Evelyn
"If I weren't such good friends with your father, boy, I would have you executed!" King Helmsley said, scarfing down chicken wing after chicken wing, sitting atop the Ebony Throne.
"And you!" he pointed at Evelyn. "You would do best to put your friends in their place. This is the last time anyone duels on your behalf. Especially one so weak."
Poor Ethan stared at his feet, too ashamed to look at his king in the eye. He bit off more than he could chew challenging Forrest the way he did. And he was choking on his failure, having the king's wrath shoved down his throat.
"Get out of my castle!" shouted Helmsley. "You are not welcome here anymore."
"Yes, your majesty." Ethan bowed and left the throne room and then stormed out.
"And as for you, Ser Kevin. You will gather what forces we have left and march north."
"Father you can't!" stammered Evelyn.
"Be silent!" her father shouted. His voice boomed in the massive hall. "Ser Kevin is currently the most capable fighter in my army. You, Ser, will march north and reclaim the Emerald Marches. A land your brother worked so hard to defend for years," he looked down at his daughter. "And thanks to you and your games it was lost in ten minutes. But, you will more than make up for this after you are wed to Daveed."
"No!"
"Yes. You will do what you can to have him marry you. And you will produce him a child. That way our family will remain strong both here and in Rassay."
"And do you think Daveed will bed me just because I open my legs for him!"
"One way or another, he will get you pregnant."
"Are you suggesting I force myself unto him!"
"If it comes to that."
"You truly are a monster, father! No, not even. I insult the cards if I called you that. I will not rape the prince."
"You should well learn that he who puts his family first will always triumph over those who put the happiness of their children before everything. If I must make sacrifices, it is for the benefit of our house, for the survival of our family."
"It's easy for you to say that, father! You're the ones forcing us what to do for your own gain. When have you ever done something that wasn't just to stroke your ego."
"The day you were born!" Helmsley shouted.
Evelyn froze.
"Your mother and I both wanted to toss you into the Bay of Lendos after we saw you. Hell, a slaver from Sobek even gave us a hefty sum to take you. You would be rotting in the Mouth of Zorc by now had we accepted his offer. But I let you live and stay with us. And I took it upon myself to raise you as my daughter."
Evelyn felt tears stream down her face.
"Do something right for once in your life! Marry the High King and ensure the survival of our family. Talion died to protect this family. And if Forrest conquers our home because you remain rebellious then his death would have been for nothing!"
"Ser Kevin, ready your forces."
"Ser Kevin is a student at Duelist Academy!" Yami said loudly stomping his way into the throne room.
Evelyn gasped. How did he get here so fast? He was all the way near the border of Emboldor. It matter not, he was here in the throne room, unless her eyes were being misled by a clever spell. Regardless, she showed respect for the Eyar, and bowed, as did the other knights.
King Helmsley even got up from his throne and bowed to the Eyar. "Master Yu-Gi-Oh," he called out. "What an unexpected surprise."
"You really think I would not come here after learning our land is short one prince. You were a complete fool to send Talion up north to battle King Forrest!"
"Talion died fighting for his family,"
"If you would have kept your pride on a leash you would have known I have rallied support from other kingdoms to aid you in this time of need."
"Are they now?" asked Helmsley.
"Yes. House Dalton of Domino sends their armies and a horde of Cyber Dragons to the marches. And Emboldor, Katina, and Feldia have even sent convoys of Star Chips to pay your debt to the Big Five."
"And you tell me this now!"
"I take it you ignored my letters!" snapped Yami. "I've written to you multiple times. But it looks you were too proud to take part in my alliance to care and ignored them. And now, your son has paid for your pride."
Helmsley's face turned red. He knew Yami was right. The wizard shook his head, staring at the man people called the worst king in all of Termmnia.
"Leave us Evelyn," said Yami. "I have much to discuss with your father."
"Master," Evelyn said bowing. She strolled out of the throne room and went to the courtyard to think. She heard the sound of metal wailing as it collided with something very solid. She followed the sound and spotted Ser Kevin whacking a tree with his sword until it broke.
"Kevin!" Evelyn cried out.
"I'll kill them all!" he sobbed. "By the goddesses, I will kill them all."
"We will," said Evelyn. "But you won't stop Forrest with a broken sword. It seems I must follow through with father's wishes. There is no other option for me now."
"No, my lady. I will raise the greatest army the world has ever seen. I will march to Naralia and…"
"You will do no such thing!" said Evelyn. "Master Yu-Gi-Oh has accepted you into the school. This is your chance to follow your dreams."
"There are more important things now," said Kevin.
"Talion wouldn't want you to throw away your dream, sweetheart. He went north not just for me, but for you as well. He knew how much being a duelist meant to you."
"He said we would marry after he joined the alliance," Kevin started to sob.
"Of course, he did," said Evelyn. "You loved him."
"To live with him by the Rose Coast in Red Garden. To live with my prince in peace. Perhaps start a family. That was my dream."
Evelyn knew this. The day after the battle of Anon Harden, she sat in her chair and watched as Talion and Kevin kissed by the lake. He spoke of how they were to live in a sea-side castle and raise strapping lords and beautiful little ladies. Now that Talion was gone, all Kevin had was his Duel Monsters career.
"Look," Kevin said, pointing to the balconies above. "Master Yugi and Seto Kaiba are here."
"A tournament?" Yami said staring at a flyer from Earth retrieved by one of the elite agents of the Emboldorian Secret Service. "And he'll be participating?"
"Without a doubt," said Seto Kaiba. His hologram projected by the communicator anyway. "It'll be the biggest Duel Monsters event in the history of their world. I think Yuri could use a warm-up before coming back home."
"That's one thing we can agree on," said Yami. "If he wins this competition then he's a better duelist than I thought. Perhaps he won't need to enter the academy after all."
"I think he should," said Kaiba. "One Duel Monsters tournament will not be enough to ensure his skills are top notch. The Dueling Pact is still law. And if someone challenges him for the crown - Saafani save him if he is not prepared. Remember, those people are still using pure-blood monsters from the days of the game's foundation. They don't have access to the more advanced rules and the new generation of monsters like we do."
"You make a valid point," Yami said, throwing the flier at a nearby side table. "I suppose we'll send him home once the tournament is over. Regardless if he wins or loses."
"You sure you want to wait that long?" Kaiba asked. "What of King Forrest?"
"His advances have been halted for the moment," said Yami. "Many of the Southern Kingdoms are outraged of Prince Talion's murder at the hands of the Church of Yeyu and have aided in stopping his advances. But I feel like they're stalling him."
