Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!
恭喜发财！
No idea if I got that right, but anywayz...
Whoo! It's been a quite a while since I had updated, but my computer conked out on me and had to be repaired!(GAH!)
Happy reading and hope that you enjoy this installment!

Chapter Thirteen

'Be a good boy for Jean-Luc, Fitzy and your tutors, alright?' Practice your violin at least an hour a day, but you must remember to go and have some fresh air also. And don't eat so many bonbons. And eat your vegetables; don't be like that naughty Luc… So unhealthy! Ah! And don't forget to massage that ointment I gave you into your hand everyday after your bath! I have reminded Fitzy to check, so you had better do it… And….'

Frederic continued with his litany of instructions as he checked his belongings one last time before he had to leave to finally meet the man he had come such a long distance see. He tightened the straps on his leather case and nodded at the waiting footman to put it into the carriage. Jean-Luc lounged carelessly on a chair as he watched with great amusement his friend nag Erik into obedience. Nearly bursting into laughter as Erik threw him a glance of desperate plea for escape. There was no way he was going to draw Frederic's attention! He had already suffered fifteen full minutes of directions on the boy's care, as though he had not been present for the past two and a half months of Erik's stay! Gah! He was worse than any discontented wife!

Finally, sputtering to a stop Frederic suddenly swept the yelping child into his arms and hugged him fiercely. 'I'll miss you, enfant! I'll try to make it back before you leave, but I think it should be quite unlikely that I can see you before you go… I will write you in any case! I shall write you everyday, right up 'til I have to leave...' Hugging him again, Frederic swiped quickly at his eyes. 'Don't start crying! Or I shall bawl my eyes out right now!'

'But I am not crying… You are!' denied Erik whilst patting the very emotional Frederic consolingly on the head. 'I'll miss you too! Why do you have to go? Will I see you again?'

'I am not crying, don't be silly!' refuted Frederic, still hugging the boy tightly, with no sign of letting him go in the near future. 'I have to meet someone to pick up a very important plant. It is one of the rarest in the world and I have been sent to France to retrieve it.'

Setting the boy down gently, Frederic smiled bracingly at him and said:

'I don't know if we shall be able to meet each other again for quite some time as I am obligated to bring back the plant immediately to…Anyway, I promise that I shall never, ever forget you! Though we might not be able to keep in much contact, please know that I shall think of you.'

Feeling tears threatening, Erik sniffed manfully and promised to think of Frederic too and also to practice his violin, eat his vegetable and to mind Jean-Luc and not let him do anything naughty as well. Hiding his own feelings, Luc ginned sheepishly and stepped forward and to hug Frederic in farewell. Bidding him to take care of himself and promising to do the same for himself and Erik, he pried the clinging child off Frederic waist.

Frederic quickly dropped a kiss onto the boy's head and saluted them before jumping into the waiting carriage. Waving forlornly, Erik watched until the carriage rolled out of sight.

In the next two weeks, Erik received a dozen letters and several presents from Frederic. In his letters, Frederic detailed the long trip he to make to meet Monsieur Renault, telling Erik interesting little anecdotes of the people he had seen along the way and describing the places he passed through. He always ended his letters with reminders of his instructions and Erik wrinkled his little nose at his long-windedness, secretly enjoying Frederic's mothering.

By the time, Jean-Luc took him to Calais to board a ship with his step-father to England, Erik had a total of twenty-three letters, a pair of boots, a toy sail-boat, a guide book of England, several books on architecture, music and art, an extremely large box of bonbons (which was immediately hijacked by Luc), several more bottles of ointment (which was more than enough to last Erik for years) and a small (and extremely bad) drawing of himself and Frederic. Erik felt he could have given up all these, except perhaps the letters and that ridiculous drawing to see Frederic one last time.

Hugging Jean-Luc, Erik waved goodbye to the last symbol of the only happiness and security he had felt in his short life.

Life in school for Erik was hell. He was relentlessly bullied by the other boys as the masters at the school gave the gifted young protégé of the powerful Duke of Auvergne much praise and often held him up as an example to his fellow schoolmates. Because of the intensive training and classes provided by Jean-Luc and Frederic and his own natural genius, Erik excelled in his lessons and was quickly the admitted best student and singer in the school. However the other boys could not stand that the little foreign monster was given so much fawning attention and admiration, that they made him the victim of constant malicious tricks and attacks.

The hatred against the stoically suffering child was so intense that the warnings and threats of the school-master could not quell the abuse and finally he made the decision to contact the boy's parents about the dire situation. After several weeks with no word, a short missive finally arrived shockingly informing the master that regrettably they could not come to see him until the end of the year and that they were sure that Erik would soon be able to make friends. Sighing in disgust at their total lack of concern, he decided to isolate the boy as best he can from the other children in hopes of protecting him from further attacks. However, it was to no avail. Erik continued suffering the jealous assaults and tried to become adept in being unseen and to dodge the kicks and blows of his peers.

Finally, the excruciating year grinded to an end and the rotund little mayor was allowed to come and see to the situation. The headmaster explained the situation to the maire and told him that for Erik's own sake, he should not continue in the school as he heard that a really serious injury would eventually be done to the boy. The maire sputtered and stuttered, trying to reason with the headmaster, knowing that Marguerite would have a fit she knew that Erik was returning to France, but the master was adamant. Sighing mournfully, the mayor took his young step-son back home.

Marguerite was incandescent with rage. Screaming like a banshee, she little resembled the sweet pliable woman she had seemed before they married. Roughly grabbing Erik she dragged him out of the house in her wake.

Three hours later, she returned to her terrified household…alone.