I thought I'd get this explanation out of the way.

For The Maiden with Eyes of Blue, I am taking inspiration from the manga, as well as the subbed and dubbed versions of the anime. For Seto, I'm being more faithful to the manga adaption; ex: he's darker, and prone to be more aggressive when necessary. The anime toned a lot of the violence down. Just know Seto has the capacity to be violent, especially if pushed. Some lines will be taken either from the anime, or its manga source.

It's for those reasons stated, and others, I have Eyes of Blue rated as Mature. Fully expect to see sexual undertones, dialogue and scenes. And you can expect some violent scenes as well, depending on the situation. Nothing that's Death-T level.

The main storyline of Eyes of Blue takes place in 1996, when Seto and Ginerva are teenagers (between 16 to 18 years).

The legal age of consent in Japan stayed at thirteen years old, as of the time period the two-part prologue and main storyline takes place. It wasn't raised to sixteen until June of 2023. In Italy, where Ginerva was born and raised, the age of consent remains at fourteen. It's weird, but it's what it is.

To marry without parental authorization in Japan, you must be at least twenty years old. In Italy, it's eighteen. The arranged marriage aspect of this story exploits a loophole, with a catch. That will be explained later.

Present Day—1996

Mondello, Italy

It was going to be a clean, uncomplicated kidnapping.

Surprisingly, the kidnapping would most likely be upheld in court as a completely lawful claim, if not for the breaking and entering charges, but that possibility was not the least important. Seto was prepared to employ any tactics he considered necessary to achieve success. If chance were on his side, his target would be fast sleeping.

If not, a gag would silence any protests.

Seto, as he was called by those closest to him, were few and far between. He knew he wouldn't have to act like a complete gentleman—which was a blessing, considering that only those same few saw that part of himself displayed. Seto hadn't seen his bride since he and Mokuba last paid her a visit in Mondello, a picturesque coastal village in the region of Sicily, where he told her about his ambitions to take over Kaiba Corporation from his deranged stepfather.

At the time, the KaibaCorp heir was unaware of their fathers' arrangement. Imagine how shocked thirteen-year-old Seto was to discover a marriage contract between them that was signed by Ginerva's father, Giuseppe Salvatore, and Gozaboro Kaiba. The contract was dated five years ago, on the day Seto first met Ginerva.

Seto was curiously comfortable with this particular arrangement, as much as he hated the idea of someone else controlling his life. He never let go of the affections he held for his childhood friend. For once, he felt Gozaboro had done the right thing, as much as he hated to admit it.

With an annoyed look on his face, Seto entered the Italian branch office of KaibaCorp.

Kogoro Diamon, a man six feet tall (an inch shorter than Seto), was lying on a couch, his feet propped up on a seat next to him. He was dressed in a purple suit with matching tie and had his light brown hair combed back.

Seto turned to face his right-hand man and remarked, "Daimon, Sarutawari has a limo waiting outside. Do you two have an errand to run?"

"You know what the limo is for, Seto-sama," Daimon answered his boss. "You and I are going to ride over to the gardens and get a look at the new Kaiba-aijin. There will be a large crowd this afternoon. We won't be seen if we stay behind the trees."

Seto turned to look out the window before answering. "No."

"The office will be fine while we're away."

"I don't need to see her before tonight."

"You need to see her before tonight."

"Why?" Seto inquired. He tossed Daimon a confused expression over his shoulder.

He shook his head. "To prepare yourself."

Seto turned around. "I don't need to prepare myself," he replied. "Everything is ready. I already know which window goes to her bedroom. I tested the tree outside to ensure it will support my weight. There is no lock on her window to worry about, and the ship is prepared to sail."

"So you've thought of everything, have you?"

"Of course," Seto nodded. "Don't I always?"

"Oh?" Daimon paused and smiled. "Aren't you curious about how she turned out? You two haven't seen each other in who knows how long."

"No."

"Well, I am," Daimon sniggered. "I won't be traveling along with the two of you on your couple's getaway, so it's only reasonable to quench my curiosity before you leave. Which reminds me, the young master is upset with you since he is not permitted to go with you."

"Mokuba will be fine. Isono and Fuguta will watch over him in my absence, and if he requires anything, he can get in touch with the staff." Seto leaned against the desk, giving the man a flustered look. "This is a trip, not a romantic getaway. The sole reason we're cruising is to take her far from her relatives."

Not a romantic getaway? Daimon did not believe him and snorted. "I just hope there isn't a bloodbath tonight, sir."

"Why's that?"

"I'd hate to miss all the fun."

"Then come along."

"I want to. Really, I do," Daimon replied. "But, I can't." He was pouting, which appeared odd and somewhat hilarious on the man's face. Seto would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious.

"I had to promise the prime minister that I'd attend her granddaughter's dance recital, provided she found a means for Ginerva-aijin to come to her party this afternoon."

"She won't be there," Seto predicted. "Her bastard of a father doesn't let her attend any functions."

"Ginerva is going to be there," Daimon stated. "Giuseppe might very well be a bastard, but I doubt he is foolish enough to upset his country's leader. She explicitly asked that Ginerva-aijin be permitted to participate in the festivities."

"What reason did she give?"

"I haven't the faintest idea," He answered with a shrug. "Time's wasting, Seto-sama."

"Kuso." After saying that expletive, Seto drew away from the window frame. "Let's get it done with, then."

Daimon was fast to capitalize on his success. He walked out the door before his employer could change his mind. On their way through the busy city, he turned to Seto and asked, "Aren't you curious how we'll figure out which of them is Ginerva?"

