Eruna

Chapter two: Why you shouldn't anger priest Seth and who the hell was that grinning idiot in the Temple?

Eruna quickly got used to the life in the Palace. She loved the new clothes she received, all that jewelery, her new chamber... she was just a child, she didn't really understand all that happened around her. She missed her mother, father and 'Kura, but now she had to live her new life. And in fact, the Pharaoh made it easy for her to adjust to the new situation... he spoiled her senseless, having every little one of her wishes fulfilled. Atem didn't exactly behave better, treating his new sister as a princess she was. Seth, on the other hand, became her greatest enemy from the first day of her new life. They were arguing constantly, often they had to be held far from each other, because they would have a fight otherwise...

One beautiful day, Eruna was out in the gardens with Atem, Seth, Isis and Mahaado, the last two of them being young priests, maybe future Royal High Priests. As the youngest of them all, she was protected by the rest, but that didn't stop her from climbing trees or hiding in the bushes like absolutely no girl – let alone a princess – should; although she didn't even get a reprimand, maybe because everybody liked her too much to get angry at her. She was a cheerful, charming child and it seemed that only Seth could resist that charm. Others were admiring that cheerfulness in a small girl that had just lost her parents and friends... and she just wanted to be like a type of girl that Bakura would be proud of!

"Eruna, please, don't crawl under that bush, you'll be all dirty! And we have a diplomacy dinner tonight...!" Atem begged, knowing well that his little sister wasn't a person to be ordered around. But she didn't listen and happily crawled under the bush, making Seth's eye twitch uncontrollably. He tried to calm down, but suddenly, he snapped.

"Get out of there, you pain in the arse, or I'll call Sakhmet to get you!"

That was low. Sakhmet was the only person Eruna really got to ever hate. She was a bad woman, but the evil within her wasn't recognized by the Pharaoh.

"Atem, he is threatening me!" Eruna wailed and got from the bushes right into her brother's protective embrace. "Don't let him call the scary slave!..."

"Don't be afraid, Eruna... He won't call her, I promise..." Atem said soothingly and glared at Seth for scaring the child. Isis glared, too and Mahaado just chuckled.

"Heh, dear Seth, you'll always loose when it comes to this little lady," he said; Seth growled and went back to the palace without another word. Eruna looked at his retreating form and told Atem:

"I think he wants you to treat him more like a friend... it's because of me that you are not friends anymore..." and she escaped from her brother's embrace, hiding beneath a bush again. Even for a child it was quite obvious that the blue eyed boy was looking for somebody to treat like a brother; his cousin, Atem, was a perfect person for that aim, but after her arrival it all got quite messed up... She was unhappy because of that; actually, Seth wasn't even that bad! He did threaten her with Sakhmet, but without him, she'd probably just be caught by Sakhmet sooner or later, punished and all...

That night, Eruna had the most unusual dream, where she, wearing exotic, strange clothes, was kissing another girl, who looked like his mirror reflection. The other was dressed in simple linen clothes on her dark body and was much tinier than her. When they broke apart, the other started melting into thin air, but before she vanished completely, she screamed Eruna's real name... and there were so many emotions in that one, desperate call, that Eruna just wanted to embrace the other girl... only... she was just a dream. Eruna sighed and looked at Mahaado, who was still sleeping peacefully. He was the best friend she could have in the palace, and also just as unhappy as she was. He was an orphan, too, but the Pharaoh had nothing to do with it; his parents just died from an unknown reason. Also, the ruler didn't particularly like the young priest; fortunately, Atem did and spend almost as much time with him as with Seth. Eruna sighed again; after all, however she might excuse him, Seth proved to be a cold and arrogant person, seeking profit – even in his young age. Mahaado, on the other hand, was really cheerful, but also had that mysterious aura that Eruna knew all those noble Egyptians had about them. She always envied her that – Bakura told her once that who has that aura about them can rule the world and do it well. She was sure that the lack of that aura was what made Sakhmet never listen to her orders. The slave was disobeying her from the start, and she didn't seem to care for the consequences of such disrespect. On second thought, Sakhmet was otherwise suspicious... Usually, the slaves in the palace had no names, unless they were remains of noble families which just ended up as slaves for various reasons – debts, treason of family members, things like that. But those priests were treated with respect, more like guests themselves, they even had great chances to become priests, like Karim for example. He was another one of those mystery-surrounded noblemen, always polite and kind, but you always had an impression that he was hiding something from you, keeping some kind of secret. He usually hung out with Shadi, and Eruna thought that was just logical, because they were so similar... well, she thought so, but she didn't really get to know them well, she was in the palace only for five risings of Ra untill now. She got up; sleep wouldn't come now, not anymore. She looked out a huge, stone framed window and smiled sadly. Ra was slowly risng somewhere beyond the horizon, reawakening from his every night's death. She remembered that once, she was out with 'Kura for the whole night and when they woke up in the morning in some oasis, they both stared at Ra being reborn like every day since the beginning of everything... Mum was very angry at them for not coming home, but they didn't care back then. If she's only known that she'd have no mother in a few months... but she couldn't hate Pharaoh Akunumkanon, she couldn't blame him for what happened. He took the eight year old as his own child, even though raisning a child required money and actually, no nobleman would agree to take her... but the almighty Pharaoh did. She was now getting the same education Atem did, because the Pharaoh wanted her to become a priestess sometime when she was ready. He knew the girl was clever and intelligent - she knew her situation, understood what was happening around her, she knew how to use her new position, but never really gave up heer old way of living. When the previous day she didn't want to learn about the Shadow Magic (she decided it wasn't really her thing), she ran away to the great garden and hid in the bushes. Mahaado and Isis eventually found her and Seth told her she was a dumb girl who thinks she can do everything, but he didn't really understand. She was like that even before – disobeying mother and acting like an unbearable child, more like a little thief from the streets of big cities than a girl raised to be a princess and priestess. After that incident she received some herbs from another teacher and was asked to do anything with them. She managed to produce a healing ointment, did a great mess in Mahaado's chamber and fell asleep, forgetting to change into her night gowns. Now, looking through the window, she was thinking of that dream... only now did she realise that she was much older in it than she was now, maybe in Seth's age, maybe slightly older... But did it mean anything, really?...

