Bound
Chapter Fourteen
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It had been two days since Anzu's accident, or attempted murder as she would call it. Her ankle, which had been fractured, but would mend nicely, still throbbed when she tried to walk on it, but she had been able to get up and about this day. To her surprise, the Pharaoh had insisted that she rest the first few days; unable to turn down the "royal treatment," so to speak, she had agreed to his demands.
This moment found her in the same garden her accident had occurred in, only this time, she wasn't alone. One of Yuugi's personal guards had accompanied her. Anzu knew that he must have felt insulted to be guarding a slave, but he had been most kind to her and had not given off any hint that he might be displeasured about being her chaperone.
"Could you be so kind as to hold my basket for a moment?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Of course," he replied politely, taking the basket from her hands. She noted that he was quite handsome with his short ebony hair pulled to the side. He was probably in his thirties, but still looked quite young.
"How long have you been a personal guard of the Pharaoh's?" she asked, if simply for the reason of small talk to pass the time. She bent down to gather a bundle of wheat into her arms and set it in the basket.
"For five years, after proving my worth with his first cousin, the Lord Otogi," he replied pridefully. She smiled, taking the basket back.
"I imagine it is quite an honor," she remarked. He puffed out his chest and lifted his chin a notch.
"A great honor! One day, I hope to be the new heir's birthwatcher."
"New heir?" she asked, puzzled.
"The heir of the Pharaoh, whenever he may be born," he said slowly. Anzu blushed.
"Yes, of course," she gushed out embarrassedly.
Anzu spotted a peach tree and hurried over to it. Just as she was picking her second peach, a dagger flew past her and embedded itself into the tree. She choked on her gasp and fell to the side. She barely noticed that her guard had himself thrown a dagger which landed on its target. Her would-be assassin fell to the ground in a heap.
Anzu struggled to her feet and cautiously approached the man. Her guard was in the process of shaking the man roughly.
"Tell me who sent you this very moment!" he shouted. The man was cradling his wounded shoulder and gasping in pain. "Tell me!" he repeated.
"The dancer girl!" he choked out.
Anzu's eyes widened. "Teneia?"
Her guard looked up at her. "Someone you are aware of?" Anzu nodded numbly. He dragged the man up to his feet and towards the Palace doors. Anzu quickly followed, wondering what would happen to the man.
When the three of them entered Yuugi's chambers, they were directed to the Throne Room where the Pharaoh was at. Anzu struggled to keep up with the guard's fast paces as they neared the Throne Room.
Their abrupt entrance earned her guard two other guards to grab him. Yuugi stood from his throne.
"Unhand him!" he ordered as he walked down the dais steps. The two guards bowed deeply and backed away. Anzu was left breathless, for in that moment, she knew how regal Yuugi was.
"My lord Pharaoh," her guard began after a quick bow of his own, "here is your houseservant's would-be assassin; he again attempted murder just now." He tossed the man down onto the floor before Yuugi. "He claims that a dancer girl named Teneia hired him."
Yuugi eyed Anzu for any sign of injury, and after assuring himself that she was fine, he ordered Teneia brought before them. Yuugi thought to offer Anzu a seat, but decided against it with the audience of nobles in the Throne Room. He decidedly pushed down the brief feeling of guilt.
While he impatiently waited for his personal guard to return with Teneia, he gazed at Anzu standing off to the side, looking every bit as if she belonged there. She held her chin up pridefully. He shifted uncomfortably in his throne. She made her simple cotton dress look so beautiful on her. He set his mouth in a thin line.
"Someone bring the lady a seat," he called out to no one in particular. When nobody did so, he glared around at the guards who were looking at him as if he had grown a third arm. "That was an order, not a request!" he bellowed. They quickly shuffled to move a seat to Anzu, who took it with a deep flush gracing her cheeks for being made the center of attention.
"The 'lady?'" Jounouchi echoed in his ear quietly. Yuugi glared at his friend.
"I care not what they think about it," he said loudly enough for the nobility staring at him to hear. They wasted no time in returning to their gossip and frivolous talk. Their attention, however, was soon back on him when the guard brought Teneia into the Throne Room. Yuugi mused that she resembled a deer caught between two hunters with no hope of escape. Nevertheless, he felt no pity for the girl.
"Did you hire this man to kill my houseservant?" he asked her directly, pointing at the aged man still cradling his bloody shoulder on the marbled floor. Teneia looked at him briefly, then started turning her head wildly about, looking for any means of escape.
"You will not escape here, so tell me right now," he said calmly. The beautiful dancer started to sob hysterically.
