disclaimer: don't own Yugioh or its characters.
Prince Atemu...age 15
I am such a creative, innovative genius! I have endeavored in my grandest, most life altering plan to date! It's also the first time I'm really scared out of my wits, but I'll not show that outwardly, I hope. Allow me to explain. As mentioned, tonight was my final night in the stables to serve out my punishment (though I have countless others to contend with, just not this one). I did indeed manage a way to see Asru again and again without having to resort to antics, schemes, and other means that usually concluded in punishment for me. I need only get over one hitch, well, actually several, but only one to seal the deal so to speak. After discussing the matter and idea with Asru, she complied. We could fix the mess it would create later...once I'm pharaoh. It's probably not far off now anyway as father is showing signs of ailments. The doctors are unsure why his health is beginning to fail him, but it is. I've been stepped up to the next levels of my training. That's a minor way of putting it however. Basically, I am being rushed, forced, shoved, poked, and prodded into a transition from prince to king. Nobody will tell me why and I can only figure that father's health problems are more serious than previously thought. It was also all the more reason for me to do what I and Asru did. It'd make perfect sense once I'm pharaoh anyway. And right now, I feel like I need to do proper and right things rather than act up in my usual teenage ways. I simply can't do that to father right now in his condition. I also want him to know that the kingdom is or will be stable regardless of what turn his health takes. I want him to know I'm there as backup and that I can stabilize and run this kingdom in his absence, even if temporarily. Playing by the known rules is one way to show that.
So what is all this I'm babbling about? Simple. Asru and I are seriously considering marriage. But we have a social gap larger than the Nile is wide. Time is of the essence however. In all this haste to prepare me for kingship and father's failing health, I will not be able to escape the palace to see her for days...months...perhaps even seasons. If we marry, she will be granted abode within the palace. We can see each other daily.
For my own recollective purposes, I'll recall portions of the conversation with Asru here and now. I have a fanstastic short-term memory, but it fades over time, like it does for most males. Females tend to have a better recollection of things like this than males so perhaps I can remain one step ahead for my gender's sake by being able to refer to stuff thanks to this journal. Let's see, the setting was the usual that I can easily recollect...smelly, poo-filled, hay infested stableyards. Not the most romantic place to bring up the subject, but hey, she'll remember it too...unique, different, and hey, it's me afterall. I don't think I'm a romantic anyway. I just know about the things females like from tales of my mother and the gossips of servant girls. She was grooming her two prize stallions while I was shovelling crap infested hay and muck from the stalls. She wasn't grooming at all. She was watching me. Even turned away, I could feel her eyes. Do females check out males in the same way some males watch females? I wasn't sure so I did not pull the dropped item, bend over activity that so many servant girls would do in my presence in the palace. To me, the ass is about as enticing as a piece of poo...which is exactly what comes out of that end. How that area of the body can be pleasing to the eye is beyond me. Which is why that little trick never worked on me in the palace. I rather preferred they face me when picking something up so I can watch how the forces of gravity and motion enact upon their bosom. THAT area of a female's body does seem to attract my attention. But I'm wandering off subject again aren't I?
The conversation.
Since we were both in the stalls and the only noise I could hear was the cackle of crickets and the slurpy sounds of the crap I was shovelling, I opted to see if she'd engage in conversation.
"Like something you see over here" I teased.
She gave a slightly insulted look. It was most endearing. "Why would I like anything where you are? I see a lot of crap over there." If it wasn't for the look in her eyes, I would've thought she was serious and insulting me. But her eyes deceived her. She was being sarcastic and engaging in my 'game.'
"Your future king is a piece of crap" I inquired with a hint of mocking hurt to my voice.
"Maybe not directly, but he's sure full of it."
Okay, that statement had several
different meanings to it. Which one should I take? The literal?
The figurative? The other figuartive? The other literal? Curse
females and their ambiguous tongues! She laid a nice trap and
I fell into it face first. Or did I fall into my own trap? I hope
it's not the latter...that'd be a sorry thing for a gamsemaster
like myself. Wait, I have the perfect combo!
"Hard to avoid when shovelling it. What do you feed your
horses that causes so much crapping anyway"
Yes! Perfect comeback!
"Why the grains given to us from the ROYAL grainery, your Highness."
