Hello my beautifuls! This is my new K/J story! Don't worry I'll be officially finishing my other story by next week!
I like fluff! This means there will be cuddles and lemons in later chapters. Once more I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh or the characters, but I do own the storyline!
R&R!
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It was a beautiful spring day, the day Queen Emma gave birth to a beautiful red headed baby; Serenity. It was also on this beautiful spring day in which Queen Emma died. The world did not stop spinning on its axis, nor did the heavens open and weep upon her tomb.
For the Wheeler Kingdom that was exactly how it felt; for how could they rejoice the birth of their princess at the death of their beloved queen? Out of everyone in the kingdom, Prince Joey grieved the most. The queen had been the prince's world. No longer would he receive the calm gentile smile when his temper got the best of him, nor would he be woken up with soft laughter and tickles.
As much as he wanted to hate the baby she left in her wake. Serenity was a miniature version of his mother, and when she turned her large green eyes towards him, Joey knew that he would do anything in his power to keep her not only happy, but safe as well.
It was for this reason that, when King James decided to arrange a marriage for Serenity with the neighboring kingdom, in order to cover the debts he was accumulating, Joey intervened. The marriage, unless said prince had been sexually involved with another, was to take place when Joey turned 18.
King James entered the marriage agreement for his own benefits, but it was not he who had suggested it. The neighboring king, King Gozaburo, had decided to take advantage of King James's weakness and peacefully gain one of the largest territories near his estate. Gozaburo had no problem also using his children as pawns. Mokuba and Joey were set to marry, and if Gozaburo played his cards right soon he would have his eldest paired off to a kingdom left of the Wheeler's effectively ruling half of the entire state.
Years passed and in them so did King Gozaburo. He never did get to see himself ruler of the state. A merchant he tried to take advantage of poisoned the king. The merchant was never found, but it was rumored that said merchant was now a farmer whos lands were protected by the current king of Kaiba.
Prince Seto rose to power and under his rule, the Kaiba Kingdom flourished, as it never had. It was due to the shrewd eye Seto had for trade that the kingdom was worth its weight in gold. It was also due to this sharp government that Seto decided the marriage agreement with the Wheeler Kingdom needed to be made null. The Wheeler Kingdom, who's debts had become notorious, had no room in the growing kingdom of Kaiba; even if they added large amounts of fertile land.
"Setoo, why do you need to go? It's my marriage, doesn't it make sense that I go and call it off?" Mokuba had been nagging Seto since he first announced he would be going to the Wheeler Kingdom.
"Mookie, I'm not going to storm their walls. The contract says 'a Kaiba son,' we know it was you, but it could easily have been me. I just need to spy on them and see if there are any ways to get rid of the problem." Kaiba had inspected the document word for word, but as far as he could tell there was no way out. He swore Gozaburo had entered this pact so that he could still rule them after his death; why else would he have entered such a ridiculous agreement? That bastard.
Mokuba shifted uncomfortably, unable to meet Seto's eyes before asking, "Do you really think you'll be able to convince 'our' fiancé to not marry on of us? I mean why would such a poor kingdom want to get out of their only salvation?"
Sighing Seto waited until Mokuba met his gaze. "There is a logical route out of this. Do you really think Prince Joseph wants to be married to a male, let alone one that is at least four years his junior? Perhaps even now as we speak he is with a women and is breaking the agreement." Seriously which red-blooded male in their right mind stayed a virgin, just because a contract stated? "Plus I will only be gone two weeks, three tops, just enough time to gather enough evidence. I'm sure you can run this place for that long." Knowing he was going to be gone from Mokuba for such a long period, Seto couldn't help himself from ruffling Mokuba's hair.
"I told you not to do that anymore, I'm not a little kid" The pout he wore as he made that statement negated its logic, but Seto didn't have the heart to tell him. Call Seto ridiculous, but he liked knowing his brother was as pure and innocent as a sixteen year old could get. Their father had been one nasty greedy bastard who liked to take his failings out on his children. His favorite pass time had been physiologically beating the failures out of Seto, but there had been times when Gozaburo liked to do that by using Mokuba.
Packing up the rest of his stuff, Seto got a single horse from the royal horse stable, and made his way out of the castle grounds. Dressed as a knight of his army, none were the wiser that their king had left the fort, unprotected.
X-X-X-X-X
Meanwhile in the Wheeler Kingdom, Joey was running from one side of the castle to the other. His father, King James, had accumulated such high debts, they were no longer able to support a full staff and whichever tasks where no longer taken care of Joey would do. Where it not for his distinct golden hair and noble ring, he would pass as a peasant with his thin frame and dirty face.
Princess Serenity ran out of the kitchen drying her hands on a cloth "Joey! Dad's due to arrive any moment, if he sees you cleaning and me in the kitchens he'll get angry at us. We need to change!" Ever since Serenity was old enough to comprehend what happened within the castle walls, she was afraid of her father. She was afraid that in one of his drunken hazes King James would break a limb on Joey, or worse kill him. Serenity constantly hoped they would hear news of her father's passing; a guilt that weighed heavily upon her soul.
