Disclaimer: "I do now own Yugioh."
"Talk"
'Thoughts'
Tea slowly opened her eyes and glanced around the room. Where was Seto? His mat was empty. She suppressed a yawn and began getting up. Just then, a woman entered the room.
"You are awake." She said, smiling at Tea. "Now hurry and get dressed, your husband awaits." Tea blushed at her comments, but quickly got out of the bed.
"You are a very lucky woman." The woman said to Tea, helping her gather their few belongings. "He woke up early and made all the arrangements for your journey, without even bothering you. When I volunteered to get you, he told me to let you sleep for a while longer." Tea stared at the woman in surprise.
Was what she saying true?
"He really loves you." Once again, Tea blushed and decided to keep he silence. Seto had advised her not to correct the villagers' misunderstandings, knowing fully that it will lead to unnecessary questioning. When the women were done, they stepped outside. Once again, Tea was surprised to see the whole village present, ready to say their good byes. The village chief walked towards her, Seto following closely behind. When he approached her, he grabbed her arm and made her stand beside Seto. Then he placed his hands on their shoulders.
"My children, may gods bless you with happiness, and many children." Both blushed at the little blessing but remained silent.
"Here." He shoved something in Tea's hand. She was surprised to see the same charm necklace she had wanted, but had been refused. "Armilo told me you wanted this." Tea squealed in delight.
"Yes. Thank you so much." Everyone just smiled. After saying their good byes to the villagers, the two began walking towards the outskirts of the village. Tea wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what. So she chose to remain silent. It was Seto who spoke.
"You wanted that?" She nodded her head. "Why?"
"It was something that caught my eye, and I just wanted it." She said with a shrug of her shoulers. Though Seto didn't say anything else, his heart was in motion again. She was chosen the Millenium Rod. Maybe this was some kind of sign. If Ishizu was here, she would proclaim it as the work of destiny, and for once, Seto wanted to believe her.
They exited the limits of the village and began walking into the desert. That's when her eyes caught something standing not too far away. It was quite big, and was moving ever so slightly.
"Oh my god." Tea gasped when it came within view. "A camel?"
"What were you expecting?" Seto said with an amused smile.
"Horses." She replied honestly.
"Camels are better suited for the desert." Seto explained. "Horses will require much more energy to travel through the thick layers of sand. They will tire soon, and won't be of much use. I also bought some horses, but they are for carrying luggage." Now that they had neared the massive beast, Tea also saw two horses that were carrying bags.
"So we'll be traveling on the camel?" she said in an unsure voice, as she watched him try to get the camel to sit.
"Is there a problem?" he asked, sensing her discomfort.
"No, it's just that… I've never ridden a camel before." She admitted, in a small voice. "I mean, I've been on elephants, but never camels."
"Elephants?" Seto raised an eyebrow, tightening the reins on the now sitting camel.
"Yeah. We went to the far state of Tuires, and the emperor there used elephants for royal travel. It was a pretty cool experience."
"I assure you this will be a memorable experience as well." Seto said in a confident voice and offered her his hand to help her sit on the camel. Hesitantly, she took his hand, and draped her leg over the gigantic animal. Seto seated himself in front of her and gently pulled the reins of the camel. The beast let out a growl and began standing up. Its process was much similar to the standing up of an elephant; with the animal stretching it's front legs, followed by the hind legs.
When the camel began moving, Tea let out a scream of terror and wrapped her arms around Seto's waist tightly. Seto was slightly startled at their closeness, but knew he had to relax. He let out a deep breath and loosened his muscles. The camel stood fully and let out a grunt before walking slowly. It took long marvelous strides, its back rocking the two occupants back and forth. The pace was slow and soon, Tea had adjusted to the rhythm of its movement. She slowly opened her eyes and marveled at the sight.
As far as the eye could see, sand stretched before them. Behind them, two horses followed, carrying their belongings. A small giggle escaped her lips unconsciously.
