"That is precisely why I don't want to tell him."

"Why didn't you let him finish? It might have made him feel better." Yami asked.

"I didn't let him finish because I was about ready to get up and go kill Noah as it was. Besides, it would have only gotten to the point that we would have been forced to tell him everything and I don't know about you but at the moment I don't think I can handle trying to explain to a 10 year old the birds and the bees. I know, I know we're going to have to eventually but tonight's not the night!"

"Seto, how did you know that he'd eagerly go into the other room just to look out the windows?"

"Well after spending two weeks in his basement I figured that always being stuck down there all the time would get boring. I remember that big storm last year that busted out all the windows up here and we were stuck downstairs. I remembered how it was so hard to look out and see nothing but the same people milling around the courtyard when you're used to seeing the sun come up. I figured he'd be happy to see the view and all the people and things you can see."

"Seto we have to get him more toys."

"I know that."

"No, we really need to get him some."

"What's your hurry?"

"Seto, he was beaten just for playing with them."

"You know you keep this up I'm going to go strangle that Noah kid when I find him!"

Just then, Mokuba came running in.

"S-Seto."

"What's up kiddo?"

"I s-saw R-Ryo outside."

"Well you can see him in a few minutes. You know that room you were in."

"Yeah."

"That's your room."

"M-my room?"

"That's right kiddo. It's all yours."

"Thanks big brother." Mokuba said, hugging him.

"All right you can go see Ryo for a little while then we have got to get your bandages changed."

"Okay big brother." Mokuba said not wanting to get his bandages changed.

Seto pulled a long rope and a minute later Mai came in.

"Yes, my king?"

"I need you to take Mokuba out to the court yard and drop him off."

"You wish me to stay with him?"

"No he'll be all right. Yami will get him later."

"Yes, sir."

"Okay kiddo you go with Mai and stay with Ryo till Yami comes to get you."

"Okay big brother." Mokuba said, taking Mai's hand and leaving.

Seto looked at Yami and noticed an odd look on his face.

"What's with you?"

"Why does he continually call you big brother?"

"He asked if he could."

"He never asked me."

"Have you tried?"

"Tried what?"

"Asking, I asked him if he wanted to come home and be my little brother. He agreed and asked if he could call me big brother. But the way you treated him in the beginning, what did you expect? You have to open up to him more. The kid needs that support. I think he'd agree if you'd just ask him."

"Maybe you're right."

"Yami what are we going to do about his clothes? I first thought about getting the royal tailor to make some but then he seemed so happy when Ryo gave him new clothes I wasn't sure."

"Well maybe a little of both. When you're up and around again we can go to town and I'm sure the kid would love to see everything. The bizarre is Friday all the shops in the area will line the streets and put out a little bit of merchandise."

"I don't know Yami, the kid's going to have to take time to adjust here. I'm not sure from the way you said he reacted in town it'd be that good to take him."

"Oh I'm sure it'll be fine."

"We'll see how well he adjusts to all the people around him, in the meantime you need to talk to the doctor to see if they have any salve."

"Why?"

"I want him to use it on Mokuba's back."

"Seto that stuff hurts like hell and you want to use it on the kid."

"Yami, I am well aware of how much it hurts. But obviously, you have not seen that kid's back. When you see it, if you can honestly say you don't want to see it healed completely and see the marks disappear then I won't insist on the salve."

"Well no I haven't but I can't believe…"

"You don't believe a flogger can cause severe damage?" Seto asked a little annoyed that Yami hadn't seen Mokuba's back.

"How do you know a flogger was used?" Yami asked.

"The object Mokuba mentioned I saw on sale in town once. It's called a flogger, I never asked what it's intended use was for but I'm sure a little kid's back wasn't it."

"All right I'll look into it." Yami said leaving.

x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x

Meanwhile Mokuba spotted Ryo and ran to him. Ryo was talking to Duke when Mokuba latched onto his waist.

"Hey kiddo, what are you doing here?" Ryo asked, stroking his hair.

"So this is the kid the king plans to adopt." Duke said.

"Yes, this is Mokuba. Mokuba, this is Duke. You'll have to excuse him, he doesn't talk much."

"I wish you didn't."

Ryo turned around and sighed seeing Bakura.

"What did I do to you? We barely know each other but all you seem to have for me is contempt." Ryo asked, putting his arm around Mokuba.

"Yeah well it was better that way."

Ryo sighed. "Come on Mokuba, let's go." Ryo said walking away with Mokuba still latched onto him.

"I don't know what I'm going to do kiddo. It's obvious he doesn't want me here. All I've ever wanted was to become a knight. But now I'm not sure that's going to work out. Everyone's saying that I'm going to automatically become a knight because of my relationship with Seto but I'm not sure I really want it that way."

x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x

At the same time, Duke was reprimanding Bakura.

"Are you mad?"

"Perhaps, why?"

"Why?" Honda said joining in. "I saw what happened, you're crazy. Ryo will be a lot like Joey."

"How can he be like me?" Joey asked, walking up.

"Simple he'll be the king's pet project while you'll remain his pet." Honda said.

"I'm not a pet!" Joey said.

"Right and we all know that the king will eventually want a bodyguard or babysitter for that kid Ryo's with." Duke said. "There's no way the king won't want someone to watch him while they're off doing official stuff."

"So, what are you doing making bets on who will get assigned?" Bakura asked.

"Nah, no ones willing to place any bets. We all know who's going to be assigned the case, there's no question about it!"

"Really so who will it be?" Joey asked.

"You're not that bright are you?" Honda said.

"Bakura's brother Ryo will get all the choice assignments and skip being a guard and go straight to knight! While you get the assignment of guarding or babysitting that kid."

"I'm not a babysitter! I'll just refuse the assignment." Joey said. "Ryo's attached to that kid, let him do it!"

"Who would have thought that the great Katsuya is too good to play house with the kid." Duke said.

"I told you I'm not a babysitter! What's the worst that can happen turning down the assignment?"

"You don't know do you?" Duke asked.

"He's an even bigger idiot than my brother is. Have you ever heard of a guard named Otogi?" Bakura said.

"Can't say that I have; should I?" Joey asked.

"Well you know the guy that cleans the toilets and mops the floors and cleans all the grime and junk in the kitchen and any other dirty job around." Honda asked.

"Yeah, what about him?" Joey asked.

"Well you see he was like you." Honda started. "He wanted to be a knight but then turned down an assignment."

"What kind of assignment?" Joey asked.

"Well the king had a possible lead on his brother and asked Otogi to look into it." Duke said.

"He refused on the grounds that he wasn't trying to be an investigator, he was trying to be a knight." Honda says.

"Yeah and we all know what happened to him." Duke said.