Ezie No More
His name was once something.
Something like Ezie, he thinks.
But after so long, he’s gotten used to his new name, his new identity.
This is the tale of Prince Tanim, who went from a bastard of a man with an iron grip on his city to a kinder, softer man after the death of his father, the Pharaoh Atun.
…or, that’s what the public was told, at least.
Ezie-because it sounds like his name, so he’ll use it, for now-used to live in one of the lower rings around the royal family’s palace. As a child, he grew with his parents on the outskirts of their city called Naiin, forced to go with his father time to time to gather sugar cane at the edge of the Nile to sell at the market when the ships would come in. For a time, he was happy.
For a time.
When Ezie turned twelve, an intruder came in the dead of night and, he, having snuck out to go see the stars, had not been present when his family was brutally massacred.
The details were trivial.
People gave their condolences then moved on.
They had their own worries, much less for a child they could not care for.
And so Ezie lived on the streets, unable to afford food much less the rent for the old home some days, crunching his way through sugar cane to lessen the growling of his stomach.
He couldn’t blame them, not really. He knew of other children over the years who had been left to the streets, either because their parents had too many or hoping to run away and do things ‘on their own’. People just could not seem to help one another like they wanted.
That was okay.
He was okay.
He was.
He was…
Eventually, he turned sixteen, barefoot amongst warm sand, doing small duties for various guards here and there for little slips of gold that would help him buy food that day, or if he started his bleed, to hide away for a while until it was over. He’d found quickly that people assumed him an adult if they knew of it, and would be harsher upon him, but during any other time, he could portray himself younger, in need of help, just a poor little beggar child who was alone.
One hated to lie, but when it meant being fed and not forced to work (much) for pay, then he did what he had to.
At least for a couple more years, hopefully.
The day things came to an end, it was like any other, honestly. The sun was high in the sky, warming him from the ends of his hair to the tips of his toes, braiding a golden strand around growing hair on his right temple. It was part of the yarn his mother left behind that he managed to snag before being forced to leave it all behind. Ezie recognized he needed to one day cut his hair, it was getting too long and he might end up on the wrong end of someone’s ire and they would snatch him by his hair.
But that was for later. For now, he braided the black strands of hair around his ears, making him look soft and vulnerable, a good look if he wanted to get extra gold today.
With that, he set off, wearing a simple slip of a covering, his feet roughened by years of running through sand not even feeling the heat as he left the alley between homes that he had dozed away in with his bag of belongings, panting softly as he kicked up into a run.
The guards always started their day at Laza’s, where she cooked delicious breads and sweets of different kinds to give them in return for ensuring the safety of their neighborhood. If he was extremely lucky, he’d run into Pak, the head of this group who sometimes had roaming eyes. Ezie used this to his advantage most days, allowing himself to lean in a little too close, his smile a little bashful, and then he’d get four slips of gold for doing not even ten minutes of work!
…today was different.
He slowed his run as he approached, several training soldiers standing at too hard of attention for it to be normal, two of them giving Ezie a quick nod but nothing else. He paused, digging in his toes a bit into the sand, opening his mouth curiously. “What’s going on today…?”
One of them sucked in a breath, straightening up even further. “Inspection today, citizen. You need not concern yourself.”
Ah. They only did the ‘citizen’ rote when higher-ups were out and about. Ezie nodded, smiling even though his stomach plummeted at the thought of losing out on so much gold. “Understood. Thank you for all you do.” He slid a hand up, tucking an errant strand of hair behind his ear, and then he turned around to head off to collect sugar cane and rent out his use to the local farmers without any hands for the day.
“Wait.”
The door opened.
A man stood there. Tall, with dark brown eyes, a groomed beard, his head shaven clean as he stood in exquisite gear lined with gold itself. He held a spear in hand, and wore shoes that covered his legs to the knee. “You. What is your name.”
Ezie blinked. “I-I go by Ezie, sir.”
The man approached, his hand gripping Ezie’s jaw tightly and forcing his face up, making the other suck in a breath at the tight grip. “O-Ow, could you please-not do that-“
He wanted to kick up a fuss and scream and bite, but these were his most loyal customers…and also the guard. You don’t fight the guard, unless you want to die.
“Your eyes,” he said, not looking away from Ezie’s face. “What color are they?”
‘You can clearly see’ he wanted to say, but bit down the sarcastic remark. “Green, sir. A strange color for sure, but come from my mother.”
“And your parents? Where are they?”
Ezie bit down the instinctual tears that wanted to rise up, blinking furiously. “Dead, sir. Can I please go? I must get on to meet my friends.”
The man grunted, looking to his side, and Ezie could see a scar tracing from the edge of his nose down to the tip of his chin. “This may help us. Take him.”
“Take wha-hey!” Ezie gasped as the other man came close, and then suddenly grabbed him up, tossing him over his shoulder, and Ezie’s bag of belongings dangled and hit the man in the butt. He would’ve laughed if he weren’t terrified, kicking his feet and smashing his fists into the man’s broad back. “Put me down now! Stop this! This is kidnapping! Help! Hel-“
He didn’t see the sword hilt bashing against his temple, knocking him out suddenly, nor hear the ‘you may continue operating, we are going to take this individual in for questioning…’ as he sunk suddenly into unconsciousness.
Sometimes, he hates Opol for this, for his hand in things.
But…they were panicking…and he’s not sure if he can keep his hatred alive at time.
