Attente Des Portes De la Mort
by Melissa
Disclaimer:: I do not own anything from this story. Everything belongs to Kiriko Yumeji and Tow Ubukata, the authors of Le Chevalier D'eon. Constructive criticism is welcome. No flames please.
"I will come by tomorrow to see you. Au revoir," Lia Beaumont turned around to wave at a handsome young man and a smile graced her lips. He looked at her gently, waving back. She turned back around and sighed deeply. She could feel it in her gut. She knew that he was the one for her. She giggled softly to herself, skipping all the way home.
As she entered the house, she ran into her brother as he was leaving for work. Patting him on the arm, she left for her room. He looked at her with a puzzled look, wondering what had made her so happy today. Shrugging to himself, he shut the door behind him.
"Is this what love feels like?" She asked herself, spinning around her room, wrapping her arms around herself. She fell onto her bed with a soft thud, closing her eyes in happiness. She could see herself being with him forever. And she knew in her heart that he would never hurt her. She knew that he would never break her heart. She knew that he loved her too.
Later that night, her brother came home, sniffing loudly. She looked over at him and smiled gently. He sat down, closing his eyes in tiredness. She set a bowl of soup in front of him and sat down next to him.
"What's the matter, frére?" she asked, putting her hand on his arm. He opened his eyes slightly, looking at her with exhausted eyes.
"We found another girl. Dead. All the blood drained from her body. It looks like another poet is running around. We haven't been able to track him. Has le cheval pale said anything new?" he asked, looking at his sister questioningly.
"Not yet… he's just as confused as you. The translators are still trying to sort through the last poems we received." She looked at her hands, anguish in her eyes.
"Well… I want you to be careful. I don't want you to show up dead like those other girls. We should do a background check on that guy you keep seeing. He seems fishy." He looked out the window, thinking to himself.
"No… he wouldn't be a poet. He's condemned them. He hates them… so of course he wouldn't be a poet. Besides… he loves me. He wouldn't hurt me. Je promets." She patted him on the head and got herself a bowl of soup.
"Well… still. Be careful," he said, getting up from the table and going into his room.
THE NEXT DAY
"I have to get to work early. But I'm still going to do that background check on your 'guy friend.' Okay? Don't complain. It's for my own mind's sake. Stay safe. And don't be out late. I'll see you later tonight. Au revoir." Her brother came out of his room, buttoning his uniform. He looked at her seriously and kissed her on the cheek as he left. She rolled her eyes but accepted his statement. As he left, she ran to her room to get ready for the day. She put on her usual purple-blue dress. Walking out of the house, she looked back, smiling.
She walked quickly down the road, hoping to get where she needed to be as soon as possible. She said hello to those she passed but didn't linger to have a conversation. She needed to see him. As she approached his shop, a sense of warmth and happiness covered her. She smiled brightly, walking into the shop. He was sitting by the grind-rock as he always was when she showed up. He stood up, took her hand and kissed it gently. She blushed, saying hello.
"You're here early, mon chéri. What's the occasion?" he asked, letting her hand go but pulling up a chair next to him for her to sit on.
"Nothing really. I had some extra soup from last night that I thought you might want for lunch," she said, holding up the basket with the soup. He took it from her and set it on the other side of him.
"Merci. I was wondering what I was going to do for lunch," he joked gently, taking her hand in his. Her heartbeat jumped slightly, her face growing warm.
"It was nothing. But votre bienvenue." She smiled at him, her face glowing.
"There's something I've been wanting to show you. It's downstairs in the shop, though. Is that okay with you? I've been working on it for a while as a present for you." He stood up, lifting her up off her chair.
"Yes, it's fine. I would love to see it." Her eyes twinkled as he led her downstairs to the bottom of the shop. A malicious glint could be seen in his eyes and in his smile as he looked back at her.
LATER THAT NIGHT
D'eon de Beaumont walked into his home, expecting the wafting smells of dinner and her sister's tinkling voice to greet him. However, as he walked in, it was cold and no smell of dinner greeted his nose and no greeting of hello reached his ears. He looked around, puzzled. His sister was always home before dark. She was always home to greet him when he came home. He walked around the different rooms, calling her name. There was no answer. He sat down briefly in a chair, trying to wrap his brain around why she wasn't there.
Suddenly, a loud knocking came. He looked up at the door and got up to answer. A frantic police officer and the chief were there to greet him. He looked even more puzzled. He was let go from work not too long ago and now they show up at his door again? What was this?
"D'eon. You should come with us." The chief said, pulling him out of his house. D'eon looked back at his house and then at the chief.
"Okay, but why?" he asked, his mind being jumbled with many different thoughts.
"Just because. We need your help." They walked quickly, not stopping. D'eon was getting tired as they approached a dark and abandoned shop. The smell of blood reached his nose, his eyes watering from the smell. He put his hand over his mouth and nose, hoping to block out the stench.
"What is that? What are we doing? Is another girl dead?" he asked, walking with the chief downstairs to the lower level of the shop.
"Yes. We need your help…. identifying a body." The chief said, his voice going soft.
"What… for?" he asked, his eyes following the chief's. He looked up from the rafters and saw a dead and mangled body, all the blood gone. His eyes went wide and his stomach lurched. He fell to his knees, unable to keep himself up any longer.
"Lia! Why? I told you not to go out at night! I told you… I told you! Lia… no no.. not her, anyone but her…. Lia…." He screamed, his voice shattering the quiet night.
Soooo. Just a little one-shot Le Chevalier D'eon story. This is based off of what I know from the second volume of the manga. Which isn't much. So if it seems somewhat OOC I'm really sorry. Just let me know and I can change it. But this is basically just the events of what might have happened before Lia was killed by a poet and her brother, D'eon's, thoughts. Oh, here's a little translation glossary. Thanks!
Attente Des Portes De la Mort- Awaiting Death's Doors
Au Revoir- Good bye
Frere- brother
Le cheval pale- the pale horse
Je promets- I promise
Mon cheri- My darling
Merci- thank you
Votre bienvenue- your welcome