That evening everyone was busy. Heba was watching Lady Eva since Yami was busy helping Atem. Miss Clara had managed to create an outfit for Atem to wear just in time. Luckily, it fit just right. Yami was already changed into his outfit for the ball. Yami's outfit consisted of a pair of black pants, a dark red shirt, a black vest, and a black jacket. He had his sword around his waist, for even tonight he had to guard Lady Eva. Yami watched in amusement as Atem struggled to get his outfit on.

"You need help?" Atem blushed but nodded avoiding eye contact. Yami smiled and helped Atem get his shirt on properly.

"I thought it went the other way," Atem said gazing at his shirt in the mirror. Yami shook his head.

"An easy way to remember it, is that the little tag mark Miss Clara puts on the clothes is on the back," Atem nodded.

"You'd think I'd learn, after all, Miss Clara has been the palace seamstress since I was little," after Yami fastened Atem's cloak on, a knock at the door came. Yami left Atem to finish as he answered the door. On the other side was Heba.

"Heba?" Heba walked in and noticed Atem had finished getting ready.

"I'm glad you're ready, because the ball starts in 10 minutes and guests are already filling the ballroom," Atem's eyes widened.

"It's that late?" Heba nodded.

"Well we better go, is Lady Eva already waiting?" Heba nodded. Atem turned to Yami "Yami can you go meet with everyone in the ballroom and make sure they're ready?" Yami nodded.

Yami had made it to the ballroom with 4 minutes to spare. He noticed everyone was in their spots and the guests were speaking with one another.

"Where's the Emperor?" Seto asked with an annoyed look.

"He should be down soon," Seto nodded. Of the course of being at the palace, Yami had learned that it had been Seto's father and Yami's uncle, Aknadin, who forced Seto to side with the vampires. Slowly the two cousins had started to regain their relationship with one another. Soon Heba, Bakura, Marik, Ootogi, and Honda had joined them.

The doors suddenly opened and everyone turned. In walked Atem along with Princess Eva at his side. Eva was wearing her gown which Miss Clara had managed to finish. Her red hair was tied into a curled bun with her bangs loose and curled. She wore her gold necklace with the purple gem in the middle, a pair of gold earrings, and gold bands on her wrists. In her hair was a white rose to complete her outfit.

"Well, shall we get this party started?" Atem bowed to Eva with a smile and the band started to play a song to which everyone watched the two dance.

Eventually, some had started to dance along with the two. While others stood around with drinks in their hands and mingled with one another. Yami was keeping an eye on Eva as she danced with a lord from the city. Eva noticed Yami watching and smiled, as the dance ended Eva excused herself from the man and walked over to Yami.

"What's with that face?"

"What face?" Eva smiled.

"You always make that face when you're concentrating, what's on your mind?" Yami sighed.

"Everything really."

"If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine we can enjoy the rest of the night," Yami smiled and bowed.

"Well, then may I have this dance, your Highness," Eva smiled and rolled her eyes.

"You may indeed," the two headed into the middle of the ballroom and another song started. Everyone stopped and watched as they glided around the room, everyone was gathered in a circle watching. As the two danced they seemed to be lost in their own worlds. It was as if time itself and stopped and everyone was gone. Atem and the others smiled from their spots as they saw a genuine smile on both Yami and Eva's faces.

"I don't think I've seen a smile like that on Yami's face, even from when I was with him," Seto said as his cousin continued to smile, Atem nodded.

"Eva used to smile like that as a child, but when her mother died she stopped. It's been a long time since she's smiled like that," Seto smiled.

"He's different around her, she's changed him from what he was in the short time she's been here," Atem nodded in agreement.

"She has that effect on people she likes, I'm glad she has Yami as a friend," as the song ended the two stopped dancing. The crowd clapped and Yami guided Eva towards where everyone else was standing.

The rest of the night was filled with dancing and laughter. At one point Marik had dragged Bakura out onto the dance floor and practically forced him to dance with him. This amused everyone and the crowd seemed to enjoy it as well. Atem was happy to see Yami laughing and smiling, he knew Yami was still missing his brother Yugi. So this was a distraction to keep his mind off everyone and enjoy one night without worries. Suddenly Bakura grabbed Yami by the arm and pulled him into the middle of the crowd with them. Atem smiled as he watched Yami give up on trying to escape Bakura's grasp and join them.

An hour later Yami had refused to go back onto the dance floor.

"Drink Sir?" a man with light teal hair asked. Yami eyed the man, he had light teal hair and had two different eye colours. One was blue and one was yellow. He wore a servant's uniform but Yami didn't recognize him from anywhere.

"Thank you," Yami said forcing a smile and taking a glass of champagne. "I've never seen you before," the man smiled.

"I'm new here, I started yesterday evening," the man then bowed careful not to drop the tray of drinks in his hands. "Please excuse me sir."

