The Lion Queen

I was standing in a beautifully decorated temple. It stood high on a mountaintop, as proven by how the wind blew straight through the pillared walls and out the other side in cold gusts that felt like blades on my skin. I was barefoot, had no weapons, and wearing nothing but a white, sleeveless tunic and my ruby choker (the only aspect of my outfit that persisted between what I was wearing here and what I wore in the real world), and my hair was loose. I brushed the hissing strands out of my face.

For a moment, I stood there, dumbly taking in the alabaster walls of the temple and the beautifully decorated stone tile floor. Murals were painted on the walls, of people going about daily tasks. Children played. Farmers tended to their crops and merchants sold their wares in the streets. Young girls danced and sang as they wove linen and fetched water from wells or oases. For some reason, they seemed to radiate life.

I was compelled to walk over and brush my finger over them, and as I touched them, they would move, the painted figures running or walking across the stone as if they were alive. A man coming home from tending his fields greeted his wife. Two men pulled in a net writhing with fish. A woman held a newborn baby in her arms.

What are these? What do they mean?

I turned back to the front of the room, and instantly all thoughts of the moving paintings flew out of my mind.

Sitting calmly on the dais at the head of the room, in front of the altar, was a sleek, beautiful lioness. Her fur was tawny like the desert sand, that darkened to an almost russet color on her back and head. Her paws and belly were almost white in comparison, the color only broken up by the onyx claws that poked just a bit out of their sheaths when she stretched, like a great big cat, and then settled back down again. She was clad in a midnight-black helmet forged for her leonine head, that seemed to absorb all light that hit it like an endless void. A golden collar of bright green emerald and deep onyx slabs encircled her neck. Strangest of all were her eyes, which were a strange shade of deep, royal purple, like the amethyst Mother had given me.

I instinctively reached for my knife, only to remember it wasn't there. I tensed, preparing to fight the animal bare-handed, only for a light, airy laugh to stop me.

My ears didn't hear it. It came directly from my own mind, but it wasn't my thoughts I was sensing. Someone was speaking to me, mind to mind, a technique very few mages could perform even with each other.

In an instant I somehow knew it was the lion's voice I heard laughing musically in my head.

"This is a place of peace, little one," she said gently. "Weapons nor violence are not welcome here. Rest assured, I will not harm you."

"Who are you?" I asked the lioness, still wary. An idea of who it was grew in my mind, and before I could even think, I had fallen to my knees and blurted out, "Lady Sekhmet!?"

The lioness's gentle laugh again filled the corners of my mind. "No, little one, I am not Sekhmet. She is my patroness, my guardian, and she is listening - as are all the other gods - but I am a mere spirit."

"Where are we?" I asked. "Why have you brought me here?"

"This is a place of beginnings and endings. When a person departs for their eternity in the Field of Reeds - should they be judged worthy - their lives are recorded on these walls. Spirits stay here, treasuring the memories for as long as they can, before they depart for paradise. This temple is the doorway between their life as a mortal and their afterlife."

"So why is it empty?"

The lioness gave me an askance look, and I immediately realized I might have angered her. Whoever she was, I knew I didn't want to anger her alone and unarmed.

But she only laughed.

"Blunt, are you, my cub? Well, you see, very few spirits stay behind at the temple for very long. They usually only stay long enough to remember their past lives and honor them for a moment before moving on. But the spirits who, for some reason, left their life unfulfilled, linger here until whatever their grievance is resolved. They travel through the mortal realm at daytime, but return here by night to rest from their wandering. You may know them as specters, or ghosts."

"Are you a ghost?"

The lion dipped her head in a nod. "I am. As strange as it seems, I was once a human, a mortal like yourself. But my life was cut down all too quickly, and now I watch over the living from here, barred from truly resting until the desire that binds me to earth is resolved."

"You still haven't answered my question. Why me? Why did you bring me here?"

"I have been watching the palace for quite some time, and the contest my Lord Pharaoh proposes is intriguing to me. I have observed all of the contestants, but none have caught my eye quite like you."

"What's so different about me?"

"'What's so different about me?' he says," the lioness chuckled. "Come."

I hesitated, not wanting to get within reach of her claws.

"I told you already, I will not - cannot - harm you here. It is a fundamental law of this place, one not even gods can break. Now, come."

