This story contains TRIGGER WARNINGS for rape, violence, blood, physical and emotional abuse, suicide (mentioned). READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
This warning applies to the story in general. NO SPECIFIC WARNINGS FOR INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS WILL BE GIVEN!
Chapter 10
Yugi dismounted his horse and adjusted his cloak. It was of a green, light silk that covered his body completely but wouldn't be too warm. Underneath, he felt the teal pouch tied to his belt.
He and Otogi had reached the area before a minor gate of the palace grounds. Aside from the grass, only a few bushes and palm trees grew around the stone path. About two dozen others – evenly divided into hunters and observers – had assembled and were chatting, patting their horses, or inspecting their weapons. They talked about one subject only: the peace of the south.
Yugi and Otogi smiled and pretended to share their happiness as they walked around. But inwardly they were cursing the news for coming when it had. Otogi was trying to shield his eyes from the morning sun, even though its rays were gentle. Yugi knew it was because he had struggled with his nightmares yet again.
Not that Yugi had slept much better. He had been too nervous about today. After all, this was his last chance to seduce Pharaoh Atem without having to humiliate himself for him. He just had to succeed!
There was one other person who didn't appear joyous about the peace. Lord Kek was leaning against his painted chariot, sharpening his hatchet with a stone.
"Good morning, my lord," Otogi said as they approached him.
"Is it a good one? I was making a fortune by selling weapons to the south and now…," he said, causing Yugi to clench his teeth. "At least I could have fun with that whore of yours a few nights ago. She really was as talented as you said…"
Yugi had to control the urge not to snap at Lord Kek. Asa had come back with scratches and bite wounds and had cried for a whole day. She had refused to tell them what Lord Kek had done to her but Yugi hoped it hadn't involved things like that hatchet.
"Sharp, isn't it?" Lord Kek said in response to Yugi looking at his weapon. He lightly pressed a fingertip against the blade. He pulled back his hand, a small, red cut on his skin. "Perfect for chopping off a hand or two."
Yugi shuddered. He was saved from answering when Pharaoh Atem arrived in a chariot, its reins in the hands of the noble beside him. He was carrying a bow and had a quiver with arrows around the back of his torso. As soon as he got off the chariot, people gathered around him, among them Lady Isis. With an elegant dress and a few scrolls in her hands, she didn't seem like she'd join the hunt.
"There he is," Otogi whispered and gave Yugi a push. "Go. And do your best. You know what you'll have to do if you fail."
Yugi took a deep breath and obeyed. One person after another either got the chance to exchange a few words with Pharaoh Atem or had to accept that he ignored them. However, most of his attention was directed at Lady Isis who was smiling.
"…I'm looking forward to seeing my brother again and Rishid too! I still can't believe he's the king of Nubia now!"
"I'm happy your family is finally safe, my lady. I'll take a closer look at your brother's letter after the hunt."
"Of course. Forgive me the intrusion. I just can't contain my joy. I shall come to your villa later."
She curtseyed, gave Yugi a cool look, and left. Pharaoh Atem turned to Yugi.
"So you'll join the hunt as an observer, Yugi of Tamiat?" he asked.
"I will." He gulped before he forced himself to say the following. "You must be so proud of your victory against Nubia."
Pharaoh Atem paused and furrowed his brows at him.
"I'll be proud once the peace treaty is signed."
Yugi patted the mane of one of the chariot's white horses, not sure how to reply. Why was he pretending not to enjoy flattery?
"At least I'll get to see your superb archery skills before you leave. I'm sure it'll be impressive," Yugi said but instead of answering, Pharaoh Atem checked the arrows in his quiver – much to Yugi's frustration. "Are you looking forward to meeting the new king?"
"I'm looking forward to making peace."
"Even though it's with a country that allows slavery?" Yugi blurted out but wanted to slap himself immediately. Cold crawled over his skin as Pharaoh Atem slowly raised his head.
"Yes. Because once our countries are at peace I might have a chance of ending that terrible custom through diplomacy. It might take longer but it also involves a lot less bloodshed than a revolution. I believe we all have seen enough of that for now."
He walked away and mounted his chariot. This was the sign for the hunt to start and everyone began to move. Yugi approached his horse as well, cursing his loose tongue. No matter how annoyed he was with Pharaoh Atem's aloof manner, he couldn't allow himself to be cocky. The guards that began to assemble around Pharaoh Atem's chariot wouldn't hesitate to throw him in the dungeon whenever he commanded it.
