Morning came with a dull headache that woke Ka when Toshan first began moving just after sunrise. The scribe stayed put in his nest of warmth and comfort and simply listened to the room around him. Toshan paced back and forth as he set up for the morning. He opened the door at one point, then later closed it without a word. Ka could smell the aromas of breakfast and figured out the servant had done so in anticipation of the food arriving. Then he moved to wake the prince and as Ka heard his steps approaching his direction, he sat up on his own. “Good morning,” Toshan said and gave a small bow before turning away again.

The new servant was showing no signs of illness or exhaustion after the late night. Ka on the other hand was moving slowly as he stood up. He’d had far worse mornings, but the mild headache was still painful and had not faded. He shuffled to the table and sat to eat without much energy. Prince Re chuckled slightly and caught the servant’s eye. Toshan hurried to bring Ka’s goblet, passing it to the redhead and quickly filling it. Re set it in front of Ka himself and smiled when their gazes met. “More water will help you feel better. Eat slowly.”

“Thank you,” Ka mumbled as he took the cup. He slowly drank the cool liquid, breathing the refreshing smell of the water. It really did make him feel better, though the headache remained. The meal was quiet and Ka’s mind soon turned to the previous night. The party had really been amazing and he did his best to recall the beautiful settings and music and the amazing storytellers. Again and again, his mind instead strayed to the night and he remembered the sounds of passion and the prince’s voice directed at him. At the table he heard the redhead chuckle again and Ka realized he could feel his cheeks growing hot, clearly flushed enough to be noticed.

“We will be taking a quick bath after food,” Re announced as he ate.

Probably best after all that had happened yesterday, Ka thought. He nodded, but he didn’t trust his voice to speak. Re chuckled at him again and Ka struggled to keep from frowning. He felt humiliated and almost used . . . He also felt flattered and embarrassed to feel that way. He lifted one hand to rub at his head, wishing the dull pounding would leave, but slightly grateful for the distraction.

“Come,” Re said before long. He stood fluidly and crossed to his dresser with long strides. The redhead changed into a robe before striding back, leaving his clothing where it fell. He stopped beside the table again and held out a second robe for Ka. “This is yours; your wardrobe will grow quickly now. Let us see how you look.”

Ka stood slowly and took the off-white garment. It was silk, the same as Re’s usual clothing, and trimmed with gold and silver threads. Ka continued to be silent, stripping out of his outfit, which he had simply slept in for ease. He preferred the lighter cotton of this simple outfit he thought as he set the items neatly on his chair. Never the less the robe was luxurious and relaxing even before they left for the baths. As he cinched the waist closed with a tie, the scribe finally looked up again to find Re watching him expectantly. He blinked a bit in surprise before muttering, “It’s nice. Thank you.”

“And it looks good on you,” Re said as his expression split into a wide smile. Then he reached for Ka’s wrist and led him to the door. “Come along,” he said again and led the way without releasing his pet. As they reached the bath, Re looked at him to ask, “So now that you are more lucid, did you still enjoy the party?”

“Yes,” Ka answered readily. “All of- well, most of the night was truly wonderful.”

“Even accompanied by royalty?” Re asked. Ka looked at him with confusion and said nothing, so Re clarified. “Tamul told me what you said before. ‘Nepotism and decay’ – You dislike royalty as much as you hate your current station.”

For several long moments, Ka said nothing. He followed the prince into the water and soaked as he thought of how to phrase his reply. “That isn’t quite accurate. If I did not know you,” he began slowly, “I would believe all royalty was the same. And yes, this kingdom decays, while the king-”

Ka was cut off as Re reached out and pressed his fingers to the brunet’s lips. “Mind your tongue,” he said with a very serious glance at the servants in the room. “Speak about only me.”

Ka looked towards the servants as well. It was difficult to remember they were there, silent and much too far to see. The scribe nodded slightly and licked his lips as he looked back to the redhead. “You, master, are unaware of so much in your lands.” The prince frowned at him, but let Ka continue. “I do not think you are interested in learning, either, but I believe you would care if your did know. You are not cruel, you are not a terrible person, you are just . . . self-interested and . . .” He trailed off, struggling to think of a way to say ‘powerless’ without provoking any anger.

Prince Re did not seem angry though, sinking down into the warm bath to simply relax. “That pleases me, to know you see me fairly at least. I do not need a meaningless worshiper who wouldn’t even acknowledge my flaws. You do not worship royalty though, it is another part of your appeal.”

“That isn’t accurate either,” Ka said with a small frown.

Re focused on his pet again. “You have clearly demonstrated your lack of respect, let alone worship. I let much of it pass, the king would be far less kind.”

Ka sank down as well, leaning against the side of the bath as he began to truly relax. He shut his eyes and spoke quietly, listening to the slosh of water as Re moved close to listen. “I know you now, a bit at least. It confirms what I have long believed: that you are mortal. With mortal flaws and weaknesses, mortal desires and habits.” He opened his eyes, focusing on the prince beside him. “I admit it has been quite some time, but I do still give worship to the gods. I have lived my life giving similar reverence to the king as well.”

