Just to let you know, I'll be gone this weekend, so I won't be able to update again until Sunday sometime. I'll try to write a few chapters while I'm gone, but I make no promises.
Chapter 24- Marry Me?
"They did what?!" Yami shouted.
Atemu cringed at the volume that his brother's voice had taken. "Now, Yami. Calm down." Atemu said, hoping to avoid any bloodshed.
"Why the hell should I calm down? Those idiots did something that has caused Yuugi to threaten to go back to live with their grandfather." Yami said.
"Actually, she said that she was going back, and she plans to leave at the end of this week." Anzu out in.
Atemu death-glared at Anzu. He knew that things were bad enough with her adding in everything else.
"So she is going back? What the hell did they do to cause her to make this decision?" Yami demanded.
Atemu sighed. "In all honesty, Yami, I think that Yuugi has just gotten sick of all of these pranks that they have been playing on her lately, and she finally just snapped yesterday. I guess Yuugi was more upset by the pranks than we thought she was." Atemu said.
"She said that she was continuously humiliated by these pranks, and I think that she finally just reached the point that she was sick of them." Anzu said.
Atemu sent her another glare. He has just said that, and he knew that Anzu was just adding wood to the fire. "Anzu. Leave." Atemu growled.
"Why? She's my friend, too, and I think that something should have been done before now anyway." Anzu stated.
"You're making matters worse." Atemu hissed.
"Atemu, I think that Heba and the others did that on their own." Yami said.
Atemu sighed. "I know that they went way too far with this, Yami, and I honestly did not think that they would let the pranks get this out of hand." Atemu said.
Yami glared at him. "Atemu, Yuugi might be leaving very soon, and if she does end up leaving, I swear that your husband is the first one that I am going to come after, and there is nothing that is going to stop me from killing every one of them." Yami said.
"Yami, I know that Heba and the others know that they went too far, and I do know that they feel really bad about all this. They just don't know how to go about making things right between them." Atemu said.
Yami growled. "Atemu, they had better figure out how to make things up to her because if she does leave, all of them are going to die." Yami said. With that said, he stormed out of the room.
"I think that Heba and the others are in a bit of trouble." Anzu said.
Atemu glared at Anzu. "You just made things a lot worse. Did you have to input everything that you did?" Atemu asked.
"Atemu, Yami needed to know exactly what they did, and I didn't want him not knowing anything." Anzu said.
"Anzu, I did tell him everything. The only thing that you really did was reiterate everything that I said, and you really made Yami angry by doing that." Atemu said.
"Well, Yami deserves to be angry considering what those idiots have caused." Anzu said.
"Anzu, I don't deny that what Heba and the others did was wrong, and I also admit that I should have put a stop to all of these pranks long before now, but the fact remains that making Yami even angrier than he already is not going to make Yuugi want to stay. In fact, I'm not sure that anything that is said is going to convince Yuugi to stay." Atemu said.
"Are you making excuses for them?" Anzu asked.
"No. In fact, I haven't even begun to let Heba have it, and believe me, I intend to, but do me a favor, and do not say anything else to Yami. He is angry enough without you making things even worse for him." Atemu said before he left the room.
"I'm just looking out for Yuugi, and there is no one that is going to stop me from protecting her when she needs it." Anzu said.
Yuugi was folding her clothes and putting them into her bags.
Mana sat on the bed, watching her with a sad face. "Are you really going to leave us?" Mana asked.
"Yes, Mana. I'm sorry, but I just can't take their pranks anymore. I have had to live with it since I was a little girl, and they have played pranks on me since I first came to the palace. That's been almost nine months, and I cannot take anymore pranks." Yuugi said.
"Why don't you just stay a little while longer? I'm sure that the pranks will end and then everything will be all right." Mana said.
Yuugi smiled at the young girl. "Mana, I appreciate your optimism, but I'm afraid that there is nothing that is going to convince me to stay. I have made my decision, and you aren't going to change it." Yuugi said.
"I just wish that you wouldn't leave. I like having you around. It gives me someone to hang out with since no one else usually has the time to spend with me." Mana said.
Yuug looked at her. "Mana, you have your training with Mahado to keep you busy." Yuugi said.
"I know, but when I don't have to train, everyone else is usually busy, and I am left on my own. Since you're here, that actually gives me someone to hang out with when I have that time." Mana explained.
"Mana, I am sure that you will be all right. You don't need me to have fun." Yuugi said.
