The Pharaoh and the Murder at the Palace


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Since his fever had broken, Shaadah's breathing was more regular and stronger. His body temperature had gone down and while still sweaty, he wasn't feeling as hot as before. The poison was slowly, very slowly, being driven out, thanks to Mahaado's special concoction. He wouldn't have to fear he was going to die. He felt weak, but he was on the mend. Shaadah was thinking about how he could thank his fellow Priest. If Mahaado hadn't figured out what had happened to him... mandrake root. Who would ever think of poisoning a Priest? So close after the attacks on the Pharaoh... Shaadah opened his eyes and tilted his head to the side. Someone was in the antechamber of his quarters.

"Who's there?" he asked, voice a little raspy. It had to be a servant, or perhaps it was Aishizu visiting him? She had been very concerned and had helped taking care of him, when his health was failing. Her calm and cool touch had been reassuring and comfortable, when he thought he was dying from the poison. No answer. Strange. A servant or a guest would've announced himself by now. After his last visit, Mahaado had ordered him plenty of rest, and had reduced the number of servants hovering over him. Shaadah appreciated the silence, but well... lying in bed all day was boring. A visitor was something to look forward to, to break the long, long day. "Who's there?" he repeated.

This weak body! If he had the strength, Shaadah would've gotten out of bed to see for himself what was going on. Maybe he just misheard...? No, the door had opened and closed, he was sure of it. Someone was in his quarters, and a sudden darkness befell him, a feeling of great discomfort and unease. Shaadah shifted in his bed. What had felt like a safe fortress to him, was now restricting him. If he were to call the guards, how soon could they be here?

"I wouldn't." He didn't recognize the low voice. "I know you want to call for your precious guards. Do so, and I'll kill them all."

Shaadah swallowed. For some reason, he knew the stranger was speaking the truth. Craning his neck, he tried to see who had entered his bedroom - and his eyes went wide. The dark red cloak, the choppy bone-white hair...

"Bakura," he said, his throat dry.

"I prefer to be called King of Thieves." The man showed a menacing grin that crinkled the large scar on his cheek. Displaying his remarkably white teeth, Bakura narrowed his brown-reddish eyes and stepped forward, moving around as if he was an invited guest.

"Leave, you fiend," Shaadah said.

"Hear, hear." Bakura's eyes darted through the room, until he spotted the golden Ankh on the dresser. Shaadah couldn't stand being separated from his Item, just like the other Priests, and the servants had put it as close to him as possible. He followed Bakura's gaze, and he coughed and wheezed when realization hit him.

"No! Don't you dare! Don't touch it!"

Bakura walked over and picked up the Item, holding it in his hand as he weighed it. "Exquisite," he said, "but nothing compared to the other Items. This one's used to enter the soul, isn't it?"

"You have no right!" Shaadah tried to get up, wrestling himself free from the sheets. "Put it right back!"

"This one is mine." Bakura grinned at the helpless Priest. "Look at you. I see that at least one of you has been smart enough to figure out what was going on. I won't be underestimating him or the rest... But you, my dear bald Priest... you might've escaped death, but you won't escape this."

All of the sudden, he pressed the Item into Shaadah's hands. Surprised, the Priest looked at him, shocked at how close Bakura's face was to his. The feelings of discomfort tripled as the menacing look on the thief's face scared Shaadah beyond belief. He curled his fingers around his Item, panting harshly.

"You want to take a look at my soul, don't you?" Bakura straightened himself, amused. "Why, go ahead. Take a look and tell me what you see!"

Breathing heavily, Shaadah lifted up the Item. "Show me..." he whispered, as cold sweat trickled down his face. Bakura held his arms wide, as if he was embracing what was about to come. The Ankh lit up brightly, enveloping the thief in a warm glow - but there was nothing warm about the darkness that invaded Shaadah's mind as he glanced into Bakura's soul. Darkness, the darkest black and shadows he'd ever seen, whirling around violently, snapping at each other and curling around each other in a choking hold; so much anger, violence and darkness that it took his breath away. And in the midst of it all, a monster - a kaa so powerful that it shook his entire body.

