It had been two days since Amenhotep had made his way home from the city letting Ryou reunite with his Mother & younger brother.
To Loretta's relief, they had come back in one piece, she trusted her Son but it was everyone that worried her, Loretta knew first hand that Egypt wasn't the perfect place to live but as Queen, she had gotten rid of a lot of the bad people who resided there.
As far as Amen' was concerned having Ryou as a personal servant was going well & the two boys had become friends to the point of Ryou calling Amenhotep by his name rather than his title, but none the less they were getting along.
This was going to be a very interesting two years not just for Ryou, who knew nothing about Palace life & Amenhotep who had only a slight idea of village life, being raised as a prince made conversations between the two very awkward at times but with the help of his mother he was able to chat away to Ryou happily.
"Amenhotep, Sire" said Ryou gently knocking on the Kings door trying to sound slightly formal "Come in Ryou" "Thank you Sire" he said with a small bow "Ryou.." Amen' scolded "what i have said about formalities," said Amenhotep with his arm folded
"Sorry Amen but your Mother was outside and so were some of your Royal court" "all is forgiven Ryou, now what do you have for me" Amen asked raising an eybrow
"I have brought some lunch for you" Ryou bowed "Thank you Ryou, i will be requiring bathing tonight before bed so if you could come back to my chambers at sunset, i will get you to run it for me & help me take off some of this gold jewellery, i know my Father always used to have trouble with his chest plate" Amen' said with a chuckle
"Is there anything else you would like me to do for you..." Ryou asked politely "No thank you, you can rest until sunset but now i have a meeting to attend to, that will be why you saw my Mother near my chambers"
"If you don't mind be saying Amen' how lovely I think your Mother is, she reminds me of my own Mother" "Thank you Ryou that is a very nice of you, now if you would you please leave me, i must prepare for the meeting" "oh..., enjoy your lunch, my Pharaoh" said Ryou making his way towards & out the door.
Back inside the room Amen' was about to get a visit from someone who he hadn't seen for a long time "Well done...my Son..." came a deep voice, turning around in shock "Father! Is that you" Amen said in surprise
"Yes Amenhotep...I'm sorry for frightening you" Atem nodded "how are you, Father..." Amenhotep asked, bowing to the spirit "I am well and I have been watching you recently, I'm very proud of the way that you handle that situation with the young boy..."
"It was Sabek that saved Mother, he's the one you should be proud of" Amen' said hiding his eyes under his bangs "Sebak isn't my Son...You are...You know, your GrandFather has been watching your progress as well & he often tells me how proud of you i must be... Unfortunately though my Son, I came to warn you of an impending danger that you are due to face"
"What is it Father...please tell me..." "it is to do with the new boy you have chosen to be your servant, Horus's Mother Isis, informed me of it not so long ago, she didn't want to alarm her Son so that is why i am here to tell you"
"but Father, I had Horus use the on him & there was no trace of evil intent..." Amen said looking at his Father is disbelief "It's not him... it's his Father, he is going to try to get revenge on you by taking over one of your Royal court members...stay alert & look after your Mother, i have to go..." Atem said sadly
"Father...Wait, come back...now what am i going to do, I've never had to deal with an Evil spirit before. I need to go & talk to Mother".
Stepping out of his chambers & into the hallway Amenhotep spotted his Mother but before he could say anything she started to walk away & then suddenly after taking a few steps collapsing alongside a pillar
"Mother...No!" he said as he ran to her "Mother...Can you hear me, please say something...Mother" slowly waking up Loretta opened her eyes to see her Son above her with tears welling up in his eyes "Amen', why are you crying," she said cupping the side of his face with her hand
"Oh thank Ra your alright," Amen' sighed in relief "Im sorry Amen' talking to your Father must have taken alot out of me..." Loretta sighed
"You were talking to Father?..." "Yes, i believe i was talking to him before he came to see you..." Loretta smiled
"Um...Mother, I have some disturbing news..." "Is it about Bakura..." she said standing up slowly "How did you know?" he said looking at her wide-eyed
"I think Atem told me the same thing as what he told you..." "I dont know what to do, why would he do this, i haven't hurt Ryou, in fact we are friends...what have I done wrong, Mother" Amenhotep asked with pleading eyes
"Nothing, I think old Akefia still has a something against your Father, so he's taking it out on you, but you don't have to worry, i will be there with you..." Loretta said placing her hand on Amen's shoulder
"I need to get everyone into the throne room so we are all there to support one another when he attacks" he said as he stopped walking & took the off from around his neck & holding the rope tight around his fist "{Everyone, Listen to me, i want all of you in the throne room, Sabek could you please bring your Father with you for it is my Mother that needs the most protection}"
"Is everything ok Amen' " Loretta asked "Yes Mother its fine i was just telling my Royal Guard to come to the throne room" Amen' nodded "Wow every day he looks & sounds so much like Atem..." Loretta thought to herself"Mother?..." Amen' asked raising an eyebrow at his Mother "I'm sorry Amen', we better go"
In the Throne room, Loretta was seated in her throne next to Amenhotep "Ok now everyone be on high alert, we don't know where & when Bakura will attack" Amen ordered "M-My F-Father...How? Why?" Ryou stuttered in disbelief
"Im sorry Ryou, its not your fault...believe us, we will do anything & everything we can to stop him..." said Sabek as he placed a reassuring hand on Ryou's shoulder "Thank you Sabek, I would hate for him to hurt anyone just because of me" Ryou sighed "Trust us Ryou, he won't" said Horus flaring his top lip in a snarl.
