Sands of Time
Chapter Fifteen
"My Pharaoh?" Nefertari ran up to him with a concerned look, "You look troubled is there something wrong?"
"Nefertari, my sweet beautiful wife, and the queen of all Egypt" He smiled and pulled her closer trying to hide the tears that threatened to fall. "You will always be by my side, wont you?"
"Of course, my Morning Star. I will never leave you." She held him closer and looked over at the river as Atem's mother's sarcophagus floated by on a boat to take her to the valley of the queens. "You're mother will finally have some peace. But it is okay to be sad, my Pharaoh."
"No it is not! Not for me. I need to be strong. So you need to get ready our wedding is in a few hours." He pulled away and scooted her off. "What news of the murders?" Atem growled as Seth stood next to him.
"We can only surmise that the thief king Bakura is behind them. There is no one else who would dare challenge you in all of Egypt."
"And my new army?"
"We have found the purest of hearts and they are awaiting your presence. I must say you are taking this rather well." Seto commented only to get a look of despair and pain.
"Let's just get this over with. I have to be married to my new queen by the end of the day." He said and started walking toward his palace. "Are there guards with Mahado, Mana and the others? I won't have them hurt."
"Yes there are. And don't worry most of them can handle themselves. What really matters is your protection anyway." Seth stopped and pulled Atem back behind him as a sinister voice rang through the walls. "Stay behind me, Atem."
"Stop that, I am not afraid of anything." He growled and made his way for his palace again. "Ah, see it was nothing."
"Only a bad Omen. I think we ought to be careful now. And without Isis to warn us of dangers we'll have to be extra careful." Seth said. "Pharaoh, brother, forgive me." Seth scooped up Atem and carried him to his room where he blocked the door.
"Seth! What is the meaning of this! Let me out!" Atem pounded on the door.
"I'll take over until this mystery is solved. I will send over two men from your new army to watch over you. I just don't want you killed over this. Punish me later if you must. My first duty is to protect you and that is what I am doing." He called and ran off.
"Seth!" He screamed and tried to push the door open with all his might only to fail miserably. "Dammit!" He cursed and sat on his bed. After a few hours of refection Atem began to have doubts about his ability to handle being Pharaoh. He sighed and looked out over his balcony. 'How can these people love me as much as they do? I don't deserve it. Oh father I need your guidance.'
"It is this one, look it's blocked off." A voice with a peculiar accent spoke from beyond the door and Atem looked up slowly. "Come on Honda."
"But Jou I don't know about this. What if the Pharaoh is mad that we are keeping him locked up? He'll have us killed."
"And if we don't then Master Seth will have us killed." He added. "Lets just go in there and ask him if he is hungry." He smiled, "maybe he'll share. I am Starving."
Atem smirked to himself. Perhaps these guards could be persuaded to help him. "don't just stand out there, get in here and hurry." He spoke dangerously.
"Ack. See he's already mad." Honda shivered as Jou rolled his eyes and walked in slowly with Honda holding onto his tunic "let me go." He turned to Honda then back to the Pharaoh. "Your Highness, I am Jou and this is Honda. And we were wondering if you might be hungry. We would be more than happy to get you something, Oh great one."
"I am a little hungry. If you would, have the cooks make up my favorite dishes." He smiled at them.
"I will do it, you can guard the pharaoh." Honda smiled happy to be able to leave the room and he did in great haste.
"You should forgive him; he is a little scared of you."
"And you aren't?" Atem sat back smirking.
"Maybe a little but I know you are good at heart, where I am from we believe that you are doing all that you can to help your people. But I wonder something…"
"And what's that?"
"Are you upset about something? I mean other than the fact that you are locked up in here."
"It's nothing. Don't you worry about it." He forced a smile not wanting to let someone who believed in him so much know how weak he really was.
"We don't have very much time so I have devised a plan that will get everything I need in one night; the night when the moon shines red." Bakura smiled as the beauty of what he was contemplating was painted in his mind.
"What did you have in mind?" Anzu looked up at him as she played with a golden dagger she had stolen from the palace.
"A festival will be held to celebrate the Pharaoh's coronation." He smiled. "And we will strike all at once. And you will kill him for me." He smirked.
"And you'll be Pharaoh before dawn." She smiled.