Antediluvian Kings

"Every king springs from a race of slaves, and every slave had kings among his ancestors" – Plato

Adom Abayomi, the current pharaoh of ancient Egypt, was watching the last of his pyramid being built. Even in the hot weather he still wore a heavy gold brace around his neck, never sparing any expense to show his wealth and power. His face bore a stern expression, but inside he was overjoyed, his tomb was as perfect as he'd imagined.

Kissa, daughter of the slave Hondo, was on her way to bring her father some water when she spotted the pharaoh watching the workers.

Abayomi noticed a small child approaching him. "Would you like some water your highness?" The little girl smile at him. Manu, one of the pharaoh's guards looked at the child warily but dared not speak without his pharaoh's permission.

"No thank you," Abayomi smiled back at the girl. "It looks like you were already on your way to give that water to someone else."

"My mother sent me to bring water to my father, he's working on the pyramid." The little girl explained, smiling innocently at the pharaoh. Abayomi smiled back, what a cute little girl he thought.

"That's very kind of you." Manu looked at Abayomi strangely, he hadn't thought of his pharaoh as the sort of man too waste time commuting with a small peasant child.

"I must be going," Abayomi said, he glanced down at the bowl of dirty water that the girl was carrying. Abayomi quickly turned around and ordered something to Manu, who looked dumbfounded for a moment but obliged and handed the girl a bowl of clean water. "I think your father would appreciate this better." The little girl smiled.

***

Six days later, the Pharaoh died.

Little did Adom know that his younger brother Masud Abayomi was secretly plotting his demise. Masud had long waited for his brother's pyramid to be completed. The knowledge that it would be seen by the people to be bad luck for the Kingdom if the Pharoah were to die before his Pyramid was completed was reason enough to bide his time. When completed, he acted. Manu, following orders given by Masud, his childhood friend, assassinated Adom, and at twenty-eight years of age Adom Abayomi's ten year reign ended, and at seventeen Masud's reign began.

But what neither Adom nor Masud knew was that Manu had discovered that Kissa was the bastard (A/N: A term for a child born from unmarried parents) child of Adom and Akila, Adom's lover who he left before he became pharaoh.

The resemblance would be apparent to anyone who had decent observational skills. If Manu were to inform Masud of this then Masud would marry Kissa, Manu knew this and planned on doing exactly that; it would be the only way for Masud to keep control over his kingdom. Manu obeyed Masud's orders but also respected Adom, and as a last endowment for Adom he would ensure the future of his daughter.

"Are you sure of this?" Masud asked in disbelief, he hadn't known his brother had ever even had a lover, let alone a daughter.

"Quite sure sir, just meet her and I'm sure that your eyes will also see the resemblance." Manu tried his best to convince his new king, but Masud was the sceptical type.

"Fine, I'll meet this girl." Masud agreed, standing up and ordering his guards to follow him.

***

The sun was just rising and Kissa was playing outside with the other village children when Manu came to find her, he told her that the new pharaoh was looking for her and she had to go and meet with him. Kissa didn't completely understand what was happening but she was happy that she would get to meet the brother of the nice pharaoh that helped her father.

Masud recognized Kissa immediately. Manu was a fool, his plan was flawed in more ways than one. Masud hated his big brother, and Kissa was his brother's daughter.

Masud stared at the girl and a haunting grin appeared on his face, "Brother, even after death you still continue to mock me."

Kissa looked confused, she didn't understand what the pharaoh was talking about and his face was beginning to scare her. "Wha-what?"

Masud looked at his guards and pondered for a moment what he should do. He had considered executing her so that no one would find out who she was.

Manu realized what the pharaoh was thinking about and suddenly feared for the girl, he had been trying to help her after all. "Sire, this girl does have the blood of royalty, maybe she could be of help with leading the country." Manu suggested, he hoped that the underlined message didn't come as an insult to his pharaoh.

Masud understood what Manu was implying and pondered it for a minute, "alright, find the girl something decent to wear and send her to the dining hall (A/N: did they have those?)." Masud turned, waving his hand dismissively and left Kissa in Manu's capable (probably) hands.

As Manu replaced Kissa's stained rags he explained to her about who her father was and her impending marriage to her uncle, Kissa agreed, having no choice and wanting to follow in her father's footsteps.

***

Over time Manu trained Kissa in the ways of the court and helped her understand more of the ways of her people. Then once she was of age Kissa and Masud were wed and all was well. Well, not all.

Four years after Kissa and Masud's wedding Masud suffered a similar fate to his brother, leaving Kissa to inherit the country and rule alone.

Manu originally hadn't planned to kill Masud as well, but over time he had developed a clandestine love for Kissa that had become too much for him to ignore, and to become pharaoh! He would be lying if said the thought hadn't always intrigued him.

So not long after Masud's death, Manu took Kissa's hand in marriage and gave up his job as her royal adviser, to instead become her co-ruler and reigned alongside her for many decades after.