Battered and bruised, Yugi was used to the painful slash of a whip. He had felt the agonizing kiss of whips cutting into the skin of his back every day since he had turned thirteen. He was now imprisoned because he had become a murderer. Though he was not proud, he held no remorse either.

Opening the cell door, two guards came in and dragged the boy out of his filthy cell. He was dragged by chains through the corridors decorated with cells that housed screaming prisoners and out into the chilly, open air of the warming season. 'Die' their watchful eyes seemed to say.

Yugi had been locked up for several season's passing's which the boy found odd considering he had been sentenced to hang.

The guards dragged him along a path to a wagon. This was it; within an hour or so, young Yugi would be dead. The knowledge didn't bother him as much as it should have. After all he had been through, he supposed he welcomed Death.

Without warning, Yugi was knocked unconscious by a heavy blow to the head. The next thing he knew, he was being thrown into a room with barely any light. He landed before the masculine figure of a man in, perhaps, his late teens or early twenties. In the small amount of light provided, the younger could clearly see the stranger's eyes. They were a deep shade of crimson red. There was a frosty glint in those eyes that frightened Yugi and the young one felt sure this stranger was going to give the final blow that would send him directly to Death's cold embrace.

"Good morning, Yugi." the stranger said. The younger said nothing and followed the elder with his eyes. The elder realized that the younger was going to remain silent and continued to speak. "You're in luck." he told the chained boy on the floor. "King Sugoroku's previous poison taster has died. I'm offering you the job." Yugi stared up at the elder. Surely he was jesting? No, those cold eyes were far too serious.

"Ex. . .excuse me?" the young one asked. If this stranger wasn't joking, surely the younger had heard wrong. The elder winced at the younger's rasping voice. He turned away from Yugi and began to pour a goblet of water as he spoke.

"The previous poison taster was careless and we only offer the position to the next person to be executed. You, little one, were the next." he told the young convict handing the boy the goblet. Small hands accepted the water and a flash of warmth lit up the elder's eyes.

Yugi frowned as he realized who this stranger must be. He was Atemu Yami, the lands most affective assassinator and greatest soldier. Yami was also the King's personal favourite after Yami had gone to great lengths to save the old king.

After a hesitation, Yugi rose the goblet to his lips. Yami smiled slightly as the younger sniffed the contents then took a small sip and swirled it around his mouth. Detecting no foreign substances, Yugi guzzled the rest down, careful not to waste even a drop of precious water.

"Better?" Yami asked, amusement dancing in his eyes. The younger nodded, his throat no longer painfully dry. "Good." the elder reclaimed the goblet. "Will you take the job?"

"A fool would refuse such an offer." Yugi said simply.

"And what shall I tell the executioner?" Yami asked.

Yugi struggled to his feet. It hurt like hell but he managed, even with the chains weighing him down. The young one soon found that he was, like with everyone else, shorter than the assassin which stung what little pride the young one had left. "I am not a fool."

Yami nodded as if he knew the little one would accept all along. "You've been trialled, Yugi, and found guilty. Knowing this, I will be forced to watch you. You have refused to explain why you did it thus rendering me unable to trust you. Do you have anything to say in your defence?" he asked. "Was it an accident? Were you framed?"

"No, sir. I killed him. The spineless bastard deserved what he got, he deserved that fate a thousand times over for what did to me. . ." the young one clamped his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide.

He had said too much.

Yami studied him before walking around the younger to open the door. He spoke to one of the guards who nodded and entered the room. Seizing Yugi's hands, the guard proceeded to remove the shackles that claimed the young one prisoner as Yami removed the one around the younger's neck.

Grabbing hold of the desk, Yugi steadied himself as a woman entered the room. She had dark grey eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. She was average height for a woman, taller than Yugi, and would have been pretty if not for her expression of irritation. She was wearing a plain black dress that announced that she was a maid. "You summoned me, sir?" she said.

"Yes," Yami said softly then turned from Yugi to the maid. "Yugi has accepted the job." he stated in a stronger voice of more authority and the maid shot a dirty look at Yugi. "Take him to the baths and get him some clothes. He can't stay in that rag. Bring him back in a couple of hours." Yami turned back to Yugi. "this is Anzu, our most trusted maid."

Yugi suppressed a snort.

Anzu grabbed his arm and half dragged the boy behind her, taking him to the baths which was a small waterfall in a cave connected to the castle. The water wasn't cold but it wasn't warm either. Anzu pushed the young one into the pool and demanded he give her his rags before bathing. Obeying, Yugi quickly pulled off his clothing and allowed Anzu to snatch them from his hands.

He did not like her, not one bit.