Apep and the Sacred Scrolls of Duat
Chapter 17: Just Kiss Already!
Late into the afternoon, Teà was sat with Serenity, Rebecca and Yugi while Meskhenet and Mana very patiently gave them lessons on how to read and write hieroglyphs. Mai was lounging not far away, toying with a small but elaborate dagger that the former queen had recently given her to protect herself. She had offered weapons to the others as well but they had politely refused and been very embarrassed about doing so. Joey, Tristan and Duke, however had not refused, in fact they were eagerly and very enthusiastically testing out those weapons now in the palace courtyard while Solomon and Arthur watched.
"I wonder if I can take this back with us when we have to leave," Mai mused.
"Please do, if it's at all possible. At least then you'll be able to use it to protect yourself in your world. It sounds a very strange place, indeed," Meskhenet replied.
"I really wish you'd put it away," Serenity said, uneasily. "I mean, it's pretty and all, but…" she trailed off.
"I wasn't planning on stabbing any of you with it," Mai said, dryly.
"Erm…great," Serenity gave a nervous smile.
"So…so, this is my name, right?" Yugi asked, quickly as he wrote his name on a piece of papyrus in ink.
"Almost," Meskhenet smiled, gently. She redrew the symbols with one slight change.
"It was close though," Mana assured him.
"Hmmm," Yugi bit his lip and stared down at the hieroglyphs, deep in concentration.
"So…Teà," Mai began suddenly with a grin. "Did you learn how to write the pharaoh's name yet?" she asked.
"W…why?" Teà stammered in surprise.
"I just thought it might come in handy," she shrugged.
"Well, we all saw it before…I'm pretty sure it was like this," Yugi hastily drew the symbols from memory, perfectly. It wasn't ever something he was likely to forget.
"It is exactly like that," Meskhenet nodded with pride.
"Nice job, Yugi. Can you write my name?" Rebecca smiled, flirtatiously.
"Erm…your name has a lot more letters…I might need some help," he muttered, sheepishly.
Doing her best to ignore Mai's sly comment, Teà turned her attention back to the papyrus, once more deep in thought. Until Mai spoke again.
"So, I guess you didn't remember? How sad," she remarked.
Meskhenet shot the blonde woman a smug smile of understanding and kept silent.
"Sad?" Teà reiterated, confused.
"I mean, if you can't even spell your boyfriends' name, it's pretty sad, don't you think?"
"Whoa…hold on…my what?!" Teà turned bright red and spun around to stare at Mai in flustered embarrassment. She wasn't the only one, Yugi suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable as well.
"You heard me," Mai shrugged. "Personally, I think you should just march over there and kiss him. He probably won't care that you can't write his name anyway," she added.
"I think…maybe I should…go…" Yugi tried to stand up and make a run for it, but Rebecca stopped him.
"But this could be interesting," she smiled.
"But…but…" Yugi stammered.
Meskhenet set down the scrolls she'd been using as a teaching aid and raised an elegant eyebrow.
"Why would I…why would you even ask that?" Teà demanded.
"Because all of your pining is making everyone nauseous."
"But I…I'm not…"
"You're not what? Pining after him like a little kid in school with a crush? Uh-huh," Mai rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, we really should…" Yugi tried again to leave but again, his girlfriend pulled him back down to the floor were they sat. "I really don't need to hear about this. Atemu's…I dunno we're like closer than brothers' or something.
I don't think there's really a word for it when you've shared a mind for years. And Teà's my best friend…so I'm just gonna…" he muttered to the smirking Rebecca.
"But what?" Mai encouraged Teà, ignoring Yugi and Rebecca.
"I was just…someone was just executed and I…"
"Yes, a horrible murderer was executed; very sad. And yes, you found out your boyfriend was a solider who fought for his country. Most people would call that brave, y'know? And didn't you already know that? He's a king, kings fight in wars and stuff, don't they?"
"Yeah, but…"
"It made a difference hearing him say it?"
"…I guess."
"Grow up," Mai told her, simply. "He did what he had to but I doubt he enjoyed it. The man's got a conscience so stupidly big that if you piled up all the gold in this place, it wouldn't measure up!"
"I know that," Teà muttered.
"So stop complaining and go and take what you want before someone else does or before we end up back home where the only men who look like that spend all their time in the gym or staring at themselves in the mirror," she rolled her eyes.
Teà's eyebrow twitched a little and she pursed her lip.
"See, even you can't deny he's good looking," Mai grinned at her and Mana chortled.
"Oh, he's pretty, alright," Mana laughed.
"Mmm-hmmm," Mai nodded.
"Oh boy," Yugi flushed.
Meskhenet gave valiant effort to conceal her amusement, she truly did.
"What'd you think, Serenity?" Mai asked.
"Erm…well, I…" the young woman flushed.
"And if you don't kiss him someone else might. Me for example," Mai continued with a grin.
"What?!" Teà yelled, bright red.
"Erm…Mai…" Serenity stammered.
"It's not a crime to kiss the king, is it?" Mai then asked Meskhenet.
"Not to my knowledge," she replied with dignity.
"I might go and do it right now then. I mean, Teà's clearly not interested…" Mai drawled which only made Mana laugh even more.
"But…you can't just…" Teà began.
"Sure I can."
"But I…but you…"
"Please stop saying 'but'. If you've got something to say, say it."
"BUTT!" Mana laughed.
"Not what I meant," Mai rolled her eyes. "Now that I think about it though…"
"Oh my god, please just stop," Teà hid her face in her hands, embarrassed.
