Atem stared out over his kingdom from the balcony. Deep inside, he knew that this day would be the one that would mark the rest of his life. He was going to have to choose a bride. Not tomorrow or within the coming days, it had to be today. The council had been stepping on his toes within the past few months nagging him constantly on the subject. "The throne needs an heir", they would say or "a kingdom does not appear stable without a royal couple in power." Being pharaoh, Atem of course had countless women fawning over him. He could have his pick of any of them as long as they were either high status or royal blood. Another option was to marry a princess from one of Kemet's allies. That in turn would greatly strengthen foreign relations. So, someone under those qualifications would be acceptable.

Only, the problem was he didn't just want "someone". The woman he wanted to marry was none of those things. Who was he thinking of? Why no one other than Mana. They had grown up together and shared plenty of crazy adventures along the way. The old saying of "opposites attract" held true for sure. She was lively and outgoing while he was the quiet and calm one. Just being around her made his day along with everyone else's so much brighter.

Assuming the role of pharaoh shortly after his father's death had been a dark time for him. He masked his grief well, never alluding to the fact of how much he was hurting. As the people's king and god, he was expected to remain stoic at all times. His father had been much more than a mentor to him, he was his best friend. Mana knew how much pain he was in and had always been there for him. In fact, she was one of the very few that had ever seen him cry.

The one reason he had been hesitant about taking his proposition of marriage to the council was because he knew it would be frowned upon. Despite being the most powerful individual in the land, there were still some rules he had to abide by. Mana's training under Mahad as his apprentice should have some weight to it but the old customs were hard to break. Personally, he didn't care that she was a nonroyal, he loved her for who she was. It was her heart that made up for those things, which would make her a just ruler of Kemet. Of all the princesses or royal women he had been offered, none of them compared to her in this way.

Then again, if everything somehow worked out magically, there was still one matter that had to be handled. It was just a simple question, right? Nothing hard about asking it.

"But…What if she says no?"

The Pharaoh frowned. He loved Mana more than anything and she seemed to be the same way. Only, what if the thought of being queen and his Great Royal Wife scared her off? It was a huge responsibility, there was no denying that. However, he knew that she would be able to handle it. If she chose to, that is.

"Aren't you coming?"

Atem glanced over to the doorway to see Seto walking in. Shoot! He forgot what day it was! The two had agreed to do military inspection today. The Priest gave him a questioning look.

"What were you mumbling to yourself about?"

The Pharaoh looked embarrassed. "It's nothing." He tried to walk through the doorway, but the Priest blocked it with his arm.

"I heard about today, you have to pick a bride, don't you? It's about time. Our allies were probably starting to wonder if the ruling authority was stable or not." He scoffed. "You've been thinking about that girl again, haven't you? It's painfully obvious when you do. Everyone can see how you feel towards her. You know, instead of eyeing some peasant, you should be turning your attentions to someone more deserving of the role."

Seto, for whatever reason, had never liked Mana. Despite being in the minority on the subject of her popularity, he always made it perfectly clear when she was around. Atem had asked him countless times what the issue was but never received a definite answer. He had his suspicions but never brought them up. As a result, the rift between the two cousins grew ever larger.

Atem shot him a glare. "That "peasant's" name is Mana. Do I need to remind you again that she is under Mahad's apprenticeship to become a royal sorceress?" He knocked Seto's arm out of the way. "What if I am considering marrying her? It wouldn't be the first time a pharaoh has married out of his rank, and it certainly won't be the last. Besides, you're not one of the ones that has a choice in the matter."

Seto didn't say anything as Atem stepped out into the hallway with him. The two walked on in silence as they made their way to the main hall. Both Mana and Mahad were about to head into the library when they spotted the two.

"Morning!" Mana said cheerfully as she and Mahad walked up to the two. Her smile quickly dropped. The tension between the cousins could be cut with a knife! The Priest continued on to the outer courtyard without acknowledging either of the magicians. "Huh, who has his tunic in a knot this morning?" She asked in a flat tone watching him leave.

Mahad tried not to laugh. "Ahem…what do you have on the agenda for today, my king?"

"Troop inspection and then…" Atem remembered the obligation he had to fulfill, making his stomach feel nervous. He shot a quick glance over at Mana. If he could get the council to approve his proposition, then he could move on to the most difficult part. Proposing to her! "Um, then council meetings for the afternoon." He said answering Mahad's question.

"That doesn't sound like much fun…" Mana said in a slightly sad tone before pushing Mahad towards the library. "Come on, we can't make him late or Seto will be even more in a mood." She waved at Atem before walking off. "See you later! Be safe, ok?"

