Duke of Al Hazard
By:FanaticxAnime
Summary:
Money. That's why she married him, a filthy rich 'Duke' who wears a mask. It was a loveless commitment, but even so, she found herself unwillingly drawn into those blank crimson irises. What is the mysterious Duke hiding? And will she ever find true love? Nanofate, even if it starts with Yunoha.
Before you read...
Hey guys! This was an idea that suddenly popped into my head one morning so as usual, I followed my instincts and motivation and voila! this story came out.
One thing I want to clear up is that this story contains mild Futa. It is a factor that contributes to the story later on... if I continue this one.
Anyway, my continuation of the story will be based on the respond I get, so please comment and tell me what you think!
Disclamer: I do not own the characters. Sadly.
(p.s. I apologize for the sucky summary. I will try to improve it. o )
Prologue-Duke Testarossa
No matter what we breed
We still are made of greed
This is my kingdom come
This is my kingdom come
"We are gathered here today," a grim voice stated, "in the presence of God, and with all these witnesses to share in Lady Nanoha Takamachi and Duke Fate Testarossa's commitment of love to each other."
A pair of cerulean eyes glared at the unsuspecting priest through her white veil, hoping to burn a hole through him.
She was getting married, but everything about the wedding was wrong. So completely wrong: the participants were mostly people that she did not know, the church was too snobby, the corset around her waist was too tight, and though one should be joyous and brimming with tears on such a fateful day, all she felt was profound regret that was rooted deep within her heart.
Commitment of love?
What a folly it is. The one she loved wasn't the one standing next to her in front of a priest in a church. No, her object of affection was immersed with the crowd, silently watching. She yearned to run to him, to let him whisk her away, and both of them would escape to a place where nobody would bother them. She wanted to turn and search for the straw blond man with emerald eyes that sparkled every time he talked about his studies. She wanted to forget about this marriage…but she could not.
If she didn't, her family would fall into abysmal poverty.
Her father, having demeaned from his position of work, had took out his anger on a poor man who was simply doing his job. And just to their luck, the man happened to be one of the many nieces of the King, and hence, a large sum of penalty was fined when he was sued to the court.
In the very end, because of the heavy reparation, they didn't even have enough money to last for a week. So after some frustrated family gathering and a bit of pensive thinking together, her father had decided to marry her off.
"It's for the best, my dear daughter. If the circumstances were better, I would have let you marry that ferret boy, but he is only a farmer boy. He cannot provide you with a stable life," her father apologized, but his tone held its firmness.
She knew that there was no space for argument. She was going to marry the Duke of Al Hazard, and it was final. A marriage with no love involved, but plainly based on benefits that started with a letter 'm'-money.
It was an agreement that her father and the Duke reached after a meeting that the devil himself had evoked.
"I was quite surprised," her father said in a hushed voice one night while they ate dinner. "He had approached me, and said that he heard the news about my daughters looking for a suitor."
Her father paused, his face turning thoughtful. "He was a strange one - tall, yet not as broad as a grown man should be, and a mask he wore."
"A mask?" her mother asked, worry spreading over her features.
"Yes dear," her father confirmed. "And when I asked him 'sir, for what purpose is thy mask for, with all due respect?', he had stiffened and dully told me that he felt uncomfortable without it. Of course, I didn't pursue further. Who knows what would happen if I got on his bad side."
"Then is it safe to let Nanoha marry him, Shiro? I mean, we don't even know what he looks like! He could be a savage beast for all we know!" her mother exclaimed.
Her father wrapped his calloused hand around his wife's. He sighed.
"But what can I possibly do, Momoko, when he offered to take care of our living as long as we needed it? He said he would provide us with everything. The offer was just too tempting. As their father and your husband, I cannot simply let my family starve."
And since then, it was decided that she was to marry a Duke whom she had never even seen before. How laudable was that?
"Now seeing that you two have chosen each other, as partners in this Holy estate, would you please join your right hands," the priest said, snapping her out of her reverie.
Blindly, she held out her hand, not bothering to turn to her soon-to-be husband. Even if she did, it wasn't like she would know what he looked like.
For a brief second, she wondered what he would think of her when he lifted off the front veil. Would he be disappointed? Or would he be relieved?
Nanoha didn't really know how her appearance seemed to others. Mainly, it was because no one bothered to comment on her. In every ball that she had previously went to, it was her sister and brother who swayed the attention of others, but never her.
The only compliment she got was from her lover a very long time ago. And of course, her parents did too, but whose parents wouldn't say that their daughters are the most beautiful?
Shaking the thoughts away by biting on her lips slightly, she felt a gloved hand take hers. Surprised at how gently he did the action, the fact that his fingers were slender did not go unnoticed.
Strange, she thought. For a Duke who was rumored to be bestial and rough, the way he held her hand was almost uncharacteristic.
"Duke Testarossa, in taking this woman, you hold your right hand to be your lawfully-wedded wife. You must promise before God and these witnesses to love, honour, cherish, leave all other and cleave only unto her, and in all things be a true and faithful husband to her as long as you live. Do you promise so?"
Together, the church stayed silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the determining answer.
