Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh

"Now, ladies, you shall engage in a mock battle to strengthen your ba. Rest assured, this battle is completely safe; the kas that you summon will only have enough strength to slightly weaken your ba, but not to the extent that it will cause you serious injury," Shimon said. He handed both of us diadiankhs. "You each will have three stone tablets, as well as your natural kas. Whoever destroys all three stone tablets first wins."

Isis smiled at me. "This will be a most interesting match, Jasana."

"Indeed," I replied, letting the wings of my diadiankh unfurl. "Let us see which one of us is the superior one in the shadow games."

"Begin!" Shimon commanded.

"Goddess of Reversal (1), I bid thee come forth!" I called. Immediately a green fairy appeared on the stone and emerged from the tablet.

"Spiria, come hither!" Isis's ka appeared. "Attack with your Rainbow Beam!" A multicolored beam shot from her ka's hands.

"Goddess, activate your Reversal Spell!" My monster did its bidding, forming a circular vortex with her arms which redirected Spiria's attack back at her.

Isis winced as Spiria got hit with the force of her own attack. "Mystical Elf, I summon thee!" One of her tablets began to glow, and a blue-skinned woman emerged. "Restore Spiria's strength!" The woman chanted a spell, and Spiria's injuries disappeared.

"She won't be standing there for long!" I replied, activating another one of my tablets. "Aqua Madoor, I call upon thee! Come forth and lend me thy power!" The second of my three tablets activated, and a turquoise-haired masked creature came forth. "Attack the Mystical Elf with your Spell of the Ocean!" A silver beam shot from his hands.

"Spiria Shield, activate!" Isis cried. Her shield negated my attack.

"It seems the two of you are quite evenly matched!" Shada called out.

"Not for long!" I replied, casting a spell that rendered Isis's monsters defenses useless. "Now, Aqua Madoor, let's try this again! Attack the Mystical Elf!" The stone tablet shattered under the force of his attack.

Isis gasped and staggered backwards, and then her face hardened with determination. "That was a nice one, Jasana, but you won't be able to rely on that trick again! Winged Guardian of the Fortress, I summon thee!" A blue dragon appeared. "Use your Fire Blast to take out her Goddess of Reversal!" A fireball erupted from his mouth and headed straight for my monster.

"Goddess, dodge it!" She leaped out of the way, but the fireball made a graceful arc and consumed her, destroying one of my stone tablets. "That was impressive, Isis, but this isn't over yet! Fire Princess, it is your turn! I summon thee!" A flaxen-haired sorceress materialized beside me. "Attack the Guardian and avenge the Goddess of Reversal!" A stream of fire ejected from her hands.

"Not so fast!" Isis cried, chanting a spell. "Negate attack!" The stream of fire disappeared, leaving her dragon unharmed. She consequently chanted another spell, calling out, "I now cast the Swords of Revealing Light on your monsters!" Golden swords pinned my monsters to their respective tablets.

"What's this? They can't move!"

"Exactly; my swords render your monsters powerless for three turns, which gives me three opportunities to attack you and wipe them out. Now, Guardian of the Fortress, take out her Fire Princess!" The fireball eliminated my sorceress, causing the second of my tablets to shatter.

"Now Isis is in the lead!" Shimon declared.

"And now it's time to seal the victory. Guardian, attack her Aqua Madoor!"

"Hold it right there! You activated my trap, De-Spell! It removes all magic spells that you have cast." The golden swords disappeared. "Now, Aqua Madoor, defend yourself with your Wall of Water!" My mage conjured a wall of water, which absorbed the fireball from the Winged Guardian of the Fortress. I summoned forth my ka, Empress Witch. "Now, Empress Witch, attack the Winged Guardian of the Fortress with your Spell of Sunshine!" A great golden light emitted from my ka's hands, and it overwhelmed the dragon. The second of Isis's tablets was destroyed.

"Incredible, we now have a tie!" Shimon said. "Whoever can destroy the other's last tablet first will be the victor!"

