May: Chapter 9

Yugi: Hi! (looks at May) How long is the story?

May: I don't know yet. Hmm...maybe 20?

Yugi: That's quite long to some.

May: But that's short to many.(sighs) It seems like my enthusiasm with writing has faded.

Atem: That's so bad.

Yugi:(shock)Pharaoh! Don't be that way to her!

May: No, it's alright. It's true anyway.

Atem:(smirks)Anyway, read and review.

Chapter 9

Nine agonizing months later...

Aknankamon was pacing in his rooms this time. Arsinoe was in labor hours already, and still there's no report yet. He was so anxious about this. He couldn't imagine what he could do if she ever die. What's worst is that his son. He knew that somehow if she broke her promise Atem would get angry and the result is that he would ignore his sister and he promised to his wife that he wouldn't let that happen. Not even the sandstorms of Egypt would prevent him from keeping the promise. He paced again, around the room. He then heard a knock.

"Come in."

Shimon opened the door and peeked his head in,unsure.

The pharaoh chuckled, "I said come in. What are you still doing outside?"

"I was about to say something,pharaoh."

"What is it?" he asked.

The advisor looked at his pharaoh before speaking, "Isis have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

He was about to answer when Atem bounded into the room, smiling, "Good Morning,Father!"

"Good morning too,Atem." he greeted, "What brings you here?"

"I couldn't wait for my sibling!"

Aknankamon smiled. Even he too couldn't wait to see his other child. But then a thought crosses his mind.

'What if his other child have the same abilities as Atem? Would she also be part of the prophecy?' he creased his forehead in worry.

Atem,noticing his father's unusual quiteness came up to him and put his arms around his waist, "What are you thinking Father?" he asked his crimson eyes boring into amethyst ones.

His father then knelt near him, "I was thinking about what name I should give to your new sibling."

"Oh, don't worry about that."

Raising his eyebrows, he looked at his six-year old son, "And why is that?"

"I already thought of a name."

Shimon then went in the room and took the young Prince's hand, "Prince, you know you should be in your lessons right now."

Atem looked at the small man, scrutinizing him,"What lessons?"

"Your training."

Acting innocently,"What training?" Atem asked.

"Your training in using shadow magic."

He then turned to his father, "Tell me if she/he is already here. Okay?"

"I'll tell you, Atem. Now run along now." Aknankamon promised.

Atem and Shimon went out of the room, leaving the pharaoh to his thoughts.

Meanwhile in the Queen's Private Chambers...

Arsinoe was on labor for hours and Isis was acting as her midwife. The queen gritted her teeth as a contraction came over her.

"Just push harder my queen." urge Isis.

Arsinoe did, but it was too hard. She was sweating profusely. Isis knew that this was a signal of a very hard labor indeed. She then positioned her apprentice to replace her as midwife and she will hold the queen's hand.

"Isis..." Arsinoe called.

"Yes my Queen?" she asked leaning in close.

"If I didn't make it...will you take care of my child for me?"

Isis retreated back, "What are you saying, Arsinoe? You and I both know you will make it. Even the pharaoh and his son believes it as well. So you don't need to think such evil thoughts." she patted her hand.

Arsinoe nodded then the contractions began, but this time instead of pushing harder with every scream she was slipping in and out of consciousness. As she was about to lose hope, she heard the cry of a baby.

"My baby..." the queen mumbled.

Isis' apprentice then looked up, "It's a girl, Your Majesty." she then cut the umbilical cord and hand it to the other healer. She wrapped the baby in cloth before handling it to Isis.

"Your Majesty." Isis bowed as she set the baby beside Arsinoe.

"She's beautiful." she mumbled, as she stroked her daughter's head.

"Indeed she is." Isis agreed.

Arsinoe then felt that her time was at end, and the gods themselves had wished it this way. She then kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"Good bye, Atemu." she said, "I'll be waiting for you in the afterlife."

Isis heard what her queen said but not the name, she saw Arsinoe's eyes closing.

"My Queen! You can't leave yet."

