As Seto was getting dressed for his time in the gardens with Atem he didn't notice the chamber doors being opened. He was facing his balcony so he could see if Atem ventured out on his own before he could get there to accompany him. However he was having garment trouble again.

"Let me help you." Atem said as he took hold of the loose piece of fabric.

Seto nearly jumped out of his skin, "Atem! You can't sneak around like that!"

Atem noticed how causal Seto was with him in private especially when they didn't have anything important to be attending. Atem looked down at the sash he was suppose to be tying, "Seto, you know I'm suppose to take a bride to be my queen very soon."

"Yes, I'm the one that informed you." Seto said raising an eyebrow, "Why do you feel the need to remind me?"

"Well, it's just. I don't think I could ever fall in love with someone else." He said making sure he used the right words so Seto wouldn't catch on too quickly.

"Well, apparently love doesn't have much to do with marriage. Her main purpose to you is to provide you with a male heir and to serve you."

"I know but I have many concubines that could and have had my children already."

"That is true however those children were born out of wedlock so they are considered illegitimate thus can't inherit the throne." Seth explained.

"I suppose I understand however I wish there was some way I could tell that person that I truly love them without fear."

"Fear?"

"Of the pain of rejection. Or being denied."

Seto laughed at Atem fear, "My Pharaoh, if anyone were to ever reject you that person should be the one in fear."

Atem smiled Seth always had an answer for everything and normally it was exactly what he wanted to hear, "Let just say, hypothetically speaking, Isis was the one I loved."

"I'm listening."

"Though she is bond to the life of purity could she break it to be with me?"

"I suppose in the rare case that royalty were to fall in love with a Priest. I suppose that would be the only exception. However if it's just lust that they are feeling they have a serious decision."

"About what?"

"Well they were to act upon their feeling the Priestess would be stripped of her title since to be a Priestess you can't act on feelings."

"Well, Seto would you ever give up your title if you fell in love?"

"I don't know." Seto replied, "I've never had the pleasure of being in love."

"Are you sure?" Atem questioned.

"Yes."

Atem couldn't decide whether Seto was just jerking him around not wanting to let his true feelings come out or Seto honestly was unaware of his feelings for him. He'd always heard the peasants talk about how they've knew their wife or husband since they were young and that they fell in love because of it. But he had known Seto for awhile now and Seto didn't seem to love him like he did.

"Do you love me?" Atem asked bluntly as he spun Seto around to face him.

"Of course, I do." Seto replied though a bit startled, "You're my king and my friend."Seto couldn't help notice the look of displeasure on Atem's face, "Have I upset you?"

"You could never truly upset me Seto." He said taking hold on his hand. Atem felt Seto soft flawless skin and longed to touch more of it, "I'm just nervous about what the future will hold."

"I'll be with you every step of the way." Seto reassured his King, "You should leave the worrying to your advisors that is the reason for having them."

Throughout the day Atem made it his goal to be in Seto's way. He couldn't think of another way to get his attention if he was busy doing his duties around the palace. When Seto was in the library Atem purposely knocked the scrolled Seto had spent hours organizing down, just to have an acceptable reason to help him fix them again. Before feasting that evening Atem stepped on the back on Seto's sandal and cause a graceless collapse of his friend. He helped him up just so he could touch the bare skin on his arms.

"What is your problem?" Seto snapped in frustration as he looked at his broken sandal, "You knocked over those scrolls, scared me half to death when you stalk around the temples and now this."

Atem couldn't help but laugh at Seto's temper being put to the test, "It seems like I can't help but run into you today."

Seto ignored him for the most part as he removed his other sandal and began to walk back to his room, "I'll be running late to feasting."

"I'll come with you."

"No." Seto said, "I don't need your help putting on a different pair of sandals. I last thing I want you doing is touching my feet." Seto physically turned Atem around and nudged him in the direction of the banquet hall.

Atem arrived at the banquet hall alone and sat in his normal spot. He downed his first goblet of wine before Seto arrived and took his place among the priest. In the banquet hall that night his advisors had all of the women that he had to choose from to be his queen. They were all really beautiful but trying to hold a conversation with any of them was impossible. Every single one was too meek, too stuck on themselves or too formal. None of them would look him in the eye so it was impossible for him to tell actually how sincere they were really being.

Feasting never had an official end it was normally over when the wine was gone or when most of everyone had retired to their chambers. Atem watched and waited for Seto to leave before he did the same. Seto always would stay just long enough for everyone to remember that he was there.

Atem watched Seth say his goodbyes to the other priest and made his move for the door, he followed. Seto sighed in relief as the silent halls greeted him. He was making his way back to his chambers to get ready for bed when Atem entered the hall as well.

"Seto." Atem called after him.

"What can I do for you, Pharaoh?"

"I was hoping you'd accompany me to me chambers tonight. I want to talk to you about the selection of women that were brought tonight."

"Did you see one you liked?" Seto asked as he walked with the Pharaoh.

"Something like that but not really." Atem told him as they continued down the hall towards his room.

Atem's hands were getting sweaty he'd never been so nervous in his entire life. Taking charge of an entire country was nothing compared to trying to make a move on a long time friend that was also one of your high priest.

Once they were inside his room Seto took a seat at a small table and waited for Atem to speak, "Well?"

"Uh, Seto we've been friends for years. You were there for me when my father passed away and everything after that."

"You're correct. I was there." Seto answered.

"Well, I know I made you one of my High Priest but I was wondering if you'd ever consider giving that title up for something else? Something more meaningful."

Seto looked at Atem with an extremely confused look on his face or maybe fear, "Are you sending me away?"

"What? No! No of course not!" Atem explained, "I just wanted to know-" Atem stopped in mid-sentence and watched Seto go from calm to a full blown panic in a matter of seconds.

"It's you advisors isn't it! They never liked the idea of me being a priest since I wasn't born and raised here like the others. They want you to put me in that cell with that cannibal!"

"Seto, that's not it at all! I just wanted to know if you'd let me get over this feeling I have about you." Atem said grabbing Seto in an attempt to calm him, "I can't believe you thought I was serious about the cannibal."

"Well, from the time we met and every now and then you bring it up. So maybe I have some paranoia about it." Atem smiled at Seto, "It doesn't help I'm too afraid to go down into the dungeons. But what about these feelings?"

"Well, the last couple of years I've been thinking about how well we get along and how I feel comfortable with you. Well, I've been having these thoughts about you and I wanted to tell you how I felt."

Seto stared at Atem blankly, "How is it you think about me?"

"Well," Atem took a deep breath he was having a hard time think of away to phrase what he had to say in a way that Seto didn't get scared off, "when I'm with one of my concubines I imagine that I'm with you." Once again Seto was looking confused, "I'd like to be with you."

"You want me to give up my title to be one of you concubines?" Seto said as if he was trying to make sense of it all too.

"Hypothetically, what if I ordered it?" Atem asked, he could never force Seto to do anything he really didn't want to do.

"Then I would have to accept it." Seto replied, "however if our friendship means anything you wouldn't."

With that Seto left Atem alone in his room. Atem was shocked he'd never been rejected by anyone. Never rejected, never denied, never ever told no. His heart was pounding like crazy as he thought about everything, "It's like a game." He thought as he sat down on his bed. Moments later a soft knock was at the door and a line-up of young girls, his concubines, came in. He looked them over briefly before settling on one with a slightly boyish figure. She was thin and flat-chested but she had hips which was one of the only thing she had in common with Seto.

TBC

AN-Oooh I'm getting into the plot soon ya'll. I'm excited. Let me know how excited you are too with a review.