Welcome to Chapter 3! We're slowly trucking our way through this! I've calculated it all out, and the entire story will be published by the new year! It's stressful, but exciting!

Okay! On to chapter things! In this chapter, I mention something called a throne name. In Ancient Egyptian Pharaonic culture, kings took a new name when ascending the throne. If you've ever played Assassin's Creed Origins, and especially the Curse of the Pharaoh's DLC, you should have heard the names Nefrunefruaten Nefertiti or Usermaatre Ramesses. I'm sure you already know who Queen Nefertiti and Ramesses the Second are, but the first part of their names is the throne name, what would be written on official buildings or documents during that king's reign. While Nefertiti was a Great Royal wife, she took a bit more power and gave herself her own throne name; which has caused no end of confusion for the aftermath of her husband Akhenaten's (Freak boy) reign. So, for history's sake and for my own fun, I made one for our Pharaoh! It was a lot of fun and it made this story so much more personal. I wanted to do the same with Akhenamkanon, but I couldn't make a good name, so I yoinked one from the Middle Kingdom/Intermediary Period. Their translations are below!

*I do not own Yugioh! I also don't own Assassin's Creed Origins, where I take many an inspiration for names. I also don't own the translation for the Ancient Funerary Offering spell that appears. I only own my OC, Christine, and the crazy kids that have now taken over her life. There is a slight warning again about Khemu's backstory, and slight canon compliant violence.* Enjoy!

I slept like a rock that night. Not a thing disturbed me: no dreams, no sounds, nothing. It was rather nice compared to the city noise of Domino City, but I did miss the sounds of cars. I hope Yami slept just as soundly; he deserved it after all we had been through. When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I heard was a sigh. So much for him sleeping well… I peeked one eye open.

I was still wrapped up and pressed into my Pharaoh, but Yami was now on his back, staring up at the dark ceiling. Even by looking at his profile, I could see the annoyance on his face. How long had he been up? I moved to wrap him up in return, hearing a soft chuckle and feeling his arm tighten around my waist.

"How long have you been up?" I asked, my voice scratchy from sleep.

"Not too long." He replied. "Sleep well?"

"Like a rock."

Yami chuckled again. "Bad dream?" A hand moved to brush through my messy hair, and I let my eyes close as I enjoyed the touch.

"No. Sure, there was a lot going on but, I woke up not too long ago. I think it's just about dawn."

The hand in my hair paused for a moment. "Mereret?"

"Yeah?"

"Meg mentioned something about Pharaoh's getting up and ensuring the sun rose…. Is that true?"

I had heard the tidbit once or twice but couldn't remember from where. I wracked my brain for a minute before opening my eyes and looking up at him.

"That may be a thing. I can't remember."

Yami groaned, rolling his eyes. The sight made me giggle. "Though, you're the king. Just tell the sun to rise, then go back to bed." Yami gave a bark of laughter at that.

"Oh, sure. I'm going to tell the sun to rise like I am the master of Astrophysics!"

We were reduced to laughing teenagers at that. His hand finished its brushing before laying against his stomach, which still moved from his laughter. There was only a moment of breath before I decided to egg him on.

"You should do it."

"Should I?"

"Do it. I dare you."

"Okay."

I had to be released, but I didn't mind as I was still giggling wildly as Yami sat up and looked towards the window of our room. He dramatically cleared his throat before speaking. "Sun, would you please rise?" I cackled at the wording of his request. "Ya see, I'd like to go back to bed and, if I can't fall asleep, I'd like to kiss the heck out of my wife for a while before even thinking about moving." The laughter stopped, and my face lit up like a Christmas tree once more. Did he really say…? "Help a guy out?" Yami let the question marinate for a second before he stretched up slightly. "Sunrise. Thanks!" He laughed again before laying back down, pulling me back into his form with a quick wrap of my waist. I was still a Christmas tree, so Yami was quick to notice my lack of laughter. He tapped at my chin to make me look up at him. "What's with the blush?"

"What you said…"

Yami raised an eyebrow at my tone; it had lifted an octave from embarrassment. He sent a playful smile down to me.

"Only if I couldn't fall back to sleep."

He quickly maneuvered so that I was fully wrapped up in his arms, my head pressed into his shoulder. My blush only got worse when he gave a hum of contentment. I was so embarrassed I wanted to melt into a puddle and never be seen again. It didn't help that, barely two minutes later, Yami gave another hum. "Nope, can't fall back to sleep." Yami pulled back from his embrace, but he saw the blush still on my face. "You okay? Did I say something wrong?" I quickly shook my head.

"No! It's…"

I felt silly. Yami didn't put any words into my mouth, waiting patiently until I gathered my courage. "You called me your wife." Yami's face lifted into a sweet smile.

"That's what you are to me, right?"

I was pulled in closer; we were now so close, our noses were only centimeters apart. "Just as Yugi is my partner, you are one of the rocks of my life. I'm grateful you've stood by me, even after all of the insanity we've gone through. I know I don't deserve it most —." I cut him off, tilting my head to press a quick kiss to his mouth.

