Trusting love

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-gi-oh!

EDIT: I have edited this fiction and I hope that there aren't mistakes anymore.

TRUSTING LOVE

Thebes was in grief. The whole nation of Egypt was in grief.

The Pharaoh had died; an incurable illness, the many doctors summoned by the Grand Vizier and the Priests had said. There was no way to save him and he knew it. He knew that his time had come probably when he felt that painful jolt at his chest, when his breath got caught in his throat and he slid down from the throne.

Pharaoh Mihan didn't remember what happened next: he heard shouts, running and the big bronze doors leading to the throne's room opening and closing continuously before falling unconscious.

When he opened his eyes, he was in his rooms surrounded by the Priests Shada, Isis, Mahaado and Karim, by many doctors, judging by the blue medallion they wore and nearly all his court. But he didn't see...

"Atem.." he whispered, "Where is my son?"

"I am here, father."

Mihan turned his head and saw his son standing near his bed. The man smiled tiredly, marvelling, once more, on the resemblance of his son to his dead mother: they both had the same piercing amethyst eyes. And now he could see concern in his son's eyes.

He studied him carefully as though he had never seen him before. He was a man now, no longer the little boy who used to scamper around the palace, hiding in one of the many rooms rather than studying or playing with his wooden sword or with the small bow and arrow the Royal Army's Commander had gifted him.

He had grown up and had become a good man; he was worthy to become Pharaoh and take his place. Mihan couldn't express in words how proud he was of Atem. He was only 18 but he had already fought many battles, either with the other soldiers but especially on his own, fighting in the Shadow Games. At this thought, Mihan's eyes went down to the boy's chest; hanging on a fine chain was a small, golden, upside down pyramid with the eye of Ra.

The Millennium Puzzle, one of the Millennium Items.

He had given his son the most powerful of all the Items because he knew that he would have been capable to handle the true power. According to his brother, Priest Akunadin, the seven Millennium Items would have done good; that's why he agreed on their creation and had given his brother full trust and help.

But he was wrong..

Only the day before, he had discovered the truth as he was coming back with his troops after having stopped another assault of their enemies of the west. His brother had betrayed his trust. The Items were not meant for good; how could they be since their creation had meant the death of an entire town? The people of Kuru Eruna had been used as though they were beasts sacrificed on an altar only to make the seven Items. And, worse of all, the slaughter had been done on his name.

Pharaoh Mihan had always thought that his duty as a king had been exceptional: he had tried his very best to bring the nation back to its former wealth after the last war but this mass murder erased what he had done before; it fogged all his work.

And now that he was close to death, his son had to face his father's mistakes and fight against a threat that didn't menace only Egypt but the entire world.

At this thought, Mihan felt the pain at his chest double. A gasp of pain escaped his lips; Atem immediately knelt down beside him.

"Father!" he exclaimed. The crowd in the room gasped in alarm.

"It's nothing." the man reassured him. Only then, he noticed the two figures behind his son. A man in the Grand Vizier's clothing and a young girl. They were Astes Kiafan, Grand Vizier of Thebes, his best friend since his childhood and trustful adviser and Sheera, his daughter, old childhood friend and now bride-to-be of Atem.

Mihan felt another stitch of pain: he knew that he didn't have much time. He turned to the rest of the room where the people were staring at him in silence.

"I want you all to leave." he said, forcing his voice to be loud and clear, "The only that should stay are my son, Lord Astes and Lady Sheera."

There was a murmur of protest at these words, especially from the doctors and the royal court. The Priests, on the contrary, didn't even blink; they nodded and bowed at unison at the Pharaoh. They knew better than anyone else that the king wanted to speak to his loved ones one last time.

Shada stepped in front of a doctor that was going to say something.

"Have you not heard the Pharaoh's order?" he asked with a calm, steady and yet intimidating voice.

The man looked at the priest; hanging on a chain on his neck was the golden Millennium Ankh; next to him were the other three priests, carrying the Millennium Tauk, Ring and Scales. They were the ones that had the honour of being chosen by the Pharaoh himself for bearing those precious objects; they now had powers beyond knowing. The man stepped back: he wasn't so foolish to disobey a Priest, let alone the Pharaoh. And nor were the others. The room emptied within minutes.

Mihan sighed and turned back to his left: Atem was still kneeling by his side.

"I have to talk to Astes, Atem." he said feebly, "Let him come."

The boy nodded, standing up; he walked back and allowed the man to stand by his father.

"Your highness." he said with a bow.

"How many times.." the Pharaoh remarked softly with a small smile, "How many times have I told you to call me Mihan? Aren't we old friends?"

"Of course.. Mihan." Astes felt his voice unsteady, a lump forming in his throat.

"Listen to me." The Pharaoh's voice was very low and Astes had to bend down to hear him. "I made the mistake to take my brother's words for granted; I couldn't believe that my same blood could harm me but I was wrong." There was a deep remorse and pain in his tone. "Astes, I have told you everything about Akunadin: you are the only one that knows what he is up to. Help Atem to stop him: I must know that you will be there to advice him as you have been doing with me in all these years. He will need your aid."

