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Atem’s eighteenth birthday was hovering closer and Keket could feel the undercurrent of fear underneath the excitement of the upcoming festivities. No matter what happened in the next year, this was going to be the last birthday she would get to spend with him. “I really don’t think we should be throwing a party right now,” Keket remarked with a frown. It felt wrong to damper Mana’s excitement but someone had to be the voice of reason. “I think the Pharaoh would be just fine if it was just friends and family.”
“Of course he’d be fine if it was just us,” Mana said as she examined the spread that was to be offered. “However, with how things are going… I think that most people would enjoy a massive party. I think everyone would like a day off. And I’m sure the Pharaoh would agree that his birthday being used as an excuse to give everyone a day off is exactly what he’d want.”
Keket frowned. As much as she’d like to argue, offering people a day off when everything around them was falling apart seemed like the compassionate thing to do. Offering food when there was barely enough to go around was what they should do. “You’re right,” she said softly, shrugging slightly. “I’m sure that the Pharaoh would be fine with sharing his birthday with everyone.”
“Speaking of which,” Mana said, looking at Keket with a serious expression. “It’s going to be your job to distract him while we set up the party. Think you can handle that?”
Of course she could. It didn’t take her long to find him and grab his hand, dragging him away from where Mana was setting up the festivities. “Hey, wait,” he said with a low laugh. “Where are you taking me, my love?”
“Some alone time, darling,” she said, ready to push aside any concerns about what was coming towards them in the future. The future was racing towards them and they couldn’t avoid the fact that there would be bloodshed in the future. Today, however? Today, she was determined to make sure that neither of them had to think about that. “It is your birthday, you know.”
“So I’ve heard,” he teased, yanking her towards him with a sly smirk on his face. “So do you mind telling me what Mana is planning?”
Oh, that simply wasn’t fair , she thought as his finger stroked her cheek. His lips were now close to hers. “It’s supposed to be a surprise,” she breathed and his hands went to her hips, yanking them to his. He’d leaned forward and his breath was hot on her neck. “Darling, you’re not playing fair.”
“Oh, we’re playing a game,” he asked, arching a brow at her. “You know I’ve never lost a game before, my love.”
“You’re going to lose this one,” she said, bouncing back on her toes. His hand had taken hers, his arm snaking around the small of her back. He spun them around, his cape fluttering around them. “Mana told me she wanted it to be a surprise and a surprise it shall be, darling.”
“What do I get if I win?”
“If you can get me to tell you what Mana’s planning, I’ll let you do whatever you want to me,” she teased with a wink. “But if you can’t get me to spill before the surprise happens, then I get to do whatever I want to you.”
“So the usual bet,” Atem said. “Game on, my love.”
She considered letting him win, just to let him have the memory of a fantastic birthday. It just didn’t seem in the spirit of the game. She pulled him in for a soft kiss. “Game on.”