Author's Note: A semi-early update! It took me three hours, several YouTube videos, and two ice cream sandwiches to finish this hecka long chapter! Hope you love it!

This chapter was… fun to write, to say the least… hehehehe… you'll see why later. Now read…

Chapter 9

Yugi sat in her chambers, terrified of what to come. The constant waiting for someone was slowly making her go insane. She had to find some way to pass the time...

I know, she thought, I'll take a bath.

Content with this idea, Yugi nodded to herself and carefully found her way to her large bathroom allotted with her chambers. The bath was always full, so Yugi immediately discarded her dress and sunk into the perfect temperature water.

It felt refreshing, she deemed as she gently kicked her pale legs under the boiling water. The bath was large for anyone, let alone a person as small as her, and Yugi could practically swim in it.

Technically, she wasn't supposed to take a bath by herself. At least, that's what the servants had said. But, before long, Yugi had found that their was a marble poll that led from the rim of the bathtub to the ceiling, a perfect "seatbelt" that Yugi could hold onto just to make sure she didn't slip.

Yugi felt her long hair flow on top of the water around her. She had been told that her hair was beautiful, three colors, people said. And, though she didn't know it, her hair wet gave it an even more luscious, glossy, and downright beautiful look.

Yugi could have gotten out of the bath after a few minutes, but she was enjoying herself way too much. Her worries had melted in the steamy bath. Yugi closed her eyes, not unusual for her, but she actually relaxed for once.

She couldn't remember ever being so relaxed. As long as her brother had always occupied her life, Yugi had never really felt at ease. So, why was it that during the time she should have been most anxious, she was enjoying herself in leisure?

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door.

I suppose that is the someone I was waiting for... Yugi thought, feeling a painful prick at her heart, What if that was this is the last time I'll ever feel at peace?

Hesitantly, Yugi questioned, "Who is it?"

Atem, on the other side of the Yugi's chamber door, didn't know how to respond to the this question. Of course, it seemed so simple. But should he answer Atem or Atemu?

He decided on Atemu, just to make sure Yugi would let him in.

"Atemu," he finally replied, letting the name get absorbed through the door.

"Atemu..." Yugi repeated in a hushed whisper. Then, she called, "Just give me a minute!"

"All right," Atem approved through the door, leaning on the wall next to it.

Yugi rose out of the bath and cautiously discovered a towel next to the stone steps receding down from it. She wrung out her hair and then wrapped the towel around her petite body.

"You can come in now," Yugi informed, wandering from the bathroom and into the main room of her chambers to sit down at the small table in its center.

Atem opened the door. But he was not prepared for the sight he would encounter.

It was Yugi. If possible, she looked even more gorgeous than ever. A single towel was positioned on her curvy body and, her hair was still wet from an evening bath.

Atem felt his face heat up rapidly. He opened his mouth to form words, but none came to his aid. How was he supposed to speak to her? Should the words come from a friend or a servant or a lover or a prince?

"Is something wrong, Atemu?" Yugi asked after a moment of silence. She had sensed his distress.

"Not necessarily," Atem was able to form. But the words felt dry and unnerving, as if even the words themselves weren't fully convinced that they spoke the truth.

Yugi closed her eyes and leaned back, the tone of 'Atemu' making her feel a bit tired. It sounded forced and strained, even Yugi could hear that. One part of her wanted to ask what was wrong. Yet another part wished to stay in the dark. But, judging by 'Atemu's' silence, she wasn't going to get an answer unless she drove it out of him. So, very carefully, she decided to provoke him in hope of knowledge.

"Tell me what is wrong."

Atem's eyes lifted from the floor, completely caught off guard by this declaration. It wasn't even a declaration, really, more like a command. Yugi's tone sounded strong and powerful, enough so that it could carry Atem's tone as well.

But her command was vague.

