Chapitre Vingt Et Un

Le Baiser

Beatrice

"Magnus! Magnus, I'm here! Let's settle this like men, not like beasts!"

Leon? He was alive? So Lucien's experiment had worked! With one hand firmly gripping the rail and another holding her pistol Beatrice ascended the spiral stairs from the cellar. The younger children had their nannies to watch over them down there, she could afford to poke her head out and see the conclusion of this siege.

"You damn aristocrats!" She heard Magnus roar. "You think you can win us over with your honeyed words? The Empire's soldiers have dealt with enough! We will not be disrespected anymore! You say there need not be more bloodshed? I say we need to paint the damn Empire in the blue blood of you people!"

So that's how he'd talked all these other soldiers into joining him in a suicidal assault! This was to be the start of a revolution. Now she knew for certain that they'd all need to be killed. The Empire would not survive such sedition otherwise.

"I... I thought you said you'd never start a revolution without me." Leon's voice was weak, and she could hear him stumbling on the stairs. She came to the doorway at the top of the staircase and peered out just as Leon came to the bottom of the steps leading to the second floor.

His sword all but dragged on the ground, and his knees nearly buckled under him. He was alive and awake, but not recovered. Even in that low light she could see that he was still pale, almost green. He hardly seemed fit to duel a child, let alone a seasoned soldier.

Leon's arm raised just above his waist. Such a terrible range of motion. If that was the best he could do how was he to protect his face? "If you cannot be swayed..." Leon croaked, "...let us begin."

"Indeed," said Magnus, raising his own blade. Magnus' face bore a ferocity Beatrice had only ever seen on rabid dogs before they were put down. But there was something else there, something lingering on the corner of Magnus' lip.

Smug satisfaction.

Magnus must have noticed that Leon was so weak, and would be an easy target.

No! Beatrice could not allow this! Leon had just been returned to her alive. She could never survive losing him again.

In the shadow of the doorway she raised her pistol and pointed it at Magnus' head.

Magnus lunged at Leon. Leon raised his sword in defense in time, but the impact itself threw him onto the ground.

She had to take the shot.

Beatrice squeezed the trigger.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she felt the pistol kick back at her. The sound of the gunshot rattled her teeth and pierced her soul.

Magnus lay dead on the floor. She'd just taken a life. For the first time ever she'd taken another person's life.

Leon stared up at her in shock.

Everyone stared at her in shock. It seemed they were just as surprised as she was that she'd interfered with the duel and killed Magnus.

For a moment, the only sounds in the room were Beatrice's own breath and heartbeat.

Then her eyes fell upon the enemy soldiers, who started to reach for their weapons.

"Open fire!" she shouted

Smoke, splinters, and bullets filled the air.

In seconds Magnus' comrades all lay dead on the floor.

Once they were all gone, Beatrice rushed to Leon's side. "You're alive! Thank Lyr!"

She helped him to his feet, but once he was up he weakly pushed her away. "Yes... Thank Lyr..." he said, coldly.

"What's the matter?" Beatrice asked.

Leon sighed and looked away from her. "...Nothing..."

One of the household guard approached the two of them, unwrapped the scarf from the lower half of his face, and took off his hat.

"Lucien?" Beatrice said in surprise as her husband embraced his son tightly. As she had many times before, she marveled at his brilliance. His disguise was such a clever way for the master of the house to fight alongside his bodyguards without making a target of himself.

"Damn it, boy!" Lucien said, almost laughing. "You're so reckless! It's a wonder all my hair isn't white as snow!"

Leon coughed as Lucien released him.

"And you!" Lucien turned to Beatrice and kissed her fiercely on her lips. "You did beautifully!"

"If you were there the whole time why didn't you take the shot?" Beatrice asked.

"I was about to," said Lucien. "But you beat me to it. Probably better that you took the shot, really. If I'd tried to one of Magnus' comrades would have seen me aiming and fired back at me."

Leon started to amble away from them, his sword still dragging at his side and his head hanging low.

"Leon?" Lucien said. "What's wrong? Oh right... Magnus... I'm sorry..."

"It's not that," Leon said.

"Then... what is it?" Beatrice asked.

Leon said nothing, but continued on his way. Beatrice and Lucien exchanged glances, and then shrugs.

Leon continued to mope over the course of the next few days, too. As workers came in to repair the damage the soldiers had done to the Renart home; replace the windows, fix the broken doors; Leon barely left the house and didn't speak a word.

"He swears he's not mourning Magnus," Andre told Beatrice in the gardens.

"Yes, I know that much." Beatrice rolled her eyes at him. "I asked you to find out the reason for his mood, not to eliminate possibilities."

Andre raised his hands defensively. "I'm sorry, Mother, it's all I could get out of him."

Beatrice sighed and patted Andre on the shoulder. "I understand... I'm sorry I was rude, Andre."

"I understand," said Andre. "People get a little crazy when worried about those they love."

The comment was clearly pointed, and the look Andre gave Beatrice sharpened that point. For a fleeting moment, Beatrice thought Andre about to blackmail her. But no, even he would never stoop that low.

