Love of the Desert [[ShadyxHoudini]]

[ShadyPrincess]

The young slave girl had had a very different life than the Pharaoh's son. Born to parents who did not want her and could not support her mouth to feed - especially because she was female - she was left with few options for the course of her life. She was either to be left as a sacrifice to the Gods or sold into a life of slavery. They raised her until she was four or five, a very active little girl, but one day they brought her to a man and left her - she never saw them again. She remembered crying for hours, she remembered the walk there, how she'd love the feeling of the hot sand between her bare toes. Tahirah had very few memories of her family, though occasionally a face, smell, or sound would spark a random memory in her head.

It had been nearly thirteen years since that day and today for Tahirah was no different from any other day. She got up with the rising sun, watching as it glistened over the sand, warming it for the day. It was vaguely warm already that morning and the girl stretched her arms over her head, running a hand through her midnight black hair. She had longer hair, cut just below her shoulders, straight bangs and black. As a slave she wasn't much allowed to have a personal style, not to mention she didn't have much time to keep it up anyways. Her time was dedicated to serving the Pharaoh's son as well as other duties around the palace when he was praying or doing things that she couldn't be of use for.

Her skin was tanned naturally, though more so from having labored out in the sun for a long time - errands that caused her to run to the market district or gardening, running water back and forth, anything that was required of her. Shaking thoughts from her head as she watched the sun rise she was snapped back to reality when and hand touched her shoulder. Luckily it was just another slave encouraging her to get dressed properly, but it had startled Tahirah. Not wasting any more time, she turned and pulled out the piece of cotton cloth she wore every day - she only had three. One was always in the wash, two were always ready to be worn. Because she was 'privileged' enough to work in the palace, she was required to look neat, clean, and polished.

She pulled on the cloth, a kalasiris, around her body and had one of the other girls help her tie and pin it in place. Since growing her curves filled out the garment better than before, though when she was younger she generally wore little more than a cloth over her body anyways. She was a thin girl, her hips curved out slightly and her breasts having developed nicely in her puberty years. Tahirah had time to slick on some of her coal makeup around her eyes, a traditional style that was even required of the slaves, though in a lesser degree than any of the royals. "Tahirah... Come," she heard a voice calling her and quickly she followed behind, grasping her headband in her hand on her way out. On her way out the door of their small quarters, where she lived with three other girls, she tied the piece of hardened cotton twine that had been weaved into a pattern, lightly painted with color and beaded, around her forehead, mostly to keep her hair from getting in her way while she worked. Tahirah was handed a piece of folded bread covered in jam for her breakfast, or the beginnings of it anyways.

That morning Tahirah had been assigned to bring the Pharaoh's son his breakfast. Nodding after receiving her chores, she headed down a large tunnel toward the kitchen area, adjusting her sandals once she'd turned a corner but before she entered the doors. She also played with some of the beads at her neck and adjusted the small belt at her waist that cinched the cloth in tighter around. She'd rushed that morning and had to take a few extra seconds now to readjust.

Finally she stepped into the kitchen and watched as it buzzed with some activity. The taller girl was acknowledged by a chef with a nod of his head before a straw-woven tray, actually very sturdy, was pushed at her. On it were various foods, though small portions because breakfast was not a huge meal for them. The chef looked at her, pointing a sharp object in her direction, even though he was a good few feet from her. "Don't you dare eat a bite of that... We discovered the other girl nibbling at the Prince's food... Needless to say, she doesn't work here anymore," he threatened, then hastened her off through another door which would lead her more easily to the Prince's quarters.

While she gathered that the story had been more or less fabricated, she refused to even look at the food. It smelled good, however she would have to wait for more of her breakfast until the boy did not need her services that morning. She'd gotten used to this routine and easily skittered around corners, past pillars and paintings and toward his room. Finally she made it to the doors where two guards looked at her, not even feigning genuine interest. "I have the Prince's breakfast," she said quietly and looking at the tray. They made distinct knocks on the door before opening them.

Not sure who was actually in the room, Tahirah walked in a few steps and quickly glanced around before walking toward him, her head down. Her brown eyes flicked upward so she didn't bump into anyone or anything as she approached. Carefully she held out the tray, offering it to him with a light bow. "Your breakfast, sir," she spoke quietly. Her voice was soft, almost a purr in the way she formed her words. On the tray was a small portion of cheeses and berries as well as torn bread and a few dabs of sweet jam. Other foods included bean cakes and an egg, as well as two slices of pickles and a small, hot glass of sahlab, a sort of spiced milk.

Tahirah had been with the palace for a few years but only recently, within the last few months, had been 'promoted' to caring for and looking after the Prince. The job now was a step above where she had been before - a little less back-breaking labor, at least out in the sun. Now most of her work involved being inside and attending to any possible whim of the Princes that she could... It got frustrating sometimes. Carefully she set the tray down on a table nearby him but didn't leave - she couldn't until he had dismissed her.

 

[Houdini]

The warmth of the quickly rising sun prompted Hamadi to wake from a restful sleep, rubbing his eyes as the sun’s glare through the window shone in. As eldest son of the Pharaoh, his life was one of privilege. This did not mean that live was easy for him, however. Much was expected of him, both by his own royal family, as well as the subjects of the land which would one day be his. As the next in line to be Pharaoh, he was revered as both human and divine by his people. The gods had favored him with this quasi-divinity, and he accepted the responsibility which would be one day bestowed upon him to maintain divine order and balance in his land.

His life was filled with many routines. Since the age of six, he was instructed daily in the skills and tasks he would need as a ruler. He had mastered the art of fighting with the scimitar, and from the age of twelve had learned to ride a war chariot. He still spent time each week now, learning new weapons, such as the slingshot or the javelin. Once a week, he spent the day with the priests, learning how to make the required offerings to please the gods. He frequently visited the building projects and food storage locations throughout the land, to master the logistics of these important aspects of government he would soon be entrusted with.

His life was planned for him from birth, and he went along with these obligations, out of a respect for his family and the gods, and because he knew no other kind of life. One day, his father would consult with the high priest and select a wife for him. His thoughts turned towards this day with apprehension at times, as he knew it would be soon, but he had long ago prepared himself to accept whatever choice was made. After all, his father was no less than a god living in human form. Who was he to question his father’s decisions?

As he rose gradually from bed, he dressed in his skirt of fine, pleated green linen, fastening it with a jewel studded belt. He draped a wig over his shaved head, and placed a beaded gold collar over his bare chest, before placing his khat headdress over his head. For breakfast, he wore none of the eye shadow or eyeliner that he wore for more formal occasions. His skin was tan, but lighter than most men of lower class who spent more time in the hot desert sun. His body was fit and well-defined, but still had some of the lanky look of a boy.

He looked forward to receiving his breakfast each morning from Tahirah. She was a pleasant enough girl, always polite and obedient, and did her job well. She had served him and his family for several years, and had now been assigned to him for the last few months. He went through a phase initially where he found himself subconsciously trying to please her, but he shortly realized that he didn’t need to give much heed to what type of impression he made on her, since she was, after all, of a class far beneath his, and obliged to serve him loyally regardless of what she thought of him.

