Yugi sat nervously in the airport waiting on his flight. Despite the numerous times he had been there to see his mother and sister off, it was the first time he was waiting on a flight for himself. He fidgeted in his seat, trying not to disturb the people siting next to him as he wondered why the chairs were so close together. He desperately wished that he had his puzzle with him. Working through the possible combinations soothed his mind in a way that most other tasks could not. With the anxiety he was having about the flight, he felt he could use some soothing. But his grandfather had insisted that he leave it at home. He did not blame his grandfather for the decision; it was a priceless Egyptian artifact, after all, and being arrested for smuggling it in to the country was not high on his list of things to do before he died. Had his mother been able to fly with him, it would have been different, given her credentials.

Still, he wished he had something to do with his hands. He rummaged around in his carry on bag until he found the box that held his Duel Monster cards. He had looked at them so frequently that he had memorized them. He could probably identify a drawn card blindfolded. He chuckled softly, shaking his head, knowing that the thought made no sense. But he could have certainly recited the attack and defense strengths and any special effects on each card simply from its name. He flipped through the cards, examining the images and reading through the text once more before the attendant called for boarding. As an unaccompanied minor, he was allowed onto the plane in the first group of passengers and quickly settled himself into a window seat. The fifteen year old stared out at the lights of the airport twinkling in the night. Closing his eyes, he reached out for his sister. He always had a difficult time feeling her when they were separated by such a distance. But he was anxious about the trip, even though she had made it so many times before, and his awareness had been heightened. He could feel her, ever so slightly. Just knowing she was there helped to ease his nerves a bit.

But this entire trip had pulled him out of his comfort zone. It was full of firsts: First flight, first trip overseas, first time meeting Umi on her home turf. And even though she had assured him that all of her friends were excited to meet him finally, he was terrified by the prospect.

The plane taxied to the runway and before long, it was in the air. The feel of takeoff reminded him of the roller coasters at Disneyland. He had been scared of those too, before Umi convinced him to try. He reached out for her again, feeling her more strongly than before. He realized that she must also be searching for him, and the thought made him smile. Somehow, when they worked together, reached out for each other, it was easier to close the distance between them. Since Grandpa had gotten the camera for the computer, they had been talking more through video chat. Umi had the idea to try strengthening their bond with it. So far it seemed to be working, at least to him. He could see more clearly what she felt and could sometimes even share her thoughts despite the distance. They had been doing some exercises when she had finally convinced him to come for a visit.


"Happy Birthday, Yugi!" she said, cheerfully on the camera. The image was a bit pixel-lated and lagged a little, but he smiled to see her.

"Happy Birthday, Umi." He could feel her warmth reaching for him, wrapping him in an embrace. He closed his eyes as he returned the feelings. She had found that her abilities had grown considerably since they started practicing. He could sense her more easily, but he still had to focus much more than she did in order to bridge the distance. He opened his eyes and gasped at the ghost like image of her face that hovered before him. He could still see her on the computer screen through the apparition, but it was like the video was overlayed with a far clearer version of herself.

"Boo!" she said before the image faded.

"Not funny, Umi." He scolded as she chuckled.

"I'm sorry; I just wanted to try it. So, what have you been up to?"

Yugi sighed heavily. He wanted to curl into a little ball, but he did not want to waste what little time he had with her. It was rare that their birthday fell on a day when neither of them had school.

"Nothing but school, school, school." He whined. "We have placement exams this year, and that is all everyone talks about, even Grandpa."

"Oh, that's right. Man, I'm sorry."

"At least, Grandpa isn't making me go to a cram school." School itself was tortuous enough, he did not want to add to it. At the moment, he did not even care if he went to high school, he just wanted it all to stop. "But he is making me study way more than usual."

"That makes sense though, since Dad was accepted to one of the most prestigious high schools. He just wants to see you do well."

Yugi sighed, wondering if maybe he should try harder. Maybe if he went away for school, he would be able to escape the hell that school in Domino City had become for him.

"Maybe… Now, you're turn. What have you been doing?"