The hunters in their chariots, led by Pharaoh Atem, formed the first group while the observers on horses made up the second. Both were accompanied by guards. The minor gate opened and gave way to a path that was surrounded by meadows and trees. At first, the groups weren't so far apart as they trotted away from the palace. But once they had reached the wilderness, the observers stayed back while the hunters rode ahead.
They passed a couple of tributaries of the Nile and galloped through a few shallow branches. Everyone was happily chattering. Yugi enjoyed the crisp morning air and the smooth gait of his horse.
Soon they reached an open field and the hunt began. First, the hunters targeted a herd of gazelles. Yugi had hoped he could at least in secret laugh at Pharaoh Atem failing. But it turned out that Pharaoh Atem was an excellent archer. Most of his arrows hit their targets, a few of them even killing them instantly.
They also shot a few geese and quails on their search for breakfast. But the actual target of this hunt was a bull that had been sighted a few days ago. To everyone's surprise though, it wasn't one bull they found but two.
"It must be a good sign from the gods with the end of the war and all," was the consensus of the observers. Yugi would have loved to point out the low level of the Nile beside them as counter-evidence. But he remained silent and looked away while the others were fascinated by the hunters.
They grouped up and shot the bull until he collapsed. After the blow of a horn, the observers knew they were allowed to come closer and watch the final step. After getting off their horses, Otogi pushed Yugi so they ended up in the first row.
The bull was panting, his eyes darting from one corner to another, now and then giving a pained wail. The grass below him was drinking his blood, turning red. How the others were as excited as if they were waiting for the outcome of a dramatic play was beyond Yugi.
A servant handed Pharaoh Atem a golden dagger with a hilt full of rubies. He approached the bull and everyone held their breaths.
"Brother of Apis, forgive us for the pain we inflicted on you and may you find peace in the afterlife," he said and knelt down. Yugi looked away but he heard the last choking sounds of the bull before there was silence. The observers applauded and cheered for Pharaoh Atem. He didn't say anything and just handed the blood-stained knife back to the servant.
Not far away, another horn signalled that the other bull had also gone down. Most of the observers made their way towards the other bull and hunters. Yugi and Otogi stayed near Pharaoh Atem.
"I'll take a break," Pharaoh Atem said to his servants and walked past a few bushes until he was out of sight. Otogi squeezed Yugi's hand so hard it hurt.
"That's your chance!" he whispered. "Go! I'll make sure no one interrupts you!"
Yugi did as he was told. He placed one foot in front of the other, reminding himself of Tamiat and that he'd have to do something much worse if he didn't succeed now. Behind the bushes and trees lay a lake with a small waterfall. Colourful birds were chirping in the trees and flowers spread their fresh scents. Yugi would have considered it a beautiful place for making love if it hadn't been for Pharaoh Atem kneeling at the shore. He was washing blood from his hands and arms.
Yugi adjusted his cloak and hair and walked towards Pharaoh Atem. He consciously stepped on a twig, causing Pharaoh Atem to turn his head.
"Ah. It's you, Yugi of Tamiat."
"Yes. Just me." Yugi knelt down next to him. One of Pharaoh Atem's arms was clean while the other was still splattered with red. "Watching you hunt was even more impressive than I thought… I'm sure no archer is quicker or more precise than you…!"
"Thank you."
His other arm was now free of stains as well. Yugi leaned closer, his and Pharaoh Atem's faces almost touching. Pharaoh Atem's eyes widened.
"My Pharaoh… I'm sure you noticed that I adore you…?" Yugi whispered. Pharaoh Atem hesitated.
"You do?"
"I must confess… It's more than adoration. I long for you. I dream of you. And I can't stop thinking about what an honour it'd be to be mounted by the proudest and most virile of all lions…"
Pharaoh Atem only blinked at him. But his lips slightly parted and his breath deepened a little. These words had hit their targets like one of Pharaoh Atem's arrows.
Without breaking eye contact, Yugi pulled the ribbon that held his cloak together. The knot opened and Yugi pushed the cloak over his shoulders so it pooled behind him. Now he only wore a thin tunic in white with green hems. It was so short it covered barely half of his thighs and hung so loose it slid over one of his shoulders, revealing more of his ivory skin. Pharaoh Atem examined him from his ankles to his collar bones.
