Hey, so I know that Seto is sort of OOC in this but that's just how it turned out. Also, it goes without saying that I do not own 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' or 'There Were Roses'. Anything you recognise is not mine. As much as I'd like to own Seto Kaiba, all I own is this plot. Be nice, this is my one of my first proper lemons.
Name: Iola Awen Brynna Avalon-Lleucu
Age: 18
Height: 5'8"
Hair: Long and Black
Eyes: Soft sapphire blue
Family: Mother (dead), Stepfather, Stepsisters
Nationality: ¾ Welsh, ¼ Japanese
I looked up at the clock on the wall of my History classroom. It was nearly the end of school. I sighed, not wanting to go home but I knew that I had to. Trying not to dwell on it too much I carried on with my essay on women of the French Revolution.
Suddenly the bell rang signalling that it's the end of the day and the start of the evening; only for me it signalled the start of another 16 hours of drudgery. I live with my stepfather, Donner Garvey, and his two daughters, Mara and Medea; my mum used to live with us too, before she died. The moment she did my life changed forever, from then on I was forced to do all the work in the house while my stepsisters and stepfather did nothing and the only relief that I got was when I logged onto msn to talk to my friends. There was one guy who'd been messaging me. He was really sweet and kind and he seemed to like me for who I am. I had no idea who he was, I only knew him as Dragon-fan2510 but it felt like I knew exactly who he was.
Reluctantly I stood up and packed my things away before slowly walking outside.
"Hey Iola!" came a shout from behind me. I turned around and saw my best friend Mai Valentine (AN: Yes I know that Mai is in her twenties but in this she's having to redo High School), coming towards me with her boyfriend, Joey Wheeler and his best friend Yugi Moto. Tagging along behind them was Tristain Taylor and Ryou Bakura. I get on well with all of them, it's just that Mai was my best friend while the others are just really good friends.
"Have you got your invitation yet?" Mai asked me excitedly.
"What invitation?" I asked back, looking confused.
"The one for Kaiba's Masked Ball this weekend, he's invited everyone in the school!" Yugi replied.
"I haven't got one…Donner probably threw it away." I sighed.
"Well if he has then he's a bastard!" Joey frowned.
"I know, listen I've gotta go, if I get home late again then I don't know what will happen. See you guys tomorrow." I said sadly before walking home.
It turned out that I was the first one in; the post was still on the doorstep. I picked it up and began to sort through it when I saw an envelope with my name on it. I quickly ran and hid it in my room before leaving the rest of the post on the right piles for everyone else. Then I started to clean the kitchen, singing as I did. I finished when it was 4:30 so I began making dinner which was ready at 5.
I wasn't allowed to eat with the others; I had to eat in my room so I went upstairs to my tiny attic room with my dinner. Once up there I closed my door before opening the letter.
Out fluttered a small piece of thin paper saying
"You are invited to a Masked Ball at Kaiba Mansion on the 23rd of October at 7pm until 1am. Formal attire required. To gain entry you must produce this invitation." I smiled softly as I saw it,
"Looks like I get to go after all." I whispered. Then I realised that I didn't have a dress to wear. I began to panic but then I realised that there must be an old dress of my mother's somewhere up in the attic.
I carefully opened the box that contained all my mother's old evening gowns but none of them seemed right; most of them were either pale yellow or peach, both of which make me look ill. Then right at the bottom I found her wedding gown, the one she wore when she'd married my dad. It was a strapless floor-length gown with green trimming and white embroidery at the top made out of soft silk. I also managed to find a pair of silver high-heels to go with it and some fake emerald costume jewellery as well along with a white mask that had silver lilies embroidered on it and soft white feathers on the right hand side. Smiling to myself, I carefully put them all back so that no one would know that I'd been searching through them before eating my dinner and making a start on my homework.
I always had more to do than anyone else because my stepsisters made me do theirs as well. Luckily I was able to persuade them to leave me alone while I was doing their homework, my own was another story. I quickly finished theirs, they were in remedial classes (probably because they never did any work) so it was fairly easy. I even managed to finish my history essay as well as 2 French exercises and a chapter of 'Pride and Prejudice' for Literature before they decided to see if I'd done any of their homework. Luckily I'd managed to hide mine along with the invitation under my lumpy mattress before they could barge in and destroy my work.
"Did you do our homework?" Medea sneered at me. I nodded silently, keeping my eyes to the floor. They didn't like me looking at them either, if I ever did then they'd scream at me and I'd end up with no food for a week. I held out their homework and they quickly snatched it off me before swiftly leaving the room. Once they were outside the door they began talking loudly about the party at Kaiba Mansion. They must have assumed that I didn't get an invite and so were trying to upset me but I refused to let them get to me.
The one good thing about my sleeping in the attic was that I could practice my singing and no one would hear me. Once they'd closed the door at the bottom of the attic stairs I swiftly closed the door to my room and pulled out my music book. I'd been asked to pick a song for a performance in the class. I'd had several ideas from Paramore's 'The Only Exception' to Epica's 'Chasing the Dragon'. I even briefly considered some more upbeat songs such as 'My Life Would Suck Without You' by Kelly Clarkson or 'The Belle of Belfast City' by Kirsty MacColl, but eventually I settled on 'There Were Roses', one of my mum's favourite songs when she was alive.
By the next day at school, I was more cheerful than I had ever been (even though I was careful not to show it in front of my stepfather and stepsisters). Even better, Donner had called me into his 'office' (basically it was the room where he sat at a computer screen all day and watched porn on the internet) before I cooked breakfast.
