Hey, sorry I haven't updated in forever and a half. Let me know what you think of this chapter since I have put up anything long time. Hope you enjoy it!
Marie-Louise woke up on the third day. The third day since he had left. She felt, heavy. Found it hard to push her chest up and down for air, found it hard to move, found it hard to speak, to do anything. The world watched her in muted tones and gray shadows, and that suited her just fine. It was one less thing she cared about now that he was gone. What was sunshine to her? What was light if she could not see?
Her eyes blurred and she grasped the cover above her tightly in frustration. Hadn't she said she would not think of this anymore? Hadn't she said she'd…not think of him? She swallowed her tears and turned to the other side.
The mirror beside her showed a reflection each day. Something she couldn't recognize. Her blonde curls were unkempt, dull and the shine was gone. Unhealthy pale skin peeked out from under her gown looking years used rather than at the bright age she was. Perhaps, the most changed though, were her eyes. She recalled that they used to be as reflective and life full as polished emeralds…but what stared back at her now was anything but. A dark, bitter green cute through her. Blackness circled the edges and the color was that of dead pine. In the midst of her gaze, she wondered…just briefly, if he would recognize them as the same eyes he told her that he…
She clasped her eyes shut. She had done it again. Why could she not stop thinking of him? Even now, as heavy, as hollow she felt in her heart, and as bitter somewhere deeper…she could not stop. She dug her head deeper into the pillow, face down…on the brink of her thoughts she thought herself moronic. She did not even have the courage or the strength anymore to resist herself. Her own inner thoughts.
There was a soft knock on her door. Then another. "Marie-Louise?" She vaguely recognized it as the former Rain Mikamura, now Rain Kasshu …as she was now she still had sense left to hear the Japanese accent. "I'm going to come in, alright?" And she did so.
Lifting her head slightly, Marie-Louise noticed that Rain had switched back into that old pink dress. It was oddly comforting, somehow. The Japanese mechanic stepped forwards at the side of her bed. "Someone else has come to see you, today." She notified her concisely. Marie-Louise silently thanked the heavens that Rain was the only who hadn't scolded her for her breakdown as of late. And she never said anything more than was necessary out of polite conversation. A reminder, again of him before the Rose Maze, but…still better than speaking of what she knew would hurt her.
Running a hand through her short chocolate hair, Rain smiled slightly down at her and leaned with two hands on the edge of the white bed. "Can you guess who it is?"
"No." Marie-Louise's sounded airy and barely there. "And it's too much to hope that it could be…" She didn't finish, but by the look in Rain's eyes she knew nothing more needed to be said.
Rain put a hand on her shoulder. "Marie…" Sighing, Rain tried to smile for her. "I'm know it'll be someone you'll be happy to see," As she felt the princess' forehead with the back of hand she added, "But you still feel cold."
"So Madame Bleu tells me too…"
"What else does Bleu-Dono tell you?"
"That it's as dark inside, as it is out there…" Rain didn't reply to her, but the Neo-French monarch laughed bitterly, "so I'm not missing anything, it seems." She took a deep breath, "Not a thing."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." A booming voice cut through the silence. And Allenby Beardsley walked in, greeted by the shocked face of Marie-Louise.
"That's not it, that's not what we wanted to do." The man struggled to form words, but George didn't relinquish any pressure from his collar.
George took another short breath, the irritation of catching the man seeping through him.
Domon was next to question the man; he could tell it wouldn't take much more for George to lose hold on the reigns of his patience. The Japanese man licked his lips and hoped that Rain was having more luck with Marie than they were with this embodiment of a dead end. "So, you're saying that just because you slinking around in the dead of night, and have connections to Mirebeau….that it wasn't his goal you were working for?"
"Yes, yes, exactly so." The gruff man choked out. His worn and dirty trench dangled from his form and his eyes appeared red as well as gray from George's hold. Domon noted that his hair was greased back by his own oil; he must have been hiding for awhile.
The Russian in the group merely stared at the man; lost in his own ponderings. Chibodee stood by his left, although closer to George. The American was now, as always, the most vocal.
"How could you work for the dude then? Why help him if it isn't what ya wanted to do?" Chibodee accused him with a pointed finger. "It's one thing to work because you've got the same thing in mind, but I just don't get it."
"I—I was merely…I wanted money, yes, money."
