Radian refused to come out again for two weeks after the "supper incident" as it came to be called afterwards. Maurice was "grounded" for a good three weeks (just about a month, and no leniency would be granted)—with no television or internet privileges. Lucien was dead serious about the punishment, even though Amellé objected, saying, "It is too unfair" and "too serious a punishment for such a little thing"—but it was just because, and Radian's father knows it, too, Maurice is her favorite and always has been. Of course he (Maurice) was not happy about it, either. Currently, Lucien was in a heated argument with his wife, Amellé, once again. The fact of the matter is that she refuses to listen to Lucien and accept Radian as her son once again.

"It is not the boy's fault that he looks that way!" Lucien shouts. He knows the reason, and has tried to reason with his wife and explain the circumstances to her, but she refuses to listen. And it is beginning to get on his nerves, her refusal of acceptance. It has gone so far that she refuses to sleep with him in the master bedroom anymore, much less provide a good shag!

"Then why?" Radian's mother demands brazenly. Growing up in the upper crust of the nouveaux riche, she was (and still is) a spoiled little rich girl who always got what she wanted—no matter what its price or personal cost. She wasn't quite as mature as she once seemed, in fact she still isn't mature, and these fights just go to prove that particular point. No matter how patient Lucien is with his wife, none of his patience ever seems to transfer to her. Either that, or she just doesn't have a calm, patient temperament, which, unfortunately, is entirely all too possible.

"You would never understand," Lucien responds, knowing that she would dismiss the explanation as heresy and fairy tales. He had already tried explaining the situation to his wife several times, and every time she dismissed him as an idiot. But he is in no way an idiot, and several times she threatened to leave him if Lucien did not throw the so-called "imposter" out or produce her real son.

"Try me," she snips. As if you would believe me anyway, Lucien thinks to himself, while she thinks, Go ahead, and tell that lie again, I dare you. I still won't believe you.

"Sit down, ma petite," the French count commands. She readily obeys, easily reading the silent threat contained in his eyes and his facial expression. He proceeds to tell the tale again—but not the skimpy, glossed over version he's told her before. He tells her the complete story (as much as he knows) with all the details he understands and knows, and for once, she pays close attention. At last she realizes that the story is no mere bedtime tale and tradition, but a disguised form of a truth and warning kept alive through the generations.

"You aren't kidding, are you?" Amellé finally understands and accepts what she's always known in her icy heart, but would never admit to.

"No, mon amour, I am not 'kidding', unfortunately. Do you still want to kick Radian, our eldest son, out on the street? Or leave because of something that none of us really had control over, given the unforeseen, but nonetheless inevitable, circumstances?"

Tears escape from her highly made-up eyes. "What about school? How shall we cope with such a devastating blow to our family name and image? We surely shall become outcasts in society! We'll be the talk of society—and all for the wrong reasons!"

Lucien is just about fed up with her childishness. It's not that he does not love her—no, very much the opposite and always would be faithful to her, unless she gave him reason not to trust her. He sighs, places a hand on Amellé's shoulder, and looks her straight in her eyes.

"You know I love you, but you simply must stop this nonsense. The family, going back many generations, have always known that this would eventually happen. And we were warned through familial oral tradition and story. You were not born into the family, and therefore do not really know or understand. And frankly, I don't really care. He is my son, my heir, and neither you nor society will change that. If you cannot deal with that, you can leave. As for Radian, he will be attending school. He is, after all, not yet an adult, and very smart and quick as far as I can tell. He starts when school starts, and that's final."

Her mouth is hanging open in astonishment—no one has ever really told her no before—almost as if she had just been slapped physically. She shuts her mouth and turns a right shade of red with stubborn anger. She makes an undignified noise and storms out of the parlor. Well, that went rather well, Lucien thinks to himself.