Chapter 17
Céline's breath caught in her throat. Her lips parted as she peered up at him in shock. She felt numb, and when she blinked she thought that she would wake up to discover that everything that had transpired this night, especially that confession, would have all been a dream.
It's not that she was disgusted. On the contrary, she felt something inside her begin to warm at the knowledge of Gabriel having fallen in love with her at some point during their clandestine meetings.
She just wasn't sure how she felt in return. She deeply cared for him, and certainly liked him well enough to kiss him, but love? She had never been in love before. No one ever told her how it felt. As a blood slave, her only purpose in life was to give blood to her vampire owners. Why would someone ever talk of things such as love to her? Even Lord Béranger never expressed the sentiment; he was strictly interested in her blood and body. He felt lust for her, but love? Definitely not.
Then there was Gabriel. Unlike Lord Béranger, she knew he truly loved her. She could tell by the way his eyes shined and how his voice slightly shook towards the end of his declaration. He was apprehensive of her reaction, fearing rejection.
She didn't want to reject him, yet she didn't want to say she returned his feelings. She had no idea what to tell him without hurting his feelings in the process.
"It's alright," he abruptly murmured, throwing her out of her conflicting thoughts. A corner of his mouth quirked up in a half-smile, in spite of his stormy blue eyes reflecting his inner despondency due to her lack of the response he hoped for.
"You don't have to give me an answer now. I don't want to pressure you, Céline. If you do love me, I want you to say it when you mean it and are comfortable doing so." He paused, the smile he bore dropping into a frown. "If you don't, then…then I will accept that. I just want you to be happy."
She didn't know what to say. Who would know how to respond to that? She wanted to thank him, to tell him how considerate he was for not coercing her to say that she did, in fact, return his feelings. She heard gossip of vampire men who were not nearly as patient when pursuing women.
Something squeezed in her chest when he offered her a small smile before he turned away. She watched in a mixture of confusion and something else-disappointment?-as he sat down on her less-than-comfortable mattress that was surely older than herself. Hell, it was probably older than the King.
Not wanting to awkwardly stand in the center of the room, she followed suit and wordlessly sat down next to him. She didn't look at him, though. Instead, she bided her time by keeping her head down and looking at her clasped hands on her lap.
After a while of nothing but silence, she heard Gabriel draw in a long breath. She picked her head up to look at him due to the noise, only to see that his hands were clenched into trembling fists and his eyes were closed. His mouth was set in an angry grimace and Céline wondered if he was finally showing the previously hidden fury at exactly being rejected, but not accepted either.
When he next looked at her, his eyes was colder than she had ever seen them.
"Céline, I want you to tell me exactly who it was that hurt you."
She froze. Honestly, she thought that he had forgotten about that, what with the love confession and all. She inwardly scoffed; figures that Gabriel had no trouble getting right back on track to the root of a problem.
"Please don't," she mumbled, glancing away from that piercing gaze that almost compelled her to tell the truth. "Please don't intervene. It'll only make things worse."
"You can't expect me to just turn a blind eye to this!" he hissed, accompanied by an ensuing growl. "Tell me who did this, Céline. I won't ask you again."
"Are you threatening me, now?" she asked dryly, giving him a flat look. "You aren't going to be very successful with me, in that case."
Gabriel groaned, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose in clear aggravation.
"I'm not threatening you," he said in a softer tone. "I would just like to know the name of the one who injured you."
"I can't," she stressed in anxious exasperation, her heart beating madly just imagining the consequences for her should Gabriel follow through on any sort of revenge act. "Please, it'll only hurt me in the end. He'll take out his anger on me and-"
She stopped, her eyes widening as she realized what she had done. She may not have told him who hurt her, but she dropped a big hint to her attacker's identity.
And by the way Gabriel shifted and sat straighter, he knew it too.
She stared in growing horror as she could practically see the gears working in his mind. He was probably figuring out that a butler couldn't do this to her; they likely wouldn't have a reason to. Also, if they did, they wouldn't go for just one side of her face. If they hit her, they surely wouldn't focus on only one half of her face.
Which could only mean that her injuries had to be caused by one hit. And the only male who had enough strength in the house to deal that kind of damage with only one hit was…
"Gaspard," Gabriel growled lowly, jaw clenched. She bit her lip with worry when she saw his body begin to tremble with barely suppressed rage. She had to admit, she was mildly impressed he had such good control of his temper, because Lord knows she was terrible at holding her own back.
He stood suddenly, and with a sharp whisper called out for Nooroo. Anxiety clawed at her insides as she saw the purple kwami fly inside the room moments later, and in a flash Gabriel was dressed in his purple costume.
"Gabriel, don't do anything rash," she begged, standing and rushing to place herself in front of him. She placed her hands on his chest and stared up into his eyes, hoping in some way she would be able to dissuade him from acting out on his anger. "Please, Lord Béranger will only do something worse if you interfere."
