Atem looked on solemnly as Aknamkanon's sarcophagus was carried into the burial chamber. The embalming was finally complete, and although it had been several weeks, the loss of his father still pained the prince. He watched as the chamber was filled with his father's most valuable possessions, placing his hand on the coffin to silently say his last goodbyes. He refused to cry; Atem had made peace with the fact that he would continue on his own now. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, praying his father had finally found peace as well. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned to see Mahad enter the chamber. Atem smiled softly at the magician, knowing this loss had been difficult for him as well.
"I thought I would come pay my final respects," Mahad said as he stopped beside the prince, kneeling before the sarcophagus. "I had known the pharaoh since I was a small child. Growing up in the palace with you, he was almost like a second father to me. He always told me to watch out for you. I suppose he thought you were the troublemaking type," he smiled, eyeing Atem knowingly. "But he also knew how special you were. He didn't want anything bad to happen to you, so I always did my best to watch over you."
Atem put an arm around Mahad's shoulder, comforting him as he noticed tears begin to fall from his eyes. "My father was very proud to have you in his court. You never once failed him, or me."
Mahad stood, bowing his head to the other boy. "I shall continue to serve you to the best of my ability. I will honor your father's wish, even now that he is gone."
The two of them stepped out of the tomb as the workers began to seal the entrance. They reminisced about their days as children as they walked back, Mahad in particular pointing out all the times Aknamkanon had scolded them thanks to Atem.
"Do you need me to escort you anywhere?" Mahad asked as they reached the palace, knowing that the prince had many preparations to make before tomorrow's coronation.
"There will be no need for that, Mahad," Atem answered quickly, a touch of embarrassment in his voice. "I promised Seto I would meet him when I got back."
"Oh, I see," Mahad replied, feeling a bit awkward. He was aware the two of them had been sneaking around to see each other in secret whenever they could, but it wasn't something that the magician liked to dwell on. "I don't mean to step out of line, but may I ask you one thing?" he inquired timidly, not certain it was something he should be asking. "Are you…happy? With him, I mean."
Atem was taken aback at the question at first, but suddenly he smiled. This was typical Mahad, always looking out for his happiness and well-being. He knew the question was one of pure concern, not jealousy. "Yes, I'm very happy, happier than I have been in quite some time," he answered honestly.
"I am glad to hear that, my prince," Mahad smiled back as he took his leave. He didn't doubt Atem's answer; the love he felt for Seto was written all over his face. He was saddened inside that he was not the one put that look upon his prince's face, but Atem's happiness meant the world to him. That would always matter more than anything.
"Today is a special day, my prince," Seto whispered in Atem's ear, giving his lover a kiss as they awoke. He noted to himself how messy Atem's spiky hair was when he first woke up, gently running his fingers through it. It was small details such as these that Seto held dear. Right now there was no royal pretense, no indication that he was about to become the next ruler of Egypt. The boy lying next to him was just Atem, the person he loved, with flaws like everyone else.
Atem smiled at the loving manner in which Seto woke him. "Yes, it is quite special. Today you become a pharaoh's consort," he teased as he sat up, looking out the window. The pale grey color of the sky indicated it was not quite dawn. "It's still rather early to be waking," he said as he lay back against the guardian's chest, embracing his warmth. He sighed contentedly, wishing he could stay like this all day. "I thought I would be more nervous today than I am," Atem spoke up after a length of silence, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "But since I've been with you, I feel I have the confidence to do anything. You make me want to be a stronger person." He turned to face Seto, an appreciative smile on his face. "If it wasn't for you and Mahad, I would never have gotten this far."
"Mahad too, hm?" Seto asked, knowing it would annoy Atem. He knew he and the magician had remained close, but the jealousy on Seto's part had dissipated. He was the one holding the prince in his arms, not Mahad.
Atem shot him a dirty look, the reaction Seto had wanted. "Yes, Mahad too. You know, you should be more appreciative of him. He is the one who gave me the courage to go after you. He willingly let me go. He wanted us to be happy."
