I'm sorry that I posted this chapter decades after my announcement of this story! Forgive me please! I'm sorry, so so sorry!
I took a long break of fanfiction, beacause of some personal stuff, but now I am back in full power and I'll do my best to dedicate my whole being to fanfiction in the next weeks! You are able to see that I'm back in full gear (if you visit my profile), because I'm updating all of my works right now. It could be, that my updates still aren't as fast as you would want them to be, beacuse I have three stories that I write at the same time. However I still hope that you'll be enjoying this story.
Remarks to the story:
This story takes part to Gilles' livetimes and I'm writing my imagination about how I thought his live could have been. I did some research about Gilles de Rais (in real life; not the Anime-Gilles). I'm so fascinated by him! But the things that I mention in this story and the things that took place in real life aren't 100% reliable, because some of the stuff that I found on the Net was really irritating and/or confusing so I adjusted some of the facts for myself and for the story, because that way they will fit better with the storyline. In some ways this is an Au, but I never want my readers to forget that Gilles de Rais really exited ones. Also, for those of you who are confused about his last name when reading this: Gilles de Rais was called ''de Rais'' by his last name, beacause of his title baron de rais, which (if I translated it right) means baron of rays. He acquires that title later; he wasn't born with it.
Chapter 1 - Waking up
''Young master, it's time to wake up''
Gilles quietly groaned, he pulled his sheets closer to his body, trying to retain the warmth. He threw his head further in his pillow, shutting his eye lids close and rubbing the back of his head against the soft satin fabric manufactured by the best sewers and filled with high quality feathers. He tried to sleep a while longer, but he knew hat the maid noticed how he slowly regained his consciousness. He turned his body over, sliding the sheets of his body and sat up.
He softly rubbed his eyelids and hesitantly opened his left eye. ''Good Morning to you Camille.''
The woman before him had her black hair combed back and wore a brown, simple dress like it was modest for servants. Standing on the door of his bedroom was his nurse, maid and guardian since he was a small child. She was a loyal servant of the Montmorency-Laval household.
She gave him a mild smile ''It seems that the sleep messed your hair up again.''
He stood up and walked to the big mirror, standing at the left side of the room. ''Huh, your right.'' He ruffled through his hair. ''Yaaawwn, every morning the same knots.''
''Could it be that young master hasn't been sleeping well?'' the maid questioned.
He smiled back at her, his head slightly tilted to the side ''Me? Not sleeping well? Stop kidding yourself Camille. The new sheets are the best I sleep like a stone.'' He sat at the edge of his bed again, sitting across from her. ''Besides you always clean and wash the bed with handicraft made soap, so it always holds a subtile smell of nelks. You also upholster the blankets just the way I like it. It's thanks to you Camille that I sleep so well.''
''Oh my my.'' For a second she let the servant mask fall and grinned ''You flatter Camille young master. With your charm one day you'll be hot talk among all the young Noblewomen in France''
''Eeeh? What are you saying Camille, there'll never be a female suited to be by my side like the way you are.'' He wickedly smiled at her. ''I'm telling you, all these spoiled girls don't even know how to cook a decent meal let alone be able to satisfy any of my needs.''
He held his arm stretched out before himself and glanced at his perfectly shaped fingernails.
''Everyone always says, one day you need to find a good woman from a good lineage, a good woman from a fine family... in the end they are all the same. They are raised in the believe that they are better than the rest of them.''
''Young master...'' Camille began uneasy.
He looked at her and narrowed his eyes ''You wanna say something Camille?''
''Please extend your arms'' she said, waving around with a cloth hanger, on which a white shirt hung. ''We need to start getting you changed''
''Hooooh'' He looked disconcerted at first, then he smirked and did as he was requested.
The nurse began to unbotten his sleeping gown, her eyes tracing her fingers on each button. When she opened up the last one, she slipped first the right and then the left arm off the soft cloth. ''Today you only have sheduled your tutor lessons and a meeting with your grandfather in the afternoon. Camille decided for a comfortable outfit. However, it is a new model of Gaston de Rouge so it looks decent enough to be worn on important occasions too.''
Gilles didn't twitch a muscle as he also followed her fingers with his eyes as she dressed him in the white shirt.
