Summary: She was a foreign princess; a gift from the Grecian king to the Prince of Egypt. This was a fate she had long since accepted. What she didn't expect was to be abducted by a certain white-haired tomb robber en route to the Egyptian Capital. (Tea/Bakura)
Disclaimer: Yugioh does not belong to me! Don't people get tired of these things?!
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Prince of Thieves
Prologue
The night was still. No human soul dared to roam the land after the great sun god had settled to the west. The air was cool; a great contrast to the scorching heat of the day. The wind picked up suddenly, causing ripples of sand and dust to billow across the desert landscape. The moon broke through the clouds for a brief second, blanketing the slumbering kingdom with its silvery glow.
A figure of a man moved silently across the shadows. His eyes scanned the surrounding area quickly before stopping at the base of the mountain. His experienced hands moved swiftly across the limestone rock, brushing away dirt and sand, before making contact with the slight wedge. With a low grunt, he attempted to push the rock out of the way. Gravel and pebbles rained against the side of the mountain, before the stone relented with a low rumble. Checking one last time to be certain he was alone, the man dropped to his knees and crawled through the small opening.
Rising to his feet, the man took out a flint from his pack along with a wooden torch. Tiny stick figures being impaled with a wooden spear decorated the entrance of the tomb. The man ran a finger along the art decor, excitement shot through him. It was a warning of the price a tomb robber must pay for disturbing the sacred burial ground of a pharaoh. A low chuckle escaped his throat. He did not intend to get caught.
Shadows receded to tiny crevices as he wielded the torch in front of him. Rubbles crunched under his foot, but other than that, all was silent. He halted when he came to a fork in the passageway. The once simple path had now split into three. Pulling the Papyrus map out of his pack, he quickly scanned it. His eyes narrowed as he took a step into the left corridor. His fingers glided along the damp wall. Not five feet into the route, and he stopped dead in his track. Slowly, he looked down towards the floor. The taut string glistened in the torch light, humming in the silence. The place where his fingers were touching seemed to shift beneath his skin. He watched in amazement as tiny holes within the wall opened up.
"Fuck," breaking out of his stupor, he dropped his pack and made a mad dash through the corridor. Leaping into the air, he came crashing down on the floor, rolling to a stop a few feet away. Arrows whistled over his head, hitting the wall on the opposite side. He layed on his stomach, until the assault ended. His breathing was heavy as he slowly pushed himself to his knees. He had escaped unharmed. Looking over his shoulder to his pack, he grimaced. His supplies were not so fortunate. Walking back, he picked up the bag, and yanked out the dozen arrows that had speared it.
Crunching the wood under his foot, he chuckled. They couldn't get him that easily.
Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he headed forward. Suddenly he stopped again. There was a slight rumble in the air. The walls around him seemed to vibrate with the force of it. Too late, he realized. It was a trap. Turning around, he saw the entrance to the corridor was blocked. A dozen guards stood with their spears in hand.
"There's no escape," the low voice echoed off the limestone tomb, cackling with glee. "thief."
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Chapter One
The waves lapped gently against the side of the ship, causing the wooden boat to sway to the rhythm of the Nile. A warm breeze picked up from the south, rippling through the water and tangling its fingers in his blonde hair. The loud bustle of civilization reached his ears, and he left his post by the stern to stand by the side of the ship.
Women were filling water into large pots and loading them onto donkeys. Teams of workmen were making mud bricks, and children were swimming, shouting and laughing. He couldn't help but smile at the joyous sounds. The smile froze then dropped when he turned around and saw the girl sitting serenely under the sun canopy. Despite the covering, flecks of sunlight had managed to stream through the fabric and onto her face. Her eyes were closed, and wisps of short brown hair fluttered around her cheeks on the sea breeze. Her lips seemed to be fixed in a perpetually sad smile, and her hands were clasped loosely together on her lap.
He approached her reluctantly "Princess."
Her face remained languid. If he didn't catch the slight movement of her hands, he would have thought her to be asleep.
"Are we here?"
Joey almost reeled back in surprise at the sound of her voice. During their entire journey, he had only heard the Grecian princess speak a few times. And only when it was necessary to thank someone for helping her. "Ya...yes."
