Prompt 8 - Peace Treaty
Inspired by: Yaminisu
Word count: 2012
Genres: Humor mostly
Pairing: Atemu x Yami
Warnings: Over-dramatic Atemu and Yami telling him to suck it up? lol
Prompt Summary: Atemu thought his life was perfect. He was the son and heir of the king, he had great friends. Life was good. A small wrinkle is introduced when he celebrates his 16th birthday and his father pulls him aside; war has been predicted, and according to the prophet Isis the kingdom will fall. Akunamkanon refused to accept that destiny so reached out to strengthen ties between the two neighbouring kingdoms. The other king will accept nothing less than marrying his eldest "daughter" to Egypt's crown prince. So, Atemu is getting married this coming weekend.
Enjoy the co-written prompt I did with Yaminisu!
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He knew it was futile, but he couldn't help himself. Hiding beneath his sheets seemed to be the only option right now. Trying to pretend the world didn't exist was, for now, the best way he could come up with. Life had been good, terrific even. Great friends, great life, he had been truly happy.
Until his sixteenth birthday. A part of him had died that day, together with his happiness. No amount of begging had worked, no amount of trying to ignore his duty to his father and his country had given him a better plan than hiding underneath the sheets. Sure, he had tied numerous sheets together in his futile plan to escape. He had his bags packed, his horse could be saddled within the minute... but he couldn't do that to his father, nor his country. He would bring death upon them in the foretold war that would surely come. Still, with all that, his life was ending one way or the other.
He was to get married.
Thinking about it made Atemu groan softly in despair, though he fell silent when there were knockings at his door. Go away, his mind mused, desperate for some peace and quiet. Desperate for this day to reverse itself, desperate for the past week to reverse itself.
"Atemu, for the love of the Gods, get out of your bedroom", he heard from behind the door. The deep voice belonged to one person only: his father. The royal teen swallowed thickly. "You can't hide in there forever, it's marriage, not execution", his father tried again. To him it was execution, blast it! Atemu grumbled as he pressed his pillows against his ears. He knew he couldn't hide in here forever, but he could try, couldn't he? He wanted to marry for love, not out of duty! Why had his father agreed to this? Why had someone even come up with this agreement?
Pulling the sheets from himself when his father continued to knock, Atemu glared at the door. The princess had to be a hag. The other King probably wanted to get rid of her. He wished for Atemu to put up with her, didn't he? And his father had agreed to it?! This was execution!
"Atemu! I expect you to be ready for this evening's peace treaty party! You did not welcome our guests, if you do not show up tonight, I won't show any mercy!" Atemu grumbled, though he slowly got up from his bed. It was true, he had been a horrible host so far.
"I'll be there", he called back softly. He would not go against his father's wishes, even if they were to doom him forever. Besides, so far he hadn't really acted like the grown-up he had wanted to be seen as. Surely, as a sixteen-year-old he was supposed to be better behaving than he was now, right? Feeling guilty, Atemu got himself washed and dressed for that evening's dinner. Facing his father was a little tough, but after he apologized, Akunamkanon had forgiven him easily.
"It is quite all right, Atemu. I understand, even if I do not agree". Atemu nodded, joined the banquet, even though he couldn't see the princess. Were was she? Shouldn't she be here as well? Frowning slightly, Atemu realised it might have been his own fault. Had he not behaved so childishly before, she might have thought better of him. Though he tried to be brave and spoke with many visitors, as the evening dragged on, Atemu found himself outside in the adjourning garden. Gazing up at the night's sky, hoping for answers, the Royal teenager never heard him coming.
"Well, someone should be arrested for treason, with your sulking during the party of a peace treaty". Looking up at the accusation, Atemu stared at the teen walking up to him. He was like a mismatched mirror-reflection of Atemu himself, the pale boy quite possible his age too. Atemu took a slow breath as he gazed at the other, his pale skin nearly reflecting the moonlight, his crimson eyes burning with a certain passion and Atemu, for once, gladly accepted his tanned skin which had grown warmer in his face.
Then the insult hit home and he frowned in anger. "Who are you suggesting be charged? Me? I'm the reason for this treaty", he answered hotly. He would not let anyone insult him for treason, just because he wasn't thrilled with the outcome didn't mean he was a traitor. His whole life he would serve his country well, even if that life would end with him marrying someone he had never met before in two days time. The other teen chuckled softly as he sat down next to Atemu, uninvited. Atemu's frown remained, his rose-red eyes hardening.
"Oh really?", the other asked softly. "You will be the handsome prince, the brave warrior, to sacrifice yourself for the greater good. All maidens will want your hand, right? Because you, only the bravest of all, sacrificed himself for a peace treaty". More mocking, Atemu rolled his eyes at the other and snorted. Really? It had to come to this?
"Are you suggesting I didn't sacrifice enough? If it weren't for our savage neighbours this would not even be necessary!", he exclaimed, truly offended. Besides, it was true. If the neighbours wouldn't wage war against them, he didn't have to get married. "Because of them, I will spend the rest of my life bound to the Kings hag of a daughter". There, he said it. Though the disbelieving look from the other only infuriated him more and he lashed out again.
