Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh


"Is there really not a spell that can speed up the healing process? If I really have to go one more month without the use of my right arm, I think I'll go mad!" Mahado exclaimed.

I picked up an iris to inhale its scent. "I'm afraid there isn't," Isis replied for me. "There is only so much that we as healers can do. If we could, your arm would have already healed fully by now."

An uncommon frown creased his face. "If I could get my hands on whoever attacked me…"

"Has there been any progress on that matter?" I asked.

"The investigations are still pending, but there are several suspects that my uncle and the investigators have in mind," he replied.

Isis looked at the sundial and sighed. "It is time for my lesson with my aunt. By Hathor, I wish I didn't have to go," she said wistfully. "It is too fine a day to be trapped indoors at a boring lecture."

"Soon those lectures will be over," Mahado replied assuringly. "You and Karim will soon be initiated, will you not?"

"Yes, we will receive the rites, and then we'll be ready to take over whenever the Guardians are ready to step down." Isis picked up an armful of irises. "Well, if I really must spend two hours indoors, then I shall take a piece of the garden with me. Surely the sight of my favorite flower will make the time go by faster."

"And once you are done, we'll go for a ride and get out of the palace," I promised lightly. Isis smiled and took her leave, leaving Mahado and me alone.

He gently wrapped his left arm around my waist as we strolled about the garden. "So we are finally alone together," he murmured.

I smiled flirtatiously at him. "Oh? You speak as if it's been an eternity since we've been alone together."

"It certainly has seemed that way. In the past month, whenever I've seen you, it's always been with Isis, Karim, or your brother. I've hardly had a chance to speak to you privately in that time. Should it come as a surprise that I crave to be in your company in sweet solitude?"

I drew closer to him. "I too have been craving to spend some time alone with you. And here we are, getting what we wished for."

"Tell me again about that exchange with Seto. I'm beginning to think that I simply dreamed of it."

I recounted every word spoken for the second time. "So he finally let that decorum of his slip and showed some true human feeling," he said wonderingly.

"I told you and the others, under that cold façade of his, he is just as capable of human feeling as anybody."

He gazed warmly at me. "Well, I'm sure that you are right; there is another woman out there who is meant for him, and I certainly hope he will find the love that we have found. He definitely deserves it for conceding you to me so easily. If I were him, I wouldn't have given up the pursuit just like that; I would have put up more of a fight. Thank Thoth he did, and made my life a lot easier."

"Well of course you would, since it's not like you to give up something that you desperately want."

"Indeed, but I must say, there will need to be some rules if you are to be my wife. First of all, all those flirtations with the other men will have to stop. You will find that I will be a very jealous husband, and I won't stand sharing your affections with anyone."

I giggled and leaned into him. "That won't be too difficult a rule to follow. I've already stopped that charade, now that I finally have you. I will be all yours. Likewise, I have some rules of my own for you. No pursuing any other lady, not even those pretty servant maids that have been surely been attending to you while I'm not there. Just as you will be a jealous husband, I will be an equally jealous wife."

"My heart and soul are yours to command and possess," he said huskily, bending his head towards mine for a kiss, "if you will agree to become my wife, that is."

"Yes, of course I will," I replied as I let myself become lost in his embrace, returning his kiss with equal fervor. But as his hand moved to cup my breast, I abruptly pulled away. "Someone might round the corner and see us, and it could be Meta!" Although Father had already promised his protection, I still was slightly afraid of how she might react if she were to intrude on us at that moment and catch us kissing in such heated passion.

He grinned mischievously and pushed me against a wall. "Hardly anybody comes to the garden at this time of the day; they are all too busy. And even if they did, then let them see us. If it's Meta, then that would be even better; it's about time that she see that you are now truly and entirely mine…"

"Ohhhhh yes," I moaned as he muzzled my neck. "I am utterly and entirely yours, Mad." I let my hands wander to his belt, where I felt a growing bulge beneath his kilt. Our breaths came in jagged gasps, and I felt a sweet, burning pain in between my thighs, heightened as he pressed himself against me.

Just then, a voice interrupted our tryst, and we sprang apart. "Pardon me, Princess, but the Lady Aseneit has summoned Lord Mahado for a healing session." I was relieved to see Aramen standing in the hallway; she would not betray us. Nevertheless, my cheeks were burning.

