An update for this fic!...with a rather redundant title name. Haha, that's a bit intentional :)

Lots of interesting questions brought up in that previous chapter, huh? Well, perhaps this chapter will help shed some light on some of those inquiries :D

Another huge shout-out to all the reviewers, both anon and signed! I'm so happy you enjoy this little fic of mine and I'll fight to keep meeting expectations. Again, thank you so much for the support you've all been showing me!

With that, go ahead and dive on in.

Content warning: N/A

Everything had happened so fast that, even now, there were some still trying to process what had happened.

One moment they had been tensely watching as Yugi had fought to break Jou's curse, cringing as Jou started crying out in pain when the curse was being stripped away. The next, there was a strange and new magic circle forming inside of Yugi's and it had exploded outward before anyone could react.

Just as the wave of magic had reached them, however, they had seen Yugi's hand reach around behind him and what appeared to be a large bubble formed around them. The menacing acidic green magic had bounced almost harmlessly off the magical shield, slamming instead into a tree and causing it to disintegrate instantly.

In the next moment Bakura had moved forward. His features had started darkening, his body elongating as the Shadows rose from his body. As he moved his arm flung out at his side, and more than one startled cry rose as everyone behind him was shoved back into the forest. When they'd recovered and gotten back to their feet, it was to see a swirling mass of Shadows ensconcing the area where Jou and Yugi had been standing.

That had been nearly ten minutes ago, and they were still in the dark as to what was going on. They were waiting rather anxiously at the edge of the Shadow-made barrier. There had been attempts to enter the Shadow barrier, but all that would happen was that they'd end up in the exact same spot as they'd been prior to entering.

"Ryou, has anything changed?" asked Marik, glancing at the other white-haired man.

Ryou's eyes glazed for only a few seconds before he shook his head. "It's not looking good," he said, his features strained. His link with Bakura was still very much present, though the thief himself was nowhere to be seen. "All I can see inside Yugi's circles is black smoke. Yami's helping, but Yugi is still wearing down. I don't even know about Jou—something's going to give, but I don't know who or what it will be."

Marik then looked to his sister. "Can't you see what will happen?"

Ishizu's eyes softened, but she too shook her head. "Yugi holds the Millennium Puzzle. I cannot see his fate with my Item."

"Then what of Jousef?" Alister's question held an edge to it. "He cannot afford to die."

Ishizu did not have time to answer. Several things happened almost at once that caught their attention.

The Shadow barrier dissipated as almost blinding white light pierced through it, earning a startled shriek from the Shadows. Bakura reformed briefly in this light, his body smoldering before vanishing into the Ring entirely. As he disappeared, the group was exposed to the full brunt of the light. They were forced to shield their eyes.

When the light cleared and their eyes adjusted, it was to see Yugi standing with his back to them. His hands were still firmly on his staff and his eyes locked on the center of the smoking magical circles; the hue of the gently rising smoke had turned a pearly gray. Beside him was Yami, his outline glowing a fierce and warm gold. Beyond them, the circles were still faintly glowing.

Even though it was barely visible through the smoke, they could see a crumpled and face down figure in the center of the circles.

Marik, Valon, and Téa started forward, but Yami's warning voice stopped them: "Don't enter the circles."

Yugi was watching the center of the clearing intently. He could not calm the anxiety rising within him when he did not see Jou move. The magic binding him had vanished, certainly, but was Jou alive? The stress put upon him—both physical and mental—could have easily killed him. He could not tell anything about Jou's condition from here, and Yugi dared not move while the magic of the circles was still very much active. To step off the edge of the circle without negating the enchantments at this point would be suicide.

"Yami," he said tersely. "Anything?"

"No threats are present. The taint of orichalcum has gone."

Yugi nodded, and then took note of Jou as the smoke started to clear even further. He looked over his shoulder to look at Rishid. "May I borrow your cloak?" he asked.

Rishid immediately pulled the hooded cloak off his shoulders, holding it out to Yugi. The shorter man shot him a grateful look as he accepted the cloth, and then he turned his gaze to his feet. "Finite," he said firmly as he dragged his foot backward, taking the sand beneath his foot with him.

The sand stopped glowing, assuming its formerly plain appearance. Yugi waited until the glow had faded entirely before putting Rishid's cloak on the top of his staff. He murmured a spell under his breath and the cloak flew into the center of the circle; in the smoke, Jou's body lifted briefly as the cloak wrapped itself firmly around him before being laid gently to rest. Once all that was finished, Yugi waved his staff. The now harmless white sand flew back into its appropriate bags.

Even as the last grain of sand hit the bags, Yugi was already hurrying forward to where Jou was slumped in the grass. Worry creased his brow as he started murmuring prayers under his breath.

The taller man, clothed now in Rishid's cloak, was ashen and unmoving. When Yugi had magically lifted him, he had set him down on his side to aid his recovery. Aside from that, it was the only movement Jou's body had done since the spell had broken. Yugi did notice, however, that Jou's more draconic features had completely disappeared. He could not see any magic binding the unconscious man—Jou was completely free from the curse.

