Special thanks to my Grammar Knight for making sure I got this out right on time :) Thanks Armanthine Ipswich! You Rock girl!

Only one more chapter until Locri and if I'm timed this right...seven chapters until Part 2 is done! Goal is to finish writing by the end of the year and updating by the end of January.

Also note to my fans waiting for my "Halloween fic" unfortunately the holidays, FaerieCon and work set me back so i got the part I wanted done by Halloween (if I wanted to make this a Two-shot) but I decided it would work better as a one-shot story. BUT GOOD NEWS! FaerieCon consort inspired me so it will have a SECOND PART/SEQUEL! WOOHOO!

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing; opening city port was loosely based on Venice Italy and Braavos from Feast for Crows by G.R.R. Martin (which was also base don Venice)

Chapter LI: Arrival

Yugi found Timaeus at the helm shouting orders and steering the massive wheel, looking every inch the mystical Dragon Knight: green armor glittering in the sun like dragon scales, cloak billowing behind him like wings, and mismatched eyes shimmering with pride and power. Down below, sailors and soldiers scrambled up the three tall masts and down the rigging like spiders on a web. The rest herded below, and with a loud groan like the rumbling belly of some massive beast, the oars moved—curling in perfect circles and spread wide like skeletal wings. The ship tilted, creaked, and Yugi braced himself as the great ship known as The Eye of Timaeus heeled to starboard and began to come about.

Yugi met Timaeus at the wheel, and for half a heartbeat, his stern face softened and Yugi saw his Husband. Timaeus gave him a small smile then his expression changed, once more the indomitable Trierarch. With a glance in Ryou's direction, the navigator understood and took the helm. He swaggered in Yugi's direction. His smile never vanished. Then before anyone could care or stop him, Timaeus kissed him.

"Come." He pulled back before Yugi could be swept away. "I want to show you something." He squeezed Yugi's hand and Yugi allowed himself to be guided, down the steps, across the deck, and to the bow where the view was the grandest. Yugi snuck between the wings of the prow's dragon for a better look, Timaeus at his side and his hand stabilizing Yugi's shoulder.

"Look, love." He pointed and Yugi's eyes followed his finger. The sun was rising steadily and the sky hung low with a canvas of rosy silks, pale pinks, and magenta muslins woven with gossamer strands of spun gold and framed by curtains of dark gray mist. Faint and far away, a shadow burned low on the horizon, shining through the sea mists like a looming mountain.

Then the mists parted.

The Eye cleaved through the darkening waters on billowing black and emerald wings, and the gray sheer fled—scrambling, like frightened ghosts away from the draconic guardian.

Then Yugi saw it.

Dead ahead where the sea parted stood a massive configuration of red, black, and white stone. Braced between two stone structures that reminded Yugi of obelisks, but cylinder in shape and topped with cones like pointed hats, the wall was a massive pylon, shape carved from petrified wood like sun-bleached bone. Its base disappeared into the deep ocean. Inside the roof of each tower housed the bright light of a large burning flame, like a pair of monstrous eyes.

As the sun rose higher, Yugi saw more. On either side of the small wall, two lines of stone ridges rose suddenly, bristling along the steep slopes like jagged teeth. Waves crashed against the massive weather-worn rocks. He noticed at once that they were not rocks, but stone ports—the stony shore acting as a single conjoined dock. Tied to stony quays like hounds in a kettle, dozens of galleys stood with their sails retracted and their proud prows painted and ready for battle. Like loyal soldiers: armed, mean and waiting for their General's command to call them forth. Behind the first line of defenders, he observed the painted prows of even more ships, housed within wooden sheds built on high platforms on either side of smaller inner streams, like horses in stables being groomed for battle. Something else was missing, he quickly noticed.

"Where is its pylon?" Yugi asked aloud.

Timaeus laughed behind him. "Atlantis has no walls," he chuckled, and cast an arm over the naval fleet. "Our walls are made of wood and silk, and painted blue and green and red."

He understood at once. "The galleys are its walls." His eyes bulged in amazement, his voice an awed breath.

