Only Mine

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, or The Pleasure
Slave by Gena Showalter, nor do I make any money from
this work.

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"My
Pharaoh...please get up." Mana reached out to
help Atemu as he rose shakily to his feet.

Trembling
fiercely, the confused Pharaoh put his hand on his forehead as it began to
pound painfully in sync with his racing pulse. His entire body tingled with the
residue of a magic he had never felt before. What in the name of the gods' was
that?!

"Whoa,
what a rush."
Atemu murmured, frowning. And then he glanced down into his friend's worried
face as she wrapped her arms around his waist to steady him. “Thank you,
Mana...”

“Just
relax, your Highness.” Mana replied uneasily.

While
Mana was busy tending to Atemu, Mahado and Seto shoved a blatantly nude Anzu
towards her clothes and ordered her to dress. The irate princess snatched up
her clothes and jerked them on hurriedly, her icy glare remaining glued to Mana
the entire time. But the brunette only ignored the hateful glower Anzu was
sending her, most of her attention focused on Atemu, concern showing very
clearly in her forest green eyes.

"Are
you okay?" She queried as she worried at her bottom lip.

"I
am alright." Atemu replied, though in actuality he did not feel fine.

A
delicately winged brow arched skeptically. "If you are so fine why
did you call me Master?"

Atemu
sighed softly, closing his ruby eyes as he focused on how to best answer the question.
He massaged his forehead for a moment, feeling his headache intensify with
every beat of his heart. "This... spell or whatever it was she cast over
me told me that you are my new master. As you are in possession of my box, I am
compelled by it to address you thusly."

Atemu
was well and truly surprised that he was able to impart this information after
Anzu's explicit orders to the opposite. A pleased smile crossed his face as he
realized that because the box had changed hands and he now had a new master,
any commands given by his former one were no longer valid. Anzu gasped audibly,
shooting him an evil glare, disbelief and rage warring in the blue irises of
her eyes.

"I
ordered you not to talk about that!" The princess spat, only to let out
another gasp and clasp her hands to her mouth as she realized what she just
revealed in front of the priests. Mahado sent her an angry glare just as the
remaining priests all exchanged a look of dawning comprehension.

"Since
you are no longer in possession of the box you are no longer my master,
Princess Anzu." A smug look crossed Atemu's face as he explained. " – Mana is. Any command that was given when you were
in possession of it is now invalid."

Anzu's
eyes filled with selfish tears. She had not even owned this magnificent
specimen of man for a day and already he had been stolen from her. She sank to
her knees in defeat, her face buried in her hands, and
began to sob.

"Don't
worry, Pharaoh. We'll figure out how to break this spell she cast over
you." Mana assured him, casting a jaundiced eye over towards the
distraught princess.

"Yes,
we shall put every effort into doing so my Pharaoh." Shada spoke up, in
full agreement with the young apprentice. "Mahado, Seto, grab the
princess. I'm sure a cot in the dungeons will suit her just fine. It's what she
deserves for her treachery."

Anzu
cried out as the priestly duo grabbed her harshly and dragged her out of the
chamber. Her sobs echoed in the hallway as she cried out for mercy that was
denied to her. Once assured of the princess's absence Mana began to guide her
monarch out of the chamber and down the hall to his rooms, the others following in her footsteps.

"I
think we ought to get you into bed now, Pharaoh. Can we decide what to do about
the spell in the morning?" Mana directed her question at the priests.

"Yes,
I think that will be best." Siamun answered. "Our Pharaoh deserves
his rest. Mana, take care with that box. Hide it
somewhere where you know no one will find it. We can't have it falling into the
wrong hands." Mana nodded in answer to Siamun's instructions. While Mana
led Atemu back to his room, the priests all went back to their rooms to get
some sleep.

Mana
opened the door to Atemu's chamber and the two entered. Closing the door behind
them Mana let go of him and allowed him to fall into his bed. Atemu climbed
under the covers and looked up at her. A grateful smile crossed his lips as he
stared tenderly at her. He was so happy that he had a friend like her. So very happy. She was everything to him at this moment.
Mana smiled and reached down to brush a strand of his blond bangs away from his
face. She was glad he was safe now. Anzu could do him no more harm.

"Mana..."
Atemu said softly, expressing his gratitude through his ruby orbs. "Thank
you." With that, Atemu's eyes closed, and he was soon asleep. Mana tucked
his blanket more securely around him and left the room. She paused in the
doorway and turned back to look at him.

"You're
welcome Pharaoh." Mana whispered and closed the door.