The man left and Yami's eyes followed the man as he walked up to Anzu next. Anzu was wearing a pink slim gown with pink sheer off the shoulder sleeves, a gold belt around her waist, and pink heels on her feet. Anzu also wore a gold choker around her neck, gold cuffs on her wrists, and gold earrings in her ears. The man bowed and Anzu smiled and picked up a glass of champagne, the two were talking until Anzu was pulled away by a lord to dance. Atem walked up a moment later.

"Who was that talking to you?"

"A servant, apparently he started working here yesterday evening," Atem nodded.

"Yes, I remember him, his name his Dartz. He didn't say where he was from only that he traveled here seeking work," Yami nodded. "Where's Eva?" Yami pointed her out dancing with a man.

"She's right there, I've been keeping an eye on her," Atem nodded. He noticed Seto motioning for him to come over as the council was standing a distance off along with the Royal Court. Atem sighed annoyed.

"Excuse me for a moment," Yami nodded and Atem walked off towards the council. Yami finished his champagne and another man came and took his glass away. Eva walked up a moment later with a smile.

"How has your evening been?" Yami shrugged.

"Eventful, what about you?" Eva smiled.

"It's been interesting I'll say that much," Yami smiled and the two continued talking until Anzu came up with a smile.

"Good evening Lady Eva," Eva nodded.

"Good evening to you to Lady Anzu, I haven't seen you in a few years," Anzu nodded.

"Yes, it has been a while hasn't it?" Anzu said turning to Yami with a soft glare, a fake smile on her face. "Yami do you think you can get us something drinks?" Yami glared but nodded sending Eva a reassuring smile.

Yami returned a few moments later with three glasses of champagne. He handed one to Eva who smiled and then he handed one to Anzu.

"Yami," a voice called from behind the three, Yami and Eva turned to find Atem with Heba. "Glad we found you two, Atem was worried we wouldn't," Heba said with a smile, Atem glared.

"Heba," he whined getting a laugh out of everyone.

Unknown the four while Yami was turned and his glass was on the table. Anzu grabbed a clear bottle with a white yellow liquid inside. She quickly opened the bottle and poured the liquid inside Yami's glass. Anzu quickly put the bottle away once Atem started speaking getting everyone's attention.

"Everyone, I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight," Atem picked up a glass of champagne and raised it. Everyone followed in suit holding up their glasses. "A toast, to Lady Eva," everyone smiled and clinked their glass together before taking a sip of their drinks.

An hour later the ball was still lively as before. Yami was speaking to Atem, however, their conversation was stopped short when Eva walked up.

"Atem, I'm sorry to interrupt," Atem smiled and shook his head.

"Not at all, Eva what is it?" Eva frowned.

"I'm feeling a bit tired, if it's alright I'd like to retire for the evening," Atem nodded.

"Of course, I'm sure everyone will understand. Yami will you escort Eva to her room?" Yami nodded.

"Of course," Yami held out his arm for Eva and the two left the ballroom.

"Your feet look sore" Yami commented noticing Eva was walking with a slight limp. Eva shook her head.

"I'll be alright, just the joys of being a woman in heels," Yami nodded and the two continued to her room.

Halfway up Yami started to feel dizzy and his body felt heavy. He leaned against the wall and slid down sitting down, his head spinning. Eva noticed and stopped a concerned look on her face.

"Yami what's wrong?"

"Well, that took longer to take effect than I thought it would" a voice called out from the shadows. Eva narrowed her eyes and out of the shadows stepped someone she didn't expect. It was Anzu.

"Anzu? What are you doing here?" Anzu smiled.

"I'm here to see if dear little Yami is still alive," Eva glared.

"What do you mean still alive?" Anzu smiled and leaned against a wall.

"You see Eva, during that little speech Atem gave earlier, I slipped this into Yami's drink. I'm sure you'll recognize it," Anzu tossed the bottle from earlier to Eva who caught it. One look at it and Eva gasped in shock

"This is..." Anzu smiled.

"Hasta snake poison, a poison that kills someone slowly but ever so painfully," Eva glared and stood up.

"Anzu, you hurt someone I consider my friend, you'll pay for this," Eva summoned a sword using her powers and went to stab Anzu. However, before she could a sword was plunged through her chest, the initial shock from the stab made her lose concentration and her sword disappeared. Yami's eyes widened, he took notice of the figure behind Eva.

"You," he breathed out in surprise. Dartz chuckled from behind Eva and pulled out the sword, Eva fell to the ground. Red blood poured out from the wound staining the carpet and her dress. Yami noticed Dartz was holding a sword similar to his.

"That looks just like mine," Dartz smiled.

"Good observation, thanks to Lady Anzu I was able to perfectly recreate your sword," Yami's eyes widened. Dartz picked up the sword around Yami's waist and snapped it easily in half. Yami glared as Dartz tossed Yami's blood-stained sword to the floor beside him. Anzu had left a few moments later, she was heading back to the ballroom to get Atem and the others.