"I take that you like the camel ride." Seto said with a chuckle.
"Yes." Tea said in a joyful voice. "It's magnificent." Even though her fear had diminished, her arms still remained locked around his waist. And he didn't bother to bring it to her attention either.
They traveled all day, only making small stops in the villages along the way. Seto made sure to let her spend some time in every village, while he gathered necessary information and supplies. And as the day progressed, her excitement and activities diminished, up to the point that she just leaned against his back, breathing slow and calm. He didn't blame her. They had traveled all day and much of the evening. Seto's goal was to travel as much into the desert as possible, but no too close to the dangerous village of Kul Elna. Then, in the morning, with the animals well rested, he planned to dash through the desert as fast as possible, and avoid any confrontation with the infamous inhabitants.
A few hours into the night, Seto finally decided to make a stop. The pace of the animals had also slowed down, indicating that they too were in need of rest.
"Princess." He called over his shoulder to her leaning form. "We'll be stopping soon." No response came from her. He chose to ignore it and began searching for a suitable spot to camp for the night. Soon, he had led the animals to stand on some sand nestled between dunes and dead bushes. When the camel sat down, Seto pried her arms off him and jumped off the camel. He first tied the horses and camel to a bush, and then went to Tea.
"Princess." He called out slowly. She was lying on the camel, arms around his hump. "Wake up. We have stopped." He shook her shoulder, waking her up from her slumber.
"Huh?" she mumbled incoherently.
"Please, step down from the camel. I'll set up the tent soon, and then you can lie down in there." He said, offering his hand to her. She placed her hand in his and that's when he noticed something. Her skin was burning. A frown appeared on his forehead as he helped her down. She immediately leaned against his chest and let out a deep breath. Seto realized her whole body was burning. Was it fever? He supported her weight and touched her forehead.
Yes. Definitely fever.
But how did she get sick?
And what was he going to do now?
A moan escaped her lips and she tightened her grip on his robe, trying to stand.
"I don't feel good. I want to lie down." She moaned. He nodded and led her to a sand dune.
"Please, sit here while I set up a tent for you." He said and helped her sit. Again, she didn't respond. Seto immediately went to the horses to unload heir belongings. With speed and mastery, he set up a tent and carried her inside. She was semi-unconscious and didn't move at all. He placed her body on a mat and began opening her robe. When he was finished, his hands shook before he spread it apart, revealing her beautiful body to his eyes. She was wearing a small blue skirt that was hunched around her thigh. She was also wearing a small cloth, wrapped tightly around her chest. For a moment, his eyes remained fixed on her body, drinking in the sight. But a moan of pain from her mouth brought him out of his daze and he focused on his task: finding the source of trouble.
She was fine when she had slept, and was pretty much okay during most of the day as well. That meant the source of fever had been in contact with her during the night. It couldn't have been anything they ate, because he ate it as well, and he was fine. Then what?
He let his eyes wander over her body, carefully studying and scrutinizing every inch of skin. Soon, his eyes stilled on a small red mark a few inched above her ankles.
"Scorpion." He whispered in surprise. She had been bit, and by the looks of the mark, it wasn't a very poisonous scorpion. He placed his fingers on the mark and felt the heat radiating from there. His fingers moved up her leg, trying to trace the path of the poison. It stopped around her thighs. Good. He immediately walked out of the tent. First, he made fire using a dry bush, and then placed a pot on it. After that, he opened another bag and took out some herbs, quickly crushing them together to make a medicine paste. He was no medic, but he knew enough to save is life, or in this case, Tea's life.
When the paste was finished, he placed it on a leather cloth and took it inside the tent. Tea was still laying the same way he had left her. He sat down beside her and began applying the paste to her wound. When he was done, he placed the remaining paste away and stared at her again. The paste was a royal remedy, guaranteed to work quickly. He hoped it would lower her fever enough so they could travel the next day.
