The boy glared at himself in the mirror. He was dressed in a lined white shirt covered with a velvet crimson jacket, coupled with black dress pants. A shiny new pair of shoes covered his feet, and a simple black bow tie hung around his neck, restricting his oxygen intake to mere shallow breaths, and causing an unsettling itch to blossom over the surrounding area. It was an ensemble that allowed little room for neither movement nor playtime, his disliking of which he expressed to his mother.

"Mother, why do I have to wear this?" He asked for the umpteenth time.

His mother gave another patient sigh before turning to her son, a gentle smile crossing her lips. "Kai, sweetie, your father has a very important banquet tonight, and we must look our best."

Kai pouted. "Can't I just wear jeans and a t-shirt?"

"No, sweetie. That wouldn't be appropriate. Besides, you don't want to make your father look bad, do you?" She returned to applying her make up, and Kai knew that was that. He wandered out of his mother's room, aimlessly roaming the hallways until he found himself outside his father's room.

"-think she'll try for an alliance again?" He heard his father's deep voice rumble.

There was a pause. "I think that will be difficult, considering that you are already married." The gentler, more calm voice of his father's adviser floated through the hallway. Kai was always uneasy about Konn Torin; the man had always seemed inexplicably controlled, something that had given the child a bad vibe.

"Yes, but what about Kai?" He perked up at the mention of his name.

"What about him?"

"Channary has a daughter of her own-Selene, I believe. She may try to marry the two of them off." Marriage? Kai leaned forward.

"With all due respect, sir, I consider that unlikely at the time. This banquet is the first breakthrough in terms of the relationship between Luna and Eastern Commonwealth Industries in decades. To suggest such an alliance now would be unwise, as in case of a negative response, it would ruin any hopes of a partnership. Furthermore, should she wish to have private negotiations, there would be too many prying eyes present for her to discuss any true possibilities."

Kai didn't really understand Torin's logic, but the agreement was clear both in his father's words and tone when he responded. "Yes, of course. Thank you, Torin."

Kai pushed himself off of the doorway and walked back down the hallway, lest he be scolded for eavesdropping. His father's comment about marriage stuck with him, however. From what his parents told him, marriage was when two people got together because they loved each other. He had never met this Selene girl, much less loved her. In fact, Kai was almost certain that he was too young to get married.

So why would they get married?

•••

Kai wasn't sure what he was expecting when he stepped into the pristine white mansion known as the Luna Estate, but it certainly wasn't this.

The gleaming walls of the manor, combined with its astounding architectutual design, had left the innocent four-year-old in absolute awe. He'd never seen anything like it, not even his father's own vast mansion which attracted more than a few onlookers with its traditional Chinese elements. His parents had to drag him forward, though he noticed that even they were a little surprised. His amazement melted into fear, however, when he was presented with the sight that stood in front of them now.

Five people stood in a line in the middle of the huge room, all of whom were decked in the same uncomfortable clothing he wore now-albeit much finer and over the top. The first person was a woman dressed in a strapless dark red dress that flared out at her waist and ended just above her knees. She seemed to be about the same age as his mother, and she had a smile on her face that was simultaneously sweet and murderous. The woman beside her wore an emerald green floor-length dress, with a slit on her right side that showcased her slender leg. Although she was extradordinarily beautiful, her features combined made her very severe-looking. He avoided eye contact with her. Third in line was a man with deep ebony skin, who, with his simple tuxedo, was less fancily dressed than the others. The little girl next to him looked similar to him, which made Kai think that they were related. She, too, was very beautiful, however her beauty seemed more natural than the woman's. She was dressed in a lacy white dress that contrasted with her dark skin. The last person in line was another little girl who appeared to be even younger than he was, with her short chestnut-colored hair and her huge brown eyes. She was dressed in a royal blue sleeveless dress, with small flowers embroided on the top.

Kai hesistated, contemplating whether or not he wanted to approach the people, but his mother tugged him onward, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. Still, he still felt apprehensive once he stood face to face with the human blockade.

"Rikan, Liling, how fortunate that you were able to join us." The woman with the odd smile said, dropping into a respectable curtsy. The action caused the rest of the line to follow suit, except for the man, who lowered himself into a bow instead.

They dipped into similar positions, Kai having been to enough business gatherings to take the hint from his parents. However, there was a noticable tension in his father's voice when he responded. "We wouldn't dare miss such an extravagant event, Ms. Blackburn."

"Please, call me Channary."' The woman grabbed his father's arm and led them over to a large table where several people were already seated. She gestured to an array of empty chairs near the head of the table. "Sit down. Dinner should be served shortly."

The family did so, and Kai found that he was sitting across from the little girl at the end of the line. Figuring that she was old enough to understand basic conversation, he attempted to speak to her.

"Hello," He said.

The girl looked up, her uncannily large eyes suddenly focused on him. Cocking her head, her gaze roamed over his body, as if she were a scientist inspecting a specimen, trying to determine more information about it. The look made him feel invaded, and he fought the urge to squirm.

