Consort

And it was decided by the very helpful and supportive reviewers that the story shall go on!

Reviewers: Thanks so much, sorry it took so long, I've already got most of chapter three done so I'll have it up by next week, promise!

Special thanks to Misura (One of my most favorite and esteemed writers, seriously go read her stuff, you won't be sorry!) and Mandapandabug (glomps)!

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Jounouchi looked longingly at the line of servants, hands tensing on the poles of the banister. He tore his eyes from the gathering as he felt them watering. Why am I such a freak? How come Master never includes me? What's wrong with me? Must I stand out even more to them as a target for their loathing? A deep feeling of segregation and humiliation pierce him. Curling his knees up to his chest he set his head upon them.

Lord Yami constantly did this, forcing all those under his control to be interviewed and inspected whenever a bout of paranoia struck him. Every slave, servant and solider was subjected to his line of questioning. All except Jounouchi. And this seclusion forced him to ponder over his position in the household.

The blonde didn't spend long in his haze of self-pity, as the Mater's voice snapped at one of the servants. Being naturally nosey, especially when it came to the business of others, Jounouchi stuck his head over the banister to watch.

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Yami scowled at the servant before him, it would seem all was not well in his manor. This would not do. If he were to let one servant to get the one up one up on him, all of them would be rioting. It was not a situation he would allow; and as a responsible master, it was his duty to punish those unruly and disruptive. The stability of his life depended on it. Of all their lives.

"Just what do you think you're doing!" thundered Yami, closing in one the black haired man.

He seemed to shrink back from the anger in his master's voice but still did not flee from him. Not his wisest move.

"N-nothing my l-lord."

The lord inched even closer. "Are you saying I'm seeing things?"

The servant saw the threat for what it was and meekly shook his head. "N-n-no my lord, never."

Yami gave him a condescending look, telling him just what he thought about that statement. Snorting he turned on his heal, moving towards the staircase.

"There will be a restriction on all servants, no evening meals nor visits to the town for three weeks."

Gasps went out down the line, shocked at the severity, before they could target Lord Yami, he redirected his gaze toward the unruly servant. "You can thank your new friend for this . . . sentence."

Yami, in a swirl of cloaks, turned to his office, slamming the door behind him.

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Mokuba pranced about in place, though how he was capable of doing such a thing was quite mind boggling, but the young teen was unable to sit still and unwilling to disobey a direct order not to move. As The Heir entered the room all conversations ceased, all bowed reverently and kept their eyes downcast. Mokuba couldn't help but feel a rush of pride. After all, Seto was his brother; he felt a grin twitching at the corners of his lips and hurried to stop it. Seto may be his brother, but as The Heir he wouldn't tolerate such displays in public.

As Seto called the meeting to attention, he mentally ran off a checklist of who had arrived as his eyes scanned the room. It seemed that Lord Marik from the Darskt Kingdom had arrived, his bondmate sitting at his side. Also Lady Mai was in attendance, truthfully Seto had had his doubts about the Crialoldyn Kingdom. Lately their cities had become overcome with bandits, he did not think the lands would spare their leader at such a time. But he noted that her chosen wasn't with her, Rey-iak Anuz must have remained behind to run Crialoldyn. He pondered over whether that was such a wise move. Seto knew that he would never leave the Kingdoms in the hands of any, save perhaps Mokuba. Though as The Heir he had no Rey-iak. King Yukio was looking into locating Seto's chosen but because of his sudden illness had not completed this mission.

Seto's eyes sought out Lord Yami, ruler of the Purpen Kingdom. Oddly General Keith filled his space, this caused Seto to frown. He didn't respect nor enjoy the General's company, he often spoke out of turn and always much too loudly. He wondered why the Lord would send Keith in his stead, for it was no secret of Seto's contempt for the General.

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Lord Marik dared a sweeping glance of the room. Before the Heir had entered he had been discussing a merger with Lady Mai, of late her crops had been failing, mainly due with her lack of military. The forces in the Crialoldyn Kingdom had been fading; the peaceful nature of the neighboring kingdom had no doubt lead them into a false sense of security. A grin stretched over his features, it would mean profit for Darskt though and that was all that mattered.

