Author's Notes

Isis reveals...

Seto finds...

Yuugi and Kisara end...

At Atemu's birthday ceremony...

Yo!

I want to explain that for this fanfiction I used the concept of slavery from other countries and not from ancient Egypt, being the same for the harem.

In Ancient Egypt, slavery was not in terms of property or forced servitude.

In fact, it is difficult to research about it due to the fact that the words slaves and servants are similar.

Even the word Hem is used for servants, slaves, workers and even priests, as the word Hem–netjr (high priest and head of the temple), translated as "servant/slave of the Gods". Hem's female was Hemt.

In ancient Egypt there were no slave markets as there were in other kingdoms where slaves were sold on the streets, either directly or by auction. Debt slavery comprised private and equally documented relationships with debt and services that would be rendered in payment and that were performed between clients, local councils or staff offices. All men, women and children needed to be documented with their name, special talents and so on. After the payment of the debt, the slavery/servitude was ended, with the freedom being returned according to the documents.

Therefore, slavery that was not regulated or that arising from kidnapping was illegal and punishable, in addition to being frowned upon by Egyptian society.

Even in these cases, the families of those who were enslaved could demand the return of their enslaved family members as a form of compensation.

As for child slavery, children were prohibited from performing manual labor.

Regarding sexual abuse of slaves, these cases were very rare and rape was considered a heinous crime, whether the victim was a free Egyptian or a slave, besides being condemned by society and equally disapproved because if the woman became pregnant, it would disturb the peace in the House. For the Egyptians, the house was considered sacred.

As for the concubines, even though they were often traded as gifts between rulers, all the women and men who understood this group chose this life for themselves, causing them to be trained in a similar way to modern prostitution, in addition to not possessing the stigma associated with this function unlike other countries, besides being in better environments.

In ancient Egypt there were three types of slavery:

— Debt slaves comprised men and women who sold themselves and their families into slavery to pay the debt and were set free as soon as the work was completed. This slavery comprised private and equally documented relationships with debt and services that would be rendered as payment and were carried out between clients, local councils or staff offices. All men, women and children needed to be documented with their name, special talents and so on. After payment of the debt, slavery/servitude was ended and freedom was returned according to the documents.

— Prisoners/captives of war were no better off than ordinary personal servants. They were integrated into smaller groups and colonies, making them part of the empire, and they could be given to temples as rewards to soldiers for good service or raised as servants in the palace. As for living conditions and rights, they were very similar to those of free and common people.

They could even own property, in addition to having rights like civilians, working in various positions ranging from domestic servants to government assistants.

Furthermore, many of these who comprised foreigners captives, whether they were employed or belonged to wealthier influential and/or elite families or even to the Pharaoh himself, could easily ascend in their status, ending up being often better than most ordinary people. as a result of the fact that they live on the goods of their masters along with access to all benefits according to their work and position.

Furthermore, contrary to the view of other peoples and contradictory to popular beliefs adopted in various countries, these slaves were highly appreciated due to their different skin color, with them being seen as part of Egyptian society.

— Criminal slaves: this group included free Egyptians who committed a crime and as punishment, were turned into slaves. Unlike temple slaves, debt slaves and prisoners of war, they were treated very poorly by society because everyone was aware of their criminal status.

As for the harem in ancient Egypt, contrary to the Western view, it was a space in the palace for women who comprised wives, in addition to the Great Royal Wife, comprising also the wives of officials and children. It was called Ipet-nswt.

Even in the late afternoon, they would go home to their husbands with their children.

In other words, it was not a place for sex slaves and prostitutes as it was in other cultures.

As you can see, in the concept of slavery and harem, I ended up using the Western rather than the Egyptian. But, in the next fanfiction, I'll use the vision of slavery/servitude and Ipet-nswt.

I had reasons to adopt the views of other cultures.

Have a good read. XDD

Chapter 25 - Ideal Gift

"What was that vision like?"

"It was fuzzy. I saw two dragons. One was white and furry. The other was not furry and was silver. Both had blue eyes. I also saw someone who resembled Per'a'ah, but wasn't Per'a'ah. There was a young girl with silver hair too. I think these two were slaves. I couldn't see the vision very clearly and the last thing I saw was Per'a'ah rising and then the three Egyptian Gods. "

"Is this going to happen during the birthday ceremony?"

"I guess so." She speaks worriedly. "We must notify Per'a'ah."

