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

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Dria

For all his bravado, I knew that Seto secretly cared about the others; he'd just never admit it to anyone, even himself. The card Seto had given Yugi was Fiend Sanctuary, a rare and tricky magic card. If played correctly, it could defeat even the Winged Dragon of Ra. But Yugi had to use it at the right time and in the right way. I could only hope that he would understand that when the moment came.

"If I were you, I'd toss that card right off the tower!"

"No one said you had to use that card, so feel free to give it back."

The Pharaoh stared at the card for a few moments, debating what his best move would be. He wanted to trust Seto and believe that the card was meant to be helpful, even if it wasn't being given as a token of friendship. His eyes darted towards me, seeking any advice I was willing to give.

What would you do?

Trust Seto. He understands what's at stake, even if he says otherwise.

Without another thought, the Pharaoh slipped the card into his deck. Marik and the Pharaoh met in the center of the platform to exchange cards. They cut and shuffled the other's cards, trying to control the outcome of the duel already. Marik was nearly foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal; he'd been desperate for this opportunity to go against the Pharaoh for years now. It would be his only chance to prove himself and take what he believed was rightfully his.

"I will defeat you, Marik."

"I'd like to see you try."

Marik didn't waste a moment before summoning the shadows to the Tower. The shadows themselves twisted around the arena, swirling in unpredictable patterns. They were reflecting the mental state of the one who summoned them, and if Marik's mind was this erratic, there was no telling what special rules he would be adding to this game.

"I've thrown in a few twists especially for you."

First, Marik made Mai's current state known. The sand was overcoming her within the hourglass, and soon, there wouldn't be anyone left to save. I quickly glanced towards Joey and the rest of the group, but thankfully, it didn't seem like they could see Mai, probably thanks to the Millennium Items.

"I'm afraid it gets worse. She's not the only one in danger here."

At first, Marik's words confused me because there were many other people in danger at this moment. So, to whom was he referring? My eyes widened as another sight became clear, and a garbled shriek tried to leave my throat. Pinned against the shadows themselves, with no means of escaping, was Yugi. Marik had pulled his soul from the body he and the Pharaoh shared, and he had been made into a sacrificial lamb.

"Oh no, Yugi!"

Marik's evil laughter continued, clearly enjoying his new rules. "Do you understand what's at stake now? Lose the duel, and Yugi goes to the Shadow Realm."

To even the scale, Marik had offered up his good half in return for Yugi. If Marik were to lose the duel, then Ishizu's gentle brother would be lost forever. This was an impossible scenario. It would take all the Pharaoh's cleverness to determine how to save both Yugi and the good Marik. I buried my head into my hands, unable to stomach the sight of this duel. This was not the intention of a Shadow Game. Marik had twisted the rules beyond even what I could recognize. It was intended to be a show of strength, not a method of torturing an opponent. I felt completely helpless and powerless; there was nothing I could do to stop this match from the sidelines.

"My dear lady, don't believe that I've forgotten about you. Since you are the reason why this duel is even taking place, I have a special role in mind just for you to prepare you for your future role as my Queen."

A shiver ran down my spine at Marik's words, and I felt a slight rush of fear at what exactly my role in this duel would be. It couldn't possibly be anything good, especially given what he was already doing to Yugi and the real Marik. I closed my eyes for a moment, wanting to recollect my emotions, and found myself standing next to the Pharaoh when I reopened them.

"Marik, don't you dare bring her into this too!"

He cackled loudly, ignoring the veiled threat in the Pharaoh's voice. His eyes slowed roamed up and down my body, so much that I uncomfortably crossed my arms in front of myself, trying to cover up even though I was fully clothed. It didn't take a genius to understand where his thoughts were going. He was still bitter about the Pharaoh and me having rekindled nearly all parts of our relationship, including the physical side.

"Every time the Pharaoh loses Life Points, I get to claim another part of your body to do with as I wish. When he loses, you will belong to me entirely."