"What do you expect me to do spill my blood in a ritual sacrifice and lock my soul away for an eternity? Would that sacrifice satisfy you? Would that be enough in the name of peace?"
Though he had nearly shouted the words, his uninvited companion merely stared at him as if he had gone mad. He hadn't, but the pale boy clearly had. Why did he not see it his way? Atemu's world was going to crumble down in two days time and all the other said was he had to be accused of treason. How cruel was that? And no, he was not being dramatic.
"What would your sacrifice solve? Nothing really." Atemu's musings were interrupted when the other boy finally spoke. "All it will bring is grief and anger to your father, who will then accept the war to avenge his lost son. You won't get to play the hero, you will be a means to a horrible end".
"Aside from all that, what do you think the princess is going through? She has to leave her home, marry a brat who thinks the world is ending and when you do go off to battle and die, she'll be married to a ghost who thought his life was already over before it began". Atemu opened his mouth to come in between, but he couldn't. The other boy lashed out at him again. "And if you throw this on the 'life isn't fair'-business, get used to it. Life is never fair, it never will be and it will always try it's hardest to end your world. If you give in, I guess you're just not worth it." Ouch... that hurt. Atemu stared at the other who rose up from the bench at the small announcing sound coming from the banquet halls. He was still beautiful in the moonlight, but Atemu could also see the invisible sword he carried around. Was he really not worth it...?
"I hear the King will announce your marriage so I must leave. I hope I'll see you there", the pale teenager replied back and Atemu rose his eyebrows in question. Crimson eyes rose to the sky, accompanied by a small snort.
"I hope you'll think you're worth it and that I may see you take the princess' hand like the well-raised Royal you are. Don't leave her standing, she might actually be very nice". Atemu continued to stare and then sighed softly, looking away from the other boy.
"I know my duty to my father. I'll be there", he answered, watching how the other turned on his heel without a reply in return. Raising his gaze once more, Atemu frowned.
"Who are you?", he asked, the only thing that could come to mind. Truly, he could have the other teen executed for being so rude to him, for even sitting down next to him without Atemu's permission, but the tanned boy let it slide. No harm done really, although his pride had been given a near-deadly blow. The other teen turned, his crimson eyes gleaming in the moonlight with mischief.
"You may call me Yami", he answered, before turning once more and retreating from Atemu's bench. The latter remained where he was only a few minutes longer, collecting his thoughts... though he rather called it scraping his courage together, before he rose from the bench as well and moved back into the banquet hall. He was worth his life, he was worth everything his father had made possible for him. If it had to be so that this marriage would save his country, he had to take every opportunity.
"Ah, Atemu, at last", Akunamkanon announced, the moment the royal teen walked up to him on the set-up stage. Atemu gave him a funny look, his father returning the jest ever so slightly: "I hope you gathered your courage then?" and even though the whole room was laughing at his expense, Atemu had to smile as well. He hoped he had gathered enough.
"Thank you all for coming here today. As you all know, I invited you to share something of importance and I proudly announce and present my son, Atemu Sennen, to his Royal Highness Yami Muto as his future husband. May your bonding through marriage bring us fortune."
Wait, what? What just happened?
Atemu had to take a double look as his companion from mere minutes ago walked up the stage he and his father were standing upon. Akunamkanon took Atemu's unmoving hand in his own, before placing it into Yami's pale hand.
"A union of our countries will be a blessing. May you both be blessed by the Gods", Akunamkanon said, a proud smile hidden beneath his moustache, though if you looked close enough one could see the happy wrinkles around the corners of his eyes. Atemu still stood frozen as the whole room thundered with applause. People were singing and cheering, Yami smirking at him in mischief.
"So, I'm not really a hag then?", came the whispered question. People were nearing the stage to congratulate them, Akunamkanon barely holding his smile as he pointedly stared down upon his son.
"Please tell me you didn't say that!", he whispered harshly in embarrassment, before turning to the first man who wished to congratulate him. Yami's smirk broadened ever so slightly, until he pulled his hand from Atemu's and turned to his own father and mother who hugged him close. Atemu sheepishly turned to Akunamkanon in the moment he could, in the mere pause between celebrations.
"I didn't know it was him! You could have told me she was a he and that he was hot. It would have helped!" the Royal teen tried, but Akunamkanon couldn't answer him as they were both pulled in hugs and handshakes. Atemu was rather glad his father couldn't reespond, yet, for a moment he could look back at Yami. Though he was still afraid of this marriage and his world was still kind-of ending... perhaps he could learn to love. If not, he was certain Yami would give him another proper tongue-lashing for years to come. He shuddered at the prospect.
He would learn to love. Or die trying.
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Thank you all for reading! I liked writing Atemu as a drama-queen, he's rather funny that way.
If you have a prompt idea you'd like to share, please leave a review or send me a PM, don't worry, I won't bite. Plus, I have a little more time this week to write as well while I'm trying to work on A Neko's Love Story. Although there are plently more ideas running around my head. I need more hands to write with hahaha
See you in the next chapter!