Disclaimer: Wheee! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do own some lovely drugs that are numbing the pain of my strained neck muscles! Whee! :: falls over::

A/N: Mua- muahaha- Muahahahahahahahha!!! Happy Halloween, peoples! One of my roommates and her boyfriend are going as Serenity and Risid! Muahahaha!

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Ch 3: Plots, Plans and Princes!

Rishid very seriously wished he was dead. Because if he was dead, he wouldn't have to sit here and listen to the long-winded Sultan Ishaku blather on, and on, and on...

Malik was being surprisingly well-behaved, and that surprised him. Maybe the woman was doing some good, after all.

Speaking of Serenity- since when did he think of her by her actual name?- he hadn't seen her all day. Good. I don't want to see her anyway. Of course.

"...my son, where is he anyway? He tends to vanish..." Ishaku continued blithely on.

Rishid resisted the urge to pound his head into the table. I don't care about your son, you old fool! Why has God abandoned me to this?

"...Marik likes to pop up at the strangest of times... such a troublemaker, and only ten years old..."

As if summoned, the doors flew open, and a boy dressed in dark clothes strode proudly in. Rishid blinked, shook his head. The boy was practically Malik's twin... if a bit crazier-looking. His hair was a bit longer, and stood up on end, as if he'd been struck by lightning. He also had a much more disturbing grin on his face.

"Ah, Marik, there you are..." Ishaku nodded and pompously introduced his son. "This is my only son, Marik."

Malik was staring at Marik with wide eyes. Rishid glanced at him and immediately knew that there was going to be trouble here. Oh, dear... I don't need this...

"Are you a real prince?" Malik blurted. Rishid resisted the urge to bash his head against the wall behind him.

Marik blinked at him, somewhat surprised by the question. "Of course I am!" Now his eyes narrowed, suspecting an insult. "What are you implying?

"Nothing!" Malik squeaked, waving his arms a bit. "Nothing at all! I mean- no! Nothing! I mean, I could be implying that you're a really interesting prince, and since I'm a prince too, I mean, we could be doing- uh- princely things!"

"..." Marik blinked; Malik had said all that very, very fast and in a very high-pitched tone of voice, and to took a moment for the other boy to decipher it. "I... see..."

Malik gave him a big grin. It always worked on his brother, he didn't see how it couldn't work on the prince as well. It worked- but not in the way he'd expected. Either that, or Marik's smile was always... well... creepy.

Marik throw his head back and laughed. That was creepy too. "Father," he asked, much too politely, "may Malik and I go off and play?"

"Of course, of course..." Ishaku waves a hand. "That will give Sultan Rishid and I time to talk..."

I hate you. I hate you. I hate you... Rishid forced a slight smile on his face. "Of course, Malik... go and enjoy yourself."

"Thanks, big brother!" Malik hugged Rishid tightly, then bounced over to Marik, who grinned.

"Let's go to the menagerie..." Marik led him off. "You do have a menagerie, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, it's got lots of cool stuff in it..." Malik took his hand and bounced happily.

Rishid watched them leave with a faint frown on his face. He didn't trust that Marik boy. He was young, but he seemed like a troublemaker. And Rishid was very good at spotting troublemakers.

"Now, my boy..." Ishaku grinned at him. "Let's get down to business..."

Rishid mentally sighed, but nodded. "Of course, Sultan. We have much to discuss..."

Serenity had been mildly surprised to see Malik with a friend, but she had smiled and nodded when he'd tackled her and introduced her as "his pretty Storyteller!" The boy he was with scared her, but she could immediately sense that he wouldn't hurt Malik. Anyone else, maybe... but not Malik.

"It's nice to meet you, Prince Marik." She bowed politely.

"Mm." Marik looked her over. "So are you the Sultan's playtoy?" That question made Malik start giggling.

Serenity flushed with embarrassment and looked down. "No! No, I am nothing more than Prince Malik's storyteller... No one of any real importance to the Sultan, other than someone to entertain his little brother..."

"Oh, that's too bad." Marik shrugged. "Come on, Malik, let's go play in the fountain..." And he was a little kid again, bouncing off with Malik.

Serenity shook her head and leaned against the back of the stone bench she sat on. What an odd couple. Well. I suppose Malik's prince came for him... She smiled faintly and chuckled softly.

"Storyteller?"

Serenity jerked a bit and looked around quickly. She blinked at the two women who stood directly next to her. She hadn't heard them approach at all. One was tall, lithe and with graying hair, obviously athletic. The other was even taller, with shorter, graying hair, and a definitely pudgier build. Serenity's mind immediately identified her as a mother, even before she opened her mouth.

"All alone, my dear? That's simply unacceptable..." The taller woman shook her head. "I'm Nerla..."

"I'm Kihal, her sister..." the other woman bowed a bit. "We are two of Malik's teachers... I teach history, Nerla teaches calligraphy."

"Oh..." Serenity bowed as well. "It's nice to meet you..."

"The Prince seems simply enamored of you, my dear," Nerla moved a bit closer, slowly, as if she was afraid of scaring her off. "During his lesson today, he did nothing but go on about the wonderful stories you told him, and what a wonderful person you are..."

Serenity blushed faintly. "Oh... I can't be that wonderful..." A note of bitterness crept into her voice. "If I was, I wouldn't be slated to die as soon as the Prince loses interest in me."

Nerla looked sympathetic. "I'm sorry... I didn't know." She frowned thoughtfully. "That doesn't seem much like the Sultan at all..."

"Maybe he was having a bad day..." Kihal suggested, with a shrug. "I wouldn't worry about it, child, the Prince will not tire of you any time soon... We're going to help you."

Serenity blinked. "You... you're going to help me? Why? I'm no one special... I've only been here for a day!"

"I know the Sultan." Kihal tapped her temple. "I know how he thinks. Nerla and I were his teachers as well. We both know that if he carries through on his plan to have you executed, he will regret it for the rest of his life."

"Why?" Serenity shook her head. "I'm just a thief, I'm no one special, I'm not a princess, or some noble woman... I deserve to be punished..."

"But not like that," Kihal interrupted smoothly. "The Sultan is allowing his anger at the past to rule him. This is simply unacceptable, and once he calms down sufficiently and looks at the problem rationally... well, if he kills you before that happens, he will truly regret it, and it will haunt him forever."

"Oh." Serenity suddenly felt very small and worthless. "I don't want that to happen..." She didn't know why, but she didn't want him to be that upset over her. I'm not worth agonizing over... No matter what...

"That is what we're trying to avoid, child," Nerla said gently, patting her shoulder carefully. "Look, this is not the place to discuss such things... Shall we go to your rooms? They are near the Prince's, yes?"

"Yes..." Serenity nodded, and stood. "Follow me..." She worried her lip a bit. I shouldn't get too close to them, or allow them to get too close to me... I'll probably be gone soon, no matter what they do...

Nerla and Kihal exchanged significant looks. The girl was pretty. It was finally time to put their plan into action.

Leaf Zelindor: Wheee! :: points:: See? Marik! I win!

Marik: :: glomps Malik:: Mine! Bwahahahahaha....

nicole purple: Mak! Mak! Mak mak mak! XD We're having too much fun with this.. :: sniffs:: Like I would even want to touch your hikari... :: sticks tongue out::

Paladin Dragoon: :: smirks:: Oh, it only gets better. 'Cause what about poor, deprived Rishid? XD XD