Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters; that right belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I do own the OC(Original Character) used in this story and do not want her used by anyone else, anywhere else.

Author's Note: The first part of this story, the past, will be moving a bit faster due to the plotline. And characters (canon) will, at times, be (OOC)out of character. So if you do not like that, I politely ask you to turn around and leave now because I don't see the point in you wasting your time and mine.

Six Months Later

"I am sorry for being a child and a burden that cannot even begin to appease what you desire, Priest Seto."

Those words had him freezing as he looked down into the blue eyes of Kisara. He could see the sadness in their depths as he realized that she had been cautioning him to hold his tongue. But in his anger at his situation, he had vented and not listened to one of the people he valued most. Still, Seto couldn't help it. The Pharaoh had decreed that he become the spouse of the young Seer attached to his Cousin Prince Atem.

The sound of retreating footsteps pulled him from his thoughts as he felt something push on his chest. Glancing down, he saw Kisara's hands before he lifted his gaze back to her's.

"Seto, go. She - she was unveiled and her..."

It struck him again that there was such sadness in Kisara's eyes. Though her words had him feeling shocked, Seraph'amen had been veiled her whole life since the young Seer. No one but her mother, and potentially her aunt, knew what she truly looked like under those veils. His body seemed to move on its own as he spun with a sad look towards Kisara and chased after his fiance. It would not do well for her to run to the Pharaoh and tell him what he had stated. The thought of being beaten by the cane again was not pleasant.

Swift, long strides had him covering the ground and catching up to the Young Seer. The moment he rounded the corner, he watched as she vanished into the small Royal Garden. Frowning, Seto felt a bit of relief that she hadn't gone to the Pharaoh. But that relief was short-lived when he realized the time of day by looking out. His Cousin would be in the Garden and was very protective of the damn girl.

Knowing it would be twice as bad if the girl vented to his Cousin, whom he shared a decent relationship with after being told who his father was. Seto slipped into a small alcove and pressed on a specific brick his mentor, the High Priest, had shown him. There was a soft click, and the wall opened to a very narrow passage, which was just big enough for him to fit into with his height and body's build. Being careful to make no noise after closing the hidden door behind him, Seto slid down the narrow path to where there was an opening to see and hear into the Garden. And just in time to witness a spectacle.

"Sunshine? What happened? Did my advice to talk to Seto work?"

The next instant, Prince Atem was shoved into the water as he was called an idiot. Seto couldn't believe what he just saw and heard, but the proof was before his eyes as he watched his Cousin fall into the fountain, hand shooting out and dragging the Young Seer with him into the water.

"What do you mean, idiot? You asked me what to do; I gave you the best advice I could based on my knowledge of my Cousin," Atem snapped as his hand let go of the Young Seer. "Tell me what happened, Sunshine."

It felt odd to see his Cousin being so kind to the petite girl as a broken sob sounded in the air. Yet when no answer came, Set watched as Atem raised his hands and pulled the girl into a gentle embrace.

"Tell me, Sunshine, what went wrong, please."

Those words sounded so foreign coming from his Cousin's mouth as Seto watched in fascination how his Cousin interacted with the girl.

"I will not... Atem, I cannot..." the Young Seer stated. "I vow to you now that I will do my duty as a woman and Seer to provide the next generation. But there will be nothing more after the child is born. And no pleasure will be taken while my body is used and discarded, Atem. Once it is done, he may seek the pleasure of the flesh from another. My loyalty will be to you and you alone."

Again, Seto felt his body freeze. That was a strong oath to take for one so young. His words could not have hurt her that much. Yes, he was angry at his choice of a bride being taken away from him. But that didn't mean he would neglect the girl. He would do his duty, but hearing she would never respond, vowing only to give a child. Seto knew that the Young Seer was more than she ever seemed, with wisdom and intelligence that was far beyond her years, often making her impertinent.

"Sunshine, tell me what was said to make you swear a vow like that under the sun where the Gods can hear you freely," Atem said, his voice soft, coaxing.

