One life begins, the other ends. That is the way of life. A young baby girl is born as her mother lies dying next to her.

This baby girl will one day change the future of Egypt forever.

A scream pierced the silence as a tiny baby boy was born in the palace. "Congratulations, your highness, you have a healthy baby boy." The healer told the brown haired woman who had just given birth.

"Can I hold him?" the woman asked.

"Yes, but only for a moment. We must present the prince to the city. My pharaoh, you need to address the crowd and announce that the heir to the throne has been born." The healer told the man sitting next to the woman as he handed the baby boy over.

"My queen, I'll be right back." The pharaoh headed out to the balcony where a large crowd awaited. "My people, I am proud to announce that the heir to the throne has been born."

A servant stepped out onto the balcony and handed the baby boy to the pharaoh. The man held up the baby boy for all to see. The crowd bowed down low. One day, this baby would grow up to be the greatest man on earth; past, present, and future.

A young boy, age one, bounced up and down as the queen brought in the bundle. "Me thee, thee!" he cried.

The woman gave a wide yawn. "All right, young Seth. Servant, get me a basket to put the young prince in."

A servant returned with a basket and the queen set the baby boy down in it. Seth peeked over the edge of the basket and his eyes widened as he took in the sleeping baby. "He pweey." He murmured.

"He's the prince." The queen explained to the boy. "He'll one day rule Egypt."

Seth poked the baby's cheek. The baby opened his crimson eyes and began sucking on Seth's finger.

"E' go!" Seth cried, trying to pull free. The baby opened his mouth and began screaming.

"Go outside and play, Seth. You're scaring poor Prince Atemu." The queen snapped. Seth ran out of the room and the woman sat down beside the basket. "Come on, little prince. Don't cry." She whispered, rocking the basket gently. The baby boy closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

"And I want you to make sure you have guards at ever entrance to the city and palace. I don't want foreigners or thieves coming in and jeopardizing the prince." The pharaoh told a servant as he came in.

Baby Atemu opened his eyes and started screaming again. "Akunumkanon, you woke Atemu!"

"Sorry," the man replied, though sounding too distracted to care. He headed out, still barking orders to the servant.

"Come on, little 'Temu. Go to sleep." the queen whispered, picking Atemu up. The baby immediately stopped crying and fell asleep with his head on his mother's shoulder. "You are such a good little prince."

Atemu grew up over the years, his hair finally growing taller than he was, it seemed, and was now three years old. His cousin, though he didn't know it, Seth, was always playing with him.

"You can't catch me!" Seth called, running through the streets of the market, darting around people and even diving between people's legs to get away from the three-year-old prince. He took advantage that he was a year older, so he had longer legs.

Atemu, who wasn't that much slower than Seth ran after him. "No fair! You older!"

Seth laughed and sped up. Finally, in a last-ditch effort, Atemu dove and tackled Seth from behind, sending them both sprawling to the sand with Atemu on top.

"You it!" Atemu cried laughing.

"Get off!" Seth cried, trying to throw the younger boy off his back, but Atemu dug his heels in.

"Say I'm better!" Atemu taunted.

"No!" Seth shouted and threw Atemu off. At that, Atemu pulled Seth into a wrestling match.

A high-pitched scream pierced the marketplace and they stopped to see a young, brunette girl about the same age as Atemu, sprint past them, a merchant following closely behind.

"Someone help!" the girl screamed.

Seth, who was on top, was following the girl with his eyes and Atemu took the distraction to his advantage. He rolled over and pushed Seth to the sand, pinning him. "I win!" he cried.

"Get off, she needs help!" Seth grunted, pushing Atemu off him. He snuck into a back alley and hid behind a space in the walls. Atemu was watching him closely, wondering what he was doing. Groaning, Seth grabbed him and pulled him into the space as well. Not long after that, the girl they had seen moments ago sprinted past and Seth grabbed the collar of her dress, pulling her into the space. The girl stood there, gasping for air and started to scream when she saw them, but Seth covered her mouth to muffle it. "Quiet, he'll hear you."

The girl looked at them with wide fearful forest green eyes, but the merchant soon passed them searching either side for where his criminal was. He finally gave up and headed on back to the main stream of traffic.

Seth waited until he was sure that the merchant was gone. "Why you run from that man?"

The girl's stomach grumbled in reply. "We need food. I need to steal."

"That awful!" Atemu exclaimed in disgust. Then his face brightened as he thought of something. "We have food! You come with us!"

"Atemu, what about pharaoh?" Seth hissed.

