Most Loyal Servant
Pegasus waited till the uniformed chauffeur had opened the door to the black stretched limo before stepping out then turned to extend his hand to Latoya to help her out. Taking his hand Latoya stepped out as well dressed in a simple white sundress with her long black hair loose at her shoulders. Smiling Latoya thanked the chauffeur for the lovely ride and excellent driving before looking around the busy area in wonder at the differences time had wrought to the world. Noticing the blush edging up the young man's cheeks Pegasus sent the boy a hard look that had the boy paling and with a hint of a stutter the boy asked if he was to remain here to wait or pick them up elsewhere. "You'll wait here until I tell you different." Pegasus said shortly and waited till the chauffeur had quickly nodded and gotten back into the limo before turning to speak to Latoya. "Ready to go in?"
"Of course I am. You scared that poor boy, you can be quite intimidating, Master Pegasus." Latoya said with a hint of a smirk to go with her usual sunny expression. "You would have been a demanding and prosperous land owner in my time I'm sure given the chance. You were made to command and rule I think even if that wasn't originally in your nature. It is as much a part of you as the will to breath air through your lungs now even though at heart it is not so."
"And who am I at heart, Latoya?" Pegasus asked as he raised an eyebrow questioningly. He could have easily used his Eye to see what she really though but he knew she would always give him the truth as it was not in her nature to lie as he'd found out. Plus it seemed wrong to use the power of the Eye on her though it had never bothered him before.
"A good person, Master." Latoya said with a smile before turning to look over the shop her pharaoh worked in. "A game store..how fitting for my pharaoh. He loved games but was so often bogged down with other tasks that he rarely had the chance to play even though he would still win no matter how long it had been since his last time playing it. There were few who could even begin to match him, even less who could ever beat him on occasion. Only his sister and the Dragon Master, the High Priest."
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"You admire him a lot. He's always struck me as a serious and deadly opponent." Pegasus commented, the foreign feeling of jealousy creeping into his consciousness. He'd lost to Yami and she held her pharaoh in the highest regard it would seem.
"It's true that he could be merciless but by his nature he was merciful." Latoya said with fondness ringing clear in her voice. "Too often those who find themselves in power abuse it and others suffer greatly as a result of their ruler's indifference. Neither my pharaoh nor his father ever abused their power and always did what they thought best for the kingdom and not themselves even when the opportunity presented its self. Anyone can be a ruler of something, they were truly kings among the common man."
"Well we should be going in." Pegasus said a bit more severe then he'd intended making Latoya send him a questioning look even as she took the arm he offered, the two heading to the open door and into the store. Looking around Pegasus saw the store hadn't changed much and seeing the youngest Kaiba coming towards him had to raise an eyebrow in surprise. Well, well..how would big brother react if he knew, Pegasus thought with a hint of a smirk, amused at the thought. "Mokuba, a pleasure always to see you."
"Yeah and as always the pleasure is all yours. How may I help you today? If you've come to play cards no one here's interested in playing." Mokuba said with resentment and dislike plainly on his young face as he scowled at Pegasus darkly. He hadn't forgotten who had sealed him into a card nor who had caused his family a lot of grief and trouble, nearly costing Mokuba his life and his brother's. He was not part of the Pegasus fan club that was for sure.
"We're here to see Yami. Get him please won't you." Pegasus said in a pleasant voice, not at all surprised by the cold welcome though it did surprise him that it would appear the young boy was working here. My, my but it would appear that Seto was getting soft in his old age if he was allowing Mokuba to hang around with Yami.
"Stay here and I'll see if he wants to see you." Mokuba said with a belligerent look as he turned around and weaved through some aisles before disappearing from sight. Returning shortly with Yami and the gang at their heels Mokuba pointed to where Pegasus stood looking at a card display. "There he is. There was a girl with him too but I don't see her."
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"Pegasus you wanted to...that face." Yami said as another person came into his line of vision. Turning to face her as he completely ignored Pegasus Yami stared hard at the girl who stared back at him with joy radiating on her beautiful face. Slowly bits and pieces filtered in and a name formed on the tip of his tongue. "Latoya."
"Yes, my pharaoh." Latoya said walking forward before dropping to her knees then leaning forward with her hands in front of her and her head bowed in respect. "Long life and good health to you, my most worthy and merciful pharaoh. It is my great honor to have been given the honor of returning to serve you once more."