"Jou?" he asked anxiously, kneeling at his side. He gently shook the other man's shoulder, biting his lip when Jou remained still. He heard footsteps behind him as the rest of his friends started coming toward them, though his eyes remained on the unresponsive Jou. "Jou, please…"

Jou's limp hand suddenly twitched, and he heard a soft moan. Yugi slumped in relief, letting out a slow breath as he saw Jou's eyes open, his eyes a warm brown in contrast to the vivid ruby hue they had been before. He regarded Yugi with a bleary, dazed look.

Jou mumbled something under his breath and Yugi leaned forward in concern. "What did you say, Jou?"

"Why is it that every time you cast a spell I end up nearly dying?" Jou asked tiredly, sounding as if he only half-meant the question.

Yugi let out a shaky laugh. "Trust me, I don't plan these things."

Jou seemed to be having trouble keeping his eyes open. Breaking the curse had taken a huge toll on him and it showed. Even so, Yugi didn't miss the concerned note to Jou's own voice when he said, "Are you okay, short stuff?"

Yugi felt a small smile quirk the corner of his lips. "I've hexed people before for calling me that," he pointed out mildly.

Jou's eyes slipped closed. "Tha's fine. Worth it," he mumbled almost incoherently, but then he frowned. When he opened his eyes next, it was very apparent that he had forced them to open. It was a clearly visible struggle for him to stay awake at this point. "Yugi…Dartz, he…"

"I know," said Yugi grimly. "I underestimated him. It won't happen again."

Jou grinned weakly up at Yugi before his eyes closed. In seconds, Jou was unconscious again, and Yugi couldn't blame him. There was a fuzziness to his own vision and his eyelids felt heavy.

Yami? he said, his own tiredness creeping up on him.

I will take over. Rest—Jousef and the others will come to no harm while I am here.

Yugi shook his head minutely. I don't need to sleep. I just need a few moments to regain my energy, that's all. I'll be paying attention to what's going on.

I understand. That said, please rest. We have only just gotten you back.

The Puzzle flashed even as the others reached them. Yugi's shoulders straightened, his head lifting—and everyone recognized when Yami had taken over.

"Yugi is all right, as is Jousef," he said, cutting over the beginning of Téa's worried question. "Both have been through a trying ordeal, but they will recover. They need time and quiet. Rishid, if you would be so kind as to take Jousef to the shelter of the trees—the grass is cold and still damp."

The taller Enterran stepped forward silently, taking a moment to scoop Jou into his arms as easily as he would a small child before carrying him away from the clearing. Valon and Alister followed him, already preparing to start another fire; Téa darted ahead of them and started unrolling one of the blankets so that Rishid could lay Jou on it.

Ryou hurried to where the Millennium Ring had fallen and brushed the dirt off it, examining it intently. "Are you all right, Bakura?"

Ryou, he used light. On someone who is composed of Shadows. How do you THINK I am doing?

Ryou winced as the furious voice thundered through the clearing, causing several people to look over at them. The young man sighed and slipped the Ring back over his head. "That's not necessary, you know," he chided. "Yelling won't change anything."

Yami raised an eyebrow. "I suppose you blame your discomfort on me, Thief King?" he inquired, sounding almost bored. "Trust me when I say we did not plan for such an elaborate trap. If it is any consolation, think of it as an inherent risk for gaining any item you desire from Yugi's shop."

I hate you, snarled Bakura as Ryou hurried over to help get Jou settled.

Yami watched the group gathered around the slowly growing fire before he turned his head to look up at the sky above, where he could see the stream of magic escaping the clearing. A small, satisfied smirk made its way onto his features—all the spells that had been reliant on Jou's curse were either breaking or weakening by now.

"Your move," he announced softly.

Duke had nearly made it to the room where Vivian had been taken when pain exploded at a point right between his eyes and he fell to his knees, his lips already twisting in a silent snarl. Within seconds images began flying through his mind, memories that had been somehow forgotten. His hands halfway rose to his temples in a futile attempt to stop the assault, but they never made it and instead hovered at a point a good distance away from his ears.

He barely registered David's alarmed voice calling his name and the touch on his shoulders was only vaguely felt. As he turned his head he saw David fall as well, clutching the sides of his own head. Duke was forced to close his eyes at that point, gritting his teeth against the pain. What's…happening…?!

And then, without warning, the memories ground to a halt as a familiar figure reappeared to the front of his mind, its owner possessing tousled blond hair and brown eyes alight with youthful energy. A golden circlet was almost hidden beneath his bangs, and he wore a green tunic with dark pants and boots; the individual raised his hand in greeting, a grin lighting his features.

Duke realized with sudden clarity that he recognized this individual just as the pain dissipated.

"Prince Jousef," he breathed, green eyes widening with surprise.

