Chapter Text
Horus managed to convince Seth to wait a day in the end, which mostly involved taking a trip to the desert again, so they could have another race, and then having a picnic by the Nile. For a bit, Seth just watched the sky, the tall grasses prickly around him, the sound of bugs, birds, and the wind filling the air.
And then Horus was there, interlacing their fingers, and Seth shut his eyes and breathed in deep, wondering about tomorrows.
Seth went with Horus to talk to Maat briefly, not detailing everything, but explaining that they needed to share with the court how Osiris died, and what was going on with him, and they had need of her for it. That Isis, Nephthys, Sekhmet, and even Ra could be in hot water, but they hoped the testimony would support Horus’ decision on the matter before the rest of the Ennead.
Maat frowned for a lot of their talk, but she otherwise seemed cordial and even pulled Seth aside afterward to say, “It’s nice to see you back at court, Seth.”
Seth did not know how to handle that. He and Maat had been cordial and even friendly enough over the centuries, but not close. Now he felt a little bad for how they were preparing to use her during court. But he reminded himself it was to protect Isis…
“And you,” Horus said before they went in when Seth joked about his nervousness. “You matter here, too.”
Seth smiled awkwardly at that, and kissed him on the cheek, then followed him into court.
Seth stood at Horus’ side this time. Isis was also sitting on her throne, her expression unreadable. Nephthys sat in the same chair she’d been in the first day, quiet.
A larger gathering of gods was present this time, everyone mostly curious about what would be done about Osiris, if more information about what happened to him came to light, if he was going to be Pharaoh again, and a slew of people who just wanted their business from days ago to get done with because they’d been waiting a while to be heard.
Seth admittedly didn’t pay all that much attention to what was happening, and found it a little hard to focus, because it felt like he was falling somehow if he did. He mostly just reminded himself everything was fine, Osiris was still in Duat, and talking around what had happened wouldn’t be an issue. …Or at least as big an issue as he worried it would.
He got the gist of what Horus was saying, because they’d talked about it already: Horus had not yet reached out to his father, nor had he appointed anyone to do so, though they were discussing options.
“As you all know,” Horus said, “we never had answers about how Osiris was killed, or by whom.”
Murmurs filled the court, bringing Seth back to the present a little. He hadn’t actually been there at the time, anyway, so it was easier to deal with. He’d been out in the desert, as a storm, or laying in the sand staring at the sky.
“Today we will hear testimony for what happened, why it happened, and why certain considerations have been given to how we are treating this situation.” He looked out at the court. “Then I will announce my judgment, and how we shall move forward.” Horus paused then, and looked at his mother.
Isis breathed in, looked out over the gathered gods, and said, clearly, and calmly, “I killed Osiris.”
There were gasps and whispers.
Isis breathed in, holding tight to the armrests on her throne. “Osiris did something unconscionable to someone I care for, and I feared he would face no retribution for it.” She shut her eyes. “But that… isn’t entirely true. He deserved punishment for it. And I wanted to be the one to do it.” She opened her eyes. “So I ensured I was.”
“I aided her,” Nephthys stepped forward and Isis and Seth looked at her in surprise. “Isis did not act alone. I… lack her powers, but I aided her in every other way I could.”
When no one else stepped forward – Ra and Sekhmet were silent – Maat stepped forward, her expression grim. “These are grave claims. Acting on your own in such a heinous away against Pharaoh… What did Osiris do? And to whom?”
“He—” Isis began.
“Osiris assaulted me,” Seth said. He was surprised that his voice didn’t shake. And that a seeming moment of silence was there amidst the whispers to allow the words to sound in the room. “He… Isis and Nephthys took revenge for Osiris… for what he did to me.”
After he stopped, there was a stunned silence.
Seth stared somewhere off to Maat’s left.
“That… is a grave claim as well,” Maat said, as calmly as she could, though she was clearly unnerved.
“I’m willing to testify,” Seth said, and was grateful for the combat training that kept him from shaking too much.
Seth only remembered glimpses of what happened next, and nothing much at all afterward. He remembered at one point standing before Maat’s scales, her tall white ostrich feather in one cup and his heart in the other, saying, vaguely, that he’d come to talk with Osiris about Nephthys. That Osiris had drugged him, weakening him, and had then abused his weakened state to overpower him.
He kept it as detail-less as possible, sticking to the basics, not elaborating on how long Osiris had Seth under his power, the specific things he’d done, or anything he could leave out without the story not making sense. It was easier and harder than he’d imagined. After explaining how Sekhmet helped him get away and that he’d stayed in the desert until he got word of Osiris’ funeral, he stopped talking.
Maat looked at the scales and said, “The fact that the scale is not tilting is proof you are telling the truth.”
Seth didn’t say anything to that. He had no reason to lie. He was glad he was staring ahead, at Maat, and beyond her, to Horus, who was watching him with a neutral expression on his face. It allowed Seth to ignore the others in the room.
