Unlocking the power

By Tima, Yami's wife

I don't own YuGiOh GX. I just own the new characters.

Chapter 21: Peace and life

Aziza was holed up in her room for two days. She kept trying to leave to see Manjyome but the guard refused to move from outside her door. She even tried to jump out the window but there were guards under her window. Finally she gave up and cried her eyes out on her bed.

Finally Seto came in her room. She looked up and hissed. "What do you want?"

Seto sat down on her bed. Aziza scooted back as he said, "I'm so sorry that this happened to you."

"Nothing happened."

"What are you talking about? You were raped."

"I was not! If anything, I came onto him!"

"I don't believe that!"

Aziza stood up in her anger. "Believe it! I love him!"

Seto shook his head. "There is no way that you can love him!"

"Why not?"

"Because he is a Nubian prince! You know better than to be with someone of an enemy race!"

"Then I don't know better! I love him and I demand to see him!"

Seto stood up and took Aziza by the shoulders. "You can't see him."

"Why not?" It then hit her. Her face fell and her eyes grew wide. "No…no…"

Seto sighed. "I need to go settle a few matters. I'll leave you alone."

Seto left and Aziza felt the weight of the situation. She flopped down on her bed and cried bitterly. Seto heard her and wondered, "Why is she crying?" He just shrugged and went on his way.

On the way to the throne room, he ran into Tilaka, who glared at him. He asked, "What's with the glare?"

"You're destroying our daughter's spirit."

"How did I do that? I'm going to punish him for raping our daughter! You know as well as I do that the punishment is death!"

Tilaka crossed his arms. "Think about it, Seto. Aziza inherited your strength. Do you honestly think that someone could force themselves on her? Besides, even if they could, she would have screamed and alerted us."

Seto thought it over and realized that she was right. Manjyome had committed no crime if Aziza hadn't cried out for help. She knew better than to let anyone get away with any sort of crime. "Oh gods."

Tilaka shook her head. "You making a deadly mistake."

Seto ran his hand through his hair and headed back for Aziza's room. "I got to go apologize."

As he went to her room, he ran the apology through his head. He kept trying to find the right to apologize for not letting her explain. But nothing seemed to sound right. When he finally arrived, he lifted up the dark drape to find a huge chest blocking the path. Looking over the chest, he saw Aziza rolled up in a ball on her bed. He said, "Aziza, move this chest. We need to talk."

Aziza threw an idol at him and growled, "We have nothing to talk about! I hate you! Leave me alone!"

Seto kept trying to apologize but Aziza kept throwing stuff at him and yelling at him to leave. Finally he gave up but asked, "Are you ever coming out?" Off her shaking her head, he asked, "What about food?"

Aziza crossed her arms and turned away from Seto. "A servant can give me food. He can put it on the chest. Now leave me alone!"

Seto nodded and said, "I am so sorry for what I did."

Aziza closed her eyes and lowered her head. Seto sighed and left. He ran into Tilaka, who asked, "How did it go?"

Seto shook his head. "Not well. She has a chest in the doorway and she refuses to leave. We'll have to get a servant to serve her meals."

Tilaka nodded. "Yes…well, it can't get any worse."

Seto nodded. "True…but she won't let me near for me to explain the situation. But he should still remain in prison for being part of the plan to kill me." Tilaka just nodded.

---

Three months later, the palace was facing hard times. The Nubian forces were now even more brutal since Manjyome's punishment. Aziza refused to leave her room the entire time, thinking Manjyome was dead. Seto didn't know what to do. "Tilaka, I'm lost. I have no idea what to do."

Tilaka shook her head and was about to say something when they heard Aziza scream, "Mother…MOTHER!"

Tilaka took off for her daughter's room. Seto followed but she stopped her, saying, "No, I better handle this."

Seto nodded and Tilaka continued to Aziza's room. Once there, she lifted the dark drape to see the chest was gone. She entered and Aziza looking out the window. She had on a silk shirt that stopped in the middle of her chest and a long silk skirt on. Tilaka lit up. "Oh, you're wearing your favorite outfit! Does that mean you feel better?"

Aziza shook her head and slowly turned around. As Aziza turned around, Tilaka noticed that her daughter's stomach was a little more rounder than usual. Raising her eyebrow, Tilaka asked, "Have you been sneaking out at night and getting extra food?"

Eyes getting teary, Aziza shook her head and looked at her stomach. She gently touched her stomach with both hands and went down to her knees. Tilaka then figured it out and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my gods…you're…"

Aziza just nodded as she clutched her stomach and started to cry. Tilaka got down and hugged her daughter. "It's okay. It's all right."

Aziza cried on her Mother's shoulder. "How will it be all right? Manjyome is dead…and now here I am…alone, young, and pregnant. How can it be okay?"