Maybe he should be more concerned about how difficult it had gotten to breathe. Maybe he should be more concerned about how everything was shifting and moving even with the sackcloth over his head. His head hurt so badly now, and it was hard to keep his eyes open at times. He could feel blood on his arms and back, and he knew all the sluggishly healing wounds from the whipping he'd sustained weeks ago were bleeding once again.

But Raphael couldn't even muster the energy to care.

There was little he could do from here. He was trapped in a cell, no one knew where he was, those he cared about were likely being hurt or killed, and he knew he was on a fast track to the executioner's block.

He hadn't even remembered attacking Jean Claude, and that was an unfortunately familiar feeling—Ishtar had made him attack the other man, and now Elya and Princess Serena were likely paying the price for it. If not them, Valon and the other guards would soon bear the brunt of that fury.

And where was the prince—the real one—throughout this crisis? As much as he hated to admit it, he'd carried the suspicion that Prince Jousef had more than likely been murdered from the moment the castle had fallen to Jean Claude. Why else would he be gone for so long, without making any attempt to take back the castle?

Raphael had been halfway dozing, caught in a strange place between consciousness and sleep, when he felt the pressure around his throat increase and he stiffened. Had someone activated the gag spell? The enchantment had been weighing heavily across his shoulders and around his neck ever since it was cast, as if someone had placed invisible weights there. But if someone had tried to talk, there would have been pain by now…

In the next second the pressure dissipated, freeing him so suddenly that he was completely caught off guard by the weight's disappearance. He slumped forward before he could stop himself, uncomfortable tension running through his arms.

Raphael waited, hardly daring to believe it. The curse…had it just broken? How? How had this happened? Jean Claude was hardly the type to show mercy, and Ishtar would not dream of weakening such a cruel spell. That meant something beyond their control had done this. Was the spell truly broken, then?

There was one way to find out.

He cleared his throat, and his voice was tired and hesitant when he spoke. "My wife's name is—"

He stopped when he felt the barest of weights press on his throat in silent warning. The spell had not completely broken, then, but it had been weakened.

Hope began blossoming in his thoughts. The spell weakening meant someone out there had found out what was happening, and someone was helping them now. Though he had a million other questions that had risen when the enchantment had nearly vanished, Raphael was certain of one thing.

Help was on its way.

Raphael was not the only guard who felt the gag spell weaken. Out in the courtyard Corda paused, a hand rising to his throat in surprise; Jethro, clearly visible on the castle wall above them, froze and looked to the other men nearby, silently asking if they too had felt it. For those still loyal to their true prince, hopeful expressions began igniting in their features.

These guards were not the only ones affected. All over the country of Chronas, those who had fallen victim to memory spells, who had forgotten the boy they had met in the city of Hermos, regained their memories. Even in Thystia there were individuals who suddenly remembered Prince Jousef—Mai's parents were one such group of people.

However, the magical shift in atmosphere had also been noted by less than friendly eyes.

The Enterran paused in the shadow of the northern tower with a frown. His eyes moved to the guards exchanging glances on the carapace above him, and even from here he noticed that the green collars of light had dimmed drastically, almost vanishing altogether.

So the little magic caster had managed to shatter the curse on the prince after all, despite his weakened condition. The Shadow wielders must have loaned him strength to do so—there would have been no way for a wizard's apprentice to cope with both curse-breaking and Dartz's hidden enchantment. That had to mean that the princeling was human once again.

Ishtar twirled the Rod in thought, the Item still gleaming despite the fact he was wreathed in shadow. Jean Claude had been cocky and overconfident from the beginning, but the man was not stupid. He had held several parties while present in the castle, but he'd taken great care to invite nobles who were unaware of Jousef's identity; it had been a slip-up that Princess Mai's cousin had been invited once, but a memory spell had solved that.

As far as those who truly remembered the prince of Hermos, they had no idea that Jean Claude was currently on the throne. All that they would think was that it was a bizarre and painful headache that would have brought the princeling to mind—nothing more, really.

And the woman? He snorted. The memory spell recently cast had no ties to Jousef's curse, so it should hold where it was.

The real question now was whether to alert Jean Claude of this latest change. The pompous fool could not sense magic, so he was completely unaware of what had just happened. If the curse had broken, then it was only a matter of time before the true "prince" (if he could be called that) would make his way to the castle to reclaim his throne and his woman.

Ishtar entertained the thought for only seconds before turning to the darkest part of the shadows on the wall in front of him, striding effortlessly through the castle wall.

Jou hugged the shirt to his chest with unbridled enthusiasm. "Clothes!"

"I don' reckon I've ever seen a fella so excited t' get a shirt b'fore," Valon said as he watched Jou happily pull the blue material over his head. "My experience says only women get excited 'bout clothin', Jousef."

Jou, who had his head partially through the collar, glared at him balefully. "I haven't worn proper clothing since I was turned into a giant lizard. You try going for several months making your own clothes using nothing but rocks and fur, and we'll see how you react," he retorted. "Also, don't call me by my full name, it makes me twitch. Jou's fine by me."

