"Pharaoh... Pharaoh!"
"Mahaado, do something!"
"How long is it going to take for him to regain consciousness?"
"You will need to have patience."
"I want to know if he is all right or not!"
"He is alive."
"He does not open his eyes...!"
"Patience, Set!"
If he had been able to, Atemu would've snorted. Some things would never change - Set and patience were like water and fire. A patient Set would be a terrible thing. It made him feel relieved, somehow - if everyone had been standing silently around his bed... that would mean he was dying. Atemu coughed, and his lungs responded with a fierce burn. He gasped for air, his body cramping and tensing, reliving the fight again. Something was wrapped around his neck, and as soon as Atemu registered the pressure against his skin, he panicked. His hands shot up, fingers clawing at the cloth, trying to pry it off.
"Pharaoh! Pharaoh, please, no!"
Karim's voice mingled with Mahaado's and Set's, all urging him to not touch the cloth. Large hands covered his, gently, and only that gentle touch kept Atemu from going into a total frenzy. He calmed down, recognizing the voices; only familiar people were around him. He dropped his hands and slowly it started to dawn to him that the covers and pillows of the bed felt cool, as well as the cloth wrapped around his neck. The burning pain was gone, and he figured that Mahaado probably had put some ointment on his skin.
"What…what happened?" he managed to say, voice croaked and hoarse.
"Pharaoh, please open your eyes," Karim urged him. Atemu frowned, wondering why the Priest requested that- but when he tried to open his eyes, he had to wonder why it took him so much effort. Blinking a few times, he stared at the ceiling, then he tilted his head to see the others: Set and Mahaado, with Set standing and Mahaado sitting on the bed, a bowl on his lap. It was his own bedroom, Atemu realized; a wave of relief went through him, calming him even more.
Karim clasped his hands together. "The Gods have been merciful and wise! We have to thank them extra in prayer tonight!"
Atemu tried to speak again, but after his first words, his voice deteriorated even more. "What happened?" he repeated.
"Careful, Great Pharaoh," Mahaado shushed him, then addressed Karim: "Bring some of the tea with honey, please."
The Priest nodded and left the bedside, to return quickly with a cup of lukewarm tea. Usually Atemu preferred his tea hot, but he understood that his throat was too sensitive to deal with any scorching liquids right now. Careful, he sipped the tea; Mahaado held the cup to his lips with the utmost care. Even this small movement drained Atemu of his remaining strength, and he reclined into the pillows. A million questions raced through his mind.
"We found you on the floor," Karim started to explain. Set looked bored and annoyed, the Sennen Rod clutched to his chest, ready to kill with it. "The guards heard some stumbling noises, but they didn't think much of it, unfortunately. When they finally barged through the doors, they saw you lying on the floor... and they immediately called for us."
"I have thrown those bumbling fools into the dungeons," Set interrupted. "Lazy, incompetent fools! They should have checked up on you as soon as they heard the first noise!"
Atemu made a weak gesture with his hand for his High Priest to calm down. A headache was coming up and he wasn't in the mood for a heated discussion. Set shut his mouth, though he pursed his lips irritably- he didn't like being silenced.
"We'll deal with the guards later," Karim said. "There was no one in your room though, Great Pharaoh. You were lying on the floor with the Puzzle tied around your neck."
Shocked, Atemu reached for his chest, the familiar weight of the golden Puzzle gone.
"Do not worry," Mahaado said soothingly, "the Item is next to you, Great Pharaoh. There is nothing wrong with it."
"Why was it not stolen?" It was difficult to speak, his voice nothing but a hoarse whisper. Mahaado held the cup against Atemu's lips and he gratefully sipped some more tea.
"I don't think this…action was meant to steal the Puzzle. It was meant to take your life," Karim said, sobering. He frowned, not liking what he just had said.
"It is for the best if you are surrounded with guards day and night, even in your private quarters," Set said. "It is obvious that you are not safe here. I am still investigating how someone could have reached the balcony from the outside, though I have never been happy why you chose this over the more secure quarters at the back of the Palace."
"Very well," Atemu waved at him again, ignoring the comment. "Do as you need to do."
"Our Pharaoh needs rest," Mahaado said. "Set, please have guards outside the door, and instruct them well to respond to every strange sound they hear. I do not wish a repetition of the earlier event."