"I'm not really here…" Yugi muttered to himself with his hands over his ears much to his girlfriends' amusement. "I'm duelling with Joey on the pier…yeah, just a nice normal every day…"
"Why? I figured I should make the most of it. Why can't I just go and kiss him? It's not illegal. And he's very handsome with a very nice…" Mai said, not paying Yugi's discomfort any attention.
"STOP!" Teà bellowed and held up her hands.
"But it was a very nice…"
"I know, okay!" the young dancer yelled, she was so red and flushed at this point that it looked dangerous to her health. "The guy's gorgeous! I get it! I know! I like him too! And for the record, he's not just a pretty face, y'know! I wanted to kiss him for years but then bad things kept on happening and it didn't seem right to just go, 'hey, I know you gotta save the world and beat the bad guy again, and you still don't have your memories back, but I don't care, 'cause I like you, so I'm gonna kiss you, please'! Oh, this is so not fair!" she lamented, pacing up and down the room.
Serenity held up a hand but Mai shushed her with a grin.
"Okay, first tip; I don't think you'll have to say 'please'," Mai remarked, dryly and crossed her arms.
"Please stop!" Yugi grumbled.
"Shh," Rebecca muttered to him.
"Not helping!" Teà pointed angrily at Mai.
"Second tip; kissing here can't be any different than back home. It's kissing, not rocket science!"
"Really not helping at all!"
"Maybe I should try kissing a few of those beefed up soldiers to find out…after I kiss the pharaoh," Mai pondered.
Mana chortled again.
"Mai!" Teà exclaimed.
"Or maybe you could. And then tell us about it."
"I don't want to kiss the soldiers!"
"No, you wanna kiss the pharaoh. So go and do it and stop moping around in here."
"I'm not moping…"
"You really are," Mai reinterred, sounding exasperated.
"I'm just gonna…crawl into my bed and…hide under the covers…" Teà said pointing at the door. "Yeah…" she muttered. Her embarrassed anger and faded and now all she wanted to was run and hide.
"Third tip; don't be a coward," Mai told her.
"I'm not being a…"
"Yes, you are. And you know it," Mai declared.
"Can we go now…please?" Yugi muttered, just as embarrassed as Teà.
"Fine, you can if you want," Rebecca rolled her eyes at him with a smile.
"Thank you!" he jumped up. "Erm…Teà…" he began when he reached the door.
"Yeah?"
"I'm erm…if it helps…I'm pretty sure the pharaoh likes you too," he muttered quickly and ran from the room.
Everyone except Teà erupted with laughter.
Atemu awoke hours later and he felt marginally better than before. He dressed slowly and looked over the ever present stacks of papers on his desk, then after a while he left his rooms. Moving his sluggish limbs, he meandered through the palace, out in the court years and finally, towards the stone sanctuaries.
As he drew closer, he saw a pale blue light, tinted white which shone from the priests' sanctuary. So he followed it.
Inside, he saw Seto standing there and in front of him, hovering in the air was the Blue Eyes White Dragon; the soul of Kisara. She had been lost in the fight against the Shadow Magus but even in death she had been weary yet still sought to protect Seto. And so she did. But there was something not quite right.
The dragon, usually so bright and vivid, was barely visible. Its form flickered, almost like a dying flame.
Seto's affection for the young woman and her soul, was clear for all to see. Atemu knew it, and it was why he refrained from mentioning her; his cousin wished it. There had been something very wrong with the dragon and he had been trying to discover what it was. Talking about her only hurt him more, so Atemu didn't.
And now, perhaps they finally had their answer as to what was wrong with the dragon. Aknadin had coveted her power for Seto, and the shadow magus had survived, perhaps he was somehow interfering even now.
"She is still…affected?" Atemu asked slowly.
"Yes," Seto sighed. "And she knows not why," he added.
"We shall save her, Seto. She will be free," the king said with a silent prayer to the gods.
"I cannot call her into being. She cannot be summoned fully. She is weakening still," he said sadly.
With a final, defiant roar, the White Dragon vanished, leaving the room cold and dim.
"You suspect perhaps, the shadow magus, as I do?" Atemu asked.
"I do not know," his cousin admitted. "I have tried to give her strength but it fails each time. And each time she appears, she weakens further. One more failed attempt and we might never have the opportunity to try again."
"I am sorry for this," Atemu stood closely beside him and held onto his cousins arm for comfort.
"It is not of your making. And it shall not interfere with my duties…"
"Seto, you know I don't care about that. I gave you my word that we will save her and I stand by it. I know that she means a great deal to you, and therefore, she does to me as well."
"…Thank you," Seto whispered, quietly, staring up at the stone carving of his beloved dragon.
Atemu nodded at him and gave his cousins' arm a gentle squeeze.
"Pharaoh…"
"Yes, Seto?"
"Were you not meant to be resting?" he asked and Atemu sighed.
"Hmmm…" Mai circled Teà slowly, almost like a predator. She sighed heavily. Then she not so gently began to run her hands through Teà's hair.
"Hey, what're you doing?!"
"Helping," Mai replied. After she was satisfied with Teà's hair she pulled down the light linen of the dress she was wearing on her shoulders and her bust line.
"But that's too low!" Teà protested.
"Stop complaining," Mai rolled her eyes.
When she was done, she took a step back and stared at Teà, her eyes roaming up and down. "That should do the job," she declared with a nod.
"What…what job?! I look ridiculous!" Teà said after she looked into the gold mirror hanging on the wall.