Slowly, with trepidation, I walked up to the dais, stopping just a foot away from the lioness.

"Now, touch my forehead. There's something you must see."

Gingerly, I reached my hand forward and touched the deep russet spot just below the opening in her helmet.

"Close your eyes."

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I could feel something building up inside me, a pressure that became almost painful, until-

"Relax and let go. Else this won't work."

I tried to relax and let my mind go blank, and I soon felt the energy release, in a massive, torrential fountain exploding from my body.

"Now, open your eyes, child."

I slowly opened my eyes to see a beautiful shining white curtain of stars in between me and the lioness. It was so bright it was almost too bright to look at, and as I watched, it changed shape, becoming a dagger - like my knife - a silhouette in thick armor, a bird spreading its wings and taking off into the sky, a roaring lion, and finally shrinking down to a mirrored silhouette of myself.

"This is your magic, cub, in its purest, most undiluted form. The brighter the light, the stronger the magic." She seemed to be smiling wryly as she said, "As you can see, yours is very powerful indeed."

"Why did it change shape, though?" I asked.

"Remember, cub, this magic is a representation of you and your ka, and it manifests itself as all facets of who you are. I can't say now why yours changes so many times. It is for you to understand, when the time is right, when you know your magic inside and out, when you discover for yourself who you are."

"But I don't even know what my ka is," I protested.

"That knowledge will come. I have seen how diligently you seek it, and you are almost ready. It will come."

Ready for what?

"In the meantime, look at this manifestation of your magic. Burn it into your mind - what forms it took, how bright it shone. This is your ba and ka essence pulled into a combined physical state, something only a spirit or god can do harmlessly, like this. If you tried this exact same technique, you would most certainly die, if not maim your soul permanently. Very few have ever seen such a sight, and, outside of my presence, you will most likely never see it again. So look. And remember."

I tried to memorize every facet of the image in front of me, but it was slowly starting to fade, becoming amorphous and slowly flowing back into me, leaving a burning sensation over my heart.

Thunder cracked in the distance, and the wind started blowing harder. Before I could even react, to yelp or to find something to grab onto, it picked me up as if I were a dry reed.

"You are waking up, child," the lioness said, somewhat sadly, as if she wanted me to stay a little longer.

Stranger still, I wanted to stay. It was so quiet and rich with a calm, peaceful energy. My mission, my worries, and my doubts seemed faint and far away here.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you more, little one," the lioness whispered.

"Wait! What do you mean!? Is there more!? Do you know what my ka is? Why people all seem to be interested in how strong it is? Please! Tell me more!" I could feel someone shaking my shoulder to wake me up, but the touch seemed far away, and as light as air.

"I cannot. Until we meet again, little one, in dreams or in the Field of Reeds."

With a jolt, I became aware of lying on the bed in my new chambers, the linen blankets pulled up tightly around me like a cocoon. I blinked, still half-asleep… until I became aware of someone hissing my name.

"Kay… Kay, wake up… Kay!"

I finally realized what the heavy weight on my ribs was - Mana was kneeling on top of me, her face thrust inches from my own as she insistently whispered my name. She was already dressed - in a short skirted dress like the one she had worn when I had met her, but this one was a good deal finer, trimmed with accents of water-lily pink quartz like her banquet outfit had been, and her floppy hat now had the circlet from her banquet outfit nestled on top of it, a look that was odd but somehow suited her.

Not expecting her to be so close, I yelped and, on instinct, pulled my sheathed knife out from underneath the duck-feather pillow, unsheathed it, and had it pointed at her before I could even think about it.

"Eeek!" Mana cried as she scrambled back from the knife being held to her neck. "Kay!" she scolded, hands on her hips. "You scared me!"

"I scared you? You scared me!" I retorted, fumbling with my knife and shoving it back into its sheath. "Why were you kneeling on top of me, anyway?!"

"I told you, I was trying to get you up! I was bored, so I wanted to find somebody to train with!"

"Go train with someone else," I muttered, diving back under the warm safety of the covers.

"Everybody else is still asleep!" Mana protested.

"Then how are you awake?" I curiously peered over at the curtain where the balcony was, and saw no sunlight shining through. "Mana, the sun isn't even up yet, go back to sleep!"

"I can't go back to sleep! I'm just too excited to start training today! By the way, you sleep with your knife hidden under your pillow?"

