Control
Seto dropped his briefcase on the kitchen counter and loosened his tie. His father did the same beside him, and Mokuba left his school bag on one of the couches in the attached sitting room. While Seto walked over to a cabinet to rummage through their teas, Mokuba entered the kitchen to fill a kettle with water.
Gozaburo hadn't taken a step from the table before his phone rang, and Seto glanced over idly as his father took the call.
"Kaiba."
There was hardly a time of day Gozaburo wasn't working, even a half hour after leaving the office. Seto had switched off his own phone when he left the building, and he felt confident that he had several missed calls awaiting a reply.
"I don't care what treaties they have signed, are going to sign, or are considering," Gozaburo said. He rubbed his fingers against his temple and shook his head when Seto lifted the Matcha in question. He nodded at the Guricha instead.
"Then don't send any contracts to them. They were allies with America three months ago."
Mokuba leaned against the counter, playing some game on his phone. Seto couldn't follow the moving pieces on the screen from across the room, but it seemed like a puzzle. Seto had half a mind to send Mokuba out to the garden to wait on the tea; however, he knew Mokuba would just end up on his phone outside as well.
Seto pressed his fingers against his eyes. His contacts had been bothering him since he put them in this morning. He had overslept his alarm and rushed to get ready, and Seto thought that he might have had a lens inside out.
"They are giving you pressure because I am not there, Oshita-san. If they want to sign with us so badly, it can wait until a reasonable hour tomorrow."
Clicking off the phone, Gozaburo slid it into his briefcase, still on. Seto had a feeling it would be ringing again at any moment. If Seto had to guess, Oshita would be calling to beg Seto to talk sense into his father.
"Business strategy," Gozaburo mumbled. "He should be fired for half of the nonsense he spews."
"I have been saying that for years," Seto said. He walked the tea to Mokuba, who was better at brewing tea than either Seto or Gozaburo.
"I should turn him in for treason, but it would likely fall back to KaibaCorp."
"Have you committed treason, Otousan?" Seto asked. He didn't look over to his father to keep his expression from giving him away.
"Not in this war."
The answer was less surprising than Seto expected, so he accepted it without additional comment. Since he was hired on at KaibaCorp four years before, he had seen a fair share of less-than-legal actions taken, but their number had decreased at the war continued. Three years in and Japan was nearing the end of its fighting capabilities. There had been rumors of a treaty, but nothing with any foundation.
Seto didn't think the Americans were keen to compromise without a victory.
His eyes were still burning, so Seto took the opportunity to walk down the hallway to his room. He took off the jacket of his suit and laid it over the chair at his desk before heading into the attached bathroom. He leaned forward over the vanity to get a closer look at his eye in the mirror, but couldn't see anything inside. It must have been the contacts. He figured that he should give his eyes a break from the lenses for a while and put on his glasses instead.
He made it back to the kitchen in time to catch Gozaburo's phone ringing again, but this time, after checking the caller, Gozaburo ignored it.
"Daimon," he said, seeing Seto's interested glance.
"Who are they trying to sell to?" Mokuba asked. His gaze stayed on the screen, but the movements on the screen had slowed, letting Seto in on the fact Mokuba was paying more attention to the conversation than he let on.
"England. And only a few launcher designs. Hardly worth imprisonment."
With the extended time of the war, KaibaCorp's sells had gone down. KaibaCorp still made the most progressive weapons of any company, anywhere in the world, but their customer base had dwindled. They could only sell to Japan's allies, and those allies had been picked away one by one. Seto assumed, and was confident in his assumption, the only reason Japan had lasted so long was because of KaibaCorp's backing.
The United States had the numbers, but Japan had the technology.
Steam rose from the kettle and Mokuba put down his phone. Seto went ahead and pulled three cups from the shelf above them and set them out for whenever Mokuba was ready.
"Are they already in production?" Seto asked. KaibaCorp had a number of different launchers for a variety of missiles, some in development and some post.
"For a few years now. It's the old KC-Y16 design."
"That is outdated," Seto said.
"Which I am sure is why they wanted to sell. Is there any daifuku left?"
"No, Otousan. We do have pocky."
Gozaburo shook his head and waited for Mokuba to hand him the tea. Mokuba gave Seto his next, then took his own to the table in the corner of their kitchen.
"Even if I wanted to sell to England—" Gozaburo began, but stopped talking when the sound of a car turning into their driveway became apparent.
"Are you expecting someone?" Seto asked.
"No," Gozaburo said. He left his tea on the table and walked over to the window, pushing back the curtain with two fingers.
