A/N: So here's another one. I'm trying to somewhat reverse the whole Yami with an icy heart and Yugi melt it thing. Somewhat. You know what I mean. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

He was a gift from the Great Emperor of Rome, to the Pharaoh of Egypt, nothing less. Brought in with his ankles and wrists shackled, he was pushed down to the luxurious limestone floor, his sweaty forehead just barely brushing the ground.

Silence rung throughout the large throne room, and the guard who had dragged him here spoke up, only to ask why the pharaoh was silent or whatever when he was suddenly cut off.

The servant did not need to strain to hear as the acoustics were one in a million as a more powerful, demanding voice spoke in the guard's place.

"His Majesty is unable to attend for he is ill, I am deeply sorry," the strong and smooth voice before him spoke clearly. "You can take him to the stables and break him in like it is usually done."

Amethyst eyed stared at the floor in horror as he was sentenced to be broken like a wild stallion. Yugi wondered what that really meant, but he knew for sure that he would be learning what he was expected of as a servant in an Egyptian kingdom.

Fear bubbled in Yugi's gut and heart as he was roughly grabbed and hauled up by his shoulders. He only earned a mere glimpse of a vacant throne ahead, along with a rather tall Egyptian garbed in blue and white robes before he was ruthlessly dragged out of the large room to face his sentence.

Before he was sentenced to be a gift for Egypt as a servant, a couple Roman advisors had somewhat explained to him the ways of the Egyptians. They had even taught him their mysterious language so that he was fluent whenever he spoke.

But he was never told that being actually trained in Egypt, by Egyptians would be such a...brutal experience.

It was actually like he was a rampaging horse that they needed to break as quick as possible. He had been brought to the stables as ordered, and there, a couple of the guards started talking of what his duties as a servant would be. His only duties were to deliver scrolls and clean out the stables.

Then he had to recite every detail of what he was told back, and if he said anything wrong...a kick or slap to any body part except his face.

Yugi cursed himself over and over for being so confident in front of the Emperor's advisors, saying that he would fully understand the Egyptian language they were speaking as fast as the birds that dived down from the sky to catch their prey.

So his body was probably bruised when he finally got everything right, and he realized that he was merely clay in the guards' hands to mold into the perfect servant. He thought it was over however when the guards began talking about behavior when in front of people of higher ranks.

So the reciting and beatings continued until Yugi was sure that he was in a painful ball, curled up on the scattered hay in the stable's floor, begging the guards to understand that he understood all of the rules.

Somewhat expected, he was yet again grabbed by his wrist and hauled up so that he was standing. His eyes cracked open through the dirt and sweat, gazing at the guard who was staring at him.

Thankfully the man wasn't grinning like a sadistic fool. A stern look was upon his face, telling Yugi that he understood and had completed his job of melding him to be a good, efficient, well behaved servant to the pharaoh and his peers.

"Alright," the man grunted out, "We'll show you the servant's quarters, and from there you're out of our hands."

Later that night, Yugi curled up on the cot he was provided, staring at the ceiling above. He had been brought from the stables to this wing of the palace, and handed over to another guard who was in charge of all of the servants. He was cleaned up from the dirt and sweat, given two pairs of clothes, a bed and some food.

He had been told his duties in a more specific explanation, and what exactly he'd be doing when it came to delivering scrolls and such. He was to work under High Priest Seth, and he'd be introduced to the man tomorrow. To Yugi, it didn't seem like that hard of a job.

The stables however, seemed so much worse. He was to spend at least eight hours everyday grooming, feeding and cleaning half of the horses kept in the stables. At least he wasn't the only one. At least three others had the same job too.

And now, Yugi rolled over, prepared to meet his new life.

A couple months passed by and Yugi had grown somewhat accustomed to his new jobs, not finding extremely hard at all as the days went by.

His mood had grown a little happier as he realized that this life was much, much better than in Rome. He was given more free time to himself on certain days, was fed properly, and everyone here was generally nice.

Well, except for High Priest Seth.

Yugi wanted to pull his hair out every time the man would ask him to fetch at least twenty scrolls at once in a certain time period. He had no idea what the scrolls were for, all he knew was that if he didn't deliver anything on time, he would be scolded harshly and kicked out, forced to go back to the stables and work there for the rest of the day.

