Chapter 38
Adam tried his best to not stare at anyone in particular, as he, Belle and her father sat together, carried by his carriage which continued to rock its way up the steep hill away from Villeneuve.
Despite everyone's fears that they would never be able to pass through the throng of people right outside Maurice's door, the moment the Duke had stepped outside, the crowd parted like the red sea, the buzzing sound of their whisperings dying quicker than the wind passing through the reeds around them. A year ago, they might have looked upon the Prince will animosity, and yes, Adam saw some of the elders still held eyes of hidden suspicion, but on the whole, the village folk seemed more interested in his connection with Belle more than anything else. He noticed while they bowed and curtsied towards him, that as soon as he passed, they proceeded to look on the lady behind him with what could only be described as envy or anger.
At first, he figured they thought his connection to her to be only a salacious and contemptable one, but once he had given directions to D'Arque and helped Belle and her father into his carriage, Adam began to doubt his own conclusions. Why would the village people look so outraged? Due to everything else going on, he had hardly any time to consider why they were all congregated outside Belle's house in the first place, but he had no doubt in his mind that it had something to do with the strange man D'Arque and not his sudden arrival.
So, consumed was the Prince with his thoughts on Belle, he had hardly time to dwell on the fact that he had never been in such close contact to common folk before, especially not on such a large scale. He had been dealing with the local farmers of course during the past month, considering that some were now prosperous enough to own more land, which he had been happy to give, conversations with village heads about barriers against the wolves, sending Cogsworth on errands to collect more information on their methods on taxing and their local poverty line but these had all been conducted humbly in private, away from any prying eyes. Maybe it was due to the fact he had spent so much time with Belle in the past, but it had been as shocking to him as he had anticipated. Despite their differences, he did not actually find it so hard to bond with them.
As Adam turned to look out the window however, he thoughts returned to the strange man D'Arque and how he was responsible for sending Belle to him in the first place…
Then there was the matter of his aunt…. His aunt, whom his father had dismissed, who was quickly disowned by his mother's side of the family for eloping with a commoner… Both of whom had subsequently died abroad, or so his father had always told him. Growing up Adam had only faint memories, but he remembered how his mother's face lit up whenever her sister came to visit and how they would take a turn in the gardens, away from the castle. It was the only time Adam remembered seeing his mother's face so animated, looking younger, almost like a little girl….
No. It would not do to dwell on the past, especially on the word of someone he hardly knew.
The Duke focused instead on wondering whether he had ever been in a situation more awkward than this.
His eyes slid instinctively towards Belle, who was pretending to look outside through the side window but he saw quite easily through its reflection that she was staring at him. Belle stiffened, her shoulders rising slightly before quickly looking away, furrowing her eyebrows in the process as she clasped her hands together.
The Prince blinked before realizing he had been staring for longer than appropriate. It had been hard not to, he'd hardly spoken a word to her so far, so he had to rely on his vision to discern how she was and if she had been taking care of herself.
Although Belle was always bright and healthy, he noted she looked tired and clearly had had a few sleepless nights. Not unlike himself then.
Turning away, Adam found himself being inspected also.
Seeing Belle's father staring at him so critically, the Prince felt for the first time in a long time, a desire to be approved of. For once, appearances were crucial and much to his dismay, he found himself trying to sit a little straighter, nervous despite sitting in his own carriage.
His own carriage!
"Monsieur," he uttered, because he could not stand the silence any longer, "I understand you must be confused. I do not know how much Belle has told you, but from the lack of correspondence, I assumed I was not welcome and that would be entirely warranted. But my concern over your daughter's welfare is sincere, and I have tried to persuade her to accept my aid, which I can assure you is backed by my staff, who have individual accounts and assessments which were all relayed back to me. I cannot undo the distress I have put on your family, on this village, on my county, but your daughter helped me realize my own incompetence, my own ignorance and selfishness, and I wish to remedy it. Would you allow me to help take the first steps towards that?"
"From what I have heard from my daughter, there is not much you need apologize for," replied Maurice, his voice neutral. "It seems she was well cared for, she enjoyed having some form of freedom within her occupation, access to your extensive library which I am sure was greatly appreciated. No sir, from what I have heard from the village also, people now only seem to have good things to say about their treatment in your castle."
"Only now though sir," said the Prince, his eyes cast down, the praise despite given clearly cold. "It was not always so."
