Chapter Text
Once upon a time in an age of fairytales, there lived a prince. The prince was brave and kind, strong and handsome. All of these traits were expected and proper when you were a prince in such times.
It didn’t matter that his kingdom was largely barren, the vast majority of the meager population inhabiting a small city about an hour’s walk from the castle drawbridge. Nor did it matter that there was little wealth to speak of, evident in the prince’s older and incomplete armor piece and hand-me-down weapons.
The castle in which he lived sat near the edge of a steep cliff overlooking a treacherous sea, the waves constantly foaming and jumping at the hillside. No matter how high the waves spat, they never reached the crumbling old stones of the decaying castle. No balls were held there. No grand feasts were spoken of. No staff were in its employ. The only residents were the lonely royals that still claimed titles that most in their realm honored simply because it was too much of a bother to argue otherwise.
The prince, despite this, strived to fulfill his role. His name, Atem, was apparently based off of some far-off Sun God of old. While he knew of no such deity, he chose every day to harness the determination and strength such a namesake surely was meant to provide.
He would often be seen riding across the land, either hunting for a meal to bring back to the castle or to learn of recent news from travelers on their way through the kingdom. He’d hear their tales of rogues in the forest and witches with their traveling circuses. He’d hear word of other kingdoms, flourishing and expanding with each turning of the year. How the age of mankind was at its peak and progress into a bright future was on its way.
These interested him, of course, but his ears would burn at any mention of monsters or beasts yet untamed by man. Shrieking harpies, laughing pixies, furred and scaled creatures of all manner of shape and size that seemed unfathomable to many within his own kingdom.
As they should, he would think, considering it was his cousin the king who had made them as scarce as they were today.
King Seto had taken the throne many years ago. Or not so long ago. It was troublesome to remember and most didn’t bother. All anyone knew was one day he was there, and no one cared to do anything about it. Seto had made it a point to seek out any and all of the mythical and legendary monsters that society both feared and revered.
What he would do with them, no one ever knew. It certainly wasn’t a mystery how they were found however, for the king had a beloved monster of his own that heeded his every beck and call. A shining white dragon would periodically be seen flying around the castle, its loud roar strong enough to shake the very earth beneath your feet if you were within a few miles of it.
It would most often do its own hunting at night, the light of the moon reflecting so brilliantly off of its scales and adding an eerie glow to large, empty, blue eyes. Villagers had spoken of seeing all manner of creatures being taken by the dragon, whether clutched in the dragon’s claws or mouth, or simply chased down the long road towards the castle.
No matter the method, they were always alive when they made their way out of sight, so no one ever knew what became of them. Even Atem had never received an answer when he had pressed Seto about the fate of the monsters.
“Never mind what happened to them,” the king would always say, his own blue eyes trained to the sea or the dragon circling above. “Now do your job and keep an eye and ear out for any news of more.”
That was often how their conversations went. Though they were cousins, Atem rarely felt any familial love from the older man who had taken him in as a very young child when his own parents had died. Often the prince’s only company was one of the castle cats and the tales found in the dusty books of the ancient library. It was from those stories that he learned how a prince was meant to behave.
How to be ready to fight for righteous causes. How to never cave to any pressure. How to be gracious and collected. All his self-study never seemed to matter though, as he rode over fields and through the woods to pass his days away. He had gone on a few quests in his time, but never anything more than seemed customary for his title, rather than anything of true merit.
A princess locked in a tower here, a neighboring army in need of a commander there. All very grateful for his efforts, and he was happy to be of some service while he could. For Prince Atem knew upon his return to his own land with whatever reward, be it a purse of riches or some trinket reportedly mystical in nature, all of it would be pushed aside by his cousin for news of the monsters.
So, there he was again. Walking through the dark wood not far from the castle grounds late at night, the White Dragon flying high above also on the lookout for any sense or sign of mythical life. He hadn’t heard of any new sightings or rumors of any unrecognizable beasts for a while, so he didn’t anticipate the dragon would find anything, but maybe he could catch a hare or even a deer for a future hearty supper.
The ground shook under his boots and he fell as the White Dragon suddenly shrieked. He looked up through the thinly leaved branches as her head snapped in a direction further into the woods. She dove, almost straight down at first, but then large wings pulled her up to fly quickly over the tops of the trees towards whatever had drawn her attention.
Atem’s heart raced, nervous for whatever creature had caught the dragon’s eye. His few armor pieces shifted over his worn leather clothing as he stood up quickly and made to follow. Whatever beast or being was out there couldn’t be far, since he could hear as trees cracked and broke when the dragon burst through them in pursuit of her quarry.
