Katsuya pushed against Kaiba. "Don't fucking touch me!" he screamed. His
hand came reeling back, then slammed into the brunette's face with full
force.
Kaiba fell back, staring at the creature before him. He was scary. And yet so beautiful. He tried to sit up but felt too dizzy only after raising his head an inch. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispered, rolling onto his side.
"That's funny," he breathed. "Because *hurting* is exactly what I plan on doing to you." He sunk to his knees, next to the elf, and began running his fingers over the pale exposed skin.
Kaiba began sobbing, his frail body shaking. Katsuya was shocked by this, and stopped, watching him. "You put up a good front, don't you? Dancing for those humans?"
"They're a lot better than you'd think."
"Keep telling yourself that. They only want to hurt you."
"No, they don't. Yugi...Yugi loves me."
"The prince? When will you learn, Kaiba? You're a pawn in a game. A game set up to make sure you loose. There's no place for creatures like us."
Kaiba dug his fists into his eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling.
~~~
"What do you want, Yugi?" Kaitio asked softly.
"To marry Kaiba. I can do that, right?" He looked at his father with wide, innocent eyes.
Kaitio looked down. "You may do whatever pleases you. And if that elf is included in that, then I will give you my blessing."
Yugi climbed into his father's arms. "I still love you, Father."
~~~
Bakura grabbed Ryou by the hair and led him deep into the woods, throwing him against a tree. "Look here you little whore. You don't *touch* Marik, is that understood? I don't want to see you EVER look at him the way I saw you. He's MINE, okay?"
Ryou nodded, trying not to cry. "I promise."
"You're just a pest and no one wants you! You're one more person to share a kill with. You're one more person to irritate Master. And you're one more person--"
"To distract Master FROM you," Ryou spoke, then instantly regretted it as Bakura hit him hard, splitting his lip. No blood flowed.
"You never interrupt me, is that understood? After Master, you listen to me. I'm in charge when Master's not here. That understood?"
Ryou nodded.
"There's something I want you to do, Ryou. That's your name, right?" Ryou nodded. Bakura studied him carefully. "You are to kill an animal. Something small, like a rabbit or fox. I want you to carelessly drink from it so the taste is still on your lips. I want you to leave it where Master can easily find it. I want you to be punished by Master. Is that understood?"
Ryou nodded again. Then softly whispered, "How do I kill it?"
"You'll be able to run a lot faster than you think. Then you break its neck and drink just like Master does from you. Any thing else you need to be explain, you worthless excuse for a being?"
Ryou shook his head. "No Bakura. I'll help you and Marik escape."
Bakura hit him again. "You don't know my plan at all, understand? You can assume all you want."
Ryou nodded, but knew better.
~~~
"Kaiba!" Yugi exclaimed, rushing into the dungeon.
Katsuya watched him with contempt. "You want that?" he asked, jerking his thumb at the huddled pile of a sobbing elf.
Yugi looked at Katsuya with surprise. "You shouldn't be in here."
"But I am. Go get your little servant and leave before I hurt you."
Yugi looked at Katsuya surprised. He had been told the slave didn't have any intelligence and by holding him, they were doing the poor creature a favor. "I want you for a servant."
Katsuya closed his eyes and smiled. "Despite what Daddy tells you, you can't have everything. Of course, he's not even your real father."
Yugi and Kaiba both looked at Katsuya started. "And how do you know about that?" Yugi asked rigidly.
"That's my secret."
Kaiba got up uneasily, limping a bit. "What has your father decided to do with me, Prince?"
"He says I can marry you."
"And your brother won't like it."
They decided to ignore the blonde's comments, even as freakishly true they were.
"Then I except the engagement, Prince," Kaiba said half-heartedly, bending in on one knee in front of his soon-to-be husband.
"Like you have a choice. 'Oh, no, sorry Prince, I refuse. You're sad? Then kill me.'"
Yugi looked at the prisoner uneasily. "We have to hurry with the prepositions so my father can--"
"Be there. He's dying."
Kaiba's eyes widened. "Is that true? Yami will be king?"
Yugi stared at Katsuya, troubled. "How did you know that?"
"When Yami's king, he'll find a way to kill your little elf wife, Prince Yugi."
Kaiba took Yugi by the hand and led him out of the dungeon, both of them nervous around the eccentric crossbreed.
~~~
"Shiai and Solomon Mouto. Stop right there."
The two men turned around from closing up they're shop. "Yes, Prince Yami?" Solomon asked respectively.
"Don't give me either of that! I know who you two are."
Shiai stepped towards Yami carefully. "And what would that be, Prince Yami?"
"Enough with the bullshit. The *emperor* told me the truth."
