Chapter 20: Coming Clean
"Henry, I'm really glad you didn't kill Le Pieu." Danielle said softly. She and Henry were both lying on her bed facing each other. Henry had a lazy smile playing on his lips. He was content and happy, laying there staring into her soft beautiful eyes and twirling his fingers in her long hair.
"I am too." He whispered. He felt a pang of guilt run through his body. His trip to Le Pieu's had not gone according to plan, thank god. He went there to kill a man in cold blood for what he thought was a good reason. But now, as he lost himself in the eyes of his angel he realized that his reasons were anything but justifiable. If he had killed Le Pieu what would have been proven? What would that have meant? Only that he was capable of the same careless destruction and insane rationalization skills that make monsters like Le Pieu rape women. And if he could take that first step, convincing himself that somehow he was right, and the second party had it coming, asked for it even, then why should Danielle trust him? What reasons would she have for believing he was different from all the rest? If Henry had killed Pierre Le Pieu he would have taken the very thing he hated, and made it a part of him. And that scared him. Bad.
That however, didn't mean that Henry or Danielle were anxious to let him get away with his crimes. They decided it was best to handle the situation diplomatically. When Henry had calmed down a bit he and Danielle returned Le Pieu to his bedroom and wished him a good night. In the morning, when Henry headed to the castle for one of his bi-daily update sessions with his father, he would relay the whole story to the King and allow him to decide a suitable punishment.
"What are you thinking about, my dearest?" Henry murmured almost incoherently. Danielle smiled happily and he did the same.
"I'm thinking that I'm happy." Henry smothered her forehead with soft kisses before capturing her lips with his. It was a deep meaningful kiss, full of passion and love. Danielle pulled away politely and softly chewed her lower lip. "I want to tell you something." She said. Henry urged her to go on. "I started bleeding this morning." A flash of horror went through his eyes, and she kissed him softly for reassurance. "I'm not hurt. It's the good kind of bleeding."
"Oh." The confusion was clearly etched in Henry's expression and Danielle couldn't keep herself from giggling.
"You know what that means don't you?" He blushed.
"I'm not very well versed in the school of blood." He said with a chuckle.
"It means that when Le Pieu raped me, I did not conceive. There will be no baby, and therefore a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders." She sighed a long contented sigh. Henry on the other hand, was feeling rather low which was made obvious when he rolled over onto this back. Danielle watched him study the ceiling for a while. "What's wrong?" She asked finally.
"I'm so sorry Danielle." He whispered.
"What for?"
"For all of this. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of it. Being sold, raped. I feel like it's my fault. I know I shouldn't but I can't help it."
"Henry, weren't you the one who said that only Le Pieu is to blame?"
"Yes." She sat up so she could look at him and catch his eyes with hers. She could see small tears streaking their way down him cheeks. She lifted her hand to catch a few and when she did he grabbed it and gave it a few light kisses.
"Nobody can start over and create a new beginning, Henry. But anybody can start from now and create a new ending."
"You're amazing." He murmured.
"So I've been told." She said with a giggle. "Now that that is settled, I'm afraid I do have a favor to ask of you, good sir."
"And what might that be, my love?" She was glad to hear the chirpiness returning to his voice.
"Now that you know everything and our friend Jean Paul LaCroix is no longer needed, would you please shave that dreadful beard? It's driving me crazy." Henry erupted into laughter and Danielle was happy to join him. He sat up and scooped her into her arms and smothered her in sloppy kisses. She pretended to be annoyed by this and it only made Henry laugh louder.
The rest of that night they spent cuddling only breaking the silence long enough to whisper 'I love you' every so often.
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Henry walked out of the palace a happy man, all things considering. Every time he lay down in bed over the last week he'd think about what it would take to get his relationship with Danielle back on track. Now in the course of one day, one marvelous day, his wildest dreams were beginning to come true. There were still a few choice pieces of the picture missing. The formal things, such as a wedding, but that could wait. Right now he and Danielle needed to focus on building trust and then they'd think about making things permanent.
The meeting between the King and his son went as well as could be expected when you mix a traditional stern man of business and a curious, travel hungry, and incredibly stubborn young man together. Francis seemed unfazed by Henry's declarations and love, but then again he really didn't expect otherwise. All that mattered to him was that his father agreed to give him another two weeks at the manor.
Henry made no attempt to hide his smile from the world as he strolled threw the courtyard. If he had his way he'd climb on top of a barrel and tell everyone in attendance, loud and clear that he was in love. In his ecstatic daze Henry did not hear the footsteps behind him, it wasn't until he heard her voice that he realized his mother was there.
