Author's Note: Here's to starting the new year on a good note! As mentioned, this is a rewrite of a former story. As a forewarning to those of you who read the first one, the main character's name was changed as well as a few others.

The sun filtered through the crack in the curtain, leaving a golden line on the floor of the chariot between the feet of its two inhabitants. On one side, a girl sat with her head bowed over her lap. The heavily jeweled hood of her cloak hid her face as she watched her fingers entwine. Across from her, her sister stared at the expensive trappings of their ride, from the rich fabric of the curtains to the jewels around the small window. She shook her head in wonder, causing her hood to fall off her free flowing hair. She tucked some of the black strands behind her ear.

"You're going to be the queen of Egypt, Rashida! The queen!"

Rashida lifted her head to look at her sister from under the edge of her hood. Her lips, which had been pressed together in nervousness, relaxed and she smiled. "So I will be," she concurred.

"You'll get to go everywhere in this. Think of how regal you'll look."

"That will mean nothing to me unless Atem is as good a husband as he is a Pharaoh."

"Of course he will be. When was the last time we saw him, five or six years ago? He was kind then, wasn't he?"

"Aria, that was years ago. That was before his father died, before he had the whole of Egypt resting on his shoulders. Ra knows how that's changed him."

Aria saw something akin to fear in Rashida's face. Feeling sympathy, she leaned forward and grasped her sister's hands in her own. "It will be okay," she said, rubbing her thumb along the life line of Rashida's palm. "Even if Atem has become different, you're a strong woman with an endearing personality. You'll be able to soften him and make him love you, and if you can't, I know you'll be able to endure any hardness. But I think you fear nothing but a made up shadow."

The girls felt the chariot stop and were startled by the explosion of sun in the small area when the door opened. A servant appeared and bowed low to them. "The royal palace, my ladies," he said when he rose. "His Majesty awaits your presence with your mother and father in the throne room." He proffered a hand to help them down.

When both had stepped onto the stone groundwork, he bowed once more and beckoned for them to follow him. Behind them, the golden Great Door closed with a deadened thud. Rashida felt fear and excitement growing in her chest with every step that brought them closer to the long awaited meeting. When they stood in front of the entrance to the throne room, the servant turned to them.

"When you are ready, my ladies."

Aria tucked a few stray strands of Rashida's hair back into the bun behind her head, and in turn, Rashida ran her fingers through Aria's hair, laying it over her shoulders. Pleased with her sister's appearance, she took a deep breath, clasped her hands in front of her, and nodded for the door to be opened. The separation of the two halves seemed to take forever. When they stood on either side of the doorframe, the girls walked in, Aria following after Rashida. Their black hair reflected the candlelight as they walked. Their identical blue eyes were fixed on the figure at the end of the hall; the man sitting on the throne. As they drew closer, he stood and both girls gasped as they beheld their pharaoh up close. Around his wrists and upper arms were bands of gold, shining out against his tanned skin. His white tunic draped attractively by his knees and from the waist to the hem hung another piece of fabric of light blue shade. His ankles were wrapped in matching gold bands. He wore a dark blue cloak that provided a nice backdrop for his body. His tri-colored hair framed his face, which looked down on them kindly.

When the two had reached his feet, they curtsied and held their position until he had stepped in front of them and told them to rise. He regarded first Aria and then Rashida in almost a curious manner. He gave the younger of the two a kiss on the forehead and took Rashida's hands, kissing them lightly.

"You may greet your parents," he said, motioning to the two people on the left side of his throne. Rashida breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her mother; that ever soothing presence made her relax. She checked the urge to run to her mother; she walked at a stately pace, but her face must have shown her true desires because Ankhta laughed and opened her arms to embrace her daughters.

"How was your journey?" she asked after Rashida had detangled herself.

"It was fine, thank you mother. I'm glad to see you again."

"And you. But these past two weeks of discussions have led to good results. Go see His Majesty; he has been very anxious to meet you again."

With an encouraging push, Rashida returned to where Atem stood. His warm smile eased her discomfort and she returned it easily. After giving her another caress across her fingers, he brought her to the huddle of individuals standing on the right side of his throne. He introduced them as his priests and priestesses, and each one made an obeisance to her. The high priestess, Isis, flashed the girl the smallest look of friendliness before moving back to her position.

When the last priest had bowed, Atem faced Rashida again. "Was the carriage to your liking?" he asked. "I made sure to send my best one for you."