"Mostly I've been volunteering at a summer camp for elementary school kids. I've been put in charge of the Science and Engineering class there. It's a lot more work than I thought it would be. But it's fun. The kids are great."

"Is that going to interfere with Mom's trip to Egypt?"

"No, the camp will be over before we have to leave, but it does mean that we won't be able to come visit." A wave of sadness washed over her face. Yugi could feel the wave lapping against the shore of his heart. In the last few years, she and their mother have made an extra effort to visit during the summer before they leave for the digs in Egypt, even if it is only for a short time.

"Well, that sucks."

"Yeah, but I have an idea." She said in a sing-song voice. Yugi smiled, realizing that of course she does. She always has a plan.

"And what is your plan."

"You come visit us at Christmas!" He stared at her for a long moment, trying to process and feeling the ugly head of anxiety rearing in his mind.

"Christmas?" He was sure his voice had cracked. "But I've got exams…"

"Yugi, it's the only time we both really have off, and we won't be able to see each other this year if you don't."

"Why can't you both come here?" Even he could hear the nervousness in his voice.

"Mom has a symposium where she has to present. It's at the university. Otherwise, we probably would. Oh come on, Yugi. It will be an adventure! And I want to show you around my world for once." Her green eyes were large and pleading on the computer screen. He also felt her prodding at his spirit. She was relentless. He sighed in resignation.

"Fine. I'll come visit you for a change." His heart threatened to burst through his chest as it beat so rapidly. He struggled to keep his panic in check.

"Besides, it will be a good diversion from preparing for exams. And if you must, you can study here too."


His grandfather had insisted that he bring some of his textbooks to study on the trip, at least for the plane rides. He tried to review his English text, but his mind kept drifting. His parents both had had a gift for languages, being fluent in several. Even Umi was multilingual, but he struggled with just the one additional language. But, English was required, and, he thought, might come in handy on the trip. But his thoughts kept going back to his puzzle sitting on his desk, abandoned. Again he wished that he could have brought it with him. He tried to focus again on the text before him. He needed to do well on the entrance exams. His grandfather expected him to at least attend the local high school, but his grades were not enough to ensure acceptance. He was not stupid, by any stretch of the imagination. He always got good grades in elementary school, at least before the bullying got too bad. But junior high had been an entirely different can of worms and his grades suffered. Even though he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life, he knew that he needed to pass, if only for his grandfather's sake.

Duel Monsters had exploded in popularity, with sanctioned tournaments around the world with cash prizes that were not insignificant. He had toyed with the idea of playing professionally, but he was too scared to even enter the local tournaments. He was a good player, but he never thought he could be good enough to really compete. And playing games was the only thing at which he had any sort of skill.

At least if I pass the exams and get accepted at the high school, I can delay this decision for a few more years. Maybe I will have a better idea then.

He took another crack at the English text, but eventually fell asleep with it laying open on the tray table in front of him.


Umi bounced excitedly at the airport as she and her mother waited for Yugi to arrive. She knew he was there; she could feel him like a beacon of nervous energy.

"Umi, calm down." Her mother scolded her.

"I can't. I'm just too excited. I have so many things planned." She said rapidly.

"Yugi might have his own ideas about what he wants to do."

"There he is!" Umi called out as she spotted his spiked head through the crowd. She hopped down from the chair she had been standing on. While she was taller than her brother, she was still shorter than the average American, so she took whatever height advantages she could find.

She wove through the crowd toward him.

"Yugi!" she called out, waving to get his attention. He smiled when he saw her and tried to work his way through the throng of people to her. She could still feel his unease with the entire situation, but he relaxed noticeably once they were together.

"Let's go get your bags!" She grabbed his hand and led him toward the carousel where the luggage was being unloaded. Their mother caught up to them as they stood waiting for his suitcase.

"Umi! You can't run off like that!" She said as she caught her breath. She smiled warmly at the young man her son had grown into. "Yugi. Look at you!" She pulled him tightly to her, and when she let go, her eyes held unshed tears. "You look so much like your father."

"Hello, Mother."

