A/N: I thought I would get this out sooner, but with three stories going and only one proofreader I'm on her time schedule. So, without any further waiting here is the next installment... Oh, I don't own Yu-gi-oh, my hat is off to the creator, without whom I would be quite bored and uninspired...
Chapter 26
"We're going to finish this tonight. You will not storm out of this room until we settle our dispute." Kaiba's tone was sharp.
"This is hardly a minor dispute Kaiba and I don't think we will be able to finish this in one night. Besides I'm pretty much done, I've said all I have to say to you." She tried to sound firm, but her feelings for him lurked, dangerously, at the surface. When had she started to want him? She had made herself a promise to hold him at arms length, when had she let him in?
"I won't allow retribution for my actions. They weren't motivated by greed." Kaiba was doing his best to remain as calm with her as possible though his voice was almost a growl at that point.
"If not greed, why Kaiba? Why did you buy the interests in the first place? It happened before I agreed to marry you, I just can't understand your motives. You've put me through hell, deprived me of my freedom and extinguished the one way I could have avenged myself." She was beginning to sound desperate for answers. Her heart was pounding in a rhythm that matched the thunder in her head that threatened to rip her skull apart.
Kaiba thought about explaining why to her, but came up with nothing. Originally, when he realized she knew how to raid companies he had been concerned she would try to destroy Kaiba Corp.. However, that wasn't his reason for purchasing the shares.
He didn't like the fact that she was playing with Mortimer. Mortimer was too dangerous to toy with and even though her intentions were to destroy the man he could have easily retaliated. She would have been at the receiving end of his wrath, but that wasn't his true motive. He wanted her, he slowly realized. By purchasing the shares he had insured her presence in his world. She had slipped beaneth his skin.
She turned her back to him and began to rub her temples. She wondered if this was what an aneurysm felt like.
He knew she was upset, had just experienced the worst verbal lashing he had ever received from a woman, and yet he felt the urge to comfort her? The only person he ever comforted was Mokuba, he wouldn't know where to start with a woman. Would she even let him?
"I see no need to explain my purpose. I already told you what's done is done. It was in your best interest." His voice sounded harsher than he had intended, he cursed at himself.
"Why do you care what's best for me?" She asked, finally sounded defeated. "What am I to you? I serve no purpose in your life. You have your business to satisfy your ambition, your dueling challenges your intellect and your brother holds your heart." She slowly turned to look at him. He was standing there arousing every one of her senses and yet he had no clue he had captured her very essence. The one person who had come to mean so much to her had no need for her.
He wanted to tell her how wrong her reasoning was, but that would show he could be weak and that was forbidden.
They stood there, her eyes pleading, his eyes cold, but no longer as distant.
"Please Kaiba, if there is even a bare hint of compassion towards me in you, please just go." She implored, not wanting to give him more ammunition with her tears. Her open vulnerability when he was around proved to her that he now possessed her soul. The final stab to her heart came in the realization that she had nothing of his.
He wanted to say something, anything, but the words died in his throat. The need to take her in his arms, despite the protests he was sure she'd make, was almost overwhelming. Resistance was his and with a frayed sigh he turned and left her alone in the room.
The click of the door shutting shattered her resolve. Her sobs caught her off guard and even as she lowered herself onto the bed she asked herself again and again if she could just be on the giving end of this marriage. Would she be able to endure a loveless marriage with a man who's heart made the artic seem balmy? Could she lay her heart, mind and soul bare to Seto Kaiba, expect nothing in return and find the tiniest shard of happiness?
Seto made his way through the mansion, not really sure where he was heading or what to think. One question kept circling his mind like a ravenous shark circling a struggling fish, why did he force the marriage? It wasn't because she was beautiful, he had been with beautiful women before. Her intelligence was more appealing than her looks, she ran a muti-million dollar company with ease and undercover. She, at her young age, could hack into the most complicated system and raid corporations like swatting at flies, still her abilities weren't what he desired. Why didn't he simply give her the shares? He contemplated the question harder than he planned a move in dueling.
