"OW!" A rock had just hit me on the back of my head. "I'll get you
back for that, Muneg!!" I shouted as I turned around. Yep, it was indeed
Muneg and co., sitting around on the leftover piles of brick and
laughing as if they had just played the funniest prank in the world. We
were sort of friends with each other, but not really. Partly because he
was just plain immature, but partly because my dad felt that I shouldn't
go into his area of town, which was sort of slummy.

"Yeah, right!" he shot back. "You can't get me, you're a
giiiiirrrrrll!" He stuck out his tongue.

I snorted. We both knew that I had better aim than most of his little
friends, why was he asking for it? He's probably just bored. I told
myself. Either that, or his buddies dared him to pick a fight with me.
Either way, I get some target practice. I rolled my eyes, stooped to
pick up a rock and hurled it right at the center of his forehead. It hit
dead on.

He sat frozen for a moment, a comical expression on his face. Then he
shook himself, gave me an I-let-you-hit-me look, jumped of the pile and
zoomed away, his buddies following him.

"Nice throw." Said a young man, stepping out of the shadows of another
stack of unused bricks behind me. I jumped. I hadn't seen him standing
there.

"That little urchin got what he should have, throwing a rock at the
prettiest girl in all Egypt." he continued. I shivered. I knew this
guy. It was Coltzan.

Most of the villagers expected that I would someday marry Coltzan, and
probably someday soon, as I was know nearly fourteen summers old. Which
was sort of funny, I really hated Coltzan, as he thought that just about
everyone and everything was beneath him. He had one of the blackest
hearts on the face of the planet.

However, I could see how the thought that we would marry could come
naturally to some people. He was the son of local nobles, perhaps three
summers older that me, and he could almost be called attractive, what
with his tall, muscular build and handsome features, although arrogant
look he always had on his face spoiled it all for me. I was the eldest
daughter of a successful merchant, and I was somewhat good-looking,
though definitely not 'the prettiest girl in all of Egypt'. Or even in
the village, for that matter.

He stepped up to me and put his hand on my shoulder, probably thinking
that I would be absolutely thrilled to death at some sort of attention
from him.

. " Get lost, Coltzan!" I snapped, pulling away from him quickly.
Actually, what I really wanted to do was to punch him in the nose and
shout 'Don't you ever put your slimy hands on me ever again!', but, of
course, he was a noble and I would get into enormous trouble for that.

"Is something the matter?" He smirked. He reached his hand up to
scratch what looked like a rash, or a series of huge insect bites on the
back of his neck.

"Yeah," I replied. "You."

Before he could say anything else turned and walked away. Stupid
conceited @#%&!!! I thought as I walked. He thinks I'm supposed to fall
for him desperately, just because he's of noble blood. Ha! I said to
myself, As if anyone could act any less noble!

I walked into my house and down the painted hallway. " Kiya!! You're
home!" I heard a squeaky little voice say from about my waist.

"Yep! I'm home Motab!" I said to my three-year-old brother.

"Kiya, lookie at these!" He said, holding something up in his tiny palm.
"Aren't they pretty?"

I bent closer. He was holding what looked like three tiny sapphires.
"They sure are, Motab." I said, wondering vaguely where he had gotten
them.

"Can you keep 'em for me?" he asked. "I is going beddie-bye now."

I stared. It usually took one heck of a fight to get Motab into bed.

" Are you feeling all right?" I asked.

"No. I is a little ickyed." He said quietly, his huge eyes sad.

"Okay" I replied "I hope you feel better in the morning"

"Okay. Ni-Night, Kiya." He toddled out of the room.

I smiled to myself. What a sweet little kid Motab was.

"Miss Kiya! Motab! Your dinner is nearly ready! Please come and wash
up!" someone called from the kitchen.

I sighed and turned around to head toward the kitchen. I didn't really
have an appetite, but there would be no telling that to Enehy, the cook.

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Well, here's chappie one! The next chapters will have more action, I
promise. I'm just preheating the story-oven. PLEASE tell me about any
historical inaccuracies you find, or if you have any suggestions about
my writing style. No flamers, though, please, as this is the first story
I've posted here.