"Then I'll simply tell him not to do something as stupid as that," he replied lightly, his mouth not lifting from the hard frown as he pulled his glove, securing it tighter. "He'll never lay another hand on you if he values his life."
"But he'll tell his family," she urged, her fear escalating so much it was beginning to show in her voice, as high and shaky as it was. "Don't do it! There isn't a need for this; I'm fine! You don't have to do anything."
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, his gaze telling her that her words didn't even make a dent in his resolve.
"And if I act on my intentions, then you will be fine. If he tells his family, then they will also know not to touch you. I don't see why you're so against this."
"Because I'll be punished in some way!" she snapped, gripping his jacket in new desperation. "You don't think that Lord Béranger won't somehow find a way to make my life miserable if you do something to him? If you truly love me Gabriel, you won't threaten him in any way."
Hot tears began to trail down her cheeks, causing the vampire to grimace. He loathed seeing his Loved One so distressed; it was his obligation for her to always be happy, carefree, and safe. Not for her to be in this wild, sobbing, state of despair.
But he couldn't let Gaspard walk away from this, either. He hurt Céline, he could've killed her if he hit her hard enough. Gabriel couldn't let him get away with that. If Gaspard suffered no consequences, then he would think that it would be okay to hit Céline whenever he wished.
And that, that never going to happen. He'd kill anyone who'd try.
Yet she was crying and begging him not to do anything. There had to be a way to give her peace of mind while also taking care of the situation.
An idea came to his mind. He didn't like it, but at this point he didn't see any alternative.
"Alright," he murmured, forcing himself to calm down for her sake and his plan's. He tenderly stroked her hair, bending down to press a kiss to the crown of her head. "I won't do anything to him."
Céline paused, picking her head up from his chest. He noted the way tears still glistened in her eyes and his something in his chest painfully squeeze.
"Do you promise?" she whispered, in a way that betrayed her doubt. "Do you promise not to hurt him?"
Another painful tug for the lie that was about to tumble out of his mouth.
"Yes."
She smiled and exhaled in relief. Her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, her eyes closing as she pressed her cheek to his chest. He embraced her in return with a frown she had no idea of.
"Thank you. I promise, I'll be fine."
Gabriel held her tighter.
Yes, and I will make sure of that.
"What did he do?" Marinette asked, fidgeting uncomfortably.
Adrien shrugged as a sardonic smile came to his lips.
"I don't know exactly. Father said it was something a child should never hear."
Marinette bit her lip as the implications of that statement settled in.
Her voice was a trepid whisper. "Did he kill him?"
Adrien shook his head. "No, he didn't kill him. Just…roughed him up a bit, I suppose."
"But didn't his family notice? And your mother?"
Adrien's smile turned something sort of wicked.
"Vampires can heal themselves pretty quickly, but with some cases it can take days for something to completely heal, depending on how bad of an injury it is. In Gaspard's case, my father only went for places that wouldn't be noticeable to an untrained eye."
Marinette shivered, for a moment wondering if Adrien could ever do something like that. Until she remembered that he would indeed do something like that. She didn't forget when he threatened to rip the bartender's head off the night she discovered that Adrien was a vampire.
As if sensing her inner realization, Adrien took her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to her fingers. It was a kiss that she otherwise wouldn't think a man who had the capacity to be so violent in the blink of an eye, just because of someone hurting her, could do.
"If someone ever made the mistake of harming you, Marinette, they wouldn't walk away unscathed. That I promise."
His voice and eyes were hardened, the weight of his vow inducing Marinette's breath to hitch. He wasn't lying. She knew he wasn't lying.
She swallowed, unsure of whether to be touched by that declaration, or afraid for the figurative person to hurt her and thereafter face Adrien's retribution.
Céline didn't know what had happened in the span of the rest of the day and the following night that warranted such a change in Lord Béranger's behavior. It was as if he was now walking on eggshells around her, as if he was wary of her.
He sought her out while she was cleaning the staircase and actually apologized for hitting her the previous night. She immediately suspected that this was Gabriel's doing, but she dismissed the feeling when she remembered that he promised not to do anything. She didn't believe that he could so blatantly lie to her to her face. Perhaps Lord Béranger had a change of heart?
She had to admit that the very idea was far-fetched, but she didn't have anything else to go on. Although she did think it was quite odd when he didn't question why her face was suddenly healed, something that should've taken weeks when in actuality it only took seconds.
Other than that, nothing else out of the ordinary occurred. She did her daily chores, ate in the kitchen, and did whatever menial tasks Lady Beatrice and Lady Veronique commanded of her. All day she marveled at how not once Lord Béranger demanded to drink from her, eventually going into her room for the day with the same recurring thoughts.
Maybe he was feeling awkward around her after the apology? Maybe he found some kindness in his dead heart and opted to gift her with a day off from having her blood taken from her? She could get used to days like that more often.
When Gabriel visited, he was pleased to see his Loved One grinning from ear to ear. He concluded that she must not have found out about his…persuasion in making Gaspard not to touch her ever again.