"And mothers are protective of their children," she said. "Even the insolent ones."

Andre laughed. "You make a fair point. I'll see if he's opened his heart to anyone else." The smile faded from his face Though, I imagine he's having a hard time confiding in anyone these days. Used to be he told Magnus all his problems."

"So he feels he has no one to confide in," said Beatrice, raising a knuckle to her lips. "What does it take to earn that boy's trust?"

"As far as I can tell? He needs to believe you're honorable."

Beatrice scoffed. "Who in the entire Salian Empire is honorable? You want someone who values honor? Go spend time with the barbarians. They're right straight forward. If they hate you they don't sneak around behind your back and destroy your good name, they disembowel you to your face. Real honorable."

Andre pointed at Beatrice. "That right there. That's the kind of attitude he doesn't like."

Beatrice sighed. "Fair enough. And... honestly, I'm sure there's a middle ground between our people and the barbarians."

But what was that middle ground? Beatrice thought about it as Andre walked away. She'd been raised in the Salian way; taught to play Le Jeu Fatal to win, that no other outcome was acceptable. Like most Salian aristocrats she kept her true feelings about so many things hidden away, and with Leon so many of those feelings needed to stay hidden.

Yet, it struck her as possible that if she opened up to Leon he would open up to her.

She searched for him all day, but none of the servants or household guard had seen him in hours.

Her search soon drew her to areas of the mansion she'd never seen before. Long hallways, far from any windows or outside facing doors. Mirrors, instead, lined the walls to make the hallways seem larger.

Beatrice stopped and stared at her own reflection in one of the mirrors. For a moment she could almost swear the eyes in that mirror were not truly her own. Were Fitzroy's agents on the other side, keeping all members of the Renart family under constant watch? Normally the idea that someone was always watching over her had been a comfort, but now, in these silent halls, it made her shudder.

She hurried further into the depths of the mansion.

Soon the mirrors disappeared. As did the candles, lamps, and any other light source. The air seemed stale, cobwebs lined the ceiling. There was something so uninviting to it all.

The click of a door around the corner. Beatrice jumped and stepped back from the corner. Though she did not know who would dole out the punishment, she suddenly felt like a little girl caught doing something wrong. She froze, wishing she'd brought her purse with her and the pistol inside. Maybe if she didn't move and she lowered her breathing whoever it was wouldn't hear her.

Then Leon rounded the corner and nearly bumped into her. He jumped back from her for a moment and raised his fists. "Oh! Beatrice?" He lowered his fists the second he recognized who it was who shared the hall with him. "I'm sorry, you startled me."

"Leon..." Beatrice stared at him, then glanced around at the dark and seemingly-abandoned halls all around them. "What are you doing in a place like this?"

"I..." Leon glanced behind him, ever so briefly. Had Beatrice blinked she might not have caught it. "Well, I needed some time to myself."

Beatrice giggled. "Well, no one's fool enough to follow you into these halls. Seriously, you might try the family crypt next time. It's a more pleasant atmosphere."

Leon looked away and his head sunk. "I almost ended up spending all my time in the family crypt..."

Beatrice cringed. How could she have made such an insensitive joke to someone who'd been so near death recently. "Oh... Leon... I'm sorry..."

"Why did you pull the trigger?" Leon snapped.

"Excuse me?" Beatrice was taken aback at his sudden, rude change of tone.

"Why? Why did you do it?"

"Because he was going to kill you!" said Beatrice. "You were flat on your back, you could barely lift your sword."

"If he had killed me maybe that would have been the end of it," said Leon. "He'd have had his revenge, and he and his friends could go about their lives, satisfied."

Beatrice scoffed. "Please, you think after breaking the Treaty of Fausspaix that the Empress would have allowed them to live?"

"That's not the point! Not... not really..." Leon rubbed each of his temples with two fingers. "Why can't anyone fight their own battles?"

"I'm sorry?"

Leon pointed down the hall past Beatrice. "My father has Fitzroy to fight his battles for him, Andre has my father and I to fight his, Magnus had Marc and his brothers in arms, and, apparently, I have you. My father's wife. My mother fights my battles for me."

"It wasn't just your battle!" Beatrice said, poking him in the chest. "That man came into my house, he threatened my family, and the man that I..." Beatrice caught herself about to share more of her heart than was wise. She needed to choose her words carefully here. "He threatened my son!" Yes, that was a better way to say it. "When a woman's home and loved ones are threatened she takes up arms to defend them. You fought your own battle, Leon. You lost. Then I fought mine!"

Leon opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it again. After a moment of silence he begrudgingly nodded. "You're right. It wasn't all about me."

"Is that what's been on your mind this whole time?" Beatrice asked. "Don't tell me something that small had you moping around for so long!"

"No!" Leon reached out and touched her shoulder. "No... it's..." Leon sighed and turned away. "I saw my mother. My real mother."

"Your mother? I... I don't understand. Was this a dream?"

