Sorry this chapter is a week late, but it turned out much longer than I anticipated and I HAD to make it all perfect...and I am SO happy without how it came out! ALL OF IT!
Gotta say, I was DELIGHTED with the response of last last chapter, and Slightly annoyed cause I LOVED everyone's passion and how much you all love Yugi but at the same time i was a bit annoyed everyone seemed to jump on and blame Timaeus when I spent only the entire story convincing you guys what a good guy he is, but on the other hand it means I TOTALLY pulled off Yugi as an unreliable narrator and I REALLY hope i can continue to rouse your emotions and make you all think as this story continues...
Important note at the end of the chapter! (feel free to skip the authors notes if you like, but please read the announcement)
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Dedications: To all the Fans and Reviewers: you guys are just amazing! And, of course to, all my writing friends, you know who you are, for the wonderful convos, exchanging ideas and always making me think outside the box. And most of all to Val for being the best Beta ever and just an awesome friend!
And now...the moment you've all been waiting for the nerve-wracking, heart-throbbing, pulse-pounding, hopefully tear-jerking conclusion to Part I of TIMAEUS OF LOCRI ENJOY!
Chapter XXVI: Departure
Yugi buried his face in Timaeus' chest and tried not to sob. Crying wouldn't save him and a fit would do nothing for his pride, but he felt the thick beads of frustration and shock sliding down his cheeks. He pressed himself deeper into Timaeus arms and angrily wiped them away with his sleeve. He'd be in Ammut's belly before he let Timaeus see him cry again.
The ground shifted beneath him and he felt Timaeus lift him higher into his arms. Instinctively, Yugi squeaked and wrapped his arms around Timaeus' neck. Briefly, Yugi saw his gaze, stone-faced and hallowed-eyes. Yugi's heart dropped. The cloud of grief evaporated into anger and the anger provided clarity. Revealed was the terrible, heartbreaking truth that came with it: it was a merger, a charade, a treaty, practical and convenient and everything he feared.
It hurt. More than Yugi cares to admit it, it hurt. It hurt to even think about it, and when he did remembered how his stupid self-looked at the memory chest gift and the clothes he wore and thought maybe, just maybe, Timaeus did care for him as more than a charge to protect. The one who walked gullibly into the House that morning believing when Mut said everything would be alright and thought she was going to spare him this fate. He wanted to take that stupid, naive child so full of romantic dreams so vain and juvenile they made him want to weep and shake him before he fell.
And fell he had. How could he not? Timaeus wasn't some fat, seasoned old man beyond his prime an ready to settle in drunken liaison. No, he was handsome. Undeniably so. Handsome and vivacious and no doubt seasoned in strength as well as passion. And he was kind, a rare trait in any man. He was charming, but manipulatively so. He had been gracious and understanding during their journey. He'd encouraged his sharp tongue rather than scolded it, delighted in his rebellion instead of punishing him like a prisoner. More than once, Yugi could imagine himself as Timaeus' husband. Kindness and charm were Timaeus' weapons and he wielded them with perfect cunning. He'd known that and yet he still allowed himself to dream, to hope that his promises weren't just pretty words. He'd paid for his blind foolishness. Timaeus' cold indifference when he'd pressed his name to their marriage contract had been proof of that.
The floorboards creaked under Timaeus metal shoes. The sound shook him awake and alert. They were on the ship now, The Eye of Timaeus, the emerald draconic vessel named after its fearless and ferocious ruler. The ship where they'd first spoke, first talked, first kissed and first slept. It suddenly dawned on him it would soon be their First Night. His heart leapt with excitement, then shame, then dread.
There would be no escaping it. It would happen and he couldn't stop it. Timaeus was a warrior, fearsome as he was in his armor, he boasted a warrior's body: powerfully built, perfectly sculpted, flawlessly strong and ripped with the scars of victorious battles. Those frightening muscles that had held him so tenderly would easily subdue him. Any physical protest would be dealt with the effort of swiping away a fly and would only make things worse for his physical person as well as his soul. Worse of all, he wasn't sure he wanted to.
The only hope for dignity was to not fall like some slave girl into his arms. But was it even possible? Timaeus wasn't some obese, drunken oaf. He was young and handsome with the lascivious vivacity of a man in his prime. The scarred sun-kissed skin and sculpted muscles terrified and captivated him. How many times had he fallen into those strong arms? How often had those fierce kisses left him breathless and wanting more? Perhaps it would damage his pride less if Timaeus was some elderly veteran. But no, Timaeus was alluring and he knew how to weaponize it. Just one night in his bed would be more dangerous than a thousand nights of shame. How many rouge kisses and uninvited thrusts would it take before he broke? How long would his pride last before he gave in? Perhaps it would be easier to lie still and spread his legs like a good little whore.
No, he decided. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction of his pleasure. He would do this with dignity and not let Timaeus control him.
Suddenly the doors swung open with a loud thud and Yugi found himself once more in the Trierarch's quarters. Yugi grimaced when Timaeus closed it behind him with his foot. He approached the bed and Yugi clung tighter to him, then let go when Timaeus set him down, disgusted he'd clung to him like a scared child.
His body sank into the mattress, the feathery softness overwhelming compared to the linen mats he was used to. Scrambling to sit up, he watched Timaeus turn around and remove his armor piece by piece: each metallic clank was the echo of a death march, but he refused to shiver. The armored belt was last leaving him in only his under-armor. It did nothing to conceal him. He set it down on top of the pile in the corner, then pressed his hands to his desk and expelled a heavy sigh.
"Yugi…" The tone was deep and apologetic.
