Atemu forced a smile on his face as some soldiers entered surrounding a group of servants and inside that was an elderly man and a young woman. Once the two rings parted the man and woman both bowed. "Pharaoh Atemu! I am glad you were able to have us here." He said as Atemu nodded.

"It was nothing but a delight to have you and your daughter here." He said as the princess giggled and smiled shyly up at Atemu. "I have prepared a dinner in your honor. Let us eat and relax before we talk about why you came," he said, and the servants sprang into action.

Atemu was still on his throne as other chairs were put besides his for the king and Princess to sit with him. Music was playing as the nobles that were there ate and drank.

Atemu looked over at Yugi and gestured to him to come over.

Yugi had been watching his friends from his spot on the wall; bending his legs every so often so they wouldn't fall asleep. They exchanged smiles with one another every so often; Jou mumbling short complaints his way whenever he passed. He noticed the Pharaoh wave him over, and immediately sprang into action; careful not to stumble after standing idle for so long. He'd flashed discreet glances over at the king and princess when he was sure no one was looking; the tell tale batting of the eyelashes from the princess to the Pharaoh showing that she was clearly interested in him. Yugi shouldn't care, but... why was it bothering him so?

Yugi bowed, eyes glued to the floor as he kept his guard up. "Yes, My Pharaoh?"

Atemu smiled at Yugi slightly and pointed to the pillow by his throne. "Sit there," he whispered looking at him. "You can hand me my wine or food if I want some." With that, he went back to talking to the King; bluntly ignoring the princess.

Yugi noticed how the Pharaoh paid no attention to the princess's hinting and resisted the urge to snicker. He sank gratefully to the pillow, fidgeting slightly with his hands in his lap as he awaited instruction. Malik caught his gaze and gave him an 'I-told-you-so' look, and Yugi simply glared and tilted his head pointedly in the direction the other had recently been heading. With a playful grin, Malik continued on his way. Yugi rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his lap.

Every so often Atemu would ask for something, and Yugi would quietly hand it to him. After a bit the dancers came out and started to dance as Atemu sipped his wine before he growled in his goblet when he felt a unwanted hand on his leg and glared at the princess who smiled sweetly before backing off.

Yugi could feel the tension radiating from the Pharaoh. It seemed to be contagious, for every single time the princess made a move, Yugi bristled. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides when the princess actually touched the Pharaoh, and searched for something to keep himself from getting into trouble. He found Ryou's eyes and smiled. The albino smiled back, and looked quizzically over in the direction of the Pharaoh and the princess. He then drew a hand discreetly up his leg and fluttered his eyelashes like a girl would do. The question was obvious, and Yugi nodded; covering his mouth with his hand to keep from laughing at his friend's antics. Ryou winked and walked from the room; to the kitchen, perhaps. That left Yugi back to where he started. He sighed inwardly. It was going to be a long night.

Atemu managed to hold on for a long time before he stood up. "If you'll excuse me for a time," he said as he gestured to Yugi to follow him. The small male followed the Pharaoh obediently out of the room. Once he was out of the room and away from the pouting princess Atemu sighed.

Yugi was both relieved and slightly worried for him. He tried to think back to all the times he himself was upset, and either a friend or family member would first try and understand the problem from his perspective. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Is something troubling you, My Pharaoh?"

"That would be another whipping," he muttered before he looked at Yugi. "It is nothing you need to worry about." he said as he started to walk again. He wasn't going back in there.

Yugi wanted to bang his head against the hard stone wall. He let his feelings get ahead of his common sense for one second, and already he could've been whipped again! He needed to remember where he was and who he was now. He wasn't Yugi Muto the citizen of Japan, where staying silent was an option instead of a requirement. He was Yugi the slave, where he was the lowest of the low on the authority chain. He bit his lip in shame. "I'm sorry, My Pharaoh," he murmured, and followed after him.

"Yugi will you stay with me at night during the rest of their visit," he said as he looked back at him. "You will be around me all day or anytime I need you...I'm thinking of making you a personal slave."

Yugi studied the floor intently. "Yes, My Pharaoh."

Atemu nodded to the guards as they walked into his wing and he went to his room. "There is a room here for you to stay in... unless you want to share a bed." He smirked.

He blushed deeply at the comment, and quickly replied, "T-the room is fine, My Pharaoh. Thank you."

Atemu nodded. "Help me out of all this," he said wanting the gold off. He just wanted to relax.

Yugi did as he was told, able to do it much quicker than the last time, and blushed when the Pharaoh removed his tunic.

Walking out onto the balcony, Atemu said, "If you have anything from the slaves' quarters you can go get them."

Yugi thought immediately of his friends. Would they wonder where he was tonight? With the intent of tracking one of them down, he bowed after giving a quick thank you and exited the room. He figured he would run into them if he headed towards the dining hall, and sure enough, Ryou was walking towards him. He beamed when he saw him. "Hey, Yugi! I saw you and the Pharaoh had left, and was wondering where you'd run off to."

