Hello again Yaoi fans! Well, thankyou to the... six people who have reviewed to date! I aim for five per chapter, so you have warranted an update ^_^ And since I've been on a writing buzz... there's two coming up!
A few people have asked why Set was playing with chicken guts. Well, the Celts and Romans used to believe that if you killed an animal and split it's gut open, you could tell the future from the way the innards fell - much like tea-leaf readers today. I don't know if the egyptians did or not, but it was too good to not include! "After consulting my crystal intestines..." *snicker*
Well, this chapter is gonna be angsty... but next chapter we get to see fluff! YAY FOR FLUFF! ^_^
Hyfen: Here's the story -_-'
*~*~*~*~*~*
As Yugi was led out of the throne room, his head was spinning. He'd heard from the people of his village that the Pharaoh was reputed to be one of the most desirable men in the nation, but 'God-like' was the phrase that had attached itself to Yugi's thoughts. It was kind of strange… Yugi had never felt attracted to another man - or woman, for that matter - before, but he felt for the Pharaoh in a way that he never knew existed. Yet somehow, that seemed right.
As soon as he'd set eyes on him, Yugi had felt a pull, like he should just walk over and slip his arms - if they weren't manacled - around the Pharaoh, and the whole world would suddenly be made right. Yugi simply couldn't understand it - was it possible to fall for someone so totally so quickly?
And how could the Pharaoh look so much like him? His eyes were different - crimson, instead of violet, and they almost had two layers. It was like you had to look past the cold, hard exterior, and underneath you saw the delicate, playful, longing eyes that were the true Pharaoh. That, and his hair was different - the Pharaoh had blonde streaks in the black section of his hair. They both had the red tips still though.
A thought hit Yugi suddenly, so strong that he stopped where he was, and was given a hard shove from behind by Jou to make him go again.
"…longing eyes?" Yugi thought about this. "What does that mean? Did he get that same feeling - that pull? And why did he say he hoped to see me again? Was it because of that pull? Was he taunting me? Or… does he just want to use me, because I'm a slave?"
This last possibility made Yugi very glum indeed.
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by Hiroto's shout. "Here are your quarters, slave!" He was roughly pushed into a small, dark room, which had a small sack and a thin sheet on the floor. "You will remain here at all times that you are not on duty. First offence brings whipping; further offences are punished more harshly." Hiroto smirked at this thought. "You will start your duties tomorrow."
Yugi's manacles were removed, and a small tray was placed on the floor. "That's your evening meal," Jou stated. "Consider it a privilege that can be withdrawn." With that, the door to his room - or 'cell' might have been more appropriate - was slammed shut, and the sound of footsteps slowly faded away.
Yugi's eyes soon adjusted to the dim light, and he examined his quarters. The whole room - walls, floor and roof - was made of stone, cold and hard. The sheet would do very little to keep the night chill away, and the sack only contained a little straw, so it hardly helped - still, he reasoned, it was better than just the floor. Other than his 'bed', the room was bare.
Yugi looked at what was on the tray. "Fish… bread… and water…" Yugi had hardly expected stuffed sparrow fresh from Rome, but… there was just so *little* of what was there.
"I suppose it's more than I've sometimes had…"
*~*~*~*~*~*
Yami sat on his throne, his chin rested on one hand. He knew he had royal duties to attend to, but he couldn't get the boy - Yugi - out of his head. How in the name of Annum could they look so similar? And why did he feel that way for the boy? He'd felt a mild attraction to other men before, but certainly in no more than an inquisitive way. Yet Yugi… there was something different.
"What do I feel for him?"
*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, after Ra had pulled the sun from the skies, Yugi lay in his bed. He was incredibly uncomfortable, but that barely contributed to why he couldn't sleep. All he could think about was the Pharaoh, the same questions replaying over and over in his head.
"How can we look so similar?"
"What did he mean?"
"How do I feel?"
"What could I do about it anyway?"
Suddenly, a new question popped into his head that startled him. Though he couldn't answer it, he acknowledged its existence with a slight fearful feeling. It was one of those questions that, simply by existing in his head, implied *something* was happening.
"Do I love him?"
*~*~*~*~*~*
It had become nighttime, and even 'almighty Pharaohs' need to sleep. Unfortunately for Pharaoh Yamises, sleep didn't always come easy. Tonight was definitely one of those nights.
Despite his bed being of amazing comfort - it was, after all, the Royal bed - Yami just couldn't settle. He tossed and turned for what seemed like an eternity before finally conceding to himself that something was bothering him.
