Starcrossed Prophecies


- II -


The great hall had been transformed. Long tables lined the wide chamber, intricately carved and inlaid with ebony and ivory, and heavily laden with the castle's finest silver platters of roasted meats and sweet mead. Red velvet tapestries hung from the walls, woven with intricate patterns of gold dancing under the flickering candlelight. Servants bearing jugs of wine bustled between the tables, hurrying to ensure their masters' goblets never ran dry. The nobles in their best finery laughed raucously as they ate and drank.

Above them all on a raised platform where the royal table had been arranged, the king sat regally on his throne, overlooking the events with steel blue eyes, fingers steepled beneath his chin. Without having to do more than shooting a look at the man standing by his side, his advisor stood.

The advisor, a tall man with long dark hair neatly pulled back into a tail, cleared his throat and clapped his hands twice. The man bore a startling resemblance with the stern faced king, but where the king's eyes were ice, his twinkled with mischief. A hush quickly fell across the guests as they all turned toward him.

"My lords and ladies," he addressed in a loud, clear voice, "It is with great pleasure that we welcome you here today. I trust you have found our feast satisfactory?" His question was met with polite titters as the guests chatted amongst themselves. Smiling charismatically, the man continued on, "But I am sure you are impatient to meet our guests of honor. So without further ado…" At the advisor's gesture, the king's herald stepped up, trumpeting from his golden instrument.

"Announcing the Crown Prince Judai!"

Choking slightly, said prince, whose entrance many awaited eagerly, stumbled in from within the threshold of the doorway. Hastily he fought with the unkempt chestnut locks which hung over his line of sight. Though, the oversized crown which seemed to insist upon slipping past the line of his brow did little to help the prince's dilemma.

He'd always disliked wearing the ceremonial headpiece. Many times had both his mother, and many other members within the royal castle offered to hire a blacksmith in efforts to resize or replicate the crown, though, his father had argued adamantly that the boy would simply grow into it, and that awaiting the benefits of puberty would be far more practical as opposed to defiling a royal heirloom.

Still, his predicament proved to be something of a lesser enemy compared to the expensive threads that clung mercilessly to his irritated skin. A woolen, bleach-white blouse hung loosely from his faintly muscled arms. Above, a velvet vest which hung from his figure cut off at mid-thigh; displaying such vibrate sheens of crimson threads one may have been foolish enough to have mistaken it for a garment woven from ruby. Thin borders of shimmering gold lined the edges of the fabric, only serving to accentuate the profound wealth his highness's appearance displayed.

Auburn tights embraced the teen's slender legs in such a manner one may have labeled the wearer 'graceful', if it had not been for the manner in which his majesty continued to readjust them.

Nevertheless, Judai merely proceed to make his way toward the dais of the Great Hall.

Keeping several paces behind the young prince, Yusei kept a careful eye on his prince as well as for potential road hazards and hoped he wouldn't need to provide a steadying hand this time. He surreptitiously lowered his face behind the stiff collar of his tunic, slightly unnerved by the fact that every pair of eyes in the great hall were glued to them. With an unnoticeable sigh, he braced himself for the longest feast of his life.

Upon reaching the head of the table, Judai promptly dropped into the seat below as he shifted; grimacing as the burning fabric of the tights chafed against his lap.

As the herald began to rattle off on the long list of names, the dark haired servant came to a stop at his place, just behind the prince's elbow and stood at parade rest with his hands laced together behind his back.

The king's sharp blue gaze passed over him briefly, finding no objections, before resting on his son's slightly slumped form. He let out a short derisive huff that may have passed as amusement. "Hmph. So you made it after all."

Lower lip jutting out in apparent displeasure, the adolescent prince did not reward his father with a response. Truthfully, he rarely allowed the other's derisive words to affect him in any manner. However under the pressures of such pronounced discomfort he could hardly prevent it from showing.

The king might have rolled his eyes if such behavior was not beneath him. "Sulking?" he asked in a disinterested tone. "I suppose I should be impressed that you showed up at all. Although," here he eyed the black-haired servant standing behind the prince with a hint of contempt, "Your nanny probably had something to do with it."