As he got closer his stomach dropped as he began to hear human voices shouting in what he had to assume was terror. He ran as fast as he could, and pushed himself to go faster when he saw bright blue fire shine through the tree line. The villagers had dubbed that particular ability ‘White Lightning’, and it was only used by the dragon when she was particularly perturbed that she hadn’t caught her prey yet.
Maybe the humans were trying to help the poor creature? A foolish effort, though a noble one if Atem was being honest. As he neared the clearing the chase seemed to be confined to, he began to hear the voices slightly more clearly. A man was yelling at the dragon, and a woman was yelling at the man.
“DO something!” Atem heard her shout. He didn’t hear if the man responded in any way, but he hoped he wasn’t fool hearty enough to try to fight the dragon.
The prince collapsed again when the dragon roared once more, his ears rattling from the close proximity. As the roar stopped, he noticed the wind beginning to pick up, his thin and tattered cape beginning to billow. At first, he assumed the dragon was taking flight, but he could still see her only a few trees away, crouching over whatever she had found. The wind grew stronger and small twinkling lights grew in number, and began to swirl towards the dragon and whatever she had caught.
All at once the glow of the lights grew into a flash, forcing Atem to shut his eyes to avoid being blinded. When the shine behind his eyelids faded, he blinked them open to see what could have happened. He still saw the dragon looming on the forest floor, growling deeply but appearing unchanged and unharmed.
He could still hear the man and woman speaking, or at least the man was speaking. The woman was shouting, though seemingly not with any regard for the monster still nearby.
“Jonouchi, you idiot! What have you done?!”
“What have I done?! Anzu, I’ve told you, I don’t control what the magic does.”
When he finally made it into the clearing, Atem’s first priority was making sure the White Dragon was dealt with. He ran up in front of the dragon’s face, hearing the two other humans gasp behind him at his sudden appearance, but he would deal with them later.
“Back to the castle with you, beast,” he called out. “There’s nothing for you here.”
The dragon barred its teeth with another low grumble but pushed off straight into the air and flew away. The prince was careful to keep his eyes on its circling to make sure it actually left. Once he was sure they were free of it, he turned to inspect the dragon’s odd victims.
He had been right that there was a man and woman. The man was tall and blond, and his blue and white robes seemed to be made of mismatched fabrics, almost giving the appearance of a court jester. He wore a sturdy satchel for traveling, and a blue pointed cap rested on his head which seemed to denote his role as a magician of some kind.
The woman, a smaller brunette sitting on the ground by the man’s feet, was clothed much more simply. Her layers of stained cream and brown skirts showed signs of a rural hardworking life. Her lack of any foot wear spoke to her comfortability with outdoor terrain, the abject poverty she must have been used to enduring, or both.
She also clutched a dark blue shawl, though it was what the shawl was covering that took the prince by surprise.
Half pulled into the woman’s lap appeared to be another man, though he seemed to be unconscious. The man was as pale as the moonlight beams shining through the tree canopy. It was obvious he was nude, save for the woman’s shawl covering as much of his modesty and torso as she could while clutching him protectively. His limbs, exposed to the elements, seemed long and lithe. His hair, though dark and unkempt, looked as soft as the finest silk ever crafted.
The prince could barely take his eyes off of the sleeping man. He had to assume this was what the dragon was after if his state of being was anything to go by, and he could almost understand why. He was positively beautiful in every physical way. It was only the woman shifting her grip that drew his gaze away from the man’s lax face back up to the two conscious bystanders.
“Are you all alright?” he offered with a sincere frown. “I’m sorry. I have no idea why the dragon would come after you like that.”
“We-we’re alright. I think,” the taller man, Jonouchi the prince remembered, replied. “Forgive us, my Lord, but you wouldn’t happen to be Prince Atem, would you? Charge of King Seto, student of the arts of chivalry and all princely duties?”
Atem couldn’t help but chuckle at the grandeur of the titles the magician bestowed upon him. He bowed at the waist in greeting but kept his smile at the formality. “The one and the same. But please, may I know the names of the strangers that trapse through the dark woods of my cousin’s realm?”
The blond took off his pointed cap and bowed himself, one arm outstretched like he was receiving applause from a performance. “I am Jonouchi the Magician! This fine lady is my assistant, Anzu. We have traveled long and far to your cousin the king’s lands in search of adventure and employment, whichever opportunity may come our way first.”
Atem nodded at the woman, who still looked shaken but she nodded back mumbling a quiet, “Your Highness.”