As the guards opened the door to let Tahirah in, he approvingly observed as she entered with her head bowed down in respect. Her voice soothed him as she spoke, which it should, he thought to himself. After all, he deserved the highest level of servants, he reminded himself. His eyes followed her pleasing figure as she placed his tray down and stood in expectation of his command. He decided not to dismiss her yet today. There was something about her standing there which he found pleasant, although he couldn’t quite define it. He ate some bread and berries, and took a sip of sahlab, before speaking to her. He knew making pleasantries with a servant was frowned upon, and whether it was out of boredom or curiosity, he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t care today.

"I wonder Tahirah, if you would like to have a bit of bread and cheese and tell me for a moment how the headmaster of the servants has been treating you as of late. I don’t imagine you have an opportunity to eat this type of food often.”

 

[ShadyPrincess]

Even as he watched her her expression remained calm and collected. She was used to people completely ignoring her, especially those in higher social brackets than her. Among the slaves Tahirah may have risen in steps, but she would never rise above the over title of a 'slave'. She was unclean and below the heel of just about anyone else. The girl expected to be waved off immediately - he seemed to like to eat breakfast by himself lately. Tahirah didn't question when she wasn't dismissed, however, and simply stood with her hands folded neatly in front of her. She breathed in deeply, the rise and fall of her chest vaguely visible under the cotton dress she wore. The only other movement she made was to shift gently from one foot to another.

When he spoke to her she was certain that her jaw should have dropped to the floor if she hadn't been clenching it so tightly. His voice was smooth and almost pleasant, not harsh or demanding as with most royalty. She listened to what he was saying and swallowed back, letting her deep brown eyes flick to the tray that she'd been carrying moments earlier. "N-No, your highness... I don't get cheese often at all," she replied. Her voice was almost poetic in it's lightness, smooth. Sensual, perhaps, in any other setting. But here, she was just trying not to displease him.

He had put her in an awkward spot, however - if she refused his offering, she would be rude and likely receive lashings. If she took it, she may look greedy. She was required to find a sort of middle ground that would settle both sides, without getting herself in trouble, but mostly pleasing him - that was always the ultimate ends of her means. To please the Prince, make him happy and comfortable. If she didn't do her job...

Tahirah shook herself out of her thoughts, realizing she was being rude by not answering him. "You have so much to do, Prince, I would not want your sustenance for the morning wasted on me, unless you see fit to graciously share," she said, choosing her words carefully as she tried to smooth over the situation. "And the headmaster... He is as harsh as he needs to be to keep us in line, to keep us doing what we need to do..." she said, a slight twitch to her face. Tahirah had her fair share of scars - all on her back, covered always by the cloth she wore - from her earlier days a servant when she refused to listen. Her lashing had become less frequent since then, but working so closely to the Pharaoh's son she was aware that with one flick of his wrist, he could change that. The girl tread carefully around him.

 

[Houdini]

Hamadi's eyes did not leave her as she responded to his unusual request, clearly taken off guard. As she shifted around, deciding how to reply to him, Hamadi was not as impatient with her as he could have been. This was because he was busy studying her raven black hair, perfectly in place, her deep thoughtful eyes, and her smooth tanned skin. He thought to himself that he had never really studied her in this manner before. As he took note of her recently developed womanly figure, he then realized that there was no point in doing so. After all, she was there to serve him, and nothing more. But he had already made an offer to her, he rationalized this as a reason for not dismissing her.

"No, I insist that you eat some, Tahirah. This is simply too delightful to not try, at least once in a while," he explained cordially. She clearly was trying to act according to her training as a slave, but he knew she had no training to prepare her for a conversation with him.

"I can't imagine the headmaster would need to discipline you often," he continued. "You always seem to be quite diligent about your responsibilities. Why have you been punished by him?" Although he really shouldn't care, he was quite curious to know for some reason. He knew that she would be assigned to serve the party that he was throwing tonight for many of his cousins and friends, and although he knew he would see more of here there, he knew that he would never speak with here there, so he settled on the fact that now was the time to settle for once any curiosities that he might have about the striking girl.

 

[ShadyPrincess]

Hearing his words, she allowed herself one flick of her eyes over his form as he sat eating. She never looked him in the face - she knew better than that for sure. If anyone ever caught her staring at him she was certain to get in trouble - not that that meant she hadn't had the time in the last few weeks to study his features when no one was watching. His strong jaw bone, his heavenly eyes - that divinely smooth looking skin. She wished she could touch it, just compare it to her own but knew she would never, ever be allowed to get that close.

Tahirah almost sighed but stopped herself short. Instead her eyes followed up to the tray and she slid a quiet, smooth step forward. Her tender hand reached out for one piece of the smooth cheese that he enjoyed every morning, careful not to touch any of the other food, before she cradled it in her hand and moved back to her spot. "Thank you very much, you highness," she said, bowing her head for a second before nibbling lightly at the piece. Her brain wanted her to eat it all at once but her tongue wanted her to savor it. Unlike him, she didn't get such rich food every day - once in a while, sure, if they had to eat it before it went bad, but mostly she was stuck with the basics.

"It's true I haven't been punished recently," she nodded her head lightly, some of her hair falling over her shoulder. "In fact, I was put in charge of some of the younger slaves a-" she began but quickly shut herself up. Although she was prideful of this and, for a slave it was an honor of sorts (though it also meant more work for her), she realized her pride could be mistaken as gloating and then, farther than that, disrespect. Tahirah wasn't actually answering his question with that tidbit of information, after all. It was clear that her time under the heel, as it were, had scared her out of her wits around him.

"I used to get in trouble for not doing my assigned chores," she swallowed another nibble of the cheese, careful not to speak with any in her mouth. "So they would... Punish me for misbehaving around guests," she said, avoiding the word "lash" or "hit" for something more discretionary.

 

[Houdini]

"You're welcome", he responded to her expression of gratitude. "I certainly hope that you are enjoying it." He stood up and paced back and forth across the large room while he picked up a bean cake and took a bite, followed by a long sip of his drink. He looked upwards, at the high, palatial ceiling, as he collected his thoughts. His eyes, on the way back down, took in a glimpse of the form of her breasts pointing outwards through her kalasiris. His mind gravitated towards some forbidden thoughts for a moment, undressing Tahirah in his mind. He wondered if her petite breasts were as tan as the rest of her, or if her exposed skin was only darker from exposure to the sun. This random thought passed quickly, as he concentrated on what she was saying.

As he heard "put in charge of some of the younger slaves", he snickered softly out loud, before catching himself. "So this is what she is proud of," he thought to himself. One lowly slave being charged with the oversight of another slightly lower individual? "I see," he said in response to the mention of some of her past punishments.