Yusei's shoulders stiffened a fraction but otherwise showed no reaction to the slight, staring determinedly forward.

Peering to the side, Judai managed to catch a glimpse of the monarch's glower before his own features began to reveal a certain irritation. Friendship was a sacred concept to the otherwise considered thoughtless teen; there was little he wouldn't do to defend it.

"He's not my nanny, he's my best friend." The younger defended adamantly, irritation hardening into an unyielding resolve.

"He's your servant," the king corrected sharply. "And if you don't stop slouching before your future queen arrives, I'll be taking it out on his hide."

The teen flinched in response to the weighted threat, shoulders stiffening as he straightened his form against the vertical slope of the chair's lumbar support. Expression levelling considerably, the youth placed his hands upon his lap obediently, however reluctantly he may have done so.

Though, upon the turn of his father's hostile gaze, the teen couldn't resist the urge to stick his tongue out in a deprecating manner.

At the prince's actions, Yusei fought to keep a straight face and felt he had mostly succeeded.

Seto Kaiba was not a man to be trifled with. Renowned for his fearsome intellect and his willingness to achieve his objectives through any means; at the tender age of 12, he had hatched a plot and succeeded in overthrowing his own father and securing his place on the throne. Since then, he had conquered kingdom after kingdom as his enemies seemed to fall effortlessly at his feet. Some called him a tyrant and they would not be incorrect as everything in his domain fell under his grasp of absolute power.

It spoke volumes, Yusei noted, about how lenient the king had been with Prince Judai, although the latter did not seem to realize it yet.

"Announcing His Highness, Jack Atlas, and the Lady Asuka of Lugus!"

Two figures emerged from the gaping foyer—a man, and a woman. Both adorned in the epitome of affluence as they entered.

Head held high, the male carried himself with effortless authority, given the sophisticated air that surrounded him as he strode down the aisle as though the palace were of his own belonging. The expression of which the monarch carried, while confident, however, remained stoic upon proceeding with swift strides.

Trailing down the center of the hall, the young woman, perhaps around the same age as her betrothed, emerged from the archways. Her movements were fluid; gliding down the carpeted trail with the grace of a swan. In fact, the stunning presence of the noblewoman alone was enough to cause the occasional gentleman to gawk. Though, their wives were quick to reprimand this with a slap onthe wrist.

The maiden's silky tresses seemed to flow effortlessly down her shoulders, shimmering within the luminescent candle light like locks of saccharine, golden honey which did well to frame her elegant features. The countess's shoulders and neck displayed themselves in a graceful yet refined manner, chin tilted upward as liquid, silvery eyes remained focused upon the subject of her arrival: the prince.

The dress which embraced the curvatures of her figure streamed the floor behind her as though they played the role of dancing flames. Intricate designs interwoven into the crimson fabric of her dress fluttered in the midst of her poised stride as a waterfall of thread like gold and shimmering whites fell gracefully around the lady's forearms. As she arrived at the foot of the steps, the crowd stirred as women proceeded to exchange their opinions of the maiden's choice in formal wear.

"Jack," the king greeted neutrally, as he rose from his seat to greet the other monarch, covertly shooting his son a glare for him to do the same. "And the Lady Asuka."

Hastily raising himself from his seat beside his father, Judai flushed in embarrassment as he shot up, a bit too quickly as his chair scraped loudly against the floor in his haste. Luckily, their guests made no move to comment, beyond a raised eyebrow from Jack and a polite smile from Asuka.

"I trust the journey has been well?" asked King Seto, though it was more with the air of someone trying to get the pleasantries out of the way than out of any genuine desire to inquire. As the neighboring monarchs began to engage in idle conversation, Yusei took the chance to surreptitiously nudge the prince's seat back into place.

Throwing a glance of appreciation toward his companion, the brunet once again seated himself upon the conclusion of their civil exchange.

"It pleases me to meet you in person at last, Prince Judai." The noblewoman greeted beside him, as a nearby servant quickly pulled out a chair from under the table in preparation for the countess's arrival.

Jumping slightly, Judai quickly redirected his attention back to the noblewoman with what was intended to be a princely gaze. Though, unfortunately it did not exactly quite the desired effect, given his anxiousness.

