"I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my good friend from Youtube, Arainaina. She has recently done quite a lot of Yugioh amvs for me. All which I highly recommended for all too see. She even did one too the song which the title of this story comes from. She is highly talented and I like to say thanks to her for doing all those amvs for me. Thanks!"

Entrapment of Duty

The Prince was in fact nowhere within the city. He was at a location called Harmony Bridge. It's where the golden sunbeams of the dawn became fused as one with silver of the moons night rays. The skies that resided above this small stretch of "land" where, forever dancing rainbow of glittering colors dotted with the softest of clouds. It was a place of peace as well as tranquility. It was also the only spot between Xanadu and Earth that neither had any claim too.

To the eyes of humans this was merely crack of dawn becoming start of the day regularly, with the infrequently Northern Lights. To the citizens of Xanadu it was merely a historical celestial phenomenon. It was on this Bridge that the truce that had ended the madness of the War of Shadows had been signed and the King had been named.

Right now on soft cotton white cloud was Atem. He was leaning back with his hands behind his head and legs planted firmly on the cloud and crises crossed. He looked like he was taking a nap to be honest. He sorta was trying to nap but not too sleep, to dream. He had been told once by Mahad during his lessons that dreams where sustain by a person memories. He was hoping he could force himself to remember someone important to him, his mom, Queen Samira.

His mom had vanished from his life when he was only four years old and he could barely recall anything about her. He couldn't even remember her voice or touch. He had had asked his father at first what happened to his mom and when she be coming home. He kept asking the same question for over a year with no answer. Nevertheless a year and after, later he got his 'answer' to his question but the manner it was answered in wasn't good for him in any manner. After his father had hit him with a blow that would for a human have been the equivalent of hit head on with a tank as well as listening to his father rant and rave for several hours how "Savage and devious human beings there'll nothing but homicidal monsters!" he didn't bring her up again or for that matter too much of anything to anger his father.

He had come to this spot hoping he could at least catch a glimpse of her in his dreams but it seemed he didn't even have dreams to dream. He would sleep for hours but not seeing anything in his mind. After several hours of trying yet again to bring about a memory of his mom he gave up.

He sat up and stretched his beautiful body out at the same time as he spread his wings wide. The only thing his father seemed to love about him was his external beauty. Atem was very attractive to the eye. He was tall with a nice well tone body and sharp elegant features and a soothing deep velvet voice that would melt more then the golden sun. He was like a flawlessly sculpted sculpture bestowed the breath of life and was even more beautiful then Galatea had been. His eyes were smooth pools of melted amethyst in sharp piercing shaped eyes and his most unique attribute was his hair. His hair was truly only one of its kinds. One of the only things he had left of his mother. His hair defied logic and reason as well as gravity. It was shaped like a huge star tipped with dark crimson filled in by jet black and then gold blonde bangs. He may've had his father's eyes but he had his mom's hair.

His beautiful large wings gently swayed in the calm celestial breeze. His wings were without a doubt beautiful. They were angel wings; they were a silvery white with rainbow tips and a gold outward sheen with glittering multicolored sparkles in them. They went well with his Egyptian look he was clothed in. It was the only thing his father liked about Earth.

"Those cursed mortal abominations are the worst thing in all of existence! Monsters that are beyond repulsive as well as so blemished, why they haven't blown up the revolting chuck of unsanitary sludge and water already is beyond me! The only thing the humans did right was Egypt! It was such a Perfect Society in its prime. So beautiful and exotic as well as powerful! It was like an earthly Xanadu! Humans have made a billion things wrong but the only thing right was Egypt!" King Aknamkanon had said many times.

Sighing heavily he gazed around for a few moments before realizing how late it was! The sun chariot was almost completed with its daily ride and the moon one was about to take flight. Cursing himself he spread his wings and flew. He flew fast that he out shined even the best shooting stars. He was naturally gifted when it came to flying. All the people in the palace all agreed they never seen such an out of this world sight as when the prince flew.