He suddenly became angry at himself for showing such interest in the girl, and became a bit short in his mannerisms. He realized that he had asked her to stay, but he now felt ashamed at that. "Well, I must say, I have quite a busy schedule today that I must prepare for. I'm sure you have plenty of work assignments as well." With that, he turned his back to her, walking towards the door to the next room and he finished his bean cake, choosing not to dignify her with a word of farewell or another glance at her face or figure.

 

[ShadyPrincess]

After a few more longing bites she finished the piece of cheese, licking her pink lips quietly. She nodded her head when he made a comment, but didn't answer because it wasn't a question. Her breath was slow and she could smell the fresh greens and flowers that were brought into his room, the smell making her eyes flutter for a second before she lifted her head again, though her eyes avoided his form at all times.

Tahirah had no idea about the Prince's fleeting thoughts of her. She'd had her own questions about him - she did have to look at him half-naked quite often, after all. His chest was toned and he was tan enough, though compared to her he was sort of pale. She allowed herself to watch his form as he turned his back to her, dismissing her without so much as a good bye. Her head nodded to him out of habit and she lowered it slightly until he had disappeared into the other room. Because he had left, her next chore was to take his sheets and get them cleaned, and get him a new set.

She started with the pillow cases and large blanket, stripping them from the bed and carefully stuffing them into a basket that she would later carry to the wash room - she couldn't let it touch the ground, even if it was dirty. Next was the bed sheet. When no one was watching, she took a soft smell of the cotton and let a smirk pass quickly over her lips. It smelled like he did, a subtle mixture of sweet almonds and flowers. Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she shook herself back to reality and placed the sheets in the basket to be brought back to the washing room. The new sheets did not have the same smell, though she knew after he'd laid in the bed a few times, it would come back.

Sighing quietly after she made up his bed perfectly from a clean set of linens in a nearby drawer, she carried the dirty sheets, and the rest of his unclean laundry, back to the wash room. His quick dismissal of her had offset her from her slightly interested mood earlier - he seemed to want to talk to her and then... Flash, it was over. A sigh escaped from between her lips. He always seemed so quick to change his demeanor around her...

Tahirah was a nervous wreck around him, but there was something about him that intrigued her. A few times she'd glanced at him when he wasn't looking and he looked almost poetic, sad about something she couldn't put her finger on. She wondered about him, what it would be liked to just talk to him. Maybe he wasn't so different from her, or anyone else deep down - Divine, certainly; gorgeous in the way his face was almost a sculpture for sure, but something about his demeanor made him more human... Until he treated her like he often did, at least around others. Then he wasn't quite so attractive anymore.

But as she set the basket down in the washroom and wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead, she knew she wouldn't ever get that chance.

 

[Houdini]

Hamadi went from breakfast to his language lessons in his palace. This month he was learning the basics of the Hittite tongue. The lessons were conducted by his private tutor, the most fluent Hittite tutor who could be found among the Egyptians. A prince was expected to learn such things, as diplomacy might require negotiations and treaties with the neighboring kingdoms.

He labored through the first hour of his lesson, and as they entered the second and final hour, it became evident that his mind was not in the lesson. “Tell me how one would ask ‘Is this a temple’, in Hittite”, the tutor quizzed him. His temper boiled over at that point, the answer unable to navigate through his mind among the confused thoughts filling it up. “I don’t care how you would say that!” he exclaimed, flinging the parchment in front of him across the table, and standing up from his seat. “Why can’t I just say it in Egyptian? We’re the most powerful Kingdom in the world. They should learn our language.” With that he stormed out of the room.

He took a walk around the courtyards of the palace in an attempt to clear his mind before his afternoon excursion with the priests. He admired the beautiful violet lotus flowers hanging from the windows in the inner courtyard. However, he just seemed unable to get the figure of his lowly servant girl out of his mind. That smooth voice, the delicate touch. Try as his might, to his great dismay, he could not banish her from his thoughts. And to top it all off, he knew that she was going to be waiting on his feast tonight with his cousins and respected friends. Part of him wanted to request that someone else be assigned in her place. But he thought it might be a suspicious request to make, although no one would question him. In addition, part of him could not ignore the fact that he wanted to see her, even though she drew up such a storm of difficult emotions inside of him.

As he calmed down, he headed out early for his afternoon schedule, his morning cut short by his outburst. Although the temple where he was meeting the priest he would be accompanying today was only a five minute walk from the courtyard, he meandered in a roundabout way towards his destination. He caught himself walking by the slaves’ quarters, secretly hoping for a glimpse or encounter with the object of his forbidden affections. But she was nowhere to be seen. His path took him next along the banks of the Nile, where slaves were known to wash laundry and bathe. Although some of this activity was present, he did not find what he was looking for. As his detoured journey to the temple ended, he arrived with beads of sweat gleaming and dripping off his bare chest, a few even falling onto his forehead from beneath his khat. As he followed and observed the duties that the priest performed on behalf of the Pharaoh during the afternoon, the time dragged on, his mind elsewhere. By the time he finally headed back to his palace to prepare for the night’s feast, he was mentally exhausted.

 

[ShadyPrincess]

The rest of her day was filled with various tasks - first it started with finishing tidying the Prince's room, then she moved on to carrying water back and forth to the kitchen for them to cook and clean with. She helped with cleaning pottery for a while before she was summoned away to help begin the setup of the main dining area for the party later that night. She was invited, actually - well, sort of anyways. Tahirah would be there, but not as a guest. Her thin frame would be clearing plates from the table, pouring drinks and of course waiting on the Prince and his closest kin for whatever it was they needed.

The task would be daunting and very tiring, but she had no other choice. It was not just requested, but required, of her. If the Prince thought he was exhausted by the time that his day was over, he should try one day in her shoes. The girl had gotten used to the tough labor, but it was still harsh and heavy work. Her body would ache and be sore, her eyes would droop and be tired... And by the time the festivities were over and the Prince was tucked soundly between his new washed linens, heading off to dream, Tahirah would be cleaning. By the time that was finished, she'd have just a few hours of sleep before the sun rose... And she would have to up to do it all again. Even still, for what it was worth, Tahirah took relative pride in her work.

"Tahirah, come here..." she was called forth, over to a woman who adjusted her dress and beads into a more acceptable manner. "Be on your best behavior this evening... Or there will be sound lashing in your future," the woman started, putting her hands back at her sides for a moment, "Now, go get ready... Stand behind the Prince's seat, over there... You'll be serving some small snacks to start," the woman said and Tahirah moved to stand close to the wall before she was handed a tray. Of course she knew that the Prince would be there soon... Perhaps even to survey first, make sure everything was how he wanted it, before he would leave again to make a far more... Grand entrance later in the night.

She stood still and quiet, breathing deeply and slowly. The food smell was already wafting slowly to her nose and she sighed internally - she wouldn't be able to eat until much, much later. Instead she'd be tortured by having to watch everyone else eat, smell it. Tahirah sighed and let her mind wander for a few minutes. She thought about earlier that morning with the Prince. She was no simpleton in the fact that she had so many times 'missed' him looking at her or staring, even, especially when she was doing her chores or something. The look of frustration on his face soon after striking up a conversation with her... The need to storm off. Her head shook lightly and she just sighed; her life was filled with mixed signals and back-handed pride.

