A/N: Updates for this may slow down in the coming weeks. I'm experiencing slight writers block as I transition scenes. I know exactly where I want to be it's just getting there that is slowing me down and I want it to be perfect. In the meantime I am still updating my other fics, some of you I think will REALLY enjoy A Whole New World. Any case I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter as I slowly set up the mood :) Please let me know if these kind of scenes bore you or causes you to lose interest. I'm very interested in all kinds of feedback. I know how much ya'll are itching for Yugi's return.
His guardians met him at his Throne Room as commanded and as invited shortly after, his friends attended this meeting as well, having been given cushions to sit upon as they listened quietly. For the next 2 hours Atem said little but asked many questions as his Guardians recapped him on the day's and nights events, all he had missed during his absence. He was satisfied with Seto's decisions and they required no adjustments. He authorized additional search parties to track down their missing scouts and continue where they had left off. He ordered every town to have a retreat plan and nearby villagers were to prepare to evacuate to the city should the call be given.
Now they had discussed what he had missed, it was time for the real meeting to begin.
"Alright. Listen closely. Shimon, I wish for you take control of the majority of Royal duties. You are to be my voice in all things for the next few days. The rest of you, I want you all to pick someone under your standing whom will do the same for your own duties. This person will carry out your current assignments and assign others on your behalf for the next few days as well. Should need arise, they are to bring dire situations to us but for the majority they are to handle your duties in your stead. Pick this person wisely, they must have your utmost confidence in them. They will report to me for deliberation before they are to commence."
"My King?" Seto asked curiously.
"In the meantime, your priorities as well as mine own will be the meditation of our Millennium Items. It is my understanding that our Millennium Items hold even more potential than I once believed. Yugi proved this with the brief demonstration he gave on the battlefield as well as his limited tutoring with Mahaad. Our Items are a lot stronger than they are at present and I want each of us to devote our focus on them. Mahaad will instruct us with what Yugi did for him and we will learn to use our Items to their fullest potential.
This brings me to why I have asked my friends here. Bakura, I understand you lived with Yugi for some years. During your stay with him did he teach you anything about the items we may not know about?" He asked him, suddenly shining the torch on them who until this point had gone unnoticed.
"Me? Uhh... I don't think so. I mean, he did tell me some of the secrets but I don't know what would be useful or what you might not know about." Bakura said, feeling unsure of himself.
"Anything is helpful. You will join us in this please. Joey, Tea and Tristan… I know it is rude of me to ask, but if you would, please assist Shimon and Mana with Palace duties while the rest of us are busy. Please know that you do not need to lift a finger here but I know they will greatly appreciate the assistance you can provide. This next fight may be extremely dangerous and I would for certain appreciate any help you can offer them."
"Of course!" They each said happily. Atem smiled at them and gave them a nod of appreciation. He would need to thank them properly later.
"Are we understood?"
"Yes my King." They all said in unison.
"Good. See to it. Our meditation begins tomorrow morning. See to it that your candidates are sent to me as soon as possible. I will be here until sun down, after which they may find me either in the Temple or in my room." He said.
"So it is said." They chanted.
"So shall it be done." He finished and they bowed and left. All but Shimon, Rajah and his friends.
He sighed tiredly and this was his friends que to relax and stretch their legs.
"That went on forever." Joey complained, earning himself a sharp elbow to the ribs.
"Shut up, this is politics and Atem needs our support!" Tea scolded him.
"Yeah and he's got it. Still went on forever." Joey whined at her.
"No one told you to sit on your heels for 2 hours dude." Tristan said, rubbing his own ankles free of the stiff aching.
"If you think you're sore, what about Atem? He's been kneeling and resting and whatnot for 2 nights and one and a half days." Bakura said.
Atem grimaced at that but ignored the implication. It was true he had been but he'd much rather forget he had been wasting everyone's time during his self absorbed grief.
"Come now guys. I am sorry for making you sit through all of that to get to the end there but I am very grateful you did. As boring as most of it is I believe it is important for us all to know exactly what is at stake and what is going on. The next few days until Yugi's return and maybe even after will be stressful on all of us and I think it important you know why." Atem explained, also taking this opportunity to stretch his legs and massage his legs.
"Yeah we know. So what do you want us to do exactly?" Joey asked him.
"Shimon will be sitting the throne in my absence. If he needs anything from large to small I want one of you to attend him. The same for Mana please and she will most likely be taking care of other Palace duties in Mahaad's absence. As of tomorrow we are all taking on duties we are not accustomed to to overcome this adversity we face." Atem said.
