Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Duel of Love ❯ Ritual ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, really wish I did but I don't…

A/N: Here's where the warnings really should be heeded.  And no, they love each other, but neither has really said it to the other so each is wondering if the other really is feeling the way they feel…

Warning: Katiana gets hurt

Warning: This is supposed to make you feel sick; if it doesn't in some way then I as a writer have failed.

Warning: Torture

Warning: Abusive (Verbally and physically)

Warning: If you find me cruel by the end of this…I have done my job.

Warning: I really hate having to do these but now I should get no complaints because you were WARNED!

Duel of Love

Chapter 10: Ritual

Katiana

     Seto wanted me to come back to the temple for a bit, it seems that one of the priests is ready to advance to a higher ranking than before and there's a ritual that has to be performed for it.  Seto wants me there, well, he always has all the priests and priestesses there to witness it, saying that it gives us incentive to try harder, but everyone always knows I won't advance at all, so they never understood in the first place why Seto bothers with me coming to these things at all.

     It's been two days since the Pharaoh and I had our encounter and I'm still not sure what to make of it.  He hasn't mentioned it to anyone and he hasn't wanted to talk to me about it, so I let the matter drop entirely, I didn't know what to make of it and by the way the Pharaoh was acting neither did he.  Unfortunately, having to tell him Seto wanted me back at the temple was going to be a task onto itself.

     "I can d…do this," I muttered to myself as I made my way to the main chamber where the Pharaoh was at the moment.  All I had to do was tell him where I was going and that would be it, the end of it.  Why did something like this make me feel so nervous?  I couldn't understand at all what was going through my head right now and my confusion had made me clumsier than usual, which normally had me tripping over my healing leg, which still caused me to walk with a limp.

     "Miss Katiana," his voice greeted me professionally as I entered the main room, "What brings you out from the library?"

     "I have to r…return to the temple," I said slowly, bowing as I did so.

     "For what reason?" he asked, a slight change in his voice.

     "For a c…cer…ceremony," I replied cautiously, "Seto w…wants me back for it…"

     "I see, so are all the priests and priestesses going to be there?" he asked, "I assume this is one of the advancement rituals I've heard of…"  I nodded my head quickly, not daring myself to meet his gaze.

     "It is, my pha…pharaoh," I said.

     "I don't see any reason why to not let you go, if High Priest Seto asks for it," he said, "But you will return when it is done, correct?"

     "Yes," I said, wondering why he wanted to know that.

     "Good, I would hate to not see you back here to finish what you started," he said.  I looked up for a split second to see his face with a small grin that told me that no, he hadn't forgotten about what had happened a few days back.  I bowed again and hastily left to go and pack my things.  I couldn't worry about what was going on here between me and the Pharaoh, because I was going back to the temple and wouldn't see him for a while.  It shouldn't have bothered me that I wouldn't see him for a while but it did just a little.  Seto would be able to keep a very close eye on me while I was at the temple, which he usually had done but now I figured he was going to make me do a lot of cleaning before he'd let me come back.  Maybe some time away from this place would help me sort out my feelings, and if I wasn't here the Pharaoh wouldn't have to worry about me either, so it was for the best, right?

High Priest Seto

     "Good, you arrived quickly," I said as Katiana arrived at the temple entrance, clutching her pack close to her.

     "Yes, I did," she said steadily, bowing slightly and then raising her head to look into my eyes.

     "And you told the Pharaoh you'd be gone for some time?" I inquired.

     "Yes, for the r…ritual," she replied, "And he asked if I w…would be coming back after that…"

     "Are you?" I asked.

     "You k…know I am!" she exclaimed and I smiled, "I have a j…job to finish there!"

     "Now, now, no need to get angry I was only asking," I replied, "I suggest you get yourself situated and ready, the ritual is tonight."

     "Why even b…bother having me here?" she asked, "It's not like I'm ever g…going to advance!"

     "True," I replied, "But I missed you."

