Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh isn't mine. If it was, I'd be as rich as Seto Kaiba himself. (Well, probably not, but you get the idea…) And this fic is beta-read by Pamster. Thanks a lot to her for checking it and her advice.

Author's Note: Set's taking a turn for the worse, as you will see by the end of this chapter. Geberuk is the name of his and Akunadin's servant in the manga, or so I have read. Don't worry; he gets put in his place later on.

Summary: Trapped in Atemu's wine cellar, Neith and Set closer as the Hem Netjer then reveals his dark side.

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Chapter 13: His Own Personal Holiday

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Neith followed Set through the network of corridors, and as the young man pulled her along via her hand she smiled. Noticing that Set was looking back at her, a wry glint in his eyes, Neith smiled back. What did he have planned? Where was he taking her and why?

The young woman's mind was abuzz with ideas.

"Where are you taking me, Set? Is it a surprise?" Neith asked of the priest, who was still clad in nothing but his kilt. "Come on; tell me!"

Set carried on looking forward as he pulled Neith along.

"Have patience, woman. You shall see soon enough."

-o-

In time, Set had led Neith to a door in the lower levels of the palace basement.

Neith was curious about what Set wanted to show her. She could feel her heart beating fast within her chest as Set let go of her hand and approached the door. Ever since they had grown closer she had found herself being amazed by the way the Hem Netjer could make her feel. Angry, sad, joyful, proud and in love: a whole range of emotions.

After Set he had opened the door, Neith followed him inside. She tried to peer through the blackness beyond as Set picked up a lamp from somewhere to his left and illuminated it with a simple fire incantation.

Neith's breath caught in her throat; the room was filled with barrels and jars of each and every size, from tall and fat to small and thin.

Set's amused laughter echoed in Neith's ears, the young woman still taken in by the sight of the room. The lamp's flickering light illuminated Set, the brass object held high by his left hand. She had to admit; he was beautiful. And after his massage he smelled so beautiful.

Sniffing the air, Neith could smell a heady incense, which was intoxicatingly perfumed with exotic flowers and spices.

The young woman then watched Set as he spread his arms wide and turned in a full circle.

"This, my dear, is that boy's personal wine cellar."

Neith looked dumbfounded at Set, ignoring the remark he made about the Per A'a as her eyes roving across to a large earthen jar.

All this wine for just one man?

"There's a lot here, Hem Ntjr. Is this what you wanted to show me?" Neith asked of Set. "What do you plan on doing here?"

"I plan to abscond from any of that boy's pathetic meetings for the rest of the day by remaining firmly ensconced within these four walls, save for copious amounts of liquor and your company," Set replied, approaching the female brunette. "I intend to have my own personal holiday and you're my only guest."

Neith was wide-eyed.

"But – But we can't drink this! It belongs to Per A'a!" she exclaimed.

Set chuckled at this.

"My dear lotus, have you never walked along a knife edge before? Don't you like the danger of being alone with me? You don't know what I can do to you. Have a little injection of danger into your mundane life. You never know, you might enjoy it. And I promise you; you'll never look at me the same way again."

Neith looked down at the floor, shuffling her feet before raising her eyes to look up at Set. He was smirking at her, tempting her to join him.

"Well, I suppose one wouldn't hurt."

--

Some time later, after the two of them had consumed abundant amounts of Atemu's wine, Set was watching Neith from his perch atop a barrel, holding a small clay bowl in his outstretched left palm. The Sennen Rod lay next to him, and as he raised it to his lips he felt warm inside, and not just because of the fine liquor.

Watching Neith, Set had discovered that she took to alcohol like a fish to water. Who else could have been responsible for consuming most of what they had imbibed? Perhaps bringing her here was a bad thing; she was drunk and they were alone.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Set crossed his legs.

I should have expected that a woman couldn't hold her drink, the young man thought, dismounting the barrel.

"Come on, Set. Join me for a drink," Neith prodded him.

Set observed that there was a hazy look about the young woman as she turned to face him. Suddenly, Neith gasped in surprise when her legs gave way, forcing her to cling to the barrel for support.

She really doesn't know how to pace herself; that's the problem, Set thought, as Neith face first to the floor.

"Get to your feet, Neith. You've had quite enough for today."

Neith was smiling drunkenly as he walked over to her, bent down to grab her arms and peeled her away from the floor. She wobbled before leaning against him, and he could smell the alcohol on her breath.

