April 1070

The trip to France changed things. I couldn't just meander awkwardly around Elfleda and leave my position with Lucille nebulous and everything because in a few weeks we'd all be heading into danger. And while maybe, together, the three of us could convince Robert to go on alone, that would raise questions which could lead to issues which could lead to everything blowing up.

Things would be so much easier if Lucille and Tim were just stereotypical mustache-twirling vampires. Then I could just expose them and not have to deal with the potential nuclear bomb that was inherent in me keeping their secrets.

So, after deciding that there was no more room for screwing around, I went to find Elfleda. I started with her room since that was the closest, but when the air didn't get any colder as I approached, I turned around and changed course to the library.

That turned out to be the right place, and as an extra benefit she was alone in the library. She was already looking at the doorway as I entered, forewarned by the slight dip in room temperature.

"Harry," she said softly.

"Hi." I stood there awkwardly for a few moments, then sighed, stepped inside, and closed the door. "We need to talk about yesterday."

"Is it the best time? You seem very uncertain," she said.

"No," I admitted. "But there are pressing issues I'll get to that require at least a temporary solution to this, so here I am."

Elfleda frowned and closed the book she was reading. "Very well."

I propped my staff against the wall, took a seat, and sighed. "I have issues. A lot of issues. Multiple subscriptions' worth of issues."

She furrowed her brow. "What?"

"Never mind," I said. "The point is that being with me is problematic. Dangerous. And…" I took a deep breath. "And I do care about you. I don't want you to get hurt. But there are a lot of obstacles in the way. Mab's just the most obvious."

"Yet despite that, you still want to be with me," she said.

I let out a long sigh. "Yes. You're… you're great. And I'm not."

"I think that's up to me to decide," she said. "But your main concern is that you will not be able to protect me, yes?"

"That, or that I might hurt you accidentally, stupidly," I said.

"Then let us approach this by parts. Socially, there is very little you could damage about me. My marriage prospects are few and practically nonexistent. My position at court depends entirely on my relationship with Robert. You are, to put it politely, disengaged with the court. Even were I to lose all social standing, even were you to bed me and then cast me aside, something I don't believe is in your nature, very little would change about my situation. Robert would still retain me. So my livelihood, in practice, can only be improved. Physically, magically, I don't believe you would harm me. That leaves only others."

"Still a major issue," I said.

"Perhaps." She folded her hands together atop her book. "But is it an insurmountable problem?"

"I don't know, but I can't guarantee your safety," I said.

"In life, there are no guarantees," she said. "But do you believe you have any enemies, right now, that would come after you through me?"

I took a deep breath. "Mab, maybe," I said. "And I can't predict her. But otherwise, no, not yet."

She huffed in amusement. "Not yet. So confident in your ability to make enemies?"

"It seems to be a habit with me," I said. "I stick my nose in where people don't want it."

"Hmm. Well, then is there a problem right now? Could we not continue on as we have been, and work towards overcoming this problem?"

"Hope that we find a solution, basically?" I asked.

"Basically," she agreed.

I sighed, closed my eyes, and rubbed my temples. "Well, we'll need to find a solution fast."

"Why? Because of the pressing issues you mentioned?" she asked.

"Yeah." I opened my eyes and looked at her. "Robert's planning to go back to Normandy, and the current Constable of France, the commander of the French armies, is Gauthier Renouth. As in Lucille and Tim's vampire father."

Elfleda blinked languidly. "Ah. I can see how that could be a pressing problem." She started humming thoughtfully. "Robert will prefer that I come, but I could beg off to stay with you." She frowned. "Why do you have to go? If he is their father what is the issue?"

"The issue is they ran away and Lucille seems deathly terrified of him, enough that she wants me to kill him," I said. "And I think she's afraid that if she runs into him again, she'll be his, forever."

"Is that a realistic fear, do you think?"

Lord Raith and his extremely squicky, incestual control methods said yes. "It could be," I said. "The problem is I just don't know anything about Gauthier. Lucille's opinion is intensely biased by her fear and hatred, so of course she'll assume the worst. Maybe there's nothing to fear. Maybe she's entirely right to fear being raped and sexually dominated into submission."

Elfleda made a face. "Is that how vampires exert control?"

"Some," I said. "I don't know if Gauthier's the type."

"Mmm. And what is stopping all of us from remaining behind?"

"A whole lot of questions," I said. "And the fact that it doesn't address the problem. All it does is send Robert into vampire territory with absolutely no protection."

Elfleda shifted her hands and started tapping her fingers against the book cover. "Then I think I will come with you. You'll benefit from someone that could identify a vampire on sight, if any try to slip in."

"How would– right, you can see the aura of lust," I said.

"Or fear, or despair," she said with a nod.

I sighed and worked at my lip. I expected Elfleda would come along, really. It didn't exactly surprise me. But that didn't mean I liked it.

"I think I'd prefer if you stayed behind," I said.

"And what good is there in that? It is ultimately more dangerous for me to stay behind than it is for me to go with you."

I frowned. "I don't really see how. In one situation you stay away from any vampire and in the other you come to vampire central with me."

"If you go without me, then you will be alone and potentially surrounded by vampires. Your only supposed allies will be Lucille and Tim, either of whom could potentially turn on you without any notice and you might never be able to tell. If they took you or killed you and turned Robert I wouldn't know until Robert and perhaps you returned, under a vampire's thumb. And what happens to me then?" She shook her head. "No, your odds, our odds, are higher if I come and help you, even if it may put me at more immediate risk."

I closed my eyes and digested her words. She had a point. I didn't like it, not one bit, and I didn't entirely agree with her, but she had a point. Every time I'd gone after the White Court I'd brought help, someone to watch and cover my back. If I went in alone, I wouldn't have to worry about Elfleda's safety. But I might not walk out again, not as myself.

"Can I even make you stay?" I asked, sighing.

"No," she replied. "So it's not worth wasting any more time considering the notion."

"Alright." I took a deep breath. "Alright. I don't like it but alright. But now we have to deal with Eva, and Cuthbert."

"Ah, yes. They are complicating factors, aren't they," she said.

"I was thinking of sending them home to their parents while we're gone," I said. "It's been most of a year since they've seen their mother and Eadric wasn't around for that much longer. Plus, I'm not sure Eadric would be thrilled over them coming to Normandy. The only other issue is Eva's education, and I could probably get a friend to pick up the slack there while I'm gone."

"A logical solution," she said. "Now you just need to get Eva to go along with it."

I clicked my tongue and nodded. "Yeah. That might be tough." I brushed off my pants and stood up. "Well, let's go. No time like the present."