"Later. First, we must notify the other Holy Guardians. Has Seto returned from the market yet? After all, he is the Per'a'ah's left arm."

"Not yet. He said something about buying Per'a'ah a gift as tradition dictates, since he will receive several gifts. I have a gift for our sovereign."

"I have mine too. I'm curious about his gift."

"I think everyone else is curious too. He said he wanted an exotic gift."

"Exotic?"

"Yes."

Far away, more precisely at an auction in the market of the capital of the empire, the Sacred Guardian Seto was sitting in the noble area, with his soldiers beside him. He had decided to give a personal slave to his cousin, since everyone else would give objects. Hem-netjr wanted to be original in the sense of getting some exotic slave and after several minutes he began to regret his decision because all that had been shown were in bad shape and not distinguished. It was the same at other auctions he had attended previously, leading him to question whether he should have thought of a spare gift in case he didn't get what he wanted.

So he wouldn't have been exasperated to see that he couldn't find any that fit his conception of the exotic.

In the area behind the stage, Yuugi and Kisara had regained consciousness and the young man was worried about his friend Yukiko because he could only feel her consciousness or more precisely her thoughts. The only thing he understood was that the object around her neck was blocking her and in a way incomprehensible to him.

The tricolor-haired teenager could feel her fury and despair, both for him and for the silver, with the ex-priest believing her friend was doing everything to try to circumvent the collar or get past her.

Meanwhile, the amethyst eyes gazed at the silvery blue orbs encouragingly as he gave his hand to her in return. The slight tremor that affected her was visible, with the young man forcing a gentle smile for the girl, managing to calm her down gradually.

A few minutes later, after Kisara had calmed down, the calm between them was abruptly broken when their captor appeared in front of them, terrifying them both, before explaining about the magical collar they wore. He used as an example the punishment given by the object by ordering something impossible for both of them, causing them to be electrocuted for a few seconds until the punishment ceases, with him canceling the order while laughing with delight at seeing their shrinking faces of pain and terror against the bars behind their cages while Yukiko roared with fury, for she had felt her friend's pain.

"Sir?"

The leader stops laughing and arches a frown at one of his subordinates.

"Which is?"

"We have one of the Holy Guardians of Nsw-bity (King of Upper and Lower Egypt) in the audience."

"What?! Really?!"

Quickly, he climbs to the edge of the stage and directs his gaze to where his employee's finger was pointing, noticing at once that the Hem-netjr was annoyed and that he appeared to be about to get up.

Promptly, the man grabs his subordinate's collar, dragging him up to his face, displaying a furious expression to the point of almost growling.

"Who sent to show our average and inferior products to someone like him? We must show our best products! Our best products are them" He points to Yuugi and Kisara who were terrified. "Start by offering the silver and for the highest value! Then offer the boy! For people like him, we should show you our best products, you idiot!"

He drops him to the ground abruptly, making him fall, and then he frantically consents as he looks at the frown of deep anger of his boss.

Quickly, he goes to the silver cage, tying a chain to her collar, as well as securing her wrists and ankles with iron rings, then pulling her hard over her friend's indignation when he sees her tripping and falling into the floor with the violent tug it received.

"Hey! Stop it!"

The young man's scream caught the attention of the leader who saw the girl falling to the ground, and then he got up with difficulty, making him huff and walk towards his employee, who, in turn, flinched when he heard his boss raging at him.

"She's excellent quality merchandise, you imbecile! Be careful! She can't have any damage!"

He apologizes to his leader and pulls her onto the stage after the slave that was being announced earlier is sold, with the auctioneer going to the man who brought the girl and who conveys the orders of their boss.

In the stands, more necessarily at the front, Seto was getting ready to get up, aiming to go to another tent to look for some exotic slave, when he stopped his step by looking at the stage where a new slave was being brought.

He is at a loss for words to see the beautiful woman who took the stage with handcuffs on her wrists and feet, as well as wearing a kind of very strange collar in golden color and with hierogriffs and its surface, with him not being able to read the inscriptions because you would need to get close to read them.

Seto noticed that the young woman was malnourished and dehydrated, in addition to showing extreme fatigue and was absolutely certain that she would have passed out if they hadn't been pulling her by her collar. Even with his head bowed, he could sense her fear and not condemn her.

Even looking at the audience, she noticed their hungry and extremely lustful look at her, making him clench his fists as he struggled hard against the urge to chase away them out of the room by looking that way at the beautiful woman on stage at the same time how strange the possessiveness that arose in him.

