The prisoner's savior. (Boyxboy)

Chapter 9

Mana sat on the stool next to Yami's bed in his room while he paced back and forth a crossed the floor in his regal white, blue, and gold robes. His hair was matted and tangled because he kept running his fingers through it.
    "What if I can't do this?" He asked to no one in particular.
    "You can. If anyone can rule this kingdom at such a young age it's you." Mana reassured him.
    "But what if I mess up! What if I end up being a terrible leader!" He huffed, pacing even faster now.
    Mana stood up and put her hand on the young King's shoulder. Stopping him from his frantic pacing and then she turned him around. She hugged him tightly and said, "no one knows what will happen in the future. The important thing is to believe in your self now and know that you can deal with want ever comes your way."
    Yami took in a long and deliberate breath before nodding and squaring his shoulders. He walked to the doors of his room and swung them open.

***

"Halt!" One of bakura's soldiers yelled as a wagon being driven by horses  approached the border of their lands and Egypt.

"Who are you and what do you want!" He yelled to the traveler.

"Refuge." She said as she lowered her hood.

The soldier whipped out his sword as the Egyptian queen approached.

"Sound the alarm!" He yelled, "We have Egyptian spies trying to--"

Before he could finish his sentence the queen pressed her dagger against his neck.

"I want to speak with Bakura," she said, "I have a peace offering for him..." She gestured to an Egyptian boy tied to the chariot dressed in Crown Jewels.

"Tell Bakura I kidnapped one of the princes and that the pharaoh's magicians may be a little more agreeable with him here."

***

Yami walked down the isle to the throne with his head held high, his gaze never wavering, where Mahad and the other magicians were waiting. The millennium items sparkled in the setting sun. The court yard of the palace was filled silent with citizens who were all glad but still unsure of the new pharaoh. When Yami approached the steps to the throne a priest stepped down to greet him.

The priest smiled at Yami, however Yami did not smile back. Yami knelt down on one knee and bowed his head to the priest.

"With the power invested in me by the almighty and powerful Ra...." The priest recited.

He placed the glittering crown on Yami's head. The crown was to big for the 13 year old boy and slipped down on to his eyes. Yami pushed the crown back up on his head as the priest continued.

"I bestow upon you... Son of Aknamkanon.... Your father's millennium puzzle. May you cherish it and may it guide you in our long and just rule."

The priest slipped the millennium puzzle over Yami's neck. And then stepped back as Yami rose.

The crowed did not move or cheer, but instead stood with their heads bowed. Instead of walking to the throne Yami walked to the balcony and took a deep breath.

"My fellow citizens..." He said

The crowd murmured in confusion. The pharaoh had never referred to himself as on the same level as his citizens.

"I know this must be hard for everyone... It was very hard for me as well. We are going though difficult times and I regret to inform you of even more grave news but as of right now we have had a traitor in our midst for some time now..."

The crowd gasped.

"I know it's hard to believe but..." He took a deep breath again, " The Queen, My mother, has betrayed us all and now has fled no doubt to one of our enemies."

The crowd began to shout and push their way to the castle doors. The soldiers forced them back.

"The funeral you all witnessed for my elder brother Atem was faked by my mother to keep my brother, the rightful heir, from succeeding the throne. She imprisoned my brother and others without trial for years.
I can't pretend to understand what possessed her to do this but her actions are inexcusable, therefore, I am exiling her from Egypt."

More gasps flowed through the crowd.

"If you need proof of her actions you need only walk through the valley of the kings to my brother's empty sarcophagus."

A cacophony of confused sounds erupted from the crowd.

"Unfortunately I have even more grave news... My brother was taken by my mother when she fled and currently neither of them can be found."

The crowed's clamor slowed to a stop.

"Tomorrow I will be sending out a search party to recover my brother so that we may celebrate his return. Until then we must endure! If not my father's legacy, Egypt's legacy will stop here. We have enemies mobilizing in the east and we cannot let fear, anger, and hatred control us. We have to restore the glory of Egypt and make the gods proud of their kingdom again. Glory and Heroes are only made during the storm not before or after. Let us, the citizens of Egypt here and now, go down in history as heroes not cowards. Let us... grab ahold of our destinies and bring glory to our future by brining the Barbarians to their knees!"

The crowd erupted with cheering and hollering when the pharaoh finished his speech. A pharaoh had not addressed the public in this manner for generations.

As the crowd cheered Mahad approached Yami, "that was a very eloquent declaration of war sire."

"At least we won't have to worry about the public opinion..." Yami said

"Opinion? Your word is law. Their opinion doesn't necessarily mean anything." Mahad said.

Yami looked at him slightly appalled, "their opinion means everything!"