Umi watched the exchange with curiosity. She could feel Yugi's nerves spike when their mother embraced him. She was not sure if that was a Japanese thing or just a Yugi thing. Before she could delve deeper into it, the baggage carousel started up.

"How was the flight?" their mother asked as she glanced at the twins in the rear view mirror.

"Hmm? Oh, it was fine, I guess. I don't have much experience so, I don't really know." Yugi stared out the window at the scenery as they passed. He had not often ridden in a car, and his mother had chosen to take as scenic a route as she could.

"You were later coming off the plane that I expected." She said. Umi found it quite uncomfortable to watch her mother try to force small talk with Yugi, but she was not sure if that was his feelings about it, or hers.

"I almost left my English book. An attendant brought it too me. Oh, is that Industrial Illusions?" he grew excited as he saw a large building in the distance.

"I'm not sure, but I think so." Umi said, looking at the building as well. They were too far away to read any signs on the building, but the logo was emblazoned at the top of the structure. She was fairly certain that it was the logo for the game company.

"I never thought I'd be this close to where they made Duel Monsters."

"We can go by the building while you're here if you want, Yugi." Their mother suggested. Umi could see the excitement in his eyes.

"You know, I think one of the guys on the team mentioned something about a demonstration this weekend there of some new technology. I didn't pay much attention. At the very least, I have heard of people at school going on tours." Umi said. She knew a tour would thrill her game obsessed brother, whether they could see whatever the new technology was or not. She, however, was curious about the technology demo. She wondered what kind of technology would help improve a card game.

Their mother tried repeatedly to strike up a conversation with Yugi and failed miserably each time. Umi was thankful that the trip from the airport was a short one.


Yugi had not realized how much he envied his sister until he stepped off the plane. The feeling only grew as he saw the area in which she lived, the house, and all of the other things that she had. He had always known that her life was different, but he had not quite realized just how different. The culture shock was unbearable, and he could not comprehend how she and their mother could move so fluidly between such wildly different worlds. It was overwhelming, but he tried to hold the panic at bay. He knew that Umi had planned a bunch of things for them to do, but right now, he really just wanted to curl up and hide. The city was different from what he was used to—it was still urban, but the character was very odd to him. He was thankful when their mother pulled into the driveway at their home. He could use some time alone to process things. And he was exhausted. The flight had taken far more out of him than he had thought possible.

Umi led the way up the stairs, dragging his suitcase behind her. He had tried to take it himself, but his mother had insisted.

"Jet lag can be pretty harsh, Yugi." She had said, trying to ease his mind. He yawned, feeling the exhaustion weighing on him like a wet blanket. Umi opened a plain white door next to a door that had been painted bright blue and was decorated with various pictures. The blue door was obviously her room. He made note to look at it in more detail later, but for now he needed sleep.

"You'll be staying here, Yugi. I'm right next door and the rooms are joining, so if you need anything just knock." Umi demonstrated knocking on the middle door. Yugi nodded as he walked over to the bed, laid down and promptly fell asleep.

When he woke nearly a day later, Yugi both disoriented and starving. He could not feel the comforting presence of his twin, and walked down the stairs wondering if anyone was home. He found his mother working on a laptop at the kitchen table.

"Oh, you're awake!" she said once she noticed him. He tried to smile at her.

"Yeah." His voice croaked with the dryness in his throat.

"Let me get you some water." She closed her laptop as she moved to the sink. "Are you hungry? We can order take out." He took the glass she offered gratefully and practically inhaled the water. Once his thirst had been quenched, or at least his throat was no longer parched, he felt the pangs of hunger clenching his belly.

"Yeah." He handed the glass to his mother her promptly refilled it. "Something to eat sounds good."

"If you don't want to wait for delivery, I think we have some leftovers…" she turned to the refrigerator after handing him the second glass. He drank about half of it before he took a seat at the table. "Or are you in the mood for anything in particular?"

"I don't know. I'm just hungry. I think I slept through one of the meals on the plane." He noticed the sorrowful look in her eyes for the first time. He did not quite know how to talk to her, and he realized that she must be feeling the same sort of awkwardness.

