Yugi was unprepared. He was talking with Joey and some of Crowford's courtiers and everything seemed to go just according to plan, when their host appeared. And called out for the Prince.

The Prince who was nowhere to be seen. They have arrived separately, but Yugi was quite sure that he had seen the Prince's cloak somewhere in the palace. But where was he now? That was the question.

"Oh, my dear Prince, don't let us wait. I understand that your presence was supposed to be a surprise but you cannot blame me for anticipating it!" Crowford called, his voice seemingly friendly. But there was something in his words that made Yugi shiver. They've been found out. The people here, were they phonies? Were they here to make Yugi and his friends feel safe, comfortable? Was that why the people here seemed so critical of the royal family? But that wasn't the scariest thought. While Yugi had never met Crowford before, he knew the man was intelligent and resourceful. Yet there was a tiny voice in his head that whispered "someone told him. Someone betrayed us." And Yugi was too shocked to silence it.

He moved his gaze to Joey, searching for some support in his friend, but Joey wasn't looking at him. Or rather, wasn't looking at Yugi's face.

He was staring at his chest.

And when Yugi looked down, he noticed why. A golden pyramid was hanging from his neck , something Yugi had forgotten about.

The Prince had given him the necklace just before they got into their carriages. Yugi was so caught up in the preparations, in the clothes Mai told him to wear that made him look like a prince from a fairy tale, that he barely registered what the Prince was saying. The moment he saw him, the only thing he could think of was how he wished that the plan went smoothly, that they could be together again. The Prince was saying something about trust… But was Yugi supposed to trust the Prince? Or was the Prince trusting Yugi?

He didn't know.

But he could remember the last time the Prince gave him his necklace and that was when he wanted…

Yugi's heart started beating erratically in panic.

The Prince didn't mean…?

He might.

How brave Yugi was? How much did he trust the Prince? How strongly did he believe in the cause?

A lot, it seemed.

"I am here, Lord Crowford!" He said loudly, trying to imitate the Prince's authoritative voice. Joey was looking at him in horror. For a moment, nothing happened and Yugi wondered if he should speak again, louder.

After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath and searched his memory for Prince's words. How would he address his enemy?

"Be careful what you wish for, Crowford, indeed. You wanted me and here I am, yet you still won't come? Did you hope I would stay silent?" He called, hoping that he sounded convincing. People scattered away from him, running to stand in small groups and observe the proceedings. Joey stood still, ready to face whatever Yugi had brought down on them. A true friend indeed.

He heard someone to his left gasp, and when he turned in that direction, he spotted Anzu covering her mouth with her hands. She looked shocked, but remained silent. Nothing to blow his cover.

He turned to look at Crowford, who was making his way down the stairs, a pensive frown taking the place of amusement on his face.

They looked at each other in silence and Yugi noticed that there were two guards accompanying Crowford. If Yugi failed to be convincing, those two would make sure he and Joey paid for their mistake.

Finally, Lord Crowford stopped in front of Yugi.

"Your resemblance is uncanny, I must say. I was fooled at first, so much confidence, the way you look and the royal symbol on your neck… And yet, there is something missing."

Yugi's heart sunk.

"Not enough anger, my dear boy. Not enough hatred. You've got his cockiness right, but your gaze… is too trusting. Not weak, by all means, the mere fact that you have spoken out proves you are not a fragile creature, but you have never truly hated before. "

Hadn't he? What about Arkana? What about the king who hurt everyone in his kingdom by imprisoning the Prince? Did he not hate them?

No, he realized. He didn't. He felt anger at their actions, felt sorrow and disappointment… But if Arkana betrayed even a sliver of conscience, Yugi would try to save him. He didn't know about the king, but if he had done everything for his son, not for himself, could he truly be evil?

"See? I am sure you agree with me now. You are too pure to take the Prince's place. That's why he used you to be his replacement. He knew you would do it for him, you probably feel sorry for him. And he left you here in my grasp, all alone."

"He is not alone!" Joey shouted but before he could take a step forward, Yugi stopped him with his arm extended.

"As you can see, Lord Crowford, I am not alone. And I'm not a helpless child who came here because someone told it to. I am here of my own accord, to ask you to join us. "

"Join you?" amusement is back on Crowford's face. " And what? Storm the gates of the royal castle with a handful of children and the Prince's look-alike? Without the Mad Prince you have nothing, no claim." Yugi wasn't paying attention to him. He was now looking at the guards, because they were a bigger threat that Crowford could be. The Lord was a tactician and he didn't even have a sword on him, while the guards… The guards…

Were smiling.