Set nodded, albeit through gritted teeth. He didn't respond well to critique either. "I will handpick the new guards myself."
Atemu groaned. That meant that he was going to be surrounded by guards with every step he took. He wasn't in a position to protest, though; the situation had taken a turn for the worse. First the poisoned dart, now a physical attack. Karim tilted his head a little as if he were about to say something, but decided against it the very last moment and turned to leave the room, together with Set. Atemu could hear them exchange orders and ideas until the door closed behind them.
Mahaado pulled up the covers of the bed. "I have wrapped that cloth around your neck, drenched in soothing aloe and a mixture of calming herbs. It is good for raw, abraded skin."
Atemu sighed softly, allowing the other to tuck him in like a little child. "I can barely feel..."
"That is what I was aiming for," Mahaado chuckled softly, and then turned serious quickly. "Your skin was chafed and bleeding, Great Pharaoh. Whoever did this, he was quite forceful. The pattern of the rope was completely engraved due to the sheer force he pulled it with."
"And one minute... no, a few seconds more, and he would have attained his goal."
"I do not understand. A poisonous dart yesterday, a physical attack today…what is coming of this world?"
"I do not know either... how is Mana?"
"She is running through the Palace frantically, thinking she can catch the culprit herself." Mahaado shook his head. "I allow her to, my Pharaoh, because she needs to vent her energy. She needs to let of some steam."
Atemu couldn't help but to touch the cloth wrapped around his neck, grateful that Mahaado's knowledge of healing herbs took away most of the painful, stinging sensation. He could still feel some of the pain, but it was bearable. "Thank you."
"For what, Great Pharaoh?"
He smiled. He'd noticed Mahaado's earlier slip, addressing him with 'my' instead of 'great' Pharaoh. Atemu decided to let it slide; Mahaado had been upset and he didn't deserve to be berated. Besides, they were friends, and there had been no one else to hear it. He closed his eyes again, feeling comfortable in the other's presence. The silence was comfortable, and Atemu's breathing became steady and regular again. His hands were next to his sides, as his chest heaved steadily in a regular pattern. Mahaado was still sitting on the bed, and Atemu didn't mind that he stayed with him. Slowly, he was drifting off to sleep... when he suddenly felt a light touch at his neck. A brief moment of panic made his breathing hitch, only to calm down immediately again, as he assumed it was Mahaado. No threat or violence went out form this touch, fingertips briefly touching his skin, and Atemu heaved a very soft sigh.
He continued to doze, not alarmed. The warm fingers poked and prodded indeed at the cloth, adding more of the healing concoction; the cool, refreshing paste lightly tingling on his skin. Turning his head a little to the side, it did come as a surprise when the same fingers touched his cheek. Atemu remained calm, pretending to be asleep, even though his heart beat faster and faster. Apparently Mahaado thought he really was asleep and the Priest took some…liberty in his usual demeanor around the Pharaoh. His touch was soothing and comforting, and certainly not unwelcome... Unconsciously, he leaned into the touch, tilting his head some more. The fingers moved up, caressing his face, tracing the outlines of his nose, lips and chin. No word was spoken, nothing but warmth and solace was shared, and Atemu was soothed into sleep, with pleasant dreams, despite the earlier events.
Set drummed with his fingers on his desk as usual, his eyes glaring at everyone present in the room. Aishizu sat right in front of him, fingers plucking at her Item. Shaadah and Akunadin stood in the corner of the room, talking in a hushed tone. Mahaado stood next to Karim, the youngest Priests automatically searching each other out. They were all very aware of the grave nature of this meeting.
"This has to stop," Set said out loud. "Two murder attempts on our Pharaoh's life, and we do not have any idea where to look! People talk about a King of Thieves, but he still eludes us, managing to stay out of our grasp. What are your opinions about this? Karim? Shaadah?"
"I don't know what to do," Karim took the lead. "Someone has been able to climb up the walls to reach the Pharaoh's balcony, or he knows how to infiltrate from the inside!"
Set frowned. That was a possibility he hadn't thought of earlier, and it annoyed him: he was supposed to see everything, to notice everything. The thought of infiltration on the inside was difficult to swallow; he had selected the people closest to the Pharaoh himself, and he was sure they wouldn't dream of hurting him. Could he have been so wrong? Had he displaced his trust, had he been deluded?
