The servants finished setting the large table, putting bowl after bowl with cut, fresh fruit and prepared food down, as well as pitchers of water and sweetened wine. Isis watched them; arms crossed over her chest, more out of duty than anything else. The servants were well trained in their tasks and carried them out accordingly and effectively. She hardly acknowledged the servant girl who poured her some water, and hardly noticed the girl bowing and leaving the room either.
"Isis."
The priestess, wielder of the Sennen Tauk, stared at the golden plate in front of her as if it was talking to her.
"Isis."
So much food and wine... as if the Royal Palace wasn't in commotion seeing the recent events, as if all the time of the world were on their hands, as if they could have dinner in all peace and tranquillity…
"Isis, where are your thoughts?"
Finally, she looked up and to the left, to her fellow Priest, who had taken a seat next to her and looked at her with a worried look in his eyes.
"Shaadi, my apologies. I wasn't ignoring you... I was thinking..."
The Priest of the Sennen Ankh merely nodded. "What is troubling you?"
Isis heaved a sigh and lifted up her hands, bringing them at the same level of her Sennen Tauk resting against her neck. The jewellery started to glow faintly.
"These visions I'm receiving... they scare me, Shaadi. I have never had such ominous visions before."
"I understand," Shaadi said, trying to reassure her. "I also have this strange feeling of upcoming trouble and darkness. I pray that I'm wrong in every way, but I can't help but feeling a little bit unsettled. Still, we do everything we can to..."
"You are all talking nonsense," a louder voice announced, interrupting them, and both Priests looked up, startled. High Priest Set swept into the dining room, large cape flaring behind him, his priest attributes firmly in place, Sennen Rod cradled in his grip as if it was an extension of his arm.
"The Pharaoh has retreated early," Shadi commented dryly when seeing Set striding in alone, ignoring his earlier comment. Most of the time, the Pharaoh accompanied the tall priest for dinner, as he insisted on seeing all his priests informally at least once a day.
"Yes, he has," Set answered curtly, taking a seat. "The recent events with that Thief King... Bakura... as he keeps calling him, have exhausted the Pharaoh. Calling forth a God didn't help much either. He's resting now."
"Good. The thief has done so much harm. I think the Pharaoh has taken it extremely well that Bakura has desecrated his father's tomb," Shaadi said, returning his attention to the table. He missed Set's hardly noticeable flinch and started putting food on his plate. "The nerve of that man! Dragging the late Pharaoh's sarcophagus into the Throne Room- I really thought Shimon was going to die at the very spot."
Isis looked at Set, examining his look. The tall High Priest glared in return at Shaadi, ignoring her. "We will not discuss such matters at the dinner table. This is the only moment of the day we can leave such affairs behind us and relax a little."
"As you wish," Shaadi answered, nodding slightly. The strict and rigid Priest of the Sennen Rod was unlikely to speak about what he regarded as petty things such as 'relaxing', but they all got the message- certain things weren't to be discussed. The sudden, uncomfortable tension was lifted with the arrival of two other Priests- Karim and Ankunadin, the respective wielders of the Sennen Scales and Eye. After they had chosen a seat, Set looked around the table, a little bit annoyed.
"What is taking Mahaado so long? Otherwise we'll start without him." Everybody had taken their place and laden their plates- Set didn't like to wait for tardy people. Isis shook her head. "He won't be joining us tonight. We can start."
"I wasn't informed of his absence," Set shot back. The Priest of the Sennen Ring had been absent quite often lately and he more than probably knew the reason... a reason he didn't want to think about this very moment. Isis took a bite of a honey-coated fig, almost lost in thoughts. "I didn't know as well, until recently."
Both of them didn't exchange another word and started their dinner. Even Set knew better than to question Isis' intuition and foreboding insight.
Set left the room after dinner, bidding goodnight to his fellow Priests. He strode to his room, feeling slightly guilty. He was convinced he knew the reason of Mahaado's absence, and out of sheer curiosity, he wanted to have the reason confirmed... but somehow he knew he wouldn't like the answer. The servants he came across in the large hallways bowed for him and with a quick nod of the head he acknowledged their presence, before continuing his way.
His room was in the far corner of the East wing and when approaching the double doors, Set hesitated... for the first time in his life. He hesitated in opening the doors, knowing that... or rather knowing who would be behind it, who would be in that room, as well as something else- destiny or failure.
Taking a deep breath, Set finally pushed and the doors swept open without as much as a sound. The room was dark, as night had already fallen and the servants hadn't made their round in lighting the oil lamps yet. Nothing looked out of place, nothing but silence. He cleared his throat before speaking.
"I know you're here."
"I know you know."
The sound of his voice was still strange- it flew towards the Priest, not like wings on air, but like a knife cutting through the wind. No matter how much -or how little- his... guest spoke, the light, cracked and edgy voice still estranged him. For a renowned thief and feared murderer, he had expected a raw, hoarse voice- but Bakura spoke almost whisperingly light, his every word weighted with a certain tone of darkness, implying violence and anger and pain behind each and every syllable. Set's eyes adjusted slowly to the dark, but still he couldn't see him- until the shadow at the windowsill moved and the faint rustling of a cloak was heard.
The Thief King was shorter than Set, but physical height didn't measure the strength between the two of them. There was only enough faint moonlight to see his outlines and a few strands of his silvery white hair, and Bakura tilted his head a little, placing his fingers on Set's cheek and brushing his lips. Warm fingers and cold lips- how could they be so conflicting at the same time, in one and the same person?
"You smell of a burnt city," Set whispered, the thief so close to him, "I can smell the fire and the flames in you."