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Ra
had just graced the sky when a loud knock sounded on Duke's door. The raven
haired man groaned and rolled onto his back, wondering who it was that was
calling. He rose from the bed and strode to the door. When he opened it, his
eyes met the sight of two armed guards and two of the Pharaoh's priests, Seto
and Siamun, standing in front of him. He stared at them, confused.

"Uh,
good morning.
Is there something I can do for you?" Duke questioned.

"We
thought we would inform you of your princess's fate." The shorter male,
Siamun, spoke. Duke's eyes widened before he could catch his reaction, and it took
him a moment to pull his heart-rate back to normal.

"Princess
Anzu?" He choked out. “What's happened to her?”

"Your
princess has been caught in the act of treason against our Pharaoh. We've also come
to tell you that you will gather your belongings and leave at once. You will
carry a message to the princess's father and inform him of his daughter's
impending trial." Seto explained as his cold blue eyes flashed. Duke
gulped and nodded, his emerald eyes full of fright and
worry.

"Yes,
of course." Duke replied.

"Be
gone in one hour." Seto finished.

Duke
nodded again and shut the door. He leaned back against it, and he hit the back
of his head on it, cursing aloud. He knew exactly what his princess was in
trouble for. Somehow they must have found out about the spell. Duke banged his
head again. What should he do? If he was still here in one hour, he feared what
the Egyptians would do to him. He could use his magic to free Anzu, but there
was one problem. He could transport them as far away as outside the city, but
that was not his main concern. The problem was how he would get to her and have
time to cast the spell.

Duke
ran his hand through his hair. He would have to pretend to leave, because there
was no way he could leave Anzu here alone. He sighed. How would he find the
dungeons? Duke went to his bed and reached between the mattresses. His hand hit
something hard, and he smiled. He pulled his hand out, bringing his spell book
with it. He opened the book and flipped through the pages.

"Ah
ha!
Here it is!" Duke whispered to himself happily.

An
invisibility spell... Duke placed the book on the bed and dressed. He then
gathered all his belongings together, but only what he thought he needed. He
had to travel light for this. He grabbed his book again and placed a finger on
the spell he needed. He closed his eyes and began to chant. As he chanted, his
form began to vanish, from the feet going up. Pretty soon his whole body was
gone. He closed his spell book and placed it inside his robes, well hidden from
view.

Duke
then left his room and walked along the corridors. He searched for guards,
hoping at least one of them would lead him to the dungeons. Finding a pair of
them he trailed behind. By some miracle of fate, they led him right to the
entrance of the dungeons. He stopped as they approached two more guards who
were stationed outside the door.

"We're
here to relieve you." One of the guards spoke.

"Great.
Time to get back to the wife." Another guard smiled
with relief. "See you guys tomorrow." Duke slipped between them in
through the doorway as they exchanged places. Duke hurried down the steps, and
he made sure to avoid the guards that were down here patrolling. Duke walked
slowly down the pathway through the cells. He looked from side to side,
searching for Anzu's cell.

When
he found her, he nearly broke down right there. She looked miserable. Her head
was bowed, and her hair fell stringy and unbrushed
around her head. Her skin seemed paler, and she was in a simple white nightgown
that was stained with dirt. Duke quickly said an incantation that would reveal
him only to her eyes. He looked around and made sure no guards were nearby as
he stepped forward in front of the cell.

"Princess..."
Duke whispered, and he gripped the cell bars in his hands. Anzu raised her
head, and when she saw him, her eyes filled with tears. She rose off the bench
she had been sitting on and stood in front of him.

"Oh
Duke... Look what a mess I've made." Anzu sniffled as fresh tears coursed
down her cheeks.

"Princess...
I tried to warn you, but I'm not here to scold you." Duke lowered his
voice to a whisper. Anzu brightened a little.

"Then
why...?" Anzu's voice held a little hope. Duke smiled.

"I'm
going to free you, so you need to be quiet." Duke told her. Anzu smiled
and wiped at her tears.

"Duke...
Thank you." Anzu's smile lit her whole face. Duke reached through the bars
and grabbed one of her hands.

"Alright. Close your
eyes. Do not open them until I tell you to." Anzu did as she was told. She
heard Duke began to murmur some words in a language that she did not
understand. As he did so, she began to feel weird. Anzu could feel the world
spinning around her, and she fought against the urge to open her eyes and or
hurl her prison breakfast across the floor. Suddenly the world ceased to spin
and a cool breeze wafted over her body. Anzu shivered and crossed her arms
around herself. "Princess, open your eyes." Anzu's eyes popped open,
and she let out a gasp.