"Stalling him?" Kaiba asked.
"Yes, as if they're biding time for Prince Yuri's return."
"There's still a matter of Hector Delgado in the southern parts of Emboldor," said Kaiba. "He's enigmatic at best, but he's gaining ground down there. I think you should consider watching him."
Prince Hector Delgado
"You've come very far my young prince." The lady in black said to thirteen-year-old Hector Delgado as he stood proudly on top of one of the Red Stones of Serania.
Serania is the region in the southern half of Emboldor that was called the Dragon Lands, for it was here that the dragons first opened their eyes during the Forming and it was here that they departed Termnnia and returned to Drogos, the realm of their creator, Safaani, the Mother of Dragons. The realm was dotted with small lorddoms, dukedoms, and baronies. But the main seat of power in Serania was the capital city of Dragon's Nest, where his host King Janis von Klaus would be waiting for him.
Hector smirked.
"The land will soon be mine," he boasted.
"Indeed, they will," the lady said coldly.
Francine de Lavonne was a tall and beautiful woman in her late thirties. Her skin was as pale as milk, and her eyes were like glimmering emeralds. Her hair, black as the shadows, was tied into a long bun via a red ribbon. Her eyes seemed almost dream-like with her eyelids halfway down giving her a tired appearance.
Her elegant black dress revealed her shoulders and the upper half of her large breasts. Her metalwork collar and cuffs were made of decorated black steel, and a small chestpiece hung over her chest with small black chains making her dress look like armor. A black velvet deck box was strapped to her right thigh.
The little prince surveyed the land around him like a conquering hero. Behind him, a squadron of knights in shiny plates of polished steel stood on guard holding up the banners of his newly formed House depicting an image of a black Tyrannosaurus with a golden crown roaring in the jungle with two crossed swords behind it.
The sky was white as snow showing it was soon going to rain, but Hector cared not. He was to be High King of Termnnia, and with the aid of the lady in black, he was confident it would soon be his title.
He and his lady marched on a dirt road through vast plains of emerald and gold for days until he saw the castle of the Klaus family looming proudly in the middle of the city of Dragon's Nest. The Klaus family was powerful and not to be trifled with, for they supplied much of the Western Kingdoms with Mana Crystals from the Glowing Caves that honeycombed underneath the mountains.
It was here that criminals were sent to toil day and night in the caves mining these crystals. They are kept in the Black Keep, a jail of steel and iron guarded by a dragon called Des Volstgalph who showed no mercy to those stupid enough to try and escape the keep. There were many, so Des Volstgalph never spent a night with an empty belly.
Aside from the dreaded prison the city of Dragon's Nest was a fair metropolis with elegant buildings of limestone and marble where the rich and powerful lived. Hector rode his armored stallion over a stone bridge with his sorceress and his knights. Soldiers in handsome silver armor and white cloth-of-gold capes stood at attention every ten feet of the one-hundred-yard white stone bridge.
Windmills stood on small stone islands hundreds of feet below in the Lake of Silver. Iron gates opened to let Hector and his party through. The crimson banners, bearing the white knight of the Klaus family, hung from the turrets on both sides of the gate.
"Dragon's Nest at last," Francine said blissfully. "After our meeting with Lord von Klaus, I think I could use a bath."
"So, could I," Hector said with his eyes glued to the castle where his host was waiting for him. "You know, we could save some time and go together."
"You are a rather charismatic boy, aren't you?" the woman said with a cheeky grin. "No, I think I will go myself. Besides, you are not the age to see a woman's flesh."
"I'll be thirteen soon," pouted Hector. "I'll be a full-grown man and I'm of the age to marry."
"You are indeed," said Francine. "But it is not your thirteenth birthday just yet."
"Yes, My Lady," Hector groaned.
"Have patience, my prince. One day, you will see what lies underneath this dress."
Hector shivered and looked at the world around him. Slaves stood for auction on stone podiums. They were dirty and dressed in rags being sold by men in fine apparel trimmed with gold or silver.
Many of them would be sent to Sobek to fight in the gladiatorial arena called the Mouth of Zorc.
They passed many brothels and inns with drunken and smelly clientele before making it into the gleaming pearl gates of the massive limestone castle of the Klaus family. The towers went almost hundreds of feet into the sky with walls of glass and silver and banners of crimson waving on their tops.
"Majestic, is it not?" said Hector.
He pumped his fist. The leather of his black glove screeched with every tension of the muscles on his fingers. "With his troops and gold, I can forge my army into an unstoppable force."
"He has dragon riders with him," Francine added. "Mercenaries calling themselves The Golden Wings. They ride the mighty Curse of Dragon into battle. The kings of Emboldor will have no choice but to duel you; lest they wish to take their chances on an army with them in the ranks."
Sure enough, shadows swept over them, followed by a gust of wind and a shriek like an eagle. Hector looked up and saw the Golden Wings performing dazzling maneuvers.
White banners with gold designs hung from the tails and helmets of the odd-looking Curse of Dragon, a Duel Monster sporting 2000 ATK in the game. Outside of a duel, the beast was surely a glorious sight to behold, especially with donning white armor with gold trim.
They arrived at the courtyard. There were hedge mazes, animal-shaped bushes, colorful flowers, and fountains of limestone with crystal statues of knights and dragons. The elite of the elite walked about the gardens laughing and discussing family, Duel Monsters, and politics. They were dressed in colorful garments and powdered wigs. Servants walked about the gardens holding up silver trays with ruby red wine in jewel-encrusted goblets that were enchanted to keep the drinks cool in the humidity.
Hector and Francine then left their horses with the stable boys, leading them to the stall for a well-deserved drink. The pair walked across a stone bridge over a crisp, glistening river to the castle. The hot summer sun baked them. Francine fanned her face with her hand while Hector showed no sign the heat was bothering him. It was as if he was immune to the heat.
He walked with his head high, so his crown shimmered. His chest was out, and he walked with a sort of march. Francine grinned, admiring him for his strength. Cicadas hummed in the trees and bushes as they crossed the bridge towards the terribly large iron doors which creaked open once they arrived.
The entrance to the castle was a massive atrium with black and white tiled floors of marble, and a ceiling hundreds of feet high with a fresco of Arva, the ancient winged people, fighting the first humans in the Battle of the Emerald Marches. There was a silver water fountain in the shape of the white knight slaying a legendary dragon with white scales and eyes of blue.
A man in ornate robes walked up to them and bowed.
