And last but not least the return of MA. My motherboard is going out on this comp so if I disappear for a while that's what happened. Happy holidays and enjoy!
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
Once the room was finally quiet, Atemu dropped into one of the vacant chairs surrounding the table with a heartfelt groan. He exhaled deeply through his nose as he reached under his helmet to rub at his temples in an effort to quell the piercing headache that had come on not long ago. Had he needed to question those kids for much longer one or all would have met with death at his frustrated hands.
At this moment in time he could have cheerfully killed them all without a second thought. And yet, here he was considering alternative methods of sorting through the matter. Why was that? An irritated frown graced his features. It would have been simpler to dispatch them one by one, starting with the four that he knew, for a fact, were not who he was searching for.
Once again the image of terrified amethyst eyes came to his mind and he pushed them away with a snort. They held no sway over him.
"The prisoners are secure…Is something wrong Your Highness?" Seto questioned, minutes later, as he approached his sovereign with a bow. Mahaado, only a couple of paces behind him, dropped into a deep bow as well.
"I simply cannot deal with them right now without wanting to teach them their place." Atemu sighed, his fingers wandering to his brow in an attempt to massage away the lancing pain. Even the weak candlelight hurt his eyes now. "Why do we not look for clues that would tell us who the rightful heir to the throne is instead of depending on their word alone? I would truly hate to kill the one responsible for Otogi's death without him knowing – and regretting – his actions."
That would be too easy. He wanted his friend's murderer not only to die, but to depart this life in complete and utter agony, lamenting the day that he dared conceive a plan that involved the Egyptian empire and Atemu himself. Only then would his vengeance be satisfied – and not a moment sooner.
"And then what Your Highness? Are you just going to dispose of them and dictate to the Hyksos people that you are their new king?" Mahaado inquired with a frown, watching his king's pained expressions closely. "This country is merely days from rebellion as it is. Would it be logical to ask our people to fight for a cause not their own?"
Atemu dropped his hands to the table and shot the high priest a horrified look. "I-I had not thought about it that way."
Mahaado blinked at the edgy response, his eyes searching Atemu's face. Recognizing the pinched, desperate look that contorted the teenage ruler's features for what it was the brown-eyed priest asked quietly to be dismissed. Once Atemu waved him away he made his way out of the room with the intention of searching through his bags for a potion to ease his Pharaoh's suffering.
"Then what are your plans Your Highness?" Seto questioned as Mahaado slipped silently from the room.
"I am not sure yet what I intend to do. I had thought to dispose of any royalty and proclaim Hyksos for Egypt. But their situation is worse than I had first believed…" Once again Atemu's hands wandered to his head in an attempt to relieve his pain. "…We shall have to help ease the people's plight before we assert our authority. If nothing else I shall leave an emissary behind to see to their needs until we can come up with a more permanent solution."
The blue-eyed priest tipped his head in thought before shrugging outright. "I suppose you are right…in any case we have at least some time to sort this out before anyone notices that something's amiss. I shall leave you to your thoughts while I attempt to find Bakura and Marik – they should have returned by now."
Atemu nodded stiffly in concurrence as the brunette bowed his way out of the room, before laying his head down on his folded hands. As bad as his headache was now it was nothing compared to what it would be had he not had the foresight to leave the bulk of his troops well outside of the royal city, taking only the twenty or so men he trusted implicitly to ensure entry into the nearly deserted palace. They didn't need the widespread panic that surely would have surfaced had he led the entire army into their midst.
When first he witnessed the deteriorated condition of the Hyksos people's welfare, not far into their journey, the decision was made to complete this task with stealth and secrecy rather than force and violence. He had no true desire for this to turn into an all out war, with too many casualties on both sides. There had already been enough fighting in his few years on the throne. No reason for more blatant hostilities when the matter could be resolved by other means.
Against his will Atemu found his thoughts straying, once again, to those wide amethyst eyes and a soft, slender body that fit so nicely against his frame. The terror filled look that crossed those expressive features when he held the child at knife-point had made him feel quite like the heathen he was known for being. What on earth was he going to do with those children?
"So now what?" Bakura questioned abruptly as he entered the throne room, Marik sauntering along at his side, with Seto not too far behind.
"Can we keep them?" Marik queried with an eager look on his face.
Seto rolled his eyes as Atemu, who had nearly jumped out of his seat at their boisterous entrance, settled his head back in his hands.
