For Old Time's Sake- Chapter 1
Author's Notes: I have changed a little of the plot. I am really sorry for doing this after SO LONG, but yeah haha I am such an idiot.
Summary: A timeless fairytale of a supposed servant girl and the Duke of Burmingham. Unknown to both of them and his family, she is the heir to the throne of the Duchess of Bordeaux.
Rating: PG. Will go up in future, definitely. To R. For intimate scenes.
"Did you hear!? The Duchess has invited all of Burmingham to the Grand Ball this Season to celebrate his 23rd birthday! He is looking for a wife to bear his heir. Oh, how I wish it would be me."
"But he is as cold as a beautiful glacier...No woman can ever even touch his icy heart, let alone melt it."
"Well, it's no harm trying."
"Where has that little chit GONE TO?!!" A big fat man in his late forties bellowed, his face as red as a beetroot because of too much whisky.
"She has gone to get groceries, sweety-pie. Don't mind her. She is, however, taking a longer time than expected." This time, a woman in her mid-forties spoke. She was as skinny as the man was fat, and was as gaunt as the man was red.
"I wanted her to polish my shoes. That ugly little wench, I wonder what she is up to."
The woman put down her book and looked at the overweight drunk. "Well, sweetheart, she isn't going to the ball tonight, so let's just give her the benefit of the doubt."
The man looked confused. "What? You mean she isn't?"
Mrs. Roger stared at her husband, as if staring at a retarded child. "Of course, darling. Do you really expect us to leave the bar unattended?"
"But I thought everybody was going."
"Not her, that thing doesn't deserve to be in His Grace's presence. She is our property. We found her on the streets. She stays put here."
And they both grinned slyly at each other.
A beautiful girl of seventeen hummed a lovely tune on her lips while searching for the reddest and biggest apple.
"Still greedy as ever, Miss Sakura?" The grocer said with a hint of mirth.
Sakura's bright green eyes immediately snapped to the elderly man and blushed furiously. "I - I didn't mean to--"
"Relax, I was jest joking. Yer needn't be sorry." His smiled, and his face crinkled with laugh lines. He continued speaking with a strong village accent.
" 'Ave you 'eard o' the ball? Mr. Duke invited everybody! Even I, a poor man with ain't no money 'xept a few pounds a month git to go with my wife!"
Sakura stared in disbelief at the man. She had heard people talking about the ball, but those people were richer. She did not know that everybody got to go. Swelling with excitement and joy, she skipped all the way back to Roger's Bar, the only place she could call 'home'.
And her happiness was deflated instantly when she saw the cunning grins on her masters' faces. That meant that they were happy about something. And Sakura knew that the only thing that could make them so happy was the unhappiness of her.
"Sakura, we want to ask of you a big favour." Mrs Roger cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice. No matter how much of a smile she beheld, the thin slits that should be her eyes sparkled dangerously, daring Sakura to refuse.
The poor emerald-eyed beauty noticed this, and replied in a soft voice, "O-of course, milady."
"Wonderful. Absolutely fantastic. Actually, we were thinking of leaving you here to take care of this old bar for us while we go to the ball."
Sakura's already heavy heart plummeted like a rock.
"Milady, do...do you mean I can't go for the ball?"
"Well, technically, yes, my dear. You can't go to the ball. Come to think of it, you have no proper 'equipment', anyway. Why, you look like a 13-year old child! You have no make-up, no pretty dress, and no looks! No offence, but you yourself know it, don't you, sweetheart?" Mrs Roger smiled cruelly at Sakura, showing all her rotting teeth.
Sakura was close to tears. She, however, fought the urge to burst into sobs, just to lessen their satisfaction. Apparantly, she succeeded.
"Now go to your room, before I whip your sorry backside!" The evil woman's sweet voice changed completely into a mixture of hatred and disgust, obviously annoyed at not able to at least squeeze a tear or two out of Sakura.
