Death's Sweet Scent

By: DeathNoteMaker

Disclaimer: I don't own Cantarella or Harry Potter, but I do own this fanfic, my ideas, and OCs.

Category: Crossover

Book(s)/Manga(s): Harry Potter/Cantarella

Pairing(s): Cesare Borgia/Harry Potter/Chiaro, one-sided Juan Borgia/Harry Potter, one-sided Lucrecia Borgia/Cesare Borgia, some Chiaro/Lucrecia Borgia, etc.

Rating: M

Warning(s): Language, Slash, Character Death, Abuse, Dark Themes, Incest, etc.

Genre(s): Angst, Drama, Romance, Occult, Fantasy, etc.

Summary: Blinded and disabled since he saved one of his siblings, Hadrian Borgia, the fraternal twin of Cesare is the "light" in the lives of his family. For his older twin brother Cesare, he is even more so than the others. As Cesare goes down his path of tragedy and bloodshed, which had been set for him, will Hadrian be able to help his brother with his goals despite his disabilities? Will he be able to keep his brother from being consumed by the darkness that is threatening to swallow him at every turn?

A/N: I am still an avid fan of Cantarella, though I haven't been able to read the next volume as of late. =3= I still want to know what exactly is going to happen to my Cesare, despite the fact that it's starting to become very obvious what is going to happen. I DISSAPROVE! I'm revising the chapters, and so they may be longer and have a bit more detail than the original. The only thing I can hope is that you all will continue to enjoy this story, and stick with me till the end.

The dust of white bones mixes with red wine and shines like blood.

Drink up the offering cup.

You're a Seraph of Death leading everyone toward sweet lunacy…

A beautiful poison.

Cantarella, Vol. 1, Chapter 1

Prologue

~(Rome, Year 1475)~

The birth of the Borgia twins was a miracle obviously orchestrated by God himself; this was an opinion that all who had heard of the events previous to their birth firmly believed. Nothing else could possibly hope to come close to explaining how not only has the mother survived being struck by lightning, and the children despite being born prematurely were both in perfect health. Cardinal Roderigo Borgia, the father of the twins, was found by a frantic servant and practically manhandled to the home of his mistress, Nakeene's home with haste.

Arriving at the home of the renowned dark-haired beauty, the Cardinal reached the room containing his mistress and could only stare in shock at the two infants being presented to him. Lying on the bed with a carefully wrapped bundle in her arms was Nakeene. The beautiful woman smiled down lovingly at the child in her arms, and seemed to be completely captivated with the infant. Every few seconds while she cooed at the child in her arms, she glanced over at the Nun, whom held the other child with wary looks. Observing this for a moment, Roderigo Borgia noticed that it was his other child that was receiving this look from its mother, and not the Nun whom was praising his children.

Smiling, the Nun adjusted the baby in her arms and looked at the Cardinal. "They're a handsome pair, don't you agree?" Taking his shocked silence as agreement, she continued all the while rocking the child in her arms gently. "It's a pair of boys…twins…he and his brother had been prematurely because of their mother being struck by lightning, but despite this they are both very healthy." Holding the child close to her chest, she smiled brightly at the red-garbed man. Even though he was a Cardinal she would not judge him, the fact that his children seemed to have the grace of God only cemented that nothing was wrong with it in her mind.

"Against all odds, the babies and their mother are doing very well…God must surely be watching over them."

Nakeene narrowed her dark green eyes at the nun, and she tightened her arms around her baby as a small scowl formed on her beautiful face. Her eyes only darkened as the landed on the child in the old woman's arms, and she rested her head on top of her baby's. "Take him away, he has been fed and now I'm about to feed his brother." Oblivious to the tension that suddenly found its way into the room, the Nun nodded and smiled.

"Ah, yes…I'll leave then."

Roderigo watched as the woman turned to walk out of the room with one of his sons, but he backed up against the wall in fear as the woman passed by some candles. Unseen to any but him, as the nun passed by the candles, the baby's shadow took on ominous shapes against the stone wall.

Eyes, malicious faces, all taunted him silently as the woman made her way out of the room. Breathing raggedly in fear, he brought a hand up to his chest and felt the sweat dripping down his face. It seems that it was not all a dream…he had really done it! Allowing himself to calm down, he turned to look at his mistress, and his eyes latched onto his other son. Instantly an overwhelming sense of peace overtook him, and he almost collapsed to the ground in relief.

Instead of the ominous shadows, which plagued his brother, this boy seemed to possess a certain light around him. Roderigo couldn't explain it, and didn't know if he ever could. The only one that he could think of, who possessed the same aura to compare this feeling that came over him to was Vannozza dei Cattanei. Staring up at him from the bundle in Nakeene's arms, emerald green eyes shined brightly, and a small hand reached out towards him as the baby gurgled happily.

