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Mistaken Assumptions	By : tavia454 Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 17844 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, I make no money off this story! Bummer!

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
- 4
Okay,
this funky little plot bunny has definitely taken a different twist! I guess
from now on expect something more on par with a PWP, for he�s giving me very
little plot with many excuses for, um, certain situations to arise � if you get
my meaning.

Oh,
yeah�sorry, I forgot for a moment that this is what I usually write. Don�t
expect much to become clear with this chapter, even the characters are confused
at this point (as am I � JK)

Reminder
� I don�t own anything (and I mean that literally). Thank you for checking it
out!

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Once
the room was finally quiet, Atemu dropped into one of the vacant chairs
surrounding the table with a heartfelt groan. He exhaled deeply through his
nose as he reached under his helmet to rub at his temples in an effort to quell
the piercing headache that had come on not long ago. Had he needed to question
those kids for much longer one or all would have met with death at his
frustrated hands.

At
this moment in time he could have cheerfully killed them all without a second
thought. And yet, here he was considering alternative methods of sorting
through the matter. Why was that? An irritated frown graced his features. It
would have been simpler to dispatch them one by one, starting with the four
that he knew, for a fact, were not who he was searching for.

Once
again the image of terrified amethyst eyes came to his mind and he pushed them
away with a snort. They held no sway over him.

�The
prisoners are secure�Is something wrong Your Highness?� Seto questioned,
minutes later, as he approached his sovereign with a bow. Mahaado, only a
couple of paces behind him, dropped into a deep bow as well.

�I
simply cannot deal with them right now without wanting to teach them their
place.� Atemu sighed, his fingers wandering to his brow in an attempt to
massage away the lancing pain. Even the weak candlelight hurt his eyes now. �Why
do we not look for clues that would tell us who the rightful heir to the throne
is instead of depending on their word alone? I would truly hate to kill the one
responsible for Otogi�s death without him knowing �
and regretting � his actions.�

That
would be too easy. He wanted his friend�s murderer not only to die, but to depart
this life in complete and utter agony, lamenting the day that he dared conceive
a plan that involved the Egyptian empire and Atemu himself. Only then would his
vengeance be satisfied � and not a moment sooner.

�And then what Your Highness? Are you just going to dispose of them
and dictate to the Hyksos people that you are their new king?� Mahaado inquired
with a frown, watching his king�s pained expressions closely. �This country is
merely days from rebellion as it is. Would it be logical to ask our people to
fight for a cause not their own?�

�Atemu dropped his hands to the table and shot
the high priest a horrified look. ��I-I
had not thought about it that way.�

Mahaado
blinked at the edgy response, his eyes searching Atemu�s face. Recognizing the
pinched, desperate look that contorted the teenage ruler�s features for what it
was the brown-eyed priest asked quietly to be dismissed. Once Atemu waved him
away he made his way out of the room with the intention of searching through
his bags for a potion to ease his Pharaoh�s suffering.

��Then what are your plans Your Highness?� Seto
questioned as Mahaado slipped silently from the room.

�I
am not sure yet what I intend to do. I had thought to dispose of any royalty
and proclaim Hyksos for Egypt. But their situation is worse than I
had first believed�� Once again Atemu�s hands wandered to his head in an
attempt to relieve his pain. ��We shall have to help ease the people�s plight
before we assert our authority. If nothing else I shall leave an emissary
behind to see to their needs until we can come up with a more permanent
solution.�

The
blue-eyed priest tipped his head in thought before shrugging outright. �I
suppose you are right�in any case we have at least some time to sort this out
before anyone notices that something�s amiss. I shall leave you to your
thoughts while I attempt to find Bakura and Marik � they should have returned
by now.�

Atemu
nodded stiffly in concurrence as the brunette bowed his way out of the room,
before laying his head down on his folded hands. As bad as his headache was now
it was nothing compared to what it would be had he not had the foresight to
leave the bulk of his troops well outside of the royal city, taking only the
twenty or so men he trusted implicitly to ensure entry into the nearly deserted
palace. They didn�t need the widespread panic that surely would have surfaced
had he led the entire army into their midst.