"It was comfortable, thank you, Your Majesty. I think my sister enjoyed it as well."

Atem laughed. "That's good. It will be yours for whatever you wish. Consider it one of my wedding gifts to you." At the mention the wedding, he became serious again. "As I said to your father, I want to apologize for making you wait so long for your marriage. It certainly wasn't fair to you to make you wait on my indecisiveness. In truth, it should have happened years ago, but…"

Rashida nodded in understanding. "It wasn't trouble for me at all, I promise you. It gave me a few more years to be with my parents and my siblings, which I appreciate. I thank you for choosing me in the end."

"I wouldn't have chosen anyone else, Rashida. You were always meant to be my wife. It's what my father wanted when he lived and it's what I've always wanted. If it weren't for the matters of the country, you would have been already. But enough! You have traveled long and must be hungry. Come, I've laid a dinner out in honor of your arrival." He held out an arm and she touched it lightly with her fingers and the two of them led a procession from the room.

It was a small affair that took place in the pharaoh's private dining chamber. That was to be expected; it was, after all, only the engagement, not the wedding itself. The ruler sat at the head of the table, straight-backed, but relaxed in the small replica of his throne. He had wrapped his dark blue cloak around his shoulders, despite the blazing fire in the room, and it rustled slightly as he moved his hands in time with the music. A jovial smile played on his lips.

"Do you remember when you used to come here as a child, Rashida?"

Beside him, the girl replaced the goblet on the table. A servant came up behind her and filled it again. "I remember it well, Your Majesty," she said, smiling at the memory. "I remember that we had a set up all to ourselves too. You sat at the head, like your father did at the larger table, and the rest of us sat around you. But, as I recall, you weren't very good at keeping your subjects in check." She laughed as she reminisced about the time when her siblings had wandered from the table that Atem had ruled over, despite his command to sit.

"I've become better at that," Atem retorted, pretending to be miffed by his failed ruling at the table. "As I recall, you sat at my right hand then as well."

Rashida lowered her eyes and they fell into a comfortable silence.

Atem turned his attention to the other people in the room. On his left sat his aunt and uncle, engaged in a whispered conversation. He watched them curiously until he decided it was better to let them have their privacy. As he looked around the room, he found himself caught by the piercing gaze of his younger cousin, Aria. He was unnerved, feeling like her eyes were sharp units of blue ice, stabbing into his soul. He returned her stare until he couldn't handle it anymore. When he glanced in her direction again, Aria was speaking with one of the priestesses. When she noticed his interest in her, she gave him a respectful nod of the head. Atem thought that perhaps the moment had only been in his imagination. His scrutiny of the dining hall continued until it returned to the girl sitting on his right. He was pleasantly surprised to see her staring back. The blue of her eyes was much warmer and sparkled happily. When they met, the girl looked down, as if ashamed to be caught gaping at him. Despite the demure show, he caught a hint of a smile. He leaned over, placing his hand on the table near where hers rested.

"How are you feeling, Rashida?"

"I'm well, Your Majesty. I was just admiring your-!" She bit her lip and lowered her gaze again. The coloring on her cheeks this time was more than just the makeup that had been applied hours before.

The pharaoh chuckled. It was light and airy, and seemed to echo off of the ceiling. It sent a wave of cheer into Rashida's heart and she felt herself grinning again, the way a child would with a new toy. She raised her eyes again to find him looking at her, amused.

"What do you find so funny, Your Majesty?" she asked

He snaked a hand out to stroke her cheek gently. He opened his mouth to respond but, after furtively glancing around the room, he motioned for her to come closer. Rashida pressed her lips together in a small smirk and stared at him for a further second, as if considering whether to obey. But who was she to disregard the Pharaoh of Egypt? She pushing herself out of her seat and kneeled by his feet at his bidding, lifting her face to see his.

Leaning over her, he declared, "Rashida, you and I are to be married in two months' time. I know we haven't seen each other as often as we perhaps should have, but know that you should be comfortable saying whatever you like to me." He grabbed her hands that she had unknowingly placed on his lap and kissed her forehead. "You shall have a power over me that no other woman ever will and anything you have to say will be appreciated or forgiven. Now… what was it you were going to say before?"

"Anything, Your Majesty?"

"Anything. And to you, I am Atem. There's no need for formalities between us."

Rashida repeated his name a few times and with the name came a feeling of familiarity from years before. A change seemed to come over her, transforming her from a meek girl sitting in front of the pharaoh to a young woman sharing secrets with an old friend. She reached out and touched the fabric of his cloak, which had fallen off his shoulder, exposing his arm. The gold band glistened in the candlelight.

