Chapter 17 A King Worth Saving
A King Worth Saving
Zahra followed Heba toward her house. Ahmose sat at the table, his tall form bent over a series of papyri.
As a scribe, he worked for landowners, priests, and craftsmen to record and copy different kinds of documents, including Zahra’s master, Darius.
His latest work sat before him, a perfect example of his delicate and thorough handiwork.
Ahmose looked up and smiled. “Adelphe!” He was paler than Zahra, but his eyes were as bright as Heba’s. He kissed her cheeks and ruffled her curls. “I was working in Illahun today, as I said I would in case you wanted a ride over, but I see you got here yourself.”
Zahra smiled. “Some friends gave me a ride. I did not want to interrupt your work.”
“That’s kind of you,” Ahmose said. “Now, I hear you have a question for me.”
Zahra nodded. “I do. Well, we do, I should say.”
Ahmose’s brow furrowed as Heba left the room. “We?”
“My friends and I.” Her voice quieted. “They… They work for the King.”
Heba reentered the room with Namir and Ramses in tow. She gestured to Zahra and Ahmose. “Here they are.”
A practiced smile came to Ahmose’s face. “Who are your friends?”
“This is Namir and Ramses.” Zahra’s chest bubbled with anxiety, and she immediately regretted bringing them.
Namir inclined his head toward Ahmose, and Ramses mimicked him. “It is good to meet you, Ahmose. I have heard much about you.”
“Zahra speaks of me?” Ahmose nudged her arm playfully. “That’s a surprise. Mētēr tells me you have a question for me.”
“Yes.” Zahra thanked Heba with her eyes, and Heba nodded and left the house. Zahra glanced at Namir, taking a deep breath before turning to Ahmose. “In truth, we need your help.”
Ahmose raised an eyebrow. “What sort of help?”
“We are trying to find some information,” Namir cut in.
Zahra turned toward him with an irritated expression.
Namir continued, though with less confidence. “It is a matter of great importance.”
Zahra bit down her frustration. Ahmose did not appear fazed, though she knew what he was thinking. “It is nothing to be wary of.”
“Of course not.” He gently took Zahra’s arm, smiling at Namir and Ramses. “If I may, I would like a word with Zahra.”
Namir’s posture stiffened, but he nodded with an unfazed expression. “Of course. Take all the time you need.”
Ahmose led Zahra into a separate space. He closed the door and turned to her, speaking in Ionic. “Are they threatening you?”
“Of course not.” She crossed her arms. “How could you say such a thing?”
“The one called Namir is of wealthy blood,” Ahmose stated, “and the other seems to follow him.”
Zahra dropped her arms. “He wants nothing from me, Ahmose. He works for the King, as I said.”
“Then why is he here? You have brought strangers to my village, and I don’t understand why.”
Zahra clenched her jaw. “Because there are assassins trying to kill the King.”
Ahmose stared at her, unfazed. “I know.”
Zahra’s mouth gaped. “How? Only the King’s closest—”
“You forget where I spend my days,” Ahmose interrupted.
“There are no rumors that I don’t hear. Practically all of the upper class of Aur know the King is looking for Ionian assassins.
It has created much distrust, and many of them have been sacking their Ionian employees or servants. Have your friends heard of that?”
Zahra was stunned. “Why… Why would they do that?”
“Because they are afraid.” Ahmose gritted his teeth.
“They fear what he will do when he becomes Pharaoh. If an assassin is connected to any of their Ionian staff, they will be held responsible. I have already lost one of my clients, and I will not risk the loss of more or my family’s safety over this.
If even one of us is found guilty, they will cast us all out. ”
“That is not true.”
“Is it not?” He stood tall. “We both know how Bahiti treats you. Their kind are all the same. The fact that they branded you like some animal is proof of that. These people”—he gestured to Namir and Ramses—“their people, are not to be trusted.”
Zahra’s hand went to her debt tag. “I can get it removed once my father’s debt is paid. You know that.”
“I know your mistress lies,” Ahmose growled, “and I think you know it, too. If you simply accepted my money, you would have already left that place.”
“I will not risk your reputation or Heba’s safety.
Besides, this is something I want to do on my own.
” She pulled her curls in front of her ear.
“I am not here for myself, Ahmose. I am here for our people. These men are close to the King. If we help them, we can ensure these assassins are caught before something terrible happens.”
Ahmose sighed. “What if they are tricking you?”
“They’re not.” She stepped toward him. “Please, Ahmose, hear them out. For me.”