"Yes, so I do. What of it?" I asked. Doesn't everyone do that? That was how it worked out in the desert.

"N-never mind. Just, please can you come to the courtyard to train with me?"

"We won't be able to see anything. And what about the curfew?"

Mana merely stared at me with a sad, pouty look, her eyes shining. It was pointed out painfully to me by something in my mind that I was to blame for her being upset, and had to remedy it by going along with what she said.

"Don't do that."

"Do what?" Mana whined innocently.

"That. That… sad… somewhat charming face!"

"Why?"

"You're trying to tempt me into agreeing to train with you with your hypnotic eyes!" I blurted out, before turning red as I realized I had said it aloud.

Mana was blushing herself, but said slyly, "Is it working?"

"...No."

"You hesitated."

"Get off me and let me think."

"You're funny when you're embarrassed."

"Get off or I'm pushing you off."

"Come on, pwease?"

"The babyish voice isn't doing you any favors, you know."

"I think it is."

"That's it, off." I said, pushing Mana over the side of the bed, where she fell in a heap.

"Ow!"

"I told you I would do it."

"I thought you were bluffing…" Mana rubbed her shoulder. "Have I worn you down yet?"

"Not yet."

"I'm getting close, though."

"I didn't say that."

"You were thinking it. I can see it on your face."

"No!" I denied fervently.

"You know, some of the other trainees might jump at the chance to spar with a cute little lady like me."

My face darkened to an embarrassed mauve as my mind conjured up the image of Seth sparring with Mana, touching her hand, seeing her panting and sweating with effort but beaming with pride as she improved… no; I felt compelled to think that privilege should be mine alone.

"I see someone's jealous."

"I am not." I forced myself to look away from her, hoping it would ease the sudden desire I had to follow Mana to the courtyard when earlier I had wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.

It didn't work. Finally I huffed. "You win. Just let me get dressed."

"Yay!" Mana cheered. "I'll be down in the courtyard!" She jumped up and skipped out the door, leaving me to stare after her, still trying to process our short argument and how she had won.

I quickly found clothes for the day - a cream-colored tunic with a carnelian-encrusted belt and collar resting on my shoulders. I carefully brushed my hair and tied it back up, and lined my eyes with kohl. I was most likely not going back to bed, so I didn't see any point in not getting ready for the day, and a part of me wanted to look as if I had not just been dragged out of bed by a pack of wild dogs in front of Mana.

Slipping my sandals on and grabbing my bow and knife - and, after a moment's hesitation - the sword the Pharaoh had given me, I walked out of my room and began the short journey down to the training courtyard.

As I turned around a corner, I came face to face with Berenike, bearing a lamp and looking pale and nervous. She started to yelp when I nearly ran into her, only to carefully muffle it behind her own hand.

"Owlet! What are you doing up at this hour? Ra isn't due to rise for a good while now!"

"I promised someone I'd meet them in the courtyard, so they weren't alone while they trained."

"Oh," Berenike said. She smiled slyly. "Is it perhaps Amenhotep's daughter? Lady Mana?"

"...Yes," I replied, feeling my face warming.

"I see. Well, I was going to ask you to stay in bed until the sun rises, given what happened earlier with that intruder, but if you two will be together… you can look out for each other, right?"

I nodded, guessing if I said no I was going to be marched right back to bed. It wasn't a lie, exactly. Part of me did want to protect Mana. The thought of her being alone in the training courtyard, unguarded, if the armed stranger returned seemed unbearable.

"Good. I can rest easy knowing that." She bowed to me, before hurrying away, the light from her lamp receding into the dimness of the torch lit hallway.

Why was Berenike interested in my unexplainable fascination with Mana? Come to think of it, Mother had expressed interest in it, too.

Why?

Shaking off such questions for now, I proceeded down the hall the rest of the way towards the training courtyard.

Like everything in the palace, it was grand - a massive, open sandy area dotted with targets, as well as erected forms of cover such as stacked mud bricks and wooden barriers. A balcony wrapped around the entire place, so spectators could watch from above.

Mana was already waiting for me there, leaning on her staff in a show of confidence.

"There you are, sleepyhead," she giggled. Her staff then slipped on the loose sand, sending her spilling to the ground. "Ow!"

I watched flatly as she scrambled back up, face pink.