Yugi smiled. "Nowhere special. But, Ryou, I have to tell you something."

Ryou nodded. "Okay. Go ahead; I've got time."

Yugi twirled a blond lock of hair around his finger as he spoke. "I just wanted to tell you that I'll be staying with the Pharaoh; during the king and princess's stay at the very least."

Ryou's cheeks dusted in a light pink color. "Oh, uh..."

"In a separate bed, Ryou!" Yugi sputtered. "Jeez. You know, Jou's had a negative influence on you."

Ryou snorted. "Malik, too."

Yugi laughed. "Yeah..."

"We're gonna miss you," Ryou said. "But we'll still see each other, right?"

"Right," Yugi nodded. He looked anxiously over his shoulder. "I should get back. The Pharaoh told me I could go retrieve my belongings from the slaves' quarters. I hadn't thought of how disrespectful it would be to come back empty-handed..." He bit his lip.

"So, you won't go back empty-handed." From a pocket on the inside of his tunic, Ryou pulled out an amulet connected to a rope, so you could put it around your neck. Yugi instantly recognized it as the "Isis Knot", and gaped when Ryou pushed it into his hands. "My mother gave it to me before I was sold. It's supposed to bring good luck."

"Ryou..." Yugi breathed. "I can't keep this."

"You can, and you will," Ryou said. "Because I'm not taking it back." The playful glitter in his eyes vanished for a moment as he became serious. "Yugi, I know you're having troubles getting used to life as a palace slave. I meant to give this to you sooner, because I thought, well... You need it more than I do."

Yugi was at a loss for words. "Ryou, I..."

"Keep it well-hidden," Ryou interrupted. "Someone could steal it off of you in a heartbeat."

Yugi smiled after a moment. "Thank you."

Ryou embraced him in response. "Take care, Yugi."

Yugi nodded. "You too."

After they had parted and went their separate ways, Yugi found himself clutching the amulet to his chest. He sighed. "I sure hope this thing works..."

Atemu was still on the balcony when Yugi got back before he looked at him. "Did you get your things?" he asked as he moved back into the room.

Yugi nodded. "Yes, My Pharaoh." He was about to inquire about his room, but the question caught in his throat; instead he gasped at the unexpected feel of cool stone on his back, and more so, the warmth of the Pharaoh on his front.

Atemu smirked. "I have been thinking Yugi... I would like for you to join me in my bed tonight."

He'd done a good job of keeping his wide-eyed gaze turned to the floor, until the Pharaoh tilted his head up, and he had no choice but to look him in the eyes. The lust in the ruby depths was unmistakable; Yugi gulped under the intense stare. How could he say no to a Pharaoh?

"If that is what you wish, My Pharaoh," he breathed.

Atemu smiled before he leaned down so their lips were only a hairsbreadth apart. "It is," he whispered.

Yugi's thoughts were zooming through his head a mile a minute. His cheeks heated when the Pharaoh leaned in closer. 'Do I want this?' he asked himself. The Pharaoh's warm breath ghosted over his face; it smelled good. He wondered how it would taste...? 'Yes. Yes, I want this.' His eyes fluttered closed...

...Only to snap back open when something banged against the door. He barely managed to recognize the person who barged in to be the princess; blinked rapidly to try and clear his hazy vision.

The Pharaoh growled in annoyance when the doors burst open and the princess walked in. "Pharaoh I am here to spend the night with you." She said. She then glared at Yugi. "Who is he?"

Atemu glared at her making his stepped back. "How dare you barge into my room!" he yelled, walking over to her. "You will not spend the night with me."

The guards came in. "We are very sorry Pharaoh." One said as Atemu looked at them.

"Never mind," he said firmly. "Just escort her back to her chambers and make sure she doesn't come back here."

The guards took the struggling princess out of the room.

Atemu shook his head before he looked at Yugi. He had been leaning against the wall as he watched the scene play out. "You can go to your room," the Pharaoh said as he walked over to the bed and fell on it keeping his face in the pillow. He was angry at the princess and was no longer in the mood to take the boy.

Yugi acted on autopilot; nodding and murmuring a, "Yes, My Pharaoh," before seeking out his room. As luck would have it, it was the first door he tried; he slipped in and shut the door quietly behind him. It had a bed and a small side-table, along with a few other things Yugi didn't pay too much mind to. He flopped unceremoniously onto the bed, looking up at the wall and batting away a bang that obscured his vision. He suddenly remembered the amulet he still clutched in his hand, and brought it up to his face to examine its intricate carvings. "Is this lucky?" he whispered to himself. "Would I have regretted what I was about to do...?" He sighed, and brought his free hand up to rub his eyes. No more thinking; he needed sleep. With that, he carefully placed the amulet under his pillow and closed his eyes.