Two Hearts, One Puzzle
You guys know the drill.
Contains boyxboy. Don't like don't read. I warned ya.
Hoepfully this only took a few days to finish, so thanks for being patient! :D Though it's probably a shorter chapter cuz I'm gonna be SO lazy for the next few days x.x
Hope you guys like. Enjoy.
Chapter 4: Yugi's First Day
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The palace was enormous. Having only ever seen the outside of it, Yugi often imagined what the inside might look like. However, it was far more fantastic than he had ever imagined. Stone pillars separated the twenty foot ceiling from the floor, which was lined with a luxurious carpet of the finest threads. Meticulously woven tapestries lined the walls, depicting the history of the Pharaohs. Fountains and buffs decorated any empty space, and the calming sound of water echoed in the long corridors. There were hundreds of doors and hallways, so many that he briefly wondered how the Pharaoh remembered where to go. But then again he probably had servants who did that for him.
Yugi walked behind the Pharaoh, still attached to the copper chain which the king held in his hand. He tried his best to stare at the ground, following only the Pharaoh's feet to know where to go. But he couldn't help looking up at the man; he moved with so much grace and power. Yugi was honestly confused on his idea of the Pharaoh. He was the one person Yugi hated for what he and his friends were forced into under his orders. But then again, there was something about him that was different. He felt…connected…to this person. He didn't know why, but it irked him. He desperately wanted to see his face, but that would come with the worst of consequences.
Yugi noticed one of the tapestries hanging from the wall was missing, the one just before the one made of his current majesty. It looked like someone had torn it down. The empty space of wall was ominous and made Yugi uncomfortable. He wanted to know why it was missing, but he wouldn't dare speak out without permission.
Atem held the chain tightly in his grip, expecting resistance from the small boy who he had just plucked from the fields. But to his surprise, the boy followed without question. Perhaps he would actually make a good slave compared to the other incompetent ones. The Pharaoh smirked at the thought of the "games" he could now play with his personal slave.
Noticing that he was staring off into space, Atem tugged hard on the chain, pitching Yugi forward and almost choking him. "Hurry up. If you fall behind, I'll hang you from the wall until you suffocate. But then I'd have to go find another slave, and I'm not in the mood for that right now. So I'd really prefer it if you kept both feet in line."
The boy coughed a bit as he caught up with the Pharaoh. His head dropped back down and he obeyed, making sure to walk in step with him. Several soldiers were posted along the walls and they all bowed their heads as the Pharaoh passed. How many servants did he have under him anyway? Yugi wondered to himself.
The two entered Atem's dining hall, where a whole banquet awaited him; meat, fruit, roasted vegetables and nuts, assorted cheeses and wines. His ten cooks stood bowing beside the table, awaiting his orders should he request anything. The Pharaoh sat down at the head of the table, releasing Yugi's chain to cradle his head against the headrest with his arms.
"Grapes, boy."
Yugi hesitated a moment, not used to directly taking orders from the Pharaoh. He hurried around the table, picking up a bowl of green grapes and returning to the king's side. The boy kneeled and held up the bowl.
Atem only scowled. "You are my personal slave now, boy. You will feed me."
Yugi understood and placed the bowl on the table, taking the bunch from it. With great care, he hovered it over the Pharaoh's face without looking and Atem opened his mouth to receive the plump, juicy fruit. He wrapped his tongue around a single grape and plucked it with his teeth, chewing slowly and savoring the taste. This repeated until the bunch was nothing but a bare stem. The Pharaoh licked his lips, but was still hungry for more.
"That game hen. Bring it to me," Atem motioned towards a platter with a large bird roasted in seasoning. Yugi brought it and placed it in front of him, but was struck by Atem's hand when he reached for the knife to cut it.
Yugi restrained himself from meeting the Pharaoh's eyes, but he could feel their dark intensity as he spoke: "Slaves do not handle such things in my presence," his voiced laced with threat that made Yugi wince and retreat to standing behind his chair as the king ate. The boy swallowed. His mouth had been watering ever since he smelled the wonderful food coming down the corridor. He hadn't seen or smelt such food in his life. Like so many others, his family had been poor and could never afford to eat so lavishly even if they what little they earned for years. And to think he ate like that every day.
Lost in the amazement of the banquet, Yugi didn't notice his stomach growling like an angry lion. The Pharaoh sighed between bites of flesh from the hen. "I do suppose even slaves must eat to be able to follow my commands." He waved his hand and one of the cooks ran off to the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a small loaf of bread and a clay cup of water, which he placed on the floor behind the Pharaoh's chair.
"Eat."
