Nadina strolled in the large garden behind the mansion, enjoying the sun and the slight breeze that blew past her hair. She hadn't been out in the sun ever since Marik came home. Then, she was either always in her room waiting for Marik to show up, or down in the cell taking care of Kaiba.
It was Edward who first noticed her face had lost its radiance and seemed somewhat colorless during their lesson that morning. And then he told his twin brother, Clark, who made an 'innocent' remark to Odion about the heiress, who reported to Marik that "young Nadina's being locked up too long and should go out and get some air." So after her lessons this morning, she was ushered out of the house by Clark, who stood behind the fountain now, keeping an eye on her.
She was walking slowly toward the large sprouting fountain positioned in the center of the garden when she heard a voice call her name.
"Nadina!" She turned and saw Marik's whitish blonde hair pop up behind the trimmed boundary bushes. Joyous, she waved and called, "I'm over here, Marik!"
"Edward told me you were out here, sunning." He said without loosing breath after the run. he measured her with his pale lavender eyes.
"So, what did you think of Blake Malone?" Was the second thing that came out of Marik's mouth as soon as Nadina closed the distance between them. He turned to their property, where a beautiful portrait of the sun shining over their estate could be seen.
Nadina didn't quite know how to answer this queer question. Marik spared time to come out into the garden just to ask her how she thought of Blake Malone?
"Blake Malone? Well, brother, he's…uh…a very successful businessman. He seemed well educated and is quite a charmer. His wife is very lucky to have him…?" Her voice trailed off and seeing an unnatural expression across her brother's face made Nadina add uneasily, "How am I suppose to think of him, brother?"
For a moment, Nadina could swear she saw something wistful in Marik's eyes as they lingered on her, but if it was there, it was gone within the next moment and he said briskly.
"That's just as well you think his 'wife' is lucky to have him." Marik's voice sounded far away though he was only a few feet away from her. What he said next made Nadina's heart stop completely.
"He has already asked me for the permission to asked for your hand in marriage."
Blood drained from Nadina's face as she felt like throwing up and faint at the same time. The trickling, scented water from the fountain behind her seemed to be mocking her with its free rivulet.
"S-surely you haven't agreed, Marik?" She managed to choke out as she sank into the fountain side behind her. She clutched the folds of her skirt to hide her shaking hands.
"Of course I did." Nadina felt the cold hand, squeezing her heart over and over again.
"B-but, I'm too young, brother!" She burst out the only reason that surfaced to her mind that stood out of the hundreds. Marik nodded understandingly.
"He is very understanding about that, Nadina. Blake Malone is willing to wait another four years until you're eighteen to ask your hand for marriage. For goodness sake, sister, you're only fourteen! Only a fool would give away his sister at this age! What do you take me for!" He looked slightly wounded.
"Marik, Mr. Malone is twenty-eight." She finally said weakly. "That's double the years of my life. When he was my age, I was just born."
"A good age." Her brother nodded. "You ought to be thankful that you now have a direction in life. Malone is a good man. He'll treat you very nicely."
"But I don't love him." She said through her hands, which her face was burying in.
Blake Malone, Nadina thought dully. That night, when Marik told me to join him and his "client" for dinner, he was looking for a husband for me?! No. I don't want Blake Malone for my husband. I don't want to think about marriage yet. No, no, no.
"That doesn't matter, he loves you." Nadina could hear Marik speaking through the screams of "no"s in her head. "You'll have the rest of your life to learn to love him."
No, no, no…NO!
"How can he love me, Marik!?" Her head snapped up as she found her energy all or a sudden to defend for her own future. "He doesn't even know me!"
"He doesn't have to know you to love you, he loves you from what he saw that night. That's all he wants and needs."
"If he only loves me from what he saw that night, then why don't we just give him a portrait of me?! Or why doesn't he go and buy a painting? He doesn't need me, what he needs is a beautiful wife he could show off to, whether she's an empty-headed ninny or a totally unneeded mannequin that didn't have the good sense of a grasshopper. All he needs her to do is to sit there for company and to produce heirs to inherit the family."
"Nadina…"
"I don't want to spent the rest of my life like that. If I do marry, it's going to be a man I love, that I'm willing to give myself to, who's going to marry me because I'm worthy of him and loves him back, not because I'm beautiful and comes with a huge dowry as a bonus!"
Without waiting for Marik to say anything else, Nadina rushed from the luscious garden, where her life has just been shattered within a minute.