"He won't know." Atemu insisted.

"You 'Temu?" the girl asked. "Me, Hali."

"Come on, me know way." Atemu told her, pulling her by the hand.

"Slow down!" Hali exclaimed, laughing as she tried to keep up with the taller boy. Seth followed, shaking his head.

They finally reached the palace and they snuck in through the kitchens. A young woman was stirring a pot on the fire and she looked up when she saw them. She was the head cook for the royal family. "Here's the little prince and his faithful friend, Seth. Now, who's this you brought with you?"

"Me Hali. Me 'Temu best fwiend." Hali replied, pointing at herself and then Atemu. In response, Atemu blushed.

"That's great! Now who wants something to eat?" the woman asked.

"Me, me, me!" Atemu cried, jumping up and down. Seth yet again shook his head.

"What about you, Hali?" the woman asked.

Hali shook her head, but her stomach gave it away when it gave another grumble.

The cook smiled at her. "The stomach tells all." She said.

Hali grinned sheepishly. "Maybe a wittle hungwy." She said.

"Go on up and get ready for dinner. Your parents are coming down soon." The cook said. "Servant, take the prince and his friend upstairs and have them wash up."

"Why you called prince?" Hali asked, as a servant carried them upstairs.

"He's royalty." The servant replied.

"What that?" Hali asked, confused.

"That means he lives here and his father rules the country. Now let's get you cleaned up." The servant told them as they entered Atemu's room. He set them down and went over to get a basin.

"Servant, I was just coming to check on Atemu." A man in white robes said, coming in.

"Healer, he's right there." The servant replied, pointing to where Atemu and Hali were sitting, holding hands.

The healer knelt down in front of them. "Atemu, who's your friend?"

"Hali." Hali replied.

The healer gasped. "I know you! Your mother died when you were born, didn't she?"

Hali nodded. "Why?"

"I delivered you. I remember it was a sad time for your father. He had to raise you on your own, I bet." The healer sighed. "Your father isn't going to like you mixing with a slave girl, Atemu."

"What swave?" Hali asked, curious.

"It means you work for his father." The healer told her, nodding to Atemu. "Or rather, your father does."

"That not matter, heawer, I like her." Atemu replied. Hali beamed.

"Thank you 'Temi." She whispered, kissing his cheek. Atemu blushed furiously.

"You know, I think we can pull it off if we get you cleaned up and into a nice garment and you will look royalty." The healer told her. He looked her over. "You look about my daughter's age. I'll go get an outfit of hers."

The healer left and the servant who had been preparing a bath for them picked Atemu up. "Time for a bath, prince."

"I want Hali in too." Atemu pouted, as he was put in the basin full of water after being undressed.

The servant sighed and picked Hali up as well before putting her into the basin. The two began splashing each other. "Come on, you two, stop splashing each other. I'll clean you off and then we'll wait until the healer comes." The servant told them.

Atemu put up with the servant scrubbing his hair, but began whining when he wanted to scrub the rest of him. "You want to be clean for your mother and father, don't you?" the servant asked.

Atemu shook his head. "Your parents won't like that, Atemu."

Atemu finally agreed and after a while they were both cleaned up and waiting for the healer to get back. Atemu was already dressed and chasing a beetle around by the time the healer got back.

The servant helped Hali into a dress and brought her over to Atemu. "Come on, you two. It's time to go downstairs."

Atemu raced Hali downstairs with the servant hurrying after them. The two skidded to a stop in front of Akunumkanon, who glared down at them. "Who's this?" he asked, pointing to Hali.

"Oh, I'm sorry they bothered you, your highness. This is Atemu's new friend, Hali. She's a noble's daughter, just a little older than Atemu." The servant hurriedly said.

"I see." Akunumkanon said, rubbing his bearded chin and examined Hali carefully. Hali stood still and waited patiently and politely while he did this. "Let's go and eat. Are you hungry, Hali?"

"Yes, sir." Hali replied, very calmly.

Akunumkanon finally approved and led them into the kitchen. Atemu's mother was sitting at the table, feeding some mush to Atemu's baby brother, Joshia. "Mother, me show Hali Joshie."

The woman nodded and went to the cook to talk to her about something. Atemu climbed up on the chair his mother was sitting on and helped Hali up. "This is Joshie, my baby bwother."

"Atemu, its Joshia. You should know what your baby bwother's name is by now." Seth corrected, rolling his eyes.

Atemu's response was a very wet raspberry. Hali began giggling.