 

[Houdini]

As he settled back in at the palace, he thankfully was able to direct more of his thoughts to the night's planned activities. Three of his favorite cousins, Thabit, Ishaq, and Faji, would be there, as well as Faji's new wife, Neema, and a few of her friends whom he had not been acquainted with before. In addition, several of his closest friends, sons of nobles who he had grown up with, would be coming. There wasn't a special occasion they were celebrating, but the group of young people simply enjoyed getting together for a lavish feast once a month or so. All told, he expected a showing of fifteen or so. And he would be the host to whom everyone would owe the thanks to for the excellent time they would have.

Hamadi realized that there was only an hour left until his expected guests would begin showing up. He decided that before preparing, he would survey the feast room to ensure that all was to his satisfaction. After all, it would be a great embarrassment to him should anything be lacking. Still dressed in his attire from the day's activities, he entered the large room, and stopped short in his tracks, his hand still holding the door open, when he saw none other than Tahirah alone in the room. To be exact, he saw the rear of her, and she was bent over, facing away from him, leaning towards the center of the table, and placing some violet and lotus flowers in an arrangement in the center. But he could not mistake that figure for another any day of the week.

"Hello, Tahirah", he said, announcing his presence as he stayed still in the doorway. He pretended to analyze everything carefully throughout the large room: the silver goblets, the fine china, the floral decorations, the table settings, nodding seemingly in approval. "I've just come to check everything over. It's fortunate that you were assigned here. I know I can trust you to keep everything in order." He put on a little bit of a sterner look, searching for something a bit more authoritative to say. "You know there will be a lot of important people here tonight, so we can't have any mistakes. Nothing must be out of place."

 

[ShadyPrincess]

The girl smelled the flowers as she put them in the vase in the center of the table, arranging them so there were no folded petals and so that the arrangement looked dynamic... Almost alive. She was humming quietly to herself seeing as no one else was around for now and hearing the Prince's voice instantly startled her. So much so that she knocked over one of the large silver goblets. Her eyes shot down in horror, but luckily nothing had broken - it had missed the china and though it had rumbled the table a little, things were fine. Luckily the cups were not yet filled with liquid. Her body shuddered at the thought... Convinced that if there had been something broken, or something in the goblet to spill, she'd be on her way to a lashing. She hurriedly picked up the glass and placed it precisely back in the space, tweaking the position of the some of the other dinnerware as well.

Quickly she turned to Hamadi and bowed her head gracefully, realizing that having her back to him was both rude and inappropriate. She was surprised by not only him speaking in general, but him using her name and even the words that vaguely resembled praise. And while she was below his education level, at least to some degree, she did not miss the subtle way that his lips curled in frustration, presumably with her or himself. "I understand that, your highness..." she said, bowing herself lightly over. She shifted uncomfortably on her heels but remained looking forward and down, closer to his feet than anything.

Her deep brown eyes had caught a full glimpse of him, though, and she found herself wanting to move her eyes upward. But she couldn't and stayed exactly where she was. "I will do everything within my power to please the Prince and his guests this evening. Does his graciousness see any problems in this room that need attention?" she questioned him slowly, breathing deeply in. The smell of food was slowly being replaced with his - it was now a little muskier, she supposed, from his sweat, but the scent of his bathing salts and oils was still faint and floating around. Sweet almond and lotus flower, it seemed... Perfectly intoxicating. It made her eyes flutter for a second before she returned to normal.

 

[Houdini]

The prince watched as Tahirah knocked over the utensil and picked it up, presumably a result of being startled by his entrance. She stood up straight, the pleasing curve of her bottom disappearing under the linen folds of her garment. As she turned to face him, he was both disappointed to lose sight of the ‘inappropriate’ side of her that he had been fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of, but at the same time, delighted to see the soft features of her bronzed face and to hear the smooth way she spoke. “Don’t worry about that goblet,” he reassured her, but remembering that he should maintain the airs appropriate for a man of his stature, he added “Like I said, just be more careful when the guests arrive.”

He looked in her direction for a few moments in silence, until it almost became uncomfortable. He wished she would tilt her head up just a bit, he wanted to gaze into those deep, dark eyes. He wondered what effect it would have on the girl if he were to stare at her in such way. He delighted in the thought that he had the power to melt her soul, maybe even drive her crazy, with an action as innocuous as a long gaze. How the emotions would be bottled up inside of her if she knew of his desires, yet was not at liberty to say or do anything in return! After all, he was used to young women eons above this slave girl in social stature being visibly intimidated by a mere greeting and flirtatious glance from him. But none of these women of high birth had ever made his own body tingle with emotion at the mere sight of them, as with this slave.

“I simply wanted to have an idea of how the preparations were coming along. I’ll be back once all the guests have arrived,” he stated. He turned and headed back out the door, but looked back at her before allowing the door to close. “I won’t keep you from your work any longer.” With that he let the door swing closed, and walked back through the palace towards his bedroom again. He found a servant and asked him to draw a bath. After all, he couldn’t come to the feast with the dank scent of the day's activities upon him. He soaked in the warm water once it was drawn, the scent of the salts in the water relaxing his muscles. He didn’t linger long, before calling a servant to bring out his finest garments. He dressed in a purple skirt of fine linen, along with a white sleeveless linen shirt. He wore jewels finer than those worn earlier in the day, a belt of emerald and topaz set in gold, and a rubies and other jewels draped around his neck. He called for a servant to apply his makeup around his eyes, in the manner that all the princes wore for formal occasions, before setting his headdress on, and heading for the feast hall.

Hamadi knew all of his guests would be assembled. As the host it would be fashionable for him to arrive a bit late. As the guards saw him coming, they readied the musicians who stood at the door. The door was opened for him, and he entered to a symphony of trumpets, harps, and other delightful music. He greeted each of his guests personally before heading to his golden chair which was awaiting him.

 

[ShadyPrincess]

Tahirah's head nodded lightly when he assured her that he wasn't too angry about the goblet while reminding her to be more careful when his guests arrived. She knew this well - to do something bad in front of the Prince was bad, but to do it in front of him and his guests was worse because then, as it had been explained to her, you were not only shaming yourself, but him as well. It was a sign of utmost disrespect and proper punishment was to be handed out. Punishment, punishment, punishment... She wondered when she would ever be awarded for her work. Never, she was certain - Tahirah had convinced herself that she wouldn't be complimented.

... If she knew what the Prince had thought about her she probably could have been pushed over with a feather from shock. If he had stared at her much longer just now in complete silence she might have not been able to resist a glance up at him. The farthest her dark brown eyes got to though was his knees which were partially covered by cloth. Her hands fiddled quietly in front of her as she waited for him to move, to say something. Her black hair shifted on her shoulders as her head tilted up a little just as he turned to leave. Her breath escaped quietly through her full, pink lips and she brushed one hand with the other, nodding lightly.