Kaiba, bored to his mind, was just naming all the cards in his deck for the third time when he heard something. His body stilled and his ears listened alertly. The ears that he had depended on to use in the place of his eyes told him that the footsteps were not a man's heavy boots, but was somehow hard to relate to Nadina's.
He heard the footsteps stop in front of the door to his cell, and his body automatically rigidified. The way was unlike Nadina's, besides, it was too early. He pursed his lips. Time flies when you're having fun, not when you're in prison.
"Who's there?" He asked sharply, his fine-featured face tilted this way and that though he couldn't see. Nobody answered him and he perked up his ears once again, hoping to—for the moment—replace his eyes with his ears.
He heard several soft footsteps before a thud could be heard and was just wondering what in the world could be going on in his cell when several soft, muffled sobs caught his attention.
"Nadina?" He struggled to his feet, which wasn't easy—though they weren't bounded—due to the fact that they were numb from not being exercised. When he did get to his feet clumsily, he felt his way with his fingers against the wall, using his ears to guide him. His nose followed the faint Bluebell fragrance until the tip of his shoes stepped upon a pile of material.
"What's wrong?" He slumped down next to her. He could hear the faint tinkering of the bells as her body racked with sobs. "What's happened?"
"B-Blake Malone, he…" Nadina burst into renewed tears, in hysterics. Kaiba struggled to make his brain comprehend what could possibly have happened to make Nadina behave this way.
"Blake Malone?" Kaiba felt an alarm he had never felt before rise up inside of him. "Has he done something to you?! Has he—"
"No!" She didn't reinforce her response. "He-he's going to…" She buried her face in the palm of her hands, unable to force the horrible words from her lips.
"Marik's going to make me marry him!" Finally unable to contain herself anymore, she blurted out the truth to her pains.
"Marry?" Kaiba felt as if he's been slapped.
"He's twenty-eight, Kaiba!" Nadina cried. "He's fourteen-years-older than me! And he only wanted me because he thinks I'm p-pleasing to the e-eyes." She started crying harder than ever and Kaiba had no clue what to do.
"A-and your brother…he agreed?" He asked dully. She hiccuped.
"Y-yes, it was all h-his idea." Tears slid down her cheeks as she attempted to wipe them away with her fingertips. Kaiba didn't say anything, but Nadina could feel him moving closer to her. Soon, he was sitting next to her and even though his hands were tied behind his back, she could feel them brushing against her waist comfortingly, murmuring something inaudible to her ears.
"Shhh…" Kaiba consoled soothingly in his throaty voice. "You've got me here. I won't let that happen to you." His voice was low and he wasn't sure if she'd heard, which was just as well. Right now, he wasn't in a position of promising anything, but he vowed to himself, if he managed to get out of this one alive, Nadina will never have to see that creep Malone's face ever again. He'll see to that.
"I don't want to marry him, Kaiba." She whispered through tears. "I don't want to marry anybody yet."
"Shhh…of course you don't and you're not." There was so much confidence in that deep voice that Nadina's body relaxed.
She slowly placed her head against his shoulders. And for the first time since Marik came home, even though she missed what Kaiba had said in the beginning, Nadina felt safe, as she found a trusting friend in Seto Kaiba.
Time went past fast for the two of them. They comforted each other when they're low in spirit. When they're together, no words were needed, just each others' presence was enough. When Kaiba was edgy, short-tempered, and depressed, Nadina's lilting sweet voice cheered him and lit up his darkness. Whenever Nadina needed someone, Kaiba offered her a shoulder to cry on and bolstered her with his strength. Nadina kept the CEO updated on his little brother while he helped her grow from her spoiled innocence of being deprived from the world with his no-nonsense and rough exterior, but sensible and intellectual interior. Together, progress was made.
Until three weeks were up…
"You really like flowers, don't you?" Kaiba asked casually while Nadina massaged his numb fingers.
"I always have." She answered good-naturally. "Marik told me that my father first fell in love with my mother because she reminded him of an English garden." She laughed. "When I was little and hated taking bathes, my brother would say, 'Nadina, one could always distinguish a great lady—the air around her would smell like flowers.'"
"Did that get you in the tub?"
"Every single time." They laughed together. "Well," Nadina finally said, gathering up her tray. "I have to leave now, Kaiba. I'll be back tomorrow."