Astes nodded firmly and took the Pharaoh's hand.

"I will." he promised, "I will always be by his side not because you asked me to do so, Mihan; I am not only obeying to the Pharaoh's orders." He forced a smile at the surprised look on the other man's face. "I will do it as a father because Atem is like a son for me."

The smile on Mihan's face didn't need words.

The two men spoke another bit. In the meanwhile, Atem and Sheera were standing on the background in silence but they barely heard their respective fathers' whispers. The girl glanced at the boy: there was concern and fear in his eyes. She slowly moved closer to him and took his hand in hers, squeezing it reassuringly. Atem looked up and met her green eyes; he forced a small smile in gratitude to her attempt of comforting him. The fact that Sheera was by his side in this difficult moment made him thank the Gods for letting her in his life.

They both turned when they saw Astes stand up; when he turned around, Sheera saw that her father's eyes were oddly bright. He approached the couple.

"Your father wants to talk with you." he said, looking at Atem. The boy nodded and the man headed to the door. Atem felt Sheera's hand slip out of his; he looked at her and she shot him an apologetic glance and walked after her father.

"Sheera.. Wait."

The girl froze in front of the door and slowly turned around: the Pharaoh was looking at her.

"Come here." he whispered, "I want to talk to both of you. Together."

As she got closer, Mihan studied her as well: she had grown up, too; no longer the baby that a grief stricken Astes cradled in his arms after his wife's death and that his wife, Queen Maya had accepted to take care of along with Atem; no longer the little mischievous girl with whom Atem used to play as a child before their moving to Memphis.

She was a woman now: a young and rather independent woman; she totally disregarded social differences as she did when she was a child; despite her noble title, she treated everyone equally. This was a quality that the Pharaoh highly appreciated along with her character: Sheera was gentle, honest and with a great sense of self-righteousness. He had been glad of the fact that she was one of Atem's best friends, maybe the best friend and had been the first to notice how the two friends' feelings had changed. He had realised that Sheera and Atem's friendship was due to change during their first encounter after their return from Memphis.

-:-

The Pharaoh and the Royal court was back at Thebes after ten years. The Nile's shores were full of expectant people that were eager to greet their king back in their city.

A loud exclamation was heard and many heads turned to the river: a line of boats with a large ship at the head was coming near; on the ship, sitting on two thrones were the Pharaoh and the Prince.

Another series of small ships headed toward the Royal ship to greet them; on the first one, you could see the tall figure of the Grand Vizier Astes Kiafan.

"It's good to be back." Atem remarked, getting up and heading to the front of the ship with his father. They rowers stood up and bowed low as they passed.

"Yes, it is." Pharaoh Mihan agreed. A loud roar from the crowd was heard when he stood by the edge of the ship, visible to the whole population. The two royals waved at the crowd, earning another roar of delight.

Mihan noticed the ship approaching them and recognised the figure at the front.

"There is Astes." he said with a smile, "My, my, he has got old."

Atem failed to suppress a smirk.

"Father, he's exactly your age." he remarked.

"Are you saying that I am old?" the man asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I would never be so bold.."

The two were ripped out of their thoughts when they heard a woman scream; they turned abruptly to the shores, to the bridge and then to the boats that were close to the ships.

A woman was kneeling on a boat in the center of the river, tears falling thickly from her eyes as her hands were running though her hair in anguish. She was desperately trying to reach the water but a few men were holding her back.

"My child!" she shouted, "Save him! Please, save him!"

Atem looked at the river's center: a small boy, hardly four years old, was waving desperately, trying not to drown in the deep water. Atem turned to the sailors of their ship.

"Someone get down there!" he yelled, "We have to save that child!"

The sailors looked uneasy and this made the prince loose his patience.

"What now?" he roared, "That child is drowning!"

"The alligators." the captain explained, "Your highness, this part of the river is full of those beasts. I.. I am very sorry but I cannot allow my men to dive into these waters and risk their lives."

"But..."

"No." the Pharaoh said, "All these sailors have families and children and I agree with the captain: we can't allow them to risk their lives."

Atem couldn't believe his ears.

"What?" he exclaimed, "And that child! Will we just see him die withou-?"

He stopped abruptly as he heard a sudden, coral exclamation coming from the crowd. He turned and saw someone diving from the Vizier's ship. To his amazement, it wasn't a sailor or another man but a girl. Atem and the Pharaoh heard a few women scream as she swam towards the child; as a matter of fact, a few shadows were seen under the water and were going towards them.

"Alligators.." Mihan muttered. He turned to the captain. "Tell that boat in front of us to get closer to them. They have to collect that two."

"Yes, my Pharaoh." the man replied and hurried of to accomplish the order.