"I hope the evening goes well for you, my Prince," she said, bowing lightly and watching as he left, carrying his intoxicating smell with him. She sighed inwardly, letting her shoulders slump when he'd finally left. Soon after she turned back to the table and finished the flower arrangements and then helped with the draping of a nearby display table in linen cloth. Tahirah then went back to her quarters to change into something very clean - with guests about, even the slaves were to look as good as they could. When the first guests started to arrive, many of them family to the royals, she would ask them if they wanted anything to drink and promptly go to get them some. She also lead them to their seats to sit down.

Once everyone had arrived, she knew it was the Prince's turn. Hearing the sound of the music, her head snapped up and she stepped backward behind his heavy chair, lowering her head as he passed. Sometimes when he walked by she wished she could just disappear - especially in such a public setting. Her head tilted up again once he was seated and she smiled lightly, the smell of sweet almonds and lotus floating into her senses once again. The scents throughout the night would be distracting, she thought - coupled with his (which was by far the best), there were also the other royals and officials as well as the food. It would cause for certain distraction if she wasn't careful...

 

[Houdini]

As Hamadi approached the regal seat awaiting him, it took every fiber of his being to keep his attention focused towards the enormous table, facing his guests, and not at the petite figure that hovered behind the seat. It angered him that he was unable to function as he wished without thinking of her. As he took his seat, he detected a trace of a scent that he knew was hers. It was familiar, comforting in a way. He had smelled it at times when they were alone, so he knew it could belong to no one else. He could only describe it as the scent of clean skin and hair, mixed with a touch of the perspiration of hard work.

Before the feast could begin in earnest, the young prince would, of course, be expected to say a few words to his guests. He stood in front of his chair, looking at the lavish feast spread before him. Plates of fresh fruit such as figs and dates surrounded the outer edges of the table. Large red grapes overflowed from baskets all over the table. Honey sweetened cakes were on a large tray in the center, with some vegetables nearby. Trays of various kinds of meat arrayed the inner part of the table. There was duck, fish, goose, and goat meat. It was the best food Egypt had to offer. And of course, plenty of vats of barley beer and wine were on a separate table to the side of the room in great quantity.

“My brothers, sisters, and friends, I am honored to have you here at my feast this evening. I desire that each of you enjoy yourself to the fullest. I have arranged for the best food and drink, and the finest musicians to play for us so that we may dance.” He glanced over at the musicians. The harpists were still there, but the more formal trumpets had been replaced with tambourines and cymbals, more joyful instruments, meant for dancing. “Have a wonderful evening. Should you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask any of my servants”, he graciously offered. Speeches were not his favorite, and he only did it out of obligation, and said no more than necessary. Encouraged by the sight of his many friends, he cheerfully took a fish and placed it on his plate next to some leeks. Now emboldened, he turned to Tahirah, anxious to prove to his friends how little regard he had for her, although of course, they knew nothing of any unusual feelings he had for her, and were aware of nothing needing proving or unproving. “Girl, fetch me a glass of wine,” he demanded, no longer dignifying her by the use of her name. He looked on with approval as everyone began eating, and cheerful conversation filled the room. While he waited for his drink, he picked up a conversation with a cousin about the upcoming holiday dedicated to the goddess Isis.

 

[ShadyPrincess]

Tahirah's deep eyes closed as the Prince spoke, listening more to the flow of his voice than to the actual words. After all, they didn't apply to her. She was no more a guest here than the food was. Even still she stood and waited patiently for him to see and receive his food. It wasn't long before the conversations around the table began and the room was abuzz. Guests raised their glassed for person-to-person toasts, more or less to say a humble hello, as well as to indicate that they needed more to drink. It was only her and two other servants that wandered the room to wait on them - Tahirah was told to hover around the Prince. Not close enough to be eavesdropping on his conversations but not so far that he had to yell to get her attention should he need her. This also meant servicing his most valuable and honored guests, of course - those that sat closest to him were, in fact, closer to him. She was treading on thin ice...

Hearing him call for something, her head snapped up even though he hadn't said her name. Her eye twitched lightly from this - she was used to him saying her name, but knew better than to be disturbed by it. "Right away, my Prince..." she said and reached out for the glass, swiping it from his place setting so that she could fill it. The smell in the room was just as intoxicating in the corner with the drinks as it was by the table. Everything smelled so wonderful and all she wanted to do was have one juicy grape, maybe a tender slice of goat... But she would get none. Shaking herself from her daydream she filled the Prince's glass with wine, enough to be discretionary.

Carefully she carried it back to his seat, moving slow enough not to spill but quick enough that he wouldn't get angry with her. Realizing he had struck up conversation there was no interrupting him, even to tell him she had brought his drink. Suddenly she found herself in a bit of a spot, however. Did she wait by his side holding the drink until he took it from her, making her look like she was listening, did she reach between them to place the glass down, or did she put it on the wrong so that he was forced to reach over his plate of food to grasp the goblet? Clearly the second option was out - if she reached between them while they were speaking, she'd be soundly and verbally attacked, if not physically later. The lesser of the two evils seemed to be the third option and so she moved to his other side another step and set the glass down, whispering a quick, "Your wine, sir," before stepping back a bit, glancing around for anything that needed to be done. As she stepped backward she nearly bumped into someone and blushed, even wincing already - even if it was a slave, the staff running into one another at a function did not look professional. Even still, she hoped the Prince had not noticed the almost-accident.

 

[Houdini]

Although the prince was in a spirited conversation with his cousin, it was impossible for him not to, at least subconsciously, be aware of Tahirah’s movements. Therefore, when she placed the glass on the table to his side, he was immediately aware of it, although her scent was now much more difficult to pick up, with the delicious aromas wafting through the room. He didn’t acknowledge her, of course, out of respect to his guest, and with his back turned to her, didn’t notice her near mishap either. In fact, it seemed as if no one did, as they were all involved in some kind of conversation. However, when he reached for his wine glass, he realized that he had to reach all the way across his plate in a very unmannerly fashion. Turning to her, he demanded “Is this the kind of service that you were trained to provide? Placing my drink so that I have to reach across the whole table to get it?” The conversation across the room hushed a bit, as all eyes were on Hamadi and his slave girl. He said nothing further to her at the time, although he noticed that many of the eyes of his guests were now watching her every move, squinting with disapproval at her, as if to confirm the correctness of their host’s reprimand.