"Prince Hector," he said respectfully. "King Janis is awaiting you on the top floor."
"Thank you," said Hector. "Take us there at once."
They walked up long flights of stairs and took many trips on elevators of glass and gold ornamentation before they finally made it to the upper halls. The level where the lord of the city could watch his domain. A waterfall fell into a pool behind the long dinner table where Lord Janis and his family ate their supper.
Lady Claudette von Klaus arose from her gilded red-cushioned seat to greet Hector and the sorceress. Her colorful blue robes swayed like flowing water as she walked.
Princess Alexandra, also stood up to greet the guests. She had hair like golden threads going down to her back in sensuous curls. She wore a white leotard with a tasset of multi-colored silks, a blue and gold cape with a butterfly wing-shaped collar, long white gloves and white slippers trimmed with gold and plated in silver. A golden tiara with a glowing gem glimmered over her forehead.
Hector eyed her quite lustfully, admiring her darling face and the long legs the leotard so graciously revealed.
Hector had heard many tales of Alexandra's impressive, albeit brutal, accomplishments despite being so young and so innocent in appearance. She bore a beauty so magnificent that it was sung by bards across the land and started a war that caused three Houses in Serania to fight for her. They joined forces to conquer Dragon's Nest and overthrow the family, then duel to the death for Alexandra and the crown.
The event, called the Battle of Bell Hills, made her famous, for she demanded to go into combat with her father. After she and her father had won the battle, the remaining enemy forces surrendered and joined Janis's army. Then, Alexandra killed the rival families by feeding them, man, woman, and child, to Des Voltsgalph as a warning to those who would go against her House, and to those foolish enough to think they could have her so easily.
Alexandra was only thirteen-years-old at the time of the battle, a year older than Hector. Now she was a young woman of twenty.
Despite her having the appearance of a graceful butterfly she had the sting of a very poisonous scorpion. Hector smiled at her, and nodded his head, gesturing a hello.
The princess smiled back. It was a beautiful smile, welcoming, warm, and a tad seductive but very deceiving.
Hector was cautious as he looked at her, for it was the same smile she wore when the prince of Hammerhold showered Alexandra's mother and father with expensive gifts and rare golden cards in exchange for her hand in marriage, to which they agreed.
He was found the next morning in the sewer grate, dead and naked as the day he was born. He had been poisoned by her kiss, for she applied to her lips a toxin extracted from an Abyss Flower from her garden. The prince's family was powerless to retaliate as they were an insignificant noble family.
"Welcome to you both," Claudette said with a smile.
"Prince Hector, you have finally arrived," King Janis said, cutting away at a grilled chicken soaked in maple sauce. His golden hair and beard were slicked with oil scented like lilac.
He wore black robes and a black cape with gold trimmings. His Duel Monsters deck was inside of a black velvet deck box decorated with jewels and strapped to his right arm. He had an exquisite sword with a guard of gold that looked like the branches of a tree. His elegant crown had tiny glowing jewels spinning inside the mouths of six dragons. He raised a cut of chicken into his mouth and chewed.
"Please," he said, slowly eating his food. "Have a seat."
"It is a beautiful home you have My Lady," Francine said to Claudette. She took her hand and bowed.
"Thank you," said Claudette, taking her to a chair which stood before a plate of cooked beef with potatoes, lettuce, and tomatoes still steaming from the kitchens. "Please sit, you must have had a long journey. Eat, eat."
"Thank you, My Lady," Francine said sitting down.
Hector eagerly took his seat, eager to help himself to a plate of ribs with a side of baked potatoes.
"What would you like for a refreshment?" Claudette asked. "We have a drink called pop, a praised beverage from the East."
"I'll have some wine," said Hector.
"Audacious little lad," said Janis. "I myself couldn't touch wine until I reached my early twenties. I am still not quite fond of the taste."
"It does have a taste one must get used to." Hector agreed while one of the servants poured wine from a gold dragon-shaped ewe. "My taste buds, I must say, are made of steel as is my resolve to reclaim the crown from the bastard my uncle produced."
"But the Divine Beasts have made their choice," Alexandra said sharply. "How can you possibly claim to take away the Children of Horakhty from the very master they have chosen?"
"Forgive my daughter, young prince," said Janis. "She is a supporter of the new High King."
"But father it is the very rule of Divine Right. The beasts had made their decision, and they did so with a very powerful statement when they heard Daveed's call that night in the Battle of Rassay and obliterated the Orc army along with that horrible giant. He is the chosen one to wear the crown whether people like it or not."
"Alexandra speaks out of line, but she is right." Janis took a sip of wine. "Divine Right has indeed been given to this bastard, this, Daveed. The Beasts apparently want him on the throne. What miracle do you possibly possess to prove that Horakhty and her children were wrong?"
"My sorceress, here, has seen me sitting on the Diamond Throne."
"How?" asked Janis. "In some vision I suppose? Young man, I have seen it all. Women like her seducing kings and filling their minds with empty hope because they saw visions in their dreams or a fire."
Francine grinned and said: "I would not go to call me some lowly fortune teller, Lord Janis. I know all, and I see all."
"Really?" sneered Alexandra. "All I see is a lowly fortune teller telling lies to a prepubescent prince thinking he can be High King. You're both fools."
Hector grinned at Alexandra. The audacity! He thought to himself. Naughty, naughty.
He had half a mind to put the princess over his lap and slap her rear end like you would a defiant child.
"I speak the truth, princess," Francine said, peeling open the collar of her dress.
Something gold glimmered around her neck.
"It can't be," Janis gasped in fear. He dropped his silverware and stood up from his seat, slamming his hands on his table to lean forward and get a better look at the item around the woman's neck.
"It is," said Francine. She had an expression on her face that sent chills down both Claudette and Alexandra's spines. "You know what this is? Don't you, My Lord?"
"Aye, I do."
"The Millennium Necklace," said Francine. "A relic that allows one to see the future. It is one of the seven Millennium Items."
"I thought the items were locked away by the Pharaoh's mages in Sobek," said Alexandra. "How did you come to possess a..."
"That doesn't matter," Francine interrupted, holding out her hand to silence the princess. "What is important is that it works. It has given me a vision of our young prince sitting on the throne in Rassay, and in his hands, he held monsters with a force far more powerful and ancient than the Divine Beasts."
"That's impossible," said Alexandra. "Except for Exodia, nothing is stronger than the Divine Beasts!"