     "Only because you c…couldn't keep an eye on me at the p…palace," she muttered, heading in the direction of her room, "Jerk…"

     "I see you haven't lost the use for your favorite word," I said with a purely wolfish grin.

     "And you h…haven't stopped treating me l…like a kid!" she replied and ran in the direction of her room.  I heard the door open and shut quickly and sighed.  She acted like a child; therefore she was still a child.

Katiana

     The ritual was beginning soon and I was standing by the all of the Priests and Priestesses that were on my level.  Some of them were children, new to the temple and others were on the verge of going up some levels themselves.  I was of course the lowest of the low and everyone here made sure I knew it too, forcing me to the back so they could all have the best views of the ritual.  I didn't mind though, it was really hot in here during the rituals and all I could really do about that was tug at my shirt uncomfortable as the flames heated the large room.  I was lucky to be in the back really, then Seto couldn't see me acting like I was uncomfortable.  I couldn't see much but I could hear Seto's chants as time wore on, and the priest's triumphant shout.  I was getting really dizzy, being forced to stand on a broken leg was really taking its toll, so I leaned against a wall for support.  Time passed, and no one was watching me thankfully and I made it through the ritual, and everyone had begun cheering.  I forced myself to stand and come forward a little; the heat had begun to die down because the fire had been put out the moment the ritual was over and done with.

     "Katiana," Seto said suddenly and I jumped, almost crashing to the floor as I moved to steady myself, "The ritual is done, and you can go to your room now.  And don't think I didn't see you leaning against the wall."

     "Broken l…leg," I said slowly, "Hard to s…stand."

     "Never mind, go to bed Katiana, you are dismissed," he said and I started to hobble in the direction of my room, "And don't think of returning to the palace in the morning, I want you to stay here for a time."

     "But…" I began but I shut up when I heard him hit the wall with his fist.

     "You aren't gong back just yet," he repeated, "Understood?"

     "Yes," I replied bitterly, "Fine."  I could only hope he wasn't planning on keeping me here too long…

Priestess Mara

     "We do it tonight," I said slowly, "I know what she's been up to at the palace…"

     "Mara all you heard were rumors," one of the women replied, "I don't think Priestess Katiana would ever do something like that."
     "You know she would, why do you think High Priest Seto keeps her around?  Worthless as she is, High Priest Seto found a use for her," I said.  Priestess Katiana was a slut, everyone knew it even if they never spoke it.  That was why High Priest Seto kept her around and that was the only plausible reason she was working at the Palace now.  I hated her, loathed her.  She was allowed to call High Priest Seto by his name rather than his title and tonight I was going to have my revenge on her.

     "We all know that but…" another tried to speak up.

     "We have to make her pay for what she's done," I said, "She has no right, a slut in our midst, it's shameful, I wonder still why High Priest Seto hasn't gotten rid of her yet."

     "She's a slut alright," a male voice added, "I heard one to many rumors that seemed to flow together to disprove that theory, I say we get her tonight then!"

     "But won't High Priest Seto be mad at us?" Priestess Hana asked, "We would all be in trouble!"

     "When we're done with her High Priest Seto will be thanking us.  A slut is bad for this temple's reputation, he should know this by now," I said, "If you don't want to do this Hana you go back to your room, but if you tell anyone you'll meet the same fate we're giving to Priestess Katiana."

     "But she's the only one…" she said and then lowered her head.  She knew there would be other ways we knew of to make her suffer.  She ran back to her room and shut the door, leaving the few of us who were going to carry out our plan alone in the hallway.

     "Alright, so, will we make her suffer?" I asked and everyone nodded eagerly.  We weren't the biggest group, certainly not everyone in the temple, but we stuck together and basically controlled everything High Priest Seto didn't bother himself with.  And now we would be taking care of Priestess Katiana, the one girl whose cheerfulness annoyed me and the one who pretended to be innocent when we all knew better.  Her and her stupid stammer, I bet it was fake too.