"S-Same here…" The teen attempted lamely, achieving perhaps less than half of the grace with which his newly introduced fiancée had managed to greet him with. Desperate, Judai quickly peered over toward his manservant with a distraught expression; clearly unsure as to how one should precisely go about 'wooing' a maiden.

Upon seeing his prince's plight, the dark-haired manservant inwardly sighed even as he felt the corner of his lips tilt up. He shook his head fractionally to catch the younger boy's attention and allowed his calm blue gaze to linger pointedly on the jug of wine that had been placed on the table beside him before letting his eyes flicker over to the visiting princess significantly.

Hazel eyes squinting in confusion, the adolescent royal followed the elder's indicative gaze between both the jug and the woman beside him in confusion.

"What? Get her drunk?" the young prince inquired, not having intended to have voiced these allegations aloud. However, the sovereign had not quite taken this into account, that is, until the maiden abruptly turned to meet the prince's gaze with a sharp, bemused look of her own.

"Excuse me?"

Feeling a major migraine coming on, Yusei valiantly resisted the urge to facepalm. Instead, he stepped forward and took hold of the wine jug, hoping to buy enough time for his prince to get his act together. Quickly, he topped off Judai's goblet before bowing to the princess. "Would you care for some wine, milady?"

Asuka nodded vaguely in response, though a suspicious eye remained trained upon her suitor.

Letting loose a nervous laugh, the younger ensured to give the elder yet another indebted look as he gingerly raised the goblet to his lips in an effort to remain neutral.

Yusei let out the breath he almost didn't realize he had been holding as he carefully served the princess. As he drew back, he shot the prince a look that was half-warning, and half-pleading.

A nervous laugh served as response to his manservant's amusing yet forewarning expression. Not long after, the youth immediately launched into a half hearted attempt at conversation.

"So...are you, you know…" The prince trailed off, "into anything?"

"'Into anything?'" the princess repeated, befuddled by the prince's sub-par vocabulary. Those who hadn't known his majesty personally often were, seeing as an upbringing among the affluent often meant developing a keen vocabulary. However, given the considerable amount of time that the prince often spent beyond the perimeter of the castle walls, he'd grown up upon the language of commoners. This was something, naturally, many nobles had difficulty understanding.

"Yea," the youth affirmed, "You know…like, dueling."

"Dueling?"

"Uh, you know…with swords?"

Cracking a small smile, her highness simply shook her head in reply, "Yes, I am well aware of what the leisurely pursuit of dueling entails." She ensured the brunet, the sparkle of amusement evident despite her rigid posture, "I am simply inquiring, given the fact that most princesses, or any noblewoman for that matter are not permitted to engage in such... vigorous hobbies. Surely you must be aware of this?"

The young prince merely grinned; rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner. "Well sure, but you don't seem like a normal girl. I mean, not all girls are like that, right?"

Chuckling upon the prince's rather awkward display, the honey haired maiden leaned in toward the other, not once removing her gaze from the festivities directly ahead them, "Yes. I do quite enjoy dueling." She murmured, drawing back slowly as she delicately tipped the edge of the goblet into her mouth.

Yusei's eyebrows had risen steadily throughout the exchange as he noted how effortlessly his prince was outmaneuvered. It seemed the rumors did not do the princess justice. He could see now why the king had been so set on the union: to succeed at politics was to have the a silvered tongue which could parry, flatter, and strike all in the same breath. With Lady Asuka as the prince's future queen, the king would be able to rest easy with the kingdom in such formidable hands. As brave and honorable his prince was, Yusei had to admit he did not quite yet grasp the art of subtlety. Dimly, the servant wondered if he should be worrying that Prince Judai may not be a match for his new bride; the thought that the sweet, well-meaning boy might be taken advantaged of did not sit well with him.

His musings were cut short when King Seto rose from his seat with a swirl of his long white coat. The hall instantly quieted as every ear perked up and prepared to hang on to the king's every word.

