The pharaoh is traveling to sign a peace treaty with a neighboring land. But it is a long journey to their designated meeting place and many dangers surround the pharaoh at every turn and so he must bring a long a trusted, but un expected body guard, in the form of his former slave Eliza Stark.


"Not much further my lord." Stated one of the pharaohs guards that was leading the small band of horses and wagons, speaking loudly so that he could be heard over the thundering sound of horse's hooves against the dirt road. "Soon we will reach the royal inn we shall be staying at for tonight."

There weren't a lot of people traveling alongside the pharaoh this time. Just enough soldiers and guards to keep him safe should things go wrong, but not too many that would draw attention to group as they passed through small towns and villages along their way. And in the middle of the small band of people, horses and wagons was another wagon that appeared almost identical to the others around it, the only difference being that inside wasn't supplies for the few days' trip ahead but in fact the Pharaoh Atem himself, along with his trusted personal body guard Eliza stark.

She was of average build and height for her age, though did appear odd when taking into account her fiery red hair and green eyes that were anything but common in the Egyptian lands, however her soft, tanned skin did fit the norm of the area. Her clothes were simple, just a long, one piece, cream robe that came in slightly at the waist, accompanied by a single cross necklace that hung loosely from her neck.

Eliza sat silently beside her master, merely enjoying his presence. In her time working for the young Pharaoh she couldn't deny that she had in fact grown to care a great deal for him, not as her master but as a person. She respected the things he had done for the land after that maniac Bakura had almost destroyed it, she admired how he had so bravely ridden into battle against such a fearsome foe and she couldn't help but smile as she thought of how kindly he treated those who worked for him.

You hear all these horror stories of evil kings and psychotic dictators, But not him. He's not like them.She thought to herself. He's different.

She took a second to glance at the man beside her, looking over his form and letting the image set in her mind.

Just a look…

That's all she could have of him. He was a Pharaoh, a king. And she was a servant to him. Though she loved him deeply she convinced herself it could never be, and though it pained her she still stayed by his side long after she had earned enough money to leave the palace and live a comfortable life without needing to work again.

The comfortable silence was abruptly interrupted by the cart grinding to a sudden stop and the voice of a man belting at the top of his lungs.

"You get out of my way you foul vermin!" The voice was accompanied by another sound, a man gasping in pain.

Eliza quickly abandoned the wagon with the pharaoh to go and assess the situation and help out the leading guard if needs be. She readied her weapon, a small knife that she could hide nicely in the sleeve of her garment.

Though as she approached what came into sight was not a petty thief or someone trying to ambush a wagon, but a poor beggar man, his small bowl of change he had collected now strewn across the floor as he was kicked around by the lead guard.

Infuriated at what she saw Eliza stormed over to the abusive man, grabbing hold of his arm as he attempted to take another swing at the man now struggling to grab his few bits of change before running away.

"What do you think you're doing Stark!" The man pulled his arm away from the redheaded girl, furious at her intervening.

"What do you think you were doing? What could that man possibly have done to warrant such a violent act?" She narrowed her eyes, remembering the days she spent on the streets as a young child, and remembering how men like this treated her and others like her.

"I don't have to explain myself to a female!" The man took a step back and prepared to strike, only to be interrupted by a swift jab to his stomach, sending him crippling to the floor as he seethed in pain. "How dare yo-"

"What's going on? Why have we stopped?" The Pharaoh Atem had left his place in the wagon and was approaching the scene unfolding at the front of the group.

The soldier stood up, gritting his teeth as he practically growled in anger.

"Some peasant was pestering myself and the other guards, I tried to deal with the man but then she-"

"The man was not causing us any harm!" Eliza cut in. "And then this man decided to beat the shit out of him!"

The soldier and Eliza continued to bicker amongst themselves for a short while until eventually the Pharaoh stepped in, raising his hand slightly to indicate they should be silent.

"If I ever hear of you mistreating an innocent civilian again you will lose your job, do you understand?" The Pharaoh stared up at the soldier who was nearly twice his size without a single hint of fear in his eyes. "And Miss Stark, please try and not injure my staff. Save it for a real threat."

The soldier grumbled a brief apology before mounting his horse once again ready to lead the group onwards once again. And just as before both the Pharaoh and Eliza sat in silence beside one another, the only sounds they could hear were the clicking of hooves against hardened floor and the sound of each other's quiet breathing filling the air.

Eliza once again found herself looking at the pharaoh, observing and remembering how each and every line on his face, appreciating how the soft moonlight added to the royal elegance he seemed to radiate and how his eyes seemed to glow and lighten up the dark space around them.

It wasn't until he also turned his head towards her that she realized that she had been staring. She turned away as quickly as she could, trying to steady her now panicked breathing when-

"Eliza?" Came the Pharaohs soft voice.

She gulped and turned to him in response.

"Yes, Pharaoh?"

As soon as the words left her lips she felt a soft hand caressing her cheek, and moments later her lips were met by her masters in a gentle kiss. It only lasted a few seconds but to Eliza it felt like an eternity, she closed her eyes, enjoying the pleasant warmth that came with the gesture as she tried to record the feeling in her mind so that she would never forget.

As the feeling faded and the two moved apart once more her mind was in turmoil. Questions raced around her mind as she tried to understand the situation. But she couldn't. She couldn't even bring herself to speak, and so she sat in silence with a bewildered look on her face

The Pharaoh turned away from her once again, but this time he held her hand. He laced his own larger fingers between hers, holding it tight and not letting go.

"Call me Atem."

Once again Eliza stared at the man she had grown to love. The man she had thought was so far out of reach. She watched him smile. She watched his smile never fade for the rest of the remaining journey.


Authors notes:

Hellllooooo everyonee~ I know I haven't updated '36 Questions to fall in love' in a while BUT I'M WORKING ON IT I SWEAR D: It's just I told my friend I would write a fanfic for her with her OC Eliza Stark so yeah ^-^