Chapter One

Ancient Egypt 310 BCE…..

Egypt, this wonderful land of math and inventions was at its prime. The pharaoh  Ramses, stood high  on his balcony above the slaves as they worked to create his sculptures in honor of the god Amun. King of the gods. Their bodies clad in sweat. The dust stuck to their skin as they worked in the blazing sun. The elder men and women held their tongue for their feet ached. The men from making the mud which the young used to build the statues and idols for the gods. The women from stepping on the fresh grapes which some of their own picked to make the wine for the Pharaoh and his court. A guard stood over them waiting for a slave to act out so that he could use the whips at his side made from cowhide.

The guard lifted his eyes to the entrance of the heart of Egypt. The mercenaries were approaching with camels and more slaves from other lands which they had caught on their journey."Slaves! The slaves are coming!" Yelled a guard in the distance closest to the moving caravan.

Ramses shifted his eyes from the workers to the new slaves passing through the gates. There were quite a few of them. More than fifty but less than a hundred. However all would not be slaves that worked in the sun.

"They all work under you my pharaoh." His wife and sister Nubia said. She walked to his right side where she was to always be. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. His hands locked behind his back. He nodded his head in acknowledgement of her and respect and turned his eyes back to the work being done under his rule.

"Yes. The gods should be pleased." He replied.

"Father is. You have become the pharaoh he knew you would be." Nubia replied and walked closer to Ramses. However he tensed.

His eyes narrowed. Nubia knew he always despised that man. He never wanted the title. It was never meant to be his. However there was no other to take it if he refused. It would fall into the hands of unworthy men. They would destroy all of what his ancestors did to create this great kingdom. And he refused to let them do such a thing. The divinity in him would never let another rule. What he did was for the people and his mother. Not that poor excuse of a Pharaoh. He could care less for that old man. He was in the Gods' hands now. He was their problem.

"You can't be still upset with him." She said. Her annoyance was slightly shown through her voice however she could understand why and sometimes even she thought of it. But it was never to be spoken of.

His head snapped to her and his glare was now directed  to her. She shrunk under his gaze and angry expression. A Pharaoh's anger was not to be taken lightly. And she knew that. Good things never happened when a king was upset.

"I am the morning and the evening star. I am Pharaoh and I can do as I please. If I wish to be angry with someone then I shall." He snapped at her.

Despite the warning signs she walked closer to him and reluctantly put her hand in his shoulder. Her gaze softened as she looked into his eyes. She could understand her husband's anger towards their father. Secretly she too was angry. But she always was the one to try to make peace between the two.

"Are you a man or a boy?" She asked.

Ramses scoffed at her question. But he would indulge her and answer her question. Just to make her happy.

"Obviously I am a man." He said.

"Are you sure? Only boys hold grudges." She secretly taunted him.

He looked at her and then back down to the slaves working in the sun's heat. The sound of a whip was heard through the air and following a scream that made the blood run cold if you were soft at heart

"Sire. I'm sorry to disturb you. But the new slaves are in the palace." Kazem, a guard said.

Ramses turned to his wife and took her hand in his. He kissed it and placed it back at her side. He stared into her eyes letting her know that even when he come back the discussion was over. And she seemed to understand that.

Following the guard, Ramses made his way to the back of the palace where the slaves would enter. However he froze at the steps as his eyes beheld the scene before him.

Shiera glared at the men or should you say the palace guards. Back in her home they were called the Pharaoh's pets. She was not a slave. She wasn't even apart of Egypt.

"Hey! Get back in line you dumb slave." A guard ordered

"I know how to read. And write. And do math. I am not dumb." She snapped and froze. Her arm was grabbed by Kalama, her friend who happened to get caught as well. The look of fear was clear in her eyes and Shiera was feeling a large wave of regret for letting her emotions become the best of get. This was not her village but Egypt. And she was not seen as a resident but as a slave. Something not a someone.

She didn't meant to yell at the King's Royal guards. But she didn't want to be there. Sure that was no excuse but the sun and everything was clouding her judgement.

"Well good. Then you can count the number of lashes on your back." Another guard taunted. The other guards laughed as he smiled at her. A glint of mischief gleaming in his eyes as he made a move towards his whip. He looked all but giddy at the chance to whip her.

"No. Leave her and Bring her to me."  The Pharaoh's voice boomed throughout the courtyard .

The guard lifted his hands off of the whip and smirked at her. It almost sent a shiver down her spine but she was just too brave for her own good.

"Now you did it girl. The Pharaoh is not as nice as I would have been. You will surely be fed to the Nile Gators now. Or maybe the lions." The guards taunter her and gripped her hand tight. A little too tight.

