The cell's floor was cold under Azar's back. He lied there flat on the floor looking at the cracked ceiling. He wanted to enjoy the last few hours he has left before meeting his end.
Not that he wasn't afraid of death, it scared his wits off. Yet, there is nothing that he can do. Captain Bijan came to him followed by the Royal Guards and they took him away and there he was.
What did they say again? Attempted to assassinate the Pharaoh's daughter they say. Despite his pathetic position, the thought was hilarious to him. What? Pharaoh's daughter? He has barely seen the Pharaoh, let alone see his daughter.
Did he try to say that he didn't do it? Nope.
He knows for sure that they also know that he hasn't done anything. That this surely must be something bigger than him and getting on his knees to plead and beg will get him nowhere.
So, there he was accepting his fate with open arms wondering what awaited him in the afterlife. It's not like he currently owned anything or had anyone. He was a complete loner, orphaned since birth, with no friends. So, yeah, he thought that he might have better luck on the other side.
He heard metal rattling against each other till his cell's door opened. Revealing Bijan, the sight of him made him disgusted. He was a dog for the king, and everyone knew that.
"Captain!" he smiled, "what honor do I've to be blessed by your presence. I was getting lonely." He sat up straight ruffling his dark golden hair that was already messed up.
"Take him." He gestured for the two guards behind him.
"Yoh, Take it easy." He frowned playfully as the two guards grabbed him up from either side.
"At least prepare my final meal. Don't want to lose my head on an empty stomach." Azar mumbled. clearly, he didn't understand the situation that he is placed in.
He knew that struggling to break free would cause him nothing but having his butt kicked.
It's not a pleasant feeling to be kicked right before you have head chopped off.
"Prepare the Guillotine." Bijan gave out the order.
"Woah," Azar exclaimed, "someone like me to be killed in such a fancy way is an honor, Your Highness." He spits out the sarcasm at Prince Javid who was standing in front of him.
"Shut your mouth and keep moving!" the guard behind him pushed him to motion.
"Alright, alright. Don't push. Don't want to go to heaven with a scarred face." He raised his cuffed hands in protest, but his eyes were still on Javid.
Yet, he didn't notice the dark black circles under his eyes, his face was pale. He looked sick. Which he was, he was sick to his bones when his eyes fell on Azar knowing that this is the one that they were going to sacrifice.
He can't be older than 20 Javid yelled internally, not believing that he will be the death of this young soul that has yet seen or enjoyed anything in this cruel world they live in.
None or less, he can't lift a finger to stop what's about to happen.
"What's your name?" Javid managed to ask. If he was going to see him die, then at least he should know his name so that he can keep grieving on him till he falls him to the underworld.
"Azar," he said over his back. "Thank you for caring about my name Your Highness." He scoffed before the guards dragged him up the Guillotine.
"Yoh, why the rush?" he said as he was forcibly bent down to place his head on the wooden stand in front of him. "it's not like the angel of death is in a hurry."
Bloody hell, does this man have no fear of death!?
One guard stood next to the handle that now held a grip over Azar's life, waiting for one signal to finish it off.
His heart started to hammer in his chest as the end grew closer, his eyes fixed on Captain Bijan anticipating his signal. And there it is, he raised his hand.
I've no regrets Azar said smiling weakly and closing his eyelids over his golden pupils.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" someone said from afar. "The Pharaoh is ordering all this madness to stop!"
It was one of the Pharaoh's guards standing next to him.
"I'm saved?" Azar asked the guard standing next to him.
"Shut it already." The guard almost pleaded him to stop that wild mouth of his.
"What is the meaning of this?" Bijan said as he walked towards the crowd of Egyptians.
"Watch your mouth yo…" the Pharaoh raised his hands to stop his guard from responding.
"Mind if I remind you that you are the one who asked for this, Your Holiness?" Bijan said trying to keep any feelings away from reaching his voice.
"I remember clearly that I asked for the culprits head." Akhenaton raised one eyebrow as he looked at Azar.
"And that's what you are about to get Your Holiness."
"Oh really?" Akhenaton smirked. "Then why is your head still on top of your body?" his tone changed in split seconds, it turned dark allowing the Monarch inside him to take the lead on this one.
"Beg your burden?"
"I thought that it was your head I would receive?" he smirked tilting his head.
He leaned over so that his mouth was an inch away from his ear. "I'll this slide since I'm in a good mood." He placed his hand on Bijan's shoulders.
"But that doesn't mean I'll leave your head; I'm just saving it for later. Send this letter to your king when you return, tell him I don't forgive or forget, make another wrong move and I shall raise my army" He gave his shoulder a pat before going back to stand in his place.
"I'll destroy every last one of you. I shall raise hell." He smirked, Bijan could feel his chuckling breath on his neck, it sent shivers down his spine.
"Now," Akhenaton grinned at Bijan, "If you would be so kind as to let that young man go."
Bijan frowned and gestured for the guards behind him to do as he told.
"Oh, thank you, kind man." Azar thanked the guard who took off his handcuffs and went down to thank the Pharaoh inside his head for saving his butt.
Without causing further commotion Akhenaton turned to walk back after the deed is done.
"Wait!" Javid said taking quick strides towards him.
"H-how did you know about that?" he said loud enough so that they are the only ones to hear. He was sure that there was no one in his chambers last night.
Unless someone was eavesdropping on their conversation. If that someone heard everything, they are going to be in trouble he grinded his teeth despite the feeling of relief that was washing him clean. A soul would not be sacrificed because of him and it was thanks to this person.
Akhenaton turned his head to look at him over his shoulders and said "You've raised your son well, Javid"
"W-what does this have to do with anything?" he said not gasping the hint that Akhenaton gave him but made him more confused. "More importantly, how do you know about him?"
"Doesn't matter how I did know." He said. "All that matters is he saved you a hell lot of sleepless nights." He smiled as he remembered the little redhead that sobbed in his arms the night before.
"Huh?"
Ashkan did what? A voice kept screaming in his head.
"I do have one question." Akhenaton bought him back from his own world making him only look at him again as a response.
"When did you get married? Ashkan is only a few years younger than Nefertari."
"I don't know if we are in a position to ask each other such question, Aton," Javid said making sure to use his ex-friend's nickname. "But because of what you did I'll answer you."
He straightened his back even more and took a deep breath then said "I had to protect the only thing I've left and to do so I needed the power to keep my title. Marriage was the only way. I hope this satisfies your curiosity."
Aton only hummed as a reply and then looked ahead of him and Javid knew that this was all he was going to get at as a reply so he let him leave without another word. This was enough for one day, too much honestly.
On the way back Akhenaton���s head was a mess just like Javid's. he didn't know why he felt the way he did, he felt almost sympathetic towards Javid.
Sympathy?
What sympathy?
What sympathy should he feel towards the person that was the reason behind his shattered heart? The person who took away everything he had. She was everything he had.
He kept thinking about how life would be different if he was the one who got the hit. If he was the one to go into eternal slumber. He wondered how Nefertari's life would be.
It was he that the attack was for after all
It was him who was supposed to go. But the thought that he wouldn't have witnessed Tari grow was the only thing that made him doubt his regret.