Perhaps fed up with pleasantries and pandering to his guests even just a little, His Majesty promptly went right to business. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the dawn of a new era! For the first time in history, the kingdoms of Alba and Lugus will be free of its bloody history and join together as the mightiest alliance in the realm. As a symbol of this union, my son, the Crown Prince Judai will be wed to Lady Asuka of the House of Atlas!"

Lifting herself from the ornate chair below, the princess assumed an amiable smile as she faced the cheering guests. Glancing down toward her betrothed, she gave a barely discernible nod in efforts to indicate it be wise for the prince to stand.

Judai was quick to respond, though, rose himself gradually as to prevent his previous mishap.

As the chorus of merry cheers and joyous ovation alike rang through the crowded throng of guests, the echo of silver clanking against metal pierced the veil of gaiety. Many pairs of ogling eyes redirected themselves toward its source, including the children whom stood before the banquet halls.

Beside the king stood a proud looking figure; a proud looking figure of which the prince had easily recognized as the rather ostentatious gentleman whom had entered upon Lady Asuka's arrival. His majesty stood adorned in rather vivid apparel, covered from head to toe with stunning pieces of jewelry and garnishes alike. The monarch's complex mane lay arranged in an extravagant fashion; it appeared that not even a single platinum thread of hair could be found out of place. The wealth that his majesty had presented given his overall appearance may have easily been able surpass his father's. And he was more than certain this was not something that sat very well with the infamously competitive King of Alba in the least.

With a single clear of the throat, all voices seemed to fall silent in the midst of a collective ambiance of anticipation.

"For many years, I've had the pleasure of knowing the Lady Asuka." His majesty began in a loud, booming voice as the chalice within his fingertips hovered for a moment within air, "Since the budding age of a mere decade she has shown profound potential in her working knowledge of political matters and aristocracy. Excelling above any noble within the borders of our kingdom in both remarkable beauty, and talent, I am proud to claim her as kin." Jack boasted, considerable pride evident in his tone before the sovereign's gaze shifted toward that of his fellow king.

"However, upon thorough consideration, both the lady and I had agreed it best she be wed to the prince of Alba, for both our kingdom's sake." His gaze shifted over to the princess, who maintained a humble politeness as he spoke on her behalf.

"I understand that within the course of the coming years, prince Judai will begin his preparation for assuming the throne. I can only hope that he surpasses his predecessor in every discipline required of a great king."

"To marriage," He murmured, raising the goblet of wine above his head in a toast, "And may both Lady Asuka and Prince Judai bring the Kingdom of Alba the utmost prosperity."

The crowd responded with gleeful intent, raising their glasses to his majesty's toast.

Lifting her own glass, the Lady Asuka glanced toward her suitor, elegant features accompanied by a dazzling smile. Judai merely blinked, wondering if perhaps he should mirror her actions.

"This wedding marks a significant victory. Not for one kingdom, but for two. By sunset tomorrow two kingdoms shall be united under the unity of marriage, thereby marking this fateful day as the moment an unbreakable bond was forged between the alliances of Alba, and Lugus." Her voice echoed through the ballroom, each word as elegant and as swift as the next.

"Prince Judai," The countess began, silvery eyes catching the prince's own hesitant gaze, "Despite only having just acquainted ourselves, you should know that I respect you as royalty. This being said, I shall respect you no less through the difficult trials awaiting you upon your journey to becoming king. I look forward to having the honor of being your queen, and aiding your leadership of this great kingdom."

The princess averted her gaze once more, back upon the masses as she rose her glass once more with emphasis, "To the kingdom of Alba."

"To Alba!" The gathered guests echoed before indulging themselves once more.

King Seto smiled thinly, though his sharp eyes lit upon his future daughter-in-law rather approvingly. "A very fine speech, Lady Asuka," he commended. "As expected of one of such noble lineage. Jack was quite right to gift you with such praise."

He then turned to address the crowd. "As my soon to be kinsmen have said, this is indeed a momentous occasion. With the might of the kingdoms of Alba and Lugus, none shall stand in our way! We will unite the realms under our banner, and rid the world of the scourge known as sorcery!"

This time, the crowd roared with approval with several of the more enthusiastic lords in attendance smacking the surface of the banquet tablets with their goblets.