"Well, Your… Atem… I had been admiring your face, to be honest. I don't think I've seen a man's face so handsome before. It is as though the gods came and personally molded you. Your clothes are very well fitted on your body and any woman would swoon at you as soon as look at you. And I was watching the muscles in your arms while you moved your hands and I wondered what they would look like if you were doing… other things." Her eyes shone with a mischievous light and she stroked his arm down to his fingertips. Atem raised his eyebrows in surprise. He grasped her dancing fingers and pulled them close to his mouth, lightly grazing them with his lips.

"My dear cousin," he started. Rashida thought his voice sounded a little husky. "My dear cousin, perhaps we should move the wedding to a closer date. If you keep up with comments like that, I fear you will tempt me beyond redemption."

The girl searched his eyes for a hint of humor, but Atem seemed to be completely serious. "But they would all be forgiven, isn't that what you said?"

His purple gaze regarded her warmly. "They would be very much appreciated," he whispered. She couldn't help it. A giggle escaped her lips without warning. She stood up and touched his shoulders lightly but resisted the urge to sit on his leg.

"Then why should I stop? Though perhaps I've had too much to drink tonight, and that's why I spoke so openly. Don't judge me on this evening alone, or you will think I am no better than a woman in a brothel. In the days and weeks to come, you will see me as I truly am, loving, but modest. By your leave, I will go to my rooms now. Good night, my lord."

He beckoned that she was free to go and Rashida curtsied low to him. Then she hurried to her mother and father, wishing them a good evening, before exiting the small chamber. Her sister followed her out.

"If you keep up that kind of behaviour, he'll think you're better suited for a brothel real quick." Aria slipped into the room as the servants were leaving. Rashida had been dressed in her nightgown and sat in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. She sought her sister's reflected face and the matching blue eyes found hers. Rashida gave a small shrug and smiled softly.

"You heard that? It was supposed to be a private conversation, for his and my ears alone."

Aria plucked the brush from her hand and began stroking the bristles through the thick mat of black. "Only women who are paid to love speak like that after knowing a man for a day," she returned, adamant.

"Not at all," Rashida said, unconcerned. "You'll understand when you get married too. For a good marriage, you have to keep your partner interested. What better way than to tell him your deepest thoughts when he knows he can't do anything about it? By the time our wedding comes, Atem will be pining to throw me under the sheets as soon as the ceremony is over. And I can't say I would be complaining."

Aria rolled her eyes, but despite herself, she grinned too. "That doesn't make it sound any better, you know. But I'm glad he chose you as his wife, because I don't find him all that attractive." She wrapped Rashida's hair in a braid and tied it off with a piece of cloth. The girls switched places and Rashida pulled the tool through the length of hair. "But I don't know how I feel about having to curtsy to you every time I see you."

The older sister shook her head with a smirk. "I'll make an exception for you. When people come into our presence, they will all bow, and then you and I will be the only girls standing. We'll be the two powers in the room that makes everyone else cow in awe."

Aria peeked at her sister, as if confused. "You'll be queen, but what power would I have?"

"Queen's sister, capable of making any man stop and stare. I saw that look you gave Atem at dinner." Rashida gave the girl's hair a sharp tug.

In response, the younger sibling pursed her lips and broke eye contact. "It's not my fault he was looking at me." To change the subject, she quickly added, "I would love to be queen though. I bet it's fantastic. Servants to dress you and bath you every morning, beautiful gardens to walk in, the finest food in the whole country!"

"You get that at home too, Aria."

"Yes, but not like here. You get to live in a palace, and dress in the most beautiful colors and wear the prettiest headdresses. And anything you want, you can have; all you have to do is ask our cousin. I bet Atem would travel the seas if you asked him too."

"I bet not; not if his priests have anything to say about it." Rashida tied her sister's hair together and leaned down to press their faces together. "Anyway, I asked mother to let you stay here with me, at least for the first month. You'll be able to experience a queen's life too. Let's rule this palace together, you and I, and if we like it, we'll tell Atem that we don't need him anymore. He can live with mother and father."

She left the mirror and crawled onto the bed. Aria followed her, laughing. She cuddled close to her, happy to be sleeping together again. She couldn't remember the last time the two had shared a bed and had occasionally missed the feeling of her sister's comforting company. "I will miss this when I finally go home."

