The next morning began the same, with Toshan waking the two men gently and Ka and Re sharing the morning meal with each other. Prince Re began to grow animated as the meal went on, talking about the coming celebration. Ka only absorbed a fraction of the energetic words, he was distracted with thoughts of being dragged out in public again. More than half naked, dripping in jewels like an art piece: the thoughts chased away his appetite. He wondered if his hands would be bound again and that thought made him feel rather ill.

As Toshan cleared away the tray, Prince Re stood with a languid stretch. For a moment Ka was distracted, focused on the lithe form. His eyes traced the arch of the prince’s back and the way his bright hair swayed as he moved. Ka felt his cheeks heat again and looked away. His gaze returned to the prince though, even as he stepped away and became little more than patches of living color in the morning light. Eventually Ka did look away again, thoughtful and quiet.

Re interrupted his thoughts quickly, however, reappearing at his side. “Come,” he said and reached for the locked collar. He removed the chain easily before straightening again and offering a hand to Ka.

Slowly he took the help and the scribe was pulled to his feet. “Where are we going?” he asked, not really wanting to leave the relative safety of this room.

Re just smiled though, visibly pleased. “The party is tonight, we must prepare. Besides, I am in desperate need of a bath after the last couple of days.” The prince paused, turning to find Toshan. “You too, come with us. You are not to leave my side today, my guards will not be on duty, you are filling in.”

The man sounded startled at this news. “As- as your guard, my prince?”

“As my servant,” the redhead said sharply. “But a servant who remains with me, for today.”

“I understand,” Toshan said with a deep bow and a more confident voice.

“Come,” Re ordered again and wrapped one hand around Ka’s wrist to lead him along. Toshan rushed ahead to open the door and give any other assistance the prince may need. The three made their way to the bath and Toshan quickly went to shadow the servants already stationed here. Re smiled and finally released Ka so he could go to the basin to wash his face. “Undo your cuffs,” he said with a vague motion for the brunet to follow.

Ka undid the little puzzle locks slowly, setting them aside beside the oils and soaps. “About that . . .” He turned to the prince and licked his lips nervously before he continued. “If you’re taking me from the palace, will I be bound again?”

Re glanced at him sidelong, taking some time to answer. “It will not be like the market. However the king said he would be there, so certain precautions should be taken.” Ka let out an unhappy breath, but then tried to calm himself with a deep one. “Toshan,” the prince ordered suddenly and when the man came over, he began pointing out which bottles were which.

As Ka expected, these were oils used by the whole royal family. He paid attention to which bottles were preferred by which royals and eventually reached for one named as a favorite of the king. Almost at once, Re plucked the pink crystal vial from his hand and replaced it in it’s spot. This made Ka huff again. “Am I only allowed to use your own?”

“I am not fond of that fragrance,” Re growled, but then gestured to the other vials. “You may use any of the others.” He was quiet for a moment before choosing another to hand to Ka. “I think this would suit you, my brothers are fond of this one.”

Ka took the small bottle and gave the contents a sniff. It smelled pleasant, like warm bark and a gentle, earthy spice. It was actually very nice, different from the usual bold spices and sandlewood that the prince smelled of most of the time. Ka set it down to wash his face, then dabbed a bit of it into his hair so the scent would linger. Then he replaced the bottle and his attention turned to their new servant. “Is Toshan allowed to use these?”

Re turned on the scribe with a scowl. “Of course not!” Ka raised an eyebrow in challenge and Re frowned more. He let out a small growl and turned to the servant directly. “If you are caught-”

“I would never-!” Toshan began to argue, but Re held up a hand to silence him.

“I am well aware that servants take liberties when they think they can go unseen. It will happen sooner or later.” As he said this, he turned, eyes raking over the rest of the servants in the room. Most of them looked away or busied themselves with tasks. His gaze returned to Toshan slowly, still frowning. “If you are caught, you will be punished. So do not do anything foolish. I do not want to have to find another servant.”

“I understand, your highness,” Toshan said with a deep bow.

Re nodded, then glanced at Ka before stepping to the water. “Both of you, come clean,” he said as he stepped into the scented bath. Other servants stepped up to the others, helping to strip them quickly. They stayed largely out of the way then, allowing everyone to sink down into the much appreciated warmth. Toshan began to clean at once, keeping a respectful distance from his prince. Ka drifted closer however, and Re looked at him with a smile. “Let me help you clean.”