"Atemu, that's not a nice thing to do in front of a lady." His mother scolded, seeing the scene.

Joshia, at that point, grabbed Hali's hair. "E' go!" she cried, pulling away. Joshia's response was to cry.

"Go to your place at the table, you three. Dinner's read." The woman said, shooing them away from the basket. She sat down and began trying to calm Joshia down.

Seth sauntered off with a snort. "Prince germs." He said disgusted.

They all sat down and began eating.

It had been a year since Atemu had met Hali. They had become inseparable and it seemed to annoy his father. One afternoon, Hali and Atemu were walking along the lake outside the courtyard.

"Want to swim?" Hali asked him.

"Okay." Atemu replied. They stripped down and stepped into the lake. Atemu began shivering. "It cold." He chattered

"Come on," Hali told him, and pulled him deeper. They swam laps and finally they got out, both shivering.

"It c-c-cold." Atemu repeated, chattering worse than before.

The put on their clothes and walked back to the palace. By the time they got inside, Atemu was sneezing and shivering even worse.

"Uh oh, don't tell me you're sick, little prince." The cook moaned. When Atemu nodded, she felt his forehead and gasped. "You're hot! Let's get you back to bed."

Atemu allowed her to pick him up and Hali followed as he was carried upstairs. She set him down on the bed and he curled into a ball before falling asleep. "You better let him rest, Hali. Go on home."

Hali looked fearfully at Atemu's sleeping form, but agreed to leave. "Get better, 'Temi." She whispered before leaving.

Hali went up to Atemu's room the next morning and the first thing she heard from inside was the sound of coughing. She hurried in and found the healer sitting beside Atemu's bed, where the boy was coughing.

"Hali." Atemu rasped, hugging Hali when she hurried over.

"Hali, he shouldn't have visitors. He's sick." The healer replied.

"Let her stay." Atemu protested, although it came out in a whisper.

"As long as you rest, Atemu." The healer replied and left.

"You okay?" Hali asked, sitting down on the floor next to him.

"I fide." Atemu replied.

"You rest. I stay." Hali told him, patting his arm.

"Okay, good dight." Atemu rasped before falling asleep.

"I've got you, you little thief!" a male voice shouted, waking Atemu up. It was his father, Akunumkanon. He grabbed Hali's arm before she could run.

"Father, that's my fwied!" Atemu protested.

"I told you that slaves were no friends of royalty, and I was right. She stole an apple from one of the merchants' carts, didn't you?"

"No!" Hali wailed, bursting into tears.

"Servant, take this girl back to her house and make sure she stays there." Akunumkanon growled, handing Hali to a servant.

"Atemu!" Hali cried, as the servant carried her away.

"Father, she by fwied!" Atemu protested, his voice going out.

"No son of mine will befriend a slave girl." Akunumkanon spat, and turned on his heel to leave. Atemu started crying. Mana came in and tried to comfort him, but nothing she did worked.

It had been a year since Akunumkanon had found out about Hali and her visits to the palace had reduced in number until Atemu was lucky to see her in the courtyard. Guards went with him everywhere to make sure that his father's words were reinforced.

Atemu was walking down the river toward where Hali and her father lived and saw them outside their house, arguing. He saw the man slap her across the face and tried to run to them, but the guards held him back.

"She's my friend, she needs help!" Atemu protested.

"Your father gave us strict orders to keep you away from her, now do you want us to report you?" the left guard growled.

Atemu remembered the last time he'd disobeyed an order. It was the last time he'd been whipped. He stopped struggling until he saw Hali being slapped again. He stomped on the right guard's foot and ran for it when the man had let go of his arm. The guards caught up with Atemu a mere yard from the scene and dragged him back to the palace.

"Your highness, your son has disobeyed you. He tried to meddle in the business of the slave girl you told us to keep him away from."

"Give me my whip." Akunumkanon ordered. One guard left to get it, while the other held onto Atemu's arm to keep him from escaping.

"Father, don't!" Atemu cried, as he was forced onto a rock on his stomach and his shirt taken off. He saw a glimpse of the guard handing his father something and waited for the first lash to come down. The whip cracked, smacking smartly onto his exposed back and he cried out in pain. He found that that only made his father lash harder, so he kept his whimpers to himself. Finally, the lashes stopped and Atemu was allowed to put his shirt on, though he didn't because his back was raw. He headed back to his room, only grumbling under his breath once he was out of earshot. He flung himself onto his bed and cried himself to sleep, dreaming of Hali.