(Koobre: Before the last chapter starts, I want to thank GUEST for reviewing on every chapter. You never gave yourself a name, nor were you logged in so I only know you as GUEST, but I would like to thank you. Your reviews were short and sweet, but they made my day. Thank you. I would not have been encouraged to keep writing this if you hadn't reviewed.)

Ch 10 A Moment Of Silence

Yuugi stood blankly as a handmaiden drew elaborate ma'an on his cheeks with a fresh stick. Once the marks were perfect, she applied a thick layer of eyeliner and a little lip gloss to his lips. While she decorated his face, there where other hand maidens slipping rings on his fingers and clasping necklaces around his neck. In the back of the room was Mana, running between a pile of fabric and an old sewing machine she had brought up to Yami's room. She had come with the hand maidens about and hour ago and still had yet to say a word to him, but he didn't blame her. He didn't know what to say either.

Once he was decorated in all the royal jewels and designs, Mana finally brought over the clothing she had been working on. It was a panda fur cape that would drag behind him by a few inches; however, the fur was encrusted by aquamarine, amethyst, emerald, and jasper gemstones that shined in the blue lights. When she draped it over his shoulders, he felt bogged down with the weight of the world. Her brown eyes bore into his own, and they both shared a silent moment of support before she turned away with tears shimmering in her eyes.

She walked over to the vanity that was now a disarray of boxes and stray jewelry, but amongst the endless silver, gold, and gems, was a purple velvet pillow with a silver tiara on it. The thin silver bands twisted together with glorean leaves interwoven, but luckily for him, the leaves were just metal. In the center of the tiara, encircled by silver leaves was a circular lapis lazuli gemstone. It was a beautiful piece of art that sat delicately on the pillow, but it glared back at Yuugi every time he glanced at it.

Mana stopped in front of the vanity and paused before the pillow. Her hands were shaking. No one urged her as she took a second to breathe before she picked up the tiara with all the care of the world. With the way she was holding the garment, it looked more as though she were carrying a viper over a tiara. Each step she took was slow and deliberate while her watering eyes remained glued to the tiara in her hands. When she finally stopped in front of Yuugi, the two shared another look before Yuugi had to look away.

With a shuttering breath, Mana lowered the tiara onto Yuugi's head and stepped away. The weight that befell him was more than that of the slim silver tiara. It pushed down on him like a mighty chain. He almost felt as though he would fall to the ground if fear didn't keep him standing. There was no going back now, but this wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Mana began to exit the room with Yuugi and the handmaids in tow. Everyone kept their head down and no one said a word. No one had too.

Yuugi stared forward as they began their trek out of the castle and to the temple of Mira. Everything had happened so fast it didn't feel like it had been five days since him and Yami had escaped from the cave or since the incident.

After they heard the scream, Yusei and Mana helped him and Yami up and they all left to investigate. As they slowly ventured the halls, a thick aura suffocated the group with dread and foreboding. It pushed against them, trying to stop their pursuit, warning against seeing the tragedy ahead. They kept going, though, desite the heavy feeling in their hearts, but by the time they found it, Yuugi wished they had listened.

They had rounded the corner heading towards the great hall when they saw a sight that stopped all of them in their tracks. Mana fell to her knees with her hands covering her mouth. The action had brought Yuugi to the ground with her, but he wouldn't have had the strength to stand anyway. Yusei had released the prince and stood frozen while Yami used the wall to support himself. No one wanted to look, but no one could look away.

There, slumped against the wall with a river of blood slipping from the slit in his neck was the king. There were no other marks on his body and the weapon was nowhere to be seen, but his pale, dead eyes were wide open staring at the group with a glazed expression. Life still colored his cheeks, but his skin was draining fast with every drop of blood that left his body.

Mana had let out a cry of despair just as the royal council came running. No one said a word as they all fell in shock at the sight that befell them. Yusei had somehow managed to regain himself and began to give orders to the council on moving the body and preparing for the funeral. He also set some guards to search the perimeter for anyone suspicious.

