A/N: I'm sooooo pleased that you all like the story so far...hopefully it won't be too hard for me to keep updating. I'm moving back down to my home, it still has no electric thanks to hurricane Frances, but we're staying with friends down there that are up and going. Hopefully they have a DSL line I can plug my laptop into...we'll see, if not electric should be back in my house the 19th...Anyway, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters from it...I own my own characters (and I'd love to rent Kaiba for a few years...)

Dragon Master's Mistress: Thank you for the great review! I can't wait to check out your stories.

Seto Lover: I know Seto would hate to be the knight, but I have to go there. He won't lose his edge I promise or else it wouldn't be Kaiba would it? I'm hoping all the set up with suspense is paying off, or at least will in the end. Thanks for more great input...

Mukyuu Tenshi: Am I making him too soft? I hope not...let me know please...

Thanks for the reviews please keep R&R so I know what I'm doing right and wrong...

Chapter 9

Kaiba's eyes left his laptop the instant he heard the elevator descend. Having a private entrance to his office meant the elevator was for his use solely. He got up and walked over to the doors, she would be here in just minutes. He had to admit that he missed her presence. She provoked him, but not always in a bad way. She made no sense; she had slapped him, but then asked him to dinner. She insulted him, but told him her deepest secrets. She fell and yet she laughed because he was laughing. He was mesmerized. He frowned when he saw the floor number decreasing instead of increasing. Was she going to a different floor? Why? He furiously started hitting his call button.

The elevator stopped at the car bay area. Did she misunderstand him? Maybe she was trying him again. He did tell her to 'come to him' maybe she was refusing to bend to him. Once again his blood pressure shot up. He would just have to go after her. The elevator was finally returning to him. When the doors opened it was empty. He got in quickly and started to repeatedly press the floor she had gotten off on. It was the longest ride down and he mentally noted that he wanted the elevator fixed to go faster, it was taking too long.

When the doors opened he realized the heavens had as well. He parked outside because the night had been so nice, now he regretted it. He scanned the parking area for her. Where the hell did she go? He noted the car was there...his heart lurched in his chest...he saw her crumpled on the ground next to the car. He raced over to her, whoever did this would be severely dealt with.

He cursed out loud, he should have never left her alone. What the hell was he thinking when she was in such a precarious position? He looked around as the torrents fell, scanning the area for the culprit who dragged her out here. He turned her onto her back, from her fetal position. He glanced over her, looking for blood or a blatant injury. Seeing none he scooped her up into his arms. She felt cold, that frightened him. He got back into the elevator and rode it up to his office.

She was limp against him, but she was shivering which meant she was at least alive. His own hands were shaking. She had to be all right. He would have given anything to have her argue to be put down, even a slap was better than this. He pulled her tighter to his chest, her face was buried against his neck. He felt her draw in a ragged breath, he closed his eyes and decided to fire the man who installed this slow elevator.

When the doors opened he carried her over to the couch, he reluctantly put her down. He knew he had to shut off the elevator in order to prevent her attacker from finding them. Once this was done he walked back to her. She looked destroyed and his heart sank. Her hair was in knotted, wet tangles all around her, her clothes were soaked through and dirty from the ground, her face pale but, by far, the worst thing was the tears. He started to stroke her face and he whispered her name.

"Iolite," the name feeling unfamiliar on his lips, "come on now you have to wake up."

He slapped her face lightly, to rouse her. "Iolite, open your eyes. You're safe now. Whoever did this is gone." He was kneeling beside her, dripping wet himself. She finally started coming around. When she opened her eyes his face was inches from hers.

"Seto..."

"I'm right here. Who did this?" He tried to control his anger, he didn't want her to think he was mad. Then again, he wasn't mad he was incensed. His fingers were stroking her cheek, her eyes opened, but looked wild. She jumped and pulled back and away from him. He wasn't about to let her go.

Quickly he moved close again, she couldn't shut down.

"What happened? Who did this? Come on Highness you need to start telling me."

She started shaking her head, what could she say? Her brothers were coming for her like a child and then would hand her over to Mortimer, like a prostitute. Was it embarrassment, no, it was defeat and she was mortified. He was the last person she wanted aware of her predicament.

"Where is he?

Somewhere in her fog she heard Kaiba questioning her. "Where is who?"

"The man or men who did this to you." She must have been hurt bad because she couldn't seem to focus, he thought to himself.

