AN: Okay, here's the prologue and first chapter of Bound...honestly I'm a little scared here; it's my first true multi-chap for Yu Gi Oh! but I've already got some more pages than this written, which will hopefully keep the delays between updates to a minimum

I hope you guys like the story, and p.s., while I do love the reviews/faves for the ego-stroking, they're also really helpful to knowing if I'm on the right path or screwing up, so if it starts to suck (or sucks from the start) I would love to know! Thank you all so much for reading though, I really hope you like it! Enjoy!

Legal crap: I don't own Yu Gi Oh!

Prologue

"Papa, why do I have to go?"

Yasuo sighed and looked down at his small son; it was not the first time this question had been asked and he was sure that it would not be the last, even in the short remaining time they had left together. It pained him to answer each time, but he could not refuse his child's innocent inquiries, even if he would once again be unable to fully grasp the reality of the situation. He spoke slowly and softly as their wagon crossed the floor of sand, his low voice more powerful in the ears of his adoring son than the winds that surround them. "Because Little One, it is not safe to stay at home anymore," he said with a sad smile.

"Do you not love me anymore Papa?" Unshed tears were welling up in the child's wide eyes.

Guilt and grief stabbed at Yasuo's heart. An overwhelming wave of desire hit him. All he wanted to do was turn his party around and return home, to forget that this had ever happened and keep his child in the safety of his own arms. So badly was he tempted, and yet, he knew it could never be. When he looked down at his arms, wrinkling skin and joints arthritic with age, sadness replaced desire. Resolve hardened his heart. He had to protect his son's life, even at the sacrifice of his own happiness.

"Of course I love you Yuugi. I will always love you, my son, with all of my heart." He placed his large hands on the boy's tiny shoulders as he looked him in the eye. "You are my Little Blessing, sent from the Gods in the Heavens to grace your mother and I. If I could I would keep you in our home forever, Yuugi, but it is because I love you that you cannot stay."

"Why do I have to go if you really love me?" The childish demand came as Yuugi rubbed at his eyes with tiny fists, sniffles causing his words to pause intermittently.

"Yuugi," Yasuo's voice was stern, but not unkind, "My body ages more each day. Soon I will be joining your mother in the next life. Then I will no longer be able to watch over you. Your brothers and sisters are good people, but many and unorganized. Our village is a peaceful one, and ill-equipped for war. When I pass on I fear that...that someone will come and try to take our home from us." At the fear in his son's eyes he relaxed his hold on his son shoulders and softened his grim gaze. "Yuugi, Little One, I would rather you be a servant by the Pharaoh's side than a slave under his thumb."

"Papa!" With an infantile cry the child wrapped his arms around his father's waist and buried his face into the older man's chest, muffling his sobs against the comforting warmth of his parent's skin.

"There, there, Little One," Yasuo held the child and rubbed his back soothingly even as despair filled his own heart. "Cry your tears now Yuugi, cry your tears now," his voice said quietly, more to himself than his son. The great stone palace of the Pharaoh of Khemet grew in the horizon, he knew that all too soon his son would no longer be able to shed such unsightly tears.

Chapter One

"Dissolution & Assimilation"

Prince Atemu shifted his weight from one foot to the other and watched the single beetle on a near stone column. The beetle stretched and fluttered its iridescent wings before it detached itself from its stone perch and made its noisy escape from Pharaoh Akunamukanon's great throne room and into the late morning sun. Oh how the little prince wished that he could be like that beetle. He was bored; he wished to sigh and leave, but he would do nothing that would anger or shame his father. He was a prince, heir to the throne and the future pharaoh of Kehmet; if his father wanted him to observe what his future duties would entail then that was what he would do, no matter how utterly boring it might have been.