"By the Gods..LATOYA!" Yami said and this time his voice rang with joy of his own as he took a few steps then dropped to his own knees, sliding his hands on either of her cheeks to gently lift her head up to look at him. "It is you, it's really is you. But how? How is this possible?" Yami wanted to know then not caring let go of her face and wrapping his arms around her waist pulled her against him, hugging her tightly as he buried his face in her neck. "It is you. You've come back to life."
"I was never dead, my pharaoh, only waiting to return for a long time." Latoya said as she gently stroked her pharaoh's head affectionately. "It is a very long story I have to tell you but you always enjoyed a lengthy tale."
"Ah, Yami..who is this?" Tristan asked, asking the question on everyone's mind. He could practically see the steam coming out of Tea's ears for that matter and as much as he liked a good cat fight this one wasn't likely to end well at all.
"This, Tristan is Latoya, she was my father's personal healer in Egypt and my personal advisor and dear friend." Yami said as he got to his feet, helping Latoya get to hers before turning to face his friend's with Latoya's hand firmly in his own as if he feared she would disappear if he didn't hold on. "Latoya, these are my friends Tristan, Joey, Mokuba and my..girlfriend Tea." Yami said, not quite sure what the Ancient Egyptian translation would be for the term girlfriend. He didn't think there was one that wasn't unflattering to Tea. "And wait a minute..did you come here with Pegasus?" Yami demanded to know, suddenly making the connection and feeling more then a touch weary now.
"It is my great honor to meet you all and I hope that we may become friends as well." Latoya said with a small bow, radiating good will as she squeezed her pharaoh's hand, so glad that he hadn't changed from the man she remembered. His eyes were the same but happier which made her even happier. "And yes I did come with Master Pegasus. Without him I wouldn't be here at all."
"Part of your very long story?" Yami asked with a considering look towards Pegasus who returned the look just as coolly. When she nodded Yami nodded back. "Then may I suggest we go upstairs, sit down and hear the whole thing."
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Once everyone was comfortably seated and Yami told her to begin Latoya nodded and began to tell the story her pharaoh had asked to hear. "After you were sacrificed to the Millennium Puzzle there was great discord throughout the lands, my pharaoh. Even though you had left instructions that your mother was to take over the rulings of the land until such time as your father was able or a more appropriate ruler could be found since you had ruled Rameses unfit to rule. Most were loyal and remained so to your decree but others felt that a woman ruler would lead us all to ruin and that another must be found to replace her before that happened. Rameses sensed their weaknesses and offered them great wealth and prosperity if they would align themselves with him in his intention to take the throne from the Queen. Much fighting broke out and due to the terror and destruction Rameses was causing the Queen had no choice but to let him take the throne rather then let him destroy it. She made a deal that those staff and such that were loyal to her were to come with her and the rest of the royal family to one of the other estates...the shock of what Rameses had done was too much for your father and he passed away shortly before Rameses ascended the throne." Latoya said softly, taking Yami's hand as the pharaoh lowered his head, hiding his grief behind closed lids. "He went peacefully...and he lived a good life."
"I knew I should have killed him, I knew it but I let him live." Yami said more to himself then to anyone else, his hands in fists at his side. "I could see the evilness within him but for father's sake I let him live and father died as a result."
"You're father had been dying since you were no more then a boy and you know that. Whatever it was that plagued him throughout his life..it was slowly killing him anyway and perhaps in a way his dying when he did was for the best for things only got worse after that." Latoya said as a shadow came over her face. "It would have killed him to see what became of your kingdom."
"Rameses wouldn't have let the rest of the family live..especially since he knew that the people would try to overthrow him once they realized what kind of leader he would be. Unlike me killing a sibling would be nothing to him but the removal of a stain from his hands." Yami said, looking up with eyes that were fierce and dark with the thirst for revenge against his brother who had already died so long ago. "He would have gone after mother and Sirus especially as they were his greatest threats. Tell me what happened to them, Latoya..are their deaths on my head as well?"
"Not on yours, Yami." Tea said as she took his other hand, squeezing it gently as she laid her head on his shoulder in a show of comfort. "Nothing that happened was your fault. Don't blame yourself for something you had no part of. That makes no sense and you know it. They wouldn't want you to blame yourself either."
