So, finally got to post my chaptered KKM fic! This one is AU.
Chapter Length: 3.410
Pairing: Yuuri/Wolfram
Summary: As the Pharaohs's son Yuuri lives a life with a lot of expectations. That, though, changes when his father dies a mysterious death and Yuuri is forced to leave the palace in order to survive. That's when he learns that Egypt isn't as perfect as it seems.
Beta: Solaris Moon
Rating: PG-13 to R overall
Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maoh. This is a work of fanfiction. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Thanks to my beta for the fast and awesome work as always. Feedback is always appreciated!
The Old Kingdom
Prologue
The wind blew through the open window, as the figure crept silently into the room, taking in the sleeping form on the bed. He smiled, his crooked teeth glowing in the dark, as he moved towards the bed. He watched the form on the bed for a while. His Pharaoh – soon former Pharaoh – was sleeping, his chest rising and falling with his breathing, oblivious to his fate; the fate that he – the man - would be the cause of. But he had not planned it, however. He was just fulfilling orders.
He pulled the dagger from its sheath, preparing for the first stab.
Egypt will soon face a new era.
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Chapter 01: With Death, Everything Changes
Yuuri was tired of his existence. His everyday life consisted of being a good son, worshipping the Gods – not that he was ungrateful or anything- and standing on his balcony, staring out on the scenery of Theben, which he was doing right that moment, the warm wind catching his dark hair, making it sway in many directions, his gaze far away on the Nile.
The Nile was a beautiful sight, one that took Yuuri's breath away every single time he lay his eyes on it. With it's long tail, it connected every part of Egypt's land with each other. It was the Egyptians' life source, their only true friend, their loving mother. Yuuri hadn't been down at the bank of that great river or touched its life-giving water as of yet, without his brother and his guards. He had never shared a single moment with the river that fascinated him so greatly and he regretted the fact. He knew he was the Pharaoh's son, and some things were expected of him; he could never leave the palace alone, amongst other things. He wondered how many stories and events the river had witnessed? How many battles, deaths and lives it had seen?
He hated the palace! I want to see so much more. Experience so much more, Yuuri thought.
A knock on the door brought Yuuri back from his reverie and he walked back inside his bed chamber to welcome his guest. "Come in."
The door opened and his advisor, Murata, stepped in, holding a scroll in his hand. He looked grim. "Good afternoon, you highness," he said bowing his head respectfully.
"What's wrong?" Yuuri asked worriedly, taking a few steps towards his silent advisor. Murata took a deep breath and shifted nervously on his feet. This odd behaviour alarmed Yuuri. "What happened?"
Murata pulled himself together quickly and said, "I am here to inform you of the new developments," Yuuri recognised Murata's emotionless tone as the one he always hid behind when he tried to convey something horrible or otherwise bad, but Murata's face always betrayed him. Yuuri could see the knitted eyebrows and the way Murata worried his lower lip after he finished talking; it was clear that his old friend and advisor was seriously distressed. Murata opened his mouth to utter the next words, and Yuuri feared the worst. What happened? Was it his brother?
"I'm sorry to inform you, that your father, the Pharaoh, has passed away."
Yuuri stood staring at Murata for a moment, not fully understanding the meaning behind his words. Passed away? His father? The world suddenly began to spin dangerously, and Yuuri sat down heavily on the bed. Murata hurried to Yuuri's side and sat down next to him, offering his solidarity. They sat together in silence, taking comfort in each others presence.
"How?" Yuuri whispered after a moment, when his brain finally could process the news. His voice was barely audible, but Murata heard him.
"He was murdered. A maid found him on his bed-" Murata stopped and looked away. Yuuri grabbed his arm and forced Murata to face him.
"And what? How did he die?" Yuuri demanded to know. He didn't want to hear how his father's last moments had been like, how he was murdered, but he had to know. He had to understand.
"He was stabbed in the chest numerous times." Murata took a deep breath. "They say – the royal council – that the ... murderer broke in through the window and killed him." Murata watched Yuuri for a while, as if waiting for a reaction. Yuuri was staring blankly straight ahead of him. Who would do that to his father? He suppressed a sob, turning his back to Miyagi and his worried gaze.