Hamadi soon stood up from his seat, making his way around the room to have some conversation with each of his guests personally. He enjoyed a long conversation with Neema and Faji, his newlywed cousins. As time wore on, the food was enjoyed by all, and the drinks flowed freely. Servants removed empty plates, and returned with fresh ones. As he sipped his fourth glass of wine, he stood out on one of the several balconies overlooking the lush courtyards, talking with a friend he had shared many tutored lessons with as a youth. As they talked about old friends, and mischievous incidents from childhood, the prince’s attention shifted from the cool night outside, back into the feast hall. He noticed that several of his guests had started to dance in the open area, the musicians picking up the volume in turn. His gaze shifted to Tahirah, clearing dirty plates and utensils from the large table, looking quite exhausted, and a little forlorn, he thought.

 

[ShadyPrincess]

Tahirah had held her breath for a minute before realizing that the Prince was far too engaged in his conversation to notice her stumble and for that she was grateful. When he turned to reprimand her, though, she stopped breathing again for a minute and just waited, putting her head down to the sound of his voice. It was clear to her without even looking up at that a few of the guests had turned to look at her as the conversation got quieter. It didn't last too long, however, and soon enough she was called away on some other tasks. She brought in water and some other food as well as china and dinnerware that was freshly washed.

At one point she was carrying two large casks of wine to the table. Each one weight a good amount and were full. She wove carefully around people, excusing herself quietly as she passed. Suddenly stopped by a guest she held the casks in her shaking arms and nodded when they asked for another glass of wine. "Right away," she managed before hobbling over to the table. She put both of the pots down on the ground and wiped her brow quickly with the back of her hand. Grasping one of the clean glasses, she filled it with sweet wine from the spout of one of the already open pots. Carefully she walked with it, but a sudden glint of something caught her eye and she turned her head away for just a moment...

In the few seconds it took her to look away, the stone under her feet seemed to become unnaturally uneven. Her sandal caught on something, maybe a guest but more likely just her own clumsiness from not paying attention. The smash of the cup against the floor was almost deafening, at least to her. She felt herself on the ground, knees already slightly sore from the scrape. The soreness of her knees, however, would not prepare her for the soreness that would be her behind or back, she was sure. Because she already knew she was in trouble she took a second to hang her head before lifting herself from the floor in an attempt to reclaim the glass. How had she ever been so careless as to trip and drop it? Tahirah was both angry and ashamed of herself but also knew that the worst would be the disappointment from Hamadi. Luckily Tahirah had not gotten the wine on anyone - it simply fell on the ground and spilled over, but the embarrassment was still there.

 

[Houdini]

Hamadi was still on the balcony when the crash resounded through the room. In the midst of the music and conversation, the cup breaking on the floor really wasn't that loud, but it was enough for the young prince to peek his head back into the main hall to investigate. At first, the hum of the guests only lowered a bit in terms of volume, but once all eyes saw Hamadi enter from the balcony and stare, it gradually lowered to a quiet hum.

Although he had not seen exactly what happened, it was painfully obvious that somehow, Tahirah had tripped and fallen, breaking the glass she was carrying, and spilling its contents onto the floor. His first reaction was pity and concern for the young woman who clearly occupied a soft spot in his heart. But all he could do was stare for the moment as she hung her head in shame, the pain and embarrassment written all over her face. To break the silence, his cousin Thabit, a prince himself, called out from the other side of the room. "Can you believe the carelessness of this slave? After you already kindly reprimanded her once this evening? She is deserving of strokes! How many will you have given to her?"

Hamadi thought for a moment that his dear cousin did not even question whether she was deserving of a lashing, but only how bad of a beating it should be. He thought that his cousin had a point. After all, he had warned her once. And it certainly would not be appropriate to make excuses for such a lowly creature. After all, she was privileged to be allowed in the company of royalty, and needed to behave in a deserving manner. None of this actually added up to the prince, but he needed to rationalize it somehow.

"She should be lashed in the courtyard below, so we can all testify that it is carried out properly," another cousin called out. Hamadi looked out the balcony, at the courtyard clearly visible below, well lit by rows of torches. Hamadi walked to the guard at the door, trying to look as confident as he could. "Go fetch the headmaster of the slaves," he instructed the guard. The few minutes until his arrival was quite an awkward wait. Several guests started up some quiet conversation, but Hamadi stood alone, desperately trying to avoid looking in Tahirah's direction at all. Once the headmaster arrived, Hamadi pointed to Tahirah, and did all he could to keep his voice from quivering, as he said in front of all present: "This slave has been careless and disruptive more than once tonight. I think she is deserving of ten lashes in the courtyard below. My guests need to be satisfied that she is punished properly."

 

[ShadyPrincess]

Tahirah didn't need to look up to know when Hamadi had stepped into the room. The hushed whispers and conversations that stopped were enough to tell her that he had seen what she had done. Her initial instinct was the run, to push past the guardsmen and just run out into the cooling desert, past the pyramids and into the sand. But she seemed frozen in place until someone spoke - the harshness of their words made her twitch a little, even though she tried to remain as still as possible. Any wincing away or cowering, while perhaps entertaining, would have been considered dismissal and disrespect.

Her eyes closed as she heard another voice coming from another part of the room. Public lashing? Was this supposed to be entertaining to them? Her eyes became harder to open as her head stayed down and she came to realization that Hamadi was going to agree with them. Her punishment would not only be severe, but public. Never once had she slipped up around him - and now he was going to make an example of her. Her body trembled slightly and her hands tightened into fists as the slave headmaster was rushed into the room. Tahirah could almost feel his eyes boring into her skin as she awaited her instructions; or, more likely, to be carried off and down to the courtyard.

It didn't take long. Seconds after the Prince had finished speaking she felt hands wrapped around her upper arms. The jerked her to the side and she managed a glance up, her eyes barely flashing in Hamadi's direction before she hung her head again, not bothering to struggle. Soon enough they were going down the steps, around a corner, and into the torchlit courtyard. The guards threw her into the middle and she stumbled a bit - but of course this time she managed to catch herself. Tahirah glanced up at the balconies above quickly, knowing all eyes would soon be turned down to her.

Soon enough a large Egyptian man with short black hair came at her with a whip. It was made of thin, fine leather - and would hurt. She was forced to leaned against and grasp a large pillar with hanging plants on it, meant to serve as a decoration - tonight it would serve as her stake. A man walked up and unclasped the shoulders of her kalarsis and the cloth fell away, exposing her tanned back to the crowd but leaving her waist down covered because of the belt. He had dreamed about seeing her body, but never in this capacity.

Her back was already slightly slightly scarred from her younger years, even though she had no been whipped in a long time. Even in the dim torchlight one could tell that she had been on the receiving end of the licks a time or two before - and it would be the first time Hamadi got a real glance at the pain she had endured.

Meanwhile, upstairs, the headmaster of the slaves approached Hamadi. "Prince... I realize that that girl has upset you on multiple occasions in front of your guests this evening. If your highness would like, I will reassign her to other duties and you may have a new personal slave, one of our best..." he asked, his voice trailing off slightly due to the noise outside.

