Authors Note: I think you guys are pretty used to my routine by now. I say I will update and hardly ever do. But hey, you still love me right?
I'm still pretty much in awe of LunarLitLover. You have been unrelenting in your abuse of how little I update and I love you for it. Seriously guy, I hold no qualms, criticise me as much as you want on my shitty updating skills.
I had originally wanted to post this chapter at the beginning of 2007, just after I came back from Europe. (btw really cool fact! A friend of a friend of mine actually stars in Ever After!!! She's French but because of her Spanish heritage she played one of the gypsies. Actually her whole family was in the movie but I've never met them. Next time you watch the movie, just when Danielle and Henry kiss for the first time after they play scissors, paper, rock, the kids playing in the background, that's her and her brother! Cool huh. happy dance. I have connections!)
2008 is HSC year for me. Bask in the glory of this chapter because you probably won't see one for another while. I suggest adding me to your alerts list so an email will come to you when I finally update Chapter 10.
Have an enjoyable 2008. I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year. See you soon.
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The Sickly Sight of Blood
I woke early amongst the disarray. A foggy mind slowly cleared and filled me with dread. Paulette would have my head if I went downstairs. I would put off our confrontation as long as possible. Slowly I stood and commenced the dire task of concealing the mess.
Close to noon and the room had regained its composure. A soft knock came from the door and I gathered my strength in preparation for Paulette's lecture. A sigh escaped my lips, as it was not Paulette who entered but my one and only confidant, Jacqueline. Her appearance radiant yet slightly dishevelled and a few passing minutes I would to understand why. Beaming she relayed her night's happy events, completely unaware of my own. Not sleeping a wink she strolled late into night accompanied by none other than Captain Laurent.
"When I first met him, I was slightly wary but my closer knowledge of him has greatly improved my impression. Despite his outward appearance he is quite charming and… thoughtful and… witty… and… sweet." she spoke softly with a dazed look in her eyes. A girlish smile spread over her face as she recollected a past event.
Putting my arm around her shoulder I said, "I have not much experience in this matter but it would seem to me that you are in love with the Captain."
Eyes wide and jaw loose she stumbled in her words to deny it, but her fumbling attempts to dissuade me only made her affections more obvious. I fell back onto the bed, grinning from ear to ear. "Moonlit strolls, frequent visits, a constant dazed expression!" I said, emphasising the last words, "My mind is set. You cannot hope to change my speculation."
A soft thud, Jacqueline fell beside me. I tilted my neck to look at her. "When do you see him next?"
Immediately a girlish smile lit up her face. Her hands were positioned delicately in front of her mouth, as if to hide behind them. "Two hours" she giggled excitedly.
An honest laugh escaped my lips. The sight of the sickeningly happy Jacqueline brought tears to my eyes. How silly young love is! In that moment I was forced think of Henry. Was I this delirious at the beginning?
The smile slowly faded from my face as I choked on memories. "Your presence is often missed. Where do you go these past days?"
Her sudden comment could be debated on premeditated intent. My breath caught in my throat as I struggled to find a suitable answer. "Er… " I let out a number of vowel sounds, covering them with a nervous chuckle, "I… two hours! How about I braid your hair for the occasion?"
Thankfully Jacqueline's attention was easily diverted. Leading her into the next room, she sat ardently before the mirror and awaited beautification. Letting up a silent prayer of gratitude I began my work.
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Only a few hours had passed. The Captain accompanied Jacqueline for another one of their outings. I had attempted to complete the chores whilst in the avoidance of Paulette and Louise. This was proven to be more than difficult. Both would approach me yet there were only so many excuses to evade their scornful gaze. Paulette, in particular, was catching on to the routine. Yet again she cornered me, halfway through yelling that the beans were burning, Paulette took a firm grip of my arm and led me outside.
"What is going on Danielle?" she questioned sternly. Her hand was removed from my arm yet she artfully blocked my escape back indoors. Finally I knew I could not avoid it any longer.
"Lapse in concentration. Do not worry Paulette." I tried putting my grief into the gentlest words possible. No good came of it.
