Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Yu-Gi-Oh...T-T
Summary: Arranged marriages! What will happen when you force three females and three males to marry each other at the age of 17? Will they utterly reject each other, or will love blossom in the most hopeless of situations?
Setting: This story is basically set in the times with princes and princesses. Perhaps like a Japanese Renaissance? X3
Pairings: Seto:Serenity; Tea:Ryou; Mai:Joey
Chapter Summary: The kings and queens of both kingdoms have been keeping something from their heirs to the throne. When the princes and princesses are finally informed, their reactions are not the best.
Author's Ramblings: Welcome to What is this Feeling, Sachi Fuchida's first fanfiction! Constructive criticism is welcomed, allowed, encouraged so I can make this story more entertaining. Just one thing before you continue: Joey is not Serenity's brother here. Hehe. Anywho, on with the story!
WHAT IS THIS FEELING - JUST PEACHY
CHAPTER ONE
WEST KINGDOM
A soft sigh escaped an auburn haired female as she lifted a slender hand to shield her eyes. The sun was shining brilliantly through the windows, heating the crisp air of morning though it seemed like the girl had gone to sleep mere minutes ago. Reluctantly sitting up, she brushed her hair out of her eyes, the chocolate brown orbs fluttering to adjust to the change of lighting.
As her eyes opened, they wandered around the spacious room that surrounded her. At first glance, it would almost seem like a baby's nursery with all the light blue hues, but instead, it belonged to a sixteen year old princess. A small, oak nightstand that stood beside her feather bed shined from the polishing of the butlers and maids. Upon its surface laid a jeweled, ornate brush. Soft, sky blue curtains of silk waved at her from the window frame as the wind inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to convince her to come outside into the sunshine. The girl wrenched her line of vision away from the window as her eyes landed on a mahogany door etched with complicated designs and patterns.
"Princess Serenity," a soft voice from the hallway floated through the door, a light knock following it. In the hall stood a young maid, ready to help the princess prepare for the day's activities. A girl not more than nineteen years old stepped in without waiting for a reply. "Princess Serenity," she repeated, "it's time for you to get up. The king is expecting you."
Giving a dismissive wave, Serenity hopped off her bed. "I'm up, I'm up," the sixteen-year-old princess assured the maid. Picking up the brush absentmindedly, its bristles ran through her hair.
"If you don't mind then, I must check on the other princesses," the maid's voice held a bitter note, as if resenting the fact that she must obey the orders of someone other than her. Sweeping out of the room she had just entered, the female strode down the hall to the eldest princess' room. A hand, worn from work, rested on the bronze knob and paused before turning it.
The open door revealed a room splashed with a bucket of purple paint. The room consisted of mostly everything purple in the world, with the occasional blue here and there. Even the occupant of the room was dressed in a regal, violet outfit. The teenage girl glanced up, her eyes flashing dangerously. Her privacy was something that was always being invaded, therefore causing her to be overprotective of her items and time.
"Excuse me for my rudeness, but leave - now." The girl jutted her chin out slightly, an aura of authority expelling from her gestures.
"I'm sorry, Princess Mai. But it is my duty to check on you first thing in the morning." A poisonous smile played on her lips as she emphasized the word "sorry", slightly satisfied with her small act of rebellion. "Of course, it's not like I want to," she added, muttering. Once again, she strode out of the room in a quick motion. Mai looked approvingly at the closed, mahogany door that matched Serenity's.
Back in the echoing hallway, the maid gratefully made her way to the last princess' room, the second eldest. This last princess was the most peculiar, in the maid's point of view. She enjoyed dancing, which a girl of her status should, though it was not ballroom dancing or formal dancing she enjoyed. Rather it was dances with a faster tempo and beat, like those peasants in the town might dance to. Nudging the door open with her toe, the maid glimpsed around the room. There was no sign that the princess was in the room, except for a lump underneath the bone white sheets of the bed.
"Princess Tea, its time to wake up!" the maid called out. A startled Tea jumped up, her hair mussed from tossing and turning during the night.
"Already?" the princess tried to stifle a loud yawn with no avail.
"Yes, already," the maid pursed her lip, clearly irritated. "The king is expecting you and the other princesses. Get to it!" With that, she, once more, strode out the door with a slam.
Tea frowned, making a mental note to talk to the king about her. Dressing in a simple white gown, she headed towards Serenity's room. Her footsteps echoed throughout the hallway, and distant voices of the king and queen could be heard from the throne room. The brunette dancer strained to hear their conversation of her steps, but the only words she caught were "Wheeler", "Kaiba", "Bakura", and "marriage". Utterly confused, the female trotted off, pushing the confusing thoughts out of her head.
"Serenity? Can I come in?" Tea's voice rang out as she reached the carved door the maid had exited out of about a half hour ago. The door creaked open, revealing a gentle face that was framed by long, auburn tresses.
"Tea! Good morning. The maid told me I had to meet the king...What about you?"
"Yes, same here. I'm sure they told Mai that as well..."
