a/n: Here is where it begins to get interesting... R&R please!

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Yami woke the next morning feeling as if he hadn’t slept at all. He wanted to close his eyes and fall back asleep, but knew he couldn’t. He got up and dressed when he heard something.

Looking back toward the window, he listened carefully. It was growing louder and now he could recognize it. Music.

Yami walked over to the window and looked out. He saw nothing, but the sound was still getting louder. It was singing. Whoever the girl was had a beautiful voice.

He listened for a minute until it stopped. He stood there a second longer, just long enough to hear someone say his name. What confused him, was that it was a female voice.

“Pharaoh Yami.”

He turned and saw a girl with raven hair and green eyes lounging on his bed. She wore a white skirt and shirt with a necklace of gold. She had gold bands on her forearms as well.

Yami had no idea who she was and he didn’t want her there. She had no right to be in here! “Who are you?” he demanded.

“Pushy, aren’t you?” she asked, grinning.

“I demand you tell me your name this instant!” Yami said, furious with her remark.

“All right, all right. You don’t have to shout, I’m right here,” she said, standing. She put one hand on her hip and put the other in the air above her head. “I’m Princess Ariah, daughter of Cleopatra.”

“What business do you have in my room?” he asked, slightly confused. He would never let her see confusion though.

“You know, that’s a good question. When I feel like telling you, I’ll let you know,” she said, dropping back onto the bed, making Yami’s anger grow. “Hmm... comfortable,” she commented.

“How did you get in? There are guards outside my room and you didn’t come through the window,” he said.

She gave a dramatic sigh. “I can walk by even the best guards without them noticing me.”

“How? How did you get in?” he demanded.

Ariah laughed. “How did I get in,” she repeated to herself. “Through the /door/, Pharaoh. And to think, you’re ruling Egypt. I think I’d want a Pharaoh who at least had a slight bit of intelligence.”

Yami’s anger flashed through his eyes and he quickly stepped forward to grab her shirt. But his hand passed right through her and grabbed air. He cried out and backed up, his eyes wide.

“Oh, yeah. About that...” Ariah said with a grin.

Yami’s arm was cold and he held his wrist. “What are you?” he asked.

“Come on, you can figure this one out yourself. And if you can’t, Egypt has some serious problems,” Ariah said, folding her arms.

Half fuming and half nervous, Yami stared at her. “A... ghost?” he said.

She clapped her hands dramatically. “Well done. I didn’t think you could do it.”

“Enough of your smart remarks. What do you want?” he asked, releasing his wrist and letting his arm fall to his side.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I want a lot of things, but most of them are unattainable, even if you were to go after them.”

“Why is it that you never moved on to the afterlife?” he asked.

“No one ever found my body. Sad really,” she said, tilting her head to the side as if considering it.

“How did you die?” he demanded.

“What is this, an interrogation?” she asked, spreading her hands.

“Answer me!”

“Yeah, yeah, okay. No need to get hostile. I drowned. The river must have carried my body away,” she explained.

“So you must walk the Earth as a ghost until your body is found?” he asked.

“Nope. That would be too easy,” she said, a bit of distaste in her voice for a second. But then her usual grin went back on her face.

“What do you mean?” Yami asked, his anger clear. He was tired of her riddles.

“If you must know, I died never having known love,” she said, dropping back onto his bed dramatically. “So now I must remain as a ghost having to watch good looking men for the rest of eternity. What a horrible fate,” she said in mock sadness, rolling on her side to face the Pharaoh. “But somehow, I think I’ve gotten over it.” Her face broke into a grin again.

“How long have you been watching me?” he asked, folding his arms and glaring at her.

“Hmmm... a few months I guess,” she said, standing again. “But don’t worry, I closed my eyes when you changed... most of the time.” She had turned away, but Yami could hear the grin in her voice.

Yami was infuriated. “You would do well to respect your Pharaoh!” he ordered.

Ariah turned around and laughed. “/My/ pharaoh?” she asked, putting a hand to her chest. “/My/ Pharaoh was my mother two thousand years ago!”

“Two thousand years? Is that how long you have been dead?” he asked.

“Give or take a few years,” she replied.

“Do you watch every Pharaoh that takes the throne?” he asked.

“Most,” she said, nodding. “Your father was very good looking when he was your age.” She laughed at Yami’s angry face.

“Leave me alone, spirit,” he said. “I have things to do.”

“Make me,” she dared him.

“I said leave!” he ordered, holding up a fist.

Ariah only laughed. “What are you going to do, hit me? I dare you to.”

“I’ll send for my guards!” he growled.

“And what will you tell them? ‘There’s a ghost in my room‘?” She laughed again. “They would think you’re insane! Face it. You’re stuck with me.” She sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at him.

Yami glared at her, knowing she was right. His guards would never believe him. He wasn’t sure if /he/ would believe him. “For how long?” he asked.

“As long as I feel like it. The longer I stay, the more you should feel honored,” she said.

“And why is that?” Yami demanded, folding his arms.

“Because the longer I stay means the more I like you,” she said with as innocent a grin as she could muster.

“What an honor,” he said, dryly.

“You have no sense of humor,” she commented as he put on his cape.

“I don’t have to have one,” he replied. “I have to go now. You will stay here, do you understand?”

“Yeah, I understand. That doesn’t mean I’ll do it.”

“You will! What I do is none of your business!” he exclaimed.

Ariah laughed. “Don’t worry. I won’t. I’ve been there and done that many times already. It’s gotten old.”

“All right then. My preference would be to have you gone by the time I return,” he said.

“Now we can’t get /everything/ we want,” Ariah said, grinning widely.

“Apparently,” was Yami’s reply.

The door opened and Ariah vanished. “Pharaoh...” the man said.

“Yes, I’m coming.” On his way out, Yami turned and glared at the room. He then shut the door.

Ariah knew exactly what that glare meant... ‘stay here.’ She folded her arms and made a face. She could follow if she wanted, but as she had told Yami, she was bored with listening to a Pharaoh’s duties. So she transported herself to the bank of the Nile and began her song once more.

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a/n: Yami meets Ariah! Kind of a smart aleck, isn’t she? Well, it gets better... so, review!