"It's a good thing we have got the Prince with us, isn't it?

Crowford sent him a bored look.

"I fell for your trick once and came up close to be disappointed. I do not believe you now. You are alone, my boy and you and your friend can die cursing the Prince's name. Guards!"

It took a second, but there were two crossed swords pressed to Crowford's neck.

"It's hard to curse a name you don't know, isn't it?" Asked the shorter guard in a very familiar voice.

"The Mad Prince!" Crowford hissed.

The room erupted in a wave of hushed whispers. No one moved, too afraid to act now that the lord of the castle was in the Prince's grasp.

"Don't sound so surprised. You knew we were coming. You waited for us. You have gathered your people here, to talk loudly about the change they long for, yet you didn't invite anyone from the royal family. This whole ball was either a trap, or a test." The Prince said and Crowford smiled.

"Excellent! Truly marvelous!" He exclaimed with excitement. The Prince and the other guard took their swords away and Crowford turned to face them. Yugi noticed that although the swords were gone, they weren't sheathed.

"You must understand, Your Majesty, that I wouldn't follow a man who was truly mad. I had to check if your mind is as sharp as always. I am not disappointed. And such a promising young man you've brought here…" Here, Crowford turned to look at Yugi.

"I thought you were too pure to lie, and yet I stand corrected."

"I didn't lie." Yugi replied, before he could think about it.

Crowford raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"But you knew that the Prince was… You didn't?" Crowford was not looking at him with a newfound interest.

"Then you are not only loyal, but brave." The man said, with something that sounded like sincerity.

"You have changed, my Prince. And yet, remained the same as always. To inspire such trust…"

The Prince and Mahad, as it turned out, took off their helmets and were now looking at Yugi.

"Believe me when I say, Lord Crowford, this young man amazes me constantly and it has nothing to do with me. "

Yugi felt himself blush. He couldn't help the swell of pride that made its way into his heart. He improvised and didn't fail! And the Prince hasn't left him alone after all!

"My Dear Prince, let us enjoy the ball for now, we shall talk tomorrow." Crowford said and then turned to the guests. "My lovely guests! Our Prince has indeed returned! Let us enjoy, let us sing and dance! This is the dawn of the new era of our kingdom and it starts here, in the Crowford palace!" The crowds started to cheer and applaud and Yugi noticed Anzu sighing in relief.

"You wanted to ensure your place in history books, is that it?" Asked Mahad, but there was no malice in his words. It was clear to Yugi now that these people used to be friends, or at least respectful colleagues at least.

"Maybe. Allow me, dear Mahad, to give you a change of clothing. On our way, you can tell me what happened to my guards. " Here, Crowford noticed the Prince's burning gaze." I won't ask anything about your journey. We shall discuss it tomorrow, with all of your people. Until then, you shall be my guests."

"Thank you for your hospitality." The Prince answered and turned to Yugi, not paying any more attention to Crowford. The music started playing again an people reluctantly returned to the floor.

"Accompany me, Yugi." The Prince asked and Yugi simply nodded and followed him to the nearest balcony.

"It was brave, what you did there, Yugi."

"I thought that's why you gave me the necklace, Your Highness. I thought you wanted me to be a decoy again."

"And if I said I did, what would you feel?"

Yugi paused to think about it. He knew he should feel angry, used, afraid maybe? After all, if the Prince wanted him as a decoy, he should have said so and Yugi would agree, but… But somehow he was flattered. That he was like one of the Prince's knights, understanding his intentions without a word. That he was trusted to do what he did, that he didn't fail. That he was so trusted… It was illogical, he knew. But somehow it made his connection with the Prince that much stronger…

"A bit of anger, because I had to guess. And a little bit of pride, because I guessed correctly. A bit of happiness, because you trusted me and I was right to trust you, for you haven't left me alone. " He finally replied. "So, did you want me to do that? Was that your plan?"

The Prince just looked at him with an affectionate smile on his lips.

"Sometimes Yugi, you amaze me. You are exceptional."

It wasn't exactly an answer. Before he could press on, he heard Anzu, shouting his name.

