Thank you for these characters and their stories, Kazuki Takahashi. Requiescat in pace.

Chapter Nineteen

Dria

"She looked like a frog! You can't deny that!"

Father and I were flipping through some old scrapbooks, which mostly contained the photos of nannies who thought they could handle me as they fled in fear.

"I'm just saying you shouldn't be so rude sometimes, my dear. You're right though."

I smacked his shoulder. "Practice what you preach, old man."

I rose from my seat on his bed, picking up our dishes from lunch. One of the maids came and stole them from me, dashing out of the room before I even had the chance to offer my assistance. Father and the doctor laughed as I pouted my way back to them.

"Your vitals have returned to normal, Mr. Pegasus. One more night here, and then you may return to your normal room. But nothing too strenuous for at least another week." Father huffed in annoyance before reluctantly agreeing. I giggled as he stuck his tongue out as the doctor left the room.

"Would you grow up?" His eye snapped to mine, sadness slowly filling his gaze.

"What's wrong?" I was suddenly worried his eye was hurting him again.

He looked away before speaking, "Would you stop growing up?"

I smiled softly and walked over to him. I leaned over and kissed his cheek, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I will always be your little girl."

He chuckled, pulling me into his lap. "I know, I'm being too sentimental. I just don't want to think about how you're leaving me for another man."

My whole body shook with laughter. Leaving him for another man? More like I left the other man for him 5,000 years ago.

"You know I'm not. He could be just a phase. Maybe I'll find that he bores me, and I'll be back to bother you even more before you realize it."

A blatant lie and he knew it too. I had shown little to no interest in people my own age, boys of any age much less. I even rejected Seto's proposal a few years back, though he was, and still is, desperately in love with me. Father was surprised when I said no because Seto and I were extremely close. He had expected to be related to Seto one day, something they both tried to not think about.

"When the doctors let me off my island, I will join you in Domino."

I stared at him. He kissed my forehead, amused by my confusion. "You didn't think you'd be causing trouble without me, did you?"

"But what about the company? They need you at headquarters, don't they? Domino to L.A. is not the shortest flight in the world, you know."

He chuckled. "I will stay in both places. When the company needs me, I will be there. When you need me, I will cross hell in order to be there."

Tears gathered in my eyes as my smile grew. My Father was finally back, the tender and gentle man who'd raised me alone this past decade.

"Now, tell me one of your delightful stories, one with the prince if you please."

It was an unusually cold and windy in the palace. My lessons were conducted as usual, despite the storm the Pharaoh's other magicians predicted. I sat beside his Majesty as the townspeople came through, asking for aid of some sort. The Pharaoh had asked me to give and take as I saw fit as test of my character. One man came and requested aid in harvesting his grain fields. His request in particular gave me concern because it was awfully late to be harvesting, and the great Nile was supposed to flood any time now. We couldn't risk losing the grain though; it might be needed in the future. I kept silent after he finished his request.

"Lady Alexandria?" His body began to tremble as I floated towards him.

I smiled softly. "I would like to help." His eyes widened and he froze.

"My Lady! I must protest! It is not proper for a royal lady such as you to do such work. We can fi-"

I turned towards Aknadin and stared silently. Many people had said that while my gaze was not always frightening or threatening, it did have the power to silence anyone. After a few moments of silence, during which the resolve in Aknadin's eyes dwindled, I gave my reasoning,

"If I am to aid the Pharaoh, the Prince, and any of their descendants, I must know all there is to know about this great kingdom. I want to understand how every citizen lives and thrives so I can better serve them. Helping this man finish his harvest appears to be a good starting point for without one like him, we would all perish for starvation. We must ensure the grain silos are filled to the brim."

The room fell silent. Shimon just rolled his eyes and smiled. He knew it was hopeless for anyone to argue against me. Once I decided on something, there was only a select few who could change my mind. Aknadin was not one who could.

"Pharaoh, you cannot allow this."

The Pharaoh just smiled, leaning on his elbow with his cheek resting in his hand. His eyes twinkled in delight as he nodded at me. He knew my reasoning was sound, and that I would still find a way to help if he tried to stop me.

"I would like to help as well," The Prince's voice rose above the applause that had broken out. It all halted immediately when he came to my side.

"You cannot be serious! Pharaoh!" Aknadin continued to protest.

But, before the Pharaoh could silence him, the Prince spoke up. "I must agree with Alexandria. If I am going to be a great Pharaoh one day, I must understand my subjects and the hardships they endure daily. I want to follow in my father's footsteps and become a Pharaoh who loves and is beloved by his people. I cannot do that by sealing myself within these castle walls and never venturing beyond."

Aknadin fell silent and slunk back into the shadows. The Prince turned back to me and smiled.

"Lead the way, my Lady."