'No.' he thought. 'The main priority is for her to get better. I'll wait here until she is fully healed.' Besides, it was a greater threat to enter Kul Elna with him carrying her. And he would never forgive himself if something happened to her.
He stared at her sleeping form, wondering why did he feel this way about her? He had come to feel for this beauty in such a short amount of time. And what he felt was nothing he had ever felt before. The need to be near her, hold her, and to touch her had not only formed, but was steadily growing. And it was getting extremely harder for him to control is urges. She was so radiant, so pure, so beautiful, and worst of all… she already belonged to someone else, someone who didn't even deserve her.
Anger and jealousy consumed his body. Why did it have to be this way? She should have been his. He deserved her. After all, he was better than Atem in every way. He stared at her flawless skin and felt a foreign feeling over come. Before he could comprehend what was happening, his hands had moved to touch her thighs. Her skin was soft and smooth, tempting him to feel more. A warm feeling overtook his body and mind, and he lost all rational sense of thinking. He crawled on top of her and placed his legs on either side of her. His hand slowly slid up her thighs to her small waist, where they lingered, feeling her small back and tight stomach. His hands stayed there, but his eyes moved up to her ample chest. His mouth went dry and his mind grew foggy. His shaking fingers traveled up, gently touching the fabric.
"Seto." she called out his name in her semi-asleep, semi-unconscious state and immediately, his hand stopped dead in its tracks. She had called out for him… not for her father, or for that Lyna woman…but for him, and it made his heart do back flips. Then it dawned on him. She trusted him, probably with her life.
And what was he about to do? Molest her? Shame and disgust washed over him, and he removed himself off her.
"Seto." Her breathy voice got his attention again, and he turned to her again. Her hand was moving ever so slightly. Without thinking, Seto held it within his powerful grasp. When their fingers entwined, her breathing calmed down again, and a calm expression appeared on her face. A smile appeared on his lips. His other hand reached out to touch the soft skin of her cheek.
"I'm sorry." He whispered to her sleeping form. "I promise you I'll always protect you, from every one and everything that threatens you… even myself."
Tea felt someone shake her roughly and she opened her eyes. It was Seto. A smile appeared on her lips.
"Hi." She said with a grin, but his response was anything but friendly.
"Get up." He said in a harsh tone and walked outside, leaving her dumbfounded. Nonetheless, she quickly put on the robe and walked outside. There, Seto was quickly mounting their belongings on the camel, a worried expression on his face.
"Is something wrong?" she asked in a worried tone.
"We have to leave… now." He said, getting the camel to stand up.
"But why?" she asked in a confused tone, glancing around. "It's very early in the morning." It was till pretty dark outside.
"It is evening. The sun had already set." He said, quickly walking towards her. "We have slept through the day, and now we must hurry." He grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the horses. "We'll ride horses." Before she could respond, he grabbed her waist and lifted her to the horse. After that, he rode his horse and kicked it, springing it into action.
"Follow me closely, and don't fall behind." He said in a harsh tone, and moved. Still confused, Tea followed, trying to keep up with his pace. But she noticed that they were moving away from the direction of the palace.
"We are going in the wrong direction." She said, wondering why it was so.
"This is the way." He replied over the wind. "Just follow me and don't look back."
"Why?" she asked like a stubborn child and looked behind her. As soon as she did, her body froze momentarily. Behind them, a cloud of dust was rising steadily.
"Wh... What is that?" she asked, fear leaking in her voice.
"Desert robbers. They loot passing caravans and passengers." He explained, kicking his horse to move faster.
"But why are they after us? We are just two travelers dressed in peasant robes." Seto didn't answer, although he had a pretty good idea why it was so. Somehow, he had found out, and now, Tea was in trouble.
"Tea." Seto said, "Don't look back. Don't think about them. As long as I am here, I won't let them harm you. Just focus on getting away from them as fast as you can." Tea nodded her head, and sped her horse. But the sound of horse hooves behind them kept getting louder and louder. Soon, they could hear the voices of people, yelling, cursing, and hooting. Shivers of fear ran up her spine. How had they managed to catch up to them so fast?
