The city of Vasiliadon woke slowly, breaking their fast and easing into their day. The laborers were already about their business. Merchants stood at stalls, laying out their wares, metal workers were at their forges, and the Order of Vasiliadon already patrolled the streets. The noble class were mostly still lazing about, save for Prince Stephanos as he rode down the beautiful avenue that made up the main street snaking through the white city.
The circus rose up above the rest of the buildings and was as familiar to him as his own rooms in the palati. He and his brother Crown Prince Zacharias spent the first part of every morning here. Or at least he did. Zacharias was sometimes detained by their father for duties to the crown. Like on this morning, they were both going over old trade agreements with Egypt in preparation for the contingency that was going to be coming in several months’ time.
A slave of the circus met him and took the reins of his horse when he arrived outside of it. Stephanos looked around. He’d known that he would have no racing partner this morning and had sent a rather snide missive to Nikos of Condos last evening, goading the other to join him. A bit of healthy competition never harmed anyone. Besides - there was no love lost between them. When he ground the other man into the dust, it would much easier to bear than if he did it to a friend.
“Tell Lord Condos that I am preparing my chariot, when he arrives,” Stephanos told the servant boy. And then he stopped and added, “And tell him that he’s late.”
Condos wasn’t late. Stephanos was early. But he wanted to make it known already that this was for competition purposes. They weren’t here to be best friends or to make nice. This was a race. And he wanted to trounce the upstart lord.
"Yes, my prince," the servant said, bowing and took the horse into the circus. Stephanos, meanwhile, made his way through the archways toward the stables, looking his own four horses over and speaking to the stable master about his team.
The circus rose up above the rest of the buildings and was as familiar to him as his own rooms in the palati. He and his brother Crown Prince Zacharias spent the first part of every morning here. Or at least he did. Zacharias was sometimes detained by their father for duties to the crown. Like on this morning, they were both going over old trade agreements with Egypt in preparation for the contingency that was going to be coming in several months’ time.
A slave of the circus met him and took the reins of his horse when he arrived outside of it. Stephanos looked around. He’d known that he would have no racing partner this morning and had sent a rather snide missive to Nikos of Condos last evening, goading the other to join him. A bit of healthy competition never harmed anyone. Besides - there was no love lost between them. When he ground the other man into the dust, it would much easier to bear than if he did it to a friend.
“Tell Lord Condos that I am preparing my chariot, when he arrives,” Stephanos told the servant boy. And then he stopped and added, “And tell him that he’s late.”
Condos wasn’t late. Stephanos was early. But he wanted to make it known already that this was for competition purposes. They weren’t here to be best friends or to make nice. This was a race. And he wanted to trounce the upstart lord.
"Yes, my prince," the servant said, bowing and took the horse into the circus. Stephanos, meanwhile, made his way through the archways toward the stables, looking his own four horses over and speaking to the stable master about his team.