Ahkmenrah: The Fourth King of the Fourth Kings

Chapter 31: Remembering

She had defiant look in her almost silver eyes. But then it changed to sadness. She barely managed to whisper what seemed to trouble her.

At first Khufu was shocked. How could they be so reckless? He should force her to terminate the child. But then he realised something. Maybe this could work to his advantage. Maybe this whole situation can work to his advantage. But he would have to carry out his plan after the war. Other wise he would destroy Egypt, then the Tablet would be useless.

Ismara saw this in Khufu's eyes. She knew now that she could keep the child. But it would be to the advantage of an enemy.

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Shepseheret comforted her sister in law Hetephres. Well at least she tried to. It's rather hard to comfort a mother once she had lost her child.

Hetephres cried and cried. It was almost as if she had the whole Nile River flowing from her eyes.

Shepseheret couldn't do anything but listen. Advice was useless. But listening wasn't. Sometimes people just need someone to be there rather than to dictate their feelings. Shepseheret understood. She too had motherly feelings for Ramses. Not one soul in Egypt had a a bad word to say against him. She had even seen Ramses transform Khufu into a new person, someone who was younger and less sullen. Khufu was like any jolly old uncle when he was with Ramses. Oh the power of purity that a child possesses.

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Kain felt as if life was useless. But he knew this was just a phase. He can't lose the power to live not now. Not when Awan and Egypt needed him.

He remembered Nailah's smile.

He remembered how she would laugh.

But mostly how she had learnt to trust him. The first time they met they had connection. He didn't want to hurt her. He respected her. She had slowly learnt to trust him. She had also learnt to love him.

But she had missed Egypt. He had set her free then. If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. If they don't, they never were.

Sure enough she had come back to Awan a free woman. She had come with her family to thank him for returning her. By then his young features had become timeless, ageless golden, he looked even stronger than before. And she looked lovelier and happier than ever. Her dark eyes glittered with a new life. After a lengthy discussion with her father, they had agreed to get married.

But that day never came. And now he was immobilised.

Then a soft memory came to him. Soft in its atmosphere but strong in its message.

That was when he knew he won't give up on life. He had a dream once. A cause to fight for. He wasn't going to give up now. Even if his source of inspiration was dead, his cause wasn't.

One day he will free all the slaves.

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That night Kahmunrah told Ahkmenrah that he had to go somewhere, to drown his sorrows. Ahkmenrah didn't question him. He was planning to drown out his sorrows as well through his vice. Alcohol. They strongest they had. He'd prefer that his brother wasn't there to see him dead drunk. 

When Kahmunrah was gone Ahkmenrah took a bottle of alcohol from a large stash that he hid rather cleverly in his chest of clothes.

He brought the bottle to his lips and took a large swig. But before he sunk into oblivion he wondered How the hell did I manage to knock that sword out of Sabra's hand?

He remembered a strange sensation. A sensation he would only get when he thought of the Tablet. Did the Tablet give him powers?

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Kahmunrah walked out of the room and made his way to Ismara's private chambers. As he walked he looked at paintings on the walls depicting his and his family's life. From Pharaoh Sneferu all the way to the coronation of Ahkmenrah everything was recorded. When he saw Ahkmenrah painted upon the throne in the full regalia of a king, a pang of sadness swept through him.

The throne was supposed to be his. What had he done wrong?

He thought about all that Khufu told him about Ahkmenrah. But know he thought that those bad things were all lies. Besides Ahkmenrah was far too sweet and innocent.

He knocked softly on Ismara's door. There was no answer. He knocked again. Still no answer.  He pressed his ear to the door. He heard quiet sobbing.

He felt his heart beat in a torturous wrenching motion. What was happening to make he cry? Carefully he opened the door, to his beloved crying her eyes out with her face buried deep in the pillows.

He put a hand on her quivering shoulder and she turned to him. Her grey eyes, now red and puffy. It was as if his presence had made everything worse. The tears came down more freely. Kahmunrah brought her to his arms and held her there until she calmed down a little. He stroked her hair as he did so.

From the position of her head on his chest, she could hear his heart beating fast. Was he worried about her?

"Ismara what happened? Who hurt you? I swear to the gods I'll kill that little bastard..."

She shook her head.

"Then why are you crying? Did I do something? Ismara say something."

Her voice was hoarse and ragged. Saying the next few words was harder than she had expected "I'm with child"

I giant beautiful grin broke out on Kahmunrah's face. He hadn't felt this happy in ages.

"That's the best news all week. I don't understand your sadness at all. Not one bit."

"You're not angry?" she asked almost puzzled. But really this puzzlement was a guise in order to hide her real sadness. Her sadness was that this child will hurt the Royal Family. Khufu pretty much confirmed it.

"No not at all. Why would I be? Ismara we are going to have a child. A child. Don't you understand? It's our legacy."

"But how are we going to hide it?"

Suddenly the real world blotted out and he saw a baby boy. With light green eyes and a beautiful smile and dark colouring. He felt power but mostly he fell complete. Like something missing had come back.

"Not 'it', 'him'" he said for he was sure he just saw the future.

"How do you know its a boy?"

He shrugged his shoulders. But he knew. Because the sensation of feeling power had coursed through him. The Tablet had given him powers. But didn't that mean he was the rightful heir?

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How was it?

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