"She's a whore! She'll just use you!" she screamed, earning an insulted sound from Anzu. Yuugi sensed a fight about to start between the two women, so he quickly intervened again.
"I will take your implication as a 'yes' and as so, you will be shipped off for a foreign land where you will be left to fend for yourself. May Ra help you if he deems you worthy of such," he said in a final tone and motioned for a guard to take her away.
"I loved you!" was the only audible sentence that escaped her mouth as she was dragged out of the Throne Room.
- - -
"I will not be joining the court in the Great Hall this eve," the Pharaoh announced as he wiped his mouth with his cloth. Jounouchi halted mid-bite and gave him a questioning look.
"You won't?" he asked in slight surprise. Yuugi sighed.
"I tire of their blithering gossip," he said in a temperamental manner. Jounouchi bit into his quail and swallowed. He wiped his mouth and stood.
"I will go and make it known then. As always, your hospitality is most appreciated," Jounouchi said with a lazy grin gracing his features. Yuugi returned the grin and saw his best friend to the door.
After Jounouchi had gone, he fell upon his luscious couch ungracefully, and he rubbed his eyes tiredly. He was almost in the hazy realm of unconscious sleep when a small voice called his name from the doorway. He cracked open an eyelid; Anzu was staring intently at him.
He sat up and patted the seat next to him. It seemed an eternity had passed by the time Anzu sat down next to Yuugi. She seemed to contemplate her words for a few moments before actually speaking.
"It is hard for me to say this, but I just wanted to thank you for earlier... you know, with Teneia and everything."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "'Twas nothing."
She shook her head. "No, it really meant a lot to me."
"I don't know what you do to me," he whispered. She didn't have time to question his statement or his broken expression because he had already leaned in and touched his lips against her own silky ones.
Anzu sat immobilized for a few moments before she finally regained control of her motor skills. Yuugi didn't care to admit it, but he was beyond relieved when she finally began to respond to his kiss. Being intimate with a woman never felt so good, so right.
The moment ended in a harshly abrupt manner when he came to his senses. He tore his lips away from hers and wiped his mouth, mentally asking himself what had come over him. He missed the hurt on Anzu's face; however, he soon enough noticed her walking away from him.
"Anzu!" he called out, but she ran f rom the room and out of his chambers completely.
- - -
Malik ran a hand through his silky, cream locks. "Can we get back to business now?" he asked irritably.
Bakura smirked. "You were the one who was so keen to avoid business," he said with an underlying tone. He licked his lips provocatively.
"Well," Malik started curtly, "we've spent enough time on that. The Pharaoh's birthday is now four days away. We need to get to work!"
Bakura kept his chocolate eyes pinned to Malik's swaying behind as he followed him out into the private garden. Malik, unaware of his companion's oblivious stare, ranted on about how they had wasted too much time.
Once they had reached the garden, Malik stamped his foot impatiently. "Get in here, will you?"
Bakura raised an eyebrow and slowly--deliberately--entered the garden. "Damn, Malik. What got stuck up your ass?"
Malik flushed at the question which served as both an insult and a sexual implication. "Listen, if we do not get things worked up, these past few months of planning will have been for nothing."
"Alright, alright. At ease," Bakura joked. Honestly, he was in a much better mood after their innuendo; Malik needed to calm down.
Malik cleared his throat and paced back and forth. Bakura took this time to glance around at his surroundings. They had met in this same garden once before, but it had been in the middle of the night. He remarked to himself now that it truly was quite lovely. There wasn't anyone about and when he questioned Malik about it, he was informed that only royalty, nobility and anyone else the Pharaoh specifically allowed could come in this particular garden. However, the garden was taken for granted often, so was not used too much.
"I know how we shall claim the sennen items, but if that plan should somehow fail, we need a back-up. We need someone close to the Pharaoh. But who?" he wondered to himself. Bakura leaned against a tree and whistled to himself. Malik was better with plans than he was anyway.
"Oh, Ra... could our luck have been any more on time than now? I cannot believe it," Malik said in shock. Bakura followed his gaze to land on a distressed girl running into the garden.
"I know just what we'll do," Malik said with a malicious grin.
