His new lover

The most precious gift

Ahkmenrah is 18 and Lev is 25
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.

"To you, Prince Ahkmenrah, son of the Sun, I gift the finest linens and sandals in all of Egypt. I pray that this pleases you, my prince."

Ahkmenrah smiled kindly down at the nobleman from where he stood on the dais. "Of course, this pleases me, good sir. It is a marvellous gift, and I thank you immensely for it. May Ra bless you, friend."

The nobleman smiled and bowed before walking away, glad that his gift had been well-received, though he hadn't been too worried to begin with; the youngest prince was known throughout all of Egypt for his kind and loving nature. As the nobleman walked away, Kahmunrah moved so he was standing next to Ahkmenrah. "Feeling tired yet, baby brother?"

Ahkmenrah stifled a yawn and looked at Kahmunrah. "I was feeling tired about two hours ago; if this doesn't end soon I might just drop. How did you manage this at your coming-of-age celebration?"

"Well, I certainly didn't have as many gifts as you do."

An undercurrent of bitterness lined Kahmunrah's words, and he immediately regretted it when he saw the hurt look on Ahkmenrah's face. "Never mind that now. Ah, I do believe this is your final gift for the night."

Ahmenrah turned back to see a richly dressed noblewoman walking forward, gold ornaments jingling softly from where they rested on her wrists and waist.

She bowed deeply, right hand pressed to her heart when she reached the foot of the dais. "Hail, Prince Ahkmenrah, child of Ra's golden beams," she said, straightening as Ahkmenrah nodded and smiled in greeting. "For many years I have had servants working for me at my estate, but one in particular has proved to be most useful. His cleverness and ingenuity have made my life and the lives of everyone who lives with me easier, and he is quite dear to us all. However, I feel that his talents are being wasted while he works at my home. And so, my prince, I gift to you my most prized servant: Lev."

She stepped aside, and Ahkmenrah saw for the first time the man standing behind her. He wore a simple linen skirt and clean sandals, and his wavy brown hair was cut short, as was normal for a servant. The man immediately got down on one knee and pressed his right fist to his heart, eyes focused on the floor.
Ahkmenrah was rather surprised; he had been given women as gifts before, but they had always been exotic or of some political value. The man before him was a servant. Fascinated, Ahkmenrah walked down the steps from the dais and came to stand before the man - Lev.

Even though Ahmenrah was accustomed to people constantly bowing and kneeling to him, he had never been able to accept that others were supposedly meant to be below him, both physically and symbolically.

Frankly, he would much rather everyone greet him like a normal person, with a nod or a smile instead of grand gestures. Eager to make Lev feel more comfortable, he lowered himself to his knees and gently pressed his fingers upwards on the man's chin, urging him to lift his head. Lev, flustered and confused, did as he was bid, reluctant to meet the prince's eyes because he was merely a servant. Once he did, however, he couldn't bring himself to look away. Ahkmenrah's eyes were a pale green, as if the lush emerald of oasis trees bled into the air and became one with the light gray of the skies, and Lev was enraptured by the gentleness and love he saw in them. Ahkmenrah smiled warmly and removed his hand from Lev's face. "Hello, Lev. I am told that you are a clever man. Do you think you'll enjoy living here and finding things to improve upon?"

Lev flushed deeply, not believing that the youngest prince of Egypt was kneeling before him and speaking to him as if he were an equal. "Well, um, I mean, of course! Of course, I'll enjoy living here and improving things. Not to say that anything needs improving - your palace is amazing. But I will certainly try, if, 1 mean if that's what you want, your Majesty," he quickly added to the end of his sentence, remembering that he was speaking with royalty. Ahkmenrah found Lev's nervousness to be adorable, and stood, pulling Lev up with him.

"That is, indeed, what I want, Lev." He then looked to the noblewoman, who had watched the exchange with surprise and silent satisfaction. "This gift is a very precious one, my lady, and you have my sincerest thanks. May Ra protect you." The noblewoman bowed once more and murmured a farewell to Lev before walking away. Lev watched her leave with both sadness and joy, and Ahkmenrah placed a comforting hand on his back; neither of them noticed Kahmunrah glaring from behind.

Notes:
Lev: Jewish name meaning 'heart'

Word count: 844