"Oh! Um, watch this!" she said, aiming her staff at the nearest target. "Burn!" The target promptly burst into flames and dissolved into ashes.

"Huh?" she asked. "Pretty good, huh?"

I immediately saw several things wrong with the way she held her staff and even the way she stood, which would be fatal - at least, disqualifying - in the arena. As much as I didn't want to help an opponent - Mana was my rival first and foremost - Maahad had pointed out that making alliances in the early stages would be helpful, and who better to start ingratiating myself to the court with than these apprentices who considered themselves my friends?

"Your magic is powerful. But with that stance?" I asked. I walked up to her, then without warning sprung at her, grabbing the staff and twisting her wrist to force her to let go, then swept my foot under her legs. I had her on the ground, her own staff pointed at her face, in moments. "You'll be lucky to keep your feet long enough to use it."

"Ow! Wha-huh? Kay!" she protested. She slowly picked herself up, adjusting her hat which had slipped over her eyes. "That was… that was incredible."

"Truly?" I knew my combat ability was good - it had to be, with how much I had honed it to be without flaw - but hearing her compliment me on it felt oddly warming.

"Come on, you're telling me anyone from your village could do that? I didn't even have time to react! It was like, one second you were over there, the next, poof! I was on the ground and you had stolen my staff! By the way, can I have that back?"

"Hm, yes. Here." I moved to hand her the magic item.

However, as soon as her hand touched the carved wood, just above my own hand, I felt a pulse of energy surge through me. The staff's end blazed a mix of emerald green and black flames, and I felt a deep rumble through my body, almost like a heartbeat. From the expression on Mana's face, she was feeling something similar. Over my head, I could see two shadowy figures joining hands.

Then the moment was over. Mana took the staff from me, wide-eyed and red-faced.

"Um-"

"Did you feel that?" I blurted out.

"Feel what?" Mana asked innocently.

She was lying, and I knew it. "You know what. The staff reacting to both our touch, the shadows- what does that mean? Is that a bad thing?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Mana stammered.

"Yes , you d-" I began, only for Mana to glare at me.

The energetic girl had never seemed truly angry before, and I was left at a loss as she walked away and started practicing by herself. She seemed frustrated and even a bit anxious as she blew through targets with her flame spell.

"Well, well, I was about to make a joke about the love birds getting up early together, but there seems to be some trouble in paradise."

Seth stepped out of the shadows, his khopesh sheathed at his hip. He was dressed in a dark blue tunic - not the one he'd worn to the feast but similar - and a white headdress.

"Butt out, Seth, this is none of your business!" Mana said with surprising iciness, before she went back to blasting targets.

"The Pharaoh's going to have to commission the replacement of every target and obstacle in this arena, the way she's going," Seth observed as he walked up to me. "So, what was the lover's quarrel about?"

"I would hardly call it a lover's quarrel." I turned to the brunet acolyte. "What makes you think Mana and I had an argument anyway?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I've learned to recognize the fury of a woman on sight. Mana seems hardly the type to lose her temper without reason - unlike some people I could name -" He cleared his throat, and I swore I heard him mutter Kisara's name in between coughs. "-so I'm guessing you managed to upset her somehow. How you upset the personification of in-your-face enthusiasm and infuriating upbeatness, I haven't the foggiest. So spill."

I huffed. "We were training, and I showed her a disarming technique. When I handed her staff back to her, it reacted strangely when both of us touched it at the same time. I saw a vision of two shadows joining hands, and the staff was set aflame. Mana claimed to have felt and seen nothing even though her face told me otherwise. When I pushed it, she became upset."

A slow grin spread across Seth's face. "You say you saw two shadow figures grab hands? And it only happened when you both were holding Mana's staff at the exact same moment?"

"Yes. Why? Is that a bad thing?"

"No, no it's not," Seth snickered.

"Then why are you laughing?"

"Never mind. It's an old superstition; ask Kisara about it. Now, how about a sparring match?"

"Huh?"

Seth gestured around the arena as though it were obvious. "We're on a training ground, jackal boy. A combat training ground, at that. A place where people can hone their combat skills. Through sparring. So, do you accept the challenge or not?"

"Alright. I accept."

"Good. Now think fast!"

I barely had time to pull out my own sword before Seth rushed at me. Our swords bounced off each other with a clang, and both of us were forced back. Seth jumped back into a fighting stance almost instantly, but I was faster.