-Flashback-
"This weekend I'm having some company over for a while as my daughters will be staying in a hotel after the party at Kaiba mansion. Have you got any friends that you can stay with? I don't want you disturbing me and my guests." Donner said, his eyes glued to his computer screen.
"I'll ask my friend Mai when I'm at school later but she should say yes." I mumbled, scarcely daring to breathe too loud in case he decided that he wanted me to stay there.
"Good, now go and cook breakfast." He snapped. I nodded and hurried out of the room to the kitchen.
-End Flashback-
In one swift move Donner had gotten rid of the biggest problem I'd faced with going to the party. As soon as I saw Mai I grabbed her and dragged her to the library, it was the one place that we could talk without my stepsisters or their cronies overhearing. I'm not even sure if they'd set foot in a library before.
"What's up Iola?" Mai asked, obviously worried that Donner had hit me again.
"Well, I got an invite to the party!" I started but I couldn't say anymore as Mai started babbling on about how she needed to go shopping to get my dress.
"Ohmygod! I saw the most gorgeous dress in 'Fantasia Fashions', it'd be perfect for you!" Mai gushed.
"Mai, stop. I've already got a dress. And there's something else too." I said, interrupting her. Luckily she stopped.
"Fine, but you have to tell me about this dress." She replied before sitting back and letting me finish.
"Well, Donner asked me this morning if I had a friend that I could stay with on the night of the party as he wanted me out of the house. Would it be alright if I stayed at yours?" I asked shyly, praying that Mai would agree.
"Of course you can stay! I love it! We could turn it into a proper sleepover!" She grinned, my dress forgotten as she started planning our sleepover.
"Oh! And why don't you bring the dress to school tomorrow and I'll take it home with me, that way it stays safe and I get to see it." She said part way through her plans.
"Fine, do you want me to bring the shoes and jewellery I have to go with it too?" I huffed, so much for her forgetting. She nodded.
"How about on Thursday for them? Donner and the gruesome twosome might get suspicious otherwise." Mai replied after a moment's thought. We didn't have time for anymore talk then because the bell rang signalling the start of first period. None of my friends are with me in first period on a Tuesday, I'm the only one out of all of us that opted to do French.
I bid Mai goodbye at the door to the French room before walking inside and groaning immediately. The French teacher was fond of seating plans and she changed them every couple of months. Unfortunately for me this was the day that she'd decided to change it again, and even more unfortunately for me, I was the last one into the classroom so there was only one seat left. The seat in question was right at the back, somewhere that normally filled up straight away, it wasn't a seat on the end of the row but it was right next to the end seat, and pretty close to the window. And the reason that this fantastic seat had been left out in favour of others, less popularly situated? Well it wasn't because someone had stuck loads of gum on it, the reason it had been avoided was sat in the seat next to the window: Seto Kaiba, definitely the scariest guy in the school. I remember in Freshman year, he managed to scare away a load of Seniors who were determined to bully all the Freshmen.
Timidly I walked over to the spare seat before sitting down, my entire body tense. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that I would be sat next to one of the most popular guys in school. Seriously! All the cheerleaders would have killed to be in my place. However, he seemed relieved that I wasn't acting like some strange fan girl and had relaxed slightly.
It was at that moment that our teacher, Miss Cutts, started talking.
"Bonjour la classe! Aujourd'hui vous êtes travaillé avec la personne à côté de toi de produire une présentation à la leçon prochaine au sujet d'une partie de la culture française. Commence maintenant!" She said fluidly. (AN: I will send you the translation if you want so just PM me)
Once Miss Cutts had finished speaking Kaiba turned to me and spoke.
"Well, it looks like we're partners." He said, I was dumbfounded so I just nodded. It took me a farther 10 minutes before I was able to talk to him but after that we were able to decide pretty quickly.
"So because we're doing French philosophers, how about we mention 'Candide' by Voltaire, he was a pretty influential philosopher in his day." I said, taking notes. I'd assumed that this was going to be like every other project I'd done with a partner, but I was wrong.
"We need to organise a time to finish this project." Kaiba said just before the bell went.
"Don't worry, I'll go to the library at lunch and do it." I said softly, not looking up from packing my stuff back in my bag. I turned and started to walk swiftly away but he stopped me by grabbing my arm, causing me to look up at him.
"I'm not in the habit of letting other people do the work for me and taking credit for it. When I said that it needs finishing I meant that we need to finish it together." He said before letting my arm go. It was then that I looked into his eyes and found myself unable to look away. It was his voice speaking again that finally made me able to tear my gaze away from his.
"Have you go a lesson last 2 periods?" He asked, I shook my head, not quite trusting my voice at that moment.
"Good, then we can work on it then. What lesson do you have just before lunch?" He said briskly.
"Music." I said, my voice quivering slightly, just like I thought it would.
"Well then, I'll pick you up after that and then we can sort this out." He replied before walking past me. I shook my head slightly before running to my next lesson, Double Literature.
My next lesson went well, although Mai asked why I was a bit shell-shocked when I walked into Double Literature. She was as shocked as I was about what happened in French.
"Wow, I don't think I've ever heard him be so nice to someone." She said eventually, giving me a sideways glance. We didn't get a chance to say any more as the teacher, Mrs Gillow, started the lesson.