"Do you like my Diabound?" Bakura's voice came from afar, piercing Shaadah's trance. "Take a good look at him - he'll be the end of you all!"

"It can't be!" Shaadah felt his energy drain away. The fear, the paralyzing fear - it had taken a hold of his body. He wanted to run, as the kaa came closer; shaking and trembling, he saw Diabound, half human, half... monster, with a tail with the head of a snake at the end of it, emitting a power that consumed the Priest. Shocked by what he saw, his already weakened body collapsed, and without any strength left, the Ankh slipped from his hand. Bakura caught the Item before it fell to the floor, and laughed.

"Do you know now what you're up against?" With the Item firmly clutched to his chest, Bakura took one step forward and put his right foot to Shaadah's chest, pushing him back onto the bed. Unable to put up a fight, he rolled onto his back, still gasping. Bakura pressed harder and Shaadah's eyes went wide, his mouth open in a tormented struggle to breathe. The thief's foot started to crush his chest, and with a deranged grin on his face, Bakura pressed harder and harder.

"Shaadah? Is someone with you?" The familiar female voice resonating through the antechamber stopped Bakura in his tracks, but he didn't withdraw his foot.

"Aishizu," Shaadah sobbed. "No...!" His voice was barely audible.

"I brought you something to eat," the Priestess said while the sound of her rustling robes announced her arrival. "You could really use some..." Aishizu entered the bedroom while talking, and she froze on the spot as soon as she saw Bakura. "You...!"

Bakura hadn't moved and certainly didn't hide what he was doing. Tilting his head, he looked at Aishizu, both expectantly and curiously. She met his gaze, refusing to show her fear.

"You're the darkness I saw," she said. "The hatred, the anger..."

"Aishizu... run!" Shaadah wheezed. The Priestess however, didn't seem able to move, as she was transfixed by Bakura.

"That's a pretty necklace," he grinned. "Should I thank the Gods for their goodness, as they grant me two Items at once?"

"How dare you mock them?" She noticed the Ankh in his hand. "What are you after?"

"Aishizu!" Shaadah tried to cry out, and everything happened at the same moment. Aishizu dropped the small bowl with food and turned around to run away, but Bakura was faster. He grabbed her slim wrist, yanked her back and he hooked the Ankh under her Tauk, all but tearing the necklace away from her. The cord snapped and she shrieked in pain and surprise. The thief twisted her arm cruelly and forced her to the floor. Aishizu had no choice but to obey and she knelt down, holding back her tears.

"Weak," Bakura repeated. "It's never fun to toy around with the weak. Only the strong are worthy enough to torture and break. You're only here to whet my appetite." Discarding the Priestess, he walked over to where the Tauk had dropped to the floor and he picked it up. "You can scream for the guards if you want to," he said.

"I don't want good men to be killed needlessly," Aishizu said. She moved her arm and her dia d'ankh unfolded. "Spi..." Bakura shot forward and landed his hand in her neck before she could finish calling for her kaa. With a soft sigh, her body went limp.

"Fiend! Leave her alone!"

Bakura didn't bother answering. Instead, his face held a greedy, eager look as he stared at the two Items, the Ankh and the Tauk, in his hands. He stepped over Aishizu and walked back to the antechamber. Shaadah couldn't believe that the thief was just going to walk out of his quarters, the same way he had arrived. Who is this man... no, what is this man? He called Aishizu's name a few times, softly and hesitantly, afraid that Bakura would return. Nothing but silence. He had to wait for the Priestess to wake up, if she ever would; from his position in the bed, Shaadah hadn't been able to see if Bakura had knocked her out or killed her. He sunk into prayer, desperately praying for help.


"Great Pharaoh, Shimon Muran is here to see you." The young servant bowed to Atemu and kept his head low, not looking the son of the Gods straight in the eyes. Atemu had left his private quarters to work at the library, situated in the north wing of the Palace. Here, almost no sound would reach him and with the exception of the guards in front of the door, he was all alone. He could focus his concentration without interruptions, but so far, Atemu hadn't done any reading or working. The only thing on his mind had been Karim, and his kiss. How could he not have noticed his Priest having… feelings for him? And what did he feel in return? Karim was strong and protective, and he made him feel so safe and at ease. But it was unfair to Mahaado, his friend since childhood. The magician-Priest had always been a stable, naturally, obvious support and companion in his life. He had expected Mahaado to give him his first kiss; Karim had taken him by surprise, but not a surprise he was going to protest too much. What did this all mean? What did it say about him?

