Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Arrangement ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

The Arrangement

Chapter Three

"And here we are," Ichigo stated, opening a door to an elaborate dining room. "Mr. Kaiba should be joining you soon." With that, he left, allowing Selina to take in the grandeur of the room.

Slowly, she walked to the back and glanced out the large windows, taking in the beauty of the back property of the Kaiba manor. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the door open or notice another presence enter the room.

A gentle cough snapped Selina from her thoughts as she sharply turned her attention to the other figure. She allowed a nervous breath to escape her lungs as she found it wasn't Kaiba, but rather a young teen.

"I'm Mokuba," he said, walking across the room in long strides, his dark locks waving slightly, his violet eyes not near as wide as they once had been.

"I'm -"

"Seto's wife, I know," he said, standing in front of her, looking up slightly. He wasn't much shorter than she. "You look awfully familiar."

"Oh, um, well…" she stuttered, her voice seeming miles away.

"I'm glad Seto finally got married. Now I'll have someone else to talk to and he'll finally have someone to love," Mokuba said, turning abruptly and seating himself at the table before Selina had an opportunity to respond. "Sit across from me," he said, a slightly childish giggle escaping his lips when Selina didn't move.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, rushing to her seat, flustered, not giving a second thought to Mokuba's comment on Kaiba loving her.

"Seto will be sort of late tonight, he got an important business call. What should I call you?" Mokuba asked as the food was being served.

"Selina," she said softly, her eyes glancing at the empty chair at the head of the table. I guess I won't see him tonight after all. But…I'll have plenty of chances to see him, I am married to him. I wonder if Mokuba knows about the arrangement.

"I remember you!" he exclaimed, smiling as he buttered up a dinner roll. "You're Duke's cousin," he grinned. "And you beat Seto in a duel."

Selina smiled gently as she slowly nodded her head.

"So Selina…can I call you Seline?" he asked, his eyes brightening.

"Whatever you'd like," she smiled.

"Great!"

Fifteen minutes passed between the two of them. But in those fifteen minutes, Selina learned a lot about the Kaiba brothers. Mainly how close they were. Close enough for Mokuba to give his input on Kaiba's current situation without the elder Kaiba disregarding it. She learned it was Mokuba who suggested that he not waste time.

"I hope you'll give him more than one chance, he doesn't always come off warm and fuzzy to people," Mokuba stated, smirking. "But he's the best big brother in the world."

Selina nodded slightly and closed her eyes. What had she gotten herself into this time?

"Couldn't wait for me?" a deep voice asked from the doorway, causing Selina to stiffen.

"Seto!" Mokuba called out before jumping from his chair and going to give his older brother a hug. "I like her Seto," he whispered before exiting the dining room. "I'll be in my room," he called over his shoulder, leaving Selina sitting with her back towards Kaiba, nervous and stiff, with wide eyes.

"I trust your move went well," he began, seating himself in his respective place. Not receiving a reply from Selina, he continued. "Is your room to your liking?"

"Yes," she said quietly, finally finding her voice. "I love it very much. Thank you."

"You're a Kaiba now, whether you realize it or not. You will not go anywhere without Roland unless I specifically give you the permission to do so, am I understood?" he demanded somewhat coldly, not wasting any time, his icy eyes staring at his new wife's slightly pale face.

His expression soon changed to amusement when she nodded her head vigorously. He smirked and allowed a chuckle to escape his lips. "Are you afraid of me? Because you weren't two years ago."

Selina's eyes narrowed slightly as she finally faced Kaiba, taking in his dark brown hair and deep icy eyes; the same image she remembered of him from that day in the hospital. "I'm not afraid of you Seto Kaiba," she said rather calmly, daring herself to look into his eyes. "I'm only unsure of how I'm to act."

Kaiba chuckled more before leaning on the table. "You're to act how you always would, with the exception of taking Roland everywhere with you. He is your personal body guard. There are people out there who hate my brother and I, and now, because you are my wife, they will try to go after you. It's my duty to protect you, and I will. Now, I have more business to attend to, but I realized you needed to know this for tomorrow. Now, I -"

"Tomorrow?" Selina questioned, cutting him off.

"Yes, tomorrow. Roland and Ichigo must not have told you. I have set up an appointment for you tomorrow with the manager of Carthridge's. Do not worry on the amount of money you may spend, I have plenty to spare. You may have noticed that your closet contained a few more items than you came with, but you may want to choose things you know you'll like. Now, I have more business to attend to. Goodnight." Kaiba rose form his chair and left the room before Selina had a chance to respond.