Everything happened very fast later; the girl swam underwater, retrieving the child and they were both hauled on the approaching boat that hastily brought them to the shore.

The child's mother had got there too and embraced her child, sobbing desperately; the boy hugged her, crying as well.

The Royal ship and the Vizier's ship got to shore immediately; Atem got to the ground as soon as the anchor was let down. He saw the scene of the mother and child and then headed towards the girl who was behind them. People bowed low as he passed and knelt down when his father, who was following him, walked in front of them.

Atem saw the girl, getting up, coughing for the water she must have breathed in the haste to save the child. He approached her with anxiety but also mild curiosity; she had shown so much courage that he was intrigued: the brave sailors didn't dare to dive into the river but she did...

"Are you all right?" he asked, "Are you_?"

The statement died in his mouth as they made eye contact.

She was breathtakingly beautiful: he had never seen a girl like her. She was drenched to the skin but this didn't take away her beauty: slim and curvaceous body with bronzed skin, shoulder length black hair with two golden locks at the front and emerald green eyes. Her gold and white dress hugged her body tightly, her dark fringe clung to her forehead. The young Prince found himself speechless.

The girl had frozen too; she was in front of him but he didn't seem to recognize her.

'Have I changed so much?' she thought, 'Have I, Atem?'

He was tall, lean but she could every muscle his body could offer; his blond, violet and black spiked hair gave him an unusual, but handsome appearance. Not to mention his bronzed skin. He was dressed in a gold chest plate, red cape and a cream robe with a gold belt for decoration; he also wore gold armbands and the gold Millennium Puzzle gleamed around his neck on a fine chain. The girl felt her heartbeats rising alarmingly.

"I am fine." she replied and bowed low as though remembering with whom she was talking. The Pharaoh and the Grand Vizier approached them shortly after; he latter bowed at the prince, excused himself with the Pharaoh and approached the girl, clearly concerned.

"Are you all right?" he asked anxiously, "Sheera, by Ra, you gave me a fright."

"I am sorry, father." she replied, smiling softly, "I didn't mean to give you any concern."

Atem felt as though a lightning had struck him when heard the girl's name.

'Sheera?' he thought, remembering his childhood friend. 'That Sheera?'

"You ought to dry yourself." Astes followed on; then, noticing the surprised looks on the two royals, he made the introductions. "Your Majesty, your Highness." he said turning to the Pharaoh and to Atem. "This is my daughter, Sheera. I suppose you remember her."

Sheera bowed low at the Pharaoh and did the same with Atem. As she looked up, she smiled slightly at him and the prince felt as though a dart had just passed through his chest.

The Pharaoh noticed his son's face and smiled inwardly.

-:-

He knew it from the beginning, since that first encounter after ten years apart that Atem and Sheera would have fallen in love with each other. They had been very close as children and he expected that their bond would have deepened as they grew up. He loved Sheera as a daughter and had hoped that it would happen and it happened. Atem had asked Sheera to marry him and gave her the golden diadem that had once belonged to his mother as a symbol of his commitment to her.

"Get closer." he whispered and Atem and Sheera knelt by the side of his bed; there was clear concern in their eyes: the man's voice was weary.

"I am sorry."

"What for?" Atem asked in surprise, "Father, what are you saying?"

"Your wedding... It will be postponed for a better moment."

"Your highness, please, don't..." Sheera remarked softly; her voice was strained as though she was fighting back the desire of crying. She didn't know what to say: she knew that the Pharaoh's life was going to end. She looked up at Atem and saw that he was thinking the same.

"Father..." he whispered and the man turned to him.

"You will have to face many problems but don't worry: you won't be alone. Astes will help you." He looked at his son; he had learned all the rituals to become a Pharaoh and he had been taught everything that would have helped him lead the nation. Mihan was sure that he didn't have to worry for him. He would be a good king.

Mihan felt another painful jolt at his chest and knew that he didn't have time. He took Atem's hand and then turned to Sheera; tears were shining in her eyes. He forced a smile.

"Don't cry, my dear." he whispered and took her hand, placing it on Atem's one. "Now both of you, promise me that, whatever will happen from now on, you will never part. Help each other and try to be happy, despite the situation I have created."

Atem and Sheera looked at each other in puzzlement, not understanding what the Pharaoh meant.

"Father, what do-?" Atem asked but a rough cough coming from the Pharaoh made him stop.

"Promise me." he gasped, "Atem. Sheera. Promise me now. There isn't any more time."

The two youths looked at each other again. Atem squeezed the girl's hand as she nodded.

"We will." they said together.

The Pharaoh smiled: he had heard what he wanted to hear and had done all that he could do. Now he could go away..

Atem and Sheera felt a sudden cold breeze enter the room; a shiver ran down their spines, followed by a sense of foreboding. They turned to the king and saw him motionless.

Atem's eyes widened in shock and disbelief; tears fell thickly from Sheera's eyes.

