AN - Another Yami dream, but this time it is more exciting. Sorry about the slow start to this fanfic. But it will get better, I promise!

Yami was once again revisiting his past in a dream.

Pharaoh Yami stood by his window, intently watching the garden below, waiting for the intruder. He was sure that they would come again and was ready to confront them. Seeing movement in the garden he strained his eyes until he saw a figure in white moving in the garden. Slowly he crept across to his door and let himself out. He was plainly dressed in his white robes, without his normal regalia. He went unstopped through his palace and out into the dusty grounds. The guards simply moved to let the king past, but their vigil was noticeably increased. Yami quickly reached the door to his garden and unlocked it with a small golden key. Turning to his guards he forbade them to watch or follow him and he silently entered the garden.

It had been so long since he had been in there, yet he remembered every pathway in the maze of shrubs. He headed through the undergrowth towards the centre, where he had seen the figure. He wanted to catch the intruder by surprise and so did not use the clear pathways. As he approached the centre he silenced his footsteps, moving cat like onwards. He finally saw the central circle, and hidden in the leaves of a large, cooling plant he watched the area. It was a splendid sight. A large fountain in the centre gushed water over white marble. The fountain was elevated on grey marble steps. On the ground level were beautiful rose beds, filled with rare roses of all colours, shapes and sizes. However Yami's eyes were drawn away from these to the corner of the cleared space. Small statuettes stood around the area, some of these were miniature fountains, with trickles of water running down them. By one of these statues stood the person that he had been looking for.

She stood about five or six metres from him, illuminated by the moonlight. Yami analysed her as he watched. She had her back to him. She had long blonde hair that fell to her waist and was loose, save a few fronds that were plaited with black thread. She was fairly tall and slim and moved daintily. Suddenly Yami stepped on a twig as he tried to get a better look. The girl spun around warily, looking for her watcher. Upon seeing nothing she returned to her work, cleaning the statue, but she turned side ways on to Yami. Her saw that she was extremely beautiful, with bright green eyes. Her skin was pale and Yami watched, enthralled, at her deft movements as she scrubbed moss off of the statue, making it gleam. She was dressed in the attire of all of Yami's palace slaves, a white toga tied with a length of thin rope at the waist, a pair of simple sandals on her feet and a bronze collar bearing the millennium symbol. Yami watched her work for a few minutes before she moved away from the sculpture and walked over to the flowerbed, where she knelt down with her back to him.

Remaining hidden in the shadows Yami spoke, "You have no right to be here."

The girl did not even jump at his words. She carried on with her work, but she replied. "I may have no official right to be here, but I have come every night for six years, so I may have more right than some to be here."

Yami was surprised by her calculated answer, and also the fact that she had not turned to see the speaker or treated him with the normal manner slaves showed. Normally they would bow low and wait for the signal to speak. "What do you do here?" He asked, still not coming out of the shadows.

"What my mother did. I keep the garden in order for the pharaoh."

'Ah' thought Yami, 'She doesn't know who I am. Maybe I should talk to her like this for a while. It would be nice to have someone talk to me without treating me like royalty.' He said, "And you have always done this?"

"Since she died. No one knows that I come. We should not be here but I do not think that the pharaoh will notice."

Yami smiled to himself but did not answer. After a while the girl began to sing again. She had the most enchanting voice, soft and sweet. He listened before saying, "How do you know that song?"

"My mother taught it to me. She learned it in the palace. My mother was one of Queen Nephertina's most trusted servants."

Yami was shocked to hear his mother's name mentioned. No one ever mentioned his parents to him. He had been only twelve when they had died in the carriage accident, six years later he was still sad about the loss. "And your father?"

"My father was the head driver for King Raha himself, he also died when I was young."

Yami's father, Raha! This girl had no fear in her. No one mentioned his father now, which annoyed him. His father had been a great king, the best ever known, and Yami wished him to be remembered. "If your parents were so important as servants, why do you wear the robes of a lowly slave and not work in the palace? Is it not your heritage to work in your mother's place?"

"It is my heritage," sighed the girl. She got up and sat on a backless bench by the fountain, her back still towards Yami. "However I was only ten when my parents passed away. I was too young to carry on my mother's work. Besides that is impossible. My mother Della was the nursery maid for Prince Yami, I am two years younger than he and unable to be his nursery maid."

