Atsushi walked slowly down a narrow street, looking lost. He had not been to this part of the city before, and now that he had, he didn't like it. With the shadows lengthening around him, the dark alleys and drooping awnings gave him the uneasy sense that anyone could be hiding anywhere. His footfalls and those of his companion were entirely too loud in a street where the only other sounds were a few buzzing flies and the scrape of a dog lazily scratching itself.

"Hello?" he called. "Is anyone there?"

His companion, an old man in a ragged cloak, looked around warily. He clutched at Atsushi's arm in a timid sort of way, pointing to one of the wider alleys. Atsushi followed the direction the arthritic finger was pointing, and thought he saw a glimmer of movement. He removed his glasses and squinted, making a show of looking uncertain and helpless.

"Can anyone help me?" he asked. "I'm a little lost. Please, is someone there?"

The flicker resolved itself into a quartet of beery, red-faced men. Atsushi observed that they were also slightly bruised men, as though they had been in a fight not too very long ago. They were nevertheless watching Atsushi with grins that did not look as friendly and welcoming as they probably thought. In spite of himself, Atsushi felt a chill crawl down his spine.

I don't like this plan, I don't like it, I don't like it at all... Why had he ever told anyone that he thought being kidnaped was fun? It was one thing when someone as friendly as Akoya had done it. These people looked like they would happily tie him up and stuff him in a closet for a week if they thought there was anything in it for them. He forced himself to smile and look at least somewhat relaxed.

"Oh, thank goodness," he said. "Can you help me? I seem to have gotten separated from my party somehow."

"That's too bad," said the lead man with his false, toothy smile. "Lucky for you, we're really helpful guys. We'd be glad to give you a hand." His beady eyes traveled over Atsushi from top to toe, taking in the worth of his jewelry and the fineness of his clothes. Atsushi could almost hear the click of the abacus as he tallied up Atsushi's worth.

"Yeah," said one of his friends. "For one thing, we can lighten your load a bit..."

He made a clumsy grab for Atsushi's purse. Atsushi dodged the grasping hand, trying to turn it into a casual movement, as though he'd merely decided to turn and consult with his friend.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Should we let these guys help?"

His companion nodded. He was, to all appearances, an old man of perhaps seventy or eighty, with a curly white beard and great bushy eyebrows over watery blue eyes. The hood of his robe was pulled down low, making the wrinkles of his face seem deeper and darker than they might have in full sunlight. He nodded slowly.

"We could certainly use some help," he said in a reedy, quavering voice.

The louts grinned at each other. Atsushi could almost hear them thinking. They may or may not have been willing to pick a quarrel with a healthy young man, but this old codger was nearly as well-dressed and didn't look like he could run away from a toddler.

"Sure, we can help," said the third of the louts. "Hey, I have an idea - how about we go get a drink together? You can tell us all about it, huh?"

"Well, I don't know," said Atsushi. "I really need to get back to my group..."

"No problem," said the biggest of the men, the one who seemed to be the leader. "We'll be glad to do it... for a price."

"Um, I don't know," said Atsushi hesitantly. "I really haven't got..."

He didn't finish speaking before someone had grabbed him and twisted him around. The next thing he knew, someone had his arms pinioned and someone else was going through his belt pouches.

"Hey!" he yelped. He couldn't help it; when they'd hatched this plan, he hadn't envisioned this. "What do you think you're doing? Let go of me!"

"In a minute," said the man rifling his pockets. Atsushi watched helplessly as all his money went into the man's hands. "Would you look at this? The guy's a walking gold mine."

"Shake him down good," said one of the others. "See what else he's got on him."

"Someone grab the old man!" someone else said. "Don't let him call the guards!"

The old man turned and began trying to totter away, but he was easily apprehended. His assailant began patting him down for valuables.

"Please, don't hurt me," the old man begged. "I have nothing to give you..."

"Well, then, you're just outta luck, ain't you, grandpa?" the man grabbing him replied.

"Better get rid of him," the lead man replied. "Knock him out."

"Don't hurt him!" Atsushi protested. He hadn't planned on anyone getting hurt on this jaunt. He hoped Akoya had known what he was doing when he came up with this idea.

"Hey, you're in no position to tell us what to do," his captor replied.

"Please," the old man rasped, "let me go. If you let me go, I'll tell you something that will make it worth your while."

The man who'd seized him rolled his eyes. "Do you really think we're going to fall for that?"

"It's true!" said the old man frantically. "Just promise not to hurt us, and I'll tell you how you can get a lot of money - a lot more than you can get just from rifling our pockets."