She was finally beginning to understand, he thought she was attacked. Did she look that bad? She shook her head and snapped out of her trance. He could see the fire returning to her eyes. He sighed, she had scared the hell out of him.

"What happened?" His voice had a hard edge, he wanted answers...now.

"I...I...I can't tell you." She was stammering, what could she say?

"You can and you will or I'll shake it out of you," his hands tightened around her shoulders. He didn't want to hurt her, but she had scared him out of his mind.

Her fog cleared completely and she looked into his eyes. There was terror and confusion there. He was concerned about her...hadn't he called her 'Iolite'? He had never done that before, she smiled at him.

He couldn't believe the smile. Where the hell had that come from?! He stood up and turned his back to her. For a few minutes he thought she was mortally wounded, and now, here she was smiling at him. He didn't know whether he should strangle her or kiss her senselessly.

"I'm fine Kaiba," she admonished, "temporary brain drain."

It was back to Kaiba, he rather liked hearing his name on her lips. He turned back to her. "I deserve an explanation, you collapsed in the parking lot! You were suppose to come up here when you were done, why the detour? Who or what possessed you to leave the building? Do you know the jeopardy you could have put yourself in?!"

She tried to level her gaze at him, but failed miserably as the contents of the letter again reared in her mind. She was a piece of meat, probably expensive meat (she wondered how much Mortimer paid for her return) but meat nonetheless. What would that demon do to her? She shivered and an involuntary tear slid down her cheek.

Kaiba's demeanor softened at her tear. For some reason he knew tears came at a great price to her. She wouldn't waste them on trivial things. He walked back to her and kneeled beside her. He softly stroked the tear away. She granted him another smile.

"You're this upset because of the computer," he whispered, he finally got it.

"What did you find out Highness? Is it your Father? Has something else gone wrong?"

He had her, "I can't tell you."

"Why not? Maybe I can help. Kaiba Corp is a billion dollar company. I could do something to help."

This was not the same man who argued with her, what had gotten into him? She nervously twirled a damped curl between her fingers. He stayed her hand with his own.

"I'm afraid all the money in Kaiba Corp is useless to me. It isn't a money issue on my part anymore." Another tear slipped down her cheek.

"What is the issue?" He asked, sure that his money could change whatever her problem was.

"Go read my e-mail, you'll see."

He stood up and went to his laptop. He remembered the access code and the address. It was wonderful to have a photogenic memory. He traced his way to her mail. After it opened his eyes raced over the letter. It couldn't be. Had his stupidity sealed her fate? If he had stayed away from the interests would that have saved her? Had he undermined her effort to save herself? He hung his head, what had he done?

She whispered in a haunted voice. "I won't be able to run from my brothers anymore, they sold me to Robert Mortimer." She stood up and in a raw voice exclaimed, "I'm a Royal whore."

Part 2

A short time had passed in Kaiba's office. He made her change into a shirt of his. Keeping clothes in the office was a habit of his, for when he pulled all nighters. He also changed into dry clothes. They hardly spoke, just a few curt words. Kaiba had called on his best attorneys to see what they could do to prevent this deportation. The only thing that was certain was until Aron became King he had no power over her. After, it was her duty to obey, or be declared a traitor to her throne. Kaiba had 4 days to save her. He had put her in this hard place. He figured out too late that she was going to try to bring down Mortimer in order to render him penniless. If she had accomplished that her brothers would have had no interest in him. She would have been safe until the next highest bidder came along.

He looked at her, she was standing before the window looking out over the city. The sunlight was streaming in, bathing her in a golden glow. His shirt barely reached her knees, he smiled absently, she had the longest legs. Her hair was, after much frustration with knots, neatly pulled into a French braid. Her features were solemn. He could stare at her for hours. She glanced over at him and smiled.

How would he protect her from her brothers? How would he, a non-royal person, protect a princess from a king? His secretary's buzz crashed reality into him. Raine and Mokuba had arrived. He told her to send them in.

A shiver raced down her spine, Raine was going to kill her for running off with Kaiba. She walked over to his desk, in an effort to let him shield her.

Kaiba noticed her apprehension, "It's my fault, not yours and I'll explain it to Raine."

She nodded, "thanks."

Raine stormed in with Mokuba smiling in tow.

"Just what in the hell did the two of you think you were doing? She could have been spotted, or worse, taken! You pulled her away from a safe zone and into an area that could have gotten her killed! I thought maybe between the both of you there were a few brain cells! What were you thinking?!"