He went on with his ranting as the look in his eyes darkened ''When one of those conceited heiresses visits a place like the dirty marketplace, then they only do so to show off to peasants and farmer's wifes. They put on a pretty dress of the highest spoken of tailor, shower themselves with jewelry - which they bought with money that didn't belong to them - and walk through the streets with their heads held high. Noblefamilies only hold those silly things in high regards, because they can marry them off to a rich Duke and strengthen a lineage's connection with an other household while being awarded with a part of their wealth.''
''A person who chooses someone like that as his wife is...'' He furrowed his brow and grimaced.
Camille helped him putting on the brown belt she had chosen to be suitable with the brown west she put him on earlier on. '' Camille does not think young master should be saying those things, when he knows that he is having a meeting with his grandfather Monsieur de Craon today.''
''Well you shouldn't talk to me like that either, should you?''
''Camille is aware of the fact that this handling isn't exactly ettiquette. However it would be unkind to stop handling each other this way. After all our improper conversations express our closeness that developed through the years that young master grew up by Camille's side. If the both of them change the way they deal with each other, wouldn't that strain their relationship?''
Gilles jumped of his bed. He inspected his clothes in a bronze-framed mirror, twisted and turned around and examined his outfit. ''In the end you really aren't an ordinary maid. You have some really reliable points. I didn't keep you by my side for so long with no reason."
''Thank you, young master'' Camille said without asking wether he reffered to the outfit she completed or her statement.
A man in his late fourties stood behind a wooden desk. In one hand he held a book and his eyes were fixed on the open pages. His other hand pushed glasses up. He teared his look off the book and met the eyes of the student sitting before him.
''Today we were supposed to go on with your latin studies...'' Gilles yawned loudly and the man's eye twitched ''But somebody must have hidden the new textbooks. I have been searching the whole morning and I can't find them anywhere.''
Gilles rubbed his eyelids. He was still sleepy.
''I know what you are meaning to say Monsieur, but I'm not at fault this time. Last evening I was fencing until the sun set and this morning I nearly overslept, Camille is my witness. I can't be the culprit.''
Monsieur de Craon stepped before his desk and glared at him. ''Oh, I know you and you're little pranks Gilles de Montmorency-Laval! And I can tell you that I belong to the majority of the Rais-household, when I tell you, that I don't find them funny.''
Gilles frowned ''I'm telling the truth. Well, at least this time.''
''Ha! Yeah right, I believe that'' Monsieur de Craon scoffed.
''I said it's true! I'm good in my latin studies. It's not necessary for me to do something so low'' he insisted.
''Oh, I'm sure I've heard of worse things you did''
Gilles sighed. ''Everybody knows that those are just rumours flying between the servants of the Rais. You shouldn't listen to their gossip, they talk and speculate like old women.''
Monsieur de Craon hit the book hard against the desk surface. Slam! ''Do not be disrespectful Gilles! Respect has to be earned and you haven't done anything to earn it. If you wish to have the current servants as your loyal servants in the futur you need to show them respect and politeness. If that doesn't sit well with you than show them something else. As the futur heir of the Rais-household you have to prove them your capable leadership!''
'Every morning it's the same' Gilles thought. 'I'm longing for my soft and warm bed'
''Anyway. Since we can't go on with latin we'll delay it to tomorrow. Today we'll have a history lesson''
'This just keeps getting better and better'
''More precisely we'll talk about family history''
That got his attention. ''Family history..?'' he repeated. It wasn't originally meant to be a question, but he hesitated to go on.
The teacher nodded. ''That's right, family history. We will be looking into your family tree.''
Gilles fixed his composure. If Monsieur de Craon noticed his change of attitude he didn't show. He held his look on the book and flicked through some pages every now and then. "Ah, here it is. Our records extend themselves until the 11th century.''
''The progenitor of our lineage was, as you should know, Bouchard I. de Montmorency. Through his marriage with the daughter of Hugo Basset he received a castle located on an island on the river Seine. He had three sons by the names of Bouchard II Gelduin and Aubry. Aubry, the youngest of the three brothers was the first of three Connétables that our family brought forth. Some of them belonged to the five barones that reigned over our noble family until now. Since the reign of Bouchard II, two branch families split off of the main family. The first one was the Montmorency-Marly lineage."