"Yeah, that little look-alike of mine needs to be taught some manners and I would be more than willing to do the job!" Bakura cackled gleefully, before covering his mouth with his hand at Atemu's glower.
"That remains to be seen! For now we search for something that would give us the identity of their new king. If what the young one said is true, the man I thought responsible for Otogi's demise is not capable of the deed. So that leaves us with the task of finding out who is." Atemu replied brusquely as he covered his ears to block out Bakura's obnoxious laughter. "Bakura, take Marik and search the library, there should be a portrait of the loving family somewhere. Seto, you take the study. I'll go through what they left on the table here. Everyone else spread out – search the entire palace."
The trio eyed each other hesitantly at their ruler's clipped response. It was well known among them that Atemu frequently fell victim to intense headaches that would virtually incapacitate him for hours. And it seemed as though one was holding him in its vise-like grip now.
"Pharaoh –" Mahaado materialized from the entryway, a goblet in his hand. "Drink this. It will help with the pain."
"Thank you Mahaado." Atemu acknowledged, more than gratefully, as he reached for the glass. Once he drained it he turned an eye on the group that had gathered. "Do you not have a task to complete?"
"Yes my Pharaoh."
Each of the men, with the exception of Bakura who strolled away with his hands behind his back, bowed their way out of the room as they went about their duties, leaving Atemu alone to idly ponder the opulent throne room as he waited for his friend's elixir to kick in.
The Egyptian ruler glanced around in the candle light as he took off his helmet and laid it aside, his unusual tricolor hair springing back up into its normal wayward spikes despite the heat; taking note of the jewels and riches that adorned all of the overly cushioned, almost fussy furnishings, as well as the priceless artifacts that were scattered casually about the room. The elaborately painted schemes that decorated the walls were enough to make him cringe in distaste.
It was a pity. For what he had seen of the countryside as well as the royal city left much to be desired. And yet what he had seen of the palace seemed not to be lacking in anything of value. How could these people live like this, knowing that half of their populace was dying of starvation? And the other half wasn't too far behind. As a ruler were you not supposed to take care of your people?
He snorted in disgust, dismissing the former Hyksos leader's hypocrisy as he settled in to read a document that had been casually left on the table, only to set it aside a moment later as insignificant and reach for another. Headache finally restrained by Mahaado's special potion, he scanned the contents of the intriguing memo. He was nearly halfway through when he heard a distinctive screech from above.
"Horus"
Atemu promptly dropped the paper back onto the pile in favor of watching the hawk circle overhead. The tawny-colored bird never failed to fascinate him with its grace and beauty and now was no exception. After a moment's consideration he stretched out his leather covered arm so his friend could land.
Only minutes before his confrontation with the frustrating teens he had sent the faithful hawk out with a message to his troops that they had made it safely inside the palace. For him to be returning so soon meant that all was well outside of the city walls, just as Atemu had hoped. He depended on this small, but deadly creature nearly as much as he did Marik and Bakura – and had yet to be let down by any of them. Which was more than he could say for those who were in his employ.
As the magnificent beast prepared for landing, Atemu caught sight of an unknown object that was clamped firmly in his beak. But the astonished royal was unprepared for the token that his childhood friend had brought back as a broken white dove landed abruptly on top of the paperwork that he was in the process of sorting through with a dull thud.
"Son of a –!"
With a grimace Atemu reached out to pluck the offering off the table, noticing as he did so that the dead bird had a piece of papyrus attached to its leg. He untied the letter and held it up to the light so that he could make out the scrawled words. A slow grin worked its way across his face as he scanned the contents of the letter. This was definitely worth the unexpected – and not so welcome – present.
Setting the letter off to the side Atemu patted the hawk on his head. "Thank you my friend. I owe you dearly for this."
Little over an hour later, Bakura stomped into the room as he dusted off his robes. "The only portrait I found was of the old tyrant himself – and a miniature of some lady with purple eyes holding a baby. Other than that I would say this place needs a good cleaning. That library hasn't been used in the last millennium or so. Damn cobwebs everywhere!"
Having said his piece the white haired thief flopped down unceremoniously in a chair next to a smirking Atemu. He eyed the grinning monarch with a touch of suspicion before reaching out to tug on a piece of blonde hair that fell over the king's eyes, knowing that the other hated it when he did that. "What gives Atemu? I tell you I got nothing and you're grinning like a cat that ate the canary. Feeling better?"