"But you're more fun to be around than most people. Any other lady that is here wants nothing to do with someone like me because they think that I am below them on the social scale and don't want anything to do with me because of that. Plus, you know how to have fun when all the other ladies want to do is increase their status." Mana said.
"Well, I am certain that you will find someone who will play with you regardless of that fact. Mana, you have a lot of friends here who I know will love to be around you." Yuugi said as she continued to pack her things.
"What about Yami?" Mana asked.
Yuugi halted in her packing for the first time since she started. "What about him?" Yuugi asked softly.
"Yuugi, you two have been together for a while now. I know that you don't like all the pranks that Heba and the others have been playing on you, but Yami's going to miss you if you leave. You're all he talks about when he can't be with you." Mana said.
'Only because he has to. He's found someone else.' Yuugi thought. Aloud, she said, "Mana, you don't need to worry about that. That is something that Yami and I will talk about when we wish to." Yuugi said.
"But you're leaving at the end of the week. Shouldn't you talk to him now?" Mana asked.
Yuugi was certain that Yami knew about her decision by now, and she was also certain that he would be here soon to confront her. 'I just wonder what he's going to say.' Yuugi thought.
There was a sudden rapid succession of knocks on the door.
'That's him.' Yuugi thought. "Come in." Yuugi called.
The door opened, and Yami walked in. He had calmed down considerably from his talk with Atemu and had decided that he needed to talk to Yuugi himself.
The sight of the packed and half-packed bags told Yami that Yuugi wasn't joking when she had said that she was going back to live with her grandfather.
Noticing Mana, Yami said, "Mana, I'd like to talk to Yuugi alone."
Mana nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her.
"Hi, Yami." Yuugi said.
"Don't 'hi' me. What's this I hear about you leaving?" Yami asked.
"I decided that I'm going to live with my grandfather. He needs someone to live there with him, so I'm going back." Yuugi said.
"Yuugi, I know that this is about what Heba and the others have been doing. Why didn't you just tell me that it was upsetting you so much that they were playing so many tricks on you?" Yami asked.
Yuugi sighed. "I know that you have a lot that is expected of you, and I didn't want to bother you." Yuugi said. She had continued with her packing.
Yami walked over to her and took Yuugi by her arms, turning her to him. "Yuugi, you know that I wouldn't have minded you coming to me. If they were upsetting you, you could have come to me." Yami said.
Yuugi sighed. "Yami, I thought that if I stopped playing pranks back at them that they would eventually get the hint and stop, but they didn't. In fact, the pranks started tog et worse, so I decided to stop letting myself get humiliated." Yuugi said.
"Humiliated?" Yami asked.
"Yami, whether they realized it or not, I was. I hear what the servants and some of the nobles say. Usually, it doesn't bother me, but it cut deep when they would talk about how gullible I was, how stupid I looked, or how funny it was. Yami, those things do hurt, and I was sick of being the one who was talked about like that." Yuugi said.
"Yuugi, if you would have just told me then I would have made sure that all of that stopped." Yami said.
"What could you do? It's not like you had the power to make sure the servants didn't say anything. They talk when no one is listening, and things get around the palace." Yuugi said.
"Yuugi, you don't need to leave. I don' want you to. I know that this upsets you, but Heba and the others will stop their pranks." Yami said.
"Yami, it's not that simple. I just don't think that I can stay here now. I need to get away." Yuugi said.
"Yuugi, will you at least think about this. No one in the palace really wants you to leave, least of all me. Please, just think about it." Yami said.
Yuugi sighed. "All right, Yami. I'll think about it at least." Yuugi said. 'Although I'm not sure that it matters right now.'' Yuugi thought.
"Good. I'll come back here to get you for dinner." Yami said.
"Yami, you don't need to come and get me. I know my way to the dining hall." Yuugi said.
"Actually, I have something special planned for us tonight. We'll be eating alone tonight." Yami said.
"Oh. Okay." Yuugi agreed. 'I guess he's planning on breaking things off tonight.' Yuugi thought.
"Good. I'll come and get you, and please do reconsider leaving." Yami said.
Yuugi nodded.
Yami leaned down and kissed her passionately. "I have to go. I'll see you later." Yami said.
Yuugi nodded as Yami left. Yuugi's hand drifted up to her lips. 'Yami's kisses haven't been that passionate lately. That one real passionate.' Yuugi thought. She turned and walked out onto her balcony. 'I wonder if maybe I'm wrong about everything.' Yuugi thought.
"Atemu, I hope that you have a good explanation for why Yuugi has suddenly decided to leave as a result of your husband's actions along with the others?" Aknankanon asked.