Despite himself, Yugi visibly stiffened. This is it. He resolved himself. I can do this the easy way or the hard way, he stiffened his spine. I won't be some sniveling whelp. He squared his shoulder and let all his anger and betrayal bleed into his gaze "Well, aren't you going to bed your bride?" He spat.
Timaeus spun slowly. He matched Yugi's expression with an unreadable gaze. Then he smiled, small and diffident, and stepped slowly towards him.
Yugi shivered: his resolve breaking. He stopped at the end of the bed and sat down. His lips an odd mix between a smile and a frown, and his dull gaze captured Yugi's. "S-S-Stop it," Yugi back peddled away and berated himself for stuttering. Stop looking at me like that…
Timaeus didn't stop. He swooped forward and gently grabbed Yugi's arms. Yugi opened his mouth to scream, then felt the strong arms he'd once adored wrapped around him. Too stunned to react, Yugi let Timaeus hold him. His forehead pressed in the crease of Yugi's shoulder, an arm wrapped securely around his waist, the other stroking his back.
"No," was the single syllable, strong, decisive and powerful. "I have no intention of consummating our union," He soothed, low and mollifying. Timaeus' fingers wove into Yugi's hair and massaged his scalp, and though it burned Yugi to admit it, he found it comforting.
Then he took Yugi by his shoulders and locked Yugi's gaze with his own: a grave, searing emerald magnified by the severity of his scar. No matter how much he wanted to, Yugi couldn't look away. "Not, until we've returned to my home in Locri," Timaeus added, "And then only after I restore the trust you once had in me."
The words were so earnest and sorrowed, his eyes so desperate and willing that Yugi could bare it no longer. His shaking hands wove in his hair and he screamed. His anger, grief and frustration poured down his face in thick beads of moisture and he flung himself at his husband. Whether to attack him or embrace him, Yugi didn't know. He collapsed in his lap and Timaeus caught him and held him tight.
"I hate you!" Yugi screamed, his tiny fists beating the man's chest in robotic rage. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" He screamed it, convincing the heavens but not himself.
Timaeus only held him tighter until he exhausted himself and collapsed silently crying. "That is alright, sweet one." He soothed, rubbing Yugi's back until he collapsed into sleep.
X X X
Timaeus held Yugi the rest of the evening. The young man's sleep was ironically peaceful, and Timaeus was glad of that. He deserved some rest and time to recover from his distress. It was rightly earned. Timaeus sighed, exhaustively and rocked his sleeping spouse gently. The day's events weighted heavily on his mind and the stress left his throat suffocatingly tight, like anchors dragging him beneath the sea.
It had hardly been the happy send-off either of them had imagined and held none of the affection they'd shared that special day at Mut's sacred pool. That soft single act had been so full of hope and affection, even Timaeus dared to believe it was love if such a thing could exist so suddenly. It made him wonder if his past experience had simply been the idealistic dreams of a young lad naïve of true commitment. Perhaps he had been. Perhaps he still was. It wouldn't be the first time his mistook devotion for love, but somehow the thought never entertained him with Yugi. The youth had intrigued him since they met: feisty, fiery and hardly helpless, he painted the perfect picture of a bratty noble child, one who'd been raised in prestige and knew well how to use it and believed himself arrogantly powerful because of it. But there was passion in his words, and caution in his movements, and it quickly became clear, Yugi was not some spoiled, selfish royal, but a survivor who'd been knocked down by life early in his youth and had climbed his way back up himself. It was something Timaeus admired, and saw himself in.
Perhaps that had been the first moment Timaeus had thought of him as more than a charge, but a kindred spirit. He had spent so much of his life keeping his heart a secret that it almost surprised him just how much of it he'd revealed to Yugi. How simple it had been, how unrestrained, and even more just how much Yugi realized he was telling. No one before had picked out the pieces of his past so understandably. Not even Rebecca, though she, he knew, kept her silence out of respect. Everyone else no doubt enjoyed the mystery of him more than the truth. The man would only sully the mystery. Yugi didn't care for the mystery. He'd never asked him directly or indirect, and yet Timaeus had hinted. Never once had Timaeus elaborated and yet Yugi had understood, and Timaeus dabbled in the hope that perhaps Yugi trusted him as well. A part of him must have, to have confided in him the way he had on the Eye, the way he had at Mut's pool? It made him hopeful that perhaps, just maybe, Yugi would trust him when Timaeus proposed the way he did.
Timaeus sighed again. Carefully, he laid Yugi down on the mattress, pulled his mantle off the table and wrapped it up to Yugi's shoulders. He collapsed on the end of the bed, his head falling into his hands. It was a testament to his resolve that he'd completed the ceremony without swaying. Yugi's horror-stuck face alone had nearly shattered it. His wet eyes had nearly been enough for Timaeus to cancel the whole event, but by then it was too late.
It seemed so idealistic now. To ask someone he'd only met a month before such a thing, when he'd barely even begun to court him. As much as he'd hoped Yugi's faith in him would understand, he'd been prepared when it hadn't. But how could he not? When Yugi had fallen to his knees and cried so desperately for his help. Timaeus had made a promise that day, and he was determined to keep it. He didn't regret his decision. The manner in which it was carried out, perhaps. It wasn't how he imagined they'd sail off together, and he knew it was never how Yugi imagined they'd be. But not his choice or the actions that followed. Yugi's heart had been broken too many times, his dreams ignored and sacrificed for too long, he deserved a house and a home, a name and a family, and Timaeus was selfish enough to hope and want that to be his home.
He could easily imagine himself waking to Yugi's smiling face each morning and holding him in his arms every night. Envision them ruling Locri together each time Yugi's eyes widened with delight when he spoke of his home. Imagined the prosperous world they could create together with Yugi running his house. The places they'd see and explore, the children they'd raise. It filled his heart with so many joyous hopes he dared believe they might someday be real.
