The Prince and His Slave [REWRITTEN]

Chapter 6 - [Arrival]

– Arius –

I stood at my balcony in the morning and watched as a group of young women, along with a few young boys, entered the palace. I was waiting for the maids to bring in the warmed water for my bath, so I had nothing better to do then to watch to new guests come in.

I knew almost immediately that this new group of faces was the new batch of maids. I had heard from Tabia that my uncle had ordered for a new group to be recruited.

I wondered now if Saia was in this group. She mentioned that she was joining the maids of the palace, so she must have been there, unless she changed her mind last minute.

Unfortunately, it was still dark out as the sun hadn't risen yet and the girls were quite far away for me to recognize any faces.

"Arius," I heard a sharp, yet playful voice called.

When I turned around, I saw my cousin Tabia walking towards me. Of course she didn't bother to knock before she entered my room.

"I was told you didn't go to the prayer's this morning," she said when she reached me at the balcony.

"Uncle told me it was not necessary for me to be there and pretty much forced me to stay behind."

The usually smiley and jolly Tabia pouted her lips.

Tabia was a beautiful young woman, despite being annoying pretty much all the time, I couldn't deny that part about her. Ever since we were children she always wore her hair short, just up to her shoulders. Though, if she ever felt 'outrageous,' as she liked to call it, she would often put on large wigs to match that mood. Her eyes were a lovely shade of brown, her skin was fair despite always being out in the sun and she had naturally pink lips that were almost always smiling.

She was tall and thin. In fact, she may have been an inch or so taller than me.

And she loved to dress extravagantly.

She always wore a lot of jewelry and a lot of accessories, though her dresses were always made of thin fabric that showed off her features quite well.

Tabia always made people turn their heads when she walked by.

"So you just didn't go?" She asked, continuing our conversation.

"Akhen made me promise not to disobey him. Though I'm not going to risk angering the gods. I plan on visiting the temple in secret to pray."

"Good idea, I'll come with you in case something goes wrong. We could say that I forced you to come."

I smiled at her, always glad that she would take my side.

"We can go in my litter. It has curtains. No one will see you."

Now I rolled my eyes. I hated those things. I preferred riding horses.

But if it meant being able to go pray to the gods who allowed me to survive such a horrible experience, then so be it.

I would be carried to the temple by Tabia's personal servants in an overly extravagant box.

"It's obvious he's continuing to try and take away my claim to the throne," I said. "Now I'm Atumankhkare, the prince engaged to the third daughter of the Hittite King and the prince who does not attend prayers to appease the gods."

Tabia rolled her thickly lined eyes, "well, you're also the Prince who survived death. People can't stop talking about that, Air-y." She said, using a nickname for my nickname.

"Yet again, thanks to him, of course."

Tabia hesitated and sighed. "I actually came here to let you know that the guards who tried to murder you have been caught and executed for their crimes against you under the order of the Pharaoh."