"We need no other," Timaeus bragged as proudly as if he'd built it. "The shore is made of stone and serves as our docks, the dunes protect them from the worst of the sea's winds, and wood from the North has allowed us to create yards for building even more ships in the canals of its crevices. You won't find a more impressive navy."

"No, you won't," Yugi breathed, blinking with amazement. Kemet's fleet could not come close to such a force. Yugi's heart suddenly quickened as the gargantuan wall of stone loomed ever closer. He thought it no bigger than the House of Amun's pylon, but as it drew nearer, the stone structure still grew. Yugi stretched his neck to see it, until he was certain it could collapse the Great House were it to ever fall. Behind him, Timaeus barked orders and the men once more returned to the riggings and retracted the sails. The ship's speed slowed significantly. Then the oars steadied and the ship froze still.

"We're almost there," Timaeus promised him, strong hands secured comfortingly on the other's shoulders. He turned to the highest mast and said, "Ready our sail!"

The men above obeyed and unfurled the topmost sail, an emerald green cloth baring the emblem of a massive black and silver dragon—its single eye a mysterious, colorless pearl, and in its teeth a glistening emerald encrusted sword.

"Now," Timaeus released Yugi's shoulders and took his hand. Yugi blinked at him, bemused, but Timaeus flashed him a confident smile. Then they were standing in the heart of the deck just as the ship stilled. Above his peripheral vision, Yugi caught sight of figures atop the tower standing by the massive glowing fires.

Then Timaeus roared. "I am Timaeus, First of the Emperor's Sworn Legion of Dragon Knights of Atlantis, Magistrate of her western city of Locri, and Trierarch of her prized war vessel The Eye of Timaeus, and I request entrance and passage through her East Gate." His voice boomed, the sound like a roar of a mighty lion echoing for miles and dominating all other voices around it—be it the cries of seabirds or the crashing of ocean waves.

Then Timaeus bellowed again, loud, confident, and beaming with pride. "So that I may bring home my consort."

Yugi's eyes widened for a second. The words struck like an arrow. The sheer reality of them crashed against the sheer confidence in which Timaeus had spoken that fact.

I'm his consort. The words echoed in his mind, at first distant like a foreign ghost. I'm his consort. They carried a greater recognition this time, a more comforting familiarity—like something he's briefly forgotten but was none the less true. "I'm his consort!" He said them with an almost-giddy glee.

Then Timaeus squeezed his hand and whispered proudly, "Yes, you are."

Yugi blushed. So he had said that out loud.

Then the Gate bellowed. Yugi's eyes shot towards the massive gates. The scattering of birds and feet. A rattle of chains. The groaning of gears, and the rumbling shifts of stone and wood—then the massive gates opened, slow and with a deliberate groan, like a monster opening its mouth to yawn. Yugi watched, eyes wide and fascinated. Was this the technology Atlantis boasted? These walls that looked chiseled from the mountain itself and parting at will?

Over his raised head, Timaeus swept a stern gaze to his men and howled an order. In minutes, the crew was back to the rigging, the oars returned to their perfect motions and the spiraling green and black sails unfurled just in time to catch the wind, and The Eye of Timaeus sailed forward at full speed—a swift, beautiful dragon flying on magnificent wings.

Yugi nearly stumbled as the ship suddenly picked up speed, but Timaeus caught him and whispered, "Hold on." He gripped the rim of the prow as he said it. Yugi copied his movements. It was then he saw the sudden dip in the current, like the sea itself was being swallowed by the gargantuan Atlantian gate.

Wind and wave drove The Eye swiftly forward and through the channel, and she accepted their watery hands with open wings. Her oars glided smoothly across the sea's surface like a dragonfly skimming across a lotus pond. Then the oars stalled, The Eye picked up speed, and just as they reached the gap between the partially-opened gates, Yugi felt a rush like the rapid downward dip of a river—and released, to his utter shock, horror, and childish excitement that it was exactly what it was.

"Hold on!" Timaeus held him tight as the draconic ship dove. Waves dragged the ship down the nearly-perpendicular slope of a semi-large waterfall, sliding the ship down its bank with a beautiful, terrifying splash.