"Your beloved sister is looking for you. I guess you should go to her." There is some strange tone in the Prince's voice and Yugi would love to analyze it, but Anzu's voice is getting closer and closer. Anzu, whom Yugi robbed of her dreams.

"She wanted to dance with you today." He said quickly and the Prince shot him a stormy look.

"What do you want from me?"

"I…"

"I thought we have been over it. But if you prefer to see me with your sister, no matter what I say, then so be it." The man is clearly angry now and Yugi feels lost.

"I just…"

"I shall grant you wish." And with that, the Prince was gone and Yugi was left on the balcony alone, cursing his own stupidity.

He didn't really want to ask the prince to… He did. He wanted him to dance with Anzu so that she would have a good memory from the ball she so long waited for. But that wasn't all. He also wanted to feel better. To make sure Anzu didn't know yet that it was her own brother who had stolen her prince away. He wanted to wait, wanted to keep up pretences so that everyone could be happy for a little while longer.

And he had hurt the Prince. The man wasn't easy to wound, but Yugi somehow managed to do it, he was sure he did. Finally, the Prince's words made their way into his brain. Yugi treated him like a thing. Something he had and Anzu would like to have. He never stopped to consider the Prince's feelings. Mostly because he somehow forgot the man had them. Did he want his feelings to be unrequited? Was he so ready to be rejected by the Prince that being accepted sent him into panic? The Prince has not lied to him before, why should he start now?

Yugi felt unworthy.

That was it. He felt unworthy of the Prince.

No matter how many times the Prince praised him, he still felt not good enough.

And that was wrong. That was hurtful to them both. And to Anzu. The Prince had been right.

Yugi had to apologize.

He went back inside the room and noticed that the people were no longer dancing, although the music was playing some slow melody. Yet the people stood in one place, looking at something in the middle of the room…

Full of bad feelings, Yugi rushed forward, apologizing to people he pushed on the way.

And indeed, there they were, in the middle of the room, looking like a royal couple from a fairy tale. Anzu and the Prince.

Anzu was in love, that much was clear. She was looking at the Prince with adoration and she looked so, so happy…

The Prince was smiling and looked a perfect picture of a affectionate gentleman, but Yugi knew better. The Prince's eyes were cold.

It was cruel.

It was too cruel to handle. And although the Prince's eyes betrayed his real feelings, and although it was Yugi who was crying now, at the end of the day, the one hurt the most would be Anzu.

Because looking at them now Yugi was suddenly sure.

Unworthy or not, he wanted to be with the Prince.

And the Prince wanted him.

Him. Not Anzu.

With a breaking heart, Yugi waited until the dance ended and when it did, he caught the Prince's eye. He didn't bother hiding his tears and the cold look in the Prince's eyes softened. He said something to Anzu and disappeared somewhere in the crowd. Yugi went back to the balcony, knowing that the Prince would find him. He always did.

"I assume you wanted to talk to me?"

And there he was, closing the door behind him.

He looked less angry now. But it was Yugi's turn to talk. So he approached the Prince and looked him in the eyes, hoping to find the right words.

"I wanted to apologize. You were right. I just wanted to feel better about myself, about Anzu and I did not take your feelings into account. I was so concerned with feeling unworthy of you, with how much more deserving Anzu was, that I forgot that it wasn't my place to decide. It is yours."

The Prince smiled a little.

"So what are you saying is…?"

And there, in the middle of the night, under the moonlight, Yugi allowed his dream to see the light.

"You looked amazing there!" Mana said as she hugged Anzu.

"Thank you, it was… Great." Anzu replied, feeling like a liar. It wasn't just great. It was amazing, it was everything she had dreamed of and more… If only she could find Yugi and tell him, to ask him about his talk with Crowford. But her brother was nowhere to be found.

She excused herself from the circle Mana was talking in and went to find someone who might know anything about Yugi's whereabouts.

She noticed Timaeus looking at her with something akin to pity, but she decided to ignore him. The man would tell her anything helpful and she had heard enough from him anyway.

She had spent half the night looking for wither Yugi or the Prince, but to no avail.

Only after the ball was finished and the guests started to say their goodbyes, she had spotted Yugi talking with the Duke of Devilin, and when she approached them, Yugi fidgeted a bit.

"I've been looking for you!" She exclaimed and Yugi lowered his eyes.

"Sorry, I was a bit overwhelmed with everything and had to go away for a bit. My talk with Crowford wasn't exactly planned and I had to calm down." He confessed and Anzu could understand. Her brother was incredibly brave, but he sometimes needed some time to come to terms with his actions.

