Pharaoh's First Love

95

“Amarie, I would like for you to go into town and pick up freshly made and cooked crab dumplings, freshly baked herbed bread, a container of soup, and finally a fresh salad, perhaps with some protein? Chicken should suffice. Please have such prepared to arrive at Shelyn’s garden in the next couple of hours. Do feel free to sample a few of those yourself after all you’ll likely be tending the garden after you arrive and should eat.” Calion said, feeling as if he could have cruelly teased the girl a bit more, but he began feeling a tinge of guilt for doing so. It’s not that he was sadistic… but he was bored and how he would typically ‘play’ was not allowed with Shelyn being taken by Aoi. With that Calion watched the girl let out a breath she’d been holding for some time and nod her understanding before she hurried off, likely wishing to get some fresh air. For now Calion would simply relax until such time it was time for him to head to the garden.
Shelyn felt her world in a spin. This hour out with Aoi was exhausting. She simply knew Jin would be angry.

Jin, was still in Shelyn's bedroom. He had stopped playing the moment Amarie left. And was now sitting in silence. He took a moment then stood. Entering the living room area where he found his brother and no one else. This was upsetting. it was no one carried. He stormed over. Angry. Throwing the stringed instrument at Calion's feet before running off. This wasn’t fair. No one carried or rather no one noticed him. It was painful and upsetting that he couldn’t have anyone to himself. Yun locked away and forbidden to be seen. Amarie called away to follow orders for Calion after being instructed to stay with Jin. And Shelyn who seemed to not care to stay at his side. he hated adults. All of them.
Shelyn sighed before finally stopping Aoi. "Umm...can I go now? You dragged me off and I was supposed to be returning to Jin an hour ago...."
"Hm? But why? He can wait this is more important." Aoi told her.
"No...it’s not. I promised I would go right back to him so we could continue his lessons..you have made me out to look like a liar...I am heading back. Thank you. But this was very important..." she told him sternly. Pulling her arm free and hurrying off back towards the palace. It worried her enough that Jin was left alone these days. And clearly craving affection. She didnt want him thinking she didnt care for him.
After hearing the sound of something crashing near his feet Calion, who was leaned back, head tilted to the ceiling and eyes closed looked forward to see what had disturbed his quiet morning. Of course it was Jin. Spoiled and could almost do anything he wished to in this palace and yet he was prone to throwing fits. “Jin, come now, that’s not how you ought to be treating your instrument and I can’t imagine Shelyn will want to continue teaching you if that’s how you intend to treat them.” He said, he wasn’t outwardly angry, after all he preferred going about things in a calm way to try and discuss the problem, not just simply yell. Still he leaned forward and picked up the instrument, a single wire snapped on it as he set it on the coffee table.
“She’ll come back, though you need to understand she has more to tend to here than merely being your teacher. I’m sure she’s giving you the time she can spare, but you can’t expect her to teach you from the moment the sun rises to the moment it sets. Besides…” He cleared his throat. “If I recall you have a couple other tutors as it relates to history, geography, the sciences et cetera, have you been keeping up on those studies as well?” He questioned, although of course the boy wasn’t in the mood to be lectured by elderly men. He did half wonder if the boy even truly had any friends.
Jin was in a state of pure protest.  He wanted Shelyn. This was the only topic that didnt bore him to tears. "I don’t want to learn anymore!" He yelled from near the door of his brother's room.
What Calion didnt seem to understand was aside from his tutors and Yun, he didnt get to have any other interaction. Hell he through Shelyn in a cell just for touching him and trying to teach him to play. What child would even want to play with him? A prince they better not touch or they risk harm. He was a caged bird and Shelyn was the only person he had truly enjoyed.
Shelyn felt worse by the time she reached the steps of the palace. She was hot and felt dirty. She needed to get cleaned up. And get back to teaching Jin.
Calion rubbed his temples. It was not really in his skill set to deal with a tantrum. He gathered Jin wanted Shelyn and that the boy likely didn’t have much else going on during the day, but the simple fact of the matter was he couldn’t expect Shelyn to always be tending to him. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to arrange a party one evening where Jin might be able to play with the other noble’s children, it could indeed be a fun night and he even knew where to locate fire bombs that explode in the sky from some of the eastern countries that do trading. But that would be something in the future, not now.
“Is there anything you’d like to do that doesn’t involve Shelyn? She’s out with Aoi in the market right now, I imagine she’s going to want to rest a bit whenever she gets back in. You could always ask one of the guards to get horseback riding lessons, shoot a bow, or practice even your sword skills, if you like?” He suggested, trying to bribe the boy with some activities most men would find ‘cool’ at that age.
Hearing she left him to be with Aoi was worse. He grit his teeth. Tightening his fists. This really wasn’t fair.
Shelyn opened the door and bumped into Jin a bit. Which sent her into a rolling panic that she hit someone with the door. "Oh no! I’m so sorry!" She apologized as she entered. Finding it to be Jin. "Jin? What’s...going on?"

