Author's Notes
Yukiko insists...
Yuugi...
Seto decides...
Atemu surprises Yukiko when...
Chapter 30 - The Terms of a Proposal
Yukiko manages to break the chains that held their jaws, surprising everyone and when she was about to launch her attack on the monarch, the Hem-netjr put themselves in a defensive position.
Then a violent shock erupts through her body, making her cry out in pain and writhe in agony, knowing it was the collar's punishment for breaking free.
After Atemu exclaims, she hides her despair in a firm tone of voice because Yuugi, who was hugging her, had suffered the shock as a side effect, making him cry out in pain, "Cease!"
The electrical discharge ceases, making the half dragoa suck in gulps of air as her muscles recovered from the punishment, with Yuugi hugging her even more, while he gulped gulps of air, feeling intense pain in his body.
Even in intense pain, the young man continued to caress her as best he could, using gentle movements, with the sovereign noticing the strong bond between them because the young man must have known about the punishment and even knowing that he would be hit as a result, he did not let go.
"You knew you would suffer with her. Why didn't you let her go?" The monarch asks, although he distrusts the answer while wishing it wasn't because he loved her, in addition to the feeling of friendship.
The sovereign was surprised by his train of thought and the possession he felt for the minor.
"She is my friend, as is Kisara. They are my family, especially Yukiko-chan. For them, I am able to give my life, without flinching."
The young man was still talking without emotion, at least apparently.
After all, Atemu noticed that he showed emotion in his voice when referring to Kisara and Yukiko.
Then, suddenly, when the half-dragon raises her jaws, snarling in pure fury after recovering from the automatic punishment for having managed to free her jaws, the albino pushes her friend away from her so as not to be punished again while cursing herself for not having it away from her body, making her feel an indescribable pain and guilt when she saw the suffering that Yuugi went through for holding her in the moment that freed her mouth from the restrictions.
Realizing that she was starting to rise to fight again, Seto quickly advances towards Yuugi and through an unexpected move to the half dragon, Hem-netjr manages to pull him away from her, stepping away from the half dragon while trapping him in an armlock, aiming at the same time, the sharp point of his Sennen Shakujou against the young man's neck.
"Yuugi-kun!" Yukiko exclaims terrified, then growls. "You bastard! Release Yuugi-kun!"
"If you try to attack the Per'a'ah again, now that you're out of the gag, you already know what will happen. Are we clear?" He simulates a serious and determined face, which was just a decoy to make her obey her sovereign without having to resort to punishment.
After all, this was the plan the Holy Guardian created and communicated to Atemu after getting his approval. This staging was a feature they would only use if she didn't accept the terms and tried to fight them again.
Since the threat wasn't true, they both needed to put on an impeccable interpretation to convince her that they were going to do it.
The claws of her paws retract on the sandstone floor, making some furrows as she tried to control the intense fury that gripped her because she was fully aware that there was nothing she could do to save her friend from the man who had captured him and threatened him with a golden object that had a sharp point.
After all, he still had his body immobilized and although the golden chains showed cracks on its surface, allowing him to free himself if he forced the chains, there was the immutable fact that his friend was too far away and with a constant threat on his neck.
Therefore, even if she managed to free herself from the restrictions in her body, she was fully aware that she would not have the time to avoid a fatal injury.
"I can't believe he'll kill an innocent! Besides, he didn't react! I'm the only one reacting!" Yukiko exclaims in a voice filled with fury as she looks at the monarch of that empire.
Atemu hardens his features, displaying a feature of relentless authority and crimson orbs that demonstrate the seriousness of his words as he narrows them, making a questioning tilt of his head, showing no sign of mercy, deciding to demonstrate the seriousness of his words and actions, although it was all a decoy to make the dragon in front of him believe that he would be able to kill an innocent, something he was incapable of doing, especially the one he loved with all the strength of his heart while he was forced to fight fiercely against his desire to take him away from his cousin and hold him in her arms to protect him from the world with all the strength of her love.
"I am the sunrise and I am a Netjer (God) on earth because I have divine ancestry. My will is law and my judgment is divine. He is just a slave, a property that I can dispose of if I wish. Did you even know that I can torture you to death with that shock?" He speaks in a deep, hard, cutting baritone voice, making her shiver as she recalls the punishment of the collar, starting to fear what would happen to Yuugi. "You seem to be quite tough, but your friends aren't tough. Would this slave bear the same? Do you, by any chance, still doubt the seriousness of my actions?"
Yukiko looks at him intently, seeing the harshness of the words while she couldn't find any hesitation in his voice and countenance.
He exuded all the power and authority he held while his icy eyes didn't show any hesitation while displaying an implacable countenance that showed all his power and authority. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew her hands were tied. The man in front of her, though she doubted he was just a man as she knew him in that instant, was serious, making her fear for her friend.
