Chapter Twenty-Seven

Morning saw the weather helping Atemu with his plot to keep them all together. Over a meter of snow had fallen overnight and it was still coming down. No horse nor carriage would be able to go anywhere far. They were stuck.

Though the weather outside was not half as frosty as breakfast.

Katsuya joined them at the royal table, sitting one-space-between on the same side as Seto. Yuugi and Atemu sat in the same manner as they had last night. Yuugi, as before, ate with studied detachment, while Katsuya clearly couldn't keep his disgust off his face. Atemu nonchalantly engaged Seto in small talk, as if he wasn't still breaking bread with his potential murderers.

After breakfast, Yuugi and Katsuya disappeared somewhere. Atemu left to dictate responses to the previous day's post, though who knew when it would be delivered to the recipients, and Seto was left to his own devices. Which was immensely annoying.

For a while, he stayed in the palace library. It was filled with rows and rows of books, statuary, and paintings. There were many interesting tomes of literature, history, and philosophy and Seto spent some time reading sections from a few. Finally, however, he grew impatient with it and went to find Atemu. He did find him in one of the receiving rooms, still surrounded by dignitaries and functionaries, who had all been staying or had been kept over at the palace. Seto of course was rebuffed entrance, and asked when Atemu was expected to be done.

"Supper, maybe," the guard said. "Already ordered dinner brought up for the lot."

Irritated, Seto wandered off aimlessly. What the hell was he supposed to do? Shut up in the palace, he couldn't take care of his own affairs, which would have occupied almost all of his own day.

Damn Atemu for his little game, bringing Seto here.

"Oi. Mr. Kaiba, isn't it?"

Seto looked up. A couple of men were walking toward him down the hall, though which hall this was now, Seto hadn't been paying attention to know. The men were Peers, like himself, but he couldn't remember their names.

"Yes," he said, a trifle guardedly. All he needed was for someone else to get on him about Charlotte or the murders.

"Name's Vincent Rhodes." He held his hand out to shake and Seto did so reluctantly.

"I'm Duncan Mott," the other man said, also shaking Seto's hand.

"We were just off to elevenses, thought maybe you'd like to join us?" Vincent asked.

Seto debated quickly. On the one hand, he didn't particularly look forward to another social gathering. He could decline and they probably wouldn't be surprised. On the other hand, he had nothing else to do and while that still generally would have been preferable, maybe he could get some feel of public opinion. Things had changed drastically in a short amount of time and now he knew for sure that Alexandra was right; he'd do best to tiptoe around his contemporaries for the foreseeable future.

"I accept," he said.

"Great."

The three of them headed to one of the palace's many entertaining rooms. It turned out the two weren't the only ones who were gathered, though thankfully there was just three others. Two women and one other man. Neither of the women was Charlotte. Nor did he think either was a friend of hers.

"Bit frightful weather," fourth man said. He was named Cecil Mott and was Duncan's cousin. He also talked older than he was.

"It'll blow over," Duncan said. "Snow in England isn't unheard of, is it?"

The group chuckled. The women were named Adelaide Jones and Elizabeth Williams. Over a light lunch of sandwiches, blacmange, and tea, the group chatted about current events. Seto noted that none of them mentioned any of the most important ones and he was confused. Why else had he been invited? Even if the proceedings in the Magistrate's Court had been kept secret somehow, there was no doubt his arrest was public knowledge. Yet here he was, not in gaol, at the palace itself.

Finally, against his better wishes, he turned the tide of conversation that way himself. "King Atemu seems to be doing much better," he said casually.

The group did go silent, glanced at him and at each other, then finally Vincent spoke. "You probably saw right through us, eh?"

"You invited me to hear about what I know."

The group did look abashed. "We also did want you to know, we don't care a whit about anything Charlotte is saying," Adelaide said. "No relation of mine, you know. She's all around our peers, harping like a fishwife." She blushed a little at what was a fairly crude saying. "But we know Charlotte, and Beth was at the restaurant that day."

"What a scene," Beth said, though Seto couldn't tell if she approved or disapproved of the spectacle. "Charlotte was dreadful."

"And she often is," Duncan said. "I've been on the receiving end of her unsubtle crusade to catch herself a man, and in fact, she gave up on me to seek you out, so I both thank you and pity you."

Seto couldn't help a faint smile. "I think she's finally given up on me as well."

"Oh, my, yes," Adelaide said.

"But that's not the only reason you invited me," Seto prompted. "You want to know about all the goings-on here."

"Well, yes," Vincent said with a bit of a frown. "Seemed rude to ask, but we're curious, yes. Wasn't the only reason we asked you, though."

Seto was surprised to find he believed them, even though he wasn't sure what the reason was.

"We were at the party, actually, all of us. You know, in January," Vincent went on. "We know you were there the whole time, and we know it was you pulled the King from the pond. We told the police the same. If you'd had anything to do with it, why would you risk your life to save him?"

