Here we are again with the first chapter that's not tumblr-exclusive! From now on I'll update the story every month, some time around the end of the month on a Friday. And now enjoy. :)

Yugi didn't want to stare but no muscle in his body would move. Lord Otogi with his maid, on a couch, kissing! Yugi had never seen anything like it!

Lord Otogi's lips ran over her neck and cleavage. The maid leaned back her head and sighed in a way that sent a tingle through Yugi's groin. Her and Yugi's eyes met and both flinched. She shrieked and jumped up from Lord Otogi's lap.

"What is it?", Lord Otogi said and she pointed at the door. Lord Otogi rose, his shirt half open, and approached Yugi's hiding spot. Yugi urged his legs to run but they wouldn't obey. Before he could do one step Lord Otogi had already pulled back the door. Yugi felt as if he was falling. Lord Otogi's eyes widened.

"My prince…! Sneaking into other people's chambers … that's not very polite", he said, his voice slightly shaking with insecurity.

"Is seducing your maid polite?!", it slipped out of Yugi's mouth, pointing at the woman. She was rearranging her skirts and hiding her red hair under a white cap.

"My dear, why don't you leave us alone for a moment?", Lord Otogi said to her. She nodded and hurried out of the room. Lord Otogi cleared his throat. "I suppose I owe you an explanation."

"You certainly do!" Only now Yugi remembered who he was talking to and anger flared through him. "Yesterday you kissed me! You've been lying to me this entire time!"

"I have not, not once."

"Don't try to play me for a fool!" Yugi tapped Lord Otogi's chest. But he recoiled when instead of fabric he touched Lord Otogi's naked skin. Yugi's cheeks glowed. "And button up your shirt!"

Lord Otogi sighed but he followed the command.

"I knew we'd have to have this conversation eventually. You see, in Kallias it's very common to be in a relationship with multiple people at the same time. Believe me, I had no intention to hurt you."

Yugi gasped.

"That's … that's disgusting! How can you claim to love several people?!"

"Why not?" Lord Otogi did the last buttons, hiding the tattoo of an ancient symbol on his neck under his collar. He reached for his blue cravat on the coffee table and tied it. "Can you love only one friend? One family member? Why are you people on the continent restricting yourselves in that regard?"

Yugi opened his mouth, ready to argue. But anger was still clouding his mind and he was unable to have a rational discussion.

"Because that's just how it is!", Yugi said. "And you're still a guest here so the least you could do is lay off these lewd habits for a few months!"

Lord Otogi snorted in indignation.

"My prince, ever since I got here I laid off drinking, smoking, and cursing, to name a few things. I'm doing my best to fit in well with Dareian aristocracy. You could at least let me have sex."

Yugi winced at the last word but his anger remained.

"I didn't know you despised my country this much."

"Quite the opposite, my prince. There are many things I value about Dareia: the clean streets, the general honesty of the people, and the gods strike the person down who dare say that there's a country that makes better cheese than yours."

Yugi didn't care about any of these compliments. He crossed his arms.

"I will tell my mother all about that disgusting behaviour of yours so you better tell your beloved maid to start packing!", Yugi said and was about to walk away.

"Ah but my prince, that would be very unwise." Lord Otogi sat down on the couch. "That way you'd lose your only Kallian ally and winning the support of Empress Mai would be even more improbable than it already is. Besides, if you choose to tell the queen I'll also be forced to tell her what happened between us and that you were anything but uncomfortable with my advances…"

Yugi's intestines turned to stone at the thought. If his mother demanded the truth he knew he wouldn't be able to lie. He glared at Lord Otogi.

"You…!"

"Don't look at me like that, my prince. Even though you're also very beautiful when you shake with anger." Lord Otogi's smile made Yugi's blood boil even more. "Besides, I figured that an affair between us was also for the good of the mission."

Yugi's brows knitted.

"What?!"

"I know the Kallian court. I can assure you that once you arrive the first thing that will come to the nobles' mind is: Who will seduce the Dareian prince first? I figured the safest way to protect you from that game was tying you to me before you could fall for the first person who calls you pretty."

Yugi gasped for air.

"I'd never fall for the first person who calls me pretty!", Yugi said but Lord Otogi chuckled.

"My prince … you did." It were only a few words but they were like a punch in the gut for Yugi. For a moment, his vision blurred. "Besides, I thought it would be easier for you this way. Speaking of, there's an important matter I need to talk to you about. And the queen. You see…"

Yugi wanted to yell at him to stop talking but the lump in his throat grew bigger every second. Yugi rushed out of the chambers and back into his own. He locked the door to his bedroom and sank into an armchair.

He wished his jaw and teeth were clenched in anger. But he knew he was trying to suppress tears of pain. It didn't matter what Kallians thought! To Yugi, this type of love was special and could only be shared with one person at a time. After Atem's rejection Yugi had been willing to give his heart to Lord Otogi and only him. He had even had his first kiss with him! But to Lord Otogi, Yugi was only another trophy and his advances had been for the benefit of the mission. He would court five other people beside him… Atem had been right…

It was as if an arrow pierced Yugi's heart. He had been a fool to believe that either of the two liked him in a romantic way. Shame made him bend over and hug himself. A sob emerged from his throat.

Glossary:

Dareia: Yugi's country, one of the countries of the continental alliance, located in the south east of the continent

Kallias: the country Atem grew up in, destination of Yugi's mission, consists of many islands, located south-eastern of Dareia, currently recovering from a civil war, lead by Empress Mai

Xanthos: country to the north of the continent, five times as big as the continent, intends to start a war

Eurodokia: country of the continental alliance, close partner of Dareia, located in the west of the continent

Continental Alliance: Alliance of the countries of the continent, has been at peace for 150 years