Author's Note: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Takahashi Kazuki and others. This fic is inspired by "Night Ride Across the Caucasus" by Loreena McKennitt and is an entry in the Best Puzzleshipping Story Contest's Song Challenge.

This one-shot is a companion piece to Appearance of the King. You don't have to read that one to understand what is going on in this story - this is a prequel of sorts.

This story is cross-posted on .

"My Prince! My Prince, you must wake immediately!"

The urgent, hushed tones of the elderly gentleman served to startle Atem awake from his fitful slumber. Delirious with exhaustion and confusion, Atem's mind attempted to process the sudden state of wakefulness and why he was being forced to surrender his dreams. Atem's dark eyes landed upon one of his father's oldest advisers, Siamun, and Atem immediately felt his stomach plummet unpleasantly. The fine linen blanket that was covering him was thrown off of his lithe form as he raced to a sitting position. He knew Siamun was bearing bad news. Atem felt his heart quicken its pace in trepidation and his mind began to cloud with panic.

"Is it?"

Siamun nodded, and Atem attempted to unsee the glistening of unshed tears in the elderly man's eyes because it awakened emotions within him he would much rather ignore. Atem wasn't thinking clearly - all he knew was he needed to attend to his father immediately. He cast his gaze around the room to find a pair of sandals - any would do - and became frustrated when one didn't show itself at his whim. He growled in frustration and nearly catapulted himself off of the chaise he had been resting on and ran to the corner that he thought he had thrown them earlier in the evening in a fit of rage. He couldn't remember why he had been angry, but at this moment, it wasn't important. He didn't have time to deal with something as trivial as sandals or even dressing appropriately for someone of his station before leaving his chambers. He knew a slide in protocol would be allowed at such a desperate time.

With a sigh, he located the sandals quickly and slid his feet into them. He didn't bother to secure them to his legs because he knew there wasn't time. Without a further glance towards Siamun, Atem barreled through the doors to his chamber and walked as quickly as he could to his father's chambers. He could hear the slapping of his loose sandals on the sandstone floor and he could feel the ties of his footwear curling around his feet in an attempt to ensnare him and impede his progress. With a sigh of annoyance, he stooped and wrapped the ties haphazardly around his ankles, tying the sandals securely in as hasty a manner as possible. Once finished, he continued on down the corridor.

Akunumkanon was dying.

Atem knew it was the only reason he had been summoned to his father's chambers in the middle of the night. He wanted to hope that this would be a false alarm and that his father would begin to recover from his illness, but deep down, he knew it was impossible. Akunumkanon had been fading for months, and it tortured Atem to see the slow decline of his father in such a drawn out manner. Akunumkanon had attempted to carry on as he always had with his duties as Pharaoh, but everyone knew the display of strength was a façade for the constant pain he was in. When he had finally been forced to take to his bed, everyone knew it was time to begin the preparations for an exchange of power. Atem acted as if Akunumkanon's failing health was just a temporary state. He couldn't deal with the thought of his father going away.

Coming to his father's chambers, Atem once again shirked protocol and entered the room without being announced by the guards standing by. No protests were offered as it seemed every person within the confines of the palace knew the seriousness of the situation. All the available torches in the room had been lit, and in the center of the room rested the hulking form of Akunumkanon on a raised pallet. His head was slightly inclined by a pillow placed beneath him, and Atem could hear the uneven breathing of a man barely clinging to life. All of the high priests surrounded the Pharaoh and lesser priests were chanting the last rites. The high priests, at the sound of someone entering the room, all turned their heads to see who had come. Atem could see Isis smile in relief, though it was short-lived. She beckoned him closer with a nod of her head. Atem took a fortifying breath and approached the pallet as calmly as he could.

Akunumkanon looked older than he had just hours before. His skin, normally so dark, had taken on a grey hue, and his sparse hair usually hidden beneath a black wig was shockingly white. Atem wanted to look away as he didn't want this to be the last image of his father, but he knew it would do little to comfort the dying man. He grasped his father's hand and noted, with alarm, how weak his father grasped his hand. He turned his head slowly to stare into Atem's eyes, and Atem wanted to cry out in fear of seeing them so devoid of life but doing so would be unseemly. A shuttering breath, and then...a loud exhale. The eyes bored into Atem's, but they no longer saw. The hand in his grasp grew slack. The room was silent except for the rustle of linen as everyone bowed in respect to their former ruler. Atem was shocked and just stood there with his father's lifeless hand within his own.

He's dead...he's dead...no...

Atem suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and he startled, dropping his father's hand from his own. He turned to see Akunadin standing beside him, a look of condolence on his features. "My Pharaoh-"

"What?" Atem quickly blurted, not used to having this title attached to him.

