Mate in a Village

*THANK YOUS!!!*

Sarah Costa-thank you sooo much!! I feel special!!^^

Gaia- I can’t tell you! It will ruin the suspense!!^^

camille- three?! Am I Houdini?! Just kidding!! Love you!!
::huggles of doom::

Kat1132- well, time is permitting so here we go!^^

maggiemay- Thanx!!!!^^

Yana- Hey! How are you?! I’m so happy you like it! I was like
So stressing -^^-

rachi- well of course he’s cute! He’s Yami! (as is Yugi, of course!!)


*THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!*

Chapter 4: Protector

Yami felt the warm sting of sunshine on his face as he groaned. He pulled his outstretched arms closer to himself to find them empty. He opened his eyes to see that Yugi no longer resided on the bed. Yami sat up looking around the room when he saw him standing by one of the walls, tracing the ancient writings with a delicate finger.

“Morning.”

Yugi jumped as he turned.
“Oh…Good morning.”

“How long have you been up?”

“Couple hours.”

Yami blinked.
“Hours?”

“We got up very early down at the farm.”

“I see.”
Yami swung his legs over the side of the bed as he stretched.
“Well, why don’t we get dressed and see what’s on the schedule today.”

“O-Okay,” Yugi replied with a nod.
**

Yami walked down the corridor with Yugi at his side. He looked over to see Yugi peering at the impossibly tall ceilings.

“Pharaoh.”

Yami turned.
“Yes?”

A man strode up to them and bowed. He was dressed in a long shirt with no sleeves and short pants.
“My lord. The legislature is having an emergency meeting in the throne room. Your audience is needed.”

Yami sighed.
“I see. And what is the crisis?”

“I do not know, sire. I am merely the messenger.”

“Fine. Tell them I’ll be right there.”

“Yes, sir.”
The man ran off.

Yami turned back to Yugi.
“I’m very sorry but I have to go. Unfortunately, no one but the parliament members is allowed. I merely watch. It’s all extremely boring, anyway. Is there somewhere I could take you for now?”

“Oh, no. That’s alright. I’ll just walk around, get a better feel of it. But before you go, could you tell me where the maids’ quarters are?”

“The maids’?” Yami remembered.
“Oh. You want to see Dalila, yes?”

“If that’s alright. I would just like to say hi and visit for a little while.”

“Of course it’s alright. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Oh…I don’t know. I guess I just…”

Yami chucked and took the other’s hand.
“It’s okay. Just take this hall and turn left. Then take your third right and it’s the last door. Do you understand?”

“I think so.”

“You’re sure you’ll be alright?” Yami asked with a worried look.

Yugi smiled, his large eyes gleaming.
“I’ll be fine. I promise. You’d best hurry. Don’t want to be late.”

Yami sighed again.
“I suppose you’re right. I will meet you in the Great Hall in say…two hours?”

Yugi nodded.
“Yes. That will be nice.”

Yami smiled. He leaned his head down and kissed Yugi on the cheek.

Yugi gasped and blushed furiously.

“I will see you later, then.”
As Yami left, he let his hand slide slowly out of Yugi’s hand.

When he was out of sight, Yugi brought his hand to his caressed cheek and touched it slightly. He could still feel Yami’s lips on his skin. This made him blush more, if it possible.
He turned and ran in the direction directed.
**

“So, you came from a trader’s home? What did your family trade?” asked a maid with short black hair.

“Actually, it was just my father and me. My mother died of smallpox when I was a child,” said Dalila.

“Oh, you poor dear,” another said with very long brown hair.
“That must have been awful.”

“Well, I don’t remember her much. She died when I was three.”

“Aw, so young.”

A knock came to the door.

One of the maids got off the padded area they were all lying on and answered it.
“Hello? May I help you?”

“Um…well, I was just looking for my friend…”

“Yugi?”

The boy looked past the woman in front of him to the girl.
“Dalila!”

“You two know each other?” the one who answered the door asked.

“Yes. He is a great friend of mine. Yugi, please come in.”

He nodded and entered.

“Yugi…Yugi…” one of the others was murmuring.
“Oh! You’re the new kid! The one Pharaoh picked on his trip a few days ago, right?!”

Yugi, slightly embarrassed that he was becoming quite the talk of the palace, nodded.