Tilaka had Aziza look her in the eyes. "Your Father and I will help. You won't be alone."

Aziza just nodded, got up, and laid down on the bed. "Thank you. Can I have some privacy?"

Tilaka nodded and left. Aziza gently put her hand on her stomach and sighed. "Oh Manjyome…I wish you were here. I need you."

Outside, Tilaka ran into a very shocked Seto. "I suppose you heard," she said.

Seto just nodded and turned to go to the throne room. "I need to see the Nubian royal family."

An hour later, Seto and Tilaka were sitting at their thrones, looking at the two older Nubian princes. Their Father died in battle and Manjyome's brothers, Chosaku and Shoji, had taken over. The tension was great between the two royal families. Aziza entered in a one-piece dress to hide her pregnancy because she didn't know that her Father knew. The two brothers saw her and growled. The eldest, Chosaku, growled, "What is she doing here?"

Seto looked at his daughter, who sat down at the side of his feet, and patted her head. "She has a right to be here."

Shoji shook his head. "She has nothing to do with this situation!"

Tilaka said, "Yes, she does. She's the girl your brother has been seeing for a while."

The Nubian brothers looked at Aziza shocked. Aziza almost touched her stomach but remembered that she was near her Father and controlled herself. Chosaku growled, "What? Manjyome has been seeing an Egyptian princess while we were at war? If he hadn't been killed, I would have killed him myself!"

Seto's eyes lowered. "I walked in on them and assumed that he had raped my daughter."

Shoji was insulted. "Manjyome did what with her? She should be punished, too, for being with an enemy race!"

Seto stood up. "We cannot punish her!"

Chosaku scoffed. "Why? Because she's your daughter?"

Seto sat back down and put his hand on her head. "That…and she's carrying Manjyome's child."

The brothers and Aziza looked at Seto stunned. He looked at his daughter and nodded, saying that he knew. She laid her head on his knee and held her stomach with both hands. Stroking her head, Seto then said to the brothers, "The reason I summoned you two is because I wanted to create a truce."

Chosaku hissed, "Why would we create a truce? You killed our little brother!"

Seto was about to say something when a familiar rang out from behind Seto's throne, "He did not kill me."

To Aziza's and the brothers' surprise, Manjyome walked into view from behind Seto. The brothers were relieved to see him alive. Aziza smiled and started to cry. As he sat down behind Aziza and put his arms around her waist, he said, "The Pharaoh was kind enough to spare my life."

Seto turned his attention back to the two brothers. "Besides, you would have reacted the same way toward Aziza if you found her in that situation. Your reaction would been the same. Now this truce seems to be the smart action to take…especially now because of my daughter's current situation. So…truce?"

Manjyome looked at Seto in confusion, having not overheard about Aziza. Chosaku and Shoji talked amongst themselves and finally said, "Truce."

Aziza smiled but the brothers glared at her as they left. Swallowing hard, she looked at Seto and asked, "How did you find out?"

Seto slightly smiled and said, "I just overheard you telling your Mother." Putting his hand on her shoulder, he said, "We'll leave you two alone."

Aziza just nodded as Seto and Tilaka left the throne room. Manjyome stood her up and they hugged tightly. Aziza cried on his shoulder. "Oh, Manjyome…thank the gods you're alive."

Manjyome hugged her tightly and rubbed his back. "Your Father is very generous. As you know, the punishment for the crime he thought I committed is death. But your Mother saved me. Also…I was surprised when he released me today. But…at least I can be with you now. Your Father told me that I could."

Sniffling, Aziza said, "Thank gods…that me and our baby won't be alone."

Manjyome froze and looked at Aziza. "What did you say?"

Still crying a little, Aziza looked him in the eyes and said, "Manjyome…I'm…I'm pregnant."

Manjyome was stunned as Aziza continued. "Our love has created a new life. We ignored our family's prejudices and followed our hearts. Because of this…this war can stop…and we can have a family of our own. You told me a while ago that you were lonely because your Father only compared you to your brothers. Well…you can never be alone anymore."

Manjyome was still stunned as he sat himself down. Aziza sat down in front of him. Bowing his head a little, he put his hand on her stomach and said, "You…you're carrying my child? Are you…are you going to have it?"

Aziza smiled and put her hand on top of his as a few more tears fell. "Yes."

Manjyome lifted his head to reveal that he was crying. Before Aziza could react, he pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear, "Thank you." Aziza just hugged him back.

Six months later, Aziza gave birth to a son named Abidos. She and Manjyome were inseparable as they became rulers of Egypt. Her son grew up strong. On her death bed, Aziza said, "Manjyome…when I'm come back…may I find you again…and may we be able to be together again…in happiness."

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