When
first he witnessed the deteriorated condition of the Hyksos people�s welfare,
not far into their journey, the decision was made to complete this task with
stealth and secrecy rather than force and violence. He had no true desire for
this to turn into an all out war, with too many casualties on both sides. There
had already been enough fighting in his few years on the throne. No reason for
more blatant hostilities when the matter could be resolved by other means.

Against
his will Atemu found his thoughts straying, once again, to those wide amethyst
eyes and a soft, slender body that fit so nicely against his frame. The terror
filled look that crossed those expressive features when he held the child at
knifepoint had made him feel quite like the heathen he was known for being.
What on earth was he going to do with those children?

�So now what?� Bakura questioned abruptly as he
entered the throne room, Marik sauntering along at his side, with Seto not too
far behind.

�Can
we keep them?� Marik queried with an eager look on his face.

Seto
rolled his eyes as Atemu, who had nearly jumped out of his seat at their boisterous
entrance, settled his head back in his hands.

�Yeah,
that little look-alike of mine needs to be taught some manners and I would be
more than willing to do the job!� Bakura cackled gleefully, before covering his
mouth with his hand at Atemu�s glower.

�That
remains to be seen! For now we search for something that would give us the
identity of their new king. If what the young one said is true, the man I
thought responsible for Otogi�s demise is not capable
of the deed. So that leaves us with the task of finding out who is.� Atemu
replied brusquely as he covered his ears to block out Bakura�s
obnoxious laughter. �Bakura, take Marik and search the library, there should be
a portrait of the loving family
somewhere. Seto, you take the study. I�ll go through what they left on the
table here. Everyone else spread out � search the entire palace.�

The
trio eyed each other hesitantly at their ruler�s clipped response. It was well
known among them that Atemu frequently fell victim to
intense headaches that would virtually incapacitate him for hours. And it
seemed as though one was holding him in its vise-like grip now.

�Pharaoh
�� Mahaado materialized from the entryway, a goblet in his hand. �Drink this.
It will help with the pain.�

�Thank
you Mahaado.� Atemu acknowledged, more than gratefully, as he reached for the
glass. Once he drained it he turned an eye on the group that had gathered. �Do
you not have a task to complete?�

�Yes
my Pharaoh.�

Each
of the men, with the exception of Bakura who strolled away with his hands
behind his back, bowed their way out of the room as they went about their duties,
leaving Atemu alone to idly ponder the opulent throne room as he waited for his
friend�s elixir to kick in.

The
Egyptian ruler glanced around in the candle light as he took off his helmet and
laid it aside, his unusual tricolor hair springing back up into its normal
wayward spikes despite the heat; taking note of the jewels and riches that adorned
all of the overly cushioned, almost fussy furnishings, as well as the priceless
artifacts that were scattered casually about the room. The elaborately painted
schemes that decorated the walls were enough to make him cringe in distaste.

It
was a pity. For what he had seen of the countryside as well as the royal city
left much to be desired. And yet what he had seen of the palace seemed not to
be lacking in anything of value. How could these people live like this, knowing
that half of their populace was dying of starvation? And the other half wasn�t
too far behind. As a ruler were you not supposed to take care of your people?

He
snorted in disgust, dismissing the former Hyksos leader�s hypocrisy as he
settled in to read a document that had been casually left on the table, only to
set it aside a moment later as insignificant and reach for another. Headache
finally restrained by Mahaado�s special potion, he
scanned the contents of the intriguing memo. He was nearly halfway through when
he heard a distinctive screech from above.

�Horus�

Atemu
promptly dropped the paper back onto the pile in favor of watching the hawk
circle overhead. The tawny colored bird never failed to fascinate him with its
grace and beauty and now was no exception. After a moment�s consideration he
stretched out his leather covered arm so his friend could land.

Only
minutes before his confrontation with the frustrating teens he had sent the
faithful hawk out with a message to his troops that they had made it safely
inside the palace. For him to be returning so soon meant that all was well
outside of the city walls, just as Atemu had hoped. He depended on this small,
but deadly creature nearly as much as he did Marik and Bakura � and had yet to
be let down by any of them. Which was more than he could say
for those who were in his employ.

