Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Arrangement ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

The Arrangement

Chapter One

"Are the papers all in order?" a young man, no older than twenty-two, with short russet hair and piercing blue eyes asked the younger man standing before him.

"Yes," he responded swiftly, his hunter green eyes staring at the man before him, his hand shaking unnoticeably, the papers still in tact.

"And they have been signed?"

"Yes, they have." The jade eyed man placed the papers gently on the desk before his business partner. His black hair seeming to spike in the air in nervousness. When the request by his business partner had been made, he was almost certain he was hearing things. That is, until he received another call questioning whether the job had been completed. It was a most unusual request; one he never thought would come from the mouth of the man before him.

"And she has signed it, I presume?" he questioned further, his navy eyes flashing in the dimness of the barely lit office.

"Of course. I had her sign them yesterday evening, after discussing the matter with her."

"And her reaction?"

"Shocked, surprised, but not too reluctant."

"Good. And she knows not to expect much, correct?"

"Yes, I've explained everything to her."

The russet haired man nodded his head and glanced out the window at the fading sunlight. He closed his eyes softly and took an unnoticeable deep breath before turning back to the other man.

"And what of her father? Does he know any of this?" he asked, his eyes flashing open.

"I spoke with him before speaking with her. He seemed most willing to agree; though he never was one for his position. He is expecting -"

"I know very well what he is expecting, and he shall receive it. All in due time. Now, where do I sign?" Fire brimmed in his eyes, but not enough to melt his hardened heart.

The sound of papers could be heard in the silent office as they were removed from the one most important paper of all.

"First, here. This is the contract."

Without wavering, the man signed. He himself had drawn up this contract; there was no need to read the so called "fine print." "And where else?"

"Here," the black haired man said, handing him a paper delicately. "But first, I must bring in the priest."

Eyes rolled as a stout man with fading gray hair and priestly garbs ambled into the office. Without hesitation, he walked up to the desk and watched the younger man sign the paper. Then he too, signed the paper, turned, and left.

"Now that it is finished, when will the package arrive?"

"I will hand deliver it myself in two days."

"Good." The iced eyes seemed to soften some as he glanced at the other name on the contract, but instantly hardened when he stood to shake hands with his partner.

"I will deliver this to the court, where we will receive an identical copy, to prove legalities."

"Of course. I expect to see you in two days time, at my door Devlin."

"You have my word," he responded, turning to leave.

"One more thing Devlin."

"Yes?" his jaded eyes questioned.

"You have no reason to worry."

"Of course." He closed the door softly and began his ascent up the stairs into the main lobby of the office building. Why his partner wanted to conduct this business in the shadows was beyond his comprehension. As his eyes adapted to the new lighting, he glanced at the contract in his hand. The newest signature read "Seto Kaiba."

~*~*~*~

"Did I do the right thing Duke?" a quiet voice asked.

Duke was silent.

"Duke?"

He snapped his head up and focused his attention on the girl seated before him. She was around five feet six, with shoulder length cinnamon hair. Her deep stormy eyes, a mixture of greens and blues, looked questionably into his own.

"Look around you Selina, what do you think?" he questioned back, a grim expression on his face.

The young girl looked around her, taking in the contents of her tiny room. It was bare, except for the bed, desk, and dresser, all of which had seen better years. True, her father squandered their money and she was in need of a new beginning in life, but she was nineteen, and still young. Her hand gingerly went up to her face, brushing gently over the nearly faded bruise above her left cheek bone.

"If you're afraid, you needn't be. Nothing will happen to you. And he will never be near you again. Think of it Selina. You'll be free from his constant beatings," Duke assured her, taking her hand gently in his and looking sadly at a scar placed on her wrist, close to her veins. "He'll never hurt you again."

Holding in the tears of her pains, she swallowed and blinked excessively before giving in and releasing her emotions, welcomed into the arms of her cousin.

~*~*~*~

"Is this everything?" Duke asked his cousin a couple hours later, glancing at the three bags holding everything of importance to her.

