Yami, Pharaoh of Egypt, rode swiftly over the dunes on his black Arabian. Horses were one of the few indulgences Yami allowed himself. Ruling his kingdom devoured much of his free time, but on occasion he could slip away into the desert. This early morning was just such an occasion. He needed an opportunity to contemplate his upcoming marriage. "How can I give myself to someone I don't even know?" he asked himself, sighing. Coming over the crest of a sand dune, Yami urged his mount into a gentle canter along its summit. Peering up at the blue velvet sky, the pharaoh suddenly noticed a patch of stars blotted out with black smoke. His curiosity piqued, Yami rode towards the source.
Upon reaching a valley between two of the mounds, Yami could see the piles of wood and flesh that fueled the conflagration above him. But it was not the fire that held his gaze. He felt his eyes being pulled to his left where he saw a lump in the sand. Dismounting, he strode over to excavate what the shifting desert sands had buried. As Yami brushed back the final patch of sand, a beautiful face was revealed to him. As if on cue, two sapphire blue eyes opened and stared into his own. Yami felt jolted to his very soul. The girl moaned and then lapsed back into unconsciousness. The pharaoh suddenly realized that this angel was shivering on the cold desert sand, which had relinquished the last of its heat in the pre-dawn hours. Wrapping his cloak around her, Yami gently placed his discovery in front of him on the horse and cantered back to his palace.
The first thing Tea became aware of was an excruciating pain in her head. "Should have stayed asleep." was the first coherent thought that she could put together. Slowly pushing herself into a sitting position, Tea regarded her surroundings. She was sitting in a large lacquered bed in a magnificent stone room. Everywhere she looked, gold gleamed. Absorbed by the grandeur of the chamber, she was startled to see a handsome young man slumped in a chair next to her bed. The princess couldn't resist reaching out to touch his striking hair, which was black with magenta tips and golden bangs that currently hung into his sleeping face. As soon as she grazed one of the spikes with her fingertips, the man's eyes shot open and she found herself mesmerized by his ruby-red gaze. Equally spellbound, he finally remarked, "You're awake." He immediately chastised himself mentally, "Oh yeah Yami, that was clever. State the obvious." If Tea noticed the triteness of his comment she gave no sign. Struggling to overcome her mind's cloudiness, she asked, "Did you bring me here?" He nodded his affirmation as he elaborated, "You are in the pharaoh's palace. I found you near a burning caravan. I assume you were attacked?" Tears pooled in Tea's cerulean eyes as she recalled the massacre. She had had friends in that group. After she sobbed her last, she realized that she was in her rescuer's arms. "Th-thank you." she said shakily after he released her. He regarded her with kind eyes. "What is your name?" Composing herself, Tea replied, "I am Princess Tea, of Kush. I was traveling to this very palace to marry your pharaoh." Yami was reeling. It couldn't be that the gods had blessed him with this beautiful creature as his wife. Suddenly he was distracted from his reverie by a sardonic laugh and Tea's comment of "You might as well have left me for dead." Shocked even further, Yami raised one finely shaped eyebrow and asked, "Why in Ra's name would you wish that?" Visibly vexed now, Tea vented her frustrations. "How am I supposed to spend the rest of my life with some old, tyrannical misogynist? I don't even know his name!" Tears, this time of anger, gathered once again in her eyes. Taken aback at her vehemence, Yami could only form bits and pieces of thoughts. "This anger is directed at me?", "Where did she hear such terrible rumors?" Sighing, Tea murmured, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't take it out on you." Yami nodded in acknowledgement, placing a comforting hand on hers. "You should rest." was all he said. Alighting gracefully from his chair he moved towards the door. Transfixed by his form, Tea managed to shake herself from her swoon to blurt out, "Wait!" Turning, Yami fixed her with a questioning gaze. "I don't know your name either!" Smiling slightly, he replied "Yami." and left the room. Contented for the moment Tea settled back on her pillows to contemplate her new protector.