"The gods had willed it to be, Isis. And I do hope Atem will understand. And I want you to watch over her as you do with my son." with that final message, the Queen of Egypt breathe her last. Isis took the baby Princess beside the queen. She looked at the child and crooned,saying words which a child could understand.

"Hush now, Princess." the baby cried louder, "I know you felt that your mother died giving birth to you...but I promise you that I will protect you." she told the baby.

A healer came up to her, "What are we going to do next, Priestess?"

Isis looked up, "Fixed everything." was her order, "I'm just going to tell the pharaoh the good news and bad news." and went out the room.

Isis looked at the child she now held in her arms. She then knew somehow that the Prince wouldn't like it if he even finds out what happened...especially losing their mother. She then decided to tell the king about the child, he sure was expecting this.

She knocked on the door, carrying the baby on her other arm.

"Come in." answered the pharaoh.

"I present to you your child, Pharaoh." she bowed as she entered the room.

Aknankamon went near, "Is it a girl or boy?"

"Girl, my king."

He took the child from her and crooned, for a moment. He then looked up and asked, "Did my wife make it?"

Isis shook her head, "No,she didn't my king." she answered, sorrowfully.

"What am I going to tell Atem?" he asked.

"It's better if you tell him the real thing, Pharaoh."

"Send for him then." he decided. Isis left the room and went to search for her Prince.

Atem was in his rooms, lying on the bed. He sighed as he remembered the pain of summoning a shadow monster and it still hadn't been erased from his mind. He was about to sleep when he heard a knock.

"Yes?"

Isis poked her head, "Prince? Are you still awake?"

"I am now." he sighed, "Why? is something the matter?"

"Your father requests you to go to his rooms immediately for he has something to show you."

Atem stood up from the bed and thought, 'I wonder what it is.'

They walked to the pharaoh's rooms in silence. When Atem entered the room, Isis followed after closing the door behind her.

"What do you want to show me father?"

The pharaoh turned to his son, "Your baby sister."

"Really?" the little prince cried as he rushed towards his father to see, "She's so cute."

"Where is mother?" he asked, as he tickled his sister's nose.

"Your mother didn't make it."

"What? She didn't?" Atem asked, tears began to form.

Aknankamon couldn't help but feel sorry. He knew somehow that indeed for his daughter to be born, his wife had to die. But why? Why would the gods will it this way?

"Do you want to see your sister again?" He asked.

Atem shook his head, "I don't want to father. Not anymore."

The prince then went to door, opened it and went out, leaving the pharaoh and Isis. The adults looked at each other.

"I don't know what I'm going to do." sighed Aknankamon, "It seems like I failed."

"In what, pharaoh?"

"I failed being a husband and now even a father."

"Don't even say that. You know that's not true. Your son always looks up to you and your people...they love you." Isis assured him.

Aknankamon smiled, then looked at his daughter who had her eyes already opened.

"She has amethyst eyes." he handed the baby to Isis.

Isis took the baby in her arms, before she left she asked, "What are you going to name her?"

The pharaoh thought for awhile, he then shook his head, "I can't think of a name. I wonder what Arsinoe could have named her."

"...Atemu..."

Isis then remembered. Shen then said the name out loud, loud enough for the pharaoh to hear, "The Queen named her Atemu."

Aknankamon then nodded, "Atemu is it then." He then went near Isis and stroke his daughter's head, "Welcome to the royal family, Princess Atemu." He kissed her forehead, then stroke it again before Isis takes her to the wet nurse.

"I should take my leave, Pharaoh."

" Go now." He ordered as he waved her away.

After Isis left, he went to the balcony and looked up at the dark, Egyptian sky.

'Why do my wife have to die in order for my daughter to be alive?' he asked. The gods heard his question and they were going to answer it, at the time of Atemu's concession to the royal family.

May: Finish at last!

Atem: At long last.

May: I thought you hate this.

Atem: Well it's true...but I come to like it cause I will be angry at you in the next chapters and I will ignore you.

May: Wait for the others and I swear Pharaoh it's the other way around. And the Atemu here is my OC so no pairings intended.