"Uhuh… but what exactly?" Joey asked again.
"Well if I need water you will fetch it. If I need a message delivered you will deliver it. If I need a backrub, you will do it. Does this suffice?" Shimon asked pointedly.
"Backrub? Nah man I don't do back rubs…" Joey said, waving his hands before him nervously.
"Not the way I hear it." Tea laughed.
"Shut up!"
They all laughed at this, Atem especially sparing a chuckle for his friends. It had only been less than 24 hours since he was last happy but already it felt a life time since he smiled or laughed. Yugi's departure hit him hard and in many ways he was still reeling, but it was good to be momentarily pulled out of his head.
"So what now?" Tristan asked.
"Now you may relax. I will remain here with Shimon but you are not required to wait with me. You may explore the Palace, speak with Mana, even aqcaint yourself more with my wards if you wish - it is my understanding that Rakesh is wary around you…" He paused, a sigh on his lips. "I must thank you for talking to them. They are brave children who know more of the world than they should at their age. It was kind of you to trust them with the truth; something I was too weak to do myself. If it were not for Sissy's bravery I may still be resigned to wasting away within that temple waiting for Yugi to return. I might have even ignored my peoples pleas should they have needed their King to act. So… thank you." He finished.
"Anytime man." Joey waved him off as if it was nothing, but to Atem, their patience and support was everything.
"Yeah we got ya back." Tristan gave him a wink and a thumbs up and it warmed him. Made him feel a fool but a warm one at least.
"My King." Rajah said politely beside him with a small bow. A turn of his head is all Rajah needs to continue. "Might I suggest something to eat whilst you wait?"
"Please. Yugi would be cross with me if he knew I was not taken care of."
"You mean if he knew you weren't taking care of yourself, right?" Tea quirked a brow, grinning smugly to which all he could do was sigh.
"Yes Tea. That."
They laughed at him but he did not join in, merely smiling softly at their mirth. He was glad they were so lively. He sensed their pain beneath but they were doing what he should have been doing all this time: moving ahead with the knowledge that Yugi would be back soon.
His friends didn't leave him today. Instead after Rajah had brought with him servants carrying food for all he also brought in lounges and cushions for them too and they talked about all manner of things from the Millenbium Items to Atems plans for the city. Over the course of the next few short hours his Guardians had sent him their representatives and after a brief interview Atem accepted them and outlined for them their tasks.
Once their last had been sent Atem excused himself from the Throne room to walk the walls of the Palace while his friends joined him. Shimon sat the throne for him. It was late afternoon now and the sun was darkening, the distant horizon shimmering and dancing with the heat of the day leaving.
His guards saluted, allowed them to pass and occasionally one would report that there was nothing to report.
They came to a spot overlooking the city where they saw many going about their business be it packing their stalls or returning home. Children chased one another and animals would run in between to avoid them.
This spot reminded him of Yugi. He knew he was fond of this spot because of how much you could see. It brought a heavy sigh to his lips and as he exhaled he realised now how tired he was. He had barely slept since Yugi passed, only accidentally falling to its charms in small, short lived doses at the Temple. It was early yet but perhaps he should retire.
He sighed again: if only he had someone to retire with.
"You okay?" Tea asked him gently.
"As I can be. I am tired but the thought of returning to an empty bed is disheartening."
"Well don't expect us to crawl in with you." Joey laughed and it brought a smile to his face.
"I could not. I promised Yugi he would be the only person I would ever take to my bed." He said the words but almost choked on them by the end.
"Woah too much information dude." Tristan laughed and again it lightened his heart.
"You need to rest Atem. How will you be able to concentrate at all on the Items or your people if you are exhausted. Yugi will be back. Think of this as more of a sleepover. He won't be gone for long." Tea said softly.
She was right of course. And somehow the sentiment did help. Thinking of him as merely away rather than gone did help. It would be strange but it was not the first time he was forced to sleep alone in his bed since Yugi came here. If he could do it knowing Yugi was alone in the city or in his own bed then he could do this.
"Thank you. I think I will retire. I will have Rajah tend to you tonight, do not hesitate to ask for anything."
"Goodnight Atem."
"Sleep tight buddy."
"If Yugi comes back we'll let him know where to find you." Joey said with a wink.
"Please do. Thank you."