"Oh, but there is, dear child," Francine said, her lips still arched into that cold grin again. "The Millennium Necklace was forged long before the arrival of Tiberius and the forging of the first kingdoms. It has seen things that have turned into legend and then to myth. There is an ancient power hidden in our Termnnia. And when Hector finds them, Obelisk, Slifer, and Ra will no longer get in our way, for the ancient creatures will force them into submission and bow down to their true master. So you see, it is destiny that Hector becomes the new High King of Termnnia. They stood behind him. They fought for him. The necklace never lies. I saw the three Enteri bow into submission before the ancient ones. Then the necklace blessed me with a vision so grand I wept with joy. I saw Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra looking down at Hector. His arms were held out in triumph as the lands of his enemies burned. Hector will not only control men but gods."
"Then I cannot deny the vision of a Millennium Item," said Janis. "If that's what it is, then so be it. I will aid you in conquering Emboldor and gather my friends and allies to raise an army large enough to challenge Chancellor Pegasus and the military of Rassay. But I fear we cannot maintain this army without at least one or two routes of trade."
"I don't buy any of this, father! Be reasonable."
"That's enough young lady!" snapped Claudette. "One more word and I'll take your cards away."
"You cannot touch my black knights!" Alexandra snarled. "The last fool that touched my cards got his hands turned to cinders, you know this mother. And father, I'm sorry you're mad Antilles didn't become High King, but will following this boy change that!"
"You should know it was Captain Antilles and my grandfather Salazar who funded my campaign," sneered Hector.
"Rubbish!" snapped Alexandra. "Uncle Antilles would know better than to align himself with fools!"
"He is not mad," said Janis. "Unlike you, he does not disprove the facts this woman presents us. A Millennium Item never lies."
"But−"
"You should listen to your father, princess," said Hector. He took a sip of wine. "My grandfather and your uncle know better than to have a bastard take the throne."
"That bastard rid the world of the greatest evil since Zorc!" said Alexandra. Her cheeks were blushing into a bright pink. "And he is the commander of the three most powerful monsters the world has ever seen!"
"Once I find my ancient beasts, Slifer, Obelisk and Ra will no longer be the most powerful monsters the world has ever seen. To be the High King of Termnnia is my destiny, not Daveed's. And you are going to be part of that destiny, princess."
It took a while for Alexandra to comprehend that. "I am not interested."
"You have no choice," said Janis. "Hector has the resources and monsters to achieve his goal. Including those Ancient Beasts. Once he claims the Diamond Throne you are to be wed."
"Inconceivable!" shouted Alexandra. "You'd have me betrothed to this...child!"
"You will say not another word of this young lady. End this now!"
"King Janis," Hector said sipping his wine. "Before me wife-to-be rudely interrupted you, you were saying something about certain trade routes?"
"There is a fishing kingdom many miles from here in the coasts of Emboldor called New Harbor. It is ruled by a self-righteous fool, Lord Walter Calhart who settles in a castle mounted on The Claw. He is also a faithful supporter of Daveed, and he holds one of the key commercial trade routes in Emboldor. Rjeli ships come to sell their spices, silks, steel, and monsters. The dwarves from Greenton also use this port to sell their precious gems, mithril, gold, Mana Crystals, iron ingots and limestone from their quarries in Ufenton, and the Redborne from Kalunga come with their salts and diamonds.
"These goods are vital to the strength of Rassay's army as well as their majesty. I swear those mithril armors the Rassay Guard wear make me burn with jealousy. There is a story that in the battle of Lunetar Fields there was an entire formation of mithril knights. The sun shone down on them so hard that it blinded the conquering boy-king Phillip and his army into submission. But I digress. If you can challenge Lord Calhart to a duel and beat him; we will take Rassay's major supply line. I have sent many duelists to New Harbor to challenge Lord Calhart for him to swear his allegiance to you, but they've all failed. Their heads sent back to me with their decks shoved up their mouths. Lord Calhart is an exceptional duelist it would seem."
"You have one of the most powerful military forces in Emboldor," said Hector. "Why not go over there and take it by force?"
"You are still young, my prince," chuckled Janis. "You should know by now that our armies were forged solely for the protection of our land from foreign invaders like the orcs or the dirty raiders from the Iron Mountains. We cannot fight each other as it could start another Great War in which Horakhty herself said she would end our existence should it happen again. Yes, there have been foolish Termnnian kings looking to take the kingdoms in a hostile takeover, but they've all failed. If you want to take their hold because you claim it for whatever reason, then you must challenge them to a duel under the rule of the Dueling Pact."
"Bah, I hate that stupid law," spat Hector. "It forces us to play the game."
"It is not a stupid law; you are just a stupid boy!" Janis retorted. "There is much you have to learn of this world, little Hector, and starting meaningless wars because you have powerful cards and a crown on your head isn't one of them. Our land had been at peace since Anubis's defeat. And now that he's gone we intend to keep it in order. There has been enough death and destruction the past hundred or so years, and our land is still on the verge of reconstruction. Even if you do manage to take the Divine Beasts from Daveed, your rule will be short and will end violently if you think war and bloodshed are the way to resolve problems."
"I understand," Hector said bowing his head humbly. "So, you're saying if I beat the Lord of New Harbor and take Rassay's primary supply line; you'll lend your support to me."
"Yes. In the event Rassay or the other kingdoms seek to do battle against you, my troops will be by your side. If you play your cards right, then all of Emboldor will be as well. Duel the Emboldorian Lords for their signatures supporting you for the Diamond Throne. With all those names behind you and those ancient creatures at your whim, Daveed will have no choice but to duel you for the crown."
"It will not be easy," said Claudette with a grin. "Even if little Hector does manage to make it that far and duels Yuri, he still has to contend with the Divine Beasts."
"She is right," said Janis. "If Daveed so much as summons just one of those monsters in your duel you'll be finished."
"Let us worry about that when the time comes," said Francine.
"Indeed," said Hector. "Let me worry about my future servants."
Alexandra frowned when she heard little Hector refer to the Divine Beasts as mere servants. He said it so casually and confidently. The boy believed he was going to be the new High King of Termnnia.
"You, Lord Janis need to think about getting your signature ready." Hector finished with a gulp of wine.
"Indeed. If I help you with this matter will you stay true to your end of the bargain?"
"I will," said Hector. "When I claim the crown, my monsters, and my throne; I swear I will expel all the other lords of this country and name you the Archduke of Emboldor. This country and all its riches will be yours."
"See that it is, my future High King," said Janis, raising his glass.
When he was done with dinner, Hector decided to retire for the night before their journey to New Harbor.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Grace," Hector said bowing. He turned and proceeded to the elevator.