Just then a loud cry of pain of heard, standing up from his throne Amen' looked over everyone to see if they were ok, but to his horror, he noticed a strange dark aura consuming his Sister "Ankara, are you ok...what has gotten into you?" Amen asked with panic in his voice
"...I am no longer your sister..." the figure said in a dark & evil voice "Akefia" growled Loretta "Get out of my Daughters body, if you are here because of my Son then take me & spare him..." Loretta said as she stood up infront of Amen'
"Mother No! We can handle him without you sacrificing yourself...Please, Mother, I don't want to lose you too" Amen panicked "Its ok Amen'..." Atem whispered in his ear "Father..." "Yes my Son, don't be scared, your Mother is only trying to draw Akefia out" Atem smiled
"I trust you, Father, I just don't want anything bad happening to my Mother" Amen said looking at his Father out of the corner of his eye "She will be ok..." Atem nodded
"I see we have a visitor in the room, welcome your Majesty," said Bakura with a mocking bow "What is he on about Amen' " said Sabek looking confused "My Father is with me..." Amen smiled glancing over at Atem "You can't mean..." with a nod of his head Amen' confirmed Sabeks statement. "Come out & fight like a real man Bakura" Snarled Amen
"Oh so the Son of the Great Pharaoh has decided to speak out for once, to what do I owe the pleasure" "I want you to stop using my Sister as a mind slave & come out & face me" Amen growled
"I'm afraid I can't do that" he said making Ankara grin evilly "so what's it gonna be your highness, will you fight your sister to save her, or shall I take over one of your other Friends instead"
"You leave my Family & Royal court alone Bakura!...Father, help me, I don't want to fight Ankara" "It will be ok Amenhotep...just believe in yourself" Atem said
"Im afraid your Father can't help you now young Pharaoh, in order to get rid of me...you have to kill her" "What! No, I refuse...I will not kill my own sister..." Amen snarled balling his fists
"Have it your own way, its either the girl...or your Mother" Bakura said making Ankara point at Loretta "Please Father, there must be something I can do, I won't kill anyone, especially not Mother..." Amen pleaded "Im sorry...this is out of my hands now, there is nothing I can do..." Atem said as he faded out.
"Mother...I'm sorry" said Amen' as he drew his sword "Im sorry Ankara...please forgive me, little sister, I don't want to hurt you" drawing her sword also, Ankara ran at Amenhotep with the blade pointed straight at his chest
"Please Ankara, listen to me, you are stronger than this, I love you, little Sister and I know you would never do anything to hurt me..." Amen pleaded
"I'm not your sister anymore, I am under Bakuras control now, I belong to him" he said laughing manically through her "I will get through to Ankara, she's my sister and I wont let anyone hurt her, including myself" Amenhotep thought to himself as he blocked various attacks that came at him
"Listen to me Ankara, I. Love. You." he punctuated after every word "I. will. NOT. kill you" "What a shame, dear brother, I have no qualms about killing you" she snarled striking Amen' with the tip of her sword
"Please Ankara, dont do this" he started again but now with tears staining his already stressed looking face "You are my twin sister, we have a very special bond, one of which cannot be broken" he said dropping the tip of his sword to the ground "I know you can hear me Ankara...please".
Taking his crown off he started again "This crown was passed down to me from OUR father, I know how much he meant to you also...perhaps if she wears it Fathers spirit might be able to fight off Bakura's evil one" he thought as he walked up to Shiera & placing the crown on her head "Please Father...help Shiera, I've done everything I can" Amen' thought "You are very brave my Son...I will try" Atem smiled proudly "Thank you, Father..." Amen' nodded
In Shiera's mind
"Bakura! Get out of my Daughters mind" Atem said with a growl "Well if it isnt the Great Pharaoh Atem" Bakura mocked "I mean it Bakura!" "There is nothing you can do to stop me, your pathetic son may have put your crown on my mind slaves head but it. will. do. NOTHING!" he finished laughing evilly
"Dont. you. dare call my son Pathetic! My Daughter has a very strong will & so does my Son they will defeat you!" "Oh, my apologies Pharaoh, did I touch a nerve" Bakura cackled
"Father..." Ankara said weakly "Ankara...Is that you?..." Atem asked with a smile "I need your help Father, I dont want to kill my twin...but Bakura has too much of a strong hold on me" Ankara said with sniff
"I will help you my daughter, allow me to take over your body so i can connect with Amenhotep, the power of my will help us" Bakura starting laughing again "Whats so funny" Atem snapped
"Sorry Pharaoh, you see if you even try to communicate with your Daughter through your Son I will have him & your precious Queen killed" Bakura sneered "you wouldn't dare!" Atem growled "Oh but i would, did you think i would challenge your Son on my own" said Bakura as he whistled through his fingers.