Yugi didn't know what to do, nor did he register if anyone was talking to him. It was as if someone stuffed cotton in his ears; everything sounded muffled and his head hurt. His chest twisted in agony while his eyes were glued to the lifeless body. Beside him, Mana had broken down in tears, and he could feel her quivering body leaning against his own. When he finally tore his eyes away, they befell Yami who had slowly fallen to the floor.

His face was contorted in pain and was red in anger. His fists were clenched and shaking while his crimson eyes stared unblinkingly at his father's dead body. The prince turned his head away, casting his face in shadows, but Yuugi saw the glimpse of a tear streaming down his cheek.

The next few days had passed by in a blur. He and Yami were still too sick to really move, so they spent their time in Yami's room in silence. Only Yusei and Mana came to visit them and make sure they were taking their medicine but they didn't come to chat. Everything was business and then gone.

On the day of the funeral, Yami refused to leave his room; he played it off as though he didn't care, but Yuugi knew better. While it pained him to leave Yami alone, Yuugi went with Yusei and Mana to the funeral. He didn't remember much of it: he was too busy looking at the King's corse though the glass coffin.

The coffin was filled with water and glorean petals that floated around the body. They had covered the king's neck so that the water stayed blue, but it was not the vibrant water Yuugi knew Lelania for. At the end of the service, his body was placed in the royal catacombs underneath the temple of Mira.

A shiver scurried down Yuugi's spine as he remembered the catacombs. They were bland compared to the world that sat above them. It was nothing but obsidian walls and moonstone lamps for as far as the eye could see. Wandering in endless halls that flowed onward with no end, Yuugi was sure he would have gotten lost had it not been for the priests leading them.

After the funeral, it was time for a new king, and there was only one legitimate heir to the throne: Yami. That one fact set off the council into long talks that burnt the midnight oil, only for them to come out undecided. Yuugi didn't need to step into the city to know that the people were in just as much turmoil as the council. Even with as much controversy as the suggestion brought, Yami was still the only person in Lelania who held royal blood. As strong as most felt about Yami taking the throne, Lelaninas were stubborn on the aspect of keeping royal blood on the throne. As much as it pained the Lelanian people, the decision was made.

Today was the day of the coronation and Yuugi was terrified: he could only imagine how Yami felt. Yami had been tight-lipped for the past few days, saying nary a word to anyone. Yuugi didn't push for conversation because he knew that he needed his space to work things out. Only once Yami had come to terms with certain things, would he then be open to talk about it to anyone. The only thing that Yuugi feared was that he wouldn't ever come to terms with it.

Yami would disappear with Yusei to most of the meetings with the council, and when he came back early in the morning, Yuugi would comfort him until Yami fell asleep. It was the only thing he felt he could do for the prince, but it seemed to be enough for Yami.

Yami had left early this morning, and Yuugi hadn't seen him since. Chances were that he was pulled off to the council for most of the day and now was getting ready for the coronation. A part of Yuugi was excited about the event. It was supposed to be joyous, a celebration for a new beginning, but it wasn't. The town was tense from the loss of the king and divided over who should be on the throne. Not to mention, the wounds from his and Yami's kidnapping still pained the Lelanian people. Everything was tossed into the air and no one knew what to do or what to catch first. Yuugi didn't know what was going to happen in the coming days, and frankly, he didn't want to find out.

As he walked through town, other Lelanians walked alongside him. Yuugi paid them no mind, for the most part, but he could feel them staring at him and staring at the tiara he know wore. They would stare at him, conflicted just like him, but when he flickered his gaze to them, they looked away. No one said anything. Nothing mean, nothing nice, not even a happy word of celebration. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

When they came up to the temple, Yuugi could see the council sitting on the steps with the priests standing behind them. A decent crowd had already gathered and were waiting in pregnant silence. The crowd parted for Yuugi and his group, allowing them clear passage to the temple. Yuugi fought down the tremors that threatened to shake his whole body.

As he stood at the top of the steps, he walked over to an empty chair beside a council member, just like he did as he had been told the day before. He didn't look at anyone, he didn't listen to anyone, he refused to see what anyone thought of him because he didn't know whether he would scream or cry if he did. The remaining Lelaninas joined the crowd and all eyes befell the head priestess of Mira who stood at the top step.

