Hey guys, sorry this chappie is out one day late, but I had no time yesterday and then I was lucky to be able to borrow my old man's com to update this. If he hadn't I wouldn't have been able to update at all this month.

From all of me to all of you a very Merry X-mas and a Happy New Year (sorry this chapter isn't as happy as the x-mas times)

Betrayed (part 2)

"Good, very good. But Governor Axel will not be satisfied," Honda said as he noted the queen's order.

"It does not matter what I do about his district, he will never be completely satisfied," the queen said calmly. "But now at least he will be more satisfied than before."

"True, my queen," Honda nodded with a smile he hoped no one noticed.

Someone suddenly knocked eagerly on the door. The queen nodded at Malin, but the ones outside did not have patience enough to wait for the door to open from inside.

"Your majesty, we think we have solved the riddle!" Kyoko said with her eyes wide with happiness and pride. Ryouko came after her with the book in her arms, smiling broadly.

Though most councilmen glared at the girls for having interrupted the meeting, the queen gave them both a bright smile. "Then you are more than welcome inside. With this we can also move the subject to the greatest threat we will soon be facing."

Ken cleared his throat. "Forgive me my ignorance once again, your majesty. But those girls…"

"Have been working for days with a riddle that may solve our problem with the vampires for good," Yuniko ended his sentence with finality. "For while you have been worried about the heir to the throne, the girls have been working on the real problem of the kingdom; the war we have ahead."

Ken, and many other advisors, was stunned. More than stunned. None of them had ever been told off by anyone before. It was only Honda who had to fight himself to not let it show he was breaking a rib from holding back his laugher. Had any other woman ever tried to talk back to the royal council, she would have been killed on the spot. But Yuniko was the queen now, and she actually had the right to tell her council off when they in her eyes acted wrong.

"Now girls, tell me what you have found out," the queen continued with much softer voice to her half sisters.

"Well," Kyoko began and flipped up the book to the first four lines to read it. It was definitely not needed, but she needed something to look at, whatever but those high-ranked, staring men. "The first lines say 'In times of fear and pain, they will break the binding chain.' We believe that the time of fear is when the vampires are more than now, but we are still not sure about the chain."

"The next two lines say 'The Battle Princess born again, to protect the world of men.' That line is easy. Your majesty is the Battle Princess, and you are born only to protect the world from the evil of the vampire lord."

"Vampire lord?" Honda asked and rose slightly from his chair.

"Battle Princess?" someone else asked.

"It is what the vampires call me," the queen explained. "And I have talked to a few of the creatures," Yuniko said calmly, her eyes very serious. She was prepared for any reaction from her council. "They were once humans like you and me, but as always there have to be someone to begin a race. That is the lord. He is also the one who have sent all those attacks at me, he is the one who wishes to see me dead most of all."

Honda sat down slowly, but his face was three shades paler than before.

"Go on, my girls," the queen said gently.

Kyoko had an embarrassed blush covering her cheeks as she turned a page, but it soon disappeared as she returned to her theory. "After that there are those two lines that we still are a little unsure about. It says 'What is gained is what is lost, win the battle at all cost.' We think it means that if your majesty recruits more soldiers they will probably die. But the text also says that it is necessary for the victory."

"'Stripped of what is beautiful, the lord will still be vengeful'." Ryouko read over her sister's shoulder. "We are not completely agreed about this one. I believe it is the lord who is somewhat beautiful and that Milady will take it away from him. But Kyoko says that it is your majesty who will be stripped from beauty, and that even so the lord will not be satisfied."

Yuniko nodded slowly. "You can both be right. The vampires I have actually seen have looked like ordinary humans, except for their fangs and eyes. The lord may have been human once as well. But as they are sinners like no other the beauty they possessed while alive can sooner or later be lost. And covered with the blood of the vampires I will be stripped from my beauty as well." She mumbled the last sentence and for a short second her eyes lost focus. "What are the next lines?"

Kyoko read from the book again. "'In a place where belief is not, bonds are tied in this painful knot.' The place it talks about is obviously where the vampires rest during the time the sun is up. Among the people that have been taken away there is the prince, the king, a priest and a friend of the prince and maybe even the former queen. If there are those with still somewhat pure hearts they will group up and all of them will try to fight the lord."

"But the kind of bond they bind with each other can indeed be painful," Ryouko ended.

