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Part 72: Where All Journeys Grow

Chapter 24: Prison

V2.0 – 10/10/2025

As Jason led me on a tour of the massive compound, of my “prison of comfort” as he had put it, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the opulent wealth that lay around me. It seemed that everything was overlain with gold. I lost count of how many buildings we entered and of how many rooms I was shown. This wasn’t a compound; it was a small city surrounded by high walls.

I was shown the main house, or rather the mansion where Mr. Zaryan’s family lived. His wife and four young children were away on vacation. I saw their photographs in the mansion and marveled at what a life they must have. What was it like being surrounded by all this wealth?

As we walked from room to room, I saw that there were beautiful flower arrangements on every shelf and in every corner I looked in every room I was shown. None of the flowers were old or withered. I saw so many servants, or were they slaves, everywhere doing every imaginable task to maintain this opulent, gilded city. Like ants they scurried about at their tasks.

As the tour ended, Jason led me up a long staircase on the outside of one of the main buildings and out onto a flat roof area. We passed through a rooftop garden. I ran my hand over its vine covered walls. Beyond the garden we emerged into the viewing area of the roof. There were benches, chairs, and tables artfully arranged around this place. Jason led me to the railing and, with a grand gesture, pointed towards the skyline.

“I give you Cairo, Egypt. Your new home. You prison of comfort.” Jason said dramatically.

My mouth fell open. I stood and looked out at one of the most beautiful vistas I had ever seen. Beyond the compound’s walls below me was a short stretch of desert with a scattering of roads, beyond those lie a stretch of desert sand, then further on the giant pyramids sat still against the horizon in their ancient glory. Beyond the pyramids stretched the city of Cairo from as far as I could see both west and to the east across the horizon. All of it was awash in the orange and red glow of the setting sun.

“Incredible.” I whispered.

“That it is,” Jason said softly with a small laugh, “And… it never gets old.”

I felt like I was in a dream. The afternoon had passed so quickly. Jason had tried to explain the workings of the compound to me as he had given me the tour, and I had tried to store all that information away in my mind. Whatever would be expected of me here, I wanted to know how to at least navigate around the compound.

Jason’s phone beeped and he took it from his pocket. He read the message on the screen then turned to me and said, “Aaron has summoned us.”

I followed him back across the roof, through the rooftop garden, and down into the courtyard below. I saw Aaron crossing the wide yard to meet us with a young woman in tow.

“Ah, there you two are. Did you enjoy your tour Caleb?” Aaron asked as they reached us.

“Very much so. This place is amazing.” I replied.

“I’m off to get ready for dinner now, if there is nothing else you want of me?” Jason asked Aaron.

“Nothing now. See you at the meal.” Aaron told him.

Jason hurried off kicking up dust as he went.

“This is Freya.” Aaron told me pointing to the woman standing next to him, “She will tend to you here. She speaks English. She is a gift to you from Mr. Zaryan. I imagine you’ve never had a servant before?”

“I haven’t.” I told him.

Freya looked up at me through her wavy blondish brown hair that fell down her face and past her shoulders. She was a very beautiful woman. She was shorter than me by at least six inches. She wore a pair of lose tan pants with a comfortable white blouse. Her green eyes sparkled as our eyes met then she looked away. She looked to be in her late twenties. I wondered how Aaron had found her, but I figured I’d find that out soon enough.

“Pleased to meet you… Caleb.” Freya said in a soft voice with a slight bow.

“You as well.” I replied.

Freya moved to stand next to me, as if being passed off in some unspoken trade.

Aaron laughed at that, then said, “Having a servant is simple really. You just tell her what you want or need, and she will see you get it. She belongs to you, and you belong to Mr. Zaryan. Now, let’s show you to your room.”

And with that Aaron walked off quickly toward the main house. I followed him and Freya followed close behind me. Like everything happing today, I’d have to process having a servant later. I didn’t want one, but it seemed I didn’t have a choice.

We entered the main house and went through the opulent entryway, down a hallway that led us to another large hallway, until finally we reached a set of massive double doors. Both doors were overlain with gold. One had a design of a dragon rising up on its hind legs breathing fire and on the other was a medieval knight holding high a sword and shield. Aaron pushed open one of the doors and motioned us in.

I walked through the doors and stopped. The room we entered was massive. There was a huge bed against one wall surrounded by carpets covering the tile floor below it. It looked like something out of a movie. On the other wall was a beautifully decorated fireplace flanked by a sitting area with a couch and two chairs. There was a large tv facing the couch. There were three single doors in the room: one led to a huge closet, one led to a smaller adjoining room, and the final door led into a massive bathroom complete with a tile tub, two sinks, and a walk-in shower.

“This is yours.” Aaron said with a sweep of his hands. He walked over to the doorway leading into the small room and said, “This is Freya’s room, or you can share this one, whatever you like Caleb.”

I walked around the room and looked at everything. There wasn’t anything lacking in the room, the closet, or the bathroom. It held every modern convenience. Freya walked around with me as we explored our new home together.

“Mr. Zaryan’s family lives in the rooms down the hallway.” Aaron told me, “Here is a speaker where he will call you if he needs you. Trust me, he will. Day or night.”

Aaron walked over to me and handed me a phone. I took it, looked at it, then back up at him. “Answer it when it rings. Day or night.”

