Even If It Means War || Ennead

Ife

Ife, as Seth lovingly called his son, looked down into the bowl of food in front of him.
The servants had washed and groomed him and now he was wearing a new, clean shendyt and a ribbon around his neck.

His dark brown hair shimmered now, something it had never done when he had lived in the dusty desert with his father.
His father who had his hand on his back as he encouraged Ife to eat. And how could he not? With how his stomach had been growling for the past couple of days to the point that he collapsed?

Seth placed a soft kiss on Ife's head and watched as he lifted the spoon to his lips and finally ate. Horus had allowed him and Ife to stay in the palace for now, until Zeus left for Hellas again in a couple of days.

Seth knew that it was for the best, despite his fears regarding the other gods in Hellas.
He looked up to see Zeus standing in the doorframe.

"Can we talk?" he asked, not too cheerful.

Seth nodded and kissed Ife again before he got up and followed Zeus. Whatever it was that he wanted to say, it was probably best not to be heard by Ife.

Zeus took Seth back to his own room, not saying a word until the door behind them was closed. They looked at each other for a brief moment before Zeus pulled Seth in for a kiss.
"I've missed you." Zeus whispered and pushed a strand of hair behind Seth's ear, "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? And how...how did you even get the ability to?"

"I wasn't really sure I was until it was too late." Seth rolled his eyes, "I don't really want to talk about it. All I know is that sometime after Ife's birth I remembered that time Aphrodite gave me something to drink and I didn't think to ask what exactly it was."

Zeus was skeptical that his youngest daughter would make a man fertile just for her own amusement. But then again, Seth had no reason to lie about it. Nothing was clear and it was starting to piss him off.

Zeus sighed and placed a kiss on Seth's shoulder as he pressed him against the door, "Seth I can't take Ife with me."

Seth grabbed a fistful of Zeus' hair and pulled him back to look at his face, "And why is that?"

"...Hera is pregnant."

'Seth just stared at him for a moment, processing the news, "So?"

"She's going to freak out when she finds out I have another son!" Zeus hissed, "This really isn't a good time."

"Zeus, I can't keep Ife here with me. I can barely feed him, or myself. I have nothing! I sold all my gold years ago. Shit, I don't even have a place to sleep. This might be his only chance at a life worthy of a demigod!" Seth was fuming, he was furious.

The past seven years have been a struggle for him and he could not stand to watch his flesh and blood suffer because of his past sins anymore. Especially because Ife was such a good kid. He never complained or blamed Seth for his horrible life and it was tearing him apart.

"If you take him to Hellas he might at least have a chance at becoming a god. If he stays with me..." Seth didn't know when the tears had begun to fall, "he'll die."

Seth was humiliated as it was. He could not even call himself a man anymore but he refused to stay a bad father. He would do anything in his power to keep his boy safe and healthy. Even if that meant going to the extreme.

Zeus sighed again and wiped away Seth's tears, "Fine. I'll deal with Hera. But I can't promise that Ife will have an easy life in Hellas."

–

Horus took a sip from his wine as he stared out at the sunset. The past years have not been pleasant in any way and it was all catching up to him now.
He sighed and rested his head on his fist, thinking. Seth was back now, with a child from the man Horus hated.

Was there any space for Horus left? Was he supposed to be glad that Seth had not proposed to go back to Hellas himself? Was Horus really going to make Seth give up his only child to an enemy?

He took another sip and felt two hands on his shoulders, "Why do you frown like that, my love?" Hathor asked, smiling as she hugged him.

"I'm just thinking." Horus sighed and downed the rest of his wine.

"Do you want me to help you with that?" she kissed his temple, then his jaw. Her soft hands slid down from his shoulders and over his arms.

"I am not in the mood Hathor."

Hathor didn't give up just yet, "Is it because you don't want to be rough with me? I don't mind it, really!" she kneeled down next to him and grabbed his hand, holding it to her cheek.

"Can I please just have some time to myself? Without you, for once?" he snapped. He actually snapped. Hathor seemed shocked because she let go of his hand like it was burning hot and got up.

"I will tell your mother about this, Horus!" her voice went up a couple of octaves.

"Do that, what do I care!" Gods, he was drunk. He hasn't been this drunk in a while.
Hathor huffed and ran away with tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Horus shook his head and got up. The evening was ruined now anyway. He made his way back to his chambers and luckily Hathor wasn't there. He lied down on their bed and sighed when suddenly a thought popped into his head.

Maybe he should go visit Seth? He didn't even think twice about it when he got up once again and he left to look for him. His Uncle must've suffered so much while he was out there in the desert.

His pace quickened and soon enough he was standing in front of the bedroom that they had Seth and Ife stay in. He cleared his throat and fixed his headdress before he opened the door to the room.

His eyes traveled across the room, searching for Seth but instead landed on the little boy at the table, chewing away on a piece of bread. His eyes screamed hunger and he almost felt sorry for him. He knew what it was like to live like this.

"Hey boy," he called out, "Where is your father?"

"Ife." the boy answered between a swallow and a bite, "My name is Ife."

"Right, Ife, where is your father?"

"He's talking with my other father," Ife answered simply as if he had already accepted the sudden appearance of a second parental figure in his life.

"What? And they couldn't talk here?" Horus bit his lip at the sudden jealousy he felt. Instead of coming to see him, Seth went with the enemy. Was it because they shared a son now? It was unfair.

"Who are you?" Ife suddenly asked and looked up at him with big eyes.

"I'm the king of your homeland. You better not forget me once you're in Hellas." he nudged the little boy and he smiled.

"I won't...is Hellas far away from Egypt?" the boy played with his fingers.

"Why do you ask?" Horus eyed the child curiously. He was cute, but what else could he expect from a son of Seth? Seth was a walking beauty, even in the kind of state he was in right now.

"Because if it's not far away," Ife took a break to swallow more bread, "Then he can come to visit me often."

Horus bit his lip, "Well it takes over a week if there are no storms." How was he supposed to tell this boy that Seth wouldn't be able to visit him as per his contract with Thoth? He felt a little bit sorry for the kid, after all, he knew how it was to miss his Uncle too.

Ife tried to imagine a definite amount of numbers but Horus had been too vague so he just shrugged, "I hope Hellas has more food than Egypt. I'm hungry."

Horus just nodded and gave the boy a few claps on the back before he got up and left.
For a child of Zeus Ife was not too bad he decided.