Waltorana wanted revenge for what Yuri had done to him and he wanted it now.

"You sent for me master?" A mysterious man asked from the shadows.

"Yes, it seems that the Maoh has gotten too big for his britches. I want him to suffer and now. Do you get it?"

"B-but master if we do anything major, they will know that it was you."

"Yes, I'm well aware of that. My ultimate revenge will come when they least expect it. But for now I want you to steal some clothes from a castle guard and then pretend to be drunk and start by telling the townspeople that you heard that Maoh-Heika is having an affair. I want you to set the record straight. Go spread the rumor."

"But master what good will it do?"

"Simple really, once the public learns that the people who saw that boy and his little whore weren't lying or mistaken…" Waltorna smirked slyly. "…it will start a storm."

"A storm?" The servant asked, perplexed.

"Simple really, this storm will come from both lovers and haters."

"Lovers and haters? I don't understand sir."

"People both Men and Women, including some nobles, will flock to the castle and throw themselves at our little whore of a king begging to be a concubine and a few will even propose marriage. While most will be content with begging and if rejected accept it and leave. However, others will see the rejection as a disgrace and blame Weller. Others still will not risk rejection and may simply wish to take out the competition."

"That competition being Sir Weller?"

"Exactly, won't it be easier for us and fun to watch too?" Waltorna said smugly. "Also you have those people as well who will believe that this half breed will taint their precious Maoh. No one questioned nor cared when this half breed was made his protector. But being his pet whore will have a whole different impact. Now leave and do as you are told." Waltorna dismissed him.

"As you wish, master."

A knock at the door ended the evil scheming and the mysterious servant left as quickly and silently as he'd appeared.

"Enter." Waltorana said.

Taka appeared in the doorway with a tray and looked around suspiciously as he did so.

"What do you think you're doing you insolent little idiot? Are you trying to spill that tray?" Waltorna snapped.

Taka snapped back to reality and realized he came close to tripping over a piece of furniture. He sighed. Honestly, his master was getting more and more difficult to serve as the days passed. He did not like his crappy attitude. "I'm sorry master. I thought you'd like an evening snack, but I think I heard you talking to someone."

"Well as you can see I am alone, you were just hearing things. Now put that tray down and leave."

"Yes, master." Taka was positive he heard two voices. Waltorna was lying and, by how it sounded, scheming. He'd often heard people saying that his master was an evil being and now he was starting to believe it. 'May Shinou watch over the king.'

"Would you like anything else master?"

"No. And since you seem to be out of it, perhaps I should return to using Levi as my assistant. He always seemed to know his place and not question his master." Waltorna threatened which irked Taka slightly.

'Only if I had a choice.' Taka thought.

Taka got on his knees and bowed down, "Oh please, don't do that master. I just thought that if you had company, then maybe I could offer them something."

Waltorana saw through the ruse. And to his greatest displeasure, even after being dismissed Taka continued to look around. However it was late and Waltorna was tired, "Fine. Leave."

"Yes, sir." Taka bowed once and left.

Taka sighed as he got to the other side of the door. 'I'm positive master was talking to someone. Although I tried to listen, but I couldn't hear anything. And the little I hear didn't much sense either. I wonder what he's planning. I'll have to find out.' With the thought planted firmly in his mind, Take walked down the stone corridor and disappeared from view.

Inside the room, Waltorna made a mental note. He'd have to show Taka his place very clearly and very soon. He was starting to become a threat.

x-x-x-x-x

Waltorana's spy wandered around town till he found what he was looking for, or to be more precise, she found him.

"Hey darlin' looking for a good time." She asked sweetly.

"More like looking for someone to do something for me." The spy replied.

"Mmm, sounds kinky what have you got in mind?" She asked genuinely curious.

"Nothing major, I simply wish you to steal clothes from a castle guard."

"Hey", she huffed indignantly. "I may be a lot of things, but I ain't no thief."

"Not even for 50 silver coins."

"Fifty? Hmm… Let's see?"

He poured a handful of the silver coins into his hand.

"Hey! There are only 10 there."

The spy smirked. "I'm no fool. If I gave it all to you upfront then you'd simply laugh and leave without fulfilling your end of the deal. You get 10 now and the rest when the job is done."

"Yeah, well 10 won't even get us a room."

He shows her a package and a room key. "Slip him a little of this, then take him to this room. You have your way with him and when you're through, he should be ready to pass out. Once he's out cold, bring the clothes to me, I'll meet you out back."

"With the rest of the money, I Hope."

