Ka followed the prince close enough that the chain had a little slack. As they stepped into the hall, he couldn't help but look at Elia, the woman wiping at one red cheek before she came to attention. "It's fine," Re told her, holding up his free hand. "Stay here at your post, we'll be back soon enough."

"Thank you, your highness," she said with a little bow and a rather grateful smile.

Watching her, Ka felt bad for the woman, obviously just as rattled by the king as he was. It also filled the scribe with a certain dread, knowing the prince's guard could easily be dismissed by the ruler's decision. Ka tried not to think about it, focusing on Prince Re instead.

He didn't walk towards the kitchens, thinking that would be too close to all the festivities. Instead Prince Re led the way to the palace stores, behind the kitchen and courtyards. This space also held the palace well and the prince walked to the edge, taking a ladle from the bucket there to have a drink. He offered the ladle to Ka and he took it for a drink of his own, the fresh water even colder than when it arrived in the prince's chambers. "I hope you don't mind a humble meal," Re said as he took Ka's chains again to enter the storehouse.

"I prefer it, actually," Ka informed.

Re laughed slightly. "You can say you would rather eat plain vegetables than the foods from my plate?" His pet hesitated and did not deny it. Re laughed a little more, his tone teasing. "You can't. Given a choice, you wouldn't be able to help yourself. You would choose the finer food."

"Not because it is more expensive or dear," Ka said with rising frustration. The prince's lapse of predictability was clearly over, he was back to the same mocking superiority that Ka knew quite well by now. "I would choose a home-cooked meal over raw ingredients as well. Between two well prepared meals, the choice would be much more difficult."

Re chuckled a few more times before he asked. "What was your favorite meal? Home cooked," he was sure to clarify.

Ka blinked in surprise, caught off guard by such a sudden question. "Um, I suppose, lamb and vegetables on rice. We had it with an herb sauce that was delicious."

"And what about not home cooked?" Re pressed curiously.

Ka frowned at him but answered, "Grilled flatbreads. Why are you suddenly interested in what I used to eat?"

Re shook his head as if simply shrugging off the question. "A look into another world, that is all." His focus was on the food now, pulling out root vegetables and fruits and nuts. These dry stores would last years in this cool room, but they could be eaten raw for a very simple meal. He passed some things to Ka, carrying others himself and then leading them back outside to sit against the well. Re took a bite of dried fig and sighed. "I certainly prefer the finer foods . . . but I admit I far prefer a quiet setting."

Ka frowned slightly, not sure he believed that. "The palace has the finest chefs in the land, with servers and servants working hard to please you. Can you really say you would turn away from that finery?"

Re met his eyes for a moment with naked sincerity. "Yes, I would. I do, constantly. I rarely take meals with the royal family, I would rather dine with friends in the kitchens, or alone in my room, or under the stars with you."

Ka shook his head slightly, baffled. He could hear the sincerity in the redhead's words, but he didn't understand and asked, "Why? I have had meals exactly like this in the past, but it was from necessity. A comfortable setting enhances any meal."

"That is where you misunderstand," Re cut in abruptly. "It is not comfortable to dine with the king."

"Oh, of course" Ka muttered with sudden understanding. He knew the king's fearsome reputation and he'd just seen his temper. He hadn't considered that eating in the luxuries of the palace would also mean eating by that man's side.

Without warning and without looking at the other, the prince began to speak again. "I remember a dinner when I was still young," he said quietly between bites of food. Ka watched expectantly as Re took a deep breath before saying bluntly, "The taster died. Right in front of us . . . it was not quick. The king was of course furious and demanded to see the cooks. They all assured him the food was fine, they sampled it themselves. We think the taster was allergic to something and it closed her throat."

He shook his head slightly as if to clear away the memory. "Anyway, the king demanded a new meal be made anyway. The cooks acted as tasters to prove everything was safe, which of course it was. He had them killed anyway, not in front of us, thankfully. Then he ate the meal, laughing and enjoying it as usual. I remember going hungry that night."

"Horrible," Ka gasped. This was the sort of rumor whispered around empty beer mugs, to hear it from someone who had witnessed such cruelty was shocking. "And also, how sad," he added.

