“Mother, tell us a story.”

“Of course my darlings. A story from my homeland, far away from here. Do you know the story of the mountain and sky gods? The god of the sky was strong and cold. He thought he was above all the other gods, he demanded much of them, and few stood against his demands. One day the god of the sky noticed a beautiful sparkle in the mountains and he moved closer to see what it was.

“The mountain god was old and strong, he stood tall regardless of what the other gods did. His territories were rocky and hard, but he needed nothing from the others. Usually they needed nothing from him either, but he did not object when the god of the sky came to his lands. He offered drink and food and enjoyed a meal with his guest.

“The god of the sky soon asked about the sparkle he had seen. The mountain god laughed and said it must have been some of his gold. Gold? The god of the sky smiled wide. Then the mountain god added it could have been some of his gems as well. The god of the sky suddenly stood and demanded to be given a portion of the mountain’s treasure. He was due this tribute and would use it to enhance his own palaces.

“The mountain god said nothing. He simply stood and watched his guest. The god of the sky yelled at him, demanding his tribute, but the mountain god just stood there tall and strong. The sky god was furious. He threatened the other, told him how he would be ground down if he did not obey. Wind can turn a boulder to sand. He would do the same to the mountain and then he would take all of the gold instead of just some.

“The mountain god said nothing. He stood tall and strong despite the raging of the wind and eventually, the god of the sky left empty handed. The mountain god shook his head and turned, going to his chambers to sleep. There, deep underground, a water goddess was waiting to greet him. She washed over him with care and rushed away his worries and stress. The mountain god was happy as always with her and when it was time for her to leave, they parted as lovers and friends.

“As the goddess stood to go, she asked her love if she could take away some of his gold. ‘I will not give you any,’ the mountain god said. The river goddess laughed and wrapped him in a hug. ‘You never do, but I always leave here richer than when I arrived.’ She wrapped him in another embrace and then took her leave. And do you know what? When she left, she sparkled with gold and jewels. She flowed away gently, twisting around and through all the curves of the mountain and the gold simply flowed away with her.”

“She was a thief!”

“Nuh-uh, he loved her that’s why!”

“Oh darlings, that is not the point of the story at all. I do think he loved her, but that means nothing. She got what she wanted because she gave him something in return. She got it because he allowed her in. The wind can be strong, constantly screaming against your face, but that is only the surface. Waters flow through the mountains, they yield and find the easiest route and they are able to pick up things from deep inside. It is true that wind can turn boulders to sand. It is just as true that water can turn mountains into chasms.”

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ka enjoyed his meal like it was a treat. He hadn’t had street food in so long it was nostalgic and wonderful. He still ate in silence though, thinking, watching . . . Prince Re was equally silent, but he kept looking at the scribe with barely masked worry. Tamul remained sprawled on the ground while the musician continued to fill the air with sweet flute music. Harim paced the gardens on guard, hardly even seeming a part of the group.

Ka wondered what the prince would think of the story of the sky and mountain gods. It had been one of his mother’s favorites and she had told it often. Ka still felt the river goddess was a thief. But that is not the point at all. Whether or not she was a thief didn’t matter, nor the fact that they loved each other. At its core, the story was a parable about how a person was supposed to act. Ka’s mother had always pushed that they should be like the water goddess, gentle and yielding, accommodating and kind. This was always the better way to do things and you would always be rewarded. Screaming and fear were not as strong as they seemed: this was her moral.

The king was like the sky god, there was no doubt. And Ka tried to be thoughtful and was adapting to this new situation. That meant Prince Re was the mountain . . . and Ka had never before considered what moral the mountain god represented. Strong and unyielding in the face of attack. Gentle with a lover, but still unwilling to bend to demands. Yet surely the mountain knew the river took his gold. He did refuse her, but he also did not try and stop her.

“Why do you keep staring at me?!” Re hissed, his temper rising again.

“Sorry,” Ka said and turned back to the meal, finishing his food. “I am just thinking you remind me of someone.”

“And who do I remind you of now?” Re was equal part curious and offended. He did not want to be compared with anything from his pet’s past.

Ka smirked just a bit hearing the already formed indignant anger. He thought for a moment before saying, “You remind me of a calm and focused leader.”

Re’s anger dribbled away and the confusion filled his face again. After a long pause he set aside the fruit in his hand and announced, “I will retire after such a tiring outing.” He stood and the flute girl finally stopped her playing. Tamul asked with a look if Re wanted him to post and the prince shook his head. “Harim will post, I want you tonight.”

“Of course, your majesty.” The guard bowed where he sat, then lay back out in the shade to continue his rest. The younger guard gave a sharp affirmative and quickly came to escort them back to Re’s chambers.

As the door was shut behind them, Re turned to Ka with that same worried and confused look. “You are sure you’re not mad?”

“No, I’m not angry,” Ka assured again. “But I do have questions.” The prince frowned more, but gestured for Ka to continue. “If that captain hadn’t come along, were you really going to let me go out like this?” Ka lifted his hands to emphasize the fact that he was currently unchained.

Re’s frown grew as he answered. “My guard would have kept you in place. I believe Harim is faster than you and Tamul is certainly stronger.”

Ka nodded at the answer, it was the one he had expected. “And if I had refused the food-”

“It wasn’t that you refused, you were disrespectful,” Re cut in sharply.

