Title: Tears of the Phoenix part 3

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: S/Y, eventual YYxY, SxJ and maybe some others

Warnings: Angst, romance, sap, some OOC-ness, probably some historical incorrectness

Disclaimer: If my desire to own YGO were proportionate to the size of the world's deserts, there would have been at least two more Sahara Deserts. Since that has not happened, I must say that I do not own YGO and any of its characters.

Note: I made a mistake in the previous chappie, when I wrote that Yami claimed to be the personal servant of Pharaoh Atemu. What I wanted to say is that Yami is just a servant who works under Atemu, and has direct contact with him.

Dedication: This chapter is written for Artist Josie, who won the little challenge I posted in my other fic 'Choose Your Reality'. Hope you like this!

"Are you serious?"

Yugi winced at the abuse of his eardrums, but he couldn't blame his friend. Even he was shocked.

"Let me get this straight. You are going to meet the pharaoh tonight, hoping to get a job as his personal servant. And someone is going to come over, and fetch you to the north wing. Am I right?" the blonde girl barked, arms akimbo. She was the perfect embodiment of a mother hen, and Yugi shuddered.

"Well, if you take away the 'hoping' in your sentence, you'd be totally correct."

That got him a raised eyebrow and a sharp glance. Her stance spelt of suspicion and anger, and from all the years Yugi had known her, that was certainly not a good thing.

"Actually…" he started nervously, "I've been meeting this other servant called Yami the last few weeks. He's the pharaoh's servant, so he kinda knows the pharaoh in person… and we met by chance at the stables one day. Then… well, he's been visiting me after that sometimes, just to talk about everything under the sun. Then yesterday, he told me that the pharaoh's personal servant was erm… not doing a very good job, and the pharaoh wants someone else to take over. So Yami sort of nominated me, and insisted I go and meet the pharaoh. In fact, he's the one who arranged for the meeting."

"Wait. You got a new friend, someone you've been meeting frequently, and you didn't even tell me? Were you planning on even letting me know his /name/ if this wasn't happening?" Rebecca asked harshly, genuinely hurt that her best friend had kept something from her.

Yugi shrunk away, flinching at the accusation. However much he wanted to tell her it wasn't so, that he hadn't lied to her, he knew she was right. He had kept Yami a secret from her, his best friend whom he had promised that there would no secrets between them. Rebecca had been hurt before, and that memory was still plaguing her. Yugi had probably just made it worse.

"I… I'm sorry, Rebecca. I would have told you… if… if Yami hadn't made me promise to keep our meetings a secret. He said he would get punished severely by the pharaoh if word were to leak about him sneaking away from work. I even asked him if I could tell you because you're my best friend, but he was really adamant. I think… maybe it was a really serious thing, so…" Yugi trailed off, barely looking up through his jagged bangs at the girl.

She was still scowling intensely, and he gulped. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Then, another realization dawned on her and her anger seemed to immediately simmer down. Yugi always knew she was a very rationale person.

"Oh, so that's why you've been taking so long to feed Xanthus and Inciticus lately! Fine, so he's the middleman. He's /so/ going to get it from me later!" She made to leave, stomping off to the general direction of the stables, looking like she was ready to bite Yami's head off, whoever he was. No one was going to kidnap her best friend away to the north wing! That was the center of all the murder, backstabbing, half-naked women and who knew what else! Yugi was /not/ going to be tainted while she was still alive.

"Rebecca!" Yugi yelled, pulling on her arm anxiously. "There's nothing we can do now! Yami's already talked to the pharaoh. His majesty will probably be most displeased if I don't meet him tonight!"

She finally stopped, but the scowl seemed permanently fixed on her petite face. When Yugi tried to avoid her eyes, she sighed and the scowl faded away like it had never been there. In its place, a tired frown appeared.

