common tramp could afford those garments." One of the more observant murderers said as he lifted her skirt. She moved quickly to stop him from raising her skirt much higher. The men laughed at her attempts to preserve her modesty.
"Hmmm, could catch a fine price as a ransom. Bakura would know her value. He's always been good at… assessing the female wares. He could make a very reasonable charge for whoever is missing her. Hey, girl, whose House do you reside?"
Her mouth was still too dry for her to speak properly, so her swearing threats fell short of intimidating.
"I think she just called you a braying donkey," One of them said, laughing.
"She's right! You do look like a donkey, Kuellis!"
A round of laughter erupted from the thieves.
"Shut it! All of ye!" The man, Kuellis, did not appreciate being laughed at. He walked up to Mana and backhanded her so hard that she saw stars again. She couldn't help but cry out at the level of brutality. She'd never been hit by a man, and she never wanted to again.
"Every one of you better shut up, or I'll do worse to you!"
This man didn't have the level of authority that he wanted because the laughter only died down to a titter. He huffed and tried to detract from his humiliation. –"Where is Bakura anyway?"—
Mana mentally assessed the level of danger she was in. They had been overwhelmed by a small squadron of at least a dozen or so thieves and braggarts. None of the people in their small camp stood a chance. Three random people in the desert, one of them an apparently small female, weren't going to put up a fight against their small army. She had no idea if her two captors were alive or where they might be if they were alive. She apparently had enough visible value not to be killed immediately, but had those two men? A small amount of pity twisted her heart at the thought of the loss of potential life, no matter how badly they had mistreated her.
She quickly realized how dire her situation had become. Atem could probably find her if he had enough clues to find her here, but if she were kidnapped again by random desert thieves, he might never find her. She had to help Atem rescue her. Better yet, if she could rescue herself.
She saw one of the men drinking from a wine sack, and she pointed at it.
"Huh?" The mountain man to her left said. "What do you want, girl? Speak up."
She pointed at the wine skin, and one of the men just stared at her, completely lacking in empathy.
"She's thirsty, heh heh. Give her something to drink, boys!"
Now regretting her request, she hated whatever evil these men had in mind. Instead, she was handed a small sack. Liquid could be heard sloshing around inside. Hesitant, she popped the cork and took a small drink. Immediately, her mouth burned. She'd never had whiskey before, but she thought this must be it. She and Atem always preferred wine and beer. She didn't care for the flavor of this whiskey, and the burn hurt her chaffed tissue as it went down her throat.
It didn't matter. She had the tool she needed.
With her mouth moist enough for her to speak properly, she muttered a spell she knew, and immediately her body erupted into a blinding white light. She heard the surprised, painful shouts of the men around her. She pushed every ounce of frustration and anger over her treatment these past few days and quickly moved it into her spell work. Mahado would have been proud. She had mentally prepared herself for just this moment.
One. Blind them.
She ripped the ropes from between the two men beside her, it was easy as they were trying to stop the light she had summoned from blinding them.
Two. Get free from your bonds.
Without hesitation, she summoned fire to burn the ropes.
Ouch! Too much oomph on that one, girl. She thought. She could deal with the burns later.
Three. Reach the nearest horse. Leave a clue for Atem to follow... She folded one close by and ripped its reins free from one of the men. Not hesitating one more second, she raised its head towards the west, following the stars she knew that would lead her back towards civilization, towards home.
"Hey! Come back here, you!" Someone yelled behind her. She was overjoyed to hear how far away his voice sounded to her ears. She could do it! She could make it! The spell she knew would still be lighting up their location like the sun. None of them would be able to see for several minutes.
I can do this! Atem, I'm coming home!
She was more than several leagues away when something in the darkness clotheslined her at her chest, and she was thrown from her horse backwards onto the unforgiving rock and sand. All of the breath in her lungs was thrust out of her violently, and she struggled to breathe for several seconds. For an instant, she panicked and thought she was drowning from the lack of air, but eventually, oxygen was slowly welcomed back into her system. Coughing and gagging, she huffed and struggled for the sweet freshness of air.
An unknown shape appeared to her from the darkness, arising from the direction she had been running towards. It was a man, at least eighteen or maybe even twenty years old. His uncommon hair color was the first thing Mana noticed about him. Blue was such a rare color in Egyptian circles.
The level of contempt for her in his eyes and the complete lack of humanity in his expression were the second things she noticed. She instinctively knew that this man hated her.
He moved towards her like a wraith summoned from the black spaces of the earth. While Mana was still struggling to breathe, he placed one foot on her chest and pressed down, making it more difficult for her to take in the air that she had just welcomed into her lungs.
"Well, well, well," he said. "What have we here? A little witch?"
Mana heard the sounds of many footsteps running from behind her to where she lay. It was the men she had blinded who were now catching up with her. Hope faded from her heart. She had been so close!
"Bakura, where the hell have you been?" One of them asked gruffly.
"Oh, here and there," he said nonchalantly. "A good thing too, don't you think? Otherwise, this little mouse would have gotten away," She felt like a mouse, and this Bakura was the cat. He was playing with her, teasing her.
"She has value," the man said, tentatively speaking to him as if pleading with Bakura to reconsider his actions towards her. "Don't kill her, Bakura. We could get a lot for her."
"Oh, I can see plainly that she has value. She what this little mouse is wearing? That's royal standard garb." Bakura said, still playing with her. He finally removed his foot from her chest. Mana rolled over onto her stomach and coughed and gagged until her body could relax enough to breathe normally. Almost immediately afterward, she vomited every morsel of food she had eaten that day.
