Me: Hi everyone! Now I know that this my be familiar to the people that read Scars, and in fact it is. I just edited it a little.

E: Thanks to Blood Thirsty Angle and White petal for reviewing.

Me: And for Angle giving me a laugh at her random cuddly noises. ^^

E: Authors...

Me: Shut up E! XP

E: Right, Sorceress just owes Tenionia and Akaan. Happy reading!


Tenionia sighed as she wandered through the courtyard of the palace. Akaan had wandered off, again and the court was searching around the palace for him. She had a sinking feeling she knew where the little boy was hiding. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a tuff of white hair with black tints in it and she chuckled. Only one person had that kind of hair.

"Tenionia!" Atem walked up to her.

"We couldn't find him."

"Really? Oh well I guess Akaan decided to run away on me!" She said loudly. Atem gave her a funny look and she winked, gesturing at the hair and the pair of eyes that were peering out from the rim of one of the large pots. Atem snickered and the pair started to walk towards the pot. Atem noticed the pair of eyes sink down into the pot.

"Well, poor Tenionia." Tenionia giggled and dramatically placed her hand over her heart and her other on her forehead like she was going to faint.

"Oh my poor heart! How I miss my dear son!" She winked at Atem. Then the princess turned and started to tickle the small boy that was hiding in the pot.

"Got ya!" Akaan squealed as his mother picked him up out of the pot and tickled him. Atem burst out laughing as he watched the mother and child. Akaan pouted.

"Aw, you found me!" Tenionia chuckled and placed him on the ground. She knelt.

"Well, your hair is difficult to miss, Akaan." The little boy's pout deepened.

"Aw..." He whined and she chuckled. Atem smiled.

"I'll go call off the search." He said walking away from the mother and son. Tenionia turned to her son, who was kicking the ground with his foot and not looking at her.

"Akaan? Why did you hide?" Tears started to fill Akaan's eyes and Tenionia pulled him close.

"Akaan, you can tell me." Akaan sniffled, rubbing his nose.

"There was a mean man that tried to hurt me. I thought that I could hide until he went away." Tenionia scowled.

"What did this mean man look like?"

"Well he was old, and he had dark eyes. I thought I saw him talking to Aknaden." Tenionia frowned. She picked Akaan up and walked back to the palace. Mahad walked out and smiled when he spotted her and her child.

"Mahad? Can you do me a favor?" She asked and he nodded.

"Of course, Princess."

"Can you entertain Akaan, please?" Mahad nodded and took the child from the princess.

"Ah! Master Mahad!" Akaan squealed and Mahad chuckled. Tenionia watched as the Master magician and her son walked off, then she turned on her heel and stormed through the palace. The guards that were standing on the edge of the corridors edged away from the young woman as she passed. It was rare that Lady Tenionia was in such a furious mood, but when she was, you did not want to be in her way. She turned into the throne room to see that Seto and Aknaden were discussing something in hushed tones. She was ready to explode in rage, but she took a deep breath. She walked up to the pair of men and waited until they noticed her presence. Akhaden acknowledged her first.

"Oh Lady Tenionia, you look upset." She chuckled bitterly.

"Funny, because Akaan told me that someone tried to kill him earlier, that's why he hid." Seto grunted.

"I take it you found that little brat." She growled, narrowing her eyes.

"That little 'brat' as you call him is my son, and a prince, he deserves respect, Seto."

"The illegitimate son of an exiled princess. A child like that does not deserve my respect."

"Take that back!" She hissed and Seto snorted.

"Anyways, do you know who is responsible for the attempted murder?" Aknaden asked, cutting in and she nodded.

"He described a man that he apparently saw speaking with you, Aknaden." Seto snorted.

"You only have the word of your son, and that isn't a very good witness."

"Stop insulting him!" She snapped angrily. Tenionia was beginning to lose her patience with Seto, so much so that she was beginning to shake in rage.

"What's going on here?" The three turned to see Atem walking up.

"Ah! Pharaoh!" Aknaden greeted him.

"We were just having a conversation with Princess Tenionia. She claims that her son was almost murdered." Atem blinked.

"Murdered? By whom?" Tenionia crossed her arms.

"By someone that was hired by these two." She gestured at Aknaden and Seto. Seto snorted again and Aknaden looked offended.

"Why on earth would we try to kill a child?" He asked appalled.

"People have done worse things." Tenionia calmly retorted.

"Besides, Akaan is not only an illegitimate child, but he also stands to inherit at least a piece of my power, that could be a very good reason to kill him." She said evenly.

"I just realized something," Seto smirked.