But though many would be laughing or smiling if they were born with the ability to fly higher then even the heavens, Atem was doing neither. In fact he felt numb all over. He didn't feel even a tiny tingle of joy as the solar wind tickled his handsome face. Atem did a few fancy flips that where mere child play for him as he finally saw his home. Hoping to the Heart of Xanadu he hadn't been caught sneaking out again. He found his secret passage on the edge of the left wing tip. His father barrier didn't just make the city impossible to be found by the human's weird and wonderful machineries that flouted in the black skies, it also made it impossible for the most part for anyone to come and go with out permission. Fortunately there where a few weak spots he was unaware of and Atem had exploited them any chance he could manage!

He dived bombed the narrow wedge and flew in like he was a bullet out of a nine millimeter gun! Once he was in he waved his hand at the same time as, the weird and wonderful golden pyramid shaped puzzle around his neck glowed in sync. He used small magic to conceal the wedge and then continued to go home. He flew high over the hundred of imprisoned immortal souls of his people.

Even despite the fact that he heard their cries of anguish in addition to hearing day in and day out their pleas for someone to come save them he could do nothing. He didn't feel anything from them. He simply didn't understand their feelings at all for he didn't understand what emotions and feelings were!

He landed quietly on his balcony and hurried to go to the ceremonial dinner, however was roughly grabbed from behind and hurled into the wall behind his bed. He made a very deep indentation before he slammed down on the semiprecious stone and diamond floor of his room. He felt the sharp toes kick him hard in abdomen and felt the magical energy snitch his clothes.

Any normal person would have cried out in pain if their parent was hurting them this bad. A normal person would be a blood-spattered tear-stained mess. A normal person could call the police and have the abuser incarcerated. However Atem was anything but normal. He endured this torment on a daily basis without release. A medical doctor could examine Atem from head to toe and never find anything.

One of the bad things about being a Divine Being was being incapable to shed tears or bleed. It was impossible for them. Aknamkanon could beat the living shit out of his son till kingdom come and Atem would still look like a god. He just learned to take it as it came and try to get it over with as quick as possible. He knew his father attention span was very short so it be over quick in less something was really irritating him. Then it'd last for perhaps a couple of hours.

"You've any idea what time it is?! Dinner was severed two and half seconds ago, how could you be so belatedly?!" Aknamkanon yelled as he blasted him with his magic staff all the way into a very large wall mirror.

"I'm so sorry, Father. I was out flying and I lost track of time. I do apologize for being so late," he replied meekly as he got on his knees and groveled. He was hoping the worst was over however he wasn't so lucky. The king had just begun to chew his son out like he was a piece of chewing gum.

"How can my magnificent empire grow and thrive, if my only son, my heir behaves like such a child? Where're you flying? You didn't tell one of the Guardians! In fact when I asked a second ago none of them knew where the Hell you where!" he screamed in a voice like a howling hurricane as he yanked Atem up by the roots of his beautiful hair and made a pit of golden flames dance beneath his bare feet that began to mischievously snap at his feet.

"I was just flying around, honest! It was nowhere in particular, I was just joy flying. Please, please Father let me go," Atem whimpered like a puppy that had made a mess in the wrong place. If he had a tail it would be between his shaking legs.

"I've done a lot for you, my one and only son, all out of the goodness of my heart. You ought to be very grateful to have such a loving in addition to devoted father as well as being an immortal prince of the greatest society in the universe! As a replacement for all that all you've done of late is shown me nothing but contempt as well as lack of respect. Do you wish to bring upon further ignominy, Atem?" he asked him in a calm voice.

"No sir, I do not wish to dishonor you as my king or father. It will not happen again," he replied in a deadpan tone to his sire. His sire then dropped like he was a bag of garbage before walking to the doorway.

"Good I'm glad we got that straighten up. Now clean yourself up and get too dinner in exactly five minutes not one second later or I'll have punish you. Make sure you dress nicely its most unbecoming of you too make yourself so filthy remember your royalty and must always look the part. See you in five minutes son!" with that he spread his wings and flew through the golden and diamond archway doors.

He did as he was told and reported too dinner. The table was very quite and dead. No one was laughing or trading gossip or anything. It was just not extremely vivacious. He merely picked at his food which had no taste to it all. After about an hour of this he respectfully excused himself and went out to the gardens.