With a playful smile, Yugi lay back on the grass, spread his legs, and tucked them up, just like he would if someone lay between them. He hugged himself, summoned erotic memories, and let out a sigh.
"Every time I have someone on top of me all I can think of is what it'd be like if it were you… Your lips, your skin against mine… Oh Ra…!" Yugi let out a groan.
Pharaoh Atem hesitated, then leaned back, now half sitting, half lying next to him. Yugi glanced at him. Pharaoh Atem gulped before he whispered:
"You're making it really hard for me to resist you."
Had he really taken the bait?! Or was he just playing with Yugi? He knew he couldn't allow himself a single mistake, no matter how much fear twisted his gut.
"You don't need to resist," he breathed, almost sounding like another moan. "I want nothing more than to feel what it's like to be subdued by the most powerful man in the entire world…! Just allow me to touch you, my Pharaoh… I'll be yours with body and soul…"
Yugi propped himself up on one elbow and let his hand hover over Pharaoh Atem's crotch. Pharaoh Atem chewed on his bottom lip, his eyes running over Yugi's half naked body. Yugi sent a short prayer to the gods so that they may help him suppress the disgust that was flooding him.
The scream of an animal made them both flinch. They looked into the direction it had come from. The same scream sounded again and tore at Yugi's heart. Pharaoh Atem shot up first and hurried back the way he had come. Yugi grabbed his cloak and followed him.
Some hunters and observers had gathered around the source of the scream. They moved aside when they saw Pharaoh Atem approach and revealed the reason for the commotion. The second bull was lying on its side, full of arrows. The ground was soaked in his blood. But even worse than all that was that his left front hoof had been cut off. Lord Kek was holding it up proudly.
"What are you doing?!" Pharaoh Atem shouted. Everyone but Lord Kek held their breath.
"Having fun," Lord Kek said. Pharaoh Atem's face was twisted in anger like Yugi had never seen it before.
"Bow and arrow! Now!" he yelled at the hunters and a lanky woman handed him hers first. For a heartbeat, Yugi believed he'd use them on Lord Kek. But instead, he aimed at the bull's head and ended his pain with one precise shot. At last, his wails had stopped. Pharaoh Atem stomped towards Lord Kek. "How dare you torment a brother of Apis?!"
"Come on, it's not like you never-"
"You were committing a sin! We hunt to put food on the table, not to torture! You are hereby banned from hunting for three months and if you do this again, it'll be forever! Understood?!"
Lord Kek's cold eyes were glaring at him, yet he bowed his head.
"As you wish, my Pharaoh," he hissed. Pharaoh Atem turned to the others.
"We shall return to the palace now!"
He handed the bow back to the hunter and walked away. Yugi looked at the dead bull. Poor creature. Lord Kek deserved a harder punishment than he had gotten.
The crowd dispersed and returned to their horses. They whispered and pointed at Yugi, and only now Yugi noticed that he was still half-naked.
"That must be the best view of the day," Lord Kek said and slapped Yugi's butt so hard it hurt. Some chuckled and all Yugi could do was blush in both anger and embarrassment. He slipped his cloak back on.
"Were he and the Pharaoh…?"
"Of course! Seems like he's a full-fledged whore after all…"
"I should have watched that instead of the hunt! What a body…"
Just when he had covered himself, a hand grabbed his arm and he looked into Otogi's impatient eyes.
"How did it go?!"
"Well…" Yugi said, his eyes flitting back and forth. Otogi's grip tightened.
"You failed again?!"
"But I almost-"
"Almost isn't getting us anywhere! Why can't you do anything right?!" Otogi let go of him but, like his words, the pressure of his grip still caused Yugi pain. "Fine. Then we'll have to try something else."
Those words engulfed Yugi in coldness. Otogi made his way back to his horse and Yugi followed him with wooden steps.
"What do you mean? Please don't say you want me to… Otogi!" he said but Otogi ignored him.
Only once the double doors of the villa's entrance had closed behind them, Yugi got an answer.
"We're going to humiliate you at the show for that feast of peace. We're going to do anything we can to appeal to his sick fetish. By the end of your performance he'll want to fuck you then and there."