A slow, pleased smile spread across the brown-haired monarch's face as he spread his arms magnanimously. "But the time for talk is over. I bid you all return to your festivities."

The prince's manservant felt his taut shoulders slump as it looked like his master would probably make his way through the rest of the night without incident. He then leaned forward, under the pretence of topping up the younger boy's goblet, and whispered, "You handled that well."

Tilting his head back, the younger's exuberant grin immediately resurfaced. Though, unfortunately as the prince opened his mouth to respond, an excited voice erupted from the space ahead them.

"Prince Judai! Princess Asuka, it is certainly an honor to be here at your ceremonial banquet!" A rather short female practically bounced as she zealously greeted the pair with an enthusiastic grin. She appeared to be no older than either of the pair themselves, though seemed to show more than twice the amount of anticipation either currently expressed.

"My father and I would certainly love to speak with you! Would you mind terribly sharing a moment or two with us?"

Allowing a gentle smile to crack through the tame lips of her highness's visage, she raised herself graciously from the chair with a silent nod of compliance. This, of course, before the brunet could even hope to manage but a single word.

"It would be our pleasure, Lady Rebecca."

The teen glanced back behind his shoulder at his companion with a pitiful expression—a cocktail of reluctance, dread, and apology.

The servant's features softened as he gave his prince an encouraging smile, conveying with his eyes that he had faith in him. As the prince's back disappeared into the mingling crowd, Yusei let out a faint sigh and massaged his aching temples. With the exception of the earlier mishap with the princess, it seemed that Judai was slowly growing more accustomed to his role which Yusei was extremely grateful for.

"Psst, Yusei!" A chipper voice cut through his musings. The black haired boy looked up to see a familiar face peeking out at him from behind an alcove.

"Carly," he greeted with a small pleased smile as he headed towards her. "You and the others have really outdone yourselves today."

The bespectacled maid spluttered and waved her hands in denial. "Really! It's nothing! Everything was so rushed!" She then trailed off into an aside, "Oh, I hope no one checks underneath the tablecloth…"

"I'm sure it will be fine. By the way," Yusei paused, giving her a slightly bemused look, "What are you doing behind there?"

"Shhh!" Carly hissed waving a hand frantically in front of her face. "Don't draw attention to me! I don't want to look like a stalker." Yusei followed her rather smitten gaze towards a certain tall, imposing blond figure.

"… Jack Atlas, huh?" Yusei asked, crossing his arms, his eyebrows rising. "I wouldn't exactly say he is the most humble of party guests."

Carly stuck out her tongue at him, eyes sparkling with mischief. "But he's a feast for the eyes, though! Wouldn't you agree?" At that, Yusei let out a small, fond chuckle.

"I might," he said, his lips quirking into a smirk.

A sudden commotion cut off whatever response the serving girl was about to give as the two looked over towards the center of the hall.


Prince Judai had could have never remembered such a time he had been so insanely and utterly bored. No, bored was the feeling his majesty associated with tedious scroll work for private lessons and frequent lectures. However, the royal's definition was exceedingly challenged by the nobles currently rambling on.

He struggled to maintain an interested expression. Given the impressive vocabulary of the average noble, the youthful prince found it far too easy for his mind to slip from the conversation altogether. It had gotten so bad the he had taken to consuming his wine in excessive amounts if only to drown out his boredom.

Asuka however seemed to thrive in the veiled environment that was courtly intrigue, as hard as it were to believe. It seemed as though the maiden was in fact the perfect epitome of what any princess strived to be. So, then, why was it so difficult for the boy to comprehend such a marriage? Even he himself would concede that the female was rather attractive, at least judging upon the front she had managed to maintain throughout their nightly festivities.

Sipping his wine as it ran dry for at least the third time throughout their exchange, the prince averted his gaze to the side, wilfully hoping he'd at least get wasted enough to find an excuse to depart early with his manservant.

