This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own the story line.

Ever After

Chapter 1

It was about noon. The sun was shining brightly on the French, country manor home. Inside and out, the household were readying themselves for their Mistress's return. Upstairs, in one of the bedrooms, an eight year old boy was anxiously awaiting his mother's arrival.

"Oh, Paulette!", Daniel exclaimed. "It feels just like Christmas! I get a father, a brother, and a sister all in one day!" Daniel practically bounced with excitement.

"Yes", Paulette said as she attempted to button the squirming boy's jacket, "it's going to be very exciting around here, what with the Baron and all."

Suddenly, Daniel felt a need to make sure his appearance was nearly perfect. Just as Paulette had finished dressing him, he bolted to the full length mirror.

The twenty-eight year old servant threw her hands up in the air. This happened very frequently when anyone tried to dress the headstrong, vibrant boy.

"Oh!", she exclaimed. "Hold still!"

As Paulette ran towards Daniel, Louise walked into the bedchamber with several clean linens. Louise was an older woman whose husband, Maurice, had been the steward of the Debarbarac estate since their late Master was a child.

Phillipe Debarbarac had died of fever very shortly after Daniel had been born, leaving his wife, Audrey de Loncre Debarbarac, to raise their newborn son alone.

"The Mistress deserves some happiness after all this time", Louise said. "Bringing up a child on her own.. He must be wonderful."

Daniel straightened his light brown jacket. "I hope he likes me."

Louise smiled at the child. She walked over to him and put on a reassuring face. She tapped his nose gently. "He'll love you! Just be the little angel I know is in there somewhere."

Paulette smoothed back Daniel's messy brown curls and rested her head on top of his. "Mhmm. And don't go chewing on the bones at dinner and give yourself away."

Daniel grinned. Paulette and Louise were always thinking of him. Whether it meant cheering him up when his mother had to leave or making him laugh when he was anxious, they did it all.

A small rock flew suddenly into the room, making all three of them turn. Daniel crawled over the top of his bed towards the open window.

"Child! Your mother arrives any moment!"

Daniel ignored Paulette's cries and stuck his head out into the open air. He looked down and saw a small, girl with long brown hair wearing an old blue dress.

"Giselle!", he frustratingly called out. "I told you! Not today!"

Giselle Faylone had been Daniel's best friend for as long as he could remember. Giselle's parents worked for the Debarbaracs, but class didn't matter to the two eight year olds.

Giselle's hazel eyes widened as she looked at Daniel. His dark brown curls had been combed and his face was clean. He wore an expensive outfit and he didn't look entirely unhappy about it! This was not the Daniel she knew.

"You look like the Mistress's son!"

Daniel rolled his eyes at her remark. "That's what I am, half-wit!"

"Yeah! But today you look it!"

"My mother's son or not", Daniel shouted as he glared at Giselle, "I can still whip you!"

"Ha!", Giselle challenged. However, she lost all her smugness when Daniel turned and began to run out of his room. Soon, they were engaging in an all-out war as they wrestled to see who would be the most drenched in mud.

"Look lively!", Maurice commanded the slow moving servants. "It's the Mistress!"

The older man moved down the line of men, inspecting each of them. He looked over his shoulder at the sound of his name.

A beautiful, brown haired lady wearing an emerald green riding habit waved to him from her position atop her magnificent black stallion.

Maurice smiled and waved back. It was typical for the Mistress to ride horseback, no matter the distance, and it did not surprise him that she was leading the small group instead of riding in the black carriage that followed her.

Audrey de Loncre was only seventeen when she married Phillipe Debarbarac and she had just turned eighteen when little Daniel was born. She had been devastated by her husband's early death. But instead of sinking into despair, she focused all her attention and time on Daniel. He was her only reason for survival.

Audrey hopped down quickly from her horse's saddle and threw her arms around Maurice's neck.

Maurice chuckled as he returned her embrace. "Welcome home, Madame le Senoire."

Audrey pulled back and looked at Maurice. She grinned before enthusiastically saying, "It's good to be home!"

Maurice squeezed the young woman's hands. Then his eyes drifted to the large carriage. "I see you have brought us a Baron."

Audrey followed his gaze as they began to walk towards the focus of their attention. "I have brought you an entire household, Maurice."

Then Audrey's mind went directly to its constant thought. "But I seem to be missing a son.."

The driver opened the door of the carriage and a handsome, blonde haired little boy, who looked about Daniel's age, climbed down the steps. His entire appearance was neat and elegant, but arrogant and aloof.

A black haired girl, who also looked Daniel's age, appeared next. She looked as though she had a touch of pride and she seemed almost disappointed by the manor. But her dark eyes shone with warmth and she smiled sweetly at Maurice.

Almost directly after the girl, a tall, handsome, raven haired man stepped out of the carriage. He had the same arrogance as his son and they looked very much alike, despite their opposite hair and eyes.

This man, whom Maurice assumed was the Baron, commanded authority with a simple glance. He raised a dark eyebrow at the line of servants and every one of them straightened up considerably. He also looked slightly disappointed in the home, but he hid it very well.

