"How can a man die better
Than facing fearful odds
From the ashes of his fathers
The temples of his Gods"
Such was the case with Pharaoh Boy. Except he suffers a fate worse than death.
It was the usual night in Tarabiscoville. At the museum, the PJ Masks had stopped Pharaoh Boy from carrying out his latest plan for world domination. They had just tied him up in Cat Stripes and confiscated his Staff of Ra.
"You may have beaten me this time, PJ Masks." Pharaoh Boy said, ever relentless. "But rest assured. One day I will defeat you. And when I do, nothing will stand in my way. I will rule the world until the end of time!" Catboy was about to release him so he could reenter the portal to the World Beyond, but Owlette stopped him, as something came to her mind.
"Why do you want to rule the world so badly?" She asked.
"I told you, it's my destiny." He replied.
"But there's gotta be something more personal to it than that." She insisted.
"She's right. You can't just be doing this for yourself." Gekko added. Pharaoh Boy was reluctant to share his personal history, but was forced to appease their curiosity. With a heavy sigh, he began his story.
"It all started over 4.000 years ago. Having just reunified after over 100 years of division, Egypt was in a precarious state, and needed a strong king to maintain order. Back then, I was just a young prince, trying to live up to my father's expectations."
(Warning: The video is only meant to show Egypt as a slave empire, while also showing what the Pharaoh does before reprimanding his son.)
The scene switches to Ancient Egypt, the early Middle Kingdom era. Back then, Pharaoh Boy was referred to by his birth name, Seth. His appearance was slightly different from his current one; his eyes were ordinary black, he wore the same accessories along with minor additions, including a longer shenti, and he was mostly bald, save for the traditional side-lock on the right side of his head. Just now, he had been caught causing mischief at the Temple of Ra, and was being reprimanded by his father, Menmaatre Memnon. (Menmaatre = Established is the Justice of Ra)
"Why do the gods torment me with such a reckless, blasphemous son?" He asked rhetorically. "I seek to build an empire, and your only thought is to amuse yourself by tearing it down. Have I taught you nothing."
"I'm sorry, father." Seth apologized. "I know I made a mistake, and I take full responsibility."
"'Responsibility.' And do you know the meaning of that word, Seth?" Memnon lectured. "You are my only son and heir to the throne. How do I expect you to take over when I pass into the next world? To uphold the ancient traditions."
"One damaged temple doesn't destroy centuries of tradition." Seth argued.
"But one weak king can end the reign of a mighty dynasty!" Memnon backfired. "Egypt has enemies everywhere waiting for the faintest sign of weakness. You must not allow yourself to be led astray." He then sighed, not wanting to waste his energies on further discussion. "Go now. I shall see you tomorrow night." And so Seth went back to his chambers, taking in what he had just heard from his father.
The next day, when King Memnon had left on an expedition into the desert earlier that morning, Seth was walking around the palace grounds, still feeling unsettled. His good friend Huy, the captain of the Royal Guard, walked beside him.
"'The weak king in the dynasty.'" Seth muttered. "'Irresponsible, ignorant of traditions.' He practically accused me of bringing Egypt to ruin."
"You know your father only acts in your best interest." Captain Huy comforted him. "It's his way of showing that he cares about you."
"'Cares about me.'" Seth replied. "He's never around when I need him. Instead, I have you for a caretaker. At least I have someone who listens to me."
"You know what your problem is, Your Highness?" Huy chuckled. "You care too much. You should stop thinking about what happened and instead focus on what's happening right now. And right now I see the High Priest back at the Temple of Ra, still cleaning up your mess. Should we give him some extra work?" Seth responded with a mischievous smirk. The two tiptoed into the temple and, as the High Priest had briefly left the scene, switched the gods' heads at the shrine. They left just before the High Priest returned.
"Once the priests see this, they'll think it's a horrible omen and fast for two months." Huy said with a sly grin.
"Why is it that every time you start something, I'm the one who gets into trouble?" Seth asked just before they heard the High Priest yelling from inside the temple as if to prove his point.
"Seth! You're in trouble, young man! I'm telling the Pharaoh when he comes back!"
"Luckily, your father will be too busy to listen when he returns." Huy assured him.
(The image below shows what typical Akkadian soldiers looked like.)
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Later that evening, the people had gathered outside the palace steps to celebrate their Pharaoh's return. He had just put down an Akkadian holdout to prevent insurrection, capturing a handful of riches he found on the way. The soldiers paraded through the cheering crowd, followed by spoils being carried to the royal treasury, Akkadian prisoners of war being led in ropes (iron was unknown to Egypt back then), and finally King Memnon himself, who was immediately greeted by the young prince.
"Seth, I brought you a gift from the desert." He said before turning to his soldiers. "Bring in the Sumerian girl we captured." And so the soldiers led the said prize forth by the rope, her wrists bound together. A beautiful young girl about Seth's age, slender in shape, with long black hair that flowed down her back, and draped in a lengthy flax covering that left her right arm and shoulder exposed, indicating that she was in fact Sumerian. Surprisingly enough, she didn't put up much of a fight, almost as if she wanted to be caught. Upon seeing her, Seth was quickly entranced by her beauty.
"I hear Sumerians are hard-working." He said as he approached her. "A gift fit for a king. Does this pretty little creature have a name?"
"Saga." The girl replied timidly, still hesitant to trust him. (Saga = Beautiful One)
"Ah. A pretty name for a pretty girl." Seth commented before turning to one of his servants. "Take her to my chambers and have her cleaned up. I want to see her at the banquet."
Author's note: I understand that the name Memnon isn't Egyptian, but neither is Seth. Memnon is actually a king of Aethiopia in Greek mythology, while Seth is the third son of Adam and Eve and forefather of Noah. So choose your names more carefully, KatiAmel. But then again, Memnon can also seem like a reference to King Menes, the first ruler of the Old Kingdom, while Seth can make a good reference to Set, the Egyptian god of the Desert and Chaos.
