DIS: Why do these things happen to me? I finally get inspiration, but it's at the end of gods-be-damned Spring Break! (sighs) Well...Here is the next chapter of 'Kissed by Shadows.' It's not great, but...(shrug)

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Recap: Last chapter, Seto gave Anzu the decision of choosing between Marik, Malik, or Bakura to live with since Isis is now dead. Seto, being a widower, knows better than to allow the friend of his deceased fiancée live with him. Both Bakura and Marik are eager for Anzu's decision. Who will she choose to live with? We shall now find out in Chapter Thirteen of Kissed by Shadows.

Chapter Thirteen, The manipulation of the king

He smiled, taking a deep drink of wine. The king had invited him to his chambers to have 'a little chat' as he called it. The rain was thundering outside. It was almost nightfall. The people of the ton wouldn't be able to leave Norwich tonight. No, they would have to wait until the weather calmed down...And King George knew that.

"My friend..." the king murmured. "You must help me."

"Of course I will, my king," he said softly, patting the king's jeweled hand. His voice was caressing as a lover's touch and the king's saddened face contorted in anguish.

"I cannot bear to see another of my loyal subject's be destroyed by this cannibal and yet...there is no way for us to leave here in this dreadful weather." The king ran a hand over his face, his heart aching for his people.

How sickeningly pathetic, he thought, his narrowing in scorn. What a fool the king is. He smiled. And that is why it will be so easy to weasel my way into his mind... "My dear, dear king," he put his wine glass down and knelt at the monarch's feet. "I assure you that this will not happen to another of your people." Well, depending on if I'm hungry tonight. "I would do anything for you, my liege." King George smiled wearily.

"Yes, I know, my lord," the king murmured, coming to his feet. He stood as well, watching as the stout man moved over to the window. "Look outside. God is punishing my people and I for my insufficiency in protecting my subjects. The Lord Almighty causes this rain. He cries in anger and frustration."

Oh, please, he thought, wanting to roll his eyes.

"My lord...If any ask to leave in this weather, you must decline. They could be struck down by lightning or raided."

"You're right, my lord," the king agreed. "No one shall leave tonight."

No one, especially not you, Anzu Mazaki. Hehehe...

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Seto entered the throne room and carefully knelt three times as he approached the king. He rose to his feet at the king's gesture. Seto waited for the king to speak. He knew he was not allowed to say a word until King George was, but he wanted so much to say something. The king was stalling. "My lord, Earl of Huntingdon...What is so important that you ask a conference after dinner when he should be sleeping?"

"I beg for you to allow Lady of York (Anzu), Viscount of Chelmsford (Marik), his brother, Earl of Canterbury (Bakura), myself and...the Earl of Avon (Yami.)" Seto didn't really care for Yami, but he thought that Anzu might be worried for his sake. The king's eyes pinned him to his place and Seto wondered what in all God's name was the man's problem. Never had he seen the king look so...emotionless. His eyes were flat and his mouth was set in a thin, straight line. "My lord?"

"No one is to leave tonight," King George told him, standing up. "The weather is too rough."

"...The weather is no problem."

"No," the king hissed to him. "I have given you my answer, Earl of Huntingdon. Do not press me on this." At that, the king moved away from the throne, heading to a door that led to his chambers. Seto stared after him, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. The king sounded so...

Brian washed, Seto concluded grimly as he left the room. I doubt North or Essex would have been able to do so. That means that...The killer. He's brainwashing the king. Seto swore aloud, pausing in the corridor. Which means that he has access to the king. He felt himself pale. The only ones that have access are North, Essex, and Yami. Yami certainly wouldn't do this, so...He looked around him and broke into a run down the hall. Either North or Essex is the killer. He swallowed as he started taking the stairs by two. Or what if they both are? No...They despise each other. He paused at a door, hesitated, and then knocked. He paused again, then knocked once again. The door flung open to show an irritated, tired Frenchman.

"Oui?" He growled, obviously irritated.

"We need to talk – now." Bakura opened his eyes wide, seeing the anxiety in Seto's face and nodded, allowing him in. He pulled his shirt on and lit a candle, sitting on the bed, rubbing sleep from his face.