"Once again I think you are both right and wrong," the queen said, looking slightly troubled. "The vampires are driven by desire and hunger. I am still not sure what kind of desire. Is it the wish they died with, or something they were never able to do during their time of living?"

"How can you know so much about those monsters, my queen?"

Yuniko's eyes locked with Ken's angry ones. "I am the protector of Scotland, my dear Ken," she said clearly as she stood. "I can not allow myself to hide behind lines of soldiers that will lose their lives when not being able to defend me. Instead I rush ahead and meet the enemies of my kingdom straightforward. I have been able to study the monsters slightly during the years since my brother died, and found out things I have kept from you, my council, because I was afraid of your health. Not all of you have strong hearts. We are all nothing but humans after all, and we live under the unwritten laws of men. The only thing I wanted was to be sure that no unimportant information was leaked out before I was sure what kind of information it was."

"You are very predicting, Milady," Honda said and bowed his head in respect.

"I thank you for your prise, my friend. But please spear your prise until there is actual use for them. And before Scotland is safe there will be no use for prise."

Honda nodded, this time slightly in shame. The queen's words had not been hard or scolding, but they hit where they was meant to.

Yuniko nodded at the girls once again as she sat down.

"The next lines we are not really agreed with either," Ryouko said as she took the book from her sister. "It says; 'Trust is what is torn, and love is all too worn.' If you ask me, I think that your majesty's trust will be tested and that your love will not be enough to win this war."

"But if you ask me I say it is about the vampires again, and that it is the trust between the friends of the vampires it talks about, and that it is the love they hold towards Milady that will be worn out."

"Love?" another, older councilman suddenly hissed and stood, his eyes burning with hatred towards the creatures of darkness. "Those monsters are not able to feel love, my queen. We have all seen what they have done. No, they are not able to feel love."

"Have you not listened, my friend?" the queen asked gently. "They are driven by desire. It may be only lust, but it can also be a longing for love; that they are looking for someone who can love them though what they are. I confess not even I may be able to love any of them after what they have done. But there is one of the vampires I believe seriously loves me. Then there is one I know only lusts for me."

"My queen! This is madness! You are the only one left who can protect your kingdom from the pure evil of the north. Why are you putting yourself in such danger?"

Yuniko smiled, glad that at least one of those old men understood what she had done without having her to tell them straight out. "To protect my kingdom," she answered calmly and with a warm smile.

Before anyone had had the time to ask something again the queen nodded to the girls to continue.

Kyoko took the book back. "The fourth page of text starts like this: 'Sorrow and grief in the darkest night, one heart still filled with light.'. I know the heart of light is Milady's. Since you are the Battle Princess, the heart of light is yours."

"But about the darkest night, we believe it is related to the drawing in the beginning," Ryouko said and showed the queen the drawing once again.

"May we see that?" Honda asked as he leant forward to see better.

Yuniko nodded and Kyoko walked from one to another, showing them the drawing shortly.

"That woman remains me of you, your majesty," someone said when Kyoko had passed him.

"According to what we have found it is the former Battle Princess who put the vampire lord under a seal about 500 years ago," Malin said calmly. "The 'Sorrow and grief in the darkest night' is about the night the former Battle Princess put the vampire lord under the seal?" she then asked turned to the sisters.

"Yes, that is what we think," Ryouko said. "Or worse, it can be the last battle between us and the vampires."

"And what says the drawing is not false?" Ken asked smoothly. "The prince was a master of drawing I have heard. It may as well be he who has drawn it."

Malin swallowed hard to not let a poisonous remark leave her lips.

"My brother did never see me like a soldier or any kind of heroine. And had it been false I would have noticed," the queen said with closed eyes. "But if you doubt me you can take a look at this."

The queen took out the cross pendant she still had around her neck. She had not been able to take it off, partly because the crucifix didn't want to leave its place close to her heart.

"Everyone here has a crucifix, my queen."

"Milady's crucifix was found in the library only a few days ago," Malin said harshly. "And it is on the drawing as well."

"And it is filled with magic that is bound to my heart," the queen's soft voice interrupted as she looked at the cross with unfocused eyes. "It belonged to the Battle Princess before me, and her power together with mine rests in my heart. It protects me better than an army of men."

In a moment of jealousy and anger that the queen would be protected by such a thing when she wasn't afraid to die, Ken reached out a hand and tried to snap the crucifix away from the ruler. But before he could touch it the jewels started to glow angrily and Ken flew back as the flashes of pure blue magic hit him in his chest.