For two hours now the eight year old prince had watched generals come to discuss military matters, mayors bring news of their small districts, and ambassadors and rulers bear gifts and tidings of peace, and all of them prostrated themselves in front of the Mighty Pharaoh. There were so many gifts laid before them that the prince had lost track of what and how many had passed from the bearer to his father; he had heard there had been countless cattle and sheep and many fine stallions and well-bred mares; he had seen several strong and beautiful slaves of various sorts, trinkets of monetary and historical value, small piles of gems, gold, and precious metals, even barrels of spices and salts had been brought before the Great King. At first Atemu had watched with intrigued curiosity as the strange foreigners filled his home, studying their odd clothing and styles with relish, but the novelty of their appearance and gifts had worn off rather soon and the prince soon found his attention diverted. His mind wandered to thoughts of freedom and sunshine; he would much rather have been playing with Mana than standing here like a good little prince.

As the long processional of gift givers continued he paid them only one ear and one eye. Indeed, it was as he studied another beetle that had made its way into the great room and petulantly envying his manic friend that his interest was once again perked by the task at hand.

"Oh Great and Mighty Pharaoh Akunamukanon, I, Yasuo of the mountain tribe far to the north, humbly offer you a gift dearer to my heart than any metal or gem, my last son and child, Yuugi."

The word 'son' grabbed the young prince's attention. With a curious eye and astute mind he regarded the two figures bowed on the ground before his father; one was an old man with graying hair and a long robe that pooled around him along with his hair on the stone floor, beside him the much smaller figure of a child also bore a long robe that pooled around him, though his wild hair defied gravity as he bent on the ground. Their faces were to the ground as they knelt on bent knees and extended arms in total submission to the King of Kehmet; they looked to Atemu as though they were begging his father for the moon rather than offering him their rather strange gift. He watched them with anticipation, he wished to see the faces of these strange mountain people who offered their own sons as gifts. Atemu stole a quick sidelong glance to his father and watched a frown of contemplation settle on the king's face before turning back to the strangers, awaiting his father's next decision.

"Yasuo of the mountains, to offer one's own spontaneously is an odd gift. As it is your son I know you do not do it with the hope of marriage, so for what purpose, Yasuo of the northern mountains, do you give your son away so freely?"

The man knelt to the ground lifted only his head as he spoke to the king seated above him. "Great Pharaoh I offer him as a servant to you and your son, to be friend of the Great House of Pharaoh and the kingdom of Kehmet. If you allow it Mighty Pharaoh I know that he would be a loyal and true friend to your son and your kingdom; he was born five summers ago under the awakening light of the north most star as the sun was halfway below the mountains, he is not cut, but he will always be as gentle and mild as a winter's day and as loyal as the Gift of the Nile." The man's face was wrinkled and pained as he spoke. He was many seasons older than Atemu's own father, though his still unseen son seemed to be younger than Atemu himself.

"Rise Yasuo," Akunamukanon gave a motion with his hand and the prostrate man rose with some difficulty. Atemu studied the foreigner. His robes were plain and rather simple, they ended just above his feet and covered past his hands when his arms dropped; they looked to be a pale yellow and were flecked with dirt and dust from their long journey down the mountain and through the miles of sand. A ruler he might have been in his homeland, but before his godly father in his gold and headdress he looked like a peasant to Atemu.

The Pharaoh's face still held the serious look of a wise man contemplating the scene before him. "You have stated for what purpose you offer your son to me, but, though your tribe is small, I have heard of you, Yasuo, and your people. I have heard of the benevolence of your people and your value of family above all else. I can see and hear the grief in words. I ask you Yasuo, why do you present me with such an unusual gift. You may speak."

"Great Pharaoh," Yasuo began, his gray hair falling past his shoulders and shaking as he held back tears that threatened in his voice to surface, "Yuugi's mother, my young wife, has already perished. My body ages and my health fails me, Great Pharaoh, and my peaceful tribe grows weaker. He has many brothers and sisters, but with families of their own. I fear Great Pharaoh that when I pass on into my next life that our enemies will overtake my tribe, for we know little of fighting and war. When that happens my son Yuugi will have no protection." Atemu watched as the man before them shivered at the ghastly thought.

"So, this gift is a gift to yourself as well, the safety of your son." Pharaoh Akunamukanon words were spoken thoughtfully and evenly, no emotion carried through his voice.