My stomach fluttered with nerves throughout Music, although whether it was due to the fact that I would soon be performing or whether it was the fact that I was going to be working with Kaiba I had no idea. My rotten luck seemed to have been holding on because I was put down to be the last performance of the lesson. All the others were really good and I was worried that I'd picked the wrong song, everyone else's was really upbeat. Finally it was my turn. Taking a deep breath I walked over to the piano and sat down. Seconds before I started playing I heard the door open and shut quietly but I ignored it and focused on the music. Taking a deep breath I started to sing:
"My song for you this evening
Is not to make you sad
Nor for adding to the sorrows
Of this troubled northern land
But lately I've been thinking
And it just won't leave my mind
I'll tell you about two friends one time
Who were both good friends of mine
Isaac he was Protestant
And Sean was Catholic born
But it never made a difference
For the friendship it was strong
And sometimes in the evening
When they heard the sound of drums
They said they won't divide us
We will always be as one
There were roses, roses
There were roses
And the tears of a people ran together
It was on a Sunday morning
When the awful news came round
Another killing had been done
Just outside Newry Town
We knew that Isaac danced up there
We knew he liked the band
But when we heard that he was dead
We just could not understand
Now fear it filled the countryside
There was fear in every home
When late at night a car came
Prowling round the Ryan Road
A Catholic would be killed tonight
To even up the score
Oh Christ, it's young MacDonald
They have taken from the door
There were roses, roses
There were roses
And the tears of a people ran together
Isaac was my friend he cried
He begged them with his tears
But centuries of hatred
Have ears that do not hear
An eye for an eye
That was all that filled their minds
And another eye for another eye
Till everyone is blind
Now I don't know where the moral is
Or where this song should end
But I wonder just how many wars
Are fought between good friends
And those who give the orders
Are not the ones to die
It's Scott and young MacDonald
And the likes of you and I
There were roses, roses
There were roses
And the tears of a people ran together" By the end of the song there were tears streaming from my eyes as I remembered all the times my mum had sung that song to me.
The entire room was silent for several minutes before someone started applauding. It was not long before everyone else in the room joined in, although most of them were a lot less enthusiastic, only two sets of clapping hands were genuinely impressed. I hurried over to my bag and made sure everything that I'd gotten out for the lesson was put away before I even dared look up. The teacher had dismissed the class and had gone to lunch herself. Kaiba was leaning by the door watching me.
Wordlessly I walked over to him and waited for him to lead the way out of the room. He led me towards the car-park where a long black limo waited with the Kaiba Corp logo on it. This didn't surprise me, what surprised me was that he opened the door for me and helped me in gently. Once I was seated inside he followed me in. It was only a couple of minutes before we arrived at his home, Kaiba Mansion. It was every bit as grand as my stepsisters had speculated but far more elegant than their crude tastes could have dreamed of.
The interior was decorated with blue and white, with a slight hint of green here and there. In every room there was a dragon, whether it was a painting or a small statuette. All in all I was very impressed by his decorating sense. We settled down in the living room to work and got to it very quickly. Actually it didn't take us very long to complete our project, it was done by 2:30, at which time I felt that I should go home. I'm not sure why but it seemed to me that Kaiba would have liked for me to stay a little longer, there was something in his eyes when I said that I had to go home that gave me that impression. To be honest, I would have liked to stay a bit longer as well but I had chores to do at home.
Again he was a gentleman, he dropped my off at home in his limo and watched to make sure that I got into the house safely. Luckily there weren't too many chores to do so I got them finished early, on top of that I had virtually no homework so after giving my step-family their dinner I was able to go on msn for a while. As soon as I logged on I saw that Dragon-fan2510 was online. Grinning to myself I opened up a chat box.
WelshViolet has signed in
Dragon-fan2510 has signed in
WelshViolet: Hi, how're you?
Dragon-fan2510: I'm fine, you?
WelshViolet: I'm ok…wishing I was somewhere other than home right now…
Dragon-fan2510: Why? What have they done now?
WelshViolet: Just being their normal selves…
Dragon-fan2510: They haven't destroyed your homework again have they?
WelshViolet: No, thank goodness! They're just treating me like a servant again.
Dragon-fan2510: I wish you'd tell me who they are, I might be able to do something then… L
WelshViolet: But then you'd know who I was, isn't that the point of using usernames? So that people keep guessing?
Dragon-fan2510: Lol, I guess…
WelshViolet: How about we play a game then? Sort of like 20 questions only we each have to try and guess who the other is.
Dragon-fan2510: That's the closest I'm going to get to getting you to tell me who you are isn't it?
WelshViolet: Yep
Dragon-fan2510: Fine. I'll go first…
Dragon-fan2510: What hair colour do you have?
WelshViolet: Black. What year are you in?
Dragon-fan2510: I'm a Senior. What year are you in?
WelshViolet: I'm a Senior too. What's you favourite subject?
Dragon-fan2510: French probably… What letter does your name begin with?
WelshViolet: 'I'. What are your initials?
Dragon-fan2510: 'S K'. What's your favourite hobby?
WelshViolet: Singing or reading but I also like duelling too. When's your birthday?
Dragon-fan2510: 25th October. What colour eyes do you have?
WelshViolet: Blue. Are you Seto Kaiba by any chance?
Dragon-fan2510: Yes…how did you know?
WelshViolet: There's not many guys in our school with the initials 'S K' and only you who has that birth date. That means I win…
Dragon-fan2510: I guess so… but don't I get to try and figure out your name?
WelshViolet: Sorry, gtg. My stepsisters are coming! Bye!
Dragon-fan2510: Bye…
WelshViolet has signed out
After that conversation my head was reeling. I'd been talking to Seto Kaiba for months and I hadn't even realised. I only had time to turn the ancient laptop off and put it away before Mara and Medea burst into my room.
"We heard that you left school this afternoon with Seto Kaiba, how'd a weirdo like you manage that?!" Mara sneered while Medea looked furious.
"I don't really know myself. I sit next to him in French and we had to work on a project together." I said softly.