"It is not my place to say, however…" Maurice hesitated slightly, but he continued once he saw, to his own astonishment, the curious look on the young man's face sitting opposite him. "When the late Duke was alive, I must admit things were harder for us all. It seems however that you have listened to the various grievances these villages have expressed and have tried your best to solve as many problems as you can. Despite my concern for my daughter, I cannot deny you deserve a lot more credit than you are currently giving yourself sir."
"It is all thanks to your daughter," replied the Prince, finally feeling some sort of respite as he turned and smiled faintly towards Belle, who quickly lifted her head up and looked at him in surprise. "Although she does not realize it, our conversations were greatly illuminating to me and helped me reconsider how things operate within my estate and also outside of it. There are few people who have the gumption to tell me exactly what they think, in fact, it is a rarity."
"I suppose as a Duke you must find it hard to find an equal, someone who will speak frankly with you," said Maurice, forgetting due to how smoothly their conversation was going, how only a year ago, the Duke would have had his hand for such a comment.
"Yes," said Adam after a moment, mulling over the words. "Yes, a true equal for anyone to find is…."
His eyes landed on Belle again.
"Almost impossible."
His words were faint but the weight of his stare was not, and it was clear things were the same, if not, they had intensified between Belle and himself despite their absence from each other's presence. He had not forgotten Belle's accusation that he did not view her as his equal, when it was always the reverse of what she presumed. He was not her equal.
"Sir, I do not know what to say…." said Maurice, even as Adam continued to stare at Belle. "My daughter is special, of course, but I must admit that, because I am her father, it is only natural that I think so. But I do not see why you should take the trouble to offer funds for a servant to receive an education and especially now, I am afraid you have come at an odd time-"
"Especially now?" uttered the Duke, the old man's words peaking his interest. "I see, we speak of the elusive Monsieur D'Arque now. I must admit, though it is not my place, I am intrigued to know why he was visiting."
Maurice opened his mouth to speak but the Duke lifted his hand to silence him, the ruby he wore on his finger glinting in the sunlight.
"I am sure all will come out in due course," he said as he lowered his arm and the old man sat back into his seat in relief, Belle now looking concerned towards her father. "It is not my place to enquire. However, Monsieur, I must also confess that aside from supporting you financially, I was concerned also about your station in the village and how, well, you may have been receiving other unwanted attentions."
"What do you mean?"
Belle's chestnut hair flew as she swiftly turned to glare at the Prince, who in turn smiled, his hair gleaming in the morning sunlight.
"She speaks!" he uttered, unable to help a crooked smile being to curl at his lips.
Belle narrowed her eyes, just as he knew she would, turning her attentions now towards him, her lips pursed into a stern look of disapproval.
"Have you been spying on us?" she said, her words brazen and sharp, even as her father looked upon her with horror in his eyes.
"Belle!" gasped Maurice, looking incredulously towards his daughter as if she were a completely stranger. "That is no way to speak to a Duke, apologize at once!"
"No, it's perfectly fine," uttered Adam, waving his hand in a relaxed manner, grinning as he did so. "I'm used to it by now."
For one moment, Belle's father looked at him with confusion ridden in his eyes before turning to look at Belle, whose eyes had widened as she took in his words, before turning away, her cheeks reddening. The Prince almost felt a little ashamed for embarrassing her in this manner, but he was glad to change her expression from the almost depressed state she seemed to be in earlier.
"But you are right," he continued, changing his tone. "I have been… keeping tabs. I didn't know my old acquaintance was so close to you."
"You are speaking now of Gaston," said Belle, her voice sombre even Adam couldn't help feeling he had missed her presence, even if right now she was being about as prickly as a hedgehog.
"Yes, he and I were childhood friends once."
"I know."
"You know?" repeated the Prince, blinking as he viewed Belle's expressionless face, wondering if he had misheard her. "But why, how on earth-"
He would have continued, if were not for the fact that his eyes had happened trail off away, now fixed outside the window, beyond the trail and up towards a hill. More specifically, towards a man riding a black horse. A man in a red coat.
Adam knew not why but somehow, he knew.
"What is the matter, Your Highness?" said Maurice hastily, but the Duke was no longer listening, his blue eyes fixed on the figure riding towards them.
"Stop the carriage," he uttered as he thumped on the roof with his cane, and the vehicle immediately came to a halt as he stood up and opened the door.
"Stay inside, they will take you to the castle, I will join you shortly," continued Adam as he stepped out, ignoring Maurice's protestations as Belle attempted to follow him.