"Look what a beautiful slave girl! She has exotic skin and beautiful blue eyes. She is a virgin too. You may have noticed this distinctive collar. The reason she wears this magical object is because of the magic she possesses. This collar prevents her from being the magic is used against the master or whoever else he orders, in addition to forcing it to obey the order of its owner under risk of punishment. Currently, I have blocked your magic. But whoever wants to see, just define how and where you can be used your powers.

Then, a murmur sets in between them while Seto was fascinated.

After all, he had thought it was beautiful and would definitely buy it. Knowing that the girl had magic, with that being something rare, made her even more special along with her exotic appearance. He felt that he needed to have her to himself and her possessiveness in front of the beautiful silver made him disconcerted.

Then the bidding starts and Hem-netjr covers them all until it is sold to him.

Meanwhile, Kisara was still terrified, fearing for her and her friend's fate. Even not understanding what were the lustful looks directed at her, the young woman felt a strong fear take her in front of those unknown looks due to her innocence.

Even at the end of the auction, the girl didn't dare look up because she feared seeing the same kind of unfamiliar look that terrified her in her owner's eyes, and she was in no hurry to know who her owner would be while praying to the Netjer (Gods ) thinking she wasn't someone cruel and didn't intend to rape her. As for this last thought, she didn't have much hope because her appearance was her downfall, in her vision and as she was taken from the stage, she looked at Yuugi who was next and shed a tear.

After all, she believed she would never see him again while she feared for her friend's fate.

The silver one closes her eyes and holds back the tears that wanted to spring from her blue orbs as she imagined losing the young man, just as she had lost her half sister, Nuru. She didn't want to lose her dear friends by being taken away from them or by them being taken away from her.

One of the auctioneers goes to the priest and bows.

"Would you like us to take you to the palace?"

He was going to say that he would take her at that moment, but decides that he would like to show everyone the exotic beauty she has acquired, with him knowing the ideal moment and when he communicates her decision, the man consents.

After all, Seto needed to return to the palace to organize some items and therefore, he would not have time to accommodate his new acquisition, only having some time for it during the ceremony.

So, the Hem-netjr thinks to himself as Kisara is taken away for separation, with a view to being delivered later.

"Will I be able to find another exotic slave? I don't want to give it to my cousin. I want her for myself."

Then Yuugi is pulled onto the stage by the chains attached to his golden collar, with Seto noticing that it was just like the slave's and arching his right brow as he sees it better, realizing how exotic it was, in addition to the fact that it resembled the slave his cousin in pointy and tricolored hair, leaving him stunned.

Of course, there were some differences, such as the edge colors of the spiked hair being purple and smooth in outline along with the fact that it had fewer additional spiked hair tufts while its golden bangs weren't spiked because his framed his face heart-shaped and with smooth features. There was also the difference in skin color, with his being ivory, in the eyes that were large and expressive having the color of an amethyst along with the soft features that, together with his short stature, gave an angelic beauty and a delicate appearance, in addition to make him wrongly judge that that slave must have been a child, still, by the expressive eyes and small stature, along with the apparently delicate physique.

Besides, besides the exotic color of his skin, his eyes were like two amethysts. The gemstone eyes made him even more exotic, even more so because the amethyst is considered a precious gem in Kemet (Egypt), in addition to being a gem associated with the Per'a'ah and as he analyzed the slave in front of him, he realized who had found the perfect gift for his cousin.

The Hem-netjr displays a gleeful smile at having found what he came looking for, digesting the surprise at having found exotic slaves considering the level of that auction, at least, until the appearance of the silver that seemed to attract him intensely.

Furthermore, his eyes rested on the golden collar with Egyptian hieroglyphics, making him question himself if he had magic because it was too surprising, though he preferred to listen to the auctioneer to confirm if in fact it was the same collar.

While Yuugi was on stage, the half dragon was furious because she couldn't change consciousness for being repelled by the item at the same time she realized she could overpower that collar as long as she used violent force and why she didn't, it was because he feared the consequences to his friend if he forced its destruction.

After all, Yukiko didn't want to risk his life.

Of course, there was a way around the item, but the albino felt it would take some time to subdue the object long enough to change minds with it without risking his life.

Even with that thought in mind, she had been frantically working on it as she snarled angrily, wanting to rip apart the one who had captured them.