     "Let's go!" a priest whispered and the group ran off towards the training chamber, leaving me to go and collect Priestess Katiana.  Revenge will be so rewarding this time, and High Priest Seto will thank us for doing this, of that much I am certain.

Katiana

     I heard a knocking at my door and sat up in bed.

     "Who is it?" I asked cautiously, getting up and making sure my bed clothes hadn't risen up on me as I slept.

     "Priestess Mara, can I talk to you?" a voice asked and I slowly opened my door, yawning as I did so.

     "W…What is it?" I asked and she smiled.

Priestess Mara

     "Listen, while you've been gone, it's allowed me and a lot of the others some time to think about what's been happening," I said, "And we've treated you pretty badly for the longest time now."

     "Uh-hu," she said and I smiled at her again, a fake smile all the way, she was so gullible she'll fall for any old story.

     "I wanted to speak on behalf of them and for me as well," I said and bowed slightly, "We're all sorry for treating you so terribly."

     "W…What did you just say?" she asked and I held myself back from cursing her stutter, it was so annoying, "You're s…sorry?"

     "Yes, we all are," I said, "I was hoping we could now be friends, you know, put the past behind us."

     "S…Sure I guess," she replied and a triumphant grin wanted to make its way across my face but I held it back.  She really was a gullible fool.

     "I'm so glad," I said and she looked up at me.  Her height, her height also bothered me a lot, she was probably the shortest one here and yet she was about as old as the High Priest.

     "But w…why did you need to come and t…talk to me in the middle of the n…night?" she asked, she was playing right into my trap.

     "It's because the others wanted to give you their apologies too, if you had accepted the more general one first that is.  Problem is that you'll most likely be going back to the palace to complete your work so we had to see you tonight before you left or let it linger over our heads for a while until you officially came back to stay," I said, "The others are waiting elsewhere, but I can take you to them."

     "Alright then," she said, "But c…can I get d…dressed first?"
     "Sure thing," I said, thinking to myself the glorious thoughts of victory.  She had completely fallen for it and I hadn't even done a thing!

     "Just a m…minute," she said and ducked into her room.  I heard some shifting around for a few moments before she reemerged in her Priestess outfit.

     "Come along then," I said with another smile, this one slightly more sinister than the others, "Everyone won't wait forever for us to show up."  She followed after me, limping as she struggled to keep up.  I have waited for this night for the longest time.  It took forever to plan and the opportunity never came up until she was ordered home for the ritual.  Everything was falling into place and I was just getting started.

Priestess Hana

     It wasn't right to hurt Priestess Katiana, she was already injured from something, a broken leg and all the rumors about her couldn't be true, they just couldn't!  She had always been so nice, so cheerful to everyone, even when we were all cruel to her.  But if I go to tell the High Priest, they'll come after me next.  Priestess Mara was one of the highest ranking in the temple, only a few below the High Priest.  And what she was planning, to force Priestess Katiana into the realm of shadows and to force her mind open for all to see was beyond cruel, not to mention the fact that Mara would probably be hurting her beyond that too.  She said she'd do all sorts of things.  Mara knew full well that Priestess Katiana didn't fare well in the shadows, they made her sick.  That was why High Priest Seto never had her battle, because the shadows affected her for some reason.  Ra, what should I do?

Katiana

     Something didn't seem right.  Priestess Mara was leading me towards one of the training areas and I hardly ever went there because for one Seto had never let me into those areas and two because I wasn't supposed to battle at all.  What was Priestess Mara leading me into?  My thoughts turned to trap and danger but a part of me believed she was being sincere, just a small part.  What if she really was being truthful, but then again, what if she wasn't?  I had no choice but to follow and find out.  If she was telling the truth and I tried to run, she probably would hate me then for not trusting her…

     "Here we are," Priestess Mara said, pushing open the doors to the training chamber and ushering me inside.

     "W…Where's everyone?" I asked, glancing around.

     "We're all here, of course," Priestess Mara said, shutting the door.  I turned around to see Priestess Mara and some of her friends blocking the exit.  My mind screamed the words trap to me and I had to get out of here.