The Pharaoh's spirit had gone away, leaving his body behind, to start the voyage beyond death and towards eternity.

-:-

Thirty days had passed since that day and the Pharaoh's body had gone through all the rituals of mummification. His body had to be buried that very day but a sudden sand storm had stopped the preparatives for the burial.

The Priests had taken the king's sarcophagus and had laid it in the temple of the God Amon-Ra and a continuous stream of people was going there to pray for their king despite the late time.

Sheera and her father were there as well; Astes was Grand Vizier and had to check on the body till its burial. There was an unnatural silence in the temple but this wasn't what concerned Sheera the most; once again she looked around, over the crowd.

Atem was missing.

'He was here when the sarcophagus was brought in..' she thought, 'Where is he now?'

She glanced at her father who was talking with Priest Shada and slowly walked away. She had a half idea of where Atem could be but she had to verify it.

As she walked through the hall, she ignored the people who bowed at her; since the day her engagement had been announced, she had given up on trying to stop people bowing at her. And, by the way, she was worried for Atem.

He had not yet been crowned but he had already taken important decisions such as sending the troops in battle and the amount of taxes to add to balance the expenses the reign was going to spend or that had already spent. It wasn't still official but he was the Pharaoh now.

Moreover, even though they often met each other, they rarely had time to talk; there were always people around them, discussing about the nation's faith now that Atem had become its new guide.

Sheera was able to be in the same room where these discussions were held only because of her position: as daughter of the Grand Vizier and wife-to-be of the Pharaoh, she had some privileges but talking during the meetings wasn't one of them; moreover, she didn't dare to ask Atem how he felt in front of Egypt's ministers.

'He must be at palace..' she thought, 'It should be empty: all the city is here at the temple to honour the dead Pharaoh.'

She reached the front doors and wasn't surprised to see that the weather hadn't bettered at all: the sand storm was at it's full strength, even worse than when she had entered the temple; the wind was roaring and the fine, powder-like sand coming from the desert was piling against the doors. The people that were still coming inside wore long caped robes, covering their face as much as they could. Sheera couldn't help but feel pleased and touched by this; despite the storm, everyone in Thebes, men, women but also old and children were coming to pray at the temple. It seemed that the Gods had sent the storm so that the people could worship one last time their beloved king.

Sheera looked around and saw a couple of the caped robes the Priests used for their pilgrimages in the desert, visiting the ancient temples hidden there. She walked to get one.

"Your Highness! Princess Sheera!"

The girl stopped only when she heard her name; she turned around and saw a young woman approaching her.

"Isis." she said, bowing her head at the Priestess.

"Princess Sheera." she replied with a low bow.

"Why do you call me like that?" Sheera asked with a slight frown, "I'm not-"

"Not yet." Isis said, cutting through her sentence and smiled slightly as she blushed.

"All right, did you want to talk to me?"

"The Prince is missing."

"I know. I noticed it a few minutes ago but I think I know where he might be. But.. I suppose you knew this already." As a matter of fact, she glanced at the Millennium Tauk on her neck.

"Yes, I know and your guess is right. I just wanted to say one thing." Isis' stare was fixed on Sheera. "The sand storm will end tomorrow evening and the next day the new Pharaoh will be crowned but there is something that concerns me. I feel that the Prince is troubled: the past events and his recent new duties are overwhelming him physically and psychologically. But.. I suppose you know this already, don't you?"

There was a smile on her face again.

"Yes, I do." Sheera replied, "We didn't have time to talk in these months: he is too busy with his duties but I think that he's purposely hiding his emotions. Isis, I never saw him leave his father's body since his death; he always stays near the sarcophagus. I am worried and his sudden disappearance... it all seems so strange."

"Go and try to calm him down." Isis said, "He needs support."

"Yes." Sheera reached for a robe and hastily put it on. "I will do my best. We will meet later, Isis."

The Priestess bowed as the girl left, daring her way to the palace through the storm.

"We will meet tomorrow, Princess." Isis whispered, "Tonight, you will have to bring our king back to his usual self. You are the only one that can do it."

And with one last glance at the door, Isis walked back inside.

Why is everything happening so fast?

This was the thought that roamed continuously in Atem's mind. He had been taught the Pharaoh's rituals when he was a child and had waited for this moment to come but now that it was close, he was confused..no... scared.

His father's sudden death had shattered his life into thousands of pieces. He had not lost his only parent but also his guide, his role model. Since he was a child, he knew that when he would have been proclaimed Pharaoh, it would have meant that his father had died but he had expected that moment to come later. It had all happened so quickly that he still couldn't believe it.

He buried his head in his hands, taking in what he had learned from the Lord Astes.

'Treachery..' he thought, 'Betrayal.. A menace for the entire world.. And it's all my uncle's fault.'

His father had discovered the truth the day before his death; coming to think of it, he probably died because of the shock.