As
the magnificent beast prepared for landing, Atemu caught sight of an unknown
object that was clamped firmly in his beak. But the astonished royal was
unprepared for the token that his childhood friend had brought back as a broken
white dove landed abruptly on top of the paperwork that he was in the process
of sorting through with a dull thud.

�Son of a �!�

With
a grimace Atemu reached out to pluck the offering off the table, noticing as he
did so that the dead bird had a piece of papyrus attached to its leg. He untied
the letter and held it up to the light so that he could make out the scrawled
words. A slow grin worked its way across his face as he scanned the contents of
the letter. This was definitely worth the unexpected � and not so welcome �
present.

Setting
the letter off to the side Atemu patted the hawk on his head. �Thank you my
friend. I owe you dearly for this.�

Little
over an hour later, Bakura stomped into the room as he dusted off his robes.
�The only portrait I found was of the old tyrant himself � and a miniature of
some lady with purple eyes holding a baby. Other than that I would say this
place needs a good cleaning. That library hasn�t been used in the last
millennia or so. Damn cobwebs everywhere!�

Having
said his piece the white haired thief flopped down unceremoniously in a chair
next to a smirking Atemu. He eyed the grinning monarch with a touch of
suspicion before reaching out to tug on a piece of blonde hair that fell over
the king�s eyes, knowing that the other hated it when he did that. �What gives
Atemu? I tell you I got nothing and you�re grinning like a cat that ate the
canary. Feeling better?�

�Very
much so�Listen to this.� Atemu held up the first of two pieces of parchment
that were sitting in front of him as he slapped away the other�s hand, tucking
the lock of stray hair behind his ear and smoothing the ruby tinted black
spikes down in an ineffective gesture before clearing his throat to read the
note aloud.

�Dear
Prince Yugi�Grandson, I have managed to collect most of your father�s troops.
His body, as well as that of your brother�s shall arrive home shortly. I have
also managed to gain an audience with the Persian King and he is just as
oblivious as I am as to why your father would attack his borders like he had.
But he swears that he was not the one to end his life. I am following up on a
couple of leads here, with the help of an old friend of mine. Hope this letter
finds you well. Do your best to stay safe. There is something suspicious about
our current predicament. Love, Solomon.�

When
he was finished reciting the letter Atemu dropped it back onto the table as he
lounged back in the chair, his hands interlaced behind his head and a malevolent
smirk adorning his features. �What do you think?�

With
a grin reminiscent of a shark�s, Bakura snickered. �So the old bastard really
is dead?! I think we need to speak with this Prince Yugi.�

�My thoughts exactly. But before we do so, take a look at
this missive. It is addressed to the High Council of Countries, a plea for help.�
Atemu picked up the second paper and handed it over to the other for his
perusal. �It sounds to me like our young Prince had no grand desire to be
king.�

Bakura
whistled in awe as he read over the politely worded but urgent request, as well
as the list of reasons for such action. Not that many people would give up
their throne for the good of their people. Not even Atemu was that selfless.
�Do you think there�s a chance this is a diversion?�

�I
doubt it, although there is that possibility. Which means we
need to cut this short.� Atemu replied as he rose gracefully from the
chair. �Go fetch the others. Explain that we have found information of value.
We will need to deal with the children one more time. There is more to this
situation than meets the eye, perhaps another participant that we had no prior
knowledge of.�

�The
question is, did they?� The white haired thief pushed himself out of the chair
at Atemu�s supportive nod and made his exit with the intention of finding the
others.

�That
is what I aim to find out�� Atemu thought out loud to the empty room.

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It
seemed like hours had passed since he had been dumped into this lavish
bedchamber, the door locked securely behind him. But Yugi knew that it had not
been that long, as the light had yet to touch the sky to indicate that it was daybreak.
He spared another longing glance out at the darkened horizon before resuming
his pacing, silently berating himself for his earlier display of fear in the
presence of the exotic Egyptian monarch.

His
behavior was reprehensible, irresponsible and, worse yet, did absolutely
nothing to aid the situation! But never in his life had he felt so powerless,
so insignificant! Not even his father�s threats had the ability to reduce him
to a quivering, incoherent mess as the intimidating Pharaoh had. And that was
with the force of his voice and eyes alone, well before the Egyptian ruler had
ever laid a hand on him.

