Sands of Time
Chapter Seventeen
The doors spread open slowly letting the glimmer of gold fill the hall in which she stood. She walked in and everyone was in awe at her beauty. Her eyes were as Blue as the sky and her skin as tan as the golden sand. Anzu had returned, at long last. Atem stood at her presents and smiled softly at her and beckoned her to sit in the chair next to his. She nodded and walked up to him and bowed lowly at his feet.
"Rise, you needn't bow before me, my favorite star in the heavens." Yami lifted her chin making her look at him. He smiled at the soft blush that rose to her cheeks the moment her eyes looked into his loving ones. He leaned in very slowly almost as if he were afraid that she was merely a mirage of sorts. She was drawn to him like a magnet to it's opposite. Their lips touch but barely when he pulled away. "Sit by my side forever."
She nodded and stood up and sat next to him and watched as the cooks brought out trays and trays of wine. She smirked at what was soon to come. "Wine?" Seth offered them different wine from Atem's special reserve. She figured she might have to kill him some other way since this wine was untainted. The others, including the priests would have to drink the poison.
"Thank you." She smiled sweetly and he bowed as he handed Atem his cup. "Wont you have any?"
"Nai, I will have water." Seth smiled, "I cannot afford to become tipsy. I need to be prepared for anything."
"Oh, lighten up, Seth." Atem smiled and made a head motion toward the door. "My gift to you for putting up with me." He smiled when Seth turned around to see a woman with fair alabaster skin and flowing silver kissed highlights running through and ocean of blue hair.
"H-How did…"
"That is her, I she not?" Atem smirked.
"I-it is, but how did you find her?" Seth gaped as she walked forward slowly, toward him. "K-Kisara."
"I am the Pharaoh, I can do anything." He smiled then looked around. "Alright, she came to me a few nights ago and I wanted to surprise you."
"Atem, this is too much." He bowed and kissed Atem's hand lightly before standing back up and turning toward Kisara once more.
'How touching.' Anzu smiled, 'too bad they'll all be dead soon. At least she will keep Seth busy until I dispose of the Pharaoh.' She smirked darkly but was brought out of her stupor when she felt an elbow nudge her arm. He head snapped to the left and she saw the smiling face of her once true love.
"Is it not wonderful, my dearest? True love really does come through in the end." He smiled and looked around as the music started for everyone to quiet down. This was it, Seth would deliver a speech and then a symphony of dying breaths would fill the air.
"I suppose." She smiled 'what the hell is he-' she interrupted herself when she heard Seth being his speech. 'Here we go.' She held her breath until the end.
"…and so we raise our cups to the glory that is our Pharaoh." Seth smiled and everyone took a drink, following Atem's lead of course. "May he live forever!" he took a sip of his water and the music began to play once more. "Now, my desert flower, Shall we catch up?"
"I would love that very much, Master Seth." Kisara said softly and took his hand in hers as they walked out toward the garden.
'What's going on? Why are these people still breathing?' she squeezed Atem's hand hard in anger and he looked at her with questioning eyes.
"Is there something bothering you? Would you like to retire to your chambers?"
"No. That's alright, I just need some air, that's all." She stood up and jumped when the music came to a screeching halt as the band members collapsed to the ground. A Scream filled the room and echoed off the walls and the moment the vibration of the echo stopped the room was silent. Everyone lay dead on the floor as Atem looked on in Horror.
"What is going on here?" he stood up very slowly and took a step down toward Mana and Mahado who were lying next to each other hand in hand. "Mahado!" he shook him violently. "Wake up!" Atem leaned over and grabbed the nearest cup seeing a light hue of black powder swirling around in the cup as it refused to dissolve. "Poison?" He threw the cup across the room and looked up at Anzu.
"W-who could have done this?"
"BAKURA!" Atem growled, "I knew he would be planning something big, I just didn't know it would be this."
"Oooh Good Guess." Bakura solidified as he slid through the darkness, "the wrong answer I'm afraid." He smirked and took Anzu's hand in his. "It is all thanks to your darling Queen."
"Anzu! No, she would never do something like this." He growled and drew his sword. "You will pay for all that you have done, Bakura!"
"On well, look at the time. Anzu, be a good girl and finish him for me." Bakura smiled as Anzu pulled out a dagger and turned toward Bakura. "What are you doing? Don't defy me now. Remember what he has done; remember all the terrible things he has done to my people, your village and the world"
"Anzu. Don't listen to him. Please." Atem called to her.
"She won't do anything to me. So I will take my leave of you now." Bakura smiled and bowed mockingly, turned on his heals and walked out.
"Anzu!" Atem found himself screaming as she looked up at him with a dark smirk and dead eyes. While Atem took the time to watch as Bakura vanished she had snuck up in front of him until they were close enough to kiss. He went to speak but all that would come out was a trickle of blood that ran from the corner of his mouth down to his chin. His eyes went wide as he looked down at the dagger sticking from his chest.
She smiled but it soon faded when he fell to the ground, the satisfaction that should have come from killing him never came. She fell to her knees and started to cry. "Stop crying!" she yelled at herself. The pain she felt was so great that she held her sides to keep the ache from spilling out of her all at once. Then all at once, her memory flooded back to her. "Atem. What have I done?" she hugged him tightly. "Forgive me."