He walked in a meaningless way all the way through his father artificial perfect summer night. The fireflies danced in a classy manner in the midst of the radiant moon lotus blooms. He came too a large tree in the heart of the garden. This tree was the last tree from the land of their birth. It had been a seedling when the people had left the original Xanadu. It had been planted here on the day of the city completion as a sign for a hopeful and bright future. It seemed to go on forever with many branches intertwine with its soft beautiful colored flowers and leaves.

He vaguely remembered playing around this tree as a toddler with his mom. But each day that memory and any memory of his mother fade further from his mind. He pressed his hand against the tree trunk and tried to hear its song. To let it tell him how it was feeling and if there was any hope left. However the tree song of hope had fade like the prince memory.

"Excuse me, my Prince the King has request a private audiences with you that is too take place in ten minutes. We best be going or faces his wrath," Seto told his cousin as he materialize from behind a number of jonquil and daffodil.

"Oh, hello Seto. Lovely night is it not?" he asked to his older cousin sheepishly.

"Isn't every day and night the same as the one that came before it? A never-ending perfect summer day?" he replied to him as they flew to the throne room. A race would've been fun sadly however neither knew what that word was or meant.

They arrived a few minutes earlier just as both their fathers were finishing having some kinda of a discussion. Atem noticed out the corner of his eye an Orb of World being exchanged. That seemed a bit odd. An Orb of World was like an Earth snow globe. It showed a world in its prime. It also was like a pocket size piece of the world with all the data on that world, everything and anything about that world and its inhabited would be concealed with in the Orb.

After a few more moments the men notice their sons' presence. Aknamkanon whispered something in his brother's left ear and gave him something else which Atem couldn't tell what.

"See you later tonight brother,"

"Yes we'll congregate at the starlight tower tonight as planned. I'll be there waiting my brother. Seto come, let you cousin and uncle discusses their business in private. We've got some other matters to attend too," Aknadin command to his son who simply bowed and followed.

Atem dropped too his knees and cowered. He had no idea what dim-witted oversight he had committed, but he was ready for the thrashing. He just wanted to get it over and go to bed. He waited for what felt like an eternity which was a mere ten seconds to an immortal.

"Arise Atem! Get off that filthy floor before you tarnish your clothes or worse wrinkle them!" his father bellowed too him. Surprised he stood up and smoothed his clothes out to avoid the wrinkles.

"Why have you summoned me Father? I know I commit the great error of being late for dinner and I do express regret for committing such a heinous transgression. I humbly request your forgiveness for my human oversight and I give you a full admission of my guilt for the misdemeanor," he told him as he stared at his feet.

"Put out of your mind that sin it has already been dealt with accordingly. What I've summon you for is to have a very serious discussion about your future and the future of are fair city Xanadu," he told him as he fingered the Heart of Xanadu around his neck.

Atem looked up and stared at the Heart for a moment. On a long thick golden chain with their native dialect engraved all over it was the last piece of the Heart of their fallen world. It was held within a golden clasp with a twilight colored protective crystal over the Heart that was held in place by two gold eye emblems. The Heart was like a star in a way. It had a tiny faint light glowing in the center with numerous crystals bursting outward from its center.

"My future?" he asked baffled, "What do you mean Father?"

"Atem as you know when you come of age in three months there is going to be some serious changes needed to be done,"

"Changes? What changes do you speak of? What is so important about my eighteenth birthday on March 18th? Other then it's my golden birthday? What's so significant?" he inquired to his father questioningly.

"When you've ascended from being a child to a man and your divan powers are at their peak you'll be able to become the new king of this world. I will give you the Heart and you shall reign over this magnificent city in the exact way I've taught you too," he began to tell him till Atem interrupted,

"Me? As the King of Xanadu? But I would still be so inexperience and you just give me the most powerful object in the known universes?" he asked confused. He had seen his father with that talisman and knew he cared about it a lot more then him. Still what was going on?

"Put your restless mind at ease, dear son of mine. I will stay and guide you through your first year of being the new sovereign. Therefore you can comprehend completely how too use the Heart awesome power to reign over this perfect society. After you get the hang of resigning over this society, your uncle and I are going to go out to other worlds and show them the way to become a Xanadu themselves. In eighteen years you'll then come join us in this noble quest,"

"Why would I come and join you? Who would be left to guide and protect our world?" asked the beautiful winged prince. He didn't know why but the pit of his stomach was starting to feel very upset. It felt very strange for his normally numb and empty body to experiences anything at all.