Switching to third person

     Katiana started to limp to the door but one of the priests kicked her backwards and she fell back on her butt, skidding slightly on the stone.

     "You're not leaving here so easily you little slut," he said, "Don't think that you are."
     "Let m…me out of here," Katiana said, "What do you w…want?"

     "Stop stuttering Katiana, we know it's a fake," Mara said gleefully, "And we're going to have to teach you a lesson."

     "W…What did I do?" she asked, the fear apparent in her eyes.  Katiana picked herself up and limped towards the door again, but a priestess grabbed her and kicked at her leg and sent her flying back to the middle of the training chamber. 

     "You know exactly what you did," Mara said, "You're a little slut, you aren't the innocent you pretend to be and I know full well the only reason High Priest Seto keeps you nearby is because he enjoys you, but I fear he needs to move on now.  A slut priestess only ruins our reputation here at the temple, even more so now that you're fooling around with the Pharaoh."

     "I'm not!" Katiana exclaimed, "I n…never have!"

     "No use denying it," Mara said and then closed her eyes, chanting a small spell as she did so, "Let's see what we can find in your memories then little slut, the shadows are coming…"

     "But you s…said you wanted…" Katiana said hopelessly, trying once again to pick herself up from the floor, only to have a priest kick her in the stomach.

     "You shouldn't be so trusting then, if not gullible," the priest said, "It's no less than you deserve."  Katiana could feel the shadows closing in on the room and she curled up in a little ball from the pain of the kick.  She didn't like the shadow realm, she had never liked it.

     "Feel the shadows Katiana?  Don't worry, I know your weakness to them," Mara said, "That's why this is so much easier for us to break you and find out all your lies…"

     "…" Katiana kept her mouth shut, fearing if she said anything it would cause her more pain.  She wanted to call out to Seto…she felt so helpless just lying there.

     "Go on, call out to Seto here, he can't hear you," Mara said, "And I don't think he'd rescue his little slut…"

     "Let me go!" Katiana exclaimed, trying to get up again but Mara personally pushed her back down and the shadow realm thickened in the room and Katiana began to get nauseous.  She fell to her knees, clutching her stomach and staring at the floor.

     "Oh…poor Priestess Katiana, you are really alone, aren't you?" Mara said mockingly, "Now open your mind."

     "NO!" she exclaimed even through her pain and Mara grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, bringing out a knife as she did so and cutting Katiana's arm.  Katiana cried out and someone in the group watching laughed.

     "Open your mind for all to see or I swear I will keep cutting you," Mara hissed and pulled Katiana's hair tighter, and Katiana let out another cry of pain.  She relented and Mara could feel her relaxing her mind and Mara used her power to pull all of Katiana's memories to the surface, letting her go as she did so.  Katiana fell on her hands and knees, bleeding from one arm and gasping for air.

     "I f…feel sick," she said as tears welled up into her eyes.  Mara began paging through all of Katiana's memories, all of it displayed in pictures so all the priests and priestesses could see, laughing at all of the ones where she had teased Katiana so much before.

     "If you feel sick that's your own fault, once I'm done with you I'll destroy your memories," Mara said, "Then you'll be a sluttish doll…"  Katiana raised her head slightly, her sickened eyes widening.  Loose her memories?  She didn't want her memories gone, she wanted them! 

     "Why…" Katiana murmured before lowering her head to the ground and hacking a little, "Why…"  Mara looked down at her, disgust in her eyes.

     "I never liked you, I hate you," she said, "You're always cheerful, you always talk with that stupid stutter, making you sound more innocent than we all know you are.  In these times, you're a bother, a nuisance; you don't deserve to even live, in fact…"  Mara took the blade in her hand and ran it down Katiana's back, tearing her clothes.  Katiana moved to weakly hold her tearing cloths from falling off of her and began to vomit blood.  The shadow realm got thicker and Katiana was fully crying now.

