It didn't take him long to find the Wheeler Kingdom. It was not only the closest kingdom to his, but it was also perhaps the one in the worse state. Most of the citizens looked dirty and the fear of having his things stolen ran through him every time someone stared at him too long. Perhaps years ago this kingdom flourished, but now it was but an echo of that. The citizens looked dirty, were in rags; not even the lowest of the lowest in his kingdom looked this bad.

The street market was filled with many people assuring their potential clients that their merchandise was the best they would find, be it the near rotten vegetables to the seemingly fake jewelry. Amongst those buying, one person caught his interest. The blond had an air of innocence that many in this market place long since lost. He stuck out in the mass of grey and cynical faces. The man was in rags, and going by how savagely he ate his food, he would guess hadn't been in fed in a long time. The way the man ate with such desperation, made him feel nothing but disgust. How could a king let his kingdom come to such ruins? He watched as the blond tried to pay the merchant, but couldn't understand why his coin wasn't accepted. Curious as to what was going on, Seto moved in closer.

"What ya mean, ya ain't gonna accept my money?" Screamed the blond.

"What ya heard, ya damn street rat! Only da damn royals 'ave dis money an' I ain't see no royal in front of me. I bet ya stole it, an' now ya try'ng ta get rid'o it!" The broader merchant wasn't having any of what the blond had to say.

"Ya damn muscle brain! I ain't stealing from no one! I got dis here coin from when I 'elped at da damn castle!"

"I know your kind, ya filthy liars! I should call da royal gaurds on ya and while I'm at it chop ya hand. That'll show ya to try an' steal from me." The man roughly latched onto the blonds' arm and demonstrated where he would be making said cut.

Seeing the panic that rose in the blonds' eyes as he unsuccessfully tried to escape the man, Seto couldn't have stopped from intervening. "How much does he owe you?

Caught off guard by the sudden intrusion, the man let go the blonds' hand. The blond wasted no time in getting out of arms reach. Taking in Seto's attire the man addressed him with more respect. "Ya don't need ta mind this here street rat, sir. I'm used to dealing with their kind."

Sighing just loud enough for the merchant to hear, Seto repeated himself at a slower pace. "I asked. How. Much. Does. He. Owe. You."

Not wasting his time, the merchant named a price. Knowing he was being made a fool, Seto paid him a quarter of the named prince and turned to walk away.

"Hey, this isn't the full amount!"

"You lied about the price, so why should pay you fairly?" With that Seto turned and walked away. So smug was he in having put the man in his place, he didn't notice he was being followed. That is, until the blond running to catch up, bumped into him.

The blonde straightened himself out before giving him a large smile. "Man you really showed that guy" was all he said as he snickered to himself.

Looking down at the blond he had saved, Seto didn't know what to say. To be honest he hadn't thought beyond educating the merchant. "Can I help you?" Seto's question came out sounding more like 'why are you near me' than his initial question.

"I just wanted ta thank ya. My name is Joey, sir, and if ya don' mind I'd like ta pay ya back." Joey wasted no time in whipping out the gold coin he tried to use earlier.

Now that he thought about it the merchant had said Joey's currency was that only used by the noble's, perhaps he had made a mistake and this 'innocent man was not so innocent. "Why should I take your money? For all I know that merchant back there was correct in assuming you stole it."

Seeming confused at this, Joey just looked at his coin before once more getting angry. "If ya believed da damn man, why ya save me? I got dis damn money from when I worked at da damn castle."

Not about to get into a fruitless argument, Seto's brilliant mind supplied another way the blond could repay him. "Yes. Well, if you really insist on paying me back, I have something better in mind you can pay me back in.

Not liking the way something seemed to glint in the fancy man's eye, Joey quickly jumped to the conclusion to what was being asked of him. "Look ya 'ere sir, I my not look that smart, but I ain't giving ya any sexual favors!"

Confusion passed through that knight's eyes before he scoffed. "I am a knight. If I wanted someone to warm my bed, I wouldn't need to beg for it. Let alone from a commoner who hasn't seen clean water in weeks. I only require that you show me around this god forsaken kingdom."

Joey finally realized that this 'fancy man' was in fact a knight. So rarely did he run into his own kingdom's knights, he forgot what they were supposed to look like. Suspicion dawned on him. "Ay why would a knight like ya, want ta see da place? Ya ain't thinking of storming da place are ya? Cause I got news for you, I ain't helping ya get anywhere!" Before he could storm off, the knight laughed at him. Taken aback, Joey turned to face him. "What ya laughing at now?"

"What makes you think anyone would think this place was worth fighting for? Your king has let if fall so far into ruins that I, a lowly knight, wouldn't even think of seizing this place." The knight let his repulsion for the kingdom show in his gaze. "I'm a knight from the Kaiba kingdom. I was sent here by King Seto, to see how the place was."

"Why he wanna know da place? Why can't he just come 'imself? What he too good for dat?" Joey suspected the knight had been sent to see whom his betrothed was, or see what he was going to be gaining from the marriage, but he didn't want the knight to get suspicious of him. He also thought this was the best way to see how much the knight knew.

"The king would need to make a formal announcement to come, and from my understanding he isn't here much. I don't know what he wants to know or why, I'm only a knight not his right hand man."

Realizing that this was probably the truth, Joey decided to pump information of the man he was to wed from this knight. "Rumor 'as it dat da King is bound by da previous king ta marry our 'ere prince Joseph."

"Prince Joseph is betrothed to our king?" That bastard! Gozaburo would lead King James to believe he was betrothing his son to the future king. No wonder the wording was vague. "I was certain it was Prince Mokuba that was to be married, but perhaps I was mistaken."

"Huh? There's anotha prince? Well shows ya how much we know about ya." Joey then laughed at himself in the most innocent way possible. This was to cover up the rising turmoil within him. How did they not know there was another prince? Wasn't he engaged to marry the prince of Kaiba Kingdom? "Oh yeah! Ya wanted a tour right? Well what ya wanna see?"

"Yes, well you do seem to lack intelligence. Now I want you to show me around the kingdom?"

"You're a damn knight, why ya off ordering me like ya a damn king! Ya damn dumb jerk. I'm ya only salvation, ya wanna stop wit da instults would ya."

"I'm sorry, I forgot mutts had feelings, I'll keep that in mind next time. So are you going to show me around?"

Joey would have flared at the name calling had nerves not won him over. He didn't know his way around his own kingdom due to his father's rule, but not wanting to let the only connection to the Kaiba Kingdom slip through his fingers, he lied. "Ya ya ya damn prissy man, I'll show ya da way around. Ya still 'aven't answered ma question. What ya wanna see?"

"I suppose saying the castle would be too much for someone like you."

"Ya know what neva-mind I ain't gotta help ya anyway. Bye ya damn selfish bastard." Joey really didn't want to walk away from the knight, but he could very well go back to the place he'd just escaped. Hoping the knight would change his mind he started marching away.

Sighing to himself, Seto couldn't believe someone of such a low class was manipulating him. Conceding that this would probably the only person willing to help, Seto stopped the blond. "Ok, show the way around the little town."

Cheerfully the blond turned around. "Good! Because the king is still in town, and if he had seen you it probably would have been bad. Okay lets go to the town. Lets see which way to go…" Mumbling to himself as Joey tried to remember the map Cook had drawn out for him, Seto followed praying he hadn't made a mistake in trusting Joey.

X-X-X-X

Second chapter! Woot! So this is update is pretty soon, only because I feel the first two chapters give you substance. I will probably update every other week from now on. (at least I'll try)

ok bye!

R&R!