"You really don't," Mai assured her.
"Mmm, she's right. You look pretty good to me," she held up her thumb in approval. "Oh, wait, I know…just one more thing!" she cried and raised her staff. She muttered an incantation and with a comical look of deep concentration, a bright light began to glow from the magical staff.
From that light, a golden object slowly emerged and with an expression of triumph, Mana reached out and grabbed it. "Haha! It worked!" she declared and the light faded just as quickly as it had emerged. "Here!" she said, holding out the object to Teà.
In her hand was a golden circlet, it looked not unlike the millennium necklace with a golden eye in the centre but it had small, winglike edges added to the eye. One could almost say it was a much smaller design of Atemu's crown.
"Wow," Serenity said, looking at it in awe.
"Well, put it on," Mana said to Teà.
"I…"
"Oh, I'll do it," the sorceress rolled her eyes impatiently. She practically leapt closer to her and gently eased the circlet onto Teà's head and then adjusted her hair around it.
"You look really pretty, Teà," Serenity agreed and Rebecca nodded, smiling just as much as Mai.
"Remarkable work, Mana. Teà, you look a vision," Meskhenet remarked.
"B…but I…"
"Like a queen, right?" Mana crossed her arms, smugly.
"HUH?!" Teà's jaw dropped.
"Think I need to make it more obvious?" the young sorceress asked.
"What, like a big neon sign?" Rebecca snorted.
"What's neon?" Mana asked.
"It glows," Serenity answered.
"OH! Good idea!"
"NO!" Teà protested.
"Okay then," Mai declared. "We've done all we can. Now it's up to you," she said.
"What?!"
"Do I have to spell it out for you? Go over to the pharaoh and kiss the hell out of him! You know you want to! We might not be here much longer, so you really should make the most of it. You know he was worrying himself sick that you wouldn't even look at him again after all the execution talk. But I knocked some sense into him. You're welcome," she crossed her arms, smugly. "So, off you go, have fun and for gods sake, loosen up a bit," she said.
"I told you, I can't just…"
"Why not?" Rebecca asked.
"Not you too," Teà lamented.
"Well, if I hadn't kissed Yugi first, he never would've asked me out," she replied, smoothly ignoring the fact that she had been basically all over him for years before that point.
"Yugi's shy though," Mai remarked. "I mean, it's cute, sure, but they're kinda different that way," she said.
"True…the shy part I mean. The pharaoh's not really my type," Rebecca shrugged.
"So…are you gonna do it, Teà?" Serenity asked, tentatively.
"I don't…I can't!"
"But…you want to? You just said you do," she replied.
"Sure, I do but…"
"Great!" Mana threw up her arms in triumph. "So go!" she said and pointed to the door with her staff.
Teà stared at her, clearly unimpressed at being ordered about like she was a shadow creature in a battle.
"Hmmm…I guess this doesn't work for that," Mana shook her magical staff with a frown.
"You tried," Mai commented.
"You're all crazy," Teà hugged her arms around herself and sat back down on the floor.
"Right, we're crazy for telling you to go kiss the guy you've had a major crush on for years. Right," Mai remarked.
"…Was it that obvious?" Teà asked after a moment with a sigh.
"A little," Serenity said, sitting beside her and hugging her.
"That's an uderstatement," Mai said.
"…Just great," Teà grumbled.
"I apologise for our ridicule. We meant nothing by it, I assure you," Meskhenet said with seriousness.
"This is so not right…talking to his mom about this," the young dancer remarked.
"Is it not? I have already offered him council about this matter. And though I do not wish for his heart to be broken by your leaving, I cannot help what he feels for you. Nor you for him," the former queen remarked. Meskhenet has knelt beside Teà and placed her hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Know this; my husband whom I loved very dearly is gone and he shall never return, but at least I loved him while I could. I would not change that for anything," she finished sadly.
"You…really mean that? All of it?" Teà asked.
"With all my heart," she nodded.
"Oh…"
"Therefore," Meskhenet stood gracefully and picked up a bowl of food. "You should do as Mai so tactfully suggests, and take this with you," she said.
The bowl was filled with figs, dates and grapes, sweet cakes baked with honey.
Teà blinked in confusion at the bowl.
"These are my sons' favourites," Meskhenet explained. "He has endured a trying few days with little rest, and after journeying to the realm of chaos to speak with Apep, he is even more drained. He has rested, I hope, because even he could not prolong it any further, but I guarantee he will not have eaten."
"Oh yeah," Rebecca shuddered. Mana had told them what had happened earlier.
"That was one creepy, really smelly snake," Mana grimaced.
"What my son needs is rest, food, and some agreeable company. His court have agreed to manage his duties but I know my child. He has never been one for rest," Meskhenet said.
"Yeah, we know," Teà nodded, sardonically.
"So, convince him otherwise," the former queen tenderly pushed the bowl of fruit into her hands.
Teà stood, still visibly nervous and glanced between them all.
Without her noticing, they walked her slowly towards the door. By the time Teà realised she was now standing right in front of it, she had snapped out of her haze when she heard it open.
"Oh no!" she cried.
"Oh, yes!" Mana gave her a gentle nudge out into the corridor.
"Good luck, Teà," Serenity said with a wave.
"No, no, no, no…" she protested but Mai had already closed the door in her face after shuffling her into the corridor.
"That went better than I expected," she declared happily.
"You are a scary genius," Mana said in awe.
"I know," she grinned.
"You mean…you planned that?" Serenity asked her.