Meanwhile, Yuugi felt bad for her friend, who in turn sighed when she felt his thoughts, with Yukiko only managing to transmit her thoughts to her friend.

"Try to follow all orders so as not to be punished. In the meantime, I will work to subdue this object. I believe I will manage to subdue him." She speaks, determination in her face and voice. "But it will take some time. So avoid being punished. Feeling your suffering is the worst kind of torment for me."

"I promise, Yukiko-chan."

Since they woke up and discovered the limitation imposed by the object, the young man struggled to calm her down although he was nervous too while thanking the fact that he could still talk to her.

After being pulled, he is crestfallen while Yukiko was furious and equally terrified, snarling furiously as she showed off her sharp white fangs while her diamond-like claws ripped the ground, with her brandishing her club at the tip of her tail like a whip together with the act of stretching its wings to the maximum, and then flexing them close to its massive and furry body.

The half dragon hated with all his might the limitation imposed by the magic item because he feared not being able to protect it, just as he hated the inability to protect Kisara, somehow because he had sworn to himself that at worst, if her friend's new owner were cruel or tried to rape him, Yukiko would force her out and if Yuugi ended up dead in the process, she would kill everyone involved while trying to free the silver, if the girl was around, for later, destroy the place, razing everything in its path while dumping its pain and fury.

So, after taking revenge on everyone and pouring out her fury, if the silver wasn't close, she would hunt whoever had bought her and kill him, freeing her, then kill herself because she couldn't bear to live with her friend's death, since it would have brought about his death by forcing his departure.

While on stage, many looked greedily at Yuugi who didn't see those looks as he found it more interesting to look at his feet while feeling bad for always ending up as a slave after his friend frees him, causing him to agree with the complaints her about his tendency to end up enslaved.

"This slave is untouched and distinct! We must agree that he is too exotic and wears the same collar as the other slave due to his magic and I prefer not to deal with that. Like the other homologous item to this one, the owner can decide if he wants to whether or not he uses magic and how because they are magic collars. The principles for both are the same!"

The fact of having magic too, made Seto curious because having magic was something rare.

In fact, many studied and trained hard to be able to use some magic and there were few who achieved this feat.

So to see two slaves have so much magic that it took a magical collar to contain them was at best surprising and even impossible.

As with Kisara, he covers all the bids and wins the auction, ordering both to be delivered to the palace in the evening, to later withdraw from the place followed by his soldiers because he needed to take care of some things for the evening ceremony while boasting of having gotten a distinguished gift for his cousin while pampering himself with an exotic slave, possessing the absolute certainty that would arouse envy in many and he could hardly wait to show it off.

After Seto left, the auctioneer was still amazed by the value he received for both and was even more surprised to see that the young woman went to Hem-netjr Seto and the slave to Per'a'ah himself as a gift, causing him to communicate this fact to your boss who marvels at the value they got from each of them.

So, as he looked at both of them who were separated from the others who were yet to go for sale, he decided he wanted to impress Hem-netjr himself and Per'a'ah.

Therefore, in order to fulfill his intent, he could not give slaves who did not know how to behave and with that thought in mind along with the fact that he would only deliver them at night, he decided that he would raise them to be slaves obedient and submissive, that is, exemplary slaves at the same time that he was aware that he would need to be very harsh to discipline them in a short period of time.

After ordering him not to be disturbed for the rest of the day, he pulls Kisara and Yuugi by the chains to discipline them, taking care to separate a different whip that caused great pain but left no visible marks because the biggest damage was to the muscles.

After all, as they no longer belonged to him, the man could not deliver damaged goods, as they were intact at the time of purchase.

While being pulled, the tricolor haired teenager threatened to look up and as he did, he was terrified by the cruel look he saw on the face of the man who had an almost demented smile. It was the same for Kisara who widened her eyes as she shivered. Yukiko was also terrified to see through her friend's eyes, the look and smile, only to be furious at the fact that she couldn't change places because she was more resistant than her friend and because of that, she feared the state. that he would stay after discipline.

Including, the albino felt that her hatred was reaching an unimaginable level at the same time she feared for the silver too, feeling her strong terror through the bracelet and which had the same intensity as the terror of the young man with tricolor hair.

After entering one of the tents, the brutal training began and you could hear their screams of pain and that were terrifying while Yukiko cried in pure fury. The half dragon was not only angry at what the man was doing to his friends. She found herself furious with herself for her inability to protect him while wept at the suffering he was going through because she didn't know how long his resistance would go before it broke and feared she wouldn't be able to put the pieces back together later. Her labia was also depressed by the silver that was in no better condition.

