Chapter 13
It was just after sunrise when Mathieu finally found his grandmother. She was lying just off the side of the main road.
Mathieu jumped off of Hanatamago before the horse could even come to a complete halt and raced over to his grandmother's side.
Kneeling beside his grandmother Mathieu felt for a pulse. His grandmother was cold, very cold and for a moment he all most lost hope. But there! He could just barley feel the weak fluttering's of a pulse.
Very carefully Mathieu picked her up and put her in Hanatamago's sadle, when he was sure she was secure, he jumped up behind her and wrapped the large cloak that Ivan had given him around both of them. Clutching his grandmother to his chest Mathieu headed back towards the village as fast as was safely possible while he was carrying the sick old woman.
oOo
Mathieu arrived home with his grandmother just after midday and slowly and carefully carried his Grandmother into the small cottage. He was so preoccupied with t e care of his grandmother that he didn't notice Im-yong soo lurking at the side of the cottage watching them.
As soon as the door was closed Im-yong soo turned and raced back to town to inform Alfred of the return of Mathieu and his grandmother.
oOo
Mathieu knelt by his grandmother's bed holding her hand between his and hoping that she would soon regain consciousness. She hadn't woken up once since he found her on the side of the road, even when he changed her into her warmest dressing gown and surrounded her with hot bricks and tucked her under several warm quilts.
Mathieu bent his head down closed his eyes and prayed that his grandmother would be all right. Suddenly he felt her hand squeeze his, sitting up straight he looked to see his grandmother giving him a weak smile.
"Grandmother," he sighed in relief a few tears sliding down his cheeks. "How are you?"
"Fi-fine," Her voice was made harsh by the fever, but the old woman looked up at Mathieu and smiled. Slowly a look of confusion spread across her features. "H-how," she was unable to finish the sentence as harsh coughs racked her body.
"Grandmother!" Mathieu exclaimed he leaned over and poured his grandmother a glass of water from the pitcher of water on the bed side table. Then supporting her gently he helped to sit up and take a sip. When she signalled she was done he put the glass on the bedside table and gently laid her back down.
Slowly the old woman raised a shaky hand to cup Mathieu's cheek. Her hand was cold and clammy but Mathieu leaned into it anyway, just happy that his Grandmother was still alive.
"H-how did you, you get away?" She rasped as she rubbed slow soothing circles on his cheek with her thumb.
"I didn't," was Mathieu's soft reply his eyes taking on a far off dreaming look. "Ivan let me go."
The circles stopped. "Matthew," his grandmother's raspy voice was serious and full of concern, snapping Matthew back from the spell the thought of Ivan had put him under. He looked down at his grandmother; her face was serious and full of concern. "Matthew," she repeated when she was sure she had his attention her voice sad. "Ivan doesn't love you. He may have acted like he cares but he does not. He has tricked many others into loving him but he has never retuned those feelings, he is a creature without love my dar-"
"You're wrong!" Matthew yelled, interrupting his grandmother. "You're wrong," he repeated in a quieter voice thought it was no less fierce. "Ivan does love me and I love him." Matthew stopped surprised by what he said. He looked down staring at the designs in the comforter that lay over his grandmother, turning the words over in his mind, letting their meaning sink into himself and realizing that it was true, he loved Ivan." I love Ivan." He repeated his voice a mere whisper as he took joy in saying them out loud knowing how true they were.
"Mathieu," his Grandmother said trying to get his attention, to stop her grandson getting carried away and getting hurt. "Mathie-"
BANG BANG BANG. A loud banging on the door interrupted her.
"I better get the door. Mathieu mused, still trapped in his dreams of Ivan and the happieness of when he returned to him. He slowly stood up and headed towards the door.
Mathieu opened the door and peaked out. Yao Wang, the master of the local asylum was not the person Mathieu had expected to see standing outside. However, Mister Yao had never caused Mathieu or his grandmother any problems so he opened the door a bit wider and smiled up at the older gentleman. "Good evening Mr. Wang is there something I can help you with?" Mathieu asked politely.
oOo
Yao looked down at the smiling youth, who was for some unknown reason wearing a rather grimy dress. He felt a little guilty for doing this to the boy, not that he blamed Alfred for desiring him the boy he was after all a stunning creature and Yao himself had entertained the idea of bring him into his house as his bride. Ah well too late now he supposed.
