Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Royalty ❯ Royalty Ch. 13 ( Chapter 13 )

Author: WOW!!! So many reviews once again! And *sobs* it's the end of March Break! Hopefully I'll try to keep updating daily until the end of the story because I really need to get this finished for the fanfic challenge! So everything else will be put on hold sadly or else I won't be able to balance it all…schoolwork and fanfics…

Bakura: *puff puff* Ryou finally calmed down…and I'm still loved more…

Ryou: *pouts*

Malik: I think I'll leave it to the author to take out EK later for me… if she goes too far… >< Too lazy…. -.-

Author: At least no more hikari wrath… >< Anyways, I love you guys! So on with the story! And I can angst anyone I want!!! Cause this fic is ANGST in general, so I'm giving Ryou-chan a break and attacking Malik a bit, so there!

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The Pharaoh left Ryou early in the morning, assuring his pale lover that he'll return later on, "I have a Council Meeting…but it will be short, I promise…"

"I'll be in Jounouchi's chambers Yami-sa- I mean Yami…" Ryou leaned forward for a kiss which the tri-coloured haired teen gave before rushing out the door, needing to change into fresh robes before the gathering.

The young boy enjoyed himself his hot bath that morning, the warm water soothing his tense muscles; sleeping in a sitting curled position on Yami's chest left him cramped up, despite how nice it was the previous night. "Master loves me…" the thoughts slowly sunk into Ryou's mind, "Oh Isis! He loves me!" It left him feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, realizing just how wonderful his life truly is now.

Dressing himself in a clean simple tunic after getting out of the relaxing water, he ate the fruit on the prepared breakfast tray, leaving the bread and water, then headed out the door, eager to tell his friends what happened last night.

"WAH!" In his enthusiasm he ran headlong into Marik, who was exiting his bed chambers just as fast as he.

"Ryou! What's the hurry?" The older teen caught the boy before he fell, steadying him.

"Marik! Such magnificent things happened last night! I can't wait to tell you! But let's all get together at Jounouchi's first!" the boy panted, his eyes sparkling.

"Yes…we will…" it was then Ryou noticed Marik's expression.

"What's wrong Marik? And where's Malik?"

"That's what I'm worried about I'm afraid…" placing his arm around the pale boy's shoulders they walked on, "Seto-sama changed us last night, instead of me he demanded for Malik's services…but…my stupid brother was sneaking off with Jounouchi again…that idiot…" he paused to think, then continued, "He was two turns of an hourglass late…I'm afraid something happened to him."

"Oh no!" Ryou gasped and covered his mouth, knowing what punishments the High Priest could come up with, experiencing some himself, "Where could he be now?"

"Hopefully at Jounouchi's already," the wild haired Egyptian mumbled to himself as they walked on.

They froze when they heard soft sobbing coming from behind the doors of one of the chambers. "Seto-sama's bed chambers…Malik!" Detaching himself from Ryou the Egyptian slammed the doors open with the boy following. His hard violet eyes grew wide at the sight, his breath stopping; on the floor lay his brother, blood streaming out of his back in obscenely large amounts, while his torn passage was also seeping blood, much of it encrusted around the opening.

"Oh Ra!" Marik dropped to his knees gently cradling the younger Egyptian into his arms, "Malik! Oh Malik! Oh Ra! What did he do to you?"

Ryou covered his mouth, his stomach churning at the sight; never even imagining in his life that Seto-sama would do such a monstrous thing. He fell beside Marik, his delicate fingers brushing hair out of the younger Ishtar's sweaty face.

"I'm...I'm not dead..." Malik whimpered, smiling weakly up at Marik.

The elder teen burst into tears, rocking Malik and sobbing into his hair. "We have to get you to Jounouchi! Now!"

Ryou felt tears falling from his eyes as he reached out, stroking both Egyptian's hair, sniffing softly as he helped Marik stand up, and they quickly left the room. They went down the halls slowly, trying to jostle Malik as little as possible, the elder brother kissing his brother on the forehead again and again in comfort while Ryou stroked the tanned boy's hair.

"Not even Jounouchi will be able to seal up these wounds completely," the wild haired Egyptian said somberly, "He'll need to bandage your back..."

"It's alright...the pain only lasts a few months at most."

Ryou whimpered at Malik's attempts to be brave, "A-A few months? Why Malik? Why can't he heal them?"

Marik bowed his head, "You remember the story of how we got these carvings right Ryou? You asked me a few days after I bathed with you on the day of your arrival."

The white haired boy nodded gently, "Seto-sama decided to 'decorate' you two... and it hurt for two months...even after the healer's work...but why?"

"No matter how powerful the healer... the markings on our back are cursed by Seto-sama...they are meant to give us pain and the scars are meant to remain to remind us..."

As they walked on the small boy buried his face into Malik's hair, pressing his lips against the teen's head, "I wish I can share this with you...then you won't be alone..."

The healer nearly fainted when he saw Malik's state, immediately panicking about how much blood the young Ishtar has lost.

"Stop fussing too much! I'm not dead for Ra's sake!" the tanned boy moaned a bit before drifting off into needed sleep.

Tears slid down the blonde's face as he began to knit up the carvings as much as he could before heading to prepare a special medication to spread over the boy's back before bandaging the rest, "It's my fault...we should have never seen each other last night!"

Ryou was seated on Marik's lap, the two comforting one another, rocking slowly.

"Don't blame yourself Jounouchi...he snuck out on his own, he chose this...but...don't do it again," the wild haired Egyptian said, fiddling with his earrings.

"We won't..." the teen said softly, kissing his lover on the cheek, before hurrying to heal up the boy's behind as he waited for the spelled liquid to simmer.

