Javid and Bijan talked and they never noticed the little figure on the other side of the door listening to their conversation.
Bijan walking out the door but halted feeling a presence in the place, a thing that he learned from being on the battlefield for years. He looked around him but didn't see anyone so he shrugged off the feeling.
Ashkan's little body was finally giving him an advantage, making him run back to his room that was right next to his father's.
He entered making sure that he closed the door without making any noise, he turned resting his back on the now-closed door feeling the adrenaline in his veins.
"W-what did I just hear?" he said breathing fast as if he was running a marathon.
The words they said lingered in his ear, he didn't understand what some of their words mean but he was positive that he grasped the main points of the whole conversation.
"T-they wanted to k-kill her." The word 'kill' came out with extreme difficulty, he could feel one lone tear escape his green orbs and falling down his freckled cheeks imagining what might have happened if Nefertari was indeed killed.
Just as he was trying to hold back the rest of his tears, he heard laughs. His father laughs.
It broke his heart. The laughs didn't indicate happiness, it indicated pain, pain, and agony. Laughs aren't always when a person his happy, it can be used to cover the pain.
Slowly those laughs turned into screams, Ashkan didn't hear them. They were silent screams.
Javid was the only one who can hear them alongside one person…
His love that now lay in heaven.
Ashkan couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let his father experience more pain. He didn't know his past but he knows that his past has left his heart shattered. Killing the one soldier would surely leave another scar on his already shattered heart.
"Papa, I won't let you suffer anymore." He said to his father who couldn't hear him as he sobbed silently on the floor hugging his knees to his chest. That's when he has already made up his mind on what he is going to do.
~~~~
Akhenaton barely heard the little almost unhearable knocks on his chamber's door. Wondering who would come to him so early in the morning.
"Come in," he said not paying the door much attention as he went through the preachments that contained the latest news from back home. He was on vacation, but the country won't govern itself that's what he always says.
The door slid open but when Akhenaton looked there was no one. Am I overloading myself? he wondered blinking a couple of times before his he lowered his eye level to see a red-headed boy his freckled face flushed.
"I'm sorry Your Holiness for interrupting," Ashkan said, "b-but it's kind of important." He gathered all his strength to talk to the person who almost disconnected his head from the rest of his body.
He didn't understand the full situation, it was too complicated for his simple young mind. But one thing he knew for sure is that Akhenaton had every right to be angry for his daughter. He might've lost control for a moment but, he could slightly understand him.
On the other hand, Akhenaton had no idea why the boy he almost slaughtered is right here in front of him. By the saints, did this boy have no fear? He is just a child.
He is just a child he said under his breath. That thought made the fact that he almost killed this child came crashing down on him.
"Y-Your Holiness?" the boy asked when the silence lasted longer than it's supposed to be.
"Y-Yes," Akhenaton's jolted his head up in the direction of the red-head.
"Come on little boy I won't bite." He smiled gently when he saw how frustrated the boy was getting.
"I-It's about the culprit who p-pushed Nefertari."
He saw how the Pharaoh's eye darkened. For a moment, he almost became the Monarch he was the day before. The thought of Tari's tears on her cheeks as she tried to stop him was the thing that bought him back.
Get a grip over yourself Aton he snapped at himself taking a deep breath. Convincing the Monarch inside him that if he wanted the truth, he shouldn't make any hasty decisions. Where was all that wisdom the night before?
The boy then took a deep breath as well telling himself that he can do this and if he chose his words carefully, he would be able to reach out to the Pharaoh.
And so, he began. "Yesterday, I came to hear something that I most certainly shouldn't have." He said trying to bite down his frustration.
Akhenaton didn't ask what was that, giving the little red-head some time to gather his thoughts.
"It was Captain Bijan."
"H-huh?" he frowned. "Isn't he your Royal Guards Captain?"
He nodded. "He was the one who p-pushed Tari into the lake. He said so himself."
At this point, there was no turning back. The only thing he has is to trust that the Pharaoh will understand him. That he will know that his father had nothing to do with it…hopefully
"He also said that he was ordered by king Farzad to do it." He said.
This is an act of war he said in the back of his mind. But if Javid knew about this from the start then….
"My father didn't know anything!" the little red-head said before Akhenaton's mind led him astray. "He was the one who asked Captain Bijan in the first place."
"Why are you telling me this?" Akhenaton looked at the little boy with a glare that went all the way into his soul.
"Because," at this point, Ashkan felt his voice starting to break, "T-they want him to give you an innocent soldier instead of Bijan."
Now the scenario was complete in Akhenaton's head, they knew that what they did was an act that can ruin them so to hide it they were going to sacrifice a soul for the greater good.
Bastard…
"My father has a past that I don't know of and that is causing him pain till now." He said.
"P-Papa won't be able to live with killing an innocent person." He said, "I know you both don't get along but, please…" he couldn't finish his words, words that he has been replaying over and over in his head last night. He forgot them all and all he could do now was sob silently.
Akhenaton for a moment instead of seeing Ashkan he saw his daughter; he saw her as she wept in front of his sword. He felt arrows pierce his heart.
"I was so stupid," he smiled sadly, "If Tari didn't stop me last night, I would've made something to regret for a lifetime." He said loud enough for the red-head to hear but he only looked at him with those green puppy eyes of his, sparkling from the tears that still escaped his eyes.
He stood up and walked towards him slowly as if he was walking to a small animal cautious not to scare him away. He bent down on one knee looking back at those weeping green eyes that stared at him with confusion, fear, and frustration.
Poor boy…
He held him by both his shoulders and said, "What is between me and your father would never stop me from doing everything in my power to save an innocent soul." His tone was as gentle to the boy's ears as a feather leaving the boy sniffing and sobbing as he looked at him.
"You've done a brave thing coming here little one." He caressed his hands over the soft strands of the younger boy's red hair.
"You did a good thing to protect your father."
"T-thank you." And he started crying even louder, but this it's with relief.
The younger boy subconsciously wrapped his arms around the Pharaoh's neck and hugged him. A move he always did with his mother when he was crying, you can say that it became a habit and he forgot that this wasn't his mother.
But Akhenaton on the other hand held him tight and comforted him till his crying was little sniffs.
"I'm sorry!" Ashkan said and bowed deeply embarrassed with himself.
"It's okay" he smiled messing up the little boy's hair.
Leading the little red-head outside leaving him once more alone in his chamber. Surprisingly, he didn't feel angry but he felt satisfied. Satisfied that he figured out the truth…it was through a very unexpected person but still.
The only piece of the puzzle that didn't fit in this whole thing was, why did they want to kill her in the first place?
They must be aware of the fact that they won't stand a chance against him if was to arise. Something told him that he will soon find the last piece of the puzzle.
Now all he had to do was find a way to stop the madness that is going to happen at midnight.