Sakura calmly walked up the small stairway with what little dignity she had left and never faltered a single step until she retreated safely into her 'room', which was really a storeroom with a little mattress.
Unknown to her, what Mrs Roger said about her was not even close to the truth. The things that are hiding her exquisite assets were the grime and dirt she collected from her days of hard labour and lack of the time to clean up herself thoroughly. However, she does not smell badly mainly because of the flowers she tended to everyday. Also, she was only allowed dirty, baggy old clothes for wear, which she washed as much as she could but failed to remove the permanent stains of age.
She had been brought up(if you call it bringing up) believing that she was an ugly child with the harsh jealous remarks of her guardians. They had brought her in only because they needed a free servant, she thought bitterly.
That reminded her of her past. She was told she was abandoned on the streets of cold Burmingham when she was still a baby. That was the only thing she knew of her self-history.
Being sweet and loving by nature, she was very popular among the neighbourhood, which was a huge contrast to her guardians, who are regarded as the 'Evil Rogers'. Sakura thought it wasn't very nice, but people still kept coming to the bar to get a glimpse of the kind ward they 'adopted'.
After sobbing in silent retreat, she pulled herself together and thought, Regardless, they took me in and gave me a roof over my head. I shall repay them.
In the evening, everybody was busy in their houses preparing themselves for the huge ball. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the poorer ones, and they knew it. Sakura sang the same tune she was humming earlier that day to make her forget her sorrow while keeping herself busy with the mop.
"Sakura! Come here AT ONCE! I need HELP here!"
"Yes! Coming!"
Finally, the Rogers were ready, and they smirked at Sakura before slamming the door shut, leaving her all alone.
Tsukishiro Yue was not a happy duke that night. First, his mother, the Duchess, had pestered him into wearing all the fancy things in the whole world which was the least comfortable, and secondly, expected him to actually mingle with a crowd of a hundred dozen women! No, thank you very much. He was the Ice Duke, and he despised the spoilt and noisy female suitors he had. He had no interest whatsoever in those flirting females.
Soon the gigantic ballroom was filled with people, and Yue felt very suffocated. Women wearing all sorts of colourful low-cut dresses have been practically fighting in a very unladylike manner to dance with him. He had politely refused all of them. It wasn't that they were ugly creatures, some of them could induce the lust of men quite easily, but it was more of Yue's disgust towards this kind of people.
He saw a few officials leave for the door, and noticed they were really drunk with too much port, the bottles still in their hands. Yue downed his sherry and miraculously managed to excuse himself and follow them, eager to get away from the noisy and stuffy room. At the same time, he wanted to know what those officials were up to. He knew them to be quite corrupt.
In the night air, Yue was more calm and less angry about everything. He decided to stop following them and took a breather in a nearby park.
However, when he heard a scream, Yue wasted to time in rushing towards it.
Sakura was wiping the tables with a piece of rag under only a dim lamp. She heard violent knocking on the door of the bar, and hastily rushed to the entrance.
"I'm sorry, but the bar is closed. Please come back tomorrow-" She barely finished her sentence when the door slammed open, causing Sakura to shriek a little.
She gasped in horror when she found herself staring at three men towering over her.
"Well well well. Look what we have here. A sweet little plum, don't you think?" One sneered.
"No, I figured she's a cherry. For us to pop!"
Sakura widened her eyes, and screamed as loud as she could. She earned a slap from the third man, and fell onto the floor with a loud thud. She felt her clothes being ripped and her body being pinned to the ground. Strickened with fear, she barely heard the man say that nobody could hear her as everybody was in the ball.
Then suddenly a painful thud was heard. Followed by another two. Sakura couldn't register what was actually happening. Was she being rescued? But she saw the three men out cold, and tears brimmed into her eyes. Tears of relief, and tears of the mere thought of what could have happened.
Yue looked at the sobbing figure and thanked the heavens that he made it in time. He made a mental note that these men will be fired at once. Kneeling down, he took out his coat and draped it over the petite frame.
