Title: Tears of the Phoenix part 5

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 or any of its characters.

Note: In this fic, Atemu goes by 2 names: Yugi calls him Yami, but the other characters know him as Atemu. Therefore, depending on the character who is talking/thinking, I will use the appropriate name.

Yugi thought Rebecca was going to faint. Or scream. Or try to wake up from a nightmare by slapping him. Quickly, he held up his hands to shield his face.

"I'm serious, Rebecca! Yami really is the pharaoh! And I'm his personal servant now!"

Her jaws dropped, and unwittingly, she took a step back. This time, the news seemed to finally sink into her head. Her hands flew to cover her mouth, and she wasn't looking at Yugi anymore. Instead, her gaze settled on a patch of dried grass, as though they were the ones who had given her the big news. Slowly, she started to utter a long string of 'oh my god', each louder than the last. Just when Yugi thought she was going to faint, Rebecca suddenly shrieked.

"Oh. My. God!"

Yugi couldn't help but jump, and he almost screamed when Rebecca suddenly clutched his hands in a death grip. She looked at him intensely.

"Yugi, don't do it! Tell his majesty that you don't want to do it! Tell him you want to come back!"

"But…" he frowned. "I don't want to come back. I want to be his personal servant! He's my friend!"

"I'm your friend too! Listen to me! It's dangerous there! It's not suitable for you! Don't you remember? I worked there before, when I first came to the palace. Then I offended someone there, but I got lucky and he only transferred me to the east wing. I know how it's like in the north wing! And you're not suitable for the life there!"

"Rebecca…"

"Trust me, Yugi! The north wing is dangerous!"

Yugi nodded. "I know it is."

She sighed in relief, smiling gently. "So come back! Come back to the east wing! All your friends are here!"

"I can't. Rebecca, I know it's dangerous there, but I want to be there. I want to try living and working there. And Yami is there." And so is Seto. "Yami is really nice, you know?"

This time, Rebecca sighed, not in relief but in frustration. Folding her arms in front of her chest, she rolled her eyes. "Yugi, the pharaoh is always nice. When he's happy, that is. All nobles are. But when they're mad…" –she snapped her fingers- "There goes your head. Just like that. No amount of excuses is going to save your life then."

She sighed again. "Yugi, I know I can't make you change your mind. But at least… will you ask the pharaoh to let me go to the north wing with you? At least I can look after you. And we can still be together."

Yugi frowned, biting his bottom lip. He had considered her suggestion earlier before he got Yami's permission to visit his friends at the east wing, and he had even asked Yami about it.

"I've asked Yami… and he said no. He said there're too many servants in the north wing and too few here in comparison. He can't keep transferring servants over and leave this place empty…" Yugi said softly, almost sheepishly. He had a sneaking feeling that if someone else had asked in his stead, maybe things would be easier. He remembered Yami's reaction when he mentioned Rebecca's name. Yami's eyebrows kept twitching and the corner of his lips kept trembling like it wanted to scowl but could not. And he kept giving off some bad vibes too. It was almost as though… as though… he were jealous. But Yugi wasn't going to tell anyone about that.

"Rebecca, I can't stay here for long. I promised Yami I'd be back for lunch. I had to promise him that before he allowed me to come back here. Maybe I'll try to ask him again next time?"

"That's all we can do now, isn't it?" The blonde girl scowled, knitting her eyebrows together. Then, she took a closer look at her friend and she pouted in annoyance. Why was Yugi dressed as he was? It didn't look anything like what a normal servant would wear, even if he was the pharaoh's personal servant. The clothes were much too beautiful and luxurious, something a servant would only soil while working. The possible answer that a voice whispered in her mind wasn't all that pleasing. "Well now, at least I don't have to worry about you getting executed. Deflowered, yes; executed, unlikely…" she muttered grudgingly under her breath.

"Did you say something, Rebecca?"

She quickly shook her head. "Nothing you need to know. But anyway, listen to me. Don't let the pharaoh do anything funny to you, okay?"

"Fu… Funny? What do you mean?" Yugi had a feeling he should have kept his mouth shut.

