Chapter Fifteen

The group continued their exploration of the castle, heading back upstairs to check with those of the Bunch standing guard outside. Although deeply moved by what they had found already, they didn't know how to talk about it and most did not. Yusei, who was more confused than anything else, frowned in deep thought.

"What are you thinking, Yusei?" Antinomy quietly asked.

". . . Where were the bodies?" Yusei ventured, keeping his voice very low.

"I'm the wrong person to ask," Antinomy said. "Maybe they were simply moved by the families."

"How could anything else be the explanation?" Yusei said.

"I don't know. Nor do I know how the flowers could be alive and blooming." Antinomy looked to where Radley was holding them close on the way back up.

Yusei sighed. "So much of this case just challenges logic in ways I'm not comfortable with."

"I know it's strange," Antinomy said. "And I know Kalin and Radley have struggled a lot with what they want to accept. But they both seem to lean towards believing the legend. If that's their choice, our best one is to support them and not try to drag them down."

"I know," Yusei said. "I want to support them. That's what we came here to do. We don't have any powers anymore to fight otherwise."

"Maybe this is exactly the kind of power they need," Antinomy said. "Support is a powerful weapon. The Princes didn't have a lot of that until those villagers stepped in, as Scotch was telling us while we toured the castle. It was only that that gave them enough time to counter the evil force and finally banish it. If it hadn't been for them, the Princes might have been killed before they could seal it away."

"But will they have enough support now to come through any possible battle alive, unlike the Princes?" Yusei worried.

"I hope so," Antinomy sighed.

"Are you guys going to leave the castle out?!" Scotch exclaimed up ahead.

Radley chuckled at the question. "I think we should, don't you?" he mused. "The Princes were real and their story should be preserved. They should be part of history, not just legend."

"Oh yes!" Valentina said with a vigorous nod. "We will keep the castle out and offer tours! And we'll talk about the safeguard system that allowed our family to hide it when needed."

"Some people might not believe it," Kalin said.

"The castle can easily be dated and shown to be authentic," Antonio said. "We have nothing to hide."

Outside, the Bunch members were waiting tensely. They perked up to see the group coming.

"There's no sign of Anastasius," Clint said. "How's the castle?"

"It's so cool!" Scotch gushed.

Spotting the flowers Radley was holding, Clint asked, "Is that from an inner garden?"

"No," Radley said. "They're from . . ." He trailed off, but there was really no delicate way to say it. "They're from the Princes' tomb."

Biff nearly fainted. "What?!"

"We thought maybe something important had been buried with them, so we figured we had to look," Radley explained.

"But there weren't any bodies! Just this!" Scotch pointed at the flowers.

". . . So how do you explain that?" Clint kept gawking at the flowers.

"Well . . . when Queen Serenity sent everybody to the modern day for their second chances, it looked like she was sending their bodies," Scotch said. "I guess I thought it was more proof Kalin and Radley are the Princes. . . . And the flowers . . . Radley's family thinks it's a sign from God!"

Valentina firmly nodded. "How else could they still be alive and blooming?!"

Clint shook his head. "I have no idea."

Radley sighed, not really comfortable with continuing the discussion. "So, since Anastasius still isn't here, do you guys wanna come look at the castle while some of the others stay behind now?"

"I don't wanna see the tomb!" Biff exclaimed, to no one's surprise.

"I kinda doubt any of you guys would," Radley said. "It was actually beautiful, but . . . yeah, no. It's just too surreal." He shook his head.

The Bunch quickly talked among themselves to determine who was staying and who was going for the next round. Radley looked uneasily around the area. "It's weird that Anastasius hasn't come," he whispered to Kalin. "And we haven't heard back from the ones watching his house either, so apparently he hasn't gone back there . . . unless he got the drop on them." Frowning, he quickly sent a text to Virgil and Jimmy. It was a relief to swiftly get a response that they were fine, but it only added to the confusion.

Kalin frowned too. "Maybe he's here and just watching from the shadows?" he suggested. "Maybe he doesn't want to come out when we're all here and the castle's here. He probably wasn't expecting that twist."

"Maybe not," Radley sighed. "I'm not sure how much he knows. And there's not much else we can do. I don't know where else he'd go. He'd have no reason to visit the university tonight."

"Unless he'd go just because he'd know we wouldn't expect it," Kalin grunted.

"He'd be calculating enough. I don't know if he'd know we're looking for him, though." Radley looked over at the Bunch, who were separating into two groups now. "And it looks like they've figured things out. Let's go back inside and see if we can learn anything in any of the other areas. We haven't seen the bedrooms yet."