Amidst her despair, she manages to emanate some of her magic through one of the cracks in the blockade after several desperate attempts and with this little power, the albino hoped that she could save some of the mind of Yuugi and Kisara even though she believed that if if he could do something like that, it would be a true miracle as he desperately tried to create more cracks as he felt the waves of pain that came from both of them.

Amidst her fury, she hoped to find some way later to seal both their memories even though she didn't know how she could do it and if she could do something like that.

Even so, the albino knew she needed to find some way to completely seal these memories to allow a normal life for them when she managed to break both collars using her fierce determination.

Several hours later, night falls on Kemet and Atemu's birthday ceremony begins after performing the ritual in the morning while the other Holy Guardians were curious to know which gift Seto bought for the monarch because he had only commented that it was distinguished , making them look at each other.

Then, with all the guests in the hall, the double gates that gave access to the interior of the palace are opened, revealing the Holy Guardians with their respective Sennen Aitemu (millennium items), with guards escorting them, then they split to the right and to the left of Pharaoh's throne, followed by imi-r ḫtmt (seal overseer) Diiva, who was the royal treasurer. Beside him was the General of Armies and Superintendent of Medjay, Rishido.

The Royal Counselor and the tjaty (Vizier), Shimon Muran, was on the right side of the throne, with the Royal Scribe close by, seated at a table with a chair, beginning to write effusively, with the soft sound of the reed pen running across the room surface of the papyrus as the Royal Scribe wrote in sekh - shat, which was the demotic script used to write on documents, together with his servants who would assist him in supplying papyrus, guarding what was written and supplying his inkwell.

After the holy Guardians fanned themselves around the elevated throne, with the royal treasurer and general taking their respective places, the hall guards tapping the undersides of their spears on the ground, making a dry echo and tall, announcing the eminent entrance of their God.

"- Kneel before his holiness and supreme ruler of Kemet, descendant of the Netjer (Gods) and Netjer himself on earth. Kanakht Merimaat Wasermaar-re Setepenré Sa-Re Atemu Meri-re (The beloved bull of Maat Mighty is the justice of Ra Ra's chosen Son of Ra Atemu. The beloved of Ra) Nsw-bity (King of Upper and Lower Egypt ) Atem!" Shimon exclaims at the same time that the huge and imposing double doors of the hall are opened by the guards who were standing by on both sides of the doors.

Everyone at the party did as they were told, with the foreign nobles bowing at the same time as the Hem-netjr and Hemt-netjr bowed their heads slightly, placing their left foot in front of their bodies, demonstrating his humility and respect for the ruler of the entire empire of Kemet.

The majestic figure of the monarch enters the Hall sporting an impassive face and the blood-red shadow of his piercing crimson eyes was enough to send anyone into a state of utter panic with just a twitch of his brow. His gaze was omnipresent, sharp and calculating, his appearance complimenting the intimidating and utterly powerful aura that enveloped and projected as soon as he entered the room.

The Nemes headdress outlined his face while Ra's eye made of pure gold was resting on his forehead with a serpent in a boat position coming out of it, indicating that he was a son of the Sun God while demonstrating that the Pharaohs they were protected by Weret-Hekaw Uraeus, the goddess of royalty and great magic, made with her head held high and ready for the strike. Kohl's thick line under each eye gave the impression of elongating them towards the ears and then curving down towards the face and completing her makeup, her golden skin was adorned with glittering gold dust scattered across her face skin, giving the impression that he had the golden aura of the God Amon when the light fell on his skin, thus strengthening the illusion that he was a deity among mere mortals.

Atemu held the heqa-scepter (crook) and nekhakha (flail) in each hand, with them meeting crossed in front of his breastplate, with most of his fingers being ornaments with golden rings along his wrist and forearm that were covered with rings of gold as he walked slowly across the rug towards his throne.

His ceremonial garments consisted of fine, richly carved fabric.

At her waist lay a luxurious and richly adorned shendyt, composed of a pleated skirt of fine linen, white and entwined with gold and silver threads while her waist was entwined with gold straps with silver details and on these straps rested the name royal in silver hierogriffs on a blue band richly ornamented with gold and inlaid with jewels.

