Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! (Or Yuugiou.)
Things To Know: (I say 'things to know; instead of 'warnings' because this story really has nothing to be warned about.) Anyway, I'm not an expert on Ancient Egypt, however, I will do my best and help in reviews would be kindly appreciated. This story has a plot. But it's a bit odd and it may not always be apparent because… hey, I'm like that.
—I Believe In The Sand Between My Toes—
Chapter Twenty-one:
Seth slid into the Pharaoh's bedchamber in the early morning but the rest of the Palace was already awake and hard at work, making preparations for the wedding of their Pharaoh to the slightly ugly princess from Italy.
The curtains were open and the morning breeze blew into the room.
"Hey, Atem, Akefia. Wake up," he said, crossing the floor to the foot of the large bed.
Atem stirred and then sat up, rubbing his eye. "G'morning, Seth…"
"Pah. What's good about it?"
Atem blinked. He looked to his side and shook the thief. "Akefia, come on; up, up."
There was a pause and then Akefia sat up, screaming his head off and scaring the living daylights out of the two other men.
"AAAAAHHHHH! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! AAAAAHHHHHH!"
"W-WHAT'S WRONG! CALM DOWN!" Atem waved his arms around and ultimately clamped his hands over Akefia's mouth. The thief calmed down and looked around with frantic eyes.
Seth was breathing raggedly, clutching his chest. "Ra damn! What the hell is the matter with you, huh?"
Atem slowly released his face.
"I… I dreamt I had a vagina," Akefia panted.
Seth and Atem exchanged glances.
"Are you upset about having to be a girl for the rest of your life?" Atem asked, concerned.
Seth rolled his eyes. "No, he's upset because his vagina was all stretched out. Of course he's upset about being a girl, you ass! Who wouldn't be? You've damned us all, Atem, not to mention yourself."
"How are you even affected, Seth?" Atem asked, eyes narrowed.
"If Akefia's going to be married to you, how am I going to get any?"
"You pervert!"
"Shut up, Atem, you know you're looking foreword to it!"
Atem blushed.
Akefia sniffled. "I-I don't wanna be a girl…"
-
"Wow! Hey, dad, come look! I grew pubic hair!"
-
Downstairs in the Priests' dining hall, the five members of Pharaoh Atem's court were wolfing down their breakfast quickly as were Shimon's orders. The wedding to Princess Akeela was to be that morning and they all had to be there with bells on.
"I think there's something a little off about that Akeela," Mahaado said, sipping his orange juice. "She seems… manly."
"Steroids," Shadi said.
"Really?"
"I don't know."
"I think she has an… interesting beauty," Karim said to try and be positive.
Isis rolled her eyes. "You idiots call yourselves men and you don't even know one when you see him." "
They all looked at her. Karim tilted his head, "What do you mean?"
"That was a MAN in DRAG."
Shadi stopped chewing suddenly. "But… why?"
"Hell if I know. … You've got some ketchup on your chin."
Shadi wiped his face with his hand and looked at it. "That's not ketchup, it's blood from the bacon."
"Oh."
-
About half an hour later, Akeela was in the dressing room set up just for her to put on her dress. Two maid were in there as well and Akeela felt nervous that her little "secret" would be discovered if the maids saw too much, they would rat on her and tell the whole kingdom and Atem would be forced to marry a real girl.
Akeela sat on the silk covered divan in the middle of the room and looked over her shoulder into the mirror, seeing her blood-red eyes shining.
"Okay, here we are!" said one of the maids as she came in cheerily, holding up a white dress. "What do you think?"
"Oh… it's, um, nice."
She blinked and then squinted at her. "Problem?"
"Um, no! Just… it's… really white…?"
"… Ohhhh… I see." The maid grinned slyly. "Can you not wear white, Princess?"
Akeela seemed puzzled at the question.
"Yes, I can…"
"Oh, don't you be coy with me. It's okay, we've all been there. Got drunk at a bar one day with two twins that looked delicious with beer-goggles on? That's okay, it'll be our little secret."
Akeela was very confused but said, "Okay…"
"Here's what we'll do. I'll just pin this pink flower to the side so that way we're not LYING but we're just… making the truth hard to see. Get me?"
"Yeah…"
"Great! Now, shall I put this on for you?"
"Um, no, that's okay! I'll do it myself, if you don't mind…" Akeela went to take the dress from her.
She handed it over. "Case of the butterflies, right? You'll get over it. For your sake, I hope so! Pharaohs are known to be frisky on their wedding nights." She winked and left.
Akeela sweatdropped.
-
Atem was dressed in his best and was standing behind the large red curtain of the balcony where he'd given his acceptance speech. Seth was lounging on that same seat and looked up when Atem raised his arms and asked, "How do I look?"
"As straight as you're every going to manage."
"Oh, shut up."
"No."
"Shut up!"
"Nya nya! Atem can't make me shut up! Oh, poor little fairy—" Seth was hit in the mouth with a rock.
Atem turned around and saw Shimon shuffling up the stairs. "Seth, stop harassing our king! How many times must I tell you to act your age?"
Seth sulked quietly.
