Ka would have happily spent the morning lost in memories of the past, but Prince Re had other desires. He did not want to dwell in the past, he was only concerned with the here and now. He didn’t allow much silence before drawing the scribe’s attention again. “Tell me, Ka, what is your favorite food, now that you have tried some truly rare treats.”

The brunet looked up, then back at the meal thoughtfully. “It’s all amazing.” He was quiet and took a bite of the frozen melon. Then his eyes went back to the prince. “What is your favorite?”

“I asked you first,” the redhead said with a grin.

Ka nodded in agreement and gave it a few more moments of thought. “I think my favorite is still honey.”

“Still?” Re asked with interest. “Honey is expensive, did you have it often?”

“With Mei,” Ka said quietly, then quickly moved on. “My family always got honey for special occasions. With whatever fruit we had, or home made bread. It’s been a treat to have it so often here.”

“I think I enjoy honey every day,” Re said with joy. “One of my favorites as well.”

“And what is your favorite, Re?” The prince hesitated and Ka’s expression darkened. “I am still allowed to call you that, yes?”

Re nodded slowly and his smile returned. “Yes, yes. As long as we are alone.” He chuckled a bit and reached out to catch the scribe’s jaw. “You called me Master so easily out there, has it become a more acceptable title?”

Ka shook his head in the grip. “I made an agreement with you, that is all.”

“How is that easier for you than obeying your prince?”

This time it was Ka to hesitate. He wasn’t really sure what the difference was, but like the distinction between ‘lord’ and ‘master’ it was important. “I suppose . . . a forced obedience simply cannot compare to an agreement of- um, men.”

Re sensed the uncertainty, chuckling at his pet. “Royalty is no man, but I do see your point. You are willful and intelligent and I like that. You deserve a say in your situation.”

“Thank you, Re.” Ka bowed his head to the royal. As the meal finished he asked again, “What is your favorite food?”

The prince was thoughtful, pausing a moment before taking the last bite of melon. “This. My favorite desert since I was a child. You are right though, it is all amazing.”

“The palace has the best workers in the whole of the kingdom,” Ka said with complete confidence.

“Best in the kingdom,” Re echoed. He reached out to the brunet, first tilting his face up and then brushing back his hair. Ka flushed slightly and shook his head in denial but this only made Re chuckle again. “I should have your hair styled.”

Ka was quick to agree this time. “I used to wear it short,” he said with obvious annoyance. “And I’ve never worn so many jewels.”

“I will not have you walking around looking like trash,” Re said, his voice just a bit sharp. He continued more thoughtfully, his eyes wandering along Ka’s chest and arms. “That’s not to say there is no room for improvement . . . I do like what you chose on your own.” With that the prince stood and went to his mirror and the jewelry kept there. “Come here, let us choose something better for you.”

Ka rolled his eyes a bit; this wasn’t exactly what he’d been hoping for. Never the less he stood and crossed to the prince’s side. “Better bangles?” he asked, moving his arms so the light bracelets rang together.

“Certainly,” Re agreed, already pulling out several nicer pieces. “Undo the cuffs.”

Ka looked at the prince, but he was focused on his task. This seemed like some sort of trick. Slowly he undid one cuff, pulling it off and freeing the chain to hang loose from his collar. He took the other off and set them on the nearest open spot before turning to Re again. The prince was watching him now, no smile on his face. He said nothing and instead just gestured to what he’d pulled out. Ka nervously stepped closer to admire the lovely bracelets. “Am I choosing just one?”

“As many as you’d like,” Re said. As the scribe thought Re took one of his hands, pulling off the bangles and jewels he already wore. Most were simple gold circles, finely carved but fairly plain. Some were nicer though and Re separated the ones he liked best before repeating this with Ka’s other arm.

The scribe didn’t fight, taking a couple of the prince’s own bangles to match the ruby ring he’d chosen before. Re added a dozen more, but Ka was just grateful to get rid of the other uncomfortable pieces. As the prince finished he began choosing his own jewels for the day, mostly rare purple gems and sparkling white diamonds. With the prince’s usual glimmering gold pieces, Ka thought it looked even more eye-catching than he already was. Almost ostentatious, like a deliberate display, and Ka was suddenly more nervous. “What are your plans for the day?”

