V.E.: Well, I think this will be my final story update before I start college. I am both terrified and looking forward to it. What can I say, my mind is weird.

Okay, this is the chapter I know you've been looking forward to along with Seto's appearance (unfortunately, not for a long while). This story started out in my mind as a romance, but it has morphed more into a story about Kisara.

Don't get me wrong, there will be romance later on.

Disclaimer: If I owned this story, my college fees would be nonexistent and I would be traveling down to Disney World for a week! Have I mentioned how I love Disney?

It was the most nerve racking lesson that Kisara had gone through since starting as Nephthys' student.

Not that the material was hard, in fact cuneiform was coming along quite well. She wished she could say the same about her math lessons, it seemed as if that beyond the basic lessons she wasn't as adept as she was at languages.

No, the thing that was bothering her so much was Nephthys' silence. A couple of days had passed since Vizier Shimon had examined her and the extent of her knowledge, days which she had spent in her room half-heartedly playing her harp. Even Neftis noticed her owner's nervousness.

Finally, today she had been summoned back to Nephthys' room to resume her lessons, but the priestess had yet to mention anything about it or tell her how well she had done.

To be frank, the suspense was killing her and she didn't know how much longer she could pretend to concentrate on this lesson.

It seems as if Nephthys' gift of reading faces was as strong as ever as she sighed.

"Kisara, you are going to have to learn to keep a straight face if you want to visit court. Remember what I said…"

Kisara picked up, remembering the words.

" 'Court is not a friendly game. It is a blood bath to the death some days. The only difference between a solider and a politician is that a politician smiles after he screws you over.' I think you made your point."

Nephthys kept her composure at the statement.

"Yes, although I doubt a lady would use 'screw you over.' Now, what is it going to take to get you back on track with your lessons?"

Kisara stopped herself from glancing downwards towards her hands. She knew it was a nervous habit and Nephthys told her she would have to break it eventually.

Nephthys sighed.

"Your nerves are something you need to take care of Kisara. Though I'm glad you're trying."

Kisara took a breath then asked what she wanted.

"Lady Nephthys, did I pass…the examination?"

Nephthys seemed very interested in the scroll she picked up from the desk.

"Well, you writing has certainly improved from when you first started. Now it's both legible and intelligent."

Kisara was ready to roll her eyes at her master at her impatience.

"My lady!"

Nephthys looked up from the scroll and placed it back onto the desk.

"Very well. You passed with flying colors."

Kisara looked at her teacher with a skeptical gaze.

"Seriously?"

The Egyptian woman met her head on in an even look.

"Kisara, when have you known me to joke about these kind of things?"

Kisara shook her head.

"Never?"

Nephthys gave her a rare favored smile.

"Precisely."

Kisara broke into a relieved smile at that.

"So then if I keep learning like this, I should be set when the time comes for me to be tested in a little over two months. Right?"

The priestess face changed from her less confidence to something that almost could be described as nervousness.

"Well…not exactly….."

Kisara's face morphed in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Nephthys tried to continue on.

"It has nothing to do with your studies Kisara."

She looked directly at her teacher, demanding answers.

"Then what is it?"

Nephthys sighed as she found herself into her customary chair. Finally, she looked up at her student.

"I told you the day we met that I was meant to tutor you everything that I thought an Egyptian princess would need to know."

Kisara nodded.

"Yeah."

Nephthys heaved another deep sigh.

"Well, there was a bit more to it."

Kisara straightened herself up to listen better as her teacher went on with the story.

"The Council set the test you're going to have as a requirement, but the Pharaoh added on another requirement on to that. Something I can't teach you about at all."

Kisara's eyes were still bewildered.

"What is it? What am I supposed to do?"

"Gain Prince Atem's approval."

That took Kisara by surprise as she almost jumped into the back of her seat. She honestly had no idea what to say to that.

"But…..but…"

Nephthys nodded.

"It was a rather unusual request, but as it was from the Pharaoh it was accepted."

Kisara looked up at her teacher in confusion.

