I am Heba

Strength Comes From Vulnerability

As my Chromebook is ridiculous and doesn't know what accents are, Atemu's nickname will appear as Ate. Let's pretend the accent is there, shall we? :)

Enjoy~

Note:

//Atemu to Yuugi//

\\Yuugi to Atemu\\

-word- : extra emphasis

'..' - thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

-------

Chapter Seven: Strength Comes From Vulnerability

Ancient Egypt, Three Thousand Years Ago

It was the Prince's nineteenth birthday.

The entire Palace had been in major upheaval, every servant and slave striving to make the celebration as unforgettable as possible. They had been working endlessly for the past several days, only pausing to sleep their exhaustion away - and even then that was rare. Jono was even grumpier than usual in the mornings.

From Atemu's bedroom terrace Heba could observe the slaves' bustling activity far below. From the looks of things they were almost done setting everything up. She sat cross legged on the railing, sometimes dangling her legs over the edge. It felt odd to not be helping out with the preparations, and even more so to simply be able to watch the others move around. It was just... weird.

Really weird.

What was even stranger to Heba was the deteriorating state of the Pharaoh's physical appearance and, Heba didn't doubt, his health. The changes were subtle, but if one paid enough attention they could see how the light seemed to disappear from his eyes and the extra effort he put into keeping his shoulders from sagging. He was weary, that much was evident. Atemu was worried about him, and for good reason. Heba could only hope the Pharaoh would get better soon.

Heba played with a small rope of twine, deftly braiding the strands into fine clusters. With preparations underway Heba had even -more- free time and had spent it making Atemu a birthday present. Heba put the finishing touch on the rope and raised it high to admire her handiwork. Not a single strand of twine was bent out of place or escaped the tight confines of the braid itself. The entire rope was thin, the three groups of twine barely large enough to cover her fingernail, but it looked pretty damn good if she said so herself. Heba grinned and made no attempt to suppress her cheer of excitement. All there was left to do was tie the ends together and call it a day.

'Well,' Heba thought as she began to knot the ends, 'I guess I can't call it a day, can I? I still have to give this to Ate...' Heba smiled and tried the newly created bracelet on for size. It was large, too large for Heba's slender wrist but just the right size for her master's own. All in all, it was perfect. Heba just hoped Atemu would like it. It wasn't extravagant or anything Atemu was used to, and that downplayed her hopes by quite a margin, but a girl could hope right?

A loud slam alerted Heba to a newcomer and she swiftly looked behind her. Atemu had thrown himself on his bed and was just... laying there. Heba's heart quickened in pace and, at Atemu's groan of displeasure, laughed briefly. Her smile grew. "Why so glum, Ate?" Heba asked, untangling herself from her position on the railing. She put the bracelet in her pocket and flushed slightly at the nickname. Heba had recently taken to calling Atemu that and was thankful he didn't mind it, especially after the first time she'd said it.

Heat burned her cheeks when she remembered kissing Atemu's cheek. Right.

Atemu's answer was muffled as his face was stuffed into the sheets. Smiling wide Heba skipped her way to her master and sat on the farthest edge of the bed. "Couldn't quite hear that Ate." Heba teased.