“Oh. I’m sorry,” said Dalila. “Yugi, this is Kira,” she pointed to the girl with long brown hair, brown eyes, “Sima,” short black hair, blue eyes, “Mia,” the one who answered the door with blond hair, green eyes, “and Jess,” same age as Dalila and Yugi, red hair, black eyes. “Everyone, this is Yugi.”

Most of the girls started giggling.

“Are these all the maids?” Yugi asked.

“No,” Kira answered.
“There are more. They’re just working right now and some others are sleeping. We go in shifts or we would never get all the work done with any kind of sleep.”

“Oh, I see. Well, you all do a great job. I can never find a speck of dust anywhere.”

“My! Such manners for a commoner!” Sima said excitedly.

“Um…thank you. Very much.”

“So,” Mia asked, “what business brought you to us, hmm?”

“The Pharaoh had to attend a meeting so I thought I’d come see Dalila. And it looks like I’ve made some new friends in the process,” Yugi smiled.

“AWWW!” the girls all squealed out in unison while pouncing on him.

“He is so adorable!” Kira said rubbing his hair.

Jess was pinching his cheeks.
“And so charming!!”

Yugi looked over at the two that hadn’t ambushed him, Jess and Dalila, who were rolling on the floor with laughter.
**

“Are you saying that the slaves should be let free?!” a man screamed at another.

“No, Prodious. All I’m saying is we should give them a little more freedom.”

“Explain,” asked Seto.

“I propose they get weekly wages.”

“Wages?!” Prodious yelled once again.
“What will be next? Throne rights?!”

“I just don’t see the reason behind having unpaid servants.”

“They’re servants. They work. That is their duty in life,” another calmly said.

This bickering went on for a long time.
Yami sat on his throne, his head in his hand, drifting in and out of sleep.

‘How is a man suppose to sleep with all that yelling?!’
He looked out a window.
‘I wonder How Yugi’s doing.”
**

“So, Jess, I haven’t heard from you, yet.”

Jess looked off to the side.

“Yugi,” said Mia, “Jess is dumb.”

“What?” Yugi turned to face the other.

“She’s a mute. She doesn’t speak.”

“Oh! Oh, I’m very sorry. I didn’t know.”

Jess smiled and shook her head.

“No need to worry. It doesn’t bother much. She was born with weak vocal cords and was never able to use them.”

“Really?”

“She should know,” said Kira. “Jess is Mia’s daughter.”

“She is?!”

Mia nodded, proudly.
“Yup!”

“Wow. I never would have guessed. You don’t really look alike.”

“I know,” said Sima.
“Weird, huh?”

“Well, no one’s really ‘weird’. Just unique.”

“I just can not get over him!” yelped Mia.

Yugi looked out the window to see the sun’s position.
“Is it really that late?! I’m going to be late!”

“Late?” asked Dalila.
“For what?”

“I’m supposed to be meeting Yam…I mean the Pharaoh now.”

“Well, it was an absolute pleasure meeting you, Yugi,” said Mia as the others nodded.

“Would you like me to walk you back?” Dalila asked.

“You don’t have to…”

“It’s okay. I want to.”

Yugi smiled.
“Alright. Thanks.”
Yugi looked back at the others and waved.
“Good bye. I’ll come back and visit again.”

“You’d better,” Sima said with a wink.

Dalila walked next to Yugi.

“So tell me, is the Pharaoh as bad as those guys back at the farm told you?”

“No! He’s the complete opposite! He’s nice and forgiving and is so…I can’t even describe it!”

Dalila gave him a knowing look.

Yugi looked up.
“What?”

Dalila giggled.

“What?!”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Come on. That’s not fair.”

She laughed.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

Yugi and Dalila stopped and turned around. Behind them were five guys, all wearing ragged peasant clothes. Thieves.

“H-How did you get in the palace?” Dalila asked.

“We have our own ways, don’t we boys?”

They laughed with evil snorts.

“Look at the pretty couple,” one of them said smiling.

“Stay away from us,” Dalila warned.

Another walked up.
“Or what? Ra himself will smite me? I don’t think so.”

“Yugi, run!”

He did as commanded but didn’t get far as one of the thieves tackled him.

“NO!” Dalila was being held by both her arms.
“Let him go, swine!”

“Now how could I leave such a beautiful thing like this untouched?” one growled.

“Somebody help!!” Dalila screamed but the man holding her put his dirt and sweat covered hand over her mouth, silencing her.

“Shut up, girl. Or we’ll gut you both.”

“Leave her alone!”

