Hello everyone. This is my first story here. I look forward to your reviews and opinions. Please do be mercilessly honest. Thank you so much.
Seto Kaiba looked at the woman sitting opposite him. Eyes downcast, she concentrated on the book in her hands. Heavy curls of deep black hair framed her face rather attractively, though by no stretch of the imagination could she be called beautiful. Too plain in comparison to the women he was used to
He knew that she was aware of his gaze, but showed no indication of being uncomfortable. She didn't bother to respond, either.
Kaiba could see why she was who she was. There was an element of impassive isolation congealed around her like a fortress. All the stories were true...
"Mr Kaiba.." An accented female voice dived into his thoughts and he looked to its owner, a middle aged woman who exuded dignity.
"Ms. Strozzi." He addressed his hostess with perfect Italian inflection.
"I think all is in order." She rested her hands on the physical copy of the agreement that would seal a possible merger between Kaiba Corporation and Strozzi-Maria Conglomerates.
"Then, we should perhaps move on to signing of those papers?" He shifted, a little unsettled with the sheer comfort of the chair they had offered him. Everything about the palatial residence of the Strozzi family was overwhelmingly luxurious. It made his mansion look rather sparsely furnished.
"Certainly. But I must ask your indulgence before we might set ink to paper." His hostess had a habit of not getting to the point, which annoyed him endlessly.
"I'm not sure I understand." His patience was on edge but he maintained the pretense. Business deals of this stature could demand a certain amount of restraint on his part.
"A dinner. Something memorable to commemorate the union of our little ventures. Tonight, you must let us attend upon you. Wine and merriment, as they say." She tilted her head toward the silent reader. "Does that sound appealing, Aisha?"
In answer, she looked up, smiled lightly and nodded. "Anything you want, Aunt Maria."
"Perfect. Will you join us then, Mr. Kaiba?"
Seto gritted his teeth and stood up. "Of course, Ms. Strozzi. I look forward to an excellent evening."
...
The great hall that sat in the center of this palace was alight. But electricity seemed to be unwelcome, as candles were the order of the day. Thousands of red and white candles on candelabras and stands made of crystal so fine that they seemed transparent. In effect, the candles seemed to float.
Seto was a little awed by the unearthly atmosphere. Velvet and tapestry turned the room towards an unfamiliar past. Everything looked medieval.
The guests dressed somewhat similarly. A lot of heavy fabric, which seemed reasonable in the mountains of Mont Blanc. But most of it was cut and styled in 18th century fashion. Or atleast, close to it.
Seto found himself being polite to various members of the Strozzi family. It would all pay off.
He missed Mokuba. His younger brother's unadulterated adoration was the only emotion he could endure. The honeyed smiles of the people surrounding him was borderline disgusting.
"You seem a little bored, Mr. Kaiba." One of the Strozzi girls ( Daphne, her name was, he later remembered). "Too many dinners like this in your schedule?"
"Absolutely not." He took a sip of champagne. "This is the only party I've been to which shuns electricity and serves champagne in actual silver goblets."
"Yes, we tend to do things a little differently. Lady Maharet seems to think that the fashions of our time are too bland."
Kaiba looked at the girl. Beautiful, like most of this family. The Strozzis were known for two things : beauty and success. Comparable to the Rothschild family in the amount of wealth they had accumulated, the Strozzis traced their lineage to medieval Italian nobility. The kind that didn't lose its money. Rather, made more of it. Their tentacles of authority extended across the globe, spanning fields of finance, entertainment, manufacturing, art, cuisine, and pretty much all means of generations exorbitant income. And this family did it all with a handful of executives, all of whom came from within their brood. Beautiful men and women who, despite being notoriously secretive, turned into fashion icons with their few public appearances.
Except one. Kaiba looked at the reader from earlier, who was now perched on one of the oversized chairs ( which resembled thrones ) with a glass of wine. She wore a simple black dress with a bleeding red hemline that covered all but her neck. Her hair was tied in a single, luxuriant brain and fell over her right shoulder. A rose was perched into the braid, cradled right over her ear. Her face was pale, completely bereft of any colour but the red of her lips. She was pleasurable to look at, but in the light of the people surrounding her, she came close to being unimpressive.
And Kaiba would have ignored her completely, if he hadn't known of her.
She looked quiet, unimposing. As if she had no really expectation of effecting anyone or anything in her vicinity. Which was the most idiotic assumption anyone could have made about her.
Aisha Strozzi was accomplished in more ways than one. Having been born in America, she possessed US citizenship. Something that she had used to make her way into the Federal Bureau of Investigation. All the way to the top as the leader of the Behavioural Analysis Unit in Quantico. She spent 15 years of her life chasing serial killers and other assorted monsters of the human kind. She was famed widely for her interrogation techniques and was known to have interviewed killers that many other, hardened FBI agents had refused to be in the same room with. Simultaneously, she had written a series of fantasy novels that had been so acclaimed that two Bookers had followed. She was also extremely well-known among people who took an interest in hand-to-hand combat. It was rumoured that she could take out 6 men within exactly three and a half minutes. Seto took it as what it was obviously meant to be, a lie.
Her current position among the Strozzi empire was unclear. But Seto could see that she mattered. She commanded the attention of, Maria Strozzi the matriarch of this family and the owner of all that it possessed. Even now, she was surrounded by important members who flocked to ask her questions and whisper secrets into her ears. It was a tad unnatural, seeing her encircled by individuals of glimmering beauty. She looked like the fading moon among a garden of stars. Yet, she was the center of their attention.
