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Anzu woke up pretty early, considering the time she went to bed.
She came down to the kitchen and seeing that no one was up, she took her time to go see the hens, that were now under Mana's care and collect the eggs. Mana had more important things to concentrate on and Anzu had some free time now.
She wanted to see to the stables next, to find out how Kuri was faring, when she heard voices.
Before she could panic, she recognized one of the voices to be Joey. She stopped to listen, minding Mahad's advice - always be on guard. It wasn't like she didn't trust Joey, gods forbid, yet any new information, as Mahad said, would be useful. So she stayed, trying to keep as quiet as possible.
"... he wasn't even angry, you know? I would even say he was sympathetic, and that was even worse. He assumed I would fail and I did. You all were surprised he chose me and I proved you right. I..." Here, Joey was interrupted.
"Don't be absurd and stop pitying yourself this instant." That was Mai, her tone harsh like it was the night before. " True, we were surprised, but can you blame us? It was nothing personal, you were just a person from outside, a man whom we met recently, who was not as skilled and did not receive the same training we did." Here, Anzu heard something she assumed to be a hit. "I said, stop pitying yourself! You are behaving like a child! You are not a knight and you weren't with us on our journey, how could you be skilled? You are a huntsman, and a good one since you found us in the forest. "
Joey was now worryingly silent.
"But you are not a spy, so don't beat yourself up now, because it is no use. It was prince's and yours decision and you both decided it was a good idea. So bear that responsibility and stop whining. "
"What would you do?" Joey asked in a small voice, so that Anzu barely heard him.
Mai laughed, but it was not a happy laugh. It had some dark edge to it and it reminded Anzu of the prince.
"The same thing I did year ago. I would swear to him that I can gain his trust back and I would do just that."
"What?" At least at that Joey's tone stopped sounding so defeated.
"He hasn't told you? I betrayed him year ago. "
What? Anzu was using all of her willpower not to scream. What was going on? She thought she knew these people! Now, she was cursing her own naiveté. And she claimed that Yugi was the naive one, what a joke! But... If Mai betrayed them, how was she still alive?
"How... Why are you here then?" Joey asked, and Anzu moved even closer to the wall, not wanting to lose any single word.
"I joined the prince out of curiosity after he bested me in duel. I was a champion in my village, the Sword Mistress and I was without an equal. So of course, I was cocky enough to challenge him after one comment from Mana, who said that I stood no chance. I remember it so well... They were sitting in the inn, just in the corner, talking just among themselves. I was celebrating my victory over... I cannot even recall his name right now. And suddenly, in the midst of my companion's cheering, I heard this little girl saying 'I bet she has nothing on you, Your Highness'. Mai's voice was suddenly serious and pensive.
'I couldn't pass up the possibility of defeating a royalty, no matter which country they came from, so I challenged him. He smirked at me, as if I was just an amusing little girl waving her sword around. So I started to taunt him, and finally, he stood up. We went outside and fought in the night because I thought that knowing the terrain would give me advantage."
"It didn't, right? He is good with darkness." Mai hummed at that, confirming Joey's suspicions.
"I didn't last long and he disarmed me with no difficulty. As you can imagine, I wasn't very happy about that. I decided to join him to learn how to best him. I was getting bored with winning every single time and he was something new. By then, Ryou wasn't with us yet and Marik was much more jumpy and sticking to Ishizu and that tattooed guy, so I mostly spent my time with Mana and Mahad, and the prince of course. They taught me much and I was certain that soon, I would beat them all."
"Did you?" Anzu wondered, if the two would have this conversation with her in the room. She felt bad just listening in and she wanted to ask some questions of her own, but then... She had noticed that there is some bond between Mai and Joey, so maybe it was better that she stayed hidden.
"No. Then, we met the Order of Atlantis and they were strong, stronger than the prince's knights. So I left the group and joined the Order, wanting to become more powerful. I told them everything I knew about the prince, how he hated light and how Mahad and Mana were more precious to him than his life, how he escaped from somewhere. I thought it was just useless information, simple gossiping. Sounds familiar?"
It did. Anzu wondered for a moment, if the history was not just repeating itself, slightly changing the names of its heroes. It left the colour of hair intact in case of Mai and Joey. At this, Anzu had to hold back laugh. Truly, her life was descending into madness.
"Yes. But what made you change your mind?"
"It turned out that the Order was after the prince for some reason, as you know he is not that good at making friends. We ambushed him in the daylight and I cannot tell you what I was thinking then. I only wanted to prove to myself that I was better than him. Mahad, Mana, everyone was fighting with the Order, while I went for the prince. He was terrifying in his anger, and even though the sun had put him in disadvantage, he was fighting me and winning. I fell down on the ground."
"Did he... Wait, he could possibly kill you and resurrect you, so don't mind me, do go on." Ah, Joey. Anzu had to stifle her laugh once again. Mai didn't bother with that.