Just then, Tahirah's cry could be heard, echoing slightly before disappearing. The first strike of the whip cracked against her skin and she tensed, her eyes welling up with tears, but she refused to scream. Her teeth gritted and her eyes closed as she heard the crack and felt the lick of the second strike, the warmth of a small well of blood slipping down her back - the second strike had opened a small wound. Luckily enough the whip was thin enough that it didn't do too much damage except for where it hit the same spot repeatedly. The third strike came down and she grunted softly, arching her back. Only seven more... she thought as her eyes closed, willing it to be over soon.

 

[Houdini]

He looked on as she was roughly escorted out of the room, mustering a glance in her direction, enough to tell that her expression and body language had quite a defeated manner about them, her body visibly tensed up. A few moments later, her figure emerged in the shadows of the courtyard below. Certainly this was an unusual punishment, public lashings were rare, usually reserved for the most brazen offenses. Did she really deserve it, he wondered to himself? After all, she had done nothing intentional. Why had he not had the courage to disagree with his guests?

As his friends gathered onto the three balconies facing the courtyard, they seemed more interested in the entertainment of the spectacle than actually desiring justice. He looked down at the other balconies, as a few of them pointed and snickered, their words unheard by Hamadi. Had they really just suggested this because they were just tired of dancing and drinking? Hamadi stood at the back of the balcony, behind his friends. He noticed that the man who would be administering the lashing picked a column in the most well-lit area of the courtyard. He knew that there would be spectators, and intended to give them a show.

Once Tahirah's kalasiris dropped away, he held back a gasp the healed scars of her back were evident in the torchlight. He should have known that as a slave, she would have received punishments, but never desired to imagine her experiencing pain. Her body seemed so petite and delicate to him, although well-toned by years of menial work. He had imagined the sight of her body on many a sleepless night, but not like this. Although her slightly curved back was naked to the waist, and the shadows of one breast were visible beneath her outstretched arms and forlorn face, he could take no pleasure in this sight.

As he turned to face the headmaster upon hearing his request, Hamadi heard the crack of a whip, followed by a loud feminine groan. He had to think for a moment just to be able to process the question. He knew that he would not be able to face Tahirah tomorrow morning. "I... well... Yes, I suppose that another, better trained slave might suit my needs better." He held back tears before adding "But please, don't assign this one to anything too unpleasant or menial. Despite her many mistakes, she tries hard." He turned back as the second cry echoed through the night. After the next, he peered over the heads of his friends to see three thin, fresh red stripes across her back. He turned away to the empty dining hall before letting a single tear run down his cheek, now that no one saw him. He listened, but resolved not to watch, as the rest of the cracks of the whips echoed through the cool evening, each followed by a resounding cry of pain.

 

[ShadyPrincess]

If she knew even a little bit of what he was feeling she might not have been so hurt - but she was certain he was just being cruel playing along with them. The worst was yet to come, of course - the lashings she could take. The wounds would heal and eventually her pride would return. What wasn't going to go over well, though, was her being taken from her servitude beside the Prince to be placed somewhere else - but his decree. As the fifth lick touched her delicate skin she cried out louder in pain. Six... Seven... Eight... Nine...

And ten. At the feeling of the tenth lick her body slumped against the pillar. It was finally over and she breathed out, the guardsmen letting her rest for a few seconds, but more letting the crowd gaze at the three or four strips of blood that welled up and slowly trickled down her back. She'd had worse and these would seen heal and scar over, leaving another mark on her tanned skin. The torchlight of the courtyard made her back more dramatic than it actually was - the skin was lighter where she had scars in long, thin stripes criss-crossing along her spine. These were simply a few more to add to the pattern.

Soon enough Tahirah was taken back to the slave quarters after pinning up her kalarsis again. With the party winding down, she was forced to stand and clean dishes as they came through - and would probably not get any food later that night. After the party was over and the clean up was done, the headmaster would come down to find her, looking at her sternly the entire time. He had his job to protect and though he liked Tahirah well enough, he could not disobey the Prince's orders. "As per the Prince's wishes, you'll be reassigned to other work around the palace... Someone else will be assigned to him for the future," he said and turned away from her. Her heart sank. Why had she expected something less harsh from him? Him using her name or staring at her, even the smirk she'd seen on his face a time or two didn't mean anything - of course it didn't. How absolutely silly of her to pretend like it had. Even still, Tahirah was angry and ashamed of herself but she wasn't sure why - she had never really processed any of the Prince's actions toward her. After all, he had always looked down on her, literally and figuratively, right? They'd held a conversation or two, sure, but...

The slaves were led to bed that night and the girls she shared a room with helped her clean up the wounds on her back and her knees before she fell asleep on her stomach. She'd be woken up the next morning with new chores - assigned first to bring linens into various rooms, then to do some cleaning. The Prince would be assigned another slave girl, Akila, to serve him from now on.

 

[Houdini]

Once the lashes were over, he watched his guests file back in to enjoy the rest of the party. He wondered how painful the lashing was for Tahirah. He thought of how embarrassing it must have been for her. It was funny, he never put himself into the place of anyone of lower standing before, like he did tonight. He thought about how much he wanted to be there with her, as she walked back in shame to her duties, to hold her, comfort her, rub her soft shoulders. The thought troubled him, that of course, he could have prevented her fate in the first place. He was so deep in thought that he hadn't even realized that his cousin Ishaq was talking to him, until he saw the young man standing in front of him, apparently waiting for an answer to something. "What was that?" Hamadi asked.

"I was just saying that I wanted to be sure you'll come to my palace to celebrate the festival of the birthday of Ra next month. I think I'll have almost as much wine on hand as you did tonight. But no one throws a party like you, Hamadi." It sounded like such a trivial matter to him, preoccupied as he was with his own thoughts. “Um… of course I will,” he said. “To tell you the truth, I’m actually not feeling very well. A little dizzy in fact. Maybe it was some fish I ate. I think I’m going to have to leave early and rest up.” He quickly went around the room, making the same excuse to a couple other friends, before walking out of the hall towards his bedroom. He had never left one of his own parties early before, not even if he was drunk to the point of passing out. As he walked alone in the quiet corridors of the palace, he was in fact, a bit dizzy, but the true reason was his guilt and confusion that he could not shake.

He undressed and lay down in his bed, the room perfectly dark and quiet, but no sleep came. Hamadi wondered whether Tahirah had been told yet that she no longer would be assigned to him. Among the cloud that filled his mind, he was sure of one thing. He had to find Tahirah and make things right. And even more important, he had to tell her how he really felt. It might be the most daring thing that he had ever done, certainly as far as straying from what his family expected of him, but he promised himself and the gods silently that he would do it, and not change his mind. He looked around the shadows of his dark bedroom, at all the gold, jewels, ivory. He smelled the sweet scent of the perfumes in his sheets. But none of the riches and privileges of a prince seemed worthwhile to him now, all it meant to him was that was that he was forbidden from loving the most beautiful, sweet, innocent girl he ever met.

About an hour after he left the feast, a physician knocked and entered, summoned by a concerned friend. The prince allowed the doctor to check him over, before telling him he was sure he would be fine, he just needed some rest. He lay alone and awake the rest of the night, finally getting a bit of sleep just as the first rays of sun appeared on the horizon.