I heard the gasps of the others around me at Marik's demand, and my heart dropped into my stomach. Though I had spoken the truth to Marik about being a wife to many other men over the years, I had not allowed them to touch me beyond what was necessary for appearances, and certainly never in the way a lover would. He was planning to use that against me now, and in the presence of the man who held my heart, no less.

"If you refuse, then I'll just choose one of your friends instead, and it'll certainly be much worse for them."

I clenched my fists at his following threat. I had nothing to bargain with to avoid Marik's proposal, and I wouldn't allow him to torment any of my friends. I had to go through with it, even if I could already feel the nausea rising in my throat at the mere thought of him touching me in the way he intended. I inhaled deeply before agreeing and taking a step towards Marik. The Pharaoh grabbed my hand and pulled me back into him. His arms wrapped around my waist and back, and he held me tightly as I placed my hands on his chest. He placed his mouth next to my ear and began to whisper.

"Don't do this, Dria. There's no telling what Marik will do. It's already too much that he's dragged Yugi into danger. Please, don't make me watch him torture you too."

I smiled at his words and placed my forehead against his once more. I was terrified of what Marik would likely do. While I was sure that some shred of decency would prevent him from going too far, I had no idea where his boundary line for 'too far' was. Still, it was something I had to do. I lifted my eyes to meet the Pharaoh's, feeling a sense of calm wash over me as I gazed into his sunset eyes.

"If you're going to risk everything on this duel, then it's only right that I do so as well. It's my fault that all of this has happened with Marik, the Tomb Keepers, and the god cards. I will not stand aside and let you bear the weight of my mistakes. Let me carry it with you."

I touched his cheek with my fingertips, pleading with him to share the burden this duel would place upon him. I knew he was worried about what Marik might do to me, given the opportunity, but neither of us could afford to hesitate. We couldn't pass this responsibility to anyone else, not even Yugi or Seto, but we didn't have to handle it alone. I whispered back to him, "We'll do this together, just as we always have."

Threading my fingers through his hair, I placed a gentle kiss on his lips, trying to convey the depth of my love and trust. The muscles of his arms flexed as he held me against his body, allowing only the smallest bit of separation between our bodies as I relaxed into him. If this wasn't true love I felt, then I wasn't sure what would ever attain that description. Even when we did split and released one another, the electricity between us only strengthened. Marik wouldn't be able to destroy what connected us. Though it was unwilling, I made my way to Marik's side, standing slightly behind him as the duel began. Shadowy manacles appeared around my wrists and ankles, so I wouldn't get any ideas about escaping.

"I summon Vampiric Leech. Attack him directly!"

Within the span of 5 seconds, the Pharaoh had already lost 500 Life Points, thanks to the ability of Marik's monster. I watched in horror as a portion of Yugi's leg vanished into the shadows, wishing that I could take the pain he was experiencing away from him.

"When you lose Life Points, your friend will lose a piece of himself to the darkness," Marik turned on me before continuing his explanation, "and a piece of your lady becomes mine. Let's see, I think I'll begin with your right hand."

Without giving me an opportunity to resist, Marik grabbed my hand and immediately placed a long kiss on the back of it. I turned my head away from him, pushing down any feeling of disgust and fear that I could. Clearly displeased with my reaction, Marik then lightly bit down on the tips of my fingers, which had only just recovered from the earlier burns, causing goosebumps on my arm. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks as I recalled times when the Pharaoh himself had done such an action when he began courting me.

It had been a nearly a fortnight since our terrible conversation at the Nile, where I had admitted my feelings for him and accused him of toying with me. Since then, the Prince and I had avoided one another, purposefully finding ways to prevent our paths from crossing. He'd also been keeping a flock of pretty, giggling girls around him, ones who thought they were discrete in their flirtatious touches on his arms and chest as they relaxed in the gardens together. My heart burned with anger and jealousy at the sight of him returning their smiles, so I stayed in my personal chambers as much as possible, only coming out when summoned by the Pharaoh himself. Seto, Shimon, and Mahad had all come by numerous times to check on me, but I sent them away after showing them that I was at least alive. Any work that was required of me was sent to my room and completed in record time.