"Once I get the clothes, you get the money."

"Why do you want the clothes?"

"That's none of your concern." He turned and started to walk away, feigning that he got tired of her questioning.

"Hey wait don't you want me to still do this?"

"No. Looks like you're more interested in questioning me than doing the job. I'll find someone who will do the job and not ask questions."

"No. I'll do it…I just wanted to know what you're planning on doing. You're not planning to kill the Maoh or something, are ya?"

But when she looked up, he was gone. She searched around but couldn't find any sign of him. He wasn't Waltorana's best spy for no reason. He was also one of the best spies in all of Shin Makoku, although he would always challenge that he's better than Yozak.

It didn't take long for him to find another woman.

"Hey, yer looking for sometin?" The rowdy but attractive women asked him.

"More like looking for someone to do a job for me." The spy repeated the same once again.

"Mmm… sounds kinky what have you got in mind." She asked naughtily.

'Grrr… Do all these cheap hussies have the same cheap lines for catching their catch?' The spy wondered.

"I need someone to steal clothes from a castle guard." He shot straight away but fearing she'd start asking questions like the last one but was surprised with her answer.

"That's impossible. How am I supposed to get inside the castle and find where they do laundry? Or do you just want me to rob 'em? The thing is I only have this sticker here as protection." She said pulling out a small knife.

'So different from the last girl.' The spy was a touch surprised. "No, I was thinking more alone the lines of drugging him taking him to a room and offer him sex. He'll willingly take off his clothes. Whether you have sex or not is your choice. I have the drug and hotel key. There should be some soldiers in the bar now, find one that matches my build and seduce him. If all else fails, drug him and wait till it starts to take effect. Then get him into the room and strip him." He hoped that this one wouldn't have any stupid morals like the last one.

"How much?" She asked.

"Fifty silver coins."

"Ok. Fifty silver unless I have to drag his ass to the room. If I have to drag him to the room and strip him, it'll be the fifty silver plus ten gold."

The spy was slightly taken back momentarily at the difference but very pleased with his catch. This woman obviously knew how to do her job. He smelled success. But trying to hold his ground, he said, "Five gold."

"Fifteen. Keep arguing and it'll keep going up." The woman cautioned.

The spy shuddered. This one was a very dangerous being. He might even use her in future.

Surrendering, he agreed, "Fine. Five. If you have trouble, I'll agree to the fifteen."

"Deal." The woman then took the room key and drug, and within two hours she was handing him the clothes and claiming her 50 silver and 5 gold coins.

The spy also gave her the extra ten for a promise that she would start spreading the rumor about Yuri and Conrad. The woman's eyes twinkled at that and she took the money and agreed. After all who's better to spread a scandalous gossip than a woman? Wearing the clothes, the spy too proceeded to do the same.

x-x-x-x-x

Between the spy and the prostitute, they got the word out about Yuri and Wolfram's broken engagement and Wolfram's impromptu marriage to the Great Sage. This combined with the witness from the restaurant that saw Yuri and Conrad on a date, fueled the rumor to the point where all of the men and women throughout Shin Makoku started throwing themselves at Yuri's feet just as Waltorana had predicted.

Yuri sighed as he leaned on his desk before turning to look at Conrad as he entered into his office. "This is the third day in a row that the castle gates have been flooded with people demanding an audience only to throw themselves at me claiming love or wanting to marry me or to be my concubine." Conrad shook his head in sympathy knowing what Yuri must have been feeling. "I know we weren't exactly discreet at the restaurant but that was almost two weeks ago. So why are they showing up now?" Yuri was miserable.

Conrad sighed, "I wish I knew, Yuri. The best I can guess is that Waltorana somehow let the word out that you're now single as his way of getting even with you."

Suddenly, Yuri found himself on the ground with Conrad above him and his arms wrapped around him. He blushed darkly. He couldn't believe Conrad was being so forward and in his office at that. He hadn't thought that their relationship had come that far yet. 'Maybe it was all the talk about those other people throwing themselves at me. It must have been too much for him.' Yuri was on cloud 9. He couldn't have been happier.

But before Yuri could lose himself deeper into his dream castle, he heard glass shattering followed by what he thought was the sound of firing arrows. After a few minutes, Yuri pushed up on Conrad.

"I think it is safe now." Yuri said. They could hear the sound of the guards outside. "We should go and check it out. I promise not to leave your side."

"No. My first priority is your safety. We'll remain here for now." Conrad replied though extremely worried.