"Who is it?" Mokuba asked.
"Royal flags on the cars," Gozaburo said.
He stepped away from the window and walked out of the kitchen, heading back toward the front door they had come through minutes before. It was just out of sight from where Seto stood, but he didn't move to get a better angle. They did business with the royal household frequently, but never at their home. Their house was a half-hour drive outside the city, isolated and quiet, and not the sort of place to host anyone related to the royal family.
Seto took a sip of his tea, which was still a touch hot for his taste. He kept the cup in his hand to have something to do while waiting to listen in on what was happening at the front door.
A knock, followed by a prompt greeting.
"Kaiba-sama," a man said. "We need to speak with Seto-san."
Seto frowned and set down the cup. KaibaCorp might have done business with the royal family, but Seto wasn't a part of that. He worked down with the design teams and engineers, focusing on software development and programming. None of the business of running the company fell on him.
"Niisama?" Mokuba whispered.
A finger to his lip silenced anything else Mokuba might have been planning to say. Seto had no interest in leaving the kitchen until he heard the cause for the visit.
"For what purpose?" Gozaburo asked.
"I am afraid the matter is urgent," the man said. Seto waited for an explanation, but nothing followed but silence.
"I am afraid you will not speak with my son until I know why," Gozaburo said.
Moving as quietly as he could, Seto slid over to the window to peek outside. There were at least ten men in the front yard, on the lawn and in the garden, and more in the idling cars. They were armed, which wasn't out of place for officials, but not for a casual visit. One of the men, a gruff man in sunglasses, had his hand resting on his weapon, though it was still in the holster.
"Kaiba-sama, I must insist you step out of the way."
"You have come to my home. If you needed to speak with Seto, why not meet us at the office?"
"Tennō Heika has requested that this matter be dealt with discreetly."
Mokuba's eyes widened at the title, and Seto knew that he must have reacted similarly. Certainly the emperor could have no cause for creating a private meeting with Seto? And even if the cars did have the royal seal on them, Seto doubted that the emperor himself was waiting outside in one.
But hearing the men were sent from the emperor's order, Seto began to walk toward the living room. Mokuba followed close behind, their footsteps quiet against the wood floors.
"Seto-san," the man at the door said when Seto walked into the living room. He bowed a respectful amount, and when he stood, Seto saw the gun on him as well.
"You needed to speak with me," Seto said. He stayed a few feet back from the doorway, within running distance of the kitchen, and through the kitchen, the door out to the garden. Something about the situation rested uneasy, or maybe it was seeing guns carried so casually when they were banned from general use.
"Your presence is requested."
"Where?"
The man at the door smiled like he had expected the question, and he took a step inside the house.
"It is a matter of our country's well-being. I will explain it to you on the way."
"On the way to where?" Seto asked.
He didn't like how the man was gradually edging closer to him. Gozaburo had no choice but to let them inside, frowning as they walked straight past the entrance without stopping to take off their shoes.
Seto glanced to his right at the door to the garden, but found that it was blocked by another man in black. It confirmed his suspicions that there was a reason for discretion, but Seto still couldn't figure out the reason.
"Seto-san, if you would?"
The man gestured to the open door, but really looked like he was showing Seto the number of men blocking his exit. Seto would have to pass through them to get out, and the only ways out were covered.
"I think my family would appreciate knowing where I am going," Seto said. With the way the man in black was edging toward him, Seto didn't think that he had much longer to stall. He couldn't just leave without an explanation, and they hadn't shown him any sort of identification to prove that they were actually from the emperor.
But they had guns, and Seto doubted that Gozaburo would risk revealing he had a concealed weapon.
"We will fill them in as soon as you are in the car. Please," he said, another gesture.
"Niisama, you can't just—"
Seto cut off Mokuba before he could say anything else. The mood of the room was shifting, moving from polite to impatient. A glance to Gozaburo proved that he had picked up on the shift as well.
"How long he will be gone?" Gozaburo asked. He held a hand out toward Seto, a quiet signal for Seto to step forward like he was obeying the men's request. Seto did while staying a few meters away from any of the men who had made themselves at home in the entry.
"That will all be explained shortly. I must insist we leave now, Seto-san."
"Do I need to bring anything?" Seto asked. As it stood, he carried nothing more than his phone.
The man stepped forward and put Seto in his arm's reach. Stepping away would have been too obvious, and Gozaburo was still closer to Seto than the man.
"Please exit to the car," the man said.