"Forgive me Pharaoh," tears of shame and frustration leaked out despite their owner's will, "My actions are indeed selfish. But I promise you, Yuugi will be a good servant and loyal attendant, a friend to all of Kehmet!" Yasuo's words ended shrilly, the desperate plea was clear in his voice.

"I have no use for your son here," Yasuo's shoulders began to shake, "But I am also a father and not without heart; I will place your son in good hands, your gift will not be returned," he added kindly.

"I will accept your gift Yasuo, but heed my words," the seriousness of Akunamukanon's voice countered Yasuo's look of relief, "Your son will no longer be of the mountains, but of Kehmet. His loyalty will be to Pharaoh's house and he will be held to it."

"I understand Great Pharaoh," Yasuo dared not whisper, but could not bear to look up as he spoke and chose instead to look at the floor in front of him.

"Kahotep."

"Yes Pharaoh," the once invisible man who stood next to Akunamukanon moved from his side. Atemu watched as the rather small attendant stopped for give the pharaoh a low bow before he straightened and walked toward the foreigners before them. Kahotep moved swiftly and silently across the stone floor. He stopped Yasuo and gave the man the most imperceptible of bows before bending down and placing a tanned hand on the still prostrate boy's shoulder, pushing the boy to his knees.

Atemu watched with great curiosity as the boy's face finally came into view. What a strange face it was to him! The boy who knelt before them on the floor had skin as pale as the underbelly of a snake and eyes as wide as a fearful colt's; he looked as soft and weak as a flower petal.

Kahotep made a motion to rise with him and the boy scrambled hastily to his feet as the older man gracefully stood. The boy's blue robe fell about him and nearly tripped him as he moved; the robe, a replica of his father's, only served to make the small child look smaller and softer as he seemed to tremble in the fabric. The pharaoh's attendant kept a firm, custodial hand on the shivering boy's shoulder, deterring the him from moving.

"Great Pharaoh-," Yasuo's voice cracked, he kept his gaze averted to the floor.

"You may say your goodbyes," Pharaoh Akunamukanon answered the unasked question with a solemn nod.

Kahotep turned the boy so that he faced his father.

"Yuugi," Yasuo reached out as if to hug his son close, but restrained himself, finally allowing only himself to grasp his son's tiny hands between his own. "Be good. I love you my s-, Yuugi. Goodbye." Yasuo's last words came out so quietly that Atemu had to strain to hear them form where he sat. He then watched as Kahotep murmured something he could not hear to he boy and guided him out of the grand room, one hand still on the boy's shoulder, pushing him forward. Atemu kept his eyes on the duo until they fell into the shadows of the hall as they exited the room.

"I accept your gift, Yasuo of the mountains." The voice of his father turned Atemu's attention back to the two men near him.

"Great Pharaoh, I humbly thank you for your acceptance," Yasuo's grief all but mumbled the words. Tears, though he tried to hide them, were sliding down his weathered face as he turned to leave.

"Yasuo," Atemu and Yasuo both looked at his father as the Pharaoh's words stopped the man's departure, "It is a noble thing to sacrifice one's happiness as a father to provide happiness for one's son."

"Thank you Pharaoh," Yasuo's words once again came out softly and painfully. It was with hunched, broken father who left their hall, a far cry from the mountain tribesman he claimed to be.

"Atemu," Akunamukanon's voice turned his son's attention from the doorway to himself. "You have witnessed a great lesson tonight. Learn carefully from what that man has done tonight; to place another one's welfare above your own happiness is something that often eludes otherwise honorable men. It is something you must consider as both father and Pharaoh. It is an honorable man that we have seen tonight."

The procession began again as comparatively menial gifts were laid at the feet of the Pharaoh. Atemu turned his eyes once more to the doorway where Kahotep and the mountain men had last stood. Even after the morning audience had left and the lunch meal was brought before the ruler of Kehmet and his heir Atemu continued to mull over his father's words and the face of the boy who had been offered to wait on him as Kahotep did on his father.

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