Fear crept into me. “What’s going on?” I asked. My father smirked and looked at Alexandra’s grandfather. “You were banished from our kingdom, old man. What makes you think that you can come and go without losing your life to the process?”
Alexandra’s grandfather looked up at my father and then turned to me. “Is it true that he knows?” He asked me.
I nodded.
“No one gave you permission to speak.” My father said. He then looked to his right and a guard with a whip stepped forward. The guards who were holding down Alexandra’s grandfather ripped of his shirt.
“Speak again and you will be punished.” My father said.
Alexandra’s grandfather looked at me. “Is my granddaughter okay?”
I nodded, but flinched when the whip hit his back.
Alexandra’s grandfather merely winced.
I bit my lip and turned to my father. “Leave him alone.”
My father didn’t look at me, he kept his eyes on Alexandra’s grandfather. “What did you say, old man?”
Alexandra’s grandfather didn’t say anything.
My father glared at me. “You know his granddaughter?”
I hesitated.
“She’s alive?”
I didn’t know if I was supposed to tell the truth or not.
“Yes.” Her grandfather said. “She’s alive.”
I looked at him.
My father looked furious. He turned and looked at Alexandra’s grandfather. “Where is she?”
Her grandfather smirked. “She is the very girl which you are pursuing right now.”
My father’s eyes widened. “The slave…”
“Precisely.” Her grandfather said. “Shocking isn’t it. If you had truly loved my daughter you would have known that Chione, the slave, was Sanaa’s daughter.”
My father looked at the old man. “How much of this does Arius know?”
“All of it.” I said.
My father looked at me. “All of it…”
I glared at him. “I know you kil—”
“What’s going on here?” I heard my grandfather yell.
I turned around and felt great relief as I saw my grandfather walk in through the throne room doors.
My father seemed surprised. “Father-in-law… what are you doing here?”
My grandfather looked at my father and then at Alexandra’s grandfather. “Ishaq?” His eyes widened.
The tired looking, but smirking Ishaq nodded. “Good to see you too, Akhenaton.”
My grandfather turned to my father. “I say, let him go!”
My father smirked. “He was banished from our lands and has returned. He must be punished.”
“Father?” I heard another voice call.
We all turned around and were surprised by my uncle, Tabia’s father. His black beard was shorter from the last time I saw him, and he looked strangely tired. His eyes were the same of Tabia’s and he was also very friendly, but mean when he needed to be.
“Ramses? What are…” My grandfather started.
“I got a letter…” Uncle Ramses looked at my father. “The letter stated that the King was proposing to execute my daughter.”
“Father? Grandfather?” We heard another voice call.
I turned around again and saw Tabia’s brother, Thabit walk into the throne room.
“Thabit… did you get a letter as well?” Uncle Ramses asked.
He nodded. I could see the worry in his eyes. He turned to me. “Cousin… is it true.”
I hesitated. “I don’t know, to be honest. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.”
“Who sent you these letters?” My father asked.
Ishaq coughed and held his hand up. “I.”
“Why did you send out such false lies?” My father asked, angrily.
“Because they deserve to know when their loved ones are in danger.” Ishaq said. “But someone is missing. One more person must arrive.”
“Ishaq. Do you know what, in gods’ name, you are getting yourself into?” My grandfather asked.
Alexandra’s grandfather shrugged. “I’m an old man who will be dead soon. And I know that I will never rest in peace if I don’t do what I came here to do.”
My grandfather opened his mouth to question him but was interrupted by one of the guards. “My Lord!” The guard said to my father.
“What is it?”
He hesitated. “Your brother…”
My fathers face paled.
I think mine did too.
“What about him.” My father asked.
“He is here…”
There was a long hesitation, I saw my impatient uncle walk into the throne room. “Do you think that your hesitation will keep me waiting outside?” He asked.
My father didn’t respond.
Uncle Amenmose. He was the only man in all of Egypt who posed a threat to my fathers reign. Why?
Well, because the throne, the title of king, all of Egypt rightfully belongs to him. The only reason towards why my father is the king and not his older brother, Amenmose, was because my grandfather, my father’s father, thought that uncle Amenmose was too soft. So instead, he crowned my father King rather than his eldest son, after he died.
After that, Uncle Amenmose became harsher and much stricter because of his anger. However, he had never tried to battle for the throne. That puzzled us all.
But my father seemed to have always thought that he was going to attack our kingdom one day, to steal the throne from him. So to prevent that, my father sent him off to Persia to handle foreign affairs.
There, my father tried multiple times to get him killed, but failed every single time.
Inside, I was actually happy that he failed. I always thought it was wrong to try and kill your own brother.
“Well?” Uncle Amenmose yelled.
“Brother…” My father said. “What brings you here?”
“I received a letter. It stated that you were going to kill your niece along with the rest of the court.”
“You’re going to kill all the members of the court?” My grandfather asked.
“I never said I was going to do that.” My father sighed as he placed his hand on his head.
My Uncle Amenmose looked angrily at my father. The two almost looked exactly the same, except Uncle Amenmose was taller.
He then turned to me. “What’s this I hear about you falling in love with a slave, Arius?” Uncle Amenmose asked.
“That slave is my granddaughter.” Ishaq said.
My uncle turned around. “Ishaq…” He said. “I never noticed you. Were you not banished from these lands?”
“I was.”
“Then why have you returned?”
“Because I came to tell you all something I should have said years ago.” Ishaq stood straight and smirked. “I have exactly what you all want to hear in the family reunion.
“No! Wait…” I yelled.
Everyone turned to me.
I hesitated. “I want to say it.”
Ishaq raised his eyebrows.
“Say what, boy!” Uncle Amenmose asked.
I turned to my father. It was now or never. “You killed my mother.”
It was quiet. No one said a word.
My father stared at me.
“Are you going to deny it?” I asked him.
My father continued to stare at me, but after a long time, he finally spoke. “No. I will not deny it.”
I was shocked. I actually expected him to deny it.
We were all quiet again, at least until my grandfather broke down into tears.