Yami was startled to hear this. He remembered his nursemaid Della. He had not known that she had a child. Della had been killed in the chariot accident that had taken his parents from him, as had the driver of the chariot, this girl's father. "And your father drove the king's carriage. Why do you not do his job?"

"The driving of the king's chariot is a job for male servants only, and on appointment of King Yami himself." Replied the girl. "However I help to tend to the King's horses during the day."

Yami stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight. He had intended to call the guards but now he felt that he could not. This girl was, after all, doing work here. Her parents had been the more trusted servants of his own parents. By all rights she should be on of his highest slaves, yet here she was, doing the lowliest of all duties. "So why do you do this extra work here?" He asked.

"My mother loved this garden. She and the Queen used to come here many a time to talk and garden, they were close friends. When they died the garden would have gone to ruin and over grown. I decided to continue my mother's work here. I do not think that anyone knows that I do this. I do not believe that King Yami even knows that someone tends to his garden. He has not come here for six years." At this point Yami had climbed the steps and stood behind the girl.

"I think that he knows." He said calmly.

Seeing his reflection in the water of the fountain and hearing his voice the girl jumped to her feet and stood before Yami. She was shorter than him and only reached up to his shoulders. As soon as she recognised him she dropped to the ground, kneeling at his feet silently. Yami gently tapped her shoulder, the given sign that she may rise and speak to him. However she remained on the ground, eyes to the floor and said, "I am so sorry my Pharaoh. I had no idea that it was you. I did not mean to offend you. I will go quietly with your guards to the prison cells. I have invaded your garden and spoken of forbidden subjects in you presence. For this I will take whatever punishment you give me willingly and with repent."

Yami was shocked at her speech. But he did not show this. Instead he reached out his hand and placed it under her chin, lifting her head upwards gently until her eyes met his.

"There will be no punishment." He said softly. Gently he removed his hand and placed one hand on each of her arms by her side, pulling her tenderly but firmly to her feet. He held her at arm's length and studied her intently, he could see fear in her bright eyes, but also an independence and sincerity that he never saw in many slaves.

"I do not understand sire." Whispered the girl, looking inquisitively into his eyes.

"You have shown me honesty and respect. I never hear anyone mention disasters of the past in my presence. It is an untouched topic. It has been refreshing to talk with you. Please do not be frightened," he added as she shivered, though not from cold. "I mean you no menace. However I would be honoured if you would consent to talk with me further. You may start by telling me your name."

"I am Lara, and I would love to talk with you. But I am not permitted to. As you can see I am a slave of the sixth degree (AN - meaning that she is the bottom of the hierarchy, sixth is the bottom (her) and Yami is the first) and am therefore not allowed to speak with you under any circumstances, my Pharaoh."

"And I am the King of Egypt, I cancel this rule for you. You are hereby permitted to speak with me on any subject and terms." Lara looked shocked but happy at this statement. "Please give me a tour of the gardens that you keep so well. It has been a long time since I have been here."

They walked around the garden for about half an hour, Lara showing Yami every flower, bush and statue. Yami politely looked at all of these things, but he could not take his eyes away from the most beautiful thing in the garden, Lara. After a long time that only seemed like minutes the booming gong signalling that it was one o'clock in the morning disturbed them. Yami would have carried on with his tour but Lara jumped at the sound and turned to face him.

"I must leave you sire. In only a few hours I must be present at work."

"Wait!" Yami exclaimed as she turned away from him and made her way towards the side entrance to the garden. He grabbed her hand so that she stopped to face him. "When will I see you again?"

"Whenever you wish sir," she replied, "I am your slave and can do only your bidding."

Yami let her go and she disappeared into the night. Slowly he returned to his chambers and lay on his bed. Throughout the entire night he had forgotten that the girl he had been talking to had been his slave. He had treated her as a friend, almost an equal. Yet he had not noticed the way that she never called him by name or spoken to him out of line. In fact she hadn't really initiated any conversations. She had been behaving like all of his servants but he had been too busy watching her to notice this. Puzzled he turned over in his bed and decided to try to find her the next day and talk to her.

Yami awoke from his dream to see Yugi already getting dressed, excited about the day ahead. Yami didn't move. He had just seen Lara again and wanted to savour her image. He missed her greatly, more than he ever thought he would. He got up and began to prepare for a long day out.

Read and Review please. What do you think? A longer chapter with more action! Finally! More to come.