"Alright, alright, I'll go with you" Solum caved lightly, "but I'd better get some expensive and delicious food out of this" he smirked beneath his hood.

Solum followed her in, his eyes curiously glancing back and forth across the high class structures.

"... for the last time, I don't want a giant statue depicting myself as some god-send" Nemiah was saying, rather exasperated, "I'm the Pharaoh, people already know I'm important and all that, we'd be better off actually using our resources as resources and not wasting them on stupid cosmetic things. Go feed some poor, use the stone to build some half decent houses for someone who needs it, I don't care, just do something useful! Go!"

With that the pair of stone masters he'd been speaking to hurried out of the room, leaving Nemiah to sigh and close his eyes as he leaned back in the throne, "Okay, what's next?"

Set actually stepped forward from beside Nemiah, "Ah-I believe the map maker needed your approval for a project" he spoke quickly, clearly a bit nervous about the present position he was in. Particularly because Lakar didn't seem to be there with him.

"A few days" Solum whispered to her quietly, meanwhile Nemiah had stood immediately to come forward and greet his sister with a big hug.

"Asy! You're home!" Nemiah exclaimed, completely dropping the high pharaoh attitude and turning into big-brother mode.

"That's fine, just as long as he doesn't try to kill me or steal anything important" Nemiah replied casually.

"Does that mean I get to have anything unimportant?" Solum joked, still keeping his voice low.

Set gladly hugged her back, "Asima! It's good to see you again!" he smiled, "Lakar is off in his room. H-he's been having me try doing some stuff on my own lately" the boy rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I-I just hope I'm doing an okay job. Since he's not here to tell me, I r-really dunno...."

Nemiah smiled almost bashfully, it was kind of cute, "Oh-um, we're well-ya know, and uhhh... so would you two like to have lunch together or something? I could go for a break."

"Ah, yeah, it turned out alright" Nemiah smiled, glad to have the subject changed from him stammering over Mesa. He lead the way towards the garden so they could have some food outside. "That prince is still a prick, but at least he's not in charge."

Solum glanced at Asima and nodded a little, "He's been gathering a bit of a business for himself actually."

"What? Really?!" Nemiah exclaimed, looking alarmed, "oh jeeze, that's not good..."

"I agree" Solum commented, "I dislike when our two worlds collide this much. It's one thing to speak with you, it's another to do business with you and your Kings."

"heh, the feeling's rather... mutual" Nemiah replied a little awkwardly.

"What's good for my people, isn't always good for yours" Solum stated, "and vis versa. We're thieves Asima, we have a completely different way of earning a living."

"Meanwhile I'd rather encourage my people to earn an honest day's work for themselves" Nemiah frowned a little, looking at Solum, "but in the end, there's not much we can do about each other, other than what we've been doing."

"Who we are doesn't matter. It's still in the best interest of your people to capture and punish those who break your laws. and it's still in the best interest of my people to challenge your laws and get away with it." Solum shrugged, "when these two worlds clash, it creates great problems for us both. Either I take care of the Arabian Prince's misdeeds, or Nemiah does. But whoever it will be, will deal with the greater losses."

"Because if I refuse to go along with him, it could mean war between us" Nemiah fidgeted a bit nervously at the concept, "and I can't let him get away with it, because it's completely against our laws and morals."

Solum gave a displeased sigh "And if I take him on, I'm not just going against another group of thieves and scoundrels. I'm taking on royal armies, and potentially even his allied countries. It means war."

"For everyone" Nemiah added, "Nowhere in Egypt would be safe."

"Not even Frodan." Solum crossed his arms, "because he's not just dealing in goods, in fact he's hardly buying anything but favors from a lot of people I know I don't want to take on. He's making himself more of a threat than Keg was."

"I haven't a clue what his father is aware of" Nemiah frowned, "and I'm not sure how I can tell him without telling him how I found out, and I would rather not lie to the Sultan."

"I can't say I know much more either" Solum added, "I only know what crosses the border into my territory-and he has been pushing it. A man like that will never stop wanting more, I've seen his type before. He won't settle for less for long."

Nemiah groaned at the thought of it, "I couldn't make him have a serious conversation with me under any circumstance. I'm pretty sure the spoiled brat hates me"

"It may have helped if you were a little more assertive as a child" Solum commented, "You did let him push you around a lot."

"And you would know?" Nemiah gave him an odd look.

Solum hesitated, in that silence that Asima knew well enough. Somehow, he did know, had he and Malum actually been around the palace back then?