An
irritated screech echoed around the room as Yugi tugged at his complicated
braids in frustration, reining his thoughts back to the problem at hand. What
was going to become of them? Would they live to see the glorious sunrise that
had yet to appear?

If
only he knew what had drawn the other sovereign into his territory in the first
place, then perhaps he could use whatever it was as a bargaining chip against
the intimidating Egyptian. It was obvious that they hadn�t known about his
father�s death, judging by the Pharaoh�s stunned expression, so they certainly
weren�t here to take over the kingdom in this moment of vulnerability.

But
if that wasn�t the reason they stormed the palace, then what was?!

Without
first gaining his consent his thoughts turned towards the Pharaoh himself. The
man was nothing but a bundle of enigmatic contradictions. Intimidating, commanding,
well built, drop-dead gorgeous � Yugi stopped in his tracks at that irrational outlook
for a moment before rubbing at his newly acquired, though slight, injury with a
groan of disapproval.

What
was the point in reflecting on that meaningless little detail?!

The
man was reputed to be one of the most lethal warriors of their era. His looks
didn�t matter in the slightest! By all rights the Egyptian monarch should have
marched in and killed him and everyone else in the room without question, as
his reputation demanded.

Why
the interrogation? What purpose could that possibly serve? What was it they
needed to know before they did away with him and the others? That was what was
going to happen, wasn�t it?! They were all going to die?

Clutching
at his stomach, he dropped to his knees as he felt the bile rise in his throat.
There had to be a way to keep his friends safe, there had to be. If he couldn�t
find it, though, they were all�

As
he attempted to keep from tasting what little dinner he had eaten for a second
time the door to the room was thrown open with a resounding bang. And Yugi was
given no further opportunity to consider the subject as one of the brawny
soldiers from earlier entered the chamber, searching the room for his whereabouts.
A grin split his mulish features as he spotted his target and made a move to
grab for him.

Narrowly
avoiding the grasping fingers, Yugi lurched to his feet and darted across the
room, grabbing whatever was handy to use as a weapon against whatever the man
had in mind. The first one � a lit candle that had been sitting innocuously on
a bedside table � glanced off the side of the soldier�s arm and he yelped in
pain, stomping on the floor to put out what was left of the flame as he aimed a
sidelong glare at the defiant teen.

Another
projectile answered his angry glance and again the man had to duck to avoid the
well-aimed missile. Slightly more confident now that he had injured his attacker,
Yugi reached out for a third piece off of the table but found himself caught up
short as the man grabbed him from behind and tossed him over a broad shoulder, ending
his rebellion with an efficiency honed from years of training in the Egyptian
military.

�Hey!
Release me!! You big cretin, let me go!� Yugi screeched in humiliation as he
was once again thrown around as though he was nothing more than a sack of
grain. The soldier ignored his protests and carried him out of the room kicking
and screaming.

The
young king found himself free of the soldier�s attentions once they made it
back into the throne room only to be roughly tossed into one of the high-backed
chairs that someone had lined up in a neat row, before being securely bound
with strips of white linen apparently cut up just for that purpose.

The
young king opened his mouth to give his captors a piece of his mind but his jaw
hit the floor when he caught sight of the Egyptian Pharaoh minus his helmet and
armor trappings.

Their
looks were somewhat similar, especially their hair, but not enough to keep his
attention due to that alone. Had he thought the Egyptian ruler to be gorgeous
before?! Dressed only in a sheathe-like shenti that
showed off most of his slender legs, his chest and shoulders bare but for the heavy
collar and chest plate, the scarlet-eyed Pharaoh was nothing short of
exquisite.

And
that was before the Egyptian royal turned his back on the room to confer with
one of the other men. A large, intricate tattoo of a golden dragon started up
around his shoulder blades, covering nearly his entire, well-defined back to
end somewhere hidden underneath the gauzy cotton of his shenti.
The artwork was simply amazing.

Caught
off guard by the stunning vision, Yugi groaned, his thoughts scattering as his
mind gave him a glimpse of what it would feel like to have those strong arms
wrapped around him, forcefully drawing him back against the heat of that lean,
toned body. The man was literally without equal.

