"So, you are Cathy," Queen Dextra said. "I've heard a lot about you." Cathy bowed at the waist to the ruler of Animalia, one arm across her chest and her feet spread apart in the traditional cat clan way. Her cheeks were pink with excitement.

"It is an honor to finally meet you, your highness," she said. Cathy was perfectly capable of speech; however, being shy, it had taken a while to coax it out of her.

"I am the one who is honored," Queen Dextra replied smoothly. A petite woman, her violet hair elegantly framed her face, and her posture was perfect. Reportedly, she was a member of the Butterfly Clan, and her delicate appearance made it very believable. However, petite and delicate as Dextra was, power radiated from her, and you knew that as soon as she entered the room that this was a woman that commanded respect. It was clear why all the clans of Animalia had chosen her as their first ruler.

In contrast, the royal consort, Lord Nistro, was from the Bear Clan. He towered over his wife, and looking at them, you would have thought he was in charge. His eyes were gleaming and wild, his hair red and bushy, and masculine build undeniably intimidating. Well, intimidating to everyone except Yuma, who didn't know when to be intimidated or not.

When the royal couple had first arrived, the Prince had walked right up to him and asked, "Do you duel?" Of course,, Lord Nistro had, at first, thought Yuma meant swordplay, and had informed him that he did, but he preferred less violent pastimes. However, once the game of Duel Monsters had been explained to him, he had quickly become another one of Yuma's playmates.

"That boy draws friends to him like bees to a honey pot," Empress Mira remarked.

"We can hardly condemn him for it, can we, dear?" Kazuma asked. He turned to see one of his long term guests approaching him. "Ah, Queen Dextra, allow me to introduce to Prince Christopher of Arclight. He is visiting us at the moment."

"Queen Dextra," Chris greeted, bowing with one arm behind his back, in the proper Arclightian style. "It is truly a great honor to meet a monarch so greatly respected by her people."

"Monarch?" Queen Dextra raised an eyebrow, curtsying back to him. "I much prefer Butterspys." She straightened, laughing at the look of confusion on Chris's face. "It's a butterfly clan joke," she explained. "I'm sorry. I am pleased to meet you as well, Prince Christopher."

"Oh, monarch. I get it" Chris grinned ruefully. "You must forgive my naivety."

Dextra waved away his embarrassment. "I'm the one who should be asking for forgiveness." She turned back to Cathy. "Will you take me to meet your people? I'm very anxious to meet them."

"Of course. This way your highness."

"Would you like me to come with you?" Nistro called from where he was involved in a duel with Yuma.

"No. It's alright," Dextra told him. "You boys have fun." She turned to follow Cathy and Kazuma through the palace, out towards the back, where Cathy's people were waiting for her. "Nistro loves children," The Animalian Queen told Kazuma. "Since he's still a child a heart himself. I think he and Yuma are going to get along well."

Kazuma laughed. "You're probably right."

Cathy people preferred to stay outdoors, so despite the chilly April morning; they were waiting in the courtyard. Kazuma shivered a little as the morning air washed over him, but neither Cathy nor Dextra seemed to notice. If anything, they seemed to relish breathing fresh air. Cathy's people recognized her and called out to her in their cat-like language. Kazuma recognized the series of sounds that Cathy's clan members identified her by.

"Do you understand what they're saying?" He asked as the Cat Clan members communicated with each other. Dextra shook her head.

"Not really. Nistro might; the Bear Clan dialect is closer to theirs."

Cathy must have finished introducing Dextra to her people, because they all turned collectively to greet her in the same manner that Cathy had minutes before. Kazuma hung back as the Animalian Queen spoke with the Cat People, watching the transaction with fascination. After all these years, it looked as if the deep wounds of the slave trade in Heartland were beginning to heal. Now if only he and Byron could convince Lord Faker to give it up altogether. Lady Tenjo would have been easier to convince, as she was a more liberal thinker, but she was probably dead by now.

As the weather grew warmer and April turned to May and May to June, the different royals got to know each other quite well. As Dextra had predicted, Yuma and Nistro became great friends. When they weren't dueling, the palace echoed with laughter and growls (from Nistro) as they played tag or Hide-and-Seek. Cathy fit into Yuma's group of friends easily as well. She always won at Hide-and-Seek because her cat-like features allowed her to hide in trees, so high among the branches that no one could see her from below.

Emperor Kazuma and Queen Dextra stood on a balcony one afternoon, watching as Nistro, Yuma, Tori, Flip, Caswell, and Bronk searched for Cathy, determined not to let her win yet again. The two rulers, unlike the searchers, could see the Cat Girl clearly from their position, and she waved at them and motioned for them to stay quiet. As the two adults watched the final stage of the game, a conversation came up that would change the course of not only Heartlandish, but Barian history.

"Will you and Nistro be going home soon?" Kazuma asked, his eyes following Yuma's path through the gardens.

Dextra nodded. "I have had a definite 'yes' or 'no' from all of the Cat Clan members living here. Most of them will return to Animalia, but a few wish to remain here. These are mostly young ones, like Cathy there." She smiled at the girl crouching on a tree limb, perfectly still to avoid being detected.

"Cathy's decided to stay?"

"Yes. It seems she's grown quite attached to your son Yuma and his friends." She paused, as if trying to decide whether or not to say something.

"What's on your mind?" Kazuma asked, tearing his gaze away from the scene below him to look at her.

"It's Yuma," Dextra began hesitantly. "From what Nistro tells me, he doesn't seem to understand the institution of slavery that brought Cathy's people here."

"Well, he's only a boy," Kazuma said defensively. "I don't think he's ready for all the details yet."

"Then when do you intend to teach him about it?"

Kazuma looked down at the serious young woman before him and nodded slowly. "Yes. One day he'll have to learn what slavery is. Hiding the cruelties from our past from the younger generation is the best way to ensure they're repeated." He turned again to watch his son scurrying about in the gardens below. "But I wish he didn't have to learn."

Dextra nodded her understanding, turning her gaze to her husband. "Sometimes I wonder if Nistro avoids the truth too much. He knows about the cruelties of the world, but having never experienced them for himself, he doesn't really understand. Simply telling him doesn't really get the point across. He needs to see to understand."

"I have a feeling it's the same way with Yuma. We sat Kari down and explained the evils of slavery to her when she started asking questions about her history lessons, and she understood it. But most of the things we say to Yuma go right over his head." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Mira and I have been discussing it, on and off. We think that when he's a bit older- thirteen, perhaps- we should take him to see some of the effects of slavery. Probably in the Southern Isles."

"Those islands are under your jurisdiction, aren't they? Don't your antislavery laws apply to them?"

"Yes, but it's very hard to enforce them there. They have their own governors who pass their own legislation, whether it's in violation of Tsukamonian law or not."

"I see," Dextra said.

Down below, Yuma and the others had finally conceded, and Cathy dropped gracefully down from her hiding place. The seekers all yelped in surprise and jumped back when she made her entrance. Poor Flip turned to run and tripped over a tree root, sending him sprawling to the ground. Both Kazuma and Dextra chuckled at the scene.

"Have you been watching the whole time?" Nistro asked, clearly annoyed. When his wife nodded, the big man let out a growl and charged inside, determined to get up the stairs to the petite purplette. Dextra ran from him, yelling insults over her shoulder until he finally caught her.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with merriment and laughter, and no one guessed that, in other places, a far more deadly game of Hide-and-Seek was beginning.

Next time on A Tale of Two Slaves: A prophecy from the past is brought to light.