"Do not give me that bull Danielle! Did you not think I knew? Your pining has gone long enough. He is a married man… and I curse myself for having to speak these words. He is not within your reach. Your persistence is far too troublesome not to acknowledge and must meet its demise." Her words affected me greatly. A scar not to fade within my heart. Tears brimmed my eyes and threatened to fall, one more word would destroy any strength left.
Paulette saw the pain and understood what she needed to do. The task would be severely regretted but must be fulfilled to stop Danielle from continuing her pursuit of nothing. Previous words were not enough. Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "Your parents would be ashamed of you."
Tears tumbled down my cheeks. The invisible wall that took one year to build, crumbled, as the ill-fated words became reality.
Taking short, sharp breaths, I leant my hand against the wall to regain balance as my knees lost strength and caved. All was silent except for my tearful gasps. How I wished this ache would stop.
Amidst my despair I felt Paulette brush past me. The ruffle of her worn clothes did nothing to warm my heart. I yearned for her kind familiarity and some comfort yet received neither.
"Danielle… Danielle… Danielle!" the faint voice steadily increased in volume as the young girl ran across the field.
My mind did not acknowledge her presence. Your parents would be ashamed of you. These words rolled painfully in my head. The tears had stopped flowing yet the dull ache in my chest had not lessened.
All of a sudden a warm hand rested on my shoulder. At last, some comfort. This was irrefutably shattered as the fingers tightened and my shoulders and shook me with desperate force.
Looking up, I was surprised to see Crystal, the little gypsy girl I had come to know. Wiping the tears from my face, "What is it Crystal? What is so troublesome?"
The young girl's face crumpled and her entire body shook with each wracking sob. A shameful relief filled me as her litre of tears stilled my own. With all the tenderness I could muster, I put an arm around her bony frame and rocked her back and forth. There I held her until she spoke. Strength regaining, she leapt out of arms and tugged my hand to follow.
"Talia is in labour yet only birthing blood. Our midwife is ill and deemed to dangerous to approach. You must help! Please, we can think of no other person." She screamed to me in urgency.
Abruptly I shook off her tight grasp of my fingers. Her eyes widened in panic yet I believe she calmed somewhat as I sprinted towards the forest.
Though I knew the gypsy's camp location, certain accuracy was donated, led directly by the piercing screams. There laid Talia, matted in sticky red, cornered by a mass of grief stricken females.
I was given no time for composure, the moment I arrived on site, all eyes pleaded to me for help, unaware I had little knowledge of how to deal with the situation. Crouched before the open womb, my mind flickered back to old texts concerning the matter. Immediately I barked orders to the surrounding women, the few hurried off to deliver the errands while the others remained the positions of supporting the hurting mother, mumbling Spanish prayer.
Miguella and Alita rushed forth with strips of linen and a bail of water. "Stem the bleeding." My mind was whirling, all I could think is that she must not lose blood, not for her and not for the baby. Splashing the water to clear the cervix I came to realise half the problem was that her water had yet to break. Tearing the sack with my fingernail I encountered the next stage causing Talia's agony.
The baby was suffocating.
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Cloud.
Cloud.
Look, another cloud.
Found to be in the same position since dawn, gazing intently upon the sky, some might argue I behold a strange fascination with rain, for once again I was caught in it. Usually that is the case. My mind recollected the numerous occasions I deliberately stood amongst the falling water. Yet amazingly today I had an excuse.
I could not move.
Devoid of all philosophical or humorous content, the fall off Donatien had jarred my spine and was now incapable of movement. As the numerous clouds passed and the rain grew heavier, I closed my drowsy eyes.
I did not know how long I slept or even if the sun, blemished with grey cover, had disappeared beyond the horizon. Curiosity persisted but I did not open my eyes. Hovering next to my throat prevailed the cold feel of metal. Lightly tracing the line of my artery with the tip of the blade, I resisted the urge to draw sharp breath. Unmoving, I waited for death.