Kaiba felt her shrinking behind him, he was not use to being yelled at and it took him by surprise.

"Get over here young lady..." Raine growled.

Kaiba was shocked as she approached the enraged man. Part of him wanted to shove her back behind him.

"I could kill you," Raine snarled as he pulled her into a tight embrace, "don't ever do that to me again."

Kaiba's tension left him.

The four of them sat down once the coffee came and Iolite explained everything to Raine and Mokuba.

"I have no idea what to do Raine," she sunk into the couch.

"We'll run and keep running," Raine grabbed her hand, "Be a traitor, a criminal even, but don't let that bastard get his hands on you."

"She won't run," Kaiba said with determination in his voice, "she'll stay here."

"If she stays they'll find her and then she'll become Mortimer's 'play-thing' and I won't have that." Raine retaliated. "You can't protect her Kaiba, running will."

Mokuba shot up, "He can protect her!"

Iolite smiled at the boy, he believed his big brother was superman. Unfortunately he wasn't. "Mokuba," she said gently kneeling in front of him, "Kaiba can do a lot, but saving me isn't in his power. I have to leave."

"He can save you, I know how." Mokuba whispered to her.

"How?" Kaiba almost yelled at him. If there was anything he could do he would, and gladly.

"Marry her, before Aron becomes king."

All eyes fell on the boy. It seemed as if everyone had ceased breathing.

Kaiba's mind raced, make her his wife? He wanted her, desperately, but wife? He hardly knew her. What he knew was a challenge, she fought him constantly, how would that make a marriage?

"You could stay married long enough for her to be safe and then you could end the marriage." Raine added, "It could be a marriage of convenience."

"You'd be a Prince Big Brother," Mokuba chimed in.

Iolite felt the room spinning; she was intrigued by him, but not enough for a marriage. She barely trusted him. What would this marriage mean? She couldn't go through with it.

"You don't have to Kaiba," she let him off the hook. "I'll marry Ryan."

"Do you think he won't be tracked to here?" Raine yelled at her, "If he were to come here for you, both of you would be in trouble. They're waiting for him to make a move so they can find you! For someone so smart you're acting stupid."

"I could marry someone else..." she panicked as Kaiba's eyes narrowed on her.

"Would marriage to me be so bad?" Kaiba rounded the table and approached her.

"I have no idea what it would be, but I do know you won't want to." She tried to move away from him, but he kept coming. "I could marry Joey...if Mai said yes. Yugi is so involved with Tea, maybe Serenity would let me..." she ran out of room as her back slammed into the bookcase. He had her cornered.

"You'll marry me," Kaiba said fiercely. The mere fact that she was considering marrying anyone else infuriated him.

Raine and Mokuba slipped out of the room, this was one battle they wanted to avoid being in the middle of.

"I won't," she stammered.

"Why not?" He demanded. "You'd rather marry one of those geeks?

His mouth was inches away from hers. "You make me too nervous. It would never work, besides you..."

She never finished her thought, Kaiba's mouth claimed hers. It was a rough kiss at first, but quickly became a teasing kiss, as they tasted each other thoroughly. His mouth was amazing as it claimed her top, then bottom lip. Her tongue tentatively sought his and he rewarded her with a groan. His arms wrapped around her waist and her fingers slid through his hair. She pressed herself close to him, reveling in his warmth. His mouth left hers, in order to burn a path to her neck. She was a passionate creature and he wanted to test her limits. Soft kisses burned her neck, his teeth raked the soft skin at the hollow of her throat. She tasted like heaven. He moved to her ear, breathing heavily against it. Her body was rebelling against her, wanting him, she always kept herself in check, but he was pulling the walls down.

"Say you'll marry me," he growled against her ear. "Say it..."

"Kaiba please," she sounded desperate.

"Say yes highness," his tongue flicked her delicate earlobe, she practically melted into him.

"No, it's not right," she tried to reason.

His breath was on her ear again, "Say yes Highness." Softly his mouth explored her neck again, his hot breath making her knees weak, soon she would be relying soley on his strength to keep her up.

"Kaiba..." she implored.

His arms held her tighter, crushing her against his body while his mouth tantalized her ear and neck. She couldn't deny him much longer.

"You're mine Iolite...say it..."

"Yes..." she relented.

His mouth claimed hers again and she eagerly returned his passion.

A/N: I had to show his human side here...the Seto we all know and love will return in the next chapter I promise. I know 'cause it is all ready written...