not have allowed me to ascend to power if your claims held any truth.”
“Save us your declarations of innocence,” Khafre intoned, speaking loud enough so all the men who had gathered could hear. “The vial of poison used to kill Kawab was found in the rooms of your priest. It was well hidden, but at last the truth has been revealed. You killed our brother!”
A new emotion rocked Djedefre at this revelation. With it, the ground itself seemed to move until he was unsure his legs would maintain his weight. He turned to Manetho, his priest, his teacher, his trusted advisor. He was the only man aside from Djedefre himself who stood to gain from the death of Kawab. He’d risen in the ranks of the elite along with the pharaoh he had guided since puberty.
“Priest, say this is not true!” Djedefre pleaded. “Did you murder my brother in order to bring me to power?”
Djedefre shrank back as Manetho underwent a metamorphosis. The humble visage he wore so convincingly melted into contempt and hatred. This was no true priest of Ra, but a power-hungry tyrant who had slithered into the inner sanctum of the palace unbeknownst to a young and foolish king.
“Yes! I assisted in the murder of that weakling, Kawab!” Manetho confessed. His eyes narrowed to slits and a half-chuckle surged from his throat. “He was not fit to bear the staff of the pharaoh. In the name of Djedefre, Son of Ra, I destroyed him so the true pharaoh would live on forever.”
“Murderer!” Shocked and horrified, Djedefre struck the priest with his staff.
“I did only as you decreed, great Pharaoh!” Manetho fell to his knees from the strength of the blow, groveling, one hand pressed upon his already bruising jaw. Still, his evil leer never vanished and Djedefre wondered how no one else could see his ploy. Only when the lay priest’s insane utterings were silenced by a second strike did Djedefre finally turn back to Khafre, his voice bordering on desperation.
“Brother,” Djedefre pleaded, “you must realize I had no part in this abominable crime. I would never have lifted a hand against Kawab. The priest acted alone and without my knowledge! The only crime I am guilty of is ignorance!”
There were murmurs in the crowd. A few men nodded, but most were unmoved by their pharaoh’s proclamations of innocence, especially those who had labored ceaselessly on the pyramid for the whole of his reign for little more than a pittance to keep their families fed. The bulk of his finances had gone to supplies, while the workers had been given all that was left. The honor of being part of something so grand should have overshadowed their greed, but the laborers around him were unimpressed by the massive stone fortress they helped to erect or with the king they claimed to worship as a god. Instead, they watched Khafre step forward, his tears mingling with the hair of his false beard. For the first time, Djedefre noticed the bejeweled dagger in his brother’s hand. Khafre clutched the golden hilt so tightly his dark knuckles had turned white.
“I have loved no one with greater fierceness than I have my two elder brothers,” Khafre whispered. “Yet to avenge the death of one, I am forced to take retribution upon the other.” Both brothers wept now. Though Khafre stood a foot shorter than Djedefre, he lifted his free hand to wipe the tears from his cheek. “Sadly, it can be no other way. I must honor my duty.”
“I am innocent,” Djedefre wailed.
“That is for Ra to judge.”
Djedefre didn’t notice the soldier creeping up behind him until an elbow connected with his temple. Pain spiked through his brain and though he fought valiantly to retain consciousness, it was a battle he couldn’t win. The last thing Djedefre heard before the darkness claimed him was Manetho ranting as he was put in chains.
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About the Author
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. Her works include romantic thrillers, paranormal fiction, contemporary romance, and young adult.
Visit her website at https://www.authorlauradeluca.blogspot.com for more information.
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