The day was just like everyday in the palace; the young priests had to attend their usual doings in the Great Temple of the Gods, Atem had some lessons in defence arts, Seth was helping him, and proved much better in fighting than the young Prince, as always; Eruna had those irritating caligraphy lessons. She liked writing, the hieroglyphs were beautiful and mysterious, but the teacher... he couldn't make it any more boring. However, Eruna knew she had to be patient and learn. And when the lesson ended, Eruna ran to the Temple, to pray for her brother Bakura, and to help Mahaado and the others.

The Temple of Gods was connected with the palace by a complicated system of underground corridors; Mahaado once showed her one of them and said even he onlyknew two or free passages. Maybe High Priest Akunadin knew more, but asking him would be too risky, for Eruna wasn't supposed to come to the sacred part of the Temple, where the corridors led. Only the High Priest and the five young priests – Seth, Isis, Mahaado, Karim and Shadi – were allowed to go there. Other people would inflict the Gods' anger upon themselves, but Eruna believed that if she was going to become a priestess one day too, the Gods wouldn't be too angry at her. And she loved the Temple, anyway, so she wouldn't stop going there. Only Mahaado and Isis knew about those "visits", and although they didn't really approve them, they didn't want to forbid them. Mahaado didn't have the heart to, and Isis had an impression it wouldn't help really. Eruna was a stubborn little girl and didn't listen to older people. But wasn't she also impossibly adorable...?

Atem was quite a good fighter for a twelve-year old, but Seth was definitely better. Maybe the Shadow Games were the Prince's domain, but his cousin was an artist when it came to fighting, sword or not. Now, the priest was effectively pinning Atem to the floor, smirking at him. For some unknown reason, the younger one was blushing, averting his "captor's" gaze. High Priest Akunadin walked on them like that, but he only rised an eyebrow and told Seth he was needed in the Temple, then left. Atem looked at Seth's handsome face, ready to apologise for Ra knows what, but suddenly, the priest's lips caught his own in a gentle kiss. It was only brief, Seth quickly pulled away, stood up, and left without another word, leaving Atem sprawled on the floor, touching his lips with his fingers, eyes wide and heart beating faster than usually. It was obvious: prince Atem had a crush on his cousin Seth.

Eruna was kneeling behind a pillar in one of the sacred chambers of the Temple; it was Isis' part of the Temple and Eruna was praying to Mother Isis for protection over her brother. She believed that good Mother will understand the boy's misfortune and take him under her wings, help him find a path in life. The girl even burned a bouqet of flowers in the sacred fire as a sacrifice for the Goddess, hoping it will make her prayer stronger. Suddenly, she heard footsteps; she looked at the entrance and saw Seth, heading to the huge altar. She hid further behind the pillar, hoping the ashes of her sacrifice wouldn't rise the priest's suspicion. It would be bad if Seth found out she was there; not only would she be punished, but also Mahaado would be in danger for showing her how to get there. She knew Seth didn't like her; well, maybe he didn't dislike her, too, but he most certainly wasn't very happy because of her existence. And to think, he was the person she should be grateful to... if not for him, she wouldn't have been there as a princess, more likely as a slave, if at all. And now she had to hide from the cold priest... in vain, because he realised she was there halfway to the altar. He only sighed.

"Get out of your pathethic hiding spot, child. I see you perfectly. I don't know who showed you how to get here – probably Mahaado – but I don't really care, so come here," he said. Eruna stood up and came closer to the tall priest, noticing an unusual expression on his face – a wide, happy grin, a bit sheepish, really. She stared at him in shock.

"Who are you and what have you done to priest Seth?!" She asked and he chuckled, before returning to his usual attitude.

"Why did you pray here?" He asked after a while of silence. And. Strangely enough, his voice reminded Eruna of 'Kura. Seth... proved to be a worthy listener. They talked for a long time.

TBC