"Because if I see one more mark on her, even the slightest scratch, I will string you up by your nerve tendons and personally watch as you slowly burn in the sun."
The ensuing quiver of pure terror from the imbecile was only too satisfying to see. He had to admit, that was one of his best threats yet, especially since he didn't threaten a lot of people. He could get a bit creative when he wanted to be. And the best part was that Gaspard had no idea that it was the Crown Prince that had sneaked into his study, shoved him against the wall and held him by the throat, and threatened his life. He wore the costume the Miraculous gifted him with the entire time, his face being obscured to the point where it was almost impossible to identify him. Gaspard had merely assumed that he was a rogue vampire who had taken an interest in his blood slave.
All in all, he covered his tracks quite nicely. If everything went according to plan, Céline would never know that he broke his promise to her.
The reminder of that sent another jolt of guilt into his mind, before he dismissed it and chose to focus instead on Céline's bright and exquisite green eyes. Breaking his promise to her was for the best; now she would never get hit again. He'd rather lie for the greater good than tell the truth and let things continue as they were.
"You seem to be in a good mood," he observed with a twitch of his lips. He had almost never genuinely smiled since he was a child. Yet each time he came to visit her, the urge for his lips to tug upward became more and more prominent.
"I just had a better day than usual," she replied smoothly, wrapping her arms around his waist as she peered up at him with a beaming smile. "Lord Béranger actually apologized to me for hitting me, and he didn't want to drink my blood! It was like having a day off."
Gabriel forced himself to return her smile as he wrapped her in his embrace. Don't get him wrong, he was glad she was so happy and had a good day. He just couldn't stand that not getting her blood forcibly drunken from her for a day was considered a day off for her.
If he had the chance, he would show her what a day off truly was. She wouldn't have to lift a finger, she'd be waited on hand and foot, have all her cares melted away.
"I don't know what made Lord Béranger act so differently, but I got to admit that I'm glad it happened. You think he'll be the same tomorrow?" Céline murmured hopefully against his shirt, her warm cheek pressing against the fabric. In turn, Gabriel smiled and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.
"It's possible. I'm sure Beatrice and Veronique will act the same as well."
Céline stiffened. Her arms loosened from around his waist as she slowly picked her head up to look at him in suspicion. Gabriel rose a questioning eyebrow in return, not having any idea why she was looking at him like that.
"I didn't tell you anything about Lady Beatrice and Lady Veronique," she said, appearing more and more skeptical with each word spoken.
Gabriel froze, his mouth parting in realization.
Oops.
She took a step away from him, his expression only confirming it.
"You confronted him, didn't you?"
Gabriel glanced away, refusing to answer.
"Didn't you?!" she shouted, temper sparking. She couldn't believe this! He lied to her, right to her face! She angrily pointed a finger at his chest, eyes flashing.
"You promised me you wouldn't interfere! You lied to me!"
Her body trembled with barely restrained rage, the urge to slap him all too great. She trusted him to leave things alone, trusted his word that he wouldn't do anything. But he lied and did it anyway, effectively putting her at risk for Lord Béranger's revenge.
"Do you know what could've happened?" she demanded, grabbing his shirt and sharply tugging it to her so that he could finally face her. To his credit, he at least looked shameful. "He could've done something worse to me in exchange for whatever you did to him! He could've killed me if he wanted to."
Gabriel's eyes brightened, reminding her of the furious glow they displayed only yesterday.
"That would not have happened," he murmured darkly, his mouth twisting into a scowl. "And it's a good thing that I interfered. If I didn't, that would've only encouraged him to hit you again. I had to do something!"
"No you didn't!" she argued, her fingers clenching into tight fists at her sides. "I explicitly told you not to do anything, and you promised you wouldn't. I didn't want any more trouble and you knew that! But you went behind my back and did it anyway. I trusted you!"
"It was for the best," Gabriel growled, reaching with his hand for her cheek. When she stubbornly turned away, he retracted it with a grimace.
"If I didn't do anything, then he would've went on thinking that he could hit you without any repercussions." His voice softened, internally he was pleading with her to understand. "Céline, I care about you. I don't want to see you hurt. You shouldn't have to live like this."
She sighed, her shoulders relaxing as she could feel the anger start to ebb away. Granted, she was still annoyed by the fact he disregarded her wishes, but he only did it because he didn't want her to get hit again. However, he had to know that vampires were allowed to treat their blood slaves in whatever way they deemed fit. If Lord Béranger started hitting her on a daily basis, there wasn't much of anything she could do, and Gabriel had to know that.
"Gabriel, I'm his blood slave. He's allowed to do whatever he wants to me. You have to remember that."
He looked down to the floor, seeming to be considering something. Céline surmised this to mean that he was silently admitting she was right.