Yugi screamed: a combination of anticipating excitement and delightful terror, as the ship swooped, crashed, and sent a breaking wave of water over her head and wings—drenching her Trierarch and his Consort before balancing herself out and continuing the steady trek down the canal at full speed.

"Keep her steady men!" Timaeus bellowed, not at all hindered by his sudden dampness. "I want to reach the first river by dusk." He turned to Yugi with a smile. "Well, love, how was your first experience with Atlantian technology?" The boyish smile perfectly reflected the messy flop of his damp hair, the brightening redness of his cheek, and the almost-glittering excitement in his adventurous green and pearl eyes.

Yugi burst into giggles. "Exciting and wholly unexpected," he confessed, and shook his soaked hair, scattering raindrops. He looked down at his wet clothes and wiggled his nose. "Though I did not expect to get another bath today."

Timaeus laughed. "If I told you, love, it would've ruined the surprise."

Yugi nodded and leaned against the ship's rail. The breeze played with his hair, thick with salt but less salty than the ocean air and gentler, as well.

"Can she keep at this speed?" he asked Timaeus, curious.

A proud grin slit his face. "Her fastest is twelve knots," he bragged. "We'll keep her at eleven without the waves, but the wind's on our side and the oars are strong. This is the Atlantis canals, not the sea. The waters are calmer here and easier to manage."

Yugi blinked. "What about the Ocean's current? Does the Gate keep it out?"

Timaeus laughed again. "Not like that, love, no. Neither wood nor stone can keep the sea out entirely, but the canals are man-made: each one links the capital to the sea and allows travel to her cities. The Gates never fully close, but they can open just enough to allow our ships to pass and offer enough control to keep the canals from overflowing. They are not shallow, but having them at this level means our ships can sail at their full capacity and we have no fear of running aground."

It made sense, Yugi decided, just as The Eye sailed into the lagoon. He focused on the view beyond, absorbing everything.

The waters of the canal were deep and dark, its bottom invisible through the murky depths, and wide enough that three of Timaeus' ships could safely sail side by side. Smaller canals branched into a series of winding narrow brooks, their inclines curved into steep slopes. Cliffs of sandy hills, Yugi recognized as dunes, wove around the rivers of the shipyard, sprinkled with tuffs of tall grass and thorny green plants of whose names and origins Yugi did not know. Curves of sand then gave rise to a sea of tall golden grasses swaying in the breeze like alluring dancers. Shadows of more streams dried to an under-layer of water, and mud was concealed beneath their lovely stalks—a beautiful cloth of gold concealing a dark and deadly trap.

It was nothing like the Delta's cloak of green, where hearty green plants and grasses melted with swaying palm trees, speckled with colorful flowers and ripe fruits like a green mantle embroidered with bright jewels. The canal was bare and empty of plant life: a stark contrast of the Blue Nile's papyrus sedge and carpet of red lotus. And while the Nile's ravine boasted steep rocky tors along its banks and small stretches of farm land, it was never so marshy or waterlogged, except perhaps after Akhet, but that was months ago.

Then he watched in absolute amazement as the low-laying valley of the marsh curved into a wide open pasture with a network of streams weaving through it. Pockets of sandy islands formed the base for small buildings, which Yugi assumed were houses. They were nothing like the mud-brick terraces of Kemet's cities. Raised above the water and sandy hills on stilts and platforms of petrified wood, they were tall and slender, spiraling towards the sky in a straight rectangle, rather than ground-level long houses. Their windows were curved instead of squared and had curtains and shudders. There were no city walls, or pillars, or thatches, or cooking yards—instead, they had wooden porches and flat wooden roofs used for leisure. Altanas, Timaeus had called them, and stairways spiraled around the outside connecting roof and porch.