- - - - - - - - - -
NEXT CHAPTER: 'insert secret here' XD
- - - - - - - - - -
No preview of the next chapter; however, I am already starting to write on it. I could have written it in this chapter, but oh how I do so love cliffhangers. I'm out of school for this semester, so the next chapter should be posted soon. More reviews get a faster chapter. XD
Chapter Fourteen
- - - - - - - - - -
It had been two days since Anzu's accident, or attempted murder as she would call it. Her ankle, which had been fractured, but would mend nicely, still throbbed when she tried to walk on it, but she had been able to get up and about this day. To her surprise, the Pharaoh had insisted that she rest the first few days; unable to turn down the "royal treatment," so to speak, she had agreed to his demands.
This moment found her in the same garden her accident had occurred in, only this time, she wasn't alone. One of Yuugi's personal guards had accompanied her. Anzu knew that he must have felt insulted to be guarding a slave, but he had been most kind to her and had not given off any hint that he might be displeasured about being her chaperone.
"Could you be so kind as to hold my basket for a moment?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Of course," he replied politely, taking the basket from her hands. She noted that he was quite handsome with his short ebony hair pulled to the side. He was probably in his thirties, but still looked quite young.
"How long have you been a personal guard of the Pharaoh's?" she asked, if simply for the reason of small talk to pass the time. She bent down to gather a bundle of wheat into her arms and set it in the basket.
"For five years, after proving my worth with his first cousin, the Lord Otogi," he replied pridefully. She smiled, taking the basket back.
"I imagine it is quite an honor," she remarked. He puffed out his chest and lifted his chin a notch.
"A great honor! One day, I hope to be the new heir's birthwatcher."
"New heir?" she asked, puzzled.
"The heir of the Pharaoh, whenever he may be born," he said slowly. Anzu blushed.
"Yes, of course," she gushed out embarrassedly.
Anzu spotted a peach tree and hurried over to it. Just as she was picking her second peach, a dagger flew past her and embedded itself into the tree. She choked on her gasp and fell to the side. She barely noticed that her guard had himself thrown a dagger which landed on its target. Her would-be assassin fell to the ground in a heap.
Anzu struggled to her feet and cautiously approached the man. Her guard was in the process of shaking the man roughly.
"Tell me who sent you this very moment!" he shouted. The man was cradling his wounded shoulder and gasping in pain. "Tell me!" he repeated.
"The dancer girl!" he choked out.
Anzu's eyes widened. "Teneia?"
Her guard looked up at her. "Someone you are aware of?" Anzu nodded numbly. He dragged the man up to his feet and towards the Palace doors. Anzu quickly followed, wondering what would happen to the man.
When the three of them entered Yuugi's chambers, they were directed to the Throne Room where the Pharaoh was at. Anzu struggled to keep up with the guard's fast paces as they neared the Throne Room.
Their abrupt entrance earned her guard two other guards to grab him. Yuugi stood from his throne.
"Unhand him!" he ordered as he walked down the dais steps. The two guards bowed deeply and backed away. Anzu was left breathless, for in that moment, she knew how regal Yuugi was.
"My lord Pharaoh," her guard began after a quick bow of his own, "here is your houseservant's would-be assassin; he again attempted murder just now." He tossed the man down onto the floor before Yuugi. "He claims that a dancer girl named Teneia hired him."
Yuugi eyed Anzu for any sign of injury, and after assuring himself that she was fine, he ordered Teneia brought before them. Yuugi thought to offer Anzu a seat, but decided against it with the audience of nobles in the Throne Room. He decidedly pushed down the brief feeling of guilt.
While he impatiently waited for his personal guard to return with Teneia, he gazed at Anzu standing off to the side, looking every bit as if she belonged there. She held her chin up pridefully. He shifted uncomfortably in his throne. She made her simple cotton dress look so beautiful on her. He set his mouth in a thin line.
"Someone bring the lady a seat," he called out to no one in particular. When nobody did so, he glared around at the guards who were looking at him as if he had grown a third arm. "That was an order, not a request!" he bellowed. They quickly shuffled to move a seat to Anzu, who took it with a deep flush gracing her cheeks for being made the center of attention.
"The 'lady?'" Jounouchi echoed in his ear quietly. Yuugi glared at his friend.
"I care not what they think about it," he said loudly enough for the nobility staring at him to hear. They wasted no time in returning to their gossip and frivolous talk. Their attention, however, was soon back on him when the guard brought Teneia into the Throne Room. Yuugi mused that she resembled a deer caught between two hunters with no hope of escape. Nevertheless, he felt no pity for the girl.
"Did you hire this man to kill my houseservant?" he asked her directly, pointing at the aged man still cradling his bloody shoulder on the marbled floor. Teneia looked at him briefly, then started turning her head wildly about, looking for any means of escape.