"Wait!" Nadina brushed the back of her peach organdie and looked back at him curiously. Calming himself down from his all of a sudden urgent voice, he said quietly.
"Nadina, come here." He spoke to her with a tone he had never used on her before and she obeyed without question. He waited until he heard the rustle of her skirt fade. Then he said in a serious, quiet tone that made her sober immediately, "Listen, kid, I've been counting the days." He took a deep breath. "Three weeks is up tomorrow. Marik could be down any day now, any time."
"Marik has gone on a trip, remember?" Nadina reminded. "A shorter trip, but still he hasn't returned and isn't going to be for at least another few days." Nadina hated to be reminded that their time is almost up. Spending the afternoon and evening had became a routine for her, a place and time to escape who she was suppose to be and just to be herself with Kaiba.
"I want you to do something for me." The asking of favor left his lips easier than it had been three weeks ago.
"Yes, of course, anything." He heard that Nadina's voice was flustered and had a slight quiver in them.
"Now, don't worry," he tried to say comfortingly. "I am just doing this for precaution. My coat—" He adjusted himself. "There is a hidden pocket on my left side of the jacket. Look for it."
Nadina knelt down and began to feel for the pocket in the dark.
"It's between the silk inner linings." Kaiba's rich tone informed her. She fumbled a while longer before she felt the opening, hidden among the thick lining.
"I found it."
"Good, reach in and take out what's in there." He was silent for a second, then said in a barely audible tone. "Keep it, never show it to anyone."
Nadina reach in and felt around until her fingers closed around a rectangular object. She pulled it out and held it under the faint candlelight. She gasped at the object resting on her palm.
"Y-your deck!" She stuttered. "You've had it all this time?!"
"Please," under Kaiba's low baritone was a pleading manner. "I'm trusting you with it. I-I've never trusted anyone with it before."
"And you trust me?" Nadina stared fascinated at the legendary Blue-Eyes-White-Dragon on the top of his deck.
"Yes, but listen closely and carefully, Nadina," Kaiba sound pained as every word was forced out of his mouth. "Separate the three Blue-Eyes and Obelisk the Tormenter away from the rest of the deck, then keep them safely hidden in separate places. Even if Marik finds the rest of the deck, he must not possess Obelisk and the Blue-Eyes, do you understand?"
"I understand." Nadina nodded and promised solemnly. "But when the time comes, you'll find your entire deck placed in your hands. I won't let Marik discover them. I promise you with my very life." It warmed her heart that the cold, distant, difficult Kaiba had trusted her with his almost very life. The condition he's in and the battle he's fighting all based on this object now lying on her hand.
"I need to go, but I'll keep it safe, I promise." She unlaced the front of her dress and tucked the deck snugly against her upper abdomen, before lacing back the crisscrossed ribbons to mold the material to it's tailored appearance. She looked back and Kaiba and blushed lightly, thankful that he couldn't see anything.
"I'll be back tomorrow, Kaiba," she said hastily before gathering up her tray and hurrying out of the cell, turning the key that once again separated the two of them against each other.
Dewdrops glistened on the grass and leaves and the faint fragrance of flowers woke Nadina up from her sleep. She smiled and stretched, sitting up. She swung her legs over her bed and walked over to her window, taking in the warm radiance of the sun through the creamy skin that missed the sun.
Remembering what Clark was saying lowly to Edward yesterday puts her in a sober mood.
"Our Miss Nadina is seeing less and less of the sun now that Master Marik is home." Clark had said, concern lining his voice.
"I wonder if something is amiss here." Edward put in suspiciously.
Deciding to avoid further suspicions and put Clark to wrong, Nadina chose her first outfit of the day.
Half and hour later, refreshed and radiant, Nadina descended down the grand staircase with her tailored riding outfit that mode attractively to her figure.
"Going riding today, Miss Nadina?" Curt bowed respectfully as she entered the dining room.
"Yes," she replied pleasantly as she sat down. "Curt, will you please see to it that my horse is ready for me?"
"Yes, of course, Miss Nadina. I'll see to it right away." He gave another bow and left to see to the job.
Clark Black entered just as Nadina was sipping her tea. He gave her a nod, shaking the rich dark locks from his eyes. He seated, then eyed her curiously.
"Going riding today, Miss Nadina?" His surprise was thinly hidden as he repeated the exact words Curt has spoken only minutes ago.
"Yes. I haven't visited Lawrence Jr. since my brother's return." Clark watched the tinted prism pink lips mouth those words.