"Yugi, we must find a way to keep you in the east wing. You cannot become the pharaoh's personal servant! It's too dangerous. You know how royalty are. One moment, they act all nice like they really like you and give you all the good stuff, and the next moment, you don't even know why you died! But oh, you'll definitely know /how/ you died. I've heard of stories from the guards, about all those gory ways they carry out the death sentence.

"They say there's a snake pit in the torture chambers, where a hundred thousand poisonous snakes are always baring their fangs. And then there's the slow and tortuous way of getting your flesh sliced off piece by piece and you just bleed to death. But that's if you don't die from the pain first! Or what if the pharaoh decided to use you as some sort of sacrifice to the gods? They could feed you to the crocodiles! Or let you burn up under the sun! Or…"

"It's enough, Rebecca. I think I'm going to puke…" True to his word, Yugi was already looking quite green.

"I think chopping off the head is probably the least painful way to die. And the fastest…" she trailed off, but she managed to catch herself and quickly added, "But I don't want to see you on the executioner's table! So Yugi, tonight, you have to find a way to persuade the pharaoh to let you come back to the east wing! It's too dangerous there!"

Yugi wanted to nod, but the thought of being able to see Seto more often stopped him. If he really became the pharaoh's personal servant, he was bound to see Seto, the high priest, a lot. And there were a lot more other considerations he had to take into account. Rejecting the pharaoh, for whatever reason, could be deadly. He remembered Seto telling him that even if the pharaoh gave you a bag of poisonous snakes, you'd have to accept it or risk annoying the living embodiment of Horus. And from what he had learned about the pharaoh's temper… it was a really bad combination.

Then again… what Rebecca had just said about snakes did not seem appealing at all.

"What should I do, Rebecca? You know I'm clumsy by nature. I could die on my first day! Beheaded for breaking the pharaoh's beloved vase! Or worse, breaking the pharaoh's head /with/ the vase!" Yugi exclaimed, already imagining the scenario in his head.

At that, they both shuddered.

"And it's the pharaoh, the ruler of this kingdom, the living god! I can't even pretend to be a bad servant by breaking something because he might break my neck for it! Oh no… what has Yami gotten me into?" –he lifted his head and looked at his friend through teary eyes- "Rebecca, if I, by any chance, die within the next few days, would you help me hire someone to do the funeral rites? I've saved up some money; it should be enough for that…"

"Yu-Yugi! Don't scare me! You… you've got to be a little more optimistic! Come, we'll make you look a little ugly. Then maybe the pharaoh wouldn't want you! Yeah… that's an idea."

What they didn't say was that that was their only idea.

By the time night fell, Yugi had already finished telling Rebecca where his secret stash was, and how to divide up his belongings should he never come back. He had also finished dressing himself down, wearing the ugliest shirt he owned and not bothering to clean his face. Surely, the pharaoh wouldn't execute a servant for being ugly and a little dirty. Or that was what he hoped.

And then he waited. But while he looked calm on the outside, his mind was like a consecutive, never-ending slideshow with each scenario scarier than the last. Yugi was starting to agree with Rebecca that death by losing his head was the easiest way out. But his head was very much attached to his neck, thank you very much.

Unconsciously rubbing his neck, he thought of his friends.

Seto was the first to come to his mind. A smile tugged at his lips at that thought, and Yugi gave in. His lover never failed to bring a smile to his face, the same way Seto smiled when he thought of Yugi. But now, Yugi wasn't sure how long that smile would last on Seto's face when he found Yugi in the north wing, working as the pharaoh's personal servant. Probably as long as it took for his mind to blow a fuse.

And of course there was Rebecca. She had offered to stay with him to wait for the guards, but he needed some time to himself and clear his mind. Besides, he was half afraid that the guards who were supposed to bring him to the pharaoh would drag the poor girl with him. She was pitiful enough to not need any more misery for the rest of her life, being forced into slavery when her village was pillaged and burned down by robbers. Yugi doubted she would ever forget the face of the man who was drenched in her parents' blood.