"Father, before you start, I had no idea that they planned this prank." Atemu said.
"What did they do?' Amara questioned.
"Well, as near as I can tell, they made her trip so that's he fell into mud." Atemu said.
"That's harmless so why has she chosen to leave the palace?' Aknankanon demanded.
"Well, I think that she is sick of all the pranks, and that one is just the one that finally made her snap." Atemu said.
"Atemu, if Yuugi does end up leaving, I can assure you that you are not going to like it." Aknankanon said.
"Yami planned to ask Yuugi to marry him tonight. If Yuugi does end up leaving and your brother ends up unhappy, then we are going to hold them all personally responsible, and you're not going to be able to get them out of trouble this time." Amara said.
"I know, Mother, and I understand." Atemu said. He left his parents alone.
"Yuugi is a very good person, and I think that she would be wonderful as Yami's wife. I swear that if she leaves as result of their idiocy, they are not going to like it." Aknankanon said.
Amara took his hand. "Don't worry about it, Aknankanon. I am sure that things will work out although, I think that Heba and the others need to be talked to, but that should wait for now." Amara said.
"All right." Aknankanon agreed.
Yuugi stood dressed in a pale blue dress with sleeves that came to the middle of her upper arms. She also wore gold bracelets and gold earrings that Yami liked. She was also wearing the scarab necklace. 'I hope that getting dressed up like this isn't for nothing.' Yuugi thought.
There was a knock on Yuugi's door.
Yuugi went and opened the door to find Yami on the other side.
"Coming?" Yami asked.
Yuugi nodded and walked outside, shutting the door behind her.
Yami took Yuugi's hand in his and started to walk down the hall.
'I hope that this will convince Yuugi not to go. I really don't want to lose her.' Yami thought.
'I wonder what Yami is going to tell me. I'm not sure that I will be able to handle it if he's breaking things off with me.' Yuugi thought.
Yami lead Yuugi down the hall and into another room.
The room was beautifully lit. There were several candles lit on the table and gave the room a soft romantic glow. There was food set out on the table. Yuugi noticed that they were all her favorites.
"Yami, what is all this?" Yuugi asked.
"Our dinner of course." Yami answered.
"Yami, you would have had to have the cook specially fix this." Yuugi said.
"He was glad to do it for us." Yami answered.
"Why did you do this?" Yuugi asked.
"I have my reasons, but I wanted to make this real special for us." Yami said.
Yuugi blushed lightly. "Okay." Yuugi said.
Yami smiled at her. "Come on." He took her by the hand and led her over to the table. He pilled out a chair and motioned for her to sit in it.
Yuugi did, and Yami pushed the chair in before he went and sat down in his chair.
"All right, Yami. Enough of the secrets. What's this all about?" Yuugi asked.
"Yuugi, this is the celebrate the fact that you and I have been together for six months." Yami explained.
"Oh. You remembered that?" Yuugi asked.
"Of course I did. That's not something that I would forget." Yami answered.
Yuugi blushed. "You didn't have to do all of this, you know." Yuugi said.
"I know, but I wanted to. Now eat." Yami urged.
Yuugi smiled, and the two started to eat. They talked about small things.
When they were through, Yami got up. "Yuugi, there's something that I want to ask you." Yami said.
"What?" Yuugi asked, rather curious.
"Yuugi, you and I have been together for six months, and you're the only woman that I have ever been with that has not tried to throw herself at me just to become queen. You care about me, not my title." Yami said. He pulled the ring out of the brown bag and said, "Yuugi, will you marry me?"
Yuugi gasped in shock. Of all the things that's he had thought he would say, that was the last thing that she expected. "Are you serious?" Yuugi asked.
"Of course I am. There is no one else that I would want to spend my life with." Yami said.
Yuugi's eyes watered. "Yes, I will marry you." Yuugi said.
Yami's eyes lit up with joy as he pulled her into a tight. "Tanks you, Yuugi. You have no idea how worried I was that you would say no." Yami said.
"Why would I" Yuugi asked.
"I don't know. Atemu's been helping me set all this up for the past week." Yami said.
"You've had Atemu's help. Is that why you haven't had much time for me?" Yuugi asked.
Yami nodded.
Yuugi suddenly burst into a fit of giggled.
Yami blinked, confused. "Um, Yuugi, what's so funny?" Yami asked.
"Oh, Yami. I think that I owe you the biggest apology in the world." Yuugi said.
"For what?" Yami asked.