Seto wasn't about to go into the thought that he could have staged the whole thing to get closer to Atemu and how Atemu falling in was bad luck more than anything. So, he said nothing to what was, to them, a rhetorical question.

"But we are a bit curious," Adelaide said hesitantly.

"It's a matter of continuing investigation," Seto said carefully, trying to balance his innate tendency to be blunt with the new attempt to not offend anyone. Still, he had to be truthful. To lie now would be a big mistake. "I am a person of interest, though of course I had nothing to do with it."

"Of course," Duncan agreed. "I was half expecting that Charlotte had something to do with it, going to the police and placing the blame on you, out of spite."

Seto nearly laughed out loud. What a scapegoat that would be, to suggest she was the reason he was framed. But of course he knew better.

"We wanted you to know we believe in you," Beth said.

Seto wasn't sure what to say. He really didn't care what anyone thought of him. Still, these five had gone out of their way to try to be nice and reassure him. Just like Alexandra.

"I appreciate that," he said finally.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting?" a lady's voice asked.

They looked up. It was Catherine, Yuugi's suit, standing beside their table and smiling.

"Not at all, Cath," Beth said. "I'm so happy to see you."

The men stood and Duncan pulled out a chair and Catherine settled herself down with a thanks. Seto then sat back down with some discomfort. This was Yuugi's sweetheart, which meant at any moment, Yuugi himself could turn up. Seto would rather not be in the vicinity. Katsuya himself probably was not here now that it was midday; although the weather was still too treacherous for Seto to make the hours-long trip home, Scotland Yard was mere blocks away. Still, he could be back at any second and any unplanned contact with the prince and his leashed policeman could be painful.

Conversation continued on bland matters. Seto was trying to think of the best way to extricate himself without coming across as rude-something he never would have worried about before now-when he realized that Catherine appeared to be looking at him with concealed anger. He wasn't really surprised to think that Yuugi would have tried to turn anyone against him that he could. And Katsuya, too, he was sure. That made for at least three people who were killing his image, and possibly more of those men who actually were infatuated with Charlotte, or ladies who were her friends. It was no surprise that Kaiba business holdings were doing poorly at last report.

Thankfully, Duncan was the one who gave Seto an out. He glanced at his pocket watch and announced it was after two pm and he had business to attend to. Those who lived and worked in London were not trapped at the palace, and so the group broke up to see to their various affairs. During the whole conversation, Catherine had not once spoken directly to Seto and she swept off with the other women without another word.

Relieved that he hadn't seen a hair of Yuugi, Seto bade farewell to Vincent and the Motts and returned to the library. He'd busy himself with reading for as long as he could stand, then see if Atemu was available. He decided to tell him about what he'd seen in Yuugi's bedroom. Now that he knew that Atemu was sure of Yuugi's guilt, he wasn't too worried about Atemu becoming angry with him for sneaking around and spying.

With Atemu fully aware of Yuugi's absolute involvement, perhaps the two of them could come up with a plan to entrap him.

But, as expected, Seto didn't see Atemu until supper. By that time, Katsuya had returned from Scotland Yard. Thankfully, a few of the people who had been visiting were staying on, and Yuugi and Katsuya joined Catherine and some other people for the meal, leaving Seto alone with Atemu in the private dining hall. Still, with the ever-present guards and servants in the room, Seto had no opportunity to talk to Atemu about Yuugi. How exactly did he set that up? Perhaps he could suggest another chess game.

He did have one public matter to discuss. "The snow has let up. I will be heading home in the morning."

"Will you?" Atemu said, sipping from his glass.

Seto frowned at him. "Do I need your permission?"

Atemu fixed him with a look. "You've been so keen to remind me I'm more a figurehead remember? You know the answer to that. Feel free to do as you wish."

Seto decided to ignore that barb. He was going home in the morning, no matter what plans Atemu thought he had. He had affairs to take care of, and wasn't going to allow all this intrigue to change his life. Still, he had been wanting to talk to Atemu all evening.

"I don't suppose you'll see me off with a game of chess?"

Atemu was not stupid and caught the implication. His eyes narrowed, but all he said was, "Of course."

Dinner was over not long after, Atemu refusing a dessert course. He was evidently eager to hear what Seto had to say. Relieved to finally be having something of use happening that day, Seto followed Atemu to the parlor where the chessboard appeared to be eternally ready for a game.

Maybe it was left as a monument to Lady Helen.

Imperial Guard Dobbs was clearly upset again to have Atemu order him and the other guards out, but he didn't even try to argue this time. The door remained open, though.

Seto barely paid attention when Atemu started them off by moving a white pawn. He quickly confessed to sneaking around several times, which didn't cause Atemu to even twitch. Seto wondered if Atemu had suspected it before now. It didn't seem to matter, which was a relief. While they played, he told Atemu everything he'd seen, including Yuugi and Katsuya's trysts. That did cause a reaction, and Atemu's look of surprise morphed into a sudden fit of snickering. Mystified, Seto stared at him.

