Yugi woke up to an empty bed. Nothing surprising here, though in the back of his mind he felt that he should be somehow worried about it. Why should he, he had always slept alone… But not last night, he remembered. Last night he wasn't alone, he realized. He moved his hand to the right and yes, the bed seemed warmer there, as if someone lay there not long ago.

So it wasn't a dream.

He actually had gone to the Prince last night.

It had been late in the night, he recalled. He had been moving around like in a trance, that's why regaining memories seemed like such a hard task now. He still had troubles progressing what exactly happened. Had he drunk something before leaving his room? Or had he been so stressed last night that he hardly noticed anything?

He had knocked on the Prince's door, that he remembered. His hand had trembled when he reached for the handle and his heart had been beating so loud… The Prince had opened the door and even though darkness had been everywhere, Yugi could see his smile.

I hoped you would come to me.

Was it all a dream?

Did he dream the arm that gestured him inside, did he imagine himself whispering 'I wanted to know' and the smile on the Prince's face when he answered 'And do you, now?' before they kissed, this time with Yugi as an active participant?

Did he dream everything after that happened after that?

And if he didn't… What would happen now?

Anzu would be broken hearted if she knew… Oh, gods, how could he? It seemed so easy yesterday, to just convince himself that it was, after all the Prince's decision, not his, that it was the Prince who hurt her, not Yugi, but in the daylight… Things stopped being so obvious.

And where was the Prince? Did Anzu know already? Did the rest?

He had to go, he had to go now. He would have the time to regret everything later.

He sneaked out as quietly as he could, praying to every god he knew that no one, especially his sister saw him. Back in his room, he could finally breathe. He got dressed up rather absent-mindedly, as more of the memories flooded his mind.

The Prince's touch, moving from Yugi's neck to trail patterns down his spine, as Yugi soaked in the words whispered in his ear. That he was something the Prince didn't foresee. That he was something precious that he'd hate to lose. That he was so much more than just advisor, so much more than a friend.

The words had made Yugi shiver the night before, now they filled him with cold dread. How could he face his sister now? How could he look her in the eyes and not tell her how they both betrayed her? The Prince possibly knew what Anzu felt for him, Yugi realized. He must have. He wasn't blind and if he could see what made the Duke tick in mere seconds then how could he not know? And yet he still embraced Yugi, without a moment of a doubt, as if he was waiting for Yugi to come to him, as he said. What if it wasn't like that? What if he was simply waiting who would come first? Would he embrace Anzu if she were the one who approached his chamber first? Was he playing with both of them, just to ensure their loyalty or was Yugi overthinking everything, getting paranoid over his first love?

Staying in his room would not solve anything, Yugi decided. He had no idea what the hour was so it was hard to guess what would greet his eyes downstairs. It was still quiet, which meant that everyone was still asleep. That Anzu was still asleep.

Going to the Prince last night was meant to help him, to clear his mind. That was a mistake. All Yugi could think about now was how unworthy he was of his sister. How evil. How untrue.

The worst part of it was that he couldn't simply ask his sister for advice because… Because of what he had done.

The worst part of it was that he didn't exactly regret it.

Given a chance to be with the Prince again, he would do that. He would chose to be embraced again, to be loved again. Oh, how vile his heart has become!

The kitchen was empty, the sun trickling through the window, making his blond bangs shine in a way that blinded him for a moment. Then, he saw a silhouette in the garden. His heart full with dread and hope at the same time, he went outside.

There in the full light of the sun, stood the Prince. He had his eyes closed, his arms crossed, as if he was trying to protect himself from the rays. It looked as if he was in pain. Yet there was no guilt on his face, no hesitation, nothing. Just concentration on withstanding the sun.

"Why did you do that?" Yugi wasn't even conscious of his mouth moving.

The Prince's lips quirked in amusement, but he still hasn't opened his eyes.

"You'll have to be more specific, Yugi. Why did I do what?"

A flood of emotion hit Yugi and he couldn't comprehend which one was dominant – grief? Anger? Hurt? Happiness? Love?

"Why did you let me spend the night with you?" He finally whispered, hoping that the Prince would pick up all the unspoken questions conveyed in this one.

"I didn't let you do anything, Yugi. I hoped you'd come and you did. I wanted to share my last peaceful night with you and I did. What perplexes you so?" He looked like a statue now, small and yet bigger than life, battling with the sun like an ancient god and yet painfully human. He was a paradox. A miracle. Maybe a curse.

"You know how Anzu feels about you! Why would you chose me when she… When she is waiting for you?"