A week later, we found ourselves in the middle of a grain field, hacking away with sickles with the farmer and his assistants. The Prince had tried to convince me to just watch in order to avoid injuring myself in any way. I lightly smacked the back of his head before skipping away to take a tool before any other man tried to stop me.

As we worked, I couldn't help but stare at the Prince from time to time. He had left his chest bare to the sun, clothed only in his white kilt and no jewelry. I might not be able to enjoy him as his future wife would, seeing as we were not betrothed even though we were in love, but I could still enjoy the view while I had it. He might have been a pampered Prince, but he was as muscular and toned as any other solider. I blushed as I watched his abdominal and shoulder muscles contract as he swung the sickle. I had felt those muscles against my own body numerous times, and each time, they sent a thrill through me.

There were also times when I caught him staring at me. My clothing was similar: a knee-length white skirt with golden lining and a white top that covered my breasts but left my stomach bare. Though my body wasn't as muscular as his, I knew the effect it had on the people around me; my frame was slender, but a surprising amount of strength could be generated when necessary. The Prince kept staring, which required me to tease him every now and then to remind him to keep working. We had little time before the storm arrived and the Nile began to flood, which would destroy what we had harvested if we didn't move quickly.

Lightning shot across the sky when we reached the center of the field. Thunder echoed across the desert as the rains began to fall. My heart stopped in fear. The Nile was about to flood. I could feel the earth below me tremble as the water began to rise. The farmer and his assistants had already run off to safety, taking all the grain we had harvested with them. This would not be the ordinary flooding though; this was dangerous.

"What's wrong?"

The Prince placed his hand on my arm, confused by my behavior. I grabbed his hand and started to run towards higher ground. Thankfully, he followed without questions or demands. But, as soon as we reached the bridge, a bolt of lightning struck before my feet, incinerating the wooden planks in front of me. The bridge then collapsed as a wave of water crashed through. I frantically looked around for some kind of rock or tree big enough to protect us, mostly the Prince. I couldn't let him die when this had been my idea.

I finally caught sight of large tree and pulled him back the other direction. A fire was beginning to spread in the field, despite the rain falling all around us. It was not falling hard enough or fast enough to stop the flames caused by the lightning. When we finally reached the tree, I shoved him up first, making sure he got high enough before I joined him. I knew it wasn't wise to hide in a tree during a lightning storm, but we had no other choice with the waters rising. We would be swept away by the flood if we didn't. I began to climb the tree, and paused when I looked into the distance. The water was coming, and I couldn't believe my eyes at the amount. The flooding had never been this violent before. The Prince hoisted me up into his arms and held on to me tightly. I grabbed on to his neck and closed my eyes. We waited in silence for a few moments.

*CRASH*

Water struck the side of the tree, shaking it terribly. In fact, it shook the tree so badly that the branch beneath us began to crack. I quickly forced him up higher before the branch could fall, but I didn't get up fast enough. The branch cracked and fell into the flood, taking me with it.

"Alexandria!"

The Prince stretched out his hand, trying to grab me before it was too late. I reached back for him, but my arm wasn't long enough. I fell into the water and was pulled away by the current. I spun and flipped under water as the surge pushed me in every direction. Somehow, I managed to avoid the debris also pulled into the flood. I fought my way back up and managed to break through the surface.

As I opened my mouth to take a breath, a mouthful of water rushed into my lungs, and I sank back down into the water. I started to close my eyes, thinking this was the end for me in this kingdom. Hopefully, the Prince had been too afraid, or too smart, to leave the safety of the tree. As much as I loved him, I would probably have to protect him from afar now. It might even be better that way.

A hand suddenly took a hold of mine and dragged me back up. I gasped as air, rather than water, filled my lungs as we broke the surface again. The flood had calmed and we now slowly floated down the river. The other figure swam us over to a rock that had risen above the water. I coughed and gasped, trying to rid my body of all the water it had swallowed. I shook my head, clearing away the water from my face. I raised my head in order to thank my rescuer.

I gasped when I met a familiar face. "You fool! You should have stayed put! You could have died!"

The Prince sighed as he tried to dry his hair and wet clothes. "And let you die instead? That will never happen, Kadesh."

I rubbed my eyes as I tried to hold back my tears. He tenderly stroked my cheek, quietly shushing me. He pulled me into his chest as I struggled with my tears. The thought of losing him in any form had me shaken. When I finally managed to calm down, he pulled my lips to his. His kiss was so gentle that I could not help but sink further into his body.

A growl broke us apart. Crocodiles had surrounded us. The Prince pulled me to him tightly, nearly covering my entire body with his. As they came closer, his grip became tighter. One stepped forward to snap his jaws again, and I whistled as loudly as I could. A terrible roar came from the skies. My dragon brother came hurling down from the clouds, striking the nearest crocodile with a blast of lightning. Before his body sailed past us, I turned back to the Prince.

"You promise to hold on?"

He smiled, tightening his grip around my waist, "I'll never let go."

