Duchess to the King

After an arrange marriage between Yukimura Enma and Atobe Yuu, Enma moves into the Atobe mansion, although technically the room she now sleeps in belongs to Yuu, she spends almost every night alone, three years older than his fiancé Atobe Yuu studies business management abroad in England preparing to take over the family company.

When Atobe Keigo; Atobe Yuu's younger half brother and Enma's childhood friend; suddenly confesses his feeling to her, wealthy in her own right Enma purchases manor and under her cousin Yukimura Seiichi's advice transfers to Rikkai under a new name Yuuko Enma, But Yukimura's advice isn't always sound.

Prologue

Her cousin Yukimura Seiichi had said to her before she got on a plan to England. "Congratulations! You're engaged! I don't know wether to mock you or cry of joy!" She had laughed at his words, they shared stories over a cup of green tea which they shared, it was a long standing tradition, and even now though he was in hospital it still stood, they made sure of that.

Now Enma understood his confusion, she loved her fiancé, although he had a foul mouth and temper, not once had he raised his voice against her, not once had he lashed out at her and not once, while he rejected everyone else, not once had he not held her hand and bided her farewell with a gentle kiss.

It could be worse, she had told herself, she could have been engaged to a jerk like Shishido Ryo or a robot like Kabaji. Atobe Yuu was good for her, and she knew by the way he treated and looked at her he loved her with all his heart, but as much as she loved him it wasn't the same. She looked to him as a companion, a friend, not a lover.

But to add to the confusion she now stood pressed against the wall, Atobe Yuu's younger brother Atobe Keigo's arms surround her, his hands on the walls either side of her head. He'd taken her by surprise and his face held an expression which; even after ten years of friendship; she'd only seen once or twice before, it was the look of sheer devastation.

"Kei," she said as kindly as she could. "Let go of me, I need to get back to my engagement party." She could try punching him but it would most likely hurt her hand more than him, kicking was out of the question as well as her kimono restricted her movement's greatly.

"Why?" he asked her. "Why him and not me? Have the last ten years mean nothing to you? Every single day I pray, maybe today, maybe today she'll realise my feelings. Em, why are you so cruel? Why do you choose him when the one who loves you is me?"

"Kei, stop this, it's an arranged marriage, I had no say, what's gotten in you? Are you drunk?" she demanded.

"No, but I wish I was because then I'd have an excuse," he replied, he held her head in his hands. "Em, ten years and you still haven't figured it out, ten years, you've always been a doer than a thinker but ten years is far too long."

"Kei, stop it this instant! I'm engaged, what done is done. I had no say, I never had a say!" she almost shouted at him, his grip on her was too strong for her to break.

"Then why didn't you fight?" he demanded of her. "Why did you agree so quickly?"

"I didn't," she snapped at him. "I didn't know until you mentioned it to me a week ago! It was my parent's who said yes not me!" Atobe eye's widen is surprise and hope, taking advantage of his moment of weakness she stabbed his foot with her stiletto heel; he pulled back in surprise and she wacked him in the chest with the back of her hand. "You caught me by surprise, and this dress is heavy, that's why I didn't react quickly enough, but you've lost the element of surprise, your reflexes are slow and you know full well in this scenario brute strength is useless. Aside from superior sight which is useless in this level of darkness, you can't win in a fight against me. Don't even try." She warned him, with that she turned around and returned to the party.

Before re-entering the door she checked her reflection in the mirror, her royal blue and gold phoenix embroidered Kimono flattered her blue eyes perfectly, she fixed her hair and turned her 3 carat white gold round cut diamond ring for assurance.

"It could be worse," she said to herself as she wiped a tear which trickled down from her eye. "It could be worse." Why was she crying? She was engaged to the man she had a life long crush on, she spend hours hiding in a tree and watching as he played tennis or practiced his archery and kendo. So why wasn't she happy?

Chapter 1

"Move it maggots!" shouted Sanada Geniichiro, as he circled the Rikkai middle school tennis courts. "Your movements are looking weak Niou!"