Her lips curved into a heart wrenching smile. "Thank you."
Joey's insides twisted at the thought of what awaited her in Egypt.
~*~
He pitied her.
She could hear it in his voice, see it in his eyes when he glanced her way. Tea's hands clenched into a tight fist at the thought. She didn't want his pity. It was her fate after all. To be handed from her father to the prince of Egypt as if she was nothing more than an article of clothing. A boon to be given away to ensure the peace between the two territories.
Tea felt the ship jolt as the wood groaned and the bottom of the boat slid across the Nile's sandbank before coming to a halt.
The crew bustled aboard. Tea looked up to see the blonde bodyguard her father hired to escort her to Egypt issuing orders. Joseph, she believed that was his name. He gave her a reassuring smile before pulling her to her feet.
"Princess."
Tea turned towards the origin of the voice. The man's shaved head gleamed in the sunlight as he bowed. "As a servant of gods, I welcome you to the land of Ra." He said in carefully pronounced Greek.
Tea suddenly felt trapped. Tampering down the urge to turn and run, she accepted the hand that was offered by the priest. It closed over her smaller one, like the door slamming shut in a cage. There was no escape.
~*~
The priest led the procession down the dirt path, his leopard-skin robe ruffled slightly as he walked in front of her. Her blonde bodyguard was ever present by her side. Egyptian servants followed behind them as they made their trek towards the temple.
Through the corner of her eyes she could see the crowd gathered on the side of the road to watch the procession that was taking place. Their soft whispers drifted to Tea's ears. Though she was fluent in Egyptian, courtesy of the many lessons her father had pressed onto her, Tea couldn't help the wave of panic that assailed her at hearing the native dialect.
"Don't worry," Tea looked up at her bodyguard in surprise. He had talked to her again. It was not expected for her bodyguard to keep her company or make conversation. As long as he delivered her to her destination he would get the hefty payment.
Tea was about to reply when she saw his eyes narrow. He held up his hand and the party stopped. Tea noticed belatedly that a hush had fallen over the area.
A shout broke out through the crowd and Tea turned her head sharply to the right as a man was shoved roughly through the mob of people. With a hiss, he landed in a heap in front of the Priest's feet.
Tea stared in shock at the man. He was beautiful! His white hair gleamed in the sun light as he coughed at the dust that had been roused when his body collided with the sandy pavement.
Tea took a step forward but her blonde companion stopped her. She looked up at him in confusion then back down at the man lying helplessly on the ground. She sucked in her breath when her eyes lit on his battered face. The man had managed to push himself to a sitting position. Mock amusement danced in his eyes as he regarded her. An involuntary shutter coursed up her spine and she quickly turned away.
The man laughed. The rough sound drawing Tea's gaze back to him but he had already dismissed her from his mind. "Priest," he drawled, sitting leisurely on the ground, looking to all the world like he was enjoying every moment of it, instead of been shoved roughly onto the pavement a moment ago.
"You," the priest's voice was soft, but Tea couldn't help but notice the underlying current behind the single word.
The man spat on the ground as he raised his bound wrists up to his face. "What the hell is this?"
"This man," for the first time, Tea noticed the two Egyptian guards that stood behind the white-haired captive. "We found him inside one of the pharaoh's tombs on the west side of the Nile."
A low murmur erupted from the crowd.
"What have you got to say about this?" The priest took a step forward. "You know the punishment for such a crime?"
"He's a tomb robber." Tea heard her bodyguard breathe out.
What did they do to tomb robbers?
"Take him away," the priest ordered. "His execution shall take place tomorrow at noon for all to see. Death by impalement."
Tea flinched at those words. Just like her, this man's fate was decided by someone else.
The man's shoulder started shaking. Sympathy swelled within Tea at the sight of his bent head. Then she glimpsed it; the smirk on his lips. He threw his head back, and Tea got a clear view of his expression. Tea's eyes widened at the sight. He wasn't crying. He was laughing. A low chuckle that started at the base of his throat and slowly exploded into a howling maniacal roar.
As abruptly as the laugh had erupted, it ceased. "You think these puny restrains will keep me until tomorrow?"