Much to the scribe’s dismay, Re’s expression brightened some. “You can walk again. We are going to the market.”

“Market?” Ka asked in shock. “We’re going shopping?”

Re pulled on a tunic of the purest white and fussed with his hair. “We will see the stylist and then go,” the prince said and turned to his pet. He reached for him, deftly undoing the collar’s lock to remove the chains. “Stay by my side or I will get a proper lead,” he muttered with some threat in his voice as he locked it again.

Ka nodded without hesitation. He would happily stay beside the prince if it meant the chains could disappear. And not just that, but a chance to walk beyond the palace walls! Ka’s good mood faded a bit; it was a little disheartening that such a small thing made him excited. Never the less, as the prince started for the door Ka kept only a couple of steps away.

Elia was in the middle of a yawn as they stepped into the hallway. She was quick to cover it and bowed deeply. “Sorry, my lord.”

“It’s all right,” Re said and waived it off. He didn’t pause, trusting the woman to keep up. “Your post is almost through. Deliver us and then run a message to Tamul, we are going out.”

“Of course, your highness.” Elia bowed again as they went. Then she looked up at Ka. “You okay?” she asked under her breath.

“Fine,” the brunet whispered back, but he didn’t elaborate. Elia frowned a bit, but she didn’t press for answers. She smiled again at Ka and took them to the baths again before going off to deliver her message.

Prince Re stepped in right away to find the stylist, but his eyes lit up to instead see his flute girl still in the room. The girl was at the vanity washing her face, but she’d turned to the prince with some shock. Re’s look faded and he frowned at her, then pointedly turned his back for a moment. When he’d turned back again, she had quickly finished and was drying her face with her sleeve. The prince stepped close to growl, “How dare you use royal oils. I will forget I saw that for the convenience of not tracking you down again.”

“Thank you-”

Re stopped her with a gesture. “Play,” he commanded sternly and turned to the stylist again. The man took some time with the prince’s vibrant locks, sweeping them aside and pinning everything in place to accent the sharp angles of Re’s face. Then he was in front of Ka to give him the same treatment. “Make it shorter,” the prince told him.

“Yes, but still with a fringe of bangs,” the stylist agreed as he worked. That would look good with Ka’s slightly rounder features while helping hide his strange pale eyes just a little. “You need a shave as well, though just barely.” Ka glared a little at this laughed comment, but he didn’t complain while he was primped.

Only the flute music filled the air while the man worked. Ka decided to enjoy the pampering and tried to relax. It was a little while before the man stepped away and Re proclaimed it acceptable. Ka stepped aside to see himself in the mirror, smiling at the short style he wore now. He brushed the bangs back, but they fell into his eyes again. He still liked it, he decided and turned to follow his prince again.

Re wasn’t moving though, even as Ka came to stop at his side. He looked slightly annoyed, but in moments the look faded. “Tamul, there you are.”

The guard stopped at the door with Harim and both bowed deeply. “I was told you’re going out?” Tamul asked as the prince started into the hall again with a simple nod. Tamul nodded as well, all business as he talked Harim through his post. “We’ll have other palace guards, but I want you at your best. Watch Prince Re’s back, keep alert, and act as his hands.”

That caught Ka’s attention and he listened a little more closely to the instructions. Harim seemed confused himself and shook his head. “His hands?”

“Anything the prince needs, you get it for him. Any goods, any personal interaction.” He paused and sighed, pursing his lips for a moment. “Your job is to protect the prince. You interact with any hazards so he doesn’t have to.”

Harim wasn’t smiling now, barely keeping up with them. “I’m expected to die for him?” he asked with some surprise. “Even just for going to market?!”

“It’s not going to come to that,” Tamul tried to assure, but the answer to that question was ‘yes’. Harim knew that and he hung his head in defeat. “It will be fine,” Tamul assured again.

Ka looked from the guards to Re. He knew that prince must have heard the interaction, but he didn’t show any sign. Ka only frowned more, glaring at the redhead as they walked the halls and going just as ignored as the guards. Soon they arrived at an exterior door and Re halted their little procession in the shade of the palace. Tamul and Harim both stayed at attention, but the prince settled onto a carved bench and pat the open space beside him.