Jou had revived just as the fire had gotten hot, and though he claimed he was achy and sore it was obvious he was well on the way to recovery. Since Valon was closer in size to Jou than anyone else was, the Aurosian had donated a pair of pants and a shirt to Jou to change into; Jou could hardly stay in Rishid's cloak, as it was far too big for him to wear. He'd already tripped several times while wearing it.

Yugi was still recovering, but Yami had assured them that he was still very much aware of what was happening around him and that no further harm had come to him. Bakura, too, was recovering—in fact, he was recovering faster than Yugi was and was already outside the Ring once again. His normally pale skin was a very bright shade of unnatural red; it was as if he had suffered massive sunburn. There was a good deal of difficulty in everyone keeping straight faces around the thief, though even Valon was wise enough not to bring it up.

As Jou finished pulling down the shirt, he caught sight of his now normal hands and he paused. If it had not been for Mai, he would not be free from the spell at all. Yugi might have done the heavy lifting, and Jou had beaten Dartz's hidden spell…but Mai had been the one to initiate the process.

"You don't look like much of a prince to me," said Marik flatly, studying him. "I'd have difficulty pegging you as a noble. Mai didn't, obviously, but you don't look that regal."

"Marik, do not say such a thing," Ishizu chided sternly.

Jou shook his head tiredly. "No, it's okay. I get that a lot," he replied, suddenly tired. "Trust me, that isn't the first time I've heard it. Perhaps it's a good reason no one knows I'm the prince."

Alister grunted. "Jean Claude's benefitting from everyone being in the dark about your identity," he commented.

Jou instantly sobered, his eyes going to Alister. "Have you seen Serena at all?" he asked, his sister's smiling face in the forefront of his mind. Now that he was free from the gag spell, it was time he started asking questions.

Alister didn't say anything, nor did he have to—his expression was answer enough. Jou ducked his head, fists clenching. "Damn," he muttered, his shoulders slumping.

"She has to be alive," said Alister, neither encouraging nor condemning. "Jean Claude wouldn't threaten us with a non-existent threat and Raphael saw her when…"

He trailed off once more, suddenly looking away from the other man.

Jou's head snapped back up, his eyes locked on Alister. "When what?" he asked, his voice sharp. "What happened to her? What's happened to Serena?"

"When Jean Claude took over, he trapped us with a gag spell. It's probably the same one that you were under, only it would affect all those placed under it if one person started trying to talk about it. Jean Claude included Elya and Princess Serena both as targets affected by the spell."

"…Alister…"

The archer couldn't look at him, but there was an angry bite to his voice as he continued to speak. "A part of the punishment for the guards who rebelled against Jean Claude in the forest was to have the gag spell activated on everyone under the spell at the castle."

Jou's face paled before flushing in anger as he rose to his feet. "He WHAT?" he snarled, his voice strangled by fury.

Jou knew exactly what it was to have the curse activated. It was painful beyond words, something that even Jou had feared activating…and Jean Claude had trapped his sickly sister under it. It was not fair. Serena had not deserved any of this! Nausea meshed uncomfortably with anger and guilt, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

"I'll kill that bastard," he vowed, his eyes dark with rage. "Mark me, Jean Claude's not gonna be walkin' away when I get a hold of him."

Ryou bit his bottom lip before looking at Jou. "There is something I've wondered for some time now," he said hesitantly, flinching when Jou's furious gaze met his. "I believe that Mai's involved as a prize in this venture, but that can't be the only reason he's doing all this. He's going to such lengths, doing such terrible things…I can hardly believe that he's doing this just for the sake of one woman."

Jou's jaw clenched. "I have no clue what he's thinking," he admitted darkly. "If he's got some master plan, he sure didn't tell me about it when he captured me. Dartz didn't enlighten me either."

Téa looked up at that comment, her brows furrowing before she looked to Yami. "Earlier on you said that no one in Hermos knew who their ruler was, and that was why no one noticed Jou's disappearance," she started slowly. "How likely is it that his plan is hinging on that?"

"It's very likely," said Yami with a raised eyebrow. "Most of you are saying Jean Claude is a fool, and while I think him a pompous braggart I don't believe him the idiot everyone says he is. He is aware of Hermos's founding history, after all. Aside from Jousef and Bakura, do any of you know how the city of Hermos was founded?"

No one immediately spoke.

"It's all right if you don't," Yami said patiently. "It's a story that has been slowly phased out of popular story-telling circuits. The original tale is one that only royals in Hermos now know. There are rumors that its brother cities, Timaeus and Critias, also know of the story, but that is for another day."

Téa frowned at the white-haired thief. "How does Bakura know?"

"I've been alive for thousands of years. Very little gets by me, woman," Bakura pointed out flatly.

"The story does persist, but it is now told only as a fairy tale among traveling bards. It's a version that has been heavily altered from its original telling," Yami continued. "In fact, there is only one original telling of the transcribed story that remains—and it's one that Yugi's grandfather owns. It involves the lost city of Paradise."