"Maybe some sushi?" he suggested. Her face lit up as she picked up the phone to place an order.

"Where's Umi?" he asked, looking around the room. The kitchen seemed to be a small part of a much larger room that included a dinning area, where he sat, and a living space. A section of the room had even been converted into a small library or office. Its decor was a bizarre mix of Japanese and Ancient Egyptian that somehow worked together in the otherwise spartan space. But there was little evidence of his sister anywhere. He wondered if she was in her room. He had been so hungry that he had not bothered to check behind the brightly painted door.

"She's out. Her team had an emergency meeting. I'm not sure when she will get back."

"I see." She had, of course, told him all about her extracurricular activities, namely the robotics team and what they have to build each year. It sounded to him like she had a lot of fun with it and he would be lying if it did not make him a bit jealous.

"Let me see if I can find out though." His mother looked concerned and uneasy as she picked up the phone once more. He watched the older woman—a spitting image of his sister but with his eyes, and felt a dark anger growing in the pit of his stomach. He could not explain it, but seeing her now, talking so easily with his sister, it brought up feelings he had thought long gone.

"Umi said they are wrapping up and she will be home soon." She told him as she hung the phone up. He fought hard to keep the anger from bubbling up. But when she looked at him, her face was more focused and determined.

"Yugi, we need to talk; we so rarely get the chance." She sat down across the table from him. "How are you doing at school?"

"School is fine, I guess." His voice was tight, clipped. He wanted nothing but to run.

"Umi told me that you've been having problems with bullies?" It was a statement, but she asked it like a question, hoping to pry more information from him.

"School is school. Yes, people pick on me, but I deal with it."

"Is there anything I…" She started to ask.

"Anything you can do to help?" The bubble burst and he could not hold back any longer. "I don't know, Mother. Maybe you could have stayed and actually raised me like your son? Maybe you could have been there to comfort me the first five or ten or hundred times I came home crying and bloody from school? Maybe you could have visited more instead of gallivanting off to your ancient mysteries that are so much more important to you than I am? Tell me, what do you think you could do to help now?"

She was taken aback and he felt a wave of guilt wash over him as the anger subsided and he saw in her eyes that her heart had been broken. He clenched his fists and his eyes as angry, grief-filled tears fell to the table.

"All I ever wanted was for you to be there for me, Mother."

"I'm so sorry." Her voice was a whisper. "Yugi, I did what I thought was best for all of us." Her voice quavered with emotion. "I should have tried harder, been there more often, made you come here with us, but I did not, and I am so sorry."

He took a deep breath and spread his palms out on the table.

"Mother, I'm sorry too. I should not have said those things."

She shook her head.

"It's 'Mother', now is it? I guess I should not be surprised. I probably lost the right to be your 'Mommy' a long time ago." She smiled ruefully. "But do not apologize, Yugi." She reached out and covered his hand with hers. "Never apologize for what is in your heart."

He looked at her hand over his. The part of him that was angry with her for abandoning him wanted to pull away, to hurt her more for the years he went without her in his life. But part of him was still the little boy of six, clinging desperately to her and his sister at the airport before they left.

"I know now how much being apart has hurt you. I needed to know that, Yugi. Just as I need you to know how much I have always loved you, despite everything. And how sorry I am for not being part of your life. One day, you will find people who mean just as much to you, and they will need you to be true to your heart, Yugi. Never be afraid to speak the truth that is there, even if it may cause pain those you love. Because a pain experienced in truth is a pain that leads to growth. You can apologize for causing the pain, but never, never apologize for the truth of what you feel." She pulled her hand back to wipe the tears from her cheeks as she heard footsteps at the door. As she placed the delivery bags on the kitchen counter, Yugi wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her back. She was surprised at the sudden show of affection after their talk. She turned around and pulled him close—feeling the love of her little boy once more.

They were still holding each other in silence, allowing their tears to mend their broken places when Umi came through the door. She could tell that things had changed between them as the uncomfortable atmosphere that had surrounded them since Yugi had stepped off of the plane had subsided. But she was overcome by sadness. She put down her things and, upon seeing them holding each other, wrapped her arms around them both.