A bitter chuckle slipped through the crack of his smile. Now, in the most twisted and corrupted sense, they were real. It had happened the way he'd always imagined it would. Yugi entering the Temple to his own deity, the Royal Wife reading the chants, the Per-a'ah and his own King standing in acknowledgement and himself waiting at the altar for his little one to add his name to their written vows: it happened exactly as it was supposed to and it had all been wrong.
Of course, Yugi was enraged by it and petrified when he could do nothing to stop it. Thought Timaeus knew well it was more the unfairness of it all: of his proposal, of Yugi's own lack of involvement and he was right. It wasn't fair.
His heart felt heavy with sorrow and regret. He'd wanted so much to chase after Yugi when he'd run. Wanted so much to hold him and explain, but the unselfish part of himself reminded him to heed the Royal Wife's words. Remind him that Yugi was angry and upset and needed time to adjust and to trust the boy's sister to speak with him. Perhaps she had hoped just as he that being Yugi's oldest confident she could mollify his rage and help see beyond his pride, but they'd expected the moment he'd stubbornly locked himself in his rooms and pretend all he had to do was wait and it would all go away. They had planned the wedding in case of it, but he never thought they'd expected it. It had enraged Timaeus when they informed him of his plan, but he was merely a Knight against three Royals, one of whom was a Royal woman of whom marriage was her place and duty. Grooms had no place in the ceremonial details, but it still enraged him, even as he hoped once again Yugi trusted him enough to understand without Timaeus telling him, like he had before.
He released another dark chuckle. He'd should've known better than to ask so much of Yugi, who at best believed their union simply a duty-bound obligation of convenience, and his proposal done not out of love but simply Timaeus' fulfilling his honor by protecting an innocent. He wasn't wrong, but there was far more to his motives than that, and he had every intention of reassuring his charge he intended to keep each of his promises: those born of duty and those born of affection.
Yugi stirred awake with a small sound and Timaeus, spun to him. He made no move to hinder or promote his wakefulness and simply let Yugi's perception return naturally. Yugi rubbed his eyes and felt his forehead. His eyes widened when he looked down and his fingers spidered and creaked his clothes like they were swatting away insects. He spun to Timaeus who only offered him a small smile.
"You're awake," he said low and soft.
Yugi glared at him and backed away. His fingered checked his clothing again but the ribbons were still tight, the clasps of his belt were still locked. He looked at Timaeus confused then his eyes sharpened with alert.
"Well," His voice was more confused than bitter. "Aren't you going to finish the wedding?" He asked, voice rough with expectation and disgust. He knew what Yugi meant.
Timaeus arched his brow, skeptical and bewildered then he said "Do you want me to?" It was an honest, earnest question.
Yugi stared at him then looks away with a frown. "No."
"Then no, I will not."
"Why not!?" Yugi demanded more bewildered than angry. "Why should it matter what I want? It didn't before so why now? Why don't you just take what you want for me and get it over with? So we can both stop pretending this is something it isn't!"
Timaeus looked at him enraged. He shot forward but made no move to grab him; instead he glared directly into Yugi's eyes, emerald green and angry red slit sharpened with gross offense.
"Is that truly what you think of me?" He demanded, sharp and hurt. "Do you really think so little of me that you believe I would marry you just to bed you? And if you didn't want me then I would take you against your will? That I would rape you!?" he said the word with such violent disgust like he was uttering the worst of all religious curses.
Yugi shrank under his gaze, but it wasn't fear Timaeus read in his eyes. "Did I not make my opinions on the issue clear when I executed my men who dared attack you? Have I not treated you with the utmost chivalry while you were under my care? Have I not stated clearly that I value honor above all else, both my own and yours? Do you truly think so little of me that at the first test of loyalty you believe I would dare commit such a sin when it would defy not only my county and kingsmen, but my very character?"
"I don't know!" Yugi screamed and finally forced himself to look away. Hot tears filled his eyes but he angrily shook them away. The more from shame than anything else and he was done being scared and ashamed. "I don't know anymore..." He admitted soft and broken.
Timaeus backed away and cursed himself in a vigorous sigh. "I don't want to yell at you," he apologized. "I hoped that we could talk."
"Talk?" Yugi asked surprised then restrained it.
"About our relationship," he slid closer but stopped when Yugi fidgeted once then remained stoic. "I know you are upset with me, or rather you are upset with our situation. I cannot fault you for your anger." He stopped, waiting for a reaction. Yugi didn't speak or make eye contact. Timaeus slipped closer and ducked to meet his eyes. Yugi automatically looked to the side, not ready to face him.
"However," he said so softly that Yugi was taken aback by the shock of it. "I do not want this to ruin our bond, not when it has only just begun," he said with a purposeful pause to smile. Yugi shivered again, absent any fear this time. Timaeus continued. "The vows cannot be undone and I wouldn't undo them even if I wanted to. To do so would shame you and defy my honor. I refuse to do either and while I do regret the circumstances of our arrangement, I do not regret my decision to marry you."
It was the first time Yugi turned to look at him. His brows were sharp and diagonal, toughening his eyes and frown but they flickered with something bright and pale blue. Timaeus knew immediately that it was hope. With a small smile, he gently moved his fingers to brush Yugi's hand. The fingers curled on reflex but Yugi didn't pull away. Timaeus smiled. It was a small comfort, but a progression nonetheless.