"But….I haven't seen the prince since the day I came into the palace! He must know where I am, but he doesn't come."

The older woman's gaze softened at her student's words.

"Now you don't know that."

She looked at her teacher with all the frustration and fear that had been building up, then directing her head downcast.

"What am I supposed to think? Especially after the way Mana and Mahad behaved toward me, they're his best friends. The answer is simple, he just doesn't like me. He thinks I'm just some girl from the streets and it'd be better if I just disappeared."

"Kisara…"

She interrupted her teacher before she said anything else.

"Why? Why do I have to get his approval?"

Nephthys took a moment to think on that, leaving the room completely silent. Finally, she spoke up.

"Because you aren't just supposed to be a princess."

Kisara's head perked up at that.

The Egyptian priestess took that as a sign to continue.

"Let me tell you something, Kisara. If the matter was simply about 'being a princess', the Pharaoh could have picked any one of the pretty young ladies of the court to adopt. Many nobles would be proud that their daughter had been selected for the royal life, mostly because of the powerful position she would be in. Who knows what kind of favors they would receive? Particularly, if she became queen."

Kisara gulped as she remembered her studies into the Egyptian pantheon.

One of the things that she would never fully like about the gods of ancient Egypt was their inclination for incest. As a child, she had known that gods were above mere mortals, but for them to marry their sisters and brothers? Suddenly, her homeland's tale of a male god giving birth wasn't so strange. At least compared to this.

To add to that, the historical writings of past Pharaohs had troubled her even more. It turned out the birthright of the gods were often passed down through the queen mother and a prince had to marry into the line to assume the throne. Forget half-sisters, some pharaoh's married their full born sisters!

No one ever thought it strange because in the eyes of the people, Pharaoh was a god. By marrying his sister, he was behaving just as a god should.

Her teacher saw that she had found this out by looking at her terrified blue orbs.

"I see your reading has been progressing well….."

She was almost afraid to ask.

"I wouldn't be expected to….?"

Nephthys shook her head with a definite force.

"No, you would not have to, the king stated that specifically. But there are many conservatives and traditionalists at court, who do believe that it should be that way. Let's just say, part of the Pharaoh's trouble in court has been because of his more progressive rulings."

Kisara let out a deep breath of relief. Suddenly, she was struck by a sudden curiosity about her possible foster father. Why did he think this way about this? What were some of his more progressive rulings?

But before she could really ask about that, her teacher went on.

"Anyway, it would have been acceptable for Pharaoh Aknamkamon to do those things, since there is biological princess to the throne. While it is true a pharaoh will take foreign wives and concubines, it is expected that he will take an Egyptian queen. But he didn't. Then came you."

Kisara cringed at the tone, but her teacher's tone didn't seem to be hurtful. Rather, it seemed like she was praising her student, something she rarely did.

"You stepped in and saved the Pharaoh's life, with no ulterior motive to it. Your Ka is powerful, the day may come when you will have to learn to use it to defend Egypt. I have no claim to understand what goes on in the Pharaoh's mind, you'd be better of asking Shimon or the one eyed stiff. But something about you made a great impact on the Pharaoh that day, something that made him defy conventional reason and place you into a position most girls would kill for."

Kisara knew there was something else coming.

"But….."

"But it wasn't just a princess the Pharaoh wanted."

Kisara had lost the mental count of how many times she got confused in this conversation.

"True that's what most people think of when considering your position, but I know now as I knew back then that the Pharaoh didn't only want a girl who could be a princess. He wanted someone who could be a sister."

The young girl's eyes softened in understand. The teacher glanced back at her pupil before going on.

"The prince….is a very lonely child. From the moment he was born, he was born different. Being the Crown Prince, the one who will become a pharaoh, set him apart from other children. Aside from Mahad and Mana, there aren't any people around his age he can trust in. It doesn't help that he's incredibly smart and more curious than a cat about what goes on outside the palace, despite being so scared of strangers.

"He has the Pharaoh true, but the day will come when he can't rely on his father's influence. I get the feeling that the next transition towards Pharaoh will not be an easy one."