The nights were by far the worst. I sat alone on my bed, in the corner of the room, or out on the balcony, hoping that restful sleep would come for even a few hours, just so I could make it through the next day. Sometimes, I cried myself to sleep, other times I didn't sleep at all. Had I been a normal human, it would have been devastating to my health. Despite my true age, I had never needed to handle emotions as strong as these at the same time: rejection, joy, fear, love. There was a jumbled mess in my head and my heart, and it was a Herculean task to untangle and control it all.

Tonight, I sat out on my balcony, looking for relief from the evening humidity with the incoming cool breeze. I had been able to sleep for a few hours, but it wasn't enough to overcome my general exhaustion. Slifer and Kuriboh lay beside me, both passed out beneath the moonless night sky. I smiled a little as I watched them sleep, the two creatures who always dropped whatever they were doing to come be with me when I needed their affection. Wrapping my arms around my legs, I rested my forehead on my knees and closed my eyes. The gentle breeze caressed my shoulders, trying to lull me to sleep once again.

A sudden rustling in the garden beneath immediately woke me up. Quietly crawling to the edge of the balcony, I looked down into the garden to see a figure sneaking around the space below my room. A cloak concealed his head and face, giving no indication of who the person was, but a slight jingle suggested a weapon of some kind was strapped around their waist. My eyes widened when the person gripped the edges of the columns and began climbing towards me. Surely it was someone from another kingdom, possibly sent by one of the families whose daughter had been rejected by the Prince a month ago after his birthday celebration. Retreating to the space behind my curtains, I held my breath as I waited for the intruder to enter my space. With the training of an assassin, the person moved silently across the stone floors, heading directly for my bed.

I waited a few more moments before slipping out from the curtains to soundlessly approach the intruder, who turned back in my direction at the last moment when they realized that the bed was unoccupied. With all the force I could muster from my body alone, I threw myself onto the individual, wrapping my arms around their neck and legs around their waist, and tackled them to the ground. The intruder shouted in surprise, and their arms wrapped around my waist to catch my body as we fell. After we hit the ground, they tried to flip us over and pin me to the floor, but my body proved too agile for them. Trapping their arms at their sides using the muscles in my legs, I placed one hand on their throat and curled the other into a fist, ready to strike.

"Stop, Dria! It's me!"

The familiar voice caused me to pause, and instead of punching my opponent, I reached down to throw back the cloak covering their identity. Golden bangs and black spikes sprung free from the material as I gazed into the eyes that I had fallen in love with many years ago. I sighed in frustration and bewilderment at the young man beneath me.

"Prince, what do you think you're doing? Why are you sneaking into my room so late at night? You should be asleep. If someone wanted to kill you, you've provided them an unobstructed opportunity, creeping around like this."

I released him from the makeshift prison I'd made with my legs and removed my hand from his throat, but I didn't get off him. He'd nearly caused me a heart attack and was the current source of my misery, so he could live with me sitting on his stomach a little longer. I relaxed my legs and rested my full weight on top of him, secretly enjoying my dominate position. He sat up slightly, placing his elbows behind him and leaning back.

"I wanted to see you. You've been avoiding me for a fortnight now, either never leaving this room or finding other excuses to stay away from me. This was the only time I could think of when I'd have a chance at catching you before you could escape or send me away. I need to speak with you."

I crossed my arms and frowned at him in response, "You've been avoiding me too, and with the company of compliant girls you've been keeping around, you've made it clear that you have replaced me and would prefer me gone. Well, Your Mighty Royal Highness, I'm happy to obey your commands. I'll stay out of your sight for the rest of your life; maybe I'll even leave this kingdom altogether. Now, since you can't have anything else to say to me, leave me alone and go back to your gaggle of senseless admirers. I'm sure they're missing your warmth in bed tonight."

