Disclaimer – I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Shakespeare

*Rated T for Teen

All's Well That Ends Well

Act I, Scene I – Rousillon – The Count's Palace.

Bertram/Seto, the Countess/Yugi, Lafeu/Marik—mourning the deceased Count of Rousillon—and Helena/Joey—mourning her deceased father—entered the stage, all dressed in black.

The Countess/Yugi began in a sorrowful voice. "I have just lost my husband. And in my time of mourning, my son must make his prominent departure."

"I must leave for Paris and present myself to the King for service," replied Bertram/Seto, appearing distracted.

Lafeu/Marik approached, looking scarier than usual dressed as an old lord. "Might I remind you of the King's good will toward all of us?"

The Countess/Yugi seemed comforted by those words. "How is the King's ailing health?"

"The King has forsaken all hope of ever getting well again," replied Lafeu/Marik.

"Helena's late father, the well-known Gerard de Narbon, was a significantly skilled and sincere physician. He surely would have been able to cure the King," the Countess/Yugi said with something akin to maternal affection, smiling.

And continued smiling.

And smiled some more.

Then Yugi kicked Marik in the shin.

"Ow! Yes. I agree," growled Lafeu/Marik through clenched teeth.

Bertram/Seto held in a groan before saying, "What is he stricken ill with?"

"A fistula, my lord," said Lafeu/Marik. "What the hell is a fistula, anyway?" he hissed.

"An opening between the organs caused by disease," Yugi whispered back. "Now, be quiet."

"I haven't heard of this before," said Bertram/Seto, glaring at the two of them.

"Well, it is quite notorious. And what of this young woman? The daughter of Gerard de Narbon?" continued Lafeu/Marik.

"Helena was his only child and is now in my care. She is an honest and good young woman, replied the Countess/Yugi in a voice that brought Helena/Joey close to tears.

"Your words have made the young girl cry," said Lafeu/Marik.

"Enough of that, Helena," responded the Countess/Yugi.

In a soft voice, Helena/Joey said, "I'm sorry."

Laughing at Joey's attempt at a feminine voice, Lafeu/Marik said, "Reasonable crying is the right of the dead; excessive grief is the enemy of the living." And he continued laughing.

Yugi elbowed Marik in the stomach to stop him from from continuing to do so. "If the living are the enemy to grief, the excess makes it mortal," he said, glaring at Marik.

I wish these idiots would cut it out, thought Seto. "Mother, I would like your permission to leave for France."

"What?" groaned Lafeu/Marik, clutching his stomach.

"I shall let you go, Bertram. I only hope that you will someday be as great a man as your father. Love all, trust only a few and do not wrong anyone," said the Countess/Yugi. "Lafeu, go with him and watch over my son. Bertram is young and inexperienced."

"I will," conceded Lafeu/Marik.

"Farewell, Bertram," finished the Countess/Yugi, exiting the stage.

Bertram/Seto turned to Helena/Joey, who looked at him with a matching glare. "Be nice to my mother, who is your mistress," said Bertram/Seto.

"Farewell, pretty lady," added Lafeu/Marik, laughing again because he just called Joey a pretty lady, making the blond blush.

Bertram/Seto and Lafeu/Marik left the stage. A little too quickly in Joey's eyes. And he was now alone. Just great, he thought.

"I no longer think about my father. I admit, I have forgotten him. My mind is now plagued by thought of Bertram. And my tears were due to his eminent departure, not my father's death or the Countess' kind words. I cannot imagine my life without Bertram anymore. I'm in love with him. Deeply in love with him. But he believes that we are too far apart in social status for my love to ever be acknowledged by him," Helena/Joey sighed. "Who's there?"

Helena/Joey notice Parolles/Duke, Bertram's/Seto's friend, approaching. Though Helena/Joey felt a fondness toward him because Bertram/Seto had chosen him as a friend, Parolles/Duke was still a force to be reckoned with.

As Parolles/Duke entered the stage, Helena/Joey said on the side, "He is a notorious liar, a fool, and a coward. Evil is a natural part of his character."

"Hello," greeted Parolles/Duke.

"And you."

"Are you thinking about virginity?" prompted Parolles/Duke, hoping to shock Helena/Joey.

"A woman does not always have to protect her virginity," Helena/Joey replied, not shrinking from the conversation. "I might lose it to my own liking."

Suddenly, a person dressed as a page came onstage, saying, "Monsieur Parolles, my lord calls for you." He then left.

"Helena, farewell. If I can remember you, I will think of you at court," said Parolles/Duke.

"Monsieur Parolles, you were born under a charitable star," replied Helena/Joey.

"Under Mars, I think," said Parolles/Duke.

"I think under Mars, especially."

"Why under Mars?"

"The wars have so kept you under that you must have been born under Mars."

"When he was predominant."

"When he was conservative, I think."

"Why do you think so?" asked Parolles/Duke.

"You always move backward when you fight."

"That's for advantage."

"So is running away when fear offers you safety," Helena/Joey said, smirking.

Parolles/Duke narrowed his eyes. "You know, I have so much to attend to. I swear I would have outdone your clever wit had I had more time, but, alas, I must go," responded Duke/Parolles as he turned to leave the stage.

Helena/Joey stepped toward the middle of the stage and looked out at the audience. "My current situation is still desolate; however, solutions lie within human beings themselves and not under the star under which they were born. I am the creator of my own fate. I will win Bertram by my own efforts."

Looking quite determined and sincere, Helena/Joey turned and left the stage.

End Scene