"Very well, send him in." Atemu rolled up the papyri he was supposed to be reading. His hand went briefly to his neck, adjusting the colorful scarf. As per Mahaado's advice, Atemu refrained from wearing the heavy golden necklace until his skin had fully healed. The dark bruises had turned yellowish; the healing process went much too slow to his liking.

"Great Pharaoh, how are you today?"

"I am fine, Shimon. It is good to see you."

The bond between vizier and Pharaoh was a strong one. After Akunamukanon's passing, Shimon didn't take over as a 'father'. He consoled Atemu in his grief, but treated him as an adult; Atemu was thirteen at the time, and as the Prince, now Pharaoh, he was old enough to rule the entire country. He assisted him with his valuable advice, always on the background, always there to listen and to help. His presence was a given one; Shimon had served the royal family for generations. To seek the Pharaoh actively out though, was something that alarmed Atemu. He hadn't expected the vizier to look for him in the library; it had to be important.

Shimon stood next to Atemu's desk and waited. Even the most revered vizier didn't boss the Pharaoh around. Atemu got up from his chair and guided Shimon towards the seats close to the large window, which were more comfortable than the regular library stools. Another servant brought refreshments and left discreetly. Atemu took it to himself to serve Shimon, pouring the elderly man some palm wine.

"Thank you, Great Pharaoh." Shimon waited until Atemu finished pouring himself water, knowing that the Pharaoh wasn't very fond of wine.

"What would you like to talk about, Shimon?"

"In the light of the... previous events, there's something you should know." Shimon's eyes traveled to Atemu's neck, then darted back to his goblet of wine. "Of course, not much is being held from you. You have your Priests, you have me, to inform you about daily life, the people, the nation... but Great Pharaoh, there's something brewing that might affect your view on the people involved, and it might muddle your judgment and understanding of what's going on."

Atemu leaned forward. "What do you mean, Shimon? My father was honest and fair in life, and I can not think of any dark or deep secret that he could keep from me, neither my Priests would..."

"It's not like that, Great Pharaoh." Shimon shook his head. "It's about the relationship between two people that might be a considerable influence on everything."

Atemu turned red. For a moment, he truly feared that Shimon would talk about him and Karim. Had anyone seen them kiss?

"It has to do with one of your Priests, or two, actually," Shimon said. "Priest Akunadin has been at the Palace about as long as I have. Therefore, I think it's imperative that you should finally know this. He is your late father's brother."

"What?" Atemu spilled his water. "Why was I never told?"

"Your father was a wise man, but he thought that it wasn't important that you knew about this." The vizier sipped his wine. "He was afraid that knowledge about this relationship would cause prejudice or favoritism. He wanted you to have an objective and fair view on all of your Priests."

"But, he is family!" Atemu exclaimed, almost aghast. He'd never thought in a million years that he would be related to the silent, aloof Priest. He wanted to shudder. "How can this knowledge... of Akunadin being my uncle... be tied to what's going on in the Palace?"

"Everything, Great Pharaoh," Shimon answered gravely. "Everything. For you see, though Akunadin doesn't covet the throne for himself, he wants to secure it for another person."

Atemu frowned. Akunadin coveting the throne? A political coup?

"Akunadin had a family of his own," the vizier continued, not disturbed by Atemu's growing discomfort. "He left his wife and son to serve his brother, the Pharaoh, as best as he could. He was always there, standing in the shadows, serving, showing his loyalty and dedication… but he wasn't the Pharaoh, and in his long life, envy and jealousy started to grow and infest. The shock was hard on him when his son followed in his footsteps. The same vocation for Priest came to him as well."

"His son is a Priest at the Court? Both father and son are a Priest, here?" Atemu couldn't keep the growing surprise out of his voice.

"Yes," Shimon said. "Set is Akunadin's son."