"Very much so…Listen to this." Atemu held up the first of two pieces of parchment that were sitting in front of him as he slapped away the other's hand, tucking the lock of stray hair behind his ear and smoothing the ruby tinted black spikes down in an ineffective gesture before clearing his throat to read the note aloud.
"Dear Prince Yugi…Grandson, I have managed to collect most of your father's troops. His body, as well as that of your brother's shall arrive home shortly. I have also managed to gain an audience with the Persian King and he is just as oblivious as I am as to why your father would attack his borders like he had. But he swears that he was not the one to end his life. I am following up on a couple of leads here, with the help of an old friend of mine. Hope this letter finds you well. Do your best to stay safe. There is something suspicious about our current predicament. Love, Solomon."
When he was finished reciting the letter Atemu dropped it back onto the table as he lounged back in the chair, his hands interlaced behind his head and a malevolent smirk adorning his features. "What do you think?"
With a grin reminiscent of a shark's, Bakura snickered. "So the old bastard really is dead? I think we need to speak with this Prince Yugi."
"My thoughts exactly. But before we do so, take a look at this missive. It is addressed to the High Council of Countries, a plea for help." Atemu picked up the second paper and handed it over to the other for his perusal. "It sounds to me like our young Prince had no grand desire to be king."
Bakura whistled in awe as he read over the politely worded but urgent request, as well as the list of reasons for such action. Not that many people would give up their throne for the good of their people. Not even Atemu was that selfless. "Do you think there's a chance this is a diversion?"
"I doubt it, although there is that possibility. Which means we need to cut this short." Atemu replied as he rose gracefully from the chair. "Go fetch the others. Explain that we have found information of value. We will need to deal with the children one more time. There is more to this situation than meets the eye, perhaps another participant that we had no prior knowledge of."
"The question is, did they?" The white haired thief pushed himself out of the chair at Atemu's supportive nod and made his exit with the intention of finding the others.
"That is what I aim to find out…" Atemu thought out loud to the empty room.
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
It seemed like hours had passed since he had been dumped into this lavish bedchamber, the door locked securely behind him. But Yugi knew that it had not been that long, as the light had yet to touch the sky to indicate that it was daybreak. He spared another longing glance out at the darkened horizon before resuming his pacing, silently berating himself for his earlier display of fear in the presence of the exotic Egyptian monarch.
His behavior was reprehensible, irresponsible and, worse yet, did absolutely nothing to aid the situation! But never in his life had he felt so powerless, so insignificant! Not even his father's threats had the ability to reduce him to a quivering, incoherent mess as the intimidating Pharaoh had. And that was with the force of his voice and eyes alone, well before the Egyptian ruler had ever laid a hand on him.
An irritated screech echoed around the room as Yugi tugged at his complicated braids in frustration, reining his thoughts back to the problem at hand. What was going to become of them? Would they live to see the glorious sunrise that had yet to appear?
If only he knew what had drawn the other sovereign into his territory in the first place, then perhaps he could use whatever it was as a bargaining chip against the intimidating Egyptian. It was obvious that they hadn't known about his father's death, judging by the Pharaoh's stunned expression, so they certainly weren't here to take over the kingdom in this moment of vulnerability.
But if that wasn't the reason they stormed the palace, then what was?
Without first gaining his consent his thoughts turned towards the Pharaoh himself. The man was nothing but a bundle of enigmatic contradictions. Intimidating, commanding, well built, drop-dead gorgeous – Yugi stopped in his tracks at that irrational outlook for a moment before rubbing at his newly acquired, though slight, injury with a groan of disapproval.
What was the point in reflecting on that meaningless little detail?
The man was reputed to be one of the most lethal warriors of their era. His looks didn't matter in the slightest! By all rights the Egyptian monarch should have marched in and killed him and everyone else in the room without question, as his reputation demanded.
Why the interrogation? What purpose could that possibly serve? What was it they needed to know before they did away with him and the others? That was what was going to happen, wasn't it? They were all going to die?
Clutching at his stomach, he dropped to his knees as he felt the bile rise in his throat. There had to be a way to keep his friends safe, there had to be. If he couldn't find it, though, they were all…
As he attempted to keep from tasting what little dinner he had eaten for a second time the door to the room was thrown open with a resounding bang. And Yugi was given no further opportunity to consider the subject as one of the brawny soldiers from earlier entered the chamber, searching the room for his whereabouts. A grin split his mulish features as he spotted his target and made a move to grab for him.