"Since Thief king Bakura and the exiled Princess were together, then that would make the boy the prince of thieves and the future tyrant of Teaorna. He'll likely grow up to be worse then King Akrin, himself." That struck a nerve in Tenionia.

"Take that back!" She growled but Seto continued, looking at Atem.

"My pharaoh, you do realize that Princess Tenionia bore a child of our enemy, that makes her a traitor and her son the living proof of her betrayal." Aknaden nodded.

"That boy is destined for a dark future. Not only is he the child of the King of Thieves, the man that has taken the lives of so many innocents and stolen from the great tombs of the kings, but the boy is also the grandson of the tyrant ruler that tried to destroy Egypt. That boy will surely grow up to be worse then his father and his grandfather combined."

"That's not true!" Tenionia snapped.

"My father has no impact on Akaan at all, what you fail to see is that Akaan is kind, and would NEVER harm anyone, EVER! You both also fail to see what I see in his father. Bakura became a thief because he had no choice! In fact, you have no idea of the complete hell that we both lived through. You know absolutely NOTHING!" Seto growled.

"Oh now, you're defending the king of thieves."

"Shut up, Seto!" She snapped rudely. She didn't care that it was rude and unladylike to lose her temper, but Seto was pushing it too far.

"You are so blind to what happens behind closed doors, Seto. Mock me all you like, but if you dare mock my son or Bakura or even my blood, I swear by the gods I will make you regret it!" With that, she turned and stormed out.

"Tenionia!" Atem called but she didn't stop. She just continued to walk out of the throne room. She had to get away from Aknaden and Seto, she just had to.


Meanwhile Akaan was in the garden, admiring one of the flowers. It was white with red dots on the petals like someone had pricked their finger and allowed the blood to fall on the petals. Then a butterfly landed on the flower, completing its beauty. The little six year old grinned as the butterfly landed on his finger. He giggled as the little bug's legs brushed against his skin.

"Butterflies are fascinating creatures, aren't they, Akaan?" Mahad asked with a smile as he knelt next to the little boy. Akaan nodded.

"Mama said that there are fairies that paint the wings of all the butterflies of the world." Mahad lightly chuckled at the little boy's innocence.

"That would explain why every pattern is different." He remarked. He turned to see that Tenionia was storming through the halls looking very upset and on the brink of tears.

"Mana can you keep an eye on Akaan?" Mana nodded.

"Sure Master!" Mahad stood and dashed after Tenionia.

"Princess?" Mahad asked. Tenionia turned and looked surprised to see him.

"Oh Mahad, you surprised me."

"Is something wrong, princess?" He asked and Tenionia shook her head.

"No, nothing is wrong." Mahad eyed Tenionia with a frown and Tenionia dropped her gaze.

"It was because of Seto and Aknaden, wasn't it? What did they do?" Tenionia nodded and swallowed.

"They tried to kill Akaan, Mahad! And they dared to compare him to my father and Bakura." Mahad frowned.

"Do they know about Akaan's line?" Tenionia nodded and hid her face.

"I don't know what to do! I can't bare the thought of losing Akaan!" Mahad touched her shoulder.

"That shall never happen, My princess. Seto and Aknaden may be the Pharaoh's family but they don't have the power to make those choices. The Pharaoh does."

"What do I do though?" Mahad offered a smile.

"I'll speak to the Pharaoh. I advise that you speak to him as well."

"He already knows about what happened today." She said gazing sadly as Akaan watched Mana do simple magic tricks.

"Speaking to Atem isn't going to help, Mahad." The Master magician frowned.

"What are you saying?" The princess looked at her son and Mana with a sad look on her face.

"I don't want him to continuing to live like this where his life is threatened everyday. I already went through that hell, he doesn't deserve it. I need to do something or Akaan will get hurt again." Mahad gave her a sad look.

"You know that the Pharaoh and I would help you."

"I know, but I believe that it would be easier to raise him as a peasant." Mahad scowled.

"Princess, be realistic. If you did run, you won't be able to provide for him."

"I have my ways, Mahad. No matter what it takes if we do leave, I will have food on the table for my child. I would rather raise him as a peasant outside then here where he is a target of assassination."

"You know that your place is here, Princess and The Pharaoh will protest loudly if you disappear."

"I know that, but this is for Akaan's sake. Not for mine." Tenionia replied firmly. Mahad sighed through his nose.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck, Princess." Mahad bowed and she smiled. She was very glad to have a friend like him.

"Thank you, Mahad. I'll keep in touch." With that, the princess joined her son as Mana did funny tricks with the water in the pond to amuse Akaan.