"Is that so? You never told me that," Seto replied. He had always thought of the magician as emotionally weak, but it seemed he had misjudged him.
"I truly hope that perhaps one day you will be his friend," Atem said softly, smiling to himself as he cast his eyes down. "I want the two people I love most to remain close to me. I don't care how selfish that is."
Seto sighed, looking warmly at the prince as he tilted his face up toward his. "I see nothing wrong with a bit of selfishness now and then. You and I are the same in that. We don't give up the things that mean the most to us." He brought the other boy's face closer to his, so that their lips were almost just touching. "Just remember, you belong to me, and only me," he whispered, his voice sultry as he closed the gap between them. He began to kiss him with more fervor than he originally intended, but Atem reciprocated, pulling him closer. The prince involuntarily let out a wanton sigh as the guardian's lips moved to his neck. "Did last night not satisfy you enough?" Seto stopped, grinning in amusement. He swiftly changed his position so he was on top of the prince. "I suppose we still have some time before we have to get out of bed...though perhaps it would be best to restrain ourselves."
Atem looked up at him, his eyes shining with a playful lust. "Just shut up," he ordered, pulling Seto down.
After the rising of the sun forced him out of bed, Atem immediately faced a whirlwind of preparations. His servants busily readied him for the coronation ceremony, after which he would step out to greet his people for the first time as pharaoh. The entire kingdom was gathering outside of the palace to pay their respects to their new ruler. There was a bit of nervous anticipation in the pit of his stomach as Atem finally made his way out to throne room to receive his crown. Nonetheless, he held his head high as he entered, ready to take this next step.
The ceremony was relatively short, much to Atem's relief, though he knew this was only the beginning of an entire year of traditional celebrations. As his father's crown was placed upon his head, he was led to the balcony to be presented to his subjects for the first time as Pharaoh Atem. His eyes widened as he saw the amount of people who had come to see him. A bit unsure of what he should be doing, Atem waved politely as the crowd cheered. Before he knew it, he was being whisked away once more to his coronation feast. The court had been filled with guests, lavish cuisine, and entertainment. Atem felt a bit overwhelmed with it all as he took a seat at his throne, his guardians and other Egyptian nobles approaching him to pay their respects.
"You look good sitting there. Kingship suits you," Seto mused as he strode up to the throne, finally having his chance to kneel before the new pharaoh. He took Atem's hand and placed a light kiss on the back of it.
"I have to agree with Master Seto on that point," Mahad chimed in, kneeling beside his fellow guardian. "Your father would be very proud of you, my pharaoh."
Atem smiled, his dearest companions having put him at ease. "For the first time today, I actually feel as if this is all real. I even feel like cele…brating…" he trailed off, his eyes going wide as he looked toward the entryway.
Pure silence fell over the room as an uninvited guest made his way through the crowd, dragging something behind him. Every guardian in the court moved to protect the pharaoh, their millennium items at the ready. The man had covered himself in gold and jewels, but the most distinguishable thing about him was the jagged scar that ran down his face.
"I'm sorry for intruding, ladies and gentlemen, but I simply could not miss the opportunity to greet the new pharaoh. I even brought him a gift!" the stranger shouted, a manic look in his eyes as he kicked forth the object he had hauled inside.
Atem was sickened, his eyes filled with indescribable fury as he beheld father's sarcophagus. "What have you done?!" he snarled, launching himself at the man.
"My pharaoh, no!" Mahad yelled, catching Atem's arm and holding him back from his attack. "How did you get in here?" he demanded coldly as he turned to the stranger.
"Oh, I have my ways. You wouldn't believe how easy it is to go unnoticed when a celebration is going on," the thief responded, a wicked smile plastered on his face. "Allow me to introduce myself, pharaoh. I am Bakura, formerly of Kul Elna, and I have come here tonight to take what is rightfully mine. Now hand over the millennium items," he demanded as he summoned a monster to his side.