Ouch. Guess I need to step up my game. Quickest, most effective way...change the subject. I notice a little furry ball beside her. "There's a kitten by your horse's hooves. Might want to scurry it away before it gets trampled."
Asru slides the brush down her horse's flank as she bends beneath the horse...away from me. I take my previous statement above back. Asru's ass is VERY NICE to look at. I don't know what sets it apart from others, but I don't really care. She bends forward even more to reach and pick up the kitten thus revealing those round buttocks even more. THANK YOU BASTET! Your servant gave this humble liege of Ra and Horus a most pleasing view. She doesn't return upright right away. But when she does...
"Like what you saw" she teases as the little ball of furr purrs loudly, cradled in her arms.
For a moment, I saw a mother and babe. She'd make a fine mother. She's a natural for it. What am I thinking? I quickly refocus. "It's an adorable kitten." I replied, totally ignoring the direction of her question.
"YOU were gawking. Checking out my ass."
Oh, she's pushing the issue now"There's more then one ass in my field of view when facing you." I smirk. And truth be told, there was a horse's ass and two asses stalled in the vicinity.
"I didn't know you found horse asses arousing prince"
Okay, we need to stop having these conversations when animals are around. "Hardly." I snuffed. Now, back into my game. "I thought barn cats were feral."
She scratched the night black kitten upon the head. "This isn't a barn cat. He's the son of the barn tomcat, Seth. But I'm taming this one."
Tomcat named Seth? Now why did my mind come to a certain future high priest of mine? Heh, he probably is a tomcat...wild, untame, unruley, rude, disrespectful...need I go on? Back to Asru. "Why tame a barn cat"
"To mouse the house.Can't have a feral cat sharing our living abode."
Nice rhyme. Heh, she and I could duel in rhymes. "You have mice in your house"
"And don't say you don't have roaches in your palace."
Honestly, I wasn't sure if we did or not. Locusts every now and then, crickets, spiders, ants, lizards, an occasional rat, yes...but I don't recall ever seeing a roach. I heard from some of the servants though that they are fast, wily, and large insects though. Worse yet, I hear they are dirty, smelly, disgusting things. "I'm not going to say anything on the subject. I've never seen one before."
Her expression changed. Why she'd do that?
"Wanna see one" she asked.
"Would I want to? You don't have roaches do you"
"Roaches are everywhere. They're like ants and locusts. Everywhere and nowhere at the same time."
Great, she speaks in riddles too. It's like she's a female version of me. "I must finish my work here prior to the full rise of the moon."
"It'll only take a moment. I know of a roach nest here in the stall."
"There's roaches IN HERE" I asked with my voicing pitching to its once boyish tone at the end. Why'd it do that...I'm NOT afraid of a little bug or its friends.
She giggles. Giggles? These vile insects are in here with us and she's laughing?
"Aww, is the prince scared" she taunts.
"Of a mere insect...never. I'm just stunned that I have not seen them while in my work here."
"They're shy."
Shy? Not a term I'd add to the description of them. Shy can go with cute, but roaches are probably the farthest from cute. "You say that like they're cute, cuddly things. Do you LIKE roaches" I reply...mocking her...in a friendly way. Honestly, I do not want to see her pick a roach up and cuddle it as she did the kitten. That would be a SERIOUS turn off. Before I say anything, she grabs a pitchfork and heads towards the section of the stalls where the goats are housed. Curiously, I follow. Did I mention, that when I follow I get a good look at her swaying ass? Ahem, anyway, once she realizes I'm behind her (heheh, BEHIND...sorry, I think the dung smell got to me. I keep returning to the ass subject for some reason.), she begins to pry away some of the old wood planking from the wall. Several insects can be seen scurrying up and down the wall with breakneck speed.
"Those are roaches." she replies calmly.
"So they are." I replied as unimpressed as I could. Truthfully, now that I know what they look like, I am going to be paranoid that those things are running amok in the palace as I sleep.
"They aren't just pests. These roaches are here to keep the termites from eating any more of the stalls. Wood is so rare and expensive, but works much better than the mudbrick when dealing with heat."
Hmm, so they had a purpose. "It's nice to know they have a job. But there aren't any vacancies in the palace at this time and those that may be there will be unemployed soon."
She giggles again. "You really don't like them eh"
"You do"
"You are SO high class."