“I was disrespectful in public.” The prince fell quiet again and Ka watched him evenly. “Whether or not that captain was there, you would have struck me for such an action. Yes?”

“Yes,” Re slowly agreed.

“Because we were in public,” Ka stated again. They stood within reach of each other and Ka studied the prince’s face for a moment before turning his head to spit at the floor. He immediately looked to Re again and braced for the man’s reaction.

“What are you thinking?!” Re took a step back in surprise. His eyes widened with outrage, but his hands remained lowered by his sides.

Ka felt a smile settle on his lips. He was right, he was starting to figure out the puzzle that was the prince. Ka bowed properly to offer an apology. “I am sorry, my lord. And you have my word that I will try to behave properly when we are in public.”

“I would insist that you behave all of the time,” Re said with a slight growl in his tone. His expression was still confused though and Ka just smiled at him again.

“I will behave properly in public. I will behave like myself when we are alone, just as you do.”

Re stood silent for a long moment before finally nodding. “Very well then. It is an agreement between us. But make no mistake, you will be punished if I deem it necessary.”

Ka nodded, keeping his small smile. “If I lower your reputation in front of others, I will not argue a fitting punishment.”

“Good,” the prince said, still sounding off balance.

Ka smiled to reassure him. “I have other questions if that’s all right.” Re nodded curiously and Ka turned away. He moved toward the bed and took a seat on the soft mattress, looking around the large room. “Why don’t you have servants in your room, Re?”

The prince frowned immediately. “I don’t like nosy servants in my room. They know they are not allowed in here.”

“Servants do come in though.”

Re waived one hand as if dismissing the thought. “Yes the water girl is allowed in, and a servant to take my breakfast tray.”

“And one to empty the chamberpot and change the bedding,” Ka added. The prince seemed confused again and Ka continued, “Also a boy that dusted everything and I’m guessing a laundry girl that returns your clothing to your drawers.” The prince continued to gape at him. Ka shook his head, bemused. “They slip in when you are away – surely you realized someone came in to clean.”

Re licked his lips slightly and didn’t answer. He had known, somewhere in his mind, but he didn’t want any servants in his room at all so he had never thought about it. “I have learned to value my privacy and time alone,” he said quietly, frowning.

Ka understood that feeling. Re couldn’t set foot out of the palace without an entire entourage, his moments of privacy had to be precious. There was also the fact that any servant looking for a reward might take the opportunity to reveal the prince’s secrets. Or even to steal some bauble they thought would go unnoticed. “With guards and servants everywhere, having a sanctuary must be valuable,” Ka said thoughtfully. “But I think you are going about it the wrong way.”

Re’s frown returned again as he asked, “How so?”

Ka returned with another question. “Why do you have a private guard instead of just the palace guards?”

The prince growled slightly. “You mean the palace guards that attacked you?”

Ka chose not to feed into that anger and just moved on. “Exactly, you want a private guard made of people you can trust. That’s what you need for your servants as well – dedicated, faithful people that you trust. Otherwise you have no control over who slips in here when you aren’t aware.”

Re’s frown faded again as he spent a few moments thinking. He kept his eyes on his pet and after a long few moments he nodded. He reached out to catch Ka’s chin and tilt his face upward. “This is exactly the reason I want you by me; I knew it was wise to take you in.” The prince sat as well, moving his finger to his own chin. “However this does present certain challenges.”

Ka raised on eyebrow in question but he was fairly certain he knew the biggest of these problems. “Do you know any of the servants well enough to trust them in that way?”

The prince pursed his lips, quiet for a moment before he said, “Tamul may know some. I wonder if my flute girl might be interested.”

Ka quickly shook his head against that thought. “I think you should make her a guard.”

“A guard?” Re pulled back, utterly surprised. “Are you mad, she can’t fight!”

“But she is a set of eyes around you. And she can use her flute to alert you to anything she sees. Ask Tamul, I’m sure he’ll agree with me.”

“I think you really might be mad,” Re muttered. “And still wise. I will confer with Tamul and follow his advice. I will find him now . . . are you all right here?”

For a moment, Ka thought of the market: loud, cramped, bright, with so many people, even if they were kept at a distance. He stomach tightened and he began to feel ill again. “Yes, I’m quite happy to stay here for a while.”

Re suddenly smiled brightly. He stood again and stepped to the table, gesturing to the packages that had been neatly deposited there. “Besides, I have finally fulfilled my word to bring you books.” Ka focused on the purchases and a smile pulled at his lips. He stood again and stepped close, picking up one of the books. Re continued to smile at him. “Perhaps on our next outing, you will be able to chose a few yourself.”

‘Next outing’ . . . Ka’s stomach tightened again just at the thought. It was a small price though, if he would be rewarded with tomes like this. The one he held was a thick travel journal, bound in a soft brown leather. “I think I would like that,” he finally replied to the prince.

Re nodded, pleased. “I’ll go then. You relax and I will be back before dinner.”

Ka bowed slightly, then watched the prince leave. Finally he turned to the windows and the far wall. The pillows that made up his nest were still all piled together and he moved to them to sit. He set his book down and took a moment to find the light blanket he’d been given, setting everything up to read in comfort. As he stretched out, he rubbed his wrists and the shackles he wore. He reached up and tugged at the collar, still firmly locked. He was still shackled, but unchained. Ka couldn’t help but smile and stretch once more before he settled for the afternoon.