author's note: all disclaimers apply as usual.
Somehow, some idiot hijacked my story and rearranged the chapters plus added hidden HTML that tookover peoples' current page viewings. So, I had to totally remove and relist this story, thus losing all prior reviews,etc. This story originally began in August 2003.
As Prince Yami pondered his dilemma, an idea formed. The Millenium Items could still be of use to them! He just had to 'borrow' them for the night then return them before anyone noticed they were missing. This would take some smooth acting however AND cooperation from the usually stubborn young priest. There was no doubt in Yami's mind that the Puzzle was about his father's neck. The Rod, was likely in the possession of Akunadin. Seto had it easy. At least the Rod would be set down in certain circumstances. The Puzzle, however, could go anywhere his father went.
First thing's first though. He HAD to get to the royal bath house! The servent girl attracted his attention once again, but for a whole other reason. She caught his eye and he signalled for her to come to him. She obediently did so.
"What is your wish my prince?" she replied softly with a bow. Since Yami had summoned her in a formal manner, then she figured it was best to continue on with formalities.
"We need to trade clothes and roles for a night."
The servent girl's eyes went wide with surprise.
"You can be me for a night. Don't tell me you never dreamed of being royalty."
"But, sire, you are a boy and I am a gi--"
"Should that make a difference? All you need to do is keep your backside to the doorway and face planted in the scrolls. Then when it's late enough, go to bed and cover yourself with the blankets. Easy."
"What if your father, the pharaoh or the Grand Vizier check up on you?"
"If you're doing what they expect, they will simply leave. Look, I will reward you for your efforts. Please?"
Reluctantly, the servent girl nodded.
"I will enter my lavatory then ask for your assistance. We will exchange roles then."
"You will require assistance using your --"
The prince winked and cut her question off with a wry grin. He would always find innocence and naivety adorable!
A few chambers down, the young priest was busy pondering his possibilities. *I don't know why I bother with him! All he does is get me into trouble. And yet, I feel it necessary to. Why has fate thrown me down such a merciless path?* The little black cat he kept in his chambers to keep mice away rubbed his legs with a soft meow. "What do you want?" Seto asked the cat as it purred. "So, I wonder if the prince got our hint eh cat? I'm rather shocked he didn't return my messages with a cobra. He must have forgotten last season when he returned my messages with a large cockroach. Wonder what has him distracted?" The cat looked up at the young priest without a care as to what the young man was muttering about.
*How am I to get out of here tonight. I can hear the guards outside my door. I can scale the outer wall of the palace, but the lighting and guards will prevent me from reaching the royal bath house unnoticed. If I were a scrawny rat like the prince, I would have other options. He scampers in and out of this place better than the four legged creatures.* Seto thought as he walked over to his table of scrolls. *Hmm, perhaps there is a spell I could use...*
The hours of the day waned on as the two young men prepared for the evening. When the time came, Yami initiated his little plan with the servent girl. Earlier he remembered to add a cloth covering over his head to cover his unique hairstyle. He looked like a typical Egyptian now, just with royal adornments. Entering the lavatory, he then summoned the servent girl, much to the giggles and whispers of other servents and concubines in the chambers. The girl entered with a face redder than an over ripe tomato.
"They were saying things about me entering in here prince."
"Yeah, I can guess. They're just jealous and envious of you. Though what they think is happening obviously isn't. Sorry, but I saw no other way to do this." Yami said as he began to slip out of his clothing and removed much of his golden adornments. "Here, slip out of that and let me help you get all this stuff on."
The servent girl blushed with embarrassment. She wasn't sure if it was for her own disrobing or for seeing the royal prince in nothing but a loin undergarment. They were basically the same height and both had lean figures. Since puberty hadn't fully kicked in for the prince or the servent girl, their child like frames revealed nothing in their gender. Their voices weren't far off either. Yami's was cracking, but still contained that boyish pitch.
"Now remember, dignity and pride. You ARE the prince now. You can even order those ladies in my chamber around or punish them as you see fit. The world is yours. Confidence is a must. You think you can do all this?"
Looking at herself in the mirror and seeing how the gold glistened and enhanced her beauty, she did overcome her shyness. Dressed in a prince's garb complete with all the golden adornments, she seemed like a whole new person. Yami then removed his tiara-like crown and placed it onto her forehead. Then he slipped the cloth hair covering onto her head. "There, my prince." Yami said as he tested the feel of being a lowly servent girl. It felt awkward, but he had to play the part just as perfectly as the girl in his place. He threw on her servent's garb and added a rag covering typical of servents over his own head.