It was as if Otogi had emptied a bucket of icy water over him. For a moment he just stood there, feeling as if he was drowning.
"No," he croaked. "No, you can't make me!"
Yugi ran upstairs, into his and Kisara's room. Kisara was sitting at the window on a rattan chair, a scroll in her hands. Yugi threw himself on his bed and hid his face in a blue pillow with silver-coloured embroidery. But Otogi was already stomping into the room as well.
"You wouldn't have to do this if you hadn't failed a dozen times since we got here!" he snapped.
"How can you say that?!" Yugi said and turned around. "I did everything you told me to do! I followed every rule I learned!"
"If you had, we wouldn't be in this situation! You're going to do it and I won't hear another word about it!"
"How can you do this to me?!" Yugi said, his voice cracking. "You're leading me to the slaughterhouse like a pig! You're becoming just as cruel as your father!"
The room went silent. Fear paralysed Yugi and he knew he had made a mistake. Otogi's face was as twisted as Pharaoh Atem's had been earlier.
"You have no idea what you're talking about," he hissed. "If I were my father I'd…"
He grabbed a small red vase from a nearby table and smashed it against the wall. It shattered with a sound as high-pitched as a scream. Kisara dropped her scroll. Yugi shielded himself.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"
"I would sure hope so! It's not my fault he's such a pervert! Just get down on his level and let him fuck you already!"
Kisara hurried over to Yugi and wrapped her warm arms around him.
"O-Otogi, please…" she said. "We know you're struggling with your nightmares right now… M-Maybe after a nap-"
Otogi laughed.
"Why, of course! A nap! That will solve all my problems!"
"I just mean-"
"I don't care what you mean!"
Mai entered the room with a worried expression, her blond curls in a ponytail.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Nothing! Listen, you need to prepare a show that humiliates Yugi in front of the whole court! The more fucked up the better! That should turn the Pharaoh on!"
Mai placed a hand on her chest.
"Otogi, I'd never-"
"You will! We'll do whatever it takes to give that bastard a boner for Yugi!"
"Look… Technically, Yugi is still an apprentice and he's not even allowed to touch the Pharaoh. Maybe one of the others can find a way that doesn't involve-"
"No! He does want to fuck Yugi! He only wants to see him humiliated first! And we'll give him that! Is that clear?!"
Otogi stomped out of the room and slammed the door. Yugi was so shaky he feared to fall apart. He was sure that only Kisara's hug held him together. Mai approached him and let her fingers run through his hair.
"I promise we'll find a way to make it not so bad, dear. I need to continue training the others now. We'll talk later, all right?"
Yugi nodded and Mai planted a kiss on his forehead. After she had left, tears welled up inside Yugi and soon flowed over his cheeks. He hid in Kisara's embrace while she hummed a gentle tune. It calmed Yugi like a balm after a burn.
"I'm not failing on purpose. I'm really doing my best. Even though I hate him," Yugi whispered.
"I know."
"How did you manage to seduce Lord Seto? He's at least just as distanced…"
"I… I didn't, actually." Kisara caressed his back. "I haven't slept with him yet. He just … enjoys my company. Talking about mathematics and sometimes other sciences…"
"And here I am, unable to have a proper conversation with the Pharaoh… Maybe I'm not good enough to be a whore…"
"Nonsense." She squeezed him. "Everyone would have willingly slept with you on the night of your début. The Pharaoh is just…"
"A sadist who won't touch me until I've made clear that he can treat me like a toy he can break whenever he wants."
He pressed his forehead against Kisara's shoulder, praying for a way out of this.
The gods didn't hear him.
They were behind the stage in the same hall where Yugi had had his début. Again, the crowd was buzzing and this time it sounded even more threatening than a hornets' nest. While the audience chatted, laughed, and drank, the mood between Yugi and the others was full of tension and nervousness.
Mai had done her best to create a more harmless version of Otogi's idea. But Otogi had ignored her and insisted that Yugi would humiliate himself as much as possible. Yugi had barely slept and his innards were as heavy as a rock. His only reassuring thought was Tamiat.
"Yugi," a voice said as Yugi was tying his sandal with shaky fingers. He looked up at Otogi's cold face. "Do you understand what's at stake?"
Yugi rose from the crate he had been sitting on.
"Yes."