"So why didn't you say you'd do it for him?! We don't want him actually liking your company!" Medea snarled.
"I did, but he insisted on doing his share of the work." I said, feeling slightly worried. I didn't like where this was going.
"And where is this project now?" Mara asked, her face calculating. While they were both as lazy as the day is long, they could be inventive with cruelties and torture for me.
"It's at his house. He suggested that he hung on to it until tomorrow." I replied, thanking my lucky stars that he'd also insisted on that. I knew what was going through their minds. They wanted to destroy it in the hopes that he'd start to hate me. They looked really pissed of but could tell I was telling the truth, I'm an awful liar, especially to them. With one final sneer at me they stormed out of my room, slamming the door behind them.
I sighed, it had been a long day and I was going to start taking stuff for Mai to hang on to the next day so I decided to get an early night.
Everything went according to plan, I managed to pass the dress off to Mai without a hitch. It was in the library at lunch that Mai suggested something that I'd never thought of.
"Hun, I know you're miserable there. Why don't you move in with me after the party? We could have the 'sleepover' to celebrate your freedom." She said, it really made me think. I could do it, there were only a few things that I wanted to bring, including some old stuff of my mum's and it really wasn't a home for me so why not?
"Well, are you sure?" I asked.
"Of course! I'd love to have you as my roommate!" She grinned, causing me to grin back.
"Then I'd love to move in with you! I'll bring half my stuff with me tomorrow when I bring the shoes, mask and jewellery and the other half on Friday." I grinned, suddenly everything seemed to be looking up for me.
French went really well, Kaiba and I received full marks for our project, probably because Miss Cutts knew that I hadn't done all the work on my own. That night I felt even more cheerful when I was eating dinner in my room, I knew the I wouldn't have to put up with my step-family for much longer. Not even Medea and Mara could ruin my good mood, although I took care not to show it around them. Once they'd gone I packed the clothes of my mum's that I wanted along with the rest of my outfit for the party in my bag before signing on to msn again.
WelshViolet has signed in
Dragon-fan2510 has signed in
Dragon-fan2510: Hey, hope you're alright after last night?
WelshViolet: Yes thanks, they didn't do much as they couldn't.
Dragon-fan2510: Good…are you coming to my party this weekend?
WelshViolet: Yes, why?
Dragon-fan2510: I want to meet you face to face. My party would be the perfect time to do that.
WelshViolet: I don't know…
Dragon-fan2510: Please.
WelshViolet: Oh alright, seeing as you asked so nicely.
Dragon-fan2510: Lol, and I didn't even have to beg!
WelshViolet: Aww, maybe I should change my mind! That would have been something to see! Lol.
Dragon-fan2510: Lol. How will I know it's you?
WelshViolet: I'll wear a white lily in my hair.
Dragon-fan2510: I'll look for you.
WelshViolet: Well I'd best get some sleep. Early morning tomorrow. Night.
Dragon-fan2510: Goodnight, sleep well.
WelshViolet: And you. X
WelshViolet has signed out.
I turned the laptop off and settled down to sleep. The next morning I was almost quivering in excitement. Only one more night and I was escaping, I'd be free from my stepfather and his daughters. It was funny, none of them noticed that my bag was heavier than normal, or that it was almost bursting open it was so full. Luckily Mai met me at the end of the road.
"Hey hun, I thought you might want to put your stuff in my car so the gruesome twosome won't get suspicious." She smiled. I nodded gratefully, Mai always thought of things that I never would have. I'd put all the stuff that I was leaving at Mai's in a separate bag within my normal bag which I put in Mai's boot. Again, the day passed quickly and well. It was definitely one of my best days since my mum had died. I didn't even resent the chores I had to do as I saw it as my last moments of drudgery before I was finally free.
The next day I packed my final belongings, my books, the laptop and my own clothes as well as pictures of me, my mum and my dad, into a bag as well as making sure that all my school stuff and my party invitation was in my school bag. I quickly wrote a note saying "Donner, I'm moving out! You and your daughters can do your own damn chores! From Iola." and left it on my bed. I grabbed my bag, made breakfast for the others and then ran out the door to my new life. They didn't question the second bag, they knew that I was 'staying' with a friend and they assumed that the bag was full of overnight stuff. Again Mai met me at the end of the road and I put the second bag into Mai's boot. My stepsisters still sneered at me when they passed my in the school but it seemed half-hearted. They were obviously in a very good mood because of the party. After the final bell had gone at the end of the day, I met Mai and the others by her car.
"So Iola, how does it feel to be officially free from Donner, Mara and Medea for the rest of your life?" Yugi asked.
"Fantastic! I've never felt happier!" I grinned.
"So we'll see you at the party?" Ryou asked quietly.
"Of course!" Mai grinned, before pulling me to her car.
Once we'd set off I asked Mai if there were any florists near her apartment.
"Sure but why hun?" She asked, obviously curious. I told her about the deal Kaiba and I had made.
"Awww! How sweet! None of us guessed that Kaiba could be that sweet! Here's a florists now! Let's go in and get you that white lily!" She smiled. One of the reason's Mai was my best friend was that she never judged a situation before she knew all the facts. We managed to find a gorgeous white Oriental lily for my hair and then made our way back to Mai's apartment. As soon as I walked through the door it felt more home-like that Donner's house ever had. The walls were decorated with duck egg blue and chocolate brown in the living room and kitchen while Mai's bedroom was purple and gold. The bathroom was white and with a black granite floor and black granite work surfaces. She then showed me to my room.
"I redecorated this recently with you in mind hun." She smiled as she showed me in. It was beautiful. The walls were a soft blue with one wall being bright green and the carpet was fluffy and white.
