My Dear Princess
SeraphimLullaby
Summary:
Princess Yuffie met the Demon Lord on the night of the Winter Ball. Being in an arranged marriage at the time, she couldn't help but accept his offer to escape.(AU)
A/N:
My other account got screwed. Trying to catch up with my stories again so bear with me. Here is a new story that I have had for quite some time now. Enjoy and please review. I do, as a matter of fact, would like to know if this story is worth continuing so please give me some feedback. Whether it's positive or negative I'd be more than happy to hear what you have to say.
Prologue
Reminiscence
Little soft clouds danced about as they descended to earth from the heavens above.
Snow.
It was snowing that day. It just so happens that today was also the very same day her father had thrown that party.
Although, fate brought them to one another, two lost souls in search of reason and purpose. These souls were also in search of love and security, that they might be themselves wherever they went without having to be judged.
As the cold air caressed her pale cheek, a frail woman remained lifeless on the balcony she perched on.
When she felt a light tug on the sleeve of her yukata, she was snapped out of her small reverie to find two crimson colored orbs gazing down on her in question and concern.
"Mom…?"
Not answering quickly, as if carefully processing what to say, the woman chose her words with much difficulty.
"Yes sweetie…?"
"Zane and I…. we're worried… please go rest…you don't look well…"
As a faint smile graced her lips, she brought herself to her feet.
Feeling her hand slip into another, she allowed herself to be pulled along by their child, the very same and only child that was blessed with his inhuman beauty.
As she felt a gust of warm air hit her face, the strange feeling that she was being stared at made her look around in wonder until her gaze locked with azure ones.
Feeling her smile fade, the memories of that humiliating moment in life were flooding back to her. Although they came quickly, they disappeared just as fast without a trace.
She suddenly felt very dirty.
Used.
Alone.
She had given birth to two wonderful children but they were born to separate fathers.
"Hey…. Mom."
As her son spoke to her, she didn't respond.
Wondering why she felt nostalgic, the woman didn't realize that she had begun to stagger. Her world began to spin as the floor suddenly raced into her line of view, but that stopped only because two sets of strong hands propped her up.
She heard them talking, but the words made no sense at all. They were merely a fuzzy sound that her mind tried to process. In the end though, she gave up on trying to understand what was being spoken.
She was beyond the point of caring anymore.
She was dying and almost everyone around that cared for her knew that.
Even she knew she was fading away.
It was that hurt from separation and longing that made her this way, and because she was hurt terribly by his missing presence, she could only mutter his name softly before greeting the darkness with a more than welcome embrace.
"Vincent…"
Chapter One
My Dear Princess
Nightfall is perhaps the greatest thing to some people, a trouble to others. Some you could say…adored basking in the white rays the golden entity would provide, while others took their endeavor prowling about in the darkness graced with the only source of light…the moon. In the end, it was one's own choice when to carry out certain tasks.
On this particular night, a young princess allowed her head to loll back, chocolate hues eyeing the speckles of light littering the dark sea above.
Tonight they held an unusual beauty.
Surely, this was because so many people were enjoying themselves.
Although laughter could be heard from inside the castle along with lovely music, the youth snorted.
She was probably the only one who wasn't enjoying the fine evening.
Yuffie was never one to care for balls or fancy get-togethers such as these.
She pictured something a bit livelier, casual, but the life of a princess denied her of such pleasures.
Being the only daughter and heir to the Wutai Kingdom, she was naturally controlled and ordered around profusely.
If there was anything in the world she could possibly hate at that moment, it was the way she was dressed.
Clad in a deep jade colored dress made of silk, she felt that the material was showing off too much cleavage.
As she closed her eyes, the tomboy princess wondered what a normal life would be like. What she had in mind was to travel and explore the whole world while becoming the best ninja there ever could be.
If anything though, her current life now was far from normal.
Ever since her mother had passed on, Yuffie felt so abandoned, lost, and small.
Feeling as if it was her fault, she changed her ways.
From a small voice to a loud and vigorous one.