"Good idea." He nodded approvingly. "May I walk you down to the stable."
"You really don't need to, Clark." Nadina set the teacup down. "I know, I know," she interrupted before he had a chance to protest. "I know my brother told you to keep a close eye on me, but nevertheless, it's only a bit past the woods."
"This would be a good time to exercise Lawrence Sr." Clark said reasonably. "The old boy barely had any proper exercise after Master returned."
"My brother's horse will be fine till tomorrow." Nadina said firmly, setting her napkin down and standing up from her chair. "Now, if you'll please excuse me."
Nadina hurried down the road that leads to the stable. Once she was under the cool shades of the trees and was sure that no one could see her, she slowly drew her hands to her upper abdomen. Letting out a sigh of relief after feeling the four cards still there. She thought about to last night. After ransacking her room for a safe place to put Kaiba's deck, she had finally decided to hide the deck under the handkerchief in which the cut-glasses bottom of her perfume was kept in the box. And, couldn't think up a better place to keep the three Blue-Eyes-White-Dragon and Obelisk the Tormentor, she kept it on her.
As she walked out of the woods, a lush green field with flowers to the end of the horizon welcomed her as she obliged and filled her arms with the most fragrant blossoms. She didn't realize how big her bouquet was until she had reached the stables and the stable boy, Dan, 's eyes were widened with surprise.
"Going riding, Madam?" He asked politely. "I have Lawrence all ready. Uh…would you like me to take the flowers, Ma'am?"
Noticing for the first time what a big bouquet of flower she had in her possession, she blushed and shoved the blossoming spray at him. Lawrence Jr. a large back roan, nickered and trotted out from his stall. It was a known joke that the Master's black stallion was named Lawrence Sr. while her own beloved horse was Lawrence Jr.
"Lawrence!" She was delighted as the horse trotted over to her and placed his long nose on her shoulders, nuzzling her neck. "I've missed you so much." The three-year-old clot neighed, as if agreeing with her. Though he was huge for a pure Arabian, from the first time Nadina saw him, she knew he wouldn't hurt anyone from the gentleness in his eyes.
"Come on, Lawrence, do you want to go for a ride." Lawrence followed closely behind the girl like a well-trained puppy.
"Need a hand getting on the horse, Miss?" Dan's English accent inquired.
"No, I'll be fine." Nadina swung herself up on the horse. "Now then, my beauty," she leaned forward and whispered into the horse's ears. "Run like the wind, only you can take me away from here."
What a sight that met Dan's eyes as Lawrence reared up and galloped across the ring. He took a long jump across the fence and disappeared into the trees that lay beyond the Ishtar estate.
"Whoa, boy!" Nadina's leather gloved hands pulled Lawrence into a slow trot after flying with the wind for the last fifteen minutes. Lawrence's coat was covered with a shine of sweat, but he appeared not out of breath. If anything, the boyish spirit in the young horse was as boyish as ever as he pranced through their scenic surrounding.
All around them was surrounded with different shades of green. The trickling running water of a brook could be heard as she drew her horse near it to give him a cool drink.
"You know, Lawrence," she began as they continued their slow gait through the mystic mists. "My life is such a mess right now I don't even know how to start cleaning up." Lawrence whinnied in reply.
"No," she thought for a while. "I don't suppose I could clean up, even if I wanted to. You see, Seto Kaiba was supposed to be my brother's prisoner. If he's my brother's enemy, he should be mine too, then. But instead, I'm going against my brother to help Kaiba."
Impatient to run, Lawrence broke into a canter.
"Whose side am I on, anyway?" Nadina asked herself out loud. "You know, when Marik first came home, I was never the more happier to see him. But then…that horrible ordeal below the mansion. It made me wonder, where had my real Marik gone?"
She shook her head and her sun shined golden tresses bounced.
"Never mind that," her voice was soft. "You wouldn't have the answer to that. Kaiba always has answers for me. There had been so many times where I've needed someone to cry on and he had a shoulder ready. It wasn't hard to see why he was such a big enemy of Marik's, I suppose."
Lawrence stopped to munch on an apple that had dropped from the apple tree above. The Ishtar heiress reached up and picked an apple blossom. She studied it thoughtfully.
"You should have seen Kaiba. He was so gruff and difficult in the beginning that it was overbearing. But right after we understood each other, he's always been there for me. Whenever I'm sad or lonely or happy. You know what he said to me once? When I told him about Black Malone, wanting to wait till I'm eighteen to be engaged with him, he said, 'Humph, for a girl like you, it'll be worth waiting.' I was so surprised that I spilt the goblet of wine all over him."