There were no roads either and instead, bridges and docks formed roads of wood weaves above the marsh, barely visible in the grass. Stone docks held small wooden boats tied to masts along the river banks and far off in the horizon, he saw the shadow of a stone wall separating the marsh from the other side. If Yugi squinted and bent far enough, he could see the faint image of another river curving horizontally instead of the vertical one they now rode—and on a higher slope, the roofs of what looked like houses. Yet the vastness of it was what made it magical; the expanse of nothingness all around created an ephemeral nature, like a desert mirage. An infinity of sky, marsh, and water.

He squeaked when a strong arm slipped around his waist and scooped him up.

"Careful, love," Timaeus teased. "I don't fancy fishing you out of the mud if curiosity compelled you to lean too far over."

Yugi stuck his tongue out at him, but Timaeus only laughed. "Don't fret, you'll see it soon."

Yugi accepted the answer and turning back to the beyond, he asked, "Is this what all of Atlantis is like?"

"Dark Abyss, no," Timaeus chuckled. "This is the most southern plain—a marsh, mostly. It allows for fishing and merchant travel but primarily, it is a shield against storms and a base for our fleet, as you saw. Critias' main stronghold and city is beyond the first wall. You won't see much of it beyond the river, but I imagine you'll see some. Locri is much different. She is all mountains and water. Not marsh and mud," he boasted as if he'd designed it himself.

Yugi smiled and chuckled, slightly relieved. "I'm pleased." Beautiful as the marsh was, it looked dreadfully boring with just the shipyard and piers to explore. Certainly not the magnificent, bustling city Timaeus had boasted. "How long until Locri?" he asked with a bit of trepidation in his voice.

"I imagine we'll reach the first river by nightfall. After that, if we sail all night and all day, we should arrive by evening tomorrow." His grin widened to a bright-eyed smirk. "Just in time for the celebration of their Magistrate's return and to welcome his new consort home."

He kissed Yugi's cheek impulsively. Yugi squirmed, giggling, and tried to shove him away.

"Stop that," Yugi scolded through a fit of giggles. "What if your men saw us?"

Timaeus only grinned. "Let them! I'm perfectly comfortable with them knowing how well I please my consort."

Yugi blushed brightly at the implication. His wet clothes suddenly felt tight and he shivered. None of which went unnoticed.

Timaeus chuckled and dramatically threw his cape over Yugi's shoulder. The effect was ruined by the wet flop it made against his armor. Yugi tried not to laugh.

Timaeus tried not to snort. "Come. We won't reach the next gate for a few hours, and I doubt either of us fancies looking like drowned rats when we get there."

X X X

The cold water was a welcome relief when Timaeus upended a basin over Yugi's head, if the loud shuddering moan was any indication. By the time they'd returned to the Great Cabin, the brackish water had already dried and matted Yugi's thick hair into stiff, straw clumps, and crystals of salt dusted and itched his skin. Like a cleansing rain ridding him of all grime and foulness, the sudden spray felt amazing and he responded with a happy moan.

Timaeus shuddered at the sound, and praised his decision to have them both don a wrap before joining Yugi in the washroom and the good judgment behind it. Even he admitted he was relieved to be rid of the waterlogged armor and the stiffening, itching layers beneath it. The gratifying relief made all the more frustrating by the sight of his very pretty, very naked consort on the other side of the door. All wet and luscious. Moaning and making noises like that. It was simply too much temptation for the amorous Trierarch.

"Keep making noises like that, love, and we won't last another hour. Let alone until dusk tomorrow."

The blush spread across Yugi's entire body. His eyed popped open and he spun to the man, and a mixture of stunned mystification and bashed excitement widened his eyes. The color on his cheeks was neither pink nor crimson, but a soft, sweet, rosy color like watered-down pomegranate juice. Timaeus licked his lips. His stormy gaze heated considerably as it drifted over the curvaceous territory now opened to him. Yugi's little smile and those soul-stealing lotus-jeweled eyes were his final damnation. There was nothing coquettish or vain about it—just sweet, simple, innocent vulnerability.