"I really don't think I should be teaching you this sort of things, but…" -she sighed- "If you see him leering at you, run. If you see him drooling over you, scream and run. If you see a big bed and you're alone with him in the room, find an excuse and run. If he tries to slip his hand under your clothes…"

"Rebecca!"

With Mahaado's advice in mind, Seto marched towards Atemu's study room, where he knew the young pharaoh would no doubt be working. Atemu always retreated to the study room after the morning court sessions. And he knew he was right when he heard loud, harsh voices coming out from the room, and the two guards at the door were looking nervously at each other.

Seto hardened his stare.

"Open the door. Now."

One of the guards looked terrified, but he stood his ground. "But your Excellency, his majesty said..."

"Open the door. Now!"

Already at the end of their wits by the argument coming from inside the study room, the guards almost whimpered at Seto's harsh command. They quickly opened the doors, and Seto waved them off, marching towards the source of the argument in a few strides. The door closed firmly behind him, but he had little care for it. The first thing he had to do was change Atemu's mind, no matter what he had to resort to.

When he saw Shimon, the pharaoh's elderly advisor, engaged in a loud conversation with his cousin, Seto smirked inwardly. At least he wasn't the only one brave enough to confront the high and mighty pharaoh.

"Your majesty! What you did at the court session was unbelievable! No one has ever done it before!"

Atemu looked bored. "Well then, I'm the first. I made history. Isn't that good? And now that I've done it, you can start believing it now, because it's real and I'm not going to change it." And then he noticed Seto's arrival in the corner of his eyes. "Ah, you're here, Seto. Help me talk some sense into Shimon. He seems to think that I just did something I shouldn't have, which is impossible, because I'm the pharaoh, and the pharaoh is never wrong."

Seto resisted the urge to rush up and strangle his haughty cousin. Vaguely, he wondered what sort of response Atemu would have if he just said that Yugi belonged to him, that Yugi was his lover. Would he burst a vein and die? Or would his anger boil over and order his execution? And maybe even Yugi's. Seto wasn't sure what the extent of Atemu's affection was, even though he was sure Atemu liked Yugi a lot. From his years of experience serving as the pharaoh's high priest, Seto knew that revealing the true nature of his and Yugi's relationship to the hard-headed king would not be the most intelligent to do. There was little doubt that Atemu would be angered to high heavens, and only the gods knew what the pharaoh would do. But it wouldn't be anything good, Seto supposed.

He noticed Shimon's heated gaze, willing for him to stand on his side. There was no need for that though, for there was no way in hell that Seto was going to encourage Atemu anyway.

"Your majesty, I'd have to agree with Shimon this time. It is highly unacceptable to bestow such high status to a mere servant, even if he is your personal servant. While this does not go against any of the court's laws, there are still the unspoken but well known social rules of the court. What you've done, your majesty, has made your personal servant higher in status than many of your courtiers and subjects, though unspoken it may be. This is an upheaval of age-old traditions!"

Atemu's eyes narrowed, and his lips pulsed. He had expected his cousin to help him, but Seto had actually spoken against him! While the positions of pharaoh and subject always disappeared when it was just the two of them, and Seto had said things far more offensive than what he was saying, Atemu could not remember being as irritated as he was right now. After all, Seto always stood on his side.

"What I have done, is to make Yugi protected and safe. He will not be bullied by anyone. Not when they have to answer to me!" he snarled, standing up from his seat forcefully. With a powerful throw, he swept his cape behind him, and as his cape settled down, Atemu was everything a pharaoh should be: dignified, powerful, and imposing.

Seto fumed inwardly, but calmed himself down. Mahaado was right: there was no way he would be able to persuade Atemu if he flared up too. Atemu was already acting the part of a spoiled brat, and if he blew up too, the whole confrontation would only escalate into something unsalvageable.

"Your majesty, what you've done has never happened before, and it is so for a reason: think of your high priests, your council, and your subjects. Think of what they will think. Of this, of the servant, and of you. They can only see you acting like an infatuated lover who cannot think straight, and led by a leash by your own personal servant!"