His eyes widened at my accusations, hurt and distress clear within them. I felt my eyes water at the sight of his sad gaze, but I couldn't let him know the depth of my own pain. It was better for him to think that I was angry at him instead of suffering from a broken heart. He was still very young; he'd get over it quickly with plenty of time left in his mortal life. There were too many important things he was destined for; he couldn't be distracted by me any longer.

Rolling off him, I returned to my earlier position on my balcony, waiting for the sound of his retreating footsteps. I failed to restrain my tears as my breath hitched in my throat, and my chest constricted painfully at the thought of his departure. My own agony was becoming unbearable, especially now since I wouldn't ever see him again. The bond we'd forged as children had been broken beyond hope of repair. Burying my face against my knees once more, I tried to muffle the sounds of my sorrow as much as possible but was failing miserably. I'd just begun crying when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't want you to stay away from me. I want to be with you. I came to beg you, on my knees if necessary, to allow me to be at your side again."

My head snapped up at his words, my mind not comprehending his statements. Tears still flowed down my face, but he knelt beside me and gently wiped them away with his thumb. He then firmly held my cheek in his hand to keep my attention.

"Dria, I cannot even begin to apologize enough for what I said to you the last time we spoke. I lashed out in anger, and my words hurt you deeply. My own pride prevented me from understanding how confused you must have been because I've kept my feelings hidden from you for quite a while. I realized after you left what I had done, and I've been trying to think of how to plead for your forgiveness ever since. It's been twice now that I've kissed you without making my intentions clear to you. I intend to rectify that now."

He took a deep breath and lowered his hand from my face, taking my hand instead. Reaching into the small bag he had strapped to his waist with his free hand, he pulled out a beautiful golden bracelet, decorated with lapis lazuli and turquoise. He slipped the precious item over my wrist and up my arm, where it came to rest on my bicep. I had seen this bracelet once before, and my heart pounded as I realized what he'd just done. This was no simple gift given as an apology; this trinket meant something far greater because it had once belonged to his mother, given to her by the Pharaoh upon their marriage. I stared at the stunning piece of jewelry before looking back to the Prince for an explanation. His eyes remained fixed on the bracelet, now comfortably situated on my arm as if it were meant for me.

"It belonged to my mother, as I'm sure you already know. She died when I was an infant, so I don't have any clear memories of her. Father told me once that she was incredibly beautiful, almost like a goddess, and it's her I have to thank for my wild hair. He kept this single piece of jewelry from her collection, placing the rest into her tomb for her in the afterlife. He wanted me to have something to give to the woman I chose for myself, when the time came, in hopes that I would find someone to love as much as he had loved her."

He finally met my gaze, his eyes slightly watery at the memory. He took a shaky breath before continuing.

"Those girls were the visiting princesses from the neighboring kingdoms that attended my birthday celebration last month. They left this morning, but they have been helping me prepare for this moment, Dria. I've rehearsed this speech over and over with them, trying to make it perfect for you. They were more than willing to help when they realized how deeply I love you. I swear to you, not one of them has captured my heart or lain in my bed. The only one I want is you."

He brought my hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back. My tears returned in full, leaving trails down my cheeks. His hand tensed in mine as he panicked for a moment, not understanding why I was crying once again and fearing he'd said something wrong. I pulled his hand against my cheek once more, lightly kissing the back in return as I clutched it tightly. He tilted his head slightly, but soon, a gentle smile arose on his lips.

"I wasn't expecting you to enjoy that so much, my Lady. Perhaps this will be easier than I thought."

