Atem's POV

'My guards?' He muttered to himself. No, it must have been his father's. But that made no sense either, his father was not a man who could do that. He was sure that he couldn't have done that. The thief was lying. But that didn't make sense either. Looking down at the injured man before him and the fury in his eyes. Why would this man throw himself against the entire court and risk his life for nothing?

'I don't know anything…about any slaughter.' He whispered and he felt the thief's hateful gaze upon him. He couldn't imagine what the man had gone through. But he just couldn't imagine his father ordering it, he would never have been able to forgive himself, it would have broken him. It was then Atem froze. Nobody outside the court knew about the secret he had been desperately trying to hide from public view.

It was around 4 years previous that his father had made his first mistake. In a meeting with a foreign diplomat he had forgotten their previous relations and trading agreement. Though it was quite embarrassing, the pharaoh quickly realised his mistake. It was put down to too much sun in the day before and wasn't spoken of again. That was, until around 2 months later that the next mistake was made, he forgot Shimon's name. Once again, it was covered up. But over the next few years the mistakes became more and more frequent. During this time Atem had been taken aside by the priests and they had advised him that he would have to take a bigger role in court. Being only 13, the excuse was made that he was to accompany his father in order to learn the ways of being king but within two years his father could not understand the complexities of court. Atem was then forced to take over the court, concerning day to day issues as well as the greeting of foreign dignitaries and leaders from across Egypt.

At first many questioned where the Pharaoh was and soon it turned into rumours of weakness. But the priests trained Atem to run a court confidently and he soon became capable of challenging these rumours with his own royal blood. If anyone asked, he would claim that the Pharaoh was completely capable of running the court, but he was away or busy and therefore the prince was looking after the court. But this soon ran down Atem, his friends Mana and Mahad looking after him when he collapsed from stress and sun and covering for him to the priests. He'd never be able to repay them for the support they gave him, they were always there. Mahad teaching him everything he knew and supporting him when particularly troublesome leaders came to the palace. Mana was the one who always kept his spirits up and stopped him when he pushed himself too far. He didn't want to think of being Pharaoh without them as he had only made it there with their support.

Atem visited his father every night, whatever had the day had thrown at him. Sitting with him, he talked about everything he'd done and told him stories of Egypt's challenges and how they had overcome them. Even though he doubted his father understood everything he said, he still seemed to listen, quietly, probably glad of the company. The people of the court knew he had lost his mind, and not all of them kept this view to themselves. Some even encouraged Atem to usurp his father and take the throne. They said it was for the good of Egypt, but he wouldn't listen. He wasn't a fool, he knew there was no place for a king that had been usurped, Atem vowed to protect his father from these disloyal courtiers.

About a year before his father's death, he forgot his son's name. His father quietly asked a guard who the boy was that was visiting him, claiming he was a lovely boy but he'd quite forgotten his name.

Atem broke down that evening, hidden in his room after asking the guards to keep everyone away. Not that this was an infrequent occurrence, he had found himself locking himself away from people a lot recently. Everyone seems to be after something, a favour, money or even to give him their daughter. He missed being called by his name, nobody dared to call him Atem anymore; it was always 'Prince'. Nobody looked him in the eye either, besides Mana, but even she had been scared into calling him 'Prince' and kept from him during most of the day. Watching his father gradually become more and more introverted and confused broke his heart, but he still visited, he couldn't bring himself to let him suffer alone.

He knew he should take the throne, but in his mind he had already taken it. He felt guilty enough for running his father's court, with some people even accidently calling him Pharaoh. But he didn't want to be king, he knew that he would have to marry a fortune hunter for an alliance, he would be too busy to see his friends and nobody would touch him or even look at him. More importantly, his father would no longer be there. It was alright as long as his father was safe, but Atem knew he was in denial. His father didn't even recognise him anymore. His father was gone, and he'd become king in everything but name.

It was a busy day that his father had crushed any hope Atem had ever had of speaking with him again. His father had been informed by a servant that Atem was Prince once again that afternoon, but she had let it slip that Atem would soon be Pharaoh. When Atem arrived that evening, his breath hitched in his throat when his father had seen him. The poor man attempted to drag himself up in the bed and bow before him. Atem rushed forward and grabbed his shoulders to which his father flinched away causing Atem to release him instantly in panic.

'My Pharaoh.' His father murmured, 'I will…'

'No!' Atem cried, slightly too loud for the room. Falling to his knees, he gripped his father's hands tightly, his head bowed down. 'You are the Pharaoh….Father, please. You are the Pharaoh…not me.' He didn't care that the servants watched him cry, he just didn't care anymore.

Two days later, his father passed away.

They'd never know what had caused this strain on his father's mind, age had always been the first thought. But what if the guilt of ordering such as horrific act had broken his spirit, from which he had never recovered? What if everything the thief had said was true? His father had been a cruel murderer and he'd never known? Atem felt sick at the thought, gripping his head in his hand, he couldn't bear to look the man before him. His father had massacred this man's family, his entire town. Then the guilt had broken his mind.

Without him noticing, the stone around his neck had started glowing feverishly and the green aura had surrounded him. But he was stuck in his own mind, he couldn't stop seeing his father's face in those last days, so confused and sick. That couldn't be the face of a murderer, it just couldn't be. His father would have told him, his own son, how could not have told him? He could hear the thief speaking but he couldn't make out the words, why wouldn't he just stop?