"Sort of," Mai answered. "But it worked and we had fun. I'd call that a win," she lounged back on the cushions.
"So…you did it so Teà would…talk to him about…things? You didn't actually mean you'd go and…kiss him?"
"If that makes you feel better about it, then sure."
"Oh…But…what about Teà?" Serenity asked.
"Well, if she's got any sense she's the one kissing him right now. Or she will be soon," Mai rolled her eyes and Serenity blushed bright red.
"Oh…okay…" the younger woman frowned, still confused.
"And if she's not, then I'll go and do it later," Mai told her, checking her makeup in a small golden mirror. "I might as well have some fun while I'm here. If there's one thing I've learned from all this magical craziness we get caught up in, it's if you want something then you take it."
"You would fit in sooooo well at court!" Mana declared.
"Thanks, I think."
"I believe it would be wise to order the guards not to…disturb the king…" Meskhenet said.
"I'd give her a few minutes to build up to it," Mai told her.
"True. The poor girl did seem dreadfully distressed."
"I would've done it too, just so you know," Mai told her pointedly. "I still might if she doesn't. Just for the hell of it."
"I believe you."
"That doesn't bother you?"
"Why should it?"
Mai shrugged. "Thanks for the back up, anyway," she said to them.
"My pleasure," Meskhenet smiled.
"Here, here," Mana nodded.
"Think she'll really go for it?" Rebecca asked.
"Honestly…I don't know," Mai said.
Muttering to herself as she strode through the corridors, Teà tried in vain to ignore the people she passed. There was an unfortunate number of people in the palace at all times, it seemed. No one really gave her a second glance though, she was just another young woman carrying food around the already busy palace.
When she neared the pharaohs' chambers, after having circled around them several times because of her nerves, she saw Atemu himself along with his cousin Seto walking towards her from the opposite direction.
"Teà?" he smiled at her.
"Hi…I err…brought food?" she stated and held up the bowl.
Neither Atemu nor Seto remarked verbally on the fact that she now looked very different, and wore a headdress with the millennium symbol on it. But Seto smiled at his cousin in a mocking manner.
"How wonderful. The pharaoh frequently forgets to eat when he should. And this is most fortunate that these are his favoured fruits," Seto said.
"Yes, indeed, thank you, Seto," Atemu rolled his eyes at the suddenly playful tone he had adopted.
"I shall return to my duties," Seto told his cousin with a small smile, which from him was equivalent to a beaming grin on anyone else.
That left only the guards standing in the hall, and them.
"Your erm…your mom said you probablt hadn't eaten yet…and you didn't eat with us earlier so…" she trailed off and gestured to the large bowl she held in her hands. "We figured you might be hungry. Mana told us what happened earlier…with that Apep guy…and then your mom gave everyone weapons. Well, she tried, I didn't really want one. Joey and the guys are outside hitting each other with them," she rolled her eyes.
"So, for all her ambiguous answers, she's decided to play matchmaker," he muttered, astutely.
"Huh?" she flushed, shocked.
"I am a little hungry, actually," Atemu said to her. "Come in," he said and let her enter his chambers first.
"Does that pile of papers on your desk just keep getting bigger or am I seeing things?" Teà asked, setting the bowl down gently.
"I think someone sneaks them in the moment that I leave," he mocked. "There's certainly a few news ones since I left only moments ago," he noticed.
"Maybe you should take a break," Teà suggested.
"I don't get breaks," he retorted.
"Well…you should," she insisted. "You look like you're about to fall asleep!"
"How flattering," Atemu remarked, amused.
"I didn't mean…"
"Although, you might be right," he said as he lifted up on of the pieces of paper and read it. He pursed his lip and frowned at it. He then screwed up the piece of paper in his hands and it dropped onto the desk.
"What…what was that?" she asked, curiously.
"Nothing worth repeating," he replied. "It was a letter to a particularly irritating governor. I've already publicly sacked one of my officials this week. I should rewrite this so I don't alienate another."
"Good point, I guess," Teà agreed. "But did he deserve it?" she asked after a moment with a smile.
"That and more. Both of them," Atemu replied, dryly. He picked around a piece of fruit from the bowl she'd brought and ate it.
"Y'know, I kinda just assumed a King'd be able to do whatever he wanted," she said.
"Disappointing, isn't it?" he scoffed. "Although, I suppose I could; if my goal was to be assassinated or to drive the people to destitution."
"Assassinated?!"
"It's happened before," he shrugged. "Not often, but Kings have been assassinated in the past. For instance, my great, great, great grandfather was assassinated."
"Wha…seriously?" Teà asked in disbelief.
"Yes. Pharaoh Altakhsas. His name means 'mighty king.' Never was a man so poorly named. He was King only for a year before he was murdered and he is notorious in my family's history. He was a fearsome man and almost bankrupted the country. Thousands died in his pointless wars and even more died building his grand temples."
"So…they just killed him?"
"Essentially yes. He was succeeded by his son who made a point of not repeating his predecessors' mistakes. My father told me this history when I was young and once the conversation was finished, he never spoke of it again, despite my questions. I think he was deeply ashamed of being related to such a man," Atemu explained.
"He was that bad?"
"From what I was told, yes. But I think what my father feared the most was the fact that Altakhsas, aside from his cruelty, was infamous for his temper. Unfortunately it seems to be an inherited family trait."
"What? But you're not…"
"A power-mad, angry dictator?" Atemu smirked with a raised eyebrow.