The lead goon swaggered closer, looking down into the old man's shadowed face. Atsushi held his breath and prayed that this would all go according to plan.

"Tell you what," said the lout. "You tell me first, and if I like the sound of it, maybe I'll let you go."

The old man cast Atushi a look. Atsushi nodded, very slightly. Go on, go on, tell him...

"I'll tell you the truth," said the old man. "This isn't just any merchant or guild master. This man is a visiting prince - Prince Atsushi of the house of Kinugawa, ruling family of the Arborean Empire."

That got a reaction. Atsushi watched their captors exchanging looks that mingled surprise, avarice, disbelief, and fear.

"You're having us on," said the one who'd rifled Atsushi's pockets. "No way this is a prince. What's he doing out here without an entourage?"

"I really am a prince," Atsushi piped up, feeling it was his turn to contribute. "I told you. I was at a show the king arranged as welcome for me, and someone attacked, and I ran away, and now I'm here."

"You know," said one of the men thoughtfully, "there was supposed to be a prince in town today. They hung up banners and things all over the main street."

"Yeah," said one of his companions," but that doesn't make him a prince."

"I can prove it," said Atsushi. He held up one hand, as much as he could with someone holding on to his arm. "Take off my glove. I'm wearing my signet ring underneath. That will prove I am who I say I am."

There was a ring there, of course. Atsushi didn't usually wear it - it was bulky and uncomfortable and didn't fit as well as it should have - but he'd put it on just for this outing and this moment. Sure enough, the pocket-picker jerked off his glove and seized on the thick gold ring with its heavy emerald surrounded by glinting diamonds. The band was old and worn, but still clearly showed the shape of Atsushi's family crest on both sides of the setting.

"Looks like a signet to me, all right," he said.

"Gimme that," said the leader. He jerked it out of his comrade's hands and held it up to the fading sunlight. "Yep, that's some kind of a family crest, all right. Well, boy, if you aren't a prince, I'm betting you're at least somebody."

"That's right, that's right," said the old man, painfully eager. "If you send word to his people, they'll pay handsomely in ransom."

"Huh," said the leader thoughtfully. He looked down at the ring again. Atsushi could almost hear him making the calculations in his head, thinking of how much this ring alone was worth, thinking of how much else Atsushi's people must have to spend, thinking of their reputation as peacemakers and diplomats rather than warriors. Even if he realized he would have to go through King Io to get to Atsushi's retinue, Io hadn't been king long enough to establish himself as a disciplinarian. If anything, Atsushi got the feeling that Io was more inclined to try peaceful means before resorting to harsh punishment. The man certainly wasn't thinking about how he'd deal with Kinshiro.

"Please," said the old man. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my prince."

"Fine," said the leader. "In that case, tell us how we get a message to this guy's people?"

"I'd be willing to act as a go-between," said the old man. "I'm his highness's seneschal. His people will know me and trust me."

The man narrowed his eyes. "And how do I know you aren't just trying to run away and save your own skin?"

"I can assure you," said the old man, "my first loyalty is always to my prince. All I want is for you to let him go without hurting him, and if I have to arrange payment for your lenience, I will."

"You can trust him," said Atsushi. His mouth was dry. The thought of being left alone with these people, even for a minute...

"If it will make you feel better," said the old man, "you can all come with me and watch the negotiations. In fact, that might be for the best. Everyone will be able to see and understand that you're serious, and I have the authority to order his men not to attack you. You can be assured of your own safety as long as we all cooperate with each other." Despite the quavering quality of his voice, he spoke fluently and with conviction.

"Huh," said the lead man again. He stared hard at the old man. "You sure that's all that's going to happen? We walk in, you make your negotiations, and we walk out with... what? A thousand gilt? Two thousand?"

"I'm probably worth at least five," said Atsushi helpfully. "Maybe more."

The men exchanged glances. Five thousand gilt was an appropriately princely sum, Atsushi knew. You could buy a rather nice house for two thousand.

"If this is some kind of trick," said the leader, "you know you're both dead, right?"

"I understand," said the old man.

Atsushi nodded. "You have my word - once you get your money, I'll make sure no one lifts a finger against you."

Well, he meant that honestly, more or less. It wasn't as though he was planning on giving these people any money at all, and he doubted anyone else was either.

"On your honor as a prince?" the man asked skeptically.

Atsushi nodded. That was easy enough to promise.