"Henry! Dear!" The Queen hugged her only son tightly. Henry was caught off guard; he hadn't expected such an emotional display.
"Hello mother," he stumbled, "you're very… chipper this morning."
"I'm just glad to see you, you've been gone so long!"
"A week mother, I've been gone a week." Henry let his eyes wonder. He was anxious to get home and was looking for an exit. It struck him as funny when he thought about it, he'd only lived in the manor a week or so and already it felt like home. In fact he didn't ever remember feeling so safe and happy in one particular place.
"Henry, I wanted to tell you this before you heard it from somebody else…" Marie said. Her voice and demeanor grew serious, and Henry instantly rolled his eyes. He'd had enough parental badgering for one day.
"Father talked to Danielle I know." He finished his mother's sentence and turned to leave, but it appeared the queen had other plans.
"Please don't be angry with him, he's only concerned." She said softly. Henry groaned deep.
"Danielle is dealing with enough, she needs not my father's pressure." The thought of Francis grilling Danielle put an instant knot in his stomach. Lord knew, if he came this far only to have his father ruin everything then my lightning strike him dead before Henry did.
"He gave her his blessing to marry you." The Queen's lips turned upward into a small smile and Henry's eyes grew as large as soup bowls.
"He did what?"
"I believe his exact words were, 'I'm routing for the two of you, if for no other reason then to keep myself from going mad, but don't tell anyone, I don't want them to think I'm a softie'." Marie chuckled softly at the thought. It was rare for her husband to be so candid, but at the same time quite refreshing.
"How did you know all that? I didn't even know that."
"She didn't tell you?"
"No, she merely said that father loves me and he's worried about me." Henry did his best to play that conversation over again in his mind. No, she defiantly hadn't mentioned anything about a blessing.
"I see."
"A lot has happened in the last few days, mother." His tone lightened up a bit and his smile grew bright. His expression was a mirror image of his mothers who appeared to be a little teary.
"I see, care to share with an old woman?"
"She told me what happened that day at Le Pieu's, every gory detail. It was dreadful mother, I had nightmares all last night, I can only imagine what it must be like for her." A cold chill ran down Henry's spine, and he struggle to suppress a shudder.
"Am I to understand that you're suspicions were correct?"
"Unfortunately." Marie sighed heavily. Oh how she'd hoped that Henry was wrong, that something else was to blame for the strangeness of their lives lately. Wishful thinking, sadly.
"It's a hard situation Henry, but it sounds like you're making progress."
"Yes, I just hope I don't get overzealous and blow it." It was Henry's turn to sigh and he did with little effort. "Can I tell you something and have you promise you won't laugh?" He asked after a bit of hesitation.
"Of course, dear." She responded instantly.
"For the first time in a long, long while I really love being alive. I love where my life is going."
"Where is it going Henry?" Her tone was heavy, but Henry shrugged it off.
"That's up to you." He informed her and he braced himself for the beginning of a heated discussion.
"Why whatever do you mean?"
"You're so much better at speaking with father then I am. I was hoping you would try to help me convince him to allow me to live in the manor permanently." There. He'd said it; the rest was in god's hands.
"Henry!"
"I'm serious, mother!" Henry constructed his argument carefully. Every word had to be perfect. "When I'm at the manor I feel alive. I feel important in a new and fascinating way. I wake up each day with the woman I love and people who appreciate me for who I am rather then my crown. I love it there. I feel like I belong there, in that place, forever."
"Your father will never go for it, you know that don't you?"
"Why?" He asked, his defensiveness kicking in.
"Because you're the Prince of France, Henry, you have duties." She said flatly.
"I can fulfill my duties just as well from the manor as I can at the palace. Father travels all over the country and things appear to be in good order. Look mother, I'm not speaking of never returning to the palace, I just wish to make the manor my primary residence." Henry took a second to breathe and think before he turned an accomplice into an enemy. "Please mother, please tell me you'll at least try." He continued after a moment. Nobody said he was beyond begging.
"You really want this don't you?"
"More then anything."
"And it will make you happy?"
"Oh god, yes."
"Then I will do my best." Marie promised.
"God bless you mother! Bless you!"
Gwen raced back home at top speed, her master pushing her harder and harder. He didn't know why he was in such a hurry. Perhaps it was all the millions of thoughts bouncing around his brain. Or maybe it was intuition; perhaps Danielle urgently needed him home right away. Somehow he doubted either theory. No, it was something more basic then that. He just wanted to be home. He, the Prince of France, was homesick. Who would have thought?
