Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters (unless otherwise stated) Kazuki Takahashi does, nor do I make any money from these stories.

34

As Yugi studied the scroll the scales started to glow slightly brighter than usual, Ma'at was endowing the young one with extra power so he could easily read the truth behind the words. She was there as a spectator only and hadn't really wanted to interfere but as she had listened to the girl speak she knew there would be no other way, the pharaoh needed to know the truth and Yugi had to be the one to deliver it.

Yugi opened his eyes. "What did you discover Yugi?" Aknamkanon asked the petit teen.

Yugi looked at him "The scroll was indeed drawn up by Jahi and the girl's mother, it was drawn up over a period of three months."

"What about the signature Yugi, who wrote it?" Atemu asked, "Who forged my father's name?"

Yugi looked at Atemu and then the girl "She did."

"What! No! Never!" Masika cried, "I would never try and trick you great pharaoh."

"Silence!" the pharaoh said before turning to Yugi "Are you sure about this Yugi?"

"Yes my pharaoh I am."

Pharaoh believed him, he looked back at the girl "To bring an unfinished document to my court is bad enough but to try and deceive me into thinking the signature is my own." He narrowed his eyes "For your poor attempt at deception you will be stripped of your title and placed in one of the more comfortable cells in my dungeon, your parents will be summoned where you and they will be put to death."

"My pharaoh." Yugi interrupted

Aknamkanon turned to him he didn't mind the fact that it had been Yugi who had interrupted him as he knew he would not have done so unless there was a good reason for it. "What is it Yugi?"

Yugi spoke softly "My lord would it be just to punish the girl's parents if they knew nothing of their daughter's scheme?"

The pharaoh sighed, "You are right Yugi, once again you have shown me that I was correct in giving you the scales to wield, I thank you for your guidance."

The girl was incensed, "You would believe the word of a mere peasant over that of a noble?" she said haughtily

"You are no longer a member of the nobility Masika." The pharaoh said deliberately dropping the lady part of her name

"And yes I believe the word of one of my item bearers."

"Well I do not!" she said angrily "And I will not be subjected to this outrage any longer!" she turned to leave, the pharaoh motioned to his guards who in answer grabbed the woman and turned her back towards the pharaoh and his court.

"And where do you think you are going?" the pharaoh asked angrily

"To my chambers to await either my parents arrival or for prince Atemu to admit his love for me whichever comes first!"

"I don't think so Masika you will be placed in the dungeons as I have already said." The pharaoh said

"But Pharaoh this is most unjust you are sentencing me on the word of a vile peasant!" she cried, "I am to be Atemu's wife, Jahi and my mother promised me this! How can you renege on a contract?"

The pharaoh sighed, "Did Jahi tell you what happens with the contract?"

She shook the guards from her and held her head high, "He said it would be drawn up, you would read it through sign it and then I would be wed to crown prince Atemu therefore becoming the next queen of Egypt."

"No Masika that is not so, Jahi, acting on my behalf, and your mother would draw up the contract, then it would be bought to me, I would read it and if I was happy with it I would rewrite it in my own hand, sign it and then the marriage would take place."

"Why do you have to rewrite my mother's words?" the girl asked angrily.

"That way the contracts are impossible to forge." Shimon replied

"LIAR!" Masika screamed, "Who is it Atemu? Who is the whore you 'd rather be with? Is he the one?" She nodded towards Yugi

Atemu narrowed his eyes "Do not speak about one of my father's item bearers in such a manner!" Atemu said angrily "And you know as well as I that Jahi was sent to your home to tell your parents the marriage was no longer wanted or desired."

On her way to the palace Masika had heard that Jahi had been sentenced to death by either the pharaoh or Atemu for the attempted assassination of a member of pharaoh's court, she just didn't know which member it was and she had thought that Jahi was already dead. That meant her task had been made that little bit easier or so she had thought…

"It's too bad Jahi is not here to verify what you have just said." She said with a gleam in her eyes.

Atemu smirked "Would you like to go and see him?"

She paled "W…what?"

''Even as we speak Jahi is still sitting in his cell awaiting his execution."

"But I thought." She said shakily

Atemu's smirk grew even wider "He would have been, if you had left it just one day later to arrive."

Desperate the girl looked at him and decided to play one more card, the only one she had left "You have angered the gods Atemu! Mark my words they will side with me!"

"Oh I don't know about that." Ma'at said as she stepped forward

"Who the hell are you?" the girl yelled

"I am the goddess Ma'at." The goddess said simply

The girl snorted as she looked at the simply dressed woman and then at the pharaoh "You accuse me of a poor deception pharaoh? This is worse!" she laughed

The laughter died in her throat as before her eyes and, with a gentle golden glow the woman's form changed to that of Ma'at, easily recognizable because of the feather on her head.

Almost everyone including the guards holding Masika knelt, harshly dragging the young woman down with them. The only three that hadn't knelt were the pharaoh, prince Atemu and Yugi, having previously been told by Ma'at that it wasn't necessary for them to do so.

Disregarding the pharaoh and the crown prince who were considered gods made flesh, Masika had noticed that one other, the scales bearer had not knelt and she was pissed, she had to kneel so why not a commoner? "This is blasphemy my goddess! Why does he not kneel?"

Ma'at sighed, she had wanted to wait to give Yugi and Atemu the news but in light of the fact that the girl had gotten on her last nerve and that she had continued to upset Yugi, (although he hadn't shown it) she wanted a little payback on Yugi's behalf. Ma'at walked over to Aknamkanon and whispered, "Would you mind terribly if I announced the marriage contracts now?"

"Why now?" Aknamkanon whispered back.

"That girl has gotten my back up with her constant attacks on Yugi, I think that maybe a little payback is in order, besides." Ma'at grinned, "I would like her to witness their joy and learn, albeit to late, just what true love is."

Aknamkanon looked at her and returned the grin "I think my goddess that that is an excellent idea."

Atemu frowned he wasn't sure but he swore that he could see strong feelings of affection developing between his father and the goddess Ma'at.

Ma'at looking at the girl said, "I have an announcement to make and after I have done so I believe it will answer all of your questions."

"She's going to do it isn't she?" Osiris asked

Ra sighed, "I'm afraid so."

Osiris laughed, "So old friend who's going down there to reinforce the declaration?"

Ra looked at him hopefully "Hey don't look at me." He said waving his hands in front of him and backing up "Lord of the underworld and husband of Isis remember."

Ra groaned, "Then I have no choice."

Osiris laughed "Way to go." He added the word 'dad' as he dashed out of the room, Ra narrowed his eyes and smirked 'I'll get you for that' he thought as he readied himself to appear before the pharaoh and his court to reinforce Ma'at's words.