A
pained shout from Jou, as the others found themselves in the same situation as
their king, ripped Yugi from the vivid fantasy with the same effect as a cold
spray of water. It took him a moment to appreciate the compromising position
that he had put himself in, zoning out like that.

Not
only had he missed out on a chance to request a private conference with the
powerful Egyptian concerning his friends� safety without those friends
side-tracking the discussion with their noble intentions, but now each of the
Egyptians were eyeing him with nothing short of amusement � including the star
of his erotic musing.

That
one smirked widely, as if knowing his innermost thoughts, the appraising look
in his eyes leaving Yugi with the impression that he seriously needed more
clothing.

�Impressive,
is it not? Would you like to know what it stands for?� Mahaado queried, not
unkindly, from his position beside the intimidating monarch, hoping that the
boy would take his question as a sign that this confrontation could be less
than hostile.�

The
young teen�s jaw worked silently for a minute before it snapped shut with an
audible click as he lowered his eyes to the floor in shame, unable to observe
the other man�s peaceful gesture due to the lump in his throat. Oh gods, why
couldn�t he just say the words? Such was part of his reasoning for giving up the
throne, his persistent inclination to freeze upon attracting the attentions of
such an imposing figure. He had his reasons, yes, but they did nothing for him
now.

He
had failed his friends. What was going to happen to them now? Was this the
point where their lives became forfeit? Or were they to be tortured first, for
whatever information it was that the Egyptians needed?

�Now
that everyone is comfortable �� The Pharaoh�s powerful baritone voice echoed
around the room, gaining everyone�s attention and answering Yugi�s unspoken
question. �We are going to have a little discussion. I am going to ask the
questions, and you �� He gazed around at his captive audience with a smirk. ��
are going to answer when I call upon you. If this cannot be done in a calm and
rational manner, than I will hand you over to my men for a different form of
questioning. Understood?�

��Suck dick by choice!� Jou growled low,
earning him a wide-eyed look from Yugi for his outburst and a smack upside the
head from the blue-eyed priest standing behind him. �Ow!
Watch it dick-weed!!�

Anzu
glanced at the besieged blonde out of the corner of her eye before adding her
comments. �Yeah, whatever you want � we don�t have it! Seek it
elsewhere�preferably in the afterlife!�

�Hopefully
they won�t make it that far. I would prefer a meeting with Ammit!�
Honda interjected his two cents.

Ryou
glared heartily at his white-haired look-alike. �I think I speak for all of us
when I say kiss my ass!�

�Bakura only chuckled as he stared down Ryou�s defiant glower, causing the boy only to grit his
teeth and glare back even harder. �I would be glad to take a strap to your hide,
little boy. You should respect your elders.�

Yugi�s
head snapped up at the threat against his best friend, eyes narrowed. �Hey!
There�s no ��

Ryou
growled an unintelligible oath in the language of his homeland before switching
back to the shared Coptic. �Go to �!�

�What is with you?! We are not children!� Malik snapped
out in defense of the seething white-haired teen, just as Jou shouted �Why you
arrogant son of a jack�!�

Atemu
threw a glare over his shoulder aimed at the defiant teens for instigating the
newest shouting match. �Enough!! Or would you rather I cut your tongues out one
by one?!�

The
furious monarch�s words had the effect that he wanted as once again the group
fell silent, although not without their eyes speaking the similar sentiments to
the ones they had voiced not seconds before. After a moment�s consideration
Atemu waved his men over to the side of the room for a private discussion.

Upon
hearing the foreign curse he had realized that there was an infinitely easier
way to get the Hyksos ruler to give himself up with none of the others being
the wiser � not that torture didn�t have a certain appeal at
this time.

�What�s
up?� Bakura asked irreverently, trailing after the others towards the corner of
the room.

�Would
it not be interesting to know which one of them has the ability to follow this discussion?�
Atemu replied quietly in Hieratic, a dialect of Egyptian language and writing
only used at the higher levels of government. �Only those of royal blood would
have learned foreign diplomacy...�

��Therefore the only person who�ll understand
what we�re saying is our dear Prince Yugi.� Marik finished, folding his arms
over his chest with a chuckle. �Did I ever tell you I like the way your devious
mind works?