Mai's head appeared above Serenity's, the golden yellow locks of hair tumbling down. "Better believe it. The maid was being a brat again, but she said the king wanted to see me and you guys. Let's go before we get 'scolded' again." The eldest of the three girls rolled her eyes, pushing open the door all the way. Serenity's attire included a simple, light blue gown while Mai's outfit was a tight, form-fitting violet dress.
"Why am I not surprised, at both of you?" Tea giggled, stepping back to let them out. Together, the trio made their way to the throne room.
Stopping right in front of the threshold with golden hinges, Mai scrunched her nose. "Do you guys sense something? Something feels...wrong."
Serenity blinked up at her friend, confused. "No...why do you say that?"
Tea laughed, nudging Mai in the side. "You probably just didn't get enough beauty sleep. Come on, they're waiting."
As the door opened with the irritating and booming voice of the announcer welcoming them, Serenity, Mai, and Tea calmly made their ways in. Each curtsied to the royal king and queen as if they practiced curtsying in their spare time. Every move of theirs in front of those higher than them was flawless, though inside they were worried as hell about their presentation. Their governesses always stated, "Image is everything." Easy for them to say.
"Your highness, you inquired our presence to talk. Of what, may I ask?" Tea blinked innocently, her sapphire orbs twinkling in anticipation.
"Princesses...I have some news to tell you, but I do not know what to expect of your reactions. This was for the kingdom, as well as for your futures. Though the queen's sympathies are with you, we - I - will not retract my decision." A small frown rested on the king's lips, though it had not changed from his usual look.
The three girls exchanged confused glances, though a thought had popped into Tea's mind. A slender hand flew to her open mouth as she recalled the partial conversation she had heard. Though she hadn't heard the entire dialogue, she had an idea of what was going to happen. Unfortunately, this decision had been decided a while back, late at night when all were supposedly asleep in their beds.
BEGIN FLASHBACK
"Have you met the boys, my dear?" the queen's eyes filled with worry.
"Yes, yes. Like you, I only want the best for our girls. Do not worry. This is as much for the kingdom as it is for them." the king responded firmly, in hopes of reassuring his spouse.
"I know...but...they're seventeen! Perhaps it's a bit too early."
"Nonsense! I married you at the age of seventeen and you were sixteen. Look at us now!"
A pink tinge appeared on the cheeks of the female; it was always awkward when her husband brought up the subject of their marriage since he wasn't the most romantic of men. "True. But we'll give them time to befriend the princes before forcing them to wed." The queen's voice stated this as a fact, rather than a suggestion.
Sighing, the king gave a weary nod. "I agree. I have already set up for the princes to arrive at our palace two weeks from today. We shall not tell them until the day before, agreed?"
"So it shall be..."
END FLASHBACK
Mai and Serenity shot Tea a perplexed look, though quickly averted their eyes. Refocusing their attention on the baron of the West Kingdom, he continued, though not before the queen got her say in.
"Please remember that we did this for you and the kingdom," the queen gave a wavering smile.
"And be grateful that these boys are as nice as they are. If you do not understand by now what we are talking about, you are to be married. You will meet them tomorrow, seeing as they are coming for morning tea and staying the week to get to know you girls better." Pausing, he glanced at the girls.
Mai stepped back, stumbling. "Married?" she gasped out. Caught off guard, the eldest princess's eyes widened. Before long, that astonishment turned into anger. "Married! You could've told us sooner! Does it matter what we want!"
Serenity, on the other hand, took longer to let it sink in. "Oh..." Besides soft murmurings, Serenity spoke no words. Instead, her eyes told her sorrow instead of her mouth. Tears welled up gradually, blurring her vision. All three girls had shared dreams of true love and such fantasies since they were little girls. They knew this would come, but even so, none of them were prepared.
Tea grimaced, knowing it was coming. Though she inwardly cried out for another choice, it was useless. For now, all she could do was comfort Serenity, who seemed to be taking it the worst. Mai was strong, just a little temperamental when things didn't go her way. Patting her friend on the shoulder, Tea bit her lower lip.
"We'll leave you to think it over for the rest of the day, but be prepared to get dressed for the princes. Good day, my ladies." The king gave a small bow, then made his way to a small curtain that led his study. Pushing past, the fluttering fabric gave a small whoosh. The queen, giving one more worried look towards the princesses, scurried after him.
O o O o O o O o O o O
EAST KINGDOM
The trees rustled in the wind alongside the small creek that ran through the back the East Kingdom. A small plop! could be heard, along with a groan, loud in contrast with the previous noise. Small circles in the small stream expanded as a miniscule pebble could be seen hitting the bottom. The impact, though small, caused sand to cloud up the clear water, though it subsided after a few moments.
"Who in the hell would wake up this early!" a blonde haired boy tugged on his hair in frustrations. Light circles could be seen under his eyes, though his weariness was shown mostly through his walk. His original stride was confident - perhaps arrogant and cocky - and full of energy. At the moment, he paced back and forth along the back of the river, dragging his feet along.