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As it turned out Henry's second theory was not as silly as he originally thought. As he rode up the driveway he could see Danielle pacing back and forth in the yard on the far end of the house. He could see her lips moving, but there was nobody besides herself within earshot. He found this peculiar. When she saw him approach she turned to him and tried to smile but it was a mute point. The anxiety was written clean across her forehead.
He approached her with caution but it wasn't needed. As soon as he entered the garden she came running up to him and flung her arms around his waist in a hard, desperate hug. Henry took it as an invitation to hold her and he did so with pleasure. It was sort lived, however, as Danielle soon pushed away.
"Henry! You're back! I'm so glad your back! You have to help me!" She ran her fingers through her hair nervously, and resumed pacing.
"Why? What happened? Are you hurt?"
"No, but I'm afraid I may have hurt the ones I love." Henry's face scrunched up in confusion, his eyes contemplating.
"How?"
"I was in the kitchen making chicken with Paulette, and I was telling her about what happened. About us being happy and together, and she asked me how we managed to accomplish that."
"That doesn't seem so bad."
"Right, so I told her that I told you what happened at Le Pieu's and you understand completely."
"Right and I do."
"But Henry, she turned and she looked at me, and she was so sad. And then it hit me, YOU know, but THEY still don't and it hurts them to think I trust you more then they." Henry nodded. He remembered what Paulette had told him last week. To her, Louise and Maurice, Danielle was like a daughter to them; so thinking that their child would trust an outsider and not them would be terribly upsetting.
"So… what are you going to do to correct the situation?" He asked, anxious to help her relax in any way he could.
"There's nothing I can do except tell them." Danielle threw her arms in the air for dramatic effect.
"Okay. That seems logical." Henry walked over to her and took her hands in his.
"It is. But I'm really, really nervous and I need you're help. That's why I'm so glad you're home." She kissed him hard on the mouth. Her eyes were wide and wild.
"What can I do to help?"
"I've already scheduled a family meeting in an hour. I need you to be with me in case I chicken out."
"Well of course I'll be there, but is there anything else I can do. Do you want me to help you tell the story?"
"No, I really think I need to do this on my own." She turned away from him and again began to pace. "I think it will be good for me. You know, in a healing sense. But maybe you can help me rehearse what I'm going to say?" Henry nodded.
They spent the hour discussing and rehearsing the conversation over and over again in the park. Danielle had decided that she was going to come right now and say it, if she didn't, if she procrastinated then she'd have time to get scared and her mind would go blank. On the off chance that she lost her nerve, she would squeeze Henry's hand and he would help her out. Other then that, he was going to remain silent.
The time came, and Danielle and Henry walked into the house hand in hand. Danielle was pale, and it worried Henry greatly. They walked into the dinning room and they could tell that the rest of the household was just as nervous. Everyone took their places at the table. Danielle and Henry on one side, Paulette and Louise on the other, and Maurice sat at the head of the table.
Danielle took a deep breath, and Henry gave her hand a light squeeze for reassurance. "My dearest family," She began, her voice quivering a little, "I called this meeting to address an issue that has long been ignored. When I came home, I was covered with bruises, they're gone now, but their cause will always be with me." Danielle squeezed Henry's hand hard, he squeezed back.
"Do you want me to tell them, sweetheart?" He whispered in her ear. She shook her head.
"No, I have to do this for myself, I told you that, it's just so hard." She raised her eyes back to her worried family, "When I was sold to Pierre Le Pieu, he attacked me. He held on the bed and forced himself on me. I'm very sorry for not telling you sooner. I was ashamed." A few tears streaked down Louise's face, and Maurice hung his head down.
"I knew it," Paulette muttered, "I knew it the first time I saw you. And I knew nothing could keep you away from that boy, except… oh sweet Jesus." Paulette broke into loud sobs, "I'll kill him! I swear to god I'll kill him!" She sobbed sadly.
"I already tried that." Henry's voice was low and sad, "I tried to, but I couldn't. I just, I'm not that kind of person. I'm so sorry." Henry bit his slower lip hard, but that did not stop the tears from flowing.
"When someone you love is hurting, it's easily to lose yourself." Maurice had been silent until now. He looked at Henry, his eyes were sympathetic. "I remember once at the market a young man was trying to pull one over on my wife. I pushed that boy over, popped him in the nose, and told him to get the hell out of my sight. Love can cause you can go crazy sometimes."
"The important thing is, that we all know now, it's all out in the open, no more secrets. I'm so sick of secrets, and lies and blasphemy." Jacqueline sobbed. "I'm so sorry Danielle."
The family spent the next few hours talking and bonding. It felt so good to finally have everything out in the open. Never did Danielle ever imagine that things could turn out so well. She had her home, her family, and Henry. Life was perfect