Welcome to chapter 3! I know the story is moving a little slowly, but this chapter was so hard to write! I'm doing my best, but it's difficult to portray the emotions from these scenes...I'm working on it!

This is not proof read, so I'm sorry if there are typos! QuQ

Don't forget to review, please!

Enchantment Passing Through

There'd be no ties of time and space to me

And no horizon I could not pursue.

I'd leave the world's misfortunes far behind me

I'd put my faith and trust in something new.

But why should I tell you this?

A stranger I just met.

A person whom I hardly know at all and should forget.

A journey we can only dream of.

Enchantment passing through.

And how is it I say these things so easily to you?

"Come on, Akefia! Please!" Mana exclaimed, holding up a sparkly red vest. "Please, please, please!"

"No! I'll just wear what I'm wearing now," Akefia sighed, his headache really getting worse. "I'll just be standing against the wall the whole time anyways."

"But it'll look so good on you! You said you like red!" Mana whined.

"No sparkles. I'll just wear this," Akefia repeated, motioning to his brown, slave clothes.

They had been arguing about this for the past hour, after Mana had forced him to get a bath so his face and hair would be clean for the feast. During their argument, they had to stop to reapply the herbs once, before continuing the argument. Akefia was willing to babysit the girl to protect his sister, but when she insisted he wear the sparkly, red vest to match her dress, he drew the line. Besides, she didn't know about Akila so she couldn't use that against him.

"No sparkles? Fine! How about this really nice, silk black dress shirt? And then this red sash over top?" she said, pulling out another outfit from her massive closet. "Please, please, please, please, ple-"

"Fine, fine!" Akefia grimaced. He had known Akila to argue like this before. It was when she wanted to keep one of the chickens alive, she'd named it already, and she only stopped whining about it when their father had given in and let her keep the chicken. So Akefia gave in, slipping the dress shirt on over top of his slave garb, and allowed a hand maid to tie the sash around his waist. At least it wasn't sparkles...

"Perfect! Now if we brush your hair-"

"I'm supposed to be your guard, not your toy," he sighed.

A knock sounded, interrupting Mana's next attempt to get Akefia to act as her dress up doll.

"Princess!" someone called from outside. "It's time to go downstairs to the feast."

"Drat! I hate when they call me that. I'm not a princess," Mana sighed, tossing the sparkly atrocity to a hand maid. "Take the sparkles off of this please and give it to Akefia when we get back."

"Yes, ma'am," the girl smiled. They all truly seemed to enjoy working for Mana and it wasn't hard to see why. The girl's giggles and happy attitude was infectious. At least to the other women, where as Akefia found it mildly annoying.

Mana threw open the door, after checking her hair and headdress in the mirror one more time. Outside the door, Marik was waiting to escort them down to the feast. He glanced over at Akefia, trying not to be obvious, but was glad to see him still in one piece.

"Hey, Marik!" Mana called out, waving. Marik smiled at her, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him out of respect for her. She obliged, waving goodbye to the rest of the women. Marik stepped up next to Akefia as he followed behind his ward.

"At the feast, watch the Pharaoh's personal guard and do what he does. Ok?" he said, trying to be helpful. Akefia nodded, worried a bit now. "Have you been taking care of your eye?"

"If I so much as wince, she's on me in an instant to put more medicine on it," Akefia huffed, keeping a careful watch on the girl ahead of them.

"She's a good person at heart," Marik told him, chuckling lightly. "It's not her fault for what her people does and she hasn't ever left royal Egypt so she has no idea of what lies beyond the gates."

"But it's going to be her fault. She is going to inherit the people that killed my own people. Our people. And that's inexcusable."

They walked in silence until they reached the top of a staircase, and here is where Akefia got a shock.

"Close your mouth," Marik whispered. "You look strange."

The Pharaoh was there at the top of the stairs, waiting for Mana to arrive so they could walk down together. Akefia had heard that the Pharaoh's appearance was odd, to say the least, and that his hair was beyond your imagination. Well, that much was true, but the man who was causing his people's agony and pain, he appeared so...weak. His skin was an odd shade, as if he had trouble breathing and he seemed to be walking with a slight limp. His eyes were dull and he had bags, as if he hadn't slept in days. He truly looked awful. Mana raced to throw her arms around him, albeit gently.