"Come on now, Joey. It's not like we can disobey the king," a young male with silver-white hair reassured Joey with a small smile. "Besides, it seemed pretty urgent."
"Would you two shut your mouths?" A voice, low yet demanding, sliced the cheerful mood, on the white-haired boy's part anyways, in half.
"You shut up, Kaiba!"
"I'm not the one yelling, am I, Mutt?" a smirk was plastered on the handsome features of the brunette male. His icy blue eyes pierced through Joey's caramel brown ones.
"Why you!" the blonde lunged at the tall male opposite him, in hopes of strangling him.
The brunette, otherwise known as Seto Kaiba, stepped to the side. His trademark smirk still lingered slightly, though his face returned to its normal, expressionless state when the king arrived.
Joey stumbled to the ground, dirt piling up in his mouth. He made an effort to jump up and hurl himself at the tall male, though the white-haired boy held him back.
"Joey! Calm down...Look, the king is coming." Brushing off some of the dirt from Joey's clothes, he pushed his friend beside Seto and lined himself up next to the blonde haired boy.
"Thanks, Ryou..." Joey muttered. At once, the trio of males bowed towards the direction of the approaching king. Turning so his head was behind Ryou, the blonde spit out the dirt in his mouth, shooting a glare towards Seto's back. A rough push from Ryou put him back in line, though a soft smile was on the quieter boy's face.
The baron, hair graying over the years, leaned on a golden cane as he made his way towards the males. His body was draped with shimmering, gold fabrics, along with a blood red cape over his shoulders. Although his frame was small and frail, his voice rumbled across the small meadow. All seemed to be silenced upon his wake. His face was lined with wrinkles of laughter and wisdom and his throat seemed like just an extra flap of skin. Standing in front of Seto, Joey, and Ryou, he gave the smallest of nods.
"Good morning, boys. I have some matters I must speak with you," his discriminating black eyes bore into the young princes', though none faltered under his stare. "You're all men, so I won't beat around the bush," he growled out gruffly. "But you better be prepared. Don't faint on me, now." His piercing gaze was now turned into a mischievous, almost childish look as if he had lost 60 years of his life in a moment's time. His eyes twinkled playfully; the sudden change of attitude had the trio quite confused. Even the great Seto Kaiba. "Alright, here it is."
"I'm sorry to interrupt sir, but perhaps you can get to the point a bit quicker. The suspense is killing us," Ryou grinned sheepishly, though his posture still rigid.
"Yes, yes. Impatient, but always polite, Ryou," the king nodded approvingly. "Well, to be blunt, you're going to be married."
Silence fell upon the entire area within a five-mile radius of their location.
"Oh, that's all you came to tell us? We're getting mar-" Joey paused, his mouth agape and his eyes just as wide. "WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!"
"B-B-But...married? Are you sure, Your Highness?" Ryou stuttered, leaning against a nearby tree for support.
"You've got to be joking me..." Seto muttered, suppressing the urge to shake the feeble king until he said otherwise.
"MARRIED!"
"Now, boys. It's not as bad as it sounds," the king clapped Ryou on the shoulder rather harshly.
"MARRRIED!"
"Yes, married."
"MARRIED!"
"Yes, married."
"MARRIED!"
"SHUT UP, MUTT!"
Joey, Ryou, and the king all turned to stare at the towering brunette, who stood over Joey, glaring. It was rare to hear such an outburst from Seto Kaiba, but it wasn't surprising that he had blown up because of Joey Wheeler. Ryou was the first to snap out of the trance.
"Are you sure there's no mistake, sire? Perhaps, a...a...a...I don't know! A mistake?"
"No mistake, my boy. I even signed the document myself! Three wonderful girls from the neighboring kingdom," the king puffed out his chest, patting it proudly.
"I won't be surprised if they're 80 year old women..." Joey muttered bitterly. "But...married!"
"I'm sure you'll live, Mr. Wheeler. Besides, what's wrong with being 80?"
Joey let out a resigned groan, walking over to a thick tree trunk. Pieces of bark had started flaking off, more fluttering to the ground as he whapped his head repeatedly upon the exterior of the tree. "Not married...Not married...It's all a dream...or nightmare.."
Seto's eyes narrowed, only slits of his icy blue orbs could be seen. Turning on his heel, he stalked off back towards the castle. Under his breath, he muttered a string of words, though incoherent to the rest of them. The king, oblivious to the boys' distress, hummed a tune and continued along the stream, opposite the direction Seto was headed.
"This day is going along great..." Ryou huffed, sitting at the base of the tree.
"Yea, you can say that again. Just peachy, ain't it?"
Author's Ramblings: Hurrah, chapter one is done! I know this chapter isn't very...eventful yet, but it will be later on when they meet for the first time. And fluff with come! Better believe it too! Anyways, please review for meh. Bai bai from teh Sachi Fuchida! Pst...I had more fun writing the boy's part than the girl's part! O-o