Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Restrictions Unlimited ❯ Chapter 3: Promotion and Despair ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 3: Promotion and despair

Niaka woke early the next morning, due to a strange dream. It had involved her mother, she was sure. She just couldn't remember it. She got up and pulled on her clothing, before remembering about the ceremony that morning. Sighing, she collected her things and headed for the servant purification baths. She was halfway there when the high priestess stopped her.

"Niaka, I've been looking for you. I'm promoting you to a priestess. That means that you bathe in the priestesses baths. I expect you to take part in the ceremony today, so brush up on the fundamentals."

Niaka stared at the high priestess with awe and astonishment. The high priestess smiled, nodded and walked away. Niaka shook herself and headed for the priestesses baths. She bathed, dried herself and began the purification ceremony. When finished, she clothed herself and headed for the library, where the scrolls of ceremony were kept. She spent the rest of the morning reminding herself of the procedures.

"Everyone ready? Then we shall begin." the high priestess proclaimed. The ritual was performed completely before the door guard informed them of the Pharaoh's arrival.

"Let him enter. Priestess Niaka, lead him here." the high priestess commanded. Niaka complied. She walked out of the hall and almost bumped into the royal party.

"Hey girl, watch where you're going!" It was Marik, one of the Pharaoh's guards. Niaka resisted the urge to knock him in the nuts, and bowed to the party.

"My lords, please follow me to the Hall of Ceremony. The offering will proceed momentarily." she said in a cold voice. The Pharaoh smirked. He noted her jewellery changes and realised that she had had a promotion in rank. That made the game a bit more intense.

"Thankyou, priestess. Guards! You may take your leave. Marik, come with me, but keep a distance." Yami smiled. Niaka led the way through the temple. Yami kept his eyes on her form and tried to suppress the urges running through his body. Thankfully, the ceremonial robes prevented anyone seeing his erection. The passageway opened up into the Hall and Niaka led the Pharaoh to the altar to begin the offering. Yami noticed Lifer, the cat sitting proudly on one of the pillars. He miaowed loudly and the high priestess began the ceremony.

***

Yami walked out of the cool building and into the searing heat of the midday sun. Suddenly, a rock came hurtling through the air towards him. Marik stretched out an arm and caught it a centimetre from Yami's head. The two of them looked around for the attacker, but Niaka, seeing who had thrown it, begged the attacker to stop with her eyes. Her friend refused. She drew a dagger and threw herself at the Pharaoh. However, halfway through her jump, Niaka leapt into her friend and wrestled for possession of the dagger. The rest of the priestesses, the Pharaoh and Marik crowded round and watched with apprehension as the girls struggled. Finally, Niaka got the upper hand and pulled the dagger away from her friend. Unfortunately, her friend raked Niaka's cheek with the dagger before falling back with exhaustion. Marik ran forward, grabbed the strange girl and held her by the upper arms.

"You are under arrest for treason and attempted murder of the Pharaoh." he snarled. The girl tried to resist, but Marik held her still and knocked her round the head.

"Please, let her go!" Niaka pleaded with the Pharaoh who looked at her with no pity. "She's done something wrong, I know, but isn't she allowed human rights?"

"Not if she tries to kill the Pharaoh!" Marik said with relish. Niaka glared at him, but turned back to the Pharaoh.

"Please, my lord, please have mercy on her! I'll do almost anything for her safety!" Niaka begged.

"Such as what? I have no patience for traitors, you should know that." Yami replied. Before Niaka could reply, her friend regained consciousness, grabbed her dagger and took her own life, by sliding the dagger between her ribs. She died without a sound. Niaka gasped, ran to the body and knelt down beside it. Her mind replayed an old memory.

She was in a room, looking at a dead body. She heard voices, saying that the dead body was her mother, by the name of Namara.