The blade removed itself and was replaced with the husky drawl of my name without title. Very few were permitted to drop 'King' in my address and I allowed my mouth to form the arch of a smile. Left eye opening, I looked up at the three men.
"Gentlemen, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Henry, you should know by now that our sole purpose on this earth is to crave your company. Yet you make the pursuit unbelievably easy. I recommend you make the hunt more interesting… and hide." The three chucked enthusiastically at their witty comment. At the sight of the scrubby males, I could not help but join along with their delight.
Behind their unwashed, bearded face hid three kind gypsies, all of whom I had come to confide and ally. Estavan and Felipe were the youngest of the bunch, brimming with energy and juvenile self-confidence. My junior by eight years, their cocky nature and naïve view upon the world inspired my childlike qualities yet in need of constant surveillance. Standing closest to me was the man for the job. Pablo kept the peace between the two rowdy youngsters. To which, I believe, everybody was truly thankful.
Stepping forward Felipe held a hand to his heart, "Why Henry, I would think you callous. For even in the presence of the three most handsome men in France, you do not challenge us eye to eye."
"True," Estavan agreed, nearing, "I had hoped to expect more rivalry from the King of all France, and greet his opponents formally. For height may be the only virtue in your favour."
Grin widening I played along, "Ah gentlemen, you think too highly of yourselves. With all this business of protecting the country, and your hides in turn, I find myself in great excess of handsome charm and intelligence. But do not fear, my companions, if you follow my example you may be granted with… one sixth of my virtue."
The three men doubled over with explosive laughs. My imitation of their cheerful nature sent a severe pain through the muscles surrounding my spinal column. My sudden change in expression halted their laughter. Sending a small reassuring smile I explained, "Height, you list as one of my advantageous features, however I cannot possess it quite as effectively at present. I unfortunately took a fall off Atien last night and have rendered the use of my back quite useless."
"That ghastly horse," Pablo spoke, "will do you no good Henry. I do not understand why you insist on riding that ruthless thing. You have the supreme leisure of choosing any stallion from the Royal stables. Why do you like this one?"
"He reminds me of someone." I said simply, not wishing to go further. Thankfully, Pablo prying questions were held off by the announcement of Felipe.
"Ahh it all makes sense. We did find a horse wandering freely not three miles from here. I did comment it greatly resembled your Donatien but of course nobody listened to me." he said indignantly.
"But Felipe, you also compared Bonifacio and Reyes not last Monday."
"They do look very much alike!" he yelled in protest.
"No facial hair does not make Bonifacio look like Reyes - your wife."
My laughter brought tears to my eyes as I watched Felipe swat Estavan roughly and soon became a heated chase around the field. Pablo squatted down next to me, his eyes crinkled with laughter. "I have been watching over those boys for fifteen years. Alas none of my mentoring has affected them in the least. I dare say it will take another fifteen years before they understand proper etiquette."
"Do not fret, amigo. It may not take fifteen years for them to behave. I say fourteen."
"I'm just not cut out for this labour!" he announced, following the hyperactive boys with his eyes.
"Let us exchange jobs then shall we. See if you find your pleasure managing a country."
I watched his expression change to something thoughtful. Cocking his head to one side, he rubbed his chin. "Yes… yes! Let us do just that. You may handle these two and the gypsy camp while I take your role and wait for someone to wipe my ass before delicately placing it on that pretty throne you have there."
I laughed wholeheartedly. A large weight had been taken off my shoulders and I felt my sour mood wash away. However this was soon replaced with five simultaneous sharp pains down my back. I could no longer hide the discomfort and let out a short cry in agony. Pablo looked at me in fatherly concern and shouted for Felipe and Estavan to "move their scrawny butts" and help me back to the camp.
What would have usually been a fairly short trip was somewhat lengthened by the continuous groans of the three men. "This torture is what horses were made for. God did not want us Spaniards to suffer thus created the beautiful four-legged creatures. Just because you are the King of a tiny piece of land doesn't give you the right to demote us to the level of Donatien." Felipe cried while shouldering the weight of my upper torso.