'Stop! Just stop. He wasn't…He couldn't have…' Atem shouted at him without looking up, as his mind screamed at him that the thief was speaking the truth…

Bakura's POV

''Stop lying! You know it's true. I can see it in those eyes.'' He shot out his arm to hold on to the Pharaoh's tunic with a tight hold and brought it closer to him. ''Though really it should have been obvious. Only a monster could have ordered such a thing. Though If you're so ''devastated'' by it, do us both a favour and stand still while I'll kill you in turn for your father.'' He demanded.

Bakura had noticed the green light that started glowing around the pharaoh, he knew that angering him would make that green light give the other power, which was not something he wanted to do but he couldn't hold himself back.

He was growing slightly confused by the look of the pharaoh, he looked genuinely confused and shocked about the whole ordeal but there was no way he could really be...No he must be a great liar. There was no other explanation for it, the way they flaunt the golden items made of his family's flesh and blood. ..Even if the look in those eyes seemed devastated.

No, no. That was a good thing. Yes, let him be scared and hate him or his father, it didn't matter if he was lying about not knowing or maybe he really didn't. He was still the one he would punish and kill before the others and then take the items. They would pay.

The snake of Diabound seemed to agree with him and looked ready to take a chunk out of the pharaoh's skin.

Atem's POV

Atem barely felt the thief seize his tunic. He knew that the man would keep pursuing him until he finally managed to kill him. Maybe this was what the Gods wanted, for him to die at his hands for his father's sins. Maybe this was his fate. He'd been so sure this thief was wrong but now…

Even the creature, Diabound, wanted him dead. Or rather, he suspected that the thief would probably want to draw it out for as long as possible. Judging by the threats earlier, Atem suspected he would most probably be tortured. But he just felt numb. His father, the man he had loved for all these years had committed such an atrocity and never told him about it. He was living a lie, working with power built on blood, he didn't deserve it. But what if he did die? Would that even serve to fulfil the thief's bloodlust? He might go after his friends? With his puzzle, he would be troublesome for them, he might even kill them.

But it was then he felt Osiris' breath on his neck, and a split second later felt himself dragged backwards just as Diabound launched forward. The dragon seized him and pulled him away from the thief. But then released him in favour of using the end of its tail to grab the pendant around his neck and snap it off, holding the necklace its jaws whilst looking down at him. He almost yelled at the beast but he found himself breathing much easier than before, the thoughts in his head didn't seem as suffocating anymore. Looking up, he could see, an glint of worry in the eyes of Osiris, he attempted to reach up to it but the dragon obviously thought he was going back for the stone and threw it to the other side of the room and wrapped around him once again. Smiling to himself slightly, he stroked the dragon reassuringly and turned back to the thief.

'I don't know all the details, I will admit. But my friends do not deserve to suffer for my family's mistakes. If I knew you would leave if I let you kill me then I might have considered it, but, I can see you are after the others as well and I promise you thief. I will protect them. With everything I have.'

With his final words, Osiris let out a growl and pulled itself up to its full height, ready for a battle. But Atem heard something, from the outside the room, it sounded like shouting, and footsteps running in this direction.

Bakura's POV

Diabound had seen an opportunity it seemed, as it tried to quickly attack the pharaoh but it was too late as Osiris had already held the pharaoh back. Diabound, who may have felt some pity for the pharaoh, attacked because its master was its first priority. If he thought that killing the pharaoh would make it all better for him then Diabound would do it but only if it thought it would be a safe time to. Unfortunately its attack was stopped.

Bakura had grown severely annoyed at this point, most of his attacks had not managed to completely knock the pharaoh out yet. He felt ashamed about himself because of it. Did the gods despise him that much? Were they that cursed?

He scowled at the smug, or at least that's how it seemed to him, smile on the pharaoh's face. 'Lies', he thought at his little speech. ''You all deserve it! You continue to wear the items even if they were made by such a disgusting ritual!''

Diabound roared back at the growl Osiris made. It was ready to attack the red dragon with all his power for its master. It would not disappoint him again! But as it was ready to give its all shouts were heard through the corridors.

Bakura cursed to the gods for their seemingly hate at him. The shouts grew closer so he had to decide. He could probably take down the other guards, priest perhaps and whoever was running towards the room but he would have to turn his back to the pharaoh who already had a powerful ka out. He could not afford to be locked up or killed tonight.

He looked towards Diabound, it had already figured out its master's decision of leaving the palace after all and was waiting for his sign. The robbing and harsh live had made them especially in tune with each other. Bakura had nodded quickly and Diabound had turned invisible and his ability to walk through walls on. This way he would be quickly possible to move out of the palace or at least a great range for now. He looked back however for a second to let the pharaoh know something. ''I will come back for you Pharaoh. Remember the name, Bakura, as I will never stop coming after you and the rest of your kin and little friends.''

Together they silently got away through the night, not even caring to stay to be able to hear a possible answer back from the pharaoh, he had soon found another horse to steal and rode on it until he was at his home. The spirits were mad and circled around him in pained wails, they were not pleased at Bakura's failures these days.

A/N (Atem) - Sorry for the late update, we had slight technical difficulties.