"I sometimes forget that you are still a child, Joey." She said, still laughing. "No, he didn't kill me. Lying, I noticed that one of me 'brothers' was ready to behead Mana. And believe me or not, I couldn't bear the thought of causing Mana's death. You know her, she is so gentle, so high-spirited... So, against my principles, I escaped from my battle with the prince and went to save Mana. I managed to drive Varon off, but I didn't see Amelda coming at me from behind, I was busy making sure Mana was all right. She had her arm broken and fighting with left hand was not her forte, so I was trying to shield her and get her to safety at the same time. And then Amelda attacked. We would have been dead, if it wasn't for the prince. "
"He sound like a hero, even though he doesn't act like it." Joey noticed, and Anzu had to silently agree.
"Yes, and sometimes I hate him for it. He protected us both, as if forgetting about my betrayal. Mana was clinging to me, asking me were Mahad was and I could answer her because my mind was blank. I didn't know what to do, what was going to happen, so I just watched. Finally, Mahad, Rishid and the prince killed the master of the Order and the rest of my 'brothers' escaped. We were saved. Or, at least they were, because I didn't know what fate would await me."
Anzu was sure that she heard the small wavering of Mai's voice when she said that. The pure emotion in those words made her forget her previous suspicions towards Mai.
"I remembered asking Mana why she didn't fight me when I came to her, and her answering 'because we were friends.' I think I cried at that. And then, the prince came to me and said, that because I saved Mana, I will be spared."
"It feels awful when he is forgiving, doesn't it?" Joey mused.
"It is. And I didn't want to go away. I finally understood, that going with them was the best that happened to me. I never had friends, you see, for I simply didn't need them. Or so I thought. They showed me how companionship looks like and I wanted that. More than victories, as it turned out. So I begged him to let me stay. I swore that I will make him trust me again. He accepted. And that's how we are here, bonding in stables over our failures." She finished cheerfully.
Now Anzu felt guilty about staying. What Mai said was private, only for Joey to hear. Mai opened up to him because he made a similar choice, a similar mistake and she wanted to cheer him up, to show him that he is still worthy, that he can redeem himself. Anzu didn't have any right to hear any of it.
She stood up and crawled away, trying to minimize the noise she made.
This is what became of her, a suspicious, morally opaque person who listened to other people's conversations.
On the other hand, that's what Mahad told her to do, every time. She was supposed to take every opportunity to learn something new.
But who was Mahad to her?
It was all very confusing and with time she was becoming more and more invested and yet unsure of what was going on.
She entered the kitchen and started making tea, causing enough noise so that she won't hear any potential conversation that might be carried on within her earshot.
Now she understood clearly what Yugi was talking about. They were taught different set of morals, they understood what was right and what was evil very differently than he prince and his men. And they allowed themselves to be molded to the knight's standards, or at least Anzu did. But parts of her didn't agree with theses new set of rules, trying to compromise between 'right' and 'wise'.
No time to have doubts now.
Gods gave her knights as her saviors, so following them, following the prince, would be a logicall thing to do.
The prince told her that she was wise.
And in a tale, almost every hero has to slay a dragon at some point. It doesn't make him a monster
She said to him then, and she believed that too. But was she a hero as well? Did she and all of them deserve absolution for what they did only because it was for a good cause?
Or maybe they were villains, drunk on their ideas of greatness that were just making excuses for evil they caused?
Anzu looked out of the window to the garden and saw Joey and Mai coming out of the stables, small content smiles on their faces, as if everything was all right, as if they were just taking a walk.
"Good morning!" Mai said happily stepping into the kitchen.
"And to you as well." Anzu replied, and she didn't even had to fake her smile. She loved these people and she believed in their cause, in their words. And Mai's tale should serve as the final proof, that they were not evil, or at least, that they had goodness in them. And that was more than she could say about Aknadin's troops.
"I think I will have to talk to the prince anytime soon, so please fortify me with tea!" Exclaimed Joey, and Anzu chuckled. Maybe the chuckle was too loud, but it was genuine.
"I don't think word 'fortify' can be used like that." She teased. Joey looked unsure for a moment, then he shrugged.
"I'm going to face the future king, grammar is nothing for me." He said finally, and when Mai opened her lips to add something to it, he pointed at her.
"Don't even start." Mai smirked and winked at Anzu.
"Do you want some help?" She asked instead. Anzu just nodded.
Good or not, these were her people.
/
Yugi wanted to run, but his legs failed him.
He just stared at Mana, waiting for her to do something.
"Come with me." She said, and her tone was commanding like never before.
Yugi followed her obediently downstairs and to the main entrance to the mansion. From the kitchen he could hear voices belonging to Anzu and Joey.
Where he faster or just more conscious of what he was doing, he would be sitting there chatting with them.
On the other hand, he had to face Mana at some point, so maybe it was better this way. They left the mansion and stopped in front of the house.
"I don't want anyone to listen to our conversation. Besides, we are pretty good at talking outside." Mana said, and sat down.
Confused, Yugi did the same.