With a groan Mahado tore himself from me and followed her down the hallway. I remained where I was, leaning against the wall, capturing every sensation and storing it away in my memories like a private jewel: the pressure of his lips on me, the feel of his body against mine, the smell of his hair, the sweetly painful throbbing desire, and the new sensation of that growth below his belt. As much as I hated to admit it, I had to thank Aramen for coming when she did; there was no way we would have stopped when the desire between us was so strong, and Father wouldn't have forgiven me if I had given myself to Mahado right then and there, as much as I wanted to. I smiled to myself, anticipating what would surely be one most pleasurable and passionate wedding night.


"Sorry, Bata, but you'll simply have to put up with me while your master recovers. He can't easily grip the reins with only one arm," I murmured gently as I tacked up Mahado's horse. He gave a plaintive nicker and turned his head towards Mahado.

Mahado laughed and gave Bata a comforting pat on the nose. "Oh, don't be too sad, boy, you're in good hands with Jani, that I can promise you. Indeed, she has very skilled hands."

I blushed furiously as Karim teased. "And exactly where have those hands been, Mahado?"

"Oh stop it, Karim. Jasana and Mahado are entitled to certain liberties now that Seto is out of the way. Although I hope you two will be able to contain yourselves until the wedding night," Isis said, giving me an insinuating look that hinted that she knew something of what had passed between us when she left us alone in the garden.

"Barely," Mahado replied, "and it will definitely be a night my lady shall never forget." He smiled naughtily and passed me a wink.

Suddenly, Isis's hands began to shake. "Isis, are you all right?" Karim asked worriedly.

Isis smiled in a futile attempt to mask her puzzlement. "I'm fine; it's nothing," she replied blithely as she mounted her horse. I noticed that it took her more effort to do so than it normally would have, and she momentarily clung to her horse's mane for support. "That's strange; I just became dizzy all of a sudden."

"Perhaps you should drink some water before we head out," I said. "In fact, we should all bring some water with us; it's especially hot at this time of the day." With that, I motioned for the servants to bring water skins for each of us.

Isis took a long swig of water, and smiled. "Ah, that hit the spot!" Now let's ride!"

We only rode around the arena while Mahado walked Nephthys for me and watched us. After I had jumped that wall, I had begun experimenting with more jumps, which I had set up around the arena.

Suddenly Isis cried out in pain, put a hand over her heart, and collapsed off her horse. "Isis!" we all cried out in unison. Karim urged his horse into a canter and reached her before any of us did. He gathered her into his arms.

"What's happened?" I asked anxiously, feeling her arm for a pulse.

"She's fainted." Karim's brow was knit with worry. "We'd better take her to Lady Aseneit immediately." I leapt off Bata and grabbed Isis's horse by the reins, while Mahado took Karim's. We handed the horses to the nearby grooms and sped towards the medical wing.

We encountered Atem running with Mana in the hallway; apparently they were playing tag. Upon seeing us, they both stopped in their tracks. "What's this? What's happened to Isis?" Atem asked.

"She's fainted; perhaps she's taken ill. We're taking her to Lady Aseneit," I replied breathlessly. Atem and Mana immediately fell in step beside us.

We burst through the doors. "Lady Aseneit, come quick!" I cried.

She appeared so quickly, it almost seemed she had come by magic. "What is it, Princess?"

"It's Isis! She's fainted!"

Her eyes drifted to the figure in Karim's arms, and her eyes widened. "Let's put her in here," she said and led us to a small room." Karim gently laid her down. "Tell me what happened."

After we recounted the events of our ride for her, she pricked Isis's finger and drew blood. "I will conduct tests to see if there's anything in her blood, but such tests will take at least two days. In the meantime, it is best that we stabilize her condition until we know what ails her." She proceeded to concoct a brew of herbs and chanted a spell, moving her hands in circular motions over Isis's heart and head. "The spell I've cast takes quite a bit of heka to uphold, and I have other patients to attend to. The spell needs to be renewed twice a day. Jasana, will you be able to do it in my stead?"

"Yes, Lady Aseneit, I will definitely try," I replied.

"Good. I must go and attend the others; you may stay here if you wish. I will be back to check on her shortly."

Karim grasped one of her hands, and I grasped the other. Oh Aset, Sekhemet, Ra, and all the gods of Egypt, hear me, I silently prayed. Please don't let Isis die! I need her! Please, let her make a full recovery!