"Seto!" Shimon yelled, but it was too late. The words had been spoken.

Atemu's handsome face contorted in fury, and his knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists tighter.

"How dare you, Seto, to liken me to an animal on a leash! You may be the high priest, but I am your pharaoh, the one you have pledged to serve with your life and soul! Do not forget your position and mine!"

Seto knew the only thing that was keeping his head intact was the fact that he was Atemu's favourite cousin. If it had been anyone else, Atemu probably would have called the guards and dragged him off to be executed already. Still, he was only a thin line from being killed. He cursed his tongue. Quickly, he fell onto his knees and bowed.

"Your majesty, I did not mean to offend you. I apologize for saying those things I do not mean."

A tense moment passed. Finally, Atemu spoke.

"Well, continue with your argument. But do not think for a moment that I will change my mind. Yugi will be my personal servant, and he will enjoy the privileges I have bestowed upon him. I will, however, base my decision whether to punish you on what you say. Choose your words wisely, high priest."

Trembling inwardly from anger, Seto seethed silently. However, he wasn't angry with his cousin. Instead, he was angry with himself, for letting Yugi get out of his sights and meeting Atemu. How had they even met in the first place anyway? He had taken such precautions to make sure Yugi stayed safe in the east wing, the safest part of the palace, with little chores and a warm bed at night. Yet, Yugi had still met Atemu, and did not even tell him! And now Yugi had been made Atemu's personal servant, and if he read Atemu right, Yugi was going to become Atemu's lover in a matter of weeks, willingly or not!

There was no way Seto would let that happen. Yugi belonged to him and no one else.

Taking a deep breath, Seto continued.

"Your majesty, you claim that your actions will protect your personal servant. However, by elevating his status to such an extent, you are putting him in danger from jealous courtiers and subjects. Also, what would the servants think? Perhaps they will treat your personal servant with respect in front of you, but when you leave, they could turn their backs immediately, and your personal servant would only find himself alone in the palace with few true friends.

"Your majesty, while you can protect him from physical harm, there is little you can do to protect him psychologically. Would he be happy then, my pharaoh?"

It pained Seto to know that, if he did not want to blatantly lie, this was the extent of his powers over the pharaoh. If he did not to abuse his powers as a high priest and claim that the gods would be unhappy about Yugi's new status over the courtiers, this was all he could say. Reason. And if his reasoning did not change Atemu's mind, then that was it.

To his relief, Atemu did give it a thought. Would Yugi be bullied behind his back? And knowing Yugi's kind nature, it was highly unlikely that he would let Atemu know if anything of that sort did happen. However, protecting Yugi from physical harm was his first priority right now. Atemu knew from experience that his personal servants always faced some sort of jealousy issues from other servants; it was something that happened so frequently it was almost like part of the tradition for those working directly under him. If Yugi's psychological well-being does become an issue later, he would deal with it as the pharaoh. After all, he had given everyone ample warning during the court session already: harming Yugi was akin to harming him, the pharaoh. Surely, no one would take that risk. Harming the pharaoh was a crime punishable by death. And it wasn't a very clean death.

When Atemu's eyes fell on the panicking Shimon, he suddenly had an idea. Shimon was his advisor and also his mentor, and as such, the elderly man was nearly always following him around. It was only in the recent years that Shimon's age was catching to him and his legs couldn't take all that walking that he stopped going everywhere with him. So, maybe he could send a servant following Yugi everywhere too! After all, Yugi already had a servant doing his work for him, what's with having another servant to be his friend?

Decision made, he turned to face Seto again.

"I have my plans, Seto. Since I have taken Yugi to be my personal servant, it is my duty to protect him, and I will take these duties seriously. No harm shall come to Yugi. And I will make him happy."

"But your majesty…!"

"Enough Seto. I am the pharaoh, and I expect all to follow my words," Atemu said solemnly, slipping back into his seat. "You may raise now."

Seto willed himself to take another deep breath, trying to regain his composure. Things were definitely not looking up. Annoyed, he shot Shimon a quick glance.

The elderly advisor got the message, and he bowed low towards Atemu, an indication that he had something to say. When he received Atemu's gesture to go on, he began to speak.