Re sighed and ran a hand along his tied hair. "I've never shared the king's taste in entertainment."

"No," Ka said with a frown. "That must have been terrible, especially to see when you were young. What is sad is that this story is still about you."

Re looked up with a startled, "What?"

Ka shook his head again. "How many people died that day? And the story is still about you."

The prince was frowning now. "I told you that story to show you what it was like growing up with that man."

"You told me that story because you wanted sympathy," Ka corrected. "From your pet."

Re glowered at him, his own temper flaring. "Why did I think you would understand? Peasants think that royalty is nothing but wealth and leisure, you're no different."

"I've yet to see you do any work, Master," Ka shot back, his frustration rising again.

Re suddenly lifted a hand and Ka flinched back. However, he only held it up between them, the sign to stop. "I do not want to fight with you, not now. If we cannot agree, then just be quiet." Ka huffed slightly but he nodded and lowered his eyes. He knew he wasn't likely to win this argument, it was probably better to simply drop it.

Ka was focused for a time on his scant meal "“ a far cry from the finery he'd received from the prince. These rations were better compared with the meat he was given, or to his prison meals, though these were a different variety of foods. As he ate, Ka found himself looking over at Re, the prince eating the same 'humble' foods without comment or complaint. The redhead's gaze was resting unfocused on the ground in front of his feet as he ate with a small frown. Ka frowned himself, thinking he may have been too quick in his assumptions this time. It was true the prince took many meals alone, even if he was still surrounded by luxury when he took them.

With no real warning, another presence suddenly intruded on their solitude. "There you are." The pair looked up to find the queen approaching, flanked by her usual handmaidens. "Come," she said with a nod to the prince. "Dinner is finished. You are to make a reappearance, humbled and apologetic."

"Why should I-?" Re began to demand, but the queen cut him off.

"By order of your father. I would suggest you hurry, before our guests grow weary for the night." Yana did not falter, glaring until the prince reluctantly stood. "Good," she approved and nodded for the prince to accompany her back to the festivities. As they began, she motioned to a palace guard that stood against the wall. "Take him back to the harem," she said, gesturing now at Ka.

Re growled loudly at the guard and demanded, "No, take him to my room!" Queen Yana thread her arm through the prince's and her handmaidens took up position behind them. Re growled again, but he had little choice but to let the women herd him away.

The guard stepped over to Ka and roughly took his arm, hauling him up to his feet. Ka didn't fight, hoping not to anger this man that likely already hated him. He kept his eyes on the guard and followed quietly until they passed by the staircase. "Wait, the prince said to take me to his room," Ka protested with just a bit of panic.

The guard sneered. "And the queen said to bring you to the harem." His expression changed to a slimy smile, clearly thinking this to be a fitting punishment. If they couldn't harm Ka, they could at least still humiliate him. The scribe tried to pull away, but he was no match for the larger man unless he actually fought. Ka was certain that was a bad idea, but he wasn't sure if it would be a worse fate than his current one. Before long they approached another door, this one flanked by a pair of guards. Both glared at Ka as he was forced to the entrance, then the female of the pair turned, working the wooden lock to open the door. The guard at his side gave Ka a solid shove into the room, all three chuckling among themselves as they pulled the door shut again with a bang.

Ka stumbled badly but managed to keep on his feet. He glanced back at the door with a frown before nervously turning to see where he had been delivered. Ka found himself in a large room, he couldn't see exactly how big it truly was. He could make out the pool sunk into the floor, reminding of the bath but quite a bit larger. There were also groups of pillows and lounging chairs scattered around, with small tables bearing fruits and nuts. Tapestries decorated the wall and some sheer draperies hung from the ceiling.

The space was also filled with a couple dozen people, all of them looking at Ka. The scribe swallowed, shifting back nervously as a few of them moved forward to inspect the newcomer. "New concubine?" one light-skinned woman ina clingy sand-colored dress asked to no one in particular.

A man with long black hair and wearing only a wrapped skirt laughed into his hand and muttered, "He's cute, I approve."