"Erm…yeah…"
"Thankfully not," he said, sarcastically. "What I meant was that, we may not have inherited his cruelty, but we may certainly have inherited his anger. Father was, generally speaking, level headed and calm but he too had a temper. As do I. If I'd been calmer, I would not have so publicly dismissed Senna from the Court knowing that he would scheme against me in revenge. You and the others are certainly no stranger to my anger."
"Yeah, but everyone gets angry…"
"Not everyone loses themselves enough to fall prey to a force such as the Oricalchos or almost allow a man to fall to his death simply to win a card game," he said, remembering the time that Yugi had been forced to stop him when Kaiba had threatened to jump from Pegasus' castle unless he forfeited the game.
"I think you're worrying too much," Teà said with a frown. "I mean, even if you do get angry, and I mean everyone does sometimes, you're a good person. You never end up like erm…Alta…erm…"
"Altakhsas," he supplied with a small smirk.
"Yeah, him."
"We can only hope," Atemu said and took the bowl of food and went to sit down away from his much used desk on the cushions across from them. Teà followed him and sat down as well. "So, my mother gave you all weapons, did she?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah. She says it's best that everyone can protect themselves. Mai got a dagger, she's been staring at it ever since. She seriously loves that thing. Joey, Tristan and Duke just picked the biggest swords they could get," she replied. "I think Mr. Mutou had a little dagger too but I'm pretty sure he just wanted it because it's Egyptian. It's not like we'd really know how to use them anyway so I don't think it'll make much difference," she added.
"Maybe not," Atemu replied. "But when your life is in danger, it's a wonder the things people are capable of. I think I can safely say that my mother likes you, all of you. She wants you to be safe. That's all it is," he assured her.
"I like her too. And I get it, it's just…swords and stuff…aren't really my thing. She was trying to teach us how to read hieroglyphics as well," Teà smiled. "She said she'd show us how to play that sennet game…but…well…" she trailed off.
They hadn't gotten to the game of sennet before she'd been kicked out of the room. But she couldn't exactly tell him that. "…Turns out, hieroglyphics are hard and it took longer than we thought so…" she shrugged.
"I could show you, if you like. Sennet or hieroglyphics, whichever you like," Atemu offered.
"Really?"
"I'm ordered to 'take a break' and to 'rest', I don't mind," he said, sarcastically.
"Well…sennet then," she said, happily.
"I don't get much time to play, but I have a set in here…somewhere," he replied, looking around and trying to recall just where it was.
"You lost it?" Teà inferred from his thoughtful expression.
"I…mislaid it," Atemu corrected.
"Uh-huh."
"Hmmm," he hummed pensively and stood up. He wandered to the adjoining room and pushed back a sheer curtain of blue fabric.
The room was filled with elaborate boxes, piles of clothes, amour and weapons, as well as statues of gods, some and very large, perfectly polished gold mirrors.
It took a moment, but he finally found it hidden away in the adjoining room in which all of his clothes and armour were kept. Teà leaned against the doorway as he was searching and stared in awe at the sheer amount of objects arranged quite neatly in front of her.
"And people say I have too many clothes," she remarked.
"It's unnecessary, I know, most are ceremonial or were gifts," Atemu told her and then held up a small ivory caved box in triumph.
"That's it?" she asked.
It was carved from ivory and like everything else in the room, was exquisite with inlaid jewels, carved with hieroglyphics and even shone in places with gold.
"That's it," he nodded. "Although how it got in here, I cannot say," he said and they went back to sat on the cushions on the floor of the main room.
There was a low table and he set the game up on there.
"So, what are the rules?" Teà asked.
Sometime later, there was a knock at the door and an old woman entered. Her tanned skin was weather beaten with age, and her grey hair was styled neatly. She wore a simple dress and carried a large plate of food and drinks.
"Her majesty Meskhenet sends these with her…" the woman said.
But the voice that she spoke with, made both Atemu and Teà look up at her from their game. They shared a confused expression before Atemu spoke.
"I know it's you, Mana," Atemu said.
"I don't know what you're…"
"You forgot about your voice," he told her and she groaned.
"The voice!" Mana yelled and waved her hand. The image of the old servant woman faded away and left the young sorceress in training standing there holding her staff. "There's always something!" she lamented.
Mana dropped the large plate at their feet as though she cared little for the things on it. Her spell book appeared in her hands and she was flicking quickly through the pages.
"Last time it was her hair," Atemu told Teà.
"Oh," she grinned
"Why are you testing your disguises on us?" the king asked his friend.
"Well, I need someone to test it on, don't I?" she replied, innocently.
Atemu sighed and turned his attention back to the sennet board. He didn't catch the insistent look that Mana shot Teà, but Teà did. He also kissed the obnoxious mock kissing pout that Mana made, luckily.
"I mean…if it wasn't for the voice then…it was pretty good," Teà said, after mouthing a silent 'shhh' to her.
"Great! I'll keep working on it then," Mana declared, happily. "Nice headdress, Teà," she added pointedly.
"Erm…yeah…"
"Bye," Mana bounced cheerily from the room.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?" he mused.
"Erm…here…how's that?" Teà said evasively and moved one of the game pieces.
"I would say…that it was ill advised," he replied, sardonically.
"Huh," she frowned at the board when he moved one of his own pieces.
"…And I beat Joey fair and square in a duel. And it was his idea in the first place! I'm never gonna let him forget it," Teà declared happily.
The sennet board had been long forgotten several games ago, and they had been talking since then. Both were draped, lazily over the cushions and the food had long since been eaten.
