The Prince and His Slave

Arius - [Respect]

My head was pounding and I didn’t know why. I pressed my fingers on my temple and took some breaths.

       I thought of when I saw her running, I had chased after her to find out what was going on, and when I finally caught up, a bunch of hideous men were about to jump on her. For some reason, I was furious and I didn’t care if I ended up killing them. “Thank you!” Alexandra said bowing.

       I looked at her and shook my head. “Don’t worry about it.” I muttered. I looked at the bastards on the floor. “Come, let’s leave here.” I said as I began to walk.

       “Hold on.” She said.

       I quickly turned around and saw her walking to the tall man that I had knocked out first.

       I stared at her “What are you doing?” I asked beginning to panic. I followed her.

       “Wait.” She said. She took the hand of the man, which was closed tightly, and opened it.

       Then I saw it, my ring.

       She picked it up and was about to get up but then the man grabbed her.

       She screamed loudly and tried to pull away.

       I kicked the man hard in the stomach and he let out a little yelp and fell to the floor. I grabbed Alexandra and pulled her away.

       A guard ran up to me, “My pharaoh, is there a problem?” He seemed out of breath.

       “There are three thieves lying in that alley, take them to prison, understood?” I asked.

       The guard bowed and ran into the alley, three other guards followed.

       I began to walk a little fast and Alexandra rushed in front of me, “Your ring, my Prince.” She said, holding it in both her hands.

       I looked at the ring and then at her. “You are such a fool!” I said. “Is this really why you chased after that man?”

       She hesitated but nodded her head.

       “I don’t know if you’ve forgotten, but I’m a Prince, and at the moment the substitute Pharaoh. I’m the richest person in Egypt. I can get a hundred of those rings if I wanted too!”

       She looked at the floor. I could tell that she felt stupid.

       “Look.” I said putting a hand under her chin and pulling her face up to look at me. “There is no reason good enough for you to run after a random thief on the streets. Do you know how dangerous that is? I don’t even want to think about what would have happened to you if I wasn’t here.”

       She nodded her head and looked away again.  “Well, I really liked this ring,” She said.

       I raised an eyebrow

       “And I really wanted to give it back to you.” She said looking at me.

       I didn’t understand what she was trying to say.

       “So please, take it!” She held her hands out towards me.

       I looked at the ring and sighed. I took it from her and slid it onto my finger, then I smiled and said “Thank you.”

       She smiled a very happy smile at me. “I’ll see you later then, my Prince.” She said beginning to run off.

       I grabbed her hand, and she turned around shocked. “Stop with the respect.” I said smiling, “No more bowing, and I’d prefer my friends to call me Arius, just Arius. Okay?”

       She looked at me and then nodded, “I’ll see you later than, Arius” She said smiling. She then ran off and disappeared in the crowd.

       I stood there for a second, smiling. Then I turned towards the carriage and got in.

       The second I stepped into the carriage, I realized I was being watched.

       My grandfather watched me with angry eyes. His arms were crossed and he had one leg on top of the other.

       My grandfather was a big man, he was very muscular and tall, and his hair was long and completely grey. He was my mothers’ father.

       He was very tough and strong for an old man when my mother was alive, but when she died; he became weak and actually looked old.

       My mother was everything to him.

       He always tells us how all that is important now is the happiness of Akhen and I, because that is what my mother wanted and I know well that he honestly wanted that too.

       As scary as he looked, he was a good person.

       The only problem is that he has always been strict and hard to cooperate with.

       “Who is she?” He asked in his loud booming voice.

       I took a long breath. What was I going to tell him? That I, the current Pharaoh of Egypt, was friends with a slave?