"Mahaado...I am a dying man."
"Great Pharaoh, please, do not speak like that."
The man coughed, tilting his head towards the young Priest sitting next to his bed.
"We both know it ends here. It is only because of your healing magic that I have made it this far."
Mahaado bowed his head solemnly, the fabric of his headpiece shifting over his shoulders. It was the only sound in the darkened room, besides the heavy breathing of the man in the bed. Pharaoh Akunamukanon wasn't afraid of dying. The illness that was taking its toll on him had changed nothing of his fierce, stern appearance, if only for his eyes being hollow and deep, his skin a little gray instead of bronze...
Poison, Mahaado was sure of it. He gritted his teeth. The last few days had proven him completely powerless to this specific poison, no matter how many elaborate concoctions and potions he tried as an antidote. The Great Pharaoh would've died sooner without Mahaado's efforts, and despite not feeling any pain, he was withering away quickly, suffering indignantly of the effects of the poison.
The Pharaoh heaved a sigh, immediately followed by a harsh coughing fit. Mahaado quickly reached to the left and took a goblet of water from the nightstand. He lifted it up to the man's lips. Akunamukanon drank thirstily, the water spilling over his chin, into his beard.
Mahaado dabbed at the Pharaoh's face with a clean piece of cloth, but the man batted at his hand with an annoyed, frustrated look on his face. He sank back into the pillows, another sigh spilling over his lips.
"I thought death would be more heroic," he said, chest heaving as he was laboring to draw the next breath. "Like a blaze of glory, going out like a hero on a battlefield, instead of lying in a bed, fighting for each intake of breath and feeling weak and tired."
"You will always be remembered, Great Pharaoh," Mahaado said, keeping an eye on the man to anticipate his next need. How could someone have gotten so close to the Pharaoh to poison him? Something in his food? In his drink? How?
"Remembered as the old man that died in his bed from a stupid disease," Akunamukanon repeated and coughed again. Mahaado hadn't dare to tell the Pharaoh his thoughts on the poison, as there was a slight chance he might be wrong... a very, very slight chance.
"Some forces are stronger in life than life itself," Mahaado said.
"Death is not the end of it," Akunamukanon mussed. "My ancestors will be happy to see me, and I will be happy to see them."
Mahaado nodded. This family line had been very strong, gifting Khemet with the most intelligent and fair of Pharaohs. It was due to Akunamukanon's rule that wars had been ended and peace had been established between several nations. Under his reign, trade had boomed, structuring society into the well-oiled nation it was today. A silence fell between them, and Mahaado listened to the man's breathing, that went slower by the minute. He tried to muster up the courage to ask the Pharaoh if he wanted to see his son, as it was obvious that he was running out of time quickly.
"Mahaado," he suddenly spoke, voice surprisingly strong.
"Yes, Great Pharaoh?" Mahaado leaned into him, the Sennen Ring shifting with the movement. Akunamukanon lifted up his hand, fisting it into Mahaado's robes as if he wanted to pull him closer. The young Priest bowed his head.
"Mahaado," the Pharaoh said, "I want you to... take care of my son. Please look after him... "
"I will," the priest said, a little too quickly. He missed the sudden smile on the Pharaoh's face as he was looking down, and the elder man relaxed his grip a little.
"Atemu is a wonderful son... he will make an excellent ruler," the Pharaoh continued. "Still, I am afraid... he is so young, he does not need to be burdened with all these responsibilities so soon. And I am a little afraid that he tends to overly focus on one single thing, especially if his pride is in danger."
"I know," Mahaado softly chuckled.
"Please take good care of him. He needs someone as trustworthy as you by his side. He needs someone to... force him to take a step back when things get out of control. He has an even greater sense of justice than me... please make sure he will not get himself into something more than he can handle."
"I will," Mahaado said. "I promise, I swear to you that I will stand by his side and look after him."
"Thank you." Akunamkanon let go of Mahaado's robes, his hand falling limply on the embroidered bed sheets.
"Your loyalty and dedication to our family has always been an anchor to me. I know I can count on you."
"Of course, Great Pharaoh..."
"I want to see my son," he interrupted him. Mahaado nodded, straightening himself. The moment had come, and this was something between father and son, not father and Priest. He left the large room quietly, looking into the long hallway. The other Priests of the Court: Priestess Aishizu, High Priest Set, Karim, Shaadah and Akunadin, quickly looked up, staring at him curiously. Mahaado shook his head briefly, and turned towards Atemu. The young prince was leaning against the wall, his hand tangled with Mana's. The girl was Mahaado's Apprentice and just a good friend of Atemu's as he was. The three of them had grown up together, with Mahaado taking the role of the elder brother and a teacher. Her usually cheerful face was silent, an unnatural sight. The whole atmosphere was loaded with sadness and grief, and Mahaado could feel his heart break as he mouthed to Atemu to follow him. A ripple of rumors went through the people waiting outside; if the son had been called to the Pharaoh's bed, it wouldn't take much longer...