"Mai it's gorgeous! Thank you" I smiled, giving her a hug.
"It's no problem hun. Now, let's get you ready for this party." She smiled back.
"Mai it's only 4 p.m.!" I gasped.
"I know, that only gives me 3 hours to get both of us looking amazing! Let's get to work. Go and get a shower while I grab my makeup and hair stuff." She said matter-of-factly. I nodded. When Mai was in this sort of mood it was best not to argue with her and the hot shower did do me good. By the time I'd gotten out all Mai's makeup and hairstyling equipment was in my room along with two garment bags, one with my shoes underneath it and my jewellery on the hanger, the other with a pair of white heels under it.
"Right hun, you get dried off and into something comfortable while I go and get a shower myself, then I'll style your hair and do you make up. There's a snack on the side because we won't be eating until later." She said before promptly running into the bathroom.
I changed into my pyjamas and then grabbed one of the sandwiches Mai had made before settling down with a book to wait. It wasn't long before Mai came back in, in her own pyjamas. They matched mine only, while my were pale blue and green, hers were white and purple. We both started laughing when we realised our taste in pyjamas was so similar.
"Great minds think alike!" I laughed. Mai nodded before dragging me to the stool in front of a white vanity. Once I was sat there she gently styled my hair so it was a soft mass of curls tumbling down my back, then she pinned it up on top of my head so that it looked like I was crowned by a roll of silk. After that she got to work on my makeup. She put emerald green eye-shadow on my eyes and outlined them in black eyeliner before putting ruby lipstick on my lips.
"You look perfect hun. Now, I'll do my own hair and makeup." She smiled.
She curled her hair slightly as well before pinning it into a soft roll at the back of her neck. For her makeup she put a soft purple eye-shadow on with black eyeliner too and a light lip-gloss that gave her lips just a hint of red. By this time it was 6 p.m. so we changed into our dresses and put our shoes on. Mai then ran to her room and came back with a handbag.
"I'll put your lipstick and my lip-gloss in my bag along with our invitations so that we don't forget them." She said, grabbing the makeup in question and the invitations. The handbag matched her dress perfectly, her dress was an electric blue, and the bag was the same colour. Her mask was white with electric blue flowers on it and electric blue feathers. She had a sapphire necklace and earrings set on which complimented the dress perfectly. She helped me put my own jewellery on, it was then that I noticed it wasn't the same as when I gave it to her.
"What happened to my necklace and earrings?" I asked, slightly confused.
"The boys and I paid to have the fake emeralds replaced with real ones as a housewarming present." She replied with a smile. I had to struggle to not cry then, it was the nicest thing that anyone had ever done for me.
"Thank you so much Mai, they're gorgeous!" I sniffed, the closest I let myself come to crying.
"It's alright hun, you needed something more emerald to go with the dress anyway and it was the perfect present for you." She smiled, hugging me gently. There was a knock on the door then. Mai ran to open it and let Joey, Yugi, Tristan and Ryou in.
"Wait here guys. I just need to finish Iola and myself off." She said before dashing back into my room. She picked up the lily and gently pinned it into my hair, on top of my head on the left hand side, then she picked up a few forget-me-nots that she'd bought and fixed them into her own hair. She sprayed up both with perfume matching our flowers before leading me out of the room. Instantly the guys' jaws dropped open.
"Wow, Iola! You look gorgeous! I doubt that any guy at the party will be able to keep his eyes off you!" Yugi gasped.
"Right, well if you're all done acting like codfish, we have a masked ball to get to." Mai grinned. I giggled as the guys tore their eyes from me (except Joey, he'd glanced at me but only had eyes for Mai) and led the way downstairs. Joey was driving Mai, Tristan and Ryou in his blue Chevrolet Corvette while Yugi was giving me a lift in his green Citroën C-Métisse.
On the way Yugi started giving me a 'concerned brother speech'.
"Please be careful tonight Iola, while I trust Kaiba and our friends to not be pervs I'm not so sure about the rest of the guys from school." He said.
"Don't worry Yug, I'll be fine. I found out who that guy I was messaging is and I'm meeting him face to face tonight." I smiled, I thought it was so sweet that Yugi was so concerned about me.
"Who is he? Maybe I know something about him that you don't." he asked worriedly.
"Don't get mad or freak out ok, but it's Kaiba." I said before waiting for the explosion to occur.
"Oh, well at least it's someone who'll treat you right." He said, surprising me.
"So you're not freaked out?" I asked.
"No, while I'm surprised that it's Kaiba, I know that he's not such a bad guy like Joey thinks he is." Yugi smiled.
"Thanks Yug, that's taken a weight off my mind. Do you think Mai's told Joey yet?" I said nervously.
"Probably not, she won't want to distract him while he's driving." He replied. At that moment we pulled into the driveway of Kaiba mansion. Mai and the other were stood waiting for us while a chauffer parked their car. Mai handed me my invite and, while Yugi's car was being parked we showed our invites to the security and went inside.
We were shown to a grand ballroom where the rest of our school was already gathered. As soon as we entered, everyone's attention was focused on us. Suddenly about 50 guys swarmed around me, all asking me to dance. I kept shaking my head while searching for Kaiba. He was stood in a corner of the room with my stepsisters and their cronies all hanging around him and all flirting shamelessly. His eyes met mine and flickered up to my hair. As soon as he saw the lily he pushed past the gaggle of girls and made his way over to me. He pushed his way between all the guys around me.
