Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Thoughts

"Speech"

Chapter 20

Atem walked through the halls, searching for his pale counterpart. When he spotted him, he was alone, watching Mana take her lessons with Mahad.

"Yugi." Said person turned his head and saw Atem. Any emotion on his face had disappeared. Yugi bowed.

"Highness," he returned. Atem shuddered. He hated being on the receiving end of Yugi's cold shoulder.

"I came to apologize for yesterday," Atem said, but he trailed off and Yugi figured out what he truly wanted.

"I'm not giving you the location," Yugi stated, turning back to the view. Atem sighed and walked up to stand beside him.

"Why not," the Pharaoh asked. Yugi looked away.

"Because, they're part of the life I had with you." Yugi looked at him. "I'm not ready to let go of it yet, and I think… I think you shouldn't either." With that Yugi walked away and Atem was left standing there alone.

Atem sighed and sat on the floor. "Ra, what am I going to do?"

"What is wrong, my love," a voice whispered behind him. Atem looked over to see Runihura, and her handmaid, walking into the corridor. Atem stood up and took her hand.

"Nothing you need to worry yourself over, my dear," he soothed. A smile appeared on her face and she kissed his cheek.

"If you say so," she replied. Atem nodded and turned back to where Mana was practicing. As soon as his back was turned, the smile disappeared. Runihura knew exactly what was upsetting her fiancé and she was going to do something about it. But what to do, she mused. Then, she thought of the perfect plan.

Yugi had just served Mana her dinner when Master Bomani walked up to him. Yugi looked up at the big man. "Hello Master Bomani. What brings you here?"

Master Bomani stopped in front of him and two guards appear at his side. "You have been accused of thievery," Yugi froze and Mana stood up. "Your crime is against the royal family and therefore you will be punished."

"This is absurd! Those jewels belong to Yugi as much as they do Atem," Mana cried. Master Bomani looked at her and Mana shuddered, but dragged Yugi behind her.

"This is a concern of the Pharaoh and his future queen. It does not concern you," he growled. The guards reached around Mana and grabbed Yugi and proceeded to drag him away. Yugi started screaming and kicking. "You are lucky. This matter would usually be dealt with by death, but the Queen asked that you be spared and sold." Mana gasped. Yugi was right. I must go to Atem. He has to do something. So when Mana finally unfroze, she raced out her room and fled to find Atem.

Seto, Mahad, Isis, and Kisara were walking away from the council room when the screams reached their ears. "Who on earth is that," Isis asked. The others shook their heads. Just then, Mana raced up to them, out of breath.

"Mana, what is it? What's wrong," Mahad asked his student when he saw tears on her face. Mana took a deep, shaky breath before answering.

"It's Yugi," she sobbed. Her audience stood in shocked silence. "Oh, I should have listened to him. I knew there was something wrong with her but I didn't think she would go this far…"

"Mana! What are you talking about? What's happening to Yugi," Seto asked, shaking the smaller girl. Mana looked up at him with teary eyes.

"Yugi is being sold," she cried. Mana ran past them into the room. The elder children looked at each other before racing off in the directions of the screams.

Mana ran into the room and saw with great relief that Atem still sat there. He looked up at her entrance.

"Mana, I'm surprised to see you. Who in the name of Ra is screaming like that," the Pharaoh asked. Mana bowed before speaking.

"Atem, it's Yugi. Oh Atem, you must do something! They're going to sell him, give him away!" Atem started at this and had she not been paying attention Mana would have missed it.

"What? On what grounds do they do this? I gave no order," he growled. Mana swallowed her nervousness away before telling him the reason.

"Um, Atem? Runihura has ordered it." Atem froze. "She has accused him of stealing."

"Stealing what, exactly?"

"The jewels which belong to him," Mana answered. Atem's eyes narrowed.

"Which belong to him? He is a slave with jewels? That seems unlikely. If the Queen wishes it then so be it. He's nobody anyway."

SMACK! Atem gaped in surprise as Mana's hand flew before his eyes. He looked up at her and she was glaring as best as her teary eyes would let her.

Mana stared at him, her hand shaking. "What has happened to you," she asked. "You unexpectedly left, engaged to and in love with Yugi, but you came back with a new bride and harsh personality. And now Yugi is nothing but a slave to you? What is wrong with you?" Mana fled the room, tears streaming. Almost as soon as she left, Runihura walked in.