Long silky, thigh length hair was chopped off and reduced to a necks length.
Lovely skirts and fancy kimonos reduced to mini-shorts and tight shirts that showed some skin but for the cause that she could move about much easier.
She acted more like a male than she should have.
With a sigh of boredom, she opened her eyes and smirked at nothing.
"When…will this stupid thing end?"
Pushing herself up so that she was seated on the railing of the balcony, she turned her attention to the windows, looking at all the smiling faces on the other side of the looking glass.
The last time she had ever smiled so brightly and happily was when her mother was alive and her father actually a kind man.
It's not that he wasn't as kindhearted now; he was just more demanding now that his beloved was swept away in death's dance.
He also expected much more from her seeing as he didn't have a son to be his successor.
Being a girl had its advantages and disadvantages.
Hearing a series of loud cheering from below near the gates, Yuffie turned her attention to the sound, only to scoff at the sight.
There, in all his glory was King Shinra and his son Rufus.
So this was the fool she was supposed to be getting married too. Something about his looks made her blood boil. She didn't know what it was but he just bugged her in general, presence and all.
Literally feeling the steam pour out of her ears, she crossed her arms defiantly.
He didn't look one bit attractive in her opinion. He was out of her taste and male preference.
Even that hero a couple of villages away named Cloud Strife looked so much better, but to Yuffie's dismay, he was already love stricken with another woman.
Tifa Lockheart was her name, the youth recalled.
Even so, Cloud and Yuffie managed to become good friends, although the mercenary hero would never really admit to that fact nor show it. Still, he had his own strange way of caring and showing affection.
"This is really ridiculous… I don't even love him. Godo truly never ceases to piss me off sometimes…Ugh! And that damn redheaded turk. I swear. If he comes one mile within my area or reach, Leviathan forbid! I'll beat him into oblivion with a dull oar!"
She never did like Reno. He had accompanied King Shinra whenever he would visit. King Shinra had supposedly brought him along so that he may keep Yuffie company whenever they had discussed business and of the such.
It was the fact that he was such a womanizer and got away with it that made her angry.
"Good for nothing…stupid redheaded idiot…"
Rambling on and on to herself, she growled and continued to complain.
"If anything, why don't I just leave this place?! It holds nothing for me here anymore anyways."
Not even realizing that she wasn't the only person on the balcony anymore, the young princess continued to speak to herself until a smooth, velvety voice called out to her.
"Then why don't you?"
It was a fine night.
The demon lord had to agree to that.
As the moon shone brightly along with the lights of the city, Wutai couldn't have seemed more alive tonight.
It seemed as if a swarm of fireflies had scattered themselves about the place.
Although Godo didn't invite him, he'd stop by anyways.
As his wings fluttered violently in the wind, he planned on entering the ball through the balcony, only to find it occupied by a young girl clad in a dress that showed too much of the little cleavage she possessed, in his opinion.
Landing quietly within the shadows, midnight black wings that once adorned his back vanished as he regained his human profile completely.
After doing so, the man would regard her carefully with dark crimson pools.
Not realizing that she was the princess of Wutai, he decided that he would have a little fun, him not hearing the youth converse with herself about Godo and how impossible he was.
"If anything, why don't I just leave this place?! It holds nothing for me here anymore anyways."
He heard her say to herself.
With a smirk, he responded to her question.
"Then why don't you?"
Watching her nearly jump out of her skin, he resisted the urge to chuckle.
As expected, the girl cried out in surprise.
Quickly rotating her lithe form around to face him, her face appeared to be twisted with anger.
"What the?! Who are you?!"
Feeling the man's gaze upon her waver some, she smirked, controlling the anger within to the best of her abilities.
"Who I am is no concern to you little girl."
Yuffie decided that what he said was the final straw.
Irked as she was, the girl felt like beating him with an oar as well. She seemed to feel that way every time she was around one of the male species.
They were just so impossible to deal with sometimes, well, at least to her.