Normally he would have left by now without a word, but he was curious. Why wasn't she in the ball like the rest? His thoughts were cut short when he looked into bewitching forest-green eyes. All he could do was stare in amazement and fascination.
Sakura found herself lost in his argentate gaze. Who was he? When she finally woke up and awakened her senses, she recognised the trademark silver hair.
"Y...Your Grace! Good evening!" She immediately bowed as low as she could, trying to cover up her embarrassment and her awe.
Yue did nothing but reached out to tilt her chin up with his thumb and index finger. He wanted to drown himself in her emerald orbs, which were sheltered by long, curly lashes. Sakura looked away shyly, refusing to look at his violet-silver eyes again, lest she became rude.
"Why aren't you at the ball? Are you a servant girl?"
Sakura was surprised at the coldness in his voice, which was totally in contrast with his warm touch. She answered, her voice murmered and stuttering. "I...Yes, I had to take care of the, the bar."
"And risk yourself with rape or murder?" Yue replied with the same icy tone.
"I...had no choice. My guardians asked me to do it."
"Tell your guardians that when I hold a ball and I invite someone, I expect them to be present." In his mind Yue was mocking himself. Who was the one who kept complaining about too many people?
Nevertheless, Yue wanted to see this girl again. She had the most fascinating eyes he had ever seen. Even in rags and dirt, she radiated with loveliness.
"I will talk to your guardians. They are...Mr and Mrs Roger, am I correct?"
Sakura could only try not to gape and nodded her head.
Yue felt amused by her obvious effort. Just then, the big church clock struck twelve, and a carriage stopped outside the bar.
"Just in time." Yue muttered.
Mr and Mrs Roger entered the bar, and they were in for a surprise.
"Oh, oh my, Your Grace!" Mrs Roger almost tripped on flat ground. Mr Roger hastily mumbled 'Your Grace' and they both bowed as low as they could.
Yue stood up and cast a frosty glance to Mrs Roger, thinking that the other Roger was too drunk to actually listen.
"Mrs Roger---" He began.
"Please call me Ruth, Your Grace." Ruth fluttered her eyelashes at the handsome Duke.
"Mrs Roger," Yue began again. He had never felt so obliged to be this rude before. "This girl here was almost raped by those officials, on the floor. I merely passed by and noticed. If I had not, the girl would have suffered a terrible fate. Can you explain your actions for leaving here alone here?"
"Haha, Your Grace, but that girl is just a servant, she is merely taking over our place as the owner while we were away--"
"That is not an excuse! As I said, she was almost raped. Do you know how dangerous London streets can be? And I remember I invited every decent person to the ball. I do not like it when someone is not present."
"Y...yes, Your Grace. Please forgive us for our inexcusable behaviour." Ruth murmured, not daring to object any further.
Yue turned to look at the standing and embarrassed Sakura. "Your name?" He asked.
"Uh, Sakura! Kinomoto Sakura, Your Grace!"
"Sakura will be invited to the next ball. Sakura, only."
Ruth's jaw gave way and fell downwards. She stammered, "B-but, Your Grace, she has no dress, and she is just a servant girl--"
"Do you dare to question my actions?" Yue challenged with a glacial glare.
"NO! I mean, no, Your Grace...I will get her a dress for your next ball."
"Good. It is next Monday." After that, he left without waiting for any goodbyes.
A very bewildered Sakura stood there, ignoring the stares and glares of her masters. She then realised that Yue didn't take his navy blue coat with him, and rushed to give it back to him. But then she remembered that she was dirty and grimey, and the coat would probably be as well. She decided to wash it before...before her first ball.
Feeling so happy that she thought her feet had wings, she practically floated to her room.
"Good night, milord, milady."
Author's Notes: Well, that was a brief introduction... What will happen to our beloved couple? Will she ever be rescued by her Prince Charming? Or should I say, Duke Charming? winks
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MoonPhoenix