"And you will do as I told you?"
"Y-Yes."
Otogi grabbed Yugi's upper arms with more pressure than necessary. Yet, Yugi said nothing and let Otogi pull him closer.
"Remember, I know what's best for Tamiat. And right now, this is. So give it your all."
Once Yugi had given him a hesitant nod, Otogi let go of him. He stepped outside for another speech, welcomed the audience, and claimed to be sad about Pharaoh Atem leaving in three days. Pharaoh Atem, as Yugi saw from a gap between the curtains, was no more expressive than a statue like always. Would he soon look just as pleased as Lord Kek after cutting off the bull's hoof?
Kisara, Kashto, Asa, Neema, and Mai all gave Yugi a hug before the show. Yugi saw the pain in their eyes but he knew that his own would be much worse. They all wore similar tunics in different colours with silver accessories. They lined up before the curtain was pulled aside and they stepped onto the stage.
The show began with a long group choreography that also involved Neema's acrobatic skills and Asa's fire breathing. To Yugi, it was as if all the different perfumes in the hall sent him into a daze. He messed up some step sequences and even fell once. He had only a minor role and the others did their best to cover up his errors. At least no one in the audience seemed to notice.
After that, Kisara sang while the others prepared what would come after. Yugi dropped a few things and knocked others over but none of the others were mad and just offered their help. Soon they were all in costumes: Yugi in a skimpy silk tunic, Kashto in a simple skirt, Neema and Asa in sexier versions of guard uniforms.
Kisara returned from the stage under applause. She went straight for Yugi and hugged him. Only then Yugi noticed that he was trembling.
"It'll be over quickly," she whispered as Otogi announced the next part.
"And now, a special play that follows the story of a royal bed servant who falls in love with a commoner. Give it up for Kashto, Asa, Neema, Kisara and everyone's favourite: Yugi…!"
The crowd clapped, Otogi withdrew, and the third part of the show began. The stage had changed. In the middle stood a puppet with a headpiece, surrounded by red chiffon curtains. From the audience's perspective it looked like the silhouette of a person.
Asa and Neema entered and stepped to the puppet's left and right.
„The king and his royal guards!" Kisara announced from the left edge of the platform.
To Yugi, it was all like tumbling down a hill and not being able to stop, no matter how hard he clung to everything around him. It didn't feel real when he joined the scene and lay down on a divan next to Neema. A few whistles came from the crowd at his sexy pose and Yugi shuddered.
„The king's official lover," Kisara said and gestured at Yugi. "A messenger came this morning with news for the king. He may come in now!"
Kashto appeared with a scroll in his hand. He was about to approach the 'king' but stopped before Yugi, his mouth open.
"Messenger, come in front of your king already!" Asa said. Kashto did as she commanded but he was still barely able to take his eyes off Yugi.
"I apologise. I didn't know the king's lover was this beautiful," Kashto replied. Everything they said and did now was the result of countless rehearsals. There was no passion or sincerity in any of their performances.
Kashto read his scroll. Its contents were rather boring – it was about something bureaucratic – and he constantly glanced at Yugi. A few times he lost track of what he was reading, distracted by Yugi's longing gazes.
"Very well. You may leave now," Asa said after Kashto was done. He rolled up the scroll and went back the same way he had come. As he passed him, Yugi dropped one of his bracelets on the ground. Kashto stopped, picked it up, and gave it back to Yugi. Their hands touched and they shared a tender look.
"How disrespectful!" Neema said and smacked Kashto's hand with her wooden sword. "Don't you know that no one is allowed to touch the king's lover? The next time you do this you will be punished!"
"Forgive me!", Kashto said and all four withdrew.
"But the messenger couldn't stop thinking about the young beauty," Kisara said while a few stagehands hid the 'king' behind partition walls and replaced the divan with a few plants. "And neither could the king's lover. Late at night he took a stroll through the garden to think about what had happened."
Yugi stepped back outside and held a monologue about how fascinated he was by the man he had met today. How different he was from the king, who was an old man who desired him every night. Yugi listed all the things he had to do for him in bed and the audience reacted with an "oooh" and more whistles.
Kashto stumbled on the stage, the surprise on his face almost genuine.
"I-I'm sorry! I heard you talk and I…" Kashto said and was about to hurry away. But Yugi grabbed his arm.