Both Isis and I were now panting from the exertion of the battle. "Now I summon my last creature, St. Joan!" A woman in shining silver armor manifested itself on the tablet. "Attack her mage!"

"You underestimate my creature's defensive power!" I cried. "Aqua Madoor, defend yourself!"

"I activate my trap, the Sword and Shield!" Isis proceeded to quickly chant a spell. "This will replace your monster's defensive ability with its attack ability, thus weakening it." The wall of water that my monster had conjured thinned substantially, much to my astonishment. "St. Joan, finish your attack with your Sword of Righteousness!" With a slash of the sword, her creature slashed through my last stone tablet, thus destroying Aqua Madoor and defeating me.

I fell to my knees, panting for breath.

"Very well done, Isis!" Karim praised. Isis bowed her head modestly, a slight blush tinting her cheeks as she reached out her hand to help me up.

"That was remarkable on your part," I added. "I would have never anticipated that last spell. That was a stroke of genius!"

I hope you're all right; I didn't mean to hit you that hard," she said apologetically.

"I'll be fine, after I've had a good night's rest," I said.

"All right, who shall be next? Seto, how about you?"

Seto stepped forward. "I was hoping to challenge Mahado to a duel, but since he is not here, I guess I will have to make do with you, Karim," he challenged, pointing his finger at him. He then turned towards me. "You put up an admirable fight, Princess Jasana, and your skills have improved greatly, Isis."

Isis politely inclined her head, and I did the same. "Now we shall have the honor of observing your skills, Seto," I said.

"I promise it shall be a spectacle worthy of your presence," he replied.

"I hope Karim crushes him to a pulp!" Isis whispered to me. "He is unbearably arrogant when it comes to the shadow games."

"You only want him to win because he complimented you," I teased. "I saw that blush on your cheeks when he praised you."

"Nonsense; I just want him to win because we both know that he is the nobler of the two," Isis said, the blush returning to her cheeks.

"Don't lie to me," I said. "We wish you the best of luck, Karim!" I impulsively called out. "But Isis wishes you the most luck of all!"

"Jasana!" Isis whispered embarrassingly, clapping a hand over my mouth.

Karim smiled and flashed a charming wink in our direction as he unfurled his diadiankh. "Surely with the well wishes of you two lovely ladies, I shall be victorious!"

"We'll see about that; you'll need way more than the wishes of those two women if you want to beat me!" Seto said, activating his diadiankh. "La Jinn, come forth!"

"I call upon thee, Curse of Dragon!" Karim shouted. "Diaha!"

"Actually, I wish for Karim to win as well," I said privately to Isis. "Seto has been winning way too often lately."

"I suspect that he wanted to face off against Mahado to exact some revenge," Isis said playfully. "I've noticed that he has been cold towards your husband of late."

"I suppose he never forgave Mad for winning over my heart and hand," I replied.

"Speaking of Mahado, he should be training with us. Where is he? And Shada as well?"

I sighed. "The two of them have been spending way too much time in the library. Mahado has done nothing but search through scroll after scroll, looking for the spell that was used to create the Millennium Items. The determination to find the spell has taken a hold of him like a fever. He has gone late into the night searching for it; on more than one occasion I've had to drag him out of the library and get him to bed! And even then, he still tosses and turns for a while."

"Perhaps this is way of grieving for his uncle, by throwing himself into his work and his search for the spell," Isis said gently. "I'm sure that in several days, this zeal of his will wear off."

"Yes, perhaps," I conceded. "He hasn't shown any grief, save for that one night when he came crying into my arms. But I worry for him sometimes; most nights he even stays up with an oil lamp burning reading. When he does come to bed, he is often too exhausted to do anything but sleep. Surely this can't be healthy for him!"

"Oh, I see, you miss his… intimate company," Isis said, giving me a teasing nudge.

"With his new duties as the Guardian of the Millennium Ring and this search, we've hardly made love in the past month!" I whined. "And I still haven't conceived, despite my many offerings and pleadings to Aset, Hathor, and Heqet."

"I'm sure that it's only a matter of time. For all we know, there could be a child forming in your belly as we speak!"

