Author's Notes: I am so sorry for what you are about to read. This chapter, slightly rewritten from the original I had wrote some time ago, doesn't accomplish everything that I wished it did. I am also so sorry for the content within this chapter, I know it will be a particularly difficult one to read as our beloved couple goes through more hell and anguish as a result of the Pharaoh. I am very appreciative to every one who has kept up with this story and reviewed or followed. It means a great deal to me. Thanks again! Only one chapter left to go...although I might do a prologue... Eh. We shall see.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!
The door suddenly swung open, revealing a huddled Akefia in the midst of his dark confines.
"Get up," a voice yelled harshly.
Akefia slowly acknowledged the voice by opening his eyes, squinting in the direction of the light, but unable to do much of anything else.
Suddenly he was hoisted up by two guards and dragged out of the cell and into the hall.
Realizing that it must have been days in confinement, Akefia felt extremely weak and with all of the time he had been given to reflect on Amunet, it had only brought him more pain and despair.
Wondering if he would either be tortured or put to death now, the guards dragged him up a small flight of stone stairs, his legs scraping against the jagged edges which he barely noticed. The aching in his heart was the only overwhelming suffering that he could concentrate on.
"She has made you weak. If you never came to rescue her, you would still be free,"
Akefia could only groan in recognition of the voice.
"You should have left her to die, Akefia…"
As the guards dragged him down another hall similar to the one on the floor below, he heard a cell door open up ahead.
"The Pharaoh has organized a little reunion for you. He's asked that you take advantage of your time together since you'll be put to death in the morning," the guard sneered as Akefia was thrown into the cell roughly, his hands still bound in front of him barely breaking his fall. Akefia barely registered the words the guard spoke as he lifted his head slowly in the direction of the light. The door was shut swiftly behind him and the sounds of footsteps grew more distant as Akefia struggled to get up. The cell had a small barred window towards the ceiling, and Akefia saw that it was very late at night. It would only be a few hours before the sun would begin to peek out. As his eyes roamed the otherwise empty cell, something in the far corner had caught his attention. He crawled to get a better view, and realized with horror, that the small mass in front of him was Amunet.
"Amunet," he croaked out, his eyes adjusting to the darkness where she remained.
His bonded hands reached out to her face and stroked a bruised, dirty cheek. It was cold. Akefia grabbed her face the best that he could while calling her name out repeatedly.
"Please, Amunet," he whispered, noticing that she was barely breathing.
"A..kef…ia.." her cracked voice managed to get out.
Akefia could have cried at the sight of Amunet opening her eyes and leaning her head heavily into his touch. Her lips curled into a weak smile as she swallowed, an attempt to moisten her throat. She studied his face for a moment, licking her lips and swallowing once more.
"We haven't much time," she spoke, so softly that Akefia barely heard her.
Akefia, grateful that she was still alive, took in the delicate features that were now riddled with dirt, bruises, and specks of blood. As he looked down the rough and blood stained material covering her body, he stopped at her stomach, his hands falling back into his lap. Looking down, Akefia saw that he was kneeling in a large pool of dried blood that circled Amunet's small frame. Their eyes met and Amunet also looked down, telling him everything that he needed to know in that moment.
She shifted slightly, earning a gasp of pain from her slightly parted lips, but continued her attempt to grab Akefia's hands.
"He took them from me," Amunet whispered slow and painfully, tears forming in her line of vision.
Akefia's brows furrowed in confusion as he moved closer to Amunet's shivering body and put his arms over her in an attempt to hold her despite his hands being tied together.
"Them?" Akefia asked.
A still moment passed between them, Amunet continued to shiver involuntarily but practically melted into Akefia's warmer body. Finally, Akefia felt Amunet straighten up in order to speak.
"There was a boy and a girl," she whispered, the nightmare coming back to her in full force.
"I said stay still!" Aknadin roared at a screaming Amunet.
She was no longer tied up and in the air, but near the corner of her cell on her back while Aknadin pried her legs open once more.
"I see we're ready," he said before maniacally laughing and pulling a stillborn out of Amunet. She screamed in agony as she felt another contraction and knew that she wasn't done.
"Ah, no wonder you were so large. Twins are no ordinary feat," Aknadin spoke, amused at the scene before him.
She tried to glance at the baby that was now laying on the dirty stone floor, but Aknadin's hands elicited another terrified scream out of Amunet as he helped coax her body into pushing out another stillborn baby.
"The Pharaoh will be pleased at how many lives he will have ended with the capture of your little family," he said, emphasizing the last two words with ironic detachment.
Amunet wept deliriously, but despite the agony she attempted to grab the babies from Aknadin's clutches.