"Apparently you are too eager to have my power, Ken," the queen said as she stood, the cross still glowing angrily. The others in the room backed away from her and Ken, who half lay on the floor with his shoulders lifted up by the wall.

"All too eager to let me finish a warning. This crucifix is meant for me. If it could protect just anyone I would not have it around my neck. But if someone else but me tries to wear this cross, the magic will tear the person apart from inside out. The magic has already accepted me to carry it. I can not take it off."

Ken was panting hard. Ashes and burns were visible on his face. He was in deep pain.

With a graceful motion of her hand the queen took away her councilman's pain, not able to look at it for too long, but the burns was still there.

"Had my father still been alive you would have died here on the spot," Yuniko said somewhat sadly. "But I am not able to kill what is alive. Neither can I let your crime slip. The burns you have you will never be able to hide. They will forever be there and tell the people around you what you have tried to do."

"My queen, you are all too nice," an old man said, getting agreeing nods and murmurs in response. "The man must leave. Have he tried to hurt you majesty once, he is capable of hurting you again!"

"Do you actually believe his crime to be so serious it has to be punished so roughly?" the queen asked, looking at her council over her shoulder. There were pain in her eyes, and sorrow. No one could answer. "Death is a hard punishment only if the criminal is very young. But for someone older the worst punishment ever is to have to leave what one has fought hard to build. No, I can not find this crime serious enough to deliver such a punishment. But Ken. You have only one chance left. If you displease me like this again I will have to banish you."

Ken closed his eyes and nodded. The queen was kind to him, and he knew it. So why did he feel so insulted?"

"Let us return to what we were doing," the queen ordered as she sat back down. "I believe all of you need to hear the rest of the poem before Ken can return to his chambers and rest."

Everyone nodded in agreement. What had been revealed this far was important facts, could no one deny that.

"Will you read the rest for us, little Ryouko?"

"Yes, the rest is aiming at the same thing," the white-haired girl said and took the book from Kyoko. "It is searching for a word."

"The word I seek is now and then

Shining through the darkest den

---

Give me once again this feeling

The lord for it is kneeling

The opposite of grief and sorrow

Save the light of tomorrow

---

Only clues can I give you on the way

Before you in the battle pass away"

Kyoko took over where her sister stopped, but this time she didn't take the book. Both girls knew it from inside out by now.

"This light will never leave your chest

If so you give in for eternal rest

---

What is it the dark lord wishes to hide?

Your love, your home, your pride?

The star in her heart is hiding

And the darkness itself is blinding

---

With only this I leave you here

To find the rest on your own, my dear

The star in her is the word I seek

In its light even darkness will retreat"

It was quiet after the words' echo had died out. A light of realization lit up in Yuniko's eyes first, and suddenly also in Malin's.

"Hope," the nurse whispered quietly.

"Yes, that is the feeling that shines through even the darkest of nights," the queen said quietly.

"The star of hope is resting inside of you, your majesty," Joey, who had been standing in a corner all along, said and nodded to his own statement.

"Milady is the hope of Scotland," Ryouko said.

"So, you believe that your brother is the princess the four Dreamers was working about before they fell into their present state?"

"Yes," Bakura nodded. "It may be possible that Yugi is dreaming about his life as a princess."

Bakura, Yami, Jono, Honda and Anzu were sitting with Lou in the doc's office. The teens had just explained about their suspicions, and the doctor was halfway ready to agree with them.

"Not impossible," Dr Lou said as he stroke his chin in thought. "But then the other three are dreaming they are the ones they were during the time the princess was alive. I heard the young Ishtar when he opened his eyes, the time his mother and sister was here together. It was shortly after young Mr Kaiba and you, Bakura, returned home. He called young Atemu 'princess'."

"Then we must be on the right track," Anzu said determined. "If we can find a time when their state of dreaming is weak we can make them believe this is their dream and take them back to reality, can't we?"

Honda and Jono rolled their eyes. Even they realized the stupidity of that.

"I am quite certain that is not possible," Honda said.

"Your friend is right, young girl," the doc said. "Just like you can't lure a person out of a state of coma I believe you can not lure a dreamer into reality. The only thing we can do is wait them out. Wait for them to live through what is important and then hope they will return to this life."