Despite this, they managed to carry me back through the forest without any serious injuries. Nearing the familiar clump of trees, my safe journey was dramatically altered as I was dropped unceremoniously to the ground. My cry of pain was muffled by the sound of a woman's piercing screams. Pablo quickly hurried to the other elders to find out what was happening.
From the corner of my eye I witnessed several women rushing back and forth to collect water and cloths. My breathing slowed as more screams were heard. After my father died, I had not hoped any person should have to suffer such physical pain.
Pablo rushed back to my side with warm cloths for my back and information on the unhappy events. "Talia is in labour. Her first child. There are serious problems with the birth. The midwife is unwell and cannot assist. The other wives are trying their best to save the child but it is not looking good."
My body went cold. My one hope for being King was to protect all citizens of France. To hear Talia in such agony made me feel as if I failed. I watched, with the greatest sorrow, as Miguella ran past where I lay with a bundle of blood-drenched cloths in her arms.
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My hands left her womb once more, matted with sticky red. The sight of the scene made my stomach flop but I struggled, for all our sakes, to keep my composure. They needed me now.
The umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's neck. As Talia's contractions gained speed, any pushing would kill the child. My hands trembled with uncertainty. Drops of blood dripped onto the ground.
I needed to free the baby of the cord. With only the tiniest knowledge of what I was doing, I pushed my hand back into the uterus, feeling for the baby's head. I closed my eyes and allowed my fingers to find the cord. Unravelling it from the baby's neck I withdrew. A newfound wave of blood seeped out creating a glistening pool on the floor.
"Danielle?" Crystal cried out to me, her face poking out from behind her mother's legs. "Danielle please do not let her die."
"Crystal, do not look anymore. Stay with the men on the other side of the camp. Alita pass some cloth, the bleeding must stop."
The white material was placed in my hands, already being stained as my fingers grasped around the stiff fabric. Applying pressure to the cervix I waited for the blood to slow. Glancing up at the pale mother, my worry intensified. "Talia no! Stay with us. Please do not fall asleep." The blood loss was too much for Talia to bear and within second she lost consciousness.
Realisation dawned on me. She could no longer push. Tears welled my eyes as I felt this task would not see a happy ending. The two books that I have read that detail this procedure, I did not feel at the time of reading them that it would be so difficult. Talia and her child would die if he or she were not soon delivered. Taking one last breath, I took action again.
I had to retrieve the baby from the womb. If Talia could no longer take this charge, it would be my responsibility. The baby would have to be born feet first. If I grabbed an arm, possible damage could be done to the chest and head. However my mind went blank over how to distinguish between the hands and feet. Both hand five phalanges yet there was a fifty percent chance that by grabbing the wrong one, I could kill the baby.
My dilemma lay plainly before me. I could only go by chance. I took hold of one limb and paused. Mother. Father. Please watch over me.
I pulled.
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The earth stilled. Every person surrounding me fell silent. Slowly, their eyes sparkled and a smile graced their lips upon hearing the noise. A baby cried.
It was the most beautiful sound one could ever hear. The men rejoiced and Enrique, Talia's husband, cried. Minutes passed and Alita approached with the newborn, passing her swiftly to her father's hands. His tears splashed the poor girl's cheeks as they cried together. "Where is Talia?" he asked Alita, rocking his daughter in his arms.
Alita's happy expression soon changed. "Enrique, she has lost a lot of blood. We can only pray."
The crowd hushed once more. It doesn't seem fair that immediately following good news, bed news will resurface. The baby girl was passed around the men's hands, her smile brightening their faces. Enrique kept his solemn gaze. Little could alter his concern.
Pablo reached for the child, rocking her back and forth in his arms. No doubt, in his age, he has done this many times. The girl quickly fell asleep. "No matter what situation, a newborn child will cheer up the hearts of many. How could anybody look at this innocent little creature and not feel the least bit happy?"
I smiled as I felt that my back was once again able to bend and stretch. Slowly coming to a standing position I moved over to Pablo and the little one. His statement was inadequately put. Truthfully I could not see how one child's birth could restore the danger and dread felt by the camp at Talia's condition. But not wanting to shake Pablo's peace, I remained silent.
