Ascension [A Yu-Gi-Oh! FanFiction]

26: Dusk

Satiah soon lost count of the days she'd woken up without her husband beside her. In truth, it was a rare occurrence when she saw him in their bedchamber at all — his new obligations as Pharaoh often kept him away long into the night, and while she sometimes crossed paths with him in the palace halls or for brief meals on the terrace, they hardly ever spent a waking moment together in private.

Any words they did share were usually related to matters of state in some way or another. Things had moved fast in the two weeks since Aknamkanon's death, with countless visits from Egypt's many nomarks, who came to pay their respects to the fallen king and his newly ascended heir. While Atem proved himself a fast learner in the art of politics, it was clear he was struggling to manage all the governing duties with the death of his father still fresh in his mind. To help ease the burden, Shimon had vacated his position as Guardian of the Millennium Key, allowing him to serve a more active role in counseling the Pharaoh. Guardianship of the Key had gone to a young priest by the name of Shada, who hailed from Abydos. In addition, Mahad had finally been named the official Guardian of the Ring. Between all the personnel changes and preparing for his father's entombment, Atem had hardly any time for rest or relaxation.

Satiah's days, too, were busier than ever — Atem had asked her to lead the investigation into the Giza pyramids, in the hopes that they might uncover the secrets of the Holy Gods sleeping beneath them. Satiah was finding it to be a particularly difficult task — like Ramesses' tomb, the burial chambers within the pyramids had long since been fully explored and charted, and there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary about any of them. Regardless, Satiah worked closely with her father and the historians of the surrounding nomes to continue the search for clues, but she knew dusty scrolls and ancient riddles would only get them so far — it would only be a matter of time before they'd have to set sail for Giza themselves.

As Satiah rolled over in her empty bed and stared at the ceiling, she wondered if she should be happy about the possibility of returning to Lower Egypt. If they did, the royal court would certainly need a place to stay, and with its proximity to the Giza plateau, Memphis would be the obvious choice. Though it had been less than two months since she left her home, it felt to Satiah like a decade had already passed. What would her beloved city look like now, with Aknadin heading the conclave? Would she still recognize the white temples and well-worn streets? Would her family's villa even still be standing?

Satiah's musings were interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door. With a deep breath, she called back: "Come in."

Tuya then entered, smiling as she hustled forward with a breakfast tray in hand. Satiah sat up and stretched, yawning a muffled greeting to her handmaiden.

"Good morning, my queen."

Satiah felt a shiver as she threw her sheets back — she still hadn't gotten used to her new designation, nor any of the formalities and honorifics that went with it. But as usual, Tuya was unfazed — after placing the tray on the table, she headed to the wardrobe and began putting together an outfit for the day.

Satiah stood, grabbing a sweet cake from the tray and taking a bite. "Any news?" she said, mouth half-full.

"Yes, actually," Tuya called back. "The Pharaoh would like to speak with you and your father in the throne room once you've eaten."

Satiah felt a twist of unease in her stomach at the words, but she had little time to consider them before Tuya gasped loudly behind her. Startled, Satiah looked over her shoulder, then followed Tuya's eyeline to the back of her sleeping gown. There, flaring red at the seat of the skirt, was a small but distinct bloodstain.

Satiah pursed her lips and spun instinctively away, embarrassed. After a moment, Tuya's stunned look melted away into pity, and she swept over to pull the dress up and inspect the red mark. With her cheeks burning, Satiah looked over at the bed. Sure enough, another small stain had transferred onto the sheets as well.