Jin turned to face whoever it was that bumped him with the door. Frustration plastered on his face. "I HATE YOU! YOU NEVER STAY WITH ME! I NEVER WANNA SEE YOU AGAIN!" He yelled. Pushing past her and out the door he ran.
Shelyn was dumbfounded. Speechless. And the fact he didnt let her explain made it worse.
Calion perked up upon hearing Shelyn’s voice, at once both happy and yet somewhat shocked by Jin’s outburst, getting up and walking over to her as he placed a hand on her shoulder and let out a sigh. “Let him go, he’s feeling a bit neglected although he’s going to need to come to terms that you cannot be by his side every waking hour. I’m of mind to make it up to him, perhaps throw a bit of a party with an invitation for the nobles to bring their children that are around his age. It may do the boy good to make some friends, hell, even if they’re girls.”
“Now then, how was shopping with my brother? I hope he wasn’t too pushy or suffocating for you.” Calion chuckled lightly, trying to cheer Shelyn up. The fact of the matter was that sometimes even under the best intentions a child will throw a tantrum no matter how much you bend over backwards for them.
"Calion...it’s my fault...I shouldn’t of left him with Amarie..." she told him. She really felt this was her fault. She gave a very sorrowed look. "Don’t you think it will be hard to encourage him to make friends? I was simply trying to teach him how to make music and you through me in a cell..." she reminded him. "Won’t the rule of no physical contact be more difficult for children?" She looked to him worriedly. Hopefully this wouldn’t be an issue. "Maybe it’s time you present him with proper friend? Something he could care for? Unless you’re going to give him a wife?"
Calion shook his head. “That was because you were an unknown. Hired entertainer, as it relates to nobles, they can open make contact, assuming of course it’s not malicious. That being said… I could speak to one or two of the nobles and see if they have a daughter around Jin’s age. It likely wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to have a classmate and someone to talk and play with instead of simply being by himself, although I would leave it up to Jin to choose his wife in the future, so long as it is not you.” He chuckled softly.
“Perhaps… after our trip to the garden I will speak to a noble and see if that can be arranged to bring someone in. Anyways, don’t blame yourself, you’re not the boy’s mother and even if you were… you are allowed to tend to your own life. He’ll come around I’m sure.” Calion said trying to comfort her.
She huffed at him. Mostly just too exhausted. Though this wasn’t going to stop her from taunting him. "And why can’t it be me? Am I not good enough to be with your brother?" She puffed out her cheeks. Crossing her arms and pouting at him.
She had no interest in Jin romantically, but it was funny to see how Calion might react to this.
"A classmate does sound like a good idea. No doubt he is probably bored. Yun was his day to day playmate...if I recall."
“Because…” He reached out to place a hand on her hip, pulling her a step closer. “You’re already spoken for and I don’t like to share~” He said, leaning in to kiss her forehead. “Besides, you can have more fun with me.” He winked playfully, taking a hand and leading her deeper into his living area.

“We can discuss more as the day goes. I’ve sent out Amarie to pick up things for lunch so we should probably try and get to your garden in an hour or two. Are you alright going as is?” He wondered considering she had just recently been walking around town most of the morning. “And did Aoi help you find anything you were looking for?”
She blushed. Hearing him say it made her heart race. It was the little things that he said that were easily able to set aside and worry or doubt.