"Don't even think about saying you don't deserve it."

Yami blinked, not saying a word. "You deserve someone at your side just as much as anyone else. I'm glad you've kept me around for all of the insanity." I was kissed now.

"There's no one else I would have wanted at my side."

The familiar feeling of my heart growing in my chest hit me again. How did I get so lucky? We searched each other's face for a long moment, trying to find any lingering doubts, but found nothing. It only took the tiniest of movements for me to happily lose myself in him.

It had been so long since we were last like this. It had to have been before Duelist Kingdom… We were trying to be kind to Yugi's feelings. We had lasted so long simply with entwined hands, whispered teases, and gentle pecks when there was a need for affection. I had forgotten how gentle he was. I had forgotten how easy it was to lose my head and every single thought that ever passed through it. My Pharaoh only needed to wrap his arms around me, and I was utterly content.

After a while, we both needed to breathe, so we pulled away. There was a moment of laughter at how disheveled we looked after a night of sleep, but it was all playful. We lost ourselves for another few minutes before we decided to simply get up to say we did.

It was far easier getting dressed than last night. After washing up - which was an experience, let me tell you - I slid back behind the partition to pull on my clothes. The only thing that really pissed me off was trying to figure out how to reattach the scarab chest piece. I'd gotten it off, now how do I get it back on?! I could hear Yami laughing at my annoyed sounds, so I flicked around the partition a few times to stick my tongue out at him. It only served to make him laugh harder. I eventually figured it out, and we switched places as I now had to figure out the kohl situation. No servants came in to help us, so I figured that we had told them before we could do it ourselves; how very unhelpful, past me. I was trying to get the kohl on without poking my eye out when Yami called out to me. "Mereret?"

"Yeah?"

"You never really answered my question."

Huh? I lowered the brush I was using to think about his accusation. His question?

"Which one was that?"

I saw his head peek out of the partition, eyes narrowed in slight annoyance. I didn't take back my confusion, though, as I gave him a look in return.

"The one I asked you last night on the balcony. Where'd you go after Bakura vanished?"

Oh. That one. I gave a laugh at my forgetfulness before looking back to the mirror in my hand and answering.

"I went to check on my kids."

There was a sputtering sound, and I peeked up. "You okay back there?"

"Y-your kids?!"

"Yeah?"

Yami came out from behind the partition, now only missing his cape and other jewelry. He looked quite frazzled.

"Hold on! Hold on! What?!"

I quickly finished the eye I was working on before turning to face my husband. I was going to be blunt.

"They are my kids, but they aren't biologically mine."

It took a second to sink in but understanding soon filtered across his face. He spent another minute thinking, so I remained silent.

"The same kids… you mentioned in your mind…"

"Exactly."

Yami gave a noise of amazement. Happy he understood, I turned back to my mirror to try and get my other eye situated. I faintly heard the jingle of jewelry, and, after a second, Yami sat beside me.

"Ages?"

I handed him the mirror before replying; it was hard to juggle mirror, brush, and talking all at the same time. Yami didn't complain as he waited for my answer.

"Mery and Hepzefa are 15 going on 16. Khemu is nearly 15 while Kiya is… 12 or so."

"About Yugi's age."

I nodded and gave a happy hum when I managed to get the eye right. "Looking good." My face split into a bright smile.

"Thank you! Need help?"

We adjusted so that I could pull at the skin around his eye, making sure that there wasn't any spot flies or other pesky insects could reach around the sensitive skin. While I worked, Yami continued to ask questions about the kids, which I was happy to answer.

"How long have they been here?"

"That answer depends on which kid you're asking about. Mery and Hepzefa have been with us the longest, about…"

I pulled the brush away as I thought about it. How long had they been with us again? Yami was patient, looking at me with his now mismatched eyes. My brain was only feeding me flashes: the two in the desert, nursing them back to health. I was given a suitable date when I saw Yami's father meeting them; the Pharaoh looked older and, to me, he looked sickly. "Your father was still alive when we took them in so three years at most." His eyes widened. "But… I don't think they knew him for very long…" That brought down the mood, but Yami nodded.

"That's fine. What about the other two?"

I looked at him, and Yami smiled. Of course he wanted to know more about his father, but he knew that would take some time; he was content learning about something of his past, even if it was just about some kids he helped raise. I took a deep breath and returned to applying the kohl.

"Then came Kiya nearly a year later. Khemu joined us the next year; he's been here six months."

Yami blinked as I pulled the brush away to get at another part of his eyes. He continued to ask questions.

"Not that I'm arguing with their presence, but why are they here? Did something happen to their families?"

I nodded, taking a moment to refresh my brush before continuing.

"Mery and Hepzefa's family and village were lost in a bandit raid; we found them collapsed in the desert."

"My god… Kiya?"

"She's tight-lipped. No matter what you ask, she refuses to talk about it. She only says she was abandoned and has no intention of seeking them out, and I haven't looked."