"No, please stay. I think you're special."
They turned to each other and shared a slow kiss that quickly grew more passionate. The crowd cheered and some called for them to go further. Yugi had kissed Kashto many times before and enjoyed it. But neither of them were comfortable with what they had to do right now. They separated.
"It may be foolish but I think I love you," Kashto said.
"I love you too! But we must meet in secret or else we'll be punished!"
"Then let's meet in secret, my dear."
Steps sounded from the backstage area. Yugi gave Kashto another hug.
"I'll see you soon, love of mine."
Kashto disappeared just before Asa and Neema joined the stage. It went like this a few more times. Yugi and Kashto came together and were almost caught during their fiery kisses. The plot of the play was irrelevant. The audience only cared about watching Yugi and Kashto together, seeing a strap of Yugi's tunic slide over his shoulder, hearing how both now and then let out a moan. It excited the crowd and they let the two know what else they wanted them to do, sometimes in rather vulgar words.
Despite Kashto's warm embrace, Yugi's skin was like a sheet of ice. Getting the crowd into this mood was part of Otogi's plan.
In the next scene, Yugi and Kashto failed to separate in time. Asa and Neema caught them and the audience gasped.
"How dare you touch the lover of the king?!" Neema said and pointed at the puppet behind the red chiffon curtains. She and Asa pulled them apart. Neema tied Kashto's hands up, then disappeared behind the red curtains. A moment later, she returned. "The king is furious with both of you! You, messenger, shall go to jail for many years!"
She gave Kashto a push and he made his way backstage.
"Don't do it! I love him!" Yugi said. His voice was shaky and he was terrified of what would happen next.
"Even worse!" Neema said. "Since pleasuring the king apparently isn't enough for you, he will now share you with anyone who wants to have you!"
Neema pointed at the crowd and their malicious grins made Yugi feel sick. He was supposed to call for Kashto but all words were stuck in his throat. Neema and Asa's expressions were twisted in discomfort as they tied a rope around each of Yugi's wrists and pulled him off the stage, towards the audience.
The first people they passed just stared, unbelieving. Then the first person slapped Yugi's butt, resulting in laughter and Yugi's face growing hot like burning coal. Everyone rose and lined the path of Yugi, Neema, and Asa, soon blocking it. Panic shook Yugi, surrounded by lustful faces who were delighted at the prospect of torturing him.
Hands grabbed Yugi all over his body, pulled his hair, pinched and scratched him. An arm wrapped around Yugi's torso and one moment later Yugi found himself sitting on Lord Kek's lap. Neema and Asa had lost the ropes they had pulled Yugi with. They tried to make their way through the crowd to help Yugi but the others pushed them back.
"Finally some real fun!" Lord Kek said. "You've been a dirty boy, little one. This should match your character!"
He took a bowl of beer and splashed it into Yugi's face, much to the amusement of everyone else. A few others threw bread, meat, and vegetables, some of which got stuck in Yugi's hair.
Lord Kek grabbed Yugi's shoulder and a moment later Yugi found himself lying on Lord Kek's thighs, facing the floor. Lord Kek smacked Yugi's butt, the pain so sharp Yugi groaned in pain.
"You heard that? He likes it!" Lord Kek said and the crowd cheered. Lord Kek hit Yugi over and over until his skin became sore. Yugi couldn't breathe or see or think. Shaking, he prayed to the gods for someone to save him.
This time they heard him.
"Out of the way!" someone called and the crowd parted for a group of royal guards. "The Pharaoh commands you to stop this, all of you!"
The others gave disappointed sounds.
"Come on, we were just enjoying the play!" Lord Kek said but a royal guard pulled Yugi off his lap. Yugi was almost too shaky to stand.
"Yugi of Tamiat, the Pharaoh wants to speak to you," the leader said and it was like a punch in the gut. Of course the humiliation wasn't over yet.
The guards led Yugi out of the hall and through a few hallways. Yugi should have been relieved. After all, Otogi's plan had worked. Instead, he was trembling and scared. Just how Pharaoh Atem liked his victims.
Yugi ended up in a room with floral paintings on the walls. The guards closed the door behind him. Pharaoh Atem was standing at a window, his back on Yugi and his arms crossed. Yugi forced himself to swallow any emotions he had. It would be less unbearable this way.