     "…" Katiana sobbed heavily but Mara didn't give her any pity.

     "Now let's see what sort of sluttish things you did with our Pharaoh," she said, grabbing at Katiana's hair again and pulling her back so even Katiana could see which memories Mara was paging through.  Katiana raised her head, blood running down her chin as she saw all the memories she'd soon loose.  She remembered precisely what it was like to meet the Pharaoh for the first time, how honored she had been.

     "That's some room," one of the priests hooted, "How often did the Pharaoh come and see it?"  Laughter followed and Katiana felt more blood well up in her throat.  She felt sick, she was bleeding, and she wasn't even going to live, she knew that much…  A kick to the stomach and a tug of her hair forced her to raise her head and she gagged slightly at the bile that rose up in her throat before coming forward to throw up once again and Mara brutally cut her on the other arm, pulling her hair back up, forcing her to watch.

     "Open you eyes!" she exclaimed and Katiana forced herself to open her eyelids.

     "What did you do here, anger him or try to say no?" a priestess asked coldly and Katiana moaned in pain.  This memory…this was when the Pharaoh had tried to rape her!  This was personal, this wasn't for their eyes!

     "S…Stop…" Katiana muttered weakly and she got slapped across her face.

     "It's no more than you deserve," Mara said, "Was he good enough, was he better than High Priest Seto?"
     "Uh…" Katiana said and the shadows tightened around her, making her feel like she couldn't breathe.  Mara cut Katiana's cheek and laughed as she watched another scene.

     "How precious, is that you and the Pharaoh…?" she cooed as the memory of when Katiana had held the Pharaoh came to the surface.  She threw Katiana to the ground and stabbed the knife in her broken leg, leaving it there.

     "You really are a slut," one of the priests said, "Just look at this, you've manipulated our Pharaoh!"

     "No…" Katiana struggled to murmur, as the pain she was feeling intensified and she could hardly breathe, she could hardly think.  Mara went back to join the group and they all began to laugh at her, Mara marveling at how bloody and broken she had made Katiana's body.  She couldn't get up, she was helpless, she was at their mercy, and Mara wasn't about to give the woman she wanted to destroy mercy.  Her memories would begin to fade soon as the shadow realm slowly consumed Priestess Katiana, and Mara wanted to watch Katiana loose every part of herself, including her life.

Priestess Hana

     No, it isn't right!  I can't let this happen!  I got out of my bed and dressed, deciding at once I didn't care what punishment I received from the others!  I tore down the hall to the High Priest's room and knocked loudly on the door.

    "High Priest Seto, please wake up!" I shouted, banging on the door.  I heard a muffled curse and something shifted and the door was flung open.

     "This late at night it better be something!" he shouted, and then noticed it was me, "Priestess Hana, what is the matter?"
     "It's Priestess Mara, she's gone too far this time, I mean you know she hated Priestess Katiana but this time…" I cut off what I was saying because the look in High Priest Seto's eyes changed from confused to dangerous.

     "What is she doing to Katiana?" he asked.

     "Hurting her!" I exclaimed, and quickly explained everything, "She wants to destroy her!"

     "Katiana is no slut," High Priest Seto said and glared in the direction of the training room.

     "Hurry or else you'll be too late!" I exclaimed and the door shut in my face only to open moments later with High Priest Seto fully dressed and his eyes were full of hatred.  I could only imagine the pain he was going to bring the others for hurting Priestess Katiana.

     "Come with me," he said and began to hurry down to the training chamber, "If she hurt Katiana she…"  He let his voice trail off and I knew.  Mara was as good as dead, wasn't she…?

