As they made their way down the hall, Neshmet had to wonder about the palace around him. It seemed so unique compared to the shacks he was used to hiding in… “You seem lost. Is something on your mind?” Dolis’ voice interrupted his thoughts and he glanced up to the taller man.

“I have never been somewhere so…”

“Elegant?”

“I suppose.” He sighed. “I know nothing about the palace… Only rumors and stories. Things seem to be much different from what I’ve heard...”

“Yes… Many things changed after the death of the king…” The man almost looked sad for a moment, but the expression quickly faded. “Well, we have time… How about I tell you what I know?”

“That would be nice. I appreciate it.”

A smile crossed Dolis’ features as he began to speak. “The palace was built many, many years ago to house the first king of our land. It stood strong long before we were born and will continue to stand long after we are gone. The first king ensured the palace was safe for his family and for himself. He added many rooms and even had tunnels dug to travel the city in secrecy, keeping himself safe from any… unsavory types. Prince Alcor prefers traveling on his own despite the danger. He is his own person… though I wish he would be more careful.” He shook his head, hair fluttering across his skin. “That aside, the palace is meant to keep the king – or prince in this case – comfortable and above all else, protected. Nobody enters the palace without an escort or summons from the ruler himself. It has been that way since the beginning and will remain that way until the very end. The palace is built of sandstone… compressed carefully to create its bricks.

Wood shipped in from across the isle created the foundation for the flooring… allowing us to build many floors without fear of the stone crumbling and collapsing beneath our feet.” Dolis glanced back at him as if to ensure he was keeping pace with the tale. When Neshmet offered him a smile he continued on. “As I am sure you have noticed, most of the rooms are lit in most part by the windows carved into the stone. At night torches are mounted on the walls of any rooms that are still in use. More often than not the rooms are mostly unoccupied by the time the sun begins to set and the moon begins to rise. It is uncommon for any room to be lit past the time the moon reaches its peak. Servants are often tending to the prince well into the night, however, they try not to disturb him. The halls, of course, remain lit at all times. The torches are replaced every hour as needed.” They rounded a corner and Dolis offered a greeting to a passing female servant. “Good day, Muya!” The woman returned the greeting with a dip of her head and a smile on her lips. “As a guest, you will likely be assigned your own group of servants.”

“Servants…” Neshmet repeated the word as if it were foreign to him. A hum left his lips as he glanced to the flickering light of the torches on the wall. “I don’t need servants.”

“Perhaps.” Dolis agreed, voice content as they began to descend a set of steps. “However, whether you need them or not is irrelevant. It is a custom that all guests of the prince are given their own servants for the duration of their stay.” Without looking back he continued. “The palace itself is maintained solely by the servants. Each of us is assigned a task. You can often decipher which task they are assigned by their garments and their adornments. Lower servants wear very few if any adornments at all. Higher servants are often adorned more elegantly.”

“And servants with amulets?” Neshmet asked, his eyes glancing to the chain around Dolis’ neck. The man paused, glancing back to him as if he were unsure how to respond.

“We...” He seemed to fight for his words for a moment before clearing his throat and proceeding. “Only servants who serve the prince directly are adorned with amulets.” That explained a lot… That meant that, so far, he’d dealt with two of the prince’s direct servants.

“What are your jobs?”

“Whatever the prince tells us to do.” He responded simply, clearly not wanting to go into further detail than that. Neshmet thought it was likely best not to press further. He was lucky enough to be here and he wasn’t about to risk losing the opportunity for the sake of asking questions. “We are nearly to the dining hall. I suggest you take a moment here to prepare yourself more… effectively.” The man commented, stepping aside and turning his attention to him. “You are… after all… a mess.”

“Is… Is it that bad?” Neshmet felt a frown take over his features as he reached a hand up to brush through his hair. The strands stood wild and unkempt. Dolis wasn’t lying. He frantically brushed his hands over the locks, praying they would relax. After a moment he realized he’d looked like this the whole time… Oh gods, he’d talked to the prince looking like this. Dolis let out a laugh, lips curling as he stepped away from the wall and reached his hands up.

“May I?” Unsure what to say Neshmet simply nodded, accepting the assistance. The servant moved to brush his fingers through his hair and let out a hum as he organized the locks in a more suitable manner. After a few moments the man nodded and stepped back. “That seems to be as good as it will get. You look better, at least. The dining hall is just ahead, It would be best if you behave yourself and try not to… snoop around too much.”

“I’m sorry… I really was just looking around.”

“Well, look around a little more carefully next time.” Dolis shrugged his shoulders and moved forward. Neshmet fell into step behind him, feeling more than a little guilty… The remaining journey to the dining hall was left in silence… Neshmet simply looking around while Dolis clasped his hands behind his back. Once they reached the room, the servant came to a stop and lifted one hand, gesturing to the entrance. “Here we are.”

“You’re… not coming in?” The question made the man laugh, his eyes crinkling with his smile.

“Of course not. I’m a servant. I’ll remain here as a guard until dinner is complete. Servants eat dinner after the prince.”

“O...Oh...” Neshmet frowned, unsure if he was comfortable entering the room on his own.

“Relax. The prince is a very kind man. You will be fine on your own.” He was right, of course… He had seemed nice enough before. There was no reason for him to be so nervous. He took a breath, offered Dolis another glance, and then finally stepped through the entrance into the dining hall. He was surprised how much brighter the room looked compared to the halls. His eyes moved to lock on the prince… surprised to see him smiling politely, already looking at him…