"Whatever you think of me now, sweet one…" He spun to face Yugi with his whole body and leaned forward to cup Yugi's frozen cheek. His eyes were dark, liquid and so penetrating that Yugi despaired. "I do care deeply for you. I won't force you to accept this, nor do I intend to but I do hope in time you'll make peace with our circumstances. I promise you, our marriage will not be a loveless one." They were so full of desperation and hope. They moved closer, his lips a small frown and for an instant Yugi thought he was going to kiss him. What else could Yugi do but surrender and fall like he'd done so many times before.
But it never came. Instead, Timaeus' sad frown and penetrating eyes remained in place. He made no effort to move closer or pull away, but his eyes glittered with the barest flicker of hope that Yugi would accept him—and give them a chance.
With the greatest strength his body and spirit could muster Yugi pulled his cheek away, but only managed a simple turn. Timaeus' response was a sad frown and pressed a gently kiss to Yugi's hair. "Fear not, sweet one," he purred, giving Yugi's hand a small squeeze. "However long it takes me, I will do whatever I must to make you happy."
Timaeus removed himself from the bed and Yugi expelled a heavy, silent sigh of lost breath. His body felt heavy and light at once and his mind scrambled to make sense of it. He watched Timaeus open the wardrobe with absent-minded eyes then sucked in a breath when Timaeus tugged the flexible fabric and slid it easily off his shoulders.
His face alit with a heated flush. His eyes should've looked away but instead they widened. It struck him then that he'd never seen Timaeus' bare skin. The other had always been carefully clothed in his presence, never donning less than his under-armor and though it did nothing to hide his warrior's body it revealed nothing of his skin. Now, as the armor slid down his arms, his chest, his hips: it was all exposed to him.
He covered his mouth to keep from gasping and alert the other he was watching. Hills and valleys of aged, cut muscles were marked by the scars, telling the story of his life in vivid detail. Long clean cuts, jagged burst punctures, and hideously curved slashes some pale, some darker discolored the sandy skin of his back, a few speckled his arms, Yugi wondered if there were more on his front. Each one carried an intimidating and fascinating story that almost made him want to magically kiss them away like a fairy tale and yet another part of him found them intriguing and almost striking. Yet something was off about them, even the darkest ones were paled with age and none of them looked fresh like they'd had decades to heal.
He hadn't realized how long he'd been staring until he heard the cloth hit the floor. To his terrible disappointment and overwhelming relief, Timaeus wore something underneath. It was an odd garment, it reminded him of the light shenti he slept in, but the bottom was tightly closed like a short pair of pants tightly sculpting his thighs and pelvis and made of a light silken material, which exposed nothing. Nothing visible, he realized.
"Would you like something?" Yugi gasped when Timaeus spun and asked simply.
"What?" Yugi stuttered embarrassed.
Timaeus arched a brow. "Would you like something to sleep in?" he asked gesturing to the wedding outfit he still wore. Another under-armor was thrown over his arm, but it wasn't the heavy loose-fitting material he wore with his armor, it looked lighter and more silken and was light blue.
"I'm fine," Yugi said with a defensive snap. His face flushed and his fingers clung to his garments and his eyes sharp with embarrassment as opposed to distrust.
Timaeus snorted "Fine, but don't complain if you wake up stiff."
Yugi looked down at the outfit he'd worn to his wedding. It'd been cut and fitted from two different out fits he's both worn meant for a woman and yet it had been cut and restyled for an Egyptian prince. "Why did you give me this?" He mumbled unsure if he wanted an answer.
Timaeus, donning the new under-armor and sporting a kind smile, sat on the end of the bed. "They are yours are they not? From your time on the ship? I'd hoped they'd be a more…personal wedding gift." he confessed. Yugi remembered thinking that was a romantic gesture when he wasn't angry, but it still didn't explain why he'd cut them up.
"And I remembered you disliked women's clothing so I had them fitted in the style of a Nomach," Timaeus added nearly reading his mind. Yugi shot up. Timaeus chuckled. "Sadly, my knowledge of Kemetic attire is lacking. I hope the style is to your liking."
"The ribbons aren't very kemetic," he gestures to the bodice-like back. "But it's comfortable otherwise," he admitted then added a semi-reluctant "Thank you."
"Tis the least I can do," Timaeus slowly moved closer. To his relief, Yugi didn't jump away. "I wouldn't be a good husband if I couldn't provide for my lover." He purred warmly.
"But…" Yugi's surprised stutter made him pause "You said I was your consort."
Yugi's eyes rose to meet his and Timaeus froze. Too late he realized he'd said the statement out loud. Then his eyes softened. Yugi had not looked away.
Tenderly he lifted a hand, clear and assuring Yugi it was a gesture of affection. "Yes, you are," he said gently. The fingers curled under Yugi's jaw, his thumb sliding over his cheek. Timaeus said softly, unsure what to add. So he told the truth: "And with that comes all the affection and respect that position deserves, in my business as well as my heart."
Again Yugi wondered if Timaeus would kiss him. And again, Timaeus stopped just short of the act. Relinquishing control to him if only he were willing to accept it. Part of him longed too. Part of him screamed in disgust. The stubborn part of him sneered at the thought of surrender, and the sinister part of him was entertained by the desperate plea. But the secret part of him, the one that still believed in love and hoped so optimistically for the future wanted to trust him. To accept the offer and let them start over and regain what they had before.
But the voice was too deep and its whispers too tiny and it sounded silent under his deafening insecurities whispering unpleasant reminders in his ears. Reminding him he'd seen this mask before, and that it would fade just as the Trierarch and the General faded and the Diplomat and the Guardian did. Their time together had been so short and yet it seemed too long, Timaeus had shared things with him and yet he'd barely told him anything, but he'd listened to Yugi. Or was that, too, a mask? There were so many masks. So many sides to this single personality, it made him wonder who he'd fallen in love with: the man behind the masks, or the mask the man wore only with him? Could he ever truly trust such an uncertainty?
