Secret Nights (Chs 1-3/20?, PG-13 for now)
Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2004 11:10 am
ETA: I changed the title because I've already started work on later chapters and its going to get very interesting. It may seem boring now but it wont be later.
Set in Regency Sanq Kingdom. Society is based off the Regency English Ton. Historical fiction/action romance.
Some OOC. I changed character histories and relationships but kept the most important ones in place. Inspired in part by Mary Jo Putney's Fallen Angels and Georgette Heyer's These Old Shades. I own nothing.
Quick lesson on English Nobility for those who may get confused by the use of titles.
Adapted from this website by one of my favorite authors: http://members.shaw.ca/jobev/title.html
The Hierarchy: Duke-->Marquess-->Earl--->Viscount--->Baron
Duke, wife is the Duchess. They are both called Your Grace and are referred to as His or Her
Grace. Friends may call the Duke by his Title such as "Hello, Raberba."
All lower titles are called Lord and Lady such as Lord Colchester and Lady Colchester. Last names are never used.
Chs. 1-3
The night was cool, moonlight, the constellations in play. However, for this man, it did
not matter. He was called the Archangel but his coloring was dark and his features far from
angelic. It was society's joke, they thought it funny to call him the Archangel and to call one
of his closest friends Lucifer.
They had been dubbed Rogues of the Round Circle by Society's highest stickler, Dororthy
Catalonia Winner, the Duchess of Raberba. They were Heero Yuy, Count of Declasse, Duo Maxwell,
Earl of Colchester, Trowa Barton, Lord Upton, His Grace, Quatre Winner, Duke of Raberba, and
Colonel Lord Wufei Chang, Viscount Fuzhen. They met at the age of 10 at Eton in England; all of
them were citizens of the Sanq Kingdom except for Duo, the Englishman. They had all been outcasts
but now they were the toast of Society; women wanted them, men wanted to be like them. But now,
according to Lord Heero, all of that could be dammed. Duo got himself tangled up with a woman and
according to the woman accross from him in the chair, all hell could break loose.
Heero cocked his head and stared at the woman through his glasses and said, "I beg your
pardon, I am not Lord Colchester's keeper and I do not have any idea of where he has gone and
what he has done to your sister." Heero felt like if the woman could burn him to death through
her veil, she would.
The Lady gritted her teeth and stated, "Your friend, Lord Colchester has decided that my
friend would be a wonderful mistress and has convinced her that she should be even though she is
to marry Lord Spencer."
Heero resisted the urge to roll his eyes and asked her, "And who is your friend," with as
much disdain as humanly possible. The Lady said in matching tone, "Miss Hilde Noin."
'Damn you Duo,' Heero snarled in his thoughts. Miss Hilde Noin was the daughter of
Colonel Lord Noin, niece of the Duke of Kilbourne, and cousin to the Duchess of Raberba. Heero
was no stranger to scandal but this would be a big one. One of the most scandalous lords and the
sister of Lucretzia Noin. Lucretzia Noin, despite her sordid past wasn't one of the few women
that even Heero wanted to tangle with.'Bloody fucking hell-'
Heero's thought was cut off by the opening of a door and skidding steps of the man in
question and the thump of another man closing the door. Heero smirked, it was nothing other than
the man in question, Duo and the most levelheaded man alive, Trowa, Lord Upton. He smiled at the
lady in disguise and said, "He is all yours."
Duo glared at Heero and then looked at the woman in the chair. He gasped and then roared,
"Dammit Relena, why are you here?!"
Heero narrowed his eyes. He had heard rumors about Duo romancing the daughter of the King
of Sanq and now he had proof. He glanced over at Trowa and Trowa nodded confirming his
suspicions. The lady in the chair threw off the veil and the bonnet and stood up, her face
flushed, anger and tension screaming from every nerve. Heero smiled in appreciation. She was not
a female who would allow Duo to charm her out of her anger but Heero also felt a strange feeling
in her heart. He frowned, but the look on his face was lost during the confrontation between Duo
and Relena.
Relena screamed, "You bloody bastard! How could you, how could you!!!!" Duo reached out
to grab Relena but she eluded his grasp. She screamed again, "How could you? With her! Why, why?"
Duo looked pained but he said, "I love her and I could not let her go again. I married
Hilde."
Relena looked at Duo, her face red and unreadable, and she just fainted and fell to the
floor. Trowa moved away from the door, glared at Duo, and picked Relena up. Trowa murmured,
"Heero help me take the Princess Relena back to her home before the scandal becomes any worse."