Atemu
shot his head of guards a superior smirk but shook his head in lieu of his
normal sarcastic remark.

�Interesting��
Seto raised an eyebrow, but switched over to Hieratic as well, setting the
topic of the conversation as he raised his voice to a level that could be heard
on the other side of the room. �I see, so shall we hand them over to Marik and
Bakura for punishment before we try this again?�

�That
would be our best course of action.� Atemu granted with a nod. �I would think
them quite willing to answer any question put to them after some discipline.�

As
he spoke his scarlet gaze wandered surreptitiously around the room, past the
blank, rebellious glares on many of the younger group�s faces, until he got to
a pair of fearful amethyst eyes that widened as if understanding every word
they spoke. It was as he had thought. The little one who had caught his
attention earlier was the one he was searching for.

The
devious royal smirked broadly as he whispered �Hello Prince Yugi.�

Yugi�s
eyes shot up at the soft sound of his name and he froze as the other monarch
chuckled loudly. Slowly he lowered his head, nodding in abject misery. Oh gods, not like this�

As
much as he had wanted his Egyptian tormentors to realize that he had been speaking
the truth, now that the time had come the young king found that he wasn�t ready
for it. He swallowed the knot of despair in his throat, trying valiantly to
hold back the tears. What if, now that the Egyptians knew who he was, they
killed his friends anyways, for spite? Why couldn�t he have had the courage to
speak the words earlier?

�Game
over little one...� Atemu laughed as he closed in on his prey, pleased now that
his theory was proven accurate. �You have no pretense left to hide behind.�

He,
Seto, Marik, Bakura, and Mahaado, along with a couple of the guards had debated
at length over whether it was the amethyst-eyed child who held the throne or if
it was the white-haired child. And their opinions had been split right down the
middle.

Atemu
had argued long and hard that the smallest of the group was the one they
protected, yet Seto insisted that the boy with the white hair was occupying the
throne when they announced their presence. Now proven correct Atemu was in a
generous mood � at least as far as the situation allowed. The impetuous royal
aimed a victorious smirk at his high priest, gaining a roll of sapphire eyes as
his reward, before stalking the length of the floor towards his prey.

��Hello little prince-ling�what have you to say
for yourself?� Atemu leaned in to whisper as he presented himself before the
young Hyksos ruler with a graceful bow.

By
that time Jou and the others realized that their sovereign was caught and they
tried their best to loudly deny the accusation. But it didn�t matter anymore.
Atemu turned a deaf ear to their shouts. This victory belonged to him.

Yugi
fidgeted with his bindings, refusing to look up. �C-could we please finish this
discussion elsewhere? I would rather they not �� He nodded over towards where
his friends were still struggling valiantly to protect him with their words,
reverting to a formal tongue that he had long heard his grandfather speak as he
made his request. �� witness�I-I don�t want their last memories of me to be
tainted with my cowardice.�

After
a moment�s consideration Atemu inclined his head with a regal nod as he began
to loosen the ropes that held the young ruler to his chair. �As
you wish.�

Upon
being freed, Yugi rubbed at his sore wrists and rose from the chair unsteadily.
He glanced over at the others with a solemn expression, his regal acceptance
causing the room to explode into a vortex of shouts and pleas for his life.
This was it. His time had come to an end and the only clear thought was of
those he would be leaving behind.

Then
the petite ruler�s mind shut down, leaving him visibly trembling as he endeavored
to keep his head held high. He was torn between praying that he wouldn�t shame
himself in front of the intimidating Egyptian before his final breath and
praying for a way to keep his friends from sharing in his fate. In the end his
friends won out, he would gladly beg on his knees if it meant that they would
go free.

�This way young one.� Atemu extended his hand to allow the trembling
teen to precede him out of the room. As a ruler, he understood the other�s need
to keep his emotions private and he almost admired the little one�s courage for
requesting it.

Seto
and two of the guards attempted to follow, but the Egyptian monarch brought
their intentions to a halt with a firm hand as he trailed the younger sovereign
out into the corridor, closing the doors behind him to ensure their privacy.