Yami nodded. His eyes had darkened slightly. I couldn't tell if it was through sadness or some other emotion; one would think after so long, I'd know his emotions like the back of my hand.

"Khemu?"

"Khemu…"

I took a deep breath before continuing. "Khemu's breaks my heart." I nearly cut the explanation there, but I knew Yami would want to know. "Have you heard of postpartum depression?" He shook his head as gently as he could so that he didn't mess with my brush strokes. "I'm probably going to butcher the exact definition, but it's a specific form of depression that can occur after a woman gives birth. I can't say symptoms because it's different for everyone. Khemu said that no matter how many times he told her she was a good mother, she never believed him and would continue to ask." I had to pull the brush away to gather myself. Yami's hands took my arms, thumbs rubbing at the skin.

"She… took drastic measures?"

That was one way to put it. I nodded. "Shouldn't his father…"

"His father blamed him."

Anger filled Yami's eyes. "He had him brought here to be tried in front of the Millennium Items like he was a murderer!" My voice was pinched in anger now. "He was cut! He was bruised! A hand coming towards him made him flinch!" I wished I was stronger at that moment as I wanted to snap the brush in my hand in half.

We spent a moment in silence, me still seething with anger. Yami continued to rub at my arms. The motion slowly but surely calmed me down. When I eventually relaxed my grip on the brush, Yami spoke again.

"How is he now?"

The question made me laugh slightly. I adjusted my grip on the brush to finish applying the kohl.

"You'd never know he went through all that unless you saw the scars. He's a little imp with that smile on his face."

Yami gave a chuckle. "He and Hepzefa are partners in crime, teaming up to kick ass and take names." I remembered that the two boys wanted to spar today. I… conveniently… forgot about their little plan and tried to finish as quickly as I could.

"What happened to slow and steady?"

"I remembered I promised that we'd see them today. We can't go in there with funny eyes."

Yami lifted an eyebrow in a teasing, unsaid retort. "Rude! Don't make me give you a mustache with this." I was rewarded with a chuckle, and he allowed me to finish.

We spent one last minute getting ready before I noticed Yami's sudden grip on the rope holding the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. His face was pensive. He must have been thinking about Yugi. "Yugi's tough. I'm sure he's fine." There was a moment of quiet before he nodded. I gave him another moment of thought, using it to slide the familiar charm around my neck; it was a sparkling gold color and I spent a long second marveling at it. After a minute, he looked back up at me and smiled. He let me tug at his hand out of the chambers and towards the small alcove.

The sounds of Hepzefa's laughter hit us first; the boys must have been having a last minute planning session. Yami gave me a look at the sound, but I only smiled back. We walked into the alcove, and Yami was immediately bombarded by the forms of Mery and Kiya.

"Your majesty!" Mery gasped, wrenching his free hand into both of hers.

I released my grip on Yami's hand so that Kiya could have it instead. It was fun seeing Yami's eyes pop out of their sockets slightly in surprise.

"You're okay, right?!" Kiya asked, a pinch of desperation in her voice.

Yami looked taken aback for a moment, sneaking a glance at me, but did give a smile, nodding his head.

"Yes, I'm fine." Yami breathed gently in reply. "Thank you for worrying."

The girls didn't let him go just yet. They were clutching his fingers so tightly that I could see the skin near his rings turn red from blood.

"Like I told Hepzefa last night," I breathed gently, getting their attention. "it'll take a lot more than a silly little thief to get rid of us."

The two hesitated for a moment longer before nodding. A quick glance showed Yami staring at Mery and Kiya's profile; was he trying to remember something? He had to blink when the two looked back, smiling. He smiled in return, freed his hands, then ruffled their hair. Giggles echoed, and my heart grew a few sizes at the sight.

My smile turned evil when, as the girls pulled away, the boys ran forward. Yami didn't even have a chance to look at them before he was pulled by the hands towards their sparring corner.

"Huh?"

"Come on! Come on!" Hepzefa chanted.

"Today's the day we win!" Khemu cheered.

"What?!" Yami squawked.

When they were out of sight, I let out an evil giggle. This was going to be fun to watch. Mery and Kiya giggled as well, moving to take my hands.

"Did you not warn him, Lady Nefertari?" Mery asked.

"I must have forgotten." I said as innocently as I could. "Yesterday was so busy, it must have slipped my mind."

Kiya giggled again. I was sure Yami would get at me for not warning him, but, hopefully, he'd be too tired from rough-housing to do anything more than threaten. Thoroughly amused, I let my girls lead me in and begin our day.

I happily ate the simple spread to fill my empty belly while, out of the corner of my eye, watched as the boys tried to beat Yami; I was quite impressed that he was keeping up with them. Thankfully, he'd been given a spear - or he grabbed one while being dragged - and was bobbing and weaving between the boys as they tried to pin him in. I'm sure both of our eyes widened slightly as we saw three Khemus at one point. He was like a Kuriboh! I couldn't watch the end as my eyes were taken by Kiya coming up with a shard of pottery that she'd been writing on. It was a poem that she'd been working on all morning. I read it two or three times before smiling at her. "It's lovely, Kiya. Well written." The girl's face lit up into a bright smile at the compliment and dashed off to her writing set. I was left with her poem, so I went to read it over again when I heard Hepzefa's whine.

