Disclaimer: For my birthday yesterday, I received the honor to be the owner of Yu-Gi-Oh! so I am. Cool? It would be, if I actually did get it.
CHAPTER 7: The Tournament Starts
Serenity hummed to herself as she skipped down the way to her house. She shuffled the deck in her hands. She secretly hoped to learn some secrets for shuffling. If she was lucky enough she could learn from Seto himself. After all, she ran into him so many times it was hard to keep track. That was an exaggeration, but she did run into him a lot more than the average teenage girl who was fawning over him, and not all her experiences were good.
Actually, none of my experiences were good. I run into him and he purposely misleads me and I get punished by my sisters, and don't forget, he got a glimpse of me in something that was anything but concealing. Clearly, if Serenity could have erased any moment in history, the part with her clad only in her undergarments was most likely the winner.
Serenity shook her head and looked for a way to distract herself. She had better get home as soon as possible or else she was in major trouble. Not only did she not cook lunch, but also she was wearing some things that belonged to her sisters. Knowing how they treasured their stuff, it was not a good situation to be in. Looking up to find her way back, she found that she was a bit too late. She caught a glimpse of Téa dragging Mai back to the house. They were close enough to Serenity that they would see any attempt for Serenity to rush ahead. And if she let them go, they would reach the house a few seconds before she did. What Serenity needed was a distraction, and fast!!
"Why, never thought you'd be here………again," a cold voice said behind her. Serenity whipped around.
It's not me that needs distraction, it's my sisters! Serenity moaned at the glimpse of Prince Seto. He smirked at the sight of her.
"I'm glad to see that you're dressed more appropriately, Wheeler," he said. Serenity felt herself blush a violent shade of red.
"My last name is no longer Wheeler, it's Kaiba. It would be a lot less confusing if you called me Serenity."
"I see, well, what made you come into the market?" Serenity scowled and turned to look at her sisters. They had momentarily stopped to argue. Good, but I need to get out and fast!
"Would you mind doing me a favor?" Serenity asked. "Can you distract my sisters, please?" Seto chuckled.
"And why would I want to help you, Wheeler?"
"Because……… you have a kind heart?" Serenity was clearly putting words into sentences without any thought. After all, in the prospect of Kaiba, kind heart was not an efficient way to describe anything.
"Since when?" Kaiba replied. Serenity bit her lip. Her sisters were still arguing, and that was good, but how much longer would it last.
"Since now. Please?" Seto pretended to sigh as if giving up.
"Sure, whatever. But only because it's you and not some other girl."
"Oh, I feel so special." Serenity made sure to use a sarcastic voice. Seto turned around with a smirk.
"You ought to," he said. "I don't usually develop a liking to many girls." Serenity almost dropped her deck. She forgot it was in her hand. Is Seto joking, or is he sincere? He sounds sincere, and since it's such a contrast to his usual self, it could be true. But then, I've got to notice the smirk.
Seto turned around and began to walk up to Téa and Mai. Serenity couldn't help but smile. Later on, she'd be sure to tell them that she was the one who sent him to them. After all, they probably couldn't wait until the moment they would actually get to meet the prince, and that moment was going to come very soon.
………
"I told you, Mai!" Téa almost yelled. "I need to practice." She was in the process of dragging Mai home when suddenly Mai stopped.
"I suddenly got a great idea!" Mai protested. "Since you're going to use all Earth monsters, I want to use all Wind."
"Oh Mai, you're contradicting yourself. At first you're saying that it's bad to use all one type, and now you're saying you want to?"
"You're doing it, why can't I?"
"Sure, go blame it on me! I don't care. Either way, I'll still win the tournament and marry Seto, and you'll be sorry."
"The prince would never like you. As soon as he sets eyes on me, he'll be head over heals for me."
"Get with it, Mai! Prince Seto will love me best!"
"Will not!"
"Will too!"
"Will not!"
"Will too!"
"Will not!"
"Will too!"
"Will not!"
"Will too!"
"Will not!"
"Will too!"
"Will not!"
"Will too!"
"Will not!"
"Will too!"
"Will not!"
"Will too!"
"Excuse me, may I help you?" Téa and Mai turned toward the speaker. After a few seconds of silence between the three of them, Téa and Mai screamed silently. Standing before them was the very man they ever wanted to meet so badly.
"S-S-S-S-S-S-Seto!" Téa gushed in a very girly voice. Seto fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"You make a very good snake," he remarked cruelly. Obviously, Téa was too bedazzled by his sight to make sense of what he was saying.
"Thank you!" Téa cried.
