This is a sorry excuse for a chapter, but hopefully at least reaching halfway to my standards. With this chapter, and a few others, I hope to slowly start working on fanfiction again. And… if possible… the next chapter will be a bit better.

Ch VII

I was led back to my room. Neither I nor Seth said a word, and I just knew the ride through the town that Atem had promised me would not happen. My worth here had been made clear. I soon realized that no guards accompanied us, and I wondered, if it was because Seth was with me, or because I was no loner worthy of protection? Seth did not speak and I was, admittedly, grateful for it. The tall (well, tall for an Egyptian at that time) man ordered a few servants to fetch food and drink, and a healer. As the high priest closed the door silently, keeping a non-saying eye on me, I sat down on the edge of the bed and stared out through the doorless balcony.

"…he hit me," I said. No emotion reached my voice. The shock of the situation had drained me off everything. "Do you think… he'll…" I wasn't sure of what to ask, really. Luckily Seth seemed to guess what I meant and walked over to me.

"He warned you, Kura. I do not think he'll harm you further unless provoked," he answered, clearly in an attempt to comfort me. And suddenly I was angry. The bastard of a rotten pharaoh dared hit me?! Who did he think he was? Never mind that, who did he think I was? The icy glare I directed towards Seth had the man taking a step back. I know perfectly well how intimidating I can be. After all, I've always been able to see it in my victims' eyes, both as the thief king, and as the spirit of the millennium ring.

"That… son of a… he thinks he can just do what he wants, huh?" I stood up and glowered darkly at Seth as if it was all his fault somehow. To the high priest's benefit I can say that this time he held his ground, though he looked at me as though I'd gone insane. Heck, maybe I had. A long fucking time ago. And even that was the pharaoh's fault!

"He is the king of Kemet, Kura," he said in an even voice. "You'd do well to remember that the next time you-" Seth interrupted himself as the doors opened and servants carrying wine, bread and fruits entered, closely followed by a man I supposed was a healer. Neither I nor Seth spoke as the man took a look at my bruised cheek and spread some "healing" salve over it. Seth sent the healer a dark look that clearly meant to say that the man was dismissed, and the healer bowed deeply and backed away. Before the doors closed, I took notice that the guards from earlier had been re-stationed outside of my room. A quick thought flitted through my brain: Were they there to keep an eye on me, or to protect me? Probably both…

"I'm not a prisoner but I'm damned well a sex slave without a will of my own," I muttered sarcastically and broke off a piece of the bread. Seth sighed and filled the two clay cups with wine. One he handed over to me, and the other he kept, slowly swirling the liquid around and around. For an ever so short moment I was reminded of Seto back in future Japan. Aside that Seto didn't drink wine, of course…

"Pharaoh Atem has taken interest in you, and it is very easy to understand why…" I gave him a sharp look at that; one which he pointedly ignored. "He is not a man to be denied what he wants. If he wants you as a…sex slave… then in his mind you are one, belonging to him. However…" I would have had a few well selected words to point out but Seth raised a hand as well as his voice ever so slightly to cut me off even before I had time to begin and so I stayed quiet. "I've noticed that the king does not simply order you to bed. He is… in lack of better words… attempting to court you."

I spluttered. Had I chosen the moment to drink I would have sprayed wine all over the floor, and Seth, and probably choked to top it off, but as it was… I spluttered.

I stood still for the longest time, a wine goblet in one hand and a piece of newly baked bread in the other, gaping like the fool I very clearly must have looked like. And then a small, ever so small, part of my mind gained some manner of control and I managed to whisper an embarrassingly weak:

"What?"

"Pharaoh Atem has, as to this point, attempted to court you," Seth clarified with some amusement. It was quite clear that he enjoyed the moment very much. Again I simply stood and gaped and as my mind seemed unwilling to work in its normal glory, I was reduced to simply ask:

"Why?"

At this something… remarkable? Unexpected? Shocking? Well something happened. Seth placed his own goblet on a golden tray and took the cup in my hand, as well as the bread, and placed them away as well. Then the high priest took my hands, which were still lifted as if I was holding something. Somehow the fact that they were now empty hadn't clicked in my brain yet. With a voice that sounded suspiciously like he was talking to a halfwit Seth began explaining.

"You are not something that can be found in Egypt." Well duh. "From your looks to your behaviour you defy the gods themselves. Is it so astonishing that you would be found alluring?" …alluring? "The pharaoh, as far as I can read him, has interest in you that falls beyond that of a mere whore. I am sure, if his interest continues that he would gladly see you as a… permanent lover." Slowly my brain was starting to catch up on things, and just in time to see some weird look flash in Seth's eyes, too. I snarled and pulled my hands away. A…a permanent what? No. way. in. hell.