Kalin nodded. "Hopefully they'll be more helpful."

The rest of the castle was just as fascinating, but going upstairs and examining the bedrooms proved to be uncomfortable. It was strange, looking at the rooms where people had once lived happily until the tragedy of that long-ago battle had put a stop to it.

Radley sighed as he stood in the doorway of the largest and fanciest bedroom. "This must have been for Prince Ramon's mother and father," he said. "I wonder what really did drive them out. . . . I mean, we found the tomb, so they had to have been here after the Princes' deaths. And yet the kingdoms didn't last. Was everyone really destroyed because of their distrust?"

"That would sure be more than enough reason to stop having a kingdom," Clint sighed.

"Or maybe the Ramons didn't feel like continuing as a kingdom if they made it out but the Kessler kingdom didn't?" Yusei suggested. "Maybe they decided just to merge with the rest of Spain."

Radley walked inside, looking around for a diary or anything else that would give the answers. Finding nothing, he sighed and just studied the ornate bed for a long moment. "Let's find the Prince's room," he said at last.

That was also a highly decorated and fancy room. Radley wasn't prepared for the painting of the Princes hung over the bed. They were happily talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company while the kingdoms celebrated.

"They're lamenting what could have been," he realized. "Everyone could have been happy instead of having been brought low in so much heartbreak and tragedy." He went closer, still fixed on the painting. "They were grieving so much and had this painted and hung here to mourn such unnecessary deaths."

"It will stay here," Valentina said. "We won't take it for the collection in the villa."

Radley smiled faintly. "That's the best idea, especially if you're going to have the castle open for tours."

Kalin was silently studying the painting. He wasn't sure what to say, so he just looked at it and laid a hand on Radley's shoulder.

Radley reached up to touch Kalin's hand with his own.

The rest of the areas they explored similarly held no real, visible answers. At last they went back to the main hall in discouragement and frustration, not sure what else to do for the time being.

"I wonder if we should retract the castle for now," Radley said. "We can't keep staying here and we don't want Anastasius to break in when we leave."

"We don't know how to retract it," Kalin said. "Play the song backwards?"

"Or the last line, maybe," Radley said. "Music must be the key again." He scowled. "I wasn't looking forward to seeing Anastasius again, but I didn't want to be left hanging like this either. What are we gonna do if we don't run into him again? We need to get home."

"He will surely come," Valentina said. "How could he resist the castle when he sees it?"

"Maybe the evil force would decide it's not ready for the fight and make him leave," Radley said. "I'm still worried it might try drawing energy from people here or even around the world before it challenges us. I wanted to fight it while it was maybe still weak and easier to beat, but it might not work out that way."

"Too bad he hasn't done anything the police could charge him with," Clint said. "They could put out an APB and help us look for him."

"Then he'd either really hide or the force might feel cornered and start hurting a lot of people right now," Kalin said.

Radley sighed. "I was really hoping we'd find something about how to control the pendant," he said. "Your sword too. Instead there was nothing, unless it was hidden so well we haven't found it yet."

"Maybe the Kessler village would know about the sword?" Antonio suggested. "Perhaps you should go back tomorrow."

"We still need to let your mom know what we're going to do," Radley remembered, looking to Kalin.

"She seemed lukewarm at best about coming with us, and now it looks like we'll be staying on at least another day," Kalin said. "Maybe more."

"That's probably all we can do right now," Radley sighed. "We can call her and also ask about the sword."

"It's insane to think of me as any kind of a swordsman," Kalin grunted. "I don't know how I'll wield the thing without training."

"You remember inside," Valentina insisted. "That will come back."

Kalin would have scoffed, but he did remember how familiar the sword had felt when he had picked it up. Sighing, he pushed open the heavy door and stepped outside into the cool night.

The Bunch members who were waiting looked up. "Did you find anything?" Billy asked.

"No," Kalin said. "At least, not what we were hoping to find."

"There's some beautiful art," Radley said. "But it doesn't hold any clues unless we're missing something."

"And that creep just isn't here," Barney said. "What are we going to do, Radley?"

"I'll check in with Virgil and Jimmy again, but it's looking hopeless," Radley frowned. "And we're thinking we need to stay on at least one more day. This whole thing is just so messed-up. We're not ready to face the evil force again, and maybe it's thinking it's not ready to face us either. But it's just mind-boggling. Where the heck is Anastasius? I thought sure he'd come when I read that on the blackboard."