Then suddenly Timaeus pulled away. "That's alright, Yugi." He said with a slow sigh. Yugi blinked and watched Timaeus put out the candles: Amun's journey to the underworld nearly complete.
"I didn't expect you to forgive me immediately." The defeated sadness of the tone suddenly made Yugi angry. Like it was arousing pity.
"Curious, now you ask for forgiveness after ignoring me for nearly a week," he mumbled a snort.
Timaeus paused with a deliberate shiver in his spine. He set the candleholder down with a deliberate thud. "I did not ignore you," Timaeus snapped at the accusation, low and dangerous with rage. "If I recall, I came to see you every morning. You chose not to acknowledge me."
"Then why did you not speak to me!" Yugi accused rolling onto his knees with a sharp glare and a sharper tongue. "You didn't think I knew it was you bringing my meals and leaving me things? Did you hope to buy me?" Yugi bit. It was harsher than he intended but his anger had found him and left venom on his tongue.
"Don't be dense," Timaeus scolded with a sharp eye-roll. "Those were meant to be mementoes. We both know frivolous gifts would not please you."
It was true, Yugi knew, but he wouldn't admit it. Anger had sharpened his pride and it wouldn't be satisfied without the last word. "You still ignored me."
"That-" Timaeus cut him off. "Was out of your respect for your wishes. You were upset and angry, I was merely giving you space. You did it out of spite."
Their eyes locked again. Flaming amethyst and boiling emerald locked in a spiral of anger and hurt and the lust to scold the cause of it by spreading the fire. They waited: neither looked away, neither lessened their glare. Then Timaeus closed his eyes and exhaled sharply, a hand running through his bangs.
Yugi blinked his burning eyes, his pride sedated by bewilderment.
"But perhaps I could've tried harder…"Timaeus admitted with a harsh apology.
Yugi mind exploded. Confusion and shock smashed against his scolded pride and gave way to an angry How dare he!? That boiled like a festering wound then quickly melted into a collective calm. How can he be so…His mind ravaged then spiraled when it couldn't fathom an answer. Sincere? Mature? Apologetic? Controlled? He wasn't sure if it pleased him or angered him more.
"Come," Timaeus said gentler and put out the last candle. Only the moonlight illuminated them now. "It's late and we're both tired. Let us continue this in the morning."
He pulled the covers back and Yugi jumped then quickly scurried to the other side and plopped down, stubbornly facing the wall.
Timaeus exhaled a loud groan. "There's no need for that. I promised you I would not consummate the marriage until we reached Locri."
"Because of tradition," Yugi s muttered the snap
"That is part of it," Timaeus admitted, earnestly. Yugi felt the bed dip under his weight and heard each crunch in the mattress as he moved closer. "And it is my hope that we may use that time to restore our bond before attempting any physical nuptials." Yugi froze when he pulled the covers to Yugi's shoulder. "It will depend entirely on you."
"And what if I don't," Yugi bit his lip and pressed deeper into the mattress, muffling his next words. "What if I never do."
Timaeus' hand came again, this time it gently took Yugi's shoulder and roller him over. Yugi sucked in a breath when he landed on his back, but Timaeus did not move closer, only stared down at him with a single soulful high highlighted by a promising red slit. Yugi stared up at him, not moving. Only watching. Those kind eyes were upon him again and he couldn't stop himself from falling. A secret part of him wanted to fall.
Timaeus bent down leaning closer. Yugi's heart pounded and he closed his eyes waiting for lips to press against his. Instead, the baritone rushed in over his ear with punishing force. "Then I give my word to The One Who Loves Ma'at and Who Detests Evil."
Then Timaeus pulled away and looked Yugi sharply in the eyes. "And I always keep my word." The baritone deepened with harsh gravity.
With that, he pulled the blankets once more to Yugi's shoulders and pulled away. Yugi watched him take his place on the other side of the bed and turn his back to Yugi. Yugi spun around grateful for the darkness hiding his blushing face and the burning in his eyes.
"I still don't trust you," he chocked out, finally.
"I know," Timaeus said with smile but his eyes were sad. "Get some sleep little gem we have a long journey."
X X X
When Yugi awoke the next morning the room somehow seemed bigger: the window suddenly seemed larger absorbing nearly the entire curve of the shift's bow: the glass cleaner and their lights brighter, highlighting its every detail in a morning blush. For the first time he noticed furred carpets scattered across the floor in specific corners, and how plump the couch was, how fluffed the pillows and how skeletal Kemet ones looked by comparison. Just how ornamental the wood of the adjacent desk and chair were and how intricately carved and polished they looked like a comportment of vines curling around a single slab. How the dark wardrobe across the wall was designed in the same pattern and how it made the massive structure seem to climb higher towards the ceiling. Even the dais holding the bed now seemed higher, its furs and blankets softer and the wooden frame of the headboard and canopy more intricate and the canopy he hadn't noticed before seemed to sway independently like it was perpetually trapped in some non-existent wind.
It wasn't as lavish as the adjoining State Room, or as frivolously decorative as some of the grand parlaces and temples he'd seen. It was practical in its furnishing and finished with only the basic necessities, but each object boasted its glory in a display of power without a word of insult. It fit its owner perfectly.
Timaeus. Yugi arose from the blankets half lucid and struggling to chronicle yesterday's chaotic memories. Timaeus. And then it came to him with alarming clarity. His heart pounded. His body moved independent of his thought, subconsciously feeling for another body but felt only crisp, still warm sheets.
"Ah good, you're awake." The words were a contralto purr: a low, bass and pleasured echo in his ears.