"What is it?" Bakura asked in English, for the sake of Seto's sanity.

"The killer...I think I know who the killer might be." Bakura's eyes narrowed on him.

"Hold on."

"Wait, Bakura. Don't wake Anzu."

"No," Bakura said slowly, pulling his robe around him, "not Bakura. Marik and Malik." Bakura left, returning briefly with the two in hand. Marik was wide-awake, but disheveled, and Malik was blinking from sleep. "Faux," Bakura growled maliciously to Marik. The slightly taller male glared in response, fixing his hair and clothes.

"You're never going to get Anzu that way."

"Oh, it's not what you think," Bakura muttered. Malik suddenly became attentive. "...Non, non, not that, Malik," he quickly said. "He was asleep, but..." He glared at Marik, who glared back in response.

"Enough," Seto snapped. "Listen up and listen well – all three of you." He stood up, pacing. "The king is being manipulated from the inside of the ton. It is a person, therefore, that has good access to him. There are only three that do. Vincent Hastings, Earl of Essex; Frederick North, Lord North; and Yami Mutou, Earl of Avon. We already know that it isn't Yami. He would never do anything like this to Anzu or Isis, so it has to be either Essex or North." He halted in his pacing, staring at them soberly. Malik was absorbing this, along with his brother. Bakura was frowning thoughtfully.

"In other words..." Bakura said slowly, "...we have to find out which of the two is the cannibal."

"That would be correct."

"How do you intend us to do that?" Marik demanded. "Essex despises Bakura and I and he knows that Malik's related to me. We've warned him off from Anzu, so...We might be lucky in that sense if he is the one."

"He is," Bakura immediately said.

"...North...I'm not too sure about him. He's a shady character if you ask me."

"He is," Kaiba repeated the words Bakura has said only a moment ago. "North is careful who he encloses information with and almost every smile he gives is forced. We should worry about him more so than Essex, however – " His eyes narrowed on them as he continued, " – be wary of both."

"...Mon Dieu..." Bakura murmured, raking a hand through his hair.

"Damn, Seto," Marik muttered, rubbing his hands, "now you have me all paranoid."

"Then you'll be better on guard," the Earl of Huntingdon said simply. "The king has forbidden us to leave, but..." He shrugged. "I don't know. I'm considering leaving some time tomorrow."

"And defy the king?" Bakura asked, raising an eyebrow. "...I like it."

"Well," Marik sighed, "I sure as hell am not going to sleep tonight."

"Je suis absolument d'accord," Bakura muttered. "Cela moi donne beaucoup de souci."

"You should be worried," Malik grumbled. "We all should be. Essex or North could have their sight fixed on Anzu for their midnight meal – or one of us," he added. Marik vaguely remember Anzu saying something about how the killer was going after everyone close to her. He shivered, realizing how right she was.

"...So, Seto? What are you going to do tonight?" Marik asked cautiously.

"Sleep. For now. I'm...unsettled by this knew piece of information we've acclaimed, but I need sleep for my mind to work tomorrow. Then we will put our plan into action."

"And Anzu?" He prodded. Seto said nothing for a moment, before sighing.

"You will tell her tomorrow."

"Me?"

"Him?" Malik and Bakura repeated, though Bakura in French.

"Yes, him," Seto snapped. "We will be working on the plan. He can tell her. Right?" Marik gawked at him for a moment, before reluctantly nodding. "Good. Then, for now, I will sleep and you three will do whatever...Actually – Marik, Bakura, I want you to stay up tonight and watch Anzu's room. Just to be safe." The two nodded. "Malik...You can watch my room."

"What?" Malik stared at him.

"You don't think I have a death wish, do you?" Seto demanded. Malik blinked, then sighed.

"All right..."

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DIS: Yes, that was a rather...short...chapter, but I didn't have much else to add on this chapter. The details were small, but there was enough dialogue, I think. I hope you guys enjoyed it and I really do apologize for not updating earlier. I've been caught up in my Inuyasha fic, but now that I have no inspiration for that, I have inspiration for this stuff. Again, I'm sorry. Please review on your way out and I'll see what I whip up for the next chapter. Love y'all, ciao!