"If it isn't Prince Judai?" A voice suddenly cut through the prince's musings. The speaker, a slightly taller male who looked to be roughly around his age, had approached undetected. The first thing Judai noticed was that the newcomer sported a hairstyle that was possibly more dishevelled than his manservant's, though something about the dark, stiff spikes artfully arrayed over his royal blue cloak hinted at hours of deliberation before a vanity. However, what set him on edge was the thinly veiled contempt in the boy's dark eyes.

Turning, the youth lowered his goblet with an inquisitive blink.

"Do I know you?" He murmured, unaware of any disrespect his words may have otherwise incidentally implied as consequence.

The newcomer scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, a dull flush spreading across the bridge of his nose, from offense and also quite possibly from the mead. "I am Jun Manjoume, the third in line for the throne of Cenric," he spat. "Though I'm surprised that you're unaware of this. I would have thought one of the duties of the prince was to have at least a cursory understanding of the guest list."

"Prince Jun…?" the teen muttered aloud in question, as though testing the foreign name upon his tongue with a slight shake of the head. "Never heard of it."

The flush across Jun Manjoume's face deepened to the point that it appeared as if steam was rising from his ears. "Don't call me so familiarly! You may be the Prince of Alba, but I too am royalty!"

Dazed, hazel eyes widened slightly as the Albanian prince drew back a minor distance before offering an apologetic grin, accompanied by a docile laugh and a small flush of his own. "Sorry! I guess I'm just really bad at names…" The prince offered as he gingerly rubbed the back of his neck.

Manjoume let out a huff, not quite placated. "See to it that you don't make the same mistake again!" He eyed Judai disapprovingly, scanning his appearance from head to toe, particularly lingering at his untidy hair and tilted crown. Then, a slow considering expression stretched across his pale face. "Tell me, Prince Judai," he said, "I am curious as to your opinion on the situation in the south. Do you believe that an uprising is possible?"

"The south…?" Judai muttered beneath his breath, eyebrows creasing in bemusement. For the most part, life within the castle walls was quite passive; there wasn't much one could find to concern themselves with. The only war the prince had been thoroughly aware of was the war of which the many kingdoms had waged against the power most call magic.

Sorcery was… certainly a sensitive topic. Though, none could surpass his own father's raw abhorrence for the very word. None dared to even speak of it upon simply passing by the walls in efforts to keep themselves from joining the others; the sorcerers. If the word were even to be heard uttered below a breath, the individual responsible would find themselves burnt to the nearest stake in a most painful method of execution.

Of course, it went without saying the prince and his father had their disagreements on this matter. While the youth may have seemed lackadaisical, perhaps even fairly naïve, he made a habit to avoid the topic as it had most often brought violent consequences not of their worth.

"W-Well…" The teen stammered, a bead of sweat running down the edge of his temple as his teeth busied themselves with the bottom flesh of his lip once more, "G-Given the…er, situation it is ah…."

"My Prince?" The Lady intervened, graciously extricating herself from the preening pair of nobles behind her, finally having noted her fiancé's absence. Though, upon shifting her gaze toward the subject of the brunet's attention, Asuka allowed a weary expression to befall her features as she placed a placid hand upon the shorter man's shoulder.

"Prince Jun…I trust you are enjoying yourself amidst the celebration?" The honey-haired maiden inquired politely, though, something about it differed from the soft and pleasant demeanor she had often displayed during her various minglings with the other guests.

"L-Lady Tenjouin!" Manjoume spluttered, now entirely red-faced for a very different reason. "W-What a pleasure it is to see you here this evening…!"

Nodding curtly, the maiden glanced toward the nervous expression of her betrothed before re-affixing her gaze upon that of an all the more nervous, spluttering prince.

"Yes, and I see you and my fiancé are getting along quite well?" The princess murmured, shifting her eyes between the two gentlemen in question.

"AH! Yes, of course!" replied the taller of the two, wringing his hands before clapping the brunette roughly on the shoulder. "The Prince Judai is an absolute delight!"

Hazel eyes blinked for a delayed moment as a befuddled frown settled upon the young prince's visage. "Eeh? But you said—"

The rest of Judai's sentence was rudely interrupted by a hand clamped over his mouth as Manjoume seized the young prince in a headlock. "I know what I said!" he hissed into his ear.