Heero said, "Tibbins, have the unmarked carriage brought readied. We will board by the
stables. Duo, stay here or go to your house." Trowa carried Relena as Heero guided them through
the halls to the back of his townhouse. They boarded his carriage and they were off.
As the carriage made it through the streets, Relena woke up. She blinked, uncognizant of
her surroundings then she focused on the men she was with. She stiffened and looked down on her
hands which she had locked together. She said, "I am very sorry for that spectacle milords."
Trowa patted her locked hands and told her, "According to Lord Declasse and I, this never
happened."
Heero nodded. Relena looked up as the carriage neared the Sanq Palace and said, "Thank
you." Her eyes briefly met Heero's and Heero felt the jolt he felt earlier. She slipped out of
the carriage and into the grounds of the Palace.
Trowa turned to Heero and said, "Bloody hell, it seems like the world is changing." Heero
answered, "It is."
Ch. 2
To any regular onlooker, Miss Lucretzia Noin looked calm and composed. But her shaking
hands and the limp fan at her wrist belied the tension and nervousness she was experiencing. Her
friend, Lady Sally Po, gave her a concerned look, and told her, "You do not have to be here while
you are worrying about Hilde."
Noin gave Sally a tremulous smile and replied, "I am not worried about Hilde, I know
about her stupid mistake, I'm just worried about Spencer's reaction."
Sally frowned, she had forgotten about that ill-begotten match. Sally reassured her
friend, "Lord Spencer already knows and has moved on to Lady Catherine Barton."
Noin shook her head. Noin sighed, "Treize and Une pushed the match so much, I feel like I
let them down."
"It is not your fault that the girl decided to run off with Lord Colchester. They had
feelings for each other for a long time. It is better to marry for love when you can," Sally
stated. Noin shook her head again. She and Sally had both fell in love foolishly. Sally fell in
love with Lord Po and married him, never knowing the Lord Po just wanted her money. Noin fell in
love far above her rank with Prince Zechs Merquise, the heir to the throne.
Zechs was every girls dream; long blond hair, blue eyes, stunningly handsome face,
muscular body. She had been the young painter daughter of Colonel Noin. She was hired to do a
portrait of the heir and his sister, Princess Relena. She was ruined when she was found
half-naked in his arms when she should have been painting him. Of course he had no intentions of
marrying below his rank even though she was the niece of a Duke. So she was completely ruined
with no odds of marrying, but she had freedom she never had before. She could travel around
Europe and paint what she wanted. She had made a fortune selling her paintings and doing
portraits of the aristocracy. But she could never forgive Zechs for that day.
Noin was taken out of her thoughts by the rap of a fan on her arm. It was the Lady Une,
wife of Treize Khrushenada, the Scion of the Khrushenada clan and the heir of Duke of Kilbourne.
Noin smiled, Lady Une was a very close friend. She knew Lady Une when she had her first season.
Lady Une was not popular with her glasses and brusque manner but she had caught the heart of her
cousin Treize and had been married to him for six years. Lady Une whispered, "How is Hilde? Is
she ok? Is she really married to Lord Colchester? Do you really want to be here?"
Noin chuckled, she knew she was going to get grilled when Lady Une saw her. Noin
whispered back, "She's fine, she's really married, and I can handle it." She better be able to
handle seeing Him again after five years. Lucretzia Noin had returned to the Sanq Kingdom after
five years and this was the first time she was going to see HRH Zechs Merquise since he seduced
her.
Treize and Zechs had been friends before it all happened but now they were sworn enemies.
Treize had always been a brother to Noin and Hilde and he took it personal that Zechs had ruined
Noin and refused to marry her. It would have been a blood feud for the Khrushenada clan if Lady
Une was not even slightly related to the royal family. Now, its was just a personal feud between
Treize and Zechs, a rift that would never be repaired. Noin sighed as the orchestra started to
play "Pomp and Circumstance." The ball would begin and the mask would have to go into place.
HRH Zechs Merquise stood at the top of the stairs. He was resplendant in white and gold
military uniform, a crown on top of his platinum hair. He was the perfect prince but his mind was
miles away. His sister was missing and he had an inkling it had to do with the new marriage of
Lord Colchester and Miss Hilde Noin. Keeping his face impassive as he walked down the stairs,
Zechs inwardly smirked. Duo was a nice man but he was not for his lovely sister who would at
least marry another prince if not a king. However, before he made it all the way down the stairs,
Zechs saw a glimpse of the one person who had haunted his dreams for five years. Zechs thought,
'She's back.'