Re made a thoughtful noise and lifted a hand to clasp Ka’s chin. “Now that you know me as a man, that reverence has faded, is that it?”

Ka felt himself flush again and he swallowed. He had drunk more than he should have because he couldn't pass a toast to his king and he couldn't let his prince drink alone to other toasts. “It is not a feeling that will ever fade entirely,” he muttered. “Even if royalty is merely human, they are still touched by the gods; chosen by them.”

This answer made Re smile again and he released his pet. “There seems to still be hope then. Perhaps one of these nights I may yet entice you to join my bed.” Mention of the night made Ka flush much darker and he lifted one hand to hide his face. Re only chuckled and gave his arm a fond caress as he pulled away. He chose to move on quickly to keep the scribe from wallowing in his embarrassment. “Let us head back and we can properly begin our day. Tamul will begin a training schedule for you today, as well as Rina. I wonder if Toshan has any talent in fighting.”

-o-o-o-o-o-

The palace guards and certain higher ranking army officials had barracks at the back of the palace. This area also held their training grounds, with huge open spaces as well as practice targets and dummies. Equipment and weapons were readily available for guards to train at any time while different squads had structured training scheduled at different times. This was where new recruits proved their worth and learned the roles. And this is where Tamul would be training the prince's guard. Everyday.

Few were happy with the chosen schedule, but no one argued. Rina would come here every morning to learn how to keep watch while she played. Every guard as well as Toshan and Ka needed to learn her songs, specifically the ones that would now be signals to the little group. Even Prince Re should learn them and so it was decided that everyone would convene in the training grounds immediately after their morning meals. Re did agree, but he was vocal about how this would be terribly boring to do every single day.

Ka had just rolled his eyes at the redhead's attitude. He was rather looking forward to regaining a bit of structure to his life. Not to mention the other benefits of training, such as interacting with the others. He missed the drunken rapport with friends, he'd realized that the previous night. The 'drunken' aspect may not be wise, but Ka looked forward to becoming closer friends with the group he'd been thrust into.

As it turned out, Toshan had no talent for fighting at all. Everyone had a few good laughs as he fumbled his way through a couple of drills before Tamul kindly let him off. He still had to train, he needed to know Rina's songs, but the captain declared he had enough fighters without the servant's help. “Especially if Ka is with us,” the captain finished their morning with.

Re nodded his agreement at once. “I've chosen my court well.”

“We six are far from a proper court, my prince,” Tamul argued gently.

Re just waved him away. “But it is a good beginning.”

The girls were in agreement with the prince. Rina bounced slightly, clutching her flute with glee. “I've always wanted to be in a royal court! Even when I just play for them, it's so beautiful!”

“Royal guard, royal court,” Elia said and waved her hand back and forth. “The only difference I see is the fancy dresses. We get to be with our prince! It's an honor and it's a hell of a lot better than other positions in the castle.”

“That's true,” Rina agreed. “A servant's life can be hard, you'll be happy to be with Re, too,” she said and pointed to Toshan.

The man nodded without hesitation. “I am very fortunate.”

As the others spoke, Re's eyes settled on his pet. Ka sat on the same low bench and he turned when he became aware of the gaze. The prince smiled, but said nothing and after a moment Ka looked away again. He considered his own position, only for the hundredth time recently. He was starting to feel like the others: honored. Re was not treating him like a possession, but like a person. Not an equal certainly, but he wasn't really being treated like a pet.

Re cut his thoughts off, standing abruptly. “This has been productive, but it is past time for another meal. Let us retire for now.”

Tamul agreed at once and turned to the others with authority. “I'm posting for now. Elia, you'll be on mornings, Harim, you'll be tonight, get some rest. You head back to the prince's chambers, you'll generally take your meals and rests there.”

Toshan nodded and began to walk off, but Ka spoke up at this. “Don't you think he deserves his own quarters?”

“I'm thinking on that,” Re said decisively, his tone just a bit sharp. Ka frowned slightly but he let it go. He stood when Re offered a hand and then the prince turned to his musician. “You should take a rest as well. I will find you later for your music.”

Rina smiled wide and bowed. “I'll be in the music rooms practicing,” she promised.

“Practice is good. Rest as well,” Re insisted. Then he glanced at Ka and tightened his grip on the scribe's hand before leading the way to the kitchens as the others split away. “I was right,” the prince said as they walked, “That was boring. My mornings are going to become so dull.”

“But it is still very very useful,” Tamul said with a laugh. “I think we will all learn this quickly.”

“Yes, I agree,” Re agreed reluctantly. “But it will still be dull.”