Lords of the Dark Abyss, he wanted this boy—he was man enough to admit it, and piratical enough to want what he wanted and let the consequences be damned. He wanted to feel that sweet little body writhing beneath him, hot and eager and moaning for more. He wanted to hear each and every delectable little sound he made and his love moans as he invaded that sweet warmth. Wanted to feast on his pomegranate lips and the subtle satiny skin of his chest and belly until he'd had his fill and then he wanted to do it all over again—to somehow mark him, brand Yugi's flesh with his possession in a way no other could.

It was a desire that scored deep in his veins, pulsing like a living being in his very blood. He watched Yugi shiver, still shy, still smiling—and somehow, that made him all the more delectable. Timaeus dropped the basin and knelt, level with Yugi's eyes. Gently, he cupped that soft cheek and watched as Yugi's smile brightened, his eyes squeezed with a bright, pretty blush, and his lips parted ever so slightly to giggle.

Then his eyes opened—bright glittering amethyst shimmering with all their sweetness.

"You're so beautiful," Timaeus purred, eyes locked, before leaning down to kiss him.

Yugi returned it eagerly. His pale hands rose to grip his shoulders. Timaeus snaked his arm around Yugi's waist, pulling him closer, drinking in the taste of his little lover. Pure sweetness, like water from a cool stream on a hot day, flavored with pomegranates and berries and other sweet things. Gods, everything about Yugi was sweet, he decided.

Even his touches were soft and sweet, as his slender finger worked their way over Timaeus' shoulder, the grooves and ridges of his chest, his sides, his calf, his thigh—

Timaeus broke the kiss and grabbed Yugi's wrists, pinning them level with his head up in open air. Yugi released a gasp of surprise and that was when Timaeus saw it. The twinkle of desire buried in the depths of those sparkling eyes, and the mischievous curl of his lips just before he smirked.

"Don't even think it, my delectable little imp." He smirked when Yugi's brows furrowed together in a huff. Yugi may have been sweet, but he was far from innocent.

Yugi leaned in to kiss him again, but Timaeus caught his shoulders before he could move. "Careful," he warned, voice dark, deep, and dangerous. He paused to breathe and found himself panting. "Forgive me, it is… difficult for me to hold myself back around you."

Yugi blinked for a moment then smiled. One hand moved to gently pry Timaeus' fingers from his wrist and pushed himself to the edge of the stool. His hands found Timaeus' shoulders again and this time when he smiled, his eyes were deep with desire. "What makes you think I want you to hold back?" His words were a whisper of breath and more penetrating than any Timaeus has ever heard.

As Yugi leaned closer, all will within him begged him to relent. To break away the chains keeping him at bay and give into his most intimate desires, but as tempting as it was to take Yugi into his arms for the much more enjoyable pursuit of stripping away the silks and leather until they were both caught aflame, Timaeus was too much a man of honor to break his word. He cursed both those sides of himself.

Instead, he caught Yugi's lips with his finger. Stopped by surprise, Yugi froze, waiting. Gone was the intensity from Timaeus' face but his eyes still blazed, vigorous and unadulterated. Rubbing small circles with his thumb, Timaeus traced his cheek gently, then leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to the rim of his mouth.

"You say that now, love, but it is a one thing to pleasure a man with kisses and another with sex," he explained with all the gentleness of a tender lover. "Would you have been ready if I wished to do more than kiss you?"

Yugi knew what he wanted to answer, but he knew better that Timaeus would not believe him. "How would you know if I was ready or not?" he demanded with dull bitterness.

"I don't," he said, unhurt by the words. "But when we're both ready, then we'll know."

Yugi looked unconvinced. "Yes, well… Enough of that."

He shook his head, loosening his hair just enough to brush it back with his own hands to curve his disappointment. He pushed himself back on the stool and smiled instead. "Tell me more about Locri? You've told me much about the landscape and the environment and the culture, but what will my duties be?"

Timaeus smiled and grabbed another stood to sit behind him. "We have discussed that already. You know it well." He grabbed a bottle of perfumed soap, squeezed a generous amount in his hands, and rubbed them into a rich lather.

"I meant the details. The customs, the laws, the calendar?"

"Has Rhebekka not shown you?" he asked, gesturing with a twirl of his fingers for Yugi to turn around. The little one obeyed. " 'Twas her duty until I married."