"Where
are we?!" Anzu exclaimed.

"We
are outside Thebes. See? There's the palace in the distance." Duke pointed
at the palace, which Anzu could see from the sand hill they were standing on.
Duke reversed the spell on himself, and his body reformed, though Anzu noticed
no difference since she had already had seen him due to the other spell he had
cast.

"Why
are we still in Khemet?" Anzu asked.

"I
can only transport us so far. But you are safe and away from the palace. I'll
steal a couple horses and we'll head back to our country." Duke explained.
Anzu turned to him with wide eyes full of shock.

"No!
We can't go back yet!" She reached forward and grabbed his arm.
"Duke, you have to help me get Atemu's box back!" Duke's jaw dropped.

"Are
you serious!?" Duke shouted. "He is the reason you were nearly
imprisoned for the rest of your life! And you want to gain him back!?"
Duke could not believe his ears. All that damn trouble he went through to get
her out of Thebes, and she wanted to commit the same crime all over again! Anzu
pouted and looked away from him.

"Duke,
with your magic, I know it's possible. We can get the box, and then we can go
back to our country." Anzu told him.

"That
will cause war for sure Princess! Will you risk the death of millions all for
one man who doesn't love you!?" Duke yelled at her. Anzu's gaze shot back
to him. Her eyes were burning with determination.

"He
is mine Duke. I want him, and you will help me get him back." Anzu's tone
promised pain if he did not help her. Duke was torn. He didn't want to do this.
He knew what would happen if he did, but she was his princess, and he would be
damned, but he loved her.

"Fine
Princess.
I will help you get his box back, but it will take a lot of magic. We ought to
find a cave or something to stay in for right now while I think of the right
spells to use." Duke turned and began to walk. Anzu hopped along behind
him with a happy smile on her face. She clapped her hands together and then
leaped on Duke's back, causing the raven haired man to stumble a little bit.
Anzu hugged him and squealed with joy.

"Thank
you Duke!"

"Yeah,
yeah.
Anything for you, Princess."

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Atemu
lounged indolently on his throne, a look of complete boredom frozen on his
face, even as his mind was turning circles at a million miles per minute. Another long day of judging prisoners and deciding their fates,
despite all that fate had hit him with in the past couple of hours.
Wisely his priests kept the matter of Anzu away from him, preferring to send
for the girl's father before anything was decided. Atemu knew that if he had to
judge her now, he would choose to behead her on the spot.

Mana
was seated on the floor, beside him, her luminous green eyes watched him, and
he was beginning to feel uncomfortable under her gaze. He knew she was worried
about him and he appreciated it, but this constant supervision was getting on
his nerves.

Oh,
he knew she wasn't there just to watch him, but he couldn't help but feel
irritated as he hadn't had a moment to himself since he went to sleep last
night. His box was clenched tightly in her hands as she thought the box was
safer with her then left behind in her room. Right now he and Mana were waiting
in the throne room for the priests to return from an errand they had to run.

"Pharaoh?" Mana's voice
broke through his thoughts, and he blinked, looking down at her.

"Yes?"
Atemu arched a brow at her.

"Are
you alright? The priests will be here any minute to help with the spell."
Mana told him.

"I
know. And I have faith in their ability to break this cursed spell." Atemu
replied. Mana smiled brightly.

"Me
too."
The throne room door suddenly burst open, and Atemu's priests rushed into the
room. Atemu was instantly alarmed at the panicked looks on their faces. He rose
to his feet, his crimson eyes searching each face as if he could find his
answer that way.

"Pharaoh..."
Mahado stepped forward and bowed before him on one knee. "Pharaoh, we're
so sorry..."

"Why?
What's happened Mahado?" Atemu tried to keep his voice steady, but the
tension in the air was getting to him.

"The
princess..." Karim spoke up next. "The princess is gone."
Atemu's eyes widened and he sank back into the throne. Everyone was silent for
a long time, with each one waiting on what their ruler would say.

"Anzu...
Anzu is gone?" Atemu raised his gaze to theirs. "How did this
happen?"

"We
don't know Pharaoh." Isis was the next one to speak. "Seto and Siamun
ordered Duke gone this morning, and as ordered, the man is gone... But somehow
the princess managed to escape. We fear Duke may have helped her somehow,
though this theory is just that, as we do not know how Duke would have managed
to get past our guards."