"But tha' place is just a myth," Valon said. "It's supposedly out there by Auros, but I can tell ya tha' it's not."

"It's not a myth." All eyes shot to Marik, who had straightened in his seat. "There were several scrolls on the city in my family's archive. There was not much else to do underground aside from reading, you know," he explained, his voice sounding defensive when everyone save his siblings gave him startled looks. "Those of my clan allowed out of the tomb gathered information instead.

"Paradise is also something Rishid and I heard of on our travels," Ishizu said evenly. "At one point we ended up with a scholar who was extensively researching the city and its culture."

Yami dipped his head at the Enterran woman, looking visibly impressed. "Then would you mind briefly explaining what the lost city of Paradise is to those who do not know of it?"

"Certainly." Ishizu straightened up on the stump she had been sitting on, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "Valon already said it was supposed to be on an island nearby Auros, and it was largely considered a marvel for its time. Advances in art, philosophy, medicine, and military were far beyond what can be found today in any country. In fact, it has been indicated that every country—even Viernet—has ties to the city, and certain elements of their cultures can be traced back to Paradise. Many believe Paradise might have ended up uniting all the countries under one flag.

"It was during this time that Paradise's king chose three knights from three different regions of his city, to represent and protect his people in the courts; one was a commoner who had earned the title of knighthood, one was a young magic caster, and the third was a prince. Electing these men was more of a formality than an actual need of the knights themselves, but even so the king still allowed them into his courts. Their names were Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos."

"As you have guessed, Beryl and Metheren have cities named after Timaeus and Critias," Yami said, already noticing the startled looks. "I told you, this is not just a bedtime story to help children to sleep. Lady Ishizu, do you know why Paradise gained the lost part of its title?"

This time it was Marik who spoke, gently tapping Ishizu's arm to catch her attention before he continued. "There was a nameless and unknown evil that poisoned the minds and hearts of the kingdom," he began. "The king began putting everyone showing signs of this evil to the sword, though it's unclear whether innocent lives were caught up in this purge. It got to the point where even the knights stood in rebellion of their king, and the two parties battled."

Marik faltered, looking up at his sister searchingly for a moment before returning his gaze to the rest of them. "Our scrolls never spoke of what happened to the knights, nor did the archive reveal what had caused the knight's insurrection, so their fate was always ambiguous. Whatever happened to the knights wasn't focused on, but Paradise's fate was certainly made known. The kingdom was lost and sank into the sea, taking with it almost the entire populace."

"Tha's good 'n' all, but wha' does this 'ave t' do with your storybook, Yami?" Valon asked, pointing to the book in Yami's arms.

"Actually, this historical account pertains quite a bit to the cities of Hermos, Timaeus, and Critias," Yami said, looking perfectly unperturbed by Valon's question.

"Is it because the knights were from those cities?" Alister asked with a frown.

Yami smiled and held out the storybook. "That question is where this book comes in."

He opened the book and they all jumped as it hovered in the air, the pages flying as if they were being blown by the wind. Although everyone else's gaze was on the book, they still listened to Yami as he continued to talk.

"Marik was correct. All historical accounts of the city of Paradise, while varied in some countries, are about the same when it comes to the knights. No one knows what happened to them," he continued. "There is one account, but scholars dismissed it as being a child's bedtime story, a legend spoken only among the three cities to bring commerce and wealth to their gates.

"That one account was split into three parts, each pertaining to the individual city in each individual region. The stories have their own flair, but each story ultimately overlaps with the other. The one we're focusing on belongs to Hermos."

As everyone watched, golden streams of light formed in the air, looping into an elegant script and forming the title of the story in the space above the book: The Princess and the Dragon.

"As we have precious little time, we will have to make do with a short summary of the tale," he said calmly. "A princess is attacked by bandits while traveling to a foreign kingdom. In the chaos, she is separated from her guards and cornered. Before harm can come to her, a passing dragon intervenes on her behalf and helps drive the bandits back.

"Even back then, dragons were considered violent man-eaters. However, the princess noticed the dragon held a deep sadness in his eyes and asked him why he was so sad. The dragon was initially hesitant to involve a princess but was ultimately convinced into telling her his sorrows. He said he was one of three brothers who had been wrongfully cursed by their king. He had tried finding help to free him and his brothers, but to little avail—all feared the dragon."

"The princess recognized that she had a debt to pay the dragon, but she was also moved by the story the dragon told her. She promised that she would help him, and after many adventures covered in the tale she is able to free him from the spell. She married him in the end, and together they founded their kingdom.

"I suppose you understand why I chose to speak of this tale?"

"The dragon is one of the three knights of Paradise," said Rishid promptly.

"You would be correct," said Yami. "This particular story is the tale of Hermos. As mentioned before, this is one of three parts. Eventually, after Hermos had established the city and had children, he set off to free his brothers in arms. The story picks up with Critias, but that is for another time.

"At the beginning of the second tale, the story states that Hermos "cast" protection on his kingdom, for he was about to embark on a journey that he was unsure he would return from. As such, he made certain that his throne and his family would be protected while he was gone."