"I hope that you are right," I said dejectedly. "For I'm beginning to think there will never be a child at all."

After our training session, I made my way to the library. Sure enough, there was Mahado, perusing a fat scroll, and Shada was making a small pile of more scrolls by his side. Upon seeing me, he smiled and said in greeting, "Princess Jasana! What a pleasant surprise! I trust that the training session with Shimon went well?"

"Yes, although we missed the two of you," I said. I laid a hand on my husband's shoulder, but he didn't look up from his scroll. "Surely you could use a bit of sunshine. How about a walk along the Nile?"

"I should probably finish this scroll first, Jani," Mahado answered, not even looking at me.

I sighed in frustration. "Please indulge me this one time, my love." He finally looked up at me. Seeing my face, he rolled up the scroll and stood up.

"I suppose a short walk would do me some good," he conceded, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"I shall carry on in your stead," Shada said. "Surely you know by now that this library is my second home, Jasana."

I laughed. "Suit yourself, Shada, although I think you could use some of Ra's company as well; you're entirely too pale."

He smiled. "I don't mind at all; enjoy your walk."

"So, have you made any progress on finding the spell?" I casually asked.

"No," Mahado huffed in frustration. "It's already been a month as of today, and still nothing."

"It must be a rare and complex spell," I said soothingly. "Be patient; I'm sure that you will find it in time. You've been working so hard; perhaps you should take a much-needed break."

"This walk will suffice for now," he replied. "And I do believe that it's time to bring the horses in from the pasture. How about a little detour?"

I nodded, glad to have him to myself for a little while more. We approached the pasture where Nephthys and Bata were grazing. However, as we neared, we could see Bata mounting Nephthys.

Mahado choked back a laugh. "It seems as if we've come at a bad time; I say we leave them be and come back at a later time."

At that moment, Bata withdrew, and the two of them trotted up to the gate, seemingly unabashed that we had witnessed their intimacy. I opened the gate, and the two of them dutifully walked out and followed us as we led them to their stalls. Once we saw them safely in, we continued along towards the river.

"It would be wonderful to have a little foal in the stable," I said. "Although that would mean that I wouldn't be able to ride her for a while if she should become pregnant."

"Just as you wouldn't be able to ride if you were to become with child," Mahado said, giving me a light squeeze.

"I can ride in the early months if I were with child; many a woman has," I replied.

"Well… I'm not sure if I would like the idea," he said hesitantly.

"Let's figure that out once I do become with child," I said, smoothly avoiding an argument. I didn't want to waste the precious time arguing over something that still had yet to happen. "And it's been a little over a year since we've married, and still nothing!" Already I was overhearing whispers floating around in the court about my failure to conceive.

"There is nothing to worry about, Jani," Mahado said gently. "Your own mother didn't conceive you until she was married to the Pharaoh a little over a year."

"But that was her, not me!"

"My, my, somebody is impatient to have a child," he teased.

"Well, I think we are more than ready to start a family, Mad, don't you?"

"There is nothing that would please me more. But I am willing to leave it to the goddesses to decide when would be a good time to send one to us."

As Ra descended into the west, we made our way back into the palace. "Come dine in the banquet hall, just for tonight," I pleaded. "I shall dress up and look particularly beautiful just for you if you do."

"You already are beautiful just the way you are, without paint or jewels," he replied. "But I really must return to the scrolls. Thoth willing, I shall make a breakthrough tonight." After seeing my pouting face, he promised, "But I shall finish early tonight, and reward you most generously for being patient with me for all this time."

I sighed, relenting. "You promise you won't read yourself into exhaustion?"

"On the contrary, I shall preserve all my energy just for pleasuring you," he replied, pulling me into a kiss. "Just make sure that you don't spend all your energy charming everyone in the banquet hall tonight."

It was quite late when I returned to my bedchamber, and I smelled the aroma of candles burning. Mahado was waiting for me in our bed, already naked. I jumped and gasped at the sight of him. "I hope that was a gasp of surprise," he said jokingly.

"You startled me! I didn't think you would be back by now!"