"Yes," she replied solemnly, giving her room it's last overlook. "Wait, I can't forget this!" she cried out, lifting the mattress of her bed and pulling out a picture frame from beneath it.

"What is that?" Duke questioned, smirking.

"It's…nothing. I have everything now." She grabbed the remaining bag, as Duke had picked up the two heaviest, and followed him out of her room.

As they approached the door leading to the outside, they heard what sounded like someone scrambling to their feet and running like they were missing the train.

"Selina, wait!" a male's voice was heard.

"Dad?" she asked, raising her brows.

"Here," he said gruffly, shoving a letter into her hands, his eyes holding little emotion. But even among his emotionless state, a hint of sadness could be found in his eyes. He turned and walked away, leaving Selina there to question what the letter was.

"Selina, let's go. You can open it after you get settled in," Duke said, shaking her back down to reality.

Wordlessly, she followed him out the door, closing it tightly. Not only was she closing the door to her old home, but her old life. No more beatings or wounds created by her father. No more poverty and barely getting by. For the first time in many years, a real smile, small, yet true, found its way to her young and gentle face.

~*~*~*~

"Hey, wake up," Duke said softly, gently shaking the sleeping form of his younger cousin. "We're here."

Selina stretched and blinked her eyes a couple times, taking in the splendor of the gardens. "This is-"

"Your new home," Duke finished for her, getting out of the car and popping the trunk, unloading her bags.

"Is he here?"

Duke never had a chance to answer her question because at that precise moment, two men opened the doors to the grand mansion and stepped out into the daylight.

"My name is Roland," one of the men said, bowing slightly, while the other man took Selina's bags from Duke. "If you will please follow me."

Selina turned quickly to Duke and gave him her tightest hug, stifling a sob.

"I'll tell the gang about it," he said quietly, sensing her uneasiness. "Hey, don't worry about anything. It isn't like you'll be isolated from everyone. This is your new life Selina, take advantage of that."

Selina forced a smile onto her nervous face before turning and following Roland into the Kaiba mansion, giving Duke one last glance before the door was closed.

"If you'll please follow me. Master Kaiba would be doing this for you, but he is rather busy at the moment. This way," Roland said, leading her to a grand staircase.

Quietly, Selina followed Roland up the stairs, taking note of the grandeur and glamour, yet modesty, the mansion had. My new home, she thought contentedly. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize that they had entered into an exquisite room, until Roland spoke.

"This will be your room. If you need anything, I am at your command. That button near the door will page me. Also, Master Kaiba's room is right beside yours. If you need any help unpacking, just let me know and I will send one of our maids to your room. Is everything to your liking?"

"Yes," Selina said softly, taking in the beauty of the room, her eyes growing teary at the fullness. She looked over to her bed and blinked. The covers were intricate designs of gold on white. It looks like a fairytale…but it's real. This is my home.

Roland smirked at the young girl before gently closing her door. When Kaiba had told him he would be her personal body guard, he didn't understand why. But now he knew. The girl he was to protect was nothing more than a young lady with a simple background. He smiled in spite of himself as he walked down the hall to Kaiba's office and knocked softly on the door.

"What is it?" a gruff reply came. Obviously, this was not a good time; then again, when was it ever a good time to interrupt the young CEO from his work?

"She's here Master Kaiba," Roland called back, cracking the door an inch.

Kaiba's fingers abruptly stopped their swiftness across the keyboard and his eyes blinked. She was here. "Is Devlin still here?"

"I believe he left Master Kaiba."

"I want you to call him and thank him for his delivery," Kaiba replied, turning back to his work.

Roland took this as his cue to leave, but he was wrong.

"Roland, on your way, tell Selina that we are having dinner tonight, promptly at five thirty. And make sure she knows not to interrupt me while I'm working."

"Yes Master Kaiba."

"And one more thing. See to it that the media knows nothing of this arrangement for a few days. I would hate for her to be unprepared for the questions she will be bombarded with on how she became…my wife."