Shiai gave Solomon an uneasy look. "Can I have a few minutes?"
Kaiba fell back, staring at the creature before him. He was scary. And yet so beautiful. He tried to sit up but felt too dizzy only after raising his head an inch. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispered, rolling onto his side.
"That's funny," he breathed. "Because *hurting* is exactly what I plan on doing to you." He sunk to his knees, next to the elf, and began running his fingers over the pale exposed skin.
Kaiba began sobbing, his frail body shaking. Katsuya was shocked by this, and stopped, watching him. "You put up a good front, don't you? Dancing for those humans?"
"They're a lot better than you'd think."
"Keep telling yourself that. They only want to hurt you."
"No, they don't. Yugi...Yugi loves me."
"The prince? When will you learn, Kaiba? You're a pawn in a game. A game set up to make sure you loose. There's no place for creatures like us."
Kaiba dug his fists into his eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling.
~~~
"What do you want, Yugi?" Kaitio asked softly.
"To marry Kaiba. I can do that, right?" He looked at his father with wide, innocent eyes.
Kaitio looked down. "You may do whatever pleases you. And if that elf is included in that, then I will give you my blessing."
Yugi climbed into his father's arms. "I still love you, Father."
~~~
Bakura grabbed Ryou by the hair and led him deep into the woods, throwing him against a tree. "Look here you little whore. You don't *touch* Marik, is that understood? I don't want to see you EVER look at him the way I saw you. He's MINE, okay?"
Ryou nodded, trying not to cry. "I promise."
"You're just a pest and no one wants you! You're one more person to share a kill with. You're one more person to irritate Master. And you're one more person--"
"To distract Master FROM you," Ryou spoke, then instantly regretted it as Bakura hit him hard, splitting his lip. No blood flowed.
"You never interrupt me, is that understood? After Master, you listen to me. I'm in charge when Master's not here. That understood?"
Ryou nodded.
"There's something I want you to do, Ryou. That's your name, right?" Ryou nodded. Bakura studied him carefully. "You are to kill an animal. Something small, like a rabbit or fox. I want you to carelessly drink from it so the taste is still on your lips. I want you to leave it where Master can easily find it. I want you to be punished by Master. Is that understood?"
Ryou nodded again. Then softly whispered, "How do I kill it?"
"You'll be able to run a lot faster than you think. Then you break its neck and drink just like Master does from you. Any thing else you need to be explain, you worthless excuse for a being?"
Ryou shook his head. "No Bakura. I'll help you and Marik escape."
Bakura hit him again. "You don't know my plan at all, understand? You can assume all you want."
Ryou nodded, but knew better.
~~~
"Kaiba!" Yugi exclaimed, rushing into the dungeon.
Katsuya watched him with contempt. "You want that?" he asked, jerking his thumb at the huddled pile of a sobbing elf.
Yugi looked at Katsuya with surprise. "You shouldn't be in here."
"But I am. Go get your little servant and leave before I hurt you."
Yugi looked at Katsuya surprised. He had been told the slave didn't have any intelligence and by holding him, they were doing the poor creature a favor. "I want you for a servant."
Katsuya closed his eyes and smiled. "Despite what Daddy tells you, you can't have everything. Of course, he's not even your real father."
Yugi and Kaiba both looked at Katsuya started. "And how do you know about that?" Yugi asked rigidly.
"That's my secret."
Kaiba got up uneasily, limping a bit. "What has your father decided to do with me, Prince?"
"He says I can marry you."
"And your brother won't like it."
They decided to ignore the blonde's comments, even as freakishly true they were.
"Then I except the engagement, Prince," Kaiba said half-heartedly, bending in on one knee in front of his soon-to-be husband.
"Like you have a choice. 'Oh, no, sorry Prince, I refuse. You're sad? Then kill me.'"
Yugi looked at the prisoner uneasily. "We have to hurry with the prepositions so my father can--"
"Be there. He's dying."
Kaiba's eyes widened. "Is that true? Yami will be king?"
Yugi stared at Katsuya, troubled. "How did you know that?"
"When Yami's king, he'll find a way to kill your little elf wife, Prince Yugi."
Kaiba took Yugi by the hand and led him out of the dungeon, both of them nervous around the eccentric crossbreed.
~~~
"Shiai and Solomon Mouto. Stop right there."
The two men turned around from closing up they're shop. "Yes, Prince Yami?" Solomon asked respectively.
"Don't give me either of that! I know who you two are."
Shiai stepped towards Yami carefully. "And what would that be, Prince Yami?"
"Enough with the bullshit. The *emperor* told me the truth."
Shiai gave Solomon an uneasy look. "Can I have a few minutes?"