Prince Re groaned a little as the breakfast chime pulled him from slumber. He yawned and stretched as he sat up, looking at the servant that brought his morning meal. The woman smiled and bowed deeply to him, then took the smaller tray of food to bring to Ka. Re stood so he could see the man and found he was still asleep, curled on his side on the floor. The prince smiled a bit, shushing the servant. “Don't wake him.” He turned back to his bed and pulled off one of the light blankets, then brought it to lightly cover his pet before he moved to eat.

The servant woman bowed lowly again as she returned to Re's table, filling his goblet with cool water, fresh from the wells. Then she bowed again and left in silence. The prince barely noticed her, his attention on the lavish meal that was his usual breakfast. Sweet frozen melon was one of the prince's favorite treats and he ate this first before enjoying the more filling meats and vegetables. He poked at a dish of beans and onions. It did not look appealing and he'd not seen it before. Perhaps the cooks had found their new boy, he mused. Finishing the rest of his food, Re picked up the bean dish and the fresh baked bread. He stood and brought them over to Ka's tray. The brunet was still sleeping soundly and Re smiled again.

He left his pet to rest, changing into a silk tunic for the day. He spent a few minutes at his mirror, choosing a beaded collar to wear for the day and several bangles for his arms. He swept back his bright hair and decided it still looked all right. No need to have the servants style it that morning, Re thought and kept his smile as he left the room.

The prince strode the halls with confidence, servants and guards bowing to him as he passed. He'd lived his whole life in these halls of polished sandstone and marble. He could have found his way blind, but he quite enjoyed soaking in the views as he wandered. Every hall had rich tapestries on the walls, plush greens and reds and golds helping to muffle the echoes and banish the chill. Every window was covered with sheer fabrics as light and beautiful as a cloud. The pale colors and fine needlework were masterful, serving to shade some of the harsh sun and keep out some of the insects of the desert. Re chose his favorites every year, because that was as often as it was all changed and replaced with fresh new cloths with new beautiful designs.

He came to a large courtyard, drawn by lovely harp music. The prince paused at the edge of the open space, beside a statue of a past king standing guard over the court. Out in the open space, several dancers were swaying and spinning to the music of a harp man. Several of Re's brothers were there playing some game, giving the dancers only half of their attention. Prince Re watched as the girls danced, colorful scarves drifting from their wrists in intricate designs. It was a lovely display and he enjoyed it for a time before continuing on his way.

As the music faded behind him, Prince Re became aware of a different sound, distinct from the usual chatter of servants and noises of work. He continued on his path, soon coming to a small reflecting pool. The shallow water was filled with lotus flowers and other aquatic plants and the air was perfumed with the floral scent. Sitting by the edge of the pool was one of his sisters and a pair of her noble friends. They were the source of the sound, chittering away between themselves. They turned as the prince approached and their words faded, only to be replaced by high giggles from all three girls.

Re scoffed slightly, passing through the space to reach the rooms beyond. He largely ignored the girls and didn't respond when his sister informed. “We were just talking about you!” There was a pause before the girl continued. “How is that new pet you got?”

All of them collapsed into high giggles again and Re paused long enough to turn to them. “And how are you, Sister dear. Have you had any success finding a nobleman desperate enough to accept you as his concubine?”

The younger girl's face turned red and she scowled at him. “Go on, get out of here!” she demanded and bent to splash water at the redhead.

Re only made a face, avoiding the drops and continuing on his way with an angrily muttered, “Child!” All of the king's other children were younger than Re by several years, including a brand new infant one of the concubines had just brought into the world. Re was not close with any of them, considering them a hindrance more often than not, and an annoyance even when they were being useful.

This morning the prince was looking forward to spending time with people he did consider friends. Young men around his age; sons of local noblemen and officials. His standard group even included the son of one of the king's personal guards. These men would be waiting for him in the courtyards outside, but Re's first real stop that morning was to retrieve his musician.

As he drew near the rooms of the palace musicians, the air became thick with sound. Some of these trained players were practicing songs, some were only tuning their instruments or simply talking with one another. It only lessened slightly as the musicians noticed their prince step through the archway of the main room. Aside from offering the redhead a deep bow, they all stayed focused on their tasks.

Re's eyes swept around the large main room. Then he stepped further in and looked around again, peering into the adjoining rooms that he could see. Then with a huff, he turned to the nearest musician – a young boy learning on a simple drum. “Where is my flute girl?” the prince asked, annoyed.

The boy stopped his playing and ducked down a bit. “They're gone already, my prince.”

“Gone where?!” Re snapped at him.

The boy ducked a bit more, muttering, “With the king.”

Re's eyebrows rose, anger fading almost at once. If the king had requested her, there wasn't anything else to be said. With a sigh, Re turned away from the cowering boy and looked around the room again. If he couldn't have his flute girl, a different musician would have to do. After another moment his gaze settled on another girl, about the same age as his usual musician. “You then, I'll listen to your music today.”