Then, as though millennia had passed, a gruff voice finally said, "I do."
Her heart dropped in disappointment.
She was desperately hoping for a no, or maybe an unsure 'uh, maybe I'll reconsider it' would still work the magic. But there it was, the answer bright as day. Now there was no turning back for her. She would have to say yes, and she would be bound to the Duke for life.
"Lady Nanoha, in taking this man, you hold your right hand to be your lawfully-wedded husband. You must promise before God and these witnesses to love, honor, cherish, leave all other and cleave only unto him, and in all things be a true and faithful wife to him as long as you live. Do you promise so?"
"I…do," she quietly said, and lowering her gaze to the floor, her shoulders also drooped.
"The rings you are exchanging are a sacred oath between the two of you. It is made from a material that can never be tarnished, in the form of a circle, signifying that your love for each other should be never ending. Duke Testarossa, take the ring and place it on Lady Nanoha's finger. Look at her and say your vows," the priest urged on.
The man turned to face her the same time she did, and through the while veil, she could barely discern the black mask he had on and the faint color of his hair.
It was the same as her lover: It was blonde.
She watched as the Duke took a ring placed on the ring cushion preceding the priest. He raised her hand and inserted the circle onto the forth finger.
"With this ring," he started, his voice somehow muffled by the mask. "I wed thee with true love that doth endow upon you, all my worldly goods with thee I share, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."
Then after that, Nanoha was did the same thing.
The priest closed his book, and relief swept over his wrinkled face. "With the vows spoken, you may kiss the bride now."
She sucked in a breath nervously when the veil lifted.
Squinting from the early morning light that shone through the colored glass, the first thing she noticed about her husband wasn't his tall stature, nor was it his black opera-like mask. No, it was his eyes that had captured her attention-
Crimson-colored, brooding, and tainted with melancholy.
She felt herself gasp at the sheer beauty of those ruby orbs.
Letting go of her hand, the Duke reached for the hem of his mask and moved it upwards by a few inches, revealing his lips.
She immediately took note of the strong muscles that flexed at his jaw, and when her gaze landed on the pair of pink lips, she gulped.
Right, they were supposed to kiss.
Unable to move, she stayed paralyzed on the spot as her husband closed their distance, his penetrating stare never wavering from her eyes and his high ponytail swishing over his shoulders.
His scent wafted over her. It was a familiar smell, and distinctly in her mind; she made out the mixture of grass and chocolate mint.
A pair of hand snaked around her thin waist, pulling her even closer to her soon-to-be husband.
Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw her lover turn his head to the side. She felt her heart wrench at that simple small action.
I'm sorry, Yunno.
Closing her eyelids, she tilted her chin upwards and pursed her glossy lips. She could feel his hot breath sweeping over her face, and she dreaded the moment their skin would touch.
But the contact never came.
Instead, her husband planted a kiss at the edge of her mouth, pressing onto the skin there for a few moments before he moved away.
She froze.
Why didn't he kiss her?
An uncanny feeling washed over her and she struggled to push it away. Was she…disappointed? No it can't be. Why should she be? Shouldn't she be grateful?
…
So why didn't he kiss her on the lips?
The hands around her waist disappeared, and the Duke straightened up, pulling his mask back to its original place so that it covered his whole face again.
If the crowd knew that he did not kiss her, they did not comment on it.
His icy stare regarded her coldly before he turned back to the priest.
Fumbling with his book, the old man hastily set it to the side.
"I now declare you husband and wife. May God watch over you always."
On cue, claps erupted from the crowd, but it was obviously forced. Nobody seemed to be happy but the sun that was blazing joyfully above them.
Twisting to face the crowd, she hesitantly placed her hand on the Duke's arm and slowly, they tread down the red carpet that was generously decorated with purple and pink ribbons when the soft music started again.
Numbly, she let her gaze drift over to her family. The sympathy on their faces marring their encouraging smiles, her father was staring at the tiled floor, but even so, she could realize the faint hint of regret on his dark features.
She sighed mentally.
It was too late for him to regret now. Everything had been set. She was the wife of the infamous Duke, and it was a decision that she had absolutely no say in.
Shifting her eyes to the right, her eyes met Yunno's.
Her lover was wearing a sad and disheartened look, his green orbs accusing, as if crying out that she had betrayed him ultimately by marrying another. And at some point, it was true. She had betrayed him, but it wasn't her fault. She had no choice. It was a necessary action. Her family needed her service, and she was there to answer.
Gulping, she tore her apologetic gaze away from the man and focused on the path in front of her.
Come to think of it, it was ironic.
All those talk about true love, all those vows about faithfulness. It was meaningless and untrue. It was empty words with hollow bearings, only said to put on a show to the audience.
Their marriage, if it was anything, was strictly business: She would marry him so that her family would have enough money to lead a stable and hopefully luxurious life, and for him… it was still unknown to why he wanted to marry her.
Neither the less, she wondered how faithful she would be to her husband. She wasn't a fan of cheating, but even so, the one she is truly in love with is Yunno, not the Duke, and she was certain that it would stay that way forever, no matter what her 'husband' does to snatch her affection.
…
Right?
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