He laughed as he pulled me into his arms and began undressing me slowly. "Consider it compensation for the other night when I came to you in tears," he murmured huskily, moving his hands down over the curves of my body and bathing it with sensual kisses.

After we were fully satiated, I asked sleepily, "So, did you make that breakthrough you were hoping for earlier tonight?"

"Sadly, no," he sighed. "In fact, when I returned to the library, I found a most strange sight: the scrolls on the most advanced magic were missing. Someone had deliberately removed them, and Shada hadn't the slightest idea who."

"That's strange indeed," I concurred. "Shada watches the activity of that library like a hawk. How could anyone have slipped through his purveyance?"

His brow furrowed. "I don't know; but whoever it was, I'm sensing that it must be someone who doesn't want the truth of the Millennium Items to be discovered."

"But exactly who would that be?"

After another half a month of futilely searching, Mahado reluctantly had to admit that he needed more than Shada's assistance. One morning, as Father called his usual meeting of the Millennium Court, Mahado stepped forward. "Your Excellency, I have a request to make."

Father nodded. "What is it, Mahado?"

"After my encounter with the darkness of the Millennium Ring, I have decided to undertake the task of finding the spell used to create the Millennium Items. However, after a month and a half of searching, I still have found nothing. May I have your permission to enlist the best scholars in every city in the kingdom to find the spell?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the shocked look on Akhnadin's face, and how he was wringing his hands nervously. That is most strange… why is Uncle acting so nervous? I asked myself.

"There is no need for that, Mahado," Father replied. "The source of the spell is right here in the palace, although it is in a secret compartment hidden in the library: the Millennium Spell-book of Thoth."

There was a collective gasp from everyone at the court. The Millennium Spell-book contained the darkest and most powerful magic of all; rumor had it that anyone who could decipher its secrets would possess the key to ruling the entire world.

"But deciphering the Spell-book is a most difficult and dangerous task to undertake!" Akhnadin argued.

"You have done it yourself, Akhnadin, when you created the Millennium Items; perhaps you could be so kind as to assist Mahado?"

There was a strange look on Akhnadin's face as he replied, "I destroyed my translations after I had completed the task, to prevent anyone from repeating the ritual. And I must admit that my memory of how to decode the spell is foggy. I'm afraid Mahado will have to undertake the task alone, even though I do not recommend it."

I beheld my uncle in shock, and then I suddenly remembered a vague memory, one from so many years ago.

"Uncle! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to save Egypt, my little Princess. I will be going away on an important task…"

So that's what he was doing! I realized. His important task was creating the seven Items! But why would he refuse to divulge the spell he used, and why is he refusing to help Mahado? That's not like him at all!

"Very well. Mahado, you shall have the assistance of the most capable scholars of the court. Best of luck in your endeavor, and when you find the spell, report it to me immediately. I wish to know the origin of these Items that are meant to uphold peace and ma'at in Egypt."

"Yes, sir," he obediently replied, kneeling and placing his right hand over his heart.

After discussing other affairs of the kingdom, Father dismissed the Guardians for the remainder of the morning. Mahado and Shada returned to the library. I walked with Karim, Isis, and Seto towards the area for our battle training session with Shimon.

"Is it just me, or does Akhnadin seem to be acting strangely of late?" I asked.

"I didn't notice anything amiss, Jasana. Why, did you?" Karim replied

"He seemed to be shocked when Mahado announced that he was looking for the spell used to create the Millennium Items, and he was wringing his hands, a well-known nervous habit of his. And it's not like him to refuse helping anyone, so why would he refuse to help Mahado?"

"Perhaps he doesn't deem helping Mahado a task worthy of his time and thought that Mahado is more than capable of finding the spell himself," Seto sneered. "After all, your husband is quite the capable magician; surely he doesn't need assistance in finding a simple spell."

"If he didn't need assistance, he wouldn't be asking for it," I snapped. "And if it really was a simple spell, then he would have found it by now."