After all, she couldn't live if something happened to him because of her and when she looked at the man who held her friend in his arms, threatening him with the sharp point of the strange golden magic object in the shape of a short staff, she realized that he did the same kind of look in his icy eyes, making her firmly believe they would carry out the threat.
Sighing heavily as she suppressed her growl of fury and exasperation, the albino bows her head in submission, knowing his offer was her only lifeline for her, Yuugi and Kisara.
Therefore, in her view, she must endure the battle and take advantage of this chance that was offered, starting to look hesitantly at the monarch because she feared that she had lost that chance with her previous conduct.
Atemu had seen in her countenance, demeanor and defeated look that she had won that encounter and that she had fully believed in her deception and that of her cousin.
However, the king knew that even winning that match, it was just a fight and he needed to win the battle, deciding that he would take advantage of the fact that his opponent had given in to pressure her even more because he wanted her complete surrender.
After all, he needed to ensure the safety of all those who were under his responsibility, whether directly or indirectly.
Also, the other reason he ardently wished she would submit to his orders was so that he wouldn't have to use the collar's punishment on her again because it was a horrible thing in his eyes and he didn't want to keep applying that punishment when the dragon refused to comply some order.
In the end, her actions were not to make her suffer with the object around her neck that she couldn't take off because she needed to protect her people from the fury of a dragon. As Per'a'ah, it was her duty to ensure that.
Besides, even if he didn't want to use the collar on her, if she proved a threat, he would use it without hesitation.
However, he wanted so hard to avoid their use as much as possible.
So, keeping his posture, eyes and voice, hiding her true feelings, he asks in an authoritative and equally implacable tone, "Are you still doubting?"
"No, master." She responds with humility in her voice, even though she was filled with fury inside as she spoke the word "master" forcefully.
After all, despite hating she used that word, she had used it to please him because his proposal had become her and her friends' only salvation.
"I will repeat the offer. Will you accept the terms? Will you do your part? I swear on behalf of the Netjer (Gods) and in my own name as Netjer (God) that I will do my part if I lose. I won't lose." He speaks with an extremely self-assured voice and demeanor that leaves her appalled because he was a veritable well of unshakable confidence.
The half dragon clenched its jaws, suppressing the growl that had formed in its throat even as it tried to suppress the fury that gripped her at being fully aware that he had no choice in wanting to release Yuugi and Kisara.
In fact, the king's proposal was too interesting to ignore, although she was worried that she would be able to defeat his three most powerful monsters because of the extreme self-confidence she displayed in her posture and voice.
So, deciding to brush that thought from her mind because she couldn't allow herself to doubt herself, she asked in a respectful tone of voice, "How do you know I won't defeat your three monsters, master?"
"I believe it will defeat two of them, but it won't be able to defeat the third." He speaks, displaying unshakeable confidence in his voice and posture, leaving the half-dragon stunned.
The self-confidence of the man in front of her was like a solid, insurmountable fortress that was reflected in her gaze, there was no doubt in her conviction that she would lose to the third monster, causing Yukiko to be shocked to the point where her jaw dropped, demonstrating the row of sharp, white canines that could easily tear through steel.
The dragon remakes herself and then looks at Yuugi and Kisara, being happy to have placed one of her bracelets on the young man's wrist, without them having seen it, using her powers, and then turning her snout towards the king.
"What if you lose that bet?" she asks as she arches her right brow.
"Excuse me, Per'a'ah" Seto speaks, drawing his cousin's attention. "I'd like a small audience. Mahaado, can you isolate our voice so we can only hear each other? Could you isolate the one in my arms from hearing, too?"
The Superintendent of mages arches his right brow at the request, but consents as the monarch motions to the other Holy Guardians, as well as Rishido, Shimon, and Diiva to gather around him.
After working his magic to isolate their voices, allowing only them and the sovereign to hear each other, Atemu speaks authoritatively, expressing his concern for Seto's grip on Yuugi as he fights hard against the urge to take the one who loved in his arms to protect him, "Slack off a little. He doesn't seem willing to rebel and I don't want to see him asphyxiated."
"I apologize, Heru (Horus). I'll lighten the grip a little. As he moved earlier, I thought he'd struggle to get to that dragon." He speaks in an apologetic tone.
"So what do you want with this audience, Hem-netjr Seto?"
"Per'a'ah, what plan do you have when she loses? What will you demand in return?"
"Mahaado will tighten her collar because I have to protect my people. I can't leave her without a restraint. She's too powerful and I realized she's young, still. Imagine her power when she gets older. Let's beware, the dragon will have to obey my orders unrestrictedly, submitting to me while I will allow Yuugi to see her with Kisara." Atemu speaks after taking a deep breath.