"Yes. Maybe... I don't know." Leon started to pace from one wall to the other. "I was here, in my home, but it was on the sea. The servants were all people who've long-since passed away. My mother was there, on the porch, just how I remember her." Leon wiped something from his eyes. Was he crying? Beatrice reached out and touched both of his shoulders, trying to pull him into an embrace. He resisted, but did not push her away. "It was so peaceful... I was ready. Ready to spend eternity there." Leon's fists clenched. "Then I heard gunshots. I was awake, and alive. Oh, my own body betrayed me, and took sadistic pleasure in reminding me of what it meant to be alive. Everything hurt, I felt weak, and the peace was gone, all of it. I found myself wondering if... if I was really better off having survived. Then I fought Magnus, and he was about to kill me. I was afraid... but also relieved. I kind of... well, I wanted him to-"

"None of that!" Beatrice yelled as she shook him by his shoulders. "None of that now! Don't you dare!"

"Beatrice..."

Beatrice grabbed him by both sides of his face and forced him to look at her. "Now, you listen to me! Don't you ever say, 'I wish I were dead!' You selfish boy! I thought better of you than that! Think about the people who love you! Think about me!"

Tears flowed from Leon's eyes. Regret? Guilt? She couldn't be sure, but whatever the cause it was about time he released what he'd bottled up inside.

"Don't you dare leave me!" Beatrice said, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "You're far too precious!"

She waited for an answer from him, but for a long time all she got was silence. He wasn't even looking at her, his face turned down to the ground.

Then his hands clasped both sides of her face and he kissed her fiercely. His lips pressed together with hers, his tongue found its way into her mouth, and waves of warmth washed over her. She couldn't help herself. Foolish as she knew it was, she returned the same passion he was showing her.

No man had ever kissed her like this. Certainly Lucien's kisses had been affectionate, but there wasn't this fire in them.

She clawed at his shirt as he held her tight and the two of them ravished each other's lips. His hands roamed over her back, and his warm body pushed up against hers. She soon felt the wall against her back.

"No..." he pulled away from her. "Oh, by Lyr! We can't do this!"

"You're right," Beatrice whispered back.

Leon and Beatrice stared at each other a moment. Both had their mouths open as if to speak, but there were no words.

What could one say after a moment like that?

All Beatrice could do was pray that this was the one place in the mansion where they were not watched, She saw no mirrors, no paintings, no place from which anyone could have been watching them. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that their moment of ill-conceived passion was not a secret. Were there any secrets in this house?

"I must be going," said Leon.

"I should... return as well."

But there was only one way out of those dark halls, so the two of them found themselves walking together. They exchanged looks, but no words. Leon blushed and fell back to walk behind her. Hopefully this would make them look at least a little less suspicious.

Soon they were back in the more-travelled halls of the mansion.

"Aha! There you are!"

Beatrice jumped at the sound of Lucien's voice. How much did he already know? Had Fitzroy's agents already reported her infidelity? Her heart raced as Lucien approached the two of them with Andre in tow. Andre. He'd known about Beatrice's feelings for a long time. Had he finally shared his observations with his father?

Lucien rushed to Leon. Was he to take the brunt of his father's anger instead of her? Beatrice winced for what came next.

Lucien stopped in front of Leon and said. "Are you done crying over spilled milk?"

"Pardon?" asked Leon.

"Are you done moping around the mansion all day every day?" Lucien asked.

Leon stammered. "Oh... y-yes... I'm fine now..."

"Good!" Lucien patted him on the shoulder. "You've always been a strong boy. I was sure you'd pull through." Lucien kissed Beatrice briefly on the cheek. "Thank you for finding him, dear."

Beatrice meant to say something, but the words never left her throat.

"Leon," Lucien began, "I have been called to a conference in Senon. Empress Mariette's forces have crushed House Forbin and captured all soldiers who joined them in their insurrection. She's calling a conference so that she can decide who will replace Marquis Forbin, since all of his heirs are now dead. I must attend, and I want you and Andre to attend as well."

"Why?" Leon asked.

"Why?" Lucien chuckled. "So you can learn, my dear boy! The game is played differently in the capital, you need to see how it works when you go before the Empress herself!"

Leon groaned and rolled his eyes. "Alright, why is Andre coming?"

"Andre's coming along because there will be bountiful opportunity for him to practice his craft."

Andre smirked. "What he means is, there will be plenty of garters to steal and pillow-whispered secrets to collect."

"Indeed," said Lucien, a wry smile on his face. "So, grab your things, Leon. And quickly, the Empress won't wait forever, you know. The carriage is ready outside. We'll see you there as soon as you're ready."

Lucien and Andre hurried back out the front door.

Leon started up the stairs to go to his room and pack his things. When he got to the top, though, he stopped, and looked down at Beatrice.

What was it he was trying to say without words? Was he trying to apologize? If so, for what? For kissing her? For the way he felt? For leaving?

Knowing that if they actually spoke what was on their mind now someone was bound to overhear it, Beatrice tried to give him a look which both forgave him and apologized for her conduct as well.