“Isis,” Maat said then, turning to her. “Would you now step forward, to give your testimony?”
It was soon over after that. Isis’ detailing was quick and to the point, discussing in the simplest terms how she found out, and how the plan came together. The scales didn’t tilt. There were still shocked whispers, but Seth was back at Horus’ side, his fingers brushing Horus’ arm occasionally on the armrest, his expression neutral.
“What Isis and her cohorts did was wrong,” Horus declared after Maat put her scales away. “They should have brought the case before us, so that Osiris could be tried before the Ennead. But, given Osiris’ actions against Seth, Isis did seek out appropriate punishment.” He looked at Isis briefly, before turning back to the court. “She and Nephthys defended our family. They avenged our best soldier.”
Seth swallowed at that, but only looked down at Horus in surprise.
“I have decided to pardon Isis and Nephthys,” Horus continued, causing more murmurs from watching assemblage. “And not just because of that, or that, since Osiris’ passing, they have been fair and just rulers. But also because Osiris would have been an unsafe ruler.” Horus scowled. “No one here would be safe from the God of Life, should his temper bring him to worse acts.” He allowed a pause for more agreeing whispers to sound, riling the crowd up. “Now, he is apparently trapped in Duat. What the parameters of that are, we do not fully understand, and in the coming days we shall endeavor to discover them. But we do not seek to bring him back. If he should stay there forever, then such is his lot.” Horus allowed another pause, then said, “I, Horus, speak on behalf of the heavens. This is my final judgment.”
Maat nodded to him, and the court murmured quietly in response, but no one said anything in refutation.
Seth didn’t remember the walk to their rooms, but he seemed to blink and he was sitting on Horus’ bed, staring down at the other god, who was looking up at him in concern.
Seth could remember how small and powerless he’d felt before Osiris. How he’d fully realized just how awful Osiris’ might was. Osiris had been older, wiser, and could bend life itself to his whims. But Osiris hadn’t lorded it over him, until that night.
Now Horus sat at his feet, after declaring that he was pardoning Isis and Nephthys before the court, that he spoke for the heavens… And Seth didn’t feel powerful to see him kneeling there. He felt fragile. Was this something in Osiris’ line? An enjoyment of playing with toys?
“Do you want to leave for a while?” Horus asked. He was holding Seth’s hands and rubbing Seth’s knuckles, in a gesture that was rather soothing. It pulled Seth back again, from that awful perception of Horus as a shadow of his father. Horus could never be that. He was too much himself, too kind and sweet and compassionate. He knelt now to not overwhelm Seth. To give him space to think. Even now, he didn’t press while Seth thought it over, trying to come to some decision.
Seth just stared down at him, not sure how to articulate words outside the mess in his head, as he tried to forget what he’d just talked about. How many people knew. He tried to focus on Horus, on the contact of their hands.
Horus grimaced. “Let me carry you to the desert again?”
After a moment, Seth nodded.
Horus stood up and pulled Seth up with him, walking over to the balcony.
Seth next came to laying on his back on the sand, staring at the night sky in the desert. An adult black sha sat at his side, watching him thoughtfully.
Seth sat up, and the creature kept watching him, then turned to look past Seth.
Seth followed the gaze and saw Horus sitting nearby, his feathers wrapped around him for warmth.
Horus smiled at him and said, “Seth! You’re back!”
Seth blinked, and thought back over what happened. He remembered Horus carrying him, kind of, and then setting down on the desert. Then Seth let a sand wave pick him up and carry him for a while, just randomly. He’d wanted to call a storm, but Horus had been following him, and he didn’t want to injure Horus. So he’d made do with the sand waves.
Eventually he’d stopped, and the sand had safely deposited him on the ground. He didn’t know how much time had passed. If it was the same day, or the next.
“You… stayed,” Seth said, confused. “Why didn’t you go back to the city?”
“I wanted to be here for you,” Horus said, frowning slightly. “Did you want me to leave?”
“No, I…” Seth swallowed, then looked at the sha, who had vanished while he wasn’t paying attention. “I just… I know how I get.”
Horus stood up, letting his wings spread and walked closer. “May I…?”
Seth shrugged, and Horus knelt down, sitting at his side, and gathered his wings around them. Seth wasn’t ever cold in the desert, or too warm, but he found he appreciated the gesture.
Horus set his forehead against Seth’s, their headdresses bumping. It was awkward, but nice, in a strange way.
“How did the…?” Seth paused, swallowed, and continued, “What did people say?”
“No one said anything to me before we left,” Horus said. “I let Mother and Maat handle it. I’m sure they have everything in order.”
Seth swallowed. “Then it was worth it, I guess.”
“It was. I’m so sorry you had to go through with it, though.”
