"Seto, what are you doing? You are not supposed to leave the library until you have been told to do so!" Valkyra heard Gozaboro yell as he stomped down the hallway. She heard Seto mumble something in response just before the sound of dragging feet headed back toward the library and the door was slammed shut. She hated that Gozaboro treated Seto the way he did. She listened until she was certain that Gozaboro had gone downstairs and slowly opened the door to her enormous bedroom. After tiptoeing down the hallway she made her way into the library. It was a large room with rows and rows of bookshelves and one desk in the back, which was where she knew Seto spent a lot of his time.
Seto heard the footsteps approaching and quickly glanced up. "What are you doing in here?" he asked coldly as he saw Valkyra walking toward him. No one was supposed to be in the library when he was studying. Gozaboro wanted to make sure that he was focused at all times and always performing his best.
"I just wanted to check up on you. I know that Gozaboro has been really tough on you lately," she answered as she stood in front of his desk. Books were piled all over the surface, and in stacks around it. She couldn't understand how such a powerful man who had adopted four orphan children could be so awful to them. Seto was forced to study so that he could be the best. He was to inherit Gozaboro's company when he was ready. Valkyra was constantly being trained to be a proper lady, because she was supposed to support Seto when he took over the company in the future. The both of them were twelve years old and already being trained for things they didn't quite understand yet. Their younger siblings were to be spared from this treatment. Seto's younger brother, Mokuba, and Valkyra's younger sister, Stephanie, were allowed to do the things that young children should be doing in their spare time. They got to play tag outside in the gardens, and could spend their time playing with toys. Seto and Valkyra were kept from such things.
"I don't need you to check up on me, Valkyra. I'm fine. I can handle whatever he throws at me," Seto answered in the same cold voice. She smiled at him despite his tone. Her light blue eyes met his, which were so alike in color. The only difference was that her eyes didn't look as tired as his.
"Seto, you don't have to put up this act in front of me. I can see right through it, but I'll let you be. Enjoy your studies. I'll see you at dinner," she said before she turned to walk away. Before she reached the other side of the library she felt a hand on her wrist. She quickly turned to see that Seto was standing behind her, holding onto her arm.
"I don't mean to be rude, Val. I'm sorry. I just can't really let anyone in. The way that Gozaboro is raising us both is tough, and I know what he intends to become of all of this. I need to find a way to end this," his voice was sad, but determined. There was a frenzied passion behind what he was saying, and Valkyra understood what he must be feeling. "I have to do this to protect Mokuba. You must understand that. It's the only thing I'm concerned about." His voice was almost a whisper by this point. As if afraid that he would be heard and his brother punished.
That was one of Gozaboro's favorite things to do in order to motivate Seto and Valkyra. Threatening the safety and comfort of their younger siblings to make sure they do as they're told. The two children knew how twisted it was, but also knew they didn't have a choice in what they needed to do. They had been grateful for being chosen by such a rich and powerful man when they had first been adopted, but once they realized what they had traded for all the luxury they weren't so sure if they had made the right choice. Of course, they loved that Stephanie and Mokuba would never have to starve again, and were more than willing to make the sacrifices they were making now, but that didn't make it any easier.
Valkyra turned and took a step away from Seto, removing her arm from his grip. "Yes, I understand, Seto. We have our duties to attend to, but I'm not sure how you're going to find a way out of this. We are only children and he's one of the most powerful men in the world. Good luck with your plans though," she said just before she turned to leave the library.
Seto watched her walk away, and she slowly closed the door behind her. He knew she was trying to be as careful as possible so that no one would hear the door open and close. They would both be in serious trouble if anyone discovered that Valkyra frequently snuck into the library to check on Seto. He didn't know that she did it so she could go back to their younger siblings and tell them that Seto was fine. Even if he was falling asleep at his desk after a restless night spent favoring his studies, she would reassure Mokuba that his older brother was doing well and just too busy to come see them. She always tried to keep the two younger children occupied, so that they didn't catch on to what was actually happening. Stephanie was only ten, and Mokuba was a mere seven years old. Because of their young ages and the fact that their parents had died several years ago, Seto and Valkyra both felt the need to protect their younger siblings. It was almost an animal instinct that had awakened inside of them the second those horrible words had been processed. "Your parents are dead." That was the moment Valkyra and Seto both remembered vividly, but their experiences had been completely separate. They hadn't even been in the same orphanage, but they had somehow ended up here together, struggling to keep up with the demands of their new lives.
Suddenly, the sound of a knock echoed around the large room. Valkyra kept her composure and walked toward the door. When she opened it she saw one of the maids standing there. She had no doubt been sent to help Valkyra get ready for dinner; a nightly occasion that she typically dreaded. She was always pampered and thrown into a ridiculous dress that she could hardly breathe in, and it wasn't really how any twelve year old wanted to spend her evenings. She wasn't a typical twelve year old though, so this was normal for her. It didn't take long for her to get ready and before she knew it she was being led to the dining room where Seto and Gozaboro would be waiting for her. Stephanie and Mokuba weren't forced to attend these dreadfully boring dinners where everyone discussed news and work and school.
"I expect your studies are coming along well?" Valkyra inquired as she sat across from Seto. Their eyes met for a moment and she almost smiled at him, but didn't dare to risk Gozaboro seeing.
"Yes, ma'am, they most certainly are. Gozaboro's outline has been working in my favor, and I've managed to complete several tests in the past few days," he answered, obviously embellishing on Gozaboro's abilities to decide which studies Seto would focus on at any point. Mostly it was the tutors that were in and out of the library, but Valkyra had the feeling that Seto was trying to make up for attempting to sneak out earlier.
Gozaboro didn't seem to realize what Seto was doing, and nodded his agreement. He genuinely thought that he was the mastermind behind Seto's brilliance. He took great pride in his successes and blamed everyone else if there happened to be a failure. Those were always the hardest days for Seto. If he even got one answer wrong on a test or a quiz it would mean immeasurable hours trying to correct the mistake, which was always done by increasing the amount of studying. Those days he would spend every waking hour in the library. He wasn't permitted to leave, even for food. That was delivered on a tray and usually consisted of a sandwich and a bottle of water. Valkyra hated it for him and usually tried to sneak him a few treats throughout the day. Even though they were being groomed for this, they would usually try to look out for one another. This is how it was in the Kaiba household.