Yugi followed them reflexively. Timaeus stood in the open doorway Rhebekka on the other side and a tray balanced between them. Yugi nearly jumped. It was first time he'd seen his friend in weeks and he couldn't barely summon the words to speak. Her hair was pinned up, her smock, pristine and polished and flaring at the middle. She gave the Trierarch a look then dropped the plate in his hands. She left without a word.
Timaeus frowned. When the door slammed, he groaned so loudly his posture collapsed under the fatigue. He slouched to the bed and placed the tray on the bedside table. "Iron Lady save me," he muttered an oath and dropped to the bed. "Even my Quartermaster is mad at me."
"Why is she mad at you?" Yugi asked his…his brain paused. His husband Amun the word sounded so foreign.
"The same reason you are I'd imagine," he said with a small smile and worrisome eyes. "Thinks I married you for politics."
"Didn't you?" Yugi accused with an arched brow.
"I don't consider protection politics." He spun to Yugi: a coy smile and only the barest hint of sharpness in his eyes. So sudden was the action Yugi barely has time to gasp let alone jump. He recognized that smile and remembered how many times he'd damned it to hell for making his heart pound. This time it made his heart stop. Yugi forgot to breathe.
Timaeus didn't move, already so dangerously close all he needed to do was lean forward, pressed their lips together and Yugi would be his. Excitement and anticipation arched his spine in a hesitant shiver. Emotions raged in his mind and his heart pounded at a rapid rate. Would he do it? Did Yugi want him to? Was he ready?
Timaeus shifted and Yugi felt the bed dip. He squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself. And felt only a light peck on the cheek barely touching the corner of his lips.
"You'd best eat and change, sweet one," he purred and slid off the bed to put something from the wardrobe. "It's nearly dawn and we'll be casting off soon. I trust you'll want to say goodbye before we leave."
Yugi barely registered the words, and then nodded.
"I'll be at the helm," Timaeus promised placing something soft in his lap. "You'll want to watch the launch. I think you'll enjoy it." He kissed his forehead then left Yugi alone to change.
Yugi groaned into a collapse. He looked at the garments in his hands: a short-sleeved tunic and shenti with a triangular pattern at the hems and an embroidered belt to go about the waist. Simple but elegant, the way he likes, but styled in the fashion of Kemet's Nomachs. The colors were not Kemetic. It was silver instead of white and the blue stitching was paler than Kemet's beloved lotus blue and interwoven with emerald. Even the belt was emerald green but decorated with blue and silver threads. Atlantian colors, he realized, specifically, Locri's colors.
It struck him then, what their marriage meant. He was the Governor's Consort. He held a position equal to that of Nomach in his county but without the dependence of central government, essentially the co-ruler of a Kingdom within a Kingdom. He'd be co-ruling a new land. He'd need to learn its customs, its rituals, and its laws. He'd need a new wardrobe. He'd need to learn a new language unless Timaeus had made Aramaic mandatory. His Greek was, at best, fractured. He'd need to learn the names of the staff, find out the customs of the household, what his duties would be.
It was all so much to process, but…he paused himself and collected his thoughts. Timaeus had always spoken so fondly of Locri and how loving its people were. It had sounded so beautiful. Timaeus had only been there seven years and considered no other place his home. With a small smile, Yugi wondered, would he be able to call Locri his home as well?
He untied the straps of his wedding frock and let his slip to the floor. He slipped on the clothes and tested them against his skin. Linen. No doubt because they were still in Kemet. What fabrics did Locri favor? He would make sure to ask.
For now all he wanted was to leave the room and get some air. Amun had just emerged over the Nile and already the ship was alive with the sound of crewman preparing for launch. He'd have to move quickly. Fortunately, the state room opened to the deck and the morning sun was not strong enough to blind him.
Soldiers and ship-hands scurried about in the mist, throwing ropes, and hoisting up anchoring stones with only a glance from their Trierarch. Servants lugged barrels of water and mead down into the lower decks with crates of dried meats and fruits. Others carried baskets of linins and herbs to the infirmary; others carried gifts of gold and other treasures to the State Room and shuffled past him with quick bows of respect.
Vaguely, Yugi wondered if the King would be joining them then spotted the beautiful and terrifying Great Leviathan already sailing up the Tatianic creek towards the Manzala. Behind it the wings of The Fang of Critias roared to life, black wings catching the wind and ripping free from the dock with a sharp, angry turn. Yugi did not doubt its captain was at the help. Adjacent The Eye, The Claw of Hermos, already rigged and ready to sail, waited patiently for the waters to clear. It wouldn't do well to have all four ships in the river at once. Even in Abd it wasn't best to chance the Nile. It would take a day at least to reach the ocean and Yugi could appreciate the early start. The Eye would be the last to leave, he realized curiously. He understood why when he stepped into the light and heard a gasp.
He saw them and shivered. Pas and Mut looked nothing like the stoic Per'a'ah and Royal Wife he's seen yesterday. Their shoulders were slouched with strain, their posture weak and the kohl wasn't thick enough to hide the red-rims around their eyes. He wondered if he should embrace them. He'd never hesitated to before.
"Yugi," Mut said softly, her voice hollow with remorse. "We know you're angry with us now. You have every right to be," She bent down to face him her eyes red-rimmed and still wet. "None of us like the circumstances of this matter, but please, my darling, never forget how much we love you." She embraced him quickly then let go before he could debate whether to embrace her back and he was grateful for it.
"All we wish for is your happiness," Pas placed a hand on his shoulder, gone was the Per-a'ah he respected and replaced was the brother he loved. "Be angry with us if it will help you, we won't hold it against you, be angry with the circumstances, heaven knows it pleases none of us, but don't be angry with your husband. He's a good man, I know him well. I've known since the first time Dartz brought him to Kemet and I've seen every time I've met him sense." His voice was deep and assuring, but it was the honest assurance of a third-party observer, not a loving parent soothing their child's fears with false hopes. "He cares for you, you may not see it now, or you may not want to see it, but he does," Pas said in that same deep tone. "He will take care of you."