"Your majesty, high priest Seto is right on several accounts. Your actions may provoke your courtiers into immense jealously, and if things worsen, they could attempt to revolt. And by conferring such high status on your personal servant, sire, it could also make life difficult for him among the other servants. I have a suggestion that might remedy the problem, your majesty."

Atemu raised an eyebrow, but he gestured for Shimon to continue.

Shimon bowed again, thanking the pharaoh for allowing him to speak. "Your majesty, there is one way that will allow your personal servant to enjoy the high status you have conferred upon him, allow him to make friends, and still uphold our kingdom's traditions. Only one position in court will fulfill all those conditions and also allow him to enjoy your generosity. The only problem here, is the extent of your… …affections towards the child." He peered at the young king.

"That is not a problem. Even though it's only been a few weeks, Yugi already knows me better than most of my subjects. And that has made me immensely happy."

"Well then, your majesty…"

Seto felt a coldness seeping into his skin, and he fought off the shivers. Surely, Shimon couldn't be saying what he was thinking, could he?

"…I beseech that you to make the child your concubine, sire."

Seto thought his heart had stopped beating. Almost immediately, before Shimon had even finished talking, Seto had already stepped forward and bowed. But before Atemu could grant him permission to speak, his words were already clamouring to get out of his mouth, just like fishes wriggling desperately in a fishermen's net.

"Your majesty! That is absolutely ridiculous! Like you said, you've known him for only a few weeks. Surely, that does not give you enough time to judge his character. And what is his background? Your majesty, the child is of unknown history and character. It is too dangerous to allow him to lie beside you at night!"

"I agree with high priest Seto, your majesty. Therefore, if you do wish to make the child your concubine, I am willing to do the necessary checks on his background," Shimon said.

"It is still not enough, Shimon!" Seto interjected harshly, fists clenched. At Shimon's half-stifled gasp, he forced himself to calm down. He was, after all, in the presence of the pharaoh, even if the pharaoh was his cousin. "Even if the child's background is acceptable, his breeding is definitely not. I'm sure he's just a commoner; otherwise, there is no reason for him to be working in the palace as a mere servant. And a commoner is too low in status to be your concubine, your majesty."

It hurt him to say such cruel words, but Seto forced them out of his mouth. In his eyes, Yugi was anything but a commoner. His beauty and kindness were so rare and precious, Yugi could not be just a commoner. He was his lover made in heaven, and placed on the earth to love him and for him to love. Wasn't his coincidental meeting with Yugi proof of that? It hurt him to admit the truth however, that Yugi had too little social ranking. In the real world of kings, high priests, courtiers and peasants, Yugi was only a peasant. And a high priest could not marry a peasant, much less Seto, who was not just a high priest but also the pharaoh's cousin.

And to fall in love with a servant, to want to marry a servant… At best, Seto could be stripped of his position and powers. At worst, he could be beheaded, along with Yugi.

So he could not tell Atemu the truth. He could tell his cousin that Yugi was his lover. No, their love was forbidden, despite whatever consolations and promises he had offered Yugi, Seto had no way of actually marrying Yugi. He only hoped that they could carry on their relationship for as long as he could before he found a solution. Seto hated the law. A noble could take a servant, any servant, to bed, but they could not marry a servant. And Seto refused to reduce Yugi to a bed slave.

But… Atemu had the power. If the pharaoh wanted, he would find a way to make Yugi his concubine. After all, he was the one who made the law, and he was law itself.

"His majesty could still take him into the harem. Most of the harem members are just commoners too, anyway…" Shimon muttered, just loud enough for the other two to hear.

"Enough, Seto, Shimon," Atemu gestured, flicking his wrist. "No matter his background and status, it is much too early to make Yugi my concubine. We are still getting to know each other. However, I will not change my mind about him. He will be my personal servant."

"But your majesty…!"

"Enough."

Sighing, Shimon bowed again and backed down. Seto only clenched his fists tighter.