Seto wondered why the man hadn't introduced himself. He would have been more inclined to leave the house if he knew the reason, or even who the men were. Having official vehicles likely meant they were from the emperor, since Seto would have heard the report on the radio if any official vehicles had been stolen.
The man didn't give Seto a chance to comply, but grabbed onto his arm and jerked him in the direction of the exit. Seto struggled against the hold more on reflex at first, then on principle. Whether or not these men had been sent by the emperor, they didn't have a right to forcibly drag him from his own home.
"Stop," Gozaburo demanded. He reached for Seto, but the man had already pushed Seto in the direction of the other two men who had come in after. The two men each grabbed one of Seto's arms and started to pull him back through the front door.
"Niisama!"
Seto saw Mokuba run forward, but Gozaburo caught Mokuba by the arm and held him back away from the men. Mokuba had started to cry.
They dragged Seto off the porch and through the garden, Seto's shoeless feet unable to find any purchase to resist. The grips on his arms were tight, but not to the point of actually being painful.
Gozaburo, still holding onto Mokuba, was arguing with the man in black, waving a hand in Seto's direction, but not seeming to be getting any real answers. The man in black handed Gozaburo a card before giving a respectful bow and walking out after Seto.
They got Seto inside one of the cars. It wasn't as long as a limousine, but the back seat was shaped like one, a U-shape so passengers could face each other. The men who had dragged Seto out didn't follow him into the backseat, but after a few seconds, the man in black joined him.
"Your father asked me to bring you these," he said, holding out Seto's shoes.
Seto snatched them from the man and brushed off the bottom of his feet before putting them on. The car started before he had gotten the first lace tied, and the line of cars started to back out of the driveway.
"I apologize for that scene," the man in black said. "We felt that you would be more likely to struggle if we presented our case first."
"And what case is that?"
"In a time of war, Seto-san—"
"Kaiba," Seto said.
"Of course, Kaiba-san. As I was saying, we are at war, and war calls for serious measures in order to ensure our country survives."
As discreetly as he could, Seto checked to make sure that the men who had pulled him from the house hadn't managed to slip his phone from his pocket. It was still there, although turned off.
"I hardly see how that relates to me."
"Our treaty with the United States is in the works. You have become a part of that."
Seto shook his head. "How?"
"As unlikely as it seems, the United States has proposed an," here he paused to search for a word. Seto took the chance to see which direction they were going. West, back toward the city.
"—unorthodox arrangement to confirm the treaty."
Seto got a heavy feeling when the man's tone changed to a pitch lower. It almost sounded apologetic, almost, and that confused Seto more than anything else. He didn't understand how he fit into the picture, but clearly the man knew that whatever it was would not bode well for Seto.
"In our negotiations with America's king, it was determined that, as a sign of good faith—"
"Just say it," Seto said.
"You will marry into the American royal family."
The words fell over Seto's mind like words from an auctioneer's mouth. They were too convoluted to make out clearly, too jumbled to understand. That couldn't have been what he meant to say.
"I understand this must be a surprise."
"I'm not royal or nobility," Seto said.
"You are Kaiba Seto, son of Kaiba Gozaburo, one of the richest and most powerful men in the world."
"My family name is nothing more than a name. Tennō Heika has daughters—"
The man silenced Seto with an apologetic smile. He hadn't even gotten to the worst news.
"The American Prince is uninterested in the emperor's daughters."
Prince. The American Prince.
Seto took off his glasses and ran a hand over his face. The American Prince. He knew their royal family had two children, a man a year older than him and a girl around Mokuba's age. He had assumed it would be the girl, even if she was that young. Or maybe not even a member of the royal family, but some other, less important noble.
"I have no say in this?" Seto said.
"This will end a war, Kaiba-san. A war which has killed thousands of people in its time."
"You are selling me to America."
"Your husband will be the future king of the United States."
"I cannot be sold without consent."
"Tennō Heika has given the order. Your flight leaves at seven."
It was already six-thirty.
Seto looked out the window, now able to tell that they were on course for the airport. They had several miles left to go, but they would be there within fifteen minutes. Seto doubted that he would have a chance to slip away before getting to the airport, and once he was in the United States, there would be no way for him to get back to Japan.
He really didn't think that they would give him a chance to slip away.
"You didn't let me say goodbye."
"You would have tried to run."
That was true, but Seto kept that to himself.
"So am I your prisoner?"
"No, Kaiba-san. You are the savior of your country."
Seto crossed his legs and leaned back. He crossed his arms as well and glared at the still-unnamed man.
"And what rights do I have as your savior?"
The smile directed at Seto wasn't apologetic this time.
