Sands of Time:
Chapter Ten
The sun came up again as usual and smiled down upon Egypt and Ra was pleased with everything as he watched his people from up high. He was particularly proud of the young prince, Atem who had finally been forgiven for his father's sins.
"Prince! Hey Prince!" Mana called from below the balcony where Atem slept soundly. Though he didn't sleep for long as Maya's voice shoved him from his slumber and back into the world of the living.
"Mana, Be quite!" Mahado called to her, "I let you have a break from your studies to rest not wake the poor prince."
"Sorry master, it's just I want him to come out a play with me like he used to." Mana pouted.
"Mana you have to learn to grow up. The prince can't play anymore he needs to rest so he can have a full day of studies. This great country would fall apart without it, do you want that?"
"No, master." Mana looked down and sighed.
"What is all the yelling about?" Seth peered out from his balcony, "Mana, Mahado? What is the meaning of this?" he growled.
"Oh, Master Seth forgive us, Mana and I were just leaving." Mahado said and pulled her away.
Atem smiled and walked out to his balcony and looked down at Seth. "Morning Seth!" Atem yelled
"Morning, Atem." He glared back at him. "You know I need my sleep, why do you allow these people to be loud? And why aren't you upset that they woke you?"
"I don't really care, Seth. Besides we should get up with the sun!" he smiled
Seth shook his head and went back into his room, 'well at least he's feeling better.'
Atem sighed and looked across the garden, at the woman's temple, at the room reserved for Anzu. 'Oh, my princess, where have you gone to?' he looked down and did a double take as he saw a figure through the sheer curtains of Anzu's window. "Huh?" he smiled and ran from his room through the long corridors and out to he garden and made his way to the woman's temple and walked in silently. 'Anzu's here! She came back last night!' his mind raced with hope and happiness.
He slid to a stop when he came to her door and opened it causing the woman inside to scream. "Anzu, it's okay, it's me!" He smiled but that soon faded when he saw the young girl he had rescued the day before. "Oh, Nefertari, what are you doing here?"
"Forgive me, Prince. The other girls told me that I should sleep in here because there are no other rooms."
"Well you can't have this room! Get out!" Atem Growled and grabbed her arm and tossed her out making her cry as she ran away. "How dare she think she can have Anzu's room. Anzu will be back!" Atem Slumped down on her bed and smiled as Anzu's scent still lingered there. "There will always be a place for you. Please come back." He whispered.
Mana yawned after a hard day of spell casting and headed back toward the woman's temple but paused when she heard a small whimper of sorts. She looked around the fountain and saw Nefertari weeping openly. "Nefer? Are you okay? What happened?" Mana sat next to her.
"T-The prince yelled at me." She whimpered, "I don't know what I did. I just want him to like me."
"Oh. Well I don't get why he would yell. He never yells. What happened exactly?"
"You yelled at Poor Nefertari!" Mana walked up to him the next morning as he sat under a tree studying. "How could you? That girl looks up to you and I think she even loves you, too."
"Mana, I'm not in the mood."
"Yeah, well I don't care. With all due respect, you had no right to do that. She didn't know that was Anzu's room. I think you should apologize to her." Mana dared to speak.
"Hhh, it doesn't help that you aren't afraid of me." He sighed, "Fine, I guess I was a little harsh on her. And you know she is kind of cute. Maybe she would make a nice queen. My second favorite," he mused "Yeah. Arrange it, Mana! There will be another wedding." He smiled. "Now go play before I tell Mahado that you raised your voice to me." He winked as she ran off.
Bakura smiled, "Get up, Now! If you are to be my apprentice then you should do as I say. Now stand up and make that man suffer!"
"But I don't want to hurt him." Anzu spoke softly and slowly stood up
"He just hit you, you better teach him a lesson or I will continue to let him hit you like that and you will die!" he growled.
Anzu nodded and pulled out a dagger and using swift feet and her dancer's spirit she was able to dodge every advance from her attacker and managed to stab him in the leg. "Finish him! If you don't kill him, he will come after you and kill you!" Bakura chanted behind her. Anzu swallowed hard and pulled free a second dagger and killed him instantly as she stabbed him through the heart.
"Good girl" Bakura picked up the weeping girl. "It will get better the more you do it." He smiled. "You know I only care about your wellbeing."
"Yes, Master Bakura. I know." She hugged him tightly, "thank you, for everything."
"'tis my pleasure." He smirked at his genius and pulled her out of the bar and back to the desert.