My finals paper is finally done. All that's left is studying up for the tests coming up this week. In the meantime, Changing Tides continues.

Chapter Six- Complications

Three Days Later

"As this kingdom's ruler, I declare this union binding."

A cheer went up from the crowd as the king finished his declaration. Yugi beamed at Yami as he moved the hairpin to the left and the two princes sealed their vows with a kiss.

The wedding was an amazing experience to the business merman. An ocean wedding is not as elaborate. It's simply the two mates, their families, and the king. Here, it appeared, the entire kingdom was involved.

Seto was further struck by the fact that no one thought it strange that Yugi fell for a boy. It might be the fact that Yugi was a prince.

Seto had been human for four days on that wedding day. He found that only the ocean could trigger the change when Jou suggested he experience a bath. He enjoyed it immensly. The bubbles provided a curiousity to the merboy and he explored them deeply before he was forced to get out of the tub. Yugi's palace was quite plush and Seto considered himself fortunate that Yugi's parents allowed him and Jou to stay for awhile even though Jou had a home.

"Earth to Seto. Anyone there?"

Seto blinked and his eyes focused on Jou's concerned face. "I'm sorry, Jou. What were you saying?"

"I was saying that if you're ready, we can get started with our first actual Shadow Game."

The recollection of Yugi's and Yami's wedding faded away and brought Seto to the present. Two days ago, Jou gave Seto lessons on how to play a Shadow Game. They even watched Yugi and Yami play a game that ended in a stalemate. Yet, it had been a very exciting game.

"Let's do it, Jou."

Jou grinned as he recited the spell that opened a portal to the playing field. As they walked through, Jou felt a surge of anticipation go through him. He was about to play a Shadow Game against someone who might present a challenge before Jou won. Ryou and Honda played so simple, it was a snore playing against them. Yugi always beat him, but at least he was challenging. Hopefully, Seto could provide a decent challenge for him to really play before eventually defeating him.

About an hour later, the game was red-hot and intense. Both boys would take shots at one another along with magic and trap spells. But now, Jou had two monsters while Seto had one. Both were down to their last lifepoints.

"All right, Seto. This is where it ends. I offer up Alligator's Sword and Tiny Guardian to bring forth the powerful Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Seto gaped in amazement at the huge dragon that appeared in place of Jou's monsters. Its' wings were spread wide and its' eyes gleamed a menacing red as it screeched its' battlecry.

"Red-Eyes, attack Seto's monster and the rest of his lifepoint!"

The dragon complied, delievering a devastating final attack of the game. Seto's monster was reduced to ashes and his lifepoints hit zero.

"I win!" Jou exclaimed.

"You're good, Jou.:"

"Thanks. You were good yourself. A lot better than Ryou and Honda. You really gave me a fight."

"That good, huh?"

"We may be able to take Yugi and Yami on if we tag team."

"When I learn how that works, we probably will."

As the couple exited the Shadow Realm, they ran into the married princes.

"Hi, Jou! Hi, Seto!" Yugi exclaimed cheerily. "How did the game go?"

"Great. Seto put up a good fight, but I won."

"Good. Maybe Yami and I can take you on in a tag team one day."

"Exactly what I was thinking."

"Before we forget," Yami cut in. "The king has agreed to wed you and Jou."

"All right! When?"

"Two days after our honeymoon."

"I'll be sixteen by then," Seto added.

"Exactly."

"Jou, would you mind if I return home for a little while?"

"Not at all. Just hurry back."

"I will." Sharing a brief kiss with Jou, the brunette left the room and headed for the beach.

Seto set the bag on the sand and took in a deep breath of the salty ocean breeze. It would feel a little weird to be a merman again after being human for four days. But the joy of his impending marriage was so great that the only way he could express it was by swimming.