"Okay, one more thing." Yami said before they exited. "Walk out of here like you were just pleasured beyond your wildest dreams. Just casually walk over to the bed for a nap without a single word or look to them, no matter what you see or hear."
"WHAT!?"
"I may still just be a boy to some, but at this age, boys begin to have other things on their minds. THAT is what the ladies in my chamber are thinking."
"Well that was a little fact you failed to omit."
Yami chuckled. The clothing upon the girl was giving her a newly kindled fire in her personality. He found himself liking her even more. "I'm sorry. But, you're not going to get the brunt of it seeing how you're the prince. I am going to have to deal with their crap as I am now you."
"Oh right. Heheh, guess it's fair then." the girl said with a wink.
"Okay, in all the commotion, you are going to return to my aid and save me from them. You will open the doors and tell the guards that this servent girl is distracting the others and needs to be released of her duties for the night."
"I think I can handle that."
"If not, I'm going to have to make you into a crazed possessed girl."
"Okay, okay, I know I can handle that."
As the two exited, the plan proceeded perfectly. Yami was taken aback at the mouths of some of the servent women and felt a renewed respect for what these poor girls go through. Soon enough though the prince came to his aid and had him, or rather her removed from the royal chambers. Yami was now free!
The guards didn't even follow. They were ordered to stay by the doors.Yami left for the main corridor. He would find a servent that was bringing some sort of food somewhere. Sure enough he found a servent carrying fruit. He told the servent that the young priest demanded food now and took over the plate. Returning to Seto's chambers, the guards opened the door for the servent girl to enter with the fruit plate then shut the door behind her.
"I did not request any food. I'm very busy!" the young priest growled.
Yami continued to bow, but glanced around the room. They were alone. Perfect!
"Yeah, sure you are." Yami shot back sarcastically, lowering his voice as much as possible.
"Prince!?"
"Sssshh."
Seto broke down laughing. The prince, in a servent girl's garb! It was priceless! "I always knew you were a bit of a pansy, prince, but I never knew how far you'd go to prove it." Seto taunted.
"One thing Seto. I'm free of my room and even have a replacement so nobody knows I'm gone. Where are you?"
Seto ceased his chuckling instantly and scowled.
"Aww, it's not that bad. Look, half the work's done for you. I'm your pass out of here."
Seto only raised an inquisitive eyebrow. He disliked being 'put in his place', especially by this royal prince.
Yami continued. "I've offended you, like I seem to be realistically. You are removing me from your quarters and personally escorting me to my punishment. Simple yes?"
"Can I really punish you?"
"Of course not!"
"Then why bother with such a stupid plan. I can get to the bath house on my own."
Yami chuckled. "Oh right. I forgot, oh mighty high priest who's able to cast a spell of invisibility to evade even Akunadin himself."
Seto snorted.
"Look, like it or not, this is the most feasible option." Yami said as he found some cushions and began adjusting them under Seto's bed coverings. "See, you're still in your room, asleep as expected."
"That trick is old and over used."
"All the more reason they won't expect it again." Yami smirked. "Now get your plain robes and let's go. The night doesn't remain forever." Yami said as he tossed Seto a sack to place the robe in.
Seto growled and protested under his breath with every step he took of this plan. But, he complied. A feral smirk formed upon his lips as he roughly grabbed the prince. Rough handling would add to the effect that he was disgusted with this 'servent girl.'
Yami realized that the young priest was enjoying this part a little more than he felt comfortable with. But, it was realistic enough so he masked the pain he felt in the shoulder that Seto had grasped and yanked so harshly. Seto led them out of the bedchamber and the guards didn't even ask. The way Seto was handling the 'servent girl', it was obvious that he was sending her to be punished.
Partially to the bath house, they ran across unexpected company. It was Yami's parents and Simon on a rare late night stroll! Before they noticed, Yami quickly kicked out Seto's knees, dropping the priest to the floor and then lept onto him, swarming over him in a love embrace as their lips met in a passionate kiss. Seto tried to protest and fight, but caught off guard, Yami had the upper hand.
"Save it for the servent's quarters. This is a place of respect. Ignore this and you WILL be punished." Simon said to them as they passed by. Yami watched them from the corner of his eye. Once they passed and turned down the next corridor, he released Seto. Seto kneed the prince in the groin and shoved him off. The prince was thrown backward and slammed the wall across the corridor.
"DON'T YOU EVER---!!!" Seto yelled.