Yuuri tried to find comfort in the fact that his father would find some peace and happiness in the afterlife, in the lands of the God Osiris, but that didn't make his father's death any easier for him to bear. He would never see his father's sparkling eyes, hear his laugh, or hear his name in that warm voice again.
Feel him.
"Your brother and the Queen are with him now, arranging the ceremony," Murata continued, but Yuuri wasn't listening.
"I must go see him," Yuuri whispered and stood only to sway on his feet. Murata caught him, and guided him cautiously towards the door, whispering soothing words in Yuuri's ears.
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"My mother won't survive this," Yuuri whispered. Murata moved his gaze from the scenery in front of him to his friend.
"She is a strong woman. She won't rest until she finds the one who killed the Pharaoh."
Yuuri was silent for a while, taking in the red colours of the Nile in the sunset and the fields in front of the palace. The day was dying, the sun's rays dissipating slowly leaving the land in the darkness of death. He felt as dead as the night, only he wouldn't be reborn tomorrow. The sight of his father's lifeless form and the sound of his mother's mothers heartbreaking sobs would never leave him again.
Yuuri had stopped crying; he felt numb and absent.
"I think it's someone from the inside." Murata's whispered statement brought Yuuri back to their conversation.
He looked up at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"
Murata's eyes were determined when he spoke the next words. "I meant, that the one who murdered the Pharaoh came from the inside. From inside the palace. You know who I mean."
"No one from the inside would kill the Pharaoh!" Yuuri exclaimed angrily. "They are all loyal, they-"
"Not all of them," Murata interrupted sharply. "And you know it, Yuuri, there's someone-"
"I won't believe that! I trust them! The royal council have always been loyal to my father!"
"Their explanation isn't likely, can't you see? No one from the outside can get in, it's impossible with the protection around the palace. They want to get the attention away from them, by making everyone think it's the Sand Organisation, but I know better!
The Sand Organisation was a rebellious group of youths, who were against the royal family. It must've been them, they'd been trying to overthrow the Pharaoh for years.
Murata grabbed Yuuri's shoulder. "I don't think your brother is going to keep them much longer, and he's going to be the next Pharaoh. Chances are they'll kill him too to get their hands on the throne!"
"Don't say that!" Yuuri yelled angrily, slapping Murata's hand away. "Don't say that about my brother!"
"I'm just warning you."
"I don't need your warming. I trust the council with my life!" How could Murata say something like that? Yuuri would never doubt the Council's loyalty, even with Murata's poisonous words. He trusted Murata, he did, but the Council had his trust too.
Murata sighed tiredly. "You should be careful. I don't want to lose you too," he said before leaving the balcony. Yuuri watched him go, wondering how he would face this new stormy period.
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He had finally managed to fall asleep, when Murata's frantic whispering and his hands, which were shaking Yuuri violently woke him up. "Wha'?"
"Hurry! You need to leave the palace right now!" Murata said.
"What?" Yuuri sat up and regarded Murata carefully, his brain still foggy with sleep. "What are you talking about?"
"They are after you and your brother! Listen, just hurry up and pack! I don't want you to stay here a minute longer while these guys are in the palace. It's your brother's wish too."
"Wait, your suspicions are carrying you off. You have to see reason, Murata!"
"Trust me." Yuuri could see Murata's worry and his sincerity in his eyes. He did trust him. What to do? Murata was never one for joking in serious matters, and he looked very serious, almost scared.
"How do you know?" Yuuri asked.
"I heard, and- listen we don't have time, you have to leave before sunrise."
I guess I have to do as he says for now. And Murata has never been this serious before.
"Alright. I don't believe there's anything wrong, or that the Council are out to get me, but I'm doing this because I trust you."
Murata nodded and smiled a strained kind of smile, as if the act itself was very painful. "That's the only thing I'm asking for. I want you safe."
They hurried to pack Yuuri's things together, Yuuri finding the stuff he wanted to take with him, and Murata packing them in a small bag.
"How do we get out without being noticed?"
"I've thought about that. Do you have everything?"
"Yes, just let me get dressed."
"Hurry!"
Yuuri got dressed quickly, while Murata unfolded a map and placed it on the bed. "Come over here," he said after Yuuri had finished dressing.