“I feel I should be offering that to you,” Ka muttered, but he didn’t refuse the treatment.

Re held out his hand for soap, using the suds to clean Ka’s back as well as his own body. “You are not here to be my servant,” Re told him simply.

This brought Ka back to one of the other questions that continued to bother him and he asked, “Why am I here?”

Ka turned to meet the prince’s eyes, but Re took several steps away, beyond where the other could clearly see. “I think you are clever and even wise. I believe you have talent and I intend to show that off.”

Ka only frowned at this, keeping quiet in anticipation of more. It didn’t come though, the prince lapsing into a silence of his own. Ka’s frown deepened, but he decided to drop it for now. He knew there was more to the redhead’s reasoning. Re also found him attractive if nothing else, but Ka felt there was more that he hadn’t figured out just yet.

“Clean your hair, both of you,” Re’s voice came again. Then the redhead dipped below the surface himself. He tousled his hair before pushing off from one side of the sunken bath, propelling himself to the other side next to the stairs.

Ka kept his eyes on the streak of red until the prince resurfaced. Then he finally sank down and let the water wash away all it could. When he resurfaced, Re was already surrounded by servants drying his skin and hair. More rushed in to treat Ka the same, as well as Toshan when he joined them. Ka did not object, he was beginning to enjoy others fussing over him like this. The same treatment Re received every day. Ka couldn’t help but think the line between their two stations seemed to grow increasingly blurred as the days passed.

Ka was snapped out of his thoughts by a voice at the door. “My prince, here you are. Forgive me for over sleeping.”

It was Tamul and Re instantly brightened at hearing his friend. “Nonsense, I ordered that you not be disturbed.” He crossed to the doorway, forcing the servants to follow him. Re clapped one hand on the guard’s shoulder and smiled widely at him. “None of you are posting today, it is Anki’s party.”

Tamul blinked, then briefly counted on his fingers. “It is, gods, I’ve lost a day.”

“You have all of this day to relax. Make sure the others know they will be joining us as guests. Clean up and wear something comfortable,” he added and made a face at the other man’s armor.

Tamul smiled wide, instantly eager for the coming festivities. “I will still be armed,” the young captain insisted. “This should be a lot of fun though.”

Re chuckled in agreement. “I do need a favor, however. The clothier should have finished something by now, check on that for me.”

“Of course, my prince.” Tamul bowed slightly, still smiling wide as he then turned to leave.

Re turned again, walking back towards his pet with the servants trailing behind him. Ka and Toshan were both dressed now and Re took the brightly dyed red robe that he was handed. He remained still, allowing the stylist to pin his hair back in fashionable waves. “Them as well,” he muttered and the man stepped to Ka next and then Toshan to trim and style the servant’s unruly hair. When he stepped back at last, Re looked both men over with an approving smile. “That looks very good.”

“Thank you, your highness,” the stylist said with pride and bowed.

Re nodded to him. “I want to see you again before we leave this evening. Your skills will make me look incredible.” He paused and glanced at Ka. “And you, too.”

Ka simply rolled his eyes at the thought. Whether it was jewels or face paint, he was still just being treated as a decoration. Re’s hand closed around his wrist again, leading them back to his chambers once more. Once inside, Re flit away at once to his mirror. Ka rolled his eyes again and moved to his little nest instead. He picked up his book to continue reading, but paused when Re suddenly strode over to him again. The prince peered at the book before demanding once again, “Tell me a story.”

“From here?” Ka confirmed, lifting the tome slightly. “This is full of history and tales of war.”

“That is all right for now,” Re said and strode away again. “There is time to fill, I just want to hear your voice.”

The casual comment made Ka pause again, his cheeks heating just a little. Decoration, storyteller, pet . . . Every time Ka settled on what the prince thought of him, the redhead seemed to change him mind. Ka was beginning to understand, but there was still much to learn. “All right, a tale of victory and triumph.” He flipped through the pages to choose a story he hadn’t begun yet and started to read aloud.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Anki was a well-built, good-looking young man with darkly tanned skin and deep brown eyes. His black hair was just a bit curly, worn long enough to frame his face nicely. He was dressed in a fashionable tunic and loose pants, all in rare dyes of deep yellows and midnight blues. He boasted of being the ‘darkest rogue’ of the prince’s friends, currently clustered with the others in the entrance of his grand home. His animated, eager descriptions of the evening to come were entertaining the young men as they sipped wine and waited for the prince himself. Only when the redhead arrived would their festivities truly begin.