"It doesn't have to be like that," he suddenly whispered, breaking the silence. She peered up at him in confusion, wondering what he was getting at. She guessed that his words were sort of true, that her life didn't have to be like this. If she was never kidnapped, she would have had the life of any other girl.
Nothing had to be the way it was. But that was just it; it was like this, and nothing was going to change it.
"Gabriel, what are you-"
"Marry me."
She felt the blood drain from her features. Her body slackened as her mind raced. That-that was-she couldn't have heard right. She had to be mistaken. He probably said 'merry me' because he was merry about the Christmas season…even though Christmas had long come and gone. She still had the emerald necklace he gifted her with safely tucked away in her drawer, since she couldn't wear it without evoking suspicion on how someone like her acquired such an exquisite piece of jewelry.
"Gabriel," she whispered, at a loss for more words. She knew what he actually said, she wasn't going to pretend not to. She just had trouble wrapping her mind around it, at the meaning of it. She couldn't marry him, imagine the scandal it would bring to the world of vampires. His father would never allow it to happen. Gabriel was delusional.
"Céline," he murmured, softer this time as he took the extra steps needed to be in front of her. She stared up at him, wide-eyed stupefied, as he held both of her hands in his own. His fingers were cold, just as they always were. But would she mind holding them for the rest of her life? She still wasn't sure if she was in love with him, after all.
"Marry me," he repeated. She gaped as he got down on his knees, rendered speechless as he continued with his proposal. "I know I have my faults, but I promise I will make you the happiest woman in the world. I can give you so much, I can take you away from here and give you the life you deserve. You should be treated like a Queen, and I promise that you will be if you'll have me."
"But-but what about your father?" she stammered, trying in vain to get him to see reason. Her heart was fluttering with his passionate declaration, yet she wasn't about to lose herself in the pretty words and accept him. "He'd never approve."
"Actually, my dear, he already has." His lips curved into a knowing grin. "At this point he just wants me to marry and have an heir, no matter if my bride is a human or a vampire."
The breath left her lungs at this new information. His father, the King, approved of her? If she said the word that Gabriel was waiting to hear, then she would become Queen alongside Gabriel, who would be crowned King. She would live a life of luxury and help rule over the vampires in France. She would never have to perform another chore or have her blood taken from her ever again. More than that, she would become a vampire, herself.
That would mean drinking human blood, something she wasn't sure if she could bring herself to do. She could be merciful about it, she supposed, and not kill the human in question. But still, it was blood! The very idea nauseated her.
And then there was the small duty of bearing an heir for the throne. She would have a little girl or boy to take care of, with Gabriel's help, of course. A little princess or prince, feeding them and washing them and clothing them and teaching them…was she ready for that?
"Céline, are you alright?" Gabriel's voice sounded through the tumultuous thoughts in her mind. She could barely discern what he was saying, the black spots dancing in her vision didn't help any matters in seeing him. However, she was able to sense that he was now standing and holding her by the forearms.
"Céline?"
She slowly blinked, allowing her vision to regain focus before she looked at him again. He was frowning, guilt hitting her once she realized that the expression was out of concern and pain he tried to hide. She couldn't blame him for feeling hurt; he proposed marriage and her reaction was to almost black out in fear.
She swallowed. "I'm fine," she replied in the ghost of a whisper. "Sorry about that, it was-it was just a lot to take in, you know? I mean…" she paused, shaking her head in awed disbelief of it all. "If I married you, I would be Queen and be turned into a vampire. It's a lot for so soon. I grew up a blood slave, and now I have the chance to become Queen of all the vampires in this country? It feels like it's not even real."
"It can be," he gently reminded her, steadily sliding his hands down her arms so that he could squeeze her hands in reassurance. "I know this is a lot to take in, but I can't stand the thought of you living here anymore, obeying orders and being abused by these people."
He leaned his head down, touching his forehead with hers. As they closed their eyes in unison, Céline couldn't help but notice that this was perhaps the most vulnerable she has ever seen him.
"I know that it would be difficult to get used to at first. I know that you would no longer be able to look at the sun or eat and drink. I know that you would never have the opportunity to grow old with your husband. And maybe I'm selfish for asking, but would you marry me, anyway? Despite what you would be losing, I swear to you that I'd make it up to you. I promise you that you would be happy with me."
Her heart was literally swelling with warmth. Never before had she heard someone speak to her so romantically. He had come so far from the arrogant, forceful asshole she had encountered all that time ago at the Winter Ball. While remaining a little reserved, he still opened up to her and respected her, treating her better than anyone ever has. He made her feel wanted, special. To him, she was more than a lowly blood slave. To him, she was practically a goddess deserving of worship.
She reached up with her hand, lightly placing it on the back of his neck to bring him down for a kiss. Their lips melded together, both of them taking their time to try to fully express how much the other meant to them.
"I love you," she breathed when they pulled apart, and for a moment a flash of hope sparked in his eyes.
"But I can't marry you."
