Sorry in advance for any spelling or grammatical mistakes!
Enjoy.
"But Father-" he protested uselessly.
"Hanabusa, the marraige has already been agreed on. You have no choice in the matter," the head of the Aido family interrupted, a hand raised to silence his son.
Hanabusa Aido scowled childishly, flopping back in the chair in front of his father's desk.
"This isn't fair," he whined, his cheeks puffed petulantly. "None of my sisters have an arranged marriage!"
His father sighed heavily, "They have all been able to find very agreeable suitors. You haven't so much as tried. On top of that, she chose you, asking permission for your hand."
Hanabusa pouted, avoiding his father's stern gaze. "You will marry her. She is enrolling in Cross Academy soon and will eventually be in your class and dorm."
The head of the Aido family dismissed his son, who stomped the whole way from his father's office to his own room.
He threw himself back on his plush bed, a hand covering his eyes. Not even the aroma of his lavender scented pillows could ease his mind from the thoughts running throughout it.
"I don't even know who she is."
She slipped out of the car, her door held open by her butler. He shut the door behind her as she stared up at the large, Gothic gates in front of her.
"So this is Cross Academy."
Blonde hair floated on the gentle breeze around her as she stood in front of the car, her arms swinging down by her sides excitedly, "YUP!"
"Hmn. I would rather a Romanesque styled school."
Wavy, toffee hair framed a fair skinned face with narrowed, dark coffee bean eyes.
The chauffeur and butler returned from the back of the car, three suitcases of different color and size in hand.
"Thank you Ceddie," the charcoal haired girl, and the first out of the car said to her butler. "It will be troublesome without you."
"You're very welcome, Esmé-sama. I'm honored," he replied, smiling warmly at her, knowing the true meaning behind her words; she'd miss him.
He looked about mid-twenties, platinum strands falling over his left eye, the rest finely combed back. His eyes were a soul piercing blue, his skin snow-white. He had a sprinkle of freckles across his cheeks and a mole under his right eye.
He wore an untucked black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, white dress pants, and black dress shoes. Most people thought the outfit unruly for a butler, but Esmé preferred him to be comfortable and stylish rather than be forever stuck in a stiff suit just for the sake of formality.
Another black car rolled up behind theirs, and all four stared at it in mild curiosity as they waited for the people inside to step out. It was a man, dressed in a pair of black shoes, dark jeans, a crimson shirt and dark tie.
"Xavy!" the blonde girl cried, running to him. "What are you doing here?!"
He looked no older than twenty, crimson bangs falling over his amber eyes. He was shorter than Esmé and Cedric and matched Ruka's height at five-seven.
"I came to make sure you settled in all right, Miss Lily," he said as his mistress leapt at him, embracing him.
Lily was small, at only five-foot two, and was treated as that baby of her lineage of circle of friends. She wore a white, layered and frilled skirt that floated to her knees, a ballet slipper pink shirt, a magenta bow and knee-length boots. Her head of bouncy blonde curls buried itself in the crook of his neck, her straight cut fringe pushed back by his shoulder.
His big hand patted her head soothingly. She pulled to look at him, her cheeks cherry red and her face almost split in half with a grin.
"Lily, come come. Ruka and Xavier too," Esmé called and they followed.
Esmé and Cedric led the group through the gates and towards the school. Xavier caught up to Cedric and took his mistress' case from the fellow butler.
"Ruka-chan, your cousins Aido-kun and Kain-kun are coming to the school as well aren't they?" Lily asked, looking at her aristocrat friend with a childish look of expectancy and curiosity.
Ruka nodded, "Yes. We have been acquaintances of Lord Kaname since we were children and wish to help him in anyway possible. Just as I do for Esmé-sama."
Ruka was wearing a long-sleeved purple blouse, a pearl necklace, white trousers and white high heels. Her toffee hair cascaded down her back and her bangs brushed gently against her dark coloured eyes.
Esmé looked back at Lily and Ruka from the corner of her narrowed blue eyes.
"Oh! We were good friends with Kana-chan before his parents died!" Lily exclaimed, beaming as she babbled on to Ruka about stories from when she and Xavier first met Kaname.
Ruka and Lily, no matter how indifferent Ruka acted towards Lily, were close friends. They had grown up together, becoming almost sisters. Xavier, Lily's personal butler, had been around for it all, whether it meant keeping quiet and staying to the sidelines or joining in with tea-parties and picnics.
"Cedric, the minute you get home, enroll Xavier into the Night Class. I'll speak to the Headmaster about it later. Having to look after Lily myself would be tiring."