"That Alexandra has a big mouth," said Francine.
"Yeah, she does," Hector said greedily. "I'd like to find out how big."
Francine smirked when she realized what he meant. "I see you have your eyes on the young princess," she said following Hector into the elevator. "She'll make a good queen for you."
"Indeed she will," Hector said watching Alexandra until she disappeared behind the closing doors of the lift.
"As for you, young lady, what news from Duelist Academy?"
"I have finally been accepted, father," Alexandra answered with her famous smiled. "My skills in Duel Monsters and my superb grades last year have landed me in the Blue-Eyes White Dragon dorm."
"That's my girl," said Janis as he took another sip of wine.
"You do us proud, my daughter," said Claudette, taking her daughter's hand and kissing it. "And once you arrive at the academy you are aware of what you must do."
"I must seek Daveed and become his bride," Alexandra answered sheepishly.
"Yes," said Janis. "You must marry the new High King, my sweet. The Klaus Family will be the most elite House in Termnnia after you are wed to High King Daveed. Dueling Pact or not, there will be no kingdom in Termnnia, or the world, who will be foolish enough to challenge the Divine Beasts. Then both Termnnia and the rest of Keya will be at our fingertips."
"And Hector?"
"I don't know about these Ancient Beasts, but it would seem Daveed will be claiming the throne sooner than he. If Termnnia has hidden those monsters from the annals of history all these years I doubt even a Millennium Necklace will be able to find it. Hector or Daveed, it matters not. Our daughter will be there for the next king."
"I am pleased to know I'm nothing more than a bargaining chip for you, father," Alexandra said sarcastically. "A meal ticket just to feed your ego and bring you strength. Do I mean so little to you that you'd sell me off to any fool who comes this way seeking your power?"
"It has worked to our advantage for years, Alexandra. Because of you, the other lords fear us."
"They fear me!" said Alexandra. "I killed the Coltons, the Larrows and the MacDonalds in the war! Me and my dragon! We fought in the fields with the soldiers while you sipped wine in the castle."
"Kings win wars. Soldiers fight them. You are neither king nor soldier. You are a princess. And princesses are a deadly weapon. One only great kings, such as myself, may use. Your duty is to sit in the castle and look pretty to capture the eyes of our foolish allies so as to bring us even more power. Or, cause them to go into a lustful frenzy and watch as they destroy themselves for you. Like those fools in the Battle of Bell Hills."
"Yes, they all killed themselves in a war I started, not you!" said Alexandra. "I was the one who belittled myself by parading around the castle in skimpy outfits to arouse them. I was the one who filled their ears with poisonous whispers as I fucked them to make them go mad and fight for me. The war was all because of me"
"You are my daughter," said Janis. "And it was I who put you up to the task."
"Then why are all the songs about me Father?"
"Being sung about by lustful bards is nothing to be bragging about, Alexandra. Rest assured if the only way to secure what I want was to have every lord in Serania, and their sons, mount you I'd do it."
Alexandra's eyes sparkled with hurt.
"So, I see," Alexandra turned to leave. She turned her head, eyes wet with weep. "When I come back from the academy, think better of me, father."
"That depends on the manner of which you come back, Daughter. Be it Daveed or Hector, you will be the one who sits beside them. Am I clear?"
"Yes, father." Alexandra sorrowfully walked to the elevator and traveled down to her quarters.
Later
The sun had finally set behind the Great White Mountains. The stars dotted the inky black sky, and Termnnia now washed by the silvery light of Lucretia, the largest of the three moons orbiting Termnnia.
Hector sipped a cup of water while watching the lights of the city flicker in the night. "It will all be mine soon," he whispered to himself. "Everything as far as my eyes can see will be all mine."
"Will you be going to bed, My Lord?" Francine asked, dressed in a racy black bathrobe. The lace in the design of spider webs.
"I'm not tired," Hector replied. "What about you?"
"I will be going to the bathhouse across the hall," Francine replied. "Then I will practice a few spells. If you require anything, I will be in my room."
"Thank you, My Lady," Hector replied, still looking at the city. "Goodnight."
"Sleep well…my king," Francine said, leaving Hector's room.
Hector tossed his cup over the balcony and left his quarters to take a stroll through the gardens. He thought about what Janis said to him at dinner earlier today. If he was right, then gathering up his army would be the easy part. The Divine Beasts were unbeatable. Unstoppable. Invincible. No force in the known world could stop them, save for Exodia and the ancient monsters Francine promised he would find.
"Good evening, Prince Hector!" the guards said as he walked by.
Hector always responded with a wave of his hand. He went all the way down the castle and out the back entrance to the gardens. There were still people conversing by the light of the lanterns and bronze torches. But one person caught his eye.
Alexandra was walking into the forest. She looked around cautiously to make sure she was not being followed and disappeared into the shadows.
Hector grinned and decided to follow her into the forest, with a hand holding onto his shortsword.
If what the songs about Alexandra were true, then she was very dangerous. He went down a flight of marble stairs and had to trek through a hedge maze before finding the path Alexandra took to get into the forest. He dashed in, following the path.
He heard cicadas hissing in the trees and the chirping of crickets in the grass. His ears then picked up the sounds of a waterfall thundering somewhere in the dark.
Thankfully the moons were full tonight; he could still see his own feet on the ground and the branches reaching out for him from the shadows. There was a river churning to his right with frogs croaking by the edge. There must have been a pool up ahead, and if there was a pool, then it meant that Alexandra was bathing.
If so, then she would be naked.
He grinned and softly cackled. It had been years since Hector had seen a woman nude before. Last time he did he was only seven. He went to a battlefield after his House achieved a great victory against rebellious mountain raiders who took over a town with a salt mine. He recalled the women bandits lined up on a wooden platform to be sold as slaves for the crimes. They were stripped of everything that they had. So cruel a man was Salazar, that he gave one of them to Hector as his personal chambermaid.
But she didn't last long in his service. She was always confined to his chambers and died of hunger a few days later. But those women were just common bandits, he thought. He would soon gaze upon the flesh of a beautiful princess, and not just any princess. The girl ahead is the legendary Alexandra von Klause. The Slayer of Lords and Princes.
He shivered with excitement, carefully walking down the path. He saw wooden posts with iron lanterns lighting up a blue pebbled path into a cave. He heard singing. And it was coming from behind him.
Hector gasped and darted into nearby bushes. Then he waited. The singing came closer.