"I guess so. You always say you know best, after all. You're so wise and strong…" Neith commented quietly.

Remaining quiet, Set could not help but notice that Neith's hands were gliding down his bare chest, slick after her massage. A lone finger trailed a path to his navel and then around to his back.

"Set, do you want me?" he was asked.

"What?"

Set tensed as Neith's hand ran up and down his back, eventually clenching his rear through his kilt. Swiftly, he peeled away her stray hand and put it back on his front. As enjoying as this occasion may become, he would much rather hear it coming from her when she was sober. There was no enjoyment for either of them if he took her in such a state, even if she was willing.

It's better if I wait.

"Because I want you. I may not seem or act like it, but I do," Neith drawled.

Set felt only half relaxed as Neith's finger drew circles on his chest. That was when he felt the young woman tugging at his belt.

"Come on, Hem Netjer; show me what you're made of. I know you want to."

It took a moment of pure will to peel Neith off his person, but Set did it all the same. He could not help but run a hand through Neith's thick hair, eventually caressing the side of her face.

"Of course I do," he whispered soothingly. "But not like this. It would not be fair, to you or myself."

There was a small murmur as Set pulled on Neith and held her close. Her breath was warm against his chest and as he stroked her hair, the young man smiled. Who would have thought that he could find such a thing pleasurable?

Picking Neith up in his arms, Set held her close, her head lolling to the side as he manoeuvred them through the room. At least he was able to get the two of them out of there. That and there was the fact he was sober. How else would he be able to return to his room?

It was an effort to get upstairs unseen, but Set thanked the fact that he somehow managed it. He was now walking down a corridor flooded with the evening's dim light. They must have been down there for quite some time. It was amazing they had remained relatively silent, save for inane chatter. At least he had fun.

At the end of this corridor was his room.

Set smiled and kissed Neith's hair. She was asleep, sleeping off the effects of the day's activities. It was relaxing to see her vulnerable like this.

The Hem Netjer walked onwards and reached the entrance to his chambers. It would have been better if Neith was visiting this place when awake, but beggars could not be choosers.

If that's the case, then why are you bringing her here? Set chided himself, looking down through inexpressive eyes at Neith. Damn it! You're going to have to undress her; she's in no fit state to do it herself.

Set then paused.

Hang on; how is that a bad thing?

The Hem Netjer lowered a hand to open the wooden door, smiling as it creaked open. Perhaps he would get something out of this after all.

--

Neith moaned as she opened her eyes.

What is this pain inside my head?

The young woman winced as she opened her eyes, shocked by the light as she attempted to focus her vision. It hurt so much…

Neith eventually came to realise that she was lying in what resembled a bed. Her sight clearing a bit more, she wiped the sleep from her eyes, resisted the urge to sleep once more and saw that the covers were white. Pressing a hand to her chest, she realised that she no longer wore her dress; she was clad in a long white tunic, a man's tunic.

What…? Where am I? Set?

"Well, well, well. You're awake at last," a man chuckled, his deep voice echoing from Neith's right. "I was worried; you were out for several hours. Ra has already descended from the sky."

Neith looked at Set, who had a lit lamp to his side, and her eyes furrowed in confusion as he laughed.

"You drank a lot in that cellar, woman. I had to carry you out and dress you for bed," Set smiled, a wicked tone in his voice.

Neith's eyes immediately shot down to look at her chest.

"I… didn't embarrass myself, did I?"

"Not in the slightest," Set replied. Why did she feel as if he was lying? "You were perfectly behaved."

Neith fell back in the bed with a sigh, after which she glanced sideways at her companion.

"Then why don't I believe you?"

Set closed his eyes and began to laugh, obviously amused as he sat up in bed.

Neith brushed back her hair, squinted her eyes and sat up in the bed. She had to be inside Set's chambers; there was no other explanation. Unfamiliar shelves, books and artefacts lined the walls, upon which there were all sorts of engravings. Not that she could tell what they were in the state she was in. Or had been in.

"You brought me into your sanctuary," Neith murmured. "Why?"

"I can keep a better eye on you here."

Neith could see Set looking at her, and she could see passion stirring within his soul.

"I can protect you better from here. Whilst I hold power, nothing shall happen to you. Not again."

Slipping with a moan beneath the covers, Neith felt Set take her hand beneath the covers. She smiled weakly at the man who had captured her heart. Finally, she felt at peace.