Yugi didn't notice the moment he moved to stand right in front of the Prince, but now he had a clear view of the man's face. It was empty, devoid of any emotion.

"What would you prefer me to do? We are moving on to risk our lives, to play the biggest gambit of this war and you would want me to do what? Lie? I like your sister, but clearly not as much as she likes me. I trust her and admire her. But if she had been the one to knock on my door last night, I'd have wished her goodnight."

It seemed cruel and Yugi hated himself for the way his heart sung with joy. He was special after all!

"I do not have the time to do things that are unnecessary, especially if they are against my wishes. Would you ask me now to make love to your sister to appease your guilty conscience?"

"No!" His shout was unexpected and it seemed to catch the prince off guard, for his eyebrows twitched a little in surprise.

"I just… I just wish her to be happy." Yugi confessed, allowing himself to fall into the Prince's chest and then he felt arms circle his body and hold him closer. He found comfort in that. Here was where he felt the happiest, in the Prince's arms. If only he could call out his name, like the Prince did his. Could they ever be like normal lovers? Were they even lovers?

"A lie is not happiness. A sacrifice of her loved one would not bring her happiness either. She would be horrified as you are, if I chose her against my wishes and despite your feelings, and she would have been more hurt."

"You didn't have to choose."

"No. I didn't. I could have bid you goodnight yesterday and pretend that whatever happened in the Maze was but a dream. But I didn't. I made a choice. So did you. Do you regret it?"

No. Never.

"Of course not. I just…"The Prince moved, and Yugi took a step back. When he lifted his eyes, he was met with the Prince's stare. His red eyes looked stunning in the morning light. They weren't sinister, they weren't forceful and terrifying. They were warm.

"You just live in the light. And you want me to do the same, to make everyone happy. I can't. I can't live in the light, it destroys me."

"Then what are doing here, in the sun?" Yugi was suddenly overcome with worry, was the man trying to purposefully hurt himself? Was he punishing himself for his affair with Yugi?

"I'm trying. I'm trying to live in the light again. I want to see if I will be ever able to do it."

"Why?"

The warm, affectionate gaze Yugi received in return was all the answer he needed. Overcame with feeling, he threw his arms around the Prince's neck and brought him down for a kiss of his own. A kiss of gratitude. Of acceptance. And of goodbye. No matter what was going on between them, now it had to stop. The mission started soon and neither of them could afford any distractions.

It didn't stop the kiss from being a little miracle of its own.

When they finally moved from the mansion, Anzu could hardly recognize her companions.

All dressed up, with make up on and some with their hair colour changed, like Mana, they looked like a group of very eccentric nobles. Even sitting in one carriage with Mrs Wong was less unusual than Anzu assumed it would be.

"I won't apologize for what Arkana was doing to you, because frankly, I didn't care enough to ever learn that you were his kids, not servants. But I am not stupid enough to not care about my country." The woman proclaimed during their meeting in front of her court, batting her eyelashes at the Prince, who ignored her.

Anzu didn't manage to find the Prince in the morning and when she finally did, he was helping Yugi to prepare breakfast, so this was clearly not the time for heartfelt confessions. And now it was evening and no one had the time and mind to think about anything other than the ball.

She had missed her chance.

Maybe after all of this was over, maybe then she would get her answers.

No, in the carriage with Mrs Wong, Serenity and Mana, she could only concentrate on her mission.

To charm. To laugh. To gather information. To keep lookout for the Crawford himself.

She could do that.

Her heart beating in anticipation, she barely noticed the landscape passing by her window.

The ride to Crawford's palace was long, but they managed to arrive on time. The palace looked splendid, like a castle from a fairy tale. It was white, with every window decorated with golden lines and ivy. The towers were white as well, with golden statues on the top of each. This palace was clearly meant to impress, not to hold off an attack. A fitting place for a strategist who didn't like physical combat.

No one made any fuss nor asked any questions as Mrs Wong introduced them as cousins and they were finally in allowed into the ballroom.

If Anzu was charmed by the exterior of the castle, she was even more impressed with the interior. The gold, the marble… She really did feel like a Cinderella, entering the castle for the first time. Though the music didn't stop and guests didn't start whispering among themselves as she passed by, she got a few admiring stares and she was sure she deserved them.

Mai sew a wonderful dress for her, pink and modern, complimenting her eyes and carnation. Anzu felt amazing and she relished in the confidence she suddenly felt.

The rest of her group spread around, Mana and Serenity walking around together and making acquaintances around the ballroom, while Anzu found herself a place next to a balcony and looked for the men.

