The Bond || ONC2022

Chapter 6

Soon after being chosen, Mayeen and the rest of the girls from all over the New Kingdom were handed veils by a sturdy-looking woman dressed in violent blue robes similar in fashion to the ones donned by the palace guards.

The girls were instructed to cover the lower half of their faces and made to fall into a single line.

Mayeen's eyes drifted to the head eunuch: a bald man with sea-green eyes, hook nose, and a chin that jutted out like it meant business. "Welcome to the heart of New Kingdom, girls." said the man, taking in the month's loot: the chosen girls, with a restrained smile and authoritative tone. Then turning around, he pointed at the most magnificent arched gateway, situated at the eastern end of the complex. "That's the inner palace. Your future."

Having dreamt about entering the harem for so long, she almost could not contain her excitement seeing her destination so close.

Baba, I am finally here, just like I promised. Hold on a little longer, baba; your Mayeen will make you proud.

"However, you are not there yet." The head eunuch continued, pulling Mayeen's attention to the bald man who had abruptly started walking in the opposite direction of where her destination lay.

Uncertainty crept into the girl's mind. She had heard that Tutuamen liked to keep his women near his personal quarters. It was common knowledge that not long after he had taken the reins of the kingdom in his hands, the young Pharaoh had ordered the harem to be shifted to the eastern end of the inner palace.

Two rows of broad-shouldered men flanked the girls on either side as they walked behind the head eunuch.

'Why is he taking us in the opposite direction!?' Mayeen wondered but held her peace. She noticed that the men walking alongside them were leering at them. It made bile rise to her throat.

Why does it feel like they know something that we don't?

Knowledge was power; right now, she felt out of her depth because of lack of it; Mayeen needed to fix that (without making it obvious) she moved to her right. With half of her face covered, she was only left with her eyes to work with.

Her gold-rimmed orbs caught the eyes of the man barely two feet from her. She beckoned him closer.

"I am thirsty, Sir. When will we reach the harem?"

"It will be a while before you can set foot there, I am afraid. That is if you can prove yourself. You have no idea what's in store for you, girl."

"I will bear with it then," Mayeen replied, and making sure that his eyes were on her, she bowed her head hoping to flatter the latter.

The reply made Mayeen realize that she had perhaps underestimated the situation. She couldn't be sure that she would be able to win the title of the 'Pharaoh's woman' yet. To achieve that kind of success, she not only needed to pass the tests but come out on top as well.

That meant that she needed to understand what was expected of her. One look at her surroundings informed her that the man she had to impress was the head eunuch who was presently walking with the confidence the girl had seen on nobles who knew that they held fates of commoners in their hands.

Walking faster, Mayeen closed the distance between her and the eunuch to take a closer look at his attire.

Unlike the others, the eunuch didn't carry any weapons on him. Dressed in fine bright yellow linens from head to toe, he had no jewelry on his person except for the armlets depicting two intertwined serpopards.

'They look familiar,' thought Mayeen but couldn't recall where she had seen them. Nonetheless, it was clear to her that the head eunuch was an important man whom she needed on her side.