The horses make the meadows quake. Hmm-hmm Hmm-Hmmm
The swords have clashed. The arrows fly!
Warrior meets. The shields all break. Hmm-hmm-hmm
The meadow echoes with their cry.
It was Alexandra. She was wearing a lilac silk robe with multi-colored sleeves the shape of butterfly wings. It went down to her thighs. Her luscious long legs glowing blue in the dim light of the glowing toadstools. She was holding her hair up while she was singing the song of her victory in The Battle of Bell Hills.
Hector had heard the song from the bards performing in the inn just a mile from Dragon's Nest. It was a bloody song, but to hear it coming from Alexandra's lips was frightening.
Their wives will weep. Hmm-Hmm Hmm.
They will never feel their lover's arms
Never will they join them at a feast.
The fools they love warm the belly of your beast.
She went into the cave. The bathrobe she wore revealing the fatty lower half of her sensuous buttocks, exciting Hector more. She continued to sing her song as she disappeared into the cave
Hector slowly got up from his hiding place, hand to his sword in case the princess saw him and brought him hostile intent.
He breathed heavily and followed Alexandra into the cave. The sound of the waterfall magnified in the thick walls of the tunnel he had entered, as was the ghostly, sweet voice of Alexandra. He finally reached the hidden pool, an ancient Elven ruin inside the cave and just caught Alexandra slipping off her robe.
Hector covered his mouth with his hand to muffle his heavy breathing.
Alexandra stretched for a moment at the edge of a pool before diving into the cool, silvery water. Hector waited anxiously for Alexandra to reemerge. She dove up, gracefully, tossing her hair back, and waded under the waterfall to finally bathe as she sang her bloody song.
Hector hid behind a statue of an Elven guard and watched Alexandra, admiring her perfect figure and falling in love with her eerie voice.
But he did not enjoy the sight for long. For the light of the moon illuminating from an opening above the cave darkened. Hector felt a gust of wind that knocked him backward and heard a violent roar that sent shivers down his frame.
He looked up and saw the familiar sight of Des Volstgalph diving into the cave and landing in front of him. It stood up, looking down at Hector and shrieked in his face. Hector fell backward and sobbed, backing away from the beast.
"You should know better than to spy on a woman bathing," Alexandra said, adding cherry-scented oils to her hair. "It's as hazardous as going to battle. You never know what surprises your target will have up her sleeve. Bruton, sit!"
The dragon snorted and did as told as though he was a common dog. His eyes still glaring into Hector's. Alexandra got out of the water and put on her bathrobe behind the concealment of her pet dragon's wing.
"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't let Bruton end your miserable existence, child."
"I-I am sorry, Princess," the boy gulped and corrected himself. "My Lady. It's just that, I've heard so many songs and tales about your beauty. They are all shameful lies. They do your beauty no honor. No, you are a sight, unlike anything this world has seen since the Celtra. You put all the songs to shame Alexandra von Klause. Alexandra the Fair. The Graceful. The Killer of Lords and Princes."
"Do you think your flattery is going to keep you alive?" she asked with a cold and sinister grin.
"It won't?" gasped Hector.
Alexandra chuckled adorably. She paused before saying: "No."
"Oh please, Alexandra the Magnificent!" pleaded Hector. "Don't let it eat me."
"Stop your whining, child! If weren't for the fact my father needed you, you'd be dead now. No, no I won't end you tonight, little Hector. I want to see your plan unfold with my very eyes. My interest in your campaign is piqued as much as it pains me to admit it."
"As well it should," said Hector. "I am the one-true-king."
"So you declare," said Alexandra. "But the one-true-king is Daveed. And regardless of what my father says, I am still on Daveed's side. He summoned Slifer, Obelisk, and Ra and saved us from Anubis. Not you. And I must add that I cannot wait to see these predictions of your Black Lady fail so miserably."
"They are true!" said Hector.
"Are you quite sure that Millennium Item around her neck is real? She asked. Those items are kept by Lord Heishin and the Seven Mages of Sobek. How in the shadows did she wind up getting it? How do we know the item isn't a fake and its wearer a pretender shoving her womanly parts in your face just so could tag along and reap the benefits of your success?"
"How dare you speak about my sorceress like that!" Hector said, getting up from the ground. "She is real. Her visions are real. What she says about me is true. I. Am. THE KING!"
He stepped towards her, but Bruton roared silencing Hector's sudden burst of arrogance. Hector squealed with fright, falling back down on the ground on his butt.
"It is unwise to disrespect me in front of my dragon like that," Alexandra said, looking at Des Volstgalph who was breathing heavily. She kissed his cheek and rubbed her hand down his snout. "Shhhh," she said calming him down. "You'd best leave, little Hector. You have a long journey tomorrow, and I wish to continue with my bath undisturbed. Bruton needs to return to the prison to resume his guard as well."
"Forgive me for the intrusion, My Lady," Hector said, humbly.
"You're still young," said Alexandra. "In due time you will learn to give women the respect they deserve."
"I am sorry," said Hector. "I must say that a king with you as a wife will be richer than The Big Five."
"Are you insinuating something little Hector?" asked Alexandra.
"There is no lying to you clearly," Hector said, trying to grin. "Even with death looking me in the face, I can't help but fall in love with you."
"I am not for you little prince," Alexandra said frowning. "I belong to no man. I govern myself and myself alone. I need no one to get what I want."
"Sorry, My Lady. I just have an interest in dangerous women."
"Interesting," said Alexandra, rubbing her chin.
The warm smile Hector saw at dinner was back, lighting up that masterpiece of a face Alexandra had.
Marvelous! Hector thought. She is a miracle when she smiles.
"Well, little Hector if somehow you get this cockamamie plan into fruition and wear the crown before Yuri. I will think about being your queen."
"You honor me, My Lady."
"Stop flattering me!" Alexandra snapped. Her warm smile vanished instantly. "You are not the High King yet. So stop entertaining thoughts that I'm yours. As of right now, you're just a boy who's way over his head. Now get out of my cave."
Hector got and ran. Bruton was snapping his jaws behind him to get Hector out of the cave quickly. He squealed as he ran out, trying to get away from the gnashing teeth.
"Okay you," she said to her dragon. "Get back to the prison and return to your duties!"
Bruton spread his wings and took off into the night.
Hector
He left at dawn the following day to beat the heat. The mages predicted it would be hot this say, so Hector wore a white shirt and black pants bloused into his heavy belted boots.