As
he escorted his unbound prisoner down the hallway towards the study Atemu�s
eyes strayed to the other�s nimble form appreciatively. The little one was
truly a remarkable sight wrapped in gauzy linen pants that tapered at slim
ankles, the silky fabric of his shirt clinging to his slender waist, leaving so
much, but at the same time so little to the imagination. The heavy braids he
wore swinging with each and every graceful movement.

He
smirked when the object of his fascination realized that he was being watched �
the boy�s entire frame tensing up, a rosy blush extending all the way to the
tips of his ears as he snuck wary, hesitant glances behind him.

During
his reign Atemu had known many a grown man who pissed themselves in fear when
they found themselves the target of his wrath. Yet this one tiny royal held his
head high even with the knowledge that he was walking to his death. So much
courage wrapped up in such a becoming little package. Was it misplaced?

Exactly
how did this little beauty become mired in the heart of his plans for reprisal?
Was it by his choice? Could this boy truly be the mastermind behind the
destruction of his village and yet still be able to pass off such a fa�ade of
innocence in the face of his fury? There were so many questions. He couldn�t
possibly answer all of them with the boy�s demise. Could he?!

When
they made it to their destination Atemu graciously opened the door, ushering
his captive into the room before closing and locking it behind him. At the
panicked glance he received the bemused Egyptian found himself
with a desire to explain his motives. �It will keep the others from our
conversation.�
�
Once
inside the study Yugi had quickly put as much distance between himself and the
temperamental Egyptian as possible, staring out the window to make it seem as
though he were only enjoying the calm nighttime breeze. When he heard the lock
slide into place he was unable to keep the shudder from rocking his petite
frame, glancing back at the other regent in alarm.

The
excuse given did nothing to calm his frazzled nerves, but he steeled himself to
ask the question he needed to know before his life came to an end.

��Why?� Yugi croaked as he wrapped his arms
around his slender form.

�Why what little one?� Atemu questioned, quite willing for
the moment to let the boy open the dialog before demanding the answers he
sought.

�W-why us?� Yugi traced the glow of the early
morning sunrise with his eyes, meticulously avoiding the other�s powerful gaze.
�Of all places�What is it you w-want from us?�

Retracting
his earlier decision on exactly how to deal with the younger monarch, Atemu
quickly closed the distance between them with a scowl. �I believe you already
know the answer to both questions, so cease with the naive routine. Contrary to
popular belief I am not in the habit of harassing innocents � unlike some people.�

�What
are you talking about?� Yugi darted behind the desk in an effort to put a
barrier between them, his eyes now locked on the predatory gleam visible in
those exotic scarlet orbs.

�Damn
it!� Atemu slapped his hands down on the desktop forcefully, scattering papers,
toppling the quill out of the inkpot and rattling figurines as he locked eyes
with his prey. If need be he would vault over the barrier and tutor the boy on
how not to lie to him. �I speak of the village that your men destroyed three
days prior. You cannot have forgotten in such a short period of time!�

Yugi
jumped at the display of temper but held his ground. �That�s impossible! We�ve
done nothing to you.�

�Nothing?! You�ve done nothing you say�?!�

Atemu
paced away the length of the room with his hands fisted in his hair before
stalking towards the desk that lay between the two of them as he dug into the
bag strung around his waist, Yugi matching him backwards step for step. Once the
scarlet-eyed royal found what he was searching for he tossed the item onto the desk
where it landed with a dull thump amidst the pile of papers.

He
folded his arms across his chest and quirked a brow at the object, all but
daring the younger king to deny the accusation. �Explain what this was doing at
the wreckage of my village! Explain why a dead child held a drawing of your
royal crest in his hand!!�

Yugi
cautiously stepped up to take a peek at what the other king had tossed down so
vehemently. Whatever it was it had caused a chillingly furious expression to
settle over those exotic features. He stared at it for a moment, unable to
comprehend what he was seeing. When it became clear the young king put a
trembling hand to his mouth, shaking his head to rid himself of the
implications.

Oh
gods, it couldn�t be!!!