Narrowly avoiding the grasping fingers, Yugi lurched to his feet and darted across the room, grabbing whatever was handy to use as a weapon against whatever the man had in mind. The first one – a lit candle that had been sitting innocuously on a bedside table – glanced off the side of the soldier's arm and he yelped in pain, stomping on the floor to put out what was left of the flame as he aimed a sidelong glare at the defiant teen.
Another projectile answered his angry glance and again the man had to duck to avoid the well-aimed missile. Slightly more confident now that he had injured his attacker, Yugi reached out for a third piece off of the table but found himself caught up short as the man grabbed him from behind and tossed him over a broad shoulder, ending his rebellion with an efficiency honed from years of training in the Egyptian military.
"Hey! Release me! You big cretin, let me go!" Yugi screeched in humiliation as he was once again thrown around as though he was nothing more than a sack of grain. The soldier ignored his protests and carried him out of the room kicking and screaming.
The young king found himself free of the soldier's attentions once they made it back into the throne room only to be roughly tossed into one of the high-backed chairs that someone had lined up in a neat row, before being securely bound with strips of white linen apparently cut up just for that purpose.
The young king opened his mouth to give his captors a piece of his mind but his jaw hit the floor when he caught sight of the Egyptian Pharaoh minus his helmet and armor trappings.
Their looks were somewhat similar, especially their hair, but not enough to keep his attention due to that alone. Had he thought the Egyptian ruler to be gorgeous before? Dressed only in a sheathe-like shenti that showed off most of his slender legs, his chest and shoulders bare but for the heavy collar and chest plate, the scarlet-eyed Pharaoh was nothing short of exquisite.
And that was before the Egyptian royal turned his back on the room to confer with one of the other men. A large, intricate tattoo of a golden dragon started up around his shoulder blades, covering nearly his entire, well-defined back to end somewhere hidden underneath the gauzy cotton of his shenti. The artwork was simply amazing.
Caught off guard by the stunning vision, Yugi groaned, his thoughts scattering as his mind gave him a glimpse of what it would feel like to have those strong arms wrapped around him, forcefully drawing him back against the heat of that lean, toned body. The man was literally without equal.
A pained shout from Jou, as the others found themselves in the same situation as their king, ripped Yugi from the vivid fantasy with the same effect as a cold spray of water. It took him a moment to appreciate the compromising position that he had put himself in, zoning out like that.
Not only had he missed out on a chance to request a private conference with the powerful Egyptian concerning his friends' safety without those friends side-tracking the discussion with their noble intentions, but now each of the Egyptians were eyeing him with nothing short of amusement – including the star of his erotic musing.
That one smirked widely, as if knowing his innermost thoughts, the appraising look in his eyes leaving Yugi with the impression that he seriously needed more clothing.
"Impressive, is it not? Would you like to know what it stands for?" Mahaado queried, not unkindly, from his position beside the intimidating monarch, hoping that the boy would take his question as a sign that this confrontation could be less than hostile.
The young teen's jaw worked silently for a minute before it snapped shut with an audible click as he lowered his eyes to the floor in shame, unable to observe the other man's peaceful gesture due to the lump in his throat. Oh gods, why couldn't he just say the words? Such was part of his reasoning for giving up the throne, his persistent inclination to freeze upon attracting the attentions of such an imposing figure. He had his reasons, yes, but they did nothing for him now.
He had failed his friends. What was going to happen to them now? Was this the point where their lives became forfeit? Or were they to be tortured first, for whatever information it was that the Egyptians needed?
"Now that everyone is comfortable –" The Pharaoh's powerful baritone voice echoed around the room, gaining everyone's attention and answering Yugi's unspoken question. "We are going to have a little discussion. I am going to ask the questions, and you –" He gazed around at his captive audience with a smirk. "– are going to answer when I call upon you. If this cannot be done in a calm and rational manner, than I will hand you over to my men for a different form of questioning. Understood?"
"Suck dick by choice!" Jou growled low, earning him a wide-eyed look from Yugi for his outburst and a smack upside the head from the blue-eyed priest standing behind him. "Ow! Watch it dick-weed!"
Anzu glanced at the besieged blonde out of the corner of her eye before adding her comments. "Yeah, whatever you want – we don't have it! Seek it elsewhere…preferably in the afterlife!"
"Hopefully they won't make it that far. I would prefer a meeting with Ammit!" Honda interjected his two cents.