Carthridge's?I…it's…Selina sighed. She would be just as happy to shop at the mall, which she planned on doing anyways. I'll just pick up a few nice things and then meet Tea at the mall. I'm not sure what to do…why am I here? I hope Tea can help me.

~*~*~*~

"No, this isn't the way," Selina muttered to herself, coming across the same hallway she had five minutes earlier. "I thought I could find my way back. Now I'm lost…in my own home." Sighing softly, she sunk to the ground and drew her knees up close to her chest. "Eventually, they'll notice I'm missing. I hope."

"Lost?" she heard a young voice question from behind her, obviously trying to mask the amusement.

"What do you think?" she stated sarcastically, turning to look into the violet eyes of the young Mokuba.

"Seto really should have created a map for you or something…but really, the stairs aren't hard to find from the dining hall are they?" Mokuba teased, holding out his hand for his sister-in-law.

"I only moved in today, give me some time," she muttered, grasping his hand and standing to her feet. "Could you show me how to find my room or are you only going to tease me more?"

"Come on. If I remember right, your room is right next to Seto's." Without anymore comment, Mokuba began to walk away, Selina following close behind with a flushed face.

"You'll get used to it eventually," he said as they reached her room.

"Thanks. Goodnight Mokuba," she whispered softly before opening the door to her room.

"Goodnight Seline, although it's early for bedtime," he smirked, glancing across her room and out the window at the newly faded sun.

"I have some more unpacking to do, and I need to call a friend." With that said, Selina gently closed the door and walked over to the desk and picked up the phone sitting on it, dialing the all-too-familiar numbers of one of her closest friends.

~*~*~*~

Kaiba sat stiffly in his chair, his eyes glued to the computer screen as he rapidly typed in codes and sequences for the prototype he was working on. Every so often, his mind would halt and the picture of his wife would pop into his head. Shaking her from his thoughts, he tried to concentrate on his work, only to be interrupted by a knock on his door.

"Seto?"

"What is it Mokuba?" he asked, hearing the door creak open as he turned to face it.

Mokuba slowly walked into the room and sat himself on the couch, not too far from Kaiba's desk. "You'll never get to know her if you spend all your time working."

"Mokuba," Kaiba began, focusing all his attention on his younger sibling. "She only moved in today. I have meetings and schedules I cannot miss for the next few weeks, you know that."

"But Seto," Mokuba said, scrambling for his thoughts. "She got lost and the only reason I found her was because I used one of the hidden staircases. She doesn't know her way around here, she already went to sleep and it's not even seven yet. She's uncertain and you're not helping by making her feel unwelcome."

Kaiba raised his brow as he stared at his younger brother in question, a smirk evident on his features. "What you really mean to say is that I should stop working now and go talk to her."

"Well, you need to get to know her Seto. She reminds me of a baby that's just learning how to walk." Mokuba's eyes were thoughtful as he concluded his opinions, his chin resting on his palm.

"Go finish your homework Mokuba, I have more work to do. Be in bed by nine-thirty, am I understood?" Kaiba commanded, turning back to his work, placing Mokuba's words at the back of his mind, along with thoughts of Selina. He knew he had a few more responsibilities now that he was married, but he didn't want to concentrate on them just yet.

"Yes Seto," Mokuba said quietly, hanging his head in defeat before exiting Kaiba's office.

~*~*~*~

Selina sighed quietly as she slowly placed the receiver back into its respective place. Tomorrow, she would be meeting Tea at Carthridge's where she would help her choose a few outfits. Then, they were to head to the mall together to do some necessary shopping.

She stood from her seat at the desk and walked into her large closet, glancing at the only bag that hadn't been unpacked. Slowly, she bent down and grabbed the handle, lugging it towards her bed.

This may be a bit childish of me, but… she thought, grabbing a worn teddy bear from her bag. Smiling softly at the bear her mother had made her when she was two, she sat on the bed and placed it beside her before grabbing another object from the bag, this time, a frame. Slowly, she placed the picture of her mother on her nightstand, before her thoughts began to take wind once again.

~*~*~*~

"Tag, you're it!" the young voice of eight year old Duke cried out as he turned to run from his cousin.

"Come back here," Selina cried out, running happily after him. Her eyes were lit with the light of the sun, and her face was adorned with a smile. Her long cinnamon hair blew behind her as she ran.