"And how come you know the smell of a burned city, High Priest," Bakura replied, fingers still on Seto's cheek, caressing the flawless tan skin. His own scar wasn't visible in the dark room, and if the Thief King did care for his own appearance, he certainly didn't let it show.
"Ever been there before? A burnt city?"
Miffed, Set wanted to push Bakura away and batted at his hand, but he grabbed the Priest's wrist before he could hit him.
"Ever been there before?" He repeated.
"I had to fled a burning city. My mother died in a burning city. Yes, I have been there before."
Set cursed the darkness in the room- he wanted to see the expression on the thief's face. Would Bakura be bothered by it, would he... care? The same man who dragged the late Pharaoh's sarcophagus in the Throne Room and played... no, toyed with divine powers, releasing a Ka as powerful as the Gods?
His breath caught a little when he felt lips on his own again; still cold lips, but forceful, demanding lips, and he answered. "Bakura..."
"I always come to claim what is mine. It may not be today or tomorrow, but one day... the Thief King always comes to claim what is his."
"Bakura..."
"I will have my revenge... Kuru Eruna will not be forgotten..."
"Bakura..."
"I will have all the Sennen Items... I will have you..."
"Bakura, if you want to claim me... if you love me, you will have leave me," Set whispered, voice strained.
"I know."
Bakura wasn't someone caring for hugs or thoughtful embraces, but Set felt his touch, the slow caressing of his face, that could pass for tenderness coming from the Thief King.
"I will leave you, but I will come back for you. Always. Do not worry, High Priest Set. I will have to put the ghosts of my past to rest... there are only a few things left I have to take care of."
"Is that a promise or a warning?"
Bakura chuckled. "Both... it depends on how you interpret it. Do not worry," he repeated, "it will not affect you. I did not watch the horrid creation of the Sennen Items to let it go by unpunished. That is what I need to take care of."
"Horrid creation?" Set moved up his other hand, the Item firmly in his grasp. "I..."
"You don't know," Bakura interrupted him, "but soon you will. Soon, everybody will and it will all be over and then, my High Priest, I will come for you."
Set hardly had the time to ponder if he swallowed out of nervosity or anticipation. His rational mind took over and his voice sounded as curt as usual.
"Until then, I will wait here for you."
There came no answer, and Set realized the warm fingers had left his cheek. He brought up his own fingers, touching his cold lips- nothing lingered in this room, not even the faintest of scents... but he knew that Bakura had heard his last words.
It was early morning in the Royal Palace, and Set wandered through the gardens, making his way over to the meeting room. A movement on the right caught his attention and he saw Mahaado walking under the high arches of the hallway. The Priest of the Sennen Ring almost shuffled, obviously deep in thoughts. The golden Item rested against his chest, the five prongs pointing down. Calm, quiet... nothing indicating the strong magic raging in the loyal Priest, who was also burdened with state security. He had taken the breach of the late Pharaoh's tomb very hard- Set suppressed his feelings of guilt. The Thief King would come back for him as soon as he had dealt with his ghosts from the past... a vague promise, but a promise nonetheless. He had almost caught up with him, coughing one time to get his attention. It worked- Mahaado looked up.
"Good morning, my friend," he said, "something I can do for you?"
"You can't," Seto barked. He regretted his harsh words immediately- he truly hadn't intended to speak that way. Mahaado didn't seem affected by it, as he only nodded his head.
"The Sennen Ring isn't off today," the Priest pointed at the golden artifact hanging around his neck. "It sensed some kind of disturbance before, late yesterday night, but it's silent now."
"I don't think it's something important," Set answered, too fast.
"We all rely too much on our Sennen Items," Mahaado continued. "We should trust our intuition and our feelings more."
"You have been feeling the arise of darkness and trouble, just as Shaadi and Isis?" He snorted as usual. Mahaado only glanced at him for a second, and then turned his attention back to where he walked.
"There will always be trouble on our path," he said. "We have our own responsibilities and obligations. There will be good times, dark times, and good times again. That is what makes our lives interesting and worthwhile- to enjoy the good times, and to face the dark times. We learn, we grow, we make mistakes, we laugh and we cry."
"I believe in things I can see, not in something I can or cannot feel," Set answered him, and unbeknownst tightened his grip on the Sennen Rod.
"Some things don't have to stand in front of your eyes to happen," his fellow Priest commented. Mahaado pointed at the Sennen Ring again. "Some things just happen outside your eyesight, but still affect you. I trust in myself, the Pharaoh, the Ring..."
"You trust in a lot of things."
"Why don't you?"
"I... that is not the point," Set bristled, speeding up his pace. He wanted to leave Mahaado behind him all of the sudden- it was like the wielder of the Sennen Ring was looking right through him.
"Maybe it isn't, not at the moment," Mahaado continued. His eyes never left Seto's- scrutinizing, searching. Set didn't have any trouble meeting his gaze; he never lowered his eyes for anyone.
"Whoever it is, I'm happy for you, Set. Don't doubt everything so much, it will work out. It wouldn't hurt to have a little bit more faith... or trust."
He had no answer to that, and Mahaado didn't seem to expect one. He bowed slightly for him. "The Pharaoh expects me any minute and I'm running late as it is... if you will excuse me, Set...?"
"Of course," Set answered, sounding baffled. The second Mahaado walked away from him, Set brought up his fingers again to touch his lips. It wasn't the first time Bakura kissed him, but it had felt different somehow. A promise enclosed in the kiss. He would come back and claim him... the Thief King and the High Priest.
"Then I will wait..." Set said out loud, "and I will have faith."
The sun seemed to shine brighter, the burdens on his shoulders felt as if they were lifted a bit, and his conscience wasn't as clouded as before. He would wait and have faith... and he would cry, for his soul had sinned, and he would laugh, for his heart had sung.
He resumed his walking.