Dartz put the handle of the sword into Yami's hand. Dartz then stepped back as he heard footsteps running towards them. He turned to find Anzu had returned along with Atem and the Royal Court. Along with Marik, Bakura, Heba, Honda, and Ootogi. Everyone's eyes widened at the scene before them. Atem's eyes widened seeing Yami leaning against a nearby wall with a bloody sword in hand. From the smell of blood, Atem could tell the sweet-scented blood was Eva's.

"Your majesty, I was helped Lady Anzu to her room when we found Yami and Lady Eva like this," Dartz said with a fake saddened look on his face.

Atem said nothing, he only walked towards Eva's body which lay a few feet away from Yami. Her eyes were still open in shock, Atem frowned with tears in his eyes. He moved his hand over her eyes and closed the lids and brushed her bangs out of her face. She looked peaceful. Atem turned to Yami and stood up, Yami had put the sword down and had slowly stood up. His dizziness had worn off and he was able to stand without feeling like he had to fall over.

"Atem, I didn't do this... surely you know that," Atem growled.

"You think Anzu lied to me, she's been my friend since my childhood alongside Eva and I trust her," Yami frowned. "I didn't want to believe what I saw at first, but now I do," Atem said with a frown. "I thought I could trust you Yami, I thought that you were different from other humans who rebelled against the Vampires," Yami stepped forwards and grabbed Atem's hands in his own.

"You can trust me Atem, I am different, I'm not the same person I was before," Atem shook his head and pulled his hands out of Yami's grip, then two guards stepped forward behind Yami. Yami went to grab Atem's arm but was stopped by Atem's command.

"Freeze," Atem called out with a glare. Yami winced as he felt his limbs freeze, his arm stretched out, thanks to the collar. Atem hadn't used the collar since the first few months Yami was his servant, so the command shocked him.

"I trusted you and you killed my friend who I have known since I was a child. Then you go and lie and try to tell me it wasn't you," Atem said with a glare. "In the end, you're no different than your resistance followers, you'll kill vampires when you get the chance to." Atem nodded to the two guards behind Yami, the two grabbed Yami by his arms. "Release," Atem commanded, releasing Yami from his frozen stance

"Take him down to the dungeon, I'll be there shortly, and I'll deal with him personally," Yami's eyes widened. He had been to enough executions of vampires over the years he had been here to know that look in Atem's eyes. The guards nodded and dragged a wide-eyed Yami away, as Yami passed his friend he noticed they did not make eye contact with him. They just looked away and made room for the guards the walk past.

Once they had arrived at the dungeon, the guards shoved Yami inside a cell and the door was locked. He watched the guards walk away and flinched as he heard the door to the dungeon slam shut. Yami sighed and sat on his bed, without the key or anything to help him pick the lock, he was trapped. Even if he wanted to escape, he wouldn't want to make Atem any angrier than he was at the moment.

Meanwhile, Atem had dismissed everyone, except for two people. These people were Isis and Heba. Isis had a few guards carry Eva's body to the medical room. Heba had ordered a few servants to start cleaning up the blood on the carpet.

"Atem, I'll handle everything, for now, you should probably go calm down," Heba said with a kind smile, Atem sighed and nodded.

"I think I'll go to my office and read," Heba nodded.

"I'll get a servant to send you some tea," Atem smiled.

"Thanks, Heba, I appreciate it," Heba smiled and headed down towards the kitchen while Atem headed to his study.

Anzu smiled as she and Dartz walked outside.

"Our plan is working, Atem had retired to his study to calm down. He'll most likely be there all night," Dartz nodded.

"Yami will be dead by the time he gets there, thanks to the Hasta poison you slipped into his drink," Anzu smiled.

"Now with Eva dead and Yami on his death bed, I'm one step closer to achieving my goal," Anzu said with a grin.

"And my payment?"

"I'll meet you tomorrow night and I'll have your payment secured by then," Dartz nodded.

"Very well, I'll be on my way then," Anzu nodded and headed back inside.

Mai, who had headed outside to enjoy the night had seen Anzu and Dartz talking. She had hidden behind some bushes nearby, but close enough to hear the conversation. Her eyes widened when she heard what the two had done. Anzu was heading her way towards the door, Mai quickly hid in the shadows. Anzu had walked past with a smug look on her face. Yet, she hadn't noticed Mai in the bushes.

Mai stepped out of the bushes as soon as she was sure Anzu was inside. Sighing Mai stared up at the window which was Atem's study.

'I'm sorry Anzu' was her thought as she headed towards the Emperor's study.

Knocking on the door Mai waited until Atem opened the door.

"Mai? What is it?"

"I need to show you something," Atem sighed but nodded allowing Mai inside.