"Would you like to dance?" He asked softly. None of the guys protested, they were all scared he'd kick them out. I smiled gently and nodded, accepting his hand and allowing him to lead me to the dance floor. He pulled me into his arms and we slowly danced around in a circle.
"So we finally meet WelshViolet, or should I say Iola Avalon-Lleucu." He smirked.
"How do you know who I am?" I gasped.
"Well I decided to do some research into Welsh names. And what did I find but 'Iola' which is a Welsh name meaning 'Violet'." He smirked. I laughed lightly.
"How long have you know?" I asked, smiling at him.
"Who you are? Since Tuesday night." He said softly, spinning me around.
"And you didn't say anything on Thursday? Why?" I asked.
"Because it was more fun this way." He smirked again. I laughed again.
"It is more fun this way." I admitted. As he span me around I spotted Mai and the others stood near the dance floor. Mai and Yugi were smiling at us while Joey, Tristan and Ryou were all stood with their mouths open.
"I don't think they expected me to dance with you." He said, noticing them too.
"Apart from Mai and Yugi, but they knew why I was making so much of an effort." I smiled looking up at him.
"And judging by their faces, they didn't warn you off me." He said, again with his characteristic smirk.
I spent the entire night with him, which disappointed pretty much everyone else who wanted to dance with either of us. Mara and Medea left early with their cronies and some guys from the football team. I could guess what was going on in that hotel room. Just after that he led me out to the garden and kissed me softly. By the time we got back inside I was unable to stop smiling. Finally, at 1 a.m. everyone took off their masks to reveal who they were. To say that most of the people were surprised to see me was an understatement, I'm fairly sure that one guy passed out from the shock. It was shortly after that that everyone left, although me and my friends were the last to go. Joey didn't make a comment, and I'm fairly sure that Mai had given him a firm talking to. Just before we left Seto kissed me gently. It was at that that Joey made a noise of protest. Both Seto and I glared at him.
"Shut up Joey! I am allowed to kiss my boyfriend you know!" I growled. The look on his face was priceless and it set everyone else off laughing.
"Will I see you at school on Monday?" Seto asked as we were leaving.
"Definitely." I grinned before giving him a quick kiss. Mai joined Yugi and I so that she and I could have some 'girl talk' about my evening with Seto.
By Monday morning I knew that my life had infinitely improved. I was free from Donner, Mara and Medea, and I had a boyfriend who loved me. But I also knew that by this time Donner, Mara and Medea would have discovered I'd moved out. As I expected, Mara and Medea cornered me and Mai as soon as we got out of her car.
"Just what the Hell do you think you're playing at? You can't move out! Who's going to do the chores or our homework?" Medea snarled.
"Well you I'd imagine." Came a deep voice from behind them. Stood there was Seto.
"S-S-S-S-Seto!" They both gasped.
"Actually I'd prefer if you called me Kaiba." He growled before walking around them to me and kissing me.
"Are they bothering you?" He asked, concern in his gorgeous blue eyes.
"A little bit." I replied, smiling at him.
"And why are you bothering my girlfriend?" Seto snarled at my stepsisters.
"Girlfriend! Not HER!" Mara and Medea wailed. Seto, Mai and I ignored them and walked away to the school.
7 months later Seto and I graduated together. We'd stayed a couple for all that time and were still as strong and in love as when we first got together. Seconds after we graduated Seto pulled me slightly away from the rest of graduates (Mara and Medea weren't graduating, they'd failed the remedial classes and had to take them again but they were there for their friends), far enough away so that we weren't crowded by them but still within earshot. Then he knelt to the ground and pulled out a small black silk-covered box.
"Iola, you're my best friend and my soul mate, I love you, will you marry me?" He asked looking up at me with his cerulean eyes and opening the box. Inside was an engagement ring that had a teardrop shaped diamond about as big as the fingernail on my little finger surrounded by sapphires and emeralds. Tears sprang to my eyes as I nodded.
"Yes, with all my heart." I said, my voice breaking slightly as I started crying in my happiness. He gently placed the ring on my finger and stood up, kissing me passionately as our classmates and teachers applauded and cheered. Well, except for Medea and her friends, they were all out cold, not that anyone really noticed. Even Mara was clapping.
I threw myself into planning the wedding, I wanted everything to be perfect. A few weeks before the wedding Mai and I were out having dinner at a restaurant and talking about the wedding when our waitress came to take our order. It was Mara, turns out Seto asking me to marry him was the kick she needed to sort her life out. I've always admitted that it was Donner and Medea who were the worst. According to Mara, she'd moved into her own place, a small studio apartment and had gotten this witnessing job to pay her bills while she finished school. She even apologised for how she'd behaved, she was so sincere that even Mai believed her. The next day I spoke to Seto about her.
"While she wasn't exactly the nicest of people to me, she has changed. Would you object if I invited her to the wedding?" I said, while we were sat watching a film together.
"If that's what you'd like, just please don't invite your stepfather or her sister." Seto replied, smiling at me.
Mara was very surprised when I showed up at her flat the next day with an invitation to the wedding.
"But I was so awful to you! Why do you want me there?" She gasped.
"Because you've changed, you apologised and have turned your life around." I smiled, hugging her. She hugged me back tightly.
"I'd love to come! You know my father and Medea are expecting an invite too!" Mara smiled back.
"Well they're not getting one! Neither Seto nor I want them there!" I said, Mara nodded.
"I'm not surprised, last I heard they were planning on breaking up the wedding in some way if they got an invite." She said thoughtfully.
The day of the wedding dawned clear and bright. Mai burst into my room at 6 a.m. and woke me up.
"Come on Iola! You only have 6 hours to get ready for you wedding!" She yelled.