The Pharaoh could tell something was wrong. Did she know that he had to choose a wife today? Mahad seemed to sense it also.

"I hope everything goes well for you." He said giving him a bow.

Atem nodded and the two parted ways. One way or another, he was going to make things work out.

The troop inspection consisted of mainly watching the soldiers doing their drills. Atem would occasionally speak to the head officers on what needed to be done or improved, but other than that he had time to think to himself. He noticed Seto would be looking at him every now and then probably giving him a telepathic message of, "pull your head out of the clouds", but he didn't care.

Once back at the palace, Atem had to sit through another spectacle of various women paraded in front of him to choose as a bride. He remained polite but disinterested. His mind was already made up and no one was going to change it. Once it was time for his final choice, he voiced his pick. At first it was met with silence. The king was wanting to marry a lower class sorceress? The council talked amongst themselves for a moment. However, after hearing Shimon's take on Mana the council had little room to argue. The Pharaoh wanted to hug the old man out of sheer happiness. Thanks to his input, he was allowed to marry Mana! Now there was just one more person to ask permission from…

Mahad was still in the library when Atem found him. The Magician looked up from the book he was reading when he heard the Pharaoh walk in. "How did everything go, my king?"

"I actually have something very important to ask of you." Atem said as he pulled a chair up to the desk.

"Hm? What is it?" Mahad asked as he quickly put away the book.

"As you probably already know, I turned down the Mycenaean princesses today. Like the others, I knew not one of them fit the role of queen."

Mahad made a somewhat discouraged face. The Pharaoh was his friend and he wanted him to be happy, but he knew the pressure was mounting for him to marry. "I'm sure the right one will come up soon."

Atem smiled. "Actually, she has. In fact, I've known her for quite some time."

"Oh, really? Who…?" Mahad's eyes widened at the realization. "You're not talking about Mana, are you?"

The Pharaoh nodded. "I am."

Mahad's mind was whirling. The one that was like a little sister to him would be marrying the pharaoh? He guessed it wasn't too shocking to hear considering how close the two had always been, but still!

"Are you sure about this? I know you two care for each other, I'm not worried about that, but what has the council said? They would all have to agree on it, wouldn't they?" He sighed. "On top of that, I'm not even sure if she's ready to handle such a responsibility. She's really grown these last two years, but I don't think it's enough just yet. To be queen, that is."

"The council has approved it, but I was wanting to receive your blessing before I proceeded. If you don't believe she is ready, then I won't push the matter any further. I want it to be her choice." Atem smiled at him slightly. "It's very understandable how you feel. Her role would be one of great importance, but I believe she is ready."

Mahad sat there for a moment. Should he let her go? Mana was perfectly capable of making her own decisions. It was just…No, it was time. She had her own life to live, and he knew she would be a just ruler. He smiled at the Pharaoh and nodded. "You have my blessing, great pharaoh. I know you two are perfect for one another and the kingdom will agree."

Atem felt that feeling of pure happiness again. He thanked Mahad and excused himself. Now there was one thing left to do. Going to his chambers, Atem thought long and hard about what to give Mana as a gift. With his wealth, he had access to anything he desired. Precious metals, gems, linens, they were all his for the taking. Just what could symbolize his love for her? Mana was never one to be fussy over clothing. Her style was simple, yet elegant. Same thing with her taste in jewelry. At most she would wear a necklace or a couple of bracelets. Hold on, bracelets? That's it! Walking over to his desk, he took out small box. Inside were two of his most prized processions. One was a kohl container crafted in the shape of a pintail duck while the other was a beaded bracelet. The two items once belonged to his mother. She had passed on from sickness when he was a young child, but he still missed her to that very day. Picking up the bracelet, he looked at it fondly in his hand. It was made of red and turquoise beads that seemed to glitter on their own. It had been his mother's favorite, he remembered her always wearing it. Closing his fingers around it, he made up his mind.

After dinner, Atem asked Mana if she would like to join him rowing at the palace lake. She happily agreed and he could feel the butterflies start fluttering in his stomach. While rowing the small boat, he would glance over at her. She noticed and smiled back at him. He felt his heart skip a beat. This would be the perfect time to ask! Nothing could go wrong out here, right? He sat the oar down and felt of his mother's bracelet in his sash for encouragement.

"Mana…I…um…" He felt the blush across his face. Of all the times to be tongue tied, why now?

She gave him a questioning look. "Are you feeling alright? You've been acting kind of weird today."

Atem mentally slapped himself. He was looking like a fool! How could proposing be harder than ruling an empire? Ok, deep breath, let's try this again! He took her hands in his.

"Mana, will you…?"