"You will not escape here, so tell me right now," he said calmly. The beautiful dancer started to sob hysterically.
"She's a whore! She'll just use you!" she screamed, earning an insulted sound from Anzu. Yuugi sensed a fight about to start between the two women, so he quickly intervened again.
"I will take your implication as a 'yes' and as so, you will be shipped off for a foreign land where you will be left to fend for yourself. May Ra help you if he deems you worthy of such," he said in a final tone and motioned for a guard to take her away.
"I loved you!" was the only audible sentence that escaped her mouth as she was dragged out of the Throne Room.
- - -
"I will not be joining the court in the Great Hall this eve," the Pharaoh announced as he wiped his mouth with his cloth. Jounouchi halted mid-bite and gave him a questioning look.
"You won't?" he asked in slight surprise. Yuugi sighed.
"I tire of their blithering gossip," he said in a temperamental manner. Jounouchi bit into his quail and swallowed. He wiped his mouth and stood.
"I will go and make it known then. As always, your hospitality is most appreciated," Jounouchi said with a lazy grin gracing his features. Yuugi returned the grin and saw his best friend to the door.
After Jounouchi had gone, he fell upon his luscious couch ungracefully, and he rubbed his eyes tiredly. He was almost in the hazy realm of unconscious sleep when a small voice called his name from the doorway. He cracked open an eyelid; Anzu was staring intently at him.
He sat up and patted the seat next to him. It seemed an eternity had passed by the time Anzu sat down next to Yuugi. She seemed to contemplate her words for a few moments before actually speaking.
"It is hard for me to say this, but I just wanted to thank you for earlier... you know, with Teneia and everything."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "'Twas nothing."
She shook her head. "No, it really meant a lot to me."
"I don't know what you do to me," he whispered. She didn't have time to question his statement or his broken expression because he had already leaned in and touched his lips against her own silky ones.
Anzu sat immobilized for a few moments before she finally regained control of her motor skills. Yuugi didn't care to admit it, but he was beyond relieved when she finally began to respond to his kiss. Being intimate with a woman never felt so good, so right.
The moment ended in a harshly abrupt manner when he came to his senses. He tore his lips away from hers and wiped his mouth, mentally asking himself what had come over him. He missed the hurt on Anzu's face; however, he soon enough noticed her walking away from him.
"Anzu!" he called out, but she ran f rom the room and out of his chambers completely.
- - -
Malik ran a hand through his silky, cream locks. "Can we get back to business now?" he asked irritably.
Bakura smirked. "You were the one who was so keen to avoid business," he said with an underlying tone. He licked his lips provocatively.
"Well," Malik started curtly, "we've spent enough time on that. The Pharaoh's birthday is now four days away. We need to get to work!"
Bakura kept his chocolate eyes pinned to Malik's swaying behind as he followed him out into the private garden. Malik, unaware of his companion's oblivious stare, ranted on about how they had wasted too much time.
Once they had reached the garden, Malik stamped his foot impatiently. "Get in here, will you?"
Bakura raised an eyebrow and slowly--deliberately--entered the garden. "Damn, Malik. What got stuck up your ass?"
Malik flushed at the question which served as both an insult and a sexual implication. "Listen, if we do not get things worked up, these past few months of planning will have been for nothing."
"Alright, alright. At ease," Bakura joked. Honestly, he was in a much better mood after their innuendo; Malik needed to calm down.
Malik cleared his throat and paced back and forth. Bakura took this time to glance around at his surroundings. They had met in this same garden once before, but it had been in the middle of the night. He remarked to himself now that it truly was quite lovely. There wasn't anyone about and when he questioned Malik about it, he was informed that only royalty, nobility and anyone else the Pharaoh specifically allowed could come in this particular garden. However, the garden was taken for granted often, so was not used too much.
"I know how we shall claim the sennen items, but if that plan should somehow fail, we need a back-up. We need someone close to the Pharaoh. But who?" he wondered to himself. Bakura leaned against a tree and whistled to himself. Malik was better with plans than he was anyway.
"Oh, Ra... could our luck have been any more on time than now? I cannot believe it," Malik said in shock. Bakura followed his gaze to land on a distressed girl running into the garden.
"I know just what we'll do," Malik said with a malicious grin.
- - - - - - - - - -
NEXT CHAPTER: 'insert secret here' XD
- - - - - - - - - -
No preview of the next chapter; however, I am already starting to write on it. I could have written it in this chapter, but oh how I do so love cliffhangers. I'm out of school for this semester, so the next chapter should be posted soon. More reviews get a faster chapter. XD