"It does seem strange to me," Isis mused. "And he said that he destroyed his translations so that nobody would repeat the ritual. Maybe it's a ritual that he didn't want to be repeated, which must mean that he is ashamed of the task. I only wonder why…"

"Why would he be ashamed?" Seto challenged. "His task saved Egypt from being ravaged by war!"

As they bickered, I lost myself to my own thoughts. As far as I knew, Akhnadin had never spoken to anyone about the birth of the Millennium Items; not even Father knew the truth of the ritual. Why would Akhnadin, of all people, harbor such a secret? The thought sent chills under my skin.

"All right, everyone, that is enough arguing," Shimon said firmly. "Now, who shall face who in today's session?"

"Since Isis and I proved victorious in our matches, I say that we face off to see who the ultimate victor is," Seto said.

"Which leaves me with you, Karim," I said. "And I don't expect you to go easy on me like you used to do."

"Rest assured, Jasana, I will fight with my best effort," he replied.

The two of us activated our diadiankhs. "Diaha!"

The heat from Ra's rays beat mercilessly down on us, and not even the ostrich fans could bring relief. I tried to ignore the sweat pooling on my brow under the oppressive golden headdress. I envied the mourning women, who wailed and threw dust on themselves and didn't have to wear heavy headdresses. In fact, they hardly wore anything at all. I was impatient for the burial ceremony to be over so that I could retreat into the cool palace and remove my headdress. Surely a cold bath would be in order once we got back.

I leaned against Mahado and comfortingly grasped his hand, giving it a light squeeze. He smiled a small smile and squeezed back, and moved in front of me in an effort to shade me from the sun. The High Priest of Anubis was chanting an invocation, and then he held out the rod to the Pharaoh, who handed it to Mahado.

My husband stepped forward, touched the rod to Lord Serewakht's mummy, and chanted, "In the name of Anubis and Osiris, Serewakht, son of Lord Khamanef, awaken to your new life in the west!" His voice carried only the slightest waver, and he stepped down and returned to my side.

Once the priests carried the mummy inside and sealed the tomb, we made our way back to the barge. Mahado stood pensively at the closed mouth of the tomb.

"Farewell, Uncle," I heard him murmur. "I shall miss your good counsel, but I trust that you are with Mother and Father and the gods."

"Mad?" I called. He turned around to me, and I stretched out an arm to him. "Come, the barge awaits us."

He slowly followed me on board, and he kept his gaze focused towards the tomb until it was out of sight.

"He is in a better place now, my love," I murmured, rubbing my hand along his arm.

He wiped away a few tears. "I know that, and we shall be reunited someday."

"Hopefully a long way away in the future, when we are both old and shriveled," I said, enveloping him in my embrace.

"By the way," he murmured into my ear. "I have finally deciphered the spell that was used to create the Millennium Items. I intend to tell the Pharaoh tomorrow; today is a day of mourning."

"You did?" I eagerly asked. "That's wonderful! Your hard work has finally paid off! What is the spell?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "It's not a pleasant tale to tell, Jani. Perhaps I shall tell you after I report to your father. I want him to be the first to hear of it."

"Very well," I sighed. "Tell my father first, but after him, I want to be the next person to know."

"Are you certain? After all, it was your uncle who performed the spell, and I'm afraid that if I told you, you will never be able to look at him the same way again."

"Nonsense; of course I want to know," I stoutly replied. "After all, I want to know what it was that has kept you searching for so long."

The dark clouds thunder ominously overhead, accompanying the thud of a hundred hoofbeats. I see a small village sleeping, unaware of the army that is fast approaching, my uncle riding at the head. The soldiers sweep through each house, dragging out women by their hair, ushering men with the tips of their spears.

"What is the meaning of this? This is an outrage?" I hear the villagers cry. "We have done nothing wrong!"

"Finally, your dark spirits will be put to good use, thief!" I hear one of the soldiers say. Children are crying and clutching the skirts of their mothers.

"What's going on? Leave them alone!" I cry, but nobody seems able to hear me. The soldiers usher the villagers into an underground chamber. There, my uncle and four other men are already there, chanting spells as they sharpen a knife. Seeing them, the villagers break out in a panic and try to flee, but the spears of the soldiers keep them right where they are.