"The right to save us all."
Seto didn't speak for the remainder of the drive. His hand twitched to take out his phone, to call Mokuba to let him know what was happening. If Mokuba knew, he could take it to social media or just spread the word that this was how the war would end. An outdated, marriage treaty would supposedly end a war that had gone on for years, and Seto was an unwilling participant.
He wondered if the American prince had agreed to it. He must have at least had a part, since he had requested a man to be sent over.
When they got to the airport, they passed the parking deck and the entrance and pulled straight to the tarmac. The stairs were already waiting outside a plane bearing the official seal.
Seeing it made the situation more real. Seto realized he was actually being sent to the United States to be married off like a princess from the Middle Ages.
"Certainly there is someone better," Seto said. "Someone actually noble or—"
"Kaiba-san, you are the best Japan has to offer."
"I don't even have any of my things. My clothes, contacts, anything of my own."
"The Americans will supply all new things to you."
"I would rather have my own things."
"Then I will see if your father can prepare a suitcase to send over at a later date," the man said as the car parked.
Seto tried to keep his composure by not looking at the plane. A part of him, the small, hopeful part he kept trapped away, thought he might have been sleeping. The larger, logical part that Seto relied on heavily, knew the treaty between the two countries had to have involved more than just the forced marriage, but even that wasn't comforting. For them to kidnap him from his home, this must have been a crucial part of it.
"This is absurd," Seto said.
"I do apologize on Tennō Heika's behalf."
The driver had gotten out of the car and walked around to open the door. The man in front of Seto lifted a hand, indicating that Seto should get out.
There was no point in lingering, but Seto couldn't bring himself to move, not without taking a deep breath and telling himself that he would be fine. Somehow, he would get out of this, although it would have to be after he landed. Once he was in the United States, he could call Gozaburo and get him to set up some kind of escape plan for him. Maybe he could cross over into Canada or Mexico, and someone could pick him up from there.
It was selfish, but Seto couldn't bring himself to care about the fate of Japan.
"Kaiba-san?"
Steeling himself with a breath, Seto slid out of the backseat.
There were a few armed men waiting by the stairs. After having been dragged from his home, Seto walked to the plane without having to be told, believing if anyone put a hand on him, he would break their wrist for trying.
The plane was obviously privately owned, the designs elaborate and everything new. The imperial seal covered many of the surfaces and was embroidered onto the seat cushions. Seto spotted a refreshment tray by the entrance, but couldn't work up the energy to be hungry, even though he hadn't gotten a chance for dinner.
A stewardess approached, her uniform bearing the seal, and politely directed Seto to take a seat anywhere he liked and to ask her for anything he needed. He thought about telling her he needed off the plane, but knew she wasn't responsible for his abduction. It didn't seem fair to put her in an uncomfortable position because she had been chosen to handle the flight.
He sat halfway back, adjusting his glasses and staring out the window. The man in black came in a few seconds later and took the seat in front of Seto. The seats were positioned so they faced each other, and Seto considered switching seats to be spiteful.
"Do I get to know your name since you'll be escorting me over?"
"Tetsu Ushio."
"How long is the flight, Ushio-san?"
"Twenty hours. We will have to stop in Chicago, which is where I will leave you."
"I look forward to it," Seto said.
Ushio laughed and pulled a phone from his jacket pocket. "I hope that attitude calms before you are introduced to the prince. I would hate for him to send you back, along with shredded treaty papers."
Seto kept his glare focused on the window. That was one possibility. If the prince hated him, which was a very possible chance since Seto was not blind to how people interpreted his personality, then maybe the prince would call off the whole thing.
"Does this flight have internet?" Seto asked. If he had to spend twenty hours on a plane, he would spend his time reading up on this prince he was supposed to marry.
Happy 2017!
As with Glass, I will only post my first author's note here. The rest will be on my profile page.
One of my goals in creating a new account was to take cliched story plots and write them my way. The marriage treaty plot has always been a favorite and I ask you to excuse how ridiculous the circumstances around this are. This is an AU, so royal families and whatnot are all invented for the sake of story.
Control will include the following: puppyshipping (no-sided), roseshipping, buddyshipping, and (slight) antagoshipping. And as a warning, this story will include several dark themes, events, and subjects. Scenes not complying with fanfiction's rules will be posted on my AO3 account.
Warnings will not be posted on individual chapters to avoid spoilers.
You can expect an update on Sunday, January 8th.
Follow me on tumblr bellamy-taft for update information and drabbles! I'm much more likely to post information there than on my profile page.