Did she mean that in a good or bad way? Since I'm not sure, it's time to change the subject again. Keeps me out of the dangerzone afterall. "Thanks for the show and tell, but I really must get back to work now."
This time she follows me. I hope my ass is as pleasing to her as hers is to me. There I go with the ass subject again. Great Ra, take me away from it!
She halts prior to my dung heaps however and for some reason looks me over. Her eyes upon me like that sends strange stirring sensations throughout my entire body...but all eventually end up at my groin. Why is that?
"Let me help you with that" she asks.
"With what" I replied with that high boyish pitch once again. I honestly thought she was referring to that slow swelling that was forming in my groin area and thus was a bit surprised...and strangely disappointed at the same time. There's those mixed emotions again. I'm really hating this transition period between childhood and adulthood. My body confuses itself. That can't be a good thing.
"Not THAT. Geesh, boys like you have a one track mind. With the dung silly."
I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks...the face ones, not my ass ones. Am I at the ass subject yet again? I think I'm addicted to it now! I'm definitely a sorry case. "Shovelling dung? Why"
"The sooner you finish, the more time to ourselves before you have to return."
"You saying I'm SLOW" I challenge teasingly.
"I'm saying, two muckers get more done than one, no matter how good at it he may be."
"I'm hope I'm not THAT good at it. I wouldn't want this job on a regular basis."
"Not even to see me"
How is it I always fall into her traps and most of them headfirst at that? I give up. The gods must be enjoying their own game and I'm their pawn. I don't reply, just simply stare into her eyes. They're entrancing. Suddenly I remember my 'plan.' "Asru, I " I stammer. Here I am, crowned prince of Egypt and I'm stuttering and stammering in front of a mere village girl. How's that for a show of rank. Ah well, never did like the whole rank concept anyway.
"Yes" she questions and actually draws nearer to me. I can feel her warm breath mingle with my own. Her intense close proximity is making me nervous...or is it anxious...or something else entirely? My emotions are nothing but a tangled heap when she's near me like that.
In a move slicker than a croc sliding into the Nile, I angle my head just enough so my lips can whisper into her ear. "What say you if we were to marry" Oh, now I get the smooth talking royal voice back. Where was that earlier?
I back off and give her a little space so I can see her reaction. I think it's a bit like the one I had when we had discussed the roach subject. "Y-you...want...and me..." she stammers.
I nod curtly. "Not right away of course...but soon."
"Aren't you betrothed"
Where'd she get THAT idea? Oh wait, villagers stereotype us royals as much as we stereotype them. "Not that I'm aware of. If I am then she has to be second as I want you as my primary."
"But if she's a princess..."
"Won't matter once I'm pharaoh. As king and husband, I can choose whom I wish to be what. My father didn't marry royalty...merely nobility. You are nobility in a way...as your father is responsible for our royal horses. A mere villager or peasant doesn't get such a distinction."
"Don't you have sisters though? I thought you had to marry a sister."
I shudder at the thought, but I am aware of our culture and history. Many pharaohs before my time had indeed married their own siblings. "I'm not aware of any. I grew up an only child."
"How sad."
"Sad? To get all the attention and be catered to? Hardly sad. But enough of that, what say you hmm"
"Yes, IF it clears by both our fathers." she replied quickly, but it was evident she was still stunned and unsure. It's okay...the scope of all this will hit me too...at some point. Then I remember the token of appreciation I wanted to give her. I'll use it as an 'engagement' or 'betrothal' symbol for now. I carefully remove a golden ring from my finger. "Please, accept this as a token of my love and a reminder that one day, we will be as one." I say as I offer it to her. I remember reading that inscribed somewhere. Damn lessons! She accepts it and slides it on.
"It's beautiful."
"It was given to me by my grandmother. She told me to give it to a lucky lady one day."
"I guess I'm the lucky one eh? We better be lucky because if anyone finds out before you go through the proper channels with all this, we're going to be in deeper crap than any of this stuff on the floor here."
That's right, I forgot most of what follows is up to me. Being of higher status and the man, I must make the next motions of this process. "Speaking of crap...we're now behind."
"And speaking of behind...yours is cute too."
Now I did NOT bring up that subject again...SHE did.
And so I must close this entry and get some sleep. I have a busy day ahead of me tomorrow. I will bring mention of all this to my mother first. Her reaction will determine my next one.