"Well at least we can read what's on the arrows." Yuri said, pointing to one of the arrows which had a scroll wrapped around it.

Conrad stopped his young lover from rushing over to the windows. "They most likely are either death threats from jealous partners of some of those men and women out there, or some of those overzealous men or women out there thinking that this will prove their love."

"Some of these are threatening to kill you." Yuri asked perplexed. He had run over to those arrows and had started reading the note in spite of Conrad's warning. "Why do they want you dead?"

"They must feel that with me out of the way, you'll choose one of them instead."

"It says you'll taint me. What does that mean?" Yuri asked perplexed.

"I'm a half-breed." Conrad replied dejectedly. "Some of the people out there are like Waltorana. They believe that I'll ruin you due to my status and that I'm not right for you."

"Who are they to judge who is right for me or not?" Yuri proclaimed standing up, fuming. "I don't care if you're a half breed or not. I am too as a matter of fact. I'll tell them that too. Let's go."

"Yuri! Wait." Conrad quickly pulled the boy down as a gunshot this time rang out. 'A gunshot? But how? How is an earth weapon here?'

"Was that a gun shot? I didn't think there were guns here in Shin Makoku." Yuri stammered, flabbergasted.

"I wasn't aware of any either." Conrad reached up and opened the door. "Quickly Yuri, we must get you somewhere safe." 'If there's one earth weapon here, then could there be more?'

Through his time on earth he learned a lot of things, including all about earth weapons. Though he never handled one he saw plenty on TV.

They crawled out but no other shots were fired. Guards were deployed to search, although Conrad and Yuri were the only ones who knew the weapon that had fired the last shot. But no trace of the weapon or gunman was found.

The situation had just gone to a state of emergency.

x-x-x-x-x

The Shadow man smiled, "That should keep them guessing and on alert for a while. Master doesn't need to know of this. When the time comes to fully put his plan in motion, I'd like a challenge. With them lacking in security, it'd be boring to strike and watch them act like chickens running around in circles.

With a last evil laugh, the spy vanished.

x-x-x-x-x

Shori was trying to relax as he walked through the gardens. But that was hard to do. It all started when Greta told Anissinna about his computer and his dating sims. And she started hunting him, wanting to know more and get him to help her with her experiments in developing it. Then, men and women suddenly started flocking the castle in search of Yuri. Some even flocked him thinking he was Yuri. Even the ones who did know he wasn't Yuri wanted him simply because he had black hair and eyes. It once was taboo to have black hair and eyes and a sign of evil, but now thanks to Yuri it was transformed into a sign of light and hope.

He was currently on the run from said people and guards chasing them. Finally, he darted into a room and was relived at hearing them run past the room. Suddenly a voice sounded behind him, causing a chill to run down his spine.

"Lord Shori."

He didn't really want to, but he slowly turned and spotted that gorilla of a maid. He didn't know or care what her name was but she scared the living daylights out of him.

Satsuki was thrilled, thinking he had come for her. 'I can't believe it, he came to me. Though, I suppose with my looks I shouldn't be surprised that he eventually found me irresistible.' Then she started to run towards him, her lips puckered.

Shori's eyes widened to the size of saucers and without delay, he opened the door and shut it behind him causing that maid to crash face first into the wooden door. He heard some screams behind him. It appeared that his previous chasers hadn't lost their will yet. He turned to see some of the women who had been chasing him earlier coming towards him, so he took off. From the corner of his eye, he saw the door into which Satsuki had crashed open. It appears that she'd recovered and joined the chase with other women. He ran down one corridor only to run into his another nightmare - Anissinna.

"There you are Lord Shori. I've been looking for you all over."

Even more scared now than before, he took off but soon found himself in the courtyard. In the middle of his run, he tripped and fell into the pond. He sputtered and frantically struck his limbs in water, trying to break the surface and came up only to see Bob standing there.

"Having a nice time? Your mother's been calling for you and I sensed now was a good time." Bob said in his Bobish grave voice.

"Ah! Yeah thanks." Shori breathed a sigh of relief. Not wanting to go through that again, he thought, 'How does Yuri survive there?'

"Did you find the answers you were seeking?" Bob asked.

Shori sighed and replied sullenly, "Found? Yes. Like them? Not at all."

"If you like I can send you back again?" Bob offered.

Shori shivered at the mere thought, remembering what he had just escaped from. "No, not now. Thank you."

"See you tomorrow then, for more training." Bob said.

Shori bowed politely, "Yes. I'll be here." He wanted to train more and more and get stronger to be able to help and protect Yuri from all dangers.