Ezie woke up in small waves. He really didn’t want to, the bed he was laying in was just soooo comfortable! It felt like the softest feathers on the gentlest bird, his head cradled upon a pillow that wasn’t beat to death and back. Despite the insistent headache dancing across his temples, he felt the best than he had in a while…pardoning his stomach growling.
And then, well, he wondered why he was feeling that way.
And then it all hit him at once.
Laza’s. The odd guard. His eyes.
Being abducted.
He clenched his hand in the soft covers, and debated things for a moment.
They hadn’t killed him, which hadn’t seemed their plan to begin with.
…did they sell him? He was kind of pretty, had been told that often, and people were often happy to take in extra hands for cheap if they didn’t have to keep paying for them.
But then, why the bed? Unless they were royal, perhaps?
He cracked open his eyes, his thoughts whirling in intrigue.
The covers were a dark, brilliant red. Dyed cloth. Draping, sheer curtains around the bed. Burning incense and oils that smelled of so many things that his nose tickled for a moment before relaxing again. The room was lit by small candles and a torch on the wall, plus a large window letting the sunlight and songbird noises in. Coiling vegetation climbed across it, giving a splash of color against the dark, golden walls.
Ezie let out a slow breath. “Oh Gods above,” he whimpered, sliding his hands over his face with a deep sigh. “Where am I…”
He shifted, slowly standing up from the bed, noticing his nudity with a grimace. But, they didn’t do anything, beyond leave a folded set of clothes nearby and a script.
He knew how to read, it had just been a while, and his mind took a moment to dust off rusty skills. ‘Please wear this’.
That was it.
He slowly pulled on the set of clothing, tying the golden rope around his waist, the red top flowing around his arms that felt cooler than he had ever felt. He ignored the shoes, however. He’d grown used to running about barefoot, and if they didn’t force him, he’d continue as such.
Fully dressed now, he slowly headed to the large door across from the bed, looking around the room as he started to leave. There was a large bronze mirror set in the corner in front of a stool, another door that led to who knows where, a box full of scrolls and vials of ink, a table full of carved figures in various positions as if they were having a play on war with themselves, and a burning stick of incense nearby.
So someone HAD been in here, at some point.
…he had to run. He had to get out of here.
He slowly pushed open the door, only to come face to face with two guards on either side in deep conversation. Ezie felt his breath catch as they snapped to attention. “God Heir Tanim!”
…God Heir Tanim?
As in…
As in the one and only Tanim??
Ezie hesitantly opened his mouth, then closed it just as the guard who knocked him out rounded the corner, scowling fiercely. “I told you two imbeciles to come and get me and the doctor when the God Heir awakens!”
Ezie cowered against the door, his heart hammering as the two guards immediately started to bow. “Apologies, sir! He just woke up!”
“Imbeciles…go, our beloved God King needs protection.”
The two bowed again, babbling apologies to ‘Tanim’ as Ezie watched them race away, a man standing near the guard holding a white bag near his hip. He had on a pleasant smiled, and reminded Ezie of his grandfather, when he had been alive, face all wrinkled and scorched by the sun. “Tanim. Please, go inside, let us speak with you.”
Ezie hesitated, eyes switching to the guard who had a permanent scowl on his face. “I don’t really want to talk, thank you for your time-“ he said, shutting the door, only for it to be shoved open as he squawked, flailing and backing away as they entered nonetheless. “H-Hey! Come on now! C-Can’t we talk about this-please don’t kill me!” he flinched as the guard shut the door, covering his face.
Time ticked by a moment, and he lowered his arms in confusion, the doctor setting his bag down with a sigh. “Guard Head Opol, perhaps you should explain.”
‘Opol’ sighed, nodding as he gestured at Ezie towards the bed. “Sit. Let the good doctor see to you.”
“Uh…wh…okay,” he decided to just not question it now, slowly sitting on the bed as the doctor picked up the stool, carting it to the bed as Opol stood nearby, sighing.
“What have you heard as of late about our God King and his only heir?”
Ezie blinked, hesitating as the doctor gestured for his hand, taking out a few strange, colored vials. “I…everyone knows the great God King is ill…he’s taken to blindness…that his heir rules…and…some…rumors,” he muttered, not looking at the Guard Head.
“Right. That his grip is iron and that he craves blood and war,” Opol nodded sharply. “Anything else?”
“No. Just that-ow-what’s that?” he asked, only to be ignored as the doctor took out another vial, this time taking a small knife to prick his elbow and rub some of the strange fluid over it.
“Not you to worry, discuss on.”
Opol sighed, rubbing over his face with a slow breath. “…not but a few nights ago, our God Heir was murdered.”
“What?!” Ezie said, gasping as he ripped his arm from the doctor, assuming he was being poisoned. “I-I had nothing to do with that, I-I-“
“We know,” Opol interrupted, frowning. “…we cannot let it leak out that the God Heir is deceased. For one thing, it would kill our God King faster than the illness. For the other, it leaves a hole in the royal line.”
“I always said,” the doctor spoke up, packing up his supplies, “that I thought it horrid that our God King never took another wife after Ellatin. Now here we are, with them only having the one heir.”
“I-what does this have to do with me?!” Ezie cried out, his hand gripping the strand of braid on his head, tugging at it fruitlessly as he stood up suddenly. “I don’t-I don’t get it!”
“You,” Opol said, pointing at him with a pained grimace, “look remarkably similar to our God Heir…and thus, you will now continue to live his life as him, as is your duty to the great city of Naiin. We will keep you fed, clothe you, and educate you on how to speak and act like him, and you will never return to your life before. Is that understood?”
Ezie did the only thing he could really think to do.
…he started to laugh really, really hard.