Then there was Neferet, the kind lady who had taken Yugi under her wing when he first arrived. She was the motherly figure he never had before, teaching him to do the simple chores and stashing extra food away just for him in case he was hungry. She always thought he was too skinny.

And Xanthus and Inciticus! He had nearly forgotten about them. What would they do when he wasn't going to be around to feed them anymore? But he was sure someone else would pick up the job. It was always like that. Life always went on, and a person's death was never too important to stop the world from moving on. Even when the ruler passed on, there would be a new ruler to start a new reign. So what right did he, a mere servant, have to ask the world to stop for him for even one moment? But -Yugi chuckled- he would pity that person chosen to feed the horses after he left. They were never very friendly towards anyone but him. Surely, Xanthus would try to bite the poor man, just like it had tried to with Yami.

Yami… the man whom he had met only a few weeks ago at the stables, who had managed to become one of his best friends in that short amount of time, and unfortunately, also the man who had put him in this spot now. But Yugi couldn't really bring himself to blame him. Somehow, he was sure that Yami was just trying to help him fulfill his wishes of seeing the north wing. And the pharaoh too.

Vaguely, Yugi wondered how the pharaoh looked like. Was he as handsome as some of the palace maids had exclaimed as they chatted excitedly along the corridors, after having caught a glimpse of the living god? They squealed at his golden bronze complexion, the colour of a healthy and virile man. And was he as charismatic as they claimed? That he could avoid war with another kingdom simply by the magic of his voice and the power of his gaze? But more importantly, was he also as cruel as Rebecca believed him to be?

He bit his lip.

Suddenly, he felt the lights dimming and he looked up, only to see a group of men blocking the faint moonlight. Yugi shivered, getting the mental image of Anubis coming to fetch him, as absurd as he knew it was.

"Are you Yugi?" the elderly man before him asked.

Nervously, he nodded.

Apparently, the older man noticed his apprehension, for he gave a gentle smile and said, "Well, hello young one. I'm Shimon, the pharaoh's adviser. These two behind me are Honda and Otogi. They're both here to ensure we get to the pharaoh's chambers safely. Well, not that it's unsafe in the palace, of course."

The guards nodded sagely.

"He… Hello," Yugi said meekly.

Shimon gave him a quick once-over and shook his head with a loud sigh.

"This simply won't do! Child, how long has it been since you last got some food in your stomach and new clothes in your wardrobe?"

Yugi blinked. Before he could reply that he had dinner that day but he had always been petite and that he had no idea what a wardrobe was, the elderly man quickly pulled him away. Honda and Otogi followed silently behind.

After a thorough scrub and a set of new clothes, Yugi felt cleaner than he had ever been. But while that bath felt wonderful, he couldn't help but note his plan of looking ugly and dirty had been shot to hell. Well, at least he was going to die clean, which was something not many servants had the fortune to enjoy.

And adviser Shimon actually treated him rather nicely, something Yugi thought was quite unbefitting a man of his status, especially when Yugi was only a lowly ranked servant. He also made sure Yugi was given something to eat, apart from a bath and new clothes. While it was probably sensible to make him presentable to the pharaoh, Shimon also talked to him repeatedly, teaching him how to greet his majesty and what to do and what not to do in his presence. All in all, Yugi thought that he had just been given a crash-course on court etiquette, and it made him feel somewhat less nervous about the upcoming interview.

However, as he stood before the grand doors to the pharaoh's personal chambers, he trembled again.

"Now, Yugi. Don't be too afraid. Just revere the pharaoh like you would do a god and all will be fine. His majesty is kind," Shimon assured him, giving his shoulders a friendly pat.

Biting his lip, the younger nodded and braced himself as the doors opened. Vaguely, Yugi wondered if Yami was in the room with the pharaoh. And maybe Seto would be inside too? He felt considerably better at those thoughts.