Lawrence snickered and Nadina laughed.
"Then, of course, I had to apologize and promise him that I'll bring—"
"Eh! What be your business here? Ain't ye know that this be Ol' Joe's place!?" An old voice cracked through the air. Nadina felt her heart skip a beat as she gave a cry and swirled around. She faced an elderly man. His tanned face was lined with wrinkles of many years.
Her heart pounded even harder as the old hermit-like man hobbled over to her horse. Strangely, Lawrence refused to move when Nadina nudged him. He chewed calmly on his grass as the man moved under her. He squinted up at her and said, almost amazingly,
"Well, I'll be darned! Be you a girl?" Then, seeing her alarmed expression, he apologized. "Don't be you so nervous, girl. Flyer Joe won't hurt ya none."
What an interesting way of talking, Nadina thought to herself as she listened to the old man rattle on.
"—that lad Dan shoulda gave Ol' Joe a warning before letting a lass stumble across Joe. What be your name, young lass?"
Remembering her manners, Nadina politely replied, "I'm Nadina Ishtar, and my horse—Lawrence." He watched the silver-haired man
"Ye, I know this lad well. He visits me often." He rubbed a hand over Lawrence's nozzle gently. Then, squinting his eyes up at her again. "'Ishtar,' ye said?"
"Yes." Nadina was sure now that the mysterious old man means no harm by now. "Perhaps you know of my brother—Marik Ishtar?"
"Aye, young Master Marik?" He laughed gleefully. "Ol' Joe know of him, he ain't know of Ol' Joe." He, then, looked up at Nadina again. "It's a hot one today, lass, Ol' Joe's hut ain't far from here. Be you need a rest?"
Nadina almost refused, but seeing the elderly man's eager face, she consented. Lawrence followed Old Joe to a small shack.
"Do you live alone, uh…"
"Just 'Uncle Joe' is fine, lass. And yes, Ol' Joe's been living alone for as long as this here estate's been purchased."
"But aren't you lonely?" She felt a pity for the old man whom she had became fond of. Sure, she had thought he was crazy when he first emerged from behind the bush. But now that she knew him a little, she realized that he was just a lonely old man who had been apart from the human race for too long.
"Nay," Joe bustled around the tiny shack, which was messy but every item respectfully clean. "Ol' Joe's got Old Buck."
As if on cue, an old hound dog with a ragged look appeared from one of the inner rooms. He stretched, yawned, then trotted over to Nadina and sniffed her. Nadina looked around the small cabin. It looked cozy. Her eyes caught sight of something outside and her eyes widened.
"Uncle Joe, are you a pilot?" She asked, incredulously eyed the out of fashioned plane outside.
"Aye, Flyer Joe be a flyer ever since thirty-years ago. That there be a DC-3."
"Can you still fly that plane?"
"Aye, she be Ol' Joe's longest and bestest friend. As well-behaved as a bird in ye's nest."
Nadina was still staring at the plane when Joe stated, "Now then, lass, tell ye troubles to Ol' Joe." He handed her a cup of black coffee. The cup was chipped but clean and the hot coffee was welcoming.
"Troubles?" Nadina turned around. She must have looked startled because Joe laughed mirthfully.
"Aye, why be a young lass like ye be all by yeself in the middle of the woods?"
"My horse, wouldn't move forward…" She stated helplessly.
"That's because ye be urging it toward the creek."
"Oh…"
"From the first look at ye, Ol' Joe said to himself, 'Yes, this be the lass and that be the expression of trouble on her face.'"
After hearing that, Nadina burst into her energy consuming problem of Kaiba and her brother. After her outburst, she expected Joe to give her some advice and was surprised and disappointed when Joe just looked at her with his twinkling light blue eyes, which was now serious.
"Perhaps it's time ye returns?" He stood up and took the cup from her, ushering her toward her horse at the same time.
"But Uncle Joe," she protested, dusting herself off. "Don't you have some advice for me? You told me to tell you my troubles, I thought you would have some answers."
"Nope."
"Not even one little thing?" Joe looked at her as she swung up on her horse.
"Only this, lass: Follow ye's heart. Do what ye's heart tells ye' to do even though it means hurting the one ye loves. Tis'll be the right thing."