"No," I stated flatly. "I'm not going to be part of his sick games. I'm not, ever, during my lifetime, going to agree to some fucked up, idiotic, mindless thing like that!" No way. Not while I live. I crossed my arms and glared. And Seth, either knowingly allowing it, or too surprised to hide it, smiled widely at my declaration. But he quickly collected himself and hid his smile with a small cough.

"Well, I wish you the gods' blessing in your attempts to discourage the king's interests," he said simply. I grabbed an entire tray of fruits, which also included my bread and wine, as well as Seth's, and placed it on the bed before sitting down next to it. Then I proceeded to empty first my own cup, and then Seth's quite rapidly. No way was I going to survive this with a sober head. Seth looked at me for a while with one raised eyebrow and then smirked, obviously guessing my intentions. He picked up the carafe filled with wine and moved it next to my bed.

"I will retire to my own chambers now," he informed me, a bit needlessly I think. He leaned forward and snatched a few grapes from the tray, his hand, accidently I'm sure, brushing against my bare arm. The high priest straightened and nodded his head ever so slightly in farewell before exiting the room. All of this I noted only in the back of my head since I was well down to drowning my third goblet.

The servants found me some time later standing on the balcony and watching the view as they came to clear away the trays. I quite calmly threatened them with the wrath of beings they could not even begin to phantom if they did not leave the carafe where it stood. In fact, I added before they could scurry off in fear, they could just as well bring a refill. I didn't even bother to look at them as they ran about doing their jobs and then escaped my room as quickly as possible. My finely honed thief's instincts alerted me some time later when a pitiful woman entered and exited the room without a word, bringing with her a new carafe of thick wine. Still I did not move, wondering what day it was. When had I, in my past, been stupid enough to brave the pharaoh's garden at day time? Somewhere out there in the dunes, or more probably the streets, I was walking, planning my next theft. And then I wondered what effect two Bakuras in the past might have on the future? Was all of this even real? Maybe it was some weird dream. Or maybe I was dead. I had been drowning after all, hadn't I?

After some time I walked back into the room and lied down on the bed, successfully passing out.

At first I wasn't sure of what woke me up. I felt groggy from the wine and the warm air. Then I recognised the warning that rang through my head. There was someone in the room. I stayed completely silent, pretending to be asleep as I focused on the presence. It could have been a servant, come to clear away the carafe, but they would not have lingered for so long. It could have been Seth, come to check on me, but he would have announced himself, as would any of the other high priests. No guard would have dared enter the room unless it was his Annoyancesness wish, and they would not have snuck about. It could not be the pharaoh himself. He was too high and mighty to sneak.

A dry had touched my bruised cheek gently and I fought the urge to jump from the bed and break the arm of whoever that hand belonged to. Rather, I focused on my "visitors" movements, trying to hear any weapon being drawn, or any tensing in muscles that would indicate an attack. And then the touch was gone and I heard silent footsteps moving about. There was a soft whisper that I didn't quite catch, but sounded suspiciously much like a short prayer. And then it came; the sudden rustle of clothing and straining of muscles that gave away the attack moments before it hit its mark.

I rolled off the bed and kicked my attacker in one knee. I noted quickly that it was a mere servant, dressed in a white cloth, barefoot, and wielding a sharp knife with lack of any talent. The servant was a man, short but strong, clearly meant for work outside the palace.

The man lost his balance with a pained cry and blindly slashed the knife in my direction. Having far more skills in combat than this poor man, I merely caught his wrist and smirked, wrenching the knife from him. Realizing his loss the servant struck out in pure terror. And though the punch was half hearted and barely aimed, I had to pull away as it came very close to my already bruised cheek. The man yanked himself free and pushed away from me, his strong arms effectively forcing me to the floor. I scrambled to my knees fully intent on following the man and finding out why he had tried to kill me, but before I could make it to my feet the servant reached the balcony, and then stopped dead. And dead he fell to the floor. I blinked once… twice… and then looked up from the dead body to a new presence that stepped out from the shadows, his silhouette outlined against the last rays of the setting sun.

My new visitor leaned down calmly to dislodge a white-handled knife from the servant's lower jaw, where it had been struck diagonally upwards in a way that was hauntingly familiar. Then he straightened, his blue eyes fixing upon me. Shamefully I admit that my mind went numb as I watched myself, Bakhura, the thief king, smirk.

TBC…