Hey everyone! Sorry for the extremely late update. Between traveling to Europe, Christmas, and school I've been swamped. But I finally got this done! Yay! Hope you all enjoy :D
Atem lay there astonished, not sure how to respond. This had to be a joke of some sort; obviously Seto was playing with his emotions again. Had this all just been a part of his game? Taking advantage of Atem's emotional state so that he could win their game? The prince had been so upset he hadn't even stopped to think of the potential motives behind the guardian's actions, or the consequences of what they had done. Mahad. The name that had escaped him since he came into this room suddenly resounded in his head. Gods, what had he done? "I have to leave…now," Atem said as he hastily re-dressed.
Seto sat up, a puzzled look on his face as he watched the prince rush to make himself presentable. There was a pain growing inside of him, a pain he had never felt before in his entire life. "I told you how I feel about you, and your response is to fly out of the room?" Seto asked, anger seeping into his voice.
Atem headed for the door and looked back at Seto coldly. "You cannot love anyone Seto. All you know how to do is play games and ruin the lives of everyone around you. That is why you are all alone!" He walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Mahad sat alone on a balcony overlooking the city, watching the sun dip below the horizon. He had skipped dinner; the thoughts in his head kept him from having any kind of appetite.
You must get Atem to see reason Mahad! You are his closest friend and he values your opinion. Help him to see that this marriage to Isis must take place for the sake of the kingdom.
The pharaoh had summoned Mahad after Atem's outburst and implored with him to speak with the prince. The magician had stayed calm as Aknamkanon spoke words that tore at his heart.
I will try my best, my pharaoh, to make the prince understand your will.
What he was actually going to say to Atem? Of that he was not yet sure. He had to do is duty to the pharaoh and to the kingdom. He knew a day would come when Atem had to be married. He had dreaded this day ever since he was young. It was something that was inevitable. But what about his duty to his prince? To himself? Atem clearly did not want to be married and Mahad didn't want him to be either. His deliberations came to an end when he heard someone behind him. He spun around and saw the prince standing there, looking as if he was going to be sick.
"My prince! Are you all right?" Mahad cried as he rushed over to Atem, embracing him. He could feel the other boy shaking. "Did your father send you to speak with me? If you are upset about your discussion earlier, I'm here to talk about it if you wish."
Atem looked up into the magician's gray eyes, the most painful guilt filling his whole body. "I just knew you would be out here…wait you know what my father and I talked about?" Atem asked, glad that they had something to talk about to distract him for a bit, even if it was this undesirable subject.
"Yes, he summoned me to discuss what had transpired. He wants me to convince you to go through with the marriage," he said very matter of factly. Even when it came to Atem, the magician couldn't disobey a direct order from the pharaoh. "It is for the sake of your family and your kingdom that this must take place. Without an heir your line will end and the kingdom will be in disarray over succession."
Atem backed away from the other boy and folded his arms. "You of all people are telling me this?" He eyed Mahad, knowing what he said were not his true feelings. "Why don't you tell me what you really think?" His steady amethyst gaze never wavered as he stood expecting an answer.
Mahad looked off into the sunset, absentmindedly playing with his millennium ring as he tried to delay the inevitable response. He was torn between what he wanted and what was best for Atem. Of course that wasn't really a decision. He was and would always be the prince's guardian, and what was best for Atem would always come first. "I am telling you what I think. It is my duty to look out for your interests my prince."
"You are so full of shit. I know you better than anyone and I know this is not what you want. This is not what I want. Don't you care about that at all? Even Seto understood my side of this!" Atem blurted out before he realized what he was saying.
"Seto? You confided in that arrogant bastard before you did me?" Mahad turned to face Atem, his smoky eyes narrowing in suspicion and anger.
Atem was a little taken aback; Mahad had never looked at him like that in his entire life. He suddenly felt the need to throw up defenses. "So what if I did? At least he agrees with me and understands me enough to know that this marriage is the last thing I need. He supports my decision!" He hadn't meant for it to sound like an attack, but it had. He saw how obviously hurt Mahad was at the words. Atem hated himself for hurting someone who meant so much to him at every turn. Mahad didn't deserve this; he deserved the truth. "I'm sorry…I should not have spoken to you like that."
Mahad's angry expression had become filled with pain. He sighed and leaned over the balcony, putting his head in his hands. "You're right. I don't want you to get married. You know what I want. I really…really love you, Atem, and if it was possible, I'd be with you instead of Isis. I was just trying to think of what was best for you. I'm sorry. If I had been a good friend you wouldn't have gone to someone else instead of me."
Atem couldn't take it anymore. Mahad was standing here apologizing to him. This wasn't right. "Please don't apologize to me. You have no idea what I've done." Tears started welling up in his eyes again. He had been crying an inordinate amount lately; it wasn't like him. Clearly his life was a mess.
Mahad looked up at the prince, seeing the look on Atem's face made him terrified to hear what he had to say. "I don't understand. What did you do?" he asked as his stomach knotted with apprehension.