Upon entering his office he noticed the drapes were gone, she hated drapes and loved the sunlight. She had rearranged the furniture so his desk now sat perpendicular to the window, instead of having his back to the window. He could see his door and look out onto the gardens. He smirked, she wanted him to see the outside world. He sat behind the desk and tried to convince himself that he wasn't moving the furniture back because of the late hour and the noise it would create. She had thought of him while he was away, why else had she taken the time to do this?
A scowl replaced the almost serene look on his face. She occupied too much of his thoughts, he wasted too much time thinking about her and valuable amounts of energy were used to figure her out. He would keep her around because Mokuba liked her and that was that. From this point forward he would steer clear of his wife.
Iolite woke in the morning and started her tasks. She showered and dressed, pulling her hair up in a long ponytail to keep it out of her way. Today she would have the fishpond cleaned by the 2 gardeners she had seen fit to keep. They were, in her estimation, the only ones who had any knowledge of plants and grounds. She would begin interviewing replacements for the men she had fired next week.
She went down the hall and knocked on Mokuba's door, "are you up yet?" She called in then waited for a response. The door clicked open and a radiant smile greeted her.
"I was hoping we could plan something fun for today." She smiled down at him.
"Like what?" He asked as they headed for the stairs.
"I don't know, after I do a little work around here I figured we could do something to celebrate my staying."
"You do so much around here," he sighed heavily. "Why have hired help?"
She smiled at Mokuba, "I'm just getting things to run smoothly. Soon I'll have everything running like clock work and then I'll have to find other things to do."
"Like run your company?" He asked giggling.
"I do that too Mokuba. I had to run a palace in Valkaria and start my company from scratch. I think I can handle the Kaiba Mansion and Cathway." She smiled, "Now, I'm starving-I'll race you to the kitchen..." She took off, but then let him catch up and take the lead down the back stairs into the kitchen.
Kaiba hadn't slept the whole night, instead he sat up and worked mercilessly. He explored the ins and outs of Mortimer's company, already he was starting to reconfigure the operating systems and change key passwords. He would start interviews with the higher ups and commence the firing of anyone who posed a threat. He didn't think there would be many loyalists, seeing as Robert Mortimer was a tyrant, but he had to be sure.
The sun coming up told Kaiba that it was time to stop. He stood up and stretched, his eyes were tired, but his mind was racing. He would have a cup of coffee and then try to talk to Iolite again. Maybe in the light of morning she would see the wrongness in her way of thinking.
He left his office, but instead of going to the kitchen he went out into the garden. What he saw there infuriated him. All of his plants were cut back, new flowers were everywhere and only two men were working. Where was the crew he had hired? He approached the men and heard, though he already safely guessed, that this was her doing. She had fired everyone.
Coming around the back of the house he saw huge mounds of mulch ready to be distributed , he hadn't ordered this...
He tried to swallow his anger when he saw his cars, lined up in a row, being worked on. The mechanic gave him a scared smile.
"Hello sir," he managed at Kaiba's frown.
"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Iolite," he started, but then thought the better of that, "Miss Iolite...uh...the Princess. that is...Mrs. Kaiba..."
"Spit it out already, I'm losing my patience." He was furious by now, how dare she order his cars touched?!
"She wanted the oil changed and a routine maintenance schedule set up. She decided we should start fresh by changing the oil, filters, and fluids, plus do the rotations and checks on everything....Sir..."
"Oh did she, and you obeyed?" He was ready to throttle the shaking man.
"You weren't around to confirm, and seeing as she let most of the staff go..."
Kaiba turned on his heel at that comment and made his way into the house. Now he was ready to strangle his bride. It wasn't bad enough that she painted, rearranged furniture and had become a horticulturist she also elected herself auto mechanic. It was time to explain to her who was in charge here.
He burst into the kitchen with a look on his face that would have sent the most formidable duelist to his knees. Mokuba was happily eating a plate of waffles while his wife was on her hands and knees cleaning out the food pantry.
"Good morning big brother!" Mokuba called out cheerfully.