Yuuri walked over to the bed and sat down next to Murata, eyeing the map. "You have to get out of the palace's fields. Go to that village right over there," Murata pointed at "the village" on the map, "and hide. I'll meet you tomorrow at sunset right here." He pointed again, but this time at a cross drawn with ink. Murata had obviously added it prior to Yuuri's awakening. "I'll let you know everything about the developments in the palace as well as everything you need to know. Do you understand?"
Yuuri nodded. Murata folded the map, and handed it to Yuuri, who put it in his bag, carefully.
"Good, now we only need to wait a while." Murata smiled deviously.
"Wait for what?"
"Oh, you'll see." At the exact same moment Murata said the last word Yuuri heard a high pitched yell from outside.
"What's happening?" Yuuri started to run to the balcony to see what the yell was about, but Murata grabbed his arm.
"It's our chance. Let's hurry!"
And Yuuri understood. "It's your doing then?"
Murata laughed, but didn't say anything. He pulled Yuuri after him out the door. They sneaked down the hallways heading for the Head Doors. There was no guard in sight. That's so weird ...
"What did you do?" Yuuri wanted to know.
"Not here," Murata answered. They didn't exchange more words until they were both outside the Palace.
"Eye's chamber might be on fire," Murata said before giving Yuuri a tight hug. Yuuri was speechless. Eye was the head of the Royal Council. How did Murata ...?
"Be safe, Yuuri," Murata whispered, and Yuuri's thoughts left Eye's chambers to embrace his friend. He had a lump in his throat, but forced himself hold it down. He was a prince of Egypt after all, they didn't whine and cry.
"You too." They separated and Murata smiled.
"Go."
And Yuuri did, running on the fields wondering where his next steps would take him.
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He didn't rest before he was sure the palace was completely out of sight. He settled somewhere at the bank of the Nile, and lay down in the ground facing the water. He could smell the soil under him and the river beside him. The night was silent, only the waves of the Nile and Yuuri's breathing audible.
Yuuri sighed. How many times had he throughout the years wished to lay here beside the Nile and watch the stars? How many times had he imagined himself out in the night, alone with only his steps to guide him?
He turned on his side, and drew a deep shuddering breath, enjoying the scent of the earth. The Flood will arrive in a week, and all these fields around the river will be covered in the nutritious water of the Nile. How Yuuri wished to see that, not from his balcony, but from here, up close, where he could smell the earth and feel the river. He was able to, now.
He thought about how destiny could be so cruel and generous at the same time. No, maybe it wasn't generosity; destiny had taken his father and his peaceful life at the palace as a price. Everything comes with a price, Yuuri's father had said so many years ago. You should therefore be careful when you ask the Gods for anything, my son. Is the wish worth enough for you to risk your current life as a price? Yuuri hadn't known the exact meaning behind these words before this exact moment. How his father had been right. He let a tear fall and another and another. He sobbed, seeing his father in his mind's eye, lying in the bed, lifeless.
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With the first rays of day, Yuuri awoke slowly. He turned on his back and tried to sleep on, but the soreness in his neck held him wide awake. He cursed his luck and sat up with a moan. "Stupid earth, aw, aw. Stupid neck…"
He looked around and the sight of the Nile caught his eyes, and he smiled. The Nile was so beautiful from afar but from this close it looked even more than beautiful. It was unearthly beautiful, like something from a dream.
Yuuri could bet his right hand on the Nile being the most beautiful sight in the world. The surface was sparkling with the sky's many colours, the water moving with the wind. Yuuri stared at it for a long time until he no longer could ignore his growing hunger. He rose to his feet and started to search for food. He decided to go inside the city nearby and buy some sort of food. He hoped it wasn't that expensive; he didn't have a lot to trade with.
The sight that greeted him when he finally stepped into the city was breathtaking, and he forgot momentarily everything about food. He had never been to a city like this, never experienced the bustle, smelled the various smells of bread, spices and meats or heard sounds of people gossiping, talking animatedly and laughing. He smiled and proceeded inside the city, taking everything in with wonder.