"But is it possible for them to ever return?" Jono asked carefully, trying really hard to not hurt the brothers of Yugi and Ryou. "I mean, you said yourself that if they die in their dreams they will die for real as well. But if they dream about their lives from the moment they were born until the time they die…"

"I have a hard time believing it is like that," Lou said slowly. Quiet breaths of relief were heard from Bakura and Yami. "The only thing I believe you are able to do right now is to find out the story about the princess for yourselves. That way you may find out what happened to all of them."

"That should not be too hard," Bakura said thoughtfully. "There are lots of books and stuff at my place that I know they haven't looked through yet. And we always have Ryouko's diary."

"I won't return to school until this mystery is solved," Yami mumbled mostly to himself as he turned to leave. "Thank you, Lou. We'll see you soon again."

"Of cause," the doctor said and the teens left his office. "Of cause you will, prince of Scotland, and father of a whore's daughter."

The doctor took out a golden pendant from around his neck. He opened it and looked at the small, hand painted pictures. "Are you prepared to realize the truth?" he asked the face of the prince Atemu. "Are you prepared to see into my daughter's eyes?"

Joey watched the councilman Ken walk back and forth in the meeting hall. For some reason the marked man was unable to see the soldier standing silently close to the door.

Ken was furious to say at least. His pride was taken away from him along with his beauty. He knew the queen had been kind, in his opinion weak, to let him live. The daughter of Loutus was weak. Too weak. But… it was something that he could use to his advantage. After all. He would rather see a man on the throne than that spoiled, arrogant, weak-hearted… woman.

Ken's face darkened with a devilish grin as he thought about something that would make his dream come true.

At the door Joey frowned suspiciously. Something was going on in Ken's wicked mind, and the soldier knew that whatever it was contented the queen and her safety. There was no doubt that Ken would soon try to push Yuniko off of the throne. Joey just knew.

"I am not stupid, my friend," Yuniko said calmly as Malin washed her hair. Yuniko loved to take baths and have Malin work with her hair. It was the most wonderful thing she knew.

"Of cause not, Yuni," Malin said, but wasn't able to keep the edge of worry away from her voice. "But Ken may see your mercy as a weakness instead of an act of trust."

The queen sighed deeply. She knew Malin was right. She knew Ken would try to betray her again, and when that happened she could not show any mercy for his wellbeing. But if she threw him out of Scotland he would most certainly become one of the vampires. She could just hope he wouldn't be strong enough to get through her barrier.

"He sees my innocence as a weakness as well," she said quietly. "I wish I could make him see, make him understand, that innocence do not have to mean I am naïve or weak-hearted. I simply wish I could trust him. But he has already proven to me there is no way for me to put my faith in him. Not in this life."

Malin nodded, but couldn't get rid of the arching feeling in her heart. The princess… no, the queen wished to dearly she could trust the people that surrounded her, that she could put her entire faith in all of them and trust them to catch her when she fell. But it was impossible. May it be the people loved her, and all servants, slaves and other people adored and trusted in her. But all of them expected her to be a cliff, a mountain they could hold on to, who would protect them from everything.

Those who surrounded her… they did not see Yuniko from the same view. The queen was trying hard to be fair, though it was more than impossible to be. She knew that whatever she did, someone would be displeased.

"But what will you do once Ken decides to betray you again, Yuni?"

The queen turned to look at her and Malin slightly winched at the pain and regret she saw in the sad smile and those before so bright eyes.

"What I have to," Yuniko whispered.

April, it was the most beautiful month. Every day the queen woke up to a world cleaned by the night's rain. Scotland with its wide green hills, fields of growing grass and early flowers and herbs, and the people walking out into the sun that promised a warm day and the approaching summer. This was the time of year Yuniko loved the most: when her kingdom woke up from its winter sleep to explode with activities, bright colours, and new life.

This morning the queen decided she would take Unicorn and Sky out. It was long since last time. And the council would have to tie her with chains and magic if they wanted to stop her.

"But my queen. We have this important…"

"Lord Erne wishes my presence when choosing his new bodyguard?"

"N…" the old man started, but a look from the mighty woman made him bow his head. "Yes, my queen."

"He does not need her majesty's presence," Malin stated coldly. "He only wishes to have her majesty inside his home so he can tell his rivals about it and that way raise his own status in his contact circle."

The man was about to say something… but he too knew the queen's nurse was right. Yuniko often said no to these kind requests. There were a lot of more important things she needed to do than visit her governors. And the council knew it too. Yuniko was still working on a way to defeat the vampires.