One of the guards jerked on the rope holding his arm, and the man was sent sprawling forward on his elbows. He swore violently under his breath. "Fucking priest! If you aren't a gutless coward, you'll fight me yourself, instead of having others do your dirty work."
The priest's face remained stoic. "Take him away."
Tea felt Joey's hand guide her past the tomb robber. Despite herself, she couldn't help but turn back once more to look at him. He remained on the floor, his eyes forming dangerous slits behind his messy white bangs. His expression promised murder.
~*~
Tea folded her hands neatly on her lap.
Joey stopped eating and regarded the girl across from him. "Don't you like it?" He indicated to the assortment of vegetables and fruits on the table.
Tea shook her head "No, I..."
Joey slowly got to his feet. "You should eat something. Tomorrow's journey will be hard. We're travelling on land from this point on."
Without looking up, Tea knew her bodyguard had left the room. The sun had set by the time they made it to the temple. The priest had led them to their rooms, and suggested that they rest for the night. Tomorrow he would discuss the route they should take to reach the Egyptian Capital.
Tea also got up. Despite her weariness, she walked over to the window and looked up at the sky. The moon and stars had decided not to shine tonight, leaving the sky a dusky black. The window to Tea's room faced the garden, and Tea frowned as she saw the leaves on the trees sway in the night breeze. She had a garden at home too. A garden much grander than this one. With red, blue and white flowers that she and her mother planted every spring. Leaning against the opening, Tea reached out with her hand, almost as if she could touch those flowers. Shaking her head, Tea slid to the floor underneath the window. She missed her home.
~*~
The rope was tight. Bakura scowled. No matter how much he tried to loosen it, the damn thing just wound tighter around his wrist, biting into his skin and leaving a nasty red gash.
"Bakura."
Bakura's head shot up at the smooth voice. Damn, but he was so adamant about freeing himself, he hadn't noticed the heavy footfalls outside his cell. Forcing himself to relax, he smiled lazily from his spot on the ground. "So, you've finally decided to show your ugly face, Sharuk?"
There was a low chuckle. The man walked out of the shadows, his eyes were a dull gold that matched his leopard skin robe. "Tell me, Bakura, how does it feel to be the one locked up in a cell awaiting death."
Pushing himself off the floor, he walked over to the cell door. Studying his dirty nails as if they were the most fascinating things in the world. "Now now, Sharuk, are you still angry over that little incident?"
A fist shot through the metal bars and grabbed a fistful of Bakura's hair. He felt his head being yanked forward, until his face slammed into the cold steel. Bakura felt his lips split open with the impact.
"You filthy thief," his assailant seethed. "That incident almost caused me my life."
Then he was shoved backwards, colliding roughly with the floor. Bakura sat still for a moment, his body protesting against the abuse. He hadn't completely healed from the beating he received at the tomb the day before. But he'd be damned if he let Sharuk see that. Licking his lips, he smiled in pleasure at the warm metallic taste of blood. Looking up at the furious priest, Bakura laughed.
"Why you--" Sharuk's hands fisted around the bars as if he was prepared to rip open the cell door to get to the occupant on the other side. Suddenly he let his arms drop to his side and relaxed. "There's no point in getting riled up over a filthy rat such as yourself. Tomorrow," he turned to leave. "We'll see if you'll be laughing tomorrow, Bakura."
"Watch him," he brushed past the guard on his way out. "Make sure he doesn't escape, or you'll be replacing him at the end of the spear tomorrow."
The guard sputtered then bowed in respect as the priest made his way out.
Bakura snorted. He needed to loosen his arms and get the hell out of here. He eyed the guard standing rigidly by the entrance. His eyes sliding to the ring of keys and the knife around his belt. If he could only get the useless guard's attention and coax him into coming over to the cell.
"Hey, you."
The guard remained at his post. He didn't so much as twitch.
"Can't you do anything but squirm under Sharuk's toenail?" Bakura shouted. "Gutless dog."
The guard's head turned sharply towards Bakura. "What the hell did you say?"
Perfect.
~*~
With a final, brutal wrench of his bound wrists, he felt something snap, and the body go limp. Looping his arms over the guard's head, he watched with a strange sense of detachment as the body slid lifelessly down the cell bars like a broken doll. Bakura smiled, so the damn ropes came in handy after all.