"Hai hai," sighed the silver haired Niou Masaharu as he raised his arm and returned the tennis across to the other side of the courts where his kouhai Kirihara Akaya stood.

"Senpai, if you don't sharpen up I'll be taking your permanent position on the roster," warmed Kirihara hitting the tennis with a wide grin on his face, now that the Captain Yukimura Seiichi was hospitalised, he had received a temporary position of singles three or doubles two. Niou rolled his eyes.

"Your," he began. "Ten years to early to even try!" With that he faked a smash only to cross volley it into Kirihara's court. "I believe that's game and match."

"Damn it," curse Kirihara he raised his arm to slam his racket against the ground but he couldn't bring himself to do it, not his racket anyway.

"That makes the ration what?" asked a red haired male by the name of Marui Bunta as he turned to face his dark skinned and bald companion.

"Fives wins to every lose," replied Kuwahara Jackal. The two sat on the concrete wall which separated the court from the crowd.

"Ehh! Kirihara's actually doing pretty well against Niou then, even thought he's still loosing a lot," admired Marui with a whistle.

"Excuse me," said a female voice, Marui turned around to see a blue eyed female with the longest black hair he'd even seen. "Hey."

"Hi," he replied blushing slightly.

"I'm looking for the female tennis club, but no matter where I look or who I ask they all say 'You mean the male tennis club? That way'," she made a vague gesture which made Marui laugh.

"Sorry, but they're right, Rikkai only has a co-ed tennis club but all the females can't keep up with the training schedule and end up quitting and enter contests as individuals," explained Marui.

"Oh, are females in Japan really that weak?" she asked with a smug smirk.

"No, we males are just too good for them," replied Marui. There was a flicker of anger in her eyes and she walked closer towards him.

"How about a bet then?" she asked quietly into his ear, Marui swallowed, the nape of her neck was right in front of him and from it he could smell her perfume, it was floral but it smelt like not flower he'd ever smelt before.

"Listening," replied Marui trying to keep his cool, Kuwahara was a hard time trying not to laugh at how easy the girl was playing him.

"You me, a tennis match, right here, right now, winner, hmm…how about the loser has to do one thing for the winner, within reason of course."

"O-Of course," agreed Marui.

"Game?"

"Y-yeah."

* * *

"What's going on?" asked a member of Rikkai's tennis club as he hurried towards the crowd which had gathered.

"No way!" gasped another when he spotted the score on the board.

"Marui, one of the regulars actually lost?"

"To a girl!?"

"No way no way no way!"

"What's going on?" demanded Sanada as he pushed through the crowd to See Marui on his knees before a familiar black hair female. "Marui! What is the meaning of this?" he asked, he spotted the score board, Marui had lost 6 games to 1.

"Sorry, Sanada," said Marui weakly. "I didn't win." He managed to say between pants.

"Why didn't you stop him?" asked Yanagi to Kuwahara.

"How?" asked Kuwahara. "It seemed harmless enough; I didn't expect Marui to lose at all."

"You idiot," muttered Sanada, his hand itching to slap them both.

"So you're Sanada Geniichiro, ehh! Seii was right, you do have premature wrinkles, are you really a middle school student like me?" asked the female walking towards him with a satisfied smirk. "Looks like you were wrong," she added to Marui. "The training can't be all that tough if someone as admired as you is a regular can it?" she asked.

"And you are?" asked Sanada.

"Yuki- no, Yuuko Enma," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, ahh, I change my mind. When I found out it was a co-ed tennis club I was going to quit, I don't like waking up early in the morning and training bores me. I'm more of a sleep in and laze about kind of gal." She smirked and glanced at Marui before looking back at Sanada. "But this looks interesting, at least the level isn't too low," she mocked. "And also, I'm bored."

"Welcome to Rikkai Middle school tennis club," said Sanada with his cold glare. "Training starts an hour before school and two hours after every single day, on top of homework, can you handle it?"

"Of course."