Her breathing quickened and she slumped over the body, shedding a tear of pure sorrow for the soul of her friend. Two members of the crowd that had formed, walked up and took the body away. Yami walked up to her and lifted her up by her elbows. He dragged her back away from the spot, turned her round and laid her head on his shoulder. He was not a man without compassion. She tried to push him away, but he made comforting noises and she quietened. The high priestess walked up and addressed the Pharaoh.

"My lord, this priestess shall go to her chamber and rest. It has been a shocking event. May I-"

"No, you may not. I shall stay with her until she tells me to go. She is familiar with me, so I shall help her through this." Yami replied immediately, but quietly, so that the surrounding people would not hear.

"As you wish, oh Pharaoh." the high priestess shrugged. Niaka watched her walk away, and heard the Pharaoh whisper in her ear.

"It's alright," he whispered, "I'll be right here when you need me."

Niaka acknowledged him with a slight movement of her head. When the crowds departed, she expressed a wish to return to her chamber. He followed her there, supporting her when she stumbled. She reached the sheet of cloth that divided her chamber from the rest of the wing and made to brush it aside. She was surprised when Yami pulled it to the side to let them pass. She went in, followed by Yami and sat on the edge of her bed. He stood at the door, but Niaka smiled, making it possible for him to enter properly. He sat next to her and sighed.

"Who was she, Niaka?" he asked her gently.

"She was a friend of mine, nothing more." she replied sombrely, but quickly.

"You can tell me. You can be assured that I won't tell anyone else."

Niaka sighed.

"Her name was Mari. She was a friend of mine from before I entered the temple service. She called me coward, because I wasn't going.to have time for her or my old life. I kept contact with her and managed to give her a few treats now and then. She always had a jealousy for the `high and mighty' as she called them, because they got the best of everything, and because you are the highest of all, she got so angry, that she became an assassin. She never missed a victim, until today. She was the closest person in my life that I could confide in who was my own age. She was the only one I could trust. She killed herself because she couldn't stand the shame in being captured and displayed. She wouldn't have got any respect. That was what got her on in life. The respect of others."

Yami straightened. He had heard about an assassin that refused failure. He never would have guessed that it was a female, much less a friend of a beautiful priestess. He took her hand and brought it to his lips. Niaka faced him and pulled her hand out of his. Yami raised an eyebrow before reaching out with his arm and stroking her face with the back of his hand. Niaka kept still, warming to the feel of his smooth hand on her cheek. Yami reached out his other arm and started to caress both cheeks at once. Niaka froze, letting Yami's hands wander towards the back of her neck. He withdrew them, put his finger against his lip, then pressed it against hers, like a finger kiss. She exhaled the breath that she had held in pure excitement and he felt the air rush past his digit and cool it down. He smiled before he kissed her on the lips.

"I'll be at the palace if you need me." he murmured before he nibbled her earlobe, sending shivers down her spine. He stood up and started to walk towards the door. Niaka stood up as the gracious host, but Yami turned round, walked right up to her and kissed her hard on the lips. Niaka tried to back away, but Yami's arms slid round her waist and pulled her towards him. Niaka, feeling trapped, tried to push him away but his grip on her tightened, making it impossible to move. He broke the kiss for air and went back to her soft lips. Soon bored with them, he moved along her jaw with little biting kisses before going to her neck like a vampire, twisting his head to get to both sides. Niaka, not used to such attentions, was limp with the shivers of pleasure running through her body. Yami stopped his kissing and let go of her. He smiled at the sight of her flushed but smiling face as they heard footsteps come and go outside the door.

"Goodnight, my priestess." he chuckled, as he led her back to her bed and vanished past the white linen curtain. Niaka smiled as she thought about him. She sighed, laid down on her bed and closed her eyes as sleep overcame her mind.

Outside, Yami was smiling. He was happy that she had allowed him to get so close to her. He wished that he could get her to come to him, but that choice rested with her. If she wanted him, she would come to him. He would not let Law stop him from getting the woman he loved. He walked back to the palace and entered his chamber. The bed was empty. He had expected that.