Yami's eyes suddenly locked onto where Jou was sitting. "Do I have your permission?" he asked, waiting for a reaction.

Jou flinched at being addressed so suddenly, his brown eyes flickering uncomfortably as everyone looked at him. After several moments of silence, however, Jou gave a stiff nod.

Yami dipped his head to acknowledge Jou, then turned to the others. "I trust the information you are about to hear will not leave this clearing," he said pleasantly, but though his voice was cheerful his eyes were flashing. "If it does, then I myself will deal with the one who speaks out—and you do not want to see what I am capable of."

He waited until everyone had agreed (keeping an especial eye on Marik and Bakura) before he resumed speaking. "In accounts of Paradise, Hermos was described as a commoner who worked hard and fought for the title of knighthood, achieving it just as the king of Paradise called on his services. The account also mentions several abilities the knights had. One common gift the three knights shared was the ability to speak to dragons—something that is passed down through all descendants of the knights."

Alister sat up. "Does that make Kaiba one of the knight's descendants?" he asked, frowning.

Yami chuckled. "It is a distinct possibility, though Kaiba himself refuses to believe in what he calls nonsensical fairy tales," he said, sounding amused. "To persuade Kaiba of the truth would require more than what he dubs as 'circumstantial evidence'—though he hails from Critias, though he is not able to track his family line due to suspiciously missing lineage, and though he possesses a rare gift with dragons, he needs more than that to sway him."

Alister rolled his eyes. "Of course he does."

"In addition to the ability to speak to dragons, there was one other gift that all three shared: all three were magic casters. Timaeus was the strongest of the three, but Hermos and Critias both had their own strength.

"I told you earlier of how many believe it to be a simple fairytale. However, any magic caster who reads these tales in sequence can see the significance of that one sentence in the second tale: the word 'cast' was used. That only can mean one thing: Hermos placed a powerful and protective enchantment on the throne before he left."

Yami abruptly vanished back into the Puzzle, but they all noticed that he reformed as a transparent being next to Yugi, who had taken back control of his body. "There is an enchantment," Yugi said grimly. "I've not seen it for myself, but I've been to the city before and there's a strong power that emanates from the castle itself. My grandfather's also been inside the castle, and he verified that the spell exists."

"So what is it? What does it do, exactly?" asked Téa. "Is it a conditional spell of some kind?"

Yami raised an eyebrow at her. "In a sense, yes," he said. "In fact, the spell has almost very simple terms— to take the throne in Hermos, the prince must first prove his worth."

"And how exactly is Jou supposed to do that?" Marik asked, raising his eyebrows.

Yami disappeared into the Puzzle suddenly; Yugi shot the Item a worried glance, but the group understood the reason behind Yami's sudden departure. The Enterran spirit was completely worn out. I am leaving it to you to finish explaining, Yugi.

Alister seemed to mull over his answer carefully. "Jou wasn't exactly on the throne when Raphael and I arrived," he said slowly, causing everyone to look at him. "Jou was serving as a guard when we first came. Hell, we didn't even suspect him of being nobility until Tristan's father passed away. But it was something Jou asked us to keep quiet, and he didn't officially announce anything until his father died."

Marik's eyes went to Jou, who was watching them with a noticeably nervous expression. "Humble origins," he murmured, glancing to Yugi. "Proving worth, serving with his comrades to protect them…"

And then the Enterran's eyes widened and he straightened up. When he next spoke, it sounded as if he almost hardly dared to believe what he was saying. "Hermos was a knight, not a prince. To take the throne in Hermos, Jou has to be knighted."

It had been awkward to listen to the story that he had been told almost a thousand times before (and Jou was certain he was not exaggerating that number).

Tradition had been the reason for so many difficulties in his life, and all of it stemmed from this one story. It was stupid—so stupid—that this was what had bound his family since Hermos had been founded. His father had never stopped mocking him about it, making Jou's life miserable on purpose as Jou had struggled to be knighted. Those in the court who'd known of Jou's plight had also looked down on him—Tristan, his father, Raphael, and Alister had been the only ones who'd found out and had sympathized with him.

He had almost hoped no one else would find out. It had only been a matter of time before the truth came out, but it didn't mean he wanted it brought up outside of closed doors.

"Yep," he announced, wishing that he were almost anywhere else. "You guessed it."

"But…how is that possible?" Téa looked almost dumbfounded. "Surely the kingdom knows about this! If not the kingdom, enemies at the least had to have found this out!"

"Maybe they jus' never noticed?" Valon suggested. "I know I never did."

"Valon is correct," Yugi commented. "If Jou's birth was never announced to the people, no one would even know that the prince existed until the king's passing or until Jou was formally knighted."

Jou sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt far more tired than he had ever felt in his life. "I was born in the castle, but not long afterwards I was moved out and raised in a small village not far from the city of Hermos. My mother stayed in the castle until I was two, when my sister was born."

"Nobles are weird," Alister said flatly. "Why on earth—?"