Lying
so innocently amidst its bed of papers was a scrap of blood soaked leather from
a soldier�s armor � one that was embroidered with his family�s royal insignia.
None other than the Hyksos royal army had those symbols etched in their armor.
Was this what had the Egyptian monarch storming their palace with such a
murderous intent?

�Oh
gods�where did you�?� Yugi covered his mouth against the need to gag, a
desperate, haunted look crossing his pale features. ��How did you get that?!�

Atemu
angrily evaluated the boy�s reaction as the young king sank to his knees in
front of him, before he lashed out in rage.

�That
was my village your soldiers destroyed without a thought!! And that was my
friend among those killed!� Teeth bared in an intimidating snarl he struck his
chest with the palm of his hand to illustrate his point. �Mine! What say you?!
Now that you are confronted with the evidence! What say you now?!�

Yugi
shook his head, blocking out the other�s words as he huddled in on himself. No,
no no! Not Egypt too! It wouldn�t matter that he had no
previous knowledge of this raid. Staring back at him from the middle of the
desk was all the proof that was needed. His life was over. The powerful
Egyptian ruler had all the right in the world to expect his life in return for
those lost.

�But
they were in Persia�� He whispered tearfully, almost to
himself. �Why? He couldn�t be in two places�could he�? Oh gods! Why would
they�? It doesn�t make any sense!!�

Atemu
folded his arms across his chest, breathing heavily, as he gave the smaller
royal a moment to gather his desperate thoughts. Eventually the Egyptian royal
closed his eyes in consternation as he followed the other�s barely intelligible
mutterings. He understood all too clearly what the boy was trying to piece
together.

There
was the slightest chance that the little one had no involvement whatsoever in
this plot.

�How many?� Yugi�s head snapped up, a determined
glaze to his eyes.

�Pardon?� Atemu questioned wearily.

�How many! How many lives?! How many homes? Gods,
how many more people need to die before my father�s greed is sated?!!� Yugi
shot to his feet, startling the older monarch with his vehemence, his thoughts
in turmoil. �Even in his grave he haunts me! Am I ever going to be free of his
influence?�

�Too many!� Atemu shot back, taking a step towards
the trembling teen in anger. �Why does it matter to you?!�

��You�re right. Too many�even one is too many��
Yugi stumbled away to catch himself against the wall, well out of the other�s
reach. Gathering what was left of his tattered dignity, he scrubbed at his face
to erase the evidence of tears. �I would rather end it now�I know it won�t make
up for their loss�but�T-take my life�as payment for theirs then. Mine�and the
lives of those who carried out the act��

Atemu�s
jaw dropped, freezing him mid-step. This wasn�t the response he had
anticipated. No one had ever offered their life in return for those that he had
lost. It was unheard of, that someone take
responsibility for their actions. He shook his head to regain his composure,
realizing that the young monarch was still talking while he stood there looking
stupid with his mouth hanging open wide enough to catch flies.

��All
I ask is that you spare my friends. They are good people. And my country...my
people�Please, I beg you; don�t take your anger out on them. They are all
blameless.�

Having
said what he needed to the young king reached over to the display of weapons
beside him and withdrew a sword before a startled Atemu even realized his
intentions. He then kneeled before the Egyptian monarch, narrowly clinging to what
was left of his courage as he held out the sharp weapon in offering.

�If
you c-could make this fast I would truly appreciate it�I�m...I h-hate being
scared��

His
body on autopilot Atemu reached for the sword, if only to keep it out of the
other�s shaky grasp, the gears in his head turning frantically. Earlier he and
Bakura had joked about taking a pleasure slave of royal blood. The idea had
seemed far-fetched considering the circumstances. But after listening to the
young king�s frantic mutterings and reading of his numerous troubles the idea
almost seemed like their best course of action.

It
was his choice, he had the upper hand. Should he kill the boy outright? Or
should he stake his claim as he had wanted to do from the very moment he laid
eyes on the slender Hyksos royal and wait for the truth to reveal itself?
Either way it left him in control of another territory, a burden he neither wanted
nor needed. Should he dare acquire something for himself out of the arrangement?

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Please review � even if it is to tell me this chapter
sucked. Cause after editing it for the past week I think it does too. But I
salvaged what I could. So yeah�
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Mistaken Assumptions