"How are you feeling today, Atem?" she asked. Her voice was soft and full of concern, but Akefia hardly noticed. He was busy staring at the man who was the cause of his people's despair. This man who could stop everything with just a word. The man he expected to look so harsh and cold, but in truth, seemed to be dying right in front of his eyes.

"Calm down," Marik whispered, getting a little concerned. "You need to think about your sister." He was right, and that caused Akefia to try and stop his thinking about the Pharaoh. Watch Mana. Protect her. Protect Akila. That was all he allowed himself to think.

Protect Mana. Protect Akila.

Ryou had arrived to the feast earlier, like the majority of the guests. It was customary to arrive in time to stand up when the Pharaoh entered, so everyone was waiting. He'd been assigned to sit on the right hand of Mana, who would be sitting at Atem's right hand. Ryou's father would be sitting on the other side of the Pharaoh.

There were several slaves rushing around, carrying trays and cleaning spots of the room. One of the girls going back and forth from the kitchen to the guests, delivering small finger foods, was Akefia's sister. She seemed tired, and scared, but she smiled at each guest, even if they didn't return the sympathies. A lot of the guests even gave her dirty looks, despite her trying to kind. She reminded Ryou of Mana, and he found himself smiling to himself. No wonder Akefia cared about her so much.

Then, the drums sounded from the corner of the room, announcing the Pharaoh's entrance. Everyone in the room stood up, including Ryou, and waited again. Seconds later, the doors opened and revealed Mana and her best friend, Atem, the Pharaoh. Ryou sighed as he saw his childhood friend. He was looking a lot worse than the last time he'd seen him. His father was right, the Pharaoh really was dying.

Then, when the Pharaoh and Mana were about half way down the steps, Mana carefully helping him as they walked, the personal guards appeared, glancing around for any trouble. Ryou was a little surprised to see that Akefia had been bathed and had dressed up for the occasion. The black shirt really agreed with him, and the red was a nice compliment as well. Although he didn't seem to be the type to agree to a new outfit, but perhaps Mana had gotten on his nerve enough to convince him. Thinking about it made him chuckle.

"Ryou, you've returned," the Atem said, appearing next him and extending his hand. Ryou reached out, holding his friends hand while bowing out of respect.

"How are you, my Pharaoh?" he asked, looking up.

"I've seen better days, but I'm glad you're here," he smiled, no matter how weak his expression appeared. "I have an important announcement tonight, and you should be here to hear it." Ryou found himself grinding his teeth as he tried to smile back. One could guess what the announcement would be...

After the Pharaoh took his seat, Mana sat next to him and everyone else began taking their seats. Ryou could tell that the people at the feast already respected Mana just as much as Atem, waiting for her to sit before allowing themselves to sit as well. They watched her with reverence and he was proud of her, even if her sudden power over the people was coming from such despair.

The two guards stood a few steps behind their "masters" chairs, Atem's checking out every corner of the room and making sure he recognized everyone there. Akefia, however, appeared more uncomfortable. He had his arms crossed over his chest and next to the other guard, he appeared a hell of a lot more muscular. That's why he'd assigned him, Ryou thought to himself.

"Mana," Ryou said, leaning over to the girl. "How is his cut?" The food was starting to be brought around and the Pharaoh's taste tester was sampling each dish before it reached him.

"Akefia's?" she asked, glancing back at the man. "He likes to act like a tough guy, doesn't he? But it's ok. I took care of it just like you said."

"Good," Ryou smiled at her.

"Where did you find him?" she asked. Ryou froze. Mana didn't know much about the outside world. She new about the market place and how to find the pretty silks. She knew how to make people happy, even if they were slaves to her. She knew how to listen. But she didn't know about the war with Kul Elna. She didn't know that the people building her Pharaoh's pyramid were all being forced against their will, and a lot of them died from exhaustion. Atem sheltered her from that knowledge, but with his being sick...

People conversed, joyously talking about the most mundane things as they ate. Akefia appeared to be watching Mana and watching the rest of the room, but every time he saw his sister, Ryou noticed that his eyes would linger, sadly. Ryou pursed his lips and forced himself to look away. He was doing this for Mana's good, even if it hurt Akefia.