And with that, it died. His flicker of a smile drooped, and she hated being the cause of it.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, blinking back tears. She didn't want to break his heart and reject him like this, but she needed more time to think. Marriage, especially marriage to a prince of a different species, was a lot to consider. "I just need a little more time." A light chuckle escaped past her lips. "This was a little sudden, after all."
To her relief, his lips quirked up in a small grin.
"Aren't all proposals kind of sudden, though?"
This time she fully laughed, her heart soaring when she saw him take part in her amusement by joining in her laughter.
Maybe he would have the answer he was hoping for sooner than he thought.
"So, what happened after that?" Marinette asked, willing her voice not the slur by her fatigue. She prayed that Adrien wouldn't notice, because she knew that he would immediately leave to allow her to go to sleep. She knew he could be infuriatingly kind like that.
Thankfully, Adrien smiled as if he didn't notice at all. Or if he did, he didn't make any move to leave.
"He kept visiting every day, and each time before he would leave he would ask her to marry him. She kept saying 'no' every time, until finally, on the night he didn't ask, she said 'yes'." Adrien chuckled. "She waited until he didn't ask to accept him."
Marinette softly snorted, honestly thinking that it was something Adrien would do. It certainly wouldn't surprise her.
"The day she said 'yes', he took her back to the castle and soon enough the wedding preparations were being planned. She had this beautiful dress that seemed to flow for miles."
Adrien's gaze was fixed to a point somewhere above Marinette's head, a faraway look in his eyes as a smile tugged at his lips. Marinette couldn't help but smile with him, a part of herself practically melting at the calm, contented look his displayed.
"After the wedding, my father turned her into a vampire. Their first ruling as King and Queen was to outlaw the concept of the 'blood slave'. Vampires were not allowed to own another human being under any circumstances. The humans that were already blood slaves were immediately freed, with the option to be turned into vampires themselves.
"Those that chose not to simply returned to their homes. My parents weren't at all worried about the exposure of vampires, since they doubted that even if the blood slaves told their secret, nobody would believe them. I mean," he paused to give her an amused grin, "you didn't believe me until I showed you my fangs."
Marinette playfully huffed and crossed her arms together, prompting Adrien to laugh.
"Well, excuse me for believing that vampires weren't real. It's not my fault that everyone is told that since they were kids, along with witches and werewolves and ghosts."
Adrien's amusement gradually died down soon enough. He took a deep breath before he continued to speak, still retaining a soft smile as he did so.
"A couple years later I was born. Everything was perfect. Maman and Papa would spend almost waking moment with me. Sometimes we would go on nightly walks together, and Maman and I would catch fireflies while Papa couldn't understand why we were so fascinated with insects that just had butts that lit up."
Marinette giggled as Adrien chuckled at the memory. She could almost picture it, a little, fluffy-haired blond boy running around catching fireflies with his hands, his mother right behind him laughing and helping him by catching more.
"Every day before I went to bed she would sing me to sleep." At this, his smile dimmed. His eyes stayed to the blanket, only half aware that he wasn't actually back at the castle, lying in his bed as a child and listening to his mother's sweet, angelic voice. He remembered how the song would end as he was on the verge of sleep, the last thing he could recall being his mother's lips on his forehead accompanied with her whispered, 'good day, Adrien. I love you.'
He would give anything to hear that sentiment again.
Marinette tilted her head in concern when Adrien stopped talking. Her heart clenched to see him brokenly staring at her blanket, trapped in whatever memory he was reliving. She waited until he regained his bearings, not wanting to interrupt him for what was probably going to be the 'unhappy part' he originally spoke of before starting the story.
Adrien shivered as he sucked in a breath, a breath he technically didn't need but felt he needed now more than ever. He hadn't thought this much about his mother in years. Yes, sometimes a memory of her would resurface, but he would never dwell on it for too long. Despite 14 years passing, the pain was still there.
"Everything was perfect," he whispered, swallowing. "We were happy…until one day about a week after my sixth birthday…"
"Papa?"
Gabriel slid his hand off his cheek, a visible sign of his stress to turn to his son. Adrien stood in the doorway to his study, clutching his blue blanket in one hand while holding his favorite black cat plush in the other. His kwami Plagg hovered over the boy's shoulder, silently staring at Gabriel in veiled worry.
"Yes, son?" Gabriel replied, trying to mask his own worry. There was no need for his son to feel the same emotion.
"Where's Maman?" Adrien mumbled, yawning soon after.
Gabriel grimaced before quickly recovering by flashing him a smile, a smile that reassured that nothing was amiss. That he had not been wondering the same question himself since the previous night.
"She just went out for a feeding, nothing unusual. Now, go back to bed. You know it's past your bedtime."
"But she always sings before I go to sleep," Adrien protested, now bringing the cat plush, the one his mother had hand-sewn for him, to his chest. "And gives me a good night kiss. I can't sleep."
Gabriel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had to get Adrien back to bed, he didn't want him to be up all day questioning when his mother would return. A 6-year-old shouldn't have to ask questions like that.
