V.E.: At the moment, I am currently at a standstill with my Blue Eyes Cinderella story, so for the most part I've been getting ideas for oneshots. I've already mentioned one of Mahad and Mana in a siblinglike bond in my Mummy story.

Then I got this idea to do something with Aknamkamon and Aknadin. I guess felt a little confused by some of the things in the Memory world(in anime) due to my somewhat okay knowledge of ancient cultures.

Maybe I also did this to figure out Aknadin a little. Don't get me wrong, in most of my stories involving Ancient Egypt he will be the antagonist and he is horrible for what he did at Kul Elna and with Kisara. At the same time, everything he did in the past he did out of love for his son; a crazy twisted psychotic love, but love nonetheless. So I can't completely hate him.

Siblings. You love them, you hate them. You respect them, you resent them. This is the nature of every sibling relationship in the world and certainly did not exclude Aknadin and his older brother's relationship.

Aknadin pondered this statement thoroughly. It certainly summed as his life as he recalled everything he and his brother had gone through to the present day.

XXX

His father, the past pharaoh, was well known for his love of women and pleasure along with a neglect for governing his country. Aknadin felt no ties to him even as a child. He was a failure as a pharaoh, a husband, and a father. This was one thing he and Aknamkamon agreed on wholeheartedly.

Aknadin had six brothers, half-brothers in fact, all from different mothers. Yet the only one he ever felt anything for was Aknamkamon.

Nothing at the beginning of their lives would suggest that either of them would have ever gotten along. History wouldn't have guessed it nor would optimists would. The two were quite literally opposites.

These opposites were certainly reflected in their mothers, who hated each other with a particular dislike from the rest of the wives of the harem. Aknamkamon's mother was a foreigner and made a political marriage to secure trading relations while Aknadin's mother was the daughter of an Egyptian general who didn't like.

Each mother certainly had influenced her son likewise, his brother was a born negotiator and peace maker while he himself was better at battle strategies.

Shimon had once remarked how both of them needed each other. That it was necessary that both of them helped govern Egypt. Aknadin truthfully did not understand what he meant, but he got the feeling his brother did not that he really cared.

Despite these differences, perhaps it was their closeness in age that drew them together. Born within less than a year of each other, they were the closest of the seven princes in age. Even though their mothers had discouraged the friendship, Aknadin still recalled sneaking around the palace with his brother and getting into trouble as a team.

Years went by and the two matured, but they still remained close even as the former pharaoh could not get up out of bed. His death was hardly a loss, but it left so many problems for Egypt from the pharaoh's neglect and there was still more to come.

When their father was hardly sealed in his tomb, the princes started arguing with each other furiously. The problem of succession had always been going on under the surface, but now it was dragged in to the open. It eventually erupted into a civil war that had gripped the entire country.

He couldn't deny it did appealed to him at the time. Him as pharaoh, ruling over all of Egypt. And yet he sided with his brother in the conflict, when it finally ended with him bowing to his brother on the throne.

Akandin realized as much he resents Aknamkamon and his underappreciated role as one of the king's advisors, he could no more cut ties with his brother as he could cut off his own leg. Despite everything, he loved his brother.

XXXX

"Akandin?"

Akandin snapped out of his thoughts to find his brother looking at him curiously.

"You seem pensive Brother."

Aknadin smiled as he resumed watching Seto giving Atem a lesson in swordsmanship. In other words, his son was winning against his cousin and seemed to take some pride in it. It was certainly a familiar scene.

"I was just remember a similar occurrence the first time I tried to teach you how to use a sword."

Aknamkamon shook his head with a smile.

"That was certainly a disaster. Though to be honest, you didn't seem very sorry about me landing in the pool…"

Aknadin smirked.

"Not my fault you spent your time in the library instead of learning to fight as you should have."

"WHOA!"

The young prince had fallen to the ground on his back with a thud as Seto raised his sword to the middle of Atem's chest.

"Still feel like getting up?"

Atem shook his head.

"No, I think my but is sore enough for today. Same time tomorrow?"

Seto shook his head in amusement, but put down his sword and offered his hand which Atem took as the young priest helped the prince steady himself up.

It was then Aknadin realized another similarity between him and his brother.

Perhaps as a result of their father(in an attempt to be as least like him as possible), Aknamkamon no longer kept a harem in the palace which was no small issue with the rest of the noble families with eligible daughters. Aknadin, however, didn't mind due to the expense of the harem which could now be put to better use help governing Egypt.

Both brothers had chosen only one women to love and give their hearts to(though who each fell in love with was hardly the ideal choice for a member of royalty). Both had stayed faithful and had one son by the woman they loved.

And both brothers were bound to lose their loves and would cling to their son(whether they knew it or not) to this life in order to not lose themselves in their grief.

V.E.: Okay looking back, I have to say this was a much better idea in my head. At the same time, I feel compelled to write about the two half-brothers and the women who would become Seto and Atem's mothers. Maybe it's because there is so little said on them and I could do whatever I wanted with them and no one could complain about it.

The idea of the civil war came from the Story of Saiunkoku, which is a favorite anime/manga of mine. As stated in a book I once read, "There is no example of a polygamous marriage in the Bible ever turning out well!" To any non-Christians and those who say otherwise, please don't flame.

One of the things that puzzled me was the lack of a harem. It was common in ancient cultures for a king to have many wives and concubines. As a result, there was obviously a lot of children. Yet Atem is an only child and the only mention of other family he had was his uncle and his cousin(though unknown to him at the time) This is my way of explaining it.

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Despite how I feel, please review.