Chapter 9

It was evening when they arrived at the palace. Servants and palace officials alike rushed out to see their triumphant return. Bakura was taken straight to the dungeon and Ryou could do nothing but look on with sadness while Seto led his horse to where the Pharaoh was waiting.

Yami smiled as Seto descended from his horse. "You were successful," he stated more than asked.

"Naturally," was Seto's arrogant reply.

Yami shook his head while Ryou approached. He looked up to see the young man bowing. "I'm glad you are not harmed Ryou," Yami said with a kind smile.

"I don't think I was ever in a position where I would be harmed Your Majesty," Ryou said so quietly that only Yami and Seto heard him.

Both males frowned but decided not to go into it with so many people present. Yam, looked around at his subjects, a smile plastered on his face. "Prepare a feast! Tonight we shall celebrate the capture of a criminal and the triumphant return of our men!"

There were cheers from all but the kitchen staff, the ones who would have to prepare the feast on such short notice. The crowd started to disperse so that only Seto, Ryou and Yami remained.

"It has been a long day," Seto told Yami. "May I save recounting the details for tomorrow? I would like to rest before attending the feast."

"I understand. I will see you tonight," Yami replied before leaving.

Seto started to walk and Ryou followed. Both were silent until they neared their chambers. "What did you mean before when you said that you didn't think you were in any danger?" questioned Seto.

"Can't we discuss that tomorrow?" Ryou asked softly.

Seto regarded his brother for a moment. Something strange was going on. Ryou was a quiet person by nature but he was never normally this quiet. It was almost like he was trying to hide something. Seto was unsure about how to react to this. If this was about something Bakura had done to him would it be better to let Ryou decide when he was ready to talk or demand an explanation so he could deal with whatever it was?

Ryou looked up at Seto with pleading eyes when his brother did not reply. Seto sighed at the look Ryou gave him; there was no harm in waiting until tomorrow for answers after all. "Fine."

Ryou smiled and took hold of his brother's hand. Seto was oddly reassured by this. It reminded him of Mokuba. It also reminded him to get a servant to put up an extra bed in his room. There was no way he was going to leave Ryou unprotected again.


The next day, Jou was on patrol when he noticed someone on the veranda looking out into the royal garden. On closer inspection he saw that it was Ryou. He walked over to greet the youth but stopped a short distance away. There was a sad, distanced expression on Ryou's face that Jou didn't like.

Jou came to stand next to Ryou and leaned on the rail in-front like the other boy. "What's on your mind?" he asked.

Ryou jumped and turned to Jou with a startled expression on his pretty face. "Jou! Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"So what did have your attention?"

Ryou blushed and looked down. "It was nothing."

"Nothing? Then why are your cheeks all pink?"

Ryou bit his lip and continued to look down. "We're friends aren't we Jou?" Ryou asked in a soft, quiet voice.

Jou was slightly taken aback by the question but recovered quickly. "Yeah, I'd say we're friends."

"Well, would you be willing to do something for me without asking questions and without telling anybody, especially my brother?"

"Is it something illegal?" Jou asked hesitantly.

Ryou shook his head. "Not illegal just…others won't understand."

That grief-filled look was back on Ryou's face. Jou decided he didn't like that look. He also decided he might as well hear the request before turning Ryou down. "What exactly would you have me do then?"

"Could you arrange for me to meet secretly with Bakura?" Ryou asked nervously.

Jou just blinked for a few seconds. "Meet with Bakura? Why the heck would you want to do that?" he exclaimed.

Ryou started twirling his hair around his finger nervously. "Please don't ask any questions just now. I promise I'll tell you later just…please, will you do it?"

Was that desperation in Ryou's voice? It sure sounded like it was. Jou bit his lip, wondering if this was really such a good idea. There was no way he was going to leave Ryou alone with Bakura, that was for sure. That didn't mean he shouldn't arrange a meeting though. Just a short one, a few minutes. He could do that. If he got the guards to bring Bakura up from the dungeons into the interrogation room Ryou could have his meeting there. Jou could tell them Seto was in there and didn't want anyone but Jou to walk in. But should he really do it?

Jou sighed as he made his decision. "No more than ten minutes and I'm in the room with you the whole time," he negotiated.

A marvellous smile lit up Ryou's face. He hugged Jou tightly; telling him he was the greatest. Jou heartily agreed but inside he was worried that something would ruin the plan.


Bakura changed his position on the hard floor, trying to get comfortable. After spending a rough night without food he wasn't in the best of moods. It didn't help that both his arms were chained to the wall of a prison cell that was bare except for a pot to do his business in, and he was surrounded by guards that wished him nothing more than ill-will. At least he didn't have to share a cell with anyone and the chains were long enough to allow him to walk around a bit.

Bakura shifted onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He was hungry but it seemed it was still too early for breakfast. He'd probably only get scraps anyway; the bits nobody else thought edible.

His eyes slid shut and a face appeared behind the closed lids. A pained smile slipped onto Bakura's lips. Prison was all the more terrible without Ryou. Bakura missed the boy's warmth at night. He missed the conversations that chased away the boredom. He missed his gentle touches and kisses. He missed everything that was Ryou.

"Hey! Sleepyhead! Get up now or I'll give your food to the dogs." Bakura sat up to glare at the insolent guard. The guard sneered at him, unafraid of the man in irons. "I don't see the point in feeding worthless scum like you but orders are orders."

Bakura remained silent. He didn't see the point in arguing with the fool; it would only drag him down to the idiot's level. The guard opened the cell and put the tray of food on the floor before taking a step back. Bakura stood up and walked over to the tray. The shackles tugged at his wrists making Bakura discover a small problem with his plan. While he was chained to the wall there was no way he was going to be able to reach the food. From the smirk on the guard's face he knew it too.

"What's wrong? Not hungry?"

In a calm voice Bakura replied, "The Pharaoh's going to be disappointed if I die before he has the pleasure of condemning me to death."

The guard snarled and kicked over the tray. Bakura merely sat down and started eating his breakfast of stale bread, ignoring the spilt liquid to his right.

The guard was infuriated by Bakura's calmness. He strode over and kicked Bakura hard in the chest. Bakura cried out as his back hit the floor. A second cry echoed the first when the guard's foot stamped on Bakura's chest. The guard grinned sadistically. "You think you're so tough but here you're nothing. Even the flies have more worth than you."

"I'll remember that," Bakura ground out before he wrapped his hands around the guard's ankle and twisted him off onto the ground.

Bakura jumped to his feet and got into a defensive stance. The guard got to his feet just as reinforcements arrived at the entrance to the cell. They rushed forward to drag the enraged guard out of the cell.

"There's no need to get violent with the prisoners," chided the guard that had the highest rank of the lot. Bakura's tormentor nodded curtly, still looking sour. The senior guard then turned to Bakura. "Master Seto wishes to have a private word with you after you've finished eating. If you have done so I shall take you to him now."

Bakura looked at the scattered remains of breakfast. It would keep until he got back. He held up his hands and let the guards change his restraints. He allowed the guards to take him from his cell without resistance. Ryou's brother wanted to talk? He could handle that.


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