"We were so close!" Hepzefa whined.

"Where'd we go wrong?" Khemu asked

"I don't know!"

I peeked over to see the boys shakily getting to their feet with Yami smiling above them. He was a bit out of breath but not gasping like the boys were. "How are you so tough, your majesty?" Yami gave a chuckle at that, helping Hepzefa stay on his feet.

"Practice." The Pharaoh replied.

Hepzefa gave a sigh. He was smiling again despite looking utterly exhausted.

"You ask that question every time he wins." Khemu sassed. "He always gives you the same answer."

I had to muffle a laugh with my hand, but it still got me a look from Yami. It made me laugh even more.

"It's true, though. Keep at it, and, one day, you'll beat me."

The boys dutifully nodded. "All right, you two should eat." They bobbed their heads before racing towards me to sit and gobble up the foods on the table. Yami walked over as well, standing next to me.

"Well done." I complimented.

"I would have done better if I was warned."

I playfully gasped, trying to sound offended.

"I forgot! How can you blame me?"

Yami gave no retort, but I could hear his eyes roll. The kids around me giggled as well, covering up any other noise. He used the cacophony to lean in and whisper in my ear.

"Is Khemu always that sassy?"

"Yes, and I love it."

I heard another eye roll, and Yami moved to sit beside me. "A boy after my own heart." His voice appeared at my ear again.

"You're emboldening bad habits."

"What? No…"

I looked to Khemu. "Am I emboldening a bad habit, Khemu?" The boy looked up, finished chewing his food, then replied.

"No, Lady Nefertari." Khemu 'innocently' replied. "Only good habits here."

I looked back to Yami, bright smile on my face. I saw the eye roll this time, but he didn't retort. I turned back to smile at Khemu, who tried to hold back his laughter.

For the next three days, Yami and I did our best to avoid any suspicion of our lack of memories. The frequent meetings with the priests were stressful, but we managed to keep our heads when asked questions about what to do. From what Yami told me when we met up after the long days, he frequently found the boys training with the Medjay under Mahad's control, eyes wide at the Priest. Priest Seto frequently took me by surprise as, when I expected a Kaiba response, he showed a sort of kindness. It hit me like a freight train when, in the afternoon of the second day when I couldn't find Kiya after returning to the alcove to lounge the rest of the day away, I found the two in a library with the Priest teaching Kiya something out of a large scroll. Master Aknadin was at the side of the room, continually calling out additional advice, but Kiya kept her eyes on Priest Seto.

Keeping the information safe from the kids was another story.

The boys were safe as, even though they were smart, they were one track-minded when it came to a sparring session. Kiya didn't ask the hard questions or many at all; she was quite content with one or both of us looking over her writings and asking what we thought. On the other hand, Mery nearly caught Yami a few times when he was thinking - and worrying - about Yugi, but, for some strange reason, she couldn't quite see what he was thinking of. I was conveniently reminded of Mery's ability then: she could see the cords and connections between the people around her, and, depending on their history, she could see the memories from them. We quickly learned to think about the future when she wasn't around.

It was strange having so much time with Yami. Waking up with him in the morning was both strange and exhilarating, especially since we'd never had that experience before. I half expected Yugi to pop up every now and then, but the calls of my former names kept telling me otherwise. Even so, I think Yami liked being able to pester me whenever he wanted. He knew he made me blush when he called me his wife, so he continually did it, lifting his voice a bit so that I could hear him when I was in my own conversation. I could see Lady Isis snickering behind her hand when she was around to hear it. Despite all that, I was happy to have him with me, and he returned the sentiment with each hug he gave me when we were finally alone.

Before we had to go to some sort of practice session with the priests in the Eastern corner of the palace complex, Yami and I were relaxing in the children's alcove, with my Pharaoh drinking something from his cup. It would have been the main throne room, but it was still a bit of a mess after the fight with Bakura. We had spent the morning undergoing the last few necessary steps for Yami's father to be reinterred, so I was glad to have a moment to myself. After a long drink, Yami looked into the garden and must have seen something. After a few seconds, he put his cup aside and walked out into the garden. I glanced over to see him kneeling in front of something then stay there. What was he doing? I felt Mery wrap her arms around my shoulders in a hug then.

"It's not often he looks at the Funerary monuments." Mery breathed. "I wonder what he's thinking about."

Funerary monuments? I tried to peek my head around to see, but Yami's cape had billowed in the slight breeze, so I couldn't see. "Is he worried about something, Lady Nefertari?" He was most likely thinking of his memory again. I didn't know how to explain it to her, so I picked the next best option.

"I think he's still worried about the incident from a few days ago." I replied.