He grunted his hello and set his sights on his wife. He was sure he would be a widower in a matter of minutes.
"Just what are you up to?" He growled behind her.
She was so startled by his nearness that she jumped up, slamming her head on an upper shelf, causing a bag of flour to rain down on her.
"Damn it Kaiba, must you sneak up on me?!" She went from being on her hands and knees to being on her backside, rubbing the bump that was forming on her head. She softly brushed the flour out of her face and stood.
"I have issues to discuss with you Highness."
"I'm busy." She answered flippantly. Defying him with those blue eyes that were again flashing amethyst with rage at him.
"Then you'll have to make time," he grabbed her by the upper arm and dragged her from the room. Mokuba saw the exchange between Iolite and Seto. He shrugged and continued to eat his breakfast, knowing that his interference wasn't necessary.
When Kaiba had dragged her into the dining room he stopped and turned to face her.
"Did you know your jaw ticks when you're angry?" She mocked him, smiling sweetly, "Is it because you're clenching your teeth?"
"You're on dangerous ground Highness." For once he wished she'd smile at him for a good reason.
"You're not making any sense. Why are you annoyed with me now? Because it's Saturday?!"
"What do you think you're doing in my house?! You've changed far too much. I'm in charge here and your meddling will stop now." His eyes flashed a dangerous blue.
"Just what don't you approve of? My meddling or my ability to run your household in your absence?" She folded her arms across her chest.
"You've changed everything!" He moved closer to her in an attempt of intimidation.
"Only what needed to be changed." She stood her ground.
"What did you do to the gardens, for starters..." He was inches away from her face.
"They needed to be trimmed back, it was an overgrown jungle out there. If it hadn't been dead-headed everything would have died." She replied matter-of-factly.
"You fired my gardeners!" He yelled.
"They were incompetent, I'll be hiring new ones Monday." She shrugged.
"What about moving the furniture and painting?"
"I put things in order and a paint job was more than necessary. You have to keep up with the maintenance of a home." She spoke to him as if he were a moron.
"My cars?!" He raged.
"Do you remember the last time they were worked on? You realize the 3000 mile rule right? Well, there is a 3 month rule too...whichever comes first. I figured we would start with a clean slate and keep up with it on an as needed basis at that point." She was trying to use logic, but he was still seeing red.
"From this point forward," his eyes narrowed, "everything is to be left up to me, understand?"
"So," She agreed, "I am to let your gardens die, your cars rot, your staff be incompetent and goof off, those who aren't incompetent are to be mistreated, oh and your house is to show it's age and become decrepit? Is there anything else?" She was now arguing using his tone of voice.
He frowned, not knowing how to react. "Stay out of my way Highness."
He left her standing there, not knowing what to think. She sighed then headed back into the kitchen to clean up her mess.
The next few weeks were horrible. She ignored him, unless he directly spoke to her. Every time he would enter a room she was in, abruptly she would leave finding some excuse that was more worthy of her time.
She would neither look at him nor speak to him. The colder she treated him the hotter his fury burned.
"Stay!" He ordered one night as he entered the dining room to join her and Mokuba for dinner. She was in the middle of rising out of her chair, he was sure she was attempting to leave.
"Of course Master Seto Kaiba sir..." She curtsied with her head bowed, her eyes never meeting his. This was worse to him than when she hurled insults. At least her insults meant that she still thought of him, even if it was in anger.
One day he caught a glimpse of her, her eyes looked red and puffy as if she had been crying. That wasn't possible seeing as he was the one being punished. He had shown he wanted to resolve things, as soon as she agreed he was right, but she had chosen to despise him regardless of his magnanimous gestures.
Days passed and she was still frigid. He would hear her laughter, but the second she would lay eyes on him the smile would die on her face. At times he tried to make her angry, he even thought of shaking her to get her to respond. Anything was better than the way she looked right through him. She would cuddle up with Mokuba and read for hours. Tea and Mai would come over and they would giggle and laugh, even Yugi had a running dialogue with his wife. The staff adored her, they did ten times the work they use to. She had rearranged schedules to accommodate children and families. She even pitched in and helped with menial tasks, never ordering, but simply asking.