"If it is who I think it is, this is my problem, not yours!" she exclaimed as Adam turned around to face her from the ground, his hand coming to stop her by the waist. Belle stopped immediately, looking down towards him, her eyes shifting briefly to his hand.
"You may have your own quarrel with him mademoiselle, but I assure you, he is coming this way because he recognized the coat of arms on this carriage. Whatever dealings you may have with him, it is insignificant compared to what I think he means to confront me about. I must deal with it, in my own way. Please, get back to the castle."
Any other time, Belle probably would have argued, but after her conversation with Gaston and the bitter words he had spoken then, she understood that whatever there was between the soldier and the Duke, it was a far greater issue than she could possibly imagine.
"Sir, he Is an unstable man and dangerous," she said, even as she stepped back into the carriage and Adam swiftly closed the door from outside. "Please don't do anything stupid."
The Prince looked up, his eyes filled with astonishment as his lips parted.
"Please… be careful," said Belle reluctantly, her words clumsy and blunt as she leaned out the window, her hair blowing slightly in the wind.
Adam's eyes clouded over and he turned away before looking up slowly to give the young lady a brief but warm smile before nodding slightly.
"I won't be long, I promise," he uttered before moving away and ordering the carriage to go without him, much to the chagrin of his staff. He wanted them long gone before Gaston reached him from across the hill.
…
By the time Gaston arrived, Adam had collected himself. The carriage carrying Belle and her father had turned the corner and entered the thick forest. They were safe.
He had indeed been keeping tabs on Villeneuve, and knew of Gaston's presence there. He had not known before, but it was clear what his intentions were towards Belle and those had been present for some time, long before Belle had ever entered the castle. To be frank, the Prince had not expected his old acquaintance to be lingering so close, in his county, after what had trespassed between them. Once he knew of his connection to Belle, Adam knew it was only a matter of time before they would have to confront each other again.
Despite not having seen him for nearly a decade and a half, Gaston was still recognizable, with his tall, wide frame and hair as black as night. His coal like eyes, which were now glaring at Adam as he unsaddled himself from his horse, were the same as they had always been, like two black-holes wanted to consume everything within its path, always striving to reach out for more. Adam had to admit, as a child he enjoyed having someone like that around him, someone who actually seemed to value him, who held what seemed like a true interest.
Of course, he was mistaken. He knew pretty soon after he first met Augustin and realized what true value was. Although he had grown cynical of the world, he had at least learnt through his childhood friends that you could not trust everyone, and most people in the world were not to be trusted.
"I'm surprised you recognized me, that far off," said Gaston, his voice far deeper than Adam had ever known it. "Although I don't see why you had to send your pretty little maid off."
"You know very well what her name is," said Adam quietly as he stood still against the wind which was beginning to pick up. "What do you want?"
"What do I want?" repeated Gaston, feigning ignorance as he approached the Prince. "Well, an apology would be nice. You know, for what happened."
"What happened was between our fathers, not us. We were friends, but circumstances changed-"
"And I became unacceptable," said Gaston, his tone flat as he slowly tied up the reins to his horse, turning his back to Adam. "Yes, I know. My father gambled and he lost our fledgling fortune. Your father severed all acquaintance with us and we were left to rot in the gutter. Blah, blah, blah. It's true, I learnt a valuable lesson that day when my father came home and said we weren't wanted anymore. I realized then that the only true value in this world is possession and money."
Gaston's fingers stilled before he turned to pat his horse, silence falling upon the conversation. The Duke frowned.
"But you are mistaken if you think I am here to quarrel with you," continued Gaston as he turned languidly to face Adam again, his gaze almost bored. "I don't care about that anymore. No, you see, I actually found something I wanted, something that incredibly had nothing to do with wealth or status or any of that stuff you lot seem even more preoccupied than I am by. No, when I saw your carriage go into Villeneuve, I told myself, I've had enough of waiting. No, I'm here mostly because you've got in the way."
"Got in the way of what?" said Adam, even as his heart was racing, and for once it was not in anger. No, it was, incredibly, trepidation.
"Now look who's feigning ignorance," said Gaston smoothly, his mouth forming a strange smile as he looked at the Prince triumphantly. "I'm talking of Belle, of course."
Gaston's words were nonchalant, as if they meant nothing, but his gaze told a different story.
Adam tried his best to hide any emotions, he even tried not to clench his teeth, but after a moment, Gaston's dark eyes glistened and his smile widened further.