When the doors to the study room finally slammed shut, Atemu sighed and slumped into his seat. If the old conservative Shimon was around, he would no doubt try to tell Atemu that a ruler could not slouch in his chair. A ruler must be dignified and elegant, he would say. But Shimon had just left the room, along with Seto, so there was nobody to lecture him. And there was still some time before Yugi would return, so in the meantime, Atemu could sit however he wanted. So if he decided to slouch, he would do slouch as much as he wanted to. The chair felt better when he slouched, especially after that intense conversation with his advisor and high priest.

It was such a tedious task just to get Yugi as his personal servant. But he was the pharaoh, and his word was law. If anyone tried to give Yugi problems, that person was going to find himself at the executioner's table faster than he could sneer Yugi's name.

Then again… -he creased in brow in thought- he could not dispute any of Seto or Shimon's concerns. Even a pharaoh's personal servant was never meant to have such power. There was little doubt that Yugi would be the topic of palace controversies, and maybe even the target of jealous servants and subjects.

Still, while Shimon's solution would solve those problems to an extent, it was a little early for that, wasn't it? Yugi, his concubine?

On second thoughts, it wasn't a bad idea, actually. And it was part of his ultimate goal. It was just a matter of when.

In the near future, preferably. Atemu couldn't wait to have Yugi in his bed, feeding him grapes and kissing him. And if Yugi wanted, they could even play with honey. Atemu shivered; after breakfast this morning and witnessing Yugi playing with honey, he was never going to look at the syrup the same way again. Vaguely, he wondered if honey would taste even sweeter if he licked it off Yugi's body.

As his concubine, Yugi could be by his side no matter he went too. But of course, Yugi would have to leave the room when Atemu was working. Otherwise, there was no guarantee that he would be able to stop himself from fantasizing about his little concubine sitting just across the table. He would never get any work done that way, especially when the things he could do with Yugi were much more interesting and fun than the mundane documents on his desk.

And the benefits! To always have someone to share his life with! And of course, his bed.

Concubine Yugi? It did sound good. But it'd have to wait until the court had accepted Yugi's new status. There was no point making things even more difficult for Yugi right now, to bear the brunt of the courtier's wagging tongues and his feelings for him.

Right, Atemu could wait. After all, no one would dare lay a finger on his property.

After bidding goodbye to Rebecca and promising to visit again soon, Yugi took a quick glance at the sun. He still had a bit of time left. Yami wasn't expecting him until lunch time, so he still had about an hour to wander around. It probably wouldn't be good to disturb Yami if he was working. Being the pharaoh was hard work.

So, where should he go? He had already walked about the entire east wing with Rebecca earlier, and he was unfamiliar with the other three wings so he would probably just get lost if he tried to wander those areas. Suddenly, an idea came his mind, and it was a place so obvious it made him felt stupid not to have thought of it earlier.

The royal garden in the east wing! That was his secret meeting place with Seto, and now that his lover knew he had been made the pharaoh's personal servant, he would probably want to talk to him.

What would Seto's response be like, he wondered? Would he be proud that Yugi had gotten a good job and a good master? At least, being the pharaoh's personal servant was much more interesting than doing menial chores in the east wing. Or would Seto be worried for him? After all, Seto did say that the north wing was a place of chaos, insincere flattery and backstabbing.

Just as Yugi was deep in thoughts, he heard a rustle and his head snapped up in full alertness, like an antelope that had sensed a predator in the river. But no crocodiles appeared from behind the bushes. It was Seto. Yugi's face broke into a smile and he quickly ran up to his lover.

"Seto!"

However, the brunette did not seem to be so happy to see him. In fact, he was like a crocodile half-submerged in the murky water, beady eyes scrutinizing its latest prey. And once Yugi got close enough, he snapped.

"Yugi, why are you the pharaoh's personal servant? How did you know him?"

Slightly taken aback, Yugi took a step back. "Se… Seto?"

Running a careless hand through his hair, Seto sighed harshly. "Yugi, do you understand what you've done? Can you even start to understand just how terrible the consequences can be?"

"I… I don't understand. I just wanted to go to the north wing, to be closer to you…"

"Yugi! How many times have I told you to stay in the east wing? How many times have I told you that the north wing is a dangerous place?"