His knapsack was loaded with bottles of water for the trip. He was still shaken by the experience with the dragon but was quite confident. Alexandra said that she would consider being his queen if he claimed the Diamond Throne, so that brought some joy to him. The memories of seeing her bathing in the spring of the cave were an added treat that woke him and made him happy.
It took a few days, but Hector, at last, arrived at the destination. He and Francine stood on a hill looking down on the fishing town of Eagle Claw. The air above was fogged with smoke from the stone chimneys and seagulls circled over the town hoping to get a catch of freshly caught fish. The horizon was dotted with ships in the distance and a formation of mountains called The Triplets where a tall stone lighthouse shined brightly above the fog.
A wall of stone surrounded the town with towers that had red roofs and bright torches that could light much of the land at night.
Merchants, mercenaries, and pilgrims came in and out of the town ready to do business with the Lord of Castle North Star, which was standing proudly in the distance nestled on one of the fingers of The Claw, three rocky peninsulas that were in the shape of an Eagle's Claw.
The castle connected to other castles on the Claw via covered stone bridges. Merchant trading ships and small fishing vessels already docked in the harbor bobbed up and down in the wild waves. The seaside shacks wailed in agony as the winds blew on them, trying to knock them down.
"It's a smart place to start your Grace," Francine said as she put her hand on the boy's back. "You will claim this castle and the town as well. I have foreseen it."
"Good," said Hector. "Well, what are we waiting for? Come on men!" he shouted then marched down the hill into town.
The people looked at him curiously. The clink-clank of Hector's knights announced his arrival. Francine walked beside him proudly, her nose up in the air and her ears oblivious to the crude comments of drunken fishermen who witnessed her passing by.
Hector could feel small drops of rain splash on his face. His clean leather boots caked with fresh mud from the dirty ground, and the hem of his cape was covered in sludge as well. A beggar approached him asking for a few Star Chips so he could buy supper for his children. Hector responded by unsheathing his glimmering gilded shortsword and slicing off the beggar's hand.
The beggar fell to the ground sobbing in agony. Hector jerked his shortsword with his wrist to shake the blood off the blade before sheathing it. The spectacle caused the people of the town to back into their homes.
"Fear..." Francine said with a smile. "Along with the stench of drink and piss, this city reeks of it. You show them your dominance, and they will love you for it. There are many healthy men here who will make good soldiers for your army. Once we have control of the castle and this town, I will see to it that the Viceroys write up the draft."
"What would I do without you, kind lady?" Hector said taking Francine's hand and placing it to his lips for a quick kiss. It began to rain heavily. Francine took Hector close and used her elongated sleeve to shield the boy from the downpour falling on top of them.
"HALT!" called out a guard in a small stone house built on top of the gate in the entrance.
"No shit," whispered Francine, clearly seeing that the drawbridge to the castle was up, and all that stood before them was a hundred-foot drop into the waters below.
"What business do you have here!" the guard called out.
Hector released himself from the shelter of Francine's arm and sleeve and proclaimed: "I am Prince Hector Delgado of Feldia. Heir to the Dynasty of the Tyrannosaurus, Master of the Diamond Throne, Lord of Men, High King of Termnnia and all Her Kingdoms!"
"Impressive titles," said the guardsman. "However, I am to understand they belong to another."
"My bastard cousin will not be receiving them," Hector replied vindictively. "I am the true ruler of these lands, and I shall prove it by challenging Lord Calhart to a duel!"
"Lord Calhart is much too busy for games!" said the guard. "If there is nothing else, be gone with you!"
"This is no game!" called out Francine. "Hector invokes the right of the Dueling Pact upon Lord Calhart. We will either resolve this matter peacefully with a little duel or we shall we have to paint the ocean red."
"You don't have enough men to storm our fortress!" called out Walter Calhart. The King of the Claw grumbled as he stormed to the window of the stone gatehouse wearing a white nightgown and cap. He had a white mustache and was balding on the top of his head.
"I have no time for this! Nor am I in the mood for a duel."
"Then we shall take your castle by force!" Hector announced by unsheathing his sword.
"You're a fool to challenge me boy!" called Lord Calhart. His arrogance suddenly faded when he saw flaming orange dots lighting up all over the horizon. Archers, hundreds of them, were taking aim at the castle, meanwhile, far away in the hills, a trebuchet unit was preparing to fire once the castle was lit up. Janis's troops had arrived and joined forces with Hector's army.
"What will this resolve!" called out Lord Calhart. "You're a warmonger. We are at peace. There is no need for this!"
"There is a need for this castle to begin my conquest," said Hector. "And to liberate the people of New Harbor from your rule. You have three choices, My Lord. You can accept my duel, or you could peacefully surrender both the castle and your lordship of the city to me and leave. Or, my troops will advance upon your home, and you die. It's your choice but think of your daughter's well-being."
"I will not surrender this castle!" shouted Walter Calhart. "Nor will I waste my time dueling you!"
A horn blew in the distance. Twelve dozen ships emerged from the mist like ghosts. They began surrounding all three points of The Claw.
"Ah, right on time," said Francine.
"Those ships fly a black flag bearing a sword-wielding Kraken! The navy of Lord Andon is fighting with the boy My Lord!" called one of Calhart's soldiers.
"They have corsairs sailing with them as well!" shouted another.
"Calm down, all of you!" called Calhart. "Our walls can hold them."
"I don't know if it's bravery or if he's just plain stupid," chuckled Francine. "I don't think he'll accept the match, My Lord."
"We'll just see about that," said Hector, turning around to face the citizens of New Harbor. "Look!" he said to them. "He sits up there, warm and dry in his keep, feasting on the fish you work so hard to catch and the livestock you raised with your hand, and he counts the Star Chips that should be yours! I will see to it that New Harbor will be a place of prosperity and trade as it was in the days of old before this buffoon took over. What say you!"
The people were fearful of Hector, but they knew he was right. They angrily came out of their houses and shouted at the king to accept the challenge. Some even took arms with pitchforks, hammers, spears, and harpoons ready to fight with Hector and his men to evict Lord Calhart from the castle.
Walter nodded. "Very well," he said. "I accept the challenge. If you lose you will promise me your lady and your head so, I can mount it on my wall as a warning to the next fool who challenges me. If I lose, then the castle and New Harbor are yours. But will you promise safe passage to me, my daughter and my men?"
Hector placed his hand on his chest. "In my honor as a Delgado and future High King, I will grant safe passage to all who are in the castle. You. Your princess. Your servants from the maids to the cook down the piss boy. And to every soldier wearing your colors. I swear to all The Mothers you will be safe."