At this point of her life, she had not a care in the world. Her family, consisting of her mother and father, and a brother on the way, were a close-knit family, always there for each other. And now, her seventh birthday was but three months away, quickly approaching.

"Duke, it's time to go," a woman's voice called out from a car that pulled up into the Mazika's driveway.

"Coming Mom!" he yelled out, turning around and smiling at Selina. "See you tomorrow!"

"Bye," she frowned, watching the car drive away. Hanging her head, she walked inside her two story home and glanced at the grandfather clock standing in the front entryway.

"Daddy, when will Mommy be home?" she asked her father, as she sat down beside him on the couch before the television.

"She'll be home soon sweetheart," he smiled, kissing his daughter's forehead. "Why don't you run upstairs and wash up for supper."

"Ok." Hurrying her small form, she rushed up the stairs into the bathroom to wash up, unaware of the ringing phone or the conversation her father was having.

"What!?"Darrin yelled into the phone, his face twitching, both anger and hurt fighting for control.

"I'm sorry Mr. Mazika. I know this is hard to comprehend. If you'll please just come to the hospital," the voice on the other line began.

Without responding, Darrin hung up the phone and ran upstairs, knocking vigorously on the bathroom door. "Sweetheart, we have to go!" he yelled, watching the doorknob turn. "I have to go somewhere, so Daddy is going to leave you with your Aunt and Uncle."

Without question, Selina was lifted into her father's arms as he rushed down the stairs and to his car. What should have been a ten minute drive lasted only three. "Daddy will be back," he hurriedly said, briefly explaining the situation to his sister.

Selina was unaware of the situations going on around her, and she was unprepared for the news she would receive in a matter of hours.

~*~*~*~

A gentle knock was heard on the Devlin's home a few hours after Selina had been dropped off. Selina rushed to the door and smiled up at her father, until she noticed his look. His face was fallen, his eyes bloodshot, the signs of tears left on his cheeks.

"Where's Mommy?" Selina asked worriedly as her father squatted down before her. Her lips trembled at the hollow look in her father's eyes.

"Mommy's not coming home," he replied sullenly.

"Where did she go?" Selina asked innocently, unprepared for the next blow.

"Mommy's dead," came the empty voice of her father.

~*~*~*~

The sound of an opening door shook Selina from her past and brought her attention to the side of her room that separated it from Kaiba's. Quickly wiping unwanted tears from her eyes, she focused on the movement before her. Behind the door stood none other than Seto Kaiba himself.

"Hello," she whispered softly, her voice barely audible to Kaiba's ears.

Kaiba smirked as he leaned against the doorframe. "Mokuba told me you lost your way to your room."

Selina blushed slightly and cast her glance towards the ground. "I've never been anywhere so large," she admitted.

"So may I come in?" he asked coolly. He may not be the nicest guy all the time, but he did have his manners, and he did respect her privacy, although he barely knew her.

Unable to find her voice, she nodded her head, watching him stride over to her bed.

"If you get lost again, this should help." He dropped a small device into her hand. "Press the button to turn it on and off. It'll tell you where you are and how to get where you want."

"Thank you," Selina smiled up at him, a sign of genuine gratitude evident upon her features.

"Selina," he began, seating himself next to his wife. Unsure of how to say what he wanted to, he decided to speak from his heart. "I wanted to thank you for coming here this way and…marrying me the way you did. If there's anything you need, just ask. The staff here will be delighted to serve you, and Mokuba, I can tell, enjoys having you around, even though you haven't been here too long. As for the media, if they ask you how we met, don't hesitate to tell them the truth. Roland will brief you on some things you may say to certain questions, and the questions to ignore. If they find you tomorrow, you can have Roland keep them at bay if you're not willing to speak with them at the moment. But eventually, they will find out."

Selina nodded gently, softly chewing on her lip in nervousness as the thought of cameras and reporters surrounding her filled her mind. Shaking from those thoughts, she glanced up and watched as he paused, but kept her mouth closed, although her will to talk seemed so much greater.

"I wish," he started softly, glancing into her eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't-" he stopped himself, shaking back into reality and his hard exterior. Yet again, she watched him hesitate with his words, his eyes distant and cold. Abruptly, he stood and walked away from her. He did not turn back, but when he reached the door, he quickly slipped into his room, closing the door tightly behind him and leaving a confused Selina alone.