Yugi hesitated and looked away. He believed that himself once. Now he wondered if it had been just another one of his many masks. A mask for the sole purpose of getting close to him only to discard once he had what he needed.
"How do you know," he choked out the whisper. "How can you be so sure?"
Both of them blinked then smiled. "I wasn't sure of your sister," Pas admitted in a whisper "And she wasn't sure of me. Father wasn't sure of our mother nor was he yours. Marriage is never a certainty: we don't go to it knowing it will all be well. But we go to it knowing that love can be if you make it so. It can be sudden and all at once or it can build slowly, but if there is even the smallest spark then it can grow." He stopped and waited for Yugi to meet his eyes. His smile was kind. "Is there even a small part of you that believes you could love Timaeus?"
Was there? He wanted to say no under the stupidity it might end this whole thing and he would've have to think about it anymore, but both his mind and logic knew that was a lie. The surface part of his heart wanted so desperately to hope, and the secret part of him, the part he hoped to hide away and make invisible under the belief that he could rid himself of it, once more made itself the center of attention and spoke for him. "Yes," he choked before he could silence it.
Pas touched their foreheads together and smiled. "Then that's more than enough."
Yugi jumped away and gasped, unsure whether to be confused or frightened. "But…how…"
"Yugi," Mut mollified. "You'll be alright. An untested love is not a true love. It's what Isetemkheb used to say to me when Pas and I were fighting and I threatened to runaway then go through with my wedding. Love it like the lotus, she said, it is not in our happiest moments we find the one who holds our heart, but the darkest, because if it is the wrong person then we retreat back to the darkness, but if it is the right then together we find our way back to the light. And she was right, every time I thought this fight would be the end of us, Pas and I always resolved our quarrels with words: it only made us stronger."
"You and Timaeus are the same," Pas said reading Yugi's next question before it formed on his lips. "You are stubborn as the best of us, Yugi," he said with pride, "and you're not afraid to use your power. It is why Timaeus is so fond of you: you don't contain his fire or your own, you embrace it, you match it, you challenge it and build it and it burns brighter. I know you don't believe it now, but please, trust us when we say you'll be alright."
"Because you know Timaeus?" Yugi asked with a snort.
"No, little one," Mut said her voice between a scold and a declaration of love. Then he took his face in her hands and said. "Because we know you."
He wanted to tell her he didn't understand, but the warmth in her smile made him hopeful. Mut removed something from her robe and Yugi immediately recognized the jeweled lotus pattern against and Egyptian blue background and the Goddess Mut lock.
"The Atlantian custom is for the bride to carry her hope chest home," she explained and waited for him to take the large Glory Box. "But we asked if we could bring it to you."
He took it graciously and opened the lid with a smile. His hopes and treasures rested peacefully inside: precious memories of his home, life and childhood. His own personal dowry. The glory and hope he brought with him for comfort on days he awoke to a cold marriage bed.
"Maat and Menk also wanted you to have those," she said running her fingers over the folded linens. The linens they'd taken and said they'd discarded. His fingers ran over them. That seemed so long ago. The boy he'd been then was a stranger to him now. His choices and decisions that once held all the finality of Fate now felt insignificant and dreamy.
He replaced the lid, closing his secrets inside. His eyes fell on the patterned design of the lid: a beautiful deep lotus blossom the same Egyptian blue as his eyes. The amethyst jewel at its heart: his favorite jewel. His fingers traced the curls of gold lotus vines, the smooth blossoms reminding him of the blooms he loved so much, and how they flaked his name in his beloved Egyptian blue. Because things should be memorable…Timaeus' words returned.
"Thank you," he whispered.
A loud whistle blew followed by the rumbling bellow of "Prepare to cast off."
The elder siblings turned to their youngest and smiled. "It's time we take our leave."
Unable to hold back any longer, Yugi set the box on the floor and wrapped his arms around them in a hug. "I'll miss you," he whispered and for a moment he was a child again, leaving with his mother and not knowing when he'd be back.
"We'll miss you too little one," Mut said with wet eyes and hugged him tight.
Pas rubbed his hair and held his shoulders. "We will see you again," he promised. They pulled away too quickly, and Yugi watched them go with sad eyes. He walked to the edge of the ship, watched as the railing was retracted. The ship locked. Overhead, he watched the sails open with a howl form their Trierarch and his sky became a spiral of green and white wings. The ship gave a sharp jolt and departed the pier with the next gale. The wind at her back and the Nile current pushing her forward, The Eye launched with an elemental roar, Yugi looked below expecting to see the massive oars sticking out and was surprised they were still locked away. The ship flanked right into deeper water, maneuvering itself easily through the narrow banks where a bulkier ship would've struggled.
The excitement of it all made his stomach twist in knots and his heart was torn between exhilaration and gloom. His brother and sister stayed on the dock watching the ship swerve and found the North branch. Yugi couldn't look away: he watched the port shrink, watched the rolling golden desert and the green Nile fade in the distance like distant mirages.
He remembered the last time, mirages had tricked him. The day he sought to change his Fate and prayed to the Gods to make it happen. The day when once upon a time all he wanted was to leave the desert and the delta behind. To explore new places and escape. The Gods were certainly fickle.
His smile was bitter and so was his chuckle.
He got his wish.
End of Part One
And Long Live the Queen ;) At 14 pages this is the longest chapter in the story! And at 28 chapters (my longest so far) this story has just broke 200 pages! WOOHOO! And it's only part one! So yes Part One has come to close...