Katiana

     I felt weak, sick, drained.  I wouldn't last much longer.  The smell of blood flooded my nostrils and I tasted it in my mouth.  My memories felt like they were slowly fading, and I could hear Priestess Mara make some crack about the Pharaoh calling me "his princess".  I would never see him, never experience his kindness or feel presence again.  I would never be able to tell him how I felt, even if he didn't tell me he liked him back.  I let tears I knew that were there fall freely.  It couldn't get worse to have them tease me for my tears.  They thought I was a slut, they thought I was something I was not, and nothing could change their minds.  It hurt, I really hurt, and lying there, in a pool I knew was my blood.  I was ready for death, I had to be, I didn't have much other choice and Seto always had told me that in these times, death could come at any moment. 

     Seto, I wouldn't see him again, he wouldn't be able to watch over me much where I was going.  He wouldn't be there to protect me, I'd be all alone.  Seto, I'm sorry I'm not strong…I'm sorry I can't fight like everyone else.  I slowed you down, didn't I?  I took away your time and that's time you'll never have back.  I'm sorry…please, you can't cry for me; just move on…I won't mind…honestly…

     Pharaoh…I love you, but now…I can't tell you… What would it have been like, to be in love?  Would you have loved me back…would you?  I'll never know now, I'm sorry.  I love you…I'm so sorry…

     I could hardly remember anything now, the shadows…I coughed up more blood, it didn't matter anymore, and nothing mattered.  I left so many things unsaid, so many things undone…I was shattering…my soul was shattering into a million pieces.  Trapped, I was trapped…light, I could see only darkness…I was too far gone…  I want to live, I want to live, please Ra, let me live…no, my prayer is in vain…I'm dying, I'm gone…goodbye…please…someone…shed a tear for me…please don't say I died alone!  Blood, all I tasted was crimson, all I felt…I couldn't feel anymore… It was cold, I felt cold!  Someone…anyone…I'm dying…cold, it's really cold…where…where am I?  Oh no, my memories!  I couldn't remember, my breathing, it felt short, short and interrupted, I was chocking on my own blood; I feel so cold!  Ra, not like this…not like this…not like this…not like this…not like this…peace…silence…nothingness…

Third Person

     Seto arrived at the training chamber, and sensed immediately the depth of the shadow powers at work.  Hana watched on behind him as he placed his hands on the door, bracing himself to open the door, but it seemed more like he was bracing himself to see the sight inside.  The door creaked open, and any noise that had preceding that beginning sound fell silent.  The door swung open and Seto stared at the priests and priestesses who were under him, under his power.  No sound escaped their mouths.  Priestess Mara, the one who had started this, could find nothing to say, terrified by the look on High Priestess Seto's face.  He walked forward, methodically, slowly.  Everyone in front of him parted and the shadows faded from the room.  He had braced himself, but not for this, not for this…  He said nothing; shed no tear as he walked forward, no change in his expression.  On his way towards the body that lay in the center, he paused and looked towards Priestess Mara, and her head fell and she backed up a few steps.

     She said nothing, spoke nothing and did nothing to stop Seto.  The look in his eyes told it all.  If Katiana was dead, her life was forfeit, she would suffer as much and more than Katiana had.  Seto continued his walk forward, and knelt by Katiana's body.  He reached his hand forward, his hand touching cold skin, like metal.  No tear fell from his eye, no word escaped his lips.  He took his hands, removing the knife in her leg quickly, and having it fall with a clank to the floor, stretching his arms out and scooped the girl up into his arms.  She was heavy, heavier than usual…dead weight…

     He turned slowly and made his way towards the doorway.  His cloak flutter behind him in a wind that wasn't there, his head, his eyes bent in a way no one could see what he was thinking, no one could comprehend how this powerful man felt.  As he left the room, the door closed behind, his powers closing it with a solid thud and Hana jumped at the sound.  This man, he raised his head, if just for a moment as he walked, and Hana's eyes grew wide.  High Priest Seto, one of the most powerful people in Egypt, had tears.  This was what it felt like to love, this what it felt like to loose everything.  His heart shattered more and more with each step he took.  Seto's tears fell; the expression on his face, the most broken of men, the most shattered of hearts…  High Priest Seto continued down the hallway; his tears fell like rain. 

TBC

A/N: …What should I say?