Ryou glared heartily at his white-haired look-alike. "I think I speak for all of us when I say kiss my ass!"
Bakura only chuckled as he stared down Ryou's defiant glower, causing the boy only to grit his teeth and glare back even harder. "I would be glad to take a strap to your hide, little boy. You should respect your elders."
Yugi's head snapped up at the threat against his best friend, eyes narrowed. "Hey! There's no –"
Ryou growled an unintelligible oath in the language of his homeland before switching back to the shared Coptic. "Go to –!"
"What is with you? We are not children!" Malik snapped out in defense of the seething white-haired teen, just as Jou shouted "Why you arrogant son of a jack–!"
Atemu threw a glare over his shoulder aimed at the defiant teens for instigating the newest shouting match. "Enough! Or would you rather I cut your tongues out one by one?"
The furious monarch's words had the effect that he wanted as once again the group fell silent, although not without their eyes speaking the similar sentiments to the ones they had voiced not seconds before. After a moment's consideration Atemu waved his men over to the side of the room for a private discussion.
Upon hearing the foreign curse he had realized that there was an infinitely easier way to get the Hyksos ruler to give himself up with none of the others being the wiser – not that torture didn't have a certain appeal at this time.
"What's up?" Bakura asked irreverently, trailing after the others towards the corner of the room.
"Would it not be interesting to know which one of them has the ability to follow this discussion?" Atemu replied quietly in Hieratic, a dialect of Egyptian language and writing only used at the higher levels of government. "Only those of royal blood would have learned foreign diplomacy..."
"Therefore the only person who'll understand what we're saying is our dear Prince Yugi." Marik finished, folding his arms over his chest with a chuckle. "Did I ever tell you I like the way your devious mind works?
Atemu shot his head of guards a superior smirk but shook his head in lieu of his normal sarcastic remark.
"Interesting…" Seto raised an eyebrow, but switched over to Hieratic as well, setting the topic of the conversation as he raised his voice to a level that could be heard on the other side of the room. "I see, so shall we hand them over to Marik and Bakura for punishment before we try this again?"
"That would be our best course of action." Atemu granted with a nod. "I would think them quite willing to answer any question put to them after some discipline."
As he spoke his scarlet gaze wandered surreptitiously around the room, past the blank, rebellious glares on many of the younger group's faces, until he got to a pair of fearful amethyst eyes that widened as if understanding every word they spoke. It was as he had thought. The little one who had caught his attention earlier was the one he was searching for.
The devious royal smirked broadly as he whispered "Hello Prince Yugi."
Yugi's eyes shot up at the soft sound of his name and he froze as the other monarch chuckled loudly. Slowly he lowered his head, nodding in abject misery. Oh gods, not like this…
As much as he had wanted his Egyptian tormentors to realize that he had been speaking the truth, now that the time had come the young king found that he wasn't ready for it. He swallowed the knot of despair in his throat, trying valiantly to hold back the tears. What if, now that the Egyptians knew who he was, they killed his friends anyways, for spite? Why couldn't he have had the courage to speak the words earlier?
"Game over little one..." Atemu laughed as he closed in on his prey, pleased now that his theory was proven accurate. "You have no pretense left to hide behind."
He, Seto, Marik, Bakura, and Mahaado, along with a couple of the guards had debated at length over whether it was the amethyst-eyed child who held the throne or if it was the white-haired child. And their opinions had been split right down the middle.
Atemu had argued long and hard that the smallest of the group was the one they protected, yet Seto insisted that the boy with the white hair was occupying the throne when they announced their presence. Now proven correct Atemu was in a generous mood – at least as far as the situation allowed. The impetuous royal aimed a victorious smirk at his high priest, gaining a roll of sapphire eyes as his reward, before stalking the length of the floor towards his prey.
"Hello little prince-ling…what have you to say for yourself?" Atemu leaned in to whisper as he presented himself before the young Hyksos ruler with a graceful bow.
By that time Jou and the others realized that their sovereign was caught and they tried their best to loudly deny the accusation. But it didn't matter anymore. Atemu turned a deaf ear to their shouts. This victory belonged to him.
Yugi fidgeted with his bindings, refusing to look up. "C-could we please finish this discussion elsewhere? I would rather they not –" He nodded over towards where his friends were still struggling valiantly to protect him with their words, reverting to a formal tongue that he had long heard his grandfather speak as he made his request. "– witness…I-I don't want their last memories of me to be tainted with my cowardice."