The girl smiled wide and let out an enthused squeak. She quickly gathered her finger harp and stood, bowing low to her prince and still beaming when she straightened. Re made a slight face at the enthusiasm, but he just nodded and turned to leave again. The musician stayed just behind him and after a few moments, she began to play. Re listened for a few more moments to decide how he liked the more exotic sound. The metal tines had a sharper quality than the flute he favored, but he decided he liked this as well. He was sure his friends would like it as well.

As the prince stepped out into the harsh sun, his friends immediately called to him. The musician was the topic of conversation for a while as the men wondered where their usual flute player was. The girl continued to play, only faltering a little when the talk turned to how cute she was, 'just as lovely as her music'.

Eventually Re took charge of the conversation, allowing the blushing musician to drift to the background again. “Tell me what news you bring today!”

Tamul was the son of the king's guard, actually a palace guard himself at this point. He was eager to answer, brown eyes bright. “There's been news from the borders. All good, too. No serious loss of any of our men this entire season.”

Re reached to put his hand on the man's tanned face and playfully shoved him away. “Arrgh- you are as bad as the generals. War and conquest, I get plenty of that from others.”

“It is good news, you should celebrate it,” Tamul laughed.

At this Re's eyebrows quirked up. “Oh, now that is very true. We should toast our troops.”

“To the kitchens!” one of the others cried and the whole group moved that way along a long since memorized path. Within minutes the men had large mugs of beer in hand. The cooks made some attempt to direct them to a seating place and so they settled onto the floor cushions to drink and talk and pass the day.

“I heard there will be a couple of caravans coming in the next days,” said a man named Ura. His father was an official of transport and kept track of the important comings and goings of the city. “One of meats and dairy goods. Are the kitchens planning a feast?”

“The guards are preparing extra shifts, too,” Tamul provided and Re nodded.

“Yes, some trade partner that's coming through that I will be forced to interact with.” Re rolled his eyes and flopped back into the cushions. What was left in his mug spilled, but a full one was quickly traded out by an observant kitchen boy. “This is still not news to me, are you all worthless?” He laughed as he said this and so did the others.

Another friend, Anki, clapped the prince on the knee. “If you want something new, you must leave the palace now and then. My father actually has been planning a celebration for when the moon is full.”

“Food and drink?” one man asked.

“Dancers?” asked another with a somewhat raunchy tone.

Anki nodded to both of them. “And exotic entertainers traveling from other lands as well. It will be a proper tribute to the gods and I will consider it a personal insult if you do not all attend!”

Several of the group answered with a rousing agreement. Re nodded as well, stating “I will be sure not to miss it.” His smile faded though and he added, “If the king does not disallow it.”

A tense silence settled over the group. After a moment, Anki nervously assured, “My father is in good graces with the king. There should be no trouble.”

“There does not always need to be a reason,” Re complained. “Sometimes that stupid old man just wants to assure himself that he is the one in control.”

The silence grew noticeably tenser. That was technically treason and none in the group dared voice approval. Prince Re was afforded many exceptions, even among nobility, and no servant would dare report his words to the king. But they would not hesitate to carry the words of any of these others and it could mean any number of severe punishments. The men looked at one another, but no one met the prince's eyes.

Re growled slightly, looking around at his closest friends. He understood their hesitation and he could not blame them. Instead he sat up and lifted his glass in silent toast. “To Re!” Tamul cried as he raised his mug. All of the men toasted the same, all understanding that they meant it for the prince. All of them also knew they could claim it was for the king if they ever had to.

The conversation returned, more friendly as the drinks disappeared. After his second glass, the prince switched to a higher class wine and the cooks provided snacks of fruit and fish and flatbread for a midday meal. It wasn't long after this that one of the men perked, suddenly aware that their music had ceased. “Why did you stop playing?” he demanded of the musician girl.

She jumped slightly, surprised to suddenly be the focus of the men again. “Um,” she nervously explained, “I've run out of songs that I know.”

Prince Re focused on the girl and blinked a couple of times. He chuckled slightly and as if it were permission a couple of the other men laughed at her as well. Re rolled his eyes at the girl and told her, “Then you start back at the beginning and keep playing.”

Most of the men were chuckling now and the girl was blushing darkly. She nodded though and began to play again with her head ducked.

Re sighed heavily. “Honestly, why did he need to take away my flute girl?” After a moment he focused on the musician again. “Do you know when she will be back?”

The musician hesitated again, the music fading as she thought. After a moment she asked, “Who do you mean?”

“My musician!” Re snapped in annoyance. “My flute girl!”

“Oh, of course,” the girl in front of him said with an apologetic bow. “I'm sorry, my prince. Both Zin and Rina were summoned by the king. They'll likely be gone all day.”

Re rolled his eyes again. “Worthless. At least your music is nice, play.”

“And she's nice to look at too,” Ura added with a pleased laugh.

“They usually are,” Anki agreed and the conversation quickly fell away to talk of the fairer sex.