"What is the meaning of this?" One villager demands; he is clearly one of the village elders. "Who are you, and why have you seized us from our beds? I demand an explanation!"

"In the name of Egypt and the Pharaoh, your lives will hereby be sacrificed for the good of the kingdom," Akhnadin answers.

"The Pharaoh decreed this? That evil tyrant!" the man replies.

"Not directly, but I act on his behalf." He gestures to the soldiers to bring the man forth. The man struggles, but then my uncle chants a spell that renders him immobile. I try to look away, but my eyes won't seem to obey as Akhnadin slits the man's throat, and his blood and corpse are thrown into a vast pit.

There are terrible screams as the citizens try to flee, but one of the other sorcerers shouts, "Your attempts to flee are useless! Anyone who struggles or tries to put up a fight will only face a more cruel death! You might as well submit to your fate and we shall be merciful in killing you."

"Please, let this nightmare end…" I silently beg. But I am forced to watch in horror as every last villager is slaughtered- even the youngest child. One woman, big with child, pleads for her life, but Akhnadin plunges a dagger into her throat. Even with her last breath she is pleading, "Please…spare me… my child…" I feel tears start to my eyes.

In one corner, I spy a child watching the entire scene, tears streaming from his eyes. He bites his knuckles to prevent his sobs from being heard, but he is shaking all over.

My uncle chants a spell, and the bloody carnage transforms into molten gold. He pours this into a mold, and, after a while, he breaks open the mold with a hammer.

"It worked! Behold, the Millennium Items!" Each man holds one of the Items in his hands. But I only spy six. Where is the seventh?

Suddenly, the ground shakes, and a great chasm opens in the ground. One of the man falls in with an agonizing scream.

"We must have angered the gods!" one of the other sorcerers cries. A great stone emerges from the chasm, with impressions for all the Items. In the center, I spy the Millennium Ring.

A dark force pushes all the men against the wall, and a great dark creature seizes my uncle. "What do you want?" Akhnadin demands in a shaky voice.

"Return those Items to their resting place," it commands. I recognize that voice! It's the same dark voice that possessed my husband!

"Never; these Items belong to us!" Akhnadin says, forcing the Millennium Eye into one of his eye sockets. "Unhand me!" With a glow from the Eye, the creature relinquishes its hold.

One of the sorcerers runs to him. "Master Akhnadin! We must leave immediately!"

"Not without this," he replies, seizing the Millennium Ring. He and the other men flee into the night…

I bolted upright and screamed with all my might. Mahado awoke with a start. "Jani! What is it?" He enveloped me into his arms. "Hush, Jani, it was only a nightmare…"

"Not just any nightmare!" I sobbed into his shoulder. "It was a vision, a most horrifying vision!"

"What was it?"

"Mad, tell me the truth! Did the creation of the Millennium Items involve a slaughter of a thousand people?"

He gasped. "How did you-"

"I saw it all! I saw every last man, woman, and child slaughtered! I saw their blood used to forge the Items! I saw everything! And my uncle… my uncle… how could he?" By the time I awoke, I had forgotten that there was a sole survivor…for the time being, anyway.

"I was afraid to tell you precisely because of that," Mahado sighed, running a soothing hand up and down my back. "And I suspect that it was he who removed those scrolls from the library, for naturally he wouldn't want anyone finding out what happened that night at Kul-Elna…"

I gaped at him. "What did you say the name of the village was?"

"Kul-Elna," he replied. "It was where the most notorious tomb robbers lived. In the time of the heretic King Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, the villagers served to build the tombs of Amarna. When Amarna and the tombs were abandoned, they were forced to resort to robbing the tombs instead, thus explaining why their souls were so evil."

"But that doesn't justify slaughtering an entire village!" I cried. "Even if it was for the good of Egypt! It was an evil sin!"