Shimon huffed at him and turned to Atem, smiling the first time at him… Atem did not know how long.
"I'm so proud of you, my Pharaoh. I'm sure your father would be too. You've truly grown up over the past few weeks. I admit, I was pretty worried about the future of our land but I know now you'll do the right thing."
"Um… thanks, Shimon…"
"Now! Let us begin the ceremony!"
Atem was about to say something but Shimon took him by the shoulders and led him out onto the balcony over which they were greeted with the population of the entire town, all massed in front of the Palace to pay their respects to the Pharaoh and new Queen.
They all cheered at the sight of Atem.
He waved sheepishly and then took his place, standing beside Shimon and they waited, looking at the parted curtain. In a moment, Seth came walking through the curtain, looking solemn and annoyed and was followed by his father, Shadi, Mahaado, Isis and Karim.
They separated, standing on either side of the terrace. Some trumpets blared in the background and finally Akeela, dressed up in a long white gown with a pink flower fastened to her white hair.
She looked scared and bewildered and Atem could hear some people in the crowd below saying things like, "What the hell?"
Akeela stood beside Atem and they exchanged a short glance before Shimon started to speak, projecting his voice for all to hear.
"Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today in the presence of Ra to take notice of these two figures of royalty who…"
He went on and on and Atem found this all to be boring and tedious.
Akeela shifted awkwardly and Atem leant in, whispering, "What's wrong?"
"These panties… they're too tight… my sperm cells are deteriorating…" she whined.
Atem frowned and, seeing Akeela's unhappy face, he snapped.
"STOP!" he yelled, scaring Shimon into silence. "STOP! Please, stop everything! This wedding is off!"
Shimon blinked, confusedly at first and then angrily. "Atem, what are you doing?"
"Something I should've done a long time ago." He ran past Shimon to the rail of the veranda and leant over, looking out over his people. "Citizens of Egypt, I'm your Pharaoh and I'm not going to lead you astray! I'm homosexual!"
Everyone blinked, not understanding.
Atem groaned. "GAY," he said.
"Ohhhh," they said back.
Shimon yelled at him, "Stop saying things like that!"
"But it's the truth! Isn't it, Seth?" Atem looked to his cousin.
Seth nodded. "There's never been a bigger cake than he."
Atem pursed his lips. "Anyway. And there's something else… Akeela, Princess of Italy, is not a woman!" Atem's gaze softened as he turned to her. "His name is Akefia and he's Thief… I mean, he's an accountant. A-And my cousin, the High Priest… he's a dancer. And he's really good at it. I hope that because I ruined his first recital that he doesn't give up want he really wants to do.
"Listen, I've been living a lie my whole life. I never wanted to get married, Shimon pushed me into it. But I can't blame it on him, I never stood up for myself. But I'm not going to let my friends be forced into lives they don't want just because I'm a coward. And I don't want the rest of you to hide yourselves. Egypt is my home and my responsibility so please don't make the mistake I've made for seventeen years.
"Let yourselves out of your shells, don't be ashamed of your secrets! Please, don't be ashamed!" Atem shouted at them and they were all quiet.
Then, amazingly, a burly man out in the crowd raised his hand and said loudly, "I don't really like my job a blacksmith! I want to make plushies for a living!"
Another man raised his hands, "I read yaoi fan fiction!"
Another: "I have webbed toes and I want to wear sandals!"
From behind Atem, Akeela ripped off her dress and was revealed as Akefia who was very much a boy. He shouted out, "I'm not the Thief King!"
Seth sighed and ran up to join Atem and Akefia. "I can arabesque the best out of my whole ballet class!"
Shimon was at a loss for words. He whipped his head around when Mahaado grabbed Shadi's hand and shouted out, "I'm bisexual and I want Shadi!"
Shadi shouted, "I'm straight but Mahaado's already had me so we might as well be together!"
Isis grinned at her girlfriend. "All our secrets are out in the open already."
Akunadin leered over at Shimon, "Hey, Shi-shi. What say you and me let our dirty laundry out of the closet?"
"WE DON'T HAVE ANY!"
Secrets and things that people really had every right to be embarrassed and ashamed of were shouted out all around the Palace and Seth said to his cousin, "I can't believe you had the balls to do this, Atem."
"Really? Does that mean your opinion of me is heightened?"
"Nope."
And so it came to pass that the kingdom of Egypt was freed from the dark shadow of conformity and tradition that had hovered over it for millennia. Atem resumed his rule as Pharaoh and did so with Akefia and Seth by his side in both his throne and his bed. Life for them continued not so differently from the norm and when an heir was needed, fortunately for them, there was a pregnant lady around who needed popping.
THE END…
Her Sweetness: Endings are just popping out of me like babies, huh? Well, I hope you enjoyed this. I know I did. And don't worry, I actually think that a sequel could be in the future, though not any time soon. I just had too much fun writing this to let it lay.
For those who care, this story did have a point from the very beginning. Not to conform and to be proud of your differences even if they may seem like faults.
I'll be restarting another fic off of my Hiatus list so keep your eyes on me, ladies.
And if we don't meet again…
Goodbye and Goodluck.