Ken was the only one who did not find that matter the most important. He had other plans for the queen and for Scotland.

The April sun greeted them with a wave of comfortable warmth once the two women exited the castle. Sky saw her immediately and dived down at her in pure happiness to see her. The queen laughed at her eagle's joyous squeaks and sounds as Sky rested on his mistress's arm and happily nipping her hair. Malin had realized the eagle hated when Yuniko had her hair tied or pulled back in a high ponytail. He always undid the queen's hair with his unnervingly strong beak before he settled down on her shoulder. This of cause meant that Yuniko always had her hair tired up when she went to see Sky. For some reason she thought it was funny how the eagle hated it when she had done her hair.

"Going for a ride, my queen?" a young, slightly jumpy boy said and bowed for the queen, ready to obey her every move.

"Yes, young one. But I will take her out myself or her father will be mad at me for not greeting him as well."

The boy nodded and run away, not once daring to look at the treasure's face.

"That boy is cute," Malin mumbled to her friend. "Shy and jumpy, but almost as cute as Mokuba."

"Only Unicorn and Sky is cuter than Mokuba," Yuniko defended the soon to be sixteen year old errand boy. Mokuba had chosen this life for himself. He always wanted to be the queen's errand boy and run around the castle teasing Rebecca, who had risen to a position in the kitchen. And there she was slowly becoming a little rounder around her belly. But she was cutting down because of Mokuba's never ending teasing.

It smelled good in the stable, like always. Unicorn and Shadow neighed to her in greeting. "Hello to you too, my beloved friends," Yuniko greeted.

Mistress, mistress! Unicorn sang.

"It is time for you to come out and enjoy the sun for some time, Unicorn," Yuniko said and untied her pet and started to lead her outside. Malin was looking around for a horse she could use since Sunrise had died during the winter. But then again she had been very old by then.

Shadow suddenly neighed again and threw with his head. Malin stopped to look at him.

"You can take Shadow if you wish," Yuniko assured her. "He is tired of being locked up."

"But I can not control him," Malin said timidly.

"You do not need to control him, Malin."

The look Yuniko sent her nurse made Malin dare to step up to Shadow. The seven-year-old stallion snorted before he inhaled the nurse's scent. Malin smelled good of wind and spring. Shadow relaxed slightly.

"Thank you, Shadow," Malin said lowly before she untied the dark horse and lead him outside with firm moves.

Sky landed on the back of Shadow's muscular body, but the stallion didn't even flinch. He and Sky was something that most people would call friends. But Yuniko said they shared some kind of deep respect for each other, and that could not be related to friendship.

"Lady Yuniko!"

The queen turned her attention from Unicorn to Mokuba, who came running towards her as fast as his thin legs could carry him.

"Why in such a rush, my little one. Have something happened?"

Mokuba shook his head and his black hair fell into his eyes. He was a used runner so he wasn't even panting. "Not yet, Milady. But I…" the errand boy lowered his voice and leaned in close to whisper into the queen's ear.

Malin noticed the colour of the treasure's eyes darkened slightly. Whatever Mokuba whispered to her it could not be good.

"I understand. You may return to your duties."

"What will you do, Lady Yuniko?" Mokuba asked with a worried frown and concerned eyes.

"First I have to take Unicorn for a ride and let Sky know he is loved. I will deal with this problem once I return."

"Please return safe," the errand boy pleaded.

Yuniko smiled kindly at him. "I promise."

Yuniko mounted Unicorn with ease and the white horse immediately set off with Shadow and Malin soon after.

They rode south before they turned sharply east, and therefore they missed the men who left the trees' shadows, dressed in the colours of Ireland.

Malin didn't need to control Shadow. The dark stallion followed his daughter and the treasure closely, prepared to protect them whenever he felt it needed. When they finally stopped they were far away from the castle.

Yuniko held in Unicorn when they reached a hill that was a little higher than the rest. From it they had a stunning view over the kingdom. When Malin and Shadow joined them all four of them basked in the beauty of Scotland.

The glimmer of the sea was clear from where they stood. The spring air felt fresh and easy to breath, even Shadow raised his head a little so the soft breeze could hit his nostrils directly. The land was clad in the brightest of green shades. The fields were spotted with white, yellow and red from the spring flowers. In a valley they could see a pack of white and fluffy sheep enjoying the spring day with their shepherd. The sun shone down on them with the same gentleness and loyalty as a mother's smile. Everything around them breathed of peace and gentle promises of the summer. Up here the responsibility that always rested heavily on the queen's shoulders suddenly felt very light and unimportant. Up here there was no sense of evil.