"I couldn't believe it, when the Marquis first told me," he murmured as he walked slowly towards the Prince. "I didn't believe him, I couldn't imagine you, a man whose blood was mixed with that of a murderer, who always remained detached, the lone wolf for whom emotions seemed so foreign a concept… Yet, here you stand, and it is as if you wish to scream it to the world out of torment."
Adam kept a steady gaze.
"What a pathetic expression you wear, Your Highness…" said Gaston, stepping even closer, their eyes level with each other, blue against black. "To think, you, of all people, the Phantom Prince, to have fallen in love… with a mere peasant girl."
The Duke, who had slowly begun to feel as if he were sinking into the ground, his body rigid and unable to move, as if he were trapped, immediately sensed a strange sort of release as Gaston uttered that which he already knew. It was no great epiphany, but in that moment, Adam felt the fear leave him and he was left with nothing. Nothing to lose.
Nothing but his pride.
Adam looked down and smiled silently.
For all he cared, his pride could go to hell.
"When I first met Augustin, I realized something about you. You don't value people, Gaston."
His childhood friend's eyes turned dark as the words were uttered, but Adam lifted his hand to stop him from retorting.
"I think I gravitated towards you because it was like looking into a mirror. I didn't value anyone, I didn't understand what was really important. You and I were two very confused little boys with no concept of the outside world."
Gaston stepped slowly towards Adam, his black gaze steady as ever. Standing toe to toe, the two men held hardly any difference in height. They were same, made of flesh and bone, nothing more.
"Thanks to you, I learnt all about the outside world, the hard way," said Gaston in a low voice, all the while gritting his teeth. "You had yet to learn."
"You started the fire," muttered the Prince simply, his eyes boring into the soldier's.
Gaston scoffed, as if he were looking at an imbecile, barely able to look at him.
"Of course you would think that," he said hoarsely, stepping away as if out of impatience, easing the tension between them a little, though Adam continued to stay where he was, only tilting his head slightly as he continued to observe his old friend.
"It's all going to come out now, isn't it?" continued Gaston, turning to exclaim his words out towards the field, as if there were an audience present. "I suppose, there's not much point now, knowing I was played by the Marquis from the start…"
"The Marquis?" questioned Adam, the conversation finally truly piquing his interest.
Gaston swivelled his head, something resembling enjoyment flooding his expression and the Prince immediately regretted revealing his interest.
"Yes, the Marquis," said Gaston slowly, a grin appearing on his face as he strode towards Adam again. "The other friend within our old circle. The one you decided to keep. Wrong choice, by the way."
The soldier spoke his words with a sneer but this time the Prince did not give him the satisfaction of revealing anything. Not that it mattered to the soldier. He knew his next words would be sharp enough to stab through the icy walls of the Duke.
"When Belle left, no thanks to you, I knew I had to get her back," said Gaston. "Her father was worried naturally, they had debts, debts to you which by the way, I could have helped a little with. I was rewarded after the war. Unlike some, I did service for my country the honest way, and paved my way myself, without having to come out the right womb."
Gaston was coming dangerously close to insulting the Prince's mother, and for the first time, the Duke's eyes wavered slightly, the icy blue sharpening.
The soldier smiled, revealing gleaming teeth before turning away and looking out towards the hill.
"She's intelligent, Belle, and I am not so much a simpleton as you may think. I knew my only chance was with her in the village and if she or her father owed me a debt…. Such as setting her free from a beast's castle perhaps?"
Gaston spoke his words nonchalantly, and he turned as he spoke his own suggestive words, giving the Prince an innocent glance.
"You may have turned me away but there were others who still enjoyed my company. The Marquis, for example?"
"You stayed in touch?" said Adam, genuinely surprised. The Marquis was unlikely to have stayed in touch with Gaston, as he was so beneath them in terms of rank in society. However, the Marquis was known to use people he saw as useful, regardless of where they came from. But certainly not, as long as Adam had known his, in any sort of malicious way.
"A little yes," said Gaston, waving the information off as if it were unimportant. "Anyway, after the ball, the spiteful one you hosted right after your father had just died, he'd told me that he'd gotten tired you and your peacock ways. He saw that you still had Augustin hanging about, and he thought you a hypocrite. Besides, he was there looking for the will."
Adam's eyes blinked as he took Gaston's last words, which were relayed to him as if it were a mere afterthought.