Mery gave a sad hum. I lifted a hand to rub against her arm for a moment, trying to be a calming force, before adjusting to stand up. "I'll go check on him. Can you keep the boys away for five minutes?" The girl nodded then raced to play intervention should the boys come up with a harebrained scheme. I smiled at her before turning to walk towards Yami, kneeling beside him.

In front of him, just as Mery said, were four medium-sized funerary steles. They were all in the New Kingdom style, and their paint still well intact, so they were all mostly recent. Two were of couples, one for a woman then one for what looked to be an ibis. Yami's eyes were on the oldest one, the one with the most paint faded. He glanced at me before looking back.

"It's your parents." He breathed.

I looked over the stele and nodded. Even with the paint faded, I could see that the carver had done his best to write my parents' names in hieroglyphics as well as the spell required to give them offerings. "They don't look like them, though."

"Didn't I tell you? Egyptian art rarely ever changes - you'll see the most change in the mid-18th Dynasty into the Amarna period, but it's quickly changed back. I highly doubt they would have made an exception for my parents; this isn't Hellenistic Greece."

Yami huffed a laugh. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright. I just wanted to look at these. Hepzefa and Khemu drag me past them so often I never get to see them."

I laughed at the eye roll he gave. "Who are the other ones?"

"Read them."

Yami gave me a look. "Come on. They are all labeled." My Pharaoh did turn back to the stone slabs and began to read over the glyphs. He had moved over to the second slab, the second couple, and began to read.

"An offering given by the king to Osiris, the lord of Busiris, the great god, the lord of Abydos. That he may give a physical or verbal offering of bread, beer, oxen, birds, alabaster, clothing, and every good and pure thing upon which a god lives. For the Kas of Hamset, True of Voice, and Sera, True of Voice."

Yami was silent for a long time. He was reading the spell over and over again. He eventually turned back to me. "Mery and Hepzefa's parents." I nodded, still looking to the stele.

"They needed closure as well as an assurance that their parents would be safely sent to the Field of Reeds."

I heard Yami sigh. I then saw something on the stele that would cheer him up, if only slightly. I glanced to the other steles, and the smile grew. This was perfect! I poked his arm before pointing to the inscription, a couple of glyphs inside a cartouche. "Know that name?"

"You're joking, right?"

Yami was giving me a raised eyebrow. "You're asking a guy who doesn't remember his name to know a name?" I playfully rolled my eyes before speaking again.

"The man who commissioned this piece as well as this one…"

I pointed to the collection of glyphs on the stele of my parents."…is Wahibre, but it's not his birth name." Yami blinked, his confusion fading away. "Wahibre is a throne name, a Pharaonic one." His eyes widened.

"Me?"

I shook my head.

"You're not named but you are on it."

Yami still looked confused. I pointed to the symbols after the cartouche. "Wahibre's son was one of the people to commission this piece. Think about it." Yami thought about it for only a second before he understood.

"My father?"

I nodded. Yami leaned over the stele, ghosting his finger along the inscribed lines. A smile had finally lifted his face, and I quietly celebrated. "We commissioned it for them?"

"Yeah, about a year after I arrived for my parents, then we got this one a few weeks after Mery and Hepzefa came to live with us."

Yami's smile remained. There was then a bit of excitement to his next question.

"Do I have a throne name?"

I nodded again, my smile growing. Perfect!

"It's on the last two; can you find it?"

Like a game of 'Where's Waldo', Yami immediately went searching for it. It was quite entertaining, so I giggled quietly. I leaned into his arm, watching as his eyes flicked about the stele. He was silent for a long time as he searched. He eventually spoke when something bothered him enough.

"Why is this one for a bird?

I looked over at the one he was talking about. It was about an Ibis who had died. "It says that Kiya was… wait…" I peeked at his face. It was a mix of confusion and understanding; it was an odd mixture. "Kiya can talk to animals." I was knocked out of my amusement. Where did he get that conclusion?

"Huh?"

"Right here."

Yami slid his finger above a line of glyphs. "This ibis was Kiya's friend. He was loved enough that a stele was made for him."

"So?"

"So?! Mereret, last time I checked, ibis aren't pets!"

I blinked at him, and my Pharaoh gave a sigh. "We've seen dozens of cats and other animals run in and out of here the past few days, and they listen to her!" I gave a hum. He had a point there. Merti, the cat, was a staple in the bedtime routine. I also noticed that the two could have these strangely coherent conversations with each other. "You have a better explanation?" I didn't, so I gave him the laurel. My Pharaoh celebrated my silence before looking to the second stele; he was so happy he'd forgotten his search for the moment. "Now… who are..." Yami's happiness faded away. "Khenut… Khemu's mother." His hand slid along the glyphs that showed her name. He spent a moment in silence before speaking again. "What happened to his father?"

"I don't know."