Suddenly she caught his eye. In an imperceptible second, she had managed to catch him in the act. And he was unable to look away. It was as if she had known what he was thinking and had chosen to answer him. Seto felt a shiver bite his veins. His rational mind had never experienced such emphatic communication without the use of words. It was terrifying.
"Your glass is empty.." Daphne said, taking it out of his hand and replacing it with a full one.
"Thank you, Ms. Strozzi."
The plain woman lowered her eyes. And the spell was broken.
...
The agreement was finalised soon afterward, but Seto found himself less annoyed by the evening. He let himself be warmed by the fireplace and the wine. The beautiful people pleased his eyes immensely, and he began to wonder if one of the women would warm his bed tonight. Then again, probably not a good idea. Not with a potential business arrangement on the line.
Dinner was magnificent. Platters of sumptuous food offered a stunning range of selections. As a rule, he didn't about his food as long as it was edible, but he couldn't resist the urge to sample soups and savouries that he couldn't even identify. It was all delicious. He was particularly pleased when Aisha's hand reached across the table to fill his glass.
And then it was morning.
Seto sat up in bed, confused. Sunlight patched his bed with welcoming light. He grunted, grabbed a curtain and pulled the room into darkness. Then he dropped back into the pillows, grabbing his head and trying to reconstruct the events of the night.
Black void. All he could remember was dinner, Did he get drunk? That was entirely unlike him. He looked around the room. No evidence of a drunken entry. Everything was in place. Even his evening wear was neatly draped across a chair as was his habit. There was nothing which indicated anything out of the ordinary had transpired.
Kaiba sighed and sat up. The wine must have knocked him out. But then how could he have entered his room and reached the bed without knocking over a single object? Was he in perfect step even when drunk? That seemed highly unlikely,. considering he was not used to alcohol in more than moderate quantities.
A knock on the door. It was Roland, his bodyguard and assistant. The mystery at hand would have to wait.
...
"It seems like all operations are advancing smoothly, Sir." Roland said as Seto scrutinised papers containing the details of their new arrangement with the Strozzis. He had examined them before the signing of course, but it was always a good idea to remind himself of what was expected of him and what he could demand out of this new alliance.
The Strozzi-Maria Conglomerates was harnessing it financial wing to invest in the chain of amusement parks that Kaiba Corp was intent on constructing around the world. While Seto knew a fair share of investors that had already approached him, the proposal from the Strozzis came as a surprise. Known as a secretive collection of individuals, they often did not show interest in new-age ventures like his. They were old money, their wealth drawn from coffers of kings.
And their reputation was just as valuable. A connection with them would strengthen Kaiba Corp in ways that Seto still couldn't calculate, but he would do so soon enough. The point was that the minute Forbes reported on this alliance, stock prices of both companies would soar. Publicity for the amusement parks would take care of itself, what with his celebrity as a duelist and the Strozzis' mystique. The press would fall over themselves to report on every last screw bring twisted in every last of these parks in every part of the world.
Seto grinned, satisfied. His abilities as an administrator of global business had paid off. It had reached the highest echelons of the financial world. Given his skills, he wasn't actually surprised, but the reward was sweet nonetheless.
It had been a week since he had returned to Japan. Mokuba fluttered around him constantly. He couldn't help but shower his big brother with all the love in his yearning little heart. Seto wasn't one to acknowledge the fact out loud, but his brother's love had long been his only link to sanity. That black haired boy was his only real reason to keep living.
Seto returned his attention to the architectural plans. The park would have attraction of every conceivable nature, most of which would be associated with Duel Monsters. There were numerous details to finalise, but the basic structure was rather competently falling into place. He allowed himself to be pleased with the results so far, but not enough to stop working on them.
It must all be perfect. It was his gift to Mokuba. His legacy. Something to be remembered by.
"Big brother?"
"Yes, Mokuba." He replied without looking up.
"Is Aisha Strozzi from the same family that you went to Italy to meet?"
This got his attention. He looked at his brother who sat on one of the chairs, watching the news on his iPad.
"Why do you ask?" The news was on mute.
"It says on the news that Aisha Strozzi was sighted in downtown Domino. She was sitting in a cafe, but got up and walked away when the cameras started arriving."
Seto furrowed his brow. The sighting of a Strozzi was a momentous event for the paparazzi, mainly because seeing them was such a rarity. Aisha, of course, had been more visible than most of the family. She had spent a long time travelling throughout the States as part of the FBI. Her fame as an author had also shone a significant spotlight on her movements. However, she had managed to avoid all scandal and do her jobs.
"Her presence in Japan has nothing to do with us, Mokuba." Seto reasoned. "Her business is unrelated with ours."
...
The evening was wet. The rain's clatter against the glass panes was almost soothing. Mokuba had falled asleep on a chair, with Seto's jacket over him as a elder Kaiba was still at work, gulping down his fifth cup of black, sugarless coffee.
As he fought sleep, Seto heard a rustle amidst the raindrops. He thought nothing of it.
"I have to get this done by tonight." He muttered.
It was then that he felt the cold presence behind it. Its breath penetrated his bones, and even before he looked up from his papers, he knew it was a malevolent entity that loomed. Before he could turn, he knew that he shouldn't be seeing what he would be seeing.
Red. Red eyes. Redder mouth. Fangs.
All went black as Seto Kaiba felt the force of a thousand storms lift him. The chokehold was of such monstrous strength that he passed into unconsciousness even before he could finish his last thought "Mokuba..."