The Cardinal's heart seemed to melt under the intensity of the love he felt for this child. Just being near the infant, he felt that if he held him then all his sins would be washed away. Right as he reached forward to take the boy and hold him, his motion was blocked as she moved the baby away. Coldly, she glared at him with an accusatory gleam in her green eyes. Holding the child to her chest as if something was going to steal him away, she scowled.

"Someone manipulated me…that lightning was meant for me…back then…a dismal voice resounded in my head… 'The bargain is sealed'."

Making sure she didn't jostle her baby, she forced herself to sit up and glared furiously at the father of her two children. Taking in the way he seemed to sweat under her gaze, and avoided eye contact by turning his back to her only confirmed her thoughts. "Who…who did you sell my boy to?" Seeing him reaching for the infant in her arms desperately, she tightened her grip on the precious one in her arms. Rage filled her, she was right! There was something wrong with the baby that the Nun took out of the room.

Nakeene could only thank God that Hadrian didn't possess the same unholy aura as Cesare did!

"YOUR OWN SON! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YOUR OWN SON?"

Briefly, he closed his eyes and turned back to face her. He held her gaze for no longer than a second before diverting his attention to the ground. Fiddling with his robes nervously, he grimaced before steeling himself and looking her dead in the eye.

"You're beside yourself because you were hit by lightning…you're imagining demons…why on earth would a demon make a contact with me, a servant of God?"

With that, he moved forward once to try and hold the child, but he was prevented from doing so again. Nakeene held Hadrian away from him, "What did you hope to get in return for Cesare?" Massaging the bridge of his nose in irritation of not being allowed to hold his child, and guilt of what he had done to his other child. Roderigo decided that he would come back later.

"Don't speak such nonsense!" Sending one more glance towards Hadrian, he sighed and left the room. All the while, he didn't see the distraught woman hold onto the baby in her arms as if he was her last lifeline. Tears of frustration and sorrow fell from her eyes, and landed on the green-eyed baby's cherub-like face. Blinking at the drops that fell on his face, Hadrian brought a chubby little hand up to touch his mother's face. Anguish could be heard in the cries that she did nothing to stop, as she knew that she had lost one of her babies because of a selfish man's unknown agenda.

"RETURN MY PRECIOUS BOY! RETURN HIM…GIVE HIM BACK TO ME!"

Resting her head on top of the crown of Hadrian's head, Nakeene continued to grieve for the child she had lost before she truly had him.

Nakeene had come to a decision after she had finally stopped her sobs. It was midnight, and she knew that there was no turning back from what she had decided.

She wasn't going to allow that damned Roderigo just use her child for whatever deal he had made. Gathering some supplies and items that she would need for her precious Hadrian, she knew that she would need to flee with her child after she finished her awaiting task. Making her way through the corridors with grace and stealth, she made her way past the servants' quarters without a sound. Nakeene carefully crept into the room, and closed the door behind her gently. Walking over to the crib containing her children, her green eyes instantly fell on the peacefully slumbering Hadrian Borgia.

A warm loving smile filled with utter adoration grew on her face.

'At least…I will still have you after I do this…'

Turning to Cesare, she cringed as she discovered that unlike his brother, he was awake and staring up at her with his dark violet eyes. A toothless grin was on his face as he cooed happily at the sight of his mother, but the woman couldn't return the gesture no matter how much her aching heart wanted her to.

'THIS THING IS NOT MY BABY! IT IS NOTHING BUT A TOOL OF THE DEVIL!'

Despite the trembling in her body at the thought of what she must do, she hardened herself. She had to do this, in order to avenge her baby that had been taken from her even before he left her womb. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she moved to stand by the side of the crib where Cesare laid.

"Please forgive me…"

Even though she knew that this thing wasn't her baby, it was wearing her baby's face. Her heart felt like she was continually being stabbed.

"There is no other way…I won't let him use you as a sacrifice for an idiotic ambition, no matter if you are a demon in disguise…you wear my precious boy's face."

Just as she moved to tightening her hands around his neck, dark apparitions began to form from the shadows underneath the infant. Shooting towards Nakeene, they seized her wrists and cackled ominously. "W-What?" Stumbling back from the crib and the malevolent spirits in fear, she glanced over at Hadrian and she screamed at herself to go and get her baby. But as she fell back, she knocked over some candles, which fell tipped over and the flames caught onto her dress.

Quickly the high quality fabrics burst into flames causing her to flail about in excruciating pain.

"AHHH!"

