"Plan?" Azar turned his head up to look at the crimson knight. "What plan?"
"Don't play dumb," He frowned crossing his arms over his chest. "The raven is finally getting his chance to correct the mistake that happened 10 years ago because of his damned son."
Damned son? oh, Princes Javid, he thought. "Well anyway," Azar sat back using his hands as a pillow for his head as his legs stretch out in front of him. "What is it that he is planning?"
"To finally get take advantage of the Pharaoh's only weak point." He twisted his mouth into a wicked smirk as he turned to glare at Nefertari who was lying on the ground with Ashkan trying to catch their breaths, watching her like a grim reaper.
Azar felt his stomach tangling into a tight knot with disgust at the crimson knight's glare.
"Well," Azar said. "You should go and tell that old fart that I will not get my hands dirty for him and you can quote it for him exactly as I said, see if I care."
"You better watch that bloody mouth of yours as you talk about my king and apparently yours as well." He spat those words out like poison, but Azar didn't get affected by the venom.
"Or what? You will go crying back to your king?" Azar raised an eyebrow in mockery finding that teasing this knight is a fun thing to do.
The crimson knight spat on the ground beside Azar and turned on his heels not wanting to keep up this silly conversation any further, Azar felt a little bit guilty for being sly with the guy, not that he had anything personal against the man, he just didn't like him, not then or no.
"Finally, some quiet," he closed his eyes in satisfaction.
"Should the crown princess's personal knight be slacking off under a tree?"
"Or not…" Azar mumbled as he struggled to open his eyes and look up at the man that was interrupting his peaceful nap. "You have got no idea what that little princess can do, Your Highness."
"You don't say," Joon Wo said turning his head to side seeing how Nefertari and Ashkan both ready to charge at each other again. He didn't know why he felt that weird sting in his heart as he saw her dance with the sword in her delicate hand and a joyful smile displayed across her face, was it the idea that she was doing that with another man? Jealousy… how typical of men!
But not much longer after that did the jealousy turn into fascination at the way she moved, her stance, the way she delicately slashed the sword not failing to meet every strike from her opponent.
Azar looked up at the prince and smirked. "I know that look."
"How did she learn to wield a sword like that?" Joon Wo said looking down at the golden-haired knight, who looked like one of those handsome men you would meet at the pub with women in his arms and a cup of ale in his hand.
"I guess you wouldn't know since it's totally different in Kemet but, the little princess in front of you is bound to be a Queen in the future which is not easy, she is a woman in a man's job, she has to work hard to earn the trust and loyalty of the people if she ought to keep it."
From the look on Joon Wo's face, he seemed convinced. He did know that she is the crown princess, but he never thought too deeply about it, she is bond to be queen…and she will leave him here…he shrugged that thought off, it wasn't the time to dwell on future misfortunes.
The sound of the sword-slashing through the air to halt inches from the redheaded neck, while his sword stopped inches away from her skin in her bare waist.
"We are both dead then I guess," Ashkan said in between heavy breaths.
"True, but you are more dead," Nefertari giggled as she withdrew her sword back to rest beside her and Ashkan did the same.
"I've never seen a woman wield a sword, let alone keep up with me." He said wiping the sweat from between his brows.
"You mean defeated you, my friend," she said as she used her thumb to mimic a sword as it slices a person's neck making Ashkan gulp. "Don't worry, you will get me next time, Ashy," she couldn't wait for any longer from giving him the nickname that came to her head the other night.
"A-ashy?" Ashkan covers his flushed freckles as he pretended to wipe the sweat from his face, too bad the flush reached all the way to his ears which Tari noticed.
"Oh, Ashy you might have grown up, but you are still the same little shy boy I first met." She ruffled his hair ignorant to the blazing glare from the black knight behind her.
"I'm not a child!" he protested pushing off her hand revealing how the tint was spreading across his freckled face.
"W-why is he staring like that?" Ashkan said after he felt the killer's aura in the air.
Tari turned to look at Joon Wo and waved at him catching him off guard not knowing what to do he nodded in return making Nefertari pout.
"I've no idea Ashy, no idea."
~~~~
"I���m done, princess," Canaria said as she was admiring her handy work after she was done with styling her hair.
"Oh, you never cease to amaze me, Canaria," Tari said turning to hug her maid one last time before heading to the temple where the ritual is going to take place.
They pulled apart by the sound of the knock on the door. "Come in,"
"It's time to go, Your Highness," Azar said after he bowed in curtesy, wearing his golden armor with the sword hanging on the belt around his waist. All this gold along with the golden color of his hair and eyes makes him look like a prince from a fairytale.
"Yes, let's go." Tari smiled as she took his hand that he held out to escort her to the temple.
On their way through the yard, Tari saw the ever so familiar back figure of her black knight aka Jooni.
"Jooni!" she called out gaining stares and glances from the people around them, they are probably thinking 'does she want to die?'
He turned to greet her but stopped when he saw how horrified she was. "W-what is it? is there something on my face?"
"It's not your face that's causing a problem, it's perfect honestly," she said bluntly while Joon Wo felt the blood rushing to his face.
"Then what is it?"
"It's the black that you are wearing again!" she almost yelled.
He started looking at himself not knowing what she is talking about. "What? I think it's the perfect color."
"It is, but there are many other colors just as perfect!" she said as she wrapped her arm around his and pulled him with her.
"T-the ritual is the other w-way," he stuttered.
"No one is going to an important ritual dressed like that," she said partially dragging him behind her. "Azar follow me. We are on a mission to save fashion from crumbling down the hills."
Azar only nodded and followed them both not able to hold back his chuckling all the way till they reached his room.
Tari rushed in despite the stares from the servants around them.
"Azar how long do we have to till the ritual starts?" she asked as she walked to where she thought the wardrobe is.
"We have 30 minutes."
"That's more than enough." She said as she opened the double door of the wardrobe. "See! You have other colors as well, so why always wearing such a grumpy color." She scanned the different colored outfits in the wardrobe thinking which one will look best on him.
"T-that's really not necessary." Joon Wo tried to stop her but in vain he turned to look at Azar for help, but he only held his hands up in protest showing that there is nothing he could do either.
"Found it!" Tari exclaimed as she handed Joon Wo the clothes that she chose. "Here go change now. Hurry!"
He had no choice but to comply and he did, he took the outfit from her hands and started to strip!
"W-wha…" Tari felt the heat in her face as she caught a glimpse of his bare chest.
"Yoh, man!" Azar scoffed covering the princess's eyes with his hand.
"What you told me to change?" Joon Wo looked innocently at them, god only knew if he was faking it or not.
"I-I'll wait outside!" She said and ran out of the room in a blink, her heart was hammering inside her chest and her face was radiating heat like a volcano. "I-is he serious." She mumbled to herself as she fanned her flamed face with her hands.
"W-when did he grow up into such a m-man."