"I am nothing but a child, a burden. But that is wrong, Atem. I am a person, a tool, bound by the laws and rules of this land, the Pharos who governs and the Gods above," The Young Seer stated. "I will do my job and nothing more. My heart hurts because of what I am in his eyes. There will be nothing but coldness there now. Besides, for a year, I have not been a child but a woman."

The fact that the girl spoke in a frank manner and the knowledge of her not being a child for a year was important. But that she had not told the Pharaoh was both good and bad. Still, Seto felt he had to stay and watch how this concluded. There was no mistaking the raw pain in her voice as she pulled away from his Cousin, who shifted his arms and gave Seto a good view of her now wet back. The thin white cotton robe she wore plastered to very pale and unusual skin, showing him the dark outline of the eye of Ra between her shoulder blades, indicating which God had chosen to bless her with her powers when Atem ascended the throne.

It had been much speculated which God, but Seto knew he would not be sharing this information with anyone. It was very dangerous information. Yet his eyes were drawn from the eye of Ra, which seemed to stare at him in his hiding spot when his Cousin tossed away a piece of fabric that could only be the veil and then shifted the white hood from the girl's head. And he held his breath when a thick fall of dark red-gold hair, like the light of the sun at sunset over the desert, cascaded down her back. It was wet and glistened brightly in the sunlight as it hid the eye of Ra. Now Seto knew why they had kept the girl hidden; she would be a wedge to topple the Kingdom since it matched the mysterious foreigner who had come across the ocean to be made an empress many generations ago.

He was at a loss for words when he heard the reason. And felt like the idiot his Sunshine had called him. His Cousin couldn't be helped, but it hurt to know that she would make such a vow as she had. Once he had removed her veil and freed that beautiful hair, Atem held her once more close to him. The look of pain in her eyes made him want to cry out in rage. This girl was his most precious person, but he couldn't deny the truth of why the pain was embedded deep in her eyes.

"I understand Sunshine; this vow I will keep it. But your heart is big, don't lock it all away because it has been hurt," He said as he began to rock her. "I was an idiot like you said, but I figured if you showed him who you really are, he would change his mind about you. You are truly beautiful, and he'd be blind not to see that you are more than what you appear. But I didn't think you had given... your heart."

"Atem, it does not matter; I wish not to think of it. He made it clear he doesn't like me. That I am nothing but a childish burden," she whispered against his chest, her body still shaking with smothered sobs.

"Then, after you do your duty, would you consider being my concubine? I have never lied to you about how I feel, Seraph'amen. I have loved you for a long time now," He said as he held her tighter, already knowing the answer before she mumbled it just loud enough for him to hear.

He wanted to be angry at his father and Cousin for this whole situation. Yet, Atem knew better since he had been told this morning who his future wife was to be. It was understood that it was the best possible match, though the irony of it all was not lost on him. Yet he knew defying the Gods and their will was punishable in many ways, and he'd not make his Sunshine suffer more than she was already. Still, Atem couldn't understand why, or even the how and when, she fell in love with his Cousin?

She felt nervous, unsure of herself. These were foreign feelings as she had always been confident, if not brash and headstrong. But in the past six months, no progress had been made, and now it was an order by the Pharaoh himself. His expert advice was for her to bridge that gap and make the connection. So, of course, she had done what she had thought was right, asked her friend, her Prince, and Cousin of her fiance what she should do.

The advice had sounded fair, reasonable. And in the realm of being rational, let Seto see what she looked like under all the veils and clothes upon their wedding night. Why not speed it up a bit? Yeah, so why now was her heart beating so fast and her stomach twisting to the point she wanted to throw up? Then again, the idiocy of emotions was something she had come to understand, and that was what was plaguing her right now.

Taking a deep breath, Seraph'amen did her best to calm herself as she approached the mural room. Well aware that the person she sought would be in there at this time of the day. She could understand the need to stand before those ancient murals and take in the divine majesty that was painted upon the walls. Her own father had told her much about them, why the millennial items had been created. That room was cool and soothing to her soul, a connection to her father and his brethren.

Nearing the room, she slowed down, her hand coming up and unclipping her veil. It was a massive risk that could have major complications in the future. The fact she was very fair of skin, her eyes not like anyone else in the Kingdom, and that her hair was abnormal to boot. But she believed in Items advice; she would do this. Show him what she looked like and then explain herself and possibly why that God had chosen her.

