The Prince and His Slave

Arius - [Rudeness]

After dropping Alexandra with Doctor Tumini, I returned to the banquet. But soon, I decided to go for a walk; some feeling inside me urged me to leave the banquet.       The throne room was packed with high class men, drinking away. I don’t drink, so this environment disgusted me. I was still hungry so I picked up a piece of bread and a glass filled with juice and rushed out.

       I felt my father’s stare but ignored it.

       Time started to move so fast as soon as I took Alexandra to Dr. Tumini. The moon was already high in the sky and I could hear the crickets singing. I couldn’t help but wonder why she had told my father I was lying when I did it for her sake.

       I began to get frustrated. Women had always been so confusing.

       I took a sip of the cool juice which seemed to cool me down.

       I wandered around for a while, until I began to smell the flowers, I was finally in the palace garden. The smell of the flowers was so strong that it completely calmed me down. It was exactly what I needed.

       I walked down the stone path which led to the fountain that my mom had designed and then I suddenly felt my heart jump when I saw someone sitting at the edge of the fountain.

       I squinted a bit to see who it was, and then I saw her turn. The second I saw her eyes I knew who it was.

       Alexandra’s big green eyes were glaring at me.

       ‘Glaring?’ I thought to myself, I rolled my eyes and walked towards her. She quickly turned her head around when I sat on the floor next to her. “What?” I asked, nicely.

       “Nothing!” She muttered, as rudely as she could.

       I sipped some juice and then sat quietly. After a while, I heard a loud roaring noise. I turned around and looked at Alexandra whose eyes were wide open, then I laughed.   “Someone’s hungry?” I asked.

       She didn’t respond, instead she looked away again.

       “Here.” I said as I held out the bread, “I didn’t take a bite out of it or anything.” She wouldn’t take it, so I dropped it on her lap. “Eat!” I said. I put the juice beside her and looked away. I saw from the corner of my eye, her pick up the bread and take a bite out of it. She still looked mad, maybe now was a good time to ask her why.

       I waited for her to swallow and then she took a big gulp of the juice. As soon as she seemed able to talk I asked, “So, why did you try to get us both killed by my father?”

       “What?” She asked.

       “I was only trying to help you.”

       She shrugged. “I don’t need help from the likes of you.” She said looking away.

       “Really? It didn’t look like it, you were shaking all over!” I said, looking away.

       I saw her get up, “Excuse me?”

       I got up too. “What?” I said, looking right at her.

       She looked really mad “You! Why did you hide the fact that you are a Prince from me?” She asked, almost yelling.

       “What?” I asked. “I didn’t hide anything from you.” My eyes widened. Was that why she was mad, because I am the Prince?

       “Yes you did!” She yelled. “You didn’t say a word to me about you being a Prince!” She was glaring at me and standing on the tips of her toes. Her face was so close to mine and she looked like she wanted to slap me.

       “How was I supposed to know that you didn’t know?” I asked her, taking a step back.         

       She hesitated. “Well, you should have told me!”

       “Huh. You should have asked!” I said, trying not to yell.

       “Why you! You are just as spoiled as I thought you would be!” She said moving away. She turned around and began pacing, “You are insolent and stupid, and you have no clue who you are dealing with!” She looked at me and turned back around. “You are such a fool, I can’t believe I trusted you!” She went on and on, I tried to keep calm but my head began to feel hot.

       What on earth was wrong with this girl?

       Where was she getting all these insults from? She doesn’t even know me!

       “You are weak and so, so…” she waited and thought of the word, but I didn’t let her say it.

       “Pardon me woman. Your rudeness is unbelievable!”

       She looked at me.

       “Think about this before you answer, tell me one good reason that I would have to hide the fact that I am a Prince from you? Why would it benefit me if you didn’t know I was a Prince? I didn’t hide a thing from you and I had no intension of doing so!”

       She looked at me and I turned around, I stared at the floor for a bit and walked away.

       As I walked away, the words of my father repeated in my head ‘You are too kind! How will you rule a nation if everyone takes advantage of your kindness?’

       He was always right about that.

       I wished I could be meaner, only then will people really treat me like a man, or even their future king.

       That night I had that nightmare again. I wandered around all night until the sun had began to rise. My father left as soon as the sun was completely out and the second he left, I became Pharaoh.