"I'm sure it won't be that hard." Seto remarked dryly. He rolled his eyes heavenward. How many other individuals did he know in Italy with white hair? Not many. "This outing is a complete waste of my time."

Daimon didn't agree, but he kept that opinion to himself.

Neither spoke again until they climbed a hill overlooking the gardens and exited the limo. The trees provided good protection, but they could still see the visitors wandering around the lawn and garden of the prime minister's mansion below.

Seto finally broke the quiet between them. "This is why I never enjoyed parties."

The man laughed. "Leave it to the prime minister to go overboard," he observed as he noticed the gathering of musicians approaching the lower terrace. "She secured an entire orchestra."

"Ten minutes and then I'm leaving."

"Agreed," Daimon reassured. He turned to face his employer. Seto's scowl was intense enough to spark a fire. "You know, she might have been delighted to leave with you, Seto-sama, if you'd—"

"Are you suggesting I send another letter?" Seto inquired. His furrowed brow began to twitch at the absurdity of that prospect. "You remember what occurred the previous time I took your suggestion, don't you?"

"Of course, I remember," Daimon replied. "But things could have changed. There might have been a miscommunication. Her father might have—"

"A misunderstanding?" Seto snapped. "I sent the message on a Thursday afternoon, and I was damn specific."

"Yes, I know. You told them you'd pick up your bride the following Monday."

Seto scoffed. "You thought I should have given her more time to pack her belongings."

Daimon grinned. "I did, didn't I? In defense for my gentlemanly manners, I never expected her to run. She was quick, too, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, she was." Seto replied, a hint of a smile in his voice.

"You could have gone after her."

"Why? I had my men follow her. I knew where she was. I just decided to leave her alone a little longer."

"It's really strange to me," Daimon said. "You ordered your men to follow Ginerva-aijin—watch out for her, too—yet you never thought to ask any of them to tell you what she looked like."

"Neither did you."

Daimon shrugged. He returned his focus to the audience below. "I guess I assumed you'd decide that the arrangement wasn't worth the hassle. After all, Giuseppe..." He completely lost his train of thought as he noticed the prime minister approaching them. A young woman walked beside her. "That woman is the Prime Minister," he finally stated. "If she would simply move a little towards the left…" That comment remained unfinished. Daimon's inhaled breathe filled the air. "Is that Ginerva?"

Seto did not respond to him. In truth, he questioned his ability to speak right then. His mind was completely consumed with the scene before him. She was enchanting. He needed to shake his head. No, he told himself. She couldn't be his bride. The gentle lady was absolutely too beautiful and feminine to be a member of the Salvatore clan.

But there was a faint resemblance, a nagging recollection of the twelve-year-old who sat opposite from him on a white sandy beach, something unexplainable that told him she was his Ginerva.

When he last saw her years ago, her hair had fallen to her shoulders. Her hair was as white in color as he recalled, but longer, reaching the middle of her back. The ideal length, in his opinion, for gripping onto as he rode her from behind. Seto longed to run his hands through the long tresses of hair, just to check whether they felt as silky and luxurious as they looked.

The outdoor lights made her appear almost otherworldly. She'd grown to an average height, as shown by the fact that she was eye level with the Prime Minister. However, her figure was far from ordinary. She possessed curves in all the right places.

"Well, he's got some cajones on him." Daimon announced, directing Seto's attention to a golden haired boy his age approaching Ginerva. Seto heard himself growl as he saw the unnamed boy lean in and kiss Ginerva on her cheek. If they hadn't been paying attention, they would have missed Ginerva's hand making solid contact with the boy's face. The sound resonated across the garden.

Daimon shook his head at the sight and carried on talking. "You'd think he'd be decent enough to leave a married woman alone. Still, I can't really blame him. Sir, she is magnificent."

Seto was absorbed with watching the eager boy pursue his bride, despite being slapped for kissing her. He felt an intense desire to head in there and wring that little bastard's neck. "Any knowledge about him?" He asked instead, keeping his gaze fixed on the boy in question.

"His full name is Gilderoy Durant. He is the only son of the politician Eileen Prince-Durant. There's no father listed on his birth certificate." Daimon answered, reciting from memory. "From what your own men—the ones you put watch over Ginerva—say, he is a grade above her at school and apparently considers himself to be quite the ladies man. He has been after Ginerva with the goal to make her his newest conquest."

"Tonight, after I leave to collect Ginerva, find Sarutawari and inform him that he has special orders from me to pay Gilderoy a visit. He's to be taught a lesson, and nothing would make me happier than if it were painfully instructive. "

"Yes, sir." Daimon gave a nod. "Here comes your charming father-in-law. I hadn't noticed until now just how bowlegged he was," he said before adding. "Look how he follows her around; I can see he isn't willing to let her go from his sight."

Seto took a deep breathe. "I've seen enough." He spoke with no emotion in his voice.

Daimon turned to look at him. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Ginerva-aijin," Daimon persisted. "What did you think about the way she turned out?"

"The truth, Daimon?"

His right-hand man gave a quick nod.

Seto wanted to say, "Utsukushii, and she's all mine." He wasn't going to express exactly what he thought, but his crooked grin indicated how pleased he was. Let Daimon make of it what he will.

Translations

Aijin — Mistress

Kogoro Diamon, dubbed Leichtor, addresses Seto as Seto-sama in the Japanese version of the anime. Being referred to as a mistress can be seen negatively in certain situations, as it implies that the woman in question is 'the other woman' a man has outside of his marriage bed. In this instance, as with Leichtor addressing Seto as "sama," it's an expression of deference. Ginerva is the future female head of the Kaiba home, and he is recognizing that.

Utsukushii — Beautiful.

This is a word not used lightly in Japan.