Yugi looked up at her as she joined them with tears shining in his violet eyes and she could feel a sense of peaceful acceptance radiating from him. There was still an undercurrent of grief, but like her own difficulties with being away from him, she knew that it would never really disappear. After a few more moments, their mother pulled away.

"We should eat before it spoils." She said, motioning the teens to the table. Umi looked at Yugi as they sat.

Are you alright? She asked, with both her eyes and mind.

I will be. His smile reassured her.


Umi opened the door that divided their rooms and plopped herself onto the guest bed that would be his for the next couple of weeks. Yugi put down the textbook that he was trying to study and pulled his knees to his chest.

"So…" she asked.

"So What?"

"You and Mom seem to be getting along better." She noted. "You two had a good talk?"

He looked at the wall for a long moment.

"Yeah. I guess we did." He stretched out, leaning against the headboard. "I never realized how angry I was with her leaving me. With both of you leaving me. But at least I can feel you every so often, despite the distance. I guess I just felt like she… abandoned me, that she was… gone… like Dad. Only, it was harder, because I knew that you were both out there somewhere, living your lives without me."

She sat listening. The distance and time apart had been difficult on her too. There were days where she missed him so fiercely that she cried herself to sleep.

"I guess, being here, seeing this life that you both live that I'm not part of… I guess it touched a nerve." He finally looked her in the eye. "But I don't want you to think that I regret coming."

"Do you?"

He thought about it for a moment before he shook his head.

"No. I don't think I could move here now, but I do sort of regret not being able to come with you earlier, at least to visit."

"Good, because I have a surprise for you." She leaned into him, a mischievous look in her green eyes.

"Really? What?" He could not help but feel a small twinge of excitement.

"It's a surprise. But you'll need to come to the shop with me in the morning." She winked at him.

"The shop? Like a store?" She had a habit of switching between English and Japanese which made it difficult for him to follow her at times. It wasn't often, and usually when she started using more technical jargon, which he had a hard time following regardless. He knew that she did it because she was missing the right word in Japanese, but it did take him a minute to catch up.

"No, the workshop. One of the team's mentors has a surprise for us and I think you'll get a kick out of it too."

"Ok. I guess I'll wait."

She stood up and headed to her room. At the door she turned back to him laying in the bed.

"Good night, Yugi."

"Night, Umi."


It was dusk and Neferet was still on a contact high as she walked back to the harem to meet her mother. She had so much that she wanted to tell her. She had been spending several hours a day at the temple for instruction and ritual participation. Today, she had been allowed to watch the priests participate in a Shadow Game. Her father had insisted on it, so she was able to sit at his side.

The young priests tested themselves against the monsters that came from the shadows in order to show they had grown strong enough to take on more responsibility. She watched breathlessly as her instructor and guide took the field. The monsters that came from the shadows to face him were the most incredible, terrifying things she had ever seen, but Seto stood fearless against them. She knew that his own mentor, the High Priest of Amun, was facing him, commanding the monsters. This was to be Seto's final test, the one that would prove him ready and capable of stepping into his mentor's shoes should the need arise. Truthfully, it was but a formality as the young priest had already taken over many of the duties of the High Priest out of necessity. The High Priest was old—too old, and should have retired years ago. It was a role that should have been filled by Seto's father but he had broken his vows and been banished.

Neferet watched in fascination as the monsters appeared, attacked and vanished. She felt drawn to the creatures and the shadows. She knew that she could be taught to summon the monsters too.

"She has a strong heka." The old priest said laughing when she mentioned it to her father. "But never has a women been able to control the monsters. Summon, yes, but.." He shook his head as he trailed off. Seto joined them then, his eyes gleaming with victory. He took her breath away when he looked at her.

"Maybe they just need the right woman?" He fixed her with his stare. "And maybe the right teacher."

She felt the world fall away until all she could see was his eyes boring into her soul. His gaze set her body aflame with desire. She wanted him and she was fairly certain that he wanted her.