Atem’s eyes once again locked on to the pale and perfect face of the man in her arms. On closer inspection he also appeared to have some form of birthmark on the center of his forehead, only just visible through the opening of his bangs. The light but rosy mark blew out in a starburst shape, and even this apparent abrasion only managed to enhance his entrancing appearance.
“And this is?” Atem asked quietly, hand gesturing towards the sleeping man. “Is he alright?”
“Uh, yes,” Anzu started. “Forgive us, Your Highness, this is uh, my cousin…Yugi… He was already ill when we were overtaken by the dragon and he could not keep his footing as he ran. I’m-I’m sure he’ll wake soon. Right?” She looked up and directed her question to Jonouchi, who tugged at his robes and shuffled his feet.
Before anyone could answer, the sleeping man’s face scrunched and he shifted as his eyes began to open. And what magnificent eyes to behold! The loveliest shade of purple Atem had ever seen, somehow shining like the brightest jewels while seeming like a portal to another world with how deep they were.
The man didn’t speak, even in surprise or embarrassment at his nudity. He only looked around as if in a daze. When those eyes landed on Atem, the prince was shocked how they appeared to look not at him as he physically was, but through him and into the very core of his soul. He was breathless from it.
“He appears to be waking now,” he managed. “Are you well?”
Yugi looked from him down to his own form, shaking hands raising as he twisted them to look them over. Other than having a few flecks of dirt, they also appeared as flawless as the rest of him. Even the short well-kept nails appeared to be clean.
All at once the man rolled off of Anzu’s lap and attempted to stand, but he was too unsteady and was quickly appearing to fall again. Atem rushed forward to try to catch him, but Jonouchi and Anzu beat him to it and helped to keep him standing.
They whispered to the disoriented man, too quietly for Atem to make out, but apparently with enough urgency to get through to his mind. Jonouchi took off his larger outer robe and laid it across Yugi’s shoulders. It was long enough to almost reach his knees as he clutched it closed, eyes staring at the ground in what looked like a combination of wonderment and fear.
“You all need rest,” the prince finally decided, drawing all of their attention. “And he is in obvious need proper care. Come with me back to the castle, as repayment for the trouble caused this evening.”
“Oh, my Lord, you are kind,” Jonouchi replied, glancing at Anzu with a worried expression. “But I’m not sure we should…”
“I insist!” the prince said. “It would be my honor to host you. I can also speak to my cousin about allowing you all to stay as some form of staff, so you are able to sustain yourselves longer term.”
“We don’t have much choice,” Yugi replied softly, surprising them all. Those magical eyes looked up at the prince once again and his breath caught as they appeared to finally take him in for the first time. “We thank you, your Highness, for your help.”
Atem nodded, his heartbeat once again affected by the gentle voice. To Atem’s ears it sounded as though this Yugi was both young with the fruit of life, and yet wiser than all the mystics of this age. How was such a creature possible?
In his studies of courtly practices and traditions, he had come across tales of love at first sight. To think he would have the chance to experience it himself was a dream he had never thought to give any hope to before.
Not allowing himself to become fully distracted with such musings, the prince was determined to see his next mission through. He slowly led the ragtag group through the woods and back to the main road. The three behind him were slow, helping Yugi along and murmuring encouragements with every step.
As they approached the crumbling castle walls, walking through the dark open gates, Atem turned back to make sure they were all still close enough to follow as he weaved through the winding halls. Yugi was walking unassisted at this point, though his eyes were not on the prince.
His focus seemed everywhere and nowhere all at once. His eyes, almost black in the darkness of the unlit castle, seemed nearly too large for his face. With such a bewildered expression, he seemed far too new to the world, assuming Atem had gauged his age correctly at his own 20-odd years.
“Be careful on the steps,” he warned gently, offering a hand to Yugi as they approached the cracked steps to the tall wooden doors of the throne room. Yugi looked down at his darker, more calloused hand as if confused, but then gently took it as his other hand kept the robe that covered him closed and they began their assent.
Atem would be sure to remember to raid the old store rooms for any finer fabrics and clothes that would be worthy of the vision now on his arm.
Their every step echoed as they walked through the massive throne room. Its empty derelict walls bore no tapestries, and no candle sticks nor fireplaces were lit to add any warmth. The only light was that of the cold moon through the large and chipped windows, their frames almost reaching to the edge of the ceiling all along the wall.
When the group made it to the far end of the room, they met the king lounging in his throne. Despite his relaxed lean against the arm of the stone chair and crossed legs, he gave the solemn appearance of pure and abject boredom.
“Atem,” he barked. “Who is this motely crew you’ve brought before me at so late an hour?”