Monsiuer de Craon layed his book on Gilles' desk and waved with his hands to indicate him to take a look at it. The opened page was decorated with ornaments and patterns in different colours. The page was beautiful. It showed the Montmorency family tree.
''Matthieu I de Marly was an impressive man. His father was Mathieu I de Montmorency and his mother was the illegitimate daughter of an english king. Beside being a noble he was a crusader, he came around a lot. Along with his brothers he took part in the third and later in the fourth crusade. On the attack on Consantinople he was one of the leading figures. Sadly he died of an epidemic before the second attack. However, Gottfried of Villehardouin himself declared him as one of the best knights of France.
During his lifetimes Matthieu I de Marly founded the Montmorency-Laval branch family. His descendants often got involved with the church. That was 200 years ago, something we should not forget. Through time the family either dissolved or all its descendants died. We'll probably never know, but nowadays only the main family exist. Or at least that's how it was some years ago.
With your father Guy de Laval or Guy de Montmorency-Laval a new Branch family was born. He decided to take on a new name and bring new renown to the Montmorency name. He married Marie de Craon, your mother, who was and still is desceneded from another noble family. Your father, who isn't a first born like yourself doesn't deserve the inheritance of his father. He chose to earn power in his own way and founded the Montmorency-Laval branch. Another important fact is, that the Craon-heritage belongs to your father through his marriage to your mother.
One day you and your brother will too bring fame and power, not only to the Montmorency, but to the Montmorency-Laval name.''
Gilles looked up. While Monsiuer de Craon had been talking Gilles' eyes didn't leave the book. Now his eyes widened as he saw how serious his teacher was- it was just a second. He quickly controlled his face eypression and stared back at Monsieur de Craon with a cold look.
"Your wrong. It's true, that that is what is expected of the both of us and we both hold a certain responsibility to fulfil the expectations of our cortege and family. But you must not forget that it is not your position to chose my brothers or my future. Do not position yourself higher than you are."
He noted the suprised look of his teacher, but his expression remained the same. Than, for the first time in their lesson, his teacher gave him a light smile. ''Yes, monsieur.'' He tapped on the book in front of Gilles and glided his finger over the pageand stopped on a name. Than we'll go on with Bouchard IV de Montmorency and see what the blood of a king can cause, when it's flowing through the veins of noble family like ours.
Gilles sighed as he walked through the corridor. Monsieur de Craon was the worst. Aside from giving him four hour lessons in one piece it didn't stop at that. He had piles of homework for the next day. Not to forget that he threatened to double them if he didn't come out with the latin books soon.
He smirked at the thought. He wans't enthusiastic to do the whole work, but everything that annoyed the old goat of a teacher pleased him to the bone. And he still felt joyous, when he saw the expression on Monsieur de Craon's face, when he discovered that his teaching aids were gone. 'Haha totally worth it!' he thought gleefully. A/N: If it was some centuries later he would give himself a high five XD
"Gilles!" A voice shouted from the other end of the hallway. A boy around a head shorter than him ran through the hall towards him. He was all smiles as he stopped a feet before Gilles. ''How was your lesson?" he asked, giving the taller boy a big grin.
''Stupid as always. It was with old fart de Craon after all'' he answered giving him an annoyed look, while tousling through the boys' brown locks. ''You shouldn't run like that René. See what it does to your hair. And think about etiquette at least ones.''
''I like it more this way'' snickered René.
Gilles threw a disapproving look at him. ''Why were you running like that anway? I know you only saw me just now.''
René looked at him mischievously. He quickly glanced to the right and the left. When he was sure that they were all alone in the hallway he slid his hand under his shirt, pulled out a book and held it high in the air. It was dark, the only space that wasn't painted with a weird black dye was a silver heading. It said fit leve cognita.
"So you had it" Gilles stated, not fazed at all.
The two brothers walked together to the dining hall. All family members had different duties and tasks spread through the day, but they always ate dinner together. The two of them stood before a big wooden door and they already smelled the delicacies that the cook prepared for them. Unfortunatley, dinner with the Montmorency-Laval family was always eaten at nineteen o'clock.
So they waited.
What are your thoughts on the maid of Gilles? I wanted to create something like a butler/master relationship that also exists in Makai Ouji. Like it or dislike it? Also reviews are always appreciated!