"She's told me some," Yugi admitted, biting back a moan when the strong hands laced through his hair, massaging his scalp. "Though not what interests me."

"And what is it that has you so curious, my Gem?"

"Our ceremony."

The fingers paused. "How so?"

"Tell me about it? How will it be performed? The customs involved, the people… Do they even know I am coming? Please tell me all?"

Yugi sprang to face him, ignoring his nakedness but for the thin wrap about his chest. His eyes were bright with curiosity and timidity.

"Alright, alright," Timaeus mollified and rinsed his hands. "Allow me to quell your curiosities. Close your eyes."

Yugi did and Timaeus upended a second basin over him, rinsing the soap from his hair. Yugi threw it back like a veil and wrung out the excess water.

When he was settled, Timaeus asked, "What would you like to know?"

"All," Yugi repeated, brightening immediately. "Tell me everything!"

"Everything?" Timaeus arched a brow. Lips tugged into a smile. "Very well, I'll start with our arrival. The people know of your coming. Rhebekka and I have both sent word to my First. He is her husband and my Lord Commander. He will see that all the western shore know I will be returning with a bride. As he is my acting Hand, as well, he will see to it that my staff has prepared the house. It would not bode well for Locri if I took a bride and my people remained ignorant. For your arrival, the whole city will partake in the celebratory feast, my seamstresses will gather the materials needed for your wardrobe, and my heads of staff will prepare our joined rooms. But I imagine we will not see them until the Bedding."

Yugi fought down a blush.

Timaeus laughed and brushed Yugi's hair back with his fingers. "You need not fear, my Gem." Timaeus caressed his cheeks soothingly. "They will love you just as I do."

Yugi shot up, sparked by uncertainty. "Am I… Will they be greeting us upon arrival?"

Sensing his nervousness, Timaeus put down his fears by gently stroking Yugi's cheeks with a circling thumb.

"Aye, they will. I imagine the whole of Locri will be flocking to the shores." He chuckled when Yugi's eyes bulged and his mouth gaped like a fish's. "The whole city?"

"Aye." Timaeus nodded. "It would not surprise me if the city itself was standing ashore, dressed in their finest and singing hymns waiting for us to arrive."

"Why?" Yugi blinked.

Timaeus blinked as well. "Why to pay us homage and bestow us with blessings, of course." He spoke as if it was obvious. " 'Tis not every day their liege lord brings home a bride."

Yugi frowned. "But all that… ceremony? Just for our arrival? It sounds so… frivolous."

Timaeus blinked again, then it hit him like sparks and he laughed. "Do your people not flock to see their king when he rides past? Do they not stop to glimpse his bride and cluster under the Window of Viewing each day to hear his command and welcome his heirs? Do they not love their King? Can you fault the people of Locri for wanting to catch a glimpse of their beloved liege lord's wife?"

He paused to let Yugi ponder.

"Well, I can't," Yugi said. "But marriage is a private affair."

"Perhaps," said Timaeus. "But when it is the King's, 'tis not frivolous, my Gem, but loving. Locri loves her Magister well, and I have no doubt they will love his Magistrate." He sealed the promise with a kiss upon Yugi's lips, brimming with prepossessing confidence. "Of that, I am certain."

Yugi smiled then puffed his chest and chin proudly. His hips swayed in seduction as he smirked teasingly. "And once I've been presented, you'll scoop me up and whisk me away to your manor as the ritual goes?"

Timaeus burst out laughing. "That is the more… spirited version of the ritual, yes," he admitted, voice high and humorous. "But I think the two of us traveling to my manor by canal will suffice." He kissed Yugi's nose.

Yugi smiled. "What else?"

"After that is when the real ceremony begins. Once I've introduced you to my staff, I have no doubt my servants will see you both properly bathed, dressed, and prepared to meet our guests and King as husband and consort, Magister and Magistrate, and they will welcome us with a glorious feast to celebrate. After that, you will be given your wedding gifts as a welcoming to Locri, I'll bestow my own tokens of affection, the King will bless our union, and finally—" He paused deliberately, smiling.