"But Yami promised he'd protect me. He won't let anything happen to me!"

Seto narrowed his eyes. "Yami?"

"His majesty, the pharaoh. I… I met him in the east wing a few weeks ago. I didn't know he was the pharaoh then, and he introduced himself as Yami. I didn't think… things would turn out this way," Yugi muttered, looking down at his feet and playing with his fingers. "But Seto! You can't always protect me and keep me sheltered here! Won't you give me a chance to see what palace life is really like? If… If I'm not meant for it, maybe I can ask Yami to put me back in the east wing?"

"Put you back? Put you back here?" Seto laughed bitterly. "He would never do that. He would never let you go, now that he has you. Not even when I and Shimon can't stop him."

"But we're friends…" Yugi replied weakly, memories of Yami blowing into his ear and flirting with him fresh in his mind. He felt like a poor antelope that wanted to back away from the river for fear of the crocodile, but found itself too thirsty to leave.

"Friends," Seto echoed wryly, a cruel smirk on his handsome face. Oh, how he wanted to tell Yugi the things Atemu was probably planning to do with him. And then he'd see Yugi whimper and sob at his horrible future as the pharaoh's bedmate. But he resisted the urge to hurt Yugi, the way Yugi had hurt him with his brash decision. So instead, he merely said, "The pharaoh wants you far more than you think."

"No… he wouldn't. I mean, we're just friends… Just friends, and nothing more," Yugi repeated stubbornly, but he knew his voice was wavering. Then, he looked up at this lover again. "Are… are you angry with me, Seto?"

"Angry? How can I be angry with the pharaoh's personal servant whose status he has hinted to be higher than mine? Of course I'm not angry!"

"Seto… I… I didn't mean for this to happen. Yami just… he just asked me to stay and be his friend. I really didn't expect…"

The high priest put up a hand. "No, don't explain it to me. What for? What's the use?"

"Seto!"

"Please don't yell my name, the pharaoh's personal servant. His majesty would have my head if he were to think you are angry with me."

"Seto, please don't say that. I'm…" Yugi wanted to tell Seto he loved him, but the words would not come out. A fear that had never been there before, a fear of rejection, stopped him from confessing his love.

Seto cut him off harshly with a flail of his millennium rod. "What should I say then? That I'm ecstatic for you because you are becoming his majesty's most favoured subject? That I'm jumping for joy because you've gotten what you always wanted: a job in the north wing! And soon you'll be reduced to the same sniveling mess like the other servants?" The crocodile opened its jaws and bared its razor teeth.

Yugi gasped, and a feeling that he seldom felt welled up in him. Anger. "Seto, you're being unreasonable! I told you I didn't expect this!"

"Oh, so I am unreasonable now? Now that you're above me, I become unreasonable?"

"I never said that! Don't put words in my mouth!"

"You didn't? I was so sure I had heard you calling me unreasonable!"

"Well, you are unreasonable! But I've never so much as hinted that I'm above you!"

"Of course you didn't. You just expect me to know that and bow to your greatness, don't you? What am I supposed to call you now? Great personal servant to his majesty, the pharaoh Atemu?"

Time skidded to a halt as the words sank into Yugi's head. He had to bite his lips to keep himself from crying right there and then, but even then, his vision was blurring from the tears in his eyes. After a long, excruciatingly drawn out moment, he bit out, "Is that what you really think of me? Since that's what you think, then I'll do a good job for Yami! I'll be the best personal servant he's ever had, and I won't ever leave him! Never! At least he's good to me!"

Unable to take the pain anymore, he ignored Seto's harsh yells for him to stop and ran off. Despite having grown up in the palace, Seto had seldom walked around in the isolated and much ignored east wing before Yugi came, and so Yugi had a great advantage apart from his head start. Still, the advantages worked only if Seto actually chased after him.

It was such a big if. But there were no ifs about what happened to the antelope.

-tbc-

Update
4th Jan: So I just found out what the exactly differences between 'Your Majesty', 'Your Highness' and 'Your Excellency' are, and have so made the neccessary changes.