"I believe it was Lisa who said it once," Malin said lowly, never letting her eyes leave the beauty before her. "She said that nothing is beautiful for eternity. But I… I believe this beauty is eternal. Scotland is beautiful no matter how much time passes and how many years that is laid upon her shoulders. This is eternal beauty."

Yuniko smiled a bright, true smile straight from her heart. "And no matter how much time that passes… I will never stop loving this land."

Malin was silent for a moment. But then she heard her own voice say what had been on her mind for a long time: "How can such beauty accept such things as evil to walk on it?"

Yuniko turned to her nurse… and smiled again, that wise, loving smile that belonged to the queen only. "The earth does not push anyone away. Everyone, no matter what or who, can step upon it. The earth is the picture of a mother. Everything has once come from her, and never will she push away and stop loving us. The earth does not see any difference in good and bad, high and low, rich and poor… I believe that the only thing the earth wishes from us… is that we see to her once in a while."

Malin nodded, the smile on her face soft and gentle. Yuniko was right. The earth deserved to be seen once in a while, and taken care of. But Malin knew… she had seen it in younger days: even the earth hid sly traps. If you did not teat her with care she could easily take your life.

The flaps of strong wings were what finally tore Malin's eyes away from the landmass. She saw Sky carefully land on the treasure's shoulder and squeak in greeting. Unicorn threw with her head and snorted loudly to her flying friend.

"Let us ride and feel we are free once again!" Yuniko called and Unicorn neighed as she rose on her hind legs.

Malin had to cast her arms around Shadow's broad neck as the stallion did the same thing, but his voice were more powerful and his upper body lifted higher from the safe ground. The nurse held on to Shadow firmly as he took off after his daughter and the princess. For him she was still princess. It did not matter to him what the humans called her.

'Why can you not be allowed this freedom more often?' Malin thought as she saw Yuniko scream out in power and freedom along with Sky, Unicorn and Shadow who rose on their hind legs again. 'Why can you not smile this freely every day?'

It was dark by the time Yuniko and Malin returned to the castle. And there, of cause, the queen was bombarded by her council who all of them wanted his little part of attention.

"My queen," Ken's voice suddenly cut through all the others'. "Someone special is waiting for you in the throne room."

Malin felt her hair stand out in the neck. Something was very wrong.

"I will come, as soon as I have changed," Yuniko said calmly, letting a stableman take care of Unicorn.

"He can not wait, you majesty. This is of greater importance than your looks right now."

Yuniko caught the superiority in the councilman's voice. She knew this was his second betrayal. But she had to wait. As a queen she had to always act and decide on what she knew for facts. Not what she knew by heart.

"What can possibly be so important you will not let me change from trousers into my dress?" she asked calmly.

"You must find out for yourself, your majesty."

Ken's eyes shone in triumph. Yuniko saw it. And it didn't pass Malin unnoticed either.

Without another word the queen nodded and moved towards the gate in a straight line. Not once she stopped to glare at Ken or give him a look of hurt.

The throne room was very silent. Too silent in Joey's liking. He exchanged a look with the head guard Adam who stood in the door, keeping an eye at the newcomers in the other room. Since everyone knew Ken had betrayed the queen's trust, and Ken was the one who welcomed these persons… Joey had a bad feeling flowing through his veins.

With head lifted in her worthy pride the queen entered the room on her way to the high throne that belonged to her. Joey immediately followed her since this was a formal meeting, and he stood as the queen's personal guard. He took his place at the base of the steps that lead to the throne. From the corner of his eye he could see the queen sit down with natural elegance, the cloak swirling elegantly around her, almost as nicely as a dress.

"Send them in," the queen ordered calmly and steadily. If Yuniko was suspicious she hid it well.

The men were showed inside. It was a lord wearing the Irish colours of a high-ranked nobleman. He was old. Fifty-five or sixty years was laid upon his shoulders, but they hadn't managed to bend his back. The only shows of age on him were his grizzled hair and deepening wrinkles in his face. Otherwise he stood straight, walked with trained elegance and pride… but his brown-red eyes were cruel and power-hungry. Yuniko could so clearly see it.

