Welcome back! Sorry for the delay (we're gonna be going back to long breaks between chapters). It has been insane trying to get ready for virtual learning. It's still stressful and we've been doing it for a few weeks now. Be nice to your teachers y'all, we're just as stressed out as you and we're just as frustrated at the technology as you too.

Anyway, the war is still going on, but it's coming to an end if Yami can manage a negotiation with the Syrian army.

Enjoy!

Finally after nearly a year of war, Yami had gotten an answer to his attempts at peace; he had received word that the Syrian high general would meet with him to discuss a truce. The message made no mention of Yami's attempts to contact them, but at this point it didn't matter. He was both relieved and wracked with nerves as Mahaddo dressed him for the meeting.

Both Mahaddo and Seto had outright refused to return to the palace so long as Yami remained on the battlefield. It was not pleasant when Ahmed turned up as a single replacement for both of them. Yami had tried to persuade his friends to return home to rest, but even Ahmed was against it saying that they would be fine now that he was here to share their duties.

Reluctantly, Yami had agreed with the condition that nobody take on more than they could handle and rest frequently after using large amounts of power. Even with everything set in place, it still took another week before Mahaddo decided to talk to him again.

"Do you have a plan, *****?" Mahaddo asked as he finished adorning him with jewelry. To be fair, he looked quite imposing for a near-fourteen year old, but his height was hindering him. He would have to be well-spoken and decisive if he wanted to be taken seriously by the Syrians.

"I think so," Yami answered, "Even a couple of back-up plans."

"Any of them involve me making them spit up frogs?"

"No?" Yami looked at his friend incredulously, "Why would they? Since when can you do that?"

"I've had a year to practice," Mahaddo replied, "Been dying to try it out."

"Still no. Why would you even want to learn a spell like that? What purpose could it serve?"

"You never know," Mahaddo offered with a shrug, "You could always tell them that you'll curse them if they don't agree, and then, you know, frogs."

Yami shook his head in amusement, "I think you've been out in the sun too long."

"It was only a suggestion," Mahaddo grinned as he held open the tent flap for Yami.

Outside, Seto and Ahmed waited with the horses. These three would be Yami's only guard in enemy territory, but he was confident nevertheless. The Shadows had moved to protect him a year ago now, and if something were to happen with this meeting, Yami had no doubt that they would intervene again with Millennium Items in such close proximity.

Seto gave him an appraising once-over glance before addressing Mahaddo, "You put enough gold on him? I'm amazed he can walk without falling over!"

"He has an image to uphold," Mahaddo defended, holding Yami's horse for him, "The more impressive we are, the better things will go."

"First impressions are everything," Yami said idly, mounting his horse. "Come on, we have a long awaited appointment to keep."

"Prince *****, it is an honor to meet you," a Syrian guide greeted the royal party, "I must say I am surprised by your age."

"Age is not what defines wisdom, but experience," Yami replied, "Would you not agree that being the Prince of Egypt comes with a unique set of experiences?"

"I'm sure it does, your highness," the guide bowed deeply, "I am Nirar and I have been assigned to escort you and your party to our leader. Will the rest of your guard be along shortly?"

"This is all of us," Yami said shortly.

Nirar looked surprised at the small number, but did not comment on it. He led them through the encampment to a large tent near the rear.

"General," he announced their arrival through the tent, "I have brought the negotiation party from Egypt."

The tent flaps opened and were held there as Yami walked in, head held high. Inside looked very much like Yami's own tent, though the center had been cleared out to set up a large table clearly meant for the negotiations. Five men waited for them inside.

"Ah! Prince *****!" the oldest man greeted enthusiastically, "My name is General Yawbail. I speak for our king. I am honored that you yourself have come to talk peace. You are quite the tactical mastermind!"

"Thank you for your kind words. If only you had agreed to my requests to meet sooner, Egypt would not have advanced so far into Syria and perhaps we could have saved lives on both sides." The barbed words did their job and the smile instantly dropped from Yawbail's face. Smiles from an enemy were far more dangerous than daggers and Yami would much rather deal with daggers.