The Sennengan wielder is surprised to hear his nephew's plan.
"Will you allow them to see you, Heru (Horus)?" he asks in a hesitant tone.
"Do you dare to question your Netjer (God), Hem-netjr Akhenaden?" the king asks, tilting his head slightly in a superior tone as he narrows his eyes.
"No! Not at all, Nsw Atem. I was just surprised by that part, considering the chaos it caused."
"I must show my divine, relentless, and unquestioning authority while showing mercy, allowing her and her friends to come together, I can reduce her revolt. To separate them will only increase their hatred and bitterness. Furthermore, they have one strong bond, especially she and Yuugi. Even in relation to Kisara, the dragon demonstrates that she considers her a dear friend. While I demand submission, I will show mercy by allowing them to meet. This will confuse her and little by little , will accept her condition with less resistance. I don't believe the power of the collar will contain her as she ages. I have to think about the future and not just the present. I don't intend to arouse the extreme hatred of a being like her power. "
"Besides, I want to make Yuugi happy. If I deprive you of seeing her, those beautiful precious gems will be immersed in tears and pain. All I want is to see those gems shine with pure happiness, as they did in my dreams." Atemu completes in thought, coming out of it with his uncle's voice, which makes him narrow his eyes slightly as he looks at him.
"You are the Per'a'ah. You can have anything you want and take submission by force, without needing to show mercy. You have the collar to stop you and make you submit to your orders. If the object begins to demonstrate weakness in effectively containing it, we will have all court mages reinforce the object's magic to prevent this beast from breaking free at some point in the future."
"A slave without hate in his eyes is better than a slave with hate in his eyes. In fact, I am the sovereign and the most powerful in all of Kemet, and we also have this magical collar to force you to obey me through punishment. However, if I follow the path of punishment to make it obey my orders, I run the risk of breaking it if I use the object's full punishment capacity of punishment. Either I will have a powerful being in my hand with the purest hatred in his eyes, or I will have a broken being. Both hypotheses are unwanted."
"Besides, Yuugi would never forgive me if I hurt that dragon. He is very attached to her and if I'm not mistaken, I could see a motherly look in her eyes, as if she saw Yuugi as a dear child." The sovereign thinks to himself.
"Break her? She seems to be quite tough, my Pharaoh. She's not human, after all and however smart she is, she's a beast. Besides, even if you break her, we'll have her power to make the empire still more powerful. I can't see the problem with breaking it. Even, in my opinion, it would be highly beneficial to the empire."
Atemu sighs discreetly and speaks, looking intently at Akhenaden as he asks, "Can a blunt sword cut anything?"
The Hem-netjer widens his eyes and slowly shakes his head while showing confusion on his face.
"I'm thinking about the future when we need her power. I don't want to have a blunt sword in my hands and I don't intend to risk losing that most sharp and equally powerful blade because if I lose its cut, I will lose its full power. So I must to preserve that very sharp blade, but in my service, aiming to keep Kemet bigger and safer for my people." The king speaks in a deep baritone voice and in a tone that would not accept challenge.
Akhenaden decides to give up the fight, as he needs to play the role of loyal and obedient Holy Guardian.
"Forgive me for not understanding the wisdom of the Netjer (Gods), Heru." He speaks humbly while bowing slightly.
Atemu nods his head in confirmation and then asks, keeping his face implacable, "Would you like to say something more?"
"No, Per'a'ah. Forgive my transgression for not understanding divine wisdom."
He nods as Seto approaches his cousin and says respectfully, "Heru, it would be interesting to add in terms of her defeat, that she call him Master. If the people witness their Netjer (God) ruling a being so powerful and who is a living being as opposed to a Ka, it will provoke admiration, as well as serving as a message to anyone who dares to attack the empire. There could even be a public demonstration of her dominance and her power, both for the people and for foreigners. It will be something that will serve to silence the mind of anyone who is aiming for the destruction of this glorious empire."
Atemu reflects on his cousin's words and then looks at Shimon.
"It's an excellent idea, Nsw, to demonstrate your power. That is, the very power of the Netjer (Gods) against a being who has the level of a Netjer (God), coming beyond these lands and who subjected himself to the lord, can be considered a symbol of the superiority of the Egyptian Empire over foreigners. After all, she is not from Kemet." The tjaty (Vizier) and Royal Councilor spoke as he consented.
He reflects on the words of his Royal Adviser and looks at Mahaado.
"I also think it's a good complement, Per'a'ah because it will show public submission to you, not just by actions, but by reverence." The superintendent of Court mages and Holy Guardian speaks respectfully.
The other Hem-netjr consent, then Atemu asks Hemt-netjer Isis, "What did Sennen Tauku show about the dragon's future in relation to the empire?"