Rashida rolled over and enveloped Aria in her arms, holding her tight. "So enjoy it while you can. Good night, Aria."

"Good night."

Outside the palace walls, the royal city was starting to go to sleep. Children were led to bed and candles were blown out. One by one, the houses went dark. But as they were going to sleep, one man started to wake up. A feral growl came from his throat as he felt the dregs of his slumber leave him. But he felt more than that. As he became more conscious, he understood what had woken him up in the first place.

Soft lips trailed kisses down his chest as dainty hands groped in the dark, under the sheets, searching for that one part of his body that they craved. The lips got closer to their target and he felt heat return to his lower regions. When she kissed the base of his member, he bucked his hips slightly and threw his head back onto the pillow, content to let her do her work. Occasionally he twirled some of her hair around his finger, but for the most part, he kept his hands to himself.

As she sucked and moaned softly on him, the man tried to determine what time it was. He pushed his white hair out of his eyes and turned his head to look out the window. The moon at reached its zenith and sat a little past; he guessed it to be around one. Perhaps he should have returned to camp to ensure that everyone had left at the appropriate time…

Well, it was too late for that now. He wasn't leaving now, even if he could. He glanced down at the girl briefly. Her dark hair had fallen out of the makeshift bun she had made and dragged across his skin as her head moved. It tickled him slightly and he gathered it in one hand, pushing it onto her back. Her lower end wiggled in the air as she continued her labor; he suspected she was doing that on purpose. He reached out and gave it a hearty slap, and then grabbed it, squeezing the flesh beneath his hand roughly. He was not amused with her theatrics, but Ra, could her mouth work. He felt the buildup in him ready to explode, but he held himself in check. He clenched his teeth to keep from groaning.

He had left Paru in charge of the camp that evening, much to his friend's chagrin. His face of dismay when he told Paru that he would play out his role as second-in-command, rather than go to the brothel had been pitiful.

"But Bakura!" he'd whined. "We always go to the brothel together. It's our thing. Come on; let Ameen be in charge for once." The man had shaken his head, wild mane and all, and hadn't replied. He hadn't said that Ameen was still relatively new himself; he hadn't explained that he didn't want a new thief sending new thieves on their first mission; he hadn't clarified that he just wanted to be alone tonight.

Mostly alone.

The girl had started humming as she went up and down his shaft and it finally threw him over the edge. Bakura let himself go with a hoarse grunt, squirting stream after stream into her mouth. She lapped it up like a dog. Then, with a self-satisfied smile on her face, she crawled towards the top of the bed, landing a kiss here and there, but never breaking eye contact. Bakura watched her movements through half closed eyes and let her settle next to him happily before pouncing on her.

Faster than she would have thought humanly possible, the man rolled off his back and on top of her, wrapping his legs around her waist and grasping both her wrists in one hand. With his free hand, he lifted her chin to meet his steely eyes, blazing with what seemed like rage. Suddenly fearful, she tried to curl into a ball, but found she couldn't move an inch. He lowered his head until his breath caressed her ear.

"When did I say you could do that?" he asked.

She felt a shiver run up her spine. "Y-you didn't."

"So why did you?"

The girl looked into his eyes for a second and found herself paralyzed. He looked like a beast that had found easy prey and was toying with it. A sardonic smirk cut across his features as she paused. "I-I just thought you'd… you'd like…" she trailed off.

"Oh, you thought I'd like it, huh? Or were you hoping I'd give you a little extra for it? I'll give you some extra if that's what you want." Bakura bent down and gave her shoulder a hard bite. Her shriek was muffled by his hand, which had moved to cover her mouth. He went down her body, seeming to nip her in all the sensitive places. To reach the area between her legs, he had to let go of her arms, and as soon as he did, she pushed at his head, fearing what he would do down there. He glared at her from the bottom of the bed, for all intents and purposes, looking like a cat about to attack. The moon glinted off his cold, red eyes.

"It's not so nice when you get something you don't want, is it?" he asked harshly. The girl shook her head and pulled her feet away from him. He watched her with disdain, this cowering, shivering girl, with less than an inkling of what he could really do to her if he wanted. He curled his lip and turned away; he was done with her. He motioned that she could leave and she scampered from the room without hesitation.

As her footfalls faded, Bakura sighed and resigned himself to the fact that it was time for him to go.

A/N: So, I wanted to put this chapter up and see what people thought before I continued. Please let me know how you felt! :)