"All because you took Serenity to a dance class?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Well, no…I also might've won against her too, after the dance class. I know Joey loves her but he's a little overprotective. More than a little. And we all get why, but still. She just wanted a bit of fun, I'd never let her do anything dangerous. So she came with me to class. And then she wanted to learn Duel Monsters and I told her I'm not the best teacher but…we had fun," she smiled.
"It doesn't sound as though he did," he smirked back.
"Nope. But I got some perfect blackmail material. If he steps outta line, all I need to say is…remember that time I won, oh great runner up, champion of Duel Monsters," Teà laughed.
"Poor Joey," Atemu said but the humour in his voice disagreed with his statement.
"Teà…" he began cautiously some time later.
"Yeah?" she asked, puzzled by the sudden change in his voice.
"I wanted to apologise," Atemu asked.
"For what?"
"I raised my voice at you…before, about the execution," he explained. "I am truly sorry. Thinking about that…it's what brought my shamed ancestor to mind. I'm not proud of my temper and I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on you. I take no joy in killing or in ordering the deaths of others…" he said quickly.
"Hey," she interrupted him before he could continue.
Teà reached out and took one of his hands gently but firmly in both of hers. His skin was warm and he and toughened skin on the undersides of his fingers from a lifetime of training with weapons, likely.
"I know, and I'm sorry too. I…I'm sorry for what I said," Teà assured him. "I know you don't enjoy it or anything; you're not cruel. I know that, we all know that. It was just…a shock, we don't have y'know…executions…back in Domino. I'm just…I'm sorry," she said, trying to meet his gaze but he was stubbornly looking away.
"So, I'm…not a monster then?" he asked, timidly. Timidity, she decided, did not suit him. She was used to his confidence and his bravery, not this. She couldn't help but feel guilty that it was, in part, her fault that he was second guessing him about having defended his own country.
"No," Teà answered with confidence that he now seemed to lack. "No, you're not. You're brave. And you're kind. And you're a good person," she said.
"…Thank you," he said, finally looking at her again.
It was only then that Teà began to blush. She realised that she was still holding his hand and that he was smiling at her.
"…Then I fell straight from my chariot right at my fathers' feet. I was later told that I was rather fortunate not to have broken any bones in the process," Atemu remarked with a sigh.
Teà bit her lip and tried not to laugh, she held up a hand over her mouth but still, he could hear her laughing.
"Then what happened?" she managed to ask.
"I was banned from chariot riding completely. My father gave me several lectures on why young children do not ride chariots, regardless of their title, and I was forced to clear out the stables with the stable hands for two months…It was not an enjoyable task. There are a lot of horses at the palace," he grimaced and she laughed again.
"Yeah, we've seen them."
"Admittedly, at five years old, I was not impressed, but I don't suppose that my father was either. I could've easily gotten myself killed and left him with no heir. Mother was far more lenient, she suggested that we have a smaller chariot made for me to use and after serval years, she persuaded him. Though I was only allowed to use it under strict conditions," he replied with a wave of his hand.
"They must've been worried about you," Teà said.
"Yes, and I'm fairly certainly that I ran them ragged. He used to say that it was my fault his hair greyed though I have it under good authority that it was grey long before my birth. And I learned one thing from that whole affair; I learned not to ride my chariot when my father was around to see," he joked.
"So, he gave you a chariot and a boat…and you have a room full of clothes that's bigger than my apartment…," Teà said.
"I was spoiled, I know," Atemu drawled at her.
"I didn't say that!"
"You were thinking it."
"I thought you could only hear Yugi's thoughts?" she raised an eyebrow.
"That wasn't a denial," he said.
"There's a river Nile joke in there somewhere but I don't wanna say it."
"I think you just did."
"Nope, not me. Bad jokes are Joey's department," she shrugged.
"Hmmm."
"So, you didn't make it as a chariot racer…or a fisherman," Teà remarked, remembering their conversation from a few nights ago when he'd admitted he'd wanted to stay on the river and been given a boat.
"No, I didn't," he gave a small smile.
"That's a shame. Chariot racer sounds kinda fun," Teà said.
"That was the problem. It sounded far more interesting than being a prince with duties," Atemu explained.
"Yeah, I guess so."
"What I wanted to do, tended to change with each passing year. For a time it was to join the fishermen on the river, then I wanted to race a chariot in the sun, or join the army and explore new lands. Anything that didn't involve palace life, really. But they knew as well as I did, that I didn't particularly have a choice," he said a little sadly. "Did you always want to be a dancer, or did it change frequently for you too?" he asked, turning to her.
"Hmm…not really. I think I always knew. Mom always said when I was a baby I saw people dancing on tv and I was trying to dance before I could really walk. I certainly never wanted to work at Burgerpalooza but it helped to pay for classes," she answered with a smile. "I've been taking more classes lately too and I got into a really good school. And everyone's been really supportive but I dunno if I should just get a regular job and…" she trailed off.
"Why would you do that?"
"Because dance lessons are expensive," Teà replied, dryly.
"Hmmm…" he hummed. "I've an idea, wait there," he added and stood up.
Teà watched as he all but ran off in a blur of gold back into the room filled with clothes. She then heard some very loud clattering and banging and winced when an even louder crash shook the floor.
"…Are you okay in there?" she called out.
"Yes!" Atemu replied and then came back towards her. "I'm fine. My apologies," he said.
He was holding a small, dagger which was concealed in a gold gilded sheath.