I stretched out my hand as my brother's horns flew by.

Father had long since fallen asleep. He loved listening to my stories, though he had no idea that they were my real memories. I pulled the covers up and kissed his forehead. This would be the last time I would see him for a while. He had a meeting in Los Angeles and wouldn't be able to join me for a few weeks. He had mentioned something about producing a new game that involved dice. But I knew he would come and visit when he could. For now, we had separate paths to follow, and mine was leading me back to the Pharaoh.

I opened my eyes as the plane touched down in Domino. I smiled as I walked down the streets of the tiny city again, remembering the way to the game shop. But, when I finally found it, it was closed. I frowned as various reasons gathered in my head. Surely Grandpa was out of the hospital by now. It had been nearly a week since I had seen or spoken to them. Knowing Yugi, he would want his grandfather to rest for a while after such an ordeal. Perhaps they had gone for a walk? I continued my journey into the city, eventually coming upon Seto's first "Kaiba Land" park. Perhaps I would find Seto here and he could give me an answer.

I made my way inside the dueling arena. People began to stop and whisper as I walked through the building, seeking any familiar face. I hadn't bothered with any kind of disguise.

"Isn't that Alexandria Pegasus? I thought she was in America."

I smiled and waved towards many of the people as I continued my walk. I suddenly heard a very high pitched, not to mention annoying, voice scream out.

"I won! So gimme the Blue Eyes!"

I peeked around the corner, into one of the arenas. I smiled when I saw Yugi and all his friends, including Grandpa.

"You tore it! You despicable mean man!"

I walked up behind the small child, who was still shouting, and placed my hand over her mouth. "First of all: stop shouting, you're making my ears hurt. Second: Do not speak to Mr. Mutou like that without understanding the situation." She turned on me at first, ready to shout again, but quickly yielded when she looked into my narrowed eyes, which were likely flickering between red and green. Children like her needed a firm expression, especially during a temper tantrum. I would apologize to her later for frightening her.

"Rebecca, behave yourself."

Another older man stepped in from the hallway. I released the little girl from my gaze and glided over to Yugi. The small child immediately started whining to the unknown man, crying about the fact that someone didn't listen to her.

Yugi smiled brightly. "Dria! You're here!"

I laughed and pulled him into a hug. I winked at the ghostly Pharaoh, who just chuckled in return. I waited until Professor Hawkins, as he called himself, was done speaking before I said anything.

"So, I gave him my Blue Eyes White Dragon."

"Yeah, and he showed his respect by ripping it up."

I narrowed my eyes again at the little pipsqueak. How dare she even think about suggesting something so rude about Grandpa. She stepped behind the professor when she noticed my gaze. Her grandfather merely chuckled at the young girl's actions. I stepped forward. "That was my fault actually."

Hawkins turned towards me and smiled. "Ah, you are Alexandria Pegasus correct?"

I nodded, slightly bowing my head in respect. The girl gasped, her eyes widening in amazement. "Then, I know you're lying."

I sighed at the astute old man. "I may not have torn the card myself, but I was the reason it became such."

"That doesn't matter." He turned his gaze back to Grandpa. "You valued the card, Solomon, not for its rarity, but for what it represents."

I smiled as I reached into my back pocket. "I know it won't have the same meaning as your previous card, but I had this new one made for you, Grandpa. It is an original design just for you, plus a protective sleeve to keep it safe."

The card I handed to him was magnificent, if I could say so myself. I had spent hours working on the design, trying to make it perfect. When I finally did, I could only hope that the card lived up to its expectation. Father had delivered on his promise to have the card ready by the end of the tournament.

"It's been ages since you and I have dueled, Solomon."

"Oh wow! This I gotta see! Dueling Grandpas!" I laughed loudly at the group. This was something I also needed to see.

"I could out-duel any of you youngsters even if I was still in a coma!"

I raised my eyebrow at Grandpa's challenge. I highly doubted that he could beat me, but it would be entertaining nonetheless. I smiled wickedly. "I would love to see you try."

Grandpa quickly challenged his friend before he got himself into more trouble. I laughed as he shoved his friend towards the other side and scrambled over to his side. The others and I watched as the two grandfathers dueled, Joey constantly asking questions about their strategy. I saw the Pharaoh floating behind Yugi. He winked at me, causing a blush and a chuckle from me. Yugi looked towards his counterpart and frowned. He turned back towards me. "Can you see him too?"

I looked behind him, towards his friends. They were too engrossed in the duel to hear us.

"Yes. What do you call him?"

He smiled a little. "Yami."

I smiled. Darkness, I suppose, was fitting for the time being. He was nothing but a shade now. I felt my smile fade as that thought crossed my mind. Yugi raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong?"

My smile returned full force. "No, everything is fine. I'm glad to officially meet you, Yami."

Oh, my Pharaoh, it was I who should be called darkness, as I was the one at fault for the return of the shadows.