The sun was beginning to set when the royal family arrived. Anki’s father – a merchant of very high standing – called for attention from the crowd and Anki joined the man for a proper greeting. King Re arrived with his lovely queen, both dressed in full regalia of sparkling white cloth and gold that glinted in the fading light. “Your majesty!” Anki’s father spoke loudly to be sure every guest gave proper attention to their king. “It is an unexpected pleasure to host you this evening. You honor me, welcome.”

“I was told this would be a proper tribute to the gods,” King Re stated in an equally grand voice. “So let us not disappoint them!” The royal laughed and everyone around burst into laughter as well. Queen Yana shook her head in amusement and continued into the home, the servants and attendants following after her. The king lingered with the host and fell into conversation with him to begin the evening.

This officially ended the greetings and Prince Re was free to step off with his own entourage. He smiled brightly at Anki and the young man eagerly led the way back to their friend circle. Greetings were shouted to Re and to Tamul, then the attention focused entirely onto Ka. The half dozen men began to mutter amongst themselves, saying things like ‘that’s him’ and ‘Re brought his pet’. This simply made the prince smile wide, absolutely beaming with pride. “My pet, Ka,” he introduced the brunet officially and stepped to one side so he could be properly admired.

Ka was flushed slightly at all the attention, but he stood tall to meet these strangers. His hands were in fact bound, but in front of him, providing a stronger sense of safety. Giving him significantly more confidence was the fact that he was properly dressed. Ka had been given a pair of dark, loose pants with expertly stitched decorations running up the sides and around the cuffs. The green fabric of his top was thin and worn in a wrap style, covering his chest while his arms remained bare. Well, not bare, Ka’s arms were decorated with even more bangles and bracelets than usual. Prince Re had insisted on draping him with more necklaces as well and most of his newly acquired rare jade. Ka finally felt like more of a normal person, but with so much jewelry that his movements seemed heavy and awkward.

After a few moments, Prince Re drew attention again. He introduced Elia and Harim and then began to list off the names of his friends. Ka didn’t bother trying to keep track, he would easily remember ‘Ura’ and ‘Vinit’ and ‘Crae’ and the other names. He could hardly see their faces though, none of the men had features distinct enough for Ka to keep their identities straight. Anki had the darkest skin, and a young man called Ghita wore a beard. Otherwise the group was representative of the kingdom; sandy skin and short, dark hair. Ka couldn’t pick Tamul or Harim out either since they were also dressed in casual, fashionable clothing.

Prince Re turned and began to walk away, deeper into the party. Ka suddenly frowned though and focused on him again. “Master Re, aren’t you forgetting someone?” The prince looked back and Ka pointedly glanced at the last two of their group.

Re scoffed at this. “They already know my flute girl.” She had come with her instrument, intended to provide music if the festivities proved less-than-interesting.

“Rina,” Ka supplied, still frowning a bit. They knew the girl, but he wasn’t sure they actually knew her name.

Re waved him off again, but as he turned to his friends he nodded towards his servant. “This is Toshan. He can assist your own servants if you need him. His main job tonight however is to ensure my goblet never empties of wine.” He’d hardly finished speaking before Toshan had a tall glass to hand to the prince, who took it with a small nod. Then the redhead began moving again, eagerly hurrying into the celebration and drawing the whole group after him.

The merchant’s grand home had been decorated in the highest fashion. Flowers and jewels had been spread around in lovely displays, put together with skill by Anki’s mother. There were expensive, beautiful statues against nearly every wall, many draped in silks and other fine cloths. Much like the king’s banquet, this was an opportunity for this family to show their wealth and they did not disappoint. The sun continued to sink and as the light faded, servants hurried around to light lanterns and candles. Sheer cloths and thin parchments surrounded these artificial lights providing gems to create a glittering wonderland and patterns that were cast out as shadow across the rooms.

Even Ka had to admit it was beautiful. He couldn’t make out any single display, but the way the light bounced around and illuminated the entire space was something that didn’t need to be seen clearly to be appreciated. Unlike some of the other displays which were totally lost on the scribe. As the group walked they passed dancers and servants dressed in flowing and skimpy outfits. Every few steps, one of the men would remark on a particularly attractive servant or performer. Ka mostly tried to tune out their talk, listening to the sounds of music and dancing and trying to enjoy what he could of the night.