Atem sighed as he tried to find the words to explain what had happened. "I was just so upset about my father and I happened to run into Seto as I was trying to get away. I didn't specifically go to him, he was just there and he actually understood. He was surprisingly compassionate. I don't know what happened. I guess I just got swept away."
Mahad began to understand what was going on and his eyes lit up in fury. "What happened, Atem?" he asked sternly.
"I…I had sex with him." Atem looked away and shut his eyes, not able to bear his best friend's reaction. He waited for the inevitable explosion, but instead he heard heavy footsteps. The prince looked up and saw Mahad storming away. "Wait, you don't think we should talk about this?" Atem yelled as he ran after him.
"Later. Right now I am going to kill Seto," he said coldly as he walked down the corridors, heading for court. He knew the guardians would all still be there, but he couldn't have cared less.
"Mahad, please don't do this! You are going to get yourself in trouble!" Atem pleaded as he followed the magician into the crowded room. Nothing he was saying was getting through to the other boy. Mahad was far too focused and emotional.
The magician strode over to the blue-clad guardian, who was off by himself. Something about Seto seemed very distant, almost lost. His eyes didn't have to same fire behind them that they always did. Through his rage Mahad didn't notice. In his blind hatred he walked up to Seto and smashed a fist into the side of his face. Everyone at court turned to look at the commotion, stunned at seeing the usually calm, collected magician lose his temper.
"What the fuck?" Seto growled as he held his throbbing cheek. He glared at Mahad with absolute loathing.
"I know what you did you disgusting, egotistical piece of shit!" Mahad shouted as he tried to land another punch.
Seto was able to dodge this next blow and countered by punching the magician directly in the ribs, causing Mahad to double over in pain. "When it comes to a physical contest you know I'm better than you. In more ways than one," he said with a smirk.
That was the last straw. Mahad rushed forward and tackled Seto to the ground. "I'm going to kill you, you bastard!" He hit Seto as hard as he could over and over, not caring or even noticing the crowd gathered around him.
Seto grabbed Mahad and rolled over, the other boy now pinned to the ground. The two of them continued to fiercely brawl and Atem stood by watching in horror, knowing he could do nothing to stop them.
"Stop this nonsense at once!"
Suddenly the whole room fell silent as the pharaoh spoke, looking on the fighting guardians with extreme displeasure. Atem rushed over to his father. "Father, please don't punish them. This is all my fault," he begged, yet his father refused to hear him.
"Masters Seto and Mahad, come here," Aknamkanon commanded from his throne, watching the two boys brush themselves off and look at each other hatefully as they stood before him. "What is the meaning of this? Explain yourselves now."
Mahad and Seto remained silent. There was no possible way to explain what just happened, not without ruining all of their reputations, not to mention the loss of their positions if Atem's father knew what they were doing with his son. "It was simply a disagreement that got out of control, my pharaoh. It will never happen again," Mahad finally spoke up, not wishing to lose anymore favor.
"The members of this court do not result to utter barbarism over disagreements. That is completely unacceptable. I only have known you for a short time, Master Seto, so I cannot speak for you, but know that this behavior will not be tolerated. As for you Master Mahad, I have known you since you were a small boy. You were raised in this court, and you should have known better."
"Father, do not blame him for his actions. This is all my doing and I promise I will resolve the conflict. You know they are both valuable members of the court. Please do not punish them," Atem asked one last time, hoping his father would listen to him for once.
"Fine. I do not know the nature of this conflict, but I trust you to take care of this, Atem. You two may go with a warning, but if anything like this happens again, be assured you will not simply receive admonishment."
"Thank you for your kindness, my pharaoh," Seto said as he walked away.
Mahad bowed and followed the other boy, catching his wrist. "We are not done here," he whispered contemptuously.
"Oh, I think we are. You can have your precious prince. I don't want him, I don't want to be his right hand, I don't want anything. Take him." Seto spoke as one who had lost everything that mattered to him. He walked away, never looking back.
Atem couldn't help but notice the sad change in Seto's demeanor. He was puzzled by it, but right now he could not think of Seto. He still felt horribly used by the guardian and his anger had not subsided. The prince walked up to Mahad, unsure what to say. The magician probably hated him. "Mahad…I…"
"Come with me," Mahad said, grabbing Atem's hand and pulling him down the corridor.
"What? Where are you taking me?" Atem asked, confused.
"You and I have many things to discuss, but right now, despite everything, I just want to us to be together. I want to make you forgot all about Seto." Mahad stopped, turning around to kiss the prince deeply.
Atem could feel tears on his own face from Mahad as he kissed him. Atem kissed back fiercely, wanting to get lost in the magician and erase every memory from today. He would do everything possible to make Mahad smile again.
Life is definitely getting crazy and complicated isn't it? Hopefully these boys will start to work things out before more public fights break out XD Next update will definitely be sooner than last time ) Keep those reviews coming everyone!