"You should have the security guards keep patrolling for him," Kalin said to Valentina and Antonio. "He might be here, but hiding."

"And if you're staying over, perhaps you should stay in the castle for tonight," Valentina suggested. "You could guard it from Anastasius and inspiration and memories might come to you!"

Radley froze. This idea hadn't occurred to him and he wasn't sure what to think. Would he feel comfortable walking the halls at length and even sleeping in the bed where Prince Ramon had so many years ago?

From Kalin's expression, he wasn't sure what to think either. ". . . I'll do it if you want to," he said at last to Radley.

"I'm not sure," Radley replied.

Jack, of course, wasn't having any of that. "You'd be fools to pass up an opportunity like this," he said. "When else would you have the chance to sleep somewhere this incredible?"

"If Marty's great-uncle invites us back to his castle," Radley said with a dry smirk.

"But that castle wouldn't belong to you," Jack said. "This one actually does!"

Radley had to smirk more at that. "Well, I can't deny you make a good point there," he said.

"And keeping watch for Anastasius is a good idea," Kalin said. "We should probably do it."

"I'm certainly going to stay here, no matter what you do!" Jack said.

"Oh?" Radley quirked an eyebrow. "If the castle is mine, then it would seem only polite to wait for me to invite you to stay." He looked to everyone there. "And of course, you're all welcome to do that."

"Yes!" Scotch exclaimed. "This is going to be epic!"

Valentina beamed. "I will have the servants bring your bags from the villa."

"They're sure getting moved a lot," Billy remarked. "But we'd want them, thanks."

"I hope you two will be here also," Radley said to Valentina and Antonio. "You've celebrated the legend all of your lives. You deserve to be here with us."

Valentina beamed. "We would love to," she declared, and Antonio nodded.

"We never once dreamed we would take part in seeing this much of it fulfilled," Antonio said, his voice thick with emotion.

"Let's just hope the rest fulfills the way it's supposed to," Radley sighed.

"It will," Valentina insisted. "Everything will be alright."

xxxx

The bags arrived within a few minutes, along with a full meal prepared at the villa. After Radley talked to Jimmy and Virgil, who were still vainly watching Anastasius's house, the group headed inside the castle to eat at the long dining room table and to try to make sense of everything that had happened.

"There probably hasn't been any food here in centuries!" Scotch said.

"We still don't have an actual date for when everything went down, but centuries sounds about right," Radley said. All the clinks and clatters of utensils and plates echoed through the marble hall in an eerie manner. How long since there had been any gatherings here? How long since said gatherings had been happy? The thought of the parents sharing meals here after Prince Ramon's death, their hearts torn asunder by the empty place at the table, chilled him.

"All those parties where the princes met probably happened here too!" Scotch said.

"I had the impression that the first one happened in the Kessler kingdom," Kalin grunted.

"I don't think the diary said one way or another," Radley said. "And my dream-memories didn't make it clear either. But it's nice to think that both kingdoms made an effort. I know it was said they co-hosted the balls, just not where."

Kalin nodded. "I don't want to think the Kessler kingdom was so far gone that they didn't try as hard. Not that it really matters in the end since both kingdoms were idiots overall and caused the Princes' deaths with their narrow-minded distrust and hatred. The Kesslers losing their castle was probably deserved."

"We don't know for sure it's gone," Radley said.

"We can be pretty sure," Kalin said. "There's no castles anywhere around the Kessler village. And their tradition about the ruined stones being used to build their village makes sense no matter how my mother feels about it."

"Is she coming with us when we go home?!" Scotch wondered.

"I don't know yet," Kalin said.

"It would be pretty cool if she would," Radley said with a kind smile. "She's not what we thought. I'd be overjoyed to have my parents and Emilio move into town."

"What about your grandparents?" Kalin countered.

"Ooh . . . I don't know," Radley mused. "I'd be happy to see them, but I don't think Grandma would be happy living where she couldn't be in control. I don't know if she'd grudgingly accept that or if she'd start trying to micromanage Satisfaction Town wherever she could. Plus, she'd likely feel that people weren't living up to her high standards of what she felt they should be."

"It's probably better they stay where they are," Kalin determined.

"Yeah, I think so," Radley said with a sad smile.

"I do wish she hadn't got the way she is," Valentina frowned. "But maybe once this horrible battle is over and you are still alright, she will finally relax."

"I'll sure relax," Radley said wryly.