"Although
there is no way the princess could have escaped on her own." Seto added.
"So we strongly believe Duke helped her, unless she had some other form of
assistance." Atemu placed his head in his hands, unable to believe the
news he had just received. This was... He just couldn't stomach it. Atemu
placed a hand over his stomach. He was going to be ill. He hoped that Anzu
would just go back home, but he had a feeling that she would come back for his
box if she got the chance. Mana placed a hand on his knee, and her green eyes
shone with worry and sympathy.

 

"It'll
be okay." She tried to assure him. "They'll break the spell and then
you won't have to worry about her." Mana seemed to know what he was afraid
of, and he was grateful to his friend for knowing him so well that she could
say the right things to make him feel better.

"Pharaoh...
About the spell..." Siamun piped up, and instantly Atemu's hopes were
squashed simply by the tone of the old man's voice.

"Yes?"
Atemu's voice trembled.

"We
have studied this spell from every angle, and it is impossible to break with
any of our spells." Siamun's eyes shone with regret. Atemu closed his eyes
and leaned back against the throne. Mana stroked his knee gently, not caring
who saw her do so. She knew how crushed Atemu must be feeling right now.

"Then
what do we do?" Atemu asked, keeping his eyes closed.

"My
Pharaoh, we have thought of the possibility that Anzu used magic to escape, the
same as she did to curse you." Shada began. "And we fear she can use
this magic to reclaim your box." Fear crept through Atemu's body. That's
exactly what he was afraid of.

"And?" Atemu nearly
snapped, but he kept his anger in check.

"And
we have come up with a way to keep you safe while we figure out what to do.
Anzu can not steal your box if you are not here." Siamun answered. Atemu
blinked. If he was not here? What in Ra's name did
that mean? Siamun stepped forward and outstretched his hand. "Mana, I need
you to give me that box." Atemu's gaze snapped down to Mana. The girl
moved her hand from Atemu's knee and used both hands to clutch his box tightly.

"W-What
are you going to do with it?" Mana asked. Atemu jumped up from the chair
and hopped down in front of Mana.

"Tell
me your plan!" Atemu snarled. "You can't just switch the box's owner
without telling me what you're doing!" Siamun's plum colored eyes bored
into Atemu's blood red. He kept his hand outstretched and heaved a sigh.

"Pharaoh,
please trust me. What we are going to do is for your safety and own good. We
would not be doing it if it was going to harm you." Siamun tried to assure
the young monarch. Atemu crossed his arms over his chest and glared at them.

"And
yet you avoid my command. You refuse to tell me what it is you are doing."
Atemu's tone was cold.

"Pharaoh,
if we told you, you would protest." Isis told him. She pleaded with her
blue eyes for him to trust them. "We do this for you my Pharaoh, not
against you." Siamun walked past Atemu and laid his outstretched hand on
Mana's shoulder.

"Mana,
please.
Give me the box. Do you honestly think we mean the Pharaoh harm?" Siamun
asked her. Mana's eyes shone with confusion. Atemu had turned and was staring
at her, begging her with his eyes not to hand over the box, and the poor girl
was torn. She knew Siamun would not hurt Atemu, but it felt like a betrayal to
hand over the box. She bowed her head for a moment.

"Mana?" Mana nearly
broke down at the clear fear she heard in Atemu's voice. She raised her head,
and Atemu saw the tears that shimmered in her eyes.

 

"I'm
sorry Pharaoh. They only want to help. Here Master
Siamun." Mana held out the box to the elder man. "Take the
box." Atemu let out a gasp of dismay as Siamun took the box. The spell
surged through Atemu, and it instantly registered that Siamun was his new
master. Atemu was brought to his knees once again, and the same words he had
spoken to Mana last night exited his mouth once more.

"Rise
to your feet Pharaoh. I apologize for this." Siamun spoke gently. Atemu
did as he was asked, and he looked down at Siamun with tears in his ruby
depths. He could care less at the moment that he was king of Egypt, and that he
was supposed to be strong. He didn't feel strong at the moment. He felt like
the nineteen year old he was, and he wanted nothing more then to run and hide
somewhere and pretend the last couple of days had never happened. He had never
realized what it felt like to have his life completely in someone else's hands,
and Atemu hated the lack of control over his own will. Siamun reached up and
laid a hand on his shoulder. He knew how Atemu was feeling, and it made him
feel even worse about what he was going to do now.

"Pharaoh,
please enter your box." Siamun commanded as he cast his eyes to the floor.
He watched as what he could see of his ruler turned transparent and flew into
the golden box in his hands. "I hope you can forgive me one day,
Pharaoh." Siamun murmured. He walked out of the throne room, and the rest of
the priests followed him, forming a solemn procession as they exited.

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