Meanwhile, he worked harder than ever. He basically moved into his office. He would work all day at headquarters and then come home and work more. Dark circles appeared under his eyes and he began to feel unnecessary in his own home. Mokuba still tried to gain his attention, but Kaiba closed himself down, throwing himself into keeping Kaiba Corp. on top and continuing the transition of Mortimer's company. She was another story, he found himself making excuses to be near her, just to see if he could touch her. Being away was easier than being so near yet so unwelcome.
She cried daily, almost making herself sick. She plunged headlong into work in an attempt to keep her mind off of him. The days that Mokuba was at school were the worst, at least when he was around she had someone to laugh with. She tried to convince herself that she hated Kaiba, but found herself wanting to run to his arms every second of every day. A few times footsteps stopped at the bedroom door late at night. She would wait, praying silently that he would come in and all would be forgiven and forgotten. She dreamt many times of him slipping into bed beside her, leaning over her in the dark.
"What?" she asked an annoyed looking Yugi.
"How long are you going to punish Kaiba? I don't think I've ever seen him look so gloomy." Yugi sat down beside her and took her hand. His warm eyes gave her little comfort.
"I don't think I can forgive him Yugi. He took my freedom by betraying my trust. I think that with his abandonment is not worth my heart." A tear slipped down her cheek.
"You already gave him your heart. Didn't you?"
She nodded her head slowly, not honestly having a clue when it had happened, only that it did.
"What do I do?" She asked Yugi.
"Why don't you tell him?"
"He'll never love me back, everything I give will be one way. I'll never know when the next betrayal will come or what he'll do once he gets bored with his conquest. I've lived with so much disappointment and none of the men in my life have ever been worth much except for my Dad, Raine and, at times, Ryan."
"Gozaburo hurt Kaiba mentally and physically. He lost his childhood and his emotions when he closed himself off as protection from further mental anguish. He thinks he can compensate for all he lost by acquiring power and prestige. Maybe he finds consolation in achievement. The only thing I'm sure of is that he would never try to hurt you. I don't know how but I know you've changed him. Maybe you should let your wall down and try once more."
"I know you're trying to help Yugi, but I don't think I have a last try..."
"I give up Raine," Kaiba lamented to the tired bodyguard.
"She has an amazing capacity to frustrate doesn't she?" Raine smiled but didn't look up from his newspaper.
"Where did she acquire such an amazing gift?" Kaiba asked with noted cynicism.
"Her mother." Raine answered with some mirth and a sly smile.
"Did you know her mother?"
Raine fished his wallet out and pulled out a picture of a woman who looked exactly like Iolite, except her eyes were a pale blue. She was holding a baby, which he was sure was the shrew he had married.
"If you don't mind a suggestion sir..."
Kaiba scowled, he hated when he didn't have the answers, but he also wasn't stupid enough to ignore the only hope he had. If he had learned one thing from double dueling with Yugi he knew when assistance was slightly necessary.
"What would that be?" He grunted.
That night Seto Kaiba came to her while she sat in the library reading. She was about to get up and leave when he caught her hand.
"I only came to give this to you." He handed her an envelope and with a soft squeeze he released her hand and left the room.
She watched him with weary eyes until the door shut and she was alone. Slowly she opened the package and pulled out the contents. One grouping of papers signed over Mortimer's company to her exclusively. The other ended their marriage.
A/N: So how did I do? Please read and review, it would do my mind a world of good as well as appease my bleeding fingers...
CRAZYABOUTANIME: Wow, such an emotional review! You are sooo wonderful! Thank you for your reaction to the chapter. The best chapter yet huh? How do I compete with it? Now I'm going to be trying to top myself with every chapter. Thank you again for the comment about my writing ability...it is very appreciated and makes writing even more worth it!