Cedric nodded, eyes flickering to the group behind them, and washing over Xavier. Jealousy soared through him, not finding it fair the younger, less experienced butler got to stay in the same presence as his lady and mistress while Cedric had to return home.
Sensing the sudden change in mood in her butler, Esmé rose an amused eyebrow, "I will enroll you if you'd like."
Cedric's head snapped straight over so he could stare wide-eyed at the woman he loved so dearly. His tongue swiped over his lips, and like a switch had been pressed, his stoic expression was back again.
"If it pleases you, Esmé-sama."
"Then I will. Come with me to the Headmaster's office this evening. I don't see much point in sending you home anymore."
They were arriving at another set of gates now, but at these ones a man with sandy-brown hair and honey coloured eyes stood waiting for them, wrapped up tightly in a green cardigan and a beige shawl.
"Kaien-jiji!" Lily called, dashing ahead of Esmé and Cedric and lunging at the man.
"Lily-chan!" he yelled, opening his arms, and spinning her around vigorously once she was in them.
The two laughed and giggled, still twirling like ballet-dancers as they waited for the others to arrive. Such were the children they were at heart.
"Hello Headmaster Cross, " Esmé greeted coolly, nodding politely to the ex-hunter.
Tears streamed down his rounded cheeks, "Call me uncle!"
"No."
He bawled, diving out to hug her but landed on his face when she side-stepped. She and Ruka sweat-dropped as they watched a puddle of tears form at their feet.
"Don't worry Kaien-jiji! I'll always call you uncle!" Lily said, trying desperately to cheer the old man up.
He was suddenly on his feet, beaming at her, "Thank you, Lily-chan!"
He turned to face the butlers, "Won't you two call me uncle also?!"
Cedric didn't hesitate with the cold voice he held towards everyone other than his lady and mistress, "No."
Esmé resisted the urge to smirk at his response.
Xavier could feel Lily's pleading eyes boring holes into the back of his head and they silently willed him to cave to the man's request, "Yes, Jiji-san."
Lily and Kaien grinned, dancing about and making Xavier dance along with them. The other three sweat-dropped, pitying Xavier.
"Headmaster you called?" a short, young brunette said as she jogged over to the group, a small smile of greeting towards her adoptive father playing on her lips.
She adorned a heavy, yellow turtle-neck with a knee-length light pink skirt. Brown boots tapped against the paved pathway and her mahogany locks swished about her back, barely touching her waist.
Kaien's waterworks started again. He threw his arms around her, rubbing his cheek against hers, "Call me father!"
She frowned, sweat running down her forehead as she was awkwardly forced to obey, "Yes, F-Father."
Kaien looked to be over-joyed by this, and seemed to have forgotten the presence of the vampires, one of whom cleared their throat to remind him they were there.
"Ah yes!" he exclaimed, facing the group with a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Everyone, meet my daughter Yuki!"
A cold shiver ran through Esmé the minute Yuki passed through Kaien's lips. Her eyes immediately met Kaien's, who were discreetly laced with a great sadness and pain.
"Hello," Esmé said politely and distractedly, her eyes washing over Yuki's form quickly.
"Hn," Ruka huffed, her arms crossed over her chest as she turned her shoulder to Yuki.
"Good afternoon," Cedric said, stiff and formal as usual.
"Hiya Yuki-chan! I'm Lily! Let's become great friends!" Lily asserted, glomping Yuki.
"Hello Yuki-san. I'm Lily's butler, Xavier," Xavier finished with a mild smile and bow, peeling Lily off of Yuki.
Yuki waved at the group uncomfortably, feeling belittled by their beauty and intimidated by the indifference Esmé, Cedric and Ruka held towards her, "Hi. It's nice to meet you all."
"Yuki, these girls will be joining the Night Class as of tomorrow," Kaien explained pensively, "Esmé-chan, with the dark hair, is an old friend of Kaname's, and Ruka-chan with the brown hair is cousins with two of the other Night Class students. Cedric, standing between them both, is Esmé's butler. Lily-chan is Esmé-chan's imouto*"
At the mention of Esmé being a friend of Kaname's, Yuki felt threatened, but she didn't quite know how and it disturbed her. She wanted to know more about this breathtakingly beautiful woman who could stand at her Kaname-senpai's side.
"Headmaster, I wish to discuss some matters with you later," a smooth and silky voice said, though the attitude behind it was cold. "For now, I would like to get to the dorm and see Kaname."
Kaien nodded, noticing Yuki's tenseness when Esmé said that, and beamed at the pureblood, "Of course! Let's go!"
With that, Kaien lead the group to the temporary home of vampires, where aristocrats nervously and a pureblood keenly awaited their arrival.