Ch. 3
Hilde preened in front of the mirror and flashed her ring. She curtsied and said, "Lady
Colchester at your service." Then she giggled, ran over and fell on her bed. Hilde could not
believe it; she was married to Duo, Lord Colchester. She frowned, she knew that Relena had loved
him and that Relena had been a friend when others ostracized her because of her sister. But no
one would understand how he made her feel. His laugh, his eyes, his voice, even his annoying
braid. She had been in love with him ever since they briefly met when she was 18. She had just
became a woman and he was the man every girl was in love with. Their eyes barely met and she just
felt warm all over. It was meant to be.
Hilde then sighed and walked over to the window of her room. She thought, 'The family
will be angry.' The Khrushenada clan pushed her to marry Lord Spencer. She was lectured about
doing what was good for everyone. Hilde did not understand it, Treize was powerful enough, his
marriage to Lady Une made him the most powerful man in Sanq second only to the throne. The only
good thing that would come out of her marriage to Lord Spencer would be that it would have proved
that one of the Noin sisters wasn't scandal prone. She laughed, that was untrue. They both
gambled with love and Hilde won. Hilde sat on the window seat. She would have died for the chance
to attend the Royal ball tonight, just to see the reaction when Prince Zechs and Noin saw each
other for the first time in five years.
Hilde was shook out of her thoughts when the door quietly opened and closed. A man's
voice said, "Babe, I was looking for you. I went to the Royal ball and you weren't there. Why are
you still here?"
Hilde smiled and ran over to Duo's waiting arms. Hilde stated, "Treize informed me that
it would not be a good idea for me to show up on such an important night to such an important
ball with such a fresh scandal. He advised me to lay low tonight while he and Lady Une take care
of any problems."
Duo arched an eyebrow at Hilde and said, "Treize, afraid of people talking? I cannot
believe it. I would never-"
Hilde shook her head and cut Duo off. She simply stated, "Noin is going to be in the same
presences as His Royal Highness for the first time in five years. That was a scandal that almost
gave my uncle a heart attack and made my father apopolegtic. I believe that they would rather
manage that situation without worrying about other things."
Duo laughed and smirked before grabbing Hilde's arm. He said, "You are dressed for a
ball, I am dressed, I believe that Treize can be damned and we will be attending that wonderfully
bedammed ball."
-----------------------------------------------------
Okay, thats the end of the first 3 chapters.
Set in Regency Sanq Kingdom. Society is based off the Regency English Ton. Historical fiction/action romance.
Some OOC. I changed character histories and relationships but kept the most important ones in place. Inspired in part by Mary Jo Putney's Fallen Angels and Georgette Heyer's These Old Shades. I own nothing.
Quick lesson on English Nobility for those who may get confused by the use of titles.
Adapted from this website by one of my favorite authors: http://members.shaw.ca/jobev/title.html
The Hierarchy: Duke-->Marquess-->Earl--->Viscount--->Baron
Duke, wife is the Duchess. They are both called Your Grace and are referred to as His or Her
Grace. Friends may call the Duke by his Title such as "Hello, Raberba."
All lower titles are called Lord and Lady such as Lord Colchester and Lady Colchester. Last names are never used.
Chs. 1-3
The night was cool, moonlight, the constellations in play. However, for this man, it did
not matter. He was called the Archangel but his coloring was dark and his features far from
angelic. It was society's joke, they thought it funny to call him the Archangel and to call one
of his closest friends Lucifer.
They had been dubbed Rogues of the Round Circle by Society's highest stickler, Dororthy
Catalonia Winner, the Duchess of Raberba. They were Heero Yuy, Count of Declasse, Duo Maxwell,
Earl of Colchester, Trowa Barton, Lord Upton, His Grace, Quatre Winner, Duke of Raberba, and
Colonel Lord Wufei Chang, Viscount Fuzhen. They met at the age of 10 at Eton in England; all of
them were citizens of the Sanq Kingdom except for Duo, the Englishman. They had all been outcasts
but now they were the toast of Society; women wanted them, men wanted to be like them. But now,
according to Lord Heero, all of that could be dammed. Duo got himself tangled up with a woman and
according to the woman accross from him in the chair, all hell could break loose.
Heero cocked his head and stared at the woman through his glasses and said, "I beg your
pardon, I am not Lord Colchester's keeper and I do not have any idea of where he has gone and
what he has done to your sister." Heero felt like if the woman could burn him to death through
her veil, she would.
The Lady gritted her teeth and stated, "Your friend, Lord Colchester has decided that my
friend would be a wonderful mistress and has convinced her that she should be even though she is
to marry Lord Spencer."