"What could possibly be ailing her?" Karim wondered out loud. "She's always been healthy; this is the first time she's ever fallen ill. Normally people don't just collapse like that, not even in this heat."

"I don't know what it could be," I replied. "Her symptoms don't match any of the illnesses that we've studied with Lady Aseneit. We'll just have to wait and see the results of her blood test."

"I don't like the looks of this," Mahado said grimly. "Look at her; she looks as if someone had cast a malignant curse on her."

Karim and I cast an anxious glance at each other. What if someone had indeed?


"I think I've finally figured out who Karim's mysterious lady is," Mahado said to me two days later as we picked irises for Isis. "He's hardly left her side since he brought her to the medical wing."

"You know?" I asked, surprised.

"Well, I had suspected something, since he had been acting out of sorts lately, but now I think I know for certain. I'm surprised that you know of it as well."

"I had suspected something between the two of them, and I've been trying to get them to confirm it, but neither of them would. There seems to be something amiss here, because both of them seem to be troubled by the feelings between them."

Mahado conjured a vase, and I transferred the irises from my hands to the vase. "Well, I'm sure that once this ordeal is over, we'll find out," he said reassuringly. "In the meantime, I propose that we present our gift to her."

I smiled and linked my arm in his. "That is a fine idea."

When we arrived at the medical wing, Lady Aseneit was there as well as Karim. "Ah, Princess Jasana, I have the results of Isis's blood test."

"What is it?" I asked apprehensively.

Lady Aseneit held out a black powder. "This is what I found in her blood. She has been given a powerful dose of it, and that is what caused her to collapse. Together with its corresponding spell, it robs a person of their heka and their energy, working over time to drain them entirely of life. Fortunately, the spell I've cast is keeping her alive, but if she receives any more of this powder she will die."

I shivered. "So what is the remedy?"

"Sadly, I've been searching the library, but I cannot seem to find a cure," she replied ruefully. "I've even enlisted Shada's help, and you know that he knows the library like the back of his hand. This is an extremely rare and expensive poison, so much so that our extensive library doesn't contain a medical scroll about it. I know little about this poison, or how to cure it. The only thing I know in this case is how to keep Isis in stable condition."

"But there has to be a cure!" Karim insisted passionately.

"If there is, then there is not a scroll in the library here in the palace that contains it," Lady Aseneit replied. "However, there may be a way to find one. The library at Alexandria is the only one that is larger and more extensive than the one here. The scholars there may know of a cure for this poison."

Karim rose to his feet. "Then I will travel there and find it myself."

"But that is at least a ten days journey!" I exclaimed. "Can Isis hold out for so long? And the journey will be dangerous, Karim!"

"It will take all of our efforts, but she can," Lady Aseneit said.

"I will take Shada with me; I bet he will be ecstatic to explore the library at Alexandria, and between the two of us, we are capable of warding off any attackers. I will go to your father and request the swiftest barge to carry us. We will be back as soon as we can. If you will excuse me, I will go now." With that, he swept out of the room.

"Who would do such a thing?" I asked, bewildered.

Mahado set the vase on a nearby table and soothingly stroked my shoulder. "I don't know, Jani, but whoever has done this is no friend of ours."

"Indeed they are not," Lady Aseneit agreed. "In the meantime, someone must constantly watch over her, and watch what she eats. In fact, I believe I will go to Pharaoh and request that he hire extra tasters for the medical wing, the Prince, yourselves, and the other Guardians. We mustn't let anyone else become poisoned."


Karim and Shada were to set sail the next day. As servants loaded the barge, Mahado and I came across Karim in the lotus garden.

"You're brooding, Karim, and that is so very unlike you," Mahado observed. "What is it?"

"I'm just worried about Isis," he replied, "and who could have done this to her."

Suddenly, I recalled what Karim had told me earlier. "There are plenty who would work against me if they knew." What if someone had found out and was now working against him by poisoning Isis?

"You need not worry about her; Jani and I will be as vigilant as vultures while you are gone. Just hurry to Alexandria and back to us, although you may need to drag Shada out of the library against his will. Once he sets foot in there, most likely he won't want to leave."

Karim smiled feebly. "That may very well be the case, but I can't travel alone, and if there's someone to help me locate the cure faster, it's Shada."

Just then, a servant entered. "Lord Karim, the barge is ready."

Karim nodded. "Very good." Mahado and I accompanied him to the dock. Shada was already there, directing the servants to pack the last of the supplies they would need for the journey.