Kneeling down, the tomb robber suddenly hissed in pain. The Egyptian guard had gotten in a few forceful jabs with his elbow. His ribs weren't completely in one piece, but he had survived worst.
He ripped the knife and keys from the dead guard's belt. The blade sliced through the rope easily. Rotating his wrist to get the blood flowing again, Bakura hurriedly jammed the keys into the hole. He let out a frustrated growl when the first one didn't fit.
Bakura stilled when he heard the distant sound of footsteps and laughter. Usually he would be able to take on a few guards by himself -gladly take on a few guards by himself- but in his battered condition, he'd be lucky if he got in a solid punch. Ripping the keys from the ring, Bakura's hand became frantic as he searched for the right one. There was a distinct click and the door became loose.
Flinging the door open, Bakura trampled over the body and raced down the corridor to the entrance of the jail. Ducking behind a column, Bakura waited until the two sentries passed him. There were too many patrols tonight. His escape would not come easily. He laughed, the challenge was exhilarating.
Racing up the steps, he turned the corner and came face to face with the blonde Greek he had seen earlier. The Grecian's eyes widened in recognition and surprise.
Swearing under his breath, Bakura doubled back before the man could utter a word.
"Tomb robber!" the shout followed him around the corner and down the hall. Footsteps echoed in the background, as the temple guards were alerted.
Holding his hand against his ribs in hope of abating the sharp stabs of pain he was feeling, Bakura rounded another corner and stãpped in his track.
It was a dead end.
He was about to turn back, but the shouts were too close. Looking around, he flung the first door he saw open. His eyes scanned the room quickly. There was no place to hide.
Without hesitation, Bakura ran over to the window and jumped the two stories to the garden below.
~*~
Blinking several times to clear the haze of sleep from her mind, Tea yawned. She was still curled up beneath her window, but something had awakened her from her slumber. Peering into the darkness of her room, Tea held her breath as she listened for anything that could have disturbed her rest.
There was a loud thump outside her window. Tea instantly got to her feet.
Opening the door, Tea sneaked a peak outside. "Joseph?" there was no answer. Tea frowned, she could have sworn she heard something.
Thump.
There it was again. Leaving the door slightly ajar, Tea took a tentative step into the garden. "Anyone?"
~*~
It must have been a fabrication of her sleep deprived mind, Tea concluded as she wandered through the garden. There was nothing out here. The month of travelling on foot, then on ship must have taken its toll on her, and she was becoming delusional. The pharaoh would surely cast her away if he found her to be crazy. And then where would she go?
Tea cast her eyes upon the heavens as if beseeching the answer. The silence of the night was her only response. Shaking her head, Tea turned to make her way back to her room, when a flash of white caught her attention.
A blast of wind sailed through the garden, rattling the branches in the trees and sweeping the fallen leaves from the floor. Tea shivered as its icy fingers raced up her spine. The wind died down as suddenly as it had came, leaving the leaves to dance in the air before slowly drifting to the ground. Tea stood frozen in her spot. An unnatural sort of stillness had settled over the garden, and for some inexplicable reason, she didn't want to be the one to break it.
Then she saw it again. The wisp of silver against the trunk of the tree.
Slowly releasing the breath, Tea had just realized she was holding, she took a step forward, and promptly sucked the breath back in. It was man, Tea realized. The flash of silver had been his hair. Her stomach twisted when Tea belatedly noticed that he wasn't moving.
Run. A small part of her screamed. Run now.
Ignoring the voice, and willing her legs to co-operate, Tea took an unsteady step towards him. Then another, and another and then she gasped.
Tea's stare fixated in awe at the crimson orbs that stared back at her.
"Are you--" her voice caught in her throat when his arm suddenly shot up and grasped her wrist in a bruising grip.
A slow and deliberate smile slid up his lips. "You are mine," he sneered.
TBC
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A/N: It seems I've developed a love for alt. pairings, and Tea/Bakura has just warmed its way into my heart. ^_^ I actually wrote this to get over my writer's block for my other fic, so I am not quite sure whether I should continue on with this. Leave a review and tell me if you think this is worth the time. Thanks for reading.