The next few minutes were spent clashing our swords, breaking apart, and lunging at each other again. Mana, having spent her energy combusting targets - or simply having run out of targets to set ablaze - leaned against one of the brick barriers to watch us.

'What's all this noise?" Kisara asked. In contrast to Seth, who was fully dressed, the white-haired girl was still wearing only her nightgown and a pair of sandals. She was in the process of trying to brush her hip-length white tresses as she walked.

"This is getting to be quite the party," Seth muttered. "Morning, Kisara. You're just in time to watch me send this jackal whimpering back to the desert where he belongs!"

"We'll just see about that," I replied, before I sprang at him again. The loud, hollow clang of our swords flying off each other echoed through the dark sky, which was just beginning to fade into the dawn.

"Oh, and what are you doing, Mana?"

"Practicing my spellwork," Mana said.

"Had a vendetta against the targets, then?"

"Um…" Mana sweated nervously as she looked around, as if just seeing the wanton destruction she had rained upon the targets, all of which were ash upon the sand, for the first time. "I guess?"

"Boy trouble?"

"How'd you guess?"

"Call it intuition."

"Strong intuition, then."

I had gotten so caught up listening to the girls I didn't notice until Seth nearly knocked me off balance, slicing his sword across my cheek.

"Pay attention, jackal boy! I wanted a real match, not you going easy on me!'

"Stop talking and fight, then."

"Why, you little-!"

Mana whispered something to Kisara, causing the white'haired girl to turn completely mauve. She said something back, and they both dissolved into nervous giggles.

Sparks flew off our blades as we pushed them against each other. First I was bearing down on Seth, then he shoved back and had his blade poised to finish me, then I had the upper hand again, then Seth. Finally, with a shove, I pushed Seth back and caught his cheek with my blade tip. His hand shot up to his bleeding face, and we broke apart, panting.

"Is… Is that all you've got?" Seth huffed. "I expected better from the Pharaoh's favorite."

"I'm holding back because I can clearly see you are."

"I am not holding back!"

Mana turned to Kisara. "How long do you think this will go?" the younger girl asked.

"Can't say. Seth could probably go on for hours, and Kay doesn't seem like the type to let up, either."

"So we're likely to be here all morning? Maybe longer?"

"Yep. Boys."

"Boys."

They both giggled again.

"Who do you think is going to win?"

"Kay, definitely," Mana said instantly.

"You sound confident."

"Hey, he killed a lion on the way here. Knowing Kay, he's got this finished already."

"I don't know. Seth always seems to have a trick up his sleeve. Only one person has been able to directly beat him in a contest of strength."

"Really? Who was that?"

"Me," Kisara said with a self-satisfied smile, before the two girls giggled again.

"In my defense, I went easy on you that time, and you know it!" Seth retorted, only to narrowly dodge a swing from my blade.

"You were the one scolding me for not paying attention," I said nonchalantly. "Now are we still fighting or not?"

"You bet we are!"

We continued to clash swords, Seth sometimes gaining the upper hand, but I swiftly took it from him when he did.

"Willing to bet on who wins?" Kisara asked.

"Gambling. How unladylike of you," Mana teased.

"Are you?"

"I bet eight gold pieces on Kay winning," Mana said immediately.

"Eight gold and my earrings on Seth winning. I like his prospects, and Kay is an amateur in a training spar."

"An amateur at training spars who killed a rampaging lion. Your boy doesn't stand a chance."

"We'll just have to wait and see."

However, the girls didn't have long to wait. As I noticed Seth beginning to tire and dove at the next opening I found, I heard a voice shouting.

"That's enough!"

I looked up to find Lady Isis and Aknadin stalking up to us.

"What in the gods' names are you two doing? And after being given strict orders to stay in your rooms!" Isis scolded.

"Combat training," Seth replied defensively.

"If you wanted to have a sparring match, there were plenty of wooden training swords to use instead of your bladed weapons! They were put there for just that purpose!" Isis retorted.

"The rules are no killing and no maiming," Aknadin said icily. "I understand if this wild boy-" He gestured at me. "-Wouldn't think through the consequences of having a training spar with sharpened, fully functional weapons, but you, Seth? You didn't have to go along with it!"

"Actually, sire, Seth was the one who challenged me. I didn't even know about the training weapons," I pointed out quietly.