Just as Yugi had taught Mahaad, Mahaad instructed his Pharaoh and his fellow Guardians, and just as Yugi had shared his knowledge with Bakura, so too did Bakura share his with the Egyptian Royal Court. Most of what he knew they already did, however he knew of the amount of souls in each item as well as some of their names. He also knew of what some could do. Mahaads was the easiest to give examples of as Bakura too had a connection to the Ring and was most interested to know its secrets. Mahaad knew what he was looking for too and with Thief Kings Bakuras knowledge embedded with him, Bakura was able to teach Mahaad more of what the Ring could do. If anything, this proved how much they still had to learn, especially for High Priest Seto who remained sceptical of someone knowing more about the items than they did.
"The trick is listening. Yugi did this for years before he discovered there was a name to be learned. His determination to figure out why they slumbered earned him their trust. You all have the benefit of having their trust already, now all you must do is listen." Bakura instructed. It felt very strange telling a royal court what to do as if he was a university teacher, but they listened to every word. "A helpful trick is knowing a name to start with." He continued before gesturing towards Mahaad. "Yugi told Mahaad that one of the souls that dwell in the Ring is Sahar. Her protective power is what allows him and Mahaad to create barriers of light energy powerful enough to shield magical attacks. I know at least one name in each item and I will give them to you but I do not know them all." He said and they nodded.
"Pharaoh, one name among the many in your puzzle is Ahkmed-toran." He said and Atem mouthed the name, touching the puzzle tenderly at his chest. He closed his eyes, beseeched the puzzle to listen to him as he whispered to it the name. At first nothing happened but as Bakura named off several others for everyone else eventually he felt a shift, as if from the corner of his eye he saw someone hiding. His eyes still closed this felt more like a mental link however.
He called the name internally, beckoning the shift to return and after a while, he did not know how long, he felt the shift become a presence. Cautious, curious, almost afraid. This amused him. He was certain this was a soul that dwelled within the puzzle but as his is among the most powerful it intrigued him that this soul would be so timid. Still he was gentle in his calling, until he felt more following the shy being. He was slowly being surrounded by souls more wary than others, by some more angry yet reserved, by others more excited however restrained. The time soul whom he called the name for lead their way with careful incline, but as it got closer and the more souls he felt around him the more vulnerable he felt. There were so many, beyond the counting. Some felt hostile while others uncaring. Some felt happy and gently while others tired and bitter. There were so many it was almost overwhelming and soon he found himself retreating.
He gasped, releasing the puzzle from his tightening grasp and opened his eyes, immediately freeing himself of the growing army around him to be welcomed by the morning warmth of his Palace.
His fellow guardians all remained meditating, Bakura paced gently between them all, watching carefully. It was silent and soon he noticed Atem looking frazzled and exasperated.
"Are you okay?" He asked gently.
Atem nodded, swallowing a lump that had caught in his throat. "Yes… there's just so many."
"Yugi said there was something like 180 odd I think in the puzzle."
"180?!" Atem whispered in surprise.
"Yeah. He knows all of them. It was gruelling to watch him tame the puzzle." Bakura said, kneeling beside him comfortably.
He looked back down to the golden pyramid, feeling the souls within stirring, searching for the visitor that called them.
"Some of them did not seem friendly." He said quietly. He was not sure if the others could hear him during their meditation but he did not wish to disturb them.
"One of them was particularly nasty." Bakura said, earning a curious gaze from the Pharaoh: a quiet look to continue. "Yugi was hospitalised for like a week. He had gained the trust of about 50 of them by then and it was particularly threatened by this. He felt that Yugi was trying to manipulate them so it attacked him."
"What did it do?" Atem asked.
"It brought him into the puzzle and took his place. Grabbed a knife from the kitchen and tried to kill him. Luckily I was there to knock him out but not before he managed to cut at his stomach. After that I took the puzzle off him and took him to hospital. He needed several stitches and minor surgery." Bakura said as if it was nothing but to Atem this was appalling. He never knew Yugi had put himself in that much risk to know the items… then again they didn't have much time to talk about them.
Vaguely he tried to recall his body but each time he saw it he was so entranced by him he failed to notice any scarring. It did not help that upon arrival here he was attacked before he found him. He took special care in tracing every inch but he had not seen any scarring that could have been older than his arrival to this realm.
"Where is the scar?" Atem asked.
"Just under the belly button. It's very light though, they stitched it really well and the knife he used was used for carving, so it was sharp and clean."
"I see."
"Trying to recall it? This was 3 years ago so its probably extremely faint except in cold weather."
"I see… what happened after that?"
"What do you think?" Bakura laughed. "He tried again."
"He…" Atem trailed off and then after the hanging pause he sighed and shook his head. Of course he tried again. "Of course he did."