Inhaling deeply and counting to ten, she would attempt to speak to him once more, though this time in a much more calm tone. She had to remember that this was perhaps another civilian living in Wutai, and that he probably was one of the hardworking people that made her father's kingdom so prosperous.
"Are you a guest looking for my father? If so he's ins-"
"Your father's location doesn't concern me at the moment."
"Oh…."
So he was not here for her father… strange enough, she had expected him to, seeing as he looked as if he had come with the Shinra. Nonetheless, she had to keep her cool. Shinra was also the other reason her people were living such a good life.
"I see, are you just out here to get away from all the noise?"
As chocolate stained orbs observed the stranger carefully, Yuffie would find herself blushing lightly when her gaze swept over his face.
Although it was a tad difficult to make out every single feature, she knew one thing.
This man was handsome.
Shaking her head and turning her attention elsewhere, she wouldn't catch the smirk that formed on the man's face.
"You could say that."
So the girl believed that he was merely out to obtain some fresh air.
Interesting.
He would see how long he could play out the role of an invited guest. Something about her aura had caught his interest anyways. Shaking his head, he wondered if it had been far too long since his last meal.
"Ah…"
For once in her life, Yuffie Kisaragi couldn't come up with anything to say.
It was strange, really.
Whenever she was with Cloud, AKA Spikes, she was practically a motor mouth.
But now…she just couldn't find the right words to speak.
Continuing to debate on what to say, the "princess" would turn around and bring herself to sit atop the railing once more, head tilted back as she sighed.
"And you, Miss?"
"Same."
"Ah…."
And so, he sauntered to where she was leaned against the railing near her.
"I'm guessing you aren't much of a ball person?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Likewise."
As the Demon lord crossed lithe yet muscular arms about the top of his chest, the man couldn't help but turn his watchful eyes to his temporary companion.
Feeling his gaze burn into the side of her face, she decided that she had no choice but to make small talk.
"…Do you work for my father?"
When she had locked her own eyes with his, she felt her heart skip.
In the moonlight, he was unbelievably gorgeous. Though he was pale, his looks more than made up for the lack of color. What caught her attention the most was his eyes.
They were like that of scarlet. A shade of red that went much deeper than that of crimson. Nonetheless, this stranger held an inhuman aura.
Thrown off guard a bit by the girl's question, the man would find himself searching for the proper answer.
What would he say?
'Oh of course not. I'm just here, despite the fact that I wasn't invited, I wanted to come anyways!'
Who was he kidding? A little white lie wouldn't kill her.
"You could say that, I suppose."
Merely nodding her head in response, the shorthaired girl smiled faintly.
"…Why do you ask Miss-"
"Yuffie."
"Miss Yuffie."
"Just Yuffie."
"Yuffie."
So that was what she called…although…the name pulled a couple of strings. Where had he heard that name before…? It sounded so very familiar but he just couldn't figure it out at that moment.
"…I don't know. I was just curious…?"
"I see."
"Ah…don't think anything of it but…for some reason…anyone who works for my father is lucky…he probably treats them much bett-"
Cutting herself off there, Yuffie refrained herself by chewing on her bottom lip, a guilty look clouding her brown hues.
Though she disliked her father very much, she felt the need to protect his name and reputation at times. Like most children, the need to protect their parents' was something so great, despite the fact that they were either abused or ignored.
It was like instinct, you could say.
"Hn…No worries. I understand. Anyways…pardon me but I overheard your little…conversation. Why so Yuffie?"
With a nervous laugh, the girl smiled sheepishly.
"Ah…you see…"
Eyes downcast, a frown would outline her pristine features, it being quite visible in the moonlight that ever so delicately showered upon the princess's small frame.
"I'm tired of it all. I'm sick of my father's incessant nagging! Annoyed that everyday I'm taking bigger steps towards adulthood. Hurt by the fact that…that I don't even know who my father is anymore… ever since…my mother died…."
As an elegant brow arched itself, the man felt that he knew of whom she spoke of…yet, speculations weren't always necessarily good.
So he just let her talk.
At first, he only meant to poke fun at her but now…
Whatever spell she had cast on him, it was surely taking over.
