[Open] [AU]

[note_atem]

The King of the kingdom to the far east was not doing well. Of course you knew that, everyone knew that. It was plain to see. He was dying slowly and he had no male heir to the throne. Though they had tried they only produced one daughter- which would make her Queen once her father died, seeing as her mother had perished years before. It would have

Comments

#1, I still wanted to do it... and because RNG told me to choose that one.

[whitewizardboy]

It was for the best, he had to keep telling himself. It wasn't as if kings married for love in the first place. It was all about politics and money, never love

[note_atem]

She would never see her beautiful kingdom again. She didn't deserve to, either. She had failed at protecting it, at keeping its people happy, at being its Queen. That didn't mean that her heart wouldn't cry out for it, however. And to continue helping it she had to pretend to love this man. Kind as he was and as luxurious as this new home was, she just wasn't sure she had it in her.

If nothing, however, she was resilient. And for her kingdom, to the continuing efforts of keeping it safe and afloat, she would pretend with the best of them.

Even though she was cold and seemed to refuse to dress in more than her regular clothes (at least she hadn't been asked or commanded by her King and husband yet) she nodded. She had been standing by the closed, wide windows, staring out into the distance. "I did, my King. Thank you."

[whitewizardboy]

He walked closer to the window, to try and see what it was she was looking at (or not looking at, as is the case with him sometimes). However, he was more interested in making sure that she was okay. He would send for warmer blankets and such later to be absolutely sure she stayed warm.

Trying to make conversation, he looked down at the garden below, remembering so many stories about that place. It brought a soft smile to his face.

"My mother... she had insisted on this side of the castle to have a garden because it has the most sunlight. I... I hope that is to your liking."

He even remembered the 'horror' stories of his mother working in the garden herself despite being heavily pregnant, first with him and then his younger sister. Still, it made him proud of his mother for standing up for what she believed in and not backing down, no matter what anyone else said.

[note_atem]

Atem wasn't really looking at much of anything; just staring off idly into the distance seemed to be becoming one of her favorite pastimes. Maybe she was losing herself. She just couldn't tell anymore.

She turned to him once he was close enough and once he had finished speaking. Her hands folded carefully in front of her. "Do you like plants?"

4~

[minigoff]

He wasn't the type to take pleasure in overpowering people, as much as his own father disapproved. Befriending other Kings and playing games with everyone was much more fun to him. When he heard about the other offering herself to save her kingdom, he decided to help out. He didn't need a servant too often (or maybe he just didn't want to make Atem work too much), but a friend was fine too.

Today was just another day of him beating her at another game of Senet, just barely. Not many people could even come close to winning, but Atem actually managed to beat him a few times, so he enjoyed the other's company, maybe a little too much.

"That was a good game, Atem." He smiled, picking up the pieces. "Do you wanna play again?"

[note_atem]

It almost didn't feel right after leading her kingdom into failure that she had such a comfy place alongside this King. She was to be a servant, that's what she sold her soul and pride for. That's what she would be known for forever in her kingdom. Yet that's not really what she was treated as.

Even still, she couldn't argue with her keeper now. And that's what he was. He was sweet, even, but it was still the truth. Sometimes she forgot her place and played with him too heatedly in these games. It always seemed to go fine but she was worried that if she did that too often he would get angry with her (even if he didn't seem the angry type at all...) Today came close and she pulled back. Beating the King that owned her would probably bring terrible repercussions.

Her smile wasn't terribly fake, but empty. "If that's what you want."

[minigoff]

"I asked you." He replied, still as perky as ever. "If you don't want to, we can do something else." Giving orders, what's that? Not something Yugi would normally do, that's not friendly. Being a bit too naive, the idea of her letting him win didn't occur to him. Or maybe he was just too excited about having an actual challenge to care. Either way, he didn't mind losing to such a friendly and pretty Queen.

"We could talk instead. If you want to. Is your kingdom doing okay?" If she wanted, he could send more help. It wasn't like taking care of his was any issue, with how few problems he had.

[note_atem]

"I always enjoy playing with you." That seemed to be the truth, reflecting in her eyes, no matter how dull they'd seem to grow over the days. The smile remained as she said it. She really did like playing against him. He was smart and a challenge. It was a rare find.

At the mention of her kingdom her eyes left his and her hands clasped tightly in her lap, though it might have been hard to see that as they were under the table. "Thanks to you, my King, my kingdom is on the road to recovery. There still seems to be a lot of work that needs to be done but they will get there." She had nothing but faith in them. And without her at the helm they were sure to get there faster. Obviously.