"All right, then," the lout replied. Atsushi could see him relaxing already, his worries about guards and arrests being replaced with dreams of what he would do with his share of five thousand gilt. Or maybe, Atsushi thought, he was just thinking of what he'd do with five thousand gilt. Atsushi wouldn't put it past him to just take the money and run if he thought he could get away with it. "Which way do we go?"

"To the palace," said the old man immediately. "That's where he's staying."

"Fine," said the leader. He glanced to his men. "Tie them up."

The men scowled a little, apparently not happy about being ordered around, but they moved to comply. The old man backed away a little, his expression fearful.

"Must you?" he asked. "My old bones..."

He held up his arms, revealing knobby hands on sticklike wrists. Clearly, he was saying, there was no reason to tie him up when he so obviously didn't have the strength to fight back.

"You can leave him free," the boss decided. "He can't run away, and he's not going to pull any funny stuff while we've got his prince under wraps."

The old man babbled his thanks, bowing and scraping as much as his crooked back would allow. Atsushi was forced to endure the indignity of having his wrists tied behind his back.

This had better be worth it, he thought. He wished plaintively that En were here. Having a wizard nearby would have been so reassuring.

But as his captors began marching him off towards the palace, his self-proclaimed seneschal hobbled closer to him. The men were dragging him up the street now, and the old man was having to hobble as fast as he could just to keep up with them all. He was still falling steadily further and further behind them. Atsushi wondered about this, until he felt a gentle tug at his wrists, and the bonds holding him loosened just a little. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

It's going to be okay. I've just got to hang in there.

The five of them continued marching up the street. As they drew nearer to areas where there were more people, one of the men removed his own cloak and flung it over Atsushi to hide both his face and the bonds holding his wrists. Nobody paid much attention to them. Atsushi wondered if this sort of thing went on very often in this part of town. If it did, he was going to have to have some serious discussions with King Io later about his security.

The little group continued marching through the street. Atsushi kept his head raised and attempted to look as though nothing were wrong. The last thing he needed at this point was for someone to figure out that these people were suspicious and try to rescue him. He needed to get himself and Akoya into the palace before the next stage of the plan could take place, and that meant not getting rescued. For the moment, at least, Atsushi was willing to act like everything was under control, and hope Akoya knew what he was doing. Instead, he tried to distract himself with thoughts of what he was going to do when all this was over.

I'm going to see Kinshiro again. It had been a long time since their relationship had fallen apart. He'd seen a few other men since then, but never with any real commitment. Some part of him had always held out hope that somehow, he and Kinshiro would get back in touch, and everything could be the way it had been before. He hadn't imagined it would be like this, though.

I wonder how much he's changed. The way Akoya had described it, Kinshiro hadn't taken things very well, understandably enough. What if he'd changed so much that when they were finally together again, he realized they weren't as compatible as they were before? What if Akoya was wrong, and Kinshiro wasn't willing to accept his innocence after all?

I won't let him get away this time. I'll keep trying until he understands that I really do love him.

Just up ahead, he could see the soaring spires of the royal palace. Somewhere in there, Kinshiro was waiting for him. Any minute now, they would be face to face again. Atsushi felt his heart rate pick up for reasons that had nothing to do with his kidnaping.

Wait for me just a little longer, Atsushi thought. This time, I promise I'll do things right!

"I am going to go down in history," Io muttered. "I'm going to be the king with the briefest reign this kingdom has ever had. Assuming there's even a kingdom left after all this is over."

Ryuu put an arm around him. "It's not so bad. Our army is in better shape than his, and our economy is more stable - you said so yourself. We might come through this okay. There's even still a chance we'll find the prince and get him back before it all falls apart."

Io gave his consort a weak smile. He appreciated what Ryuu was trying to do for him. He really was lucky, he thought, to have someone who was willing to stand beside him even at a time like this, when a lesser man might have cut and run.

Maybe if I had been so steadfast with Akoya, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Io pushed that thought aside as being unhelpful. Dwelling on what might have been was not his style, especially when he had a problem that needed solving right now. Still, it was hard not to wish that Akoya was there and ready to offer advice on how to deal with Kinshiro, or at least to use his particular brand of diplomacy to smooth things over.

But if he was here, it wouldn't make things any better. If he ever found Akoya again, odds were he'd either have to execute him, or hand him over to one of his neighbors for the same treatment, or else find a way to smuggle him out of the kingdom and off to somewhere far away where no one had ever heard of him. Either way, it didn't bode well for their future lives together. No matter how this turned out, Io was going to have to live with this lonely ache for the rest of his life.