'His own brother had betrayed him. Who wouldn't be shocked?' Atem sighed. 'And now, I have to face all of this. I have to stop Akunadin from getting all the Millennium Items and conquer absolute power. It's the only way to save Egypt.. and the world.'

He felt desperate: he had a great mission and he didn't know if he could do it. He didn't know if he be worthy to become Pharaoh, how could he think of saving the world?

'How can I do all of this alone?' he thought, 'How?'

"You are not alone."

Atem's head jerked up.

Sheera had managed to get to palace and as she had thought, there wasn't anybody around except the guards at the front doors.

"My Lady." they saluted, bowing as she lowered the cape to show herself.

Sheera didn't even bother to protest at their attitude.

"Is the Prince inside?" she asked.

"Yes, your highness. Prince Atem has come a few hours ago but-" the guard couldn't finish his sentence because Sheera had already walked past him.

"Thank you." she called.

"But he said not to disturb him!"

"He will receive me."

"But-"

"Don't let anyone else pass through, though. Unless they have vital information."

"Yes, but-"

Too late. Sheera had already hurried away, oblivious to his words. She walked to Atem's rooms: she was sure that he was there. When she reached the rooms' bronze-plaque front door, she stopped abruptly; her diadem vibrated and shone on her forehead.

Sheera grasped the wall for balance as a wave of emotions washed through her. It had never happened before: the diadem had worked at her will not on it's own.

She felt pain, an unbearable pain mingled with sadness, fear and despair. Sheera could feel her eyes fill up with tears.

'A..Atem?' she thought.

It had to be him, she was sure. But why was he feeling like this?

She slowly calmed down and concentrated, getting into Atem's mind with the power of the diadem. It was a power that she used very rarely because it was dangerous: reading minds was dangerous; she often used the diadem to communicate mind-way with Atem but she never read his mind. As a matter of fact, she had never read anyone's mind: this was the first time.

Her eyes widened slightly as she took the information from his inner thoughts.

So this was what had happened. Priest Akunadin had betrayed the Pharaoh and had made the Millennium Items for greed of power not for good. He was a threat for Egypt and the world and Atem had to stop him. Sheera could feel all his doubts and his hidden fears and her heart twinged.

Without realising it, she had opened the doors and had walked into Atem's bedroom.

The room was lit by many torches and he was at a corner. He was sitting on his bed's edge, his cape thrown on a corner. He was holding his head in his hands.

And then, Sheera heard his last thought.

'How can I do all of this alone?'

She replied before she could stop herself.

"You are not alone."

And he looked up.

Atem got up, staring at Sheera who was standing by the door; she took off the caped robe she wore and sand fell from the creases to the ground.

"Sheera.." he said, standing up, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, you know?" she replied, "Anyway, I came to look for you."

Atem was going to ask how she knew that he would be here but the thought disappeared when her previous statement came to his mind. He stared at her intently and noticed that her diadem was oddly bright. A frown appeared on his face.

"You used the diadem's power."

It wasn't a question and Sheera knew it.

"Yes." she said honestly.

Atem approached her, eyes blazing menacingly but she didn't move.

"Have you gone mad?" he asked loudly, "Entering another mind is dangerous! You risk to loose yourself inside the other's thoughts, it's like loosing your soul!"

"I know." she said calmly, "I didn't mean to do it, actually. It happened suddenly: the diadem made me feel all your emotions and then I managed to get inside your mind."

"You felt my feelings?" Atem was taken aback and his anger faded.

"Yes and before you make up whatever excuse.." Sheera got closer to him, her green eyes fixed on his amethyst ones. "You could have told me your problems. I know that we didn't have many chance to talk alone in these last weeks but-"

"It's not that-"

"Atem, you can tell me anything. You know that."

He looked at her and saw the clear concern in her eyes.

"I heard this information only a few days ago from your father. You saw everything?" She nodded. "Then, you must have noticed that it's all very vague apart the fact that my uncle Akunadin is willing to get an incredible power through the Millennium Items and he is threating to use Dark Magic and the Shadow Games to conquer Egypt and then the world." The words just spilled out of Atem's mouth: it seemed that he had been refraining himself from speaking and was now eager to say everything; he walked up and down the room. "I don't know how to behave. I don't know what I should do but.. everyone expects me to do something because I am the Pharaoh." He paused. "Well, I will be the Pharaoh..."

"You will be crowned the day after tomorrow." Sheera said.

"How-?" he asked in surprise, turning to her.

"Isis." she replied shortly.

"Sure.. the Tauk.." he said after a moment. He sat on his bed and sighed. "So, the day after tomorrow, I will be king.."

Sheera looked at him. There was something else, she was sure.

"There is more, right?" she asked, "What worries you?"

He didn't even look up but just stared at the ground.

"I am.. unsure." he said, after a while, "My responsibilities are bigger than I ever imagined. I had learned that my duties as a king would have been important but this situation goes beyond my reasoning. I don't know how to fight."