"We have to submit everyone to a close inspection," he finally said. "I already discharged everyone from the Palace who has no business here."
"You mean you denied them the public audience?"
"There will be no public audience until this is settled," Set snarled. "Do you really think I want to expose our Pharaoh to more opportunities to kill him?"
"What happened is regrettable," Mahaado said, "but we can not keep the people from seeing the Pharaoh. That is against his wishes!"
"As long as our Pharaoh does not object, there will be no more public audiences," Set repeated firmly.
"He has not objected because he is resting, recovering from two murder attempts in such short time!"
"Exactly, that is why I have called off the public audiences. However, to avoid panic among the people, I have announced that the audiences will resume shortly. I do not want the nation to worry. We have to be careful with what we're saying."
"Yes, you're right," Karim agreed. "If we divulge that the Pharaoh is not feeling well, the nation will be in uproar and the delegates will probably use it as leverage in their negotiations."
"Speaking of the delegates... as our Pharaoh indicated, I want them all to be kept an eye on," Set ordered, and looked at the other Priests. It didn't elude him that neither Shaadah nor Akunadin participated in the discussion. Akunadin barely spoke in general, but sometimes he would interject with a comment or some advice. Shaadah was unusually quiet. Standing next to his fellow Priest, he kept the hood of his robes down, concealing his head, and his hands covered by the large sleeves, as if he wanted to make himself look invisible. "Priest Shaadah?"
Shaken out of his thoughts, the man looked up. "Ah! Eh... I think we have to go with what you just said, High Priest. The Pharaoh needs to be protected, at all costs."
"Very well. We will do whatever we can to protect him," Set said, sharing a stern look with Mahaado and Karim. Aishizu muttered something inaudible.
"Priestess Aishizu?"
"I can't see a thing," she said, referring to her Item, the Tauk, that granted her glimpses of the future.
"You can not see?"
"I can't see our Pharaoh's future," she whispered. "I can't see if they succeed in killing him or not…"
"They?"
"The people... they... whoever is behind all of this. I can't get a clear image. I can't see who is all behind of this."
"If only that were possible," Karim sighed.
"I will continue interrogating everyone," Set got up from behind his desk. "The rest of you will sweep the city of any suspect people. Together we will work on protecting the Pharaoh."
Everyone in the room agreed, and the Priests prepared to leave. Set walked over to see everyone out, but before Shaadah could leave, the tall High Priest took him by the arm.
"Are you all right, Priest Shaadah?"
The Priest eyed him with a surprised, almost frightened look on his face. "Of course, Set! I am... upset by the latest events. Our Pharaoh is in danger, and there isn't much we can do about it."
Shaadah lifted up his arm to get out of Set's grasp, and the sleeve of his robe fell back, revealing his hand. Set's sharp eye immediately noticed the abrasions on the man's fingers.
"You are injured," he said.
The Priest shook his head. "Injured? No, I was out all day yesterday on horseback to search for the Pharaoh's attacker... my hands are chafed from the reins."
Set narrowed his eyes. The angry red stripes marred the palms of Shaadah's hands, but the High Priest couldn't determine if the abrasions match up with the forceful tying of the rope of the Pharaoh's Puzzle or riding on horseback for hours. Shaadah had been outside all day yesterday, he wasn't lying about that. Set let go of the other's arm, but it didn't escape him that Shaadah turned around and moved away from him quickly.
"How is he feeling today?" Shimon Muran kept his voice low as he stood next to Atemu'ss bed. The Pharaoh appeared to be asleep; his head was turned to the side, eyes closed. Karim urged a female servant away and focused his attention on the vizier.
"He's doing a lot better, if it weren't for his throat being horribly red and blue," the Priest said.
"Red and blue?"
Karim gave an apologetic smile. "It's red from where the rope cut into his skin, and blue from where the attacker's hands pressed against it," he said. "It's an ugly mess, and it's really disheartening to see him like this. It's a miracle that he can still talk."
"I take it he gets the best of care," the elderly man said, his ceremonial hat shifting with every movement.
"But of course!" Karim tempered his voice. "Nothing but the best for our Pharaoh."
The vizier smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "We wouldn't want to lose him as we did his father."