" First of all, I just want you to know that I am furious with you." Yugi opened his mouth to defend himself somehow, to apologize, but she silenced him with a gesture. "However, I am well aware that you are not to blame. My anger at you is not logical and I cannot vent and hurt you in the process. So I decided we should talk. I will probably shout at you at some point, but I want us to remain friends."
That was a relief. Only now Yugi was struck with how much he feared being hated by Mana. The thought was almost as scary to entertain as the one concerning the prince's hatred towards Yugi was.
"Before you start to explain yourself, I need you to understand. Mahad and the prince are everything to me. Everything. The thought of losing one of them is the worst thing in the world. And what you did yesterday could result in just that." Her face was still hardened with anger and worry, but her tone was somehow more gently.
"We grew up together, Yugi. And Mahad was with me when the prince wasn't. Think how you would feel if somebody endangered Anzu ?"
He would feel angry and scared and... He knew what Mana felt, or at least he thought he knew. Anzu was his sister. But, he would want to know, why that hypothetical person did it. And Mana apparently did too.
"So at first, when I was sure Mahad was going to live, I wanted to kill you. But now, after I calmed down, I am ready to listen. Now, you can talk." She said and gave Yugi an almost smile.
"Look, I... I wasn't thinking what I was doing." Mana's face told him that that much was obvious. " I just saw this kid, probably my age, who was scared and was going to die because somebody told him it was safe to follow Joey. " At that Mana nodded.
"And I know that the prince told me to go away and to spare me the choice, but that boy looked at me and I forgot what I was supposed to be doing. I wanted to help somebody. Ever since you were here I've been forced to watch people die. And I understand why you make these choices, it is wise. But it doesn't make it right." Here Yugi moved closer to Mana trying to recreate how they were sitting not so long ago, when they were sharing stories and simply being friends.
"I am very sorry about what happened to Mahad, I am. But I cannot promise you that I wouldn't do the same thing all over again. I cannot just chose not to react, I am not that kind of person. And I cannot evaluate which one of us is right."
Mana nodded once again.
"Neither can I. I just believe that there are some sacrifices we have to make on our way. Have you ever been to the capital?" Here Yugi shook his head since he haven't. In fact, he was pretty sure his parents haven't either. Their house was so far away that mostly they weren't concerned with the king at all. Only merchants brought with them gossip about who the royal family acts and looks like. And Yugi never felt the need to know more. True, he and Anzu wanted to ask the king for help at some point, but that was it.
"I have. And trust me when I say that Aknadin shouldn't be the king. You on the North are usually overlooked by him and his goons, but we at the capital weren't. Me and Mahad were thrown out of the palace just for supporting the prince. The temple built for the prince's father was brought down and burned and the prince was said to be killed. The people were afraid and confused. And what Aknadin did? He let his soldiers loose." She didn't need to say more. Yugi have read enough books to understand what happened when soldiers were set free. Rape, plunder, arson. But to do that to your own people? How come they didn't know about it?
"To make matters worse, Aknadin got paranoid. He was sure that everyone was secretly conspiring against him. He promised everyone who snitched on somebody a fair share of money of the accused." Yugi was now getting seriously sick. How could he live on with such a king? How could he not care? True, his mind was occupied by Arkana, but...
"You can imagine how many innocent people died just because someone wanted their money. If that was not enough, Aknadin created additional law- anyone caught not showing appropriate respect to his name and position would be found guilty of treason. He is so unsure in his power that he is ready starve and abuse his own people just to make sure he stays the king."
Yugi was shaken to say the least. He had no idea. He never even thought...
"I understand your morals Yugi, and I won't ask you to get rid of them. But keep them to yourself. We are gambling here with safety of all of us. You shouldn't add to the risk."
He just nodded, tears prickling at his eyes. He didn't even notice when Mana's hands reached him and pulled him into embrace.
"I know it is hard Yugi. But we all try to remain good while doing what is right. Because it is right. You have to believe it." He hugged her closer, letting his emotions go.
He cried and cried, his mind blank. The only thing that he was aware of was Mana's hands on his back.
Finally, he calmed down.
"You all right?" He asked her, and that seemed to surprise her a bit.
"Now I am. I was worried sick the whole night, but he is getting better. And I do not feel angry at you anymore, so I feel much better!" She smiled that wonderful, happy smile of hers and helped him up.
"The prince made me his advisor for the time being. I will learn. I will find a way to make good and wise choices." He promised, not bothering himself with the fact that he probably sound like an eager, idealistic child.
Mana gave him a fond look and gestured to the house.
"Shall we?"
He opened his mouth to answer her, but then he heard the hooves behind him.
Oh gods, what now?
This time we are getting some back stories and a set up for the main events. I hope I won't bore you to death with characters thinking over morals, but it is a great issue in anime and I need it to form the clash between dreams/idealism and reality which is crucial later, believe me.
And Aknadin's method of ruling is based off Emperor Tiberius' from Ancient Rome.