Yugioh Atem, The Foreign Guard

Chapter 10 Mourning

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I promise I haven't abandoned yall. I've been super busy and just haven't had time. Anywho, here's the next chapter!

That night Atem couldn't go to sleep. The image of Amani littered with cuts and bruises, crying over her sister's form coupled with the sound of her sobs that he could hear faintly from down the hall prevented him from doing so. Atem had managed to capture Bakura and had him bound to a rope being pulled by a horse surrounded by royal guards; the men insisting that they go instead of the common foot man. They had offered to carry her sister, Kasaqua, back to the palace but Amani acted as though she heard nothing. She rode atop one of the guards horses, kasaqua sitting on top of her lap; blood seeping into the blankets that acted as a saddle.

Even at the palace, she refused to let the now much pailer body leave her arms as she walked, a blank, stony expression never moving from her features. Atem guided them to the temple where special priests trained in embalming waited for them. Atem was curious as to how they knew but paid it no mind.

They had to pry Amani's arms away from kasaqua, and when they did a stream of tears that seemed to have been held back finally fell. The priests had said that they could clean and wrap the body that night so that by tomorrow so Amani could travel back to Kush for the rest of the mummification process and burial. Atem placed a hand on Amani's shoulder lightly so that if it were injured it wouldn't cause pain.

He again guided her to her chambers, and instructed a servant to draw a bath and another to call Hesy-Ra up there to tend to her wounds. Atem hesitated to remove her tunic. Amani looked to be in no place to do it herself but he didn't want to invade. His heart rate sped up as his hands lingered over the ruined fabric.

He was simply helping her, get her into the bathwater to clean her of the blood that was dry in some areas; so why was he questioning himself? The tunic stuck to her skin, her figure was perfect, alluring, and off limits. He started with the sandals, thankful for evading the task for the moment. Stabilizing her by grabbing hold of her bicep he knelt and took off the bloody, sand covered shoe. He tried to ignore the fact of how close they were, his face so close to her thighs. Once both were off he stepped behind her, hands hovering over the dark red tunic.

He swallowed thickly. He's just helping her. Just helping nothing more. He needed to get her clean before her wounds got infected. Deciding to just look away, he reached for the bottom hem with sweaty hands when a knock sounded at the door.

Atem let out a deep breath, glad he was excused from dishonoring Amani. It wasn't as though she was the first woman he'd seen unclothed. The linens could be woven very fine and he was the Pharaoh, women offered themselves up often at banquets or otherwise; but something was different about Amani.

Hesy-Ra walked in as well as his young apprentice who carried a bag and tray laden with bandages and cups of liquid. "Thank you my Pharaoh, you must be quite exhausted, please, I will take it from here." He said bowing. Atem didn't notice that he had blood on his hands till he returned to his chambers.

-

There was a knock at the door before Nephi and Shabaka came in with a bow. Atem turned in his bed to face them and asked them about Pilis' absence. "He asked not to come, he said he wouldn't be able to work fully." Nephi said before going to the washroom. Shabaka averted his eyes to the ground.

"He has grown fond of the two of you, his heart mourns for the loss and pain you experience; he has taken to kitchen duties today." Atem gave a sad smile, the sweet boy.

The dining hall was silent that morning, the only sound being cups set down or a servant cutting fish to serve a member of his court. Amani walked in a few minutes after atem did, all eyes going to her. Some held sympathy, pity, or nothing at all. She made her seat to the right of him, servant placing fruits and bread on her plate, another filling her cup with water.

Atem felt the need to speak with her, but didn't want her to feel any more awkward. He motioned over to a servant. "Have all preparations been completed?" The servant nodded before backing away with a bow. Atem wiped his hands on a cloth napkin before standing, the rest of the room followed suit but Atem turned to Amani. "Sit, eat, you will need it for your travels today. If there is anything else you want made tells the servants and they will have it for you." Amani silently nodded sitting back down while his court filed out at his motion. He to sat back down and looked at Amani.

Her eyes were red and puffy, evident of her night of crying. He heard her stop crying later in the evening but didn't know if she had gotten any sleep; he hadn't. "Piye has been saddled and is ready to leave when you are. I had a cart covered with a canopy, I would have liked something better built but there wasn't much time." Amani doesn't look up from her food while he speaks, all he wants is to see her eyes; to know what thoughts were swirling around in her head.

"Her body has been cleaned and wrapped, placed in a temporary wooden casket. There are also jars full of gold, precious stone, amulets, and similar funerary items." A servant approaches them and places a large leather sack of gold coins into Atem's waiting palm. "This is for any funerary expenses, get her the best embalmer and service you can get. I have also assigned, or really should say volunteers, two guards to accompany you, Haka and Uetu. They wait outside along with everything else." Amani had looked up and her eyes grew bigger and bigger each time Atem spoke of the things he had done.

"I couldn't possibly accept this, it's too much. I'm very grateful that you would do this though." She bowed her head, her hands firmly in her lap, refusing to take the sack of gold he extended towards her.

"It's too late now, everything has been done and prepared." Atem said, hurt she wouldn't accept  his offering. He must not have masked it very well because she flinched at his words. "If I could I would go there in person I would, she was sacrificed because of me. This is my way of paying her back, to give her a wonderful afterlife. I don't want to order you to take it but I will if you refuse." They were both quiet for a moment and Atem let out a sigh, he was being brash on her. He stood and walked out of the room, leaving the sack of coins on the table.

-

Atem stood there on the balcony outside the courtroom till the sight of them disappeared over the horizon. He turned back into the room, sitting at his throne at the head. He felt bad for speaking so crass that morning, but doubted that she would have accepted if he didn't. Her will was too strong.

Set had motioned for the first meeting of that day to be started, already Atem knew it would be painfully long waiting for Amani's return. Instead of filling her place temporarily with one of the royal guards, Atem decided to return to how it was before her arrival, the spot empty, with the danger safely secured in Thebes largest prison, Khnrt Wr.

He would have to speak with his court soon on what to do with Bakura. He had a few ideas, all of which would make anyone sick but he still felt it wasn't enough. He heaved a sigh and tried to focus on the noble woman in front of him speaking of how her husband was committing adultery. He knew right away her words were untrue, the bruise peeking from her brightly decorated usekh told him so. Her thinly woven linen kalasiris left little to the imagination yet it did nothing to him.

If she had been at a banquet a season ago it might have been different, she didn't look much older than him, but all he could think of was Amani. Did she get enough to eat? She had cleared her plate but there was only bread and fruit. He had packed dried meats, bread, and lamb skins full of water and beer to last them till they arrived in Kush. 70 days; probably more than that because of travel. 70 days till she returns. He let out what seemed to be the 100th sigh that morning.

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