"Your own progeny would take over as you would expect," his father told him in a very flat tone.

Atem however recoiled. He had known all his 17 years of that his culture was involved in arranged marriages but this didn't seem right. "Father why should I be forced too marry a woman that I've never meet, who has never even known there is another sex other then females?" he stuttered valiantly.

He got slapped hard from corner to corner of his beautiful cut jawbone for his inquire. "I do hope when you walk down the aisle, that you lose this juvenile demeanor you cling too so much. Why a well breed prince whom is about to become a king acts so immature is such a puzzling conundrum to me. You may if you wish send one of the servants too look over your bride to be. Her name is Serafina and she lives in the in the Seraphim Tower that faces the dawn. Now we'll speak more about this at a later time. I must go now. Good night, Prince Atem," as he left his flabbergasted son standing alone in the dark room.

He flew too his room and fell into another dreamless slumber. He awoke before the dawn the next day and sought out Mahad. Out of all the Sacred Guardians he was the only one next too Seto it seemed he could talk too.

"Mahad please arise! Please!" he whispered urgently as he shook the poor magician from his slumber. "Huh, huh what's going on?" asked a sluggish Mahad as he woke up. Without his normal headpiece his long chocolate locks was very much a rat's nest and if Atem had known what humor was he would've found it hilarious that Mahad had a handmade Chiba Dark Magician toy under his right arm.

"Mahad I need you now!" pleaded Atem to Mahad who finally realized who awoke him. "Atem! What are you doing up in the early hours? What's the matter prince?" he asked as he hid his plushy under his pillow.

"I if truth be told need you too go too Seraphim Tower and look for a young female named Serafina who resides there. I need you too spend some time with her. Please do this honorable favor for me," he asked he groveled on his knees to the fabled magician before him

"Atem please stand up, like I told Mana yesterday, show yourself a little dignity will you? Or has your 'father' stripped that from your as well?" asked Mahad as he materialized his clothes with the help of his Ring.

"Please Mahad this is important!" pleaded the young prince to him.

"Who is this woman exactly and why must I follow her for a few days?" he asked in a reluctant tone as he swallowed his morning drink in one gulp.

"She is to be my…wife. My consort when I assume the throne on my 18th birthday," he confessed. This statement almost immediately change Mahad whole outlook on the prince dilemma. Mahad had lived a long time and would live till the day immortality ended. But he knew very well the most ancient and sacred laws of his culture. He understood that Atem wanted too know exactly what his new wife would be liked.

"I will go immediately too find this "Serafina" my liege. Could you do me a small favor in turn though?"

"Sure what to you want done?"

"Just spend the day with Mana. She's already a nervous wreak and I figure if her magic is ever going to blossom she needs to unwind a little. So just spend the day with her ok?"

"I can do that. Where are her chambers?"

"Go up two floors and take a left. Her door is bright blue and pink you can't miss it. I'll shall return in 72 hours times with the information you require my prince," as spread his wings and disappeared.

Over the next three days he spent time with Mana and consult the other guardians about the marriage. He didn't know why but that sick feeling in his stomach was only getting worse. If it where possible for him to be sick he might've though he had an ulcer. He was so consumed by this alien feeling he failed too notice that his father and uncle seemed to have an incredibly sinful agenda with their 'noble quest' they intended to pursue after Atem first year as king.

Finally three days past and Mahad returned to see Atem in the dead of night. It was long after the moon had risen into the skies above them. He placed his hand over the prince mouth to stop him from screaming. Looking back and forth he casted both a spell of illusion and silence so they could speak undisturbed.

"Prince Atem I come bearing the news you've request from me," he said in a grave tone.

"Mahad! What's with all this? Couldn't you've told me tomorrow? Why the subterfuge? What's wrong? Why are you looking and sounding like that?" Atem inquired perplexed as a fresh stab of the feeling in his stomach hit him.

He was very quite for a few moments then he placed his palms together and then slowly opened them. In his hands he cradled a live amethyst flame as if it were a delicate butterfly. Within the flame was a young woman who Atem assumed was Serafina.