Behind the lord walked a younger man who seemed to be the lord's son according to his clothing. His hair was silver blond and his timid eyes had a gentler shade of brown than his father, faintly reminding the queen of Ryouko. But this man, from his looks about twenty-five or thirty years old, was not surrounded by an air of cruelty and hunger for power. From the looks of it he wanted nothing but to run away and never come back.

These two men had own servants and guards surrounding them.

The queen waited on her throne silently, not letting her eyes betray her feelings. Once the men stood at the base of the stairs the lord and his son bowed their backs while the others kneeled with lowered heads.

"It is an honour to finally be able to meet you, you beloved queen of Scotland's green fields. I am Lord Thomas IV, and this is my son, Gabriel III," the lord greeted and had the nerve to look up into Yuniko's crystal-clear blue eyes. Malin was about to scold him for it, but the queen held up her hand. She knew this lord would not dare to be so bold if he did not have the right contacts. Another war was the last thing she needed.

"By your acts and moves I can tell you are a very high-ranked lord who dares to look me in the eyes," the queen said calmly, as if the matter was not serious. Her choice of words though clarified she questioned the old man's moral. "I admit I have not met many Irish men, but those who have been here before you have always carried important matters in their hearts. I am positive yours are as well?"

The lord was either too stupid to pick up the female ruler's request to turn his gaze down, or he simply and flatly ignored it. Whatever the case it made Joey's hand travel closer to his sword.

"My matter is of great importance, indeed," the lord said and his eyes seemed to swallow the queen whole, as if he believed she stood below him, and not as high above as she in reality did. "I am here to ask for your hand."

Malin dropped her jaw along with many servants and guards around the room. Joey's hand came to rest on the handle of his sword, but he was smart enough to not let his temper take over in a moment like this. So for the time being he settled to glare burning draggers at the Irish strangers.

The queen was the only one who looked unfazed, but her gaze slowly travelled to where Ken stood, and saw him grin in superiority. So this was what he planned? But if his plan succeeded, Scotland would…

Claws of ice grabbed Yuniko's heart. She had to think fast. But if she stayed silent much longer the lord may take it as an insult.

"Is that so?" she asked and surprised even herself to how steady and calm it sounded. "Then I hope you can forgive me my surprise. This is highly unprepared for. May I ask why you seek my hand?"

"I seek your hand…" the lord begun, taking a step closer to the stairs and was about to walk up it, but was stopped by Joey's sword.

"Only the ones given the queen's permission are allowed to come near the throne," the blond soldier said sternly, refusing his anger so leak into his voice, though his eyes glowed with it.

"Very well," the lord said, talking as if Joey was something not even worth his spit. He turned back to the queen. "I seek your hand to join forces between Scotland and Ireland, to free us all."

This time not even Yuniko could stop her eyes from widening. For a brief moment her mind came to a halt. She knew what this meant. Ken had not left anything to chance.

But even in this state the queen noticed how Malin reached for her hidden knives, how Joey started forward, how Honda reached for his sword and opened his moth to let out his loud protests, how Mokuba (who had sneaked in through the door beside the throne that was used by the castle's messengers) moved with the purpose to step in between his pretended sister and this man, and how Ryouko and Kyoko, who stood hidden behind the high doors in the far end of the room, gasped. She stood, and with a firm move of her arm she stopped all this.

"I understand your reasons, lord of Ireland," the queen spoke clearly… and unsmiling. She gracefully walked down the short flight of stairs. Even in trousers, shirt and cloak she managed to look like a true ruler and monarch. She gave her uncovered right hand. "And I accept."

"Your majesty," Malin gasped along with half of the people of the room.

The lord smirked in superiority along with Ken. "You honour my land, as well as me, you earthbound angel," he said and kissed the queen's fingers.

Joey stared at the scene. He felt like someone had just dipped him in water colder than ice. He felt betrayed… used. How could Yuniko accept this man when she had promised him her hand only a few weeks ago? How could she? Was this man's offer really so tempting to her?

What Joey did not know was that Yuniko had not forgotten. She had her promise so fresh in mind it pained her. But she knew… she had no other choice. She noticed Ken's inability to hide his cruel grin, thinking he had outwitted the queen.

'O merciful God,' Yuniko prayed in her heart. 'Help me win Joey's forgivingness. And I beg you to help Ken see what he is about to do. He does not realize the depth of his treachery to me… nor to Scotland.'