Natoya: Hi everyone! Welcome to chapter 10!
Yugi: Thanks to all the reviewers for their nice reviews of last chapter!
Yami: Yep. Thanks everyone.
Natoya: Okay now, onward to the chapter! Boys!
Yugi: Toya doesn't own us.
Yami: No, no she does not.
Natoya: Enjoy the chapter everyone!
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It had been about a week since Ryou had come to the palace, and he was learning the ropes rather quickly. Mortimer, or Cookie as Yugi had now dubbed him, was a pleasant man to work with and he was very kind to Ryou, which the albino was very grateful to him for. So far Ryou had heard nothing from Bakura, but he knew it would only be a matter of time until he found someway to ask Ryou about what he was looking for. Thinking of Bakura got him to thinking about Yugi. He had befriended Ryou instantly and Ryou was happy to be around him. He hadn't felt so comfortable around another person since his mother had died. Ryou felt a little sad at the thought. If he wanted to live, he had to tell Bakura about Yugi. Surely Bakura would know if Yugi was the right one, but just the idea of turning a person as sweet as Yugi over to someone like Bakura made Ryou's stomach turn.
"Ryou! Ryou!" Ryou turned and smiled when he saw Yugi running towards him.
"Good morning my Prince. How goes the wedding preparations?" Ryou asked. Yugi sighed and sat down next to Ryou on the bench the boy was sitting on.
"Fine I guess. We've decided on the colors, the types of flowers, all kinds of decorations... The only thing we can't seem to agree on is the food. Our tastes differ too much." Yugi said. Ryou gave him a sympathetic look, but then he brightened as an idea came to him.
"Why don't you serve both?" Ryou asked. Yugi's eyes widened.
"Serve both?"
"Yes! Serve food from both your country and his. Afterall, you two are mingling two separate countries and cultures, so it makes sense that something from both of you should stand out. And this gives the Egyptain people and yourself something new to try." Ryou said, clapping his hands together. Yugi smiled and hugged Ryou.
"That's a wonderful idea, thank you! I have to go tell Yami! And don't worry, I'll make sure he knows it was your idea!" Yugi chirped. He rose from the bench and was off in a flash. Ryou chuckled to himself. Yugi was so cute. Ryou decided then that he had been sitting long enough. Cookie would be wondering where he was if he didn't get back soon, and before long it would be time to make the little Prince and the Pharaoh their lunch. Ryou rose from the bench and walked off towards the kitchen.
Yugi hurried down the hall, heading back towards Yami's room. And after the wedding, it will be our room... Yugi thought to himself.A little blush stole across Yugi's cheeks at the thought. He opened the door to Yami's room and went inside. Yami was out on his balcony, staring down at the view. Yugi snuck up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, chirping a happy hello. Yami nearly jumped out of his skin, but he settled down when he realized it was only Yugi. He gave the boy a smile, bringing him around to hug his front.
"What's gotten into you?" Yami asked. Yugi smiled and let go.
"Ryou came up with a wonderful idea." Yugi replied. Yami raised a delicate black brow.
"And what was this idea?" Yami asked.
"Since we are going to be combining our countries and our cultures, Ryou suggested that we also combine our food choices. Make a little something for each of us, so we each have something familiar to eat, and something new to try." Yugi said. Yami smiled again.
"That sounds like a great idea. I'll have to thank Ryou later. And you know what that means, Yugi?" Yami asked. Yugi's smile faded.
"No, what?" Yugi asked.
"Now you have to make a list of all your favorite foods." Yami said in a teasing manner. Yugi sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Great. More lists. Gah!" The little one threw his hands up into the air and strode back into the bedroom. Yami watched him, waiting until he had climbed onto the bed before following him. Yami crawled onto the bed as well, sitting beside Yugi. Yugi leaned over, resting his head in Yami's lap. When Yugi had first started showing him more affection, Yami was surprised, but he quickly got used to it, loving the way it made him feel. So happy and wanted... He wondered why Yugi being so affectionate, but he quickly chalked it up to the fact that Yugi felt comfortable around him. He was the same way with Mana, Mahad, and now that new servant boy, Ryou.
"Yugi?" Yami asked, noting the boy was being very still for once. He looked down and saw that Yugi had fallen asleep. Yami smiled tenderly, gently stroking Yugi's hair. He was tempted to wake him so they could plan somemore for the wedding; that was what Yami had had planned for the day, but Yugi looked so cute... Yami moved him so he could lay down on the bed. Yugi's hand reached up as he let out a whine and grabbed a handful of Yami's shirt. Yami's eyes widened for a moment, but he lay down next to Yugi and pulled him into his arms when the boy snuggled up close to him. Ra, Yugi is adorable. Yami thought as he watched Yugi sleep.
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"A week. It's been a week, and we haven't heard anything from that blasted kid you sent to the palace!" Marik shouted, throwing his hands up to the ceiling.
"Relax. I didn't expect to hear anything. We didn't tell him how to contact us. Plus, I wanted to wait this long. Ryou most certainly has gotten something by now." Bakura said as he lounged lazily in his chair.
"Well when are we going to make our move?! The wedding will happen in two weeks! We can't wait till then or it will be too late!" Marik yelled. Bakura raised his brown eyes and met with Marik's worried lavander ones.
"You need to learn a little patience Marik. Good plans take time." Bakura said.
"Time we do not have!" Marik retorted.
"Relax." Bakura said again. "I was planning on contacting Ryou tonight anyway. He'll let us into the palace, tell us what he knows, and then we'll find and nab the little Prince. And then we'll do something even nastier to the poor Pharaoh." Bakura said with a wicked grin. Marik's eyes widened.
