The Bond || ONC2022

Chapter 5

*Seven months ago*

Mayeen had waited long enough. She had learned all the skills she needed to succeed in her mission. Now, all she wanted was to meet her brother one last time and spend some quality time with him before embarking on her quest.

Finally, the day she had been waiting for arrived; the siblings met after years of staying apart. Everyone was happy. Bhallar even came close to giving up on the promise he had made to his father on the latter's death bed.

However, while her older brother was thinking about taking his family to Qulsairis and settling down, Mayeen was finalizing her escape plan. 

 One morning, barely a month after reuniting with Bhallar, Mayeen left home on the pretext of buying groceries.

Mayeen made sure to exit the city center unnoticed through a now-abandoned dog door, arriving at the outskirts, where she waited for the bounty hunters to show up. Once they did, she bumped into nearby stalls and got reprimanded, calling their attention to her.

As expected, no sooner did she exit the store, a stout man dressed in expensive-looking pearl white knee-length shirt with golden hems that matched his armlets started tailing her with two plainly dressed burly men in toe.

Mayeen felt a sense of accomplishment as she walked through the busy lanes halting at medical stores now and then before turning a corner that brought her to an abandoned street.

Seconds later, making sure that the girl was unaccompanied by friends and family, the man who was following her at a safe distance cornered her.

"Hey, beautiful." The stout man called, advancing on her, "Where is your family? You know a girl as gorgeous as you shouldn't roam the streets alone."

"My mother is waiting for me at home." Mayeen pretended to be scared and quailed slightly, looking helpless. "Please let me go to her," she begged, knowing precisely what her words would do to him.

The man gave her a once over. To him, she looked like easy prey. He held out his hand authoritatively, "I will consider your request if you show me your Family Card."

The Family Card was a piece of parchment with the royal seal. All free, blameless citizens were supposed to have one on their person. 

 Mayeen's Family Card was confiscated a few days after Atmoo had died. It was Tutuamen's doing. At least, that's what uncle Sharre had told her mama.

'Mayra, my child, the royal family blames Atmoo for the late pharaoh's death. They wanted all of you dead, but I pleaded to The Great Queen Mother on your behalf. She owed me a favor and has agreed to pardon you. But, from this day forward, you and your children will not be free citizens. I am here for your Family Cards.'

Mayeen was too young to understand the weight of the words then. Now, however, she was wiser.

Not having a family card meant that they were free to be captured, tortured, sold, or left to starve. They couldn't appeal to the government for any crimes committed against them. They were technically outlaws. 

Mayeen's family had managed to survive in the New Kingdom as free citizens until now was because the knowledge of her family surrendering their family card to the royal household was not known to many. 

"I... I don't have one." Mayeen stuttered and took a step back.

The man laughed, "Look, my dear, if you come with me, I promise you will spend the rest of your life in the lap of luxury. Have you heard of the pharaoh's harem?"

The confirmation that the man was indeed the one she was looking for, Mayeen smiled internally and glanced up at the man through her thick, dark lashes. Her words trembled with fear, "Pharaoh's harem?" she fringed ignorance about the existence of the place she had been dreaming about entering for over five years and asked innocently, "What about my mother?"