Notes:
1)And Now that you FINALLY Have Timaeus' AND Yugi's POV I hope i've given you all a lot to think about ;) And seriously, after EVERYTHING did any of you HONESTLY think Timaeus would RAPE Yugi?
2)I didn't realize until writing this chap but this IS the first time we've ever scene Timaeus shirtless...just his back but still! Any guess on where those scars came from?
3) Contradictory to popular belief, a lot of ancient cultures had some form of undergarments: NOT loin-cloths. Given Atlantis is a highly advanced society and based on their clothing in the Doma Arc, I gave Timaeus a primitive form of boxers, but the material is more skin tight to be more flexible under those lose body-suits and armor...and I thought it would make Yugi a little more comfortable.
4)To avoid confusion Yugi is NOT wearing woman's clothing. The wedding outfit he's wearing was taken from the two FEMALE outfits yes, but they were taken apart and remade to be fit for a boy. Men didn't wear ANY form of pants or trousers until 6th century BCE and then strictly for riding. Just wanted to clear that up cause there was some confusion last chapter.
5)"The One Who Loves Ma'at and Who Detests Evil": Another common title for Sekhmet. Though Priests weren't supposed to marry, there were no recorded vows of chastity in Ancient Egypt given it was a VERY open, sexual society sexually that embraced sexuality as a means of worshipping life and fertility. As such, rape was considered the WORST of all offenses (and SHOULD have been) not only because it was evil but because it was the one act that not only went against Ma'at aka Justice, but defiled the very fabrication of the universe because it did the one thing that was worse than taking a life unjustly (aka murder): FORCING the creation of life. Sekhmet was, above all else, a lover of Ma'at and justice and anyone who defiled it was victim to her wrath and no one escaped Sekhmet's wrath. By stating he gives his word to Sekhmet, Timaeus is basically telling Yugi that if he breaks his word and hurts Yugi in any way then he's subjecting himself to the wrath of Sekhmet, and bear in mind these were the days where you literally invoked the gods through speech, and in Egyptian culture religion and life were interlocked, so he's NOT making this declaration lightly: he's basically stating if he breaks his word then he dies. Doing so in Yugi's native religion simply makes it more powerful and personal for Yugi.
6) I did the research based on the size and length of both Lake Manzala and the Tanatic branch of the Nile I estimate the distance between Djanet and the ocean is about 60 km not including turns (37.2 m) and Spanish Galleons, which i based the ships on, traveled a max speed of 8 nautical miles (9.2 standard miles) so it would take at least five hours to reach the ocean, probably longer to manuever turns and sandbars so it would take at least half a day's travel to reach the ocean, and that's if they didn't sail at night.
7) The Hope Chest is appropriately named isn't it? Anyone wanna guess what's inside?
I had SO much fun writing this chapter! i Actually had that beginning Scene with Yugi written MONTHS back when I fist started writing this chapter (back when Timaeus was meant to be a lot more arrogant and Atlantis was actually invading Egypt...oh the story has changed ^^) Thought not much of it changes a LOT of needless fluff got cut and It still got the point: and that's Yugi learning all his current perceptions of his marriage are wrong...though learning that and accepting it are two VERY different things.
I LOVED Writing Timaeus' POV mostly cause everyone was so mad at him last chap (which I won't like kinda annoyed me i mean i KNOW i set it up that way, but again Yugi's an unreliable narrator so you don't get the whole story, but again, and don't get me wrong i feel just as bad for Yugi, hell i'm the one who put him in this position, but i LOVE both these boys and I wanted to show Timaeus isn't exactly happy with the situation either, and i hope this explains some of the reasons why he did everything he did. I have to stay his whole dialogue just POURED out of me in this, even the scene with him and Yugi breaking the ice just screamed to be written!
BUT don't think its all gonna be candy hearts and roses now, these two still have a LONG way to go: Yugi's too tough to give in (and too proud) and Timaeus, like most people, can only be so patient for so long...so they have a LONG way to go, but its a start...after all they're both young and fiery like Pas said...and they ARE stubborn boys ;)
The End scene I'm also very proud of, especially the scene with Mut and Pas (a convo with a wonderful new reviewer, you know you are are ;) really made me think about their role in all this and inspired me to revamp the scene, I also managed to throw Menk and Maat in once last time ;)
Announcement: I can't believe I finished this story in only 8 MONTHS! Could've sworn I started it in August but i checked and it was June. but I'm SO proud of this story! I love this story so much it REALLY helped me out of my writers flunk and helped me learn a lot about myself as a writer and my style...and the best part is its NOT over! this story still has two more parts to go so think of this as Book One of a Trilogy ;) (But they WILL be in the same story)
On that note, I want to plan out Part II more, I got the ideas and the plot down so now I just gotta iron out the details and write out the chapters, BUT I don't want to start updating again until I have at least five chapters written. I happen to like having multiple chapters written in advance and its easier for both you guys and me to update weekly, so since i have nothing major going on in February save for the traditional work, and additional volunteer hours, and no crazy holidays it'll be easier for me to set a schedule, relax and write the chapters while also working on smaller projects. I want to focus on ONE LONG project at a time, and right now for me that's Timaeus, though I'd like to finish the story within the year I know that won't happen, so my goal is to write at least one chapter a week and hopefully start updating again by My 25th birthday.
So thank you all so much for the comments, this is the first story I've truly loved writing and felt inspired to write since Frost King and I'm so happy its managed to affect and influence so many people and hope you'll all return for Part II
Until then, review, reply, comment, critique ask questions and go nuts! i hope i gave you a lot to think about ;)