-o-o-o-o-o-

As the sun began to sink, Re saw his friends off at the castle gates. They all laughed and promised to talk again the next day before wobbling towards their respective homes. Except for Tamul, who kept his own wobbly steps beside the prince, escorting him back inside. “Is there anything I can get you?” he asked as they stepped back into the cool stone hallways.

Re shook his head however. “No no. This was fun though, wasn't it? Are you working tonight?”

“Yes. With a hangover, most likely,” Tamul laughed.

Re laughed in return. “See if you can be assigned to my room, it's a nice quiet shift.”

Tamul groaned and shook his head. “If I'm caught sleeping against the wall again, it'll be my hide! I'm going to take a nap now instead.”

Re pat his friend's shoulder. “Rest well then. Keep us safe.” Tamul laughed again and bowed to his prince. He raised a hand in a more friendly parting and then turned, heading off to his own chambers in the guards' barracks. Re turned, enjoying the fuzz that the alcohol still lent to the world. He enjoyed being out in nature in these moments, so the prince made his way towards the palace gardens.

He'd barely reached the greenery when a familiar voice reached the prince's ears. It was the official that handled the sentencing and Re groaned loudly as he paused long enough to turn to the man. He bowed in half, not rising to ask, “May I have a moment of your time, my prince?”

“You are wasting it as I speak,” Re growled at him.

The official rose, glancing at the redhead hopefully. “We must schedule another time to deal with the prisoners. If you could spare . . . tomorrow morning?”

“There are a dozen things I would prefer to do when I first wake,” Re muttered and turned away again.

The official choked slightly and followed after him a few steps. “Uh, perhaps the afternoon would, uh, better fit your schedule, my prince?”

Re groaned, lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. The man was going to completely ruin his lingering inebriation, Re thought grumpily. “Fine!” he finally snapped. “Tomorrow, if you leave me now.” The official bowed in half again, thanking the prince profusely and then practically running away. Re sighed again, none of his lingering good mood remaining. He chose not to change his plans though and still wandered out into the flowers and shady trees to pass the rest of his day.

All too soon the prince was interrupted again, this time by someone with much more authority. He turned when his name was called and found the queen standing before him. This woman was not Re's mother, but she had raised the prince since he had been very young. It was not long after Re's birth and his own mother's tragic death that the king had taken this new bride. Queen Yana was from one of the nomadic tribes where she had been a divine priestess. Her long curled hair was the palest brown and hung well past her knees. Her eyes sparkled green, a color unique in the kingdom, and she was accepted by all as a goddess who had been brought to them by King Re.

The prince saw her in a much less romanticized light. She held little sway over him and they rarely interacted beyond formal events. However the Queen had her interests and she did not hesitate to seek out the prince when it suited her. “There is a matter that needs your attention,” she informed him.

Re frowned at her and glared at the pair of hand maidens that stood just behind the woman. “What matter, exactly?” he asked tightly.

“The priests are making a sacrifice. They have been looking for you and the kitchens said they lost track of you.” Re sighed and rolled his eyes again. He began to refuse her, but Queen Yana suddenly held a finger up into his face. “Don't you dare disrespect your gods!” she almost shrieked.

Re flinched back slightly. The tone set off a pulse in his head, the ache starting a low but steady rhythm. “Then go and do it yourself! Or get the king, or any of my brothers!”

The queen took another step closer. At the same time her hand maidens moved to her side instead of behind her, as if suggesting they would actually attack him. Re was hardly intimidated by three women no taller than his chest. However Queen Yana held a weapon she knew the prince could not stand against. “It is your duty,” she said sharply and followed with, “Go or I will tell your father.”

Prince Re's hands curled into fists and he glared darkly at the woman. He knew he had no choice but to obey the king's orders. “Very well,” he said with a controlled anger. “I will go to the temple now. Will that make you happy?”

Yana did look very pleased. She merely bowed though and said, “It will make the gods happy.” She turned and started to leave, the other women falling in step behind her again and leaving Re in the garden.

Prince Re sighed and rubbed his head. The ache was not easing. With another sigh he strode back through the halls to the large temple at one side of the palace. He stopped at the entrance to cleanse his hands and face. Then he allowed a young priest to blow the smoke of sacred incense over him. He glared at the boy and at the older priests that greeted him with reverence. They had a sacrifice of vegetables and grain. Re didn't see why he had to be present for the symbolic burning, but he stood at his place impassively.

The priests played their parts and followed the appropriate rituals. Loyal worshipers lucky enough to be present for this ceremony watched on in awe and veneration, for their gods and their rulers, the gods who walked among them. Re didn't move once and when it was over, he was eager to leave the trappings of ritual and isolate himself once more away from these constant demands.

Though it wasn't really isolation. Although servants were most everywhere in the palace, Prince Re specifically forbade them from being in his chambers, with a couple of exceptions for food and water. Re liked the privacy, he enjoyed isolation. Now though, even more than a desire to be alone, he wanted to return to his pet. He wanted to retire to be with a presence he enjoyed.

-o-o-o-o-o-