"A few days ago our beloved king, Akodai Lelai, passed from this world and his legacy has come to a close," Yuugi choked as he heard the king's name for the first time, "However, just like the water wisks away the dead leaves of autumn and brings new life, a new king will take our throne. Mira, the goddess of water, blesses the town of Lelania in many ways, and now she blesses us with a king. Please, welcome our prince to the stage and show him your acceptance by parting and giving him passage."

Here was the moment that caught Yuugi's breath. If anyone refused to have Yami on the throne, then they would stand in his way, blocking the path to the temple, or so Yusei explained. As far as Yuugi heard, that had never happened before, but he wouldn't be surprised if now was the time to break that record.

The crowd began to move, making a direct path to the temple. Time past slowly as people hesitated with their movements, everyone watching the person next to them, unsure who would stand in the prince's way. Shifting eyes and questioning gazes followed every moving body until the crowd was still once more. When everyone settled into place, not a single person stood in the pathway.

On the other end of the path stood the prince with Yusei not too far behind him. He was still dressed in his normal clothes, a fact that Yuugi noticed set off many Lelanians, but slumped over his shoulders was a large fur cloak, similar to the one his father wore, but this one was panther fur double lined with polar bear and lion pelts.

He stood tall with his head held high and a stoic mask plastered over his true emotions. Then, as he walked, his strides were bold and confident as though there was no tension lingering in the air. Out of everyone at the coronation, he was the only one who felt truly alive, but Yuugi knew that this event was killing him the most. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

No one interrupted his march, no one even blinked as he finished his travel to the temple. The fact that nothing happened set Yuugi even more on edge as his chest pinged with the need for fresh air. Something needed to happen, someone needed to object this, but no one would. Everyone was paralyzed with the same fear that gripped Yuugi. He only allowed himself to breathe when Yami was safely on the stairs.

The priestess turned to Yami who turned to her. Yusei remained at the bottom of the stairs, ocean eyes watching the silent crowd, "Do you, Yami Lelai, prince of Lelania understand the task that is being handed to you?"

"I do."

Yuugi could hear the tightness of Yami's voice as he masked his true emotions behind an indifferent tone.

"Do you swear to uphold all of Lelania's morals and spread Mira's love?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to follow in your ancestor's footstep and take the throne in the name of the people of Lelania?"

There was a pause, "I do."

The priestess stared at Yami for a few seconds before she turned to the youngest priest who stepped out from behind Yuugi with a blue velvet pillow in his hands. Atop the pillow, sitting like a poised predator was the king's crown. The royal crown of Lelania, the same one that was sitting on the late king's head only a few days ago. The bold glorean leafs created the ring while a sapphire jewel sat in the center of the blue flower. Even though Yuugi knew the crown was made out of metal, the leaves and flower looked as alive as the deadly plant they came from. As she picked up the crown, she held it as if it would shatter at any moment.

"Then I now pronounce you, King Yami, ruler of Lelania."

With the crown placed upon his head, Yuugi couldn't shake the image from his brain. It felt wrong to see Yami wearing that crown and that cape, just as it felt wrong for him to wear his tiara and cloak. This isn't how it was supposed to be. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Seeing Yami face the crowd, Yuugi could see the burden that was placed upon his lover's head. He could almost see Yami's body shake in an effort to stand tall and keep face in front of the Lelanian people.

Yuugi couldn't tell if the people applauded, yelled, cried, cheered, celebrated, or despaired for his eyes were glued to Yami who slowly turned to look back at him. In the brief second that their eyes met, Yuugi could clearly see the fear swimming under those crimson depths. Yami was scared.

And so was he.

The End

(Koobre: There is a sequel coming out for this, but please let me know what I need to do to improve. Let me know what I did good and what I lacked. Also, let me know if there is anything you are confused about or what you want to see happen. I can make it come true. The next book should come out in about a month. In the meantime, thank you for reading. I enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it.)