Back in the Palace
Hearing Bakuras signal a dozen or more men appeared out from behind the throne and the pillars surrounding Loretta, Amen & the rest of the royal court "Loretta, be careful, these men are dangerous & heavily armed" Atem said to Loretta through their spiritual link "Thank you Atem, I can sense that there are more of these men than what there appear to be too" she thought back, narrowing her eyes
"Amen...can you sense the other intruders that are hidding" questioned Atem to Amen "Yes Father, I can, i believe there are another 20 or so in the shadows" said Amen as he closed his eyes
"I cant do anymore but please look after your Mother" "I will Father...My Royal court will protect her" Amen' nodded to Atem "Draw your weapons my court & surround my Mother & Seto to protect them, there are more of these men that what meets the eye, so be on your guard"
"Yes Sire!" said Heba, Horus, Alex and Rosetta as they unsheathed their swords & daggers "On my mark, when they attack, you attack" Amen order as his eyes flicked back and forth "Right!" the four answered
With no one making a move the whole room was at a stand still, untill an arrow was fired which luckily hit Amen's chest plate narrowly avoiding his heart "Charge!" yelled Amen as he picked up the arrow, snapping it in half in one hand in his rage "Take them down, my sister has no control of her actions, i will try to get around to her".
Turning to look at Loretta with a smirk on his face Seto said "Just like old times, isnt it Loretta, are you still ok to fight" Seto smirked "Hey watch it" said Loretta pulling her sword with a smirk "im not as old as you, im more than capable of taking on these guys" she chuckled
"Woah, now thats the Loretta i know and love, ready" he said as he drew his own sword "ready as I'll ever be" Loretta answered looking back at Seto
As the sound of swords clashing continued throughout the Afternoon the fatality rate rose by the minute, fortunately for Amenhotep the only injuries that happened on his side were not life threatening and to his surprise, his Mother had taken out most of Bakuras henchmen.
"Give up Bakura! You can't win, I've taken out most of your men" Loretta growled wiping her sword on her dress "I'm sorry your highness, but that isn't going to happen" Bakura mock bowed
"What? But your defenseless" Loretta said in shock "Has your memory has slipped in your old age, Queen Loretta or did you forget that I am still in possession of your precious daughter" Bakura sneered as Loretta gasped
"Give my sister back Bakura! She hasn't done anything to you" Amen growled standing back up out of his throne "Maybe not, but that rotten Mother and Father of yours have, your Father took my life all for leaving a few little 'scratches' on your Mother" Bakura said through Ankara making her glare at Loretta
"M-Mother, is that true, did Father really take Bakura's life" Amen said looking in shock at Loretta "It is true Amen, but the story isn't completely truthful on Bakura's end..." Loretta said looking sadly at her Son "What actually happened was Bakura took me from your Fathers bed at night, out of the Palace to his hideout where he slashed my face, cut my hair and broken my leg, not to mention covering my body in numerous sized bruises, his punishment therefore was the death penalty"
Loretta sighed turning to her Son, "Im so lucky that you are still alive and are able to take your rightful place" "Why Mother, why are you so fortunate that I'm still alive" Amen' said looking curiously at his Mother
"Because when Bakura bet me up he hit me several times in the stomach and at the time I was kidnapped I was pregnant with you and your sister" Loretta said to Amen' looking into her sons shaking deep violet eyes
Watching her Sons eyes go from sorrow to anger and then stepping out in front of his Mother, Amen glared at his sister possesed body "I hate you Bakura, my family doesn't deserve any of this sort of treatment, first you torture my Father and then you kidnap my Mother almost killing her, almost killing my Sister and I in the process, I can't take this anymore, you need to leave my sisters body and leave my Palace Immediately" Amen' seethed trying to settle himself down again
"Your so called Family isn't as innocent as they seem young Pharaoh, do you have any idea what your GrandFather did to my village back when I was a boy, all for the sake of that 'thing' around you and your royal courts neck!" Bakura snapped "Leave my GrandFather out of this Bakura, he was a good man and I am going to be following in his and my Fathers footsteps" Amen' snapped back
"Watch your tongue Pharaoh, I can always decrease your family by another member, if your not careful" Bakura said as he made Ankara raise her sword up near her throat "Leave her alone Bakura, what do you mean by decreasing my family by another member" Amenhotep said as he stopped walking and raised an eyebrow
With the whole room going quiet, Loretta suddenly gasped as the realisation of who Bakura was talking about finally hit her "Saquera" Loretta whispered "Mother, did I just hear you correctly, did you just say Saquera" Amen asked turning to looking at his Mother in shock
"Congratulations your Majesty, you figured it out. Yes it was me who took your precious Daughter "Saquera" 20 long years ago, she is still alive but now that you have killed all my followers you will never find her" Bakura said as he clapped slowly
TBC...