"I'll send Maman in when she gets back, okay? But you have to be a good boy and go back to bed for that to happen, okay?"
Adrien faltered, tilting his head as he gazed in suspicion at his father. Gabriel was yet again struck by the resemblance his son and wife shared, the recognition bringing an aching pang to his chest.
"Papa, are you okay? You look sad."
Gabriel lightly scoffed, a corner of his lips curling up as he shook his head. Adrien was certainly growing into quite an observant child, indeed.
"I'm fine, it's nothing you need to worry about. Now, go back to bed. Your mother will be back before you know it."
"Okay," Adrien sighed through another yawn. He took the steps needed to reach his father, holding his arms up to be lifted. Gabriel obliged without a word, settling his son in his lap and pressing a kiss to his forehead.
"I hope she gets back soon," Adrien mumbled, burrowing his way deeper into his father's shirt. "It's not night anymore. What if she gets burned?"
"She won't," Gabriel assured with another kiss, this time upon the top of Adrien's head. "She has a Miraculous, remember? Just like you and me." At this he poked a finger in his son's stomach, drawing out a laugh from the little boy. The light sound brought a smile to Gabriel's own features.
"She's just a little late, that's all. She's fine."
Now if only he himself could believe that.
"Okay," Adrien acquiesced, smiling before hopping off his father's lap. He walked back to the doorway, squeezing his cat plush and calling out a 'good day, Papa!' prior to running out of the room, presumably back to his own room.
However, Plagg didn't immediately return with his holder. He simply continued to stare at Gabriel, not saying a word, but the hollow look in his eyes spoke volumes.
Gabriel turned, unable to look any longer in fear of having his doubts even more heightened. Plagg flew out of the room seconds later.
He sat for a while more, for how long he couldn't say. It felt like hours to him, waiting for news on the return of his beloved wife. He had Master Fu loan out a few Miraculous to a few trusted servants, for cover in the daytime should their search progress for that long.
And with the growing minutes, it would seem that it would progress for that long.
He would've gone out to look for her himself, there was nothing more he wanted than that. But he couldn't leave without someone in charge at the castle. Moreover, he couldn't leave Adrien alone. He didn't want his son to be separated from both of his parents, even if it would be for a short period of time.
A knock on the study door jolted him from his thoughts. Turning around in his chair, he saw his Royal Advisor, Nathalie, at the door. Her face was grim, even as she spoke the words Gabriel has been waiting to hear for hours.
"We found her."
There was something wrong. He felt his stomach drop, Nathalie's eyes straying to the floor doing nothing to calm his nerves.
"Is she injured? She has a Miraculous, she shouldn't have been burned in the sunlight," he said, hoping that his worst fears wouldn't be confirmed. He didn't know what he would do if he lost her.
Nathalie grimaced, actually appearing sick.
What was going on?
"There's…there was a box, Your Majesty. Found in the woods."
Gabriel lifted a single brow in puzzlement.
"A box? You came here to tell me about a box? Where is my wife?!"
He slammed a fist against the desk, cracking the wood beneath his palm. He trembled, unsure if it was from anger or dread. It was most likely a mixture of both. Nathalie flinched from the abrupt noise and snap of temper, but she was able to recover fairly well. In no time, her face was almost the blank slate it always was.
"She's…" Nathalie stopped, and all at once the slate cracked. Gabriel's shoulders slackened as he saw her squeeze her eyes shut and press a hand to her mouth, her muffled breath coming out in hiccups. If vampires could cry, Gabriel had no doubt that right now her body would be wracking with sobs.
Gabriel stood, squaring his shoulders and narrowing his eyes. Now wasn't the time to lose his head. "Take me to see this box," he ordered.
Nathalie shakily nodded, removing her hand from her mouth as she regained her breath. Walking stiffly with her hands clasped behind her back, Nathalie led the way to the throne room. Inside he was greeted with the sight of the two other servants he sent out to look for Céline, one of them holding an ordinary-looking brown shoe box.
Gabriel's lips tightened into a thin line. "Give it to me," he demanded.
The two men looked at each other in uncertainty, and one could say that looked back at Gabriel in what was pity.
"Give me the box," Gabriel spoke with clenched teeth.
The servants hesitated a second longer before complying, bowing their heads as they box was surrendered to him. As Gabriel took it, he noted that it felt quite heavy, heavier than the pair of shoes that must have come from this box. That hollow feeling presented itself again in his gut, that feeling that something was very, very wrong. He bit lip, just staring at the box in contemplation.
No one urged him to open it. That was probably what made it worse.
But he was King, and if this box was related to his wife's disappearance, then he had to steel himself and open it.
He dragged in a shaky breath, fingers trembling as he held the lid. Deciding it was best to get it over with, he ripped the lid off.