"Go'way!" I muttered into my pillow, pulling the covers over my head, trying to hold onto the last vestiges of sleep. Unfortunately I couldn't as Mai came over and literally ripped the covers from me.
"UP! NOW!" She yelled.
"You know for a best friend you can be really mean!" I yawned, sitting up.
"You'll thank me for this later. Now, go take a long bubble bath while I get everything ready in here." She ordered. I silently obeyed and spent well over an hour in the bath relaxing. Mai then dragged me out of the bath and got me to get dried and into my underwear and a dressing gown. By this time it was 8 a.m. and I was feeling a bit more friendly towards my best friend. She sat me in a chair and spent the next hour doing my makeup, making sure that my eyelids were the perfect shade of green with the perfect shade of blue blended in, and my lips were the perfect shade of red. She then spent another hour doing my hair. She braided two small sections of it and pinned them in a heart shape on the back of my head. Then she braided the front and fixed it with the very back section. Finally she fixed some white lilies into it. As a final touch she then fixed my light veil under the very back of my hair and placed a Celtic-style tiara on the top of my head. She did her own makeup and hair quickly so by 11 a.m. she was helping me into my dress. It was the same dress my mum married my dad in, and the same one that I wore to Seto's masquerade ball. While she put her own maid-of-honour dress, a strapless emerald green one that stopped just below her knees and had an A-line skit, I put my emerald green shoes on. Mai then put on her matching shoes and threw me a green silk garter which I put on while trying not to fall over. I then picked up the emerald necklace and earrings that Mai, Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Ryou had gotten me.
"Right, I have something old, my jewellery set, something new which is the garter and the something blue, which is my underwear. I just need something borrowed." I said, thoughtfully.
"Wait here." Mai said before running into her room. A few minutes later she came running back with a sapphire bracelet which Joey had gotten her for Christmas.
"Here, try this." She said.
"Thanks Mai, but don't you want to wear it?" I asked.
"No, I don't think it'll go with the dress." She replied.
We didn't have time for anymore talk then because the limo to take us to Kaiba mansion arrived. We picked up my bouquet of white and blue lilies with ivy trailing down, as well as Mai's small bouquet of Jacobs blue ladder and more white lilies. Then we went down to the limo and got in. I couldn't keep my excitement in as we got closer to the mansion. I was marrying the man I loved. By the time we got there I was bouncing up and down.
"Iola, calm down! You'll wear yourself out." Mai said, although it seemed like she could understand why I was excited. It took her a further 15 minutes from when we arrived for her to calm me down but eventually she managed it. By the time it was 5 minutes until the wedding I was perfectly calm and feeling very happy. Joey had agreed to walk me down the aisle in the place of my dad and there was no way I was going to let Donner be part of my wedding.
"You look beautiful Iola." He smlied.
"Thanks Joey." I replied. At that moment the music started and Mai walked down the aisle to the front and took her place next to where she needed to stand. Then Joey and I started the walk down the aisle to where Seto was stood with Yugi. That was the biggest surprise, everyone thought that he would pick someone else but he chose Yugi saying that he "might as well ask his biggest duelling rival" to be his best man. When we reached the end of the aisle Joey placed my hand in Seto's who, in Japanese custom, bowed to Joey who bowed back before taking his place next to Mai. The minister then stood forward and started to speak.
"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered together here in the sign of God – and in the face of this company – to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace." Here he paused briefly for any objections to be made but no one said anything. The minister nodded briefly and then continued
"Marriage is the union of husband and wife in heart, body and mind. It is intended for their mutual joy – and for the help and comfort given on another in prosperity and adversity. But more importantly – it is a means through which a stable and loving environment may be attained.
Through marriage, Seto and Iola make a commitment together to face their disappointments – embrace their dreams – realize their hopes – and accept each other's failures. Seto and Iola will promise one another to aspire to these ideals throughout their lives together – through mutual understanding – openness – and sensitivity to each other.
We are here today – before God – because marriage is one of His most sacred wishes – to witness the joining in marriage of Seto and Iola. This occasion marks the celebration of love and commitment with which this man and this woman begin their life together. And now – through me – He joins you together in one of the holiest bonds." The minister then turned to Joey.
"Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?" He asked. Joey stood forward.
"Her family and friends gathered here today do." He replied. The minister nodded again and turned back to Seto and I.
"This is a beginning and a continuation of their growth as individuals. With mutual care, respect, responsibility and knowledge comes the affirmation of each one's own life happiness, growth and freedom. With respect for individual boundaries comes the freedom to love unconditionally. Within the emotional safety of a loving relationship – the knowledge self-offered one another becomes the fertile soil for continued growth. With care and responsibility towards self and one another comes the potential for full and happy lives.
By gathering together all the wishes of happiness and our fondest hopes for Seto and Iola from all present here, we assure them that our hearts are in tune with theirs. These moments are so meaningful to all of us, for what greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together – to strengthen each other in all labour – to minister to each other in all sorrow – to share with each other in all gladness.
This relationship stands for love, loyalty, honesty and trust, but most of all for friendship. Before they knew love, they were friends, and it was from this seed of friendship that is their destiny. Do not think that you can direct the course of love – for love, if it finds you worthy, shall direct you.
Marriage is an act of faith and a personal commitment as well as a moral and physical union between two people. Marriage has been described as the best and most important relationship that can exist between them. It is the construction of their love and trust into a single growing energy of spiritual life. It is amoral commitment that requires and deserves daily attention. Marriage should be a life long consecration of the ideal of loving kindness – backed with the will to make it last." The minister turned to Seto, who held my free hand tightly.
