His new lover

Sweeter than the richest honey

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Despite what some people thought, Kahmunrah did love his younger brother. That being said, the two could not have been more different if one was a cow and they have been more different if one was a cow and the other an octopus. It had been almost three weeks since Ahkmenrah's celebration, and his younger brother had spent almost all of his free time with his new servant.

For the life of him, Kahmunrah couldn't understand it.

He had been furious when Ahkmenrah had received that particular 'gift' if it could even be called that. Who did that noble think she was? Offering a mere servant to the son of the Sun? She should be punished for her insolence!
"Kahmun?"

Kahmunrah was torn from his angry thoughts by his mother's voice. She had stopped reading to him when she realized that he was no longer listening, and she looked at him expectantly. "Are you well, my son? You've been distracted today."

Kahmunrah sighed. "It's just...are you not angered at all by the servant that was gifted to Ahmenrah a few weeks ago?"

Shepseheret frowned and put down the book she was holding. "Servant?...Oh! You mean Lev?"
"I said what I meant," Kahmunrah snapped, standing from the table. He ran an agitated hand through his short hair as he paced quickly. "That servant is not worthy of living in this palace, let alone being a gift to a prince!" Shepseheret stood and slowly approached her son, hands held up in a placating gesture.

"Kahmun, I do not understand why this is bothering you so much-" Because that noblewoman insulted us! By bringing Ahkmen an offering worthy of a mere merchant, she showed us how little respect she has for the royal family!"

"I think you are overreacting just a lit-"
"I am not overreacting! Next thing you know, the people will present Pharaoh with children's drawings, saying that the children are gifted artists and therefore somehow worthy of a royal's attention! She must be punished!"

"That's enough, Kahmunrah!"

Shepseheret's stern voice echoed in the ensuing silence, and she approached him. "Now, I understand why you feel that she insulted us, and you may be right about Lev not being of noble birth and therefore not being worthy of Ahkmenrah. But it is clear that she believed that Lev is truly special, and I suppose that's all that matters."

Kahmunrah took a breath, trying to understand his mother's reasoning but not completely grasping it. She put on a calm smile, but in her heart, Shepseheret was deeply troubled by her son's erratic, aggressive behaviour. "Besides," she added, placing a kiss on Kahmunrah's cheek, "we should see this as a good thing! Lev seems to make your brother very happy, and now he won't be bothering you as much! No more little brother pestering you all the time."
Kahmunrah pondered these words as his mother turned and sat at the table once more. No more little brother... "Yes, I suppose this could be a good thing."

"And the Roman ambassador?"
"Umm..."
"Starts with a C."
"Oh, Caesar!"
"Very good. And that's the last one."

Lev smiled as he put down the scroll. He had been helping Ahmenrah study the names of major foreign leaders and ambassadors for a while, though why Ahmenrah had to learn them was still something of a mystery. Ahkmenrah had told him that only Pharaoh's eldest son was taught about politics and such in preparation for the throne, but lately, Ahkmenrah's tutors had been assigning him the kind of work that normally went to Kahmunrah.

Ahkmenrah stretched on the gilded divan he was reclining on, yawning even though the sun was still high in the sky. "Remind me to ask Father why the tutors are torturing us like this."

"Us?" Lev scoffed. "I'm not the one that has to learn over a hundred names in a few days."

Ahkmenrah swung his legs down from the divan and stood, walking over to where Lev was straightening out the scrolls on the table. "No, but you are the one that has to help me study. Otherwise, I'll never get anything done!"