He stared at her. “I will help you.” He pointed a finger at her. “But if this comes back on this village or Mētēr, I will hold you just as accountable as I will hold them.”
Zahra swallowed. “I understand.”
Namir was leaning against the wall when Zahra and Ahmose returned, and Ramses was studying a vase. Namir straightened and signed to Ramses, who quickly joined his side. “Is everything alright?” Namir asked.
Zahra smiled. “Everything is fine.”
Ahmose walked toward the table and gathered his papyri. “Sit. Tell me about these assassins.”
The group sat around the table by the light of a rushlight, and Namir relayed what they knew about the assassins to Ahmose.
“The assassins are believed to be outsiders to Aur. We believe they were staying at an Ionian village until this morning. I have asked the people there about these foreigners, but they will not tell me anything.”
The way Namir said foreigners unnerved her. She knew Ahmose felt the same.
Ahmose clasped his hands on the table. He stared at the table’s varnished wood, considering Namir’s words. “You wish me to get the information from them?”
“Or convince them to answer honestly,” Namir added.
“Why this particular village?”
Namir and Zahra glanced at each other, and Namir answered, “There have been signs of their presence in that area.”
Ahmose raised his eyebrows, though he was not amused. “Signs? What sort of signs?”
Namir hesitated. “I cannot say, but it was clear that these people were not from Aur.”
Ahmose looked between Namir and Ramses in disbelief. “So you would accuse an innocent village and sentence the people there to death for a crime you suspect them of committing?”
Namir's jaw ticked. “I did not say that.”
“Let me ask you this.” Ahmose placed his hands flat on the table. “Why would the King suspect an outside source when many of his so-called loyal followers could have done the same thing?”
Zahra sucked in a breath, and Namir’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
“The nobility,” Ahmose began. “Your generals, priests, craftsmen, and merchants. Why would the King not suspect the people with close ties to him and access to his power?”
Ramses leaned forward. “The people of this kingdom wouldn’t hurt their King.”
“Would they not?” Ahmose gestured with his hands.
“I assume Zahra told you of my profession. I work for Aur’s finest. Their wealth reaches far.
” He paused, letting his words sink in. “For many, that reach is not enough. I have overheard conversations disrespecting the Pharaohs, the Vizier, and even the King. Conversations that would be considered treasonous.”
Namir clenched his fists. “What conversations?”
Ahmose eyed Zahra, and she shook her head. He was always stubborn as a youth. It was how he became so successful, but he did not know when to stop. She knew he would fight before doing anything to help Auran nobility.
Ahmose turned away from Zahra. “Without naming names, there are many who don’t trust the Pharaohs’ heirs.
They question the Vizier’s intelligence, and they don’t respect the King as they did his father.
They fear the Pharaoh Queen is too consumed with grief to rule properly.
They think that others outside of Aur’s ruling family would do a better job. ”
Zahra’s chest seized with anxiety, and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. She clutched her skirt. She should never have brought Namir here.
Ramses stared at Ahmose’s face in confusion, glancing at Namir.
“As far as I have seen, I somewhat agree,” Ahmose continued.
“The Pharaoh Queen has hardly shown her face since the Pharaoh King’s death.
The Vizier is considered a fool. The King himself has spent his days floundering under the pressure of the Kingdom’s needs while his nights are spent partying or disappearing altogether.
” He looked between them all, his gaze settling on Zahra. “Is this a King you want to save?”
Namir stood, slamming his fists on the table, making Zahra flinch. Ahmose stood as Namir spoke. “This is blasphemy! I want the names of everyone—”
“Enough!” Zahra stumbled out of her chair, her arms trembling at her side.
Ahmose’s face filled with worry, and Namir and Ramses turned to her in confusion. Ahmose stepped forward. “Zahra.”
“No!” She shook her head. “We did not come here to argue, Ahmose. Whether you like it or not, the King needs saving. If you don’t wish to help us, fine! But we must keep searching for the assassins, with or without your help.”
Ahmose stared at her incredulously. He glared at Namir before sighing.
“I don’t know if I am known in the village you speak of, but I will help.
” He held up a finger to Namir. “As long as those who are punished are punished alone. My village and the other members of the village not involved with the assassins are innocent in all of this.”
Zahra glanced at Namir. He studied Ahmose for a moment before nodding. “I will do my best to keep your people out of this matter, Ahmose. Thank you for your assistance.”
Zahra’s mouth twitched into a weak smile. She stepped away from the group, clutching her shawl as she tried to breathe. The space from the others did little to ease the tightness in her chest.