"Hi." She replied, still refusing to make eye contact.

There was an awkward pause before he spoke again. "My name is Kai. What's yours?"

The girl blinked. "Selene."

Silence settled between the two of them, and Kai resigned himself to playing with his fingers. Beside him, his parents spoke to each other and hushed whispers, though about what he wasn't sure. Dinner was served in courses, and as each one came and went, the woman-Channary-continued to show kindness to his father, bringing up the topics of their businesses and reconciliation. His father did not return the kindness, however, as his response was very dismal compared to Channary's cheery tone. His mother, though more amicable, did not hide her discontent with the situation, giving tight-lipped smiles and angrily tapping her fingers against the chair. Meanwhile, the girl remained quiet, only speaking to the ebony-skinned girl next to her, whose named he learned was Winter.

Just before the serving of the final course, Kai requested to be excused. His parents gave him scolding glares, but Channary waved him off. "Yes, of course. Selene, perhaps you can go entertain Kai with some of your toys."

"Can Winter play too?" Selene asked.

Channary's carefree eyes took on a bit of a scathing look. For a moment it seemed like she would say no, but her daughter's face must have changed her mind as she sighed and murmured, "If she must."

Selene smiled before grabbing Winter's hand and running off, signaling Kai to follow. Scrambling to catch up, he nearly fell of his chair before nearly sprinting after her. She proceeded to lead him through a endless maze of pristine corridors, her whipping brown locks his sole guide. Kai was about to collapse from exhaustion when the two girls finally stopped in a room littered with toys.

"Play here." Selene told him affirmatively, before kneeling to the ground.

Scanning the room, Kai searched for anything of interest among the toy landfill. He noticed many dolls scattered across the floor, a few of them nude, in addition to a variety of clothes, purses, jewelry, and other accessories. There were also a couple of stuffed animals, beauty kits, and even a piano, although nothing looked particularly amusing. It seemed that he wouldn't have had a choice anyway, however, when Winter suddenly pulled him to the ground.

"Play dolls with us!" She shrieked.

Kai internally groaned, having played with enough daughters of his father's business partners to despise dolls. The stories that the girls acted out were boring and pointless, and more often than not he was forced to be the man who eventually kissed the girl.

"Can we play something other than dolls?" He asked politely.

Selene, who was currently dressing a blonde doll with short hair, looked up at him. "No. You play dolls." The conviction in her voice left no room for arguement, and he sighed but consented, accepting a doll with curly scarlet hair.

To his surprise, the experience was much more entertaining than he expected. Instead of the sappy princess stories that always ended with the girl being kissed by a prince, they acted out the romantic struggles of two poor servants who couldn't afford to marry. The story was incredibly realistic and had a lot of depth to it; a few of the characters even died, although it was much more comic than it was tragic. He wasn't even forced to be the man; Selene took up that role, and he portrayed the of the girl's rich best friend instead. As yet another character was stabbed by the greedy Queen, Kai found himself genuinely having fun.

With the couple happily married and the Queen buried alive, the children were beginning to organize a game of tag when a servant entered the room.

"My apologies for the interruption, but I have come to tell Mr. Commonwealth that his parents are ready to depart the residence." The servant said, his eyes on the floor.

"You're leaving?" The girls asked simultaneously, their smiles forgotten.

"Yes, I am." He responded sadly.

"Will you come back?" Winter asked.

"I'll ask my mother and father."

"You come back." Selene said. "We have fun."

"I did, too." He gave each of the girls a hug, although they clinged a little longer than necessary. Smiling, he waved goodbye as he followed the servant back into the main room. The girls waved back before returning to their toys.

His parents were anxiously waiting for him at the door when he arrived at the foot of the stairs. His mother scuttled over, nodding to the servant before pulling him towards the exit. "Come on, sweetie." She told him. "It's time to go."

He heard Channary calling to them on their way out. "Thanks for coming!" Her shrill voice carried over. "I'll be in touch!"

•••

A few weeks later, his parents received a letter in the mail from the Luna Estate. Although the majority of message was more concerned with his parents, the last paragraph caught his attention as his mother read it aloud.

"...Additionally, it seems as though my darling daughter Selene has taken a particular liking to your son, Kaito. Therefore, it would only be appropriate to schedule a playdate for the two of them so they can further their relationship. I have left my contact information at the bottom of this letter when you are ready. Warmest regards, Channary Blackburn." His mother pursed her lips, before turning to face Kai. "What do you think, Kai? Would you like to see Selene again?"

He didn't think twice before saying yes.

LOOKIE HERE EVERYONE I POSTED SOMETHING! I know it's been like a million years, and that I had announced a new story quite a while ago, but it took me so long to strike inspiration, and even then it took me two days to write this mess. Speaking of which, I apologize if this chapter was super awkward in terms of writing. I was honestly just trying to get this up so you'd have something to read. Anyway, I suppose we'll just see where this goes. Tell me your thoughts in the reviews section!

~MastaGamerita

P.S. Yes, I crossed fandoms with the title. Don't judge me.