"Yes, we were rather foolish to not take you up on your offer sooner," Yawbail looked as though he'd just eaten something sour, "But that is neither here nor there as we are here now. Please, have a seat."

Yami sat in the offered chair and Mahaddo, Seto, and Ahmed took up positions around him. As with any chair, Yami made it a throne just from the confidence and power he exuded. He held all the power here and he wouldn't let the other side forget it. Yawbail and his men took up a similar position across the table.

"Let's talk peace," Yami laced his fingers together, eyeing the general coolly.

"Yes, peace," Yawbail repeated, slightly unnerved by the image of power Yami was projecting. It was clear he was not expecting such a young person to hold themselves so confidently in enemy territory. "What are your terms?"

"Nothing outrageous, I assure you," Yami replied, "Syria will give a full surrender, granting Egypt half the land we have taken over the past year and sign a peace treaty agreeing Syria will never attempt to invade Egypt again."

Yawbail exchanged a meaningful look with his advisors. If Yami was reading their body language correctly, and he was sure he was, then Yawbail believed Yami had just shown a sign of weakness and was ready to take advantage of that. Yawbail was a fool, but Yami was willing to play along to see how things played out. His overconfident opponent would soon back himself into a corner.

"Those are incredibly generous terms," Yawbail allowed, "However my people will never allow for their land to fall to Egyptian rule. And what of our safety? For all we know, Egypt will invade us once we retreat. Where is our guarantee that will not happen?"

Yami lifted his chin, "I think the results of the last year of battle would demonstrate that at any point in the past, we could have invaded Syria for our own, and won quite easily."

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" Yawbail grinned, "But you see, the strongest of our army has stayed behind to guard our kingdom from more threatening enemies. I'm afraid Egypt wouldn't stand a chance if we were to bring down our full force. A young man such as yourself, while wise beyond your years, still has much to learn when it comes to battle. That is why I have drafted a peace treaty here. I think you'll find it more fitting to protect you against Syria than your naive terms. All you have to do is sign it and we can put an end to this silly little war."

Yami narrowed his eyes but otherwise ignored the patronizing tone as he accepted the proffered scroll. He could sense the frustration of his escort behind him when he did not defend the insults to Egypt's strength. Clearly they were not used to such dishonorable tactics.

He carefully read the contract, his eyes narrowing with every word. He knew it would be horribly skewed in Syria's favor, but this was ludacris. How could this man possibly think that Yami would approve of something like this? If he had the Puzzle, Yawbail would find himself in a Yami no Game faster than he could sign his name.

"You cannot be serious," Yami growled, wishing he knew a quick fire spell like Mahaddo so he could turn the scroll to ash, "You want Egypt to return the land we took in the past year and cut Egypt's army in half in exchange for Syria to never invade again? Do you take me for a fool? More still, you want me to marry the princess of Syria? You want to join our two kingdoms in marriage? For what purpose exactly? In a deluded attempt to seize control of Egypt? You do realize that such a marriage would give control of Syria over to Egypt, right? That would negate the previous clause of returning land to Syria. Or did you plan to convince me afterwards to give Syria control over Egypt?"

Yawbail could only stutter a response as Yami verbally destroyed the attempt at a treaty. "I – I – you –"

"You bring me here for the purpose of peace and you insult my intelligence because you are expecting a child! A toddler would find these terms unfair and unreasonable!"

Yes, Yami desperately wished for power of the Shadows right now. At the very least he could make the man in front of him wet himself in terror. He didn't notice it, but the shadows around the tent seemed to darken and grow a little at his fury. Whether it was Ahmed or Seto creating the effect for him or the Shadows actually reacting to his raging emotions, he would never know. What he did know was that Yawbail was looking awfully uncomfortable about being called out like that.