"Hold your tongue!" Aknadin growled, Millennium Eye flashing. "This is grounds to have you removed from the contest, boy, you understand?"

My blood went cold.

"No, wait!" Mana cried. "I didn't know about the training swords either! And I saw Seth challenging Kay to a one-on-one match using their real swords! Kisara saw it, too!"

Kisara slowly, sadly nodded. She knew, most likely, that she was condemning Seth to be thrown out, and possibly herself, if Aknadin saw her as a collaborator.

"Hush!" Aknadin stalked up to me, his real eye and the gold false one boring into me. "Mark my words, boy. I knew you were trouble from the moment you set foot through the gates! First you refuse to kneel before the Pharaoh and his court! Then you decide to go snooping around the forbidden east hall! And now… now this," he spat. "I don't know why my brother's taken such a liking to you, but you should know I don't share the same bias. Your days in this palace are over, boy-!"

"What on earth is going on here?"

Everyone dropped to their knees, leaving me to be the only one standing. I hurriedly fell to one knee, twisting my leg in my haste to bow.

Pharaoh Aknamkanon entered the courtyard to the sight of Seth looking at the ground, Aknadin shouting at us - mostly me - for violating the rules, Isis trying to hold the older priest back as he got right up in my face to spit at me more, Kisara crying into her hands, and Mana forgoing all semblance of image and wailing loudly, tears streaming down her face, as she babbled, "I'm sorry, I didn't know, I'm sorry!" over and over again.

"Rise," Aknamkanon said, permitting us all to stand.

"Brother," Aknadin said coolly. "This boy? The wild desert jackal cub you've developed such a fondness for, hm? Isis and I caught him sparring with young Seth here. With real weapons, and real intent to injure. Just look at them! That, you must agree, is a clear violation of the rules-!"

Aknamkanon raised his hand, silencing his brother. "Kay. Is this true?"

"Y-yes, Lord Pharaoh," I replied, dipping my head in a bow, knowing what I said could mean the end of my mission. "B-But I didn't know about the prop swords, my lord; Seth challenged me to a duel using our real swords, and I assumed there wasn't anything wrong with that. All my combat training in the past has been done with real, sharpened weapons. A-And I was trying not to cause serious harm!"

"Trying not to cause serious harm? You're both bleeding!" Isis cried in response. For the first time, I remembered the stinging scratch across my face, and a place where Seth's blade had nicked my shoulder.

"He means it, Lord Pharaoh," Seth finally said.

Everyone turned to look at the arrogant young trainee.

"You can't be serious, Seth-" Aknadin began.

"I am. Feral desert waif though he may be, you're talking about the person who killed a lion on his journey here. If Kay had any intent to kill me at all, I would be dead. That is the end of it."

"That still doesn't excuse starting a spar with real weapons in the first place!" Aknadin finally sputtered.

Aknamkanon again gestured for his brother to stop. "If I may, Aknadin. Kay admits to meaning no harm. Seth is backing up this claim. Our witnesses claim they saw Seth challenging Kay to a match with real swords instead of training ones. And I am not saying the sole blame should fall on Seth, either. Perhaps he was simply caught up in the heat of the moment, as we all are, sometimes, when we are young. That would explain the injuries as well." He turned to everyone. "We are all on edge from the intruder yesterday, I think. Let us call this an unfortunate mistake and leave it there."

"My lord-" I began, my heart still pounding.

"Lift your head, young Kay, you are not being thrown out," Aknamkanon replied with a genial smile.

I slowly raised my head and looked around. Mana was hastily drying her eyes, which were red-rimmed from crying.

"However, I must ask that you use the wooden training swords in future sparring matches. As careful as you were, both of you managed to injure yourselves in this match, and the rule against maiming contestants still stands."

"Y-Yes, Lord Pharaoh!" I finally sputtered out after finding my voice again.

"Good. Aknadin, I believe we are finished here. I wanted to discuss something with you and the council before breakfast, if you don't mind waiting with them in the throne room? Isis and I will be along in a moment."

"Yes, brother," Aknadin said stiffly, sending me a loathing look, before he stalked out of the courtyard.

"Isis?"

"Lord Pharaoh?" the dark-haired girl asked.

"Can you accompany Seth and Kay to the healer to have their wounds looked at?"