Kisara's frown settled into one of understanding. She could understand what it would mean to lose the person you loved most in the entire world. After Amma died, the only thing that had kept Kisara going were the threats of her captors whips.

After being in this gilded palace for almost four months coupled with her own experience, she could imagine how he felt. Everyone looking at you, knowing you were different from an early age. People whispering because you looked different, because you were different. Wanting to climb over the big walls to see beyond what was here. Lonely because there was no one to talk to, no one who could really understand what you were going through.

Nephthys sighed at the end, shaking her head.

"Well, I suppose there is nothing we can do about what the Crown Prince feels. I suppose we'll have to see the end result in two months. There's something else I would like to show you."

The Egyptian woman rose at that Kisara willingly followed her as she moved to a corner of the room. She stopped at a small table, arrayed like a board with many small pieces on the squares with something that looked like sticks of to the side.

Kisara voiced her question.

"What is it?"

"It's a senet board. Any true Egyptian should learn how to play this."

Kisara looked at her teacher, trying to discern her intention this.

"So I'm going to be learning how to play this game for the rest of the lessons' time today?"

Nephthys shook her head at that.

"Oh no, not today at least. We still have some cuneiform to go over, but I've already sent your own board to your room."

Kisara glanced at her teacher searchingly, getting the impression Nephthys knew more than she was saying,

"For what?"

Nephthys' eyes remained impassive as she walked back to their desk.

"For when you'll need it."

Plucking the harp strings half-heartedly, Kisara couldn't help, but wander back to her conversation between her and her teacher earlier today. Still, she did try to keep the tune the way she wanted it. She tried putting it to the old lullaby her Amma used to sing, but she was having trouble getting it just right.

Neftis didn't seem to notice her owner's state of mind, as she continued to play with her ball around the room though she continued to wander the new acquisition that was Kisara's senet board.

At thought, the pale haired girl turned her attention to said object and sighed.

What am I supposed to do with a game board that I don't know the rules to?

Yet even as she thought this, she knew Nephthys gave the senet board to her for a reason. The Millennium Item wielder rarely did things without some kind of purpose behind it.

Well, my room's certainly getting smaller because of these gifts. Suddenly, I get the feeling I'm going to need a bigger room soon.

The meows of her little white fur ball got her out of her thoughts as she stood up and crossed the room. Carefully, she picked up the tiny little creature and held her near her heart, looking down at her questioningly.

"What do you think Neftis? Think we need a bigger room?"

As if answering her question, the little white kitten meowed then snuggled closer to her owner.

"Well in any case, it's about time you got dinner. I wonder where Femi is? She's usually here with it by now, despite your behavior towards her. You should by now she doesn't have the best experiences with cats."

Neftis seemed rather sulky at that.

"Mreow."

Kisara shook her head.

"You know, sometimes I wish you could answer me."

Before the cat could make a sound for its defense, there were three shift knocks on the door.

Kisara glanced down at the petulant looking kitten then turned her head to the door.

"About time, now you better behave yourself. Come on in Femi!"

Surprisingly, the doors didn't open to reveal the darker skinned servant with Neftis' bowl filled with her dinner along with Kisara's. As a matter of fact, the door didn't open at all and the three knocks were repeated.

Kisara glanced at the door before glancing down at Neftis, who met her gaze with just much curiosity.

The knocks resounded a third time and Kisara spoke as she placed Neftis on her bed before she crossed over to the doors.

"Alright! I'm coming!"

She opened the doors quickly before she stopped to realize who was there.

"Now what's going on…."

She was stopped dumbfounded as she found Crown Prince Atem standing right in front of her door. Luckily, she had managed to keep her jaw from dropping to the ground.

He was just as she remembered him from her first day in the palace, when he burst into the court to hug his father after the assassination attempt. The only difference between them and now was the way he was glancing nervously at the floor and then looked back up at her. He seemed like he was trying to figure out what to say.

In the end, it seems he opted for the simple route.

"Hi."

Kisara nodded her head slowly.

"Hello."