Karim shook his head fiercely. "Absolutely not, great vizier. The nation suffered a great loss when Pharaoh Akunamukanon died. We only have his son now, and we pray to the Gods that they won't call him by their side as well. We need him too much here."
Shimon didn't comment on that, looking down at Atemu, who had turned over to his right side, breathing regular. The cloth wrapped around his neck was a bitter reminder of the earlier attack. "A good, blissful rest," he muttered. "Stand guard, Karim."
"I will," the Priest said and to stress his words, he took a stand right next to Atemu's bed. Shimon barely gave a nod before he left the bedroom, crossing the living quarters to get to the exit. The four guards standing outside respectfully stepped aside, and Shimon mumbled an inaudible greeting as he passed them. He scratched his beard. The nation needed Atemu, certainly. If they were to lose another Pharaoh in such a short time... the neighboring countries would deem them weak and possibly start up a war if they thought Khemet would crumble without the hands of a firm ruler.
"Vizier," he heard a voice, and Shimon turned around.
"Priest Akunadin," he said, a little warily. Both men were in the same age range, though truthfully, Akunadin was younger than Shimon. Despite serving the Pharaonic family for generations, they had never grown close, mostly due to their different positions. They both kept their distance, a natural amount of distrust between them. The tall and slim Akunadin, against the short, pudgy Shimon.
"What can I do for you?" Shimon asked.
"You have visited our Pharaoh? How is he doing?"
"So far so good," Shimon answered. "I left Karim with him; he'll make sure nothing happens to him... again."
"It's unbelievable," Akunadin shook his head, "that someone dared to enter his private quarters and tried to..."
"Choke the life out of him," Shimon supplied, not beating around the bush. "As soon as the Pharaoh is awake again, I'll have him moving out of those quarters as soon as possible."
"Our Pharaoh likes his balcony, overlooking the city," Akunadin said dryly. "No matter how many people have pointed out that it's a terrible weakness in his protection, he still wants to have that stupid balcony."
"He wants to stay in touch with the common people," Shimon objected. "Living at the other side of the Palace would make him overlook the gardens, not the city."
"The gardens are less lethal."
"Priest Akunadin..!"
"Set is looking into it. With his dedication, we'll have the culprit in no time."
"We have to be aware of the fact that in a very short time, two murder attempts at the Pharaoh's life have been executed. We don't want a third to happen, let alone succeed."
Akunadin stiffened. "The almighty Gods will stand by their son and protect him from such a terrible fate."
"They didn't protect Akunamukanon enough," Shimon said.
"Someone is after the royal family." Akunadin heaved a sigh.
"I doubt it. Akunamukanon died of natural causes."
Akunadin looked away. Shimon eyed the Priest. The man looked a little unfocused, nervous even... what was on the other's mind? What does he know?
"Were you on your way to visit the Pharaoh?"
"I was," Akunadin answered, startled. "But if he's asleep, I better let him rest, of course. After all, recovering from another attack will take enough of his energy already."
"I'm sure he'll be back to this old self in no time," Shimon said, encouragingly. "He's young and strong. We'll all be waiting for Set's investigations, of course. If there's anyone who can find out what's going on and who's responsible for this, it's him."
Akunadin agreed. "If you need me, vizier, I'll be in my quarters, awaiting the results and the orders of the Pharaoh as soon as he's awake again."
"Very well. I'll send a message to the other Priests that future meetings are adjourned until further notice, and you can dedicate yourself to your studies or other work." All of the priests held their own field of specialization; they used their scarce free time to perform their own research, or to study and read. Whereas Mahaado had his heka studies, Shaadah was an avert reader of philosophical works, and Aishizu collected ancient maps as to enlarge the general knowledge of the world. Akunadin busied himself with the Shrine of Wedju were all the kaa were kept; he was the official guardian of the mystical pyramid, studying the kaa monsters and their effects.
"Thank you," Akunadin said and bowed, only very slightly, to the vizier. Shimon was about to walk away, when he suddenly halted, showing the other a sweet smile.
"By the way, how's your son?"
"My son?" Akunadin didn't show any surprise, though he raised an eyebrow. "He's doing fine, great vizier. You know that."
"It must be great, having family so close to you," Shimon commented and turned around, his hands loosely on his back, humming a tune, leaving the Priest to stare at him as he disappeared out of sight.