"I don't know…maybe…I want to start over new. Though this time, I don't want to be a princess."
There!
He knew it from the very moment the girl had spoken of her name.
Though it didn't quite start his memory at first, he did recall there being a princess of Wutai, Godo's supposed successor since Lady Kisaragi bore the man no son.
"So, My Lady is a Princess? Fancy that, eh?"
When a faint shade of cherry red dusted her porcelain cheeks, she snorted.
"What's it to ya, Sir? Well…I'm a bit surprised. I do walk the streets of your kingdom. My father and King Shinra seem to have this strange bond or friendship between. Whatever the case…my being a princess isn't that important."
As the man chuckled, he shook his head.
Such a child, that she was.
Hell, she was a child, in many ways.
He suspected that she was in her early teens, somewhere around there at least.
Still though, she was quite attractive, even he, the great Demon Lord had to admit that tidbit of information.
He wouldn't lie, he'd seen his fair share of beautiful women, but this girl had somehow outshone the rest.In a few years, he hadn't a doubt that Yuffie would be one of the very few women that would be graced with a voluptuous body that could even make the beautiful Siren jealous of.
When a sigh killed the temporary silence that had settled between the two, he found that he could not tear his eyes away from hers.So they stayed like that for a few moments, crimson clashing with chocolate.
At first, it would have seemed that the two wanted to kiss one another passionately but that was not the case.
All the two were attempting to do was figure each other out, as if asking for something that they both knew they couldn't afford to give up.
One couldn't give up their innocence whilst the other couldn't give up their dignity.
It was when the silence was broken a second time by the sound of someone calling out Yuffie's name.
Hesitantly turning away from her companion to look at the glass door that would separate her from the people and noise, the youth put up an emotionless façade.
Someone was calling her back into that hellhole.
To her dismay, she would have to leave, despite the fact that she didn't want to go at all; she found some solace within the man's eyes, those beautiful scarlet hues holding a sense of melancholy of the past. Perhaps she would never get to find out.
"I have to go…"
"I know."
"…I don't know why I said that much before to a stranger such as yourself but…"
"I know."
"Hn…"
As the man pushed himself upright and away from the railing, he took a few steps forward. Following suit, the young girl would slide off the railing, only to trip over her elegant-yet-cleavage-showing dress and plummet into the stranger's awaiting arms.
How'd he…?
It seemed as if he knew that she would have tripped.
What was even more strange was that… being in his arms reminded her of her mother, and how safe she felt when her arms were wrapped about her petite body.
Like a shield.
"Are you alright…Yuffie?"
Yet again, words would fail to come to her aid.
Feeling him shake her lightly, she found that a sweet yet masculine laughter cut through that air.
A wave of anger and confusion graced the young princess once more.
"W-What's so funny?!"
"Ah….haha…erm…"
Averting his gaze, Yuffie tilted her head before she opted to look down.
"…!!! Eek!!"
Shoving the man away from her, lithe fingers brought themselves up to readjust the dress, seeing as it…. well…it fell.
"I beg your pardon My Lady…for I haven't the slightest idea as to why I had burst out into laughter so suddenly…at such a "crisis" for you as well. I apologize."
"Forgiven…"
She responded with a growl.
Men…
Hearing her name being yelled this time by Godo, she sighed and frowned.
"…And now, to go deal with an absolute bastard."
"So vulgar."
"Hush you."
"Heh."
"…Good night... Thank you um... Thank you…"
Pausing there, realization struck Yuffie before she went on her "merry" way.
"You never gave me your name Mr."
"My name is Vincent… and… Your welcome. Good night… My Lady."
As the princess continued to make her way back into what she considered hell, she wouldn't miss the man's offer as he spoke for the last time that night to her.
"If you ever want to leave, remember, I'll gladly come and steal you away. Just use it to call me."
Not completely understanding his words, she went inside and brushed the thought off as he returned to night's embrace.
What she didn't realize was that a small whistle had been placed in the pocket of her dress.