Ka missed the invitation at first and he jumped when Re grasped one wrist to tug him onto the seat. Ka settled without comment, lifting his eyes again to look around in amazement. There were several people in the courtyard gathered near to them, apparently preparing to accompany the prince. They had been joined by more guards, all of whom saluted Tamul and listened to his plans for the outing. A couple of young servant boys joined them, both carrying large jugs of water. Ka watched as their flute girl paused long enough to take a long drink from one of these before resuming the music.

Ka focused on another servant as this woman approached them. She bowed deeply to Re and he returned this with a minute nod of his own. The woman smiled and knelt, then reached to removed the prince’s shoes. She replaced them with a sturdier pair, decorated with lapis lazuli and finely crafted blue and purple glass beads. Then the woman turned to Ka and tied a pair of simple sandals onto his own feet. The scribe was stunned; it hadn’t occurred to him that he would need shoes of his own. Ka hadn’t worn anything on his feet since his arrest more than two months before. Now he looked at the rough leather like it was strange and the sandals felt as heavy and awkward as the unfamiliar jewelry.

Gradually Ka went back to watching the people around them. A few more servants appeared, including an older man that carried a large fan that he put to use as soon as he was near enough to the prince. Ka was being ignored, but still caught slightly in the created breeze and he smiled. Re looked at him sidelong and the prince smiled as well. This was going well so far, his own mood was wonderful again and his pet seemed to be happy as well, so far.

Tamul was walking a circle around the guards in a kind of inspection. He abruptly stopped and raised his head. “Prince Re-”

The prince had turned to look to the same voice his guard had noticed. “I hear him,” he growled. The redhead stood from his seat and turned, walking a few paces before the owner of the voice exited the palace. “Captain,” Re greeted in a flat voice. “Do you need something?”

It was another pair of guards to emerge, dressed in their full armor. They both bowed to the prince before the older of the two took another step forward. “My prince, it is an honor. I will be accompanying you myself today.”

Re growled slightly and scowled at the man. “That will not be necessary. My own guard-”

“It would be my honor,” the man said, actually interrupting the prince. “Your two men do not have the experience needed to ensure your safety. Your father was generous enough to volunteer my services to you.”

Re ground his teeth together. He couldn’t go against the king’s order, even one as indirect as this. “Very well then, let us go.”

“One moment, your highness.” The older guard stepped past and Ka found himself the focus of the man's attention. “Is this going with you?”

Re could sense his plans slipping away; all his progress relaxing and befriending Ka was about to be undone. “Yes he is. Stand, Ka,” he ordered as his gaze slid to the scribe. “Do as he says.”

The old guard took a moment to glare at Tamul and reprimand him. “You were going to allow him to go out like this?”

“I was going to obey my prince, Father,” Tamul said harshly.

The older guard looked ready to strike him for the remark. “That is not procedure!” he hissed angrily. “If you are in the private guard it is even more important that you do things the correct way. Do not disappoint me or your king!” The lecture was given in a harsh and loud voice. Tamul took the reprimand stoically, but most others were watching nervously and shifting away. Then the older man turned to Ka again and stepped towards him.

He didn’t speak, taking one of the scribe’s hands and stepping behind him. Ka gasped as he realized with horror what was happening. The captain caught his other hand and pulled them behind his back before locking the cuffs together. They clasped to one another without even the slight slack granted by the chain. Ka looked over his shoulder with wide eyes, but the man only glared and gave him a push as he stepped away again. Ka turned his look on the prince instead. He was expected to go out in public like this?!

Re stepped to his side once again with a slight frown on his lips. “You are still considered a dangerous criminal,” he said as if reminding his pet of this fact. Meanwhile the captain had moved to the rest of the guards, lecturing and planning as if Tamul hadn’t already gone over all the same facts. Prince Re could be heard huffing angrily as he watched.

Ka was still rather more distracted with his sudden inability to protect or cover himself. “M-my pr- Master,” he stuttered out. “Could I be given something, um, to protect from the sun?” Something to provide a bit more modesty.

However Re just laughed at the request. “You will be in my shade. Stay by me,” he said with authority. And then with barely a glance around himself, Re began towards the palace gates with a simple, “Let us go.”

-o-o-o-o-o-