"Hello my love," she greeted. Atem barely acknowledged her presence. "Atem?" At this, Atem looked up.

"Oh, hello Runihura. What brings you here?" Runihura smiled and rolled her eyes.

"I came to see you. The meeting is over," she asked. Atem nodded.

"For some time," he replied. Runihura frowned.

"So why is my Lord sitting here, alone, while everyone is doing their own duties?"

"I'm thinking." Runihura raised a brow.

"About what, my love?"

"About many things." Atem looked up at her before taking her hand and kissing it. "Go eat, my dear. I will be with you shortly." Runihura straightened and bowed. Then she left, a scowl forming on her face.

"What is with the face, milady?" Runihura looked to the left and saw her handmaiden standing there.

"Nothing, just unease."

"Does he still not trust you enough to talk," her handmaid asked. Runihura shook her head.

"I must be patient. He will, in time, he will."

Meanwhile, nearing the gates to the city, Yugi had stopped screaming.

"What's this? Giving up, thief," one of the guards dragging him asked. Yugi just sighed.

"No, but there's no point in me losing my voice over it. No matter how many times I tell you 'I'm not a thief' you won't believe me. And I may need my voice if I come with a plan to break free," Yugi stated. The guards looked at each other and laughed.

"Yeah, you may be right," one snickered. Yugi rolled his eyes.

"YUGI!" Yugi jumped, as much as he could, at the sound of his name. The guards paused and turned. Mana was running at such speed that she crashed into the trio.

"Ow, Mana," Yugi groaned. She smiled apologetically.

"Sorry," she said. Isis, Mahad, Seto, and Kisara came running up behind her.

"Mana," Mahad breathed. "How in the name of Ra were you able to pass us?"

Mana looked at ground. "I was trying to outrun my pain." Everyone's eyes widened.

"Mana, what happened," Yugi asked, holding her. The guards looked at each other and shrugged. They could wait.

"I went to talk to Atem, and he said some horrible things and I lost control and I-I-I slapped him." Mana cried into Yugi's shoulder.

"Oh Mana, it's okay," Yugi soothed. He stroked her hair while she cried. One of the guards cleared his throat. Yugi looked up and Mana followed.

"Oh right," they whispered at the same time. Mana stood up, face hard and set.

"You are not allowed to take him," she declared. The guards looked at each other once again.

"Really, on who's authority," one asked.

"Her own," Seto spoke, drawing out a scroll. Yugi gasped.

"Is that," he asked. Seto looked at him and nodded.

"How is that possible," the guard asked. "This was an order from the Queen." Seto, Mana and Yugi all smiled.

"So glad you asked that," Yugi said as he stood up and dusted the sand off himself.

"This document holds the answer and reason," Mana stated.

"A few years ago, Pharaoh Aknamkanon released his power over Yugi and gave it to his mother. No one owned him, not until her death. According to the document, once she died, Yugi would not be a slave to those he did not wish to be. He was able to choose his own master. And now, he chose Mana," Seto finished. Mana smiled at Yugi.

"That means what exactly? The order came from the Queen, so to the slave trade he will go." The guard grabbed Yugi's arm but Yugi wrenched it from his grasp.

"What that means is the royal family no longer has any hold on me," Yugi growled. "My mistress is Mana and only she decides whether I stay or go, not you, not Master Bomani, and certainly not Atem." Yugi stared at them. "And I need to ask, exactly who is the Queen? As far as I know, Atem hasn't married yet. So you took your orders from some who does not yet have to power to make them."

From above, Runihura watched the scene and grimaced. Yugi was more trouble than she expected. She watched as the guards unrolled the scroll and read it before handing it and bowing to the members of the Holy Court and walking away. Runihura's hands clenched.

"So, Yugi, now that you are staying, what do you propose we do," Mana asked as she and Yugi strolled through the corridors. Yugi stopped and looked at her.

"I think you and I should talk about Atem," he said. Mana froze. "Don't look so scared, that's not all we'll talk about, but we need to get it of you, okay?" Mana nodded. Yugi nodded once and smiled. He took her hand. "Come on," he said as he led her to the stables.