"Hush, Jani…peace, my love. It happened a long time ago. There's no use fretting about it now…"

"How can I be at peace?" I asked. "I saw the vision as it clearly occurred! Oh, the horror…" I succumbed to sobs. Mahado held me until I cried all my tears out. He eventually returned to sleep, but I remained awake in his arms until Ra rose in the east.

Two days later, I helped Atem saddle Sobek while Father stood by. He looked weary, as if he had not slept for the past few days. If Mahado had told him the truth of the birth of the Millennium Items, I could not blame him for his anguish. After all, he gave the order for the forgery of the Items, and therefore was indirectly responsible for the slaughter, even though Akhadin did not tell him the cost of forging the Items.

"Where are you going?" I asked him.

"That, I'm afraid, must remain a secret," Father answered. "Only I know of its existence, and soon only Atem and I will be the only ones who know. We are only taking two guards with us, and they have sworn to the utmost secrecy." Father mounted, and Atem clambered up after him. "Look after the palace, Jasana. We shall return before Ra descends into the west."

"Yes, Father," I dutifully replied. I watched as he kicked Sobek into a gallop, and he, Atem, and the two mounted guards disappeared behind the gate doors. Where could they be going? I wondered. Why did Father only take Atem with him, and not me?

"Pardon the interruption, Princess, but the petitioners await you," one of the servants said, bowing low before me.

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Of course," I replied. I made my way to the throne room. The Guardians were already there, and upon seeing me, they fell to their knees with their hands over their hearts, paying obeisance to me as if I was the sole ruler of Egypt. Even Mahado was on his knees before me, and the sight made me feel incredibly and strangely lonely. I awkwardly settled down on the throne, feeling as if I was usurping Father's place. But he had made me ruler while he was gone, and had trusted the dealings with the petitioners of the day to me, saying that he trusted me to judge as he would.

When I had answered the last petitioner, I dismissed the Guardians, except for Akhnadin. "I wish to speak to Lord Akhnadin alone," I imperiously announced.

"Of course, Princess, we shall leave the two of you alone," Shimon said. Seto beheld me curiously before he walked away. Mahado flashed me a warning with his eyes, but I just waved him away. Finally, it was just the two of us, alone.

My uncle beheld me quizzically. "May I ask what this is all about, Jasana?"

"I know what you did at Kul-Elna!" I screeched, my voice booming throughout the room. "You should suffer the cruelest death for your crime!" Suddenly, my anger and resolve melting, I said softly, "How could you, Uncle? How could you do such a thing? You, of all people? You, who have always been a father to me and shown me such kindness; you, who are well known for your mercy towards criminals and peasants alike, how could you? This great sin goes against all you have ever stood for and worked for! Why? Why did you do it?"

His face saddened as he replied, "I had no other choice, my little Princess… If I had failed in my endeavor, Egypt would have been destroyed, her people slaughtered! Your father would have been killed; you and your mother would have been made slaves! I had to do it, for the good of the country!"

"Since when was slaughter considered for the good of the country? You cold-blooded murderer! You murdered innocent civilians for the so-called good of the country! What do you have to say for that?"

"Those villagers were evil; they have been robbing the tombs for generations. In killing them, I killed two birds with one stone. I rid the kingdom of evil-doers, and I forged Items that would ensure the safety of the kingdom for many years to come!"

I angrily rose to my feet. "How could you say such a thing, Uncle? The children were completely innocent! And the women- are you calling them evildoers as well? You killed a woman who was about to give birth to a child, even as she knelt at your feet pleading for her life!"

His face paled. "How do you know such trivial details?"

"Those are NOT trivial details!" I yelled. "I saw it all in a dream last night! You murdered an entire village, sparing no one, not even the newborn babes! You murdered them in cold blood, and used them to forge the Items! No wonder there was a vast darkness that nearly consumed Mahado's soul. You are responsible for his ordeal! You brought on this darkness!"

"For the good of the country! It was necessary! If it was not, I would not have done otherwise!"

"Your dark crime besmirches my good father's name and taints his reign in innocent blood!"

"They were not innocent! They wielded the darkest spirits known in the kingdom! They deserved to die!"