On his chest lay a breastplate made of gold with shades of turquoise and hawks inlaid on its surface, framing the eye of Horus, indicating his ancestry to the Sun God while his Sennensui (Sennen Pazuru) was resting in his pectoral while on his arms and ankles gleamed gold bracelets with silver details and inlaid with precious stones, among them amethyst, jade and emerald, in addition to wearing golden rings on his fingers and above each shoulder lay species of golden shoulder pads composed of layers and with inlaid jewels in the shape of wings, making an allusion to the God Ra.

Over the shoulders lay an amethyst-colored mantle with silver accents, with a hawk embroidered with golden threads that stretched to the back after rounding the prince's neck and covering the beginning of the shoulder pads, and was so long that it reached close to the ground at the same time there was embroidery of golden scarabs with ruby eyes.

Around his neck lay golden necklaces while his pure gold earrings were shaped like an embossed plate with the symbol of Ankah containing small precious jewels adorned inside. Ra's eye was on his forehead and was made of pure gold, indicating that he was the son of the Sun God.

His shoes were crafted of fine fabric and ornamented with gold threads on the edges and on each shoe was a silver scarab with amethyst jewels on its head.

As he sat on his throne, he commanded in an unyielding baritone voice deep as the abyss and that resonated throughout the hall, "Stand up."

All who had prostrated stood up, while the nobles and representatives of other peoples raised their heads because they had bowed slightly.

Akhenaden hid the anger he felt for Atemu for what he heard nearly two years ago, as well as the fact that his son turned away from him when he heard the divine fury of the monarch, ending up approaching his cousin who treated him as an equal far from the public.

"Heru, we managed to suppress the tomb raiders and as a precaution, we strengthened the protections in the other pyramids." Shimon murmurs to his grand-nephew.

"It's excellent news."

"The Pyramid of the Lord will be ready in a matter of a few years and know that I myself have made sure to set several traps to ensure your protection. No thief will make it out alive." He ends the end with a chuckle, putting his hand in front of the cloth that partially covered her face, leaving only her eyes showing.

"I thank Shimon" He comments with a drop because that ceremony was a festive event and therefore, commenting on something so morbid, he was out of step with the occasion.

Then, Atemu shows an impassive face again, not showing his real feelings by hiding them under a mask that exhibited superiority, seriousness and implacable, in addition to an implacable, penetrating, omnipresent, sharp and calculating look, exuding extreme self-confidence and absolute, thus demonstrating his connection with the Gods while his baritone voice should sound uncompromising, harsh and defiant because this is the voice of a ruler and a deity among mortals, just as he was the own sunrise and sunset.

After all, an authoritative divine hand was essential to maintaining the empire. The kindness was reserved only for those who deserved it while the enemies of Kemet and the monarch must know the fury of a God.

Shimon begins to announce each one of those present, with him accepting them as diplomacy because he ardently wanted to maintain a kingdom without wars, either internally or externally, so that his people could live in peace and, consequently, in prosperity.

The monarch concealed his disinterest while pretending to be interested because his mind was far away, more precisely in Isis' words about her vision involving two dragons and two slaves, with her description of a slave similar to him possessing her special attention.

After all, after trying for several years to find the young man who inhabited his dreams, he reached the point of thinking that he would never see him in person while the hypothesis of the young man not being real, with Atemu vehemently rejecting this hypothesis.

Therefore, the vision of Sennen Tauku made his heart fill with anticipation, leading him to believe that his boy of visions was real and that he would appear during the ceremony, thus rekindling the hope in his heart.

At least, that was what the sovereign longed for and patiently awaited, praying to the Gods that this young man would be the same as his dreams, deciding that he would pay due attention to the party, whether from his countrymen, his guests, servants and especially the slaves in the commemoration because Hemt-netjr said it would be a slave.

At the same time, he reserved due concern for the presence of two dragons because the Holy Guardian could not confirm whether they were Ka or living beings, even though this last thought was absurd because the only dragons possible to exist would be those created by the feelings of the hearts of people and which materialized in the form of a Ka, with the ancient texts referring to the Ka as the shadow of the reflection of people's hearts.

They even possessed Ka in the form of dragons sealed in stones with the exception of two that were personal Ka, with Seto detaining one of them as Leon, son of a man from Hellas (Greece) and a woman born in Kemet who was the Superintendent of Great house, held the other dragon. Imagining a living being in the shape of a dragon was a terrifying thought.

In the meantime, the procession of gifts had begun, which were announced by Shimon, who also named the noble or kingdom who had sent that gift.