"Seto." she called out to him for support, but he only sped forward. She desperately tried to keep up with him, but soon, the robbers' horses had gathered around them, running side by side. She glanced around her and noticed their brutal faces. But she also noticed that they were only around her. Seto had been left alone.
"Seto." Tea called out again in desperation. "Seto, help me." But to her shock, Seto kicked his horse, and sped him away from her. The robbers now completely surrounded her and two of them blocked her horse, causing it to kick his front legs in air. The sudden movement caused her to lose her balance and she fell on the sand. Dust clouds gathered around her, making it hard for her to see. When it cleared, she was surrounded by dozens of horses. The men jumped off the horses and walked towards her. Immediately, she shrunk back in fear, but her back hit the legs of a man standing behind her. She screamed in fear and desperately looked around.
"Seto." she screamed. "Seto, help me. Seto, where are you? Seto?"
"He ain't coming back baby." One man with a hideous scar across his face said to her. "But you're coming back with us." Tears ran down her face. She couldn't' believe it. Seto had betrayed her. He had left her. She didn't care as the men pulled her roughly to her feet, tied her hands and feet, and blindfolded her. She didn't care when they dumped her on the back of a horse. She didn't care when they sped their horses and began moving in an unknown direction. She didn't care. All she cared about was the extreme pain in her heart at Seto's betrayal.
After a long time of traveling, the horse stopped and she felt someone carry her. They probably went down some stairs and then stopped when they entered a very noisy area. The man placed her on her feet and removed her blindfold. When she opened her eyes, she saw a room with a giant table in the middle, with dozens of chairs around it. And sitting on the chairs were dozens of men, each with a scar more hideous then the other. They were all staring at her as well.
"So this is the pretty bird you caught?" One man said, taking a sip of his drink, alcohol she assumed.
"Yeah. A sexy little thing isn't she?" The man behind her said, touching her cheek. She shrank away from his touch in fear and disgust. The men laughed out loud at her actions.
"What baby? Don't like me?" The man said, grasping her arm. She struggled against his grip, trying to get away from him.
"Stop." She said. "Let me go you creep." She screamed but the man only laughed. He swiftly pulled her towards him and smirked.
"You got a pretty sharp tongue. Let's see how it fares against mine." He said, licking his lips. Tea paled, realizing he was about to kiss her. She began struggling even more to get away from him, but all she accomplished was to provide some entertainment for the other sick bastards in the room. The man's face moved closer to her, but before he was within a couple on inches of her lips, a knife flew past them, and lunged into the wall between them. All heads turned in the direction the knife had come from, hers included. There, stood a man with hair of unusual color. His skin was dark like all other Egyptians, but his hair were as white as snow. His head was bowed down, hair covering his face.
"Lord Bakura." They all said, bowing their heads in respect.
'So this was their leader?' Tea's wondered in amazement.
"You are not allowed to play with the booty until I say so." His rich voice rose above the silence, the coldness and power sending chills down her spine.
"Sorry my lord." The man behind her said. "It won't happen again." The leader lifted his head and Tea gasped at the blood red eyes that stared at her.
"Bring her to me." He commanded and immediately, the man took her to him. Bakura's eyes wandered over her shamelessly, and smirk formed over his lips.
"She's unharmed." He said. "Good job."
"She didn't put up a fight." The man said, keeping his head low.
"What of her escort?" Bakura lazily asked.
"He ran away when we came too close." Bakura let out a laugh and plopped down on a chair, placed at the head of the table.
"Typical behavior." He said. "They place their lives over all others."
"Scums they are." Someone called from far end of the table, and laughter filled the air.
"Bring the food." Bakura ordered. "We have a princess with us today, so let's behave." The man cheered again and took their seats, while Tea wondered how did Bakura know she was a princess?