"They did not! No matter what they did, they were still human beings, just as human as you and I! What if it was a twist of fate that made me that pregnant woman that you killed, Uncle, hmmm? What is the difference between your life and that of one of the village men? He is just as human as you, he has a family, and he was only trying to get by. What is the difference between the small boy that you murdered and Atem? You might as well have been killing your own nephew! Oh, my Uncle, see the blood that taints your hands! You will bring a terrible curse on all of us!"

"Believe me, my niece; I have been paying every day of my life for that night. It was my greatest achievement and my darkest hour."

"What do you mean?" I furiously demanded. "How could you possibly be paying for that crime and still be living? Explain yourself, Uncle!"
He fell to his knees. "My wife… my son…"

"You mean you had a family, and you never even told Father or me? We had relatives, and you kept them from the palace, from a life of privilege and luxury? How could you do that to your own flesh and blood? I am ashamed that I'm related to you! As of this day, you're no uncle of mine. Get out of my sight, Lord Akhnadin! May Ammit collect her payment as is due when you die!"

Trembling, he backed out from the room, murmuring, "I humbly ask your forgiveness, Jasana. I can understand why you are angry with me, but I did it for you, my little Princess. I have been trying to atone for my sins by lavishing all my affection on you…"

"Don't you ever dare call me your little Princess again!" I said coldly as I waved him away.

I collapsed onto the throne, my head throbbing with the exchange. First he kept the truth about the birth of the Millennium Items a secret, and now this, news of kin that we never knew… what other secrets could my uncle be hiding? Does Father know of his family? My head swimming, I stood up and staggered out of the throne room, walking right into Mahado, who had been waiting for me.

"I heard the entire exchange, Jani," he said without preamble.

I glared at him. "Well, what of it? Don't tell me that you side with that cold-blooded murderer who fate has cruelly made my uncle."

"I'm not saying anything of the sort," he replied. "Although if what he says is true, and those men were evil…"

"I don't care if they were evil!" I snapped. "Nobody is completely good or completely evil; we all have our faults and our goodness. That is no excuse for murdering an entire village, and what of the children who haven't lived long enough to even know the difference between good and evil? Are you saying that their slaughter was justified? I most certainly hope you are not, Mad!" I winced as the throbbing in my head intensified.

He gently wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Come, clearly the exchange has brought you great distress. Let's get you a soft bed to rest in and a cool cloth for your head, and then we shall discuss this after you have cooled down a little."

As he helped me into our bed and brought me a cup of water, the mysterious words of the priestess came back to me. From the ashes of Kul-Elna the son of Sutekh will rise… I suddenly realized. Oh Ra, we all will pay dearly for Akhnadin's crime! This will surely bring a curse on all of us!

Seeing the distress on my face, Mahado asked, "What is it, Jani?"

I remembered that I had never told him of the ominous prophecy. "N-nothing," I replied. "I suppose I'm still going over the exchange with Akhnadin is all."

He pulled me into an embrace. "I can understand why you're so angry, Jani. But think: What other alternative did he have? The enemy was at our doorstep, if you remember correctly. It was the power of the Millennium Items that prevented our enemy from ravishing our city. What if Akhnadin had no other choice but to forge the Items or let Egypt fall?"

I sighed. "I suppose he really did have no other choice, but I still believe that he mercilessly slaughtered all those people. Killing the innocent can never be just, in my opinion."

"I'm not asking you to change your opinion; I'm simply suggesting that you go a little easy on your uncle. After all, if it weren't for him, there might not have been an Egypt for you and your brother, and for the rest of us."

Just then, a servant entered, saying breathlessly. "Begging your pardon, Your Highness, my lord, but the Pharaoh and the Prince have returned from their journey. But the Pharaoh has collapsed in the stable!"

I rose immediately, and Mahado followed suit. "What! Where is he?"

"In his chamber, Your Highness."

"Oh no," Mahado said grimly. "I was afraid this would happen…"

1- The card is actually named "Gyakutenno Megami".

Thanks for reading! As always, please leave a review too! Next chapter will come out towards the end of the week, either Thursday or Friday! :)