"Perhaps, but today is not the day to tempt fate, Seto, my boy." The old priest put a withered hand on his young protege's shoulder. Seto released a ragged, frustrated sigh. She tried to hide her own disappointment—at being denied both the opportunity to learn to play shadow games and to slake her desire for the young man who had been her tutor for the last two years. Despite all of the time they spent together, very little of it was unsupervised. Neferet was not sure if that was to protect her or to protect him. From the few touches they had managed to sneak, she could feel that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. But they were denied the opportunity to act on those feelings.

"Seto," her father began. "You have shown great skill and determination. But, will you serve?" The pharaoh's eyes were hard as he stared down the young priest. Seto held his gaze with his cool blue eyes for a moment before bowing his head.

"It is my honor to serve my pharaoh, my uncle and the Gods."

"Excellent. So serve me now. It seems my daughter needs an escort back to the palace. Can you see that she gets there?" Seto's mouth dropped open as the pharaoh winked at him.

"Y…yes, my pharaoh."

"Good." He leaned to whisper in the young priest's ear. "Make sure she gets there before dusk."

"Of course, my pharaoh." His eyes locked with hers once more as he closed the short distance to her. She overheard the old priest asking her father a question as she slipped her arm in his.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" the withered old man asked.

"No, but Seto is young and Neferet is beautiful. And it is obvious they want each other. The Gods will understand."

"But Atem…"

"He doesn't need to know. Neferet knows her duty and will fulfill it."

"Of course, my Pharaoh." But the old priest's voice betrayed his confidence.

Neferet felt a tingle in the hand she had laid on Seto's arm as they walked through to the hypostyle hall. She felt the sensation every time they touched and knew that he felt it as well. She glanced up at him, wondering where he was leading her, but not really caring as long as she did not have to stop touching him. She was surprised as he pushed her back into one of the massive columns and kissed her with two long years of denied passion. She eagerly ran her hands over his bare back and pulled him closer. He looked into her eyes.

"Come on." His voice was raw and shaken as he grabbed her hand and led her to the small room he slept in. It was simply decorated but it had all they needed. He lit a small lamp as she closed the door behind her. Her heart beat faster as she looked at him in the orange glow of the lamp. She closed the distance between them and ran her fingers lightly over his chest. He sucked in a ragged breath as she slipped her hands around his neck and unfastened the clasps that held the heavy collar of the priesthood which weighed heavily upon his shoulders. He tilted her face to his and kissed her, far more gently this time, as he proceeded to remove the crown of her station. His lips traveled over her neck as he removed layers of gold from her shoulders to reveal her bare breasts. The entirety of her being seemed to vibrate with his touch. With every kiss the world seemed amplified as if they were two strings on a lyre played in sync. And as they made love, she felt as if she was witnessing creation itself.


The intensity of her dreams woke Umi, and she sat up with a start. She grasped for them as they faded quickly from her mind. The only thing that remained as she managed to get her breathing under control was the memory of ocean blue eyes boring into her soul and an intense desire. The fire in her loins faded quickly, but those too blue eyes haunted her. She heard murmuring in the next room. She crept over to the door and watched her brother sleep. He also seemed restless, twisting and turning in his sleep. She looked back at her own bed before crawling into the bed next to him. His sleep seemed to immediately turn more peaceful. She watched him breathing for a moment before laying her head next to his. As she closed her eyes, she was almost immediately welcomed by the colorfully painted sandstone walls of the palace of her dreams.


"Your lessons ran late today." Neferet's mother said casually as she entered the chamber within the harem that they shared. She was sure the older woman would be able to tell, but if she could, her mother had chosen to ignore it so far.

"Father let me watch the shadow games with him." She said, peering into the mirror to examine the dark kohl around her eyes. It had been smudged.

"Did he?" Her mother sat next to her on the bench. "Did he also tell you that Atem has returned?"

She looked at her mother then, all thoughts of her makeup forgotten.

"He arrived this afternoon. Your father is ready to have him take up his responsibilities as heir." Her mother took her chin in hand and looked over her face and neck. She frowned at the red spots that peaked out from the top of her jeweled collar. She wiped away the smudges and expertly reapplied the black powder.

