Along The Nile

Chapter Three

KET
"Between the two worlds stained by destiny,
love can be found."
-Machigerita

Early the next morning, Ket stopped before large doors.

With a food tray in each hand, she kicked at the base of them. She waited a few seconds, but, when no response came, she sighed and used her hips to push open the doors. Once inside, she let them slam shut behind her.

The prince's royal chambers were a sight to behold. They were huge, for one, bigger than the whole building where Ket slept. Large marble columns and towering statues of gods held the engraved ceiling on their shoulders. Antlers from various animals were proudly on display on one of the walls. Thick hides and colorful rugs layered the floor. A fountain in the center of the room bubbled pleasantly, a white noise that Ket had come to find comforting and familiar despite her policy to let nothing in her life become comforting or familiar.

Across the extravagant room, the floor raised, forming another level about two feet from the ground. This was piled a foot high with only the softest furs and cushions. Rich and vibrant blankets and pillows spilled off the side until they pooled all around the bed, making it look like one big enticing nest that promised nothing but the finest comfort.

Ket put the trays down onto a carved table and made her way to the balcony. She pulled the velvety curtains aside and tied them back so that the rising sun could effortlessly spill into the room, bathing it in a warm glow. She closed her eyes and stood on the balcony for a moment, soaking in the warmth on her face. After breathing in the refreshing scent of the water from the Nile, Ket turned and went back inside, preparing herself for her hardest task of the day-- waking up the prince.

She tiptoed to the bed, almost smiling when she saw him swaddled in a blanket, his face buried in furs. Despite being the biggest pain in the neck, Ket adored her prince. After all, he was the one who saved her from her abusive master all those years ago. He had given her a safe place to sleep, food to eat, and a job that didn't make her feel like she wasn't human. When she was lost in her agony and depression, it had been him who had found her, not the gods that she relentlessly prayed to with no sign that they had ever heard her. It was Teremun. Now, he was her god. 

She knelt down beside his bed and reached out to shake his shoulder.

"Prince," she whispered to him. "Prince, wake up!"

Her efforts only elicited sleepy mumbles of protest.

She sighed. "I told you yesterday that you would be waking up early today. Come on, don't make this difficult."

"Ten more minutes," he slurred.

"Five," she answered, "but after five minutes, I'm filling your bed with locusts."

He groaned in response, then lazily grabbed hold of a cushion and swung it at her aimlessly.

She ducked down and scowled at him, but by then he had already closed his eyes and was back to sleep. Shaking her head, she stood and walked over to the alter in the corner of the room. She knelt before it and started lighting the incense. Behind her, Teremun opened his eyes and silently watched her with a soft smile on his lips. Ket retrieved some food from the trays and placed it at the feet of each of the statues lined up before her. She bowed her head and prayed a prayer.