"We must begin the preparations," Akunadin continued, unphased by Atem's utterance. "You must begin making the arrangements for your coronation. Let Seto take you back to your chambers to rest and we will attend to you in the morning." Akunadin motioned for the blue-eyed priest to approach, though Atem hardly noticed Seto's presence.

"Come, my Pharaoh," Seto beckoned in a low tone.

Atem's eyes slid towards Seto, blazing in anger. "Do not call me that!" he lashed out.

All of the priests glanced at each other, and Seto had the decency to look contrite. Only Akunadin appeared annoyed with his new pharaoh's unseemly display of emotion and opened his mouth to say just so, but Isis spoke before he could.

"It is alright, my Prince," her voice was calm and assuring. "It is much to take in, and I know you are overwhelmed. Rest will take the sting of grief away."

Atem was mollified by Isis and her calm demeanor. He nodded numbly, a lump in his throat forming to help stay the tide of grief from consuming him. He couldn't show this weakness in front of his high priests. He would allow Seto to escort him to his chambers and then, when he was finally alone, would he allow himself to bow to the power of his tears. He turned toward the door to communicate his assent, and he walked towards the entrance to his father's chambers with Seto not far behind.

"Siamun, summon the embalmers and announce that we are now in mourning. The palace doors must be closed. No one must see the new Pharaoh and no one is to be allowed to enter or leave the palace," Akunadin's commanding voice floated to Atem's ears.

Atem could feel the icy cold grip of fear on his heart. He wasn't ready for any of this. He couldn't be Pharaoh...he was too young. He didn't know enough about statecraft to be a worthy ruler of the greatest empire known to man. Most of all, he didn't want to preside over his father's funeral. The thought of having to live with this crushing grief with no outlet for it for seventy days while his father's body was prepared for burial was too much. Without a second thought, Atem began running down the corridor. He heard the surprised shout of Seto, but he ignored it. He needed to get out of the palace before the doors were closed for good.

He didn't know where he would go. All he knew was he needed to escape. He could hear the high priests calling out his name, and as tears clouded his vision, Atem decided to take his favorite horse into the desert. He made his way to the royal stables, alarming the horse hands with his arrival. He didn't bother to allow them to saddle his horse as he knew he was racing against the time it would take for the doors to the palace to close. Digging his heels urgently into the horse's sides, he took off through the stables and out into the main courtyard. He could see the tall double doors attached to sandstone walls in front of him still standing wide. Guards stood by, but it became clear that they weren't sure what was going on for not one bothered to stop Atem's erratic progress out of the palace.

"Shut the doors!" Atem heard the order screeched as he crossed the threshold from the palace into the city.

He was free. Tears began to fall freely as he wound his way through the quiet and narrow streets of the city. He wanted to lend voice to his anguish, but he didn't want to alert anyone to his whereabouts. He was sure a search party would be sent for him once Akunadin received word that he had escaped the palace. He leaned into his horse's mane, and let the soft hair muffle his quiet sobs. He could feel the tears coursing hotly down his cheeks, his body aflame from the effort he undertook to leave. He barely paid attention to his surroundings, trusting his horse to take him where he wanted to go.

After a few more minutes of inconsolable tears, Atem looked up to see nothing but black surrounding him. He knew now he was in the desert. Above him, thousands of stars glittered in the midnight sky. His horse had slowed from a run to a jaunty canter, and Atem allowed his horse this momentary lapse of speed to recover. A cold wind whipped around him, raising goosebumps across his flesh. He wished in his haste that he had grabbed a cloak, but he didn't want to go back. He would have to make due with the thin linen he wore and rely on his horse to provide him with some measure of heat. He shivered involuntarily as his eyes trailed up to the stars. The silence did little to calm his raging emotions - instead, he felt incredibly small and lost in the vastness of the desert and seemingly never-ending sky. Everything in his life felt out of his control, and it was a feeling he didn't like much at all. Tears sprang to his eyes once more.

"Father..." he whispered.

He knew Akunumkanon would be disappointed in him at this moment. His father had always expected so much from him, and it was his quiet disappointment that often hurt more than any raw display of anger ever could. Atem knew his father would never have wanted him to run from his duty and responsibility, but Atem also felt that Akunumkanon often saw more in Atem than he himself saw. His father always believed in the best in his son, and Atem could barely live with the thought that his father would be so disapproving of him. All the more reason for me to leave. Let someone else who is better suited be Pharaoh.

He urged his horse into a slightly quicker pace as he wrapped his arms around him in an attempt to keep what little warmth he had to himself. He had no idea where he would be going, but he hoped that somewhere, there would be a place for him to rest and survive the cold, unforgiving desert.