"That's my father's ka!"Atem growled as he tried to lunge forward again, Mahad struggling to hold him back
"I'll take care of this, my pharaoh," Seto spoke up, stepping forward with millennium rod in hand. His sapphire eyes were cold and determined as he summoned his own ka, a fearsome competitor ready for battle. The fight ensued, and Seto easily defeated the other's monster.
Bakura merely laughed. He had something far more powerful in store. "I honestly only summoned that monster to get a rise out of you, pharaoh. It is nothing compared to my own ka. Meet diabound, the instrument of your destruction!" the thief cried as he summoned a truly horrific beast.
Seto attacked immediately, but even his powerful dragon was no match for the creature. Mahad ran forward and took his place, using his illusion magician to combat diabound. For all his strength, he too was thrown back.
Atem would not be kept back any longer. He knew what he had to do, he just wasn't sure if he could do it. Father…please help me. The pharaoh silently prayed as he faced Bakura on his own. "I will not allow you to harm the people I care about. Your monster is formidable, but I have the power of the Egyptian gods on my side." Using every ounce of sheer willpower he possessed, Atem summoned Obelisk the Tormentor.
The entire court was awe-stricken. Even Bakura appeared startled by the fact that the pharaoh could summon a god. Nonetheless, he attacked obelisk, his thirst for revenge still unquenched.
Atem could not believe his eyes; the two monsters were evenly matched. How that was possible, he had no idea. He and Bakura were forced into a stalemate, neither one able to destroy the other.
"It seems we are at an impasse, pharaoh. I have no choice but to take my leave, but I assure you, next time I won't lose," Bakura glared darkly as he swept out of the room, guards chasing after him.
"My pharaoh, are you all right?" Mahad cried as he ran over to Atem's side, more worried about his well-being than catching up to the thief.
"Yes, I'm fine. We need to increase the security around the palace immediately. He will return and we must be ready," Atem spoke with serious concern, the safety of his people in jeopardy. He didn't know why this Bakura was so adamant about retrieving the millennium items, but it was clear he would go to any lengths to obtain them.
"I'll put my top magicians on it right away," Mahad assured him, running off to make preparations.
As the other guardians followed suit, Seto pulled Atem aside, firmly embracing him in his arms. "I swear to you, I will find a way to defeat Bakura. Losing to him was not only humiliating, but my failure could have put you in danger. I will do everything in my power to keep it from happening again." It was evident by the tone of his voice he was furious with himself.
"We will find a way to defeat him together," Atem replied, his expression hard with resolve. "I am not sitting out of this fight, no matter what anyone says. He desecrated my father's grave and tried to hurt the people I love. For me, this is personal."
Seto released Atem with a sigh, knowing him too well to even think of talking him out of it. "As much as I want to protect you, I will not hinder your efforts. You have every right to want justice for what has been done. For now, though, I think it best that you rest. I'm sure you are still in shock." He held out his hand, offering it to the pharaoh.
Atem did not wish to sleep, but the emotional exhaustion was taking its toll. He nodded in agreement and took the guardian's hand, walking with him back up to his room.
"Please try to get some sleep. I love you," Seto gave him a light kiss as he left him in the safety of his room, having placed guards at the door as a precaution.
As soon as he was alone, Atem collapsed onto his bed, angry tears rolling down his cheeks. From his window, he could see parts of the city ablaze, screams resounding in the darkness of the night. "I am so sorry father…"
The pharaoh whispered this over and over into his pillow until sleep finally took hold of him.
I sincerely apologize that I have not been able to update this story for the past months. Between working on my senior thesis, finals, graduation, and looking for a job, I was way too busy and stressed to even think of working on anything that wasn't school or career related. For anyone who has graduated college, I'm sure you know what it's like. Now I have a lot more time to myself and the first thing I did was get to work on finishing this, since this fic means a lot to me and I definitely will complete it. So to everyone who read this story before and have been waiting, I am so sorry and I hope you like this chapter! There is some overlap with the events in the show, but it was a necessary scene to get through. Plus I like seeing Atem's reactions when he is actually grieving his father's death and is not a total stranger to him like he is in the memory world. Reviews are appreciated! :) Next chapter will most likely be the last, but there may be an epilogue.