It wasn't a very good day. Not that any day in the past few years has been but today was particularly bad. A long string of events led to an avalanche of disasters.

Bear in mind that I am the fifth son. The fifth prince... I am not much more than a decoration at social events and affairs of state. I am a diplomat at times, but generally my father and mother find the most ridiculous errands to send me on, keeping me out of the way and out of trouble. I am bored, but more than that, I have nothing to look forward to. I find it amusing sometimes to make trouble just to break the tedium of my own life. I will never have land of my own, and I will never have a position of power in this family.

And that is what happened yesterday and today. Yesterday, I was told to purchase slaves for my father's vineyards. So I did. I bought them and then had them delivered. I carefully selected everyone even paid extra for a few really healthy ones. This morning they were delivered and my father was madder than I have ever seen him. The slaves were all female.

My mother raged on and on about how I was selfish and how I probably purchased them for my own pleasure, but I swear that wasn't my intention. I really was just kidding and I thought I would bring them back today. However according to my mother, that would not be the wise thing to do. Instead half will go to my brother's estate up north and the other half I am to take to the temples of Aphrodite, Poseidon and Apollo.

I hate the temple. I hate the priests who are daft and without any shred of decency and I hate the priestesses who think they are so much better than all of us. It is a den of hypocrisy and sex at the highest cost.

I do not relish what I must do today. But if I am to eat ever again, I think I had better obey.