"Mother was a daughter of Hermos, but my father was the fourth son of a crown prince and married her so he'd at least have a kingdom to rule over. Tradition dictates that true blood heirs of Hermos spend time among the people. Once she had Serena, she had to take both of us out into the village—not that she minded. Dad started getting real drunk and real mean right around then."

Jou cleared his throat, not meeting anyone's gaze. "I didn't find out I was a prince until I turned seven, when the guards dragged me off with a bunch of other boys and took me to the castle. I got told in private that I was the prince of Hermos, but I'd also have to prove my worth first. Seven years as a squire, seven more as a knight-in-training, and then, maybe, I'd be a knight before becoming eligible for the throne.

"Until that time, however, I was to remain anonymous. Yeah, if Dad needed me to be his heir apparent on diplomatic visits I could be presented as such, but otherwise? I wasn't considered a prince or even royalty until I'm knighted. There's a reason they took up other kids—they had to hide me from unfriendly eyes, else enemies would know which kid was the prince.

"As stewards of the kingdom, Tristan and his father knew. Their sole duty is to guard the throne until the rightful heir can take over. My sister learned of our royal blood shortly after she was brought to the castle when our mother died of sickness, but I wasn't really allowed to see her. If I was always around the princess, you see, someone could put two and two together and figure out who I was. A short time ago, Raphael and Alister found out by accident.

"As far as I've ever gathered, the prince remains in anonymity until he's knighted."

"But surely you had to make diplomatic visits to other kingdoms," said Marik with a frown. "How could you pass through Hermos, let alone your castle, without anyone finding out you were the prince?"

Jou snorted. "Simple. Tristan's father was the captain of the guard, and according to tradition the captain always takes the younger guards with him when visiting other kingdoms. Tristan and I always went, and once out of sight of Hermos, I'd climb into the carriage with my dad. From there, it was a game of cat and mouse in avoiding other castle guards while in the guise of the prince."

Jou made a face. "Honestly, it was a lot of cloak and dagger stuff. Too much trouble and too intricate for my liking," he added flatly.

"Does Mai know anything about this?" asked Téa then.

Jou paused.

"The Princess and the Dragon?"

Jou grinned at her, though the smile was getting harder to make out in the coming darkness. They were still hopelessly lost in the maze, though it seemed like they were finally starting to get closer to the exit. "Yeah. It's kinda silly, but my baby sister loves that story," he explained.

Mai scoffed. "I outgrew bedtime stories a long time ago," she said haughtily, lifting her chin.

Jou's eyebrows rose. "I never said anything about it being a bedtime story," he said, tugging her down another pathway. "I figure you'd like it, though, 'cause it's kind of a love story. Girls like that sort of thing, right?"

"I don't like sappy romance stories," she said again, though there was a note of curiosity in her voice.

"Oh c'mon, give it a chance," he replied with a laugh. "My sister is an excellent judge of stories. Besides, the whole thing isn't a love story—yeah, there's action and magic and…and…well, all sorts of non-sappy, lovey-dovey, kissy kissy things," he added, blushing when Mai shot him an amused look.

The two of them came to yet another dead end and Mai groaned. "You sure we can't go through the bushes?" she asked.

"Well…I mean, you came out here 'cause your dress got ruined to begin with. If you go through the bushes, it'll tear more," he said slowly. "I don't want you getting in any more trouble."

She jumped, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked down at her dress. It was quite evident she had forgotten about her gown, and she shot him a grateful look before casting her gaze about the maze.

"…That story," she said at last. "How does it go?"

His face brightened and he took her hand again, leading her away from the dead end. "You mean you wanna hear it?"

"Why not?" she asked. A playful smile of her own lit her features. "I mean, we're lost. We might as well pass the time with something, right? Now, O Masterful Storyteller, entertain me."

Jou laughed. "Well all right, then," he said, turning and bowing fully. "Let the storytelling begin."

"She knows the story," he said at last. "She doesn't know its connection to me. I never wanted her brought to harm because of what she knew, so I never delved into that particular topic."

"It is perhaps for the best that she does not know the full extent of that connection, but I am afraid our enemies already know of the story," Yugi said grimly.

"I was afraid of such an outcome, but the evidence suggests it," said Ishizu quietly. "Someone knew the story well enough to curse Jousef the exact same way that Hermos was bound in the tale."

"That means that Dartz also knows how to get around the spell on the throne. Same for Jean Claude, because I doubt Dartz would allow him to walk in blindly to deal with age-old magic," said Bakura with a snort. "Seems like the little fool isn't such an idiot after all. Jean Claude covers his bases, that's for certain. I'm guessing that there are loopholes in this enchantment?"

Yugi looked at Jou again before addressing Ryou. "As long as there's a child with Hermos's blood running through their veins, the spell will remain active. As long as the royal family in Hermos follows the guidelines established by the enchantment, no harm will come to them," he explained.