Happy to oblige, Yugi sat down, back to the chair and ate the bread. It tasted a little better than what he usually got back in the fields and it made him a little happier. The water was better too, but both were obviously still slave food. Nevertheless, he hadn't eaten all day, so any food tasted wonderful to him. He made sure to leave no crumbs on the floor.
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Again being pulled by the copper chain attached to the collar around his neck, Yugi followed the Pharaoh as he retired to his chamber. A large door at the end of a hallway, it was secluded from the rest of the palace. Yet Yugi was sure servants would be on beck and call should he require anything. That included him.
The Pharaoh released the chain and stood in front of the door. "These are my chambers. You may only enter with my permission, understand? In the morning, when I wake, you will stand outside here and wait for me to ring the gong allowing you to enter. You will clothe me for the day and follow me wherever I go unless I say otherwise. Do you understand, boy?"
Yugi, still staring at the floor, nodded.
"Seeing as you are a new slave, I am unsure what your tiny, insignificant mind may be capable of. Therefore, you will always wear that collar and chain until I remove it myself," Atem explained. His voice suddenly lowered. "I did have one slave that rebelled against me in my own quarters several years ago. Would you like to know what happened to her, boy?"
Yugi's eyes widened and he was unsure whether to answer or not. The Pharaoh grabbed him by the chain and tugged his head up; Yugi quickly moved his eyes to a corner.
"You will answer when I speak to you, slave-boy!" he thundered.
"Y-y-yes, my king…" Yugi stuttered, his voice strained by the chain choking him.
The Pharaoh let go of the chain. "That's better. You should learn your place fast, slave, or you'll end up like that other one. Oh, yes, you wanted to know what happened to her right?" he gave an evil smirk that Yugi didn't have to see to know it was on his face. "She was sent to the burning pit. Alive. I could hear her screams all the way from my quarters. Quite relaxing actually to know she was no longer a threat to me. Although her actions made me even less trusting of any slaves. You're the first personal slave I've had since then, and the first male in fact. Hmph. You should feel honored serving your king as such."
The Pharaoh walked over to a small outline in the wall next to his own chamber door. He pushed on the wall to reveal a small door that one had to duck their head down to enter. "These are your quarters. I'll have other servants bring you food in the morning so that you are prepared to serve me for the day. You will be fed again at dinner like tonight. If you behave well, I may decide to plump up your meals a bit. However, that all depends on how well you serve me. Disobey, and I may take away all your meals for a few days. Oh, but of course you realize that is the least I can do to punish you. And I am a rather creative person in that department. Understand?"
"Yes, my king."
Atem came closer to the boy. "You will not speak unless spoken to. You will never touch anything unless it is given to you or if I order you to. You will never enter my chambers without hearing the gong. And above all," he leaned in close to say his next words, "never, ever betray me."
Yugi tried to swallow but his mouth was dry. "Yes, my king."
Atem made way for his chambers, retiring for the night. "Await my orders before this door at sunrise," he added before shutting the door behind him.
Hearing it close, Yugi quickly looked around for any soldiers before straightening his posture to normal, feeling the bones in his spine and neck pop. It felt good, but Yugi realized he was going to feel like that from now on. Rubbing the collar around his neck, he ducked down and entered his small room. It was but a few square feet of space with a cloth and pile of straw to sleep on. The ceiling was so low, he couldn't even stand up. Yugi shut the door behind him, leaving himself in complete darkness. Feeling for his blanket, the boy curled up as comfortably as he could and tried to sleep.
However, Yugi would not be getting much sleep that night. Soon after the Pharaoh had sent him away for the night, strange sounds could be heard through the walls. It seemed that the king had decided to dominate a female that night, and Yugi could hear her screams of pain and torment for hours. He tried to block it out, but his attempt was null. True, he was used to the screams of his fellow slaves, but rarely like this. Usually it was just a whipping or a back hand to the face. But this was true torture. It was the sound of agony. And it seemed to last forever. He could just make out her sobbing through the stone walls separating the rooms. Unconsciously, tears poured from Yugi's eyes and he tasted their saltiness as they dribbled to his lips. He couldn't tell that the cries from the Pharaoh's quarters had stopped for they were replaced by his own.
He wondered if he would be next.
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End chapter 4
DEAR GOD I REALLY PROCRASTINATED ON THIS ONE
Although the next one might take even longer LOL
Yugi: I'M REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE WRITER
Writer: Deal with it Yugi, I'm sorry I honestly don't like doing this to you either but I HAVE THIS URGE TO WRITE
Jonouchi: Hey, uh, what's gonna happen to us?
Anzu: Yeah
Writer: Oh don't worry. I didn't forget you.
Honda: WHAT ABOUT ME
Writer: Oh. I may have forgotten about you.
Honda: DAMN IT
Writer: :D
So leave a review if you'd like and stay tuned for the next chapter :D