"The will?" he uttered, as if he could not believe what he was hearing. "How could there possibly be any will? I inherit everything, that is how a Dukedom works."
"Well, I don't know, but he was looking for it. Heard rumours of it supposedly. He is your cousin, isn't he? His parents were dead, didn't leave him as much as he thought. The Marquis likes to gamble, yes, but perhaps you didn't know he needed the money and that was the only way he thought he could get it. He always felt your father preferred him to you. He was always praised, despite the fact the Duke was taking money of his father's pocket. He heard a rumor that your father wrote a will before he died, after all, secrets aren't kept very long when you're in Paris. Or die in Paris. Either way, it wasn't in the castle. He is the one who started the fire by the way. I asked him to do it."
"Why?" said Adam, as he watched his friend turn and stare at him incredulously.
"Haven't you been listening to a word I have just said? To humiliate you, of course! To prove that you are no better than any of us. And to bring Belle closer to me, to get her out of the castle. I saw it as an opportunity for Maurice to call back his daughter and for her to leave. Why she didn't is still a mystery to me."
"Why did the marquis agree to this? It is a great risk for him and his reputation."
"I will admit, I have always wanted Belle, even when she was just a pauper. But I heard that D'Arque came to Villeneuve actively searching for her. That she was possibly a mystery heiress. That peaked my interest, so I proposed. She refused. But I met the Marquis, and I knew the Marquis was in need of money, but the chances of getting whatever the Duke had left in his will were slim, so I offered him something better."
The Duke was barely listening to a word Gaston was saying, only one word seemed to continue to ring within his ears and he felt something himself give out.
Heiress.
"A share of Belle's fortune, if he did what I asked," continued Gaston, too caught up in his own story to realize the Prince's change in disposition. "The fire, getting you to relinquish Belle. That was all me really. If I succeeded in marrying Belle before this whole revelation took place, well, everything would come to me. He saw that as a fair deal, so that's why he started the fire for me. I am not as stupid as you always thought I was."
Adam had known Gaston was sighted around Villeneuve for some time, that he had his sights set on Belle. He made sure Belle was safe of course, and knowing her character, knew she would not appreciate advances from such a man. She was not as alone as she thought she was, knew too, she would not appreciate his interference, but neither could he have left her with no protection.
But he had no idea what he'd been protecting her from. Or what she in fact was.
"Gaston," said Adam, his voice warm and broad, such a sharp contrast to the soldier's. "I'm sorry. For what happened to you and your family. That we did not help you. I cannot change the past but I promise, I will do what I can to help you now."
For a moment, the conversation died away, and Adam continued to stare at his friend, his expression sincere and open. The morning birds could be heard singing in the distance as the wind swept up the grass to sing in a choir of fluttering sound, just as Gaston interrupted nature's song with his own blunt words.
"What is this?" he snapped scornfully as he stared at the Prince as if he hardly knew him, even confusion appearing on his handsome face. A took a moment for Adam to realize just how different they were, how he had changed, even beyond recognition.
"I don't want your pity!" spat Gaston before turning to his side and brandishing a long sword, pointing towards the Prince. It had come out from a hidden holster beneath his crimson coat and Adam had no time to react, aside from lifting his hands.
"I didn't realize this was supposed to be a duel," said the Duke calmly as he took a step to the side, wanting to more away but not backward.
"What did you expect? A good old catch up?" snarled Gaston, turning as well so they moved anticlockwise. "You took everything from me! It is only right I get back what is rightfully mine!"
"Belle was never yours to take!" yelled Adam, for the first time, something beginning to simmer within himself. Something about Gaston's words had engaged his temper in a way which he did not recognize.
"Oh, but this is fantastic!" exclaimed Gaston, as that wide grin appeared and he began to laugh, his voice boisterous and full of vigour. "I was talking my family honour and you thought I was talking about the peasant girl! You really do love her!"
Adam gritted his teeth, aware of the sword glinting in the morning sunlight, merely a metre away. He could have gone into a whole spiel and defend Belle's honour, but more importantly he had to keep Gaston talking and form some sort of plan of how to get out of this mess.
"Why tell me anything at all?" he pointed out as he turned, finding himself once more on lower ground, Gaston's face now obscured into shadow. "Why tell me the truth? Why give everything away?"
"Because it is all over!" yelled Gaston as he sprung towards Adam, his sword held high, aiming it towards the Prince's head.