"He seemed to win a little respect this time. The spirit gave him a single chance to prove to him that he would not use them like Akeifa used the Ring and to this day he never did."
"Well… at least it only took one attempt on his life."
"Well…" Bakura shrugged innocently but Atem did not trust his tone.
"There was another?"
"Yeah. A few actually. The Ring proved most dangerous of them all. But considering how it was abused that shouldn't be a surprise. The Eye was also dangerous. The Puzzle was next and after that the others were pretty easy to know. Despite your puzzle being the strongest, the Rings past made it particularly troublesome."
"Will Mahaad have much trouble?" Atem asked, concerned now for his closest friend and advisor. He looked to him, meditating soundly not too far from him, seemingly untroubled as he connected to the souls within.
"I do not know. I don't know what this Millenium Ring has been through, whether it shares in Yugis Rings past or not. Im afraid only Mahaad and Yugi would be able to answer this." Bakura grimaced apologetically. "Did you learn any other names when you connected?" He continued.
"No. There were so many I became overwhelmed. The soul I called out to though… it was shy and timid, but I could feel great strength inside it. It lead the way for the others towards me but it was so cautious and uncertain. The others were curious but waited. I think because I was calling for the shy spirit and not them."
"Mm… the power of the puzzle is to manipulate destiny. It has immense sealing magic and is able to control fate and bring order to chaos. It also by extension of its sealing magic can create powerful barriers not unlike the Rings shield. The soul your calling for, Ahkmed-toran, is according to Yugi, the soul of an 8 year old boy. His power derives from how pure his soul was at the time he was consumed. He had so much life to him, loved to explore and had dreams of leaving Kul'elna to live here, in Khemet."
"Yugi knew all this from this boy?"
Bakura nodded and smiled. "I knew him too… or at least, the Thief King did. He knew every person in Kul'elna so when Yugi told me of this boy I knew him too. He was a little bit younger than Akeifa when it happened and they used to fish together, play games together, get into trouble. They were close. But, you'll learn all there is to know of him when you earn his trust. What I can tell you is that once you do, he can grant you the power to create powerful barriers. Fun fact, Yugi used his power to protect himself against the Ring when he was trying to earn its trust. It almost tore him apart mentally but the Ring was so impressed with his handling of the puzzle and his fortitude that it allowed him to get a little bit closer."
"A little bit?" Atem asked incredulously.
"It was abused remember. It took Yugi the better part of 2 full years gaining its trust."
"What im getting of this is that this will take us some time to master them." Atem sighed.
"Yes but you'll all be stronger for it. With any luck though, you won't need all they have to offer before Thomas strikes."
"Yugi…"
"Yeah. He doesn't have the Ring anymore, but he has the other Items. I don't know them as well as he does, or as well as you all know your own, but even I can feel they're anxious for his return."
"As am I." Atem said quietly.
"I should let you get back to it. Baby steps Atem. While others may take time to get to know you, you also need time to get to know them. Remember, they're as afraid of you as you are of them but only with persistence and patience will you win them over." Bakura said, standing once more and leaving him to it, pacing again in case others need guidance.
He was grateful for his help. Knowing more about what Yugi went through would help him traverse these waters. Now he knew how dangerous they could be he was right to be wary; and more motivated than ever to master his Puzzle. He wanted to make Yugi proud, but not only that he found himself wanting to prove himself. How could he lead a nation if his Puzzle did not know him or did not trust him. It bent to his will enough but there was more he could accomplish. Perhaps he would be able to protect his people without Yugi to bail him out with his own Items. Perhaps he could stop Thomas so that Yugi would not need to.
He was true to his word, spending the entire day touching the Puzzle, reaching inside and beckoning the souls within to approach him. He remembered Yugi saying that he used to talk with the items to gain their trust, that he would spend hours just talking so once he gained the attention of the souls again he imagined himself sitting and talked to them about Yugi. He didn't get any responses but it wasn't unsuccessful. As he told him stories of the man he loved, of the man the puzzle might know, he counted them as they gathered and as they gathered they listened.
Ahkmed-toran remained closest to him and while realistically speaking he was still within the darkness of his mind, just behind his eyelids he felt as if the boy was sitting across from him, listening like a boy would do when it was story time. He liked this spirit, and others he did not know he felt he could like as well - some, such as the more angrier spirits, he wondered which one had tried to kill Yugi but none gave off the vibe of being more dangerous than the other.