Then, he was ushered in and the doors closed behind him with finality. He took a moment to marvel at the luxurious room, feeling in awe of its sheer beauty. And the room was cool as a light breeze drifted inside, lifting the veils and curtains. Yugi thought the room was mystical, a fitting description for the room that belonged to the enigmatic ruler of this kingdom.

But the pharaoh was nowhere to be seen. In fact, it seemed that the room was void of all mortal existence but himself.

Just when Yugi thought that the pharaoh had not retreated to his room yet, he spied a movement behind the veils. Immediately, he fell to his knees and prayed for his voice to work and to remember the greeting Shimon had tried to drill into his head.

"Your… Your majesty…" he started, but try as he might, he could not remember what else he was supposed to say. Looking down at the ground, he hoped that a god, any god, would take pity on him and let the words flow magically out of his lips, but pity, apparently, was not given out easily. Absently, Yugi thought this was a rather silly reason for his execution that was sure to come now.

However, there was no harsh reprimand nor was there a brutal kick to his side. Instead, there was a deep laughter that seemed to bubble from the other man's throat. It was strangely soothing.

"Little one, there is no need to grovel at my feet. Not for you, at least."

Yugi blinked in surprise. This voice! He knew that voice! But it wasn't possible!

Then, a finger under his chin lifted his head, and for the first time in his life, Yugi saw the man drabbed in royal regalia. Soft, white linen clothing wrapped around his body, and it was accentuated by various pieces of gold jewelry that adorned his arms and legs and the red cape billowing behind him. On his head was a golden crown fitted with the eye of Horus, a protector and a show of the man's power. But what were truly breathtaking were those passionate, red eyes that shone under the dim candlelight.

His friend's beautiful red eyes.

The man smiled.

"Hello, Yugi."

The only thought in Yugi's mind right before he fainted dead away was how the servant girls were right; Yami did have a very nice skin tone.

He heard some noises, and they were waking him up. Yugi groaned, and tried to roll to his side and pick up a pillow to block out the noise. The bed was much too soft, his sleep much too comfortable to wake up from. When he heard a low rumble coming from underneath him, he protested with another groan and attempted to slap whatever it was away. It was probably Rebecca, trying to get him up for work.

He got the shock of his life when his hand was caught and wrapped in a warm fist instead. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

Instead of seeing the blonde servant's impatient frown (as he did every morning; Yugi was, self-admittedly, not a morning person by any means), he saw Yami's mischievous smirk, accentuated by the playful twinkle in those ruby eyes. While that was a shock by itself, it was not the most shocking. As much as Yugi wanted to get off, he found it difficult to accomplish, what with him being pinned to Yami's chest. Not only that, but he was also half-lying on Yami, his head lying on the other's chest. Their bodies were almost pressed chest to chest, thigh to thigh. Yugi felt himself blushing so hard he knew his face was burning.

"Ya… Yami… let me get off…" he said, almost squeaking. His arms were, strangely, feeling very weak.

"Shh, Yugi. You need to rest; you fainted earlier," Yami said, even as he was slowly extracting himself from underneath the other.

"I… I fainted?" Yugi asked, trying to sit up. He clutched his head as a wave of dizziness hit him, but he refused to lie down again. "What… happened…?"

He got his answer when he looked up at his friend again, who was, strangely enough, still dressed in the lavish clothes Yugi thought he had seen in his dreams. Only that now, Yugi was sure it wasn't a dream. It was real.

Yugi threw off the covers and quickly got on his knees on the ground, only to find that he was still stuck in his bed for two good reasons. Firstly, his legs felt like jelly. Secondly, Yami –the pharaoh, he corrected himself- was holding him down by the shoulders.

"Don't get up. I don't want you to faint again," the pharaoh said sternly but not unkindly. "Stay here. I'll ask the servants to bring you something to eat."

The amethyst-eyed boy could only nod stupidly as he watched the cape billowed behind the pharaoh, who was stalking off to the door. While the man was no doubt ordering a servant outside his room, Yugi pinched his arm and promptly yelped.