After a moment's consideration Atemu inclined his head with a regal nod as he began to loosen the ropes that held the young ruler to his chair. "As you wish."
Upon being freed, Yugi rubbed at his sore wrists and rose from the chair unsteadily. He glanced over at the others with a solemn expression, his regal acceptance causing the room to explode into a vortex of shouts and pleas for his life. This was it. His time had come to an end and the only clear thought was of those he would be leaving behind.
Then the petite ruler's mind shut down, leaving him visibly trembling as he endeavored to keep his head held high. He was torn between praying that he wouldn't shame himself in front of the intimidating Egyptian before his final breath and praying for a way to keep his friends from sharing in his fate. In the end his friends won out, he would gladly beg on his knees if it meant that they would go free.
"This way young one." Atemu extended his hand to allow the trembling teen to precede him out of the room. As a ruler, he understood the other's need to keep his emotions private and he almost admired the little one's courage for requesting it.
Seto and two of the guards attempted to follow, but the Egyptian monarch brought their intentions to a halt with a firm hand as he trailed the younger sovereign out into the corridor, closing the doors behind him to ensure their privacy.
As he escorted his unbound prisoner down the hallway towards the study Atemu's eyes strayed to the other's nimble form appreciatively. The little one was truly a remarkable sight wrapped in gauzy linen pants that tapered at slim ankles, the silky fabric of his shirt clinging to his slender waist, leaving so much, but at the same time so little to the imagination. The heavy braids he wore swinging with each and every graceful movement.
He smirked when the object of his fascination realized that he was being watched – the boy's entire frame tensing up, a rosy blush extending all the way to the tips of his ears as he snuck wary, hesitant glances behind him.
During his reign Atemu had known many a grown man who pissed themselves in fear when they found themselves the target of his wrath. Yet this one tiny royal held his head high even with the knowledge that he was walking to his death. So much courage wrapped up in such a becoming little package. Was it misplaced?
Exactly how did this little beauty become mired in the heart of his plans for reprisal? Was it by his choice? Could this boy truly be the mastermind behind the destruction of his village and yet still be able to pass off such a façade of innocence in the face of his fury? There were so many questions. He couldn't possibly answer all of them with the boy's demise. Could he?
When they made it to their destination Atemu graciously opened the door, ushering his captive into the room before closing and locking it behind him. At the panicked glance he received the bemused Egyptian found himself with a desire to explain his motives. "It will keep the others from our conversation."
Once inside the study Yugi had quickly put as much distance between himself and the temperamental Egyptian as possible, staring out the window to make it seem as though he were only enjoying the calm nighttime breeze. When he heard the lock slide into place he was unable to keep the shudder from rocking his petite frame, glancing back at the other regent in alarm.
The excuse given did nothing to calm his frazzled nerves, but he steeled himself to ask the question he needed to know before his life came to an end.
"Why?" Yugi croaked as he wrapped his arms around his slender form.
"Why what little one?" Atemu questioned, quite willing for the moment to let the boy open the dialog before demanding the answers he sought.
"W-why us?" Yugi traced the glow of the early morning sunrise with his eyes, meticulously avoiding the other's powerful gaze. "Of all places…What is it you w-want from us?"
Retracting his earlier decision on exactly how to deal with the younger monarch, Atemu quickly closed the distance between them with a scowl. "I believe you already know the answer to both questions, so cease with the naive routine. Contrary to popular belief I am not in the habit of harassing innocents – unlike some people."
"What are you talking about?" Yugi darted behind the desk in an effort to put a barrier between them, his eyes now locked on the predatory gleam visible in those exotic scarlet orbs.
"Damn it!" Atemu slapped his hands down on the desktop forcefully, scattering papers, toppling the quill out of the ink-pot and rattling figurines as he locked eyes with his prey. If need be he would vault over the barrier and tutor the boy on how not to lie to him. "I speak of the village that your men destroyed three days prior. You cannot have forgotten in such a short period of time!"
Yugi jumped at the display of temper but held his ground. "That's impossible! We've done nothing to you."
"Nothing? You've done nothing you say…?"
Atemu paced away the length of the room with his hands fisted in his hair before stalking towards the desk that lay between the two of them as he dug into the bag strung around his waist, Yugi matching him backwards step for step. Once the scarlet-eyed royal found what he was searching for he tossed the item onto the desk where it landed with a dull thump amidst the pile of papers.