She was very beautiful as he expected. His father prized beauty above all things. She was the meaning of beauty this goddess of the clouds. Going from top to bottom he looked her over carefully. She had very long sky blue silky-smooth tresses flowing in a cascading manner for miles. Her face was a perfect heart with thin delicately curved eyebrows and huge almond shape burgundy eyes concealed under long ravishing eyelashes. Her high rosy cheekbones accented her full sparkling rose red lips as well as the bright magenta markings under her eyes. Her baby smooth alabaster skin shown brightly against her beautiful clothes that were obviously woven from only the finest sunset cloud-fabric that even the goddess Athena of the Greek mythology would've been envious of. Her jewelry was only from the finest the infinite universe could offer.

"She is quite beautiful," he replied honestly to Mahad.

"She may be a beautiful as the first rose of spring my prince but to be frank her head is as empty as the pot which you put the flower in. Observer," Atem watch as the girl was really an airhead. She couldn't do anything not even feed or dress herself. She was even vainer and shallow then his father. Her voice was so high and whiny it shatter glass, and when she broke a silly nail she acted like it was the end of the world. It was also very apparent she couldn't even hold an ounce of intelligent in her head. She was just a porcelain doll just made too stand there and look pretty. He gaze at the image as all her servants had too choice for her where or not to be dressed in the pink satin dress or the green one, despite the fact that they're the same dress just different colors. She even asked what the name of the colors where four times!

Atem was just shocked. This was the maiden he was too be magical bond too for all time? This couldn't be! "Mahad please tell me you're jesting. I cannot spend the rest of eternity with this girl!"

"I don't jest my prince. I do not mean to make you feel any worse but when I was there she asked me once who I was. I told her I was a close associate to her future groom and she said, "Oh my new manicurist! Tell him I expect him too do my nails twice a week along with a foot massage and I don't want the cheap cosmetics for they cause me to break out so nasty. Whoo. That will be all now get out!"

Atem didn't say anything. He just spread his wings and flew quickly and too his father room and awoke. "Father please wake up! We've got too talk now! Father!" he pleaded urgently to him only too be grabbed by his wings and hurled into a statue.

"Who dares has the audacity to awaken the king before the dawn brings the sunrise?!" he screamed loudly.

"I do, Father. We need too talk now!" he said as he shook himself to get his sense back in order.

"Atem? Why must you disturb me in such an early hour? I thought you promised not too further dishonor me or our culture?" he asked as his eyes became narrow amethyst chips.

"This is about our culture, Father! I just received word on my bride too be. She is a beautiful airhead! Please Father you can't really expect me too marry someone I never meet who never meet me. From the news I received she is nothing more then a doll! She has no brains or personality and doesn't even comprehend she is to tie the knot in a little while. Please Father don't make me go through with this!" he pleaded with him.

"You can act so immature at times! She is beautiful and has a great bloodline as the last heir of one of the original noble house from our home world. What more do you need in marriage? Beside beauty and fine breeding?"

"What about love or companionship? Marriage should be more then looks! Marriage is the agreement to spend your life with someone because they love you and you love them!" he argued.

"Love?! Love is merely a figment of the imagination. It doesn't really exist at all! A silly concept that brutal humans preach in lies to all to ensnare their victims too their death!" Aknamkanon ranted with much venom on his tongue.

"Surely you married Mom for more then her beauty didn't you? She believed in love and she believed it was more then just a fairy tale!" Atem spoke bravely only to receive the worst beating he ever suffered at his sire hands.

"Have you failed too remember it's was because of the lie of "love" your mother is no longer with us? How the humans tricked her with its empty promises and made her willingly give up her wings and then murder her? Have you failed too remember that my son?!" he yelled as the magical energy continued too shoot through him.

"Father" he said through the spasms of energy ravaging his body, "You've decide everything from now till kingdom come for me. What I wear too how many times I chew my food before swallowing. Could you just let me for once in my life choose for myself who I want too spend my life with forever?"

"You truly wish too dishonor the ways we've lived by since the beginning of time. Your mother ruined your mind by putting all those human ideals into you! Look what it got her death! Believing in the gobbledygook of love she received only death! She could've lived forever but no she believed in a foolish lie and clipped her own wings and then was put to death for her fool's choice! Do you wish that fate, Atem too die?! Or will you be the obedient son I know you are and do as you're told?" Aknamkanon asked him unemotionally. Atem hung his head in silent submission to his father superiority.