"You are the nation's best fighter." Sheera remarked, sitting next to him, "Nobody has chances to beat you in the Shadow Games."

"You forgot my cousin."

"Is Seto involved?"

"I don't think so. Akunadin is the only one that we are suspecting.."

"We?"

"Yes, your father is helping me immensely. He has set a group of well trusted spies after my uncle to see what he does and, till now, he didn't do anything suspicious. I think he's probably waiting for the dust to settle down. Till the.. burial..."

Sheera glanced at him. His eyes were hidden by his bangs.

"Atem.."

"He died after he found out.." he whispered, "My father died after he discovered his brother's betrayal; for all I know, my uncle could have cursed him to death."

Sheera got up and stood in front of him. She had noticed a strange hint in his voice.

"You are angry with Priest Akunadin.." she whispered, "But, Atem, why are you angry with your father? Why?"

She was startled to see tears fall on the ground.

"He has always expected me to be like him, even better than him if I could." he whispered, "How can I be like that if I am scared? Why did he expect so much from me? Why did he die so sudden-"

At the end, it had come out. He was angry with his father because he had died. It was... ridiculous? But it was true. His father had died too soon and he hadn't accepted it yet. His thoughts were stopped when Sheera hugged him tightly; he didn't expect it.

"Sheera..?"

"Calm down." she whispered, "Please, Atem, calm down."

The young prince broke down completely; for the first time, he didn't care if his emotions were visible. As son of the Pharaoh, of a God among humans, he had to be expressionless but he didn't care now. She was the only one with whom he was truly himself.

Atem slowly wrapped his arms around Sheera's waist and brought her closer to him, burying his face on her abdomen; she tightened the grip around his neck and caressed his hair. She felt his wet tears, his shoulders tremble and she felt all his pain.

"Calm down.." she whispered, letting him cry, "You will make it. You will make your father proud of you: he has always been proud of you and now, you have the chance to make him feel like that once more. And, anyway, you are not alone: think of it. There are Isis, Mahaado, Karim, Shada and Seto that can help you: they are priests and have great powers and are surely willing to use them for your aid. There are the troops, the soldiers with Kyhan at the lead; he is the commander but also a friend and will surely help you. My father is there and.. I am there for you as well. I will always be there for you.

Trust yourself and the ones next to you. You are powerful, my Pharaoh."

Atem looked up at her, removing his arms from her waist. He slowly got up and wiped away his tears. Her words had removed a heavy burden from his shoulders.

"Pharaoh?" he said, "I must get used to be called like that."

"What should I say?" she retorted, "Everyone calls me Princess and I am not royal."

For the first time after long, Atem smiled. He reached for her cheek and stroked it gently.

"Not yet." he said and a pink stain coloured her cheeks. He approached her so that their noses nearly touched. "Our wedding will have to wait. I am sorry, Sheera."

She shook her head, cupping his face with her own hand. The young man smiled again.

"I can wait." she replied with a smile, "Always."

Atem moved forward and kissed her on the lips; in the past month they never had time to stay on their own, let alone do this. He had missed her immensely.

Sheera kissed him back; her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers playing with his hair. A shiver ran down her spine when she felt his hands roam up and down her back till one dropped down below her waist, holding her tightly and bringing her closer to his body.

They spent the following moments oblivious to anything but themselves. Atem gently pushed Sheera against the wall near his bed and deepened the kiss. She gasped when she felt his tongue prodding against her lips and this allowed him to explore the depths of her mouth; he kissed her continuously, tasting her, breathing into her and holding her so firmly that it seemed he feared her to vanish in thin air.

The flood of emotions that hit Sheera seemed to make her loose her balance; she pitched forward and was glad to find Atem as a support. Her hands teased the hair at he back of his head as the space between their bodies gradually got smaller.

Suddenly, they both felt something hard stabbing painfully at their chests. They broke the kiss, both breathless. They looked at each other and a small sheepish smile appeared on the boy's face.

"The Puzzle.." he said, holding the chain that held the golden Item.

"As always." she remarked with a smile, "I think it's like a sign that forces us to stop before getting carried away."

Atem shrugged slightly; then, he remembered something.

"Sheera, how did you know I was here?" he asked.

"I know you." she replied, picking up the caped robe that was on the ground.

"What-? Where are you going?"

She looked at him in surprise.

"I have to go back to the temple." she replied, "I left without any warning.. My father will be worried."

"There is a storm outside!"

"I know. But I also know, and so do you, that these sand storms become stronger during the night and even more violent than before. I managed to get here unharmed and I must get back before the weather becomes too..."

"No." he said, interrupting her sentence. She looked at him questioningly.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's too dangerous."

"What should I do then?"

"Stay here."

Sheera stared at him. He followed on.

"Who would know? And, by the way, we would just talk and then sleep: like when we were smaller. Nothing will happen."

She wasn't so sure and her face must shown it because he approached her, getting so close that their foreheads nearly touched. He took her hand in his.