Heero resisted the urge to roll his eyes and asked her, "And who is your friend," with as
much disdain as humanly possible. The Lady said in matching tone, "Miss Hilde Noin."
'Damn you Duo,' Heero snarled in his thoughts. Miss Hilde Noin was the daughter of
Colonel Lord Noin, niece of the Duke of Kilbourne, and cousin to the Duchess of Raberba. Heero
was no stranger to scandal but this would be a big one. One of the most scandalous lords and the
sister of Lucretzia Noin. Lucretzia Noin, despite her sordid past wasn't one of the few women
that even Heero wanted to tangle with.'Bloody fucking hell-'
Heero's thought was cut off by the opening of a door and skidding steps of the man in
question and the thump of another man closing the door. Heero smirked, it was nothing other than
the man in question, Duo and the most levelheaded man alive, Trowa, Lord Upton. He smiled at the
lady in disguise and said, "He is all yours."
Duo glared at Heero and then looked at the woman in the chair. He gasped and then roared,
"Dammit Relena, why are you here?!"
Heero narrowed his eyes. He had heard rumors about Duo romancing the daughter of the King
of Sanq and now he had proof. He glanced over at Trowa and Trowa nodded confirming his
suspicions. The lady in the chair threw off the veil and the bonnet and stood up, her face
flushed, anger and tension screaming from every nerve. Heero smiled in appreciation. She was not
a female who would allow Duo to charm her out of her anger but Heero also felt a strange feeling
in her heart. He frowned, but the look on his face was lost during the confrontation between Duo
and Relena.
Relena screamed, "You bloody bastard! How could you, how could you!!!!" Duo reached out
to grab Relena but she eluded his grasp. She screamed again, "How could you? With her! Why, why?"
Duo looked pained but he said, "I love her and I could not let her go again. I married
Hilde."
Relena looked at Duo, her face red and unreadable, and she just fainted and fell to the
floor. Trowa moved away from the door, glared at Duo, and picked Relena up. Trowa murmured,
"Heero help me take the Princess Relena back to her home before the scandal becomes any worse."
Heero said, "Tibbins, have the unmarked carriage brought readied. We will board by the
stables. Duo, stay here or go to your house." Trowa carried Relena as Heero guided them through
the halls to the back of his townhouse. They boarded his carriage and they were off.
As the carriage made it through the streets, Relena woke up. She blinked, uncognizant of
her surroundings then she focused on the men she was with. She stiffened and looked down on her
hands which she had locked together. She said, "I am very sorry for that spectacle milords."
Trowa patted her locked hands and told her, "According to Lord Declasse and I, this never
happened."
Heero nodded. Relena looked up as the carriage neared the Sanq Palace and said, "Thank
you." Her eyes briefly met Heero's and Heero felt the jolt he felt earlier. She slipped out of
the carriage and into the grounds of the Palace.
Trowa turned to Heero and said, "Bloody hell, it seems like the world is changing." Heero
answered, "It is."
Ch. 2
To any regular onlooker, Miss Lucretzia Noin looked calm and composed. But her shaking
hands and the limp fan at her wrist belied the tension and nervousness she was experiencing. Her
friend, Lady Sally Po, gave her a concerned look, and told her, "You do not have to be here while
you are worrying about Hilde."
Noin gave Sally a tremulous smile and replied, "I am not worried about Hilde, I know
about her stupid mistake, I'm just worried about Spencer's reaction."
Sally frowned, she had forgotten about that ill-begotten match. Sally reassured her
friend, "Lord Spencer already knows and has moved on to Lady Catherine Barton."
Noin shook her head. Noin sighed, "Treize and Une pushed the match so much, I feel like I
let them down."
"It is not your fault that the girl decided to run off with Lord Colchester. They had
feelings for each other for a long time. It is better to marry for love when you can," Sally
stated. Noin shook her head again. She and Sally had both fell in love foolishly. Sally fell in
love with Lord Po and married him, never knowing the Lord Po just wanted her money. Noin fell in
love far above her rank with Prince Zechs Merquise, the heir to the throne.
Zechs was every girls dream; long blond hair, blue eyes, stunningly handsome face,
muscular body. She had been the young painter daughter of Colonel Noin. She was hired to do a
portrait of the heir and his sister, Princess Relena. She was ruined when she was found
half-naked in his arms when she should have been painting him. Of course he had no intentions of
marrying below his rank even though she was the niece of a Duke. So she was completely ruined
with no odds of marrying, but she had freedom she never had before. She could travel around
Europe and paint what she wanted. She had made a fortune selling her paintings and doing
portraits of the aristocracy. But she could never forgive Zechs for that day.