Kalin smirked. He would too . . . he hoped. He just prayed that really was how things would turn out. Would their friends be enough strength to push them to victory? He wasn't sure what else to try. Apparently he wasn't going to learn about his sword until he needed it, and Radley was still fighting with his pendant. Nothing in this mess came easy.

"So what about Yugi and everyone else?" Scotch wondered. "Are they coming?"

"They are unfortunately contending with some problems of their own and may not be able to solve them in time," Lector said. "But Mr. Kaiba said he would try to come, at least, so that all six Ring Bearers will be present."

"That's good," Radley said. "We're really happy you guys made it. Are Yugi and the rest okay?"

"You know how it goes," Nesbitt grunted. "Chaos and mayhem and clashes between white and dark magic."

"We sure do," Radley said wryly.

"They were fine when they contacted us about your problem," Nesbitt added. "But we're not sure what's happening now. They can go for long stretches of time without checking in when there's a lot going on."

". . . There's no chance the problems are connected, is there?" Kalin suddenly frowned.

"How could they be?" Johnson frowned back. "Didn't you testify that there is only one person of interest involved?"

"That we know about," Radley said.

"As far as we know, there is no connection," Gansley said.

"Just some new nutjob wanting to rule the world," Crump said.

"Those seem to be everywhere," Radley remarked.

"That figures we'd get a couple of them at once," Crow said, shaking his head.

It certainly got Kalin thinking as they finished their meal. At the conclusion, he got up to call his mother, much quieter than he had been earlier in the evening.

Radley got up with him, not sure any of them should wander alone without better knowing the layout of the castle. "How are you doing?" he asked low as they stepped into the hall.

"Fine," Kalin grunted. "I was just thinking about Anastasius again. He was working with Devack in those cults, so he's not a completely innocent victim like some of the group started thinking."

"I know," Radley said, folding his arms.

"Under other circumstances, he might have even been a Dark Signer." Troubled, Kalin got out his phone but just stared at it without dialing.

"He might," Radley agreed, not quite sure where Kalin was going with this yet.

Kalin didn't look sure himself. But he sighed, his shoulders slumping. "And now some other idiot is trying to conquer the world somewhere else," he said in disgust. "There probably really isn't any connection between them and the evil force in Anastasius. They're everywhere." Finally he snarled. "The force probably doesn't even have much intelligence on its own, so I'm not sure how much it can be blamed, but why do so many people do such stupid things?!"

"If we knew that, we might know one of the biggest secrets in life," Radley said with a wry smirk. Sobering, he added, "And I'm not sure how intelligent the force is. It knew enough to manipulate Anastasius into helping it. It's not just a mindless glob."

"I'm not sure which is worse." Still disgusted, Kalin finally moved to call his mother.

". . . You're really thinking about yourself, aren't you?" Radley said.

"Myself, my mother, this idiot Yugi's chasing, Anastasius . . ." Kalin shook his head. "So many foolish, stupid acts that get so many people hurt! The princes might not have died if Anastasius hadn't been so gullible in the past. But maybe he wouldn't have been so stupid if it hadn't been for the suspicions and intolerances of both kingdoms' people. It's a never-ending cycle!"

"You're right that it is," Radley said quietly after a moment of absorbing Kalin's rant. "I've had a lot of frustrations because of people's stupidity too. And I know I've made some bad decisions. Sometimes it seems like that's just people's inherent nature. The good thing is, we're so much more than just that. We've made some pretty great decisions too."

Kalin sighed. "I guess."

"The princes chose to be friends in spite of everybody acting stupid about it," Radley said.

"If they hadn't been, maybe none of the heartache would have happened," Kalin said.

"Or maybe it would have," Radley said. "The kingdoms hated each other so much, it was probably just a matter of time. Maybe it was only because the Princes defied the idiocy that there was enough strength to banish the evil force when it formed."

". . . It's an interesting thought," Kalin admitted. "But a depressing one too, considering they didn't survive it."

Radley sighed. "Yeah. . . ."

Kalin also sighed. Out of energy to discuss it further, he dialed his mother's room at the inn.

"Hello?" she soon answered.

"Hello," Kalin greeted, his voice filled with awkwardness. "Uh . . . it looks like we're not leaving tonight. Maybe tomorrow."

"Is everything alright?" she asked in genuine concern.

"Yeah. We just didn't find the person we need to find yet. We found other things, though. Do you know anything about Prince Kalin's sword?"

A long pause. "I don't, really," she admitted. "You've found that?"