He folded his arms across his chest and quirked a brow at the object, all but daring the younger king to deny the accusation. "Explain what this was doing at the wreckage of my village! Explain why a dead child held a drawing of your royal crest in his hand!"
Yugi cautiously stepped up to take a peek at what the other king had tossed down so vehemently. Whatever it was it had caused a chillingly furious expression to settle over those exotic features. He stared at it for a moment, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. When it became clear the young king put a trembling hand to his mouth, shaking his head to rid himself of the implications.
Oh gods, it couldn't be!
Lying so innocently amidst its bed of papers was a scrap of blood soaked leather from a soldier's armor – one that was embroidered with his family's royal insignia. None other than the Hyksos royal army had those symbols etched in their armor. Was this what had the Egyptian monarch storming their palace with such a murderous intent?
"Oh gods…where did you…?" Yugi covered his mouth against the need to gag, a desperate, haunted look crossing his pale features. "…How did you get that?"
Atemu angrily evaluated the boy's reaction as the young king sank to his knees in front of him, before he lashed out in rage.
"That was my village your soldiers destroyed without a thought! And that was my friend among those killed!" Teeth bared in an intimidating snarl he struck his chest with the palm of his hand to illustrate his point. "Mine! What say you? Now that you are confronted with the evidence! What say you now?"
Yugi shook his head, blocking out the other's words as he huddled in on himself. No, no no! Not Egypt too! It wouldn't matter that he had no previous knowledge of this raid. Staring back at him from the middle of the desk was all the proof that was needed. His life was over. The powerful Egyptian ruler had all the right in the world to expect his life in return for those lost.
"But they were in Persia…" He whispered tearfully, almost to himself. "Why? He couldn't be in two places…could he…? Oh gods! Why would they…? It doesn't make any sense!"
Atemu folded his arms across his chest, breathing heavily, as he gave the smaller royal a moment to gather his desperate thoughts. Eventually the Egyptian royal closed his eyes in consternation as he followed the other's barely intelligible mutterings. He understood all too clearly what the boy was trying to piece together.
There was the slightest chance that the little one had no involvement whatsoever in this plot.
"How many?" Yugi's head snapped up, a determined glaze to his eyes.
"Pardon?" Atemu questioned wearily.
"How many! How many lives? How many homes? Gods, how many more people need to die before my father's greed is sated?" Yugi shot to his feet, startling the older monarch with his vehemence, his thoughts in turmoil. "Even in his grave he haunts me! Am I ever going to be free of his influence?"
"Too many!" Atemu shot back, taking a step towards the trembling teen in anger. "Why does it matter to you?"
"You're right. Too many…even one is too many…" Yugi stumbled away to catch himself against the wall, well out of the other's reach. Gathering what was left of his tattered dignity, he scrubbed at his face to erase the evidence of tears. "I would rather end it now…I know it won't make up for their loss…but…T-take my life…as payment for theirs then. Mine…and the lives of those who carried out the act…"
Atemu's jaw dropped, freezing him mid-step. This wasn't the response he had anticipated. No one had ever offered their life in return for those that he had lost. It was unheard of, that someone take responsibility for their actions. He shook his head to regain his composure, realizing that the young monarch was still talking while he stood there looking stupid with his mouth hanging open wide enough to catch flies.
"…All I ask is that you spare my friends. They are good people. And my country...my people…Please, I beg you; don't take your anger out on them. They are all blameless."
Having said what he needed to the young king reached over to the display of weapons beside him and withdrew a sword before a startled Atemu even realized his intentions. He then kneeled before the Egyptian monarch, narrowly clinging to what was left of his courage as he held out the sharp weapon in offering.
"If you c-could make this fast I would truly appreciate it…I'm...I h-hate being scared…"
His body on autopilot Atemu reached for the sword, if only to keep it out of the other's shaky grasp, the gears in his head turning frantically. Earlier he and Bakura had joked about taking a pleasure slave of royal blood. The idea had seemed far-fetched considering the circumstances. But after listening to the young king's frantic mutterings and reading of his numerous troubles the idea almost seemed like their best course of action.
It was his choice, he had the upper hand. Should he kill the boy outright? Or should he stake his claim as he had wanted to do from the very moment he laid eyes on the slender Hyksos royal and wait for the truth to reveal itself? Either way it left him in control of another territory, a burden he neither wanted nor needed. Should he dare acquire something for himself out of the arrangement?
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
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