CHAPTER 9 – WHERE'S YOUR RING FATHER?

The rest of the day at school passed without incident. Though Adrien's friends were distant from Félix, at least they were not openly hostile. Marinette even offered Adrien and Félix a macaroon at lunch time. Adrien smiled as he thought back to her reaction when he thanked her:

"Thank me? No, thank you Adrien, I'm thankful for you … I mean thanks to you … I mean thanks too … I mean … it's a pleasure." She stopped talking, bowed her body low with her head looking at her feet and thrust out the box of macaroons in front of her. After the boys took a macaroon each she glowed bright red and raced off to Alya who was in hysterics.

Good old Marinette. What an awesome friend!

Adrien had a photo shoot after school and Nathalie needed Félix to tell her what needed to go into storage and what had to be taken to the mansion, so Adrien didn't see his cousin until dinner.

-000-

Adrien was pleased to see that his father was at dinner again. Two nights in a row! Gabriel was uncharacteristically engaging, asking Adrien and Félix about their day at school.

Adrien sat back with a big smile on his face. If this was what every evening was going to be like while Félix was with them then it appeared that there was very much a silver lining to the dark cloud that was his cousin's misfortune.

Gabriel took a keen interest in the issue of the storage of Félix's belongings and even complimented Adrien on the preliminary proof photos from that afternoon's shoot. All in all it was one of the best evenings Adrien had spent with his father in months.

Then it happened.

Gabriel was illustrating an idea he had for a new fashion range with his hands when Adrien grew pale.

"Father, where's your ring?"

"My ring?"

"Your ring!" he repeated, pointing at the pale skin on his father's finger where the ring normally sat.

"Ah, my ring." Gabriel grew silent and his head dropped. Through supreme force of will he caused a tear to drop from his eye.

"I noticed it this morning. I've searched everywhere for it. I fear it may have been … stolen."

"STOLEN?" asked Adrien. "But how can that be, you haven't been out of the house in ages?"

"You seem to forget that we had half of Paris in here preparing for the arrival of your aunt Adrien. Any one of them could have stolen it." Another tear fell from his eye.

"I'm sorry father, I know how much the ring meant to you."

"Thank you Adrien. It is irreplaceable. My last link to your mother except for you. I feel as if she has disappeared all over again."

Gabriel was watching his nephew out of the corner of his eye. Félix's silence merely confirmed his guilt in Gabriel's mind. Normally Félix would have berated Gabriel for hosing an heirloom that Félix felt rightfully belonged to him. But a guilty conscience meant that Félix didn't want to be associated with the loss in any way or form and kept silent. In fact, his miraculous was tingling. Was that a flicker of GUILT that he felt from his nephew?

"I will never stop looking for it" Gabriel declared. "But pity the thief too, for he clearly does not know about the curse."

"What curse?" the two boys asked in unison.

Gabriel glanced down again. Though his lips remained stern, in his heart he had broken into a joyous smile. The bait had been taken.

-000-

Gabriel cleared his throat.

"The story of the twin Graham de Vanily rings is well known to all of us. A symbol of unending love, they were presented to your distant ancestor by Charlemagne himself to mark his loyal friend's wedding.

It is said that the bearers of the rings can never have their love sullied. Across any distance, even across time itself, the rings will call to one another, protecting the love of their wearers. It is why I wear … wore the ring still, knowing that wherever Emilie is that the rings would preserve our love."

Gabriel paused.

"There is a darker part to the legend though, one which is much less known. Centuries ago the friend of a ring bearer, consumed with jealousy, stole the ring one evening when its owner was passed out in a tavern. He told no one, but the rings knew that something was wrong. They sensed that the two holders were not meant to be, that the thief gained his ring through deception and malice and not through love. They strove to right the wrong, to preserve the love of their true owners.

The consequences were dire for the thief. It is said that the magic of the rings destroyed his life. He lost everything, his wealth, his health, his friends and those nearest and dearest to him. Realising that the ring was cursed, he eventually confessed to his friend and returned the ring.

The curse was broken when the ring was returned and balance was restored. His health returned and his run of bad luck ended. But for some things it was too late. Both his wife and his child had been killed by the curse. His house had burned to the ground. His body was marked with the scars of the horrible disease that he had contracted.

Most people who have heard the legend of the rings know only of the blessing that they bestow. But that blessing can quickly turn to a curse. I intend letting the world know of the curse. In time the thief will realise that he will have no choice but to return the ring to me or risk losing everything dear to him."

Gabriel stood up suddenly.

"Excuse me, I have work to do. I can't spend all evening with idle chat" Gabriel walked out the room, Nathalie moving from where she had been standing to walk behind him.

"The stage is set. Do it," he whispered to her as soon as they had left the room. "Do it tomorrow morning."