The princess's gaze withheld a look of suspicion, though maintained its rightful respect. "I should hope so…" Asuka paused, paying no heed to the pair's suspicious antics, "After all, there shall be a day where the two of you may become kings, and cooperation will not be merely an option."

"O-Of course, milady!" Manjoume simpered rather sycophantically. "I swear on my honor that Cenric will be Alba's staunchest supporter in the dark times ahead!"

The prince blinked at least twice before finally managing to remove the taller male's hand from his mouth.

"Dark times ahead?" The royal muttered, "What do you mean?"

Manjoume blanched and gave the fair lady a rushed bow. "Please excuse us, Lady Tenjouin!" he beseeched. "There are a few matters I would like to speak to Prince Judai privately about."

The maiden's collected expression soon morphed into one of considerable question. While, before her majesty could manage to utter perhaps even an inquiry concerning such an anomalous request, both the prince of Cenric and her fiancé had already made themselves scarce.

Once they were somewhat out of earshot, Manjoume turned to face the younger boy. "Don't you ever pay attention to what people say to you?" he berated him under his breath. "The southern kingdoms have been amassing an army!"

"An army…?" The brunet repeated boorishly, fumbling with the crown of which had slipped further down his head due to the ebony haired prince's hasty pardon.

"Yes, an army! Our greatest enemies are rising. That's the whole point of this alliance between Lugus and Alba, is it not?" Manjoume said, glowering exasperatedly. "HOW can you expect to rule this kingdom by Lady Tenjouin's side if you lack the ability to grasp something so simple?!"

Frowning, the shorter man's features contorted in confusion. An army? For war? For all the prince knew, the seven kingdoms were at peace. There had been no famine, no rush of provisions, no last minute assemblage of soldiers in efforts to repel an opposing force. There had been no gossip or chatter amongst the townsfolk nor had there been rampant, aggressive rallying and rants among the often drunken customers at the local tavern. Such was a common occurrence during any sort of uprising.

"I haven't heard anything about a war…" The brunet murmured, glance shifting about the simmering form of the irritated prince in a confounded expression. "Why don't you ask Lady Asuka then if you really want to know about it that much?"

"You…!" The foreign prince's mouth opened and closed soundlessly as words seemed to evade him for the moment. His eyes then narrowed dangerously as he stalked towards the younger prince and seized him by the collar. "You ignoramus! What do you spend your days doing, if not preparing for your birthright? Do you intend on riding on Lady Tenjouin's skirts for the rest of your kingly days?! You are not worthy of her…!"

Judai released a yelp of alarm as he felt the other's fingers clench tightly upon the loose-fitting collar of his tunic, sweating nervously as he met the furious gaze of the foreign prince. Despite his majesty's temporary shock, however, the brunet's taken aback expression had just as quickly begun to fade into one of provocation—with a hint of offense in rejoinder to the callous insults.

"Hey, last time I checked, this was an arranged marriage!" The brunet objected, gripping the royal's wrists as he struggled to remove the grip he held upon the fabric. "Besides, why does it matter who she marries anyway? Who are you to decide who's good enough to marry who?"

If anything, Judai's response seemed to stoke the flames of Manjoume's ire even further as he growled lowly into the younger prince's face. "Just the thought that the beauteous and clever Lady Tenjouin must suffer being married to a fool such as you makes me physically ill! You are not fit to kiss her hand. If it was me…!"

Drawing back, the prince felt a surge of indignation course throughout. Despite being unable to speak the sophisticated language of nobility, the prince was not in fact stupid, nor was he ignorant of the dark headed sovereign's clearly insulting words.

"What is that supposed to mean?" The youth exclaimed, the drunken flush of his own darkening further due to Manjoume's incredibly blunt insults, "I don't care how beautiful, or smart, or perfect she is! That doesn't change the fact that I don't even want to marry her in the first place!"

"Are you saying she isn't good enough for you?!" The other prince roared.

"I'm saying I'm not in love with her!" Judai cried, the words of which the prince had so haphazardly bellowed echoing about the halls. These words proceeded to bounce off the hallowed walls of the ballroom, evoking a sudden pause in the celebration surrounding.

