Chapter Seven

Several Years Later

"No,no no! Sagira, you're not focusing. This is the right way." Mahadou showed the now thirteen-year-old princess again. "Now try agan." Mahadou sighed. It had been a long afternoon already. He couldn't possibly let the pharaoh's youngest daughter go without learning this important lesson though. He watched her summon several different things to her side, before nodding in approval. "Very good." Just then, there was a knock on his door. "Yes?"

"Master Mahadou, I hate to interrupt,but it's well past Sagira's lunch hour."

"She'll be right along." Mahadou told Sagira's nursemaid. He scowled as the elderly woman left. A nursemaid at thirteen still? Well, I guess after several attempts on Princess Sagira's life, the pharaoh thought it was necessary. "That's enough, Sagira. You may go."

"Thank you, Master Mahadou." The young girl walked out of the room, her long gown flowing behind her. Mahadou couldn't help but watch with pride. Sagira had come a long way from her thievery roots. She was a young woman now, a force to be reckoned with ,in his opinion. He closed his lesson scroll, and put it away.

"We wondered when you'd be joining us, Princess." Yaminah glanced over briefly as she spoke. She was sitting in the garden with Seth, taking lunch. She was in a guise, so as not to be caught by the guards, but Sagira and Seth both could see her true form through it.

"It's a pleasure to have you in our presence again,Lady Yaminah." Sagira allowed, sitting down to her lunch. To Seth, she added, "and I have completed another ten sets of lessons with Master Mahadou this day."

"Well, aren't we become quite the accomplished sorcorress." Seth remarked, but it was easy to see how pleased he was with her progress. He and Mahadou had spent many a restless night debating on whether a commoner could be taught royal magic or not.

"I've still got too much to learn." Sagira replied sensibly. She then turned her attention to Yaminah, asking about her brother silently. She never mentioned the cruelty of Sultana's death that she'd wittnessed seven years ago. Nor had she asked aloud about the thief king. But she knew her roots still, and knew her brother was still longing for her. She'd even seen him in the market place.

"He's doing better than the last time you saw him, I believe." Yaminah replied. Likewise, Bakare had been getting reports from her off and on about his sister. He wasn't pleased with her learning magic, or with how settled she seemed to be in her new lifestyle. It sickened him. Yaminah often wondered if they'd actually end up fighting each other someday. "Everyone is doing as well as can be expected after what the Pharaoh did to their land. I'm sure you heard about how he's built up the market place again."

Sagira nodded. "Of course. We traded with some more people to the East. We had more money." She didn't justify her father's actions, nor did she deny them. "Perhaps I can talk to him again, and see if..."

"No. A woman's place is not in the court affairs,Sagira. You should know this better than anyone." Seth replied sharply. "Now be gone with you to your music lesson." He wanted some time alone with Yaminah, before her guise wore off.

Sagira hid her hurt at being admonished, as she left the garden. Seth had been pretty edgy lately, and she didn't know why. She got permission to go into the market with her nursemaid. She wanted to buy something special for Master Mahadou. If she had known the horror that would occur in a few short hours, she would've resigned herself to just going in her room.

"You shouldn't be so hard on her, Love. You know she doesn't have it that easy." Yaminah looked at Seth. "What's wrong? You've been really bad tempered lately."

"Something's been being planned for her. I just know it." Seth took her hands in his. "It's so good to see you. I wish you didn't have to come in disguise though."

"Someday,my love, someday." Yaminah stared in to his eyes. "You're just as handsome as you always are. It's a shame we're on opposite sides."

"Yes..." Seth replied, pulling his chair closer to hers, to hold her. "Mmm...I wish you didn't have to have to go back the thief king."

"Well, it's good that I do. It avoids all conflict here in the palace..." She laid her head against his chest. "Come with me..."

Seth sighed deeply. He wanted nothing more to than to do just that, but his loyalty to the pharaoh came first..."You know I would if I really could..."

Yaminah sighed. "Yes...it isn't fair, the way things work out." She stood up. "Seth, I should go..."

"Wait..." Seth walked over, and picked a rose from the garden. "Here." He put it in her dark hair, then leaned up, and gave her a sensual kiss. "I'll come to you as soon as I can get away."

"I'll be waiting." Yaminah teleported then, blowing a kiss as she went.

"Look,Mika! Isn't it gorgeous" Sagira showed her nursemaid a beautiful throw blanket.

"Very lovely indeed. I think Master Mahadou will like it very much." The young woman reached for her purse to get the coin money out for the item. Just as she was ready to hand the girl the money, she saw a look of pure of horror on her charge's face.

"MIKA" Sagira's shriek rang through the entire marketplace, as her nursemaid suddenly fell, her blood pooling around her. The princess started in disbelief,seeing Beni there. "Y-you...I've seen you before..." She took a few steps back.

"And you'll be seeing a lot more of me, my dear." Beni smirked,sheathing his sickle, and going after Sagira, who ran holding up her silk dress. "You won't be able to run forever, girl." Beni called tauntingly. Finally, the two ended up in a dark alley.

"A-are you going to kill me..." Sagira asked him with wide eyes. She backed up as Beni cornered her against the wall. "I'll give you anything you want...coins, jewelery...anything" Tears were streaming, as she fumbled to remove the expensive necklace she'd gotten from her father for her birthday.

"Save it,Girlie. I don't want your dirty money. You're all I need." With that Beni grabbed her violently, and slammed her head against the hard sandstone,until she fell unconscious. "Now,Pharoah. You'll see what it's like to lose something so precious to you." He threw the unconscious girl over his shoulder, and took the back way to the thieves' village. The beautiful blanket Sagira'd planned to buy was stained in blood,as it lay in a muddy heap just beside the wall.