"You shall sit beside me princess." Bakura said with a smirk, and motioned to a seat beside his. Tea just stood there, not sure whether she should follow his order or not. Suddenly, her arm was yanked harshly and she fell on the chair.
"I don't like to repeat myself." Bakura breathed in a venomous tone, scaring the poor girl. She whimpered and slid away as far from him as the chair allowed her. Bakura smirked at he futile antic and faced his fellow thieves. Tea, however, turned her head to the side and saw some women approach. They carried trays with various foods on them. At first, they placed the food before Bakura and her. When bakura raised his hand, they moved forward, placing the trays before the other thieves. Tea watched their movements and expressions with curiosity. Though their movements were fluid, as though they had done this many times before, their bodies were tense and their expressions reflected defeat.
Who were these women?
When the women were finished, they silently walked back to the room they had appeared from.
"Enjoy the delights princess." Bakura whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. He laughed at her reaction and began eating. The other thieves followed his example and began shoving their faces with food as well. Tea, however, sat silently, sneaking glances at the few women standing against the wall, wondering what their purpose was.
"Are you not hungry princess?" Bakura asked, sinking his teeth in a chicken leg. She shook her head. He shrugged his shoulders and turned away from her again.
"Ummm." Tea spoke hesitantly, catching his attention. "Who… are they?" She motioned towards the women. Bakura threw them a careless glance and answered.
"Booty." Tea stared at him with confusion swimming in her eyes. He laughed and explained.
"When we steal, we get whatever catches our eye."
"So… you…kidnapped them?" Tea whispered in horror, and bakura nodded his head with a devious smirk on his face. A wave of fear and disgust coursed through her body. She turned her head to stare at the women who seemed so defeated and afraid. The rest of the meal proceeded with silence, except the occasional bickering among the thieves. When they were finished, the women came and took everything away. But as one young girl was about to walk away with a pitcher, an ugly old thief grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap.
"Where are you going baby?" he said out loud. "You are mine for the night, and I want to get started right now." Tea watched with horror as the man sneaked his hand under his shirt. The poor girl protested and tried to get away from him, but her strength was nothing compared to him. The other men cheered and laughed like uncivilized animals.
"Hey stop it man," A somewhat younger thief said. "That bitch is mine for the night. I already spoke with Mako about it and he agreed."
"What you talking about?" the older man said. "Mako said I could have her for the night." Everyone turned to another thief, who appeared confused.
"Did I really tell both of you?" he asked.
"Yeah." The men yelled at the same time.
"I must have been drunk." He concluded. "I don't care who screws her tonight. I already got me a bitch." Argument broke between the two thieves, both trying to claim the young girl.
"Enough." Bakura's booming voice rose above all, and everyone turned to him. "There's only one way to settle this." The men nodded their heads. "Fight." Tea's mouth hung open in shock. They were going to fight among themselves? Her suspicions were confirmed when the men stood up, the older man roughly shoving away the young girl.
"That bitch is mine, and I'll screw her tonight." The younger man said, cracking his knuckles.
"We'll see." The older man said and they both began fighting. Punches were exchanges; kicks were delivered, as they rolled on the floor yelling profanities. All the other thieves around them cheered in delight.
"The women aren't just here to cook and clean." Bakura whispered to Tea. "They are here for our amusement as well."
"You mean… you… you…" Tea couldn't fathom what was being explained to her.
"Yes. The man who catches the bitch becomes the owner. He can use her for his pleasure, and can also trade her with another for another woman. This keeps the men entertained and satisfied. But since there are more men then women, some men don't get the company of a female every night. In that case, we settle the matter like men." Bakura said with a hint of pride in his voice.
"You mean like animals." Tea said with anger and disgust. Bakura only laughed, and turned his attention to the fighting duo. The fight was to a close. Tea watched as the older man pummeled the younger to the floor and pinned his arms to his back.
"See bitch." He spat, breathless from the fight. "That whore is mine." The younger man didn't answer, but brought his leg and kicked the man in the back, causing his hold to loosen, and then he took out a knife and held it to the older man's throat.