"My name's Mai!" Mai stepped in front of Téa and gave a flip of her long blonde hair.
"I know," Seto replied. "You're Mai and Téa Kaiba, daughters of Gozaburo Kaiba, leader of the Kaiba Corporation that makes technology for dueling when we are still going around by carriage." Téa and Mai stared at him.
"Y-y-y-y-y-you know us?" Téa stammered.
"Of course, why wouldn't I know such beautiful ladies as yourself when you're as famous as I am?" Téa and Mai nearly fainted. They wished this moment would never end. Meanwhile, Seto hoped that Serenity had enough time to go home and do whatever she needed to. It was starting to become a bit annoying for his job.
………
Serenity raced home as fast as she could. She didn't know what she was going to make for lunch. She wasn't the greatest at making meals anyway. She saw Téa and Mai totally engulfed with Seto as she slipped past them. They never noticed her. With a sigh of relief, she ran all the way home to her house. She quickly changed into an ordinary brown dress and tied her hair up in a messy ponytail. If she were lucky, her sisters wouldn't notice her fresh appearance.
Serenity had just gathered all her ingredients and turned on the stove when her sisters walked in. She had decided to make spaghetti and was interrupted by the bell just when she found the tomato sauce.
Great. I'm going to have to have some explaining to do. I just found one meal I can make with the stuff we had at home, and now I won't even be able to make it. Serenity sighed as she went to open the door. When she did, she let out a gasp. Mai and Téa stood there beaming. Behind them Seto stood with a very annoyed expression, especially for Serenity and no one else.
"Seren, look who led us home?" Téa gushed. Serenity fought the urge to laugh at the prince's sour expression.
"Hello, your Highness," Serenity greeted respectfully. Seto smirked. He knew she wouldn't address him so formally if her sisters weren't there.
"Well," Seto cleared his throat, "now that you guys are safely back home, I'll be going now. Bye girls."
"I wish you could stay," Téa insisted.
"After all, it would be awfully rude to go right now," Mai agreed. Seto searched his brain for an excuse.
"Well, you see, I can't stay right now. I'm sure you girls would be wonderful company, but I've had………you see, I do not get along quite so well with your little sister." Téa and Mai rounded on Serenity.
"How dare you!" Téa cried. "Of all the nerve! You dare to not get along with his Highness, the prince. You bring disgrace upon our name."
HOW DARE SETO SAY THAT! Serenity was having a mental explosion. Now my sisters will kill me. All right, Seto, you wanna do that? I can do whatever you can. Serenity pretended to be guilty.
"I am so sorry, sisters. I did not mean to dishonor our family," she lied. "I, just as you two, was hoping the prince could stay so that I can apologize to him. I hope he will stay and at least join in lunch." Téa and Mai turned back to Seto.
"Yes!" Mai exclaimed. "You must stay for lunch! It would be such an honor!" Seto glared back at Serenity.
"I am afraid I'm not too hungry. I wouldn't want for the food to grow cold. Then, you wouldn't be able to eat it." Téa and Mai looked downcast, but Serenity just smirked.
"Oh really. Well, this is your lucky day, your Highness. It just so happens that I wasn't able to decide what to make. Therefore, lunch is not ready yet. If you will stay, lunch can be made whenever you want it to be." Téa and Mai perked up again.
"Oh yes!" Seto tried to make up his mind on another excuse. He had plenty, but none were suited for this particular situation. He hated to admit it, but the Prince Seto, the one who was said to be an excellent strategist and smart, now had to admit defeat at the hands of Serenity. If he refused the offer, it would have been very rude. He'd have to face his parents' lecture on Royal Etiquette. If he did accept, he would be stuck with the two brats for at least two hours, but that was way better than a lecture.
"Alright, I'll stay, but only for a short while."
"Good," Serenity said. Clapping her hands together, she went off to the kitchen to prepare lunch, leaving an ecstatic Mai and Téa alone with a grumpy Prince Seto.
………
The days went by so quickly it was hard to imagine. Serenity managed to sneak out of the house in the evening every day to go to the game shop for her lessons. It wasn't so hard to sneak off for about an hour, since her sisters started to check up on her less and less. She just had to say she was cleaning the third floor and sneak off through a window. Her sisters wouldn't notice unless she was gone the whole night. The crash course she received from Mr. Solomon Motou was enough to get her through the basics and a few strategies. That, plus watching her sisters every now and then, gave her enough practice. The only thing was, she had never had a real duel herself.
Soon, it was finally the evening of the ball! At around five, Serenity was forced to help her sisters ready themselves.