"How's this for a peace treaty?" he snarled, "You will sign a surrender, both armies will retreat from the border, which will stay exactly where it is now, the Syrian army will be cut in half and you never attempt to invade my country or kill any member of my family again. Egypt will occupy Syria for a period of five years to ensure the terms are met."

"We will never surrender! That land belongs to Syria!" Yawbail argued, "We will reclaim that land one way or another!"

"Let me explain something to you," Yami leaned back, his voice as cold and sharp as a knife. Any sane person would be running for the door right about now. As it was, the Yawbail's companions looked uncomfortable at the turn of events and were exchanging nervous glances with each other. "Something even a child understands. You tried to convince me that this was a peace meeting of mercy. That Syria had a stronger force waiting at home. I can tell you honestly I have brought down less than a third of Egypt's power on you, and here you are begging for mercy. Let's not pretend this is anything less," he swiftly cut off any protest Yawbail tried to make, "I offered peace at the beginning, but you thought you could overtake us, and you failed. What I have offered you today is the mercy you have asked for. If you don't surrender and abide by the terms, I will wipe Syria off the map!"

"You don't have the manpower or the guts to do something like that," Yawbail accused, "You are nothing but a pampered little prince!"

"Was that supposed to be upsetting to me?" Yami raised his eyebrow expectantly, "Did you expect me to suddenly cave to your demands because you threw around some insults less creative than what your spies could come up with? Or did you think I was bluffing?"

"You are bluffing!" Yawbail growled, "It has been nothing but luck that has taken you this far in battle, but how much longer can your army really fight?"

"For as long as they need to," Yami answered firmly, not at all cowed by this cowards attempts to intimidate him. He had come fully prepared for a clever master of manipulation, instead he found himself face-to-face with the equivalent of a spoiled child throwing a temper tantrum. Seriously, Weevil Underwood had been more cunning than this person.

"You lie!" Yawbail insisted.

"And yet it is you here begging for relief. Of course, my men want to go home too, but not because they're tired or because they're running out of resources. No, they simply miss their families, but they will fight proudly for their country for as long as they have to. Now," Yami leaned forward, his eyes burning dangerously, "Will you accept my terms or do I need to speak with someone more competent?"

Yawbail scowled, "Would you mind waiting outside while I think things over with my advisors?"

"Certainly," Yami rose gracefully and exited the tent followed by Seto, Ahmed, and Mahaddo. He didn't let his guard down, even when the tent flaps closed. They were still in the middle of enemy territory and that could be a fatal mistake.

"That was amazing, *****!" Mahaddo crowed quietly, "You had him off balance the entire time!"

"He is a coward," Yami replied absently, "Which is why I think he might try one more tactic. Ahmed, Seto, you will need to be on constant alert to what his 'advisors' are doing when we walk back in. He has already hinted that he wouldn't honor any terms that didn't heavily favor Syria, so I have no reason to believe he would honor diplomatic immunity during peace talks."

"You think he would make an attempt on your life?" Seto asked, shocked.

Yami nodded grimmly. "That's why I need you on full alert. If any attempt is made, I want you and Ahmed to take their souls, no questions or delays. I trust Mahaddo to keep me safe from the physical attack, most likely some form of projectile since they won't be able to get close. Leave Yawbail alone. He's not one to do dirty work himself. He will surrender and sign a fair peace treaty by the end of the day."

That evening, Yami rode into camp, calling for his generals to gather everybody for an announcement. Within fifteen minutes, most of the army had gathered around the horses that none of them had dismounted. Yami needed to be elevated if he wanted a chance of being seen and heard.

"You have all fought valiantly and Horus has looked on us favorably over the past year," Yami shouted, "And I bring you good news!" He thrust the signed scroll into the air, "We have victory for Egypt on this day! Syria has surrendered!"

The cheering from the crowd was deafening. The jubilant atmosphere was contagious and Yami found himself grinning alongside them. They were finally going home!

"We keep all of the ground we gained in battle!" Yami announced to even louder cheering, "And if the Syrians dare to cross our borders again, we will bring down the full force of Egypt!"

