Ascension [A Yu-Gi-Oh! FanFiction]

6: Intent

Atem cleared his throat, avoiding Mana's and Mahad's eyes. "Her name is Satiah," he said quietly. "And she's the daughter of the nomark of Ineb-Hedj... Well, the former nomark." Atem glanced to Mana, who still looked eagerly expectant. "And... That's about all I know of her."

Mana's brow knit. "Huh?" After a moment of thought, her face lit up. "Oh, I see. It was love at first sight, wasn't it? How romantic!"

Atem looked to Mahad, who offered a wincing smile.

"Not...quite," Atem went on. "You see, Mana... It's an arranged marriage."

"WHA—AT?" she cried. "Arranged marriage?! That's not fair! Tefnak was able to marry for love. Why don't you get to?"

"Tefnak had the luxury of marrying during peacetime," Mahad explained quietly. "Atem is not so lucky. The nomark of Ineb-Hedj rebelled against the king. When his uprising was struck down, the Pharaoh demanded his daughter's hand as punishment."

Mana's eyes began to well with tears. "P-Punishment? But...that's so cruel!" she sobbed. "Atem, you simply can't marry her. Not if you don't love her!"

Atem's heart sank as he looked upon his weeping friend. Her innocence was tragically pure. Even still, her words seemed clearer and wiser than any he had received from his family or their advisors up to this point. Since hearing the news, Atem had been constantly preoccupied with how Satiah must be feeling — but he never considered how he might feel toward her. Atem was fairly certain he'd never been in love before — admittedly, he'd felt attraction, and he'd met many women of the court who had tried to charm him with their sensuous words and half-lidded gazes. But he wasn't sure he'd even recognize real, true love if he felt it.

Atem cleared his throat and reached out to touch Mana's shoulder. "I'm afraid I don't have a choice, Mana," he said. "But I do have hope that we will come to care for one another over time. And you can even help me in that endeavor, you know."

Mana rubbed her eyes and sniffed, looking up at him. "H-how?"

"It is likely Satiah will not know anyone when she arrives," he explained. "She will need friends if she is to find happiness in her new home. Good friends, who can cheer her up when she's feeling down. And there's no one I know who is better at that than you."

Mana's watery face lit up with a half-hearted smile. "O-okay, then," she said. "I'll try."

"Good," Atem confirmed. He paused, unsure of how to broach the next subject. "But Mana...there's something else you must know about the princess-to-be."

Mana blinked up at him.

"There was one other term to the nomark's surrender." Atem glanced to Mahad, who nodded encouragingly. "Satiah and her father had to forfeit their ka before coming to Thebes."

Mana's eyes filled with tears again. "You mean..."

"Satiah can no longer cast magic," Atem confirmed.

To his surprise, Mana's face did not sink deeper into despair, but rather set with conviction. "You're right then," she said, blinking her tears away. "The princess will need a true friend. I won't let you down, Atem. I promise."

~~~

The thick scent of frankincense filled Atem's nose, distracting him from his prayer. He'd already started it over three times since he'd knelt before the statue of Osiris, tucked into the darkened corners of the prayer hall in the Temple of Karnak. Opening one eye, Atem looked over to his left to see his brother struggling through his own prayer, his fingers currently occupied toying with a stray flower on the ground.