* * *

"You did what?" asked Yukimura as he laughed on the other end of the mobile call. Enma grinned as she pulled her wheeled trunk across the carpet of the hallway, in one had she held her mobile phone while she carried her hand back and trunk in the other.

"You should have seen Sanada's face, it looked like grandpa on new years," said Enma as she laughed as well.

"Why did you purposely provoke him?" he asked. "Slaughtering the first guy you meet doesn't sound like you, wait, actually it does, never mind." Enma giggled.

"Like I said, I was bored, and with the way my life is heading I deserve some fun don't you agree?" She could practically hear Yukimura nodding on the other end.

"So are you really moving out?"

"Yeah, I just brought my own place, it's near Rikkai and close to the hospital you're in so I can visit almost every day," said Enma, she smiled. "It's gorgeous, 19th century Tudor, two stories with an underground garage and attic, there's a balcony and veranda as well as two bathrooms, a library, five bedroom, living room, the most beautiful kitchen in the world and the garden is five maybe six times larger than the house itself, I could go on."

"What do you mean could? Sounds amazing though."

"It better be, I paid almost 5 million for it."

"Only? For a house?"

"US dollars."

"Oh! Wow! I know you dilly in stocks and stuff but wow…"

"Property also, I also have my shares from the Atobe group, Ootori Corporation and other companies. I love my new house but there goes half my savings and the birthday money and all the bribe money I got from my parents."

"Only half of your savings?"

"Seii, just because your dad doesn't like to dip into the family fortune doesn't mean grandpa doesn't adore me, he gave me a set of two carat diamond earrings the last time I saw him."

"Wow, I'm starting to wish my dad didn't like to be the only bread winner." Enma laughed.

"I saved you a room, on the second floor right next to mine and it over looks the garden," offered Enma. "When you leave hospital why don't you move in with me?" she offered.

"I'd love to, you sure? I don't want to be a bother."

"No bother, I'll be lonely in that big house and Isley can't talk."

"You mean that over sized white lion of yours?"

"He's a silver golden retriever not a lion, he has no mane," replied Enma, she didn't bother correcting Yukimura about her dog's height; on all fours his head still reached her waist.

"Speaking of that dog, I don't hear him panting in the background."

"He's already enjoying his new life, I don't even need to take him on his evening walk with all the running he does in the garden, across the beautiful green grass I might add."

"I get it, you love your new home, and Regald?" asked Yukimura referring to her Black Panther cat, it was a gift from her grandfather many years ago and she got him while he was still a kitten, so while he hated many, Regald saw Enma as a mother.

"Sleeping under the shade of the beautiful oak tree in my backyard," answered Enma smiling.

"Well good luck then, and don't even think about using my name as leverage."

"Of course not, who do you think I a-" but she cu herself off when she spotted Atobe exiting his room. "Got to go, love you."

"Love you too," replied Yukimura.

"Hi," was the only thing that cam to Enma's mind when she saw him.

"Are you really moving?" asked Atobe, she nodded. "I didn't see you at school either."

"I transferred out of Hyotei," she explained.

"Oh, I see, why are you moving?" asked Atobe. "Was it because of what I said last week?"

"No," she answered, Enma smiled. "I'm sick and tired of waiting for Yuu is all, if he wants me he can come get me, but in the mean time I'm not going to sleep in his room waiting for him to come home."

"You have to admit it's a great room," remarked Atobe. Enma laughed and nodded, since she moved in one of the walls was knocked down to add a walk in wardrobe and there had been new carpeting and a new coat of paint. The room was larger than the class rooms at Rikkai and the furniture three times as comfortable.

"I don't like it," she said. "Waking up and being constantly reminded I'm alone."

"Enma I," but she held her hand for silence, she walked towards him and hugged him gently.

"Good bye Kei." Wordless all Atobe could do was watch as she left, his heart ached, what he once thought was his perfect armour was riddled in cracks, what he once thought was an indestructible world of ice, was suddenly shattering around him.

A/N: A Yay or a Nay?