"Good now get out and we'll have no more of this childish behavior. We won't discuses this matter any further. You understand Atem, the subject is closed. When your birthday comes you'll wed Serafina as it's been planned since before either of you where conceived. You'll thank me one day for all the great things I've done for you my son," as Atem walk quietly out the door.

Atem went in secret too each member of the court with the exception of his father and uncle for advise as well as anyway too escape this unwanted fate. He didn't really understand why this was getting too him so bad. He had always done what his father had wanted him too do before. No questions or anything he just did as he was told like the obedient son he been brought up too be. So why did this upset him so much?

Of course no one had any real answer. They couldn't see a way out of this. They'll agreed being forced to be magical bonded too such a ridicules excuse for a wife wasn't right at all. On the other hand they'll knew too well as long as the King held the power, they're unable to help. For all their great power they couldn't do anything at all.

A fortnight later Atem was sulking in Mahad's Lair attempting too avoided his father. Mahad and Mana were trying to do some undisclose assignment that his uncle had charged them with two months ago but just now had the time to work on it.

"Mana please can you get me a pinch of dry worm salt? While you're at it I also could do with some calendula, larkspur as well as an aquamarine, alexandrite and a zircon. Top shelf on the right side,"

"Here you go Master Mahad. I don't know why but I also think this may come in handy. It's a dream gem. It's supposed to have extraordinarily out of the ordinary powers," as she handed a small almond shape gemstone.

"Thank you Mana. Thinking out of the box is a good sign. Now we add your dream gem and speak the ancient spells together and we'll be done,"

Nodded confidently they began too do their spell this caught Atem attention as they preformed their magic. After a few brief moments the magical ritual was done and their desire was filled. He couldn't see what they had made but they did seem pleased they had done it.

Getting up from his seat he walked over too the work table and saw the object they had conjured up. It was some type of a harness. It looked like black and gold leather with their language stitched into it.

"Mahad what exactly is this?" asked Atem has he inspected it closely. He could feel the magic surging through it.

"This is a restraint harness your uncle ordered us to fashion for him. It's meant to immobile a Devine Being's wings rendering them useless. He wants multiply copies prepared. For both the Beings and the Beasts for fear that of an uproar or mutiny. Once on only the undoing spell can remove it. As one of Royal Blood I'm positive you would be much too powerful, therefore you need not the spell to remove it. On the other hand your wings would be still immobilized until you yourself removed the harness. Not that you ever need to wear it," Mahad explain to him.

Just then a huge explosion was heard outside as the all raced over to the window too see what the hell was going on. There were some kinda of riots going on outside. It was like a war zone all happening in slow motion. As the battle continued to go on more and more of the Devine Beings were called upon to try and restore order before Aknamkanon came too deal with this.

"Mana, please take Atem back too his room quickly then join me outside! We must get this under control before the Beasts are needlessly turned mortal!" instructed Mahad as he leapt from the window and joined the other guardians in a vain attempt to stop the insanity ensuing around them.

"Come on Prince let's get going" as she dragged a very reluctantly Atem with her back to his room. She then used her magic too lock the door behind her as she went to join her mentor outside. But in her rush she hadn't realize two things. One Atem still had the harness and two his balcony that faced the opposite direction of the riots was still open.

Atem could hear as clear as crystal the riots outside. However that wasn't what was holding his attention. The commotion outside was enough of a distraction for his father power over the Hear to lesson enough to see Earth. Atem hadn't dared for the past two weeks sneak off. Now he could hear in his mind screaming too him "That your ticket out of here go! While everyone busy go!" If he went too Earth he could hide and escape marrying Serafina and being trapped forever in a life already planned out for him. But if he went too Earth and was found he be made mortal and never fly again either. He may not have been very full of emotion or feelings but he did love having the ability to fly.

Still after a few more seconds he made his choice. He tucked the harness under his shirt and leapt off his balcony and flew faster then he ever flown before. He reach the edge of the barrier in a heartbeat and squeezed through the wedge and then with one last look flew to the most forbidden place in the universe too him.

The mysterious as well as beautiful planet known as Earth.