"Sometimes I really hate being king," he muttered.

Ryuu just leaned his head against Io's shoulder and didn't say anything. Io appreciated that. He was running out of patience with false hope.

Just then, there was a commotion out in the hallway. Both men looked up, expecting the worst. Instead, what appeared in his doorway was one of his guards.

"Your majesty!" he exclaimed, eyes wide and amazed. "The missing prince is here!"

Io and Ryuu looked at each other in astonishment.

"Alone?" Io asked hesitantly.

"No, Sire," said the guard, still sounding bewildered. "There are men with him, strangers. They say they're holding him for ransom, and they won't return him unless someone pays their price and guarantees them safe passage."

Ah. Well, that explained the looks of bafflement. On the one hand, no one wanted to make a move that might injure a prince and cause an international incident. On the other hand, if there had ever been a clumsier attempt to kidnap royalty, Io had never heard of it.

"Strangers, you said," he answered carefully. "You're sure there was no one there you recognized?"

"No one," the guard assured him. "They look like locals, but no one we can identify."

Not Akoya, then. It was almost too good to believe. Io had been so certain that this kidnaping had been Akoya's doing, but if it had all been one big ugly coincidence... Io felt his spirits begin cautiously lifting. There might just be a happy ending in this situation, after all. That was, of course, assuming that Akoya was still out there somewhere, waiting for all the fuss to die down, and not on his way to the ports to buy a berth on a ship bound for the Saffron Isles.

"I see," he said slowly. "I think I need to see this for myself."

He stood up, beckoning for Ryuu to follow him. Ryuu bounded towards the door, and Io guessed from his expression that he'd been making some calculations very similar to the ones Io had been making. As long as Akoya wasn't involved in this situation anywhere, there was still a chance of resolving everything peacefully.

If all this works out, I'll pay a magician to search for Akoya. I'm sure I remember someone saying that Prince Atsushi had brought one in his retinue. We'll get Atsushi back safely, get him and Kinshiro sorted out, and then we'll fetch Akoya back, and we won't make this sort of mistake a second time.

They walked together towards the throne room, collecting a contingent of guards along the way. After all, these newcomers might seem to be incompetent, but there was always the chance that they were some sort of distraction, meant to keep all eyes on them while their comrades did something even more devious... although what could be worth the gamble of tampering with a prince, Io had no idea. Better to be careful, just in case.

For a fleeting moment, Io remembered the night Akoya had saved his life from the assassin. It was a pity he couldn't be here right now. Surely he'd find some way to navigate through this mess, doubtless with his usual flamboyant style. That would be fun to watch.

But no, I shouldn't be wishing he was here. This is the last place he needs to be right now. I want him to stay as far away as he can get until this whole kidnapping thing settles down...

He entered the throne room through a side door and made a quick scan of the situation. Standing in the very center of the room, as far from the guards as they could get, was a group of ruffians. Atsushi himself stood at the center of the group, head bowed, arms tied behind his back. Kinshiro stood in the far doorway, staring at Atsushi as if he were water in the desert. Two bright spots stood out on his cheeks, and he seemed to be trembling slightly, as though it were a struggle to keep himself from simply flinging himself into the crowd and snatching Atsushi away. Arima stood next to him, apparently trying to keep him calm and not having very much luck. Lurking near the edge of the group of ruffians, with them without being part of them, was a bent old man in a hooded cloak. He caught Io's eye, then glanced away quickly. Io frowned.

"That old man," he whispered to Ryuu. "Isn't there something familiar about him? I'd swear I'd never seen him before, and yet there's something..."

"You're right," Ryuu replied. "I can't put my finger on it, but there's something..." He gave a start suddenly, eyes widening. "His clothes!"

Io was surprised enough to turn to stare at his husband. "What?"

"Don't look at his face - look at his clothes! Imagine the cloak is gone, and just look at him from the neck down."

Io stared. He didn't have the eye for clothes that Ryuu did, but now that it had been pointed out, he could see there was something familiar about them. Not just the clothes themselves, either, but the way they draped over the body that wore them. Io had never seen an old man with legs like those before.

No. No, it couldn't be...

Then the old man raised his head and twitched the edge of his hood back just a bit. It was just for a second, but in that moment, Io could see that the man's face was no longer lined with age, but smooth and youthful. The eyes were no longer watery and nearsighted, but huge and bright blue, with thick dark lashes. One of them closed in a quick wink before the hood was pulled down a little. Io felt a sinking feeling.

Oh, no. This can't be good.