"What are you going to do?" Marik asked.
"Oh, something to assure he won't have long to look for his beloved Prince." Bakura said. "You know where Princess Mia went, do you not?"
"Yeah, Shiba. What does that...?" Marik trailed off and a gleam of wickedness entered his eyes. "Oh I see." Marik said, rubbing his hands together.
"Right. He will have to marry Mia if they can't locate his Prince." Bakura said. "I need you to send our beautiful Princess Mia a letter Marik."
"Oh, you're so bad!" Marik cried gleefully. Bakura smiled.
"I know." He replied.
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Ryou took a plate into the dining hall and set it before the Prince, his father who had come to join them, and the Pharaoh. Yugi thanked him before reaching for another roll, sipping the wine in his hand. Yami chuckled. Royalty did not have to thank the servants for handing out the food, but Yugi could not seem to stop doing it. Yami ate a bite of the wonderful meat that the cook had prepared. It was delicious. Yugi took a bite of something and grimaced, but swallowed anyway. One did not waste food, even if it tasted like you ate roadkill. Yami and King Edmond laughed.
"Didn't like that, huh?" Yami teased. Yugi shot him a glare.
"This was all your idea. You feed me your food, and you get mine." Yugi said.
"Of course. This way we can decide our wedding dishes Yugi." Yami said, taking another bite of the meat.
"I think it's a lovely idea Yami." Edmond said. Yugi shot him a glare too.
"Of course you do. You get to eat whatever you want Father." Yugi snapped. It had indeed been Yami's idea to have foods from both their countries served at dinner that night, that way they could decide on what they were to serve. Yugi looked longingly at the meat on Yami's plate. It was one of the recipes from his home country, one of Yugi's favorites, but he had to stick on a diet of Egyptian food tonight. A lot of it was good, but some of it had Yugi wanting to scrap it onto the floor. Ryou giggled at Yugi's reaction before hurrying back into the kitchen for another plate. As he grabbed another plate, a young boy walked up to him.
"Yes, can I help you?" Ryou asked.
"Um... I was told to give this to you. You are to reply right away." The boy said, trembling a bit. He was glad to have finally located Ryou. That scary man who looked just like Ryou wouldn't have to hurt him now. Ryou set the plate back down and took the letter from the boy, opening it.
Ryou,
Have you located our little prize yet? Tell me what you know.
Ryou gasped and his fingers tighened on the piece of parchment. Bakura had finally contacted him! The boy handed him an ink feather then.
"Please sir, hurry. He said he'd beat me sore if you didn't reply right away." The little boy said. Ryou gulped. He had no choice. He quickly scribbled a note at the bottom of the page and gave it to the boy. The boy thanked him and scurried off. Ryou picked up the plate, feeling very afraid. He knew he didn't look so good anymore, but he still had to do his job, so he hurried out of the kitchen. As he set the plate down, Yugi glanced at it and groaned.
"Oh please... No more food. I think I'm going to barf." Yugi said. Yami and Edmond laughed again.
"Alright. Ryou, please tell Mortimer that we're done." Yami said. Ryou bowed and went back into the kitchen.
"I do believe I am done as well. I'll go retire." Edmond said, getting up. He kissed Yugi on the forehead after saying goodnight and left to two alone.
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The little boy handed Bakura the note. Bakura snatched it away and opened it. Marik stood beside him, waiting to hear what Ryou had said.
Bakura,
I'm not sure if it is him. He doesn't talk about his home country.
Bakura cursed and held out his hand to the boy. He gave him the ink pen and he quickly wrote something down and gave it to the boy.
"Give this to Ryou. Make sure he does exactly what I say." Bakura snapped. The boy nodded and ran back into the palace. Marik sighed.
"What did he say?" Marik asked.
"He's not sure if it is our Prince. He doesn't talk about his home country." Bakura said. Marik's eyes widened.
"So we have to check ourselves?" Marik said. Bakura nodded.
"But don't worry. With Ryou there, he can take us right to the little whelp's room." Bakura said. Marik laughed.
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Ryou gulped when he saw the same little boy from earlier run up to him. He was alone in one of the hallways now, having been dismissed when Yugi and Yami wanted to retire to their rooms. The little boy handed him the same piece of parchment and Ryou opened it, looking it over.
Ryou,
Fine then. We'll have to check him ourselves. Meet us by the front gate at mid-night, the little boy will help you sneak us in. Once we are in, you will take us directly to the Prince's room. If he is our Prince, you get to go home. If not, well, I'll kill you.
Ryou felt like crying. If Yugi wasn't their prince, he would die? That wasn't fair! But Ryou had no choice. This little boy would probably let them in whether or not he helped, so he knew he had to. Only, he did not wish to betray Yugi! Yugi was his friend... The little boy grabbed his hand and began dragging him outside.
"Come on. They're waiting." He said. Ryou allowed himself to be dragged, thinking for a brief moment that he could run back and tell Yami what was happening, but his legs wouldn't move and obey him. Ryou was dragged all the way out to the gate. Bakura waited on the other side of that gate. Ryou gulped. The little boy told him how to open the gate and he reached up to do as he was told.
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Natoya: And I'm going to end that there. I'm truly very sorry if this chapter sucked and was kind of short, but I was running out of ideas. I promise the next chapter will be better and I'll try to make it longer.
Yugi: Waaaa! I'm gonna be kidnapped again!
Yami: /glare/
Natoya: Please read and review! Once more, I'm sorry cuz I know this isn't the greatest.
Yugi: /still crying/
Yami: /still glaring/
Natoya: ^^' See you next chapter!