Yugi resisted the urge to pinch himself for the umpteenth time as he felt himself sinking into the large couch –it seemed to be taking a perverse pleasure in swallowing his small frame- that he had been led to. Instead, he willed his hands into holding the cup of warm broth steadily and bringing it to his mouth. So far, so good. If only he could manage to open his mouth and drink it, that is.

Seated just beside him, he could tell that Yami -the pharaoh!- was trying to stifle another snicker. Actually, it took no genius to see that the man was very amused, the way he was biting his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing –too hard- and the way his eyes were twinkling.

"Yugi, relax! I'm not going to eat you! Even if I wanted to, I'd have to fatten you up first. Have you been eating well at all?" Yami asked, but got no response. Not that he expected any. Servants were always too surprised to speak properly in his presence. Carefully, he clasped his hands over Yugi's and slowly guided the broth to the other's mouth.

"Come, little one. Open your mouth and eat a bit of this. You're looking a little too pale for my liking now. I really don't want you to fall sick. Having something warm in your stomach should help."

Yugi decided he was going to have a very interesting story to tell the other servants when he got back to the east wing. The pharaoh, the ruler of this kingdom, the living god was actually feeding him! He was actually coaxing him to eat something!

With his voice still not found, Yugi nodded meekly and took a small sip. It was actually pretty nice; it was thick and warm, unlike what he was used to having at the servants' quarters. No matter how much Seto loved him, they could not risk giving Yugi the best of everything lest someone found out their relationship. So Yugi had gotten used to eating what the other servants ate: bread and a thin broth so bland it was almost tasteless. What the pharaoh was feeding him –he was actually feeding him!- was much more delicious, and Yugi savoured it after the first sip.

Yami let go of the bowl once he was certain Yugi was helping himself to it. However, he did not move away, choosing to keep their thighs pressed together and keeping an arm across Yugi's shoulder. Vaguely, he wondered if Yugi was going to have another shock when he recovered enough to find himself in his embrace. That was the only thought that kept Yami from settling Yugi on his laps. He had to constantly remind himself to slow down his advances or risk giving Yugi another scare, but that was so difficult when the little one still managed to look so utterly cute despite the wide eyes.

Still, Yami thought as he continued to observe Yugi drinking his broth, the little one was not going to leave him anymore. He was going to keep Yugi by his side and in his bed as soon as he could manage it. For now, however, there was no need to scare him off yet.

When Yugi finished the broth, Yami tugged on a rope and a harried servant quickly scattered in and asked very, very politely if the pharaoh's guest wanted another bowl. It was almost as though the poor woman had been waiting outside the door for this moment, Yugi thought. But Yami waved her off, and she quickly scampered away and the door closed again.

As the sound of the huge doors closing echoed in the room, the violet-eyed boy suddenly found his long-lost composure again. And the questions that had been floating in and out of his consciousness all swarmed to the forefront of his mind, almost overwhelming him.

"Your… Your majesty, I…" he started, half-wondering if he should kneel on the ground. That, however, would mean he had to knock the young king's hands off his shoulder and his head would probably find a new home if that action offended him. Speaking of which, why was the pharaoh's hand around his shoulder in the first place? Yugi felt himself sweating.

Then, a low rumble of laughter shook him out of his deep contemplation.

"Yugi, do I have to wear my servant costume again to get you to relax? You're still my friend! I'm still Yami to you! And I always will be," Yami said, murmuring the last bit of his words sensually, in that voice Yugi had once said could trick a falcon into submission. His right arm was still draped over Yugi's shoulder.

"But your majesty-!" Yugi exclaimed, but was immediately cut off with a finger to his lips.

"Yami," Yami insisted with a soft look.

The younger boy absently wondered if this was a trick, that he was only a mere toy to the pharaoh, another soon-to-be victim of his cruelty. However, when he took a closer look (it was a wonder why he hadn't been executed for looking the pharaoh in his eyes), Yugi found his friend's sincerity. Yami would never do such a thing. He wasn't capable of it.