The noise was so loud now that Yami couldn't continue even if he wanted to. Still grinning, he dismounted and approached his generals. "Tomorrow morning we will head out, but tonight is for celebration. Pass the word along."

"You'll join us, right?" one of them asked, "You're not going to hide in your tent all night?"

"I will," Yami assured, "I just need to send a falcon back to my father with news and I'll be celebrating with you."

"You'd better," the general jibed good-naturedly, "We want the full story of what happened!"

"What makes you think it's anything spectacular?"

"Because you are Prince *****!" he declared as if it explained everything. Unfortunately, it did.

Yami's grin widened. "I'll tell you everything after I send word to the Pharaoh."

One week later, Yami rode through the palace gates leading the victorious army to the steps of the palace where the Pharaoh was waiting with Isis, Kalim, Akhenaden, and...who was that with the Key? What happened to Shimon? Questions for later, Yami decided as he dismounted and knelt respectfully at the base of the stairs. Everyone behind him quickly followed his example causing a cascading effect.

"Father, we return victorious," Yami announced, offering up the signed scroll, "Our kingdom is safe from the Syrians."

Aknamkanon approached and took the scroll, handing it off to Akhenaden so he could pull Yami to his feet and into a tight embrace. "Well done," he whispered in his ear before speaking to the crowd, "Tonight shall be the first of seven days of celebration of this victory and in honor of Prince *****'s fourteenth birthday! Spread the news that everyone is invited!"

Yami couldn't help but grin at the loud cheer that went up at the news. The soldiers would be eager to tell stories of their battles and the officers would be bathed in glory. They'd had plenty of high spirits and celebration on their way back, but none of them would pass up a pharaoh-sanctioned party.

"I'm sure you'd like a bath and a chance to rest before tonight's feast," Aknamkanon said as he led Yami into the palace even as he continued to hold Yami close.

"I think we all would," Yami agreed. He was desperate for a proper bath, but he didn't want Mahaddo to have to do it. Not when he was just as dirty and exhausted as the rest of them.

Fortunately, his father seemed to agree. "I have already sent servants to draw your bath. Mahaddo, Seto, Ahmed," he addressed, "Tonight we honor you as well for you stood by my son's side during the most trying time in his life."

Yami resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yes, the war was difficult, and certainly among some of the hardest trials he ever faced, but it wasn't the worst. The Orichalcos incident came to mind, or even that weird pyramid in India. Perhaps the longest and most tiring would be a better description. Nevertheless, he couldn't fault his father for the statement since Aknamkanon couldn't know about everything he'd been through.

More important than semantics though, Yami would be proud and honored to share this moment with the three men who had refused to leave his side during the war. Especially Seto and Mahaddo. He was glad his father was recognizing their loyalty and commitment.

"And, you, my son, shall regale us with tales of your battles," Aknamkanon continued proudly, "I for one want to hear how you handled negotiating Syria's surrender."

"It was rather a cathartic experience," Yami agreed, smirking at the memory.

Nothing more was said as they separated to go to their own rooms, though Mahaddo seemed to be holding in laughter at the memory of the peace talks. Aknamkanon left Yami at his room, with the promise to have somebody come fetch him later. Yami was seriously looking forward to this and maybe even a short nap in his own bed.

A thought suddenly occurred to him as he sank into the warm water. He was a legal adult now, at least in the eyes of Egypt. The moment he had turned fourteen had started his journey into adulthood. It was a huge milestone in his life, he had been with Yugi when his hikari had crossed that threshold, but he himself had always been considered an adult just because he spent 5000 years in the Puzzle. He grinned to himself, why not enjoy the life he was denied?

I've both read and heard that fourteen was the age of adulthood in Ancient Egypt. I'm not sure how reliable it is, but there we go. I also read somewhere (that I can't find the source for anymore) that young men would undergo some kind of trial or act of valor to be considered an adult. Yami's done both, so there's really no question here.

Please review! :)