Yami fought off the surgence of pain and readjusted his garb. "I just saved your ass! They would have recognized you and you're not exactly where you should be. Me, however, am just a lowly servent girl. They wouldn't have given me a second glance." Yami then rubbed an arm across his lips. Blood streaked the garb. "You're a rotten kisser. You're not supposed to BITE! No wonder you don't have any luck with the ladies."
"Serves you right. Try that again and you will have no family jewels to continue your line with." Seto responded. He'd bloodied the prince, but not enough for his own satisfaction. At least it was a start.
Yami wanted to continue with the little 'debate', but time was of the essence. They already spent too much time in one place already. "Let's just move on."
"Fine." Seto said as he yanked the 'servent girl's' arm and dragged 'her' onward.
Once near the royal bath house, Yami tugged in a slightly different direction.
"The bath house is right here dolt!"
"But the escape route to the outside is over here. I was using the royal bath as a tactical reference point, idiot."
"You're going to exit the palace looking like that!?" Seto teased as he looked over the wannabe servent girl again.
"Just until we get past the outer wall. What? You think I ENJOY dressing like a lowly girl!?"
"Could've fooled me. That kiss back there was most feminine." Seto taunted. "And aren't we forgetting something oh mighty think-through-everything prince?"
"What?"
"Millenium items, hmm?"
"Got yours already." Yami said as he pulled a piece of clothing away to reveal the Millenium Rod then quickly covered it back up.
"How did you---"
"Magic. And MY secret." Yami replied with a prideful smirk. Actually, he had a couple of trained four-footed stooges. One was taught to steal while the other was given an object and taught to put where ever the other stole. Yami had simply rendered a fake Rod and gave it to one while the other was on a task to steal the item that looked like that. Mongooses were common running about the palace. They kept the palace safe from venomous snakes and disease ridden rodents. Yami had hand-raised a couple. He knew they were more than just mere animals or servents.The royals and nobility tended to keep one or two in their own chambers for added protection in the night. But Yami's were trained for other things beyond their basic roles. Both had scurried into his chambers earlier, both mouths on an end of the Rod to support its weight. He rewarded them with strips of meat. More would come in the next day.
"And what about the Puzzle?"
"I noticed it still about my father's neck. But, I'm guessing they are returning to their chambers for the night now. We just have to wait."
"Wait!? For how long?"
"My dad falls asleep quickly. It won't be long."
"Oh, and what if your parents decide that tonight they decide to do something other than sleep first hmm?"
Yami cringed. The vision of his parents doing THAT wasn't exactly a pleasing image. "I heard my dad yawn as he rounded that corner. There will be none of THAT tonight. He's ready to drop. Old men are like that."
Almost on cue, a cheetah appeared out of nowhere. Its jeweled collar glistening in the torch light. Seto stepped back for a moment.
"The king's cat! He will tell on us!"
Yami grinned. "For one, he can't talk. And two, he's working for me. See?" Yami said as both boys eyed the contents in the lanky cat's mouth. Yami removed the Puzzle. He then hugged and patted the cheetah. The cat rubbed up against him lovingly. "See, total loyalty. Something I don't see from a few HUMANS I know." Yami remarked as he aimed that comment at his taller counterpart.
Seto uttered a few curses under his breath as he jealously watched the prince interact with the beast. Seto himself had difficulty dealing with animals. Mongooses would not remain in his chambers. The black cat only came when it wanted something. And even rodents avoided the chambers of the young priest. He just didn't have a way with animals!
Yami uttered a command to the cheetah and it strolled off. Its head high with pride and dignity.
"And did the kitty put a fake Puzzle about the king's neck?" Seto uttered. He was seething inside, but could not find the right words. Was there anything this dang prince couldn't do!?
"Nope. I just have to return this prior to him awakening in the morning."
"Better you than me."
"Oh, but mighty high priest wannabe...YOU have to return the real Rod tomorrow." Yami slid in. He then led dragged the sputtering young priest down the corridor and to the outside. "Let's go! The world awaits us once again!" Yami said with excited pride within his hushed voice.
"Swell...can't wait." Seto muttered as he followed his overzealous prince away from the palace and towards the village once again. Why he went along with all the prince's antics and schemes was beyond him. Perhaps he was just destined to do so. He was beginning to seriously wonder what the gods had in store for the rest of his life!
To be continued...the village, a cranky tomb robber, and two energetic high status boys on the rampage. Thiefs and duels, and teens, oh my!