Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.
Ateyda awoke lying on her side. It was dark. 'It still must be night,' she thought. She closed her eyes, and then turned over and laid back on Yami. He stroked her cheek, but his hands were not as soft as they usually were. She opened her eyes and looked up to see one of Kaiba's men staring down at her. She flung herself off of him, but he grabbed her arm. He pulled her off the bed. She saw Yami's unconscious form on the floor. They must have hit him when he was asleep, otherwise they never would have stood a chance. As quickly as she could, she twisted herself around so it would twist his arm. He yelled out in pain and let go. She stood waiting for them to try to come at her, but they stood back and smiled. They were not looking at her, but behind her. She felt something hit her head hard, and she fell into black.
Her head pounded with pain. She could not remember what made it hurt like that. She turned to her side to hear the clink of metal. She opened her eyes to see that she was no longer in the palace. She was on a bed, but not one she had ever seen at the palace. She tried to get up to look out the window, but she was held back. There were chains on her wrists and ankles. She pulled and tugged to get them off, but they were on tight. She tried to break the chain itself, but it was too strong. Finally, with all the strength she could muster, she pulled the whole bed with her to the window. She finally got to look out as she was trying to catch her breath. She then let out a gasp as she saw where she was. She looked out at the view from Kaiba's mansion.
The door opened behind her. Kaiba came strolling in. "You thought I would just let you go?," he asked, "Did you really think I was going to let you get away that easily?"
"Why do you not just leave me be!," Ateyda screamed as she tried to break the chains again. Kaiba strode over to her, and threw her on the bed.
He climbed on top of her and said, "You reek of the Pharaoh. Did you warp his mind into loving you? You did, didn't you? You are my wife, not his!"
"I am not your wife," she said trying to shove him off, "I never married you and I never will!"
"We need to rid you of this smell," he said as he unlocked all of her chains. If she had been with anyone else, she could have escaped, but Kaiba had power that scared her. He had a millennium item. What did she have? Some fighting skills and maybe a staff if she could find one. He pulled her from the room, and led her downstairs. He took her to the springs outside. He then threw her in the water. Sputtering and coughing, she came up above the water. She tried to escape by the other side, but his millennium rod glowed and she felt herself being pulled back to him. He got down knee deep in the water, and shoved her underneath. She tried to fight free of his grip, but he held her under. Just when she thought her lungs were going to burst, he pulled her up. She coughed up a bunch of water, and gasped for breath. She felt herself go limp from lack of oxygen.
"I do not ever want to catch you with another man, do you understand me?," Kaiba said as he held her face to his. He picked up her limp form and carried her back to the mansion. He threw her back in the room, chained her, and told her to dry off.
She sat leaning against the bed trying to get her head to stop spinning. She was still trying to catch her breath. How was she going to escape from this place all over again? She took the towels Kaiba threw at her and started to squeeze the water from her hair. What did those three that took her do to Yami? She wondered if he was ok, and she also wondered how they got in. She wondered how they got past her guards. She was furious that Kaiba would not leave her alone.
An hour later she had fully dried, and was now trying to break the chains once again. They were hooked to the bedposts. She wondered if she could break the wood. She stood up on the bed, and with all her strength kicked the post. It splintered and fell apart. She hoped Kaiba did not hear that. The canopy was now hanging on one side. She then went to the next post, then the next. It was at the last post that the canopy completely collapsed on her. It made a horrendous noise. She knew she must work quickly. She pulled herself from beneath the canopy, and pulled open the door. She started to walk out when the chains made loud noises as they dragged the ground. Servants from the floor below looked up at her.
"She's getting away!," one of them cried, "You, go get her! I'll get Master Kaiba."
She ignored the chains. It was too late now. They had already spotted her. She went to the back of the house, and saw the outdoor staircase. She opened the door, and ran as fast as she could down the steps. She came to the edge of the house, and slowly peeked around. She did not see anyone. Just as she was about to turn the corner, her chains yanked her back. She fell to the ground and looked up to see Kaiba standing over her.
"Well, it looks like I am just going to have to chain you to me," he said smiling, "That seems to be the only way to keep you from getting away. He removed the chains from her ankles, but bound the two on her wrists together. He held the other end. She felt sick. She could not run from him now. "Come," he said to her, "We need to get you ready. We are getting married now."
He pulled her back into the house, and into his bedroom. There, hanging in the room, was the same dress they had forced her into the day she ran away to Yami. The same seamstresses forced her into the dress. This time Kaiba did not leave the room. She felt dirty having his eyes on her when she was being forced in the dress. They put the same veil over half her face.
"Good," he said, "It is time to go to the ceremony. Everyone is waiting."
He pulled her outside to his horrid chariot. As they drove away, she felt all her hope fade away. There was no way she was any match for his power, but how could she just let this happen to her? She knew she would not be able to make it back to the Pharaoh. She could not desecrate the Pharaoh and let Kaiba force her into marrying him. It was time to make the choice; Kaiba or death. She had a very heavy decision, but she was too loyal to the Pharaoh to let her fear take her over. She knew which choice she was going to make as they pulled up to the temple. They walked inside. Kaiba led her into a room where her mother was. He shut the door. She turned to her mother.
"You have brought shame on this family, Ateyda," her mother said as she started straightening the dress, and removed the chains, "How could you leave us in turmoil to go to another man? You should be ashamed. I know I am."
"I'm sorry mother," she said, "Not for abandoning the family, but for this." With that she attacked her mom. She held her thumb on a pressure point in her neck, and slowly her mom stopped fighting and passed out. "It is sad you cause me to use desperate measures," she told her unconscious mother on the floor.
