Sneaking off to the temple

Kissa didn't even look up to look at Lapis, she just continued eating the bread as she handed a small bag of coins to the woman who fell on her knees and started thanking them.

"Thank you very much Lady Kissa. Today, you've been a blessing to me." The woman said in happy tears.

"It's okay ma'am, you don't need to thank me. The bread was just delicious." Kissa closed her eyes as she savoured the taste of the last piece of bread before standing up. 

"You should start delivering from tomorrow. She takes bread every afternoon so you know you should be delivering before that time." Lapis said before walking away.

Sabola followed Kissa to where she would be taking the baking lessons till afternoon. 

Each woman that passed by was surprised to see Kissa there, learning how to mix the bread dough.

Kissa was wearing an apron with her hair up in a messy bun. The golden rings around the curls made the hair look even more beautiful, suiting her.

Each young man that passed the area admired her as they returned to work and the young ladies envied her for her beauty.

After a few tries, Kissa finally got the mixture of the sigh and it surprised the women she was a fast learner. 

Before it was mid afternoon, Kissa was able to bake bread on her own and it looked perfect. 

"Good job my lady." They commended her as she tried the bread and it tasted just as delicious.

"Thank you for teaching me." Kissa smiled as she bowed to the woman who stopped her before bowing back. 

"It was my honor, my lady." The woman replied and just then a few ladies dressed expensively walked into the compound looking irked.

"Lady Kissa. It's a surprise to see you here." One of them bowed. "I am Rana, daughter of the general."

"Nice to meet you Rana." Kissa bowed back. "How may I help you?" 

"I see you're here with these people and I wanted to tell you my Lady, you should come with us and not stay with the commoners…"

"Excuse me, do you think you're a royal? Just because you're more privileged doesn't give you the right to insult the less privileged." Kissa spat at Rana angrily and she looked shocked, so we're her minions.

"You should learn some manners if you want to speak with me Rana. I don't tolerate disrespect, even from older people."

"I'm sorry Lady Kissa. I won't bother you again." Tabs bowed before walking out of the compound.

Everyone in the place looked surprised. Kissa had put the queen bee herself in her place and she for the first time looked embarrassed.

"Thank you very much Lady Kissa. That's how she shames us for our class in the society everytime she gets the opportunity to." One of the woman's daughters thanked Kissa.

"Then you shouldn't allow her. You're all humans no matter your class or looks." Kissa said and the little girl who has been staring at her since she got there gazed in amazement.

Kissa walked to the girl and knelt before her. "I want to be like you when I grow up, auntie." She said with admiration in her eyes.

"Here sweetheart." Kissa removed the golden chain around her neck and placed it around the girl's neck. "Be the better version of yourself sweetheart."

On the unused lands, inside the kingdom's great walls, Asim sat under his tent as he looked up at the men dragging bricks up the pyramids.

"Do you like the colour now my Lord? Mixture of golden mud and white." The contractor asked Asim who was still looking at the pyramid plans in the scroll with him. 

"It looks okay to me." He nodded gently dropping the scroll. "Just get the architecture inside the pyramid if I'll have you bring everything down and rebuild from scratch."

"Yes my Lord." The contractor bowed before walking away to meet the men. 

Lapis soon arrived and told him what she had done for Kissa and he just nodded.

"No need to go check up on her again since Layla is there." He said as he watched the group of men struggle with the supplies up the pyramid. 

"You trust this lady a lot my Lord?" Lapis asked rather than said.

"I do, so deal with it. Also, send that guard of hers to guard Kissa. I'm not quite convinced some of those noble ladies are not plotting something enticing to lure her away from where she is." Asim ordered and Lapis nodded before asking another guard to send Cairo to Kissa.

Lapis didn't mention the previous day's incident to Asim because she was sure that would be the end of her and Asim's relationship.

Back at Kissa's, Kissa was changing her clothes in the tent when Sabola and Layla walked in. 

"So when are you planning on leaving the temple?" Layla asked as she sat on the nearby stool.

"Very soon, once Asim asks Cairo to come back." Kissa replied as she removed the golden rings in her hair. 

"How sure are you that he would send him here?" Layla asked with a raised brow.

"Because I know Asim well. He doesn't trust me not to trick you and run away. According to them, Cairo has been able to keep me in one place and not escape." Kissa replied as she started applying makeup on to disguise herself. 

And just then, Cairo slipped into the tent. "See, Asim is just so predictable." Kissa smirked.

"In that case, you'll only have one hour to get to the temple and get whatever you want. It's a harvest day, unlike normal days, you can't just wander around for no reason so be careful." Layla said as she threw Cairo's disguise at him.

"Sure." Kissa nodded.

Kissa and Cairo soon slipped out of the tent and headed towards the abandoned temple where according to Sabola, Dina might have other things in.