Because he wasn’t paying close attention, Ka was startled when one of the men suddenly stood before him. “You agree, right?”

The group stopped their wandering, turning to see Ka’s answer, but the scribe just floundered and eventually shook his head. “Agree with what?”

“You see, you’re wrong, even the help won’t agree with you!” Another of the men said and playfully shoved his friend.

The man who first spoke batted away the attack and turned to Re instead. “What about you, my lord? What do you think?”

Ka was still completely lost and he felt his cheeks heat again when the prince smiled at him. “I think,” the redhead began without looking away, “that it is up to the person who performs. Boys don’t dance any better or worse than girls. Individual talent varies too widely to make any blanket judgment.”

There was general agreement from the group, accepting the prince’s answer as best without argument. The only outlier was the man who had questioned Ka, who huffed a bit and muttered, “I still think boys make better dancers.”

“That is because you prefer to watch the boys,” Tamul said with a mocking tone.

“Well, yeah. What’s wrong with that?”

Prince Re laughed, putting his hand on the man’s face and pushing him away. “Beauty and talent are not the same thing, you fool. Talent is talent regardless of attractiveness.”

“Well yeah,” the man said again, grinning wide. “But attractiveness makes it all the better, right? Much more fun to watch.”

“I cannot argue that,” Re agreed and he briefly met Ka’s eyes again. The scribe looked away, but it was too late. The group of men focused on him again as they continued their discussion.

“What are your pet’s talents, Prince Re?”

“Attractive to be sure, but you said he was smart too, right?”

“Can he dance at all?”

Ka swallowed, nervous under the attention and annoyed that all of them spoke to Re even while they looked at him. Finally Prince Re quieted the group. He was still smiling with pride, pleased his pet was so popular. “He is very wise, yes. Ka is a storyteller.”

This did not bring the cheers one might have hoped for. One friend even muttered, “A dancer would have been better.”

“None of you have any taste,” Re scoffed at the men. Then he turned to Ka with a devilish smirk. “Tell us a story. One of your poems.”

Slightly thrown off, Ka frowned in confusion. “Poems?”

Re nodded. He glanced around and led the group to a pile of pillows where they could all sit. He pulled Ka onto a cushion beside himself and said again, “One of your poems. The ones I didn’t make you tell before.”

Ka gasped as he realized what the prince meant. The dirty poems he had committed to memory, his cheeks burned at the thought of reciting them to this unruly group. The men were all watching him closely, pausing only long enough to take deep drinks from their cups. Ka turned to Re again, eyes pleading. “Please no. My pri- master, please.”

“Do not argue,” the prince replied without sounding too harsh. “Do as I say and we will get some food after.”

The group echoed their prince, pressuring Ka to speak until he finally groaned and nodded. The scribe lifted his hands to his eyes simply to hide his face. Then he heaved a sigh and began a short bawdy poem. The woman who was the focus of the lines enjoyed going out every night, visiting each city craftsman in turn to ‘have her needle thread’ and ‘get a horse that bucked’. Each innuendo brought raucous laughter from everyone gathered as well as several other party goers who came over for the entertainment.

When he finished, the prince demanded another. Ka tried to protest, but was once more defeated by the crowd and he let out another groan. With nothing but regret he recited a poem about sailors and all the ways they found to enjoy the fairer sex. This poem received just as much applause and Ka sank down further behind his hands. He actually preferred being looked at as an art piece to this humiliation. The group began to demand more, but to the scribe’s unending relief Re lifted his hand for silence. “Let us see what foods your father offers,” he said as a decree and the group quickly agreed and climbed to their feet again.

Ka didn’t move right away, taking a few breaths and trying to banish his embarrassment. When he peeked from behind his hands, he was surprised to see the prince kneeling in front of him. The redhead’s smile widened and he reached out to tilt Ka’s chin up. “You are impressing them, keep it up,” he said simply, then took Ka’s hand to pull him to his feet.

That wasn’t a very helpful order, Ka thought with a huff. These men would be impressed by anything if the prince presented it, regardless of what Ka did himself. They were certainly amused by bawdy stories it seemed. Ka really did not want to spend his evening like that, but he feared it was inevitable. He groaned again as he followed the prince, only slightly uplifted by the thought of food. There was still a long night ahead of them.

-o-o-o-o-o-