Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Proliferation of the Lotus Flower. ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

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The stars splayed themselves over the sky like twinkling gems from a lady's crystal necklace torn apart and scattered into hundreds of pieces. A nice, soft cool breeze played in the air around the castle of Slyvia to accompany a wonderfully joyous celebration for the kingdom finally securing a trade agreement with its neighbors from the Gnomish Isle to the east of them. The celebration had started the moment news spread on the safe arrival of the most expensive gem in the entire realm and was still verily at large.

The smell of spit roast, thick soups, freshly cooked crusty bread and expensive wine was thick in the air and enough to make even the most agitated of people hungry. Music floated with the breeze; full of tittering and honey-dipped words. Light flowed through the whole capital, tavern lights spilled out into the normally quiet streets, along with some of the patrons from said taverns. Nothing, however, was more alive with the makings of energetic happiness, than the castle; the white washed walls were bathed in yellows, and overhead fireworks exploded in spirals and creative patterns in the sky, the great doors were flung open in invitation and the guards each held their own small flask of rich wine. The stables were busy with horses being tethered and fed, as scores of nobles arrived to celebrate in style with the Royal Court.

It was a wonderful evening; yet four figures on a third storey balcony of the Palace had somehow abstracted themselves from the wonderment and located themselves in a cooler, quieter part of the castle.

"They must be becoming more and more slack everyday. To let him be kidnapped right out from under them. It is so incompetent!" A soft, delicate voice spat out, the tones gentle and easing, but the words annoyed.

"They lost one of mine too so you can calm down. But you can't be too angry with them, they are only humans after all. And besides, I have a sinking suspicion that Mai and Marik weren't the targets and were taken for other reasons. I think they were after the gem."

"It was a pirate attack. How could pirates know about the gem?" The first voice hissed, more subdued now, a voice obviously used for calculations and thinking.

"From the information I was given they had a spell caster with them; which means that there is a strong chance that they had some means of knowing about it."

A pale, tense form shifted. "He should have been a good mage, or I will expect a very good reason why Marik lost."

Auburn locks fell over a highly pointed ear as the pure blooded Elf shook his head, short cropped hair tousling with the movement. "They were pirates; there are millions of possible things that could have happened. Pirates don't fight fairly. Even a half-breed stood little chance."

Hazelnut eyes glared at cobalt. "The half-Elf part of him doesn't mean anything; it would have been his magical abilities that he relied on, not his pointy bits."

"A fine person to talk about pointy bits, vampire."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Would both of you please stop arguing? You're not exactly helping His Royalty to stop worrying!" A small woman pushed between the two men and motioned with her head to the slumped form sitting on the railing of the balcony.

The two immortals stopped, glared at her before both sighing.

"I hate it when she's right." Seto growled.

The three figures moved closer, settling to their knees and ducking their heads.

"We are sorry, Your Royalty, we did not think of your wishes. Coming up here was your idea, and we have taken advantage of your wishes for some peace and quiet." The two taller figures said at the same time, coordinating well with the words.

Lilac eyes opened, drinking in the stars, before the form sitting on the railing turned reluctantly back to the companions.

"Actually I asked to come up here so you two could yell and scream. I wanted to make sure I was not the only one upset about the news. It is wonderful that we have the agreement with the Gnomes; however, the cost I feel is too dear to me."

The small form sighed and slipped off the railing, walking past the three kneeling figures with soft, booted feet, not bothering to tell them to rise yet.

"Besides, this is how I get all my news; if I did not have my Captain of guards and Master Mage to hear fight, I would be constantly in the dark with everything."

His body was small; even for his age of 15 autumns but finely proportioned and in very good condition. A soft blue tunic had been un-strung to allow easier breathing and now hung off one shoulder slightly under a small open white vest with a floral pattern on it, his blue laced up tights had the chords dyed white and were so tight that his delicate thighs were temptingly displayed, the black calve high boots only added to the diminutive form's allure.

Yet the purple sigil on his tunic turned away both men and women alike.

The purple sigil was royalty, Prince like royalty. And every inch of the sigil's truth was printed in the fine features and soft, well washed face, even the unusual tricoloured hair that spiked above his head.

"When do you think you will be able to rescue them, Seto?" His soft, polite voice, asked from inside the cool room.

The Elf did not even stir. Every day he saw the young prince become more and more polite; soon he mused, Prince Yugi would forget how to form the common tongue and slip into some form of ancient language because it was the most polite form of language he could speak. "As soon as the celebrations are over, Your Royalty."