'Tell me what is wrong'? Atem swallowed, feeling more hot tears threaten to burst through the surface. I'll tell you what is wrong. Lying to you was wrong. All your brother's evil deeds were wrong. You being void of sight, it's all wrong! All wrong! I am wrong! How can such an innocent being as you live in a world of such wrong? Atem took a shallow breath. The oxygen somehow shifted his mind from chaos to order, and instantly, Atem was in his right mind again. Never mind the things I can't change, he told himself, I might as well go ahead and make all the wrongs I can change into rights.

"I lied to you."

The room seemed to close in on them. Suddenly, Yugi could barely breathe.

"W- what?"

"I lied to you- about who I am. I am sorry."

"W- well…" Yugi gulped down a flood of emotions. She didn't know exactly how to respond to that. So, 'Atemu' wasn't who he said he was… There were worse things, she supposed. "Who- who are you then?"

Atem decided answering this question would be the easiest if his father were present. He told her, "I think it would be better to explain this if you come with me to talk to someone."

"All- all right," Yugi continued to stutter, "Let me get dr- dressed first." It occurred to her then that she couldn't remember where she had left her discarded attire and blushed feverishly.

"Is everything all right?" Atem questioned, noticing this.

"Y- yes, I just have a favor to ask you…" Yugi's face was very flushed at this point, and she desired to get rid of the color, but she needed her clothes first… "Do you see my- my dress anywhere? I have seemed to misplaced it…"

Atem's face flushed crimson. He managed to keep the discomfiture from seeping into his tone and replied, "Of course. I'll help you find it."

The two went to work, Yugi on her knees to feel if the clothing was on the floor, Atem standing and using his eyes to search the chamber.

"Do you know where you left it?" Atem inquired while searching.

"No," Yugi answered, just ecstatic that she didn't stumble her words again. All her fingers felt was the stone floor, cold and lifeless.

Atem asked, "Did you, um, undress in the bathing room?"

Yugi's face burned with humiliation, but Atem was right and she responded, "I think so." She stood up, brushed the dust off her hands, and headed into the bathing room. She told Atem behind her, "You keep looking in here."

"Of course."

Yugi sunk to the bathing room floor and felt the stone steps around the bath. Suddenly, her fingers ran over something soft and warm. Upon further inspection, she confirmed it to be her dress. "I found it!" she called.

"That's great," Atem called back with a slight smile, heading over to Yugi.

Unfortunately, Yugi was heading out of that room and towards Atem.

And they ran into each other, both falling onto the ground.

"I- I'm so sorry!" Atem faltered, feeling even more mortification. He cried, "You're not hurt, right?"

Yugi felt a sharp pain on her face and reached up to her cheek, finding a two-inch slice upon it. She held up her bloodstained fingers and answered, "I think I am." She winced from a tingling pain going through her and questioned, "What do you think I cut myself on? It felt like metal…"

To his horror, Atem realized his Millennium Puzzle must have cut Yugi. He quickly made up an excuse for this, but it was too late.

Yugi had crawled over and had placed her hands on the puzzle.

"Is this it?" Yugi wondered aloud. Atem was frozen in fear and continued to let Yugi examine the item with her hands. She described, "It's not metal… gold, I think… And, what an odd shape… I've never felt something so strange…"

Then, her fingers ran over the Eye of Horus.

"This is… the Eye of Horus… isn't it…?"

Atem's eyes widened, and he stiffed. Yugi didn't wait for an answer.

"So, you're an item bearer… That's not bad. I just wish to know which item this is…" Yugi's eyes closed to contemplate further on the object's shape. After a few seconds, her eyes opened again, those violet irises displaying fear and panic. She knew what it was but was in denial. She did not want to believe it. But the evidence was in her hands. She'd have to accept it sometime. "This is the Millennium Puzzle."

Atem forgot to breathe. The gods are out to get me; this confirms it.

Yugi stood up, fastening the towel around her body tighter. She stuttered in whisper that was almost too soft to recognize, "I- I need to go think this over. If you'll excuse me-" She didn't wait for approval. She walked outside, leaving Atem behind her.