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"Your lady speaks true, pharaoh. The fate of your mother and Prince Sirus was not so grim that you need mourn them." Latoya said in a comforting tone as she smiled at him and Tea who Latoya liked so far though she would withhold judgment for now. "It is true that Rameses decided to have the rest of the family taken care of and executed but we learned of the plot, my pharaoh and made plans to escape. But we were betrayed and so Rameses and his soldiers came in as we were trying to leave, a fight broke out. Loyal soldiers and servants got in their way which allowed your mother to escape with the children along with several other servants and soldiers." Latoya said encouragingly, though her thoughts were on the young price Moses at the moment. Only a boy of twelve he had fought and died to hold the soldiers off so that his mother and younger siblings could escape. His face would always haunt her as she recalled holding him to her breast as she comforted him as he passed from this world to the next. Rameses wouldn't even give his own brother a proper burial and she didn't know what had become of the boy's body. She could only pray that the Gods had taken pity on the boy and led him on to the next life where his father could take care of him. But she would not tell her pharaoh about his brother's fate, she would bear that burden alone for him. "Prince Sirus was captured as well but his fate was the same as mine while your mother escaped with the children."
"Sirus is alive somewhere? Where?" Yami demanded to know, leaping from his seat all set to head off and find his little brother. He would protect his brother as he should have done before and every second he was remembering more as though seeing Latoya had thrown on a light switch. He could recall Suna, his mother in his heart as he had lost his own at a young age so that she was barely a memory. He recalled the faces of his siblings and his father and he could clearly picture Ri..his sister. He remembered her now even though his time with her was vague.
"He is not yet in this world in the way I am, Pharaoh. I shall get to that though so sit down so I may continue." Waiting till he was once again seated Latoya nodded in satisfaction then continued with her tale. "When Sirus was captured along with the remaining soldiers he was forced to watch his loyal men executed before him and then he was brought before Rameses who wished to have the pleasure of killing him, his own brother. He drew his sword and lifted it above his head only to find your sword through his stomach as was fitting. Freya had learned of what was going on and had followed, risking her life to protect Sirus in your steed when she drove the blade through his gut to insure a long and painful death."
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"Freya did that? But why would she do such a thing? She never liked Rameses of course but she could have easily escaped herself and found employment elsewhere though I left her a very wealthy woman. Why would she risk the life she valued most above everything and everyone..her own." Yami said in surprise, not quite sure what to think about this latest turn of events. Selfless acts were not something Freya had ever entertained doing much less actually going about it in all the time he'd known her. What had possessed her to do such a thing? Killing Rameses would have meant sure death whether he lived or not so where was the motive and reason behind her actions?
"Who's this Freya?" Tea wanted to know since she didn't like the sound of this at all. First of all there weren't a lot of jobs for women back then and those that were paying jobs weren't ones ladies took. Not to mention Yami saying he'd left her a wealthy woman.
"She was the head of my harem..my mistress I guess you would call her." Yami said absently, not even thinking about the impact of his words as he was too busy trying to think of something that would have driven his decidedly selfish and sly mistress to do something like this. Unless someone had paid her of course. There wasn't much Freya wouldn't do if it benefited her financially.
"Wow, man. You had a harem..like in the movies?" Joey said looking thoroughly impressed at the idea or at least he did till he found Tristan's elbow in his gut. Turning to face Tristan with the intention of blasting him he saw Tristan motion over to Tea and looking over there Joey felt a stab of regret since Tea was unusually white and looked more then a little unhappy with Yami and Joey's statement. "What I mean is..uhm..what do I mean, Tristan?"
"Idiot." Tristan muttered under his breath then tried to figure out how to make Yami comfort Tea without telling him to.
Catching on Latoya rushed in to help. "Freya was given to the pharaoh as a gift on the day he ascended the throne. Pharaohs are expected to have a harem and it was common practice for female slaves and servants to be given to him in ploys to gain his favor. The pharaoh never took a Queen."
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"Good to know that I didn't forget something like that but I still don't know why Freya did what she did. I knew her best and she didn't do anything unless she got something out of it that made it worth the effort." Yami said then nearly winced when Latoya dug her nails into his hand in a decidedly painful grip. Looking at her questioningly Yami finally clued into the hole he'd dug himself into since Latoya wouldn't even look at him but was looking at Tea. Oh boy, had he ever screwed up there. Turning his head to face Tea Yami could see that his casual statement had hurt her deeply and feeling lower then a desert beetle lifted her hand to his lips for a kiss. "Freya was simply my mistress and though I was fond of her she meant no more to me then many of my other servants. She had neither your heart nor your character and pales in comparison, Tea. If she were to walk through that door right now she would cease to be anything to me but a former employee."
"Actually she could walk through that door though since it's her saunter would likely be a better word for it." Latoya said with a considering look, smirking when everyone looked towards the door automatically before looking back at her. "Let's just hope she doesn't arrive wearing what she was wearing when we were trapped in the cards..otherwise she'll get arrested since Master Pegasus said you get arrested for going topless in this time period."