"Royalty? Really? This little thing?"
"I bet you are really close to the royal family, aren't you, little mouse? I bet there's someone high up in the palace who wants you. I can make a few guesses about who that could be."
Mana had never hated anyone, not even Marija, but she wanted to easily hate this man, this Bakura. He seemed to get pleasure from any possibility of harming Atem and his family. What reason could he possibly have to hate Atem or the Pharaoh?
"Bind her, gag her, and watch her carefully. It would be smart to blindfold her too." Bakura barked orders like he was their king.
A few more men ran up. Before Mana could think, she was once again bound, all senses now lost to her except touch. Placed on a horse, she was taken away, heading towards somewhere in the vastness, not knowing if she would survive.
I'm sorry, Atem. I tried…
She couldn't help but cry now.
…
Finally given a direction, Atem was filled with a vivacious energy. He was going to see Mana. He was finally going to bring her home. He finally had a direction.
His initial hunch had been right. Mana was taken away via the Philistine road. He'd only wished he hadn't second-guessed himself and had taken that road sooner. Without another moment's hesitation, Seti, Mahado, Karim, and several other men had been summoned to ride with him. In record time, their horses had been prepped and properly supplied for their journey. With any luck, they would reach Mana by nightfall. Mana's kidnappers were traveling with a wagon and heavy supplies, not to mention an unwilling captive. Their progress would be slow.
Atem's horses were faster. Bred for the sole purpose of speed, they would prove more than capable for his needs.
Atem spoke to no one, only stopping for necessary water and confirmation that they were on the right road. They rode tirelessly for hours until the horses needed a break. As soon as they were properly watered, they rode hard again for several more hours.
Slow is smooth…
Atem thought to himself.
Smooth is fast...
He couldn't afford to make mistakes.
Slow in the slow places…
Mana. He would get to see Mana. He would get to hold her, soothe her. Bring her home.
Fast in the fast places…
"Prince Aknatem!" Mahado yelled. He was pointing ahead of their party, but Atem had already seen it.
Smoke.
Not liking this one bit, they approached the smoldering site with caution. When they arrived at the dilapidated campsite, they could see that the fire had been left unattended and was still smoldering, possibly since the night before. They covered the perimeter, then, when all was clear, they zeroed in on the site.
They found one man, completely disemboweled, with filth and human fluids everywhere around his body. The other was in better shape, but cold to the touch. Their clothes were Macedonian. These had to be the two men Marija had said Mana would be escorted by.
"There's no one nearby," Seti said, reporting in to Atem. "But there's track evidence that a large party of riders had been here recently."
Mahado waved his hands in the air in a complicated motion, murmuring a few complex syllables under his breath.
"Heka was released here recently. It had to be Mana, I'd recognize her signature anywhere,"
"Seems she put up a fight," Seti said.
Atem remained silent, his senses absorbing all this information. His eyes scanned over every physical representation of evidence. The smoke smelled wrong, as if laced with an unknown accelerant. The heka signature was undoubtedly Mana's. His nervous system had lit up when he'd broken the camp's perimeter. The way the men had been killed… probably desert bandits, thieves, and opportunists of the worst sort had been the attackers. Had Mana left him a clue? Would there be any evidence of where she might have been taken? The tsunami of hope he had felt that morning was waning to the smallest trickle in his heart. Where were they supposed to look now?
"It'll be dark soon. We won't be able to do anything at night. We should break and make camp here," Seti suggested.
"We will find her in the morning," Karim suggested. To Atem's ears, it only sounded like flattery, an attempt at a false hope.
Feeling like all of the hope and wind had been sucked from him, Atem nodded ascent to the suggestion. Seti barked out orders immediately, and they were carried out. Atem still refused to speak. He calmly walked over to the husk of the wagon that had been left behind. The horses that they would have had were gone, taken with Mana to who knew where. The water source that the wagon had carried had been spilled out, useless on the sand. The trunk that Marija had stored Mana in was just a broken, burned, and charred piece of wood now. Atem's hands roamed over the charred remains of the wagon.
Mana was gone...
Without warning, Atem grabbed the trunk's wooden skeleton and threw it clear across the camp, screaming and yelling at the top of his lungs. Not satisfied, he kicked the nearest object clear across the camp with every last morsel of his strength and screamed in frustration. Every eye was on him. He could feel the gaze of his men on his shaking form. He didn't care. Falling to his knees, his fists hit the ground, pounding the dirt over and over until his fingers bled.
Author's Note: I have to admit, I was way too happy writing about Marija falling into the mud.
1) Mer-en died from an ectopic pregnancy. It is a condition where the egg doesn't implant in the womb. Instead, it is implanted anywhere outside of the uterus. Today, there is no cure for this type of pregnancy where the child can survive.
2) I have seen the strategy Atem and Seti used in two places. One, in "Monk" season 7 and in "The Mentalist".
3) The mental quotes Atem used are two mantras that are used today. The first 'slow is smooth...' is used by the American Navy Seals, the other 'slow in the slow places...' is a mantra used by healthcare professionals when in high-stress environments.
4) Bakura was young during the genocide at Kul Elna, maybe three or four. In the manga, Atem was still a baby when his father used the Millennium Items against Egypt's enemies. So, naturally, Bakura is older than Prince Atem. He is around nineteen in this portion of the story.
5) The Fertile Crescent is a real place. It lies south of Turkey and at the top of Saudi Arabia.
6) To reiterate, the people in this area married young. Most people didn't live into their 40s. Only the rich and powerful lived longer, so starting a family early was almost required if you wanted children.
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