Yuugi sat by a large bonfire, his belly pleasantly full from the supper he had just consumed. It wasn't anything incredibly fancy - meals on long journeys generally weren't full of pomp and circumstance as many a feast he had attended - but it filled him all the same. The members of his travelling party were merry, their laughter ringing through the still night air. Yuugi couldn't help but smile at their revelry as he pulled his cloak tighter around him. He knew he should get to sleep as they would press on at the break of dawn, but he didn't want to withdraw from such a warm fire. Besides, he mused, it would be difficult to sleep when his party was so loud in their laughter, song, and music. He didn't begrudge them their rejoicing at all for he much enjoyed the music and singing. Everyone had much to celebrate for their journey was a happy one and at the end of it, Yuugi would be bringing his new bride home.

A whinny from a horse in the darkness beyond the flame silenced the party for a few moments as they listened to hear where the noise had come from. Yuugi could make out the muffled sound of hooves in the sand and knew someone was approaching their camp. He saw the men in his party exchange glances before setting aside their instruments for war implements to protect their charge. Yuugi was a little alarmed at the sudden change in mood, but was fairly certain there was only one person approaching based on the sound emitting from the horse. He doubted one person could stand up to twenty men on his own.

A beautiful chestnut colored horse came cantering into the halo of light the flame cast, and Yuugi could see one of the well defined legs of its rider. Every other bit of his physical features was shrouded by the night. Yuugi rose from his seated position, curiosity overriding any other possible emotion he could or should be having at this moment.

"Who goes there?" one of the men shouted.

"Just a stranger looking for a bit of warmth." The voice was baritone though it held a hint of barely contained sadness.

Before any of his men could reply, Yuugi spoke up. "He is welcome to my hearth."

"But..." one began.

Yuugi held up a hand to silence him. "It is clear he means no harm. I wish to provide him with what he desires." Yuugi then addressed the stranger. "Please, sir, you are welcome to join me."

He watched as the stranger dismounted from the horse and more of his figure was revealed in the firelight. Yuugi immediately noticed he was ill-prepared for travel in the desert, and it piqued his curiosity even further. He could make out sparkling eyes, though it was still too dark to discern their color, and sun-kissed skin. He could tell that the linen shift the man wore was fine, but there were no other ornaments to denote a status of any kind. Yuugi bowed to the man, lowering his eyes briefly to the sand in deference before raising them again to see how the man responded. The man also bowed, though his eyes remained straight ahead. Yuugi immediately noticed that the young man didn't sink lower than him, and he found himself going through possibilities in regards to the man's social status.

These musings were short lived as Yuugi watched the youth approach him. Arms were crossed with hands grasping biceps, and Yuugi could see a slight tremor. The man was freezing. Yuugi wondered what had happened that had forced this man out into the unforgiving chill of the desert in the middle of the night with nothing to keep him warm. Everyone knew the nights were cold enough to kill without the proper clothing. Yuugi undid the clasp at his neck and unfurled his cloak from around his shoulders to present to the man when he came closer. The man looked at the proffered garment with some suspicion, and Yuugi smiled warmly.

"Please, put it on. It is clear you are quite chilled."

"I would not wish to deprive you-"

Yuugi waved his concern away with a movement of his hand. "It is nothing. I have plenty of cloaks with me. Make yourself comfortable. Would you care for something to eat? I admit the fare may not be worthy of a feast, but it will satiate."

The stranger shook his head, his golden bangs flying away from his face in the movement. Yuugi departed briefly to fetch a cloak and returned again while clasping it around his shoulders. The music and singing had begun again, much to Yuugi's delight. He was glad to see the young man sitting by the fire, the red cloak wrapped tightly around his form. Yuugi took a moment to admire the man, aware that he found this stranger exquisite. His form was slim but strong, and the man had walked with a self-possessed grace. He could sense a sort of wary confidence in this man, but he noticed above all things, a melancholy air. The form was bowed over, huddling within the folds of the wool to warm as quickly as possible. Yuugi felt pity for this man. With that thought, he approached the young man and cleared his throat. The stranger glanced up at him, his eyes appearing empty. Yuugi felt his heart quicken in concern for this youth sitting before him.

"May I join you?" Yuugi asked.

The youth nodded. "I would not presume to deny you that request when you have been so hospitable."

Yuugi settled himself beside the stranger, hardly aware that his closeness could be considered untoward to those who may witness it. Fortunately for him, all of his men were engaged with singing and dancing. Yuugi watched them for a few moments, enjoying the display. When he drew his gaze away and to the youth, he saw that the young man was staring into the flame and his sober countenance was unfazed by the joy surrounding him. Despite not knowing him, Yuugi felt a pang of empathy in his breast and he endeavored to discover what was bothering this young man and what he could do to alleviate it.

"I hope I am not being too forward when I inquire as to the reason you are travelling at night without anything but the clothes you are wearing?"