"Princess, I pray that you may only see the best the world has to offer. Till then I shall look over you." He murmured softly to the child. Tears brimmed the old man's eyes and noticing that I had noticed them, he took a sudden breath and passed the sleeping baby over to me, quickly retreated to the crowd, mumbling something about dust.
Before I could object the baby stirred. Looking down at her pink cheeks and light brown eyes, I thought she almost looked beautiful… before she cried. Fumbling and arms outstretched, I held the baby away from my chest and tried to hush her screams.
My attempts were useless. As the moments passed her screams increased in volume. Heads turned towards us and I could distinctly see the old man doubling with laughter. Panicking I tried bobbing the girl in the air making cow noises. Obviously this didn't work and I stood there like a miserable jester. All of a sudden a pair of arms removed the baby from me and held her close to her chest, swaying gently and humming. Remarkably the little girl grew quiet and resumed her slumber.
"Predictable that the man who is supposed to care for an entire country of people cannot handle one newborn."
She looked even more beautiful than ever. Holding the baby close, closed eyes and humming softly, I could not help but stare in awe at what an amazing woman she was.
"Danielle, please forgive my irrational behaviour before. I was overwhelmed with the weight of the task and…"
She turned sharply to face me, "Oh no. It is you who must forgive me. For how could I ever presume to live up to more than 'my own value'. I am deeply sorry for wasting your time."
Danielle moved over to Enrique, gently placing the now sleeping baby into her father's arms. Only when the bundle of clothe, that shrouds the child and drapes limply in front of any person who cradles her, was removed from Danielle, the surrounding crowd could glimpse the smears of blood that covered her dress. I so wished to burn the mess of a gown that blatantly spoke of death and misery, so that Danielle should never be tainted. But there it glistened, the blood fresh and the deepest red, a constant reminder of the dire state of Talia's condition.
Pablo moved slowly closer, a fraying dress gathered in his arms. "Take these Danielle. You have done too much for us today. I will have Estavan take you home." He said, kissing her cheek. Estavan moved forward, uncommonly solemn and placed one hand on the lower of her back, preparing to lead her back to the manor.
"No!" I cried. God has given me this chance to speak with her once more; I must not let it slip.
Pablo walked quickly over and placed a warning hand over my shoulder. "Henry! She has had enough for today. Her face is pale, let her sleep and try another day."
"I'm sorry Sir but I cannot. I know I will not get another opportunity, she would not allow it." I shook his hand off and strode over to her, till we were but two feet distance. Her brown eyes stared solidly into mine, guarded and determined.
"Danielle," I began. A gruff cough sounded directly beside me. The old man's face was stern. "Mademoiselle DeBarbarak, I sincerely apologise for my callous behaviour yesterday. It was beneath me to think your intentions were not… truthful."
Grinding her teeth, she shook her head in anger and pushed past me. "I do not want your apology! I don't need it."
I grabbed her hand in desperation. The halt in momentum forced her to swing back and face me. Her eyes were burning in fury, expression twisted to imply utter disgust at what she saw. Me.
"I need your help. They will tear down the ruins at Longbourne in less than two months if we cannot stop it. Please Danielle!" I pleaded.
Unrelenting she wrenched back her arm from my grasp and returned to her previous state of storming off into the woods. She had thrown down the clean dress and without a glace back, she walked off through the crowd and to the direction of her home. Hopelessness nestled in my chest once more.
Unexpectedly, another arm stopped her flee. "You must not go."
She looked up and the wrinkled face and her mouth dropped in astonishment. Pablo placed a hand on her head in what was thought to be a calming gesture. Danielle remained silent, brows knotted in confusion but nevertheless she waited for his explanation.
"There were rumours that the ruins were to be destroyed." His voice was so low. He looked as I had a moment ago. Desperate. "You must not let that happen."
I wrenched my eyes away from the pair to the other gypsies who had slowly crept forward. Pablo removed his hands from Danielle and sat down on a nearby tree stump.
"Let me tell you a story."
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