"I don't care, Kisara. I love you."

Her footsteps faltered at the harshly spoken words. There was no mistaking the voice. The urge to turn and flee was strong, but she knew she had no death wish to defy the Pharaoh or throw the help Atem had given her away. Placing a hand on the wall, she waited just outside the mural room.

"I understand what you are saying, Seto. But this is the will of the Gods. I was informed today of who his Highness's fiance was. You cannot deny this," Kisara's voice came, soft and sweet on the air. "Besides, do you want to risk the Pharoh's wrath and be beaten again for denouncing the betrothal?"

"No, I do not. My body still recalls the pain and being forced to stay in bed for days after," Seto's hissed. "But I don't want the burden of being bound to a child who doesn't even know the basic manners. There is an eight-year gap in our ages. And while she seems, at times, mature and intelligent, I am sure that is just for show or her powers working. I am a man of intellect and need someone who can keep up. Not to babysit a child."

Pain ripped through her chest. His words were harsh, but they were his honest feelings. Knowing what was in a person's heart didn't make reality any easier to deal with, but knowing allowed one to face that reality head-on and be strong, right? That is what her mother told her, the elders at the conclave that trained her said, and what her own father had said for her to do. Closing her eyes, Seraph'amen let her hands curl into fists at her side and walked around the corner and stared at the two people in there, Priest Seto, her fiance, and the lady Kisara. Both were standing before the Blue-Eyes White Dragon painting, Seto pinning Kisara to the wall between his arms.

"I am sorry for being a child, and a burden that cannot even begin to appease what you desire, Priest Seto," The words spilled from her lips in a cold, detached voice that didn't seem like it belonged to her as she stared ahead.

When Kisara's pale blue eyes met her own, Seraph'amen realized that she hadn't clipped her veil back into place. But it didn't matter; the sight of Seto stiffening was enough. Giving a small tilt of her chin, Seraph'amen turned and walked out of the room, raising her hand to her face. It took all her self-control not to run down the hall as her hand raised and clipped her veil back over her face. Already the tears were burning her eyes as she heard the faint words from Kisara stating she hadn't had her veil covering her face.

It didn't matter; right now, she needed refuge away from him, her, and everyone else. A place to safely vent her feelings, and there was only one place in the whole of the Pharaoh's Palace that she felt safe to do that, the Garden. Ignoring the looks of the servants in the hallway as she swiftly made her way there, only pausing briefly to give a small bow of her head to the guards, who opened the door and rushed in.

When her eyes saw Atem standing by the fountain, his back to her, Seraph'amen found what little control she had left vanished. Not hesitating as she called him an idiot as she rushed over, noting quickly the way his amethyst eyes went wide as she shoved him into the fountain. Though she was a bit shocked when his hand snapped out and grasped her, pulling her into the fountain. It took her back to the first time they had met in the Garden, except she had slapped him for calling her a freak.

The moment he spoke, Seraph'amen couldn't stop the sob that was ripped from her. She gave her reason and made a vow to him. All she was in the end as a tool, right? To be used by the Prince when he was the Pharaoh? To bear a child for her fiance to continue the Seer line? To do what was expected of her by her father and the Gods? Why should she even need emotions? It was all for naught, even if she was a person with thoughts and individualistic feelings.

When Atem asked her if she would consider becoming his concubine, Seraph'amen felt a new pain ripple through her body as a new way of tears burned her eyes and fell down her face. She had known before leaving for those years to study and grow that he loved her. But she had never seen him as more than a friend. This topic she never wanted to be broached, for it was a line that one couldn't cross back over again, changing everything.

"No. I am sorry."

Her words whispered against his sun-warmed tan flesh as she felt his arms tighten around her. Knowing he understood her reason and why she just made an unbreakable vow to him under the sun, where the Gods would hear it.

"You loved him! Since when?" His voice hushed whisper against the top of her head.

"A long time ago," she replied in a whisper, her face still buried into his shoulder. "A long time ago. Please don't ask no more."

TBC!