My father didn’t take his eyes off me. He was glaring at me… I knew that right now, if all of these people weren’t here, he would have killed me. Killed me for speaking up like that… and for knowing the truth.
Uncle Amenmose looked at my father. “It’s true?”
It was then that my father looked away from me and at my uncle. “Yes.”
“You murdered my daughter…” My grandfather said. He looked up at my father. “You…”
My father frowned. “It was not a murder. She—”
“Don’t lie.” Ishaq said. “I saw the whole thing.”
“What?” My father asked.
“I saw the murder… with my own eyes.”
“Murderer!” Uncle Ramses yelled, charging at the King.
Thabit ran and grabbed his father. “No, father, stop!”
“You killed my sister!” Uncle Ramses yelled.
“Ramses!” My grandfather yelled. “Stop.”
We all turned to my grandfather, who was looking at my father. “Why did you murder her?”
My father didn’t respond.
“She was… so good… so good to everyone… especially to you. Why would you kill her?” My grandfather started to cry again.
“Because he wanted to marry my daughter.” Ishaq said.
Uncle Amenmose snorted. “If that was the reason then there wouldn’t be a need to kill anyone. If he wanted another wife he could have easily gotten that. It’s normal for a king to have several wives.”
“Not if Queen Neitha was the wife.” My grandfather said. “You killed her because you knew marrying another woman while still being the husband of Neitha would not only be looked down upon, but it would also be against the gods.”
Ishaq raised his eyebrows.
“The priest told us… the gods would never be happy with the king if he married anyone else while Neitha was still alive.”
“Father!”
We all turned and watched as Tabia burst into the room with Khafirin chasing after her.
“Tabia!” Uncle Ramses called. “You’re alright.”
She ran into his arms and looked at him and then at all of us. “What’s going on she asked.” She looked at me.
I didn’t say anything. Instead, I looked back at my father.
It was strange. The moment was finally here. The moment that I had been waiting for about eight years.
The moment where I had a good enough reason to try and take down my father.
But now that it was finally here… I had no idea of what I was going to do.
My grandfather looked at Ishaq. “You knew this for so long and you never told anyone… why?”
“I was afraid.” Ishaq said, honestly.
“Why. What do you have to fear? Your whole family was already killed!”
“Exactly.” Ishaq said. “The Pharaoh had the ability to kill my whole family… except for my granddaughter… and she was all I had left. I was afraid that I would loose her too. Or she would loose me, and have no one to protect her.”
“That has changed? Is she already dead?”
“No.”
“Then what gave you the guts to speak out now.”
Ishaq looked at me. “Because whether I die or not… now I know that she will have someone watching over her… she has a strong young man who will protect her.”
I took a deep breath.
“What are you going to do now?” Uncle Amenmose asked Ishaq.
“Watch this murderer die.” Ishaq responded.
“And who, exactly, is going to kill him?”
“I am.” Ishaq, my grandfather, uncle Ramses and I said together.
Uncle Amenmose snorted and turned to me. “You too, Arius?” He asked. “If you are doing this because you want the throne then you know you won’t get it right? If the King dies, then I will become king. You all know that, right?”
I scowled. “I don’t care about the throne. He killed my mother.”
“Wait. Why would you get the throne?” Tabia asked. “The title of King would go to Arius.”
“No. Not until I’m dead.” Uncle Amenmose said. “Even now…” He turned to my father. “…the title belongs to me. But it was wrongfully given to this murderer.”
“So when the Pharaoh dies, Amenmose is crowned King. And only after Amenmose dies is when Arius can be king.” Thabit said.
Suddenly, my father burst out into laughter. “You fools! Speaking as if you know for a fact that I’m going to die today! Who do you think I am? I am the Pharaoh of Egypt!”
“You are going to die today!” My grandfather yelled as he pulled out his sword and ran towards my father.
My father pulled out his sword as well.
“Grandfather!” I yelled as I pulled out my own sword and ran into the battle.
He was an old man, what was he thinking?
Following behind me was Ishaq, my Uncle Ramses and my cousin.
All I could hear were swords clanging against each other and Tabia’s screaming in the background. Telling us to stop and asking us if we were stupid.
My grandfather fell onto the floor when my father stabbed his sword through his waist and Tabia screamed loudly as she came running into the midst of the battle.
“Tabia you fool!” I yelled as I turned and ran towards her. I pushed her away. “Get the hell out of here!”
“But grandfather!”
I looked down and saw my grandfather laying there, his bloody hand holding his waist. I rushed to his side. “Grandfather?”
He looked at me. “I know I shouldn’t ask you this, Arius… but please listen anyways.”
“What? Tell me!”
“Kill him. Swear to me that he’ll die today. Swear that you will avenge your mother.”
I nodded without hesitation. “I swear.”
I was then suddenly knocked to a side… and then there was a holler of pain.
When I looked up, I saw my father’s sword in my grandfather’s chest. “How dare you? How dare you tell my son to kill me, old man?”
My eyes widened and I flinched when my grandfather gasped as my father pulled the sword out.
“Father!” Uncle Ramses yelled.
I felt tears in my eyes as I scowled. My heart began to ache.
Grandfather didn’t deserve to die.
I got up, arms and legs shaking in anger. I could barely think through the screams and shouts. When I turned, I saw that every member of the Royal Court was here. And so was Akhen.
I watched him as he ran to our grandfather, sobbing and screaming.
Why is it that the good people always die?
I turned and looked at my father. There was no hint of sadness or regret in his eyes. None. He thought this was okay. He thought that it was fine for him to kill my grandfather.
Well he was wrong.
I hadn’t realized that I had attacked my father until I knocked him onto the ground and was sitting on him with my hands around his neck.
This was it.
Something about this felt so wrong though… maybe it was the fact that I was seconds away from killing my own father.
“Arius…” My father said.
I tightened my grip on his neck. “You killed my mother… and now grandfather as well?”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to kill you… you’re going to pay for all those people that you killed!” I said, voice rising as I said it.
My father glared. “Son… do you know what the punishment is for killing, not only the Pharaoh of Egypt, but also you father?”
I didn’t respond.
“Execution.”
I know. I know. I know. If I killed him… that would mean I would be dead too…
“And do you know that if Amenmose becomes King… he will see to your execution? He won’t pity you at all?”
He was right about that too.
“You can save yourself right now by getting off of me.”
“No, father.” I said. “You want to know why?” I asked. I looked him straight in the eyes and scowled. “This is a lose-lose situation for me. If I kill you, I will be executed. But if I let you live, a lot of people who are important to me will die, and you’ll probably have me killed too, eventually.”
“What if I promise to let you live?” He asked.
I shook my head and let out a laugh. “But even though both choices will never benefit me… killing you will benefit everyone else.”
My father scowled. “Arius! Stop thinking about others and think about yourself for once!”
I laughed at that… feeling a little insane. “If you were a real, loving father, you would have been proud of me.”
“Get off of me right now, boy!”
I picked up my sword and closed my eyes.
“Arius. You will be beheaded if you kill me! Executed!”
“That’s fine with me.”
And then I felt the blood splatter all over me.
And there was a lot of screams.