Crimson eyes opened to greet the new day, Ra making his way upwards slowly. He slipped from his bed to find that he was already dressed; had he fallen asleep after a party? He did not look disheveled. He was in pristine condition; kohl perfectly applied, all of his jewelry affixed to his wrists, arms, legs, and his headdress resting perfectly underneath the crown of blonde bangs.

He stood, slipping on his flats, and moving towards the window. His people were already up and moving about. Some noticed the young Pharaoh on the balcony, stopping to bow and wave with happy smiles. Atem could only wave back, with a soft greeting that only he'd be able to hear from such distance away. As he continued to look over his great land, he caught the eyes of one blue-eyed Priest.

Seth smiled, lowering his head in a soft bow. To this Atem could only smile back. The priest looked back up, his eyes moving over two white horses drinking from a fountain. His eyes sent the invitation Atem had been waiting for all his life. The young Pharaoh rushed down from his palace, skipping down the stairs as fast as he could possibly go, ignoring the calls of his Sacred Court. This was his time now, this was it.

He finally made it outside, the sun in the sky above, kissing his already bronzed skin as he made his way to the fountain he'd seen Seth resting at. Though his priest was nowhere to be found, one of the horses missing. Atem hopped up onto the other, nudging it slightly to get it to move. He took the reigns in a tight hold, trying to pick out where Seth might have run off to. Had he misread him?

Atem finally spotted a wisp of white hair, the horse's tail trailing behind a building and into an alley. He nudged the horse's sides a little harder, getting it to move to full gallop. A chase? Atem's heart was nearly beating out of his chest. He followed Seth through the alleyway, gaining inches on him by the moments until they broke out into the desert.

The more practical side of him thought he should have grabbed a canteen of some sort; going out into the desert without any water was a fool thing to do. But with Seth so close he could only follow the other. Seth seemed to have a destination in mind and Atem was determined to see this chase out to the end. His cape fluttering harshly behind him as the horse picked up speed on its own, he had to hold on tighter.

The Priest looked back, a secret hidden in those azure depths, the smile not revealing a thing. But that only drove Atem's curiosity further, and he gripped tighter, ecstasy flowing through his veins. A blinding light stopped him for a moment, as if Ra had come down from his stead to punish the Pharaoh for his thoughts.

The Pharaoh and the High Priest?

This was a dance not allowed. This was taboo. This was breaking the law. It was one of the biggest reasons Atem was reluctant to go anywhere near his High Priest. He loved Seth, but would never danger the man's job or standing just because of his feelings. He cared too much about Seth.

But here now, following the other over the hot sands of the desert, his mind was blank. He just wanted to reach out and grab for the other.

The light died down, and he was finally able to see. Seth had dismounted from his horse, standing in the middle of the wide open grains, hands resting gently at his sides. Atem jumped from his horse when it had slowed down enough and moved to him.

"Why have you brought me out here?" His tone was not angry at all, and even if his words could have been misconstrued, his smile was too bright for anger.

"You followed me here, my Pharaoh." Seth's hand was quick to move to Atem's cheek.

Contact- and it was enough to send Atem's mind into a tizzy.

Seth leaned in, Atem's eyes closed; and underneath the Gods above, they kissed. Sweet and gentle, their love meeting for the first time. He felt Seth hold him around the waist, and he leaned up on his tip-toes to kiss harder, he needed more. Seth could only oblige his King, parting the younger's lips with his tongue, twining softly.

Atem's breath caught in his throat, never having experienced such a thing, and he wasn't sure where Seth may have either. The Priest's vow was one of chastity, but the dizzy fog in his mind made it too hard to care about such things. Atem's hands clutched at Seth's shirt, willing for more, but the Priest backed away.

"Pharaoh, open your eyes." He nudged with another soft kiss, this one chaste.

Atem heeded his call, the haze taking a moment to clear before a gasp moved from his throat. Ahead and all around the desert had filled with flowers of every color, in full bloom. "Seth how-"

"Please…" Suddenly the Priest's voice was completely sullen. Atem found himself wrapped in the others embrace. "You always liked the flowers, yourself a delicate one about to bloom had he only been given the chance.."

"What…"

"Pharaoh-.. Atem, please, let me… I can't…" Tears fell from the others lashes onto Atem's skin. He could only reach back up, wrapping his arms around to try and comfort the other.

"Tell me what is going on."

Seth muffled a choked sob. "You're going to leave me, soon, my Pharaoh."

Flashes of blood and cries of soldiers fallen intruded his mind. He suddenly found his strength gone, falling to his knees-

Or he would have, had Seth not been there to catch and cradle him. His stomach was covered in blood, suddenly in too much pain to bear. "Seth, it … hurts, I…" Atem's voice hoarse, and tearstained.

The priest laid his Pharaoh down on the sand, still holding him, tears ceasing to fall. "My magic is fading, I am wounded too but I just wanted…" He kissed Atem once more, this one lasting- something to be remembered. "I wanted to see you before you left me."

Atem's being began to dissolve in Seth's hold, which only caused him to hold tighter, not ready to accept fate. "Pharaoh-!" It was a loud cry. "…I have and always will love you; forever."

Atem disappeared.

Back on the battlefield Seth dropped the Sennen Rod to the ground, on his knees by his lord. Atem's entire consciousness gone, locked within the smashed pieces of the puzzle. He wept openly, hand holding Atem's, trying to fool himself into finding life in the cold skin.

"Forever, Atem; my Pharaoh, my love.."