I embraced Shada, and then I hugged Karim tightly. "May Aset and Ra watch over you and keep you safe," I blessed. I couldn't help but feel a small twinge of fear that Karim and Shada would encounter misfortune on their journey and not return, leaving Isis to a terrible fate. I did my best to banish this fear as I smiled and released him.

"May they watch over you as well," he replied.

Mahado hugged him next. "May Thoth aid you in your quest," he said.

Karim and Shada boarded the barge, and as the rowers pulled away, they waved to us from the prow. We stood on the dock and waved to them until they disappeared from our view.


The palace felt strange and empty without Karim and Shada. Although several days would pass between the times I saw them when we were younger, now that we were older I had become accustomed to seeing them almost every day, at the evening meal at the very least. With the investigation on Mahado's attack still pending, I felt strangely vulnerable without the security of Karim's presence. He had always been the rock in our group, the strong assurance that ma'at was being upheld and that everything would turn out as it should.

"I miss having Shada around," Atem whined. "At least he always made history lessons interesting; with only Shimon I get so bored I often can't help falling asleep! When do they get back again?"

"We can't expect them for at least another five days, my Prince," Mahado replied as he perused a scroll. "By now they should have reached the city; let's hope that they find what they're looking for quickly and come back. Without Shada around, it takes me twice as long to find the scrolls that I'm looking for."

"And without Karim around, Seto is the one with the most wit, and we all know how dull he can be," Atem added.

Just then Isis stirred weakly, and Mahado spooned some broth into her mouth. She half-consciously took it. "Mahado… where's Karim?"

"He's gone to find a cure for you," he answered.

"We'll get you healed in no time," I added. She closed her eyes again with a long exhale. I renewed Lady Aseneit's spell, moving my hands in circles and chanting the same words she did. But the spell didn't seem to be working. "That's strange; my spell is not taking effect."

Mahado picked up my hand. "It's because your heka has yet to regain its full strength; it's still very weak. Maybe it's better if I perform the spell."

"Let me try again," I insisted. I closed my eyes and concentrated. Please, Aset, please let this work. With great determination, I recast the spell, and it seemed to hold. "You can renew the spell next time, Mad," I said. "Lady Aseneit did say that it will take all of us to keep Isis alive."

Atem glanced at the water clock. "It's time for our battle arts lesson with Uncle Akhnadin. I'm determined to outshine the other boys this time!" At his age, Atem was now eager to engage in mock battles against the other sons of noblemen that he practiced with. Many of them were bigger and older than he was, and were often victorious. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before he bested them.

"Very well, I shall send for one of the other healers to come and watch over Isis." As I stood up, I was suddenly hit with a bout of dizziness, and I staggered and grabbed my brother's shoulder for support.

"Jani! What is it?" Mahado asked anxiously, grabbing my arm.

I tried to shake off the dizziness. "It's nothing; I suppose I just stood up too quickly is all."

Yet it became clear that I was not well. As we walked towards the battle arena, it felt as if every step was slowly draining me of energy. When we arrived, I was panting heavily.

"Jasana, are you all right?" Akhnadin asked. "You look pale!"

"She was fine just now," Mahado said in my defense.

"Perhaps the Princess should take a rest and refrain from the lesson today," Seto suggested.

Akhnadin was about to agree, but I stubbornly replied, "Nonsense, I will take part just like everybody else." However, as I picked up my sword, my arm was visibly shaking, and it fell to a ground in a clatter as I collapsed to my knees.

"Jani!" Mahado cried, rushing to my side. His eyes swam in my vision before I fainted in his arms.


I lay in delirium, dreaming strange dreams and calling out for my mother and for Nebatet. I even remember calling out for Kanakh and the other men I had pretended to favor.

Someone was spooning some hot broth into my mouth, and in my semi-consciousness I realized it was Atem. "Atem…" I softly moaned. "What's happening to me?"

"You're very sick, and you barely have any heka left in you," Atem replied worriedly. "I need you to do something: reverse the spell that you cast on Isis. Pretty soon it will drain you of all the heka you have left."

It took a great deal of concentration, but I managed to reverse the spell before returning to a fitful sleep. I had a nightmare of Mahado being attacked and bleeding to death before my very eyes, his voice rasping out, "Jani…"

"Mad!" I cried out, my eyes snapping open.