His eyes widened in horror as he stared into his wife's lifeless ones. Her mouth was open in silent fright, the look frozen on her face for the rest of time. Despite the way she had come back, her golden hair was as immaculate as ever, the curls still voluminous and shining, as if the hair was too beautiful to damage. Her skin, while paler, was still flawless and without a blemish.
Except for the mark burned onto her forehead, the symbol of the most dangerous and notorious group of vampire hunters in France. The mark that claimed her as their latest kill.
Gabriel slammed the lid back down, his eyes screwing shut so as not to look at the horrible image any longer. Yet it was still cruelly there, engraved for eternity in his mind.
He didn't know how long he stood there, tightly gripping the box in his hands with his head turned away. He vaguely registered the sounds of two pairs of footsteps walking away, most likely to give him privacy. The only one who stayed was Nathalie, awaiting orders with haunted eyes pinned to her shoes.
"Nathalie," he said at last, his voice strained. He hadn't yet lifted his head to look at her.
"Yes, Your Majesty?" she quietly replied, not able to look at him either. If she did, she might break again. While having never experienced it for herself, she knew that there was no greater pain a vampire could have than losing their Loved One.
"Arrange for a proper burial service," he ordered lowly, almost without emotion. She didn't blame him, it was ingrained in his head since he was young that a King never showed his true emotions.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Nathalie tentatively reached for the box in his hands. Gabriel opened his eyes and tugged it back, closer to his chest. Something in her chest tightened at seeing the desperate look in his eyes.
"I'll arrange everything, Gabriel. I'm-I'm sorry, about this." She was good with words when fulfilling orders, but words of comfort? It was a lost cause for her. Luckily, having known her for so long, Gabriel understood her regret and inner sorrow. Céline and Nathalie had grown to become friends, after all.
Gabriel gently put the box into Nathalie's waiting fingers. She swallowed as she looked back in his eyes again, eyes she felt would forever be darkened and dull.
"Do you wish for me to tell Adrien?"
Gabriel's eyes widened.
Adrien. What was he going to tell him?
"Oh, God," he choked out, covering his forehead with his hand. Adrien…how was he going to tell him that his mother was dead? That he would never hear her voice again or have another good day kiss from her lips? How would he tell his son that he would never catch fireflies with her again, or laugh with her, or receive any more hand-sewn stuffed animals from her?
He was only six, much too young to lose his mother. Would he even understand?
"No," he decided, his voice a rough whisper. "No. I'll do it."
Nathalie frowned. "Are you sure?" She didn't want to think about the pain of a father having to break this sort of news to his son.
Alas, Gabriel stiffly nodded. "Yes. He shouldn't hear it from anyone other than myself."
Nathalie returned the nod in understanding. "As you wish, Your Majesty."
Bowing, she turned and left the throne room, that horrible box in her hands as she disappeared out of Gabriel's sight.
He waited a few more minutes to make the heavy trek to Adrien's room. All the while a series of speeches played in his head. Obviously he couldn't tell him what really happened, a child should never hear that, even more that it happened to his own mother.
He still barely had an idea of what to say when he found himself standing in front of the pristine, shined wood of the door. For a moment he considered backing away, returning to his room and never telling Adrien. But then he would have to live with the constant questioning. The 'where's Maman?' and 'when is she coming back?' He didn't think he would be able to hear those questions every day until Adrien matured enough to realize why Céline was really gone.
Biting his lip and squaring his shoulder, he slowly twisted the knob of the door, opening it without a creak. Yet somehow, Adrien still heard, abruptly sitting up with a joyous smile lighting his face.
"Maman!"
Gabriel's heart clenched as he saw Adrien slacken.
"Papa? Where's Maman? You promised that if I was good that I would see her!" He pouted and crossed his arms together. Meanwhile, Plagg silently flew away, knowing enough to give the father and son the privacy they needed. Did he know what had happened even before Gabriel did?
Nonetheless, he strode forward, sitting down on the bed feeling more exhausted than he had ever felt in his life. Adrien's expression shifted to that of concern, his arms slowly uncrossing as he scooted closer to his father.
"Papa? What's wrong? You look sad again."
He couldn't take it anymore. At once he grabbed Adrien by the shoulders and hugged him, pressing him tightly to his chest as his head buried its way in his son's shoulder. Adrien tensed, hugging him back but in confusion.
"Papa, what's going on?" he asked, his voice trembling in fear. Nothing ever got his father this upset before, Adrien thought only children reacted to problems like this. "You're scaring me."
Gabriel hesitantly pulled back, though didn't let go of Adrien's arms. He stared hard into the boy's eyes, and instantly made a vow that he would never let anything hurt Adrien. He would keep him under watch at all times to ensure that nothing bad ever happened to him. Most importantly, he would make sure that he never came into human contact. He would spend the rest of his life protecting his only son.
"Adrien, your mother…" He faltered, before he braced himself again. He could do this. He had to do this. "Your mother went away."
Adrien's eyebrows furrowed in misunderstanding. "Went away?"
Gabriel nodded. "Yes, she…went away. She's-she's not coming back, Adrien."