And some of the guards were really crabby on some days when it came to his duties in the stables. The horses weren't perfectly groomed for the priests or the pharaoh; they would scoff, throwing his tools back into his face with a yell. He apparently didn't clean the right way either, and the guards stationed there would scold him about that too.

So that's when Yugi's personality began to change around people.

Before, he was a little more accepting and open about different things, but now he had hardened up and didn't take many peoples opinions all at once. He had begun to only take the guards' orders, wanting to not be yelled or kicked at, wanting to please them so that they'd lie off. He began to discipline himself more than ever, wanting to follow the rules so that nothing bad would happen.

But don't get him wrong, Yugi was deep inside still the kind, loving person he used to be; it was just all buried deep within.

Yugi did not dare be late when returning with High Priest Seth's numerous scrolls either, so he had begun to memorize the small markings made on each one so that he'd be quick when searching through the hundreds of scrolls in that tiny room.

So now, Yugi stood outside Priest Seth's workroom, knocking on the wooden door, asking permission to come in. His knock went unnoticed by the persons inside the room, and Yugi desperately strained not to listen to what Priest Seth and another person were talking about.

Shaking his head as he did not wish to eavesdrop on whatever conversation that was being held within, Yugi knocked again, this time louder, making it through. The conversation ceased, and Yugi straightened as Priest Seth's voice monotone voice said 'come in.'

He creaked the door open a little hesitantly and slipped inside, not daring to drop any of the scrolls that brushed against the wood of the door. He set his eyes on the floor, knowing what would happen if he ever looked his master in the eye.

"Just put those scrolls on the back table," Priest Seth commanded lightly, clearly not looking at him.

Yugi nodded shortly and walked over to the table that was pointed out. He set the bundle of scrolls down, and cursed himself as he looked up.

He couldn't help it...he...he...his mind went blank as crimson eyes stared straight at him, almost mesmerizing him to not look away. Yugi had never before seen the pharaoh live in person.

Rumors went around the servant's quarters during free times, and it was always a different description of the living god.

Some said that he actually took on Horus' form, as a hawk. Others questioned it and said that he was a muscular man that had all of the power when it came to nearly everything. Some disagreed and said that the pharaoh was a weak person, always sick and feeble, never making the right decisions.

But this pharaoh was nothing like the rumors. His body was small, but you knew that the man could beat anyone into a bloody pulp. Tan skin covered every inch of muscle and bone. Elegant clothes were draped onto his body; an extravagant robe with the colors of gold and deep purple, swirling together almost perfectly.

His face was flawless to Yugi's eyes. It gave the man the right to be called the pharaoh as his face was chiseled to perfection only the gods could handle. His hair was wild, almost like Yugi's own except for a few blonde bangs, but was managed mainly by his golden tiara that probably was worth the whole kingdom.

But he could not tear his fixed gaze from those beautiful crimson orbs...

...at least until High Priest Seto stood up abruptly did Yugi shrink visibly, nearly tearing his way out of the room in fear of what the man would do to him.

How could he be so stupid! How could he seriously let himself be set into a trance like that? He knew he would be punished by the end of the night, he knew the rules well enough.

So he waited...and waited and waited. He had gone to the stables to do work the minute he had ran out of Priest Seth's work room, knowing that the other knew he'd be there. But nothing came like so many times before, and it was the same thing all together when he had reluctantly retired to the servant's quarters, awaiting the appending doom of one of the guards there dragging him away to be punished properly.

But nothing happened as Yugi nervously bit on his lip. Not a thing had happened ever since that horrible incident that showed his stupidity out quite plainly. No one was sent to get him, nor was he hit or anything. It puzzled the servant.

Yugi rolled to his side on the cot, gazing at the wall that only gazed back at him. Maybe the pharaoh did something...he was the one staring first anyway when Yugi thought through it...no!

The pharaoh would never take pity on a poor, undeserving servant...would he? Yugi felt uneasy at the thought.

Turning over once again, Yugi swallowed and pulled his thin blanket around his shoulders, trying to fall into a welcoming darkness.

A/N: So...what'dya think? It probably sounds pitifully cliché, but I'm aiming it to not be entirely. -- nervous glance -- Please tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!