"Good evening Mathieu." Yao smiled down at the boy taking his hand and pressing it to his lips, "I'm afraid I am here to collect your Grandmother." Yao stepped to the side pulling Mathieu with him by the hand he still firmly held to allow the two big burly guards past them.
oOo
For a moment Mathieu stared at the tall Chinese man in stunned silence but when the two guards brushed past him he began to struggle.
"What? No!" Mathieu screamed as he began to struggle fiercely hitting, kicking and clawing at Yao as he tried to escape the man's tight hold and get to his Grandmother. When one of the men carried his grandmother out of the building and towards the cart Mathieu's struggles grew even more desperate till Yao had trouble holding the boy back.
"Poor Mattie!" A happy go lucky voice that Mathieu would be able to recognise anywhere called out freezing him mid struggle. "Having your grandmother taken from you!" the speaker paused dramatically before continuing, "so sad!"
Mathieu turned to see the only person there besides Yao and his men.
"Alfred?" Matthew put a world of questions into the name as he spoke it. Why are you here? What do you want? How did you know this would happen? Why aren't you helping me?
Alfred simply smiled at Matthew before walking up to the younger boy and wrapping his arms around the younger man in what was probably supposed to be a comforting hug, but Mathieu went rigid the moment he felt the arms wrap around him. Alfred ignored his discomfort pulling him into a tighter embrace.
"Hey, maybe I can help!" Alfred suddenly spoke after a few moments causing the young boy to jump.
Mathieu cautiously looked up at the elder blond his eyes full of hope.
"You, you can?" His voice was hesitant as if he dared not believe Alfred's words.
"Sure! What are heroes for!" Alfred boomed. "Of course, you will have to something for me in return. After all it'll take a lot of time and money to get her out and I can't just do all that for someone I'm not even related to!"
As Alfred continued to speak Mathieu drew as far away as Alfred's tight embrace would allow him.
"What," Mathieu asked hesitantly; sure he already knew the answer. "Do you want Alfred?"
"Marry me Mathieu." Alfred was smiling like a child in a sweet shop but his voice was deadly serious.
Mathieu felt his revulsion of the idea shake him to the core. Alfred must of felt it to because he tightened his grip on the smaller boy with one arm while his other hand went up to take hold of Mathieu's chin in a bruising grip and turned his head so that Mathieu was looking at his grandmother as she lay weakly in the back of the wagon on some mouldy straw. "Or you could not and abandon your dear grandmother. I wonder how long she'll last in the asylum, she don't look so good."
Mathieu stared at his grandmother as he felt a sob wrack his body.
No, no he had just realised that he loved Ivan, for all his faults and now he was being forced to marry this monster! How could he loose his love so soon!
"Well Mattie, whach ya say?" Alfred asked squeezing Mathieu's chin again to let him know he had been silent to long.
"Ye-yes!" Mathieu sobbed.
"Good boy." Alfred said letting go of Mathieu's chin to pat the sobbing boy on the head. "I'll get her out after the wedding, just to make sure you don't get cold feet." Alfred said carelessly as if he was discussing the weather not someone's life. "Now give me a kiss."
When Matthew didn't move Alfred grabbed his chin again and squeezed adding new bruises to the ones that were already forming.
"I said," the larger blond snarled. "Give. Me. A. Kiss!"
For a moment Mathieu didn't move, than he stood on his tip toes placing a single unwilling kiss on Alfred's lips.
Quickly Alfred grabbed him by his hair to keep him in place and used his other hand to work Mathieu's mouth open. The moment he got it open he thrust his tongue into Mathieu's mouth.
The moment that Mathieu felt Alfred's wet slick muscle force its way into his mouth he began to struggle but no matter what he did he couldn't force Alfred off of him.
Finally after what seemed like hours Alfred pulled away and let go of him allowing the poor weary boy to drop to his knees.
"We'll get married in two days." Alfred told him happily before he turned on his heel and left Mathieu alone at his cottage.
The moment that Alfred had left him Mathieu stood up on shaky legs and stumbled back into the cottage, he stumbled into his grandmother's room where he had left Ivan's cloak. Grabbing the soft fur Mathieu fell to his knees and sobbed into it.