"What's so funny?"

"Ahh, it's not, really. I was just thinking how ironic it is that Yuugi and I have ever so much in common." Atemu's smile faded immediately. "Continue."

Seto did so, reiterating Katsuya's threats to him, Yuugi's cold and angry looks whenever Atemu's attention was elsewhere, and the fact that his letter opener had disappeared the day of the party. As he continued with his timeline, he suddenly hesitated. Now there was almost direct proof Yuugi was at best aware of the plot that had led to the loss of Lady Helen, clearly still a fresh wound, and he'd nearly plowed into it without thinking of the effect it would have. Whatever he was, Yuugi was family, and he not only had a hand in the attempted murder of Atemu, he'd callously dismissed the loss of an innocent woman, who had been very dear to Atemu.

Atemu looked up at him curiously. Seto pushed his misgivings aside. There was no time for that. So, he continued on, telling Atemu everything he'd seen and heard the previous night. As expected, Atemu's gaze lowered back to the chessboard as Seto talked, and his hand hovered with his Knight in his grasp. As Seto watched, his fingers tightened on the figurine. When he finished, Atemu's head was bowed so low his bangs were obscuring his face. Seto waited in silence, and at least Atemu plunked his Knight down and raised his head. His face and voice were studiously calm.

"I see. So, all this because Ireland wants to be independent and I am considering allowing it."

Seto was shocked. Ireland had been a part of Britain's rule for almost 700 years. Giving them their independence would nearly halve the size of the British Isles. And if Atemu was thinking of granting Ireland their independence, what then of Australia? India? Or any number of current territories. True, Atemu didn't actually have such power, but his influence as King was indisputable and there would be massive support from the Irish and elsewhere. If Atemu publicly declared he wanted Irish independence, and Parliament refused, a massive uprising could happen. It could happen on the British side, too, if Parliament agreed, from those who thought like Yuugi.

America had been independent for less than a century and that was still a wound that stung to many of the old-fashioned, even if they hadn't even been alive at the time. British colonialism, the belief of British superiority, was held dear to heart by many, old and young.

"I see you are surprised," Atemu said.

"I…"

"Do you want to know why I hate it when you call me 'Your Majesty'?" Atemu reached down and picked up his King piece. "All my life, I have been treated differently than anyone else my age, even Peers such as yourself, those with great personal power and wealth. Differently even than Yuugi himself, a member of the Royal Family, nearly equal to myself. With great discretion and respect and care. Even when I behaved my worst, and I tested it many times on purpose, few would dare talk back to me. Only my governess when I was young would even scold me, and even then she talked more like it was a suggestion she was just offering than telling me what to do. There are those out there, Imperial Guard Dobbs for one, and many others I've never even met, who would die for me without question. Perhaps even kill for me if I requested it."

Seto watched as Atemu turned his King slowly around in his fingers. His scarlet eyes were fixed on the piece and he didn't glance up at Seto.

"And all because I was born to whom I was born. And they born to their parents, back as far as my line goes. And those of others lines. All throughout the world in any monarchy past or present. Nothing else. I didn't earn it. I didn't even ask for it. They'd give their lives for me because I was born to a king and they weren't. Meanwhile, here even in my country, squalor runs rampant. Children die choking on soot, crammed into chimneys because their parents can't afford to let them have childhoods. Men have their bodies mangled by machinery and are back to work in an instant, if they even recover, because they have mouths to feed. Women walk the streets selling their bodies, covered in lice and infested with disease to get a few pence to stave off hunger pains for another day."

"Atemu, you and your father have instigated and overseen so many reforms. Education and prison reform have changed so much-"

"Do you think that matters to the person who died in the gutter last night, frozen to death because he had no home to go to? To the child born tomorrow who will soon be sent to a workhouse were she'll end up deformed making matchsticks for the wealthy? And if I showed up before either, they'd bow to me and call me Your Majesty and be tickled pink I even looked their way."

Atemu's grip on the King piece was so tight his hand was shaking.

"Even worse for those who call me King only because our ancestors invaded their lands, burned and raped and slaughtered just to take what wasn't theirs. Just because I was lucky enough to be born a prince."

"Atemu-"

"I stay on the throne to do what little I can. Continue what my father started. Finally kings the people can be proud of." His voice was a strange mix of scathing sarcasm and pride. "Make the changes I can, slowly, so slowly, so that maybe, someday, we can all be equal. And no one would bow to someone else simply because they were born with different strokes of luck. If I had even the faintest belief Yuugi would do what was right, I'd give him what he wanted in a heartbeat. But he won't. So, it's up to me. No matter what."

Atemu set his King piece back in its square. Then tipped it over.

"Long live the King."

tbc...