"Attention!" a guard called out after half an hour had passed. "The Pharaoh wishes to make an announcement." Instantly, the crowd quieted down, paying close attention as Atem attempted to stand up. Mana helped him, putting a hand on his arm.

"Thank you," Atem said, quietly to her. "You might be wondering why I called a feast tonight. My good friend Ryou has returned from his travels down the Nile and we are celebrating his return. But we also must come to terms with what is happening here. I'm sure you all know by now that I am not in the best of health." Ryou glanced at Mana who was biting her lip intently, trying to keep from crying. He knew how hard this was for her, witnessing someone as close as a brother as they die.

"I have already announced that Mana is to be my successor, but she is young, so she needs someone to share the burden. She has already been betrothed, but we've decided to move the marriage closer."

Ryou swallowed his protest, knowing it would do no good. He felt Mana's hand touch his as she smiled. He knew this was going to be the announcement, but hearing it out loud made it even more real. He could practically see his beautiful boat slipping through his fingers and traveling the Nile without him. Being married to the future Pharaoh would mean never leaving royal Egypt ever again. He would sit on a thrown, like a decoration for the Queen of Egypt, until he died.

He loved Mana, he'd grown up with her, but not enough to give up his freedom to serve the Egyptian people.

"Ryou, Mana. You will wed in 7 days. To a happy future." Atem raised his glass, smiling, and everyone followed suit. However, after everyone took a heavy sip of their respective drinks, the Pharaoh started letting out an angry cough that shook his whole body. Mana jumped up, taking his arm.

"Come on," she whispered. "That's enough excitement for one night. Let's get you to bed." The man nodded weakly, doing his best to hide the blood that had trickled from his lips. As the mood had suddenly shifted, the guests seemed to trickle out of the room fairly quickly and the plates were cleared from the table faster than usual. Akefia started to follow his ward as she led the Pharaoh back to the stairs, but Ryou called out to him instead.

"Wait, Akefia!" he exclaimed, leaving no room for argument. "The Pharaoh's guard can take them both. Let me see your eye."

Akefia looked at Mana, who nodded, smiling sadly. She probably wanted a minute alone with her childhood friend anyways. So Akefia turned back to his captor, eyes narrowed in suspicion. It was obvious that he didn't trust Ryou. He waited for the shorter to demand something else, but Ryou just waited until Mana and the Pharaoh had closed the door and they were alone.

"Come here," Ryou finally said, motioning toward a different door on the far side of the room.

"Why?" Akefia asked, frowning. "I thought you wanted to check my cut."

"Just come here! Trust me," Ryou said, rolling his eyes.

"You've given me no reason to do so," Akefia said, crossing his arms. He knew he really couldn't disobey, but his pride held him there.

"Oh for goodness sakes," Ryou huffed, stomping over to the door. He threw it open, revealing the hustle of the kitchen staff. "Akila! Come here!"

Akefia snapped to attention at the sound of her name, rushing to the door in an instant. At the same time, Akila appeared, seeming nervous at first. But as soon as she saw Akefia, her nerves cleared and she ran at him.

"Kefi!" she all but screamed, throwing her arms around his waist. "Your eye is ok! I could see it but I couldn't stop to talk to you! I didn't want to get in trouble, just like you said!"

Ryou stood in the corner, watching the reunion. Before the feast had started, he found the girl with the other servants, asked her for her name, and told her to stay near the door after the feast was over so she could have some alone time with her brother. Of course, they couldn't be completely alone.

He didn't know why he allowed this meeting, but in the back of his mind, he knew that his own sister would've wanted Akefia to be with Akila. Family had been important to Amane so she would've hated to see a family separated, even if they were just slaves. It had been about 5 minutes before Ryou decided it was time for each of them to go back to their posts and prepare for the next day. When night fell, the Egyptians all went to sleep pretty quickly to wait for Ra's return.

"I'll be fine, Akila," Akefia was saying. "They just said I would get a really dangerous looking scar. Pretty impressive, right?"

"Only you would be stupid enough to think a scar is impressive, Kefi," his sister scolded him.