He pushed her towards the Pharaoh and she felt just as much hatred towards him as she did towards this guard behind her. Then again maybe she hated the guard a tad bit more. He jerked her to a stop and kicked the back of her knees making her buckle and fall to the ground.

"Girl." The pharaoh called.

She tensed. Girl? Girl? She had a name. And it certainly wasn't girl. But she couldn't very well tell the Pharaoh that. He would have her head cut off.  But she looked up at him.

"What is the name of your mother?" He asked.

She looked up at him and the guard grabbed a fist full of her hair. She hissed in pain but other than that there was no other sound that left her mouth.

"When the great Pharaoh speaks to you you speak back. He is a God. Of divinity and you a mere mortal." He growled at her. He released her hair roughly and Shiera hung her head trying to ignore the throbbing. It was like the beating of her heart moved into her head.

"Her name…..was Natara." She replied and looked up at the pharaoh.

Ramses was shocked to hear that name once again. An overwhelming feeling swept over him. The voice of Ra loud in his head. It told him that she was not here by mistake. The Gods wanted her here for some reason. And he would not deny it.

"I assign you to my son…. Kadir." He spoke. Gasps were heard through the yard. And he knew why. Kadir was soon to be Pharaoh. And he was not the nicest of his sons. But Ra left no room for compromises.

"Oh Ra. Pharaoh please reconsider. I will take her place." Kalama begged.

Shiera glanced at her friend from the corner of her eye.She knew what her friend was trying to do but Kashmira was an emotional person. And she knew nothing about Prince Kadir. Granted neither did Shiera but she was a little less sensitive than her friend.

"Kal….don't." Shiera warned. She didn't want her friend the get harmed. Kalama was so pampered. She would never last with a man with a reputations as Prince Kadir's. Shiera herself had a better chance at surviving his wrath than she did.

"But…"

Shiera looked at her friend with a warning in her eyes. Kalama knowing that look anywhere back up into the men and women slaves. Her eyes glanced up at a man she despised.  But she found her eyes soften at a familiar looking face. Yet she had never laid eyes on the "Earth dwelling Gods".

"Take her and the others to get cleaned. They need to wear…..the proper attire instead of these…...clothes they are in." Ramses said.

He turned not giving a second glance to the slaves. He had better things to do. Things that involved training his warriors and checking to see what his children were up to.

Shiera and the rear of the people taken from their village were taken to a hall where they were split six times. First they were split by color. The one with darker skin were made to stand to the right while the fair skinned stood to the left. Shiera stood to the left with Kalama. Then they were split into those who were pleasant to look at and then those who were not so pleasant. Lastly they were made to separate by gender.  Of course Shiera was already categorized as a palace servants but Kalama, Kajsa, Caelan and some other  men and women were place there too.

Afterwards they stripped them and made them wash. The women in scented oils and warm water. Some had their hair cut others trimmed. Some like Shiera and Kalama and a few others were allowed to keep their long hair. It was what added to their appeal.

They were dressed in cream colored robes and golden bangles too thing to mean rank but thick enough to classify them as a servant. However unlike the others Shiera was made to where a golden band around the crown of her head and one of her bangles held a blue colored stone just like the bracelets around her ankles.

While the other servants-to-be waited to be told where they would be working Shiera was escorted to the Prince's quarters. Her heart drummed in her chest. And her hands felt clammy. She didn't know why she was so….what was this feeling. Her stomach flipped in and out and repeated the motion. She almost felt ready to throw up. Or worse. Pass out.

I'm not even suppose to be here. I was never suppose to be here. She thought to herself. But what could she do? Barely any slaves  ever escaped and lived to tell about it. And at least she was not forced to make the sculptures or the pyramids.She would work in the palace.

She was handed a vase of water and lead by four guards to Prince Kadir. The walk was a long one and it didn't take long for her feet to hurt. They got to a huge door trimmed in gold. The guard to her right raised his fist and knocked four times. It took a minute but someone opened the door. Shiera almost gasped in awe. The man that stood before her was magnificent. From his toned and visible chest to his uncovered feet. He was- quickly realising what she was doing she vowed her head even more. Ashamed that she would even look at the future Pharaoh like that.

"What is this?" Kadir asked. His deep voice vibrated throughout the halls. He looked at the woman before him and he didn't miss the way she looked at him. With attraction. It intrigued him.

"Pharoah says she is yours. Do with her as you please. She supposedly knows the art of writing and math." The main guard said.

Kadir looked at the girl as if she was something he had never seen before. Granted he has never seen her before but she was odd in some way. He lifted his eyes to the four guards.

"I don't have slaves." He said.

"It is the Pharaoh's wish." Guards number two said.

Both Kadir and Shiera looked at the each other before Shiera tore her gaze away. This was only the beginning. And already she could tell that she would not have a simple time.