The first consisted of dancers who came from one of the neighboring kingdoms and who performed for the monarch, splitting into groups and because they wore provocative clothes that revealed a lot, they became a delight to many men who were there. They were all slaves, with Atemu wondering if his harem could hold any more young people even though he freed many of them to be happy with those they loved, starting their own families after removing the magical seal that prevented them from getting pregnant.

Afterwards, they retired, staying temporarily close to the hall as servants indicated a place for the girls to stay while the King's Superintendent of Recreation and Leisure approached them to guide them.

Other monarchs sent gifts through dignitaries or princes while the nobles of the various provinces personally delivered their gifts after prostrating themselves to the Pharaoh, in this case the Kemetics because the foreigners only bowed while showing their gifts to the sovereign after the Shimon's presentation of the political figure at the foot of the steps leading to the throne, with the monarch finding himself shielded by his Sacred Guardians who were stationed on both sides and by the Medjay members in strategic positions, as well as the guards responsible for the security of the complex of the palace.

Even not liking the etiquette, the sovereign's friends followed exemplarily, with them managing to convince their fathers and mothers to acquire games outside the kemetic domains, in addition to wanting to deliver gifts to their friend when representing their own home.

Jounouchi's father got a Shogi, which was a Japanese game with his son introducing it to the monarch by opening it in front of him so that everyone could see the object. It was a gold board with silver details and studded with jade jewels that adorned it along with the pieces were made of white jade and with beautiful carvings.

Jonouchi saw the intense happiness his friend showed in his eyes watching the game while keeping his face impassive and head bowed because his friends were released from prostrating when Atemu made a public proclamation because he didn't want his friends to prostrate as required by law and tradition. His friends' parents also held this right which was provided by his father.

It was a special authorization granted to a few people, with the Holy Guardians possessing this right that came with the title and was the same for those who held the office of Superintendents.

Atemu's reaction was expected because his friends knew how much he loved to play and as he hadn't played this game yet, it made him fascinated by the present while hiding these feelings by wearing the Pharaoh's mask, with the blonde knowing that even if it was made of wood, to their friend it would be the same thing. The idea of making a beautiful game was his father's so that he wouldn't be left behind the other nobles and seeing the look of interest from his deceased friend's son, the man sighs, thanking himself for having followed his son's tip while his wife and daughter who were at his side, smiled immensely when they saw that they had given a gift that the monarch had appreciated.

Of course, the sovereign did not publicly demonstrate how he felt when he managed to keep his public mask on, but by the gleam in his eyes it was visible the fact that the ideal gift for the sovereign were games he had never played. Only those who were allowed to look into his eyes and who had known him since he was little could see that glow that was well hidden.

Next, Honda bends over and does the same thing as Jounouchi, introducing another set made of gold and precious stones, as well as silver accents. In this case, it was the game Dou Shou Qi, from China and made to order. It was as luxurious as the Shogi, with him knowing that even if it were simple, it would have sparked the same interest in Atemu and that like his friend's parents, they had decided to do something quite glamorous.

Ryou also represented his parents and brought a richly decorated game. In this case, it was the Xiangqi game, made with gold, ruby and emerald details, as well as varnished wood with silver details.

Then it was Mariki's turn, who introduced the game Go, luxuriously crafted with jade, amethyst and gold plate with silver accents.

Atemu had been immensely happy with the games because he had never played them and was eager to be able to play all that he had won.

After these gifts, others came and none of them were games, but usual items such as skins, objects, weapons, statues and animals, as well as more slaves to the sovereign's dismay although he continued to pretend to have interest and satisfaction with the gifts and a certain moment, he had to hide his surprise at seeing one regular tiger while the other was white. Both were brought as gifts from the king of an empire near Kemet and which had been presented by the dignitary of the kingdom who sent them, with the animals finding themselves under the control of their trainers who were also slaves and came along with the tigers for relief from the king because they seemed to have knowledge of handling those animals.

Containing the unexpected surprise, he just makes the same gesture he made to the others that would be expected of Per'a'ah while thinking to himself:

"Well, now we have tigers, plus more slaves. Apparently I'll have to find places for them to stay. If they still gave me games...".

Shimon was at the monarch's side and approved of the way Atemu was acting because he acted like a true ruler, showing firmness and superiority in his face as expected from his position even though he saw the shadow in his eyes of dismay, visible only to those who knew him since childhood, as was the case with his royal Counselor.

