WHEN MEMORIES WOULD NEVER BE ENOUGH
Chapter One: The Beginning Of All There Is To Come
"I do not want to wed anyone!" ten-year-old Atemu loudly protested. His amethyst eyes glistened due to a mixture of tears from grieving and exasperation over what he just heard.
"My Pharaoh, you cannot produce heirs without a bride. You also need someone to rule with you until you come of age. You are fortunate. You will be marrying someone who you already know," Shimon quietly asserted as he motioned his right hand towards Xandra.
Atemu had heard and seen enough. He ran as fast as he could out of the study and bumped into a startled Akunadin. Since the boy was so upset, he apologetically nodded to his uncle and hurriedly sprinted away from the scene.
"What just happened here?" a perplexed High Priest Akunadin asked the counselor as he stood by the open door.
"I was telling them about the deceased Pharaoh's wishes. The young ones are not taking it so well," the wise man explained. "After all, these two have been betrothed since childhood."
"Ah, yes," Akunadin quietly agreed as he kept his unhappiness and frustration inside him. "The boy will realize that it will be for the good of Egypt to do so." He then slightly nodded his head, quickly bade farewell, and silently closed the door.
As the elderly high priest slowly walked away to attend to other matters, he intently mused, "There are now two obstacles to the throne: my nephew and that foreigner. The Millennium Eye, however, will pave the way for Set to become Pharaoh..."
Immediately after the study room's doors closed, Xandra listened to the rest of Shimon's advice. Even though she sensed the logic of the wise counselor's words, part of her shared Atemu's sentiments. She did not like the prospect of marrying someone she did not romantically love, even though their union would make her the Pharaoh's Great Wife and co-Regent at age 15.
A week had passed since that conversation between Shimon, Atemu, and Xandra. Grudgingly, the two youths agreed to marry each other.
The entire land of Egypt was busy with preparations for their upcoming nuptials, looking forward to the festive wedding between their beloved Pharaoh and the young royal foreigner they came to respect and love.
Everyone but Atemu, Xandra, and Akunadin...
As Xandra stood by the balcony of her large room, she saw the merry hustle and bustle of her second homeland. She tightly closed her eyes and breathed deeply, indulgingly letting the sun warm her face. While holding the Crest of Atlantis which now hung as a pendant to a necklace around her neck- the only memento left of her kingdom and her deceased father - myriad of thoughts swam within her mind. As the past panned before her mind's eye, she thought, "Six years sure flies quickly. It was just like yesterday..."
Shimon approached Xandra from behind and interrupted her train of thought. He had an exasperated look on his face, an expression that she was most familiar with over the years she had lived in the palace. That look of his could only mean one matter...
"Have you seen the Pharaoh Atemu?" the counselor asked Xandra with a crinkle in his forehead.
"No, I have not," was the young woman's response. "He must be hiding somewhere. Have you checked all the baskets and vases around the palace?"
After shaking his head, Shimon said, "I have to find him, especially since we have plenty to discuss for tomorrow's celebration."
"Maybe Mahado knows where he is."
"No, he does not know the Pharaoh's whereabouts. He was the first person that I asked." After a pause, Shimon resignedly commented, "That boy has been hiding from me for the past week now."
Xandra deeply sighed and wrapped her arms over her chest. "You cannot blame him. If I could only fit in a basket or vase, I will be hiding somewhere myself," she absent-mindedly noted while looking out at the blue sky.
Shimon genially observed as he noticed the familiar necklace clutched within her hand, "Thinking deeply, like always." He then stood besides her and gazed at the animated scene below.
"We barely sealed Father Akunamukanon inside his tomb, and the very first matter that everyone wanted us to talk about was the nuptials. I am but an adopted child, but I am already having trouble coming to terms with everything. Father and I were close. He treated me as his own blood daughter. Just imagine how Atemu must feel at this time. After all, he and Father were very close. They were not just Pharaoh and heir. They were father and son, and friends."
"The people are very happy with this union of yours. Pharaoh Akunamukanon must be pleased about this in the Afterlife. He would understand that matters of the state take precedence over everything else. Starting tomorrow evening, you will become the Pharaoh's Queen and Co-Regent."
"Co-Regent?" Xandra echoed his words in disbelief. After shaking her head in disagreement, she stated, "My brother is capable of single-handedly ruling the entire land. I will always support him and devote my life to the throne and court. Why are we rushing? Atemu and I have not been given time to grieve about losing Father."
"Alas, my dear, Pharaoh Atemu needs someone to rule with him until he comes of age. You and he have different temperaments. You two will greatly complement each other. As of now, he will benefit from you being years ahead of him," the wizened man explained.
"It is incorrect to think that age is equivalent to one's wisdom. Do not underestimate Atemu, especially since he is wise beyond his years."
"I am fully aware of the Pharaoh's intellectual gifts. What you say about him is true, but you also cannot deny the truth. Whether it is Atlantis or Egypt, your fate also belongs to the masses just as the Pharaoh. Both our cultures believe that it is sacrilegious to decline fate that the gods have already predestined."