Hours passed and soon the ache in his ankles and tail bone were too prominent to ignore, but he was not rude like last time. He told them he would be back with more stories if they were interested and left them with the open question of whether they were inclined to share with him their own later. When he was satisfied he opened his eyes to the midday sun and lavishly stretched, rolling out onto the hard tiles like a cat in the sun, groaning as his muscles and joints protested against being still for so long.
Karim, Shada and Seto were already gone, likely off to stretch and rest their minds while Mahaad and Isis continued on. He wondered what progress they were making and he hoped the souls within would not cause them trouble. They were well guarded if they did, with 10 guards surrounding the inner war room in case of trouble. Millennium Items aside, all guardians and the King himself locked away in one room for the next few days was asking for an assassination attempt.
He should arrange for regular movements. Not only would they all appreciate moving their bodies but it would keep any would be assassins from planning effectively. Also a regular changing of the guards. He would arrange this Shimon.
He stood to leave and just outside the war room he found his other guardians sitting by an ornate table with a small bowl of fruit and wine, relaxing as he hoped they would be.
"Pharaoh." Karim bowed his head and he came to join them.
"Did you gain any progress?" Seto asked, though there was a bitter tone in his voice… why he did not know.
"I believe so. I am no closer to learning any new names but they seemed to respond well to the stories I shared with them. I am most curious about the rest of you. Were you able to glean any of their secrets?"
Seto hmmphed and let the others go first, delving himself into his wine and scowling away from them. Now he was definitely curious.
Shada giggled to himself though. "Ignore him. He is just mad because the spirits inside his rod mocked him."
"Shada!" Seto snapped angrily, earning yet more laughter from the Priest.
"I see. Pay them no mind Seto. You are the most qualified person that has ever lived to wield the Millennium Rod. They are trying to rile you up, to test your mettle." Atem said kindly, hoping that might soothe his posterior sore Priest.
"Pharaoh…" He said slowly before he shook himself back into composure. "Yes I believe I just need to put them in their place." He said smiling inwardly.
"And you two?" Atem asked them.
"My King, the souls of my key are humble, sleeping spirits. They are well guarded in their secrets and are proving they require great determination and patience to unlock their secrets. They seem to be playing the part of a well engineered lock extremely well - but I have only just begun and if my key has taught me anything, its that any lock is made to be unlocked." Shada said happily much to Atems approval. He was glad he was optimistic when confronted with this challenge and for the most part his key did not seem dangerous.
"My King, my scales are very quiet. I call upon the soul your friend mentioned and while I feel their faint presence they do not come to me. Just as I feel I am getting closer there is a weight behind me telling me I am getting further away. I do not know if they are tricking me or if I am doing something wrong but after my rest I will continue." Karim sounded tired and disheartened but no less determined. As if he was faced with a tough puzzle, he just needed to let his mind rest.
"Take as much time as you need to rest your mind. It will not do to have you indisposed because of this training. That goes for all of you. We must work hard but not at risk to our own health. Having you at your top efficiency outweighs you mastering your Items. You are more useful to this city operational than not." Atem said smartly and they each nodded, enjoying their wine and their fruit.
"I am going to see Shimon briefly. I would like to change our training locations regularly as well as the guards." Atem said.
"My King, may I ask why?" Seto asked.
"To improve our safety. Having us all together for a guaranteed length of time is sure to attract the wrong kind of people. I do not wish any to get the idea they might be able to pull off a big crime as this because their King became careless." Atem explained.
"I see. I approve of improving our security and having a regular change of location is a smart idea, but I must impart my opinion that our cities guard has been increased already. If any dare to think of trying anything such as assassination of anyone inside the city, let alone the Palace, they would be caught." Seto said. "I saw to it myself the guard be increased before our protege's took over."
"Yes well it cannot hurt. We have a psychopath out in the desert with the ability to change the way people perceive things. I will not have him walk into this city unnoticed and know exactly where to find us."
"Shimon is in possession of the Eye is he not? As the eye seems to be working without fail it should be able to tell him if those he talks to are true or not. Even Thomas's Jewel cannot hide from the truth seeking gaze of the Eye." Shada said.
"Thomas may not need to go through Shimon to find us. But you do raise an interesting point. Shimon does in fact have the Eye and it would be most useful where we will be, but he is the only candidate to use it since it has not chosen a new wielder."
"My King we do need someone on the throne and there is none more suited than Shimon." Seto pointed out. He was right of course. He sighed and stole a small handful of grapes, relaxing his shoulders.
