Incandescence
By Josie Marie
Incandescence: A high degree of emotion, intensity, or brilliance.
To Manna, the person who unknowingly helped me fall in love with Rose Of Versailles. Here's to bittersweet romance!
I disclaim all that I cannot call my own.
XXX
Oscar turned, worry in her voice. "How is your head injury, Andre?" I kept walking beside my steed, my eyes closed letting him follow Oscar's white horse. I could feel my lips curl slightly at her concern for me. "I'm fine. Nothing serious." "How dare you try to deceive me." I can hear the hurt in her voice as she mentions Dr. Lassone."You're nearly blind aren't you?"
For awhile, I just cannot answer her. I fear it will worry her more, but I cannot lie to her. So I say nothing. "We should go back to the mansion. I can't take you to Paris tomorrow." She pauses momentarily, while I have simply stopped in my tracks. "You go back to Nanny, and I'll go to the Barracks alone." Now I can see her, a slightly blurred, but lovely creature coming toward me. A sort of sadness creeps into her voice. "Please do so, Andre. I couldn't let anything happen to you!"
I keep my eye on hers. My vision slowly compensating. The soft lines of her lovely face becoming more clear, as her sad eyes bore into me. I want to tell her so much. I feel so much. She is my rose amongst the thorns. "I'll go with you Oscar. Like I always did, and I always will. I'm always with you."
Her eyes widen. She says she was once in love with Fersen, then tears fill her sapphire eyes. She closes her eyes letting her face turn downward. I want so badly to lift her chin. To tell her I don't care. "Knowing I was in love with him, you still loved me." She looks back up at me. "Could you still love someone like me?"
"I love everything about you, for the rest of my life." Her tears begin to flow freely now. She rests her head on my chest, crying and I wrap my arms around her. I can feel her body shake while she cries. Her delicate hands cling to my uniform. This, this is something that I have longed to have, this closeness. I want to love her. Love her for what she is. Hold her, and never have to let her go.
"Andre. Andre... I love you too, with all my heart." I feel the purest incandescence throughout my being. A total overwhelming emotion of joy and happiness wash over me. I needed to hear those words. I already knew she loved me, deep in my heart. I had ached to hear it though. I let my hand cover hers lightly. "I've known that for so many years. No, even before I was born..." She looks up at me, surprise in her eyes. We embrace and kiss. Her lips are as soft as rose petals. She tastes of sweetness and tears.
As we make love, she whispers. "Andre Grandier, with you I can be alive." She shakes her head and changes her words. "No, I want to be alive."
XXX
Oscar is crying. I can feel pain in my chest. A dull roaring sound fills my ears. When my mind clears, Oscar is asking for a doctor. The sun is setting. I can tell because the pigeons are all flying back to their nests. Why is this happening? I can feel droplets, Oscar's tears. Just last night I finally...
Everything is clear in my mind. A copy being reviewed in my head. When every detail has played over in my mind, and we have become one, I hear Oscar's voice again. I feel like I'm still lying in the grass. It's warm and little shimmering glow-worms are shining around us. I can see the milky way. It stretches across the sky. Oscar smiles at me, leaning up on one elbow. Our clothes are still strewn about haphazardly. Our horses are tethered to the trunk of a fair sized tree a few yards away.
Tears roll down her eyes. She rest her head on my bare chest, threading her fingers through my hair. "Whats wrong Oscar? Why do you cry?" I let my hand caress the side of her face. "Andre, please marry me. Take me to a small church when this is all over, and marry me. Promise before God that I am your wife." She presses my hand to her face. "Of course. I'll do that, Oscar. I will." I feel the pain in my chest again and I'm torn back to reality.
"Oscar why are you crying? Am I dying now?" She exhales. "Why are you saying that Andre?" I can still hear sadness in her voice. My sight is darkening "That's right... It can't be. everything is just starting. The love between you and me, and the dawn of the new age. everything is just beginning." The pain increases, and the dull roar I was hearing, has faded. "I can't die at a time like this. I wont die." I feel a tear slide down my own cheek.
XXX
I hear bells ringing. I wake up and take a rather nice stretch. I look about, and I know I am under a tree in Arras. The day goes by rather slowly. Where could Oscar be? The horses in the stable nay and whinny, and I go to care for them. After awhile I feel quite sleepy again. I lay down to rest in the hay, and once again review my memories lovingly.
I wake up to a rather beautiful rose, pressing her lips softly against mine. Her sapphire eyes glowing at me over rosey cheeks. "Oscar." She smiles at the sound of her name, making me once again... incandescent.
Authors note: This story took me about and hour and a half to two hours. The majority of the dialogue is directly from the anime. Please read and review, and give me lots of constructive critism. Believe me I need it!