Disclaimer: The characters of Le Chevalier D'Eon do not belong to me.

Some family fluff and angst. D'Eon and Lia.

A Lullaby in Winter

"D'Eon? What are you doing up?"

Lia frowned when she saw her little brother standing at the door of her bedroom. She did not know how long he stood here hesitant before finally knocking. The household was in an uproar that winter night. It started at dinner when Mother suddenly took ill. There was blood on the carpet. The doctor was hastily summoned by Father and the children shooed away to the nursery. Thick snow blanketed the house and the grounds, muffling all sound. The servants were running all over the house like soft-footed mice. The ignored children could still sense the tension in the house. The adults did not want them underfoot.

D'Eon was a sensitive boy. Aged only six, he was aware something was amiss but he did not understand what. He sought out the only person he knew he could seek comfort from on this cold winter night. Lia shrugged and bundled her brother inside her room. The corridor was draughty and D'Eon was wearing only his thin nightshirt. His hands were icy to her touch. She chaffed and blew on them to bring back some warmth.

"What's wrong with Mama?" D'Eon asked. Lia did not reply. Soon he would be old enough to understand, but not now.

"Come here. You're frozen." It was late and the fire in her room had long gone out. There was only one place where they can get some warmth. Lia pulled her brother into her bed with her under the covers. She arranged the covers up to his chin.

"W-will Mama d-die?" he sniffed fearfully. Lia sighed. She was an intelligent girl for her age but she had no answer D'Eon would like to hear.

"I don't know. All we can do is pray…" She gasped involuntarily when D'Eon's icy foot brushed against her skin. She wrapped her arms around him, sharing the warmth of her body with her brother.

"If we pray, will God hear?"

"He will. Trust He will…" Lia tried to sound confident even though she knew that mothers die in childbirth all the time even with prayers.

"If Mama s-should d-die, what will happen to us?" In the moonlight, D'Eon's eyes were dark pools of fear. Father hardly took notice of his offspring. Would they be sent far, far away like the Jardine children next door so their father could get a new wife sooner? They heard that the new Madame Genouille beats her stepchildren daily…

"Don't worry, D'Eon. Whatever happens, we'll be together and I'll protect you, always…"

"Promise?"

"Promise. I'll always be with you." Lia started to hum a lullaby she heard the nurses sing to them when they were younger. D'Eon's tense body relaxed slightly in her arms. Soon he was fast asleep, safe and secure in his sister's embrace.


It was cold in the crypt, but Lia was past caring about that. D'Eon allowed a tear to run down his cheek. He was chilled to the bone. His every breath hung in the still air like a mist. Winter had sunk in. A light snow has been falling since morning. It was not the first time he visited the crypt seeking answers to his questions which only she could provide.

Why? Lia lay in her coffin as if asleep. After all this time, there was no sign of any decay. The church had denied her burial. D'Eon stood over the coffin, stroking her icy-cold hand. Why? He wished he had been there to protect her. The bitter taste of grief filled his mouth. He knew that no matter how long he held her hand, it would never be warm again. Lia was dead. No amount of prayer could change that fact.

I'll always be with you, D'Eon… and I'll protect you… In the cold, dark, silence, D'Eon did not sense his sister's spirit approach. He did not feel her slip her unseen arms around him. He did not hear the old melody she hummed silently in a vain attempt to soothe her brother's aching soul. Pale tears ran down her ghostly cheeks. Always…

Author's Notes:

This is before D'Eon's possession by Lia. I guess she was in a state of limbo before that. Her anger was never directed at her brother and it is very likely she would be trying to protect and comfort him despite her own pain.