The young man shrugged his shoulders. "I...made a hasty departure."

"Are you in danger?" Yuugi asked, clearly concerned. He couldn't imagine what sort of problem the young man found himself embroiled in that would risk a deadly trek into the desert.

Yuugi received an inelegant snort in response. "Hardly. I..." a pause and Yuugi watched as the young man rose his face to the sky, his eyes blinking furiously. He realized it was to stem the flow of tears. "I have lost...my father."

"Oh...I am sorry. How long ago?"

The young man's gaze returned to the flames, and it was evident to Yuugi that was continuing to struggle to keep his composure. "Tonight. If he could see me now, he would be so disappointed as I am shirking my responsibilities. But how could I ever measure up to him? I...I feel so alone..."

Yuugi reached out and tentatively placed his hand on a shoulder in an attempt to comfort the young man. He could feel his own heart breaking for this young man's grief. He continued to witness the young man's struggle to maintain the dam on his tears, and Yuugi knew he needed to give him permission to express his emotions. "Do not hold it in...it will hurt all the more. No one will judge you for expressing your heartache."

The words were what he needed to hear. With an explosive sob, fat tears flowed with abundance down his dusky cheeks, and his body shivered with the ferocity of his lamentation. He leaned into Yuugi, and Yuugi responded by wrapping his arms around the youth. He tried to find a comfortable position for his head, and decided that resting his chin on the young man's head would have to suffice. As he laid his chin upon the young man's head, he inhaled deeply and discovered the spicy sweet scent of cinnamon among his ebony locks. It was intoxicating. He held the man close to him, allowing him to cry as much as he needed. Yuugi began stroking the young man's head and biceps, murmuring in comforting tones. He was sure the nonsense words weren't going to be noticed, but the quality of his vocalizations would soothe the young man.

Yuugi was attracted to the man. He was not only physically beautiful from what he could tell in the dim lighting, but he knew this was a soul that had a keen awareness of emotion. Despite this vulnerable moment, he sensed an undercurrent of strength. Yuugi wanted this moment to last, holding this man close to him was bringing him so much pleasure. But he knew this was to be a brief moment. He didn't know who this person was or where he was from. Most importantly, Yuugi had a duty to his country to marry. Still, he would take pleasure in these moments and hope that this young man would leave feeling at peace. His sobs subsided, leaving him quivering in Yuugi's embrace. Yuugi squeezed him unconsciously, hoping some of his fondness for the youth was felt.

"Do you feel a little better?" A slow nod. "I am glad. If I may be so bold...though I do not know you well, I have a feeling that you are right. Your father would be disappointed that you have left intending to leave your life behind." He felt the young man wince, but Yuugi barreled on. "But I am also sure he is understanding of your uncertainty. I sense in you a strength that is unusual. You did, after all, make it to this camp without freezing!"

The young man rose to a seated position, breaking Yuugi's embrace. Yuugi felt disappointed with the lack of contact and found himself wanting more, but he held himself in check. He didn't want to impose on the young man. His eyes still swam with tears, and there was a ruddiness to his cheeks that further endeared him to Yuugi. Yuugi smiled.

"I do not know your father, but I am sure he saw in you the strength to endure. Yes, his absence is painful, but that means you loved him and he returned that love. He has given you one of the greatest gifts a person can bestow upon another - the ability to care for others so deeply. I wish I could tell you the pain will go away...it will not. His legacy will live on in your ability to give that love as freely as he did to you."

They sat still for a moment, gazing upon each other. The revelry of Yuugi's companions felt so far away and served as distant background noise to this moment. The young man leaned forward and kissed Yuugi firmly on the lips. Yuugi's eyes widened in surprise, but then they closed as he wrapped his arms around the young man's shoulders, drawing him closer. Yuugi could feel his heart fluttering in delight at the contact and a little moan escaped from his mouth. He could sense the desperation in the young man's kiss, and he returned it in earnest, hoping that his attraction to the young man was evident in the contact. Suddenly, the young man pulled away, and Yuugi opened his eyes to see shock in the young man's eyes.

"I apologize..." the young man whispered.

"There is no need," Yuugi's voice was breathless.

"I thank you for your hospitality. I should...I should make my way back. I must take up what I left behind."

Yuugi was startled. "So quickly?"

The young man stood, unclasping the cloak from his shoulders, letting it flutter into Yuugi's arms. "Yes. You reminded me that my father is still with me...and it is his love that will provide me the strength and guidance I will need to face the days ahead."

Yuugi nodded with a smile and watched as the young man mounted his horse and took off through the night once more. He hoped he had made a difference in this man's life, and he hoped, though it was a small one, to see him again. He lifted the cloak to his face and inhaled deeply, pleased to smell cinnamon lingering among the folds.