"Do you Seto Toshihiro Kaiba take Iola Awen Brynna Avalon-Lleucu to be your wife – to live together after God's ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?" The minister asked him. Seto looked at me briefly.
"I do." He said softly, his eyes shining with love. The minister then turned to me.
"Do you Iola Awen Brynna Avalon-Lleucu take Seto Toshihiro Kaiba to be your husband – to live together after God's ordinance – in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?" He asked me. I looked at Seto, letting all my emotion show in my eyes.
"I do." I smiled. The minister then turned to Yugi.
"Have you the rings?" He asked. Yugi stepped forward to give the rings to Seto and I. I turned and handed my bouquet to Mai before turning back and taking the ring from Yugi in my right hand.
The minister looked at Seto.
"Seto, in placing this ring on Iola's finger, repeat after me: Iola, you are now consecrated to me as my wife from this day forward and I give you this ring as the pledge of my love and as the symbol of our unity and with this ring, I thee wed." Seto nodded and took my left hand in right one.
"Iola, you are now consecrated to me as my wife from this day forward and I give you this ring as the pledge of my love and as the symbol of our unity and with this ring, I thee wed." He said as he placed the ring on my finger. The minister then turned to me.
"Iola, in placing this ring on Seto's finger, repeat after me: Seto, you are now consecrate to me as my husband from this day forward and I give you this ring as the pledge of my love and as the symbol of our unity and with this ring, I thee wed." I took the ring from my right to my left hand as the minister spoke and, once he'd finished I took Seto's left hand in my right one.
"Seto, you are now consecrate to me as my husband from this day forward and I give you this ring as the pledge of my love and as the symbol of our unity and with this ring, I thee wed." I said and slid the ring onto Seto's ring finger. There was a sob from the guests that sounded like Mara but it was quickly hushed up. The minister then smiled at both of us.
"May you always share with each other the gifts of love – be one in heart and in mind – may you always create a home together that puts in your hearts – love – generosity and as much as Seto and Iola have consented together in marriage before this company of friends and family and have pledged their faith – and declared their unity by giving and receiving a ring – are now joined.
You have pronounced yourselves husband and wife but remember to always be each other's best friend.
What – therefore – God has joined together – let no man put asunder.
And so, by the power vested in me by the State of Domino and Almighty God, I now pronounce you man and wife – and may your days be good and long upon the earth." The minister beamed at both Seto and I as he spoke. He then spoke the words that both Seto and I longed for.
"You may now kiss the bride." Seto gently placed his lips on mine as our friends and family cheered. He broke the kiss after several moments and we turned to face our guests.
Our reception went well. It turns out that it had been Mara who had started crying as I placed the ring on Seto's finger but Ryou, who had been sitting next to her, handed her his handkerchief and helped calm her down. Funnily enough, I knew in that moment that they would be the perfect couple. We did the normal wedding traditions, the speeches, throwing the bouquet (which Mai caught) and throwing the garter (which a blushing Joey caught, much to Seto's amusement) before we had our first dance as man and wife. Seto led me to the floor as 'True Colours' by Cyndi Lauper started. I felt like I could stay in his arms forever as we swayed gently to the music. We carried on dancing when Westlife's 'Amazing' started, only this time other couples joined us on the dance floor. The rest of the evening passed very quickly and, before I knew it, it was time for Seto and I to go on our week-long honeymoon to Fiji. Mokuba, Seto's little brother was to stay with Yugi for the week.
As soon as we entered our honemoon suite Seto's lips were on mine, kissing me with a fire and passion that instantly made me need him. We tumbled onto the bed in a tangle of limbs as we started struggling with each other's clothes. Eventually we were both completely naked, revelling in the skin on skin contact. Seto's lips left my own as he started to kiss his way down my neck . I moaned slightly at the sensation and Seto moved his head to kiss the tops of my breasts. He began massaging my left breast while sucking on the nipple of my right one. He then switched breasts. His lips moved back up to my neck while his hand moved down my body. He brushed the tips of his fingers over my clit, causing my hips to buck slightly and a cry to issue from my lips. I could feel his smirk on his lips as he continued to kiss my neck. Gently he slid a finger into me and moved it in and out for a while before adding another finger. He moved them in and out faster and faster until I climaxed around his fingers, crying his name as I did so.
He pulled his fingers out and lifted them to his mouth, tasting my juices on them before kissing me softly, I could taste myself lingering on his lips. He pulled away and looked at me.
"Are you ready?" He asked. I nodded, lifting my head up to kiss him once more. I could feel his hard length pressing against my core and started to feel slightly nervous. He must have guessed this because he pulled away again and looked deep into my eyes.
"It will be alright." He said softly before covering my mouth with his own again. Suddenly he thrust himself into me and I cried out from the slight pain I felt. Seto pulled away from kissing me again and kissed my cheeks, waiting slightly for me to get used to the feeling of him inside me. After a few moments he started thrusting in and out of me gently causing me to moan. He started to speed up his movements, both of us moaning, until I climaxed crying out his name for the second time that night. My orgasm triggered his own and he came into me shouting my name. As we lay there, trying to calm our breathing, Seto hekd me close against his chest. This was how we fell asleep, in each other's arms.
9 months later, just before Mai and Joey's wedding I gave birth to Nimue Hiromi Kaiba and Tatsu Garath Kaiba. They grew up and played often with Anju Bakura, their cousin and Ryou and Mara's daughter. Mine and Seto's twins were followed later by Airi Nia Kaiba and after that, Kaine Jiro Kaiba.
I think it's safe to say that thanks to various choices that were made I found my happy ending, but really it was a beginning. And I wouldn't make any of my choices differently.