"The truth is that I began to wonder of maybe you had grown tired of me and found someone else, and that was why you didn't have time.' Yuugi said.
Yami took Yuugi by her arm and pulled her up. "Yuugi, there is no one that could ever compare to you where my heart is concerned. You have nothing to fear." Yami assured her.
Yuugi smiled. "I know, and I'm sorry I doubted you. It's just that I found out you had lied about where you would be a few times, and I guess it made me worry." Yuugi said.
"I'm sorry. I promise that I will never lie again." Yami assured her.
"Good.' Yuugi said.
"Yuugi, are you still going to leave?" Yami asked.
"I'll go to see Grandfather and stay a week to tell him, but I think that I'll stay here, although Heba and the others have to stop their antics." Yuugi said.
Yami smirked. "How about we teach them a lesson that they won't forget. We'll have to let Mother and Father in on it and the council and priests." Yami said.
"What is it?" Yuugi asked.
"Something that is going to make them give up their fancy for playing pranks, so that they will leave you alone once and for all." Yami said.
"Okay. I'll go along. What is it?" Yuugi asked.
Yami quickly told her his plan.
"Yami, that's a great idea." Yuugi said.
"Good. I was hoping that you would like it." Yami said. He noticed the scarab and said, "You won't be needing this now." He took the scarab from around her neck.
"Why don't I need it?" Yuugi asked.
"You only wear the scarab while we're courting. The ring is a symbol of our engagement. There will be a ball held in honor of our engagement." Yami said.
"Another ball?" Yuugi asked.
Yami nodded. "Yuugi, at the ball, Father will give you the circlet that you will wear until we're married. Once we're married, you'll be given a crown instead. While we're still engaged, you'll wear the circlet at all times." Yami said.
"So, the circlet is the same thing as the necklace, it just has greater meaning." Yuugi said.
"Pretty much. I don't know when father will have the a ball, but I'll ask if it can wait while we're playing this trick on them." Yami said.
"Well, I just hope that it'll get them out of their pranks. After all, it has grown tiresome to have to deal with it every day." Yuugi said.
"Still, I wish you would have told me that it was upsetting you." Yami said.
"I know. From now on, I'll tell you when something is bothering me." Yuugi promised him.
"Good. I'll deal with anyone who makes you upset from now on." Yami said.
"Yami, maybe I had better not wear the ring right now." Yuugi said.
"Why not?" Yami asked.
"Because to pull this prank you have dreamed up off, Heba and the others can't know we're engaged. I'll just keep wearing the scarab, but have the ring with me." Yuugi said.
"Good idea. You can wear the ring when we go to see your grandfather." Yami said.
Yuugi nodded.
"So, she's really going back?" Heba asked.
Atemu nodded. "That's what Father said. Yuugi and Yami are going to your grandfather's home tomorrow. Yami wanted to go to make sure that she got there safely." Atemu answered.
"What's going to happen to them?" Jou asked.
"We don't know. I guess that's something that Yuugi and Yami will talk about there." Seth said.
"I can't believe this! This is all your fault!" Anzu exclaimed.
"We know. We messed up, and we're sorry." Malik said.
"Sorry doesn't fix this." Eternias said.
"Maybe Mana and Yami can convince Yuugi to come back." Yue said.
"Mana's going?" Ryou asked.
"Yes. Yuugi asked Mahado if she could come, and he said yes. I think that Mana's become very attached to her and doesn't really want to see her leave, so Man's going, too." Eternias said.
"We really messed this up." Bakura said.
"You think?" Seth asked.
"So, are you two set?" Aknankanon asked.
"Yes, Father." Yami answered.
"Thank you for helping us with this." Yuugi said.
"Glad to. Maybe they'll stop the pranks or at least know when to stop after this." Amara said.
"You'll handle everything from this end?" Yami asked.
"Of course. Give Solomon our best." Aknankanon said.
"We will. We'll see you again in a week." Yami said.
Yami and Yuugi left the room.
"Do you think this will work?" Amara asked.
"I don't know, but if it doesn't, I'm making pranks illegal." Aknanaknon said.
Amara laughed.
"I'm serious. Enough is enough." Aknankanon said.
Amara shook her head. 'At least Yuugi will be Yami's wife. Egypt will have a good queen when she is the queen when Yami is pharaoh.' Amara thought.
Yami and Yuugi left the Mutou house the next day.
Okay. The point in this chapter was to get Yuugi and Yami engaged.
The next chapter will have Heba and the others agonozing over Yuugi leaving and Yuugi announcing her engagement to Yami.
R&R.