Of course something was. And that something - or someone, to be more precise - was somewhere in the palace right now, probably sleeping like a kitten. Yami was almost surprised when he smiled at the thought. But then again, he reasoned, who wouldn't?
Yami kicked himself mentally. "Even if I do feel for him, how could it possibly work? He probably hated me from the moment I commanded him to look at me!"
Yami contemplated this. "But… there wasn't any malice in those eyes… hope, and anxiety, and…" Try as he might, Yami couldn't put his finger on the last emotion, and kicked himself again for it.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Yugi sighed. The Pharaoh was somewhere in the palace right now, probably sleeping like a baby. Yugi felt himself melt at the thought, and suddenly a realisation dawned on him. One that filled him with a little joy, but mostly despair.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Yami was sat on the edge of his bed, his hands screwed into fists in his lap, mentally admonishing himself.
"Since when have you been so weak? You're the Pharaoh! It's up to you to take action - he never would, he'd fear the possibilities if it went wrong. If he cares like you hope he does… you have to find out! And if he doesn't…"
Yami sat silent, both in body and mind, for a few moments, before deciding it was better than spending a lifetime - and after-lifetime - wondering. Probably. He stood up and walked to the window. Leaning on the sill, he gazed up to the heavens.
"As the stars and the Gods are my witnesses, I must tell Yugi how I feel. I have to find out how he feels too… If I don't…" Yami stared out across the land before him. "…it may consume me entirely."
Yami realised that, having made this vow, he suddenly felt much better. He returned to his bed, and managed to drift to a semi-sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Meanwhile, in the slaves' quarters, a small figure lay curled up in a ball, sobbing over the cruel existence that fate had dealt him, cursing Ma'at for abandoning him, despairing over a lifetime of unrequited passion.
"Why must I love the one I could never have?"
Eventually the little one's tears exhausted him, and he drifted off to an uneasy sleep, where he dreamed of a world that didn't have Pharaohs or slaves, and where love could flow as freely as the Nile herself.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Gods: Annum (or AnnumRa as he is also known) was the highest of all Egyptian gods... eventually. Ma'at is the Goddess of justice.
*~*~*~*~*~*
So what did ya think? I liked it... did you like it? Please review and say you liked it! ^_^
FLUFF NEXT CHAPTER! YIPPEE!!!
A few people have asked why Set was playing with chicken guts. Well, the Celts and Romans used to believe that if you killed an animal and split it's gut open, you could tell the future from the way the innards fell - much like tea-leaf readers today. I don't know if the egyptians did or not, but it was too good to not include! "After consulting my crystal intestines..." *snicker*
Well, this chapter is gonna be angsty... but next chapter we get to see fluff! YAY FOR FLUFF! ^_^
Hyfen: Here's the story -_-'
*~*~*~*~*~*
As Yugi was led out of the throne room, his head was spinning. He'd heard from the people of his village that the Pharaoh was reputed to be one of the most desirable men in the nation, but 'God-like' was the phrase that had attached itself to Yugi's thoughts. It was kind of strange… Yugi had never felt attracted to another man - or woman, for that matter - before, but he felt for the Pharaoh in a way that he never knew existed. Yet somehow, that seemed right.
As soon as he'd set eyes on him, Yugi had felt a pull, like he should just walk over and slip his arms - if they weren't manacled - around the Pharaoh, and the whole world would suddenly be made right. Yugi simply couldn't understand it - was it possible to fall for someone so totally so quickly?
And how could the Pharaoh look so much like him? His eyes were different - crimson, instead of violet, and they almost had two layers. It was like you had to look past the cold, hard exterior, and underneath you saw the delicate, playful, longing eyes that were the true Pharaoh. That, and his hair was different - the Pharaoh had blonde streaks in the black section of his hair. They both had the red tips still though.
A thought hit Yugi suddenly, so strong that he stopped where he was, and was given a hard shove from behind by Jou to make him go again.
"…longing eyes?" Yugi thought about this. "What does that mean? Did he get that same feeling - that pull? And why did he say he hoped to see me again? Was it because of that pull? Was he taunting me? Or… does he just want to use me, because I'm a slave?"
This last possibility made Yugi very glum indeed.
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by Hiroto's shout. "Here are your quarters, slave!" He was roughly pushed into a small, dark room, which had a small sack and a thin sheet on the floor. "You will remain here at all times that you are not on duty. First offence brings whipping; further offences are punished more harshly." Hiroto smirked at this thought. "You will start your duties tomorrow."