Yami looked back at me, obviously checking to see if I was telling the truth. "Honest! I went looking for a papyrus about it the other day when I was waiting for Kiya, but there's nothing. Either, it was destroyed in some accident, or it wasn't written down because of the sensitive topic." My Pharaoh gave a quiet sigh, and I elbowed him, trying to get him back on his search and away from this sad topic. "It's in the past. Come on, weren't you looking for your throne name?" Yami lifted his head after a moment and continued to search the glyphs. He eventually found the small cartouche at the bottom of Khemu's mother's stele. He was actively translating it as his head tilted slightly.

"Nefru… ankh… re? Is… Is that it?"

"Yep. Outside of family members and specific court members, your birth name wouldn't have been well known to the normal Egyptian. No self-respecting Egyptian citizen would call you your birth name to your face! To artisans and the people outside, you are Pharaoh Nefruankhre."

Yami was silent, staring at the glyphs. "I know it's not your real name, but… it's a name at least." He was silent for a long time. Each second made me even more nervous. Oh boy… did I make him upset again? Yami's arm then wrapped around my waist, and he pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"It is, and it's enough for now. Thank you, Mereret."

I gave a sigh of relief, and my Pharaoh chuckled. He kissed my cheek again before helping me to my feet. "Now, I believe that we're needed somewhere."

It took a few minutes to get away from the kids, who whined about being left, but Yami promised that we'd be back later. It soothed them enough to let us get away, at least for a while. We walked together to the room being used for the practice, Yami laughing each time I playfully stomped on the blue strip that lined the Palace halls. Even if I couldn't remember which civilizations the Nine Bows were, it didn't mean I couldn't symbolically crush them underneath my feet.

In what was probably another throne room, Yami settled onto a throne while I relaxed into his side from the armrest. Below us was what looked to be a field of some kind, decorated with intricate eyes. I wasn't sure if they were supposed to be Eyes of Horus or Eyes of Ra, but I didn't think it significant enough to warrant too much brain power.

"For this duel, the priests will split into teams of two!" Shimon called. "Each team will have three stones."

I felt Yami cross his arms over his chest when the word 'duel' was said. With how many we've watched, I bet this one was going to be a wild ride. "You may summon one monster each. You may use the sealing stones to call monsters from the shrine or use the spirits of your own Ka. The team that defeats all of the opponents' monsters wins!"

It was so much like a regular duel, I was actually quite amazed. I had to give props to Pegasus for managing that, though I bet he had help from the Millennium Eye for that. Every minute or so, I would peek at Yami to see his eyes flicking from person to person and from monster to monster. He was probably thinking the same thing as me. Both of our expressions shifted into confusion when Priest Seto called for his monster to attack his teammates. Using their power, he single-handedly defeated the other team. My expression quickly changed to allow a sigh through my mouth.

"I found Kaiba." I breathed in Yami's ear.

There was a huff, but it wasn't a laugh; it was more a sigh.

"That's enough, Seto! You win."

Priest Seto gave a very Kaiba-like smirk before snapping to look at Mahad. He, Lady Isis, and Kalim were all shaking and exhausted from the defeat, with the Priest of the Millennium Ring kneeling on the ground to catch his breath.

"Priest Mahad!" Seto snapped. "What kind of spirit is that to protect the Pharaoh's tomb?! That was pathetic! You need to strengthen your Ba!"

Mahad didn't reply, still breathing heavily. I suddenly had the strange suspicion that Mahad wasn't using his full strength for some reason. Perhaps he was very powerful but didn't want to dwarf the other priests? It seemed like a good theory, but I had no evidence.

"Priest Seto." Kalim huffed. "I admit that we lost, but what value is there in winning if it means sacrificing your own allies?!"

"Hmph. War isn't won by the number of soldiers or the number of words."

Seto turned away, walking off the platform that the priests were still on. "Mark these words, Priest Kalim, I'll listen to you after you become a more worthwhile opponent." Yeesh… I definitely found Kaiba. I was shaken from my annoyance when Yami finally spoke up, lifting his voice to be heard from the dais.

"Priest Seto!" Yami called, not angry but not calm either.

Seto actually looked surprised to be called out like this. It was slightly amusing to see his smirk drop that quickly.

"My lord?"

"A battle strategy that relies on strength sometimes reveals unforeseen weaknesses."

The smile returned then. Oh boy…

"Is that so?"

"True power would never mean hurting your allies… your friends…"

"Really. Then what is power? It may be presumptuous of me, but I would appreciate instruction from the Great Pharaoh! Would it be possible to duel right here and now?"

Yami only needed to tap on my hand to get me to straighten up; I did so with a bright smile. This was going to be fun. Shimon, with his back to us, didn't see the adjustment as he snapped back.

"Seto!" The vizier shouted. "You insult the Pharaoh!"

Yami got to his feet then, calling out a different answer.

"Very well!" Yami breathed as he got up.

Shimon looked utterly scandalized when he turned back to us. I had to hold back a laugh at the voice he used.

"Great Pharaoh!"