Noin was taken out of her thoughts by the rap of a fan on her arm. It was the Lady Une,
wife of Treize Khrushenada, the Scion of the Khrushenada clan and the heir of Duke of Kilbourne.
Noin smiled, Lady Une was a very close friend. She knew Lady Une when she had her first season.
Lady Une was not popular with her glasses and brusque manner but she had caught the heart of her
cousin Treize and had been married to him for six years. Lady Une whispered, "How is Hilde? Is
she ok? Is she really married to Lord Colchester? Do you really want to be here?"
Noin chuckled, she knew she was going to get grilled when Lady Une saw her. Noin
whispered back, "She's fine, she's really married, and I can handle it." She better be able to
handle seeing Him again after five years. Lucretzia Noin had returned to the Sanq Kingdom after
five years and this was the first time she was going to see HRH Zechs Merquise since he seduced
her.
Treize and Zechs had been friends before it all happened but now they were sworn enemies.
Treize had always been a brother to Noin and Hilde and he took it personal that Zechs had ruined
Noin and refused to marry her. It would have been a blood feud for the Khrushenada clan if Lady
Une was not even slightly related to the royal family. Now, its was just a personal feud between
Treize and Zechs, a rift that would never be repaired. Noin sighed as the orchestra started to
play "Pomp and Circumstance." The ball would begin and the mask would have to go into place.
HRH Zechs Merquise stood at the top of the stairs. He was resplendant in white and gold
military uniform, a crown on top of his platinum hair. He was the perfect prince but his mind was
miles away. His sister was missing and he had an inkling it had to do with the new marriage of
Lord Colchester and Miss Hilde Noin. Keeping his face impassive as he walked down the stairs,
Zechs inwardly smirked. Duo was a nice man but he was not for his lovely sister who would at
least marry another prince if not a king. However, before he made it all the way down the stairs,
Zechs saw a glimpse of the one person who had haunted his dreams for five years. Zechs thought,
'She's back.'
Ch. 3
Hilde preened in front of the mirror and flashed her ring. She curtsied and said, "Lady
Colchester at your service." Then she giggled, ran over and fell on her bed. Hilde could not
believe it; she was married to Duo, Lord Colchester. She frowned, she knew that Relena had loved
him and that Relena had been a friend when others ostracized her because of her sister. But no
one would understand how he made her feel. His laugh, his eyes, his voice, even his annoying
braid. She had been in love with him ever since they briefly met when she was 18. She had just
became a woman and he was the man every girl was in love with. Their eyes barely met and she just
felt warm all over. It was meant to be.
Hilde then sighed and walked over to the window of her room. She thought, 'The family
will be angry.' The Khrushenada clan pushed her to marry Lord Spencer. She was lectured about
doing what was good for everyone. Hilde did not understand it, Treize was powerful enough, his
marriage to Lady Une made him the most powerful man in Sanq second only to the throne. The only
good thing that would come out of her marriage to Lord Spencer would be that it would have proved
that one of the Noin sisters wasn't scandal prone. She laughed, that was untrue. They both
gambled with love and Hilde won. Hilde sat on the window seat. She would have died for the chance
to attend the Royal ball tonight, just to see the reaction when Prince Zechs and Noin saw each
other for the first time in five years.
Hilde was shook out of her thoughts when the door quietly opened and closed. A man's
voice said, "Babe, I was looking for you. I went to the Royal ball and you weren't there. Why are
you still here?"
Hilde smiled and ran over to Duo's waiting arms. Hilde stated, "Treize informed me that
it would not be a good idea for me to show up on such an important night to such an important
ball with such a fresh scandal. He advised me to lay low tonight while he and Lady Une take care
of any problems."
Duo arched an eyebrow at Hilde and said, "Treize, afraid of people talking? I cannot
believe it. I would never-"
Hilde shook her head and cut Duo off. She simply stated, "Noin is going to be in the same
presences as His Royal Highness for the first time in five years. That was a scandal that almost
gave my uncle a heart attack and made my father apopolegtic. I believe that they would rather
manage that situation without worrying about other things."
Duo laughed and smirked before grabbing Hilde's arm. He said, "You are dressed for a
ball, I am dressed, I believe that Treize can be damned and we will be attending that wonderfully
bedammed ball."
-----------------------------------------------------
Okay, thats the end of the first 3 chapters.
Elyn Yuy