"So it may be a few hours, it may be a few days." The small prince sighed. He got on well with Marik and Mai, almost better than with his nurse maid Isis and Halfling guard, Shizu. Ryo and Seto were so old, and always so formal that it was almost painful to swallow. The prince often mused that they both had come before the common tongue was invented, and the kind of words they had first spoken had offended someone so that these days they would lace everything they said with such politeness so as not to ever offend again.

"You may rise."

The three forms rose slowly, each bowing softly out of formality. "We shall do everything we can, Your Royalty. One of our priorities is to keep you happy."

Yugi sighed and nodded.

"The other is to protect me." He said softly.

It was a pity he didn't remember the two assassination attempts on his life; a pity he'd been asleep for the second and too young to remember the first. At least then he would truly care that having bodyguards were important, more so than having friends.

But friends were 'a security risk' so he'd gotten no choice in the matter. If he didn't know that having friends was important, he wouldn't mourn over it as much, but everyone and everything said that friends were wonderful and exciting and interesting.

You were allowed to do things together with friends; you could do all your favourite things, and have parties in which they got you things they knew you would like, not just strangers sending in gifts because of the formality. All his study books talked of things like sharing food and making things together.

"Yugi, come now little one, it's time for your bed. Say goodnight now." A medium sized form said; slipping into the room with a smile, a black tail wrapped around her white dress covered waist and paws reaching out to take Yugi's hand and draw him through the bedroom.

"Goodnight, and inform me as soon as any information develops, please." Yugi said.

The prince was dragged through the door and left the three figures still on the balcony.

Cobalt eyes flickered as the distant sound from the taverns of the city below filtered into pointed ears. "Hn, keep watch on him well tonight, Ryo, I'm getting that feeling that you get when Marik's about to screw something up."

Ryo nodded. "It's funny; I only get that feeling when Marik is going to screw up…"

The Elf shrugged and strode away, obviously going to go be-rate some wary sea-worn knights over their failure to keep their captain and apprentice mage safe or join in the celebrations below. Seto had been annoyed enough as it was that he had missed out on being escort to the rare gem that had been delivered, he'd been fuming over Mai's good luck right up until he'd heard she'd been kidnapped, after than he was kind of glad King Pegasus had reminded him he was Yugi's head bodyguard, not a knight.

Ryo turned back to the balcony and looked down into the town, speaking to the Halfling still with him in her native tongue. "I hope Marik is alright, or should I hope that whoever kidnapped him is alright?"

Shizu shook her head with soft mirth. "Perhaps he being kidnapped will allow him to confess his feelings for you… or send him even further over the deep end of his already unstable mentality."

The vampire sighed. "I hope not. He's such a good apprentice, but he needs to realize that he's not in love with me, if he confesses…"

"It will become complicated for him to learn from you because you simply do not care for him in that way." Shizu finished.

"Yes, I think of him more as a chaotic child more than- someone, no several people are scaling the wall!" mid sentence he slipped back to the common tongue in his amazement.

Ryo leaned forward as he watched barely seen figures slip over the castle wall and dispatch the patrol on the walkway in silence.

"We must raise the alarm!" Shizu said, turning and rushing back toward the entrance. "Guard Yugi!" she shot over her shoulder.

Ryo slumped; 'guarding Yugi' was a very boring job. Only twice had some idiot ever tried to kill him; and both times they'd been after his father, Pegasus. But then, Ryo would hate to see anything happen to the prince simply because he wasn't there. Especially because if anything did happen he'd be pulled from his coffin and thrust into the light of day.

Not a fun thing.

So, sighing; the mage left and headed for the prince's room. If he were lucky Yugi would want to know what was happening and he could chat for a few minutes before the boy was strapped back in bed by his nurse.

Not that Isis was over-protective or anything…

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Sweet notes: Reviews my purties?

Yugi: Yay!!! Screen time! Finally!!!!!

Yami: Am I scaling the walls?

Seto: Why don't you just use the front door? It's wide open…

Bakura: because it's swisher this way damnit!! >.<

Ryo: tsch! The swishest thing is to appear in puffs of smoke! *teleports around the room like mad*

Yugi: *choking on smoke* I think we get the point now Ryoo-*dies* @.#

Yami:… eh? Dead Yugi-kun…. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Marik: * 'accidentally' hits Yami in the back of the head with his wand* Whoops, silly me.

Yami & Yugi: @.#

Sweetdeily: Er… welll, THAT doesn't happen everyday… I hope it doesn't affect the story… reviews? Eheheh…. ^^;;;;;