"Are you done now?" Pharaoh Atem hissed.
"E-Excuse me?"
Pharaoh Atem heaved a few deep breaths.
"I know you were trying to torture me with that play and congratulations: It worked."
"Torture you?" Was it another trick? Was there one last humiliation Yugi had to endure? Yugi tried to smile. "I'm sorry if the play didn't please you. I thought you'd enjoy-"
"Not another word!" Pharaoh Atem said so sharply Yugi winced. He sounded almost pained when he added: "I want nothing more than to be with you and you know it."
"Then just-"
"No. I won't make the same mistake again. If that's what you're here to test me for, here's your result. I learned my lesson."
The only sound was that of Pharaoh Atem struggling to breathe. He still wasn't looking at Yugi.
"I'm sorry but I don't understand."
Pharaoh Atem ignored him.
"My servants will help you clean yourself. Please stay away from the banquet."
He rushed past Yugi and left the room. Yugi stared at the stone tiles below him.
Like promised, a servant entered and led Yugi to a small bath chamber. She and two others rid Yugi of his dirty clothes and freed his skin and hair from the food the audience had flung at him.
During the whole procedure, Yugi didn't speak. He hardly felt the servants' hands on him or heard their words. He was trying to make sense out of what had happened.
Yugi had done everything he could to crawl into Pharaoh Atem's bed. He had flirted with him, had complimented him, had thrown himself at him as far as the palace rules let him. He had even let the nobles torture and humiliate him. And for what?
The servants dressed him a clean tunic and brought him a pair of sandals. They asked him something and when he didn't answer they withdrew without another word.
Yugi sat on a wooden bench, not far from the tub. It had all been for nothing. All he had done and sacrificed, it had all been in vain. Pharaoh Atem would leave in a few days. The north would continue suffering. Tamiat would be bombed by Atlantis.
Yugi's hands ran through his wet hair and sobs emerged from his throat, loud and from deep within. He couldn't go back to Otogi and confess that he had failed. Not after he had been so close!
Yugi's pain and desperation soon changed and turned into anger. He was furious with Pharaoh Atem, the situation, himself. Wrath set his blood aflame. He shot up, turned to a small shelf, and kicked it over. It hit the ground with a loud noise, bottles shattered, and a mix of different oils stained the floor.
The door opened and a servant poked his head inside.
"Is everything-"
Yugi rushed past him. He had to get away. Away from these people, the palace, just everything. He stomped through the unknown corridors. Despite trying to avoid everything and everyone, he was getting closer to the smell of food and the sound of chattering people. A group of three men and two women blocked his way, all slurring with wine cups in their hands. As soon as they saw Yugi, perverted grins spread on their faces.
"Hey pretty one! Want to have fun with us?" a woman said.
"Let me through," Yugi replied, teeth clenched.
"Why? You could stay with us and we could continue the play from before," a man said, staggering towards Yugi.
"I want to go through here," Yugi hissed.
"No, you want to stay here and entertain us," the man said and was about to caress Yugi's cheek. But Yugi pushed him and he fell over his friends, wine spilling.
"Fuck you then!" Yugi said and stomped the other way, ignoring their curses. Drunk with rage, he somehow ended up in the dining hall. Pharaoh Atem was sitting on this throne. Yugi must have spent a lot of time in the bath chambers. The banquet seemed to be over and servants removed the table in front of Pharaoh Atem and his advisers to his left and right.
"Lords and ladies, come closer! I have something great to reveal to the Pharaoh and you!" a short, middle-aged noble said. Everyone rose up from their seats and gathered around the area before Pharaoh Atem. Yugi wanted to push everyone out of his way but it was so crowded he couldn't even do that. He ended up in the third row of the semicircle that formed before the throne.
"Lords and Ladies!" the noble began once the hall had calmed a little. "I know we've all been most happy about the end of the war that Pharaoh Atem brought to us by himself! As one of the royal sculptors, I have designed something to honour this wonderful achievement of our god on earth! I present to you…!"
While he spoke, servants brought a long scroll and rolled it out for everyone to see. A collective "aaah" and applause came from everyone, except from Yugi.
The scroll showed the drawing of a statue in the shape of Pharaoh Atem with his nemes headdress. He was giant compared to the tiny figure in the bottom right, which represented a normal person's size.