"Don't leave, Sheera." he whispered softly, "Stay here with me. Please."

The girl found herself boring in his amethyst eyes and all her doubts fled away as she stood there, rooted to the spot; she saw something in his stare. Something that told her to accept and stay. Sheera nodded slowly and a smile appeared on Atem's face.

They headed to the bed tables that were on the sides of his king-size four poster bed. Sheera removed her necklace, her bracelets, her rings and the diadem and laid them on the left table. She turned just in time to see Atem take of the Millennium Puzzle and his chest plate.

She looked at him: he was wearing a plain, short cream tunic over a pair of golden pants. She could see every muscle his body could offer. A wave of heat coursed through her body.

This was one of the reasons she wanted to leave. She felt her feelings for Atem grow in intensity day after day and this made her feel unsure of herself: she was fearing that she couldn't control herself and wondered if he was feeling the same.

She removed her sandals and slowly lay on the the left side of the bed, chasing these thoughts away. When they were children, they often slept together but now, she realised that the situation was different.

They were both grown ups, close to marriage and with raging hormones. Once again, she wondered if she had done the right thing to stay.

Sheera sighed lightly and Atem, who was lying next to her now, turned to look at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing." she replied with a smile, "Don't worry."

Her smile made his heart stop for a moment. Fighting the desire of kissing her again, Atem stared at her: she was beautiful, there weren't other words to describe her. She was perfect. Her sleek black and golden hair, her emerald green eyes... Her white-gold strapped blouse and her long golden skirt hugged her body delicately without hiding anything; his eyes immediately slid down from the swell of her breasts to her curvy waist, to her slender thighs and heat rose on his face. It took all his will power to just look at her from such a close distance.

They had never spoken aloud of this. He supposed that his attraction towards her was natural but it was also so difficult to restrain. There were times when they were together that emotions like he had never felt before, stirred inside him: it nearly seemed that his body was close in telling his mind to just go and dive into the Nile in those moments.

He pushed these thoughts away and turned his head to her.

"Sheera?"

"Yes?" she turned to face him.

"You know, this might be the last day that we can stay in this room. Once I will be Pharaoh, I will move to the other rooms."

"You are right." There was a glint of melancholy in her eyes as she looked around. "It will be strange to get used to it. We have spent most of our time together here when we were small. A bit less nowadays, though."

"Yes, we used to play here."

"While we should be studying." Sheera remarked with a smile, "Do you remember our teacher, that old Priestess that came from the temple near the river? She always tried to catch us when we ran away half-way through her lessons."

"Yes and when she couldn't find us and went to speak with our fathers, we would be back in class as though nothing had happened."

"Do you remember her face?"

The vivid image of the woman in disbelief and anger came to their minds and the two burst out laughing.

"We didn't have many problems then, did we?" Atem said when they calmed down.

"No, not at all." Sheera replied somberly. A thought had been going through her mind and she wondered if she could ask him.

"Atem?"

"Uhm?"

"I will ask you a few questions and.. promise me, you will be sincere."

The boy turned to her, sitting up slightly and leaning his head on his propped elbow.

"Of course." he replied.

"There will be a war soon, right?"

Atem didn't reply immediately.

"We are in war." he said, "Akunadin is recruiting troops from our enemies: he probably promised them riches and glory. But I doubt he told them about the Millennium Items. That's why we had to send some troops to our borders: the enemies are ready to attack." He stared at the girl. "Sheera, this is all kept secret at the moment, so don't-"

"Who do you think I am?" she asked, sitting up, and with a disbelieved look on her face, "My father is Grand Vizier: I know everything about the secrecy in these cases!"

Atem sat up, slightly startled by her reaction.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to-" he said but she stopped him, shaking her head.

"No, it's my fault. It's just that- you have to go as well, right?"

"Yes." He had to be honest.

"It will be a long war."

It was not a question. Atem nodded.

Sheera sighed and looked at him.

"It is not time for a wedding."

"What do you mean?" he asked in alarm. "Sheera, what-?"

"I am not saying that we shouldn't get married." she hastily said, "Nor that I don't want to marry you but.. You have your duties; you have responsibilities towards your.. our people."

"So?"

"Don't think of our wedding till everything is normal." She glanced at him. "We should wait till peace reigns again to... start our life together."

Atem's eyes were fixed on her: he felt his throat dry and a sudden thought passed through his mind. Her safety and happiness were the most important things for him.

"Listen, I will be honest. The war could last weeks, months or years. I don't know. But Akunadin.. He will not give up: he will try to achieve the absolute power through the Millennium Items even if he has to fight alone. He has power and he knows how to use it: the Millennium Eye, the Dark Magic of the Shadow Games and all his tricks.. If our troops defeat his allies or lackeys, call them as you like, I.. I will have to fight him. And... it will be very hard." He looked up at her. "Sheera, Akunadin.. my uncle is responsible of my father's death. He killed his brother, I am sure of it. My father was healthy: his death is not natural; Akunadin is behind it. He must have used his curses."