Finally, he stammered, "Ya… Ya… Yami."

His anxiety was washed away when Yami's smile widened.

"That's right. I'm Yami. I'm still the one you met that day at the stables, the one who's been sneaking away to the east wing just to see you."

"But… but why, your majesty? I… I mean, Yami."

If it were possible, Yami's grin grew even wider.

"Well, it's very boring to rule a kingdom, you know? I'm stuck doing work everyday, and it's so hard to find someone to talk to. Sure, my high priest is an interesting person to talk to, but even that gets boring after 18 years."

At that moment, Yugi remembered all of Seto's frustration caused by the wayward pharaoh. He was starting to understand why.

"So I snuck over to the east wing that day, hoping to get a horse and go into the city for a little bit of fun. On that note, Xanthus and Inciticus are irritating. Anyway, instead of getting either of them to help me escape from the palace, I found you instead. And you know the rest."

"Ah…" No, he didn't understand anything at all.

"So!" Yami started again. "What do you think of working for me now? Haven't you always wanted to see the north wing? This is the perfect chance! Accept my offer and stay with me! That way, we can stay together everyday and you'll get to see the north wing. Besides, as my personal servant, you'd be highly ranked enough to not be hurt anymore! So what do you think?"

The young pharaoh sounded casual enough, but Yugi could still catch the little bit of anxiousness that laced his voice. It was almost inexistent, but somehow, Yugi felt it. Maybe…Yami really wanted him to be his personal servant. That wasn't so hard to comprehend; after all, Yugi could easily think of the other man as one of his closest friends despite knowing him for only a few weeks. Maybe Yami thought the same of him.

Still, Rebecca's warnings swirled around in his mind like a falcon in the sky, ready to swoop down for the kill.

"I… I…" Words to refuse the offer, to beg the pharaoh to let him return to the east wing hung on his lips, waiting only to be spoken. But they weren't. They were stuck. And they weren't given the chance to be spoken.

"I promise you won't actually have to work. I've already arranged for someone else to be working under you, so he'll be the one actually doing the job. I just want you to stay by my side and be my friend. Will you, Yugi? Stay and be my friend?" Yami asked with a sincerity Yugi had not seen since a long time ago.

And that was it.

"Ah… I… I accept."

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, working for Yami –he's really the pharaoh!- after all. After accepting the job, instead of getting briefed on his job scope because Yami thought he shouldn't be up for much longer since he had fainted earlier, Yugi had been shown to his own room (Yami was apparently very confident he would not be turned down; maybe Seto was right about the pharaoh being arrogant) that had already been luxuriously decorated with a large, soft bed that seemed to take up a good part of the room and he finally knew what a wardrobe was. In fact, his wardrobe was already filled with several set of clothes that looked much too beautiful for a servant, even if he /was/ the pharaoh's personal servant. It looked like Yami was serious about him working as his personal servant only in name. Oh well, at least there would be a lesser risk of him breaking Yami's neck with a vase.

But there was still a danger of him sleepwalking to Yami's room and… whatever that could happen that resulted in an execution. After all, their rooms were so close; his room was attached to Yami's by a door at the side.

As he lay down on his bed, he sighed contentedly. It was just so comfortable. He fisted the sheets, and breathed in the fresh, clean smell. When was the last time he had laid in something this comfortable?

Three days ago, with Seto, his mind supplied. He always felt so safe and secure in his lover's arms.

Yugi sighed at that thought. Vaguely, he wondered how long it was going to take for Seto to blow up at him. Or would he blow up at all? Seto could be pretty unpredictable. He figured he would find out when he met him… sometime soon, he guessed.