“Your Majesty,” the price greeted, bowing formaly and prompting the rest of the group to bow or curtsy as well. “I found these weary travelers in the dark wood. They have done no wrong, but were accosted by the White Dragon and given quite the scare. I promised them shelter and care to make amends, as the dragon is of our keeping.”
The king huffed and stood to move closer to inspect the travelers. He started with Anzu and Jonouchi, walking around them as one may inspect a new plow for defects. It was clear to the prince that Anzu was not happy with the inspection, but she did not voice her displeasure.
The king did speak to the magician, though his voice remained as cold and cruel as the sea air sneaking through the cracked windows of the hall.
“I take it from your choice of garb that you fancy yourself something of a wizard, do you?”
“Uh, a magician, Your Majesty,” Jonouchi offered awkwardly. “We are… honored to be in your presence, and hope we may be of some service to you and your cousin, the noble price, who came to us in our hour of need.”
“Hmm. I’ve had highly trained servants and the finest court wizards at my command in the past, and even they never proved much use to me. What use would a scullery maid, a third-rate trickster, and…” the king trailed off as he turned back to the man still presented on Atem’s arm. He moved back to stand in front of them both, towering over Yugi with almost a glare and brows furrowed as if in frustration.
Atem looked to Yugi nervously, but noted with awe that he didn’t seem intimidated. He met King Seto’s gaze with the same far-away stare that he had met Atem’s, though while the prince had been entranced, the king appeared more confused with every passing moment that no words were spoken.
“What on earth is wrong with your eyes?” the king finally demanded. “They are like deep chasms where no light could ever hope to reflect.”
“Sire,” Anzu chimed in when Yugi did not immediately respond. “Yugi is my distant cousin. I took charge of him when his parents could not afford maintaining his weaker health.”
The king’s sudden laughter made everyone jump from how it filled the desolate room and rang in their ears. “You expect me to believe that? That he is frail and weak, I have no doubt. That he has been cared for solely by you two wanderers? You must think me a fool.”
“Cousin,” Atem finally spoke, hoping to break even some of the tension. “Does it truly matter who they are? They are here now, and I intend to have them stay in our employ. You may sate your curiosity of them as time passes.” He gripped Yugi’s hand a bit tighter, and pulled the lovely gaze back on him. The prince offered a small smile and nod that he hoped was comforting as they awaited the king’s answer.
King Seto turned back to his throne and threw himself upon it with a huff. “Very well. Perhaps you are right. If the world’s finest entertainment and staff could not please me, let us see what a mere jester, a cook, and an invalid can do.”
He waved them away and they all bowed again before taking their leave of the king. As the heavy doors to the throne room closed behind them once more, Atem couldn’t stop the sigh of relief that came rushing out of him.
“I hope you can forgive my cousin. He is… often preoccupied with his own desires, though I’m told that the kingdom has rather enjoyed the hands-off approach in some regard,” he offered with a small laugh. Jonouchi and Anzu nodded and smiled with understanding before Atem led them to the first available rooms that he knew were furnished and the least dusty. Not exactly standard for servants’ quarters, but they were more guests in his mind, so he felt it only proper.
After making sure they all had access to their new lodging and Anzu made ready to assist Yugi in procuring suitable clothing for him from the few pieces they could find across the guest rooms, Atem couldn’t stop his mouth once more.
“Meeting you all has been a surprise, but a joyous one in a fairly lonely life. Your friendship would be most desired.” He turned specifically to Yugi. “I hope to know you better, dear Yugi.”
Yugi still did not speak, but as the prince bowed once more to kiss his pale hand before taking his leave, he noticed Yugi’s eyebrows raised in genuine surprise.
Those beautiful purple eyes stayed locked with his own eyes as he left, though he hated to sever their connection now that he had it. He walked backwards from the room, slowly so as to not trip over any uneven stones and break the spell that he hoped he’d finally reciprocated. As he finally left the room, only then did he turn and make his way to his own chambers.
The prince swore to himself, as he felt a surge of energy he couldn’t recall feeling before, that he would endeavor to only strengthen his hold on Yugi’s attentions.
He swore, as he broke into boyish giggles and a light run down the quiet halls of his home, that he would make his new but powerful affections known to the mysterious boy that had appeared like a miracle.
He swore, as he passed another line of open windows letting in the sounds of the restless seas beneath them, that he would earn Yugi’s affections in return, no matter what trials he would be required to face in order to succeed.
The prince fell asleep that night, so comforted and excited by his unknowably lofty dreams, that even the dull roar of the White Dragon in its caverns below the castle never woke him.