"You are right. I will deliberate on this later. But I still want regular changes of both guard and location. If anything it will ease our bodies from being grounded for so long." Atem said and with a bow he left, his royal blue cloak swishing behind him.
Seto and the other waited until he was out of sight before any of them spoke, lazily returning to their wine.
"Is he a little more paranoid than usual or am I reading too much into this?" Karim asked.
"The King is on edge. With Yugi gone and Thomas getting stronger with whatever he is doing, even the energy of this realm is shifting. It is not surprising the unease of the spirit world would rub off on him like this. Even we can feel a change on the wind, a disturbance amongst peace. Something out there is unsettling and as the King he can feel it more than us. It is part of his role here. We are to trust him and do as he says for none knows better than the King of Egypt." Seto said, though he hid the obvious concern he had for him. He believed every word to be true, but he did share their concern. Not only that but he believed sleep, or lack there of, may play a role in his unease as well.
"I see. It is true there is unrest among the souls here, I pray that there is time we may soothe this realm and rid it of the vermin that plagues it." Karim said.
"I believe the key to bringing peace to this realm at last is Yugi." Shada said simply.
"Explain." Seto said curiously.
"It aligns perfectly does it not? Yugi came to this realm with Thomas. They were both bound to die here. Yugi has taken the path that led to his death but ultimately his everlasting stay in this realm while Thomas is doing everything he can to prolong it. His jewel is a powerful artifact that cannot be trusted and every day he becomes stronger. We must do everything we can to gain in our knowledge as well in order to protect our people from him but ultimately it is Yugi's pact with the God of Life and Death that will allow him to end it. Yugi came to this world with him and he will reenter this world to end him.
Furthering that I do not believe our King will find rest so long as his Soul Bind is not with him." Shada ended.
"That I can agree on. While I do not share the thought that Yugi is the one to bring peace to our people I do accept that our King will not rest well until Yugi returns. He is an unhealthy obsession for the King, one we can no longer deny." Seto huffed, to which Shada giggled.
"Are you not just as obsessed with your own love?"
"I have no love!" Seto snapped.
"Not even Kisara?" Karim giggled.
"Be careful you two or I will not spare you from her wrath." Seto growled.
"Pharaoh would not allow it. Besides, do not be sore. What you share with Kisara is beautiful, even if your love differs from that of normal relationships." Shada said kindly.
"What does that mean?" Seto grumbled.
"Just that most souls remain in their human forms, not their Ka forms. That Kisara remains a Blue Eyed White Dragon to summon must make things a little difficult for you." Karim suggested.
"Come now Karim, I'm sure in some way High Priest Seto and his dear Blue Eyes manage in their affairs, even if it requires a little maneuvering." Shada giggled.
Seto was losing his patience, a heavy blush set deep upon his cheeks at their ridiculous insinuation. He stood angrily and left them with a single scowl as their laughter followed him.
"That will be all." Shimon said and as the last man left he let out a heavy sigh, massaging his temples tiredly. "I am too old for this." He complained before he spied the patient young brunette he had come to know as Tristan. He had been willing to help him all day, often taking on tasks that were not suitable for him, yet somehow he managed. At first Shimon was apprehensive to employ his aid, relying on his own attendants but throughout the day the Pharaohs friends had proven themselves reliable.
Still, it was the end of the day now and he had finally worked through most of what his dear King had neglected this past week. Now it was time to rest.
"Tristan. As thanks for aiding me today you may request anything from our kitchen staff for dinner tonight. Have your request made in my name." He said tiredly.
"Oh! Thank you sir, I mean your highness, umm…" He stumbled, not entirely sure on what titles to give him. Shimon giggled, feeling much relief from the innocent mistakes.
"My Lord is fine. I am not royalty despite where I sit." He laughed.
"Right…my Lord."
"Run along now. We are finished for the day. I trust I will see you in the morning?"
"Um yes! I am glad to help." He said stiffly. It was clear the boy was still nervous but he enjoyed his company. When he was relaxed he had a voice of his own and did not lack courage. It was clear that right now he was simply afraid of incidentally offending.
"Good. Bright and early then, after breakfast you will meet me here. Do not be late."
"Yes sir! My Lord! I will be here in the morning! Good night sir, my Lord!" He said, bowing and making no effort to hide how eager he was to leave.
Shimon sighed once more when he was alone, allowing his own body to relax under the fatigue of ruling. He was not made for this. An advisor to the King yes, but his old bones grew weary of sitting too long and his mind grew thin.
Alas as the light of Ra set upon his land, it was time he too retire.
