Carefully Neshmet crept into the hall, eyes moving cautiously to ensure that he wasn’t going to be caught. His knees still felt weak and it was painful to walk… but he pushed onward. He had never even been near the palace, let alone inside. Was it wrong of him to be curious about the contents? He peered down either side of the hall once he reached the door. The silence affirmed his suspicion that both Minok and Alcor were long gone. This was as good an opportunity as any, wasn’t it? He stepped into the hall, cautious and aware of every potential indication of human life. He kept his own footsteps as quiet as he possibly could. He never thought he’d be glad to have lost his sandals long ago. The silent padding of his soles on the hard sandstone floor was a relief. He moved carefully, keeping close to the wall and attempting to ignore the soreness of his muscles.

His fingers trailed along the tan wall on his right. Calloused pads ached at the action but it was too risky to lean away and risk tumbling to the floor. On occasion he paused to rest against the surface. As he leaned there, lips pursed, he heard the distinct sound of clacking. Someone was coming closer… Anxiety spiked in his body as he scanned for somewhere to hide. After a moment it dawned on him that he had little reason to panic… Alcor had said he was a guest… did that not give him permission to look around? He wasn’t causing any problems… right? He waited, holding his breath as a female servant neared him. The beautiful, ivory colored garment that wrapped around her body looked almost otherworldly. Her left breast was nearly bared, covered only just barely from sight. tanned skin visible from her neck to the beginning swell of her bosom. As she neared, she offered him a low dip of her head.

“Greetings.” She lifted a hand to her right shoulder, flattening it and extending her fingers.

“Hello...” He returned the gesture but found himself taken aback by her calmness. It was as if she had seen him here every day… As if nothing were out of the ordinary. She continued on her way without another word, silky black hair trailing behind her. He watched her for a moment before ultimately returning his attention to the hall around him. His feet painfully scuffed the floor as he moved… A doorway lay to his left… inside he could hear the sounds of clinking… Pottery, perhaps? Curiosity peaked, he moved carefully, pressing himself against the wall and leaning to peer into the room. Inside, two men sat at low setting tables… their fingers molding the shape of dishes.

Along the wall were bowls, plates, pots, and vases; each one a beautifully crafted masterpiece. He’d never seen such beautiful work… The paints seemed so much brighter than the paint of street merchants’ works. Two more men stood at either side of the room, moving pieces around; the source of the clinking. One of the men at the table glanced up, catching his gaze. He jerked himself back quickly and pressed himself into the wall as if he hoped it would devour him. He held his breath and waited. When the man didn’t appear in the hall, he relaxed and continued his journey. Further down, another room lay to his left. This one, however, was silent. A single glance inside provided him insight that it was empty. The sandstone floor rose up on three of the four sides… but he had little to no idea what for.

He took a breath as he moved further on… Clacking once again drew his attention, however this time he didn’t attempt to hide. A man and woman neared him, dressed in similar fashion to the previous servants he had encountered. The man held a rounded object in his arms and Neshmet realized he didn’t know what it was. The woman carried a vase. He thought he could hear the sound of something sloshing around inside. Whether it was water or something else, he didn’t know. They passed by without so much as greeting him, though the man’s eyes glanced to him as they did so. There was little judgment in his brown orbs but they still made Neshmet shrink against the wall self-consciously.

He took a moment to still the shaking of his hands before he finally proceeded ahead. The last room he encountered was one shrouded in darkness… It lacked a window and was unearthly silent. Curiosity found its way into his body once more. He crept inside quietly, eyes skimming the walls. It was nearly too dark for him to see. He let the wall guide him until he reached what he assumed was the back of the room. Against the wall on a pedestal rested a diamond shaped object. Without thinking, he let his fingers move to touch the object. It felt cold and smooth… A stone of some sort? Grasping the item he lifted it until his eyes could make out what it truly was. An amulet… One of beautiful blue and decorated with a golden threading along its edges. He wondered why the room was kept in darkness… And why the amulet was here… Was it important? Or perhaps it was unimportant. If it were something special it would be guarded, wouldn’t it? He stared at it for a moment, eyes trailing its design. He thought it to be beautiful… And he wondered momentarily what it would look like around his own neck. A jewel this size...It would make him as rich as the prince himself…

“That is not for you.” The sound of a voice startled him and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He whipped around quickly, dropping the amulet to the floor. A figure made its way to him, crouching to lift the amulet and return it to its home. “What are you doing in here?”

“I...I’m sorry I was just… I just wanted to look around. I didn’t mean any harm.”

“When the prince told me to fetch you for dinner I expected to find you asleep in your room still.” The man sighed, grasping his arm at the elbow and leading him away from the amulet. His eyes momentarily glanced back to look at it before ultimately focusing on the stranger.

“I’m sorry I just… The prince said this would be my home so I wanted to… learn my surroundings.”

“You are treading near quicksand going into rooms you have no right being in.” The man simply stated. “If someone else were to catch you they might not be as understanding.” They emerged into the light of the hall and the man’s features were finally illuminated. He looked amused rather than angry… something Neshmet hadn’t been expecting. His hair was long, falling well below his shoulders, and was red in color. It hung messily, the ends going this way and that. Around his neck was an amulet similar to Minok’s… And to the one he’d just been caught handling. The only difference he could detect was the color… This one as green as an emerald. “You are in a new place. It is natural that you would be curious about your surroundings… However, you should know that most of the rooms are not for commoners to enter. Even we servants are barred from entering some of them. That room, luckily, is simply storage. However, the items inside are not meant for someone like you.”

“I’m sorry… really.”

“Relax…” The man finally smiled, expression softening further. “You meant no harm… There is no cause for punishment. Just… be more careful in the future. The last thing I want to do is lock you away somewhere.”

“T-They do that?” The man laughed in response to the question.

“No, of course not. More so… Some offenses are a death sentence. But entering rooms you don not belong in is simply means for an escort and other precautions. If you were to steal something, however… well, you might lose a hand… Or your head.”

“My head?!” Neshmet almost pulled his elbow away from the man in response to the words. No… he needed to stay calm. He hadn’t stolen anything. There was no need to be worried… Not yet. He looked at the man more closely, noting the freckles that dotted his cheeks and spread across his nose.

“Now, what do you say we get you to dinner?” He grinned. It took only a moment for him to register that this was Dolis… The man Alcor had told him would be fetching him. It would have been nice to know that before hand… At least he was aware of who he was talking to now. The man dropped his elbow and began to walk, gesturing for Neshmet to follow him.