Yami stepped down the dais then to the platform with Seto and Shimon in tow. I quickly took the opportunity to snag the throne and lounge in it. Sadly, it wasn't as comfortable as my spot next to and on Yami; the perks of being the Queen, I guess. Lady Isis sent me a smile and a raised eyebrow at my change in position, but she didn't berate me. She only gave a soft laugh when I adjusted to be in a more comfortable position. I then turned to look at what was going on down on the platform.

"I shall enjoy seeing the power of the gods…" Seto breathed, but Yami was quick to burst his bubble.

"No." Yami jumped in. "I won't summon the gods. One stone tablet is all I need."

"No God? But my spirit beast, Duos… are you sure?"

"You don't need to hold back, Seto."

"Oh, I don't? Well then…"

I hated how cocky he sounded. Yami, you better knock it off his face with this.

Priest Seto summoned his Ka monster while Yami called something into the stone tablet. The priests were panicking at what appeared there - Seto looked absolutely scandalized - but I had a bad angle from my seat. What did he call? I straightened up on the throne just as Duos slammed his giant sword into the stone, making it explode into a thousand pieces. I knew the monster he'd summoned when I saw the smirk on my Pharaoh's face and heard his next few words.

"This Ka has a special power; when its sealing slab is broken, it multiplies. If you attack without thinking, you lose!"

He was once again tormenting Kaiba with Kuriboh!

There had to be hundreds of pieces large enough to summon a puffball and, sure enough, out popped enough to cover Duos' sword and then some. Priest Seto's smirk was nowhere to be seen. I was happily cackling on the throne; well done, Yami. One of the Kuribohs that wasn't on the sword noticed me laughing and popped over, and I happily wrapped it up. Yeah! A Kuriboh that wouldn't get taken away by bullshit!

Thoroughly pleased with his lesson, Yami came back to the throne. He gave me a lifted eyebrow, and I playfully stuck my tongue out at him, earning rolled eyes. I did get up to let him back into his throne, but I refused to let go of my fluffy friend.

"Shimon." Lady Isis' calm call caught my ears before I could return to my regular spot. "Since we priests are practicing, shouldn't the Great Lady get some herself?"

I heard Shimon hum, but my former mistress kept talking. "Perhaps Mahad could issue her a friendly challenge?" All the playfulness in my body vanished at that. Go toe to toe with Mahad? I snapped my head towards the priests, seeing Lady Isis sending Mahad a smile. The Priest of the Millennium Ring received it and looked back at me.

"If she is willing." The Priest breathed.

Oh, I was willing, all right. My Kuriboh disappeared with a poof as I tossed it into the air; sorry, little bud, it's hard to fight with a puffball in my arms. I then pressed a quick kiss to Yami's cheek before dashing down the dais and facing down the Priest. Adrenaline was racing through my veins just like how it would on a rollercoaster. This was exciting; hopefully, my face was far more passive than the bright smile I usually wore when I felt like this. I had to calm down, though; this wasn't going to be easy. Mahad was a powerful priest; I couldn't let my excitement blind me. I took a deep breath, allowing my powers to flow through my veins. At my exhale, the air was so cold, I could see my breath.

Mahad didn't move, so I struck first, trying to blow him off his feet. As expected, he brushed the blast aside, sending a counterattack. The explosion was massive, so I had to dodge out of the way rather than parry it like he did mine. I must have known it would have taken him a second to reorient himself after such a large blast as my body sent a swirl of ice across the platform. It did trip him up, but Mahad quickly got his balance back. His next shot was far easier to counter, so I was able to push it off course with a wave of my hand. I couldn't see where it landed as another, more powerful one was headed my way. I blew a blast of cold air that slowed it long enough for me to split it in half.

A loud whistle then cut through the air. A very human instinct told me to flinch and turn away from the loud noise, but the smarter part of my brain stopped me. I knew the spell he'd cast; I'd heard it before. I threw up a shield spell and watched as a razor-like spell crashed against it. It spun and twirled for a second before dissipating. There was a soft chuckle, and I sent Mahad a look.

"You've been trying to catch me with that spell since I was 15, Mahad!" I called over to him, my mouth somehow choosing words for me. "It isn't going to work."

"Just testing your reaction time."

I scoffed—typical response.

We spent the next few minutes locked like that, one of us trying to knock the other off their feet. Mahad nearly succeeded a few times, but I was able to use my ice to my advantage. I retaliated as firmly as I could, knowing full well that Mahad could handle anything I threw at him. I was starting to get mad, though; something was missing! I couldn't put my finger on it! My brain was teasingly showing me flashes of days where Mahad would send me flying with a flick of his hand, and now… He wasn't fighting at full strength; I knew it for sure now! I went to shout at him to not hold back on me, but Yami's call stopped me.

"All right!" My Pharaoh called. "That's enough!"

Mahad immediately backed down, breathing heavily from his magic use. I was breathing heavily as well, thoroughly exhausted. I'd actually held my own… And against Mahad at that! I would be proud later… after a long nap. I nodded to my opponent, quietly thanking him for the practice, before walking back to the dais. Yami was a comfortable pillow, but I'd never hear the end of it if I fell asleep on the throne. Thankfully, Yami's hand rubbing my forearm kept me awake for the conversation. The priests had gathered below the dais with Mahad lowered to his knee. With his hands clenched into fists, I saw his white knuckles.