"And finally?" Yugi leaned forward, bracing his weight on Timaeus' knees. With his half-lidded eyes misted with mischievous shadows and his lips curled into a smile, he looked every inch a temptress.

But Timaeus was not easily seduced. Not when he knew the true vulnerability beneath. "We'll be stripped down and carried to our blessed marriage bed in our newly-joined chambers, where I will make love to you until dawn and every moment after until we are called back to our duties at the end of our lover's getaway."

The sudden change in Yugi's expression from all mischievous eyes and seductive smiles to a stunned gape was too much for Timaeus and he nearly fell over laughing. He did when Yugi, burning red as ripe pomegranates and pouting, punched his arm and toppled him over.

Once he recovered his breath, Timaeus rose and gently hugged his little gem around the waist. Yugi squeaked loudly as he was lifted into the air and then into Timaeus' arms. He carried them back to the bed and settled against the pillows, Yugi still in his embrace, naked and wet and vulnerable and all the more delectable. "But we will only take that step with your consent," he assured, pressing a gentle kiss to Yugi's temple.

Yugi blushed and hid his neck in the curve of Timaeus' neck. Then he rolled over until he was in the man's lap.

"I do want to..." he said, with a smile that was both sensual and sweet. "Just so you're aware." He blushed before saying the next part, but had no desire to unsay it. "And when we arrive in Locri, I want you to make me your wife… your consort… in every way that that implies."

Timaeus thought his heart would burst in that single moment. Instead, he cupped Yugi's cheeks, stared longingly into his eyes, and kissed him hard. Drowning him in all the passion and promise his soul could muster. When he pulled away, Yugi was flushed and panting, his eyes dazed and his fingers clinging weakly to Timaeus' wrists.

"Tim…?" The word was all breath, but to Timaeus, it was like a prayer.

"Yes?" he asked smoothly.

Yugi blushed and hid his face in the curve of Timaeus' neck. "Have you… ever… well… been in my position?" he whispered.

He understood at once. "Yes, a few times. When I was young. Honestly, I did not enjoy it much," he said earnestly.

Yugi slowly lifted his head. "What is it… like?"

Tim blinked then smiled. "It is a strange feeling. As I'm sure you know, you're very sensitive here," he said, giving Yugi's naked bottom a slight squeeze. Yugi cheeks burned and he moaned loudly, a fusion of excitement and want.

"Does it…" Yugi grasped for words, his voice unable to form them immediately. "Does it… hurt?"

Timaeus' smile was genuine as he met Yugi's eyes. "Not if you are gentle, glykia-mou, and I can promise I will be very gentle with you." His grip on Yugi's buttocks tightened and he smirked. "But I will not be a gentleman."

Yugi squeaked.

X X X

They settled in for their midday nap, before duty called them away for the rest of the eve. Rhebekka had taken their clothes to the galley to wash with the dishes. The rest of their outfits were too worn and ragged from weeks at sea and improper washing. When they awoke, they found two sets of clean clothes folded neatly on the bed's edge.

Yugi blushed, realizing at once that his friend must've seen them naked as they slept. Unabashed, Timaeus detangled himself from their little pile and sifted through the garments. His own consisted of a freshly-scrubbed under-armor and a clean mantle. The second pile—Yugi's—consisted of one of Rhebekka's extra smocks. It did not go unnoticed by Yugi, who scoffed.

"My apologies, love," Timaeus said sympathetically. "But I'm afraid we don't have anything else for you to wear until your dress dries."

Yugi pouted. Then his eyes brightened. "No, I have something else."

He hopped to his knees and reached under the bed. With a baffled blink, Timaeus peeked, getting a lovely view of his little one's pale, naked flesh, then choked on a gasp when he saw exactly what Yugi removed. A beautiful box carved from white stone and capped with gold, and decorated with lotus blossoms carved from Kemetic jewels of amethyst and lapis lazuli—the patterns nearly identical to the bracelet dangling around Yugi's wrist.