Seth swallowed. “It’s done, I guess. So that’s something.” They were quiet for a while, and Seth sagged back onto Horus a bit. He felt wrung out again. He still couldn’t believe he’d said all that, but at least… at least his panicky mind was a bit quieter.
Horus pulled his wings in tighter.
“I thought it’d be different, to tell everyone,” Seth said. “Like… I’d either break or grow or… I don’t know. I thought…” He swallowed. “I don’t know what I thought. I was so focused on no one ever knowing…” In a quieter voice he said, “I can’t believe I said it…”
“You did a great job,” Horus said.
Seth laughed. “I don’t know how. Or how I’m… I thought it might be like back then. When I happened. That I might wake up in a month to news of something, missing memories of the past few weeks.” Seth grimaced. “It could still be that way.”
“It just happened,” Horus said, quietly, hugging him tight, and stroking his arm a little. “I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time to see how you feel about it. But you’ll be able to rest for it. However long you need. Heliopolis could use your help, but it can wait. Your duties are to… relax, as much as is possible.”
Seth laughed. He could tell he was probably going to break down again or… something. But everything just felt very distant. He truly couldn’t figure out how he’d gotten up and talked about all those things in front of those people. How he hadn’t stuttered once. Didn’t shake. How he’d gazed back at Maat and Horus and just… done it.
He was afraid of going back. Of how people would look at him now. But he was afraid of not going back. Of what people would think of him for it.
“There is no winning,” Seth said, quietly.
“…No,” Horus said. “There’s surviving, at least. And pulling yourself together from it. Into something that works to get you through the day. And you don’t have to do it alone.” He squeezed Seth’s arm lightly. “I’m here. Whatever you need. I plan for us to do more than survive, you know. We’ll get through this.”
Seth smiled a little at that. Still thinking of the future. Of more of this. Of them.
“…You’re just talking about fucking me on your desk, aren’t you?”
Horus was quiet for a second, then burst out laughing.
Several months later
Horus stood up from his throne after the last petitioner for the day left. He stretched his arms and shoulders out.
“You did well today,” Isis said.
Horus looked at her as she stood. She was watching him with a smile. He noticed she did that more often these days. Between court getting into something of a predictability after the debates about bringing back or dealing with Osiris had died down, the discovery that yes, Osiris was stuck down in Duat and could not return (which he was not happy about, based on reports from Ammit and Maat, but about which he could not presently do anything to change), Nephthys’ pregnancy, and Seth settling back into court life, there was a sort of calm now. And Isis was handling it as she ever had, with determination and skill. She was a ruler to be reckoned with, and Horus imagined Osiris would have been jealous of her abilities in this.
“I had a good teacher,” Horus said, smiling back. Things had gotten easier between them too, as more time passed. They talked more, hashed more out. Learned more about trust. Currently, things between them were tentatively good again.
Her smile widened.
Together they left the throne room, walking deeper into the palace.
“Isis!”
Nephthys stepped towards them along the hall, waving. “Horus! Is court over for the day?”
“Yes,” Isis said.
Horus looked past his aunt to see a nursemaid carrying baby Anubis in her arms. He was wrapped in cloth and sleeping soundly.
Nephthys and the maid stopped before them in the hall, and Nephthys looked down at the baby fondly. “He sleeps better when we’re walking. Probably doesn’t help that I could never sit down while I was pregnant. Or maybe he’ll be a god who travels a lot.”
Horus considered the small baby with his dark hair and big eyes. He had spent a bit of time with Anubis after his birth, watching the nursemaids handle him, and occasionally Seth or Nephthys or Isis holding him. Horus had only held him once, and didn’t want to repeat the experience, mostly out of worry. Despite assurances to the contrary, he was concerned he would drop the child. Or crush him. He was just so tiny, and felt even more fragile than Simba, Seth’s kitten.
“Seth went back to your rooms, Horus,” Nephthys said.
“Ah thank you.” He nodded to her, kissed his mother on the cheek, and walked past them towards his rooms.
When he opened the door, he noticed his room was quiet, and as he stepped inside, he saw Seth laying on a long lounging sofa he’d requested a while back be moved from his room to Horus’. It was shaped like an animal, with thick golden legs, a tall footrest, and a short headrest. Seth often lay on it when he was relaxing, and now he seemed to be asleep on it, with his head down, his arms crossed over his chest, and not paying any apparent mind to Horus coming in. His large headdress put much of his face in shadow, but his lips were set in a calm expression.
Simba, their still small yellow kitten (though she was growing larger), sat on the war god’s chest, curled up. She blinked an eye open at Horus, then shut it again, returning to her sleep. Over the time the cat had settled into their lives, she’d taken a clear preference for Seth, and Seth liked her too, even if he was careful to avoid outright saying it. She now sported a heavy golden and jewel-encrusted collar that Seth had secretly gifted her and refused to talk about whenever Horus pointed it out.