"Then I shall accept!" said Calhart. "Lower the bridge! Get me my cards and Duel Disk!"
The duel was over from the start.
The Lord used cards of old like Dissolverock, Droll Bird, Queen of the Autumn Leaves, Haniwa, Stone Ghost, and the like. The best monster he had was a Summoned Skull, one of the strongest cards of the Fiend Types with a powerful 2500 ATK. But not even it stood a chance against Hector's deck of Dinosaur monsters. Creatures with devastating effects that overwhelmed him.
"Father!" called out his adopted Anime daughter, Rose, whom he named after the last Celtra. She was watching the match from the top of the courtyard.
"Ah, Princess Rose," Hector said looking up to see the girl. He admired her blue velvet dress and her dirty-blonde hair that shined in the gray light of the cloudy morning. "You've come in time to see me claim my new castle."
"My, my," Francine said with a grin. "The Princess of Frogs. Even lovelier in person."
Hector sent forth one of his most powerful monsters to attack the king of New Harbor. There was a tremendous blast that shook the town. Lord Calhart tumbled backward grunting as he hit the ground and rolled until he came to a stop. His Life Points dropped to zero. Hector's soldiers grabbed him as Princess Rose begged for mercy for her father. She hitched up her dress and ran down the stone steps to save him, but she was greeted by two axes held by Hector's soldiers.
"You are the property of the new Lord of New Harbor!" one of them declared.
"Kill the others!" Hector command.
Hector's soldiers unsheathed their weapons and began slaughtering Calhart's men, who were poorly trained in battle.
"You promised to spare my soldiers!" shouted Calhart, as he was being taken out.
Hector gave a hideous cackle. "Yes but they're my soldiers now, seeing as how I'm the new lord of the castle. But they are weak and unskillful in combat. They are no good to me, so I am disposing of them."
"MERCY!" Calhart's soldiers cried out as they were overwhelmed by Hector's forces.
"DAMN YOU!" shouted Calhart. "I PRAY DAVEED SENDS YOU ALL TO THE SHADOWS!"
"Get him out," commanded Hector. "And take her to the tower," he ordered the two axe-wielding soldiers who were blocking the Anime princess from her father.
"FATHER!" shouted Rose, as the two soldiers grabbed her by the arms and dragged her up the stairs to her chamber.
"MY DAUGHTER!" cried Calhart, struggling to get free. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER! LET HER GO! GIVE HER TO ME!"
One of Hector's knights bashed Walter on the dome with the bottom of his sword's hilt. It left a bloody gash on the man's head. Blood poured down his face and reddened his snow-white mustache. Meanwhile, Francine took Hector by the arm, and they walked up the stairs to the gatehouse passing over the bloody gore that surrounded them. Walter heard Rose's cries as they rang out through the walls of the castle, soon drowned out by the mob of angry citizens. They threw rotten fish and other festering foods at their former ruler.
Hector and his lady entered the intruders. Now they were leaders of Castle North Star and the very country of New Harbor; a major trade point in Emboldor and one Hector did not want Yuri to have when he returned.
Francine and Hector arrived at the gatehouse in time to see the former count get carried into town. He yelled, demanding the release of his daughter. Hector mocked him from the balcony. His mercenaries ripped Walter's nightgown until he stood completely naked before the people. They pointed and laughed, shaming him.
"The Lord of New Harbor bids you farewell, Mr. Calhart," Hector said.
Walter glared at them with venom in his eyes. He could only watch as they turned to leave. Hector's hand went down Francine's back and then it smacked her buttocks and squeezed her plump right cheek. Francine cooed fervidly as they both disappeared into a corridor.
The soldiers then hounded Walter across town. The angry citizens of New Harbor crowded the streets and called him names and threw rotten food at him. He covered his genitals, but every time he did one of Hector's knights poked his buttocks with his sword. The bells in the castle tower rang, announcing the new lordship of New Harbor.
Walter was then hit on the back of the head with a club, and he fell to the ground. The people mobbed him grabbing him by his feet and dragging him towards a horse. They tied his legs to a hook on the horse's saddle.
"Hail to the count!" someone shouted, tossing an egg at Walter's face. A man slapped the horse's rump causing it to stir, and it took off dragging Walter through the mud across the city and out through the main gate. Rose sobbed from the window of her tower, watching until her father was gone from sight.
"Stop you crying girl!" snapped Hector entering her bedchamber.
"My father, why did you do that to him?" sobbed Rose. You won the duel. There was no need to humiliate him like that. You didn't have to take me from him. You monster, you didn't even let me say goodbye," She buried her face in her arms sniffling and hiccuping. "You didn't even let me say goodbye." She sobbed again.
"Stop your crying I said!"
"Yes, sir," Rose said, quickly accepting the position she was in.
"Lord!" snapped Hector. "I am a lord now. I am the new ruler of this city."
"Shall she be a candidate for a wife?" Francine asked. "She is rather lovely. It seems she has just bloomed into her adulthood. How old are you, dear?"
"Twenty-one," Rose responded, drying her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Still but an infant in this cruel word," chuckled Francine.
"I would like to have Alexandra Von Klaus as my queen," said Hector. "But, my road to the Diamond Throne is still far from my grasp, and I need a woman to satisfy my needs so I suppose she will have to do. But only until I have completed my campaign to conquer Rassay. Who's to say I can't have both of them when I become High King."
He chuckled villainously, baring his beaver-like teeth giving him the appearance of a grinning horse.
"You lot!" he said to a group of women cowering in the corner. "Are you the princess's maids?"
They said yes, babbling in horror.
"Bathe her," he commanded. "Then dress her in her best clothing. I want her looking fit for a king. I expect to see you in court this evening."
"Yes, My Lord," sobbed Rose.
Hector snicked, clearly drunk with power. It felt good lording over someone his senior. Then he stormed out of the room.
"You best do as he says, princess," said Francine, tossing her a handkerchief from one of the pockets inside her sleeve. "Or you will suffer a fate worse than your father's."
Princess Rose- Dubbed The Princess of Frogs, for she duels using frog monster cards. Her three favorites are Treeborn Frog, who she believes are handsome princes who will one day save her. She is now a prisoner to Prince Hector Delgado after her father Lord Walter Calhart, King of the Claw, lost his office and his castle in a duel via the Dueling Pact to the thirteen-year-old prince who seeks to take the Diamond Throne from his cousin, Yuri.
She first appeared in the United States on October 12, 2006, in "Happily Never After" the 74th episode of Yu-Gi-Oh GX.