They turned to see the little one struggling in his captures hold.

“So, he has some fight in him,” the leader said.
“That’s good.”

From his back, he pulled a dagger.

“Let’s play, shall we?”
**

Yami was walking out of the throne room in the midst of all his senate members.

He sighed.
“Could that have been any longer?”

“I am not sure, actually,” said Seto, who was also tired of being in the room.

“Well, I suppose that I must rendezvous with Yugi. I’m already late as it is.”

“Then we will see you later,” Seto said as he and Jou bowed their heads.

Yami chuckled.
“You two go have your ‘fun’.”

Seto rolled his eyes and gestured Jou in the other direction.

“NO!”

Yami turned.
“Did…did you hear something?”

“A girl screamed,” said Jou.

“Somebody help!!”

Yami turned back to Seto who followed Yami as he ran off.

“You! Guards! Come with me!”

“Aye, sir!” they billowed as they too took off.

“Leave her alone!”

Yami gasped. He knew that voice.
‘Oh, please, Isis, mother of Horus, let him be okay!’
**

“You! Guards! Come with me!”

“Aye, sir!”

“Pasis, the guards are coming!” one of his mean called.

“The guards?”

“Yes,” said Dalila as she struggled more in her bindings.
“The Pharaoh loves Yugi and I know that he will slaughter you if you lay but one finger on him!”

“The Pharaoh?!” Pasis said with a bit of anxiety.

“What do we do, boss?!”

Pasis thought.
‘Damn!! What to do!! Okay…wait. The Pharaoh…how much would the Pharaoh of one of the wealthiest nations pay to have his beloved back?’

“Pasis!”

“Alright! Let the girl go.”

The man holding her threw her to the ground.

“Dalila!” Yugi fought back the one holding him but to avail.

“But the boy will come with us.”

“No, please!” Dalila pleaded.

“Get off me, girl!” Pasis kicked her as she fell.
“Let’s go!”
**

As he rounded the corner, Yami saw the beaten body of a girl.
He ran over to her.
“Dalila! Where is he?”

She inhaled breaths.
“Pharaoh…they took him.”

“Who? Where?!”

“That way.”
Dalila pointed her finger.
“Please hurry. Don’t let them hurt him. Please.”

“I will get him back.”

Seto ordered one of the guards to take her to a healer as Yami and the others sped ahead.
**

“Pasis, what if they catch us?”

“Nonsense,” the man said with a wave of his hand.
“We have a good head start.”

“Damn, this boy won’t stop squirming!” the man holding him complained.

“We’ll only have to deal with him for little bit longer…”

“Not as long as you may think!”

Pasis looked in front of himself as the Pharaoh with his High Priest and a large group of guards running at him.

“WHAT?!!”

Yami punched Pasis dead in the face as he fell over on his back.

The guards beat and tried to conquer this much smaller enemy.

Yami ran back to the man that restrained Yugi. His eyes narrowed as he growled the man’s death sentence.

“Let…him…go.”

The man, not knowing if he should stay true to his ‘boss’ and get killed by the Pharaoh, or do as the Pharaoh says and go to jail, released the boy.

“No! What are you doing?!” Pasis yelled as he watched his ruffian let loose their hostage.

He saw a doorway that led outside so he decided to take the chance.

“After him!” Seto yelled.

The guards chased him but he was too far ahead and too fast. They returned and arrested all the others that were caught in the criminal act.

Yugi lifted him self off the ground onto his elbows.

“Yugi?”

He looked up to see Yami.

Tears had already started down Yugi’s cheeks yet more traveled as he stood and ran into the others chest, sobbing.

“Yami! I was so scared! I didn’t know what to do! I thought they were going to…I thought that…”

“Shh. It’s alright now, little one. Everything’s fine. You’re safe. I promise.”

Yugi’s sobs softened to small pants.

“Is he alright?”

Yami watched as Seto made the rest of the way to them.

“Yes. I believe so. Are you hurt at all?”

Yugi shook his head slowly.

Yami smiled his relief as he picked the smaller up in his arms. Yugi wrapped his arms around Yami’s neck and buried his face in the side.

“I will take him to our chamber. Only bother me if it is an emergency for the rest of the day.”

“Understood.”
Seto walked off and finished the orders to the guards.

“Come, hikari. You need your rest.”
He rubbed his cheek on Yugi’s forehead.
“I am just so happy you’re safe,” he whispered a he walked off.