"And you will be dead," he finished, just as the Duke swung his left hand and defended the stroke with his own sword, steel on steel.
"I thought you didn't know this was duel," whispered Gaston, a wickedness crazed look entering his eye as he glared down at Adam between their swords.
"I didn't wish to resort to violence," muttered Adam before pushing his former friend off and turning sideways to reach higher ground.
"I'm surprised you still have some strength in you Adam," said Gaston, a wild smile appearing as he turned to face the Prince, whose own sword was turned resolutely toward him. "I thought Dukes and Marquis's all left the fighting to us simple folk."
"I learnt I had to defend myself," said Adam just as Gaston came up and dealt him another blow, which came close towards his neck. "Especially as I had so many enemies."
"And whose fault is that?" sneered Gaston, his voice surprisingly soft before Adam pushed him off again.
"You're right, I was to blame," replied Adam before reaching a firm stance again. "But that's not gives me strength right now."
"Then what does, pray?" asked Gaston again, his narrowing eyes in curiosity before lifting his sword again, this time aiming toward Adam's side, which was deflected, only for Gaston to swing the other way and land a punch with his fist rather than his sword.
"A young woman's honour," said Adam before spitting out blood and wiping his mouth, just as Gaston stepped away. He smiled and laughed as he saw the sight of his own blood.
"Not quite as blue as the Danube river, is it?" said Gaston, but his voice held no humour as he lifted his sword. "None of it matters anymore anyway. Belle is lost to both of us. No doubt some other bastard will prey on her eventually and make use of her, make no mistake. This world is cruel, and shining lights like that don't last very long before being snuffed out."
"You're wrong," said Adam gently as the image of Belle's defiant face came into view within his mind's eye, that moment in the ballroom which changed his life forever, when he had first heard her haunting words.
Gaston frowned as the Prince turned, his sword lowered, and smiled at him, not in pity but almost as if he were merely, content.
"She will survive, and not only that, unlike us, she will thrive."
Gaston scoffed before shaking his head and staring at the ground, the fight between them somehow dwindling.
"And I suppose you think you are going to leave this hill in one piece and reach your happily ever after with her, waltzing out into the sunset, is that it?"
"Oh no," said the Prince softly as he stared at Gaston who still gripped tight his sword. "She doesn't need me and I let her go a long time ago, just as I hope you will."
Gaston's eyes turned volatile in that moment as he strode towards Adam once more.
"Did you bump your head or something during that fire?" said Gaston incredulously. "I came here envisioning seeing you in a whole number of different ways, but in my wildest dreams I did not expect to find some simpering, weak-willed, emasculated creature! I was prepared to take Belle, expecting, just as the rest of the village assumed, that you had deflowered her already and made her your whore!"
"Don't you dare speak such vile words towards me!" roared Adam as he lifted his sword against his better judgement and swinging towards Gaston, aiming for the sickening grin that had appeared again on his beautiful face.
"There it is," whispered Gaston in satisfaction as the Prince glared down towards him, their swords rattling with the Duke's rage. "I thought I'd lost you but you're still the same beast within, with that uncontrollable white-hot anger that your father used to push your mother down their stairs."
"You… know nothing… about my family," said Adam hoarsely just as the sound of hooves diverted their attentions. Though the Prince could not see it, he could hear the sound of a carriage approaching and his heart sank. No… He had told them to leave but they had come back!
Gaston glanced up and his eyes widened in shock, though Adam did not know why. Beyond he had any time to react, the handsome soldier moved away and, surprisingly, let go of his sword, abandoning it in the grass.
"It's over Gaston," said Adam, shaking his head as he stood up and faced his friend. "I'm sorry. I won't tell anyone what just happened, so just leave. It'll be alright, no one need know."
"You think it's really that easy?" uttered Gaston, his voice for the first time revealing pain as he stared at the Prince with hatred in his dark eyes. "Just say sorry and all is forgiven? You lot have pushed the rest of us to the very brink, time and time again, expecting us to simply bow down in submission. Well, your comeuppance will come one day, mark my words. But I can start right here, with you."
The carriage, which had been making its way along the road below them stopped just short of the hill, and Adam could hear the door being opened.
"With no heir, I wonder what will happen to your precious Dukedom? Die along with you, I suppose," said Gaston, his expression now sombre, and without warning, brandished a gun from his side and shot the Prince squarely in the chest just as the servants from the castle came running up the hill and Lumiere pushed the Duke down with all his might.