The hilt of the dagger was encrusted with jewels and seemed to be made of ivory. "Take this," he said, holding it out to her after kneeling beside her where she still sat on the floor.
"Erm…" she blinked at the weapon in confusion.
"This was given to me when I was a child. It is purely decorative. The blade was never sharpened even once; I doubt it wouldn't even cut the fruit we ate earlier. I know you don't want a weapon and that's not why I'm giving it to you. Think of it as an investment. Keep it with you and if…when…the times comes for you to leave, then you can sell it. Its value is great now, but in your time it will be significantly greater. Ask Ishizu or Yugi's grandfather to sell it for you and use the money for your dancing," he explained.
"I couldn't, I…" she stammered, looking at the glided dagger sheath. It was beautiful and he was right; back home it would be worth a fortune.
"Please," Atemu insisted. He gently took her hands and placed the dagger into them. Then he closed her fingers around the sheathed weapon and and placed his own palms over hers. "I want you to be happy. You should be able to decide what you want to do with your life. I don't exactly understand how much it will cost for you to become a dancer, but if I can help you, even from here, then I will."
"But this is…" Teà bit her lip and stared down at the weapon now enclosed in both of their hands.
"It is yours," he reiterated. He gave her pale hands a gentle squeeze and then let them go.
Teà tightened her grip on the weapon doe a second before she placed it gently on the floor beside her. Then she threw both arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you…But are you really sure you wanna just give this away? Isn't it important?" she muttered.
"I'm sure," he replied, delicately putting his arms around her. "It is yours now," he said, smiling.
"Thank you," Teà repeated, sheepishly.
"Do what makes you happy and enjoy your life, Teà," he said with a hand tenderly buried in her bobbed, brown hair. His fingers found the band of the circlet she wore and he traced it carefully. "And I should have said before…you look beautiful. This is lovey," he remarked.
"Mana…made…it, with magic," Teà admitted.
"Hmmm. She never was one for subtlety," he chuckled against her.
"No kidding," she sighed and rested her head on his gold covered shoulder.
Despite the fact that it was becoming quite uncomfortable, hugging while still sitting on the floor, she didn't really want to move either. He was warm and the skin of his arm which she could trace her fingers along was soft and smooth over the muscles between the gold bands.
Teà's eyes flickered over to the closed door, hoping that Mana didn't make another appearance because she'd likely die of embarrassment if she did.
"It's rather like a crown, isn't it?" Atemu said about the circlet, startling her attention back to him.
"I erm…think she just wanted to play dress up…" she stammered.
"I know what she meant to imply," he said with far more confidence than she had spoken with.
"Y'do, huh?"
"Don't you? I'd say that it was fairly obvious."
"Erm…" she flushed, thankful that he couldn't see her face, though he could probably feel the heat radiating from her skin.
He laughed softly and shuffled a little on the floor. He too seemed reluctant to let go despite the discomfort. Fortunately, there was a well placed, wonderfully carved stone pillar behind them and he leaned against it still with her in his arms. He couldn't help but notice the tense discomfort banish from her the moment he did so.
"Seto certainly did when he left us earlier," he said. "I so rarely see him smile that I can't find it in me to be angry with him. Or Mana. Also, it suits you. I'd give you all the gold in the world if I thought you'd want it."
"I don't need gold…I mean, I'm really, really grateful that I won't have to work in Burgerpalooza ever again," she scoffed. "But I don't need gold," she reiterated.
"I know. But if you didn't appreciate the implication at least, then you didn't need to wear this," Atemu said slowly, with his fingers still resting against the circlet.
"…I didn't say that," she muttered, quietly.
"I see," he exhaled a deep, weary sigh and turned the side of his face into her hair. "But you can't stay here. This place is for the dead," Atemu stated sadly. Regardless of his words, he still didn't let her go.
"I know. We'll have to leave eventually. I know that. But…I'm here now, and…well, I care about you a lot. And I missed you so much. I know it was for the best but it was all over so fast. I don't care that some evil, giant snake thing brought us here…and that would be a really weird thing to say if we weren't so used to strange things happening…but I wanna make the most of it," Teà said with determination. "Don't you?" she added in a much more timid voice.
"For the record…Apep is the god of chaos…a powerful being to be feared, not an 'evil, giant snake thing'," he remarked.
"Don't care," she said, unamused and gently batted a hand against his shoulder,
making him laugh.
"…It might not be wise," he then said much more seriously.
"Again, I really, really don't care."
"No, I didn't think you would. You were always brave," he remarked.
"I don't think so," she muttered.
It had taken all of her nerve just to hug him, and it had taken her friends' incessant teasing just to get her there. She'd never met anyone else who made her feel quite so nervous. But now that was was there, leaning against the stone pillar, both of them say there in each others arms, she was glad they'd pushed her. Even if it was a bad idea, like he said, Teà didn't care. They might only have a few days, but it was better than nothing.
With that in mind, and after a shaky breath, she turned her head a little and placed a gentle, feather light kiss on his jaw.
"I wish it had happened differently. It was all over far too quickly, you're right," Atemu told her and pressed his lips to her soft hair. "I was tired. Beyond tired. I wanted…an end. It's selfish I know, and I'm sorry," he said.
He laced the fingers of one hand through hers and held it tightly.
"I understood, we all did…eventually," Teà said.
"Regardless…you're right," he said after a moment. "We should make the most of this time that we have. I never got the chance to say it…it never seemed right. But I do care for you. Even in my dreams I never imagined I would find someone like you. It seems impossible that we met millennia apart…but you make it equally impossible for me not to cherish you."