"Great Pharaoh, as captain of the Royal Tomb Guard, I, Mahad, will take command of the soldiers stationed at Pharaoh Akhenamkanon's tomb."

I felt Yami nod his head at the words. His hand remained at my forearm, keeping me tethered to the waking world.

"The thief Bakura could reappear at any moment. Use as many guards as you need. Protect the tomb! I expect your best, Mahad."

"We had set the most ingenious of traps, but Bakura sneaked past them easily and robbed us of everything he could carry." Shimon added. "If we only repair the traps, the tragedy will be repeated."

"Do not worry." Mahad soothed. "There is a new trap sure to catch any thief."

I peeked up from Yami's shoulder. What was that supposed to mean? If Bakura could get past a powerful spell like the one I had apparently cast on my father-in-law's tomb, what kind of trap could hold him? Seto gave a huff then. His ego had repaired itself in the time between Yami's lesson and now.

"You won't get a second chance to clear your name, Mahad." Seto teased. "The next time the Pharaoh's tomb is robbed, you will be stripped of the priesthood."

I immediately went to straighten up and snap, not liking how high and mighty he was acting towards a colleague, but Yami tightened his grip on my arm. I was pulled back down and held there. If I could have growled, I would have.

"Priest Seto…" Shimon huffed in my stead. "That is for the Pharaoh to decide!"

Seto didn't retort to the snap, but he still looked pleased. I was still angry, but I'd let Shimon have the last word in that regard. Yami held me still for another moment, quickly checking my temper, but when I didn't move when he loosened his hold, he returned to my forearm.

"Mahad." Yami breathed, making all eyes shift to him. "Don't be blinded by your guilt. Think only of fulfilling your duties!"

"My lord." Mahad quickly replied with a bow of his head.

With it being so late, Mahad pledged to leave first thing the next morning. It gave him time to gather his reinforcements and perfect his plan. Yami and I were able to escape, and he held my hand tightly as we walked back towards the familiar halls of the main palace. I was still so tired; I was rubbing my eyes in an attempt to stay awake.

"You okay?"

I looked up at him, seeing his eyes filled with concern. "You're looking a bit sick." Was I? I lifted my free hand to my forehead, looking for a temperature difference, but felt nothing. I gave a sigh, lowering my hand.

"I'm just tired." I admitted. "It's… been a long time since I've dueled someone like that."

"I don't think I've ever seen you so serious."

I flicked him for the tease, earning a chuckle. "If you're tired, why don't you go take a nap?" My eyes moved to him again. The concern was gone, now replaced with the sweetness he always had. I was happy he cared about my wellbeing, but I was fine.

"I'll be fine. We promised that we'd be back, after all."

Yami may not have verbally argued, but he tugged me down the hall that leads to our chambers rather than the kid's alcove. "Yami… I'm fine!" He continued to drag me until we were at the door of our chambers. I tried to give him a look, but Yami returned it.

"You look exhausted. If you show up looking like that, I'm sure all of them would drag you to bed; no questions asked."

I was tempted to ask what I looked like, but I gave him the laurel; sleep sounded highly attractive right now. Yami must have seen his victory from my face as he gave a bright smile then pressed a quick kiss to my forehead. "I'll wake you up for dinner."

"Thank you."

I pulled away from his hands and walked into our room. It had been cleaned and ready for us to return to for the night. Hardly caring about sleeping in my kohl, I only took the heavier pieces of jewelry off and my sandals before climbing into bed. It was lonely without my Pharaoh with me, but I was so exhausted, I was asleep within moments.

I have a list of things to explain! Here:

The Nine Bows, a set of white bows on a blue background that you'll see on some statues of Pharaohs, are the Nine traditional enemies of Egypt. The image was printed in the halls of the palace - and even on the Pharaoh's sandals - so that, as the Pharaoh moved about, he could symbolically crush his enemies. It's a fun motif that I wanted to put in.

Nefruankhre: Beautiful is the Life of Re/a (Yami's throne name, created by me!)

Wahibre: Constant is the heart of Re/a (Akhenamkanon throne name, pulled from previous dynasty Pharaoh.)

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! This was a fun one to write, especially that first part with Yami being a smartass was super fun to write out.

Yami Bakura: *raises his hand* I have a question.

Shoot.

Yami Bakura: Do you know what happened to Kiya's parents?

Yep. I know exactly why she was abandoned.

Yami Bakura: *Gets excited* Can you tell us?

Nope. That's something for me to tell in the future when I finally get it written down. :)

Yami Bakura: Dammit! Then do you know what happened to Khemu's father?

*Silence for half a second* I actually don't know what happened to him.

Yami Bakura: What do you mean?! You created him!

I know... but I don't know what happened to him. I just imagine a very dark and disturbing punishment.

Yami Bakura: ...oh...