Closing the doors behind the prince, Mahaado turned to take his place among his fellow priests. Mana immediately latched onto him, barely able to withhold her tears. Normally he would've discouraged her (though never scold her), but he understood well enough that she needed the consolation and the support, so he remained silent. A little clumsily, he moved his arm around her, in an awkward hug.
He looked at the other Priests. Aishizu, right in front of him, was like an open book: grief and sadness in her eyes yet her gentle strength was shining through. She would stand upright and share her kind words and compassion with everyone, neglecting her own grief until everyone else had been consoled. Mahaado made a mental note to keep an eye on her, that the Priestess wouldn't overexert herself. Shaadah, next to Aishizu, looked stern and sad, his face unreadable. He would keep all his sadness to himself, burying him in work until he was convinced he had dealt with the grief. Mahaado made a mental note as to keep an eye on Shaadah as well; the priest would rather work himself to death than to acknowledge his own sadness.
He didn't need to look at Set, standing next to him. The High Priest was like a statue, and talking to him about 'emotions' and 'feelings' would only result into a scolding lecture. Mahaado didn't know how Set would deal with grief; he probably would file it under 'G' and not bother to look at it again because it interfered with his usual schedule. Karim, standing on Set's left, would also try to console others first before thinking of himself; for such a tall, buff man he was surprisingly... compassionate. The last priest was Akunadin, someone Mahaado never exactly knew how to deal with; the man would probably keep to himself as always, and not talk about it. For some reason, Mahaado thought that no one wanted to talk to Akunadin about emotions either; the elderly Priest wasn't that much loved or favored.
The nation's vizier, Shimon Murat, was looking down, hands folded in front of him. He'd been the Pharaoh's advisor for so long, he was so close to the royal family that it felt like someone of his own family was dying. Shimon's age was unknown, but he was older than anyone in the Palace, and he'd seen generations come and go. The man had confessed to Mahaado to feel guilty, as his age far surpassed the Pharaoh's and yet the Gods had decided to take Akunamukanon, not him. Mahaado felt uncomfortable. The Gods... with the help of someone..? Poison doesn't find its way to someone just like that...
The doors to the royal quarters were opened. Mana pressed closer to Mahaado, as if she wanted to crawl under his robes. Atemu closed the door behind him again; his face a cold, stone mask.
"The Gods have called for my father and he has answered," he said, voice too low for a young boy. "He will be with his father, and his father, and his forefathers, to rejoice in this new life, forever after."
Everyone in the hallway kneeled for their new Pharaoh, as custom described. Mahaado pulled Mana with him to force her to kneel as well. She had the greatest trouble refraining from crying, as Akunamukanon had been like a father to her.
Set was the first to rise again, his long robes rustling with the movement. His voice had no problems carrying throughout the whole hall, deep and forceful.
"All hail our new Pharaoh! Long live Pharaoh Atemu!"
The people repeated his words, not once, but twice. Atemu smiled a little watery, his eyes searching out Mahaado. But before he could talk to his friend and Priest, Set started ordering the clerics and other priests around.
"Execute all the preparations for the burial and the crowning ceremony. Have declarations send out to let the entire nation know! If there are any problems or questions, you will come to me. No one is to bother our new Pharaoh until things are perfectly arranged!"
A flurry of people crowded the hallway before dissolving to follow up on all the orders. The other priests, with the exception of Mahaado, left as well, occupied with their tasks. Mana jumped forward as guards were already surrounding Atemu, and she easily slipped through their security. Just as she grabbed his hand again, a guard noticed her and pulled her roughly away.
"Hey! Stay away from the Pharaoh!"
"Let me go!" Mana yelped. Atemu turned around, looking aghast at the guard who held Mana's wrist in a tight grip.
"Let her go, right now!" He barked, his voice lashing out. Everyone halted, frozen mid-step. "Anyone touching this girl will be beheaded," he growled. "Let go of her now, or else..!"
Immediately the guard let go of her and Mana stumbled forward, letting out an indignant cry. She turned around to wave her magic wand in his face.
"If you ever do this to me again, I'll turn you into a fish!" She yelled.
"Enough of that," Mahaado's voice cut her off, calmly and composed. "The guards now know that you are permitted being close to our Pharaoh. They were only doing their work, Apprentice. Now, let us continue, there is much we need to do."
Mana grabbed Atemu's hand and when she thought that no one was watching, she stuck her tongue out to the guard. Mahaado wasn't watching her indeed, too much caught in his own thoughts. In these last few weeks, the whole nation had been preparing for the unavoidable bad news, ever since the first rumors had been spreading as soon as the Great Pharaoh fell ill. It was the most confusing of times: mourning and grief for their late ruler, yet excitement and celebration of the coronation of the new Pharaoh. Death and life, sadness and joy, so close together. It... it just wasn't fair.