"Set is...Akunadin's son?" Atemu repeated. Shimon nodded, his face sincere.

"Yes, Great Pharaoh. I'm afraid that the attempts on your life are Akunadin's doing, to make sure that after your death, his son will ascend to the Throne."

"I can not believe it," Atemu said. "Akunadin has always been very loyal. Not once has he ever shown or indicated any resentment or hatred towards me..."

"Of course he hasn't," Shimon said, almost airily. "He's a cunning man, Great Pharaoh. He has the patience of a saint when it comes to putting his plans to work. When these plans of his come to fruition..."

Atemu stared at his vizier, abhorred. "I refuse to believe it!"

"I strongly advice you to heed my words, Great Pharaoh. Akunadin want his son on the throne. He knows his own days are almost over, just like mine. We're old, but not dead yet! Before he dies, he wants his son to take the place that was denied to him when your father, his brother, took up the throne and became Pharaoh. You have to believe me!"

Atemu shook his head. "It still does not make any difference. I refuse to believe that one of my own Priests is behind the attacks and wants to see me dead."

Shimon threw his hands up in despair. "Great Pharaoh! This is a very dangerous situation. He already tried twice, and poisoned Shaadah to boot, what more is he capable of? Akunadin likes the work in the shadows, unnoticed until it's too late. I don't want to bury another Pharaoh."

Atemu lowered his eyes. "My apologies, Shimon. I did not mean to doubt your words. But what you are telling me... does Set know?"

"No, Great Pharaoh. Akunadin left his family to answer his vocation for priesthood, not aware in the last that his own son would end up at the same Court. Set was too young to remember."

"Did he ever talk to him about it?"

"I don't know. Akunadin has his own reasons," Shimon merely said, shrugging. "I must say, Great Pharaoh, in all those years we both served the royal family and the Court, we never talked much. He's not the kind of person to interact socially, or abundantly. I only know because Akunadin told me himself... a slip of the tongue, but I had overheard. He asked me not to tell anyone and I respected his wish until now."

Shimon finished the last of his wine. Atemu remained silent. To think that Akunadin was Set's father... and Set hadn't the slightest idea of his relation to the elderly Priest. Akunadin had created such a distance between himself and his son that it was probably impossible to overcome. Two attacks in two days. Akunadin is Set's father, and he wants to put him on the throne. Would he really go through this kind of trouble? If Akunadin really likes to work in the shadows, would he have chosen such open attacks like these? Or is the King of Thieves his henchman, doing all his dirty work?

"Would you like some more water, Great Pharaoh? It's very refreshing."

"Yes, thank you." Atemu took the cup from Shimon and drank, just to busy his hands.

"I'm sorry if I disrupted your afternoon with this, ah, revelation," Shimon said. "I know this news must be hard to take..."

"It is quite the revelation," Atemu agreed. "To think that Set is my cousin... well, if he does not know he is Akunadin's son, he probably does not know that he is my cousin either."

"I'm fairly sure the High Priest is unaware of it all. Akunadin was very strict to him during his studies, never showing any sign of parental love. I'm very sure that Akunadin never talked to Set about this."

Atemu stared into his cup, pondering. Would it be helpful to Set if he knew all about this, or would it hinder him in his daily life? Not everyone got to learn one day to another that they were related to the son of the Gods. "I will take into consideration what you have said, Shimon," he finally spoke. "Let us keep this between ourselves for now. I am grateful that you told me, but I am not going to inform Set at this time."

"That might be for the best," Shimon agreed. "It might confuse him, or cause huge strain between him and Akunadin, and it could spiral into a very bad, bad situation."

"Set does not even want the Throne," Atemu muttered. "He would simply refuse, and Akunadin's plan would fail."

"Nonetheless, he would plunge Khemet into darkness and despair," Shimon said ominously. "You have to be careful, Great Pharaoh. We can't afford to lose you."

"Do not worry," Atemu said. "I was not planning to give into any kind of darkness soon."

Shimon looked at him, a faint smile lingering on his lips. "You are far stronger than that."

"With the help of my Priests and my vizier," Atemu said.

"With our help, yes," Shimon repeated, contently.


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