"I told you before and I'll say it again. I'll screw that slut tonight." The older man struggled to free himself, but failed. Bakura spoke again.
"That's it. Jakiro gets her tonight." The young man smirked and got off the older man, who spat on the floor with anger. "You can have her tomorrow Ranvire." The man only grumbled. Bakura turned to Tea.
"Enjoy the show princess?" Tea only glared at him in anger.
"Hey boss." The older man, who had just been defeated, spoke. "When you are done with her," he pointed to Tea." Can I be the first to screw her?" Tea's face went pale with fear. What would Bakura say? Would he agree to this sick proposal? Was this going to be her fate as well? Being thrown from one man to the other like a piece of meat? She held her breath, waiting for Bakura's answer.
"No." He finally said. "I think I'll keep her all to myself." The men groaned in disappointment, but one glare from Bakura silenced them. Tea breathed in relief. So she wasn't going to be reduced to the level of a prostitute… but she was going to be in Bakura's bed. As the thought sank in her head, tears threatened to fall from her eyes. This wasn't what she wanted. Not at all.
Bakura stood up and grabbed her arm.
"Me and the lady will be retiring to bed now." He said like a civilized gentleman, earning a laugh from all the other occupants of the room. And much to Tea's horror, he grabbed her arm and pretty much dragged her to a chamber quite far away from the entrance. They stood before a room, Bakura holding a key in his hand. He opened the door and shoved her in first. Tea stumbled in a dark room. For a moment, Bakura disappeared in the darkness, leaving her alone. This was her chance to escape. But before she could even lift her foot, a light flicked in the corner of the room. Bakura stood with a lit candle. He walked around the room, lighting other candles, illuminating the room. When it was considerable bright, Tea managed to look around and be surprised. The room was quite elegant, adorned with many beautiful pictures and objects. The floor was covered with a plush red rug. The bed was huge and inviting, also covered in red sheets.
"Like it." Bakura whispered in her ear, causing her to jump away in fear and surprise. "I decorated it my self."
"It's…" Tea didn't know what to say.
"The bed is my favorite object in this room." Bakura said, walking towards her. She stepped back, but soon, her back had hit the wall. Bakura approached her like a predator approached his prey. "You'll enjoy it very much." Tea's face went pale in fear again. She knew what was about to come. She looked around desperately for an escape route, but there was only one exit, and he was blocking her way. Bakura noticed her changing expressions and smirked. He cornered her and placed his hands around her waist.
"You are not going anywhere tonight princess." She struggled against his hold, trying her best to pry his hands off her, but he was stronger than she could imagine. His tongue came out to lick her cheek, and traveled up to her ear.
"You are my guest for the night." He whispered huskily and nibbled on her earlobe. "And I'll be sure to make your first night here… quite pleasing."
"No" Tea whimpered, feeling his hands work on her robe. "Please don't do this… I don't want this." But Bakura didn't pay any attention to her pleads. His skilled hands opened her robe and immediately touched her pale skin.
"Please… stop." Tears were flowing down her face, but Bakura was completely ignorant to her feelings. His lips left her earlobe and slid down her to her neck, kissing and biting as they moved even lower.
"Please.. I beg you." Tea tried again. "Stop." Bakura sucked harshly on a sensitive part of her skin, and earned a gasp from her. He smirked against her skin.
"You'll be doing a lot of begging tonight, and I'll only comply." He said, his fingers brushing the underside of her breasts. She whimpered again and he smirked.
"Face it princess… you're mine now."
I apologize for the delay in upadte. But I tried to make up for my tardiness with a long chapter. Also, I tried to bring some conflict into the story with Seto deserting Tea. Hopefully, you liked it. Review and let me know if you think I moved with Bakura too fast, because I thought I was going kind of slow. But if you like it, I'll keep moving at a fast pace, and finish it fast. I don't want to drag it to 20 chapters.
So... REVIEW.
Pwetty pwease.
