Arius - [Family]
1804 Words
I shook my head at Amunet. “Love, now is not the time to be playing your games.” I said. “A soldier was severely injured and we need to find out who did it.”
She pouted and shook her head. “But I’m not lying papa!”
“Does that make the slightest bit of sense to you though, Amunet?” I asked. “That the King of Thieves, who my men chased out, would challenge the throne? After being humiliated once you think he’d want to be humiliated again?”
She looked away and shrugged.
“Maybe it was just some normal criminal who was pretending to be the King of Thieves.” My eldest, Amun, suggested.
Amunet sighed, clearly trying to see the possibility in that. She sighed again and sat down on her bed. “I guess that’s possible…” She said. “But how is it that a normal criminal would be able to get past the palace guard and then knock one of the soldiers out with one hand?”
I closed my eyes and opened them. “How did he look?” I asked.
Her face slightly brightened up. “He was very tall!” She said. “And he had a long scar across his chest… His hair was fairly long…”
She kept going on with the description of him, and as she continued, the more I realized that she could be talking about any villain in Egypt. Almost all of them looked the same.
When she realized that I wasn’t listening anymore, she pouted her lips again. “Papa, he told me to tell you that he’s going to bring you hell.”
A strange nervousness rushed through me. But as I always did, I hid it from my children.
“Arius!” I heard Tabia call, just in time.
I turned my head and saw her walk into my children’s bedroom.
“The court is asking for you.” She smiled her joyful smile. “Are you all good?”
I nodded my head as I turned to my kids. “Rest, both of you.” I said.
I could see the fear and sadness on Amunet’s face, which made me sigh. So I walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her. “We will find who did this, Amunet. I promise.”
“I feel like this is my fault.” She said, looking down at her hands, which were in her lap.
I shook my head. “It’s not. Of course not.”
“He’s going to be okay right?” She asked.
I nodded. “He’ll be fine. And we’re going to find out who did this. And we’ll make him pay.”
She smiled at me.
I got up and kissed her forehead before I walked over to Tabia.
“Should I come too, father?” Amun asked.
“No, keep your sister company, son and do as I say. Rest.” I smiled at him. “You both had a very long day.”
He nodded his head and walked over to Amunet, sitting next to her.
I walked out of their room and nodded at the guards who bowed before me. Then I turned to Tabia. “So? What’s going on?”
Tabia shrugged her shoulders. “None of the guards seem to know who managed to get into the palace and out without them knowing.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line. “So do you think…”
Tabia hesitated and shrugged again.
But I shook my head. “That’s absolutely impossible.” I said. “There’s no way that he could have returned. I mean, the Hittites said they killed him.”
“I thought we all agreed that they were lying.” Tabia said.
I sighed. “Seriously though. What are the chances that it is the King of Thieves?”
“Not very likely at all.” She said. “But still, Arius, we need to take the necessary precautions. You know that.”
“Fine.” I said. “Bring out more of the guard. And make sure their on their toes.”
She saluted me. “Your wish is my command, Air-y.”
I rolled my eyes and turned into another hallway as she kept walking forward.
When I turned though, I smiled, seeing Alexandra walking towards me.
“Are Amun and Amunet in their room?” She asked as she approached me.
I nodded my head, kissing her lips when she reached me.
“You don’t think there’s much to worry about, right?”
I shook my head. “Nothing at all. He’s not coming back.”
She sighed in relief. “Alright, I’m going to go check on them. I’ll see you in a bit?”
I nodded. “Of course.”
She smiled, kissing me again, and walking past me.
I watched her as she walked off and sighed. Alexandra was still very much like she always was, except a little bit more mature. But of course, that would be expected of a woman who is a mother.
I always wondered if I burdened Alexandra with being a Queen. But she always seemed to take it so lightly.
I guess she was good at it.
Over the last sixteen to seventeen years, our kingdom had changed drastically. Mostly because equality became a big theme in my country.
With Tabia’s instructions, many women had been given the change to become part of higher administrations.
And though it took a very long time, slaves were finally given more respect and opportunities.
Literacy among my people had exploded into numbers that are unimaginable in neighboring countries.
And my country had become a power once more.
That was the way I ruled.
Things were going well.
But as most kings, I also had a dark spot in my shining reputation.
A few actually.
I let my father get killed. That was the first stain. Though my own people didn’t mind much, many of the foreigners were quite upset with that.
The second, was the King of Thieves.
The stain he left on my reputation was worst than that of my fathers.
He was a young man, probably twenty-one or twenty-two. But he was still the worst enemy out country has ever had.
One man alone had killed thousands of my people.
He and his group together killed even more.
Three years ago, I had finally driven him out of the country.
But only after years, and years, and years of hunting and failure.
I sighed.
I knew it was impossible for him to return, but if he did, he would be older, angrier and stronger.
That would be even more trouble for me.
“Father?”
I turned around and smiled at my son. “I thought I told you to rest, Amun.”
“Mother is speaking to Amunet… I just wanted to ask you something.”
“What is it?” I asked, starting to walk.
Amun started to walk next to me.
It was strange how identical to me he looked. The only difference was that he had Alexandra’s eyes.
But other than that, it felt like I was looking into a mirror… that made me look seventeen years younger.
“I don’t remember very much of this King of Thieves.” He said. “I was wondering if you could tell me about him.”
I smiled. “There’s nothing to worry about, Amun. He is not going to return-”
“That’s not why I asked, father.” He said. “As the future king, I should know, don’t you think?”
I chuckled.
He always pulled that one on me when there was something he wanted to know.
“Besides, you always look so concerned when he is mentioned.”
I sighed, continuing to walk. “Well…” I started. “All I can really say is that he started off as a petty thief that couldn’t be caught. But soon his crimes got worse and worse as he stole more and more precious objects. It got out of hand when he robbed your grandmother, my mothers tomb, stealing treasures that are worth quite a lot. That was what gave him the title as the King of Thieves.”
“I remember that, actually… when he stole from grandmother.”
I nodded. “It was… a bad experience.” It really was. The man had disturbed my mother’s tomb after she had been resting in peace for years now. I was infuriated.
“Then his robbing turned into killing.” I continued. “And his killing turned into mass murdering.” I sighed. “Then we hunted for him.”
“You didn’t kill him?”
I shook my head. “He was to be killed. But the man lived a life of evil. That evil that had been in his heart was strong and powerful. He was a powerful man. He could take on ten of my men and win. Twenty even. He was that strong.” I said. “However, soon we beat him down… but he was still strong. The most we managed to do was drive him out of the country with his fear as way to keep him out.”
“You really think that fear is something that can keep a man like that from returning?” He asked me.
I snorted. “After what we did to him? You’d think so.”
Amun smiled.
I smiled back and ruffled the hair on his head, making him frown.
“You need to cut your hair, boy.” I said.
His frown deepened. “Papa.”
“Go rest.” I said as I leaned forward and kissed his forehead, making him feel awkward.
But he nodded his head. “Yes father.”
I smiled some more, turning, and making my way to the throne room as I thought deeply.
In the end, it didn’t matter how many dark spots I had on my reputation. Not when I had the most wonderful family.
A family that I loved and adored with all my heart and soul.
I’d do anything for them. Even if it meant getting some more dark spots.
I guess that’s what love is.
- Writer