She ripped off the veil, and ran up to a window. She opened it, and pulled herself through. There was no way she could get back to the Pharaoh before Kaiba would catch her and make her marry him. She would not allow this. She had to take advantage with this one moment while it was still available. Her only choice was to take her own life. She ran as fast as she could until she found what she was looking for. The cliffs spanned out before her. Her heart started to race as she thought about what she was about to do. She imagined how disgraced the Pharaoh would be if she had given in to Kaiba, and she forced herself forward. She slowly walked to the edge. Tears streamed down her face. She closed her eyes, and stepped forward, "I love you, Yami." She felt herself start to fall when something held her back. She looked down below her to see herself floating. She started to rise back up, someone grabbed her arm, and pulled her back. She turned to see Yami.
"Yami!," she cried. She threw her arms around him.
"Don't ever do that again," he told her.
"I'm sorry," she said with tears in her eyes, "I'm so sorry. I'm so glad you're here. I did not see any other way out. I was not going to let Kaiba do that to us. I was not going to let him disgrace you like that."
He held her face and became very serious. It scared her to see him like that, "Don't ever lose hope. Even when the darkness closes in, remember, the light will save you."
"I'm sorry," she whispered as she pressed her face into his neck.
"I just don't want to lose you," he said, "I could not live without you."
"How did you find me?," she asked.
"I knew what Kaiba had in mind," he replied.
"Get off her, Pharaoh," Kaiba's voice said from behind Yami. Kaiba prepared to attack Yami with his millennium rod, but Yami just crossed his arms and stared at Kaiba. Kaiba backed down knowing that even with a millennium item, it did not match Yami's power. "I will not give up on her, Pharaoh. All of my minions will dethrone you, and then I will rule over Egypt. I will then take my prize." She looked over at Ateyda. She had enough. She walked up to him, and punched him as hard as she could in the face. He flew backward, and hit the ground.
"You're nothing without that rod," she said to him, "If you ever come near us again, rod or no rod I will kill you. Now get out of here." Yami held onto her to hold her back. Kaiba got up, wiped the blood from his nose, and walked away cursing.
"Let's go," Yami said. He led her back to one of the Pharaoh's less arrogant chariots. He had some of the guards with him who were coming from the front of the church.
"Ateyda!," Lamasse called out to her, "There you are! We were wondering about you! Were you going to get married and not invite me?"
Ateyda laughed and shook her head at him. Yami helped her into the chariot, and they took off toward the palace.
Ateyda was all too happy when she saw the insides of the palace again. Lorena came bounding down the stairs. "Ateyda!," she cried, "You're alright! Oh thank Ra!" She ran up to Ateyda and hugged her. Ateyda had never had anyone care that much about her. She was actually worried about her personally. Not like her family, who was worried when she did not show up for a match, not because they were worried that she was hurt, but because they were afraid it was going to make her lose the tournament.
"I'm fine, Lorena," she replied, "I am so glad I get to see this place again."
"You need rest," Lorena said, "You have had a harsh day."
"Seriously," she said resisting to be pulled upstairs away from Yami, "I am ok. I don't need to rest."
"Don't be silly," she said as she hauled her up the staircase. Ateyda looked back at Yami who smiled back at her, shook his head, and then followed.
"I can take it from here," Yami said as he entered the room to see Lorena fussing over Ateyda.
"As you wish, your majesty," she said as she bowed to him and left the room.
Ateyda looked down at the white frock she was forced into. She looked at it in disgust, but when she looked back up, she saw Yami smiling at her. "What?," she asked, "I can't wait to get out of this stupid thing!" She struggled to find the hook or button or whatever it was keeping the thing on. Yami came up to her and stopped her.
"You look wonderful," he said.
"Thank you," she replied, "But I hate this thing."
Yami turned her and unhooked the dress. It exposed her bare shoulders and back. She turned around and blushed. She went into the lavatory and took it off. She changed into her normal, white robes. When she came back out, Yami was sitting on the bed.
"I thought I was going to lose you today," he said staring off, "When I came to, I saw that you were gone. I knew exactly who took you. I knew he wouldn't hurt you enough to kill you, but when I saw you on the edge of that cliff. . ."
She ran over to him, and sat down next to him. "I'm sorry," she held his face and kissed him, "I'm sorry. I just. . . I couldn't disgrace you like that. Please, Yami, I'm so sorry." He pulled her over on his lap, and they held each other.
"You would have killed yourself," Yami said, "Than marry someone else?"
"If that was the only way out," she replied, "Then yes."
"Do you love me?," he asked her, "Do you truly love me?"
She looked into his eyes, "I love you more than anyone I have ever known. Why do you think I went to that cliff?" He then kissed her. They fell back on the bed drawn into the kiss. Every time he kissed her she felt like her lips were on fire. She had never wanted anyone that much before. They laid there for what seemed like hours entwined in each other, sharing that soft, intimate kiss. Yami pulled back, and stared at her very seriously.
"What?," she asked as she ran her fingers along his lips.
"Would you ever wear a dress like that for me?," Yami asked her.
"What?," she replied. Was he asking what she thought he was?
"Would you marry me?," Yami asked staring directly into her.
She was shocked. She knew that this was a whirlwind romance, but she never expected him to feel that seriously about her, but she knew how she felt about him. "Of course, I would," she said, "I love you more than anything."
"Marry me, then," he said, "Please, I want to share my life with you."
She could not think of anything that could make her any happier at that moment. She held him tighter and said, "Of course I will."
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