Games of chance.

A moment or two and she had an idea, preforming a physical gesture along with it. She turned and walked back into the palace, out of her room, and down the stairs to a near-empty throne room. An echo bounced about the walls of the main pyramid structure, "Steward! Oh steward!" Another echo of heels clicking on solid stone floor at a fast pace responded.

Just then a small woman dressed in similarly skimpy, but yet not as fancy or valuable, cloth robes came trotting into the throne room. Ekibe had been sitting upon her golden throne, gazing at her manicured nails as the young woman bent over to catch her breath. After a couple of seconds she rose, revealing her cute, tan face topped with an ebony black bob. Most of her legs and arms were exposed as well as her midrif, showing off her beautiful crystal blue line tattoos. She clutched a tablet to her modest, perky, c-cup breasts and gazed up at her royal highness, Princess Ekibe of the Scorching Sands.

"Steward, I-"

"It's Miu, uh ma'am...," she corrected timidly.

Ekibe's faced showed minor distain, "Steward I wa-"

"I-i-it would actually b-be, stewardess...your highness?"

Miu visibly shook with fear under the gaze of the now annoyed princess. She then looked back at her nails, deciding Miu was beneath her and unworthy of her ire. "Steward. I am horribly bored. So! I think it would be great to go gambling in the casino district. Assemble the guards, maids, and my chariot immediately."

"Yes your highness," Miu answered before bowing and heading back down the long halls of the main structure. As she did, she scoweled and cursed Ekibe's name under breath. She was a far different person in the face of the princess than the staff, who she violently ordered in order to blow off steam. She was still a caring person and made sure to aid any staff member of the palace, she would need theirs if she were to ever finally get the chance to overthrow the tyrant she hated so.

Ekibe slowly strolled out of the throne room and down several halls to get out into the entry gardens of the place where her entourage waited at the stable. Ten armed guards stood at attention along with a handful of maids with various foods stuffed into sacks except for one which contained silver platters and bowls. Miu was among them and rushed to the princess, keeping her head down as she spoke quietly into her ear. "Ma'am...it turns out the entrance to the casino district is closed for reconstruction..."

"Ughhhh! FINE! We'll take the long way around to the back end of the Gilded Strip."

"B-b-but your highness. Your uh chariot won't be able to...fit on those roads."

Ekibe stopped and slowly turned to her stewardess leaning over her cowering figure and spoke softly. "Then get my palanquin and we'll go that way." She looked around the gardens to see some laborers milling about; some old and some young, but all were poor servants who trecked by foot to the palace everyday from the slums. "You there," she called to gain their attention, "All of you will carry me through the streets on my palanquin. You can finish your work here when I am done." The gardeners sighed before sauntering over to the stables where more servants were retrieving the lady's ride.

Many men and women were pushed aside to make room for the guards leading her highness' golden throne held high by eighteen tired men while Ekibe failed to acknowledge any of her onlookers. The gambling district, known as the Gilded Strip, zigzagged through the city from the slums to the merchant quarter to the high end district and the casinos follow the trend as well.

The princess dared not to even grant the lower gambling dens with her gaze, mostly bars filled with seedy people and cutthroats. In the merchant district she at least looked at the modest restaurants hosting several games on the waterfront, but they failed to capture her interest. It was the grand casinos of the high end that she glanced about with glee and excitement. Large buildings connected by gardens, inns, and fancy bars lined the cobbled street. There was an arena in the corner hosted fights as well as horse and chariot races. But the crown jewel of it all was the Five Corners casino, a large pyramid with gardens at its sides and fountains guarding the stairs leading inside.

The princess' entourage halted and some guards aided her down as a well dressed man stood at the door. Another man came to his side, "Sir is that the princess?"

"I believe it is my boy."

"How much do you think we'll get out of her?"

"I don't know. She's quite the spender, but her fortune is huge and constantly growing. Then again she tends to not give up until she gets what she wants...no matter the cost. Whatever happens though," the other said with a grin," I'll make sure she never wins." He laughed and headed back into the casino, but not before speaking once more. "Tell everyone to fix the decks, dice, and anything else. That bitch is going to get what's coming to her..."