Have another 1~

[shy_king]

Yuugi, being the youngest of his brothers of this Kingdom, really was the only availible option for a political marriage. The other two, Yuusei and Judai (with his ever stoic twin brother Haou) were off finding more kingdoms to basically just take over. Yuusei says its to extend protection, Haou is just mindless when it comes to acting like a swarm of locusts

[note_atem]

The marriage was a confusing one. She sincerely had thought that binding herself to someone for the rest of her life in exchange for her kingdom's happiness would have been more stifling than Yuugi showed it to be. Sometimes she worried about his priorities. But when left in her own palace, well... Yuugi's palace now she supposed, and when things got out of hand, she tried to rule as she should have in the first place.

She didn't think she deserved it but when Yuugi seemed just too inexperienced or frightened of handing out orders that needed to be served, she had to step in. It was her duty not only as a Queen but a servant to her husband, to help when he needed it (not that he ever did of course, being a King and all).

Once his order was given to her then she looked from her smaller throne aside his. "Play?"

[shy_king]

"Whatever you want to do." He muttered shyly. He didn't really know the Queen very well, just that she used to rule here until he and his siblings came along...

"I'll be okay on my own for now." well, he feels like it would be okay for him to be alone for awhile. He wanted to give Atem her freedoms, whatever she wanted to do she was allowed to do it.

[note_atem]

Her lips twitched slightly almost towards a frown. The King probably just wanted her out of his way. This was his kingdom now, after all, and a woman didn't really belong in affairs such as this. That's why she'd needed marriage to save it, wasn't it?

Her eyes drifted downward as she nodded. "As you wish my King." Only then did she stand and bow to him.

Yeah 3. Shut up. Also my Game of Thrones is showing, I'm not sorry for that.

[shutupandduelme]

The five great bannermen of House Kaiba couldn't have planned this any better themselves. With the Queen giving herself up to be a love slave of the king, it would be impossible for a child not to come out of it. They could take it under their control, and eventually end up holding her blood heir to her kindgom, one they could train and control without much effort. There would be no more dealing with the Young Dragon's foolishness when they had their own kingdom to rule. Even better, once they got rid of the brat and his younger brother, they would have control of this kingdom as well. So of course they shoved her into Seto Kaiba's room whenever they could

you're never sorry

[note_atem]

While he was gone she had been left in that bedroom for quite some time. She wondered what her kingdom was doing, not allowed to have any word at all. They must have been doing alright. She prayed and hoped for them. They surely were.

Getting news that Seto was coming back they had her chained, a collar around the neck, with thick links leading away from it and to some hook above the bed (as if she really was going to try and run), and dressed in scantily clad clothing of her own homeland.

Those eyes were different from any she'd ever really become acquainted with in her short time, and despite her position she stared at the man head on. "I would and have given up everything so that my country could survive the downfall their previous King put it in." Though it was obvious the disdain one should have stating something like that, she had nothing but neutrality. "Their survival is more important than my own being."

No...I never am.

[shutupandduelme]

"Your country.." Kaiba said, his lips twisting into a sneer, "is still fighting us. It seems like you sold yourself for nothing, little 'Queen'."

He shook his head, his hands lingering on the edges of the scrolls. Those red eyes of hers were still bright and bold and horribly familiar. It had been a long time since he had seen her, he had been a child under Gozaburo Kaiba's thumb then. But this was far from what he had expected her to grow into. Something in the back of his mind nagged at him. The collar didn't suit her at all.

Kaiba's lips pursed together as he forced himself to look away. She was a slave, nothing more. Nothing worth paying attention to. "I don't know what my bannermen told you to do," he said, "but I don't have time for these...services now. Are you capable of assisting me with taking off the placemail, at least?"

This is your problem

[note_atem]

Hearing that was like a slap in the face and a weird reassurance all the same. To know that they still thought there was something worth fighting for was a big relief, a sweep of pride even. But to know that her imprisonment here for their sake was not being held well... that hurt.

She still watched him carefully, even with her conflicting emotions. Another wave of relief washed over her as she heard he didn't even want to use her for her real purpose being here. She wondered if he wasn't attracted to her for a second but in the end it didn't really matter.

"If you come closer. I don't know who has my key," She said with a serious note of disdain in her voice; still a slave and yet she couldn't swallow her pride enough to act completely submissive. "But I can't undo these chains."