That left the two of them to an awkward silence in which neither knew what to say or do next.

Finally, Kisara decided to make the first move as she gestured inside.

"Will you…..come in?"

Atem nodded to that, keeping his words brief.

"Sure."

The young boy walked stiffly into the room as Kisara closed the door behind him. Silence reigned over between the two once more until Atem sat on Kisara's bed to which Kisara remarked to him.

"Please be careful, Neftis isn't exactly fond of anyone besides me and….."

But that didn't seem to a problem for the prince as Kisara saw. The little white kitten had climbed up onto the lap of the crazy haired royal who was currently stroking her back and being given contented purrs in return.

Kisara said her thoughts to the young boy with surprise.

"Well, I guess I don't have to worry about her scratching you like she did Femi."

Atem made sure to keep petting her at that.

"Of course not. She was the only one of the new kittens from the kitchen's cat that wouldn't scratch me."

Kisara's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"How would you know that?"

Then realization struck her.

"Wait, you're the one who sent Neftis?"

That froze Atem as he not considered telling her this. He tried to act as casual as a little kid could about it though, keeping his eyes on the snow white cat.

"Yeah."

Kisara wasn't satisfied with just that as a answer.

"But why did you do that?"

"Just cause."

"Just cause what?"

Atem still wasn't looking up at her.

"Cause I saw you earlier with the cat…and I thought it would be nice."

Kisara's eyes widened before settling back to their normal size. She proceeded to sit next to him on the bed.

"It was. Thank you, but why didn't you just give her to me, instead of leaving her in a basket in my room."

Atem still kept petting the little cat.

"I got Mahad to sneak her in. I didn't know what you'd think if you knew it was from me."

Kisara pulled her legs towards her, crossing her arms in front of them.

"I'm fine with it. If you wanted to give me something or come talk to me, all you have to do is see me."

Atem looked at her to his side at that.

"Really?"

Kisara nodded her head.

"Really, really."

Atem finally broke into a small smile, matched with Kisara's big warm one.

Neftis decided she had enough of one person's attention and hopped off the young prince's lap to the ground, going over to find her ball by the game table.

Atem's eyes lit u as he saw it.

"That's a…."

Kisara nodded.

"A senet board. Lady Nephthys gave it to me today. She said she'd teach me eventually."

Royal purple eyes looked at her in disbelief.

"You mean you don't know how to play?!"

Kisara shrugged.

"No, I don't. Mostly, I'm focused on what I need to do with my studies so learning a game…."

The young girl was taken aback as the young prince walked straight over to the senet board and set two chairs on the opposite ends, making sure all the pieces for each side was in their proper places.

Kisara walked over to the concentrating young prince.

"What are you doing?"

Satisfied with the way things looked, Atem took a chair on one side and gestured to the chair opposite.

"Sit down."

Kisara did so, but made her thoughts known.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to teach you."

Kisara shot a frank look at the little boy.

"You? Teach me?"

Atem nodded.

"I've been playing senet since I was old enough to move the pieces. Shimon says I won my first game before I could even talk. If you have to learn all sorts of stuff, learning this shouldn't be too bad."

Kisara looked at the board in interest.

"How does it work anyway?"

Atem put the sticks off to the side as he gestured to the board.

"Let's start with the rules. Then we'll see how you do in a real game."

"I'll probably lose."

Atem didn't take his eyes off the board.

"It's alright, you're just beginner right now. It's not like this is a Shadow Game."

Kisara cocked her head at that.

"I've heard Nephthys mention that once. What exactly is a Shadow Game?"

Atem looked at her with some disbelief before shaking his head.

"This is going to take a while."

Kisara looked confused at that as Atem took a piece from the board into his hands.

"Let's start with senet. This is a pawn….."

V.E.: An interesting start to an interesting relationship.

Okay, I didn't make my deadline, but I guess this is close enough.

You might have noticed I changed the picture. That's what I'll interpret Kisara to look like in her royal outfit in the future, especially when she meets Seto.

Please, for the love of my somewhat normal sanity, please review!