He smiled charmingly at his new bride. The Baron, who looked to be about thirty, seemed to be quite taken with Audrey.

"Oh, Audrey", the Baron said silkily. "It's absolutely charming, really."

Audrey was pleased. But her smile grew even bigger as she heard a voice shout, "Mamma!!"

Daniel ran towards her and, despite the fact that he was completely covered in mud, she stooped down to his level and wrapped him in a tight hug.

She kissed him on the head before laughing loudly. "Oh, look at you! Just as I left you. I'd wager your friend Giselle is around here someplace."

Daniel shook his head. "No, ma'am! I slaughtered her!"

Audrey cocked an eyebrow. "You slaughtered.."

Then Giselle rounded the corner. The little girl was completely covered in mud. The Baron looked on the scene with disaproval and something that looked like jealousy. Audrey and the rest of the household, however, laughed hysterically.

"So you did!", Audrey said to Daniel.

Daniel then noticed the people standing near the carriage. His attention immediately went to the tall, dark haired man in the front. He automatically knew that this was his stepfather, the Baron. The Baron looked incredibly elegant and refined, but also very strong. And there was something about him that made Daniel's smile falter slightly. Audrey unknowingly interrupted the icy moment.

"I had hoped to present a little gentleman!" She looked Daniel up and down. "Well, I suppose you'll have to do."

Audrey stood up and placed her hands on Daniel's shoulders. "Daniel, I'd like to introduce the Baron Raoul de Ghenyt and his son, Louis, and daughter, Jacqueline."

The Baron smiled at Daniel. Instantly, Daniel's fears were erased. "Hello, Daniel. At last we meet. Your mother speaks of nothing else."

Daniel couldn't help but notice that the Baron's iciness returned at the last bit of his sentence.

"Louis, Jacqueline", the Baron continued, "say hello to your new stepbrother."

Louis bowed and Jacqueline courtsied as they said simultaneously, "Monsieur."

"Eutopia?", Daniel read the title of the paperback book.

Audrey smiled at her son. "It means paradise."

The fire glowed warmly in Daniel's bedchamber. Audrey and Daniel both sat on the soft, red comforter as they examined the new book.

Audrey took it from Daniel's hand and flipped through the pages absentmindedly. "It may be a bit thick for an eight year old, but I thought we could add it to our library."

This had become a bit of a tradition. Audrey would go on trips and bring back a book to add to her and Daniel's immense collection.

Daniel took Eutopia back and looked at his mother expectantly. "Will you read some?"

Audrey chuckled softly. "It's been a long day."

Daniel couldn't help it. He smiled sadly. "And you're a wife now."

Audrey saw her son's disapointment and ran her hands through his unruly curls. "Yes, a wife." She pressed her forehead against Daniel's and their matching blue eyes met. "But a mother first and forever. We've been two peas in a pod for a long time now, you and I. This might take some getting used to.." She paused thoughtfully.

Daniel studied his mother's face. He knew that she didn't love the Baron. But he was fairly certain that the Baron loved her, judging by how he had behaved the entire night.

"Come on", Audrey said briskly, turning back the bed covers.

As Daniel crawled inside, he knew he needed to let his mother know that he was happy with the new arrangement, even if it meant having to share her with the Baron.

"Did you see the way they ate their supper?", he asked.

"Yes", Audrey laughed.

"It was perfect! Like a dance."

Audrey smiled. "You like them?"

Daniel gave her an identical grin. "Very much."

"Good", Audrey nodded. "Very good.."

The mother and son kissed goodnight before Audrey turned to leave the room.

"Sleep tight!", she called over her shoulder as she shut the door with a soft click.

Daniel swallowed back the lump in his throat as he, his stepfather, stepsister, and stepbrother entered his mother's bedchamber. She was so pale and small, lying there underneath the bed covers. When she saw them, she smiled weakly and made an effort to sound cheerful.

"I've never seen so many gloomy faces around here", she said. "I shall be back on my feet in a week."

The Baron sat on the side of Audrey's bed and took her hands. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face tenderly. "Then I hope this week passes quickly", he said softly. "I miss seeing your smiling face."

Audrey smiled. She turned to Louis and Jacqueline, who were standing next to their father. "Perhaps by then, the three of you"-Louis chanced a quick glare at Daniel from across the bed-"will have gotten to know each other better. Hey", Audrey said, turning away from her husband and taking Daniel's hands. "I'm counting on you to teach them the ropes around here. The Baron isn't used to getting his hands dirty." The Baron scowled at her remark.

After a few more moments of small talk, Louise and Paulette came into the room and insisted that Audrey be allowed some rest. On his way out, Daniel turned and smiled at his mother. Little did he know that this would be this last time he would see her. An hour later, Louise came in to check on Audrey and found her dead.

They buried her in the nearest church yard, next to Daniel's father. Daniel felt more sorrowful than any eight year old should. However, the next ten years of his life were going to be much worse.