"Sssshhhh… I'm right here, Jani," I heard him say as he pressed a cool hand to my cheek. "Calm yourself, you were having a bad dream."

"Don't…go…." I whispered, already returning to the oblivion of sleep.

He pulled another blanket over my shivering body. "I've always been here, Jani, and I will stay right here until you recover. Now get some rest. Do not be afraid, for I'll stay with you…"

The next thing I remember was a pair of strong arms propping me up and a cup being held before my lips. A vague voice said, "Drink this, Jasana." Some bitter liquid settled on my tongue, and I recoiled. "I know that it's bitter, but it's the only thing that will cure you. Come on, just take it one little sip at a time. Trust me, it's unpleasant now, but you'll feel better if you drink this to the last drop." Despite the bitterness, I managed to take sip after sip until I had half of the cup down. "Well, I guess that will have to do."

With a great effort, I opened my eyes and Karim's face blearily came into view. "Karim…" I rasped, weakly throwing my arms around him. "You've returned…"

"And not a moment too soon, by the looks of you."

I struggled to sit up, and realized that I was propped up in Mahado's arms. "Isis…"

"She will be all right; Shada is giving her the same concoction I gave you just now."

I struggled to keep my eyes open, and my voice appeared to have faded altogether as I asked in a thread of a whisper, "What happened? How long have I been like this?"

"You were feverish and delirious for seven days," Mahado said. "Lady Aseneit tested your blood, and found the same poison that Isis had. But yours had been administered for a longer period of time, and in smaller doses, which explains why your heka had been gradually weakening. She estimates that it had been administered to you for months, around the time your heka started to show signs of weakening. She went straight to the Pharaoh, and he was furious. He is conducting an inquiry among the other nobles as we speak."

If I wasn't so weak, I would have reveled at the sensation of being in Mahado's arms. "I was poisoned? But how? And does this mean I will regain my heka?"

"That is what your father is working to find out," Karim answered. "And let's focus on regaining your strength first, and then we will work on regaining your heka. But yes, you should be able to regain your heka once you're fully recovered.

I looked up into Mahado's face and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. "Mad! You're looking pale. Are you unwell?"

He smiled tiredly. "I'm fine, Jani. It's just that casting the spell for both you and Isis has taken its toll on me, that's all."

"Not to mention that he's slept little while you were sick, trusting no one but himself to watch over you," Lady Aseneit added as she walked in. "When your heka began to weaken, you should have come to me straightaway so that I can test your blood. Then we would have caught this sooner. Thank Sekhemet you were able to find a scroll that detailed the poison and its cure, Karim. You are truly a noble hero for undertaking such an endeavor."

"It's nothing; I would have traveled all the way to Persia if it was necessary to cure these two ladies." I noticed that his eyes were on Isis, who was resting nearby, and I know what he meant to say: that he would have traveled that far just for Isis.

Just then, Atem entered. "Sister! Thank goodness you're awake!" I nearly had the wind knocked out of me as he flung his arms around me.

"It's good to see you, Brother," I said in a strangled voice.

"You've no idea just how worried I've been about you! And Father too! You should have seen his face when he was notified of your illness."

Shada left Isis's side and joined us. "Did you turn that man in to the Pharaoh?" Karim asked.

"Yes, I did, and I believe he will prove to be most useful to the investigations."

"What man?" I asked.

"On our way to Alexandria, we were trailed by this man. I caught him just as he was about to plunge a dagger into Shada's back," Karim answered. "After a little probing, he confessed that he had followed us all the way from Thebes, and that he was an assassin hired to get rid of us."

"An assassin?" I asked, shocked.

"Yes."

"But that means…"

"That someone is after us," he grimly said, finishing my sentence for me. "In fact, given what's happened over the last several days, I'd say someone is after all of us. Now the only question is, exactly who is that someone?"


Teehee, nothing like a good little cliffhanger to keep you guessing and anticipating the next chapter, although it probably won't be much of a surprise.

I took a little historical liberty by including Alexandria in here. If we're to follow the anime, which says that Atem ruled 5,000 years ago, or the manga, which says that he ruled 3,000 years ago, then Alexandria wouldn't have been built for quite some while, until the reign of Alexander the Great.

But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless! Thanks for reading, and please, as always, leave a review! Chapter 29 is already finished, and Chapter 30 is also close to being done! I am on a roll here! :D