-transition-

Priest Seto groaned. After being deprived of information by the Prince and Isis, he had gone somewhere else in search of answers. First, he went to Mahad. Mahad knew everything there was to know about the palace and all its gossip. But Mahad wasn't talking. He said he "refused to recite private information of the Royal Family". After that, Seto tried bribing the servants and slaves for intelligence, but they weren't talking either. They excused themselves with the defense that they were working too hard to notice details such as that. Seto knew better. He knew they giggled about the latest gossip while they prepared food or guarded the main gates. They just liked to keep their grapevine stealthy and secretive lest it be discovered by the Pharaoh. So, currently, he was scouring the courtyard in hope of seeking out a bystander that could recite what happened earlier to the Prince.

Seto didn't just do this because he wanted to know. More than that, Prince Atem was his friend, best friend really. He wanted to make sure that Atem was all right. And, if something was not right, he wanted to be the first one to know so that he could put a stop to whatever was disconcerting him.

The Priest stopped in his tracks. There, in the courtyard, was Lady Yugi. And more of Lady Yugi than he was probably permitted to see… She was only dressed in a towel, her hair still partially wet as if she had just bathed. But, what drove Seto to confronting her was that she was crying. Wet tears glistened on her face, the saltiness sliding down her eyes and onto the stone ground.

"Lady Yugi?"

Lady Yugi turned her head towards her name. She sniffled, "Priest Seto, is that you?"

Seto nodded before remembering that she couldn't see that and replied, "Yes. Why are you upset?"

Yugi could have lied. She easily could have. But something in Priest Seto's caring tone drove her to the truth. "It's the Prince!" she blurted out.

Seto blinked. "What?"

"The Prince! He's Atemu! And Atemu's the Prince! They're the same person! And… Ah!" she cried out in frustration, covering her eyes with her hands.

Seto didn't know what to say. So, he just inquired the obvious.

"You mean you didn't know that?"

It wasn't like Atem had taken the time to explain anything to him…

Seto didn't mean to make matters worse. He really didn't mean to. But this question only made Yugi feel inferior. Tears grew again, magnifying her eyes and making them look more innocent and adorable than any person Seto had had the pleasure to know.

And, finally, it clicked in Seto's mind.

Seto was in the courtroom the day Lady Yugi had arrived. He knew of what happened then. And now, with the intelligence that Prince Atem was going under a false alias, it had finally lined up, finally made sense! So, that's what was happening! And, now, he was able to help.

"Lady Yugi, do not feel betrayed."

Yugi's head rose to this notion. "W- what?"

"Do not feel betrayed," Seto repeated.

'Betrayed'? I suppose that's what I feel… Yes, if I were to give it a name, that is what I would call it… "And, why shouldn't I?" Yugi asked with some resentment drowning in her voice.

"Because, Prince Atem knew if he went by his real name, you would never give him a chance to discover the real him." Such a simple statement, but it justified everything.

Yugi's anger and antipathy melted, her expression becoming one of plain understanding. The tears disappeared, the forgotten ones being dried by the Egyptian sunlight.

It all made sense. I thought he was horrible… Of course I wouldn't have given him a chance to redeem himself! So, in order for me to see the truth, he had to lie… In that sense, he never lied in the first place… Yes! He never lied! He only did it because…

He loves me.

"Oh, Lady Yugi, your cheek is bleeding…" Seto brought his hand up to her face and gently wiped it away. He inquired, "What happened?"

"It's not important now," Yugi dismissed with a small smile, "It was an accident."

Yes, an accident. Lying to her could have just been an accident.

"Well, that's fine," Seto added, letting his hand fall back down to his side, "But I think you should tell Prince Atem that you forgive him. He's probably really worried."

"Oh!" Yugi's eyes widened. "You're right!" She smiled warmly at Seto and told him, "Thank you."

"I am the Prince's advisor, item bearer, and best friend." He smiled back. "It's my job."

Yugi nodded and walked away, her pace calm yet rushed. She needed him to know that she forgave him. She needed him to know that-

She loved him, too.

Author's Note: I thought about stopping where that transition was earlier, but I'm like, "I'm not THAT mean…" So, I finished it. And, still a cliffhanger! Gosh, I'm getting good at these! :D

Review please!