Teà leaned back from their hug after hearing, quite possibly the most poetic and romantic words in her life, and bit her lip deep in thought for a second. Then, without a word and a very determined expression on her face, she kissed him, ever so gently on the lips.
Some time after Atemu had left, Teà had tried her best to move on with her life and forget about him. She started dating a fellow dancer she'd met in her classes. He'd been kind, funny and sweet. They'd had a lot of fun together but one day, they'd been alone and he'd asked her what was wrong; he'd noticed that she was distracted. She'd finally told him that she was missing a very good friend, a friend she'd never see again and one that she'd loved. He'd understood without her having to define that 'love' and they'd parted on good terms.
The point was, that Teà had tried. But the more she'd tried to date or even kiss other men, the more she'd thought about Atemu. Someone she couldn't so much as see, let alone kiss. But now she could, even if only for a little while.
She could feel him smile beneath her lips so he clearly didn't object. In fact, he kissed her back and urged her closer. The hand that he still held was brought closer to him and she followed eagerly. She bravely trailed her other, onto his shoulder and up past the gold at his neck. The gold was warm, just like him, and smooth to the touch.
Her wandering hand slowly found its way into his hair, gently caressing his scalp and the back of his neck.
It was the touch against the back of his neck that made him shudder. Such warmth against that tender skin and the feel of her soft lips moving with his own.
Her increasingly bold and tantalising tongue, was teasing at his lip and then a second later, with his own tongue. She tased of the sweet fruits they'd eaten before and he imagined, so did he.
Her breath was increasingly ragged against his lips and one of her hands was clutching tightly at the fabric of his shirt. She shifted closer to him and helped her, letting her slide a leg over one of his, her earlier embarrassment seemingly vanished in that instant.
It was easier not to comment on her embarrassment, as endearing as it was, because it wasn't easy for him either. It wasn't that he was embarrassed as such despite his rather startlingly lack of romantic experience, rather he felt guilty because he knew she'd have to leave and they'd both be separated by impossible circumstances. How could he subject her to that?
That guilt though, was very easy to ignore while they were pressed skin to skin and sharing gasping breaths of air.
She'd never been afraid to be herself, she was bold and fearless and never failed her friends in times of need. He never wanted her hurt or afraid, and he wanted only her happiness. In short, he loved her. He knew and he'd freely admit it.
Atemu had a long time to think about it. It was of course, difficult to truly know or even admit when one was a spirit with no memories, inhabiting the body of a young teenager from another time. At times, Atemu had wondered if his adoration for Teà was simply Yugi's emotions filtering through.
Yugi and Teà were the best of friends and perhaps when they had been younger, there had been some confusion about any deeper feelings. Now that they had grown though, they knew better. And now that he was his own person again, so did Atemu.
He pulled back from their kiss and rested his head in the crook of her neck, taking deep steadying breaths while leaving the odd kiss against her throat. He couldn't help it.
"Y'know…" Teà managed to breathe out. "I could get used to this whole 'making the most of it' thing," she remarked.
"Hmmm, as could I," he muttered against her skin.
A while later, after much more kissing and many more muttered words, they were lying over the soft furs and cushions, Teà had her head pillowed against his chest and she draped one leg over his, comfortably while he toyed idly with a strand of her hair.
"You made a total mess in that other room earlier, didn't you?" she couldn't help but ask.
"No," Atemu said quickly. "Maybe," he then added, sheepishly.
"Half the palace probably heard it."
"Probably," he sighed.
"Shouldn't someone have come in…I dunno, in case you were being attacked or something?" Teà wondered.
"They likely had orders not to," he said, suspiciously.
"What'd you mean?" she glanced up at him and saw him smile.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. And we should be grateful that they stayed away. I'd have been very embarrassed for the guards to find me buried beneath a pile of gold and armour in my search," he said.
"Huh, is that what that crash was."
"Mmmm," he hummed, nonchalantly. "But speaking of gold, will you do one thing for me?"
"What?"
"Wear that crown in court. In front of the governors. All of them. It will be monumentally entertaining. It'll give them something else to talk about other than their own greed or my lack of wives and children. They'll be simply stunned by your beauty that…" he said, seriously.
"It's not a crown," she interrupted him with a twitching eyebrow.
"Please, if only for a moment."
"No."
"A pity," he lamented.
"And it's not a crown," Teà reiterated.
"If you say so," Atemu smiled.
"It's not!"
"Of course not, Teà."
"Atemu," she glared at him. It was only then that she noticed his curiously pleased expression. "What is it?" she asked.
"No one calls me by name here. I am 'king' or 'pharaoh' or a dozen other titles but…well, it's nice to hear it for a change," he replied.
"Does it bother you?"
"No," he answered in a thoughtful hum. "I suppose I'm used to it," he added.
"Oh, well we can say it more often. It's a nice name. But…would it make people go nuts if I said it when you were sitting on your throne or something?" she asked, half in jest and half seriously.
"Honestly, yes it would. I think the princess Ayten would mark you as an enemy, and the rest of my court would be asking for a wedding and coronation date," Atemu replied.
"Oh," Teà flushed.
"Don't worry about it for now, they won't say it to your face. They'd be too afraid of offending me…probably," he assured her calmly.
"O…okay, Atemu," she said and he smiled. "But if that princess comes after me, I'm setting the Dark Witch on her," she added in a much more confident tone.
"I'd expect nothing less," he chuckled.