Tamul laughed again and even Ka chuckled slightly. While they had been sparring and running drills, the prince had spent most of his time sitting and merely observing. Ka wasn't surprised he'd been bored and he was just as certain it would be the same every morning. They neared the kitchens and servants could be heard calling to the cooks and the already busy room became even noisier as more food was prepared. Ka was somewhat less than surprised when the prince led them to some seating cushions and then said, “Tell me a story.”

Ka thought a few moments before asking, “May I tell one from last night?”

Re frowned at him, looking confused. Eventually though he nodded and said indulgently, “Very well. Re-tell one.”

“Thank you,” Ka said with a bow of his head. “I was a writer, not a storyteller. I need to practice this new craft if I'm going to keep impressing you.” Re chuckled a little at this, but he quieted to listen and watch. Ka licked his lips before he began, trying to recreate the old woman's tale from the end of the night. He moved his hands like she had, expanding creatively on her words at points where he could do so. The story he told was half repetition, half fiction, with broad and improvised gestures as Ka 'painted' the imaginary with his hands. He would need to practice regularly, just like his fighting, but Ka was pleased with what he created.

Re showed his approval with a brief applause before finishing his meal. Ka flushed a little at the praise, but he just focused on his own food now that he wasn't speaking. It was not long after that they were approached and Re let out a loud and annoyed groan. “Must you always ruin my day?”

Ka couldn't see the person to come up to them, but he recognized the official's voice. “My, um, apologies, my lord.” The prison official ducked down nervously. “It has been a few days, actually. I was just hoping we could schedule another sentencing. When you are free, of course.”

Re groaned loudly again and dramatically rolled his head. His eyes settled on Ka however and after another moment he merely sighed. “Very well, we will be there shortly.”

“Now?” the official yelped in surprise.

This made the prince glare more darkly. “Are you not ready?”

“No, no, we are ready, your majesty. We will be ready when you arrive.” With that the man turned and hurried away and prince Re let out another sigh.

Tamul kept quiet until they were alone before hissing quietly, “I would appreciate a little warning before a sentencing. I should get Elia, given what happened last time.”

Re shook his head though. “I do not want to show up with a whole armed force! You are capable. There will not be trouble again. And Ka will be with us.”

“He will?” Tamul asked at the same time Ka stuttered, “I will?”

The prince turned to him, reaching out to take the brunet's hand. “That means you must be bound,” he said and took his other hand. Re brought the cuffs together and locked them to each other before meeting Ka's eyes. The brunet wasn't resisting, but he was frowning back at the prince. “Can you still unlock these?” Re asked and Ka finally looked away.

He studied the cuffs and shifted his hands before he shook his head. “I do not think so.”

Re nodded. “Work on it then,” he said as he stood. He offered his hand and Ka used the help to get up, confused once more. Re just nodded at him again. “It will give you something to do, practice until you can get it on your own.”

“You want me to be able to get free?” Ka asked dubiously, just to be certain.

Re walked in silence for a few steps, but he finally nodded. “These cuffs are not my choice, not entirely. They are necessary, but you will be happier if you can remove them when needed. I trust you not to do so when it would be unwise.”

Ka focused on the golden cuffs for a moment before he agreed. “I will be careful, master. Thank you for the trust.”

Re looked at him and smiled fondly. “You have earned it from me, Ka.” The brunet smiled as well and Re kept his smile for the whole walk. It faded as they entered the large chamber and Re let out a sigh. He settled in his gilded seat and had Ka sit in his musician's usual spot. This was going to be worse than usual without the girl's music, he thought. He sighed again, but gestured to the official for the man to begin.

Prisoners were led in and despite Tamul's unease, there was only a muted feeling of resignation among the prisoners. Re was still careful, making an effort to pay attention to the prisoners. If any of these men and women seemed especially frightened or hostile, he would try and deal with them before it became a problem. Thankfully the calm remained and a good number of prisoners were sent on their way to hard labor. A smaller number were sent to the executioner, Re intervening only a couple of times.

He finally called for an end when he could no longer focus. The official did not argue, pleased to have gotten through more than a dozen. He turned the others back, only pausing to frown and nod when the prince ordered, “Give them all an extra ration.” Then the redhead was focused on Ka again. “Have you gotten it?” he asked quietly as he stood.

Ka lowered his eyes and shook his head. “The king's locks are far too secure to be overcome so quickly,” he said in an almost grand tone.

Re chuckled softly, not believing him at all. He saw one of the cuffs was indeed unlocked as he helped Ka up. He surreptitiously closed it again and smiled, pleased that Ka was subtle as well as clever. “I've had enough official business for the day,” he said, his tone now loud and bored. “Would you like to spend time in the gardens?”

Ka was slightly surprised to be asked, but he nodded. “That would be nice.”

“You can tell me another story,” Re said eagerly. “Then we'll get Rina so we have music with our evening meal.” He kept hold of Ka's wrist, continuing to lead him around that way as they left for a relaxing evening.

-o-o-o-o-o-