He quickly spun around and tried not to blush. Dowry boxes were the bride's privacy, after all—only privy to her husband upon her official welcome into her husband's house and home. His heart swelled a bit, knowing Yugi had used it, after all.

"There," Yugi said and Timaeus spun—and almost gasped aloud.

He recognized the garment his little one now wore. The mash of white cotton and black silk. The silver ribbon bodice and seams of golden thread. The way the black sleeve clung around his neck like a fashionable necklace and the slits of black silk and white cotton formed the long skirt, but short enough that it remained masculine. He'd had it personally commissioned that way.

"Yugi… is that…?" He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Yes, it is." Yugi smiled brightly and folded his hands behind his back. "When we arrive in Locri, I want to wear the silks you gave me, so I can look like your Magistrate. But for now," he paused and blushed. "I want to enjoy these last few hours I have just being your bride."

And that single phrase of adoration was all it took.

Timaeus leapt forward, swept his Yugi into his arms, and kissed him.

Enjoy the sweet endings (Queen sips her wine and strokes her Kuriboh's little head) you know they will not last long...

And now we're FINALLY at Atlantis... or at least the first gate

Notes on Atlantis: I did a LOT of research on Atlantis' geography, structure, building style etc. Using both Plato and everything inspired by him. Following Disney's example with Lost Empire I was DETERMINED to move as FAR away from anything Greek inspired as possible, if only for diversity purposes, and because according to Timaeus Locri was located more West which would be Rome.

Based on my research I broke it down so Atlantis is currently occupying what is today, the Northern gap of the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and Greece with the present day Adriatic Sea being a giant lake. So, all of Southern Italy and Eastern Greece is part of this empire: reason-according to Text Atlantis is located on Two sides by a chain of high jagged mountains (which is modern day western greece and eastern Italy, the whole lower item of Italy's "boot" is one big mountain) with the south being an open plane...I took this to heart and divided Atlantis into a triangle shape with the center City being in the heart of the ocean surrounded by the three rings of water, between which are three landmasses and lagoons that are styled like modern Venice-built on the water and connectable by waterways. The southern Marsh-mentioned and seen in this chapter, I based on a salt marsh, which one made sense as the perfect place for a marina and is known for its braken water ways.

The saltwater marsh in this story, is loosely based on the salt marshes I saw while visiting my relatives in Florida over the summer, specifically Amelia Island, which are beautiful! the salt marsh then has two open water ways or canals that lead to the ocean. The one The Eye of Timaeus is using is the Eastern Gate since the Western Gate that is closer to Locri would require another two days at sea, and another day to travel up and over-as Yugi explained chapters back, this is a faster route.

The buildings and landscape both of the cities and of the marsh are based on Venician architecture, with the marsh having a more ancient/early style and the inner cities having a more modern and advance style.

In coming chapters you'll be seeing much more of Atlantis, and I will do my best to do what i do best and paint the picture. I DO have a map I drew of the area that I planned to put on Deviantart if anyone is interested and thinks it would help with the visual aide. Let me know!

Inspirations for Atlantis:
Ancient and Modern Venice and its architectureBraavos (From Feast for Crows by G.R.R. Martin
The Great Green City seen in Journey and Quest by Aaron Berke (EXCELLENT SERIES!)
Salt marshes of Amelia Island
The box style houses and architecture of Ocean City, Maryland (one of the primary inspirations for this story-also built on a marshland)
Plato's descriptions and translations of ancient Atlantis
And, of course, Atlantis from the Yugioh Doma/Waking the Dragons Arc

as always critique, comment, ask questions, post theories and go nuts! Flames must have sound and logical reasons and harsh critiques ARE ENCOURAGED!

Next Update: November 27th

NEXT TIME: The Eye of Timaeus has finally arrived in Atlantis. With Locri only Days away Yugi finds himself overwhelmed by possibilities. Timaeus does his best to ensure Yugi won't falter and a message arrives to complicate things...

As always critique, comment, ask questions, post theories and go nuts! Flames must have sound and logical reasons and harsh critiques ARE ENCOURAGED!