"Like anyone cares what you think," snapped a young woman around Ka's age, only to be smacked in her shoulder by a younger girl wearing a colorful beaded dress with no undergarment.

"Shut up, it's you no one listens to." It was this girl to turn to Ka, bouncing closer with an energy that surpassed any of the others in the room. She started to say something, probably a proper greeting, but no words left her lips. Instead the bubbly warmth disappeared, her eyes focused on Ka's neck. She turned back to the others and whispered, "He's in chains." A few grimaced or let out small sounds of distress; a couple turned on their heels and went further into the room. Ka pursed his lips, understanding that even here, he was going to be ignored. Mostly, at least. The girl turned back and offered a wan little smile. "Welcome, I guess. Get comfortable wherever."

"You're going to get chained yourself, leave him." Another woman put an arm around the girl's shoulders and led her away. She looked back at Ka, but the scribe was quickly abandoned.

Ka lifted his hands to rub his head, growling a little. This seemed like a terrible dream, but when he pulled his own hair it hurt, so it could only be reality. Trapped in a world of luxury, surrounded by people and still completely alone, barefoot and hungry. Thus was the insane world of royalty. On the positive side, it was better to be ignored than drawn into any activities against his will. These people were as decorated as Ka was, most wearing more jewels than cloth. At least a few of them strode about in nothing but the jewels. The pile of cushions nearest Ka was serving as bed to a group of four who were entwined and had barely paused at Ka's sudden entrance. Ka could hear others in the room moaning slightly and he imagined there were several groups like the one he could see. Blushing a bit, Ka decided to go the other way to find somewhere to try and relax.

The room really was large, at least twice as big as the prince's. Ka was hesitant to wander away from the wall, afraid he would somehow get lost. He noticed there were no windows, and he assumed only the one door with guards outside. Eventually Ka came upon a small group of chairs that was unoccupied and he sat heavily and let out a long sigh. This was humiliating, but this was far from the worst prison cell at least. His chosen spot even had one of the tables beside it, grapes and water waiting to supplement his 'humble' dinner.

Ka just focused on this food until someone cleared their throat beside him. He jumped slightly and looked up to find an older man taking one of the other chairs. His brown hair was starting to grey and the man wore a short beard. He was dressed in pale reds, actually fully clothed in a tunic and loose pants. For a long moment Ka just blinked at him before finally asking, "Are you going to risk speaking to me?"

"It is less of a risk for me," the man said. He lifted his chin and raised a hand, tugging on the silver collar he wore. It was a simple circlet, decorated with engraved scrollwork and closed with a small silver lock. "I'm already claimed by Princess Salani."

That caught Ka even more by surprise. "There are other royal pets?"

The man pulled back slightly, eyes widening. "She doesn't call me that," he snapped with anger.

Ka's eyes narrowed, asking, "What does she call you?"

The man watched him without answer, frowning at the scribe. Eventually he said, "My name is Arik," and Ka gave his own name. Then Arik leaned closer and pointed towards the scribe's earring. "So you're Prince Re's new pet?"

Ka's jaw tightened, wishing he hadn't used that word. "He's claimed me, I guess."

"Not the worst fate," Arik said with a shrug.

Ka was surprised when someone to his left agreed. "The prince is a wonderful lover!" Ka felt his cheeks heat, recognizing the voice as one of the two women he'd heard with the prince.

"So attentive, and energetic," another cried and a male voice added, "He's always been so kind."

The room around Ka continued to buzz with shared gossip and praise of the prince. It served as a reminder that even if he was ignored, there were still attentive ears around him most of the time. Arik shook his head, laughing at the chatter they had caused. He didn't say any more, casually relaxing and eating from the same tray as Ka.

The time seemed to pass very slowly. Ka found himself listening to the chatter of the room and watching Arik. He couldn't think of anything to say and the other man seemed comfortable in the silence, so did nothing to break it. He hardly moved at all until the door was heard opening. Arik turned his attention to the portal as someone called in, "The guests are leaving!"

"Nearly work time then," Arik said and Ka gave him a baffled look. The man stood with a long stretch. "If the guests are leaving, the family will be coming by soon."