It physically pained him to see Adrien stare up at him in horrified shock.
"Wh-what do you mean she's not coming back? Where is she?!"
Gabriel gently shushed him to quiet down, stroking his hair in the process. If he wasn't immortal, he'd was sure that this was killing him. This conversation shouldn't even be happening, he noted with bitter resentment. Resentment for the monsters who took Céline away from them. She was innocent, she had never killed anyone during her human life nor in her vampire life. She didn't deserve to die!
But he couldn't get angry now, not in front of Adrien. He still had to manage to tell him what had happened in a way he would understand.
Meanwhile, Adrien was shaking and gripping his cat plush so tightly his fingers threatened to push through the fabric.
"Maman went to a place called 'heaven', Adrien. She's happier there, it's a better place than this world." He hated this, hated the 'they're in a better place' excuse. But it was the best thing he had at the moment.
"Heaven?" Adrien repeated, perplexed until he brightened. "Can I go to heaven too?"
"No!" Gabriel snapped, perhaps too harshly from the way Adrien flinched back, looking like he had been struck. He couldn't help it, the idea of losing Adrien as well was too much for him. It was already heartbreaking enough to lose his Loved One, he had no idea what he would do if Adrien was ripped away from him, too.
"No," he sighed, feeling relieved when Adrien scooted closer to him again. He ran a hand through his son's hair as he continued to talk. "You're not ready to go there, Adrien. I never want you to go there."
"But Maman's there, I want to see her," Adrien protested stubbornly. His bottom lip puffed out as he started to pout and cross his arms together. "Why can't I go there and see Maman?"
"Because," Gabriel stressed, exhaling as he could feel the string of his sanity almost snap. Who was he kidding, he couldn't do this. He should've let Nathalie tell him. "Once you go there, you can never come back."
"Does that mean Maman's not coming back?" Adrien mumbled, green eyes begging for his thinking to be wrong. How Gabriel wished he was wrong.
"Yes." His eyes closed, not able to look at him as he spoke the finality of his next sentence. "She's never coming back, Adrien. I'm sorry."
He had never seen his son look so heartbroken than in that moment, as the realization slowly began to make its way in Adrien's understanding. "Never? Not even once?"
He shook his head. "No, not even once."
"But…" Adrien hung his head, staring forlornly at the last plush from his mother that he would ever have. "But why?"
Gabriel took him in a hug as the boy started to heave in shaking breaths, inconsolable whimpers tearing out of his throat as his arms wrapped around his father's neck.
"I don't know, Adrien. I don't know."
…
Gabriel wasn't aware until Master Fu asked about it, that his wife's peacock Miraculous was still missing.
The silence in her room, while normally peaceful, suddenly seemed eerie and desolate.
Marinette could only stare, speechless as Adrien finished the story. He wasn't even looking at her anymore, his gaze firmly set on the blanket they were sitting on.
"I didn't find out what really happened until I was 15, when I confronted Nathalie about it. If a vampire was immortal, then what could've caused my mother to suddenly die like that? At first she didn't want to tell me, not that I blame her. But eventually she confessed to what happened, and why my father kept me locked up for most of my life. I would also later realize that it was for this same reason as to why he was so opposed to me courting you."
Her mouth opened, then closed without a single word escaping. What could she say for all this? She was sure he had to have heard the phrase 'I'm sorry' from numerous people growing up. She doubted that he wanted to hear it from her mouth, too.
"I just," Adrien whispered in growing anger, his hands fisting in the bedsheets as he spoke. "I just don't understand. She never hurt anyone, when she drank someone's blood she never killed them. But a group of people decided that she deserved to die, anyway. They think we're all monsters."
A sardonic laugh tore out of his throat and Marinette grimaced upon hearing the bitter sound.
"They think they're heroes for killing us. But we haven't killed anyone. They're the real monsters, they're the ones going around killing people for their own sick sense of morals. Maman didn't do anything to them. Why did she have to be killed?!"
By the end of his rant he was gripping his hair in his fingers, bending over so that Marinette couldn't see the anguish on his face. He wanted to cry, to sob as much as he did when he first heard of his mother being killed in such a violent way.
But vampires weren't granted that ability, a habit that was so human to have.
Marinette couldn't take it anymore. Her heart breaking as she pulled Adrien to her chest, allowing him to grieve on her shoulder. His arms found their way around her own shoulders, trapping her there but she was in no hurry to dislodge herself from him.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she pressed a tender kiss to his hair, feeling slightly apologetic that her tears undoubtedly wetted the other strands. She felt him briefly stiffen, then just as quickly relax in her arms.
"It's okay," she whispered, even though she knew it really wasn't. His mother was murdered, just for being a vampire. Who could do something like that? A man's wife and a boy's mother was so needlessly torn away from them. And for what purpose, other than the sick morals that Adrien spoke of?
She didn't say anything more as he continued to whimper and occasionally hiccup into her shoulder.