"Don't worry lil' sis, I've got ya. That old man ain't gon' do anyting to ya!"
"Oh goodness don't let father hear you speaking like that or he's sure to hurt you."
"That old man can't do anyting ta me. Ain't ya heard I turn 18 in two weeks. If he hurts da goods, he ain't getting any money for'em." It wasn't that Joey didn't speak properly; it was only that since his mother had passed, every moment outside of private tutors, he'd spent with the help. His best friend Tristan was the cook's son, so it made picking up the slang easier. Plus he much preferred their colorful way of speaking, so much so he had adopted it to his way of speaking.
"Either way, a black eye heals in less time than that Joey, and I'd much prefer that he did nothing to you." Serenity's hands still clutched to her rag like a lifeline. Not moving her eyes from the front door other than to send a pleading glance at her brother.
Joey moved to stand in front of his sister, blocking her view of the door. He gently took hold of her face and looked her in the eye. "Alright sis, I won't anger him, but you have to promise me something. If he comes in violent, you run out of here as fast as you can. I don't want you to see if he hits me, or worse if he decides to unleash himself upon you." Serenity tried to shake her head, eyes lighting up with fire. "You need to promise me this Reni. I need to know that you will be safe no matter what." The fire slowly died out before Serenity lowered her eyes, before nodding. "Thank you sis."
At that moment, King James burst through the front door.
"Well now, at what do I owe the surprise of having both my children great me at the door? And you my beloved son, why are you so thin? Hurry someone call the maids have them feed my child, for he gets married in two weeks time, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to the savior of our lands."
Caught off by his father's considerate attitude, Joey couldn't help his snarky retort. "You're ridiculous old man, do you really think they're going to honor that agreement? It's a fortnight to my eighteenth year of birth, and they have yet to contact us."
Anger flashed in his father's eyes, before a forced smile spread across his face. "Nah ah ah, I won't have any of that in my house. I know you're nervous dear son, but even you look attractive to others when they have so much to gain from a marriage with you." Laughing at his own joke, King James started towards the stairs that led to the chambers above. "Oh, and while they're making you dinner have the maids bring the best mead they have and if they have one, a willing body."
Before she lost her nerve, Serenity asked the king, "Father, will you be staying here until the Kaiba Kingdom contacts us?" She asked mainly to know how long they would have to accommodate his binge drinking and whoring.
"Why sweet daughter, I had not seen you. Did you forget how to great your father?" Reluctantly Serenity went to him and kissed his cheek. She couldn't lean away from the foul odor of alcohol fast enough. Once being properly greeted, the king chose to answer. "My dear Serenity, it pains me leave you, but I'm sorry to inform you that I will be leaving in the morning and will not be back until our dear prince's eighteenth celebration. Important king business, you know. And you dear son, do remember my little warning to you, I wouldn't want you going rampant on me just days away from your nuptials." With a satisfied grin the king stomped up the stairs, smug in his control over his children.
As soon as the king was out of hearing range, Joey let out a frustrated growl. "I hate dat damn bastard. Ya think I'd forget my damn promise? I can't ev'n get out da damn castle!"
Ever since having taken Serenity's place in the marriage agreement, Joey was not let out of the castle. The king insisted that Joey be pure for his matrimony, as those of high status should be when entering a marriage. It was due to this that Serenity often felt guilty. She had been looking for a way to give him freedom, and something her father said had embedded an idea. "Joey you have two weeks before father comes back."
"Yeah I know, woo, I won't have ta see 'im for a while." Joey couldn't help the dejected sigh that escaped him.
"No, listen. Joey you're about to get married and you've never been more an a few steps outside these walls. Father is right, you're so thin and dirty you could pass for a peasant!"
"Gee thanks sis, didn't know you thought so highly of me. Please no need to compliment me."
Serenity growled and pinched the bridge of her nose. Sometimes she forgot how short sighted her brother was. "You're not listening. You've got the dialect down! You can just borrow one of Cook's husband's clothes and walk out with no one being the wiser. Other than you know Cook and I."
Unable to keep the excitement out of his voice at the thought of having an adventure of his own, Joey gave his sister a bear hug. "Sis you're the smartest sister ever!"
They both spent the rest of the afternoon coming up with routes out of the castle and the best way to approach the subject with Cook. As the time got nearer and they'd gotten the reluctant 'yes' from Cook, Joey started getting nervous.
"What if father noticed I'm already gone by the time he leaves? What if I can't find my way back? Worse, what if someone discovers who I am?"
It took a lot of calming from Serenity, before Joey, in torn clothes and dirty shoes, gathered the scrapes of his courage and walked beyond the castle walls.