"Yes, lord," Isis replied. "Come, you two," she said formally.

Seth and I followed Isis out of the training courtyard.

"Thank you for defending me back there," I whispered to the brunet.

"It was nothing personal. You gave me the most entertaining fight I've had in a while. I don't want you getting kicked out before I can go against you in the ring."

"Thank you, nonetheless."

"Hrmf."

Isis had very different matters on her mind. "I have to let you know how lucky you are that the Pharaoh decided to dismiss what happened today. I can't say I agree with Aknadin's assessment that either of you should be disqualified, but that was very reckless, what you just did. Especially you, Seth. You knew about the prop swords, didn't you? And yet you chose to challenge Kay to single combat, with sharpened weapons, knowing that if Kay didn't want to - or couldn't - hold back he was capable of killing you?"

"I wanted a good fight and he gave it to me. I don't regret it." At Isis's look, he amended reluctantly, "But I won't do that again."

"Good." Isis stopped in front of a curtain and rapped on the doorframe. "Naunet? I have a pair of tough little warriors for you to look at."

Seth bristled at being called little.

Naunet turned out to be an older woman with her silver hair hidden under a veil. Her brown eyes twinkled as she smiled at us, the corners of her eyes and mouth crinkling in amusement.

"A pair of trainees already? The contest hasn't even started yet! What happened?"

"Combat training match," I replied.

"With real weapons rather than the props we provided," Isis added darkly.

"Oh, dear, that's not good. Come in, children, let me look."

Naunet examined Seth first, carefully cleaning and bandaging the wound on his face.

"And nothing else hurts?"

Seth nodded curtly.

"Good. Come back to me to get the poultice changed, every day for the next three days, and any time after if it starts bothering you again. Sword wounds have a nasty way of getting infected."

"I will," Seth replied, in a way that made it sound like he would have to be dragged to those visits fighting and screaming.

"And you're Kay, right? The boy Khnurn mentioned?" she asked me as I sat down in front of her.

I nodded shortly. Naunet began to dab stinging poultice onto the wound on my cheek, but her touch was surprisingly gentle. Whenever I got injured, Mother's approach to treating the wounds was always quick and businesslike, trying to get me back to being able to train as soon as was feasible. She didn't believe in coddling me, and I learned to deal with the pain of her swift, cool approach to treating wounds.

Naunet bandaged my cheek, then moved on to my shoulder. I found myself barely even noticing she was applying the medicine if I wasn't paying attention.

"Now, nothing else hurts?"

"I twisted my leg," I mumbled. "I slipped on the sand."

"Let me look." Naunet carefully looked at my knee and shin. "Nothing feels broken, and it's not swollen too badly, so it's most likely not sprained. Does it hurt when I touch it?"

At first I was thinking about lying, and saying it didn't hurt at all. But something in her voice made me reply, "Just a little."

"Right. You can still walk on it, right?"

"Yes."

"I would recommend resting, but I don't think there's any need for you to specifically stay off of it. I wouldn't do anything reckless, though. For instance, for today at least, more rigorous forms of training, like combat practice, are off. You could easily make it worse."

I nodded.

"Good. Come back to me over the next few days to get the poultice changed out, and tell me if it starts looking infected."

I nodded.

"You're a quiet one, you know that?" Naunet said with a smile. "Now, don't get into another showdown with another contestant again, alright? I only have so many herbs to make poultices out of."

I nodded. "Thank you," I replied.

"It's my job, child, no need to thank me." She then fell silent.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Sorry, you just reminded me of someone. Little lady just about made me worry my hair gray by herself, getting herself in so many scrapes."

"Who?"

"I shouldn't say," Naunet said. "It's someone many in the palace cared for - the Pharaoh in particular. I'll leave it there. The rest is for his Majesty himself to tell."

I forced myself to nod, despite wanting to know more.

A dark thought occurred to me: was she thinking about my mother? I knew little of her time at the palace beyond the story of my birth. If anyone recognized my connection to her, it could put my mission in jeopardy.

I forced my face to remain passive as I left, Isis escorting me straight back to my room to follow Naunet's orders to rest. Seth had already gone back to his room by the time Naunet was done checking me over, and I didn't meet any of the other contestants on my way back.

The entire way I was preoccupied.

Who was the person Naunet had mentioned, who made her feel so nostalgic?