"I would like to have this statue built in the south in your honour, my Pharaoh," the sculptor said. "Of course there are the crook and flail in one hand and at the end of the outstretched arm we have the head of a Nubian. If we build this at the southern border, the Nubians will never dare to attack again! This will always remind them of Pharaoh Atem's victory and his strength and courage and…"
Yugi interrupted him with a laugh. All heads turned to him.
"Give me a break!" he snapped. The sculptor furrowed his brows at him.
"Excuse me? Is there a problem?"
"A problem?!" Those words chipped away the last bit of reservation Yugi had left. He pushed a few people out of his way and stomped towards the sculptor. He pointed at the drawing. "For one, Pharaoh Atem didn't actually fight the Nubians! His soldiers did! So why would he be holding one of their heads?!"
"The symbolism-"
"Fuck your symbolism! Pharaoh Atem doesn't deserve a statue! He doesn't even deserve respect!" He turned to Pharaoh Atem. "And if you had any common sense you'd know too! But of course all you have is arrogance and ignorance! It's no wonder the people of the north hate you as much as they do! You don't even consider sending us reinforcements because your soldiers are all busy coddling your precious south! While everyone in the south is lazing around in the sun all day, our people are being slaughtered! And have you even looked at the Nile recently?! Not even the gods themselves accept you! So why should we?!"
The hall might as well have been dead. No one moved, talked, or breathed. How sweet it felt to see them all in shock and fear, the same people who had laughed at him earlier! They all deserved the truth and no one would-
Suddenly, there was hot pain on his cheek, together with an impact that made him stumble backwards. Yugi expected the slap to come from one of the guards but when Yugi looked up he saw Otogi, facing Pharaoh Atem.
"I'm so sorry, my Pharaoh! Don't listen to him! He's just a stupid whore who drank too much!" Otogi said with a nervous laugh.
"But Otogi, you-" Yugi began but Otogi slapped him again. His eyes burned with fury like green fire.
"Shut – your – mouth," he hissed and turned back to Pharaoh Atem. "I apologise a thousand-"
"Step aside," Pharaoh Atem said and Yugi froze. He wasn't yelling but his voice was loud, clear and cold. Otogi obeyed.
Pharaoh Atem rose, held out a hand, and one moment later the bearer of insignia placed the flail in his palm. He snapped his fingers and pointed at the floor. Guards hurried towards Yugi, grabbed his arms, and forced him on his knees.
What had he done?! How could he have been stupid and angry enough to tell the truth in front of the entire court?! Yugi forgot how to breathe as Pharaoh Atem's feet appeared in his field of view.
"Well, Yugi of Tamiat. What makes you think you can talk to a god the way you just did?" Pharaoh Atem's voice was sharp like a blade. When Yugi remained silent Pharaoh Atem placed the flail under his chin and made him look up. "Answer me."
This type of icy anger was nothing compared to the fiery kind Yugi had seen at the hunt. Pharaoh Atem's eyes were cold and merciless like stone. Just looking at them paralysed Yugi. That was the man who had the power to do anything with him while Yugi was just a whore. He was completely different from the person who had said these strange things earlier.
"I… I'm sorry," Yugi croaked. Pharaoh Atem didn't react.
"I could have your head for this. Maybe I should," he said and Yugi flinched. Pharaoh Atem turned to Otogi. "But apparently there are things happening in the north I'm not aware of. Lord Otogi, do the people of the north worship their Pharaoh as they should?"
"Of course! Everyone loves you!" Otogi lied.
"Then why does your whore claim otherwise?" Pharaoh Atem asked but didn't wait for an answer. "It seems the matter should be investigated. But first I need to discipline your whore."
He glared at Yugi.
"Do the same with him as in the play!" Lord Kek called and Yugi could feel the colour drain from his face. Everyone chuckled.
"I think the punishment should take place in private," Pharaoh Atem said instead. "Guards, bring Lord Otogi and his whore to my villa."
Two men pulled Yugi to his feet and escorted him and Otogi through the crowd. Yugi's moves were wooden and he tensed up even more as he heard the nobles whisper about what his punishment would be and that they hoped for a second round that'd be public.
If Yugi could have fought a hungry hyena instead of what lay ahead he would have chosen the hyena. He knew that what was about to happen might be an even worse night than he had expected.