Before the last words were spoken, he felt something fall into his lap. Having absolutely no clue as to what it was, he looked down. To his utter disgust it was a huge algae-covered frog! If Mana hadn't been so concerned about the Pharaoh's welfare she probably would have passed out from laughter at the sight before her. Because within the next few seconds that Atem realized there was a frog in his lap, to him trying to get rid of it, he fell spectacularly out of the boat.

"Atem! Are you ok?!" She yelled over the side.

The Pharaoh resurfaced a few moments later spitting water out of his mouth. "Heh, I'm fine." He replied. Mana held her hand out for him to take. Hesitating at first, he thought with the luck he just had he'd probably flip the boat along with her in it! Surprisingly, he made it back in without incident. Sulking for a moment, he sat there wringing out his wet tunic.

Darn it, stupid frog! Why was it always frogs? Had he been cursed and not known it?! Right now, he just wanted to sink to the bottom of the lake. Mana saw the look of absolute defeat on his face.

"Do you want to go on back? I doubt you want to stay in those wet clothes. We could go sit in the garden for the rest of the evening or something."

Atem simply nodded and picked the oar back up. Paddling back ashore, he helped her out before tying the boat up for the night. He guessed he could try asking her again, seriously what else could possibly go wrong? Feeling inside his sash for the bracelet he felt his stomach do a sickening drop. It was gone! Looking back in the boat, he prayed maybe it had just fallen out before he went over.

"Did you lose something?" Mana asked walking back over after seeing his frantic display.

Atem scanned the bottom of the boat one last time. It really was gone… it must have fallen in the water. Maybe he could get Mahad to roll back the water like in that story he heard as a child. But then again, this lake was huge. There was no way they could find it. Coming to this realization he was absolutely crushed. How could he lose that? His mother's favorite bracelet…

Mana saw the look on his face change from panic to sadness. "What's wrong? I can help you find whatever it is!" She said looking beside him.

Atem sighed heavily. "I lost my mother's bracelet."

Mana looked shocked. "Huh? Her bracelet? Why'd you have it out here?"

Well, this time it was now or never. If he didn't ask her now, then it was truly hopeless. He gave her a slight smile. "I was actually going to give it to you. As a gift."

"A gift…?" Her eyes grew wide as Atem took her hands and bowed to one knee.

"Mana, I have loved you for a very long time. Because of that, there is no one in this world besides you I would ask of this." He paused for a moment. "With Mahad's blessing will you, no, would you accept my offer of becoming queen and ruling alongside me?"

For a split second, he saw her eyes go from amazed to filled with tears. Before he knew it, he was on the ground from her tackling him.

"Oh, yes!" She cried happily hugging his neck. "I accept!"

"Y-You do?" He asked bewildered sitting up while holding her. "You're not afraid of the responsibility? I mean, I will be with you every step of the way and…" Mana placed a finger on his lips.

"Of course, I am! Anyone would be crazy not to be! But if it means being with you then I'll gladly accept the challenge." She smiled giving him a kiss. "Besides, how will I know if I don't try?" Something caught her attention causing her to look down. "Huh? What's this?"

A frog had placed his front foot on top of her hand. From the looks of it, there was something in his mouth. Atem looked at it absolutely disgusted.

"What do you have there, little guy?" Mana asked. The frog stared intently at her before spitting up…a bracelet? Feeling as if his duty had been accomplished, he croaked before hopping off.

The Pharaoh was dumbfounded. That was his mother's bracelet! How…? He quickly looked toward where the frog had been heading but he was already gone. Oh, forget it. For the first time in his life, he was actually grateful for the blasted things. In fact, he would probably make an offering to Heket later in thanks.

"Woah! Look at this, Atem!" Mana said excitedly while wiping the bracelet off on her dress. Holding it up in the evening light allowed the beads to shine brightly. "It's so beautiful!" She blinked. "Wait…This looks just…"

"My mother's." He commented.

"But how…?" She stared at it in her hand.

"Instead of me giving it to you, the gods had different plans. Apparently, a frog was more suited for the task." The Pharaoh said grinning at her.

"Oh. No, no, no. I can't accept this from you." She said trying to give it back to him. "I know how special it is to you. I would just break it or lose it."

Atem shook his head and covered her hands with his own. "No, I want you to have it. I know you will take good care of it and so does my mother." He gave her a kiss. "I just wish you two could have met."

Mana smiled and slipped it on her wrist. "Thank you. I'll cherish it, always."

And so, that was how it happened. With a strong will and help from the most unlikely of sources, Atem and Mana were able to start their lives together. A new era of Kemet was just about to begin.