"ARIIIISE, O Prince of Egypt!" Rath cried, startling Mara and waking up Prince Rapses.
"You were sleeping like a crocodile," the wise scribe said smugly.
Mara smirked at him from her place at her desk. Rath took his job as the prince's instructor very seriously. She admired him as he continued to write the simple transfiguration formula on the board for Rapses to practice.
"Now, back to your studies," Rath said, handing Rapses a jar of paint and a brush.
Rapses began to fill in the blanks in the formula from memory, saying, "I was having that dream again of a strange place filled with horseless chariots and buildings made of glass."
Rath scoffed. "This is no time for such fantasies; I am trying to teach you science. Now, do you want to learn how to change a staff into a snake or don't you?"
He held out a small wooden staff to the boy.
Rapses rolled his eyes, "Oh, alright."
"Repeat after me," Rath said, "May this wooden staff be like the sacred serpent that coils around the golden disc of Ra."
The prince repeated the spell half-heartedly, but suddenly his eyes lit up as a snake coiled around his hand.
"Wow!" Rapses said, grinning.
Rath smirked at Mara who grinned back at the two of them. It was Rath's greatest pride to see his lessons learned and appreciated.
"Can you teach me more things like this?" Rapses asked, "Like how to turn water into wine? Or a horse into a lion?"
Rath folded his arms proudly and said, "In time, o prince. But now it is time for your lesson with Armon."
Rapses handed the snake back to Rath. It dissolved back into a staff in his practiced hand.
"Run along now," Rath said, "Armon will be waiting for you."
Rapses left the classroom.
Rath turned to his assistant and smiled.
"Another great lesson, Rath," Mara said standing up from her desk, "He certainly enjoyed it."
"Yes, I only wish I could get him as excited about reading and writing," Rath sighed.
"Don't blame yourself," Mara said, standing next to him and placing a gentle hand on his arm, "We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Rapses' strength just happens to be math and science."
Rath smiled down at her, gazing into her eyes. "You're…" he said, his voice trailing off, "Ahem, you're in charge of his lesson tomorrow."
He looked away.
"Right," Mara said, taking a step away from him, "Well, I've found a story I think he'll enjoy. It tells of Ani's journey through the underworld."
"Excellent, The Book of the Dead. A classic," Rath said.
"Excuse me," a deep oily voice said.
The teachers turned to see Scarab, the king's advisor, in the doorway.
"Rath, Mara, good to see you. As you know, the Pharaoh is still campaigning in Nubia," Scarab said.
"Indeed," Rath said, nodding.
"I'm sure I do not need to tell you that this means the King's Feast will not be held tonight," Scarab continued, "I didn't want there to be any confusion."
"Yes," Rath said, "Thank you, sir."
Scarab bowed slightly as he left.
"I don't trust that snake," Mara said in a low voice after he'd gone.
"Scarab?" Rath asked, "but he's the Pharaoh's closest advisor."
"I know," Mara said, "But he makes me feel uneasy."
"If Pharaoh trusts him, I trust him," Rath said.
"Right," Mara said, "Mark my words, if any foul play occurs here, Scarab will be behind it."
"Leave the guarding to the guardians, my dear," Rath said with a smile. He went around the classroom, tidying as he went.
He turned to his assistant. "Mara, I… Er, would you like to have supper with me in my quarters tonight?"
Mara blinked and looked at him. She'd been longing for such an invitation for years and yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen to the prince.
"I'm sorry Rath," she said, watching his face fall, "I have a lot of studying to do. Perhaps tomorrow night you can join me in my quarters instead?"
Rath's eyes lit up. "Oh yes," he said, relieved, "of course! Tomorrow night, then! I'll, uh, see you then. Good night, Mara."
"Good night, Rath," Mara replied as he left.
When she was certain he was out of sight, she crept down the hall to the lookout tower and watched for anyone coming or going.
The sun was beginning to set when a chariot bearing two people, one tall and one short, sped out toward the west desert.
There was no time to lose. Mara sprinted to the stables and quickly reined a horse to follow the chariot.
When she found them, it was exactly as she'd imagined. Scarab held the prince by the throat and seemed about to throw the boy off the edge of a half-constructed pyramid.
"Stop!" She cried, jumping off the horse and taking her dagger out of its sheath.
Scarab released the prince in surprise. The prince scuttled away toward his teacher.
Scarab grinned, "You dare to threaten me Mara? I'll use that little knife to carve my name into your beautiful face."
"Do as you will with me, but I'll smite you where you stand if you lay a hand on the prince again," Mara said boldly.
Scarab laughed. "You're a schoolteacher, what can you do to me?"
Mara raised an eyebrow and muttered a spell under her breath. She pointed her knife at the traitorous advisor and he moved out of the way just in time, for a bolt of lightning struck where she'd pointed.
Scarab chuckled. "Rath has taught you well, my dear. But not well enough."
Suddenly a heavy pair of arms grasped her. A shabti held her motionless.
"Run, Rapses! Run!" Mara screamed. Before she could cast a spell to free herself, the shabti's hands placed themselves on either side of her head and..