I nodded to him. He gave Freya a phone as well which she put directly into the pocket of her lose fitting pants.

“I’ve programmed the numbers you’ll need into both phones. Do not call any other numbers. Your phones are being monitored by security. You can call each other, Jason, or myself if you need anything. Do not call Mr. Zaryan for anything. Answer if he calls you. Understood?” Aaron instructed us.

We both nodded to him.

“Any questions?” Aaron asked us.

I looked at Freya. She looked back at me. We both shook our heads.

“There are clothes for both of you in the closet in your sizes. Both of you dress formally. When you are ready make your way to the dining room for dinner at 6pm sharp. Don’t be late. After dinner you’ll sleep and then tomorrow your training will begin. Freya is to remain at your side at all times attending you. Those are Mr. Zaryan’s instructions.” Aaron told us as he made his way back to the double doors.

“Ok.” I said. Freya stayed quiet.

Aaron walked out the door closing it behind him and leaving me alone with Freya.

I walked over to one of the chairs in the sitting area and sat down. Freya stood where she was waiting.

“Sit down please.” I told her.

She looked at me and then quickly sat in the other chair.

I tapped the screen of my new phone. It glowed to life. I read the time it displayed: just passed 5pm. Good. We had an hour to get ourselves ready for dinner. I felt a wave of exhaustion and my stomach growled. I was hungry and tired. It had been a very long day since I had left the cargo ship this morning. I glanced at Freya. She looked lost and sad.

“How did you end up here?” I asked her.

She hesitated then said, “The same way you did I imagine.”

I nodded to that.

“I’ve never been someone’s property before.” I told her.

“I have.” She replied. I sensed a story there I’d have to wait to hear another time.

I took a deep breath and settled into the chair.

After a moment of silence, Freya said softly, “You’re much more handsome than my last owner.”

I cringed at the thought of being her owner and said, “I’m not your owner. I’m just another prisoner like you. Consider me a friend please.”

She looked at me trying to figure out if I was being serious and then said, “Okay.”

“Where are you from?” I asked her.

“I was born in Sweden but spent most of my life in London.” She replied, then asked, “And you?”

“I was born in Denver, Colorado. Lived there most of my life.” I told her.

“How did you end up here?” She asked me. She stood and walked towards the closet and entered it.

I stood up and followed her in. On one side of the closet hung women’s clothing and on the other hung men’s clothing. There were suits, ties, dresses, shoes, and anything else one could imagine wearing.

“How I got here is a very long story. I was…traveling and ended up shipwrecked in the ocean.” I explained.

She looked at me with wide eyes and said, “Sounds like a great story. You’ll have to tell it all to me another time. For now we have to get ready for dinner. I don’t think we should be late.”

“I agree.” I replied and started looking through the suits.

She was looking through the many hanging formal dresses that glittered and gleamed in the bright lights of the closet. She took one down and held it up to her asking, “How about this one?”

I looked at her. The dress was a deep crimson that fell all the way down to just above her feet. It accentuated her eyes and hair.

“It’s perfect.” I told her. She smiled back at me.

“I have no clue what to wear.” I told her. I’d never been big into fashion and certainly never formal attire. I hated dressing up with a passion.

“Go shower. I’ll pick something out for you and lay it out on the bed.” She offered.

“Thank you.” I told her.

I left the closet and passed through the room to the bathroom closing the door behind me. I shucked my clothes into a pile and walked into the shower. It was massive. I turned on the water and was surprised at how quickly I found the perfect temperature. I stepped under the flow and sighed out the day. I wanted to stand in its flow forever. I washed the day off and then dried myself quickly with one of the fluffy white towels that waited for me. I tied the towel around my waist and returned to the bedroom. Freya passed me carrying her clothing and shut the bathroom door behind her.

I walked over to the bed and looked down at the clothes that had been skillfully laid out for me. A suit, pants, tie, shirt, and everything else waited for me. I quickly put it all on except the tie. I struggled with it and finally gave up. Freya would have to help me with it.

In no time at all the bathroom door opened and out stepped Freya in the crimson dress. She was radiant. I was amazed at how quickly she had put herself together.

“You look beautiful.” I told her.

 She blushed and replied, “You look handsome yourself Mr.”

She saw the tie in my hand and quickly rushed over to help me secure it around my neck. We stood side by side and looked at ourselves in the full-length wall mirror that covered one wall.

“We don’t look like slaves.” I pointed out.

“We don’t look like poor slaves.” She corrected me.

I nodded to that.

“I didn’t know one could be treated so well as a slave.” I said.

“You’d be surprised the many forms slavery takes in this world of ours.” She said thoughtfully.

It was bizarre to stand next to this total stranger dressed formally about to go have dinner with my owner. My brain was having trouble reconciling all the events of the past months. I was extremely out of my element now.

“I’m the property of a rich man in Egypt.” I said aloud.

Freya nodded, laughing, and said, “And I’m the slave of a slave of a rich man in Egypt.”

“You’re not my slave.” I pointed out with a frown.

She smiled at me, took my arm, and said, “Well, whatever we are now, at least we look fantastic.”

“We are that.” I agreed with her.

“Shall we go to dinner?” She asked softly.

“Let’s.” I replied.

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