The Prince's Punishment

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen: Tahirah

I wandered about the palace lost in my own thoughts when I noticed the royal guards walking towards the Pharaoh's room with a slave in tow with them. I blinked and watched as they all made their way over. I couldn't help but let a smile creep over my lips as I realized just which slave that was. It was the one the Prince was seeing behind my back. I couldn't wait to find out what the Pharaoh was going to do to her. I hope he makes her suffer, after all she deserved to suffer for thinking she could ever be more with a prince of Egypt. What a foolish girl to think that she could ever live a life of luxury and happiness with him. I shook my head proud with my work and made my way towards the palace's garden and sat down on one of the stone benches and played with some of the flowers pulling off their petals and allowing them to scatter into the wind.

The conversation seemed to be dragging, I could tell because I wasn't hearing any screaming or begging for mercy. Perhaps he already had her killed, maybe his killing was a mercy and she hadn't known it was coming and they were now getting rid of her wretched corpse. I shrugged. Who cared really? I didn't, well, that wasn't exactly true... I did care a little bit but only because I wanted to make sure that she and the prince would never speak again. If they did I would make sure to make her suffer myself. No one tries to steal away my prince and get away with it, royal or not you would pay the ultimate price for that. This time it would benefit us all, she was just a slave anyway. She wouldn't be missed; slaves were always being born anyway so who cared if one more slave died? I chuckled softly to myself.

 

A few moments later the same slave girl ran out of the palace, I could tell by the look on her face that she was scared for herself and her family if she had one anyway. I knew the Pharaoh had made her tell the prince that they could no longer be together and if she refused to listen he'd kill her. It was all too obvious what was happening without me having to hear a word of their conversation. I knew the slave would listen but would the prince take her words seriously or would he find a way for them to keep seeing one another? I crossed my arms over my chest as I huffed at the thought of them still sneaking around mine and the Pharaoh's back. I would need to check on them and make sure Tepemkau doesn't see her anymore.

 

It didn't take long after the slave girl left for Prince Tepemkau to come storming in, anger clear on his face and his voice dripping with venom. By then I had resumed playing with the flower petals. "You cowardly spoiled brat! How could you go to my father? Do you not know what he could do to her? Are you that so insecure of yourself? You're pathetic and to think that you would ever have a chance with me is laughable. I hate women like you. I would rather welcome death a thousand times over than to ever share a title with you." I looked up at him with wide eyes, such foul and harsh words coming from such a titled man. My anger flared. "How dare you speak to me that way!" He scoffed at me. "How dare I speak to you that way? Ha-ha. You deserve far worse for your treachery wench. I should have you killed and believe me, I could have you killed but because I am not as pathetic as you, I'm sparing you that horror. You will go to my father and you will tell him you lied about it! You will tell him that you made a mistake; you will say that Eshe and I are nothing more than just mere friends. If you don't, you will regret this night."

I growled under my breath but let out a laugh instead. "Oh please, Prince Tepemkau. You do not scare me, but go ahead... Try and have me killed. You and your precious little slave will soon follow. The affair between a slave and a higher class is punishable by death. Meaning she and her family will all be slaughtered and if you're lucky, you won't be slaughtered either, but from the looks of it, your father just might do away with you too."  I shook my head and laughed as I tossed my hair over my shoulder. "So go ahead and threaten me all you like. You should be glad that I didn't make up lies to have her killed already. If you want her to live, stop being a foolish man and leave her be. You are fated to me, not that low life scrap of nothing. You will end your time with her and you will marry me and in return I will bear you a son. If not? Well, I'm sure you don't want to know what will happen if you refuse me." He knew I was right. So right that it made him even angrier, so angry that he stayed quiet and left without saying another word.

 

I couldn't help but laugh again at his misfortune. This prince was going to be his own demise, what a petty fool for thinking he could have any sort of relationship with a slave. Just the mere thought sickened me to my stomach and yet, I laughed as I hadn't laughed in so long. Here I thought the prince was supposed to be a smart man and yet he continued to make foolish decisions that would continue to either cost him his life or worse. I shook my head and stood up leaving the palace garden in search for something else, what I didn't know but I would keep searching until I found it.