"My kingdom, the Atlantean throne, and my destiny sank in the ocean six years ago. If Pharaoh Akunamukanon and Atemu did not take me in and treat me as family, I would have perished along with my people."
"That might be," Shimon semi-agreed as his tone became gentler than before. "Fate, however, has a way of rectifying itself. The Egyptians - the citizens of your second home - are now your people. They will depend on the Pharaoh, as well as you, to lead them."
"What if fate meant for me not to rule?" Xandra abruptly pointed out as her fists instinctively clenched. "Forgive my rudeness, Shimon, but the gods were the ones who destroyed my kingdom."
"Then why did fate bring you safely to Egypt moments before your gods struck Atlantis? Do you not think that the gods intend for you and Atemu to wed?" Shimon countered. He then saw the young lady's resolve soften.
"I will never have any misgivings in helping Atemu or our people," Xandra said with a resigned sigh and a heavy heart. She then left the balcony and entered her room with Shimon following behind. She then sat down on her bed.
A moment of silence transpired between them, the wise man patiently waiting for his young charge to express her sentiments.
"What about love, Shimon?" Xandra finally asked as she looked up to Shimon with a helpless and trapped expression painted on her face. Her eyes glistened from tears that she fought back.
"What about it?" Shimon inquired back, hoping to draw more information out from her.
"I know our fathers wanted this marriage, and so do the people. It would be..." After a long pause, Xandra added, "It would have been nice if both of us have wanted this, too...that he and I were marrying because we love each other."
"But you two do love each other-"
"Crown or no crown, I am still a woman. What about allowing myself to fall madly in love with the man who wins my heart before I marry him? The same goes with Atemu. Very soon, he will become a man. I am sure that when the time comes, he looks forward to winning the heart of the woman he loves. What about courtship? How is it going to be for us when we build a family due to duty and necessity rather than love between husband and wife? I am sure that Atemu does not feel that way towards me."
"And is the same true with you?"
Xandra looked rueful. "Our fathers talked about this betrothal when I was Atemu's age. Atemu and I are still far too young to see the possibility, especially Atemu. It is too soon to tell, and it makes it harder when everyone is pressing us about it. I am five years older than Atemu, and I cannot help but feel agitated and rushed. I am surmising that it is worse for Atemu."
Shimon gave Xandra time to have her emotions settle in before he asked, "Do you not love the Pharaoh and our people, my dear?"
"I love our people. I love Atemu. Of course, I love them," Xandra replied with sadness and sincerity laced in her voice. "As to Atemu, he is my brother. Aside from Set and Mana, Atemu is also my best friend...especially when he and I are not on each other's nerves. Atemu is far too young, however, to have a wife. I am doing him a disservice by forcing him to marry me."
"And likewise, correct?" was Shimon's interjected.
"Yes. There are too many things that bother me. I do not see or feel anything promising with this union. What if I am not fit to rule alongside him? What if we fall in love with other people? If he falls in love with someone else, he has recourse. He can always make any woman his Lesser Wife. He can gather as many concubines as he desires."
After a brief pause, Xandra then continued, "As with me, I will be bound to one man for my entire existence - him. I just wish that our reason for marrying would be more than just producing heirs to the throne. Instead, I feel that this marriage will be closing Brother Atemu's path to happiness when he truly comes of age...and I will end up being that very hindrance to his happiness."
"If Atlantis was still existing and I was your trusted counselor there, would you and I still be having this same conversation? Would you be betrothed to someone, too?"
"Yes," murmured Xandra, who then shook her head and let our a bitter chuckle. "I am just never fond of the idea of betrothal. I did not like it then, and I do not like it now. Now that I am older, I may be more open about it but the thought still makes my head shake. So I can empathize with Atemu and his wish to hide from all of this. I have been giving him and me room, so everyone should do the same. Tomorrow will be a different conversation."
The wise counselor sighed, his eyes mirroring the empathetic grin on his lips. "Relationships that last are built with strong foundations such as friendship, unity, compassion, respect, and understanding. Are you not glad that you already know each other as close friends and siblings?"
A tight-lipped Xandra replied, "I am."
"I do not blame you for being hesitant. Understand, however, that love has many levels. I have no doubt that you will both learn to love the other as mates, and maybe much more than that. Just give it time and patience," the counselor gently said as his eyes reflected the hope and happiness he felt inside for them.
Trouble still burdened her heart as she gazed at her tutor with intent and hopeful eyes. "I hope you are right, Shimon. Tomorrow, my brother and I will begin a new chapter in our lives. As you have said, this is the way that it was meant to be from the beginning. After the wedding, there will be no turning back for either Atemu or me..."
End of Chapter One
Author's Notes
If you are wondering whether this story is part of the Lost Souls Story Arcs, the answer is a resounding "yes." However, surprises are in store along the way. Let me know what you think.
Yu-Gi-Oh is the copyrighted property of Kazuki Takahashi. Xandra / Alexandra Emrys are properties of the author.
Thank you for reading and constructively reviewing.
Warmest Regards, PJ Zatken