Running around the room, the flames spread around the room and circled the center of the room in a cocoon. In the middle, the two twins laid ignorant to their possible deaths. Through the early morning screams were heard throughout the entire building as it was consumed in flames. It was only at the crack of dawn when the flames finally settled, and Roderigo stood in the front of the building. Guilt weighed down on his shoulders as he felt that this had happened due to his greed. "Why…God…why…" He made his way through the remains of the building with the surviving servants, who miraculously were able to escape the building.

They had claimed that they were lead to an exit by an angel of some kind, which left him flabbergasted. Getting to the nursery where he was sure that the remains of his children were, he walked through the door-less frame and his eyes widened as he took in the sight before him. As there in the middle of the room was the crib, and in the crib was his two sons fast asleep with not a mark on them! Both were completely unaware of losing their mother, nor how close they came to sharing her supposed fate.

Relief was almost rolling off of the Cardinal as his eyes landed on Hadrian, but as he looked at Cesare, he couldn't help but flinch. Warily, he moved closer and picked up Cesare and couldn't help the shiver that ran through his body. It seemed that even now things were going to be happening around him. Turning to Hadrian, he picked him up and instantly the menacing aura surrounding his oldest was suppressed. Marveling at difference between, he knew that he would have to take them to his home.

Cesare, being the price for his ambitions to be achieved, made him cagey. The guilt from what he and done, and what he may cause due to this bargain weighed on him heavily. It made it hard for him to even look at the child, even while he held him. But Hadrian, he gave off an almost angelic glow and brought him a sense of peace. Holding them closer together, he relaxed completely as he felt Hadrian's glow negate the apparitions around Cesare completely.

Noting this for further thought late, the Cardinal knew that he would have to find a caretaker for the two. Being what and who he was, he couldn't let anyone find out about the two being his sons. Despite how much he would love to claim Hadrian as his own, it would be too suspicious since he and Cesare were already known as twins. Shaking his head, Roderigo made his way towards the home of the one person he knew would help him.

Vannozza dei Cattanei would gladly take in the two children. He was sure of it.

"Oh, what adorable babies!"

Rubbing her cheek against Cesare's, she cradled the infant closed to her chest. Glancing over at the baby, who was held tenderly in Roderigo's arms, she couldn't help the fond smile to form on her beautiful face. The aura around the baby reminded her much of her own, and she knew that he would be a very important factor in the future. Whether anyone would realize this, would be a question for a later time.

Blushing, the Cardinal grinned sheepishly. "You're the only one I can turn to Vannozza…I am hoping that you'd feel sympathy for these babies…motherless children."

Smiling, she shook her head to rest his fears to rest. Resting her blue eyes on the 'devoted' follower of God, she adjusted her hold on Cesare. "It isn't a problem…don't worry about a thing Roderigo." Sighing in relief, the Cardinal couldn't help but allow his admiration of the woman in front of him to show. No matter what, she has always helped him when he was in a tight spot.

"Oh! You're like the holy mother, Vannozza Cattanei!"

Placing a kiss onto Hadrian's fuzz covered head, he felt joy in the fact that his precious child would be looked after by such a wonderful woman.

"What are their names?"

Motioning to the baby that he was gently rocking in his arms, he smiled. "This here is Hadrian, the youngest…" Gesturing to the infant in her arms, he continued. "Cesare, both of them will have the surname Borgia." Nodding at the information given to her, she then noticed the small shadow that floated up from Cesare with surprise. "Oh dear…"

Blowing the tiny evil spirit, she watched it dissipate under the light of her aura.

"Stay with me and your brother from now on Cesare."

At that time, my brother and I never knew that our years living under the care of Vannozza would be a major influence in shaping our futures. Everything that happened in our time under her loving care molded us into the people we are to this day.

Both Cesare and I…we always cherished the times we experienced with her as our caretaker and surrogate mother, and I can only thank her for the help she had offered us. Especially for Cesare, as he needed her help more than I did.

For Vannozza, I had promised to never abandon my brother. I promised to try and keep my brother from falling into the very darkness that our father condemned him to at the moment he struck the bargain with the devil.

My name is Hadrian Borgia, and this is the beginning of our tale…the tale of the Borgia family…but more specifically, the tale of my brother Cesare and I.

End of Prologue

Yay! I've finished the revision of the prologue! Whether or not you like it, I thank you for bothering to read this anyway. LOL Not a lot of people have heard of Cantarella, which I think is blasphemous! Those people in question are probably confused as to what is going on, and I hope that understand eventually. I recommend that you read Cantarella on MangaFox or MangaHere. Well that's all for right now, as I'm onto revising Chapter 1.

Ja ne,

DeathNoteMaker