A commotion in front of him caught his interest and he made his way towards the noisy people, wondering what could've caught so many people's attention. He finally managed to squeeze his way past the laughing people and saw what had caused this strange gathering. It was on old woman, laying on the floor protecting her face with her wrinkled hands. He saw with disbelief as the people around him threw rocks and garbage at the poor woman. He stared at her in speechless shock, but soon pulled himself together with an angry frown. How could they treat an old woman like that? Did they feel no compassion for their fellow human beings? He was so angry he could've punched every single one of them, but placed himself in front of the now whimpering woman instead, covering her body with his.
"Are you people out of your minds? What in the names of the Gods' are you doing?" he yelled at them, boiling with rage.
A big fat man stepped out and sneered at him. "Move, child, or you'll get the same treatment as that old whore."
Yuuri stood his ground more determinedly and send them all a glare, daring them to move forward. He was not going to turn his back on this woman, ever, even if it killed him. He noticed some of them move away, apparently not wanting to get involved any longer, while the big man and 5 other scary-looking men stayed, looking at Yuuri and the woman in disgust.
"All right then, it's your funeral," one of them spat and threw his fist back, punching Yuuri in the stomach. He didn't get enough time to recover or get the lost air back into his assaulted lungs, before the next fist landed on him with violent force. They all spat, punched and kicked at him, but he wouldn't move or give up, even though he knew he had no possible chance of winning against these meat chunks.
"Stop," one of them said, Yuuri recognised him as the one who had called the woman a whore. "If we see you again, you brainless moron, or if you in any shape or form cross our way," he added baring his yellow crooked teeth. "You'll pay, understood?"
Yuuri didn't say anything, and they must have interpreted his silence as submission, because they smirked at him and left with an over-dramatic walk … obviously to find other weak people to taunt.
"Are you all right?" the woman asked Yuuri worriedly and helped him to his feet, even though Yuuri noticed how weak she looked. He smiled reassuringly at her.
"I'm fine. What about you? Are you hurt anywhere?"
She smiled sadly at him and shook her head. "I'm used to this kind of treatment, young man."
Yuuri was outraged to hear that anyone could be used to this, and was about to tell her exactly what he thought about this situation, when a voice behind him interrupted him.
"Are you stupid or what?"
What? Yuuri turned around to face the owner of that annoying arrogant voice. It was a boy around his hight wearing a long cloak. He was hiding his face under a big cowl.
"Why didn't you do anything if you are so smart?" Yuuri answered. The woman gave her thanks to Yuuri before hurrying away. Yuuri stood and eyed the other boy carefully.
"Because there's no way I could've handled all of them alone. You should think rationally," the boy said, stepping closer. Yuuri couldn't see his face. "The only thing you got out of it is a good beating and a nosebleed."
Yuuri's hand flew to his nose. He was in fact bleeding. He mentally cursed his luck.
The boy laughed, arching his neck, and Yuuri was sure he saw some blond locks appear under the cowl, but they were gone instantly when the boy straightened up.
"They'll never forget this." the boy continued.
Yuuri shrugged. "I don't care. I did what I had to do, and I'm not afraid of some bullies."
The boy stood silent for a moment before, before looking away with an arrogant sniff. "Humph, you think you are so smart? These guys are dangerous, we've been trying to catch them in the act for ages."
"In the act? In the act? Was that earlier not enough for you?"
The other boy waved his hand, dismissing Yuuri's last words as utterly unimportant. "No, this happens a lot here."
Yuuri stared at the boy in shock. Had his father known about this? "A lot? Why don't people do anything?"
"You are a wimp and an idiot?" The boy laughed. "People usually mind their own business here."
Yuuri couldn't understand the boy's logic. People should help each other out!
"Well then, if you don't have more stupid questions, I'm leaving. I don't have the whole day to talk with a weakling like you. Farewell, and I hope I'll never see you again," the boy said before walking away.
Yuuri looked at his retreating back for a moment, lost in thoughts, before shrugging. He had to tend to his nose. He hoped it wasn't broken.
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End Chapter 01
ETA: Explanations:
Theben: The "capital city" of Egypt at the time.
Osiris: The God of the Underworld.
The Flood: Every year the Nile flooded the surrounding land. When it reseeded it left a deposit of rich silt, which was nutritious to the earth.
That's it folks :) Expect a new chapter soon. Feedback is always appreciated!