They arrived separately, because they arrived by Otogi's invitation and because this way it would be definitely less suspicious than having Mrs. Wong introduce everyone as their cousins.

"So nice to see a familiar face." Said someone to her right, and Anzu refrained from jumping up. When she turned her head it took her a while to recognize the owner of the voice as Ryou.

"Oh! Indeed. It's great to see you well." She replied as well, not wanting to betray any closer familiarity just in case somebody was listening. Ryou took a hint and only smiled politely.

"I must confess, I simply wanted to ask for a dance, miss."

She curtseyed and they moved to the dancing floor. Dancing with Ryou was a pleasant affair, especially since as she swayed around, she started to notice familiar faces. Otogi was now dancing with Serenity and they were talking animatedly, Mana was energetically leading some young man around the floor. The man looked smitten enough not to fight for the control over the dance. Mai, dressed as a man and looking fabulous while doing so was swirling around some blushing girl.

"Do you think they will join us. Do we have a chance?" She whispered to Ryou, hugging him closely, as if she was flirting.

"I hope so. If not, the Prince will talk to them. Then, they will have no choice." Ryou whispered back and the dance has ended.

She danced a few more rounds, charming strangers and asking seemingly innocent questions about the state of the kingdom, pretending to be a clueless foreigner. Some people were closeted off, but some, possibly due to alcohol, or maybe sheer rage, told her quite openly, that they missed the old times.

She still hasn't seen the Prince or Yugi anywhere and she wondered about their disappearance.

"May I ask for this dance?" For a second, her heart skipped a beat. It sounded like!

But then she looked carefully and she was greeted with a blue eye instead of a red one.

"Lord Timaeus… It would be my pleasure." She replied. They have all agreed that for the time being the royal cousin should be downgraded for the sake of conspiracy, just in case.

Dancing with Timaeus was similar to dancing with the Prince, but it wasn't the same at all. It lacked some kind of magic, some kind of magnetism…

"I know what you are thinking."

That surprised her.

"What do you mean?"

His one eye crinkled in sympathy.

"I am not the Prince you long to dance with. But I admire you, Anzu and trust me, I would try to be as good replacement as I can."

"That's flattering my lord, but…" She didn't know where he was going with this conversation, but some kind of fear entered her heart.

"Loving him will only cause you misfortune. It would cause anyone misfortune, for he is a man already broken."

She was aware that her face betrayed now her anger, but she didn't care. To a bystander she would look insulted by some untimely remark. And she was.

"Excuse me?"

Timaeus sighed, tired.

"I meant no offence, but… He is no longer of this world. When he brings down his uncle, he knows that there is no place for him here. He suffered too much, he was too broken to be able to live as before. He doesn't hope for his own absolution."

"What are you saying…" That was terrifying, what the royal cousin implied, he couldn't possibly…

"All I'm saying is that from some places there is no return. He's been in the dark for too long. His cause is just, the king must be defeated and replaced. But the Prince should not be the one to rule. And he knows it. He is the Returning King. But not the ruling one."

"What you say, my lord, borders on treason." Anzu replied, her voice cold.

"I'm speaking only out of concern for you. Do not follow him into dark. Do not attach yourself. Let him be the mystical creature of the night, but don't love him as a man." And he did sound earnest, honest. Yet his words burned in Anzu's mind, her ire not easily quenched.

"I thank you for your concern, but I am capable of reigning my own heart and making my own choices." She replied, cold fury making her voice shake a little.

No Timaeus looked simply sad.

"If that is your wish.. But I don't think you are. None of you are." The dance has ended and Anzu was left on her own, seething with anger.

How dare he?

What did he mean by "none"?

The only thing Anzu was certain of now was this: Timaeus was jealous of the power the Mad Prince had over people. He was jealous of the loyalty he inspired and although he truly wanted to help the Prince succeed, he didn't want him to be saved from his past. He wanted his cousin to be a tragic hero and nothing more. And that made her angry.

She met up with Serenity, Mana and Mai to share the information they gathered and she managed to hold her temper, but it wasn't easy.

Surprisingly, most of the people seemed to be waiting for some change to come. It was almost too easy… And then…

"Ladies and gentlemen! Lord Crowford"

Everyone turned to see a richly dressed man make his way downstairs. His hair was white, his robe red and his whole figure looked like he himself was a king. He had an angelic smile on his face and he stopped at the top of the podium on which a throne waited for him. He didn't sit down, though.

"I think we should all welcome one more guest of honour. Ladies and gentlemen, the Mad Prince of Khemet is with us!" Lord Crowford announced and Anzu's heart stopped.