Ascension [A Yu-Gi-Oh! FanFiction]

15: Venom

Atem awoke before the sun the next morning, his eyes greeted by a veil of gray light drawn over the land. Part of him wished for darkness to creep back across the sky again, to give him another few hours of much needed rest. It seemed only minutes had passed since he closed his eyes to the world, lulling himself to sleep to the sound of his new wife's muffled weeping.

The thought made his heavy eyes fly open, and he lifted his head to look across the room at his bed. Even from this distance, he could see the gentle rise and fall of Satiah's body where she lay twisted beneath the sheets. The sight filled him with conflicting waves of relief and unease. Half of him expected her not to be there — not because he thought she had left in the night, but because the events of their wedding had passed in such a blur that he was left wondering if it had even been real.

Quietly, Atem sat up and shifted to rest his back against the arm of the bench. He suddenly had the urge to wake her — to look into her eyes, as if they might hold the truth about what happened the night before. But he knew it would be selfish to do so. There were no words she could say, no look she could give him that could whisk away the dunes of guilt building in his heart.

He removed his covers and stood, the shock of cold helping to ground him in the present moment. Quiet as a spirit, he drifted across the room to his wardrobe, carefully pulling on a fresh set of clothes and his cloak. He avoided looking to his bed, instead turning to leave the room. On the way, he caught sight of a mountain of gifts leaning up against the wall, no doubt brought up by servants during the dinner feast. On the top of the pile was the small rectangular box with the cartouche of Ramesses etched on it — Satiah's gift. He smiled reflexively at this small and subtle token of hope. Heartened a bit, he continued on and left the room as quietly as he could.

A shiver overtook him as he walked down the deserted hall, and he pulled his cloak around his front to keep some heat in. Even as he emerged onto the terrace, the pre-dawn air was still filled with the chill of night. Atem moved to the edge of the balcony, leaning over and surveying the gardens, which sat as still as he'd ever seen them. The sight gave further credence to the thought that he might still be dreaming, but the peaceful air was soon broken by the sound of footsteps behind him. He spun just in time to see Tefnak emerging from the hall, looking as if he'd been trampled by a horse.

Tef groaned, rubbing his fingers roughly into the dark circles beneath his eyes as he came to stand beside Atem.

"Perhaps you can tell me why I woke up in the wine cellar?" Tef asked, sounding as if his throat was filled with sand.

"I guess you needed more wine?" Atem replied.

Tef broke a smile, and involuntarily, Atem mirrored it, feeling it grow into a full-blown grin as Tef threw his arm around him and patted his shoulder.

"What are you doing up so early, brother?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be...well, busy furthering the family line?"

Atem's smile fell, and Tef jabbed him in the side with his finger.

"Rough first night, I take it?"

Atem gritted his teeth. "It wasn't like that," he said. "I didn't want to rush things."

Tef smirked, then heaved a big sigh. "I can't say I'm surprised," he said, in that flippant way of his. "I know you have cautious instincts, little brother, but there's nothing to be afraid of. Fatherhood is the greatest blessing a man can ask for. And to be honest, you aren't doing Satiah any favors by taking things slow, either."

Atem couldn't help but feel a bit defensive. It was true, the weeks and days leading up to their wedding had been clouded with the awkward expectation of what was to come after — consummation and procreation. But when the moment came for them to escape to their wedding bed, it seemed such notions were the last thing on his mind — even before he'd witnessed Satiah's tears.