Evilclowns666: Believe it or not this is the second time that same error has come up in my writing. The first time it was pointed out by whitejellO. This time my proofreader changed 'stared' to 'store' so I can totally blame her. I did reread after she checked it, but didn't catch it. Thank you for pointing it out so I can file it in my head and be totally aware of it the next time I use it. Thank you for the review, I'm glad you find it amazing! Does my heart and fingers good...
I heart Seto!: I'm glad you liked the fact that Seto came to her rescue. I 'm a romantic at heart and love the saving thing. The Knight in shining armour does it for me everytime! I had someone inspire me for the whole room scene (thank you whitejellO). I'm glad you found it funny. Two more chapters, possibly one and this story will be stamped as over...but, I have so many avenues and plot lines that I will do a sequel...are you interested in reading it? Or are you done with Seto and Iolite? I have 2 other fics at the moment, but they always seem to take a backseat to this story. Seto is amazing, I'm having problems doing fics without him as the main character in a romantic setting...crushing on a cartoon character...I need to seriously grow up someday! Not yet though, or anytime soon... Sorry there was no kiss this chapter, glad you liked the last one, and at first she resisted, but then he had to tell her to let go. She loses her mind every time he kisses her, wouldn't you, I think you know my answer to that! I'm glad I made your day. You made mine with reviewing....I live for reviews. Thanks so much.
WhitejellO: I'm glad you really liked this chapter, yes Seto has grown attached to her, now he'll let her go. I'm glad you liked the whole room scene...I should have dedicated chapter 25 to you. You were my inspiration! I can spew insults quite well (bad habit). I also can let a really bad word slip, then be like... 'Did that come out of my mouth?!' No it isn't a great feeling, kinda took it from real-life experience.
My foot is great, healing better than nicely. I also soooo enjoyed Disney. The park was practically empty so we did everything and the cool stuff several times. We went to MGM so it was Tower of Terror and the indoor Aerosmith coaster that saw repeating business. I swear I want to live there, just move on in to Cinderella's castle.
Yes, ah...if only. Now I look for men with brown hair and blue eyes, they are a rare commodity ya know?! Thanks for the review as always!
Tenshi: Thank you...
Mariks1andonly: How did you do on your midterms? I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving break so I can have time off. I'm sure it will be spent doing heaps of work for professors who intend on making my break miserable... Hopefully your break will be work free. I hope this chapter gave you some insight on how they feel about each other. She does love him, but is scared, look at how she's been so abused. Why should she trust him? Their relationship is based on a lie. Sadly 'Uninvited' will end in a chapter or two, but a sequel is already being worked out. I have a lot of storylines I opened and I intend to explore them. Glad you like the story so much. Thanks for reviewing as always!
Sarah: Well, what do you think? A happy ending...We'll see... Hope this chapter lived up to your expectations. Thanks for the review!
Josephine Jekyl: Glad you thought the chapter was great. I'm glad it left you guessing about her motivations. I hope you liked this chapter and that it gave you a bit of insight into her reasoning. I have no clue how I will be able to put an end to this story, I'm just happy that I decided to sequel it 'cause I love the plots I'm thinking up as a follow up.
Solo-girl: Biggest asshole huh? Poor Seto... did you feel badly for him after this chapter? I swear I felt like throwing Ryan in just to see what you would say lol. I love your reactions! Of course he has flare, he is Seto Kaiba...I just sooo love his character.
I'm so glad you found the bedroom scene hilarious, I achieved what I set out to do! Thank you so much!
I liked the originals myself too. Though I must say this III looks like it could be a winner. I didn't like I or II. Of course I thought of you...ya know, I like Star Wars too and I know you share that (though I also know you are a bigger fan than me). Have you seen it yet, with sound and all? You have to tell me what you think when you do! Thanks for the review!!!
Scuba muffin: I am so thrilled that you think this is the best on the internet. I am so very flattered! I so appreciate your review. I also hope this chapter has given you some insight as to why she is mad at him. All will be revealed as Uninvited draws to a conclusion within the next few days...are you interested in reading the sequel? I hope so 'cause I have some great ideas for it. Thank you so much again!!!
Siris: So glad you like the sotry so much! Thank you for the review!