In addition to tigers, there were other exotic animals, with the king thinking how difficult it would be for the poor animals to adjust to Kemet's climate, as in the case of the swans.

Sure, they were beautiful, but he questioned if they could survive the heat of Kemet, just like the other equally exotic bird specimens.

Even with so many exotic birds, the monarch decided to build an aviary in the coolest part of the palace, aiming to provide the greatest possible comfort to the poor animals due to human idiocy, in the case of those who presented them because they did not think about the climate of Kemet and that the same might be unsuitable for most of those birds.

After the alligators, given as gifts after the tigers, the monarch believed that nothing else would surprise him and after a few minutes, he discovered how wrong he was to receive two couples, one zebra and one antelope.

"Considering the animals I know from the papyrus, I'm only missing a cheetah." He thinks to himself.

Then a cheetah appears and Kemet's ruler controls the urge to put his hand to his face because he should have silenced his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Jounouchi, who was as appalled as Honda, Mariki and Ryou, comments, "I don't know where Atemu is going to put these animals."

"I have no idea either."

"Idem."

"I can't think of a satisfactory location for them."

"It's a shame Leon hasn't returned from Hellas with his father yet."

"I hope he's not in danger. Hellas finds himself immersed in internal wars."

"They have protection. The current leader of the mercenaries, Ameruda (Alister), has provided his best men and Leon has a dragon like Ka and is mighty."

"Truth."

Meanwhile, on his throne, Atemu endured the procession of gifts, being relieved to see that the others refrained from giving animals, limiting themselves to giving fabrics, jewelry, artifacts and various items. At the end of the procession of the gifts of the nobles and dignitaries, the only ones who had their interest were the games by Jounouchi, Mariki, Ryou and Honda.

After all, as they were his friends, they knew what he appreciated, thus being able to give gifts that the Pharaoh had adored.

After the nobles, Rishido delivered his gift which consisted of a beautiful item and it was the same to Diiva.

Then, after them, it was Shimon's turn to present the monarch with a new game richly adorned with gold and precious stones. In this case, it was the Sugoroku game, from China, making Atemu contain the happiness he felt for having another gift that pleased him.

Then it was the turn of the Holy Guardians, starting with Mahaado, who, knowing his friend's taste, gave another richly adorned game, in this case a board game, Chaturaji, ornamented with gold and precious jewels.

The sovereign enjoyed the present while he needed to keep his face neutral although there was a glow of happiness as he faced the new games he had to decipher and play with friends out of public view, so that he could simply be Atemu and not a God.

Then it was Isis' turn who was happy to have followed the tip of the one she loved, giving a set of Chaturanga, also richly adorned with gold and precious jewels to match the others, with her being happy to realize how much Per' a'ah was happy with the games despite the other wonderful gifts he received.

The sovereign agreed that he was eager to play and due to the celebrations he had momentarily forgotten the visions of Isis and remembering them as he looked at her returning to her place after giving him a gift while the Holy Guardian decided she should be on the lookout for any attempt against the monarch's integrity.

The other Holy Guardians gave beautiful gifts in the form of magnificent items, but none of them contemplated games.

Seto had noticed that his cousin's gaze was only animated with games, ignoring the beautiful exotic women in clothes that revealed a lot and other expensive or exotic gifts, with Seto already expecting this reaction.

In fact, he had been thinking about combining the purchase of some games, as they were excellent for developing strategies, something that was necessary in a war.

But seeing that he would win many games, he decided that he wanted to give something exotic to his cousin and that thought, led him to the market.

However, as he recalled Atemu's love of games, he began to doubt whether his gift would catch the attention of his sovereign, and this slight doubt was noticed by Mahaado, the monarch's right-hand man.

"Are you worried about your present?" The Superintendent of mages asks the king's left arm in confirmation.

"A little... But I think I'm worrying for nothing. There's no way Atemu won't like what I'm giving him."

"Apparently he's worried. What gift did you buy him?" The powerful mage asks while arching his right eyebrow.

Mahaado and Seto spoke in a whisper between themselves and because they were respectively the monarch's friend and cousin, they referred informally to the king.

"One that will surprise my cousin." He mysteriously responds.

At this, a servant approaches and says something to Seto, making him smile at the same time that it is his turn, with him heading towards the monarch, bowing to him, just as the others did.

"Please accept this humble gift. The one on the right belongs to Per'a'ah." He speaks respectfully.