My eyes still closed, I laughed at Marik's misunderstanding, "It wasn't you that I was imagining, Marik." I heard a slight growl in response before Marik returned his attention to the Pharaoh. Although he didn't want to put Yugi in danger, the Pharaoh had no choice but to complete the duel. He briefly looked at me, a worried expression in his eyes, and I smiled back at him in response. We'd both work on a strategy that would save both Yugi and Marik from the darkness. Yugi also offered his encouragement as well, reminding the Pharaoh that we were a team, and that the Pharaoh wasn't going through this duel alone.

Finally, it was the Pharaoh's turn. He started by summoning Queen's Knight and removing Vampiric Leech from the field. Marik was unperturbed as he returned the favor by destroying Pharaoh's monster with Juragedo, causing the Pharaoh to lose another hundred Life Points. Yugi groaned in pain as another portion of his body vanished, but his normally tender eyes burned with tenacity. Marik placed two more cards facedown before turning back to me.

"Your dear Pharaoh lost Life Points, my Lady. You know what that means. Another part of your body now belongs to me." His eyes wandered over me once again as he decided his next target. "I think I'll take your right knee this time."

My eyes widened as he knelt before me, placing his mouth directly over my kneecap. I wanted to squirm in distress as I felt his nose and teeth graze over my skin, but I refused to let him see how uncomfortable I was. The Pharaoh bristled with fury as he watched Marik, and I could tell that he wanted nothing more than to tear Marik away from me. Finally, Marik inhaled against my leg before he released it and cackled at me once more.

As the Pharaoh began his turn, Marik activated one of his traps, Left Arm Offering, which allowed him to pull Monster Reborn out of his deck in exchange for his hand. Thankfully, the Pharaoh had placed Exchange on the field, forcing Marik to give up the magic card. I cheered in excitement as Marik was prevented from summoning Ra to the field, at least for a while longer.

Using the card he had just received, the Pharaoh summoned all three of the Knights to the field. Although the strategy of summoning either Slifer or Obelisk was clear, Marik's facedown cards gave the Pharaoh a reason to pause. Instead of attacking, he ended his turn instead. I slowly exhaled, trying to calm my rattled nerves.

"I could end this shortly, although it would be much more amusing to extend this game and prolong your suffering. There are many parts of my Lady's body that I have yet to claim as well. Since you're going to lose this game when I play my Egyptian god card, I've decided to offer you some assistance, Pharaoh."

Confusion swept through my mind. Why on earth would Marik give the Pharaoh the opportunity to summon either Slifer or Obelisk, possibly even both? Didn't he want to win the duel and take what was rightfully the Pharaoh's? Although I considered myself a master in strategy, even I couldn't begin to follow the path of Marik's plan. By playing Card of Sanctity, Marik almost guaranteed that the Pharaoh would draw one of the gods if he hadn't done so already.

Red electrical currents flashed through the sky as he sacrificed his monsters to summon Slifer. My red dragon finally returned to the field, his normally yellow eyes flashing red when he saw my current state. He roared angrily in Marik's direction, making his displeasure known; Marik, however, was unafraid. Slifer moved closer, his intent to rescue me clear in his eyes. Smiling, I shook my head at his plan and shushed him. The rules of the duel couldn't be broken. He quietly whined and returned to his side of the platform. The Pharaoh commanded Slifer to destroy Marik's monster and leave him defenseless once more.

"Reveal magic card, Dark Spell Regeneration."

A cry of fear nearly tore through my throat, and I was barely able to restrain it. That card would allow Marik to use Monster Reborn once again, and my golden dragon would appear on the field. He'd had this planned since the beginning of the duel because it was one of the first facedown cards he'd played. Ra became Phoenix once more, blocking Slifer's attack against Marik. "Thanks to the fiery wrath of Ra, little Yugi will soon be consumed by darkness, and absolute power will be mine!" I pulled against my bonds, but they wouldn't move an inch. My heart pounded in distress, and I felt the Pendant quivering against my throat.

What were we going to do?