Stuffing his clothes in the bag he brought and stowing it, he ran for the water and leaped into the deeper part of the shallow water. The contact with the ocean instantly transformed his legs back into his foam-white tail. He immediately began to flex those muscles and re-orient himself with his home before he began to swim. He performed barrel rolls, loop-de-loops, twirls, corkscrews, and anything else he could think of until his joy was sufficiently satisfied. His marriage brought on thoughts of Princess Mai's and decided to stop at the palace to wish her well.

As he approached the castle, Malik came out and headed for him, a grim look on his face. "Seto, your father wants to see you. He says it's urgent."

Anxiety gripped at the merman as he headed for the guest room assigned to his father. Was this about his behavior a few days ago? Or was it about Jou? Anxiety turned toi firm determination at the thought of Jou. Seto loved him and intended to wed him as planned. It was all arranged.

He knocked on the door and he received an "Enter" from the other side. Opening the door, he found his father seated in one of the two chairs in the room.

"You wished to see me, Father?"

"Yes. First of all, where have you been the last few days?" Gozaburo, of course, knew exactly where his son had been: on land. But, he didn't want Seto to know that just yet.

"I was exploring this part of the ocean. It's somewhat different from where we live."

Gozaburo inwardly smirked. His son was a convincing liar, he'll give him that. "I also want to talk about that boy. What was his name? Jou?"

"Yes. Jou."

"I still say he's not right for you. And it would seem that I was right."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's really a human. I saw it. He placed some kind of spell on you. I saw you crawl onto land and become human."

"Then why did you ask where I had been if you already knew?"

"To see how you'd respond. I'm telling you that if you don't stay away from him, I'll have the king banish you from the sea."

"He can't do that. Can he?"

"You'll find out if you keep seeing him."

"I won't stop seeing him. We're already engaged and we will marry when I'm sixteen."

"You're engaged? I won't stand for it!"

"You can't stop us."

"I won't have to. You already have by coming back to the sea. You won't be able to become human again!" Gozaburo laughed in triumph.

Seto smiled thinly, cutting his father's laugh off. "That's what you think. The land is still accessible to me. The spell on me isn't human magic. I'm leaving now so I can prepare for my wedding." Seto turned to leave.

"Hold it right there!" Gozaburo declared, grabbing his son's fins.

"What are you doing?" Seto demanded.

Gozaburo looked at him with pitying eyes. "You've fallen for a human and such an act is punishable by death. I'm sorry." Getting a firmer grip by grabbing Seto's arm, the elder man dragged the boy to the throne room and simply swam inside.

"Gozaburo, what brings you here?"

"Your majesty, my son has fallen in love with a human."

"You know what this means."

"Yes. Death by drowning."

Seto was confused. Drowning? How could he possibly drown? "I can't drown," he stated.

"Yes, you can," the king said. "Once I've commanded the sea to turn your tail to legs. Your father will hold you to insure that you die."

Seto paled. "Oh, boy," he muttered.

Jou paced back and forth in the courtyard with Yugi and Yami watching.

"Jou, you're going to wear a rut in the ground if you don't stop," Yugi commented.

"I can't help it. I'm getting worried. He should have been back by now. He's in trouble, I know it!"

"What kind of trouble?"

"I don't...Wait, his father!" Jou looked at Yami. "Isn't it forbidden to love a human?"

The boy nodded solemnly. "If Gozaburo looks to my father for punishment, he'll very likely sentence Seto to death by drowning."

"Drowning?"

"He can have the sea turn Seto human while on the ocean bottom."

"I gotta go make sure he's okay!" Jou took off in a dead run toward the beach. He ran until he spotted the hollowed rock hole with a bag strap peeking out. In a flash, Jou discarded his clothes in that bag and jumped into the water, instantly changing to his merman form. He took a second to adjust before heading for the palace as fast as he could.

'Hang on, Seto. I'm coming.'

Uh-oh, Gozaburo's willing to kill Seto over this. That is just sick. Can Jou get there in time? Find out in the last chapter of Changing Tides coming soon.