A Step in Trust

Azar had no choice but to wake up from the banging on the door. His eyes blinking a couple of time try to get used to the bright light that was coming through the small window that was on the wall next to him.

By the look of the sun in the sky, it was still a couple of hours before his shift so, there was no reason at all for the guard in charge of the dorms to walk him up.

The realization that he was going to lose his precious sleep and get out of bed to open the door hit him hard in his sleepy face.

He sat up straight with a groan, his eyes still half closed with sleep. The banging started again louder and harder than the first time or was it this loud? He wasn't sure.

"Alright I'm coming!" he yelled with a drowsy voice, "Just give me a moment!" he ruffled his golden hair messing it more than it already is.

"What is it so early? It's not e-even my shift yet." He yawned in the middle of his talk as he opened the door still ruffling his hair trying to make his brain start functioning at full power.

He didn't receive an answer instead, the door was pushed open making him stumble to the side giving room for the visitor to enter…without his permission.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, "What was…Captain!"

His eyes shot up in shock as his brain finally started to function after its deep sleep.

"You sleep too heavily." Jaffar frowned raising an eyebrow, "How could you have been part of the army?"

"Well, I beg your pardon I wasn't expecting anyone, Captain." Azar said with a sarcastic tone rolling his eyes as he closed the wide-open door.

Jaffar hit him on the back of his head. "Is that how you they thought you to talk to your seniors?"

"More like, this is the way that my seniors there deserved to be talked with." Azar said shrugging the reminder of Captain Bijan, there was no use to remember such a person.

"So," Azar said sitting on his bed with a thud making it creak, "Did you walk me up to give me a lecture about my speech?" he smiled tilting his messy golden head at the broad muscular man.

Jaffar sighed giving up on the thought that this young man's speech is going to change anytime soon, or forever.

"Go get ready."

"But it's not my shift!" Azar protested.

"It's extra time." Jaffar said crossing his arms over his chest.

Azar got up and took his armor and was about to head to the bath house before Jaffar called him again.

"Don't wear your Armor today."

"Huh?" he scoffed, "Why?"

"We are going on a stroll with the crown princess."

Walking through the crowded streets with the buyers stands on either side, each one calling and promoting his goods. Different shops, different people, different fruits and spices from all over the world. People stopping at almost every one to check out what each one got.

The voice of buyers bargaining with the owners to bring down the price. In the end they would both agree to bring down the price by a few bronze coins.

That, was music to Nefertari's ears. She has been here downtown a couple of times. But of course, the streets were partially empty.

Well, of course it was empty!

The Pharaoh was passing through the city. So, it's only logical that the people of Thebes would either step back or go inside their homes to give room for their pharaoh to pass.

But Tari never got to take a good look at the people like this. Thank goodness that she was dressed like a commoner, as well as her guards so they blended easily with the people on the streets allowing Tari to stroll down the road and be safe as well.

"Why am I here seriously?" Azar protested while sighing.

"Because the Pharaoh asked for you." Jaffar said walking confidently on the street, even though he was dressed like a commoner he couldn't get rid of that blinding charisma that is being emitted from him.

"Huh?" Azar frowned, "The Pharaoh asked for me? Why?" he kept flooding Jaffar with questions making the older man sigh.

"Well," Jaffar said, "His Holiness said that we should give you a chance to prove yourself."

Azar turned his head to look at him as they both walked behind the Princess who was too preoccupied with admiring her surroundings to listen to their conversation.

"But I'm literally just strolling down the streets." He raised one eyebrow having a feeling that they are making fun of him.

"Hey boy," Jaffar looked at him from the corner of his eyes, "protecting the princess is the greatest honor you can ask for. I wonder why the Pharaoh gave it to a rude brat like you." He eyed him up and down.

Azar could swear he felt his eyes slice through him with hate but he shrugged it off telling himself that he should prove his honesty not piss off his Captain.

Azar took a look at the little princess who was looking around her as if it was the first time for her to see other humans like her.

Though none are as pretty as her, he thought in the back of his head as he allowed his legs to take the lead and his mind to examine Nefertari.

He still remembers the look of Akhenaton as he talked to Captain Bijan, it was pure darkness. To think that this little girl in front of him is his sweet daughter!

The thought was crazy, just as crazy that he was here pretending to be one of the people of Thebes while he let's his country rot.

What did his country and king do for him other than throwing him on the streets?

"Off both of you!" a commoner said to two little children almost the same age as Tari who were standing in front of the bakery mouth watering from the smell that made their little tummies gruel. By the looks of it the commoner looked like he was the owner of the bakery.

"No money, no bread. Now go." He said to the little children who didn't listen to his first warning.

Thebes didn't have much poor people, but it was no different than any civilization in that part, there was the poor population. And that was the proof.

The loud yelling of the baker caught Tari���s attention as well as some other commoners that were passing by, but none stopped to do anything. Only Nefertari did.

"Are you hungry?" Nefertari asked the two children after they took a few steps away from the bakery.

They were a boy and a girl and from how similar they looked to each other Tari suspected that they were twins. They looked at each other and then at Tari nodding their heads weakly.

Tari smiled at them gently taking the rest of the steps to reach the stand of the bakery, taking two loafs of bread and handing it to them.

They didn't hesitate to take it eagerly from her hands and not wasting anytime, they stuffed their small mouths with the bread.

"Hey!" the baker hurried in their direction after he saw that the two children didn't go away but bought another friend, Tari. "Who gave you permission to take those!"

"They are hungry!" Tari snapped having enough yelling from that old man.

"Are you going to pay for that then if you are so full of justice little miss?" he scoffed at her.

"Of course, I will pay!" Tari said raising her head in confidence to bring it down not even a second after that when she remembered that she didn't actually have any money on her.

What kind of princess walks around so broke! She scolded herself closing her eyes tight.

She sighs remembering that she is not alone and turned around to ask Jaffar for some change…Wait!

Where was Jaffar!?

She looked back and forth through the not too narrow street with no sign of any of the Knights that were with her minutes ago. For them to be dressed as commoners as well made it hard for her to spot any of them.

She felt the frustration and the anxiety starting to kick in making her look at the two children who were busy eating and at the angry looking baker.

"So? Where is the money?" the baker scoffed at her when she only glared at him.

"I don't have the money now." She gulped not breaking eye contact, "I'll bring it to you once I get."

The man laughed out loud and then lowered his head to glare angrily at the little princess…by the saints, if Akhenaton got words of this…this man's head will be on spike in a matter of minutes.

"My money now little miss."

"I said I don't have it now!" she snapped.

The man then smirked darkly at her closing the distance between them in two long strides.

"Then you will just have to pay in another way." He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her behind him.

"L-let go of me now!" she yelled only for her voice to be swallowed by the noisy street.

Her cry fell on deaf ears, the old man kept dragging her inside. She felt the tears of frustration starting to gather in her eyes.

She has always been a bird locked in a cage; this was too much for her first time when she was completely alone.

She felt a tear escape one eye while she was struggling to get out of the man's grip.

A hand came down grabbing the old man's arm, twisting it the opposite direction so much that Tari can swear she heard something crack.

"I think it will be better for your own safety to let go of her."