Yami strolled down the halls, overjoyed that for once in his life; he had the afternoon to himself. He headed towards the healing chamber, promising Ryou to visit him, and to see Jounouchi again. A smile touched his lips, his best friend Jounouchi, once wild kid who loved to play tricks on the Council, now ten years later the best healer in the kingdom. "Haven't seen him in over 5 years...I wonder how he's doing..."

He never expected the horror that greeted him.

"What in the name of Ra?!?!?!" The Pharaoh rushed to the tanned boy who lay on his stomach on the stone bed, Jounouchi carefully spreading ointment over the bloody carvings on the teen's back.

"Seto's slave...Malik!"

Ryou turned at the voice of the young man at the door, "Yami!" rushing off Marik's lap he flew into the arms of his king, burying his face into his chest and sobbing quietly, "It was horrible! Horrible!"

"Ryou..." Yami wrapped his arms around the pale teen, trying to comfort him, ignoring the looks of surprise from the healer and the older Ishtar, "I came to visit him," he said simply, "but I didn't expect this, what happened?"

"Seto-sama...punished him for being late..." Marik said softly, having never spoken to the Pharaoh before.

Yami's red eyes flashed in anger, "He did all of this to this young boy for the sake for being late?!?!? He didn't even DARE go this far with Ryou!"

"Ryou's YOUR slave...we are Seto-sama's...there's a difference..."

The Pharaoh shook his head, "There is no difference...I will see Seto about this!"

Ryou looked up as did Marik, hope in their eyes, "You will?"

"Lateness shouldn't be punished to such a disgusting extent," Yami stroked Ryou's hair as he took a seat, pulling the boy into his lap.

Jounouchi finished rubbing on the medication and began to bandage his lover's back, fidgeting from foot to foot nervously. He hasn't faced Yami since the young man became Pharaoh; now he doesn't know how to address hi, "Umm...my Pharaoh...ummm..."

"Just Yami old friend, just Yami's fine," Yami smiled in reassurance to Jounouchi.

"Yami then," the blonde grinned, "so what's it between you and Ryou here?"

The pale boy had stopped crying when Malik's back stopped bleeding and was bandaged, and had now blushed, turning to face the healer, "This is why I wanted to gather you all here." He swung adjacent to the Pharaoh, his arms still wrapped around the man's waist, "We are...we are..."

"We are lovers now is what he's trying to say."

Ryou squeaked a bit, his head bobbing up and down in agreement.

The boy who lay on the bed suddenly groaned and looked up, his face splitting into a wide grin, "I told you there are happy endings!" he declared.

Marik split into a smile while Jounouchi left Malik's side to slap the Pharaoh's shoulder in congratulations. "I told you so Ryou!" the healer cried, hugging his lifelong friend and his new friend at the same time, "My best wishes!"

"Maybe then..." the elder Ishtar said quietly, "Maybe then...my Pharaoh-"

"Just call me Yami, all of you; I'm sick of hearing 'My Pharaoh' coming from people, especially since we are all of almost the same age in reality."

"Yami..." Marik said slowly, feeling awkward at using the king's real name, "can you please...release Bakura? You love Ryou and Bakura's suffered enough...please..." he begged.

Guilt consumed Yami as he saw the broken look on the Egyptian's face, "I'm sorry Marik...I didn't know what I was thinking when I condemned him to hell...Give me two days, I will have him released; but..." he paused to think, "be careful of your actions from now on. As much as I don't care anymore that you and him are lovers...keep it away from Seto; he's known for his bad temper."

"Yes my Phar- ummm Yami..." in all courtesy, Marik dropped on his knees and bowed.

The Pharaoh shook his head and touched the elder Ishtar's arm, signaling him to get up, "We're all equals outside of my Council…in here we are all equals."

When Marik looked up tears were streaming down his face, "Thank you so much…"

When the sun began to set Yami had to leave his new ring of companions, needing once again to attend another Council Meeting.

"Will you ever get time with me?" Ryou whimpered softly, clutching to the Pharaoh's robes.

"I will…once this flood season is over…I promise there will be fewer meetings…" he kissed the smaller boy briefly before billowing out of the room. Actually, the young man wanted this meeting; it will give him a chance to face Seto, and tell the High Priest to not dare touch his slave in that way again.

"But my Pharaoh! I was only punishing him for his tardiness! Surely for over years he should learn to be on time!"

"I don't want to hear your petty excuses Seto. I saw what you did to the boy and it was sickening; simply being late doesn't call for such harsh treatment. Why, he's barely older than Ryou! Who's only fifteen…" Yami shook his head, glaring at the High Priest, "You may use other methods; scream and yell if you must, and maybe a small beating if he's late again…but don't you DARE use that kind of abuse! Only the slaves of the underworld will be treated in such a way!"

There was a long sigh from the cold eyed priest, "As you wish," and he bowed low.

He gritted his teeth as the Pharaoh left, cursing the other young man, "Other methods I shall use…"

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Author: I know it seems a little dragging…but the angst will come! I promise! Ok? Ok!

Malik: *just saw what EK is doing and drops on his knees* Please please please please please!!! Get my stuff back!!! And get this Ra-forsaken design off me!!!

Author: O.o.;;; If Malik is begging me…it must be bad…ok EK…please lay off Malik…he's angsting enough in the fic as it is…

Bakura: I'll wash it off… >)

Malik: Ooooo…in the tub? Or should we shower?

Bakura: Your choice…

Ryou: O.O not MY bathroom!!!!

Bakura: But you didn't want us on your carpet…

Ryou: NOT MY BATHROOM!!! HEY DON'T LOCK IT!!! GAH!!!

Author: Ermmm…review please?