"Because Dad was married to a descendent of Hermos, he was shielded from the negative aspects of the spell," Jou added, an angry tremor entering his voice. "He was never knighted, though, and when Mother passed on the full brunt of the curse hit him. He died almost a year after my sister came to the castle."

"If the curse on Jou had remained, he would have become a dragon," Yugi added. "His human blood would have been burned out of him, which would leave his younger sister as the only link to Hermos. When Jou was cursed, Jean Claude could have done one of two things: murder Jou's sister or allow her to live solely to stave off the curse. If both Jou and Serena die without either of them having children, however, the spell would have nothing to bind to and it would break."

"You mentioned more than one loophole, though," Marik pointed out, his eyes narrowing. "What does that have to do with Mai?"

"The story tells us that Hermos and the princess he married founded the city of Hermos. At the time, Hermos was only a knight. He differs from Timaeus and Critias, both of whom had noble blood running through their veins at the time they were knighted," Yugi replied. "What do you think marrying a princess did to his status?"

"He was made into a prince," said Alister slowly. At Yugi's encouraging look he continued. "If Hermos was made into a prince by marrying a princess, then it stands to reason that Jean Claude's marriage to Mai would do the same. That would create a loophole in the spell. He wouldn't need to be knighted. He would already be connected to royalty. Had the curse on Jou succeeded in turning him permanently into a dragon, all that Jean Claude would need to do was allow Princess Serena to die from her illness to cause the spell to break."

"And it's not just that," Ryou said grimly. "Yes, Jou survived the curse and he's alive now, but he's not yet a knight. Jou's father was shielded from the negative aspects of the enchantment only because of his marriage to Jou's mother. Even though he had two children with Hermos's blood in their veins, he still died when the queen did. If the princess dies now, her death can activate the enchantment on the throne."

Jou felt the color drain from his face. He had considered so many possibilities as to why Jean Claude had taken the approach that he had, but he'd never considered anything involving his younger sister. Serena was effectively a double-edged sword—she could destroy Jean Claude at the expense of her life, but only if Jou remained alive and curse free. She was not just a way to keep Jou at bay, she was also Jean Claude's back-up plan should his marriage to Mai fall apart. That was why Jean Claude kept his sister alive instead of killing her.

What of Mai, then? Would she too fall victim to the enchantment if Serena died? She was not at all linked to Hermos—if Jean Claude succeeded in marrying her, she would become a potential target for the protective enchantment.

He realized then just how close he was to losing both of the women he cared about.

Jou had been away long enough. It was time to go home.

Traveling by Shadow paths was something thoroughly unpleasant, Sivya decided then. The darkness was oppressive, and more than one pair of glowing eyes had watched her as she walked through the dark. Her staff was clutched tightly in her hands, ready to be used to curb any unwelcome advances from whatever was hiding.

Yami had assured her that she would come to no harm if she kept walking forward. He had already set the end point for the path to end, so all she needed to do was to keep going; on her return journey the path would lead her to a different destination rather than to Bakura's lair. Still, Yami's assurances did not fully alleviate her unease.

She was never more grateful to see the tiny point of light ahead of her. When she touched it the path instantly vanished, the outside air and sunlight bathing her like an old friend. She knew the path behind her had not gone, however. When she turned to look behind her she could see that the air behind her slightly rippled, the same way the heat rose from the sand in the deserts of Enterra.

She seemed to be in a small patch of forest, a large and grassy meadow in front of her. To her left, she saw the large castle on the top of the hill that overlooked the small field she was in. She'd seen it yesterday when she'd been in the city. That was the castle of Hermos.

Sivya had arrived at the correct destination.

As her eyes adjusted to the sudden exposure to the sunlight, she heard the almost welcoming and familiar sound of bleating. Turning her head, she saw the field beyond her filled with sheep; from her count, there had to be at least thirty animals in the field. She remained in the shadow of the trees when she saw the two men watching the animals from a small hill, but she took note of the crimson-hued collars around the nearest sheep's neck.

Like other royal kingdoms, Hermos had livestock in its care to use for both trade and for food. Sivya knew little of driving cattle or geese, but herding goats and sheep was something she was more than familiar with. To help with what Yami had asked of her, she had to take more than one animal without being seen by the shepherds.

Luck seemed to be on her side this day. One little lamb spotted her and wobbled toward her curiously, drawing the attention of its mother, its sibling, and two others. Sivya stepped further into the trees and bent down, holding her palm out to the young lamb encouragingly; when it came up to her, she scratched a spot behind its ears.

The other four sheep were not far behind this little baby, and they too stepped into the shelter of the trees. Sivya rummaged in her bag and tied a thin but sturdy rope around the mother's collar, hanging onto the other end of the rope. Holding the elder sheep would control the lambs, they would not stray far without their mother.

Sivya made certain that the shepherds had not seen anything before gently nudging the older sheep with her staff, steering the three animals towards the castle. Based on what she could see, the castle was at most an hour's journey—if she hurried, she could reach the castle within half that time.

And as Yami had told her earlier, time was of the essence.