His gaze flickered to his bondmate; a proud twist of his lips was the only satisfaction he showed. The diminutive blonde's head was bent respectively as the Heir entered. As the Heir's stare passed over his Rey-iak Marik felt himself tense. While he assuredly knew that the leader would never revoke the rites between him and his bondmate, the knowledge that the Heir had a voracious appetite for blondes always made him reluctant to bring his bondmate along.

The ruler of Darskt didn't allow for his anxiety to last long, as he noted the tension that filled the room as the Heir's glare landed on General Keith from the Purpen Kingdom.

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General Keith smirked as the Heir's heated stare landed on him. He'd been more than thrilled for the opportunity to stir up some trouble. The troops had been restless of late, and Lord Yami had no patience for their antics. In sending his General to the Capital he'd been able to alleviate most of the trouble that had been stirring up of late.

He barely restrained a snort, recalling his first reaction to being shipped away from the kingdom. Amused he was not. After hearing that the Lord planned on running a thorough inspection all those under his control, Keith had been a bit more enthusiastic for the escape. Lord Yami was renown for his ruthless nature, often unexpected as his victims were caught in a false sense of security around him. The general had to respect this, but that did not mean that he wished to be subject to the same, not to mention the rare chance to irritate the Heir.

The Heir was motioning for the meeting to commence; hastily those in the room took their seats. Deliberately taking his time, the general made a show of selecting his chair before seating him self as well. By the time he was ready the Heir was seething, ready to rail the man for his galling behavior. Keith allowed a slow smirk to distort his features.

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Jounouchi glance up from the book he'd been flipping through for the majority of the day. When the servants had been dismissed and Lord Yami had begun to scrutinize the troops, Jou had swiftly lost interest. Normally the blonde's curiosity would get the best of him and he'd tag after the Lord but those in the military were hardly pedantic. In the past, any time Jou had been in the barracks the soldiers took it upon them selves to make it highly uncomfortable for him. Catcalls echoed the halls and he found unknown hands ghosting over his body, too quickly to locate those who dared touch the Master's slave but the memories lingered in his mind. The slave made sure that his trips were only as long as was needed.

As soon as the Lord had announced that he would need a horse tacked because he would be interviewing the troops, Jounouchi had retreated to the library, selecting a book and heading out to the fields. Of the kingdoms, Purpen Kingdom was praised often on the lush wildlife. Merchants and healers traveled far distances and went to great lengths to gather herbs.

Of course, the only reason that Jounouchi knew this was due to Lord Yami demanding that his tutors teach him in studies of a vast variety. The blonde slave couldn't see the sense in it; he was only a pallor toy for the master. Despite the fact that his learning of languages really wasn't considered necessary either, it never occurred to Jou that his lessons were so wide for another purpose. Though Jounouchi did enjoy when his tutors read to him. It was a strange. He would often find himself drifting as they spoke, absorbing all that was spoken. For some odd reason he seemed to learn better when lessons were spoken, rather than reading or writing. Not that the slave lacked the ability, Lord Yami expressed a desire that Jounouchi be well versed in the world of scholars, but he found more pleasure in his physical trainings than mental. The feel of a sword in his hand, something slaves were forbidden to know, it made him thrive in ways that intellectual stimulation never could.

Which brought Jou's mind back from his cloud gazing, closing his book with a snap. Why would Lord Yami allow him to learn the sword? Let alone the many other defense lessons he had, in fact on the next morn he'd meet with his tutor in archery.

"I do so hate archery." He muttered darkly. It was by far his worse battle skill. He found the bow cumbersome and his aim was always off. He'd be aiming at his target and get distracted, by a butterfly fluttering by or a prancing Unicorn; which oddly enough happened quite frequently. These occurrences were odd because typically unicorns held a great distrust for males. Jou always had such a strong animal magnetism, especially since the last moon cycle.

"Jou! Thank the goddess I found you!" A figure burst out of the trees, grasping his arm painfully, yanking the slave to his feet. "You must come quickly, there's no time to waste!"

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Wow lots of more cast in this round! We meet some more in the next, along with another reunion with broody!Seto, plus what's wrong with Jounouchi?