The festivities had ceased, and suddenly every head had turned, and every pair of eyes had found themselves gazing unto the pair with looks of thorough flabbergast; a few perhaps even a significant sense of devastation.

"You utter fool!" Manjoume cried back just as loudly. "Now look what you've done!" Blinded by rage and judgement impaired by drink, the third prince of Cenric drew back a fist to strike his rival. But he was stopped when a hand suddenly clamped around his wrist. Snarling, he turned to face the interloper and was met with a pair of stern blue eyes glaring back at him from behind long black bangs.

"You may wish to rethink your actions, Your Highness," the new arrival said coolly, even as the entire hall erupted into horrified murmurs. In the backdrop, a certain bespectacled maid looked about ready to collapse on the ground in a dead faint.

Finally recognizing him as Judai's manservant, Prince Jun's visage turned a violent shade of puce. "Unhand me, you insolent cur!"

Finally able to liberate himself from Prince Jun's grasp due to his manservant's steadfast efforts, the brunet stumbled back a fair distance in an impulsive fit of alarm. Oddly, the prince never once turned to face his spectators, nor the affronted temperament of the besieged royal opposite him.

"Y-Yusei!" The younger prince exclaimed, caught between a sense of both daze and reprieve.

The foreign prince snarled, and in a fit of rage, swung his other fist towards the manservant's face. However, his strike was easily avoided and he found himself with both of his arms wrenched behind his back. "I'll have your head for this!" he hollered. "Guards!"

"Prince Jun!" An irate, womanly voice sliced through said prince's words, rushing toward the trio with an expression of disapproval upon her normally serene features. "And just what is it you plan to do with my fiancé's manservant?" The honey haired maiden demanded, maintaining an icy gaze in the ebony haired royal's direction. The princess's hands crossed securely beneath the cradle of her bosom, gazing upon the distant royal in a manner one may have thought perhaps a mother would use when correcting a child.

"L-Lady Tenjouin!" Manjoume gasped, even as he struggled against the servant's vice-like grip. "I… I… This impudent peasant…!"

"That's quite enough," a chilling voice cut in. All the parties to the commotion stiffened in dread as they turned to see the King of Alba stalk towards them with, wearing an inscrutable mask that was somehow far terrifying due to its blankness. Yusei hastily released the third prince's arms and stepped back, and endured it stoically even as a pair of armored guards seized him from behind.

King Seto observed the scene, face appearing to be carved out of stone save for a barely concealed twitch of his brow. "I believe it is best that you retire for the night, Prince Jun," he said, dismissal clear in his tone. Face burning with disgrace, the black-haired prince nodded mutely before making a strategic retreat. The King then turned his gaze upon his son.

"Why don't you show Lady Asuka the gardens?" he said. The words may have been phrased as a suggestion, but it was obvious to the young prince that declining was out of the question.

Judai held his breath breath, glancing between both his father and the image of his childhood companion, ceased within the arms of two rather burly looking guards.

"Let him go!" he cried, attempting to make his way over toward his friend. However, upon coming into contact with one of the men containing Yusei, the brunet was forcefully heaved away from the unmoving guards.

"I would prefer you go without your manservant," the King qualified, gesturing for the guards to march the servant away. "I will have words with him. That is not up for discussion, Prince Judai."

"Prince Judai…" the princess intervened, "I would very much prefer it if you were to guide me to the gardens. After all, I hear the moonlight on a mid-summer's evening does wonders to one's soul when troubled." The honey haired maiden offered a gentle smile. Judai however paid little heed to her request, narrowed gaze remaining focused upon the guards who stood in his way.

A reassuring expression crossed the maiden's features, before their glimmer faded as she turned to the king, posture straightening instantly.

"Do not worry yourself, my Lord. I shall do my best to busy his majesty as you tend to the issue at hand."

The King gave her a curt nod. "Then I shall take my leave, Lady Asuka." In a swirl of white leather, he spun on his heel and marched towards the exit as the guards trailed behind him, dragging the servant with them. Yusei glanced back over his shoulder at the prince, eyes apologetic, just as the double doors slammed closed with a dull thud.


- II -


tbc...