"Oh my gosh!" Téa gushed. "I hope the prince likes my new outfit." Téa spun around and did an over-dramatic curtsey. She had on a dark red silk gown that was long enough to sweep the floor. Multicolored flowers were embroidered around the low neckline and hem. The bodice had white stones sewn in, bordering diagonal ruffles. The skirt was layered with golden netting, the same used for the sleeves that reached her fingertips. It did look pretty. Her hair was put up in a small bun, a few small strands framing her face.
"Pretty, but not beautiful like mine," Mai bragged, admiring herself in the mirror. She had on a lavender gown. The style was the exact same as her sisters, except she had blued stones and silver netting. Her hair was set in the same wavy style she liked best, but it shimmered with purple, blue, and silver glitter. "Don't you think, Cinder?"
"Yeah, both of you look pretty," she said rather flatly. It was not a lie, by any means, but it wasn't the whole truth either. Sure they were pretty, but compared to the other girls that lived down the street they'd be as pretty as a cow compared to a peacock.
"I just wish I had Aquaria's eyes though," Mai said wishfully. "You know that girl I used to practice my duel with? She has like such pretty blue eyes. I've always liked that color in eye shades."
"The prince has blue eyes," Serenity remarked. Obviously her sisters had already thought about that because the expression on their faces easily told that they were daydreaming for the thousandth time. Serenity rolled her eyes and finished tying the golden sash to Téa's outfit.
"I want Flarina's hair," Téa said. "It's long and bright red." Mai sighed.
"It's too catchy. I wouldn't want red hair. It clashes horribly with purple or blue. Well, maybe not blue."
"Anyways," Téa interrupted. She finished applying some lipstick, the final part of her makeup. "I hope we get to duel the prince."
"I know! He's soooooooo cute………………………" Serenity droned out the rest of the conversation and focused on cleaning up the counter. She would have to find a way to somehow get to the ball. She didn't think her sisters would let her, and she certainly didn't have any plan, at least not logical.
Come on Serenity, think!! No fairy is going to pop out of somewhere and give you a dragon to ride to the castle. Come on, think!
"You know," Mai said, revisiting the mirror as Serenity finished combing her hair out. "I would have had a fan that would have matched perfectly with this outfit, if someone hadn't lost all the packages." Serenity rolled her eyes as she put away the brush.
"With a duel disk in one hand and cards in the other, I doubt you'll be able to hold it up," Serenity retorted. Surprisingly enough, Mai nodded.
"True," she agreed. "Very true, but that's still not an excuse." Mai went over to the window and looked out.
"The carriages are here!" she announced. "Hurry, we don't want to be late." Téa looked at herself one last time before hurrying after Mai.
"Get some cleaning done!" Téa reminded as she stepped out, closing the door behind her. After all the talking those two did, Serenity felt the house seemed very empty without them. With a sigh, she sat down on a small seat next to the fireplace. She was out of ideas. Serenity glanced at the cool cinders in the grate. It would take a miracle to get to the ball now.
………
Unfortunately for Mai and Téa, the carriage ride to the castle was neither comfortable nor fast. The horse refused to take more than a few steps per minute. A few times when it did manage to spring a few galloping strides, the road was so bumpy that Mai and Téa bounced all the way.
At exactly half past six, they reached the castle. Mai glared at the carriage driver before finally catching up to her sister. They skipped up the steps as fast as they could. Hopefully, they hadn't missed anything. Mai gritted her teeth. We better not have missed anything! She was interrupted from her thoughts when Téa pulled on her sleeve and pointed to the top of the stairs. Mai looked up and gasped. The prince was standing at the top, as if waiting for them.
"I knew I saw someone coming at the last minute," he muttered with a smirk. The two girls reached the top and curtseyed.
"Sorry, are we late?" Téa asked anxiously.
"No," Seto stated. "But by no means are you early. What took you so long? And where's Serenity?"
"You didn't really expect a servant girl to come to the ball, did you your Highness?" Mai inquired. Seto shook his head with another of his trademark smirks.
"I didn't expect her to. I would have thought you foolish if you had brought her. Anyway, hurry. The tournament starts soon." He eyed both of the sisters one last time. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw another girl walk – or rather, run – up the stairs. He turned to look at her and Mai and Téa followed his gaze. The girl that had caught their attention was in a pretty pink gown with layers and layers of frills. It had a black veil that covered her whole face and even her hair. For a moment, the figure turned and caught their gaze. Time seemed to stop. Finally, the figure, aware of what she was doing, quickly bounded up the stairs and disappeared from sight.
Weird, Seto thought. Why do I have the feeling I know her?