Aknadin laughed at her feeble attempt before picking them up by their legs and leaving Amunet alone.
As Aknadin walked down the hallway, clutching his trophies, Amunet felt a spark of energy that she had not felt in some time and suddenly screamed,
"AKNADIN! I WILL KILL YOU AND BANISH YOU AND YOUR KING TO THE SHADOWS FOR ALL ETERNITY! MARK MY WORDS, YOUR KING'S REIGN IS OVER IN TWO DAYS!"
Aknadin paused, astonished at the fear that was now surging through his frame.
Unbeknownst to Amunet, the other guardians of the Millennium Items, who had not been too far from Amunet's cell, heard her screams and looked at each other with obvious trepidation. The guardian of the Millennium Necklace walked away from the others, clearly disturbed by the sounds coming from the cell and in that moment, resolving to commit some light treason.
Amunet shifted in pain and buried her nose against Akefia's moist skin longingly.
"How long…have they…had you?" Amunet asked, her breathing suddenly more difficult.
Akefia breathed in her scent, missing everything about it and unable to control his anguish at the thought of her losing not one, but two children by herself.
"Days," he finally responded, holding her as tightly as he could without causing her more discomfort.
"You need to eat," she said in a pained whisper.
Knowing that they had Akefia for such a long period in confinement in order to weaken him, Amunet had not much to offer him. She was also aware of the guards taking Akefia in a few hours to have him escorted into the desert and walk to his death. There was no hope for her, but knowing how quickly he would perish in the desert, she couldn't help but feel her chest ache at the thought of him starving.
"When they take you tomorrow into the desert, you will surely die within a few hours," she said weakly.
Akefia looked at her incredulously as she spoke, removing his arms from around her as she moved her hands to the top of the material covering her chest.
"They will have the wielder of the Millennium Ring and two guards escorting you into the desert. Which you will walk one mile until you collapse. You must pretend that you are dead and Mahad will check. That is when you will strike him down and take what is yours," she said quietly, her words coming out still slow and slightly choked. Amunet was now successfully removing the fabric from her chest, adding to Akefia's already confused state.
"Amunet-" he began, but was quickly silenced as he looked down at her bare breasts.
"Please, Akefia. It hurts.." she begged silently with her eyes.
Suddenly Akefia understood what she wanted him to do, although he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Please, Akefia," Amunet begged. "I can't bear the pain anymore," she said weakly, her eyes broken and riddled with despair.
Akefia clenched his fist and dropped his head down, ashamed of himself for allowing everything that had led to this moment to happen.
"But, Amunet,"
"They have starved you for a reason. If you can not eat from me to save your life, then do it to simply relieve me," Amunet said, her voice desperate as milk dribbled down her swollen chest.
Akefia wouldn't refuse Amunet anything, much less let her suffer a minute longer despite his hesitation in doing so.
Laying his head back on her lap, he gently held her breasts and began to milk her. Amunet winced initially, but after a moment had passed with only the sounds of him sucking to occupy the silence, she sighed in relief. Her eyes closed as she tried to reimagine this moment in her head with the babies that were now gone. Her heart ached at the thought and she opened her eyes and looked down to study Akefia's tired features. After some time had passed and Amunet felt the desperate need for Akefia to switch, she placed a hand on his forehead, stroking it slightly.
"The other one, my King," she said softly.
Their eyes met as Akefia began to suck on her other breast, producing another sigh of relief from Amunet who ran her fingers in his silvery locks affectionately.
She leaned back in the corner of the cell a little more, her face towards the ceiling and her eyes closed in painful contemplation.
Akefia wanted to ask her multiple questions, but didn't want to stop his gentle work. As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, Amunet's milk was sweet and soothing the ache in his stomach. Knowing that the milk he was drinking should have went to his newborn babies, Akefia could have cried at the thought and the guilt that consumed him as a result.
"Akefia," he suddenly heard his name, bringing him back to the woman he was nursing from.
"They will take you from me soon, and when they do, you must convince them you are close to death. Their guard will be down, but you must not act until you are at least a mile into the desert," she said, her words becoming softer the more she spoke.
"I love you," she said in a hushed whisper. "In this life and the next, I shall only serve you…" her words trailing off as her head slumped slightly to the side.
Akefia finished and covered her chest with the rough fabric before attempting to hold her once more. He noticed that when he had first started milking her that Amunet's temperature had dropped significantly. Her head fell onto his chest and he rested his chin on the top of her hair, moving his arms in a vain attempt to create heat.
"Amunet," he said, panic rising in his bones as he tried desperately to keep her awake.
Her hand fell to the top of his thigh and she gripped it weakly.
"Akefia…"