"Akefia, it's time to go," Ryou interrupted them. Akila nodded quickly, remembering that her brother had told her to listen to what they told her to do so she could be safe.

"Thank you, sir," she said bowing to the royal Egyptian. "I am forever grateful to you for taking care of my brother's wounds." Ryou didn't believe her, since it was partially his fault that Akefia was injured in the first place, but he nodded.

"Akila, I said do what they say, not grovel at their feet," Akefia huffed, not able to rein in his rampant pride.

"Goodnight, Kefi," his sister said, getting up on the tip of her toes so she could kiss Akefia's cheek. He nodded, smiling at her, and she rushed back through the door to the kitchen, disappearing into the hustle. When the door closed, Ryou turned back to the slave.

"Ok, now sit down so I can actually check your eye," he said, pointing to a pillow on the floor next to the table. Akefia frowned, but complied, sitting cross legged on the pillow. It appeared to Ryou that Akefia saved his smiles purely for his sister and his frowns for everyone else. "Where is the bag?"

"Here," Akefia replied gruffly, pulling out the small pouch and handing it to Ryou. The pale man took note that the bag was getting empty and he would need a refill before tomorrow morning.

"Sit still," he commanded, beginning to gently pack the herbs on the cut.

"...thank you," Akefia suddenly said.

"Hm?" Ryou asked, thinking he had heard the slave incorrectly.

"Thank you for letting me see her," Akefia said, louder this time, but only slightly. Ryou didn't know how to reply to Akefia's sudden gratitude, so he changed the subject. Unfortunately, he didn't have much to talk about, so he brought up the first thing he could think of.

"It's been awhile since the feast started so your eye probably hurts a lot right now."

"You think I don't know that? One who is betrothed to the future Pharaoh should be wiser." Akefia mused, clearly annoyed. Ryou stiffened at the mention of the announcement, eyes narrowing. "Oh? I seem to have hit a nerve. My apologies, prince."

"Don't call me that. I am no prince. I'm just the Pharaoh's friend," Ryou said, still stiff with anger. "It was all my father's plan anyways. I have no say in the matter."

"You don't want to have the power of the Pharaoh?" Akefia asked, wincing slightly as the herbs stung against his skin. "Funny. I thought all of you royals scrambled for power."

"I'm not like that," Ryou insisted, putting the last of the herbs from the bag onto the cut. "I just want to sail on my boat and discover new places."

"New places like Kul Elna?" Akefia asked, harshly. It was clear he felt no pity for Ryou's dilemma, so Ryou suddenly decided he would try to make him understand.

"No. I want to discover new places. Far away," Ryou said, looking into the distance as if viewing a hidden world. "I want to see secrets that nobody has ever seen before. I want to see the enchantment on everyone's faces as I explain to them about the world beyond Egypt. The world nobody has ever seen."

"Well, I've seen that world," Akefia muttered, almost to himself. "When I was old enough, my father let me travel down the border of the Nile. I got pretty far sometimes and went way beyond, where there were no towns. No villages. No...royal guards. Places where humans haven't touched? They are the most beautiful. The most free."

"You should show me sometime," Ryou chuckled. "You could be my guide. A guide to the world nobody has ever seen...seems mysterious. And I wouldn't be stuck in this palace. This cage."

"You sound as if you are the one that's been enslaved," Akefia said, standing up so suddenly that he caused Ryou to jump back in alarm. He was clearly angry, but clearly thinking deeply as well. "If you don't like what is happening to you, then change it! You are your own master! So don't expect any pity from me, a lowly palace slave!"

With that, he turned and stormed up the stairs, not waiting to be dismissed.

Ryou was stunned, staring at him as he left. The outburst had been so sudden, but Ryou understood it. He understood it now more than he ever had. The slaves, held here against their wills, held away from the freedom of their homeland, and many of them led to death by exhaustion...he suddenly knew why they always seemed so defiant in their eyes, even when their bodies were forced to obey.

But why had he spoken so freely to Akefia? Why had he wanted Akefia to understand his pain? As if Akefia would ever be his guide to the mysterious world beyond the palace gates. None of that would ever happen.

Both of them were enslaved to Egypt after all.