"We did. Supposedly I'll know what to do with it when the time comes." Kalin rolled his eyes. "Do you think anyone there knows about it?"

"They talk about Prince Kalin's swordsmanship," Mrs. Kessler said, a bit impatiently. "It's a sword. They only really have one function, don't they?"

Kalin found himself thinking back to an exchange on the purpose of swords from the first episode of Rurouni Kenshin. ". . . Yeah, I guess," he said.

She sighed. "Kalin . . . I don't want you to get hurt. And I don't like you using a sword. But you're an adult, and in any case, I haven't been a good mother to you ever since I came here to learn about the legend and couldn't get back home. I have no say in what you do now."

"Maybe not, but it matters that you're concerned," Kalin said. "Thanks. I'll let you know what else happens."

"Please do," she said.

Kalin looked even wearier when he hung up. "Logically, she's right. About swords' purposes, I mean. They're for killing. Even if the intended purpose is to protect, they're for protecting by killing. And yet when my reflection was talking to me, I got the impression that this sword does have another function."

"I kinda got the same impression when you told me about it," Radley frowned. "But it sounds like nobody knows what that is, unless you wanna go back to the village and ask Kristopher personally."

"Maybe I will," Kalin said. "If we get the chance. For all we know, Anastasius might ambush us in the night."

"I'm gonna have the Bunch take shifts so there's always someone watching for him besides the servants," Radley said. "I also wanna have a couple go out and relieve Virgil and Jimmy at the house so they can come here. Meanwhile, I kinda want to try out the showers in this place." He smirked a bit. "See how they hold up to modern showers."

Kalin smirked too. "If they're good, I'll try it too."

"And if not, we'll go back to the villa to shower," Radley said.

"And then we'll try to sleep." Kalin looked unsettled. "Are you really up for sleeping in Prince Ramon's room?"

"I'm not sure," Radley said. "I'm willing to try. But if I'm just not comfortable, or you're not . . ."

"Then we'll go somewhere else," Kalin promised.

Radley smiled a bit. "Yeah." He placed his hand on the wall. "It feels like the ghosts of the past still live on in here. I don't really believe in residual hauntings, but if we start hearing people walk up the halls or talk like the past is playing out again, I won't be too surprised."

"Don't tell Biff," Kalin deadpanned.

Radley chuckled sadly. "I won't set out to. And I really hope that won't happen. It just feels like it could in here, you know?"

Kalin nodded. "I know. I feel it too." He stared off down the hall. "I can feel so much grief and sadness here. But . . . I also feel warmth and happiness, like they feel the Princes have come home at last."

Radley drew an arm around Kalin's shoulders. "I guess they have."

Kalin gazed down the stone hallway at the paintings, the open doorways, and the motion-sensor lights far ahead of their time. "Are we really going to be able to see it that way?"

"Maybe that depends on how much more we remember. And how much we want to be able to see it that way," Radley said. "I think I'll always be conflicted. But . . . there are things I like about the idea of being Prince Ramon. And . . ." He sighed. "If I really am, maybe our family would be hurt that I keep balking at it."

"Maybe." Kalin shrugged. "I don't really have those concerns and worries about disappointing my family. Maybe I should, but I don't."

"Prince Kalin's family is still kind of a mystery, aren't they?" Radley mused. "And not knowing them, it's probably easy to blame them for more of what went wrong."

"Does he really not talk much about his family in the diary?" Kalin asked.

"Not much," Radley said. "Except to talk about how they're against the friendship and how unhappy he is. And of course, that mention of his cousin Yusei."

Kalin grunted. "That was something else. I don't think Yusei knows how to react to it at all."

"Probably about like we were when we first started finding these things out," Radley said. "Was it really only days ago? It feels so much longer."

"Life rarely makes sense, but things made more sense before we started having dream-memories and doing research," Kalin said.

"Too true," Radley sighed. He started back up the hall. "I'm gonna start arranging shifts with the Bunch and get Jimmy and Virgil here."

Kalin followed him. "And we still don't know what we're going to do when we find Anastasius."

". . . I wonder if he'd be an ally if we point out what happened in the past," Radley said. "I can't think he wants to hurt us, not when he's so nuts about the legend."

"I don't trust him," Kalin said flatly.

"I don't either," Radley agreed. "But if there's any chance we could stop the second battle before it even starts, isn't it worth considering?"

Kalin sighed and nodded. Suddenly they seemed so small in the large, old hall with the ghosts of centuries before.

"Yeah. It is," he said.