disclaimer: don't own Yugioh or its characters.
author's note: This was just a short little random fic I felt like writing. It's going no where and doing nothing. All just for fun and amusement. ;P
Prince Atemu...age 14 (and a half!)
It's a dull, quiet day today (father calls it 'peaceful' while I call it boring) so I decided to add an entry to this thing without it being due to me being punished in some way, shape, form, or reason. My there's lots of ways for me to be punished isn't there? No wonder I can't escape its grasp!
Anyway, my mind trains back to that brown short haired girl. Hmm, that's a mouthful. I must learn her name so I don't keep calling her the brown haired girl. Yeah, that would go over well. "Hello brown short haired girl!" I'd probably get smacked or at the least a nose turned up and away from me. Bad line. Must figure out another way to meet her. Oh, and naturally, it will not be as the prince. People act differently around us. It bothers me greatly. I want to be just as they are...on the same level. So, I will go as my alter-ego. I cannot resist the urge to learn more about those who live outside of the palace walls. I will not be naive to their ways and lifestyles. Besides, they seem to be having more fun than I am here. When I look out from the palace windows and beyond the walls, I see kids running around, playing, laughing, hanging out with one another as a group. Sure, I have Mana and Mahaado...but that's it and only Mana actually plays. Mahaado is so serious and up with the rules and status to the point of being dainty. I don't think that's a good trait to have if you're a male. But I digress...I'm off topic again aren't I?
Back to the brown short haired girl. Oh yeah, my alter-ego. His name is Tem, short for Atemu, but nobody knows that except me. Tem sports a dark straigt black wig thus hiding my so obvious uh, unique natural hairstyle. Actually the wig's style looks somewhat like Karim's...a future priest in this palace. Maybe that's where I got this idea from. I also once gave one of my senet boards to a shepherd boy in exchange for his cloak and a spare set of his garb. Now I can actually dress like a commoner too. And I borrowed a couple of goats from another boy since I wanted Tem to be a goatherder. I don't know why, just fit the image. Did I just write all this in here? Am I stupid? Guess so. This is a private journal for the time being. Note I said 'time being.' I bet if I passed into the afterlife tomorrow...my parents would read this. But then again, I wouldn't be here so they couldn't reprimand me now could they? Note to self: burn this thing if destiny plans unfortunate circumstances for oneself.
Now, let's see...I'll break here and add what results from my 'quest' later................................................
Well, it's later and here's how it went...in detail. Tem's not doing half bad if I do say so myself (and I rightfully should). I followed her like a leopard in the grass as she left that same riverbank. Do commonfolk have designated watering areas? Seems like different families visit different portions of the river at different times. Oh well, don't feel like pondering that right now. I'm curious as to her family's occupation, but I'm more curious as to what her name is. Acting as the innocent, naive boy that Tem is (it's quite true actually since I know little about how to actually live as a commoner), I 'borrowed' a water pot myself and proceeded to the same river bank. I dipped my pot into the river and then what followed was all a blur. I remember a huge, gaping mouth with lots of sharp teeth. Next thing I knew I was laying some distance up on the riverbank with the two girls kneeling over me...and amazingly...ranting, or was it scolding? Was it me they were yelling at? Words were flying at me so fast that these are the only ones I grasped.
"Stupid boy!"
"ALWAYS check for crocs!"
"Go run to your mommy!"
They were trading scolds and insults at me so quickly that all I could do was stare dumbly at them. Guess that gave that added perception that I was stupid or something because the ranting didn't cease. Hey, at least she was speaking to me. It's a start. It wasn't the way I wanted it to go. I had envisioned me working beside them then cooly engaging them in conversation, wowing them with my intelligence and manners and allowing my charisma to draw her into wanting to get to know me better. Well, guess I'd better get a new game plan because this was totally opposite of my intentions!
The ranting subsided and the two girls slightly altered the subject.
"Who are you?"
"Never seen this one before."
I guess I had to answer.
"Where's my goats?" Ooops, that really wasn't the line I wanted, but I DID need to get those goats back...if only I knew where I had left them as I got the water. Must've been distracted by her so I forgot and just dropped their leads. They probably wandered off!
"Goats?" the brown haired girl asked. Good! I got her speaking conversation with me!
"Yes. Two goats."
"Uhh, while you were busy playing with the croc, there were two goats that were struck down by a leopard on the far side of the field." the other girl mentioned. Sure enough as I scanned to the nearest tree, the silouette of a goat carcass was wedged amongst its branches as a leopared feasted upon it. There was some cackling in the distance too. The other was likely taken by a pack of hyenas.
"Yeah, you shouldn't put goats so close to the edge of the fields. Predators are everywhere along places of water." the girl I was interested replied. She sounds a bit like my mother in giving a brief lecture or lesson to be told.
CRAP! NOW I GOTTA PAY FOR THOSE GOATS WITH THE GOLD PIECES MY FATHER HAD GIVEN ME TO USE IN PAYMENT FOR THE BRIDLE AND SHOES FOR MY NEW HORSE! Maybe I AM a stupid boy? But, regardless, time to save face. "They must've been spooked. They were grazing not far from me before. I was getting water for them."
"Well, guess you really are stupid." the other girl chuckled.
"I'm not stupid. I'm NEW at this!" I defended.
"NEW? At your age? You should be an expert. My little brother started herding at age 5."
Did they really start THAT young!? Swell, now I got more damage control to perform. "I usually assisted my father in the market. My older brother who tended these goats perished in an unfortunate accident." There, pity and sympathy excuse.
"Well the croc nearly got you too. Is your family accident prone or something?"
Leave it to the brown haired girl to find another way to take me down a notch. She seemed good at that. I love a challenge! But, all this lying I'm doing is going to come back and haunt me at some point. I have to be careful.
"You saved me?" I was rather amazed that it was her strength that flung me away from the croc's jaws. She didn't look like she had strength at all.
She nodded. Hmm, she had a firey tongue and hidden physical strength. She'd be a challenge indeed. I think I like that in a female...I think...I'm still new at this. I believe only a year has passed by since I used to think girls were icky and beings that needed us boys around to protect them. But now, I'm taking interest in them. I have no idea why the sudden change. And my presumption of them is way off...at least based on what I've seen with these two. Guess I should've remembered that lesson father had taught me...'assume nothing.'
"Who are you?" I heard this question again and realized I hadn't answered it the last time.
"Tem. And yourself?"
The other girl answered for the both of them. "I'm Nyla and this is my sister, Asru."
Asru eh. Hmm, and they're sisters...yeah it became obvious after that little fact...Nyla is the younger one. "Pleased to meet you and thank you for saving me Asru. I uh, must be going now. I must answer to my father for the loss of the goats."
"So Tem, are we to expect to save you again by this waterside?" Asru asked with the obvious hint of sarcasm embedded, but I fully understood its hidden meaning. She was actually asking if she'd see me again! So, maybe it wasn't so bad afterall. Maybe she does like me!? Well...not quite me...Tem...not Atemu. I mustn't reveal that I'm the crowned prince of Egypt...it'll doom all chances of me ever finding one who can like me for just me and not my title.
I'd better turn in for the night now while my thoughts are of something good. I have some nasty lessons tomorrow, especially since I spent my spare time by the riverside rather than studying the latest spells like I was supposed to. I know I won't get that spell right tomorrow. I'll probably end up making someone's clothing disappear (ahem, Shimon's)...again. Nobody needs to see that! I'll remember to look away as I cast it.