"You will be married soon after his arrival." She turned her face to look more closely at the exposed marks.

"Who did this too you?"

Neferet blushed as she thought about Seto's body pressing against hers, of him filling her, of his mouth against her. She shivered with the thought. Her mother smiled as she let go of her chin.

"So my little girl is a woman after all."

"You're not mad?"

"Oh my dear one, why would I be? The last thing you want to do is be stuck with one man for the rest of your life without knowing the sweetness of love. Especially when he will not be as dedicated to you as you must be to him." Neferet was shocked at her mother's blase attitude. It was not at all what she had expected.

"You may meet Atem and find yourself madly in love with him. Or you may not. You may have to grow to love him. Or you may despise him for your entire life. But he will be your husband." She smiled at her daughter. "We do not have the luxury of love. Egypt needs us to rule. Sometimes that means putting our hearts aside. But it does not mean that we must never know the beauty of love for love's sake. So, who is it?" she asked understandingly.

"Seto." Neferet felt herself blush once more. "But it was only the one time."

"Oh Hathor, I hope not. That poor boy cannot keep his eyes off of you. I hope that you've bedded him at least two or three times." Neferet could not keep the grin from erupting on her face.

"Well, it was only today."

Her mother smiled at her sympathetically.

"Hold onto those memories, dear one. You may need them." She looked over Neferet's attire and had her change a few pieces of jewelry and her dress to a beaded sheath that left little to the imagination.

"Come, my daughter. It is time you met your future husband."

"Mother, it is just Atem. We played together as children, remember?"

Her mother smiled at her daughter's naivety as she led her to the audience chamber. As they entered the room, she could feel the eyes of all of her father's retainers upon her, including one pair of intense blue eyes. She did not have to even look at Seto to find him in the crowd. His eyes stayed locked on her the entire time. Her skin prickled at the memory of his fingers gliding over her back. She tried to remain focused on the dais before her. When she raised her eyes to the figure that was seated in the throne from which her father usually commanded, she gasped.

This was not the Atem she remembered. She had wondered at the time her father sent him to study in the lower palace if it had been a good idea. The Atem that had left was a spoiled child and while the person before her was not quite yet a man, she could not deny that he had grown. She smiled as she noticed that his unruly hair had not changed. He rose with a powerful grace and descended the steps to greet her. He was taller than her now, not by much, but she had to look up to meet his violet eyes.

"Neferet, Sister." He took her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. "You have grown more beautiful than I imagined." She found herself blushing. He is no child, she thought as she met his eyes once more. She felt his gaze travel down her body, realizing now why her mother dressed her so scantily. She straightened herself and drew to her full height with the posture of a queen. She did not shy away from his gaze, but met his lust filled eyes with confidence and power.

"And you have grown yourself, Brother. I hear that soon we are to be married?"

"Ah, yes. Father wants us to be married before the end of Peret, and to hold a grand festival in our honor while there is time to appease Osiris with our union." He turned and led her by the hand to the top of the dais. "He hopes that with the proper timing, we may be able to inspire the Gods to send a fruitful inundation."

She looked at the young man next to her. It was no secret that the annual flooding had been poor or had failed entirely for the last several years. Neferet could not remember a time when the flood had been good. She knew that things were growing tense around the kingdoms because supplies were starting to run low. She looked up at her father, realizing that this timing for placing Atem on the throne had been carefully calculated, but that the decision to marry the two of them so quickly was a last ditch effort to turn things around. She marveled at the cunning of her father and wondered if her brother had a mind as sharp. She realized that he would need it. She smiled as she pledged to herself that she would do everything in her power to make Atem's reign a success.

"Please, have a seat." He motioned to the chair next to their father's throne. Her mother typically sat in it when she was needed to be at the Pharaoh's side. Today, she slipped behind the cushioned bench and motioned to Neferet to sit. As she did, Neferet looked out over the audience chamber realizing that this scene would greet her for the rest of her life. She smiled at the power she would wield.