In the room beside Yugi's, Atemu was secretly rejoicing for his success. Nothing could wipe the grin off his face, he was certain. Mentally, he did a quick check against his progress chart he had aptly named 'Make Yugi My Lover'. Lover-style hug, checked. Lying in bed together (although they were both fully clothed), checked. Whispering sweet nothings into his ear (even though he wasn't sure how coherent Yugi had been at that point in time. Or was he even awake at all?), checked. Raining kisses to his face (maybe Yugi really wasn't feigning sleep), checked. No lip to lip kissing yet, but he was going to fix that soon. But the biggest accomplishment of the night had to be moving Yugi into a bedroom joined to his own.

For once, he was glad that Yugi's shyness did not allow him to ask Atemu just why his room was furnished with an extra large bed.

But Atemu was sure that Shimon had caught onto something. There was no other reason as to why he would give Yugi a scented bath in Atemu's favourite scent. His advisor was just too sharp for anything much to escape him. At least he didn't dress Yugi in harem garb. That would surely have done a great job in unraveling Atemu's control; Yugi was already too cute for words.

Flopping himself into his bed in a manner unsuited for a pharaoh, he sighed contentedly. Now that Yugi was his personal servant, he would be seeing him every day. And as soon as he could manage it, he was going to see Yugi every night too. In fact, he would not let Yugi leave his sights for one moment.

Soon, he told himself. Soon.

Tomorrow, the announcement would be made: Yugi, Pharaoh Atemu's new personal servant.

tbc-

Replies to reviews:

citrus luver - Ha... Yugi's not really hurt. The Yugi I'm trying to portray in this fic is really mild-tempered, despite having been a thief in the past. So instead of feeling hurt, he was more shocked than anything. And Seto... well, he'll be appearing in the next chappie to feel some of Yugi's shock at finding out that Yami and Atemu are the same person. But for now, he's safe. Thanx for the review!

Chika of the high Mts - Yup, unless something goes wrong with my creative juices (but i really doubt that), this will be Yami/Yugific. I hope you like this chappie too!

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel-Ha... I wouldn't say devious; just cunning. And i guess he had to, or he would never have befriended Yugi so easily. Hope you enjoyed this chappie!

luvngYAMI - Erm, i hope this update wasn't very late for you? Heh... /sweatdrops/

tiger witch - Heh, Yami's not going to find out abt Yugi's relationship with Seto so soon. If he does, it wouldn't be fun at all! And Seto... well, Yami's the pharaoh after all. Seto will have to be careful with his words and actions (esp if it concerns Yugi) soon if he wants to stay out of trouble. So... well, you'll find out what happens to Seto in the next chappie, which i hope won't take too long to come out. Ha...

xamosy- Himeno-dear! Hope you were pleased with this chappie! I can't reveal much of the plot now (not that it's not easy to guess by now), so you'll just have to wait and see. Heh...

Fugi Fox - I seem to have the bad habit of using too many words to talk about a single thing, so I guess that's why my stories tend to move very slowly... /sweatdrops/
Actually, i'm basing what i'm writing for the Egyptian palace on what i know about palace life in ancient China. Heh... i'm just hoping they're a little more similar than i think. Thank you sooooo much for liking my stuff! You have no idea how honoured I am to have something say this sort of thing to me Thank you!

Strega - Ha... That was something i came up on the spot, cuz like you, i was worried that Yugi would break something on his first day of work. And where would the story be? Luckily, this little twist offered by Atemu will solve this problem, and also add a bit of lovestuck-ness to his actions. Glad you like!

Usagi1313 - Updated now! Hope you enjoyed this chappie too!

Cetsunai - I'm sorry, but this fic will be Yami/Yugi as long as my creative juices are working right. There will probably be bits of Yugi/Seto, but the main pairing is still Yami/Yugi. I agree with you though... Yugi and Seto can look really cute together!

Amber Eyes23 - Did Yugi freak out enough? Ha... Seto will freak out in the next chappie, so hope you'll look out for it!

Trio Wing - Erm... this chappie also came out 2 months late, so well... /sweatdrops/

Keeper of the Times - Updated! Hope you like!

fluffys-sidesick- Yupz! I hope you enjoyed this chappie too!