 

[ShadyPrincess]

Tahirah had rolled over in her sleep a time or two during the night, waking up in a groan from the pain of her almost tearing, but very slowly healing wounds. She'd fall back asleep quickly with no desire to be awake - she did not look forward to the morning, or the day, except maybe to feel the warm Egyptian breeze on her skin or to see the sun rise over the pyramids.

The clapping came loud and she nearly fell out of bed. Her dream had been bittersweet and she woke up with a frown on her face. Sighing lightly she slipped out of bed, groaning slightly from the soreness that pervaded her body, especially her back. The young girl got dressed again, just like before and grunted when the fabric brushed against her clean wounds. "Assign this one to linen duty for the first half of the day... Then she is to clean the common rooms. Keep an eye on her throughout the day," one of the men in charge said. They spoke to one of her more 'direct' supervisors even though she was right there- she wouldn't be spoke to. Not ever. And now she was assigned to linen duty...

Tahirah made her way down the narrow passage and up to the room where folding was being done. To anyone but the slaves this process seemed simple - folding fabric, how could that be difficult. If there were any wrinkles in the clothes of the royals when they were folded that were not meant to be there, it was bad. It was almost scientific precision one saw when glancing around the room. Girls folded and fluffed, placed and even polished in some cases - gold buttons and steel hooks that held things together.

Quickly the petite girl picked up a basket and balanced it on her head, the small divet on the underside of the basket fitting over her head almost perfectly. "To the dining hall with that... Those clothes need to be replaced after last night" the woman said, shooing her away soon after. Tahirah wasn't sure if it was more cruel punishment being sent back to that room after last night, but she took her lumps and sauntered out and toward the room to replace the curtains on the balconies and the cloths on the tables.

 

[Houdini]

The prince was startled from his sleep by the voice of one of the palace guards. "Sir, your new slave is here with your breakfast." He rubbed his red eyes, weary from only having slept for a couple of hours. He usually rose before his breakfast arrived, but he had been up, deep in thought for the entire night. "Fine, tell her to wait for a couple of minutes." He picked up a neatly folded, white linen tunic, which reached to the knee, and stepped into it, adding a pair of sandals and a headdress. "Send her in", he announced.

Akila walked in the door a moment later, a pleasant smile on her face, eyes politely diverted from any direct eye contact. Her tray carried the usual breakfast fare. As she offered it to him, she said "Your breakfast, my Lord. It is truly an inestimable privilege to serve you." He looked her over, her mere presence a reminder of Tahirah's absence. He wondered if she really was happy about her new duty, or afraid. She must have heard of what happened to the last girl who occupied her position. She was certainly a nice enough girl, with dark hair in bangs, like all of the slaves wore. She had skin a bit lighter than Tahirah, and a bit of a rounder face and fuller figure. But he certainly wanted nothing to do with her. "This will do", he told her, looking in her direction until she took the hint and left. She could come back to attend to his room later, he thought.

He nibbled at an egg and a piece of bread, before having a bit of sahlab. He really didn't have much of an appetite. He was in a hurry to get out and seek to clear his conscience, as he had resolved to do. He put on some modest jewelry, but didn't change his outfit before leaving the room in his white tunic. He could be mistaken for a mere noble today, without some of the more precious accessories he usually sported. He first went to the captain of the army who was scheduled to conduct his weapons training today, telling him he would have to skip today's lesson on account of his illness. His lack of sleep, he thought to himself, would probably make this excuse believable. He set out immediately after for any place he thought Tahirah might be. He didn't know where she had been assigned, but he was determined to find out. He wasn't sure what he would say once he found her, but it would be heartfelt. That he promised to himself.

He casually strolled through the palace kitchen, observing the many slaves buzzing about, preparing the delicacies he took for granted daily. He passed the area where the clean linens were kept and folded. Again, nothing. Next came the route by the river that he had checked the previous day. Noon was quickly approaching as he got more anxious about his lack of success. He headed back to his palace, through his bedroom, observing Akila changing his linens. He thought that he would check the courtyards, and headed that direction, but before he could descend the steps, thought he heard something coming from the dining hall. He opened the door to find none other than Tahirah, working alone on the linens. It was a familiar scene, but the events that had transpired made it a complete different situation from when he had encountered her there yesterday. "Tahirah..." he called out softly, walking slowly into the room.

 

[ShadyPrincess]

(( First of all, I apologize for my terrible post last night. xD I am sick and I was exhausted last night but felt that I needed to post something, so I tried. I'm feeling a bit better today so things should be better this time, haha. xP ))

There were deep purple dyed linens for the tables - white first, though. The entire room had already been striped so that set could be cleaned and she was to go around to replace them. She'd start with the tables, then move to the curtains for the windows and balconies. Her body had become relatively numb after about two hours of moving and stretching - it didn't hurt to strain herself anymore, even though she was sore. She knew that that night would be worse; the rolling over and the laying down in bed, stiff for hours, would make her wake up groaning. Her body had taken a beating, quite literally, over the last day or so.

Even still, Tahirah did her best not to think about it. She hummed quietly to herself, songs she'd only ever heard at large royal parties while she served the guests. As slaves they weren't really allowed to listen to finer music, except when they overheard it, though they weren't kept from singing their own songs or anything of the sort. Working alone, she figured, was just another punishment - perhaps not even on purpose. Tahirah glanced at the place on the floor where she'd tripped as she set the basket down, then at her knees, red from the scuff. Her shoulders slumped as she sighed and grabbed at the cloths in the woven basket.

It didn't take her too long, even alone, to cover all four of the longer tables and the six smaller, round ones. The white linens were draped neatly over the edge, each chair pushed in closely, perfectly spaced apart. There was something about the order that Tahirah didn't like - she wanted to mess it up, to push something off balance to see if it would even make one ounce of difference. Would anyone actually notice? Just as she reached back into the basket to pull out the dark purple cloths for the table, which were actually just runners to go down the center, she heard a faint but slightly familiar voice. The gears in her head turned and as she realized who it was, she slowly angled her body toward the sound

She couldn't help herself. For a moment she simply stared at him - first of all he wasn't dressed like he usually was, like he "should" have been. Then there was the softness in his voice - and then the fact that he was here at all. Snapping herself out of her gawking and retreating into her own thoughts, she turned herself completely to him, set down the cloth, and bowed her head, bending at the waist a bit before standing up straight. "Your highness," she said quietly. Her voice held something more than usual - she was nervous obviously, more nervous than before, and the sweet purr that had been present before seemed to have disappeared a bit. "Does his majesty need something?" she managed, not even lifting her eyes above the toes in his sandals. Her speech, especially when she addressed him, almost seemed to hold a touch more contempt than usual. Tahirah wasn't sure if she was mad at him or disappointed in herself - maybe both - but she was certain the light struggle showed itself in the abnormal tenseness of her body.