-o-

Set was watching Neith as she rested peacefully, absentmindedly running a hand over that of the young woman's. He then left her for a moment to cross the room and lock the door. He did not desire anyone walking in on them. He valued the privacy of their affair as well of his own.

Such matters niggled the young man's mind as he walked back to the bed, removed his golden bands from his arms, neck, legs and ankles and finally his kilt. He then slipped in the bed beside Neith, feeling pleased yet empty as he wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.

Although he was already a powerful person, he needed more power: the power to protect, and the power to destroy.

Set was thinking about how to acquire this power as he held Neith close, gazing straight into her eyes when she turned her head to face him.

Slowly, Neith's eyes drifted downwards and a red haze appeared on her cheeks.

"You – You're naked!" Neith whispered in shock, placing a hand over her mouth.

"So? People walk around like this all the time."

"I'm in bed with a naked man…" Neith sounded scandalised as Set gazed at her, a wicked smile on his face. "I'll never live it down!"

Raising a hand to stroke Neith's hair away from her face, Set shook his head.

"But I only hold the noblest of intentions," he smirked, slowly trailing his right hand across her shoulder and down her back.

Set smiled to himself as Neith gasped, his hand resting at the base of her spine.

"You have such a dirty mind, lotus."

"I do not!" Neith replied.

"Are you arguing with me, priestess?"

"N – not at all, Hem Ntjr," Neith stammered, reminded of the differences in their stature.

"You should be used to sharing my bed by now; you've done so twice already. Once when we kissed and several days after that."

Set remained silent as Neith looked away from him, no doubt blushing.

She's embarrassed; I'll have to rid her of that.

Resting his head on top of hers, Set sighed peacefully as Neith fell quiet. She was such an intriguing character and he longed to unravel her mystery. Moving so he could hold her close with both arms, Set smiled to himself.

Neith's leg brushed against his when he moved, nudging him gently. The sensation he felt… it was like lightning!

Set grimaced and tried to ignore how he felt, but he had enough experience to know that it would be almost impossible. It was not just because Neith now occupied his mind, but also because of the fact he had an overactive imagination. The two of them engaged in a number of positions, doing things together…

Feeling a little twitch down below, Set grimaced. This really was impossible!

But neither of you are due to work in the temple for another month, and she's just lying there, drunk as anything, his inner voice offered.

Oh, be quiet! I'm a priest; I don't jump people!

Hearing Neith sigh as he reluctantly pulled himself away from her, Set turned onto his other side. Why was he feeling like this? There were more important things than the fulfilment of one's base desires.

The Hem Netjer narrowed his eyes in concentration. She really was testing him. This matter had to be sorted out, but not tonight. Tonight, he would go without, even if she were lying there.

I'll let her sleep just a little bit longer. Firstly, I need power… much more power. Then I can…

Set felt another twitch, much stronger than the last one, and cursed as he peeked beneath the covers. It was…

The young man immediately looked back up, feeling strained and uncomfortable but also in need of release.

-o-

Early the next morning, before Neith had arisen, Set was down in the lowest level of the palace. His toad-like servant, Geberuk, who held a lamp to illuminate their path, was guiding him down a winding flight of stairs. As he touched down at the bottom he found himself thinking of Neith. She knew nothing of this place, as did Atemu, and it was better that way.

Walking along a narrow path beside a deep pit, in the middle of which were spiked platforms, Set gazed at the two thrones in the distance.

I need power; I must have power!

The young man walked up to the twin thrones, one each for himself and his mentor, and seated himself in the nearest one, placing the Sennen Rod in his lap. Himself, Akunadin and Geberuk were the only ones who knew of this place, a place of torture. It was a place Atemu and his bleeding heart would not agree with, nor would have the noble spirit of his father, Akunumkanon, a man who he had, unlike his son, respected. If Atemu learned of its existence, the place would be sealed or destroyed.

That could not happen. He had plans for this place.

"You! Are the prisoners ready?"

"Yes, Hem Netjer. I only await your command." Set glanced evenly at the servant, a cold gleam in his eyes as he was bowed to. "May we begin?"

Set smiled to himself. Who cared about what Atemu thought? Perhaps those two Syrian spies would serve some purpose after all. How ironic it was that enemies who had threatened Kemet and his Neith would become his servants. But first, they had to be trained.

"Let's get started."

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