A few days of traveling had led Lord Friedrich and Minstrel Gilbert into the Club Kingdom. Both men, despite the journey being long, were energized. Which is why when they were sprung upon, they quickly found their weapons.

About twenty men stood ready to capture or kill them. The Lord and Bard shared a look. Friedrich sighed, "I told your grandfather, didn't I?"

"You did." Gilbert replied. With a nod, they sprang to action.

"Get them." The group's apparent leader barked.

Roughly six men rushed Gilbert and Friedrich. The royals had put their backs together, and held their swords up in defense. Two of the trappers swung at Gilbert. One's sword breezed above the Bard's head as Gilbert parried a jab aimed for his heart.

Friedrich stepped back from a swing, pushing Gil a pace forward. The Lord blocked a blades and shoved it at its wielder. The first stumbled back as the second cut into Friedrich's shoulder. Another man swooped into slice at Friedrich. The Lord stuck his sword in the undefended attacker yet took another cut, this time across his brow. Friedrich dropped the man from his blade, decapitated the one the kept hurting him and glanced behind at Gilbert.

The young Joker did not notice a blade heading for his neck. The Lord shoved Gilbert's head down and tilted himself out of the blade's path. The sword caught itself in the neck of another trapper. Anger filled the man that had killed his brethren.

Gilbert kicked that man's feet from under him. The trapper fell onto blades behind him, his body shoving two other trappers to the ground.

Friedrich dodged a swing to his midsection, hitting the attacker with a hilt to the face. The trapper fell back a step. The ambusher spat blood and a tooth before growling and charging. Friedrich did last minute swing and gutted his attacker.

The Lord was swarmed and beat til his consciousness left as Gilbert slayed the tow attacking him. The Bard fell to the same treatment.

[|]

"These are our newest prisoners, sir." The tallest trapper bowed.

The young yet haggard man whom was being addressed looked about his troops, "Only fourteen remain. What occurred, Svan?"

"They were," Svan cleared his throat, "killed, sir."

"How many were in this party?" 'Sir' pointed at the Lord and Minstrel.

"Just them, sir." Svan went pale at the furious look his boss sent his way.

"You were unable to apprehend or kill these two until they defeated six men?" The boss man obviously did not believe him.

"T-Turk-" Svan stammered before he was slapped. Svan crashed into a pillar.

"Another mistake and it is your life, Svan." Turk snarled. "Take them to the cages. Now."

"Y-yessir." Svan managed, giving the remaining of the ambush a signal.

[|]

Lord Friedrich and Minstrel Gilbert were shoved into a bare iron barred cage the bottom of which was covered in hay. The cages were apparently used for important persons, given the amount of space that was given. Both men seemed to be in a shocked state.

When Gilbert snapped out of it an hour after their imprisonment, he turned to Friedrich. Many things caught the Bard's attention. First, the Lord was staring at the hay-covered ground like he was stone. Next and currently more important, Friedrich's left shoulder and forehead were bleeding from a cut each. Also, the Travelling Lord's stance was that of a man welded to the floor, his eyes haunted and back stiff.

Gilbert ripped part of his cloak and reached toward the forehead wound. His wrist was caught. He looked at Friedrich in surprise and was caught in a very haunted gaze.

"No." The older man whispered.

"It needs tending to or it won't heal." The Bard replied softly.

"Then I'll do it." The Lord turned to take the piece of cloak.

"No, you can hardly reach, I can do it." Gilbert objected, "Please, just let me help."

"I will do it, not you." Friedrich stated.

"It would just be easier to let me help."

"I do not need your help."

"But-"

"I will do it, boy!"

Gilbert's eyes widened and he took a step back. Gilbert simply dropped the cloth into Friedrich's grip, looked down and backed away. Friedrich realized he had crossed some form of line in his quickly blooming friendship with the younger man and cursed beneath his breath.

However, Friedrich bandaged himself in the uneasy silence between them. He could not risk being blinded by concern when death was a very real possibility. Not again.

Somewhere during Friedrich's first aid, Gilbert had fallen asleep in the corner of their cage. When food had come, the Lord began to shake Gilbert's shoulder to wake him, "Gil."

Nothing.

"Gilbert, awaken."

Once more, the Minstrel did not awaken.

"Gilbert!" Friedrich shouted. Gilbert shot up, gasping in surprise. He looked wildly to Friedrich, eyes huge from fear. Friedrich's expression softened a bit, "They brought food."

"Oh." Gilbert murmured.

"Gilbert?" A voice called seekingly from the cage across from them.

The Bard swiftly moved to the edge of the cage and peered into the one the voice had come from, "No damn vay. Roderich?!"

Roderich's voice sounded even more confused, "How in the Kingdoms did you get here?"

"I am a Minstrel, I travel, you know that." Gilbert said, annoyance tainting his tone. "How did one of the big Three of the Clubs get caught?"

"I, well, I was going to the Hearts to deliver news…" The Jack trailed off.

"News?" Gil inquired.

"Yes, you see, King Torvald is to be a great-grandfather." Roderich blushed.

"Holy hells, you actually..? Vith Eli?" Gilbert prodded, also blushing.

"Y-yes! Ve are married, you know!" Rod said defensively.

Lord Friedrich burst into laughter. Startled, both Minstrel and Jack turned to him. Under normal circumstances, Gilbert would smile upon hearing Fritz's laughter but there was something wrong about this laughter. This laughter was tainted with hysteria.

Gilbert was compelled to reach out and cup Friedrich's face, "Hey, Friedrich, I need you to come back."

The Lord continued in his hysteric laughing.

"Fritz, ve're going to have to come up vith a plan und I'm going to need you for that." Gil stated firmly, locking his eyes with Friedrich's glazed over ones. Gilbert's ruby eyes sharpened in focus, "I need you."