But it was cute to see Seth blushing, like it was abnormal for him to dote on the creature.
Horus walked over and leaned down to kiss Seth’s cheek.
Seth grunted, and then murmured, “Done with work?”
Horus knelt and started moving down Seth’s side in answer, peppering kisses down his neck.
Simba grumbled as Seth shifted a bit, and then jumped off him entirely to wander away.
“Missed you,” Horus said, before going back to sucking on Seth’s abdomen.
Seth snorted, and placed a hand on the top of Horus’ head, over the headdress. Horus dismissed the garment, so that Seth could card his fingers through Horus’ hair. “I was never that far away. Just sitting with Nephthys, Taweret, and Anubis.”
“Did you have a nice time?” Horus asked, resting his head on Seth’s stomach while Seth gently finger combed his hair.
“Yeah,” Seth replied, his expression soft. “Anubis slept a lot of the time anyway. He only fussed near the end, so Nephthys took him on a walk. That calms him down.” Seth seemed to enjoy spending time with Anubis, which Horus was happy to see, like any activity Seth took part in these days. “Taweret and I played some Mehen at one point.”
“Who won?”
“We didn’t finish,” Seth said, which Horus knew probably meant Taweret was winning.
“You stayed at the palace today,” Horus said after a while, watching Seth. “You sure you didn’t feel cramped?”
Seth hummed, and then replied, “I was in the desert for most of last week, and yesterday I was training soldiers most of the day. I felt a day in was all right.” He smiled. “And it was nice. Plus, I get to see you earlier.”
Horus smiled. Seth didn’t always stay at the palace when Horus was there. Often he went on trips of his own, sometimes on assignments for managing Egypt, or dealing with his own godly duties, but also sometimes to take breaks from everything. After his testimony he’d been quieter for a time, and had avoided mingling with most of the other gods. Surprisingly, Maat and Thoth had spent more time at court, taking meals with them, and drawing Seth into conversation sometimes, in part because Thoth was good at senet, and liked playing with Seth when Isis wasn’t free, and Maat always had news from around the country to share with them both.
Isis and Nephthys sometimes joined them, and while Seth and Nephthys were clearly being very careful around each other, he and Isis were getting along much better, and Seth often went walking with her through the palace or the city to talk. Sometimes Seth just lounged in her rooms, quiet and listening while she played her lute. Horus knew primarily because he’d come to collect Seth in the evening, and find him asleep, with Isis watching him fondly.
There were nights that were harder than others. Seth wouldn’t be able to sleep, and would take to walking the palace, or leave in his chariot. And he sometimes had nightmares, which would leave him restless when he woke up from them. He’d cling to Horus, or just stare off into the distance, not seeming to see anything. Horus simply stayed nearby, as needed, watching.
Some nights they’d go walking through the palace at Seth’s insistence, to try and dispel the nervous energy from his inability to sleep or return to sleep, and Seth would talk a little about the stories on the walls. Other things that Isis or Nephthys hadn’t told Horus, perhaps without an intent to hide information, but simply because he hadn’t wandered in that particular direction with them before. There were stories of Seth and Isis in their younger days, Seth’s conquests, Isis’ great feats of magic… And Seth had a gentle and sometimes sarcastic voice as he told them, that Horus liked listening to.
They learned to live with each other, even more than they had. And they learned to respect each other’s space, too. Seth never stepped over the bounds of Horus’ authority, despite being far older and his uncle besides, and respected Horus’ desire to speak with other gods in private, and wasn’t a constant hawk at court. Seth had a position as advisor of sorts, and took it seriously, but was clearly happy leaving Horus and Isis in charge. Horus also respected that Seth didn’t just seek privacy when he was at his worst, but was fully capable of managing his duties on his own: overseeing temple management, training, leading soldiers… Horus knew the testimony had hurt his confidence, but after going with Seth a couple times on his duties, Horus saw that the soldiers treated him no differently, though Horus wondered if part of that was that they’d seen him in action.
“We could go flying if you’d like,” Horus said. Seth had gotten more comfortable with Horus carrying him while they flew, though he was still a little tense at the start of such trips. It was a lot of trust, especially on their longer trips around Egypt. But Horus liked it, because when he could soar through the air, with Seth clinging tightly to him, Horus felt unstoppable.
“Maybe not today,” Seth said, brushing his fingers down Horus’ cheek. “Unless you want to…?”
“I’m just happy to relax with you.”
Seth hummed approvingly and said, “You should eat something. It’s been a long day.”
Horus turned his head and playfully bit Seth’s hip.
Seth scoffed and lightly shoved Horus’ shoulder. “I mean something that’s not me! Actual food! Silly oaf.” His tone was fond.
Horus grinned and pushed himself up, then held his hand out, palm up. “Let’s go, then.”
Seth put his hand in Horus’, and stood up.