Yugi's manacles were removed, and a small tray was placed on the floor. "That's your evening meal," Jou stated. "Consider it a privilege that can be withdrawn." With that, the door to his room - or 'cell' might have been more appropriate - was slammed shut, and the sound of footsteps slowly faded away.
Yugi's eyes soon adjusted to the dim light, and he examined his quarters. The whole room - walls, floor and roof - was made of stone, cold and hard. The sheet would do very little to keep the night chill away, and the sack only contained a little straw, so it hardly helped - still, he reasoned, it was better than just the floor. Other than his 'bed', the room was bare.
Yugi looked at what was on the tray. "Fish… bread… and water…" Yugi had hardly expected stuffed sparrow fresh from Rome, but… there was just so *little* of what was there.
"I suppose it's more than I've sometimes had…"
*~*~*~*~*~*
Yami sat on his throne, his chin rested on one hand. He knew he had royal duties to attend to, but he couldn't get the boy - Yugi - out of his head. How in the name of Annum could they look so similar? And why did he feel that way for the boy? He'd felt a mild attraction to other men before, but certainly in no more than an inquisitive way. Yet Yugi… there was something different.
"What do I feel for him?"
*~*~*~*~*~*
That night, after Ra had pulled the sun from the skies, Yugi lay in his bed. He was incredibly uncomfortable, but that barely contributed to why he couldn't sleep. All he could think about was the Pharaoh, the same questions replaying over and over in his head.
"How can we look so similar?"
"What did he mean?"
"How do I feel?"
"What could I do about it anyway?"
Suddenly, a new question popped into his head that startled him. Though he couldn't answer it, he acknowledged its existence with a slight fearful feeling. It was one of those questions that, simply by existing in his head, implied *something* was happening.
"Do I love him?"
*~*~*~*~*~*
It had become nighttime, and even 'almighty Pharaohs' need to sleep. Unfortunately for Pharaoh Yamises, sleep didn't always come easy. Tonight was definitely one of those nights.
Despite his bed being of amazing comfort - it was, after all, the Royal bed - Yami just couldn't settle. He tossed and turned for what seemed like an eternity before finally conceding to himself that something was bothering him.
Of course something was. And that something - or someone, to be more precise - was somewhere in the palace right now, probably sleeping like a kitten. Yami was almost surprised when he smiled at the thought. But then again, he reasoned, who wouldn't?
Yami kicked himself mentally. "Even if I do feel for him, how could it possibly work? He probably hated me from the moment I commanded him to look at me!"
Yami contemplated this. "But… there wasn't any malice in those eyes… hope, and anxiety, and…" Try as he might, Yami couldn't put his finger on the last emotion, and kicked himself again for it.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Yugi sighed. The Pharaoh was somewhere in the palace right now, probably sleeping like a baby. Yugi felt himself melt at the thought, and suddenly a realisation dawned on him. One that filled him with a little joy, but mostly despair.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Yami was sat on the edge of his bed, his hands screwed into fists in his lap, mentally admonishing himself.
"Since when have you been so weak? You're the Pharaoh! It's up to you to take action - he never would, he'd fear the possibilities if it went wrong. If he cares like you hope he does… you have to find out! And if he doesn't…"
Yami sat silent, both in body and mind, for a few moments, before deciding it was better than spending a lifetime - and after-lifetime - wondering. Probably. He stood up and walked to the window. Leaning on the sill, he gazed up to the heavens.
"As the stars and the Gods are my witnesses, I must tell Yugi how I feel. I have to find out how he feels too… If I don't…" Yami stared out across the land before him. "…it may consume me entirely."
Yami realised that, having made this vow, he suddenly felt much better. He returned to his bed, and managed to drift to a semi-sleep.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Meanwhile, in the slaves' quarters, a small figure lay curled up in a ball, sobbing over the cruel existence that fate had dealt him, cursing Ma'at for abandoning him, despairing over a lifetime of unrequited passion.
"Why must I love the one I could never have?"
Eventually the little one's tears exhausted him, and he drifted off to an uneasy sleep, where he dreamed of a world that didn't have Pharaohs or slaves, and where love could flow as freely as the Nile herself.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Gods: Annum (or AnnumRa as he is also known) was the highest of all Egyptian gods... eventually. Ma'at is the Goddess of justice.
*~*~*~*~*~*
So what did ya think? I liked it... did you like it? Please review and say you liked it! ^_^
FLUFF NEXT CHAPTER! YIPPEE!!!