CHAPTER ONE

Zoser stared at the woman, hoping that she couldn't tell he was doing so. She was the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes upon. She had long brown hair, soulful brown eyes, and beautiful brown skin. She wore a long white dress and was talking to Prime Minister Uzrel.

Suddenly a hand clapped on his shoulder and a hearty voice said, "She's a beauty, isn't she?"

Zoser turned to his father, pretending that he didn't know what he was talking about. "Who is, Father?"

His father, Sabian, a handsome but large man of fifty-seven, laughed, knowing that his son was too embarrassed to admit that he'd been looking at the woman across the room. "Why, Princess Ayena, of course."

"Princess?" Zoser asked, swallowing hard. She was a princess?

"Yes. She's the daughter of the King of Limia. He wishes to make an alliance with Pharaoh. He sent her to Egypt so that she could get a taste of the country and its people."

Zoser looked at her again, heartbroken. She was a princess, meaning that he would never get close enough to her to talk to her or even to meet her.

Zoser was 17 and the son of a minister of Pharaoh. He was tall, muscular and blonde; a rather attractive youth who'd already had affairs with a few of the handmaidens at the palace. However, he was quiet and troubled. He had frequent nightmares, some of which left him shaking for days afterward. His head was filled with wild ideas that scared, but also excited, him. He couldn't explain it but he had this feeling that he was destined for something, something that filled him with dread.

His father shook his head just then. "You can forget it son. There's no way that she'll ever give you a second glance." He began to walk away.

Zoser tagged along behind him saying, "I wasn't looking at her, Father, I swear. I didn't even realize that she was there until you mentioned her."

Sabian chuckled. "All right son. I believe you." They both knew that he didn't.

Zoser changed the subject, but just barely. "The dinner tonight is for her then?"

"Yes, son, it is." The two of them had reached the other side of the Great Hall. "I expect that you'll be in attendance?"

Zoser shrugged. "I wasn't going to go. Last time I went to dinner in the presence of a diplomat, I spilled wine on his wife."

Sabian laughed. "Which is why you will sit on my right side this time, as opposed to my left."

They entered the throne room and Zoser automatically dropped to his knees. It was a ritual he despised, one that he would have changed if he were Pharaoh.

Sabian kneeled in front of the Pharaoh momentarily then rose again. Zoser remained on the floor.

"Minister Sabian." The Pharaoh acknowledged Zoser's father.

"You wanted to see me, your Highness?" Sabian bowed his head.

"Yes." He pointed to Zoser. "But first, tell your son, Zasin-"

"Zoser!" Zoser interrupted.

The Pharaoh and Sabian were dumbfounded. One of the guards that was standing near the throne moved forward as if to strike the young man.

"No Thamian." The Pharaoh held up his hand to stop the guard.

"But sire…"

"He did not mean to interrupt me, I am sure." The Pharaoh replied. "He is young still. He is not yet fully acquainted with the law of Pharaoh." He looked at the boy. "Isn't that right…Zoser?"

"Yes, your Highness." Zoser replied.

The Pharaoh nodded. "As I was saying, Minister Sabian, tell your son to please rise."

Sabian did so. Zoser was surprised. He had never been allowed to stand in the presence of the Pharaoh before.

"Now, Minister, as you know, Princess Ayena is here on very important business. Her father wishes to make an alliance with Egypt. She will be here for a week and I want her stay here to be very comfortable."

"As do all of us." Sabian assured him.

"I understand that your daughter, Jandi, has married and now lives with her husband and his family. Am I right?"

"Yes, Sire." Sabian replied.

"Do you think the Princess could stay in Jandi's old room for the time being? It is a private room, one away from the men. It would please me if you would comply."

A strange, dangerous look passed over Sabian's face briefly, then he nodded. "Of course she can use it."

Zoser wasn't at all pleased. He would have made that fact known had Thamian not have been watching him like a hawk. That had been his sister's room and he didn't think that it should be handed off to just anyone, even if it was a beautiful woman.

"That will be all, Minister." The Pharaoh dismissed them.

After they had left Zoser asked his father, "Why does the Pharaoh never thank you?"

"Why should he?" If Zoser had been paying close enough attention he would have realized that there was an edge of malice in his father's voice. "I am just a minister. It is my job to comply with his orders." He shook his head, the bitterness gone. "Sometimes I wonder about you son. You know the law."

Zoser nodded. "Yes father."

() () () () ()

That night, before the dinner for the Princess, her servants moved her things into Jandi's room. Zoser watched as his sister's bed was covered with elegant purple sheets, her chests filled with beautiful dresses. It pained him to see all the things that brought back such wonderful memories changed before his very eyes.

He remembered sitting on Jandi's lap as a young boy. She would tell him stories about far off places, stroking his hair, and hugging him. Zoser had lost his mother as a very young boy and Jandi had taken over that job. She had been the only happiness he'd known and now that was being totally disregarded for some haughty princess.

"Move!" A man in yellow ordered. He had about ten bottles of oil in his arms.

As Zoser got out of the man's way he considered spilling wine on the Princess no matter where he was sitting at the table.

"Raziel, that's no way to treat a minister's son." A female voice said, not unkindly. Zoser turned to see Princess Ayena standing in the doorway of Jandi's room. She was wearing a long flowing gold dress with jewelry hanging gracefully from her body. "Don't mind him," she said, referring to the man in yellow. "He's always like that."

Zoser was tongue-tied. "Uh, huh." He mumbled.

"Your father told me about you." She continued. "You're only a few years younger than I."

Zoser babbled incoherently, unable to form actual words.

"Are you okay? Should I go get someone?" She seemed genuinely concerned.

He finally found his voice. "Yes! I mean, no. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I am."

She smiled at him sweetly then looked at the room in front of them. "So, this was your sister's room?"

"My father told you a lot, did he?"

She nodded. "He wanted me to know that I was welcome here. Between you and me, I think that he's trying too hard."

"Well, this alliance is important to the Pharaoh."

"It is to my father, as well."

Raziel came out of the room. "I hope everything is to your satisfaction. Do you wish to take a look around?"

"Yes, Raziel. I do. Would you excuse me…" She struggled to remember what his name was.

"Zoser." The smitten young man replied.

"Right. Will you excuse me, Zoser?"

"Yes, of course, Princess." His mind had been turned upside down sometime in the past five minutes and he no longer cared that his sister's room was being invaded by foreigners.

The Princess left Raziel and Zoser standing in the hall. Raziel walked around the boy disapprovingly. Zoser shifted around nervously under the man's gaze. Raziel was about thirty or so and he was quite large. He had a large bald head that shined in the torchlight of the hallway and black eyes that flashed dangerously. Frankly, he terrified Zoser.

After a few minutes Raziel nodded and stood about two inches away from Zoser's face.

"Stay away from the Princess." He warned, pointing a finger at the trembling youth.

Zoser nodded, then turned and ran down the hall to his room.