Sheera looked at him intently.

"Where are you coming to?" she asked.

"Akunadin is heartless. He hurts you, hurting the people close to you." he said, "And Sheera, you are the only person of whom I care now; the only one important to me."

Finally, she understood.

"No." she said firmly, getting off the bed.

Atem went after her and grabbed her left hand, stopping her. Her green eyes were blazing but he didn't give up.

"It could be the only way for you to live safely and happily." he said, "Why don't you understand?"

"I don't want to understand!" she exclaimed, "I told you that I only wanted to postpone our wedding not cancel it! Atem, who do you think I am?" She glared at him defiantly. "Do you really think that I could forget you so easily? That I could marry someone else and live happily without any remorse? My father works at your service: I am in danger anyway. Remember it."

Atem couldn't reply but a wave of relief washed through his body. The only thought of loosing her made him die..

"I am not leaving you, Atem." she remarked firmly. The boy nodded.

He felt.. he didn't know how he felt. He couldn't believe he had just asked Sheera to leave him.

And them, it happened suddenly before he could realise it..

Sheera slid her hand out of his and leaned forward; she caressed his cheeks and slowly kissed his eyes. Atem unconsciously closed them and felt her lips on his eyelids; he then felt her lips go down, brushing his nose, his mouth, his neck; a waft of a flowery scent reached him. She stopped at his chest and kissed him at the height of his heart. When she looked up at him, Atem was speechless.

This was the ritual adopted in temples; the worshipper had to do exactly what she had done to the statue of the God they adored when he wanted to declare his eternal devotion.

'Is she really-?' he thought. His answer was quickly answered.

Sheera closed on him till her mouth was near his ear.

"In this, the next and all the lives the Gods will allow me to live, I will be devoted to you, Atem Mihan Neferit." she whispered, "I will always love you."

She stepped back, pink on her face.

"I am sorry, Atem but you will not get rid of me so easily." she said with s small smile.

The boy stared at her, unable to speak. When his mind finally cleared, he knew what to do.

He grabbed her shoulders and kissed her passionately; Sheera froze on the spot and tensed more when she felt him move. His lips moved up to her eyes, kissing her eyelids; he then moved down, slowly, very slowly, brushing her mouth, her neck, her collarbone. She stifled a gasp when, following the invisible line to her heart, his lips brushed her left breast; even though she wore her blouse, the contact made her heart sprint.

When he kissed her heart, he got up, moving closer to her; their lips barely touched but their eyes were locked into each others.

"I will be devoted to you, Sheera Kiafan, in this and all the lives I will live." he whispered, "I will always love and protect you. May the Gods be witness to my promise."

Sheera smiled, happiness was overflowing from her heart. She hugged him lovingly and he did the same; she buried her face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the fresh scent of sandalwoods which accompanied him. He held her tight, his hands roaming up and down her back and suddenly felt all his doubts and restraints fly away.

"Sheera.." he whispered in her ear, "Don't leave."

"I will not." she whispered back, facing him. The promise they had just made to each other had canceled all her hesitations...

-:-

As they lay together on the bed, hours later, Atem lifted his head and faced Sheera. She was looking at him with an expression of such love and trust that he felt his heart explode. He knew that she was feeling the same.

It was a different kind of happiness: they felt as though they had completed each other; their relationship had gone to another level. Their bond was unbreakable.

He lowered his face till their noses touched.

"I love you." he whispered, "You know that, do you?"

"Yes.." she replied softly with a smile, teasing his nose, "I love you, too."

Atem smiled back and rolled on the right side of the bed; he wrapped his arms around Sheera's waist and pulled her closer to him. She laid her head on his chest and he kissed her hair.

"Did Isis say when the storm will end?" he asked.

"Yes, tomorrow evening." she replied. She looked up at him, "Why?"

"We are alone: the guards have been ordered not to leave the front doors so we can stay here."

"What do you have in your mind?"

"At the moment, sleeping. Tomorrow morning, we could spent time together. It's my last day as Prince and I want to be with you. Once Pharaoh, who knows when we could be alone again."

Sheera nodded and snuggled closer to him.

"So, let's get some sleep, my Pharaoh."

"Yes, my Queen."

As they slowly drifted asleep in each other's arms, neither knew that this would have been the last time they could be alone. In a few months time, the war would have devastated the country.

Atem would have fought and later won the long battle but at a high cost.

In order to preserve the peace, he would have to seal his soul in the Millennium Puzzle; his power was too much and there were too many power-hungry that would have wanted it. He would have sealed himself with all the Millennium Items and would have waited the chosen one that could have helped him fight the darkness once forever.

Sheera, unknown to him, would have done the same. She would seal her soul in the diadem, wanting to be next to her love and not caring how long she would wait for him.

Now, they only knew that they loved each other and that they would have spent the next day alone. Together.