"You've been amazing! A lot of people told me that looking at you convinced them that the Prince cannot me mad nor evil, if he has friends like you." Yugi shivered a bit upon hearing "friends" but it was probably because he considered the Prince to be his mentor, not his friend, Anzu reasoned.

"Did you enjoy the evening?" The duke asked and she smiled." Immensely! I think I might enjoy working as a spy, to dress up and listen to people… Far more interesting than simply cleaning and cooking." She replied and both Yugi and Otogi smiled.

"Do you think we can stay here?" She directed her question at the Duke, who nodded.

"Yes, I think so. Crowford is cunning and dangerous, but he wouldn't risk upsetting his subjects and they were pretty much in our favour today. If he murders us in our sleep after offering us hospitality, they wouldn't be happy with him. So for now, I guess we are safe." He explained.

As if summoned, a maid approached them.

"I am to show you to your rooms, by the order of Lord Crowford."

When Anzu looked around, she could spot Mai, Ryou, and the rest having a similar talk with other maids.

She felt uneasy, but decided to follow them either way. If the Duke vouched for their safety, then Anzu had nothing to fear.

And yet some uneasiness stayed.

Only when she noticed the Prince talking with Crowford, seemingly in a friendly manner, she relaxed a little.

The Prince would warn them if there was anything to fear.

So she followed the maid and settled in her room.

She didn't look for the Prince's room this night. It was not the time for that.

However, when she had found the one supposedly belonging to Yugi, it was empty.

That was strange.

They were woken up in the morning and led to a dining room that was less elegant and much more cosy than the ballroom.

Anzu was happy to wear her normal clothes instead of her formal ones. Her gown yesterday was amazing, but it belonged to a night of dreams, not to her everyday reality. She was Anzu, a daughter of a merchant, not a princess, no matter how wonderful it was to dance with the Prince the night before.

"Did you rest well?" Serenity asked her and they started to chatter, a small talk that was more of a distraction than anything else. They were both too well-educated right now. Anzu was looking at the room and people inside it, while Serenity was probably listening to footsteps and eventual conversation of the servants.

Finally, the Prince arrived and he was accompanied by Lord Crowford and the Duke of Devlin.

"We have plenty to do and not a lot of time to do it." The Prince started.

Anzu barely noticed when Yugi sat down next to her, but when he whispered his greetings to her, she turned to look at him. He looked better than he did last night, and that was a relief.

"Did you sleep well?" She asked and Yugi looked into his plate.

"When I finally fell asleep, then yes…"

Anzu decided not to ask. Whether it was nightmares, or simply emotion, if Yugi wanted to share, he would. Still, it was a bit worrying that he rarely did, lately. Maybe he was growing up. Or maybe it was the strange situation they have found themselves in, but it was clear to see that Yugi was much more withdrawn than he used to be. Maybe after the morning meeting she could catch him and let him know that she was still there for him, if he needed her?

"We need to move against the capital now. Ishizu, Marik and Odion report that they are as ready as they can be, and we are at disadvantage." The Prince told them and Mai and Mahad looked up in alert.

"What disadvantage?"

"We've been found out, Mahad. You probably wondered why Crowford knew about us coming." The Prince replied.

"And I assure you, none of you was the traitor." Crowford supplied." I got a note from someone. In the note, the friendly writer informed me, that you will be coming soon. The writer claimed that they had recognized one of my courtiers as one of the Prince's man and that there are others in different parts of the kingdom, waiting for my fall to charge on the capital."

That was surprising. Ryou was sent to Crowford castle because he was a foreigner and no one would associate him with the prince, so…

"Who? How could anyone…"But before she finished, Anzu looked at Ryou. He was pale and shaking.

"Ryou?"

He looked at her, tears welling in his eyes.

"It's impossible. It should be impossible…"

The Prince approached Ryou and put a hand on his arm, as if to give him support.

"Do you know?"

"I thought I have seen him, but it was impossible, he's dead and he couldn't be… I was lonely, and it was at night, I was sure I was just imagining things…" Ryou was truly shaking now, and Anzu and Yugi exchanged worried looks. They had no idea who Ryou meant, but judging from the knights' grim expressions, they knew.

Finally, Mai stood up and asked.

"Ryou, did you see Bakura?"