A shiver ran up Ka's spine. That thought was more chilling than he expected as he imagined one of the other royals taking an interest in him. He watched as Arik fussed with his clothing and jewelry, as eager as any of the others in the room. Most were primping themselves, or arranging themselves in attractive displays. All other activity in the room had ceased with the imminent arrival of others. It was still a little while before the door opened again, but when it did it was indeed members of the royal family.

One of the princes entered, choosing a young lady quickly before disappearing from the room again. Not long after another young prince entered. To Ka's horror, this man chose his lady and began his intimacies right there on the cushions. Arik laughed some, not at the pair but at Ka as he hid his face slightly with his hands. Then the older man let out a gasp and Ka looked up in time to see him bow low and mutter, "Your highness."

Queen Yana was crossing the room towards them. Her gaze was on Ka and she only frowned when the scribe didn't rise or bow. "Stand," she snapped and Ka obeyed, but slowly. The queen looked him over, letting her eyes roam along his barely-clothed body. "So you are the one that has captured Re's attention?"

Ka didn't answer, frowning himself. The queen didn't seem to care and with only a tilt of her head, the ever-present handmaidens moved forward. One took hold of Ka's chains, pulling his arms out of the way while the other examined his chest. "Hey!" Ka protested and tried to pull back. "What are you-"

One of the girls abruptly stuck a finger into his mouth, hooking it to pull his jaw down. The other girl peered into his mouth a moment before they both pulled back again to return to the queen's side. "You seem healthy," the queen said casually and Ka glared again. "What killed your parents?"

"Nothing," Ka snapped angrily. His family was still alive, as far as he knew, and he didn't feel like it was this woman's business no matter who she was.

Queen Yana stared at him for another moment before she nodded. "I have no objection. If the gods are pleased, then so am I."

Ka continued to glare at the woman. She was examining him like a stud bull, passing judgment on if he was allowed to pair with the next king. Ka wasn't sure if he was more insulted by the treatment or by being considered a concubine. He had thought 'pet' was worse, but in reality the two were both equally uncomfortable and detestable. The women lingered for a moment, almost waiting for him to say or do something that they could then punish. Finally though they turned, leaving Ka to sink back down into his chair, rubbing his head faintly.

"You okay?" Arik asked. Ka glanced up to nod, but he still let out a long sigh. "Better to be approved of than not," the man said as if to calm him.

Ka just continued to frown. "Is it though? If I am not approved of I would be turned out."

"You would be turned into entertainment," Arik corrected. He did not elaborate, but the statement put several unappealing images into Ka's mind.

The door of the room opened a few more times for royals and surprisingly some guards. A pair of giggling girls barely old enough to be called women entered and moved straight for Arik. The man held his arms wide and they both hurried into his chest for a large hug. Arik turned back to wave slightly at Ka, but then he was leaving with the girls for whatever his evening entailed.

It was not much longer that the door opened again and this time, the mood in the room shifted quickly. The playful attitude that pervaded this place even as royals browsed through the concubines faded away. A more serious and tense silence spread through the space instead and one of the women quickly hissed at Ka, "Stand up and stay silent."

Ka had wandered too far from the door to see it clearly. However the silhouette to enter was more than obvious; the king's crown was easy to see even from this distance. Ka stood quickly, only straightening more when the king walked straight toward him. It seemed he was the sole focus of the man's attention and it sent his pulse racing.

Then suddenly Ka could see a brilliant streak of red and he focused past the king as Prince Re rushed into the room. For a moment the king paused, turning back to look at his eldest sun. Then he turned again and continued into the room, away from Ka and towards the others instead. Prince Re went straight for Ka, smiling wide as he approached. The prince reached for his chin, lifting his gaze to look into his eyes. "Here you are. Come, let us retire for the night. Finally," he added, a touch exacerbated.

Ka couldn't help but agree, "Yes, please." His time in the harem had only unsettled him. He couldn't stop picturing the king's visage, fuzzy and out of focus, but fixed intently on the scribe. He also noticed the prince seemed out of breath, as if he'd run some distance to get to the harem quickly. Perhaps just in time, Ka thought as the redhead took hold of the chain between his wrists to take him back to his room.