Chapter Four

The Prince's Gambit

My legs were beginning to complain from being held in one position for too long. I shifted my weight slightly. I sat perched on the roof of the mansion, just relaxing in the moonlight.

I wasn't worried about Anna-Marie; I learned that the fille would sleep through anything except the boom of thunder.

The strains of piano floated up in tonight from Etienne's set of rooms that he shared with Aria who must be the one playing. The music slowed and stopped and was replaced by voices.

"Y' wan' somet'in'?" Aria asked, mocking a Cajun accent.

"Jus' de pleasure of y're company," Etienne countered.

There was a squeal of delight. "Etienne Merceax! How did you get these?"

I sighed. Here I was hiding on the roof avoiding my wife. Etienne had an arrange marriage, just like me, just like Henri, just like everyone else in the world. Most seemed happy with their match, but I just avoided mine.

When we were thrown together, we wereawkward and uncomfortable. I sighed and slithered off the roof. Anna Marie was asleep as was the par usual. I sighed undressed quickly and slipped into bed next to her. She rolled over a beam of moonlight falling across her face, highlighting her features.

She looked . . .no, not peaceful even at rest there was cat like feral and litheness about her that suggested that any moment she could spring into action. Relaxed, maybe. But mostly young. She was only fourteen I remembered, three years my junior although I would never guess it for all her maturity.

She rolled over and mumbled something in her sleep, which broke my trance. I reached over and closed the curtains.

The next morning I went to hunt down Etienne. I found my fair-haired cousin the next day in the gym. He looked up at me from the bench press. "D'y wan' somet'ing?" He asked, wracking the weight and sitting up.

"How do you do it?" I asked him.

"D'what?" He asked.

"Be married."

Etienne looked at me and then laughed. "Impossible! De Remy LeBeau can't charm a fille!"

"And it's da one dat matters most," I scowled.

Etienne, having finally stopped laughing at my expense, picked up his towel and wrapped it around his neck. "De problem, Remy, is dat y'two don' spend anytime with each other."

"But,"

"Non," Etienne shook his head, cutting me off. "I know it's awkward. Y're sitting dere t'inking, dis is da woman that I'm gonna be spending the rest of m'life wit' and dere's nothing y'can do 'bout it." Etienne shrugged. "So, don' t'ink 'bout it like dat."

I blinked. "What?" He had said it so matter of factly, like it was the simplest thing in the world. But it was impossible. "How?"

"Jus' pretend, she's just some random fille dat you wan' t'charm." Etienne shrugged and then a smirk spread slowly across his lips. "Y're de master after all."

I picked up a towel and smacked him with it a few times. "Hey!" He objected, grabbing the towel and trying to pull it out of my hands. "Dis da t'anks I get?"

"Suggestions?" I asked.

"Got an extra pair of tickets t' go see Phantom of the Opera. Made Aria happy enough." Etienne shrugged.

"I heard." Then I paused for a moment. "What de y'wan' f'r dem?"

"Dat's de question, now isn't it?" Etienne gave me a look so sweet and innocent that it was evil.

"Dis is either gonna be real painful or embarrassing," I sighed.

"Dat is it, cousin, dat it is." Etienne put an arm around me. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to me.

"Anna Marie?" I asked, quietly opening the door to our room. She leapt to her feet, snatching her towel up with her face aflame.

"Evah heard of knocking?" She asked tucking the towel around her body and glaring.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled, closing my eyes. This was going well. Like a good, chastised husband, I turned around and let Anna Marie pull on a robe.

"All right, ya can turn around now." I did, but couldn't look her in the eye.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the envelope. "I was wonderin' if y'd like t'go t'show wit' me?" I asked as I held out the envelope to her.

She looked at it. "Ah'd loved to." She said.

I looked at her.

"As long as ya promise ya'll learn to knock," Anna Marie told me before sashaying into the bathroom and firmly locking the door behind her.