The amethyst eyes closest to the man's own glared in disagreement. "One does not merely work for such a man as Mirebeau solely for money. The name Mirebeau was left with no prospects and no holdings on any estate after he was killed. You have no justification." George let the man's feet touch the ground but did not relinquish his hold.
"What if he had a backing?" It was Argo who finally spoke.
Domon turned to the grim Russian, "What do you mean?"
"Many times in piracy if the ring leader has no funds then it's someone with greater power who supplies him. To this end, he works not for the leader's goal, but his own by pulling his strings."
Silence, save for the groans of their captive, fell upon the group. It was a suffocating prospect. Anyone in Neo-France could be backing Mirebeau…they needed only influence and a silver tongue. Their search was doubled, perhaps even tripled.
George felt the heat of his anger leave him for the cold whispers of anxiety. There were too many with such power in Neo-France…each cobblestone leading to the palace was practically inscribed with the name of some gold-toothed entrepreneur who had long ago financed the construction of the colony. Long family ties and even older alliances could have backed the name of Mirebeau long ago; old money could be the source. No, even new money could have. George felt himself grow dizzy: it was too many new questions.
"That someone funding you couldn't be just anybody. If you didn't work for Mirebeau's goal, then you must have for the guy pulling his strings, right?" Chibodee broke the silence with a question to the man in George's hold.
"I…that is…" The man shook and looked towards the ground, "…yes."
"Alright! Now we're getting somewhere!" Chibodee pumped a fist into the air.
Domon cut off his celebration, "Hai, hai…but we still don't have a clue who that someone would be. There's…a lot of bureaucrats with money in Neo-France. It's not the richest colony for nothing."
"He must know who that is. If indeed you're working in accompaniment to the man with strings in his hands…you must know." George asked the man trying not to sound too desperate for information; he had a bad feeling that his eyes betrayed him.
The man looked frightened and considerably paler. "I…Monsieur, I beg of you Rose Knight of Neo-France…if I tell you I shall be killed…I cannot."
"There's ways to fix that that don't end in your death," Answered Domon for George. "We have no plans to kill you, any at all. We'll, Argo, Chibodee and myself, will take you to the palace. You won't be hurt…just tell us who it is."
The man did not look any more reassured, but he swallowed, and said, "There is a man…h-he has influence over legal documents for Neo-France, he sits behind the great minds at the conference table…yes. He…is of another party that opposes the monarchy. The leader of the La Faction De Faucon; M-monsieur Défit En Acier the World's Affair Advisor of the Noble Family of Neo-France."
George felt his mind go absolutely numb. "You're…a liar. That cannot be true…. Vous se trouvant, noir hearted le traître!!!" George pushed the man's body against the alley wall…where he fell unconscious. "Est-ce que par un dieu, que j'ai fait? Je suis parti du repaire du lion avec la proie à l'intérieur. Dieu me pardonnent!"
"George?" Chibodee looked on helplessly as the proud freshman seemed to crumble before his eyes. Though he did not understand his words, he could feel their deep, true sorrow and undeniable anguish. You didn't need to know French to know the sound of self-loathing.
"We need to get back to the palace." Argo's voice cut through the thick air that was becoming ripe with dawn.
Domon nodded, but looked worriedly at George. "Come on, George. You heard him, we have to go back. Everyone's in danger." His voice was calm, but grave.
George clenched his fist, and let out half of a laugh in bitterness. "Me, Monsieur Domon? A man that willingly cast himself out of a place cannot hope to reenter at a whim: I am exiled."
"W-well…" Chibodee began, "If you don't look like yourself, then they can say you're you, right?"
George was confused enough to be slightly drawn out of bitterness. "Come again?"
Domon smiled, "He's saying that a disguise is just what we need." He nodded towards the man lying on the ground, "That one."
Thank you to everyone who waited soooooooooo long for me to upload this chapter. I really have no excuse for my laziness. In any case, I hope you like it. The plot thickens. And don't worry; the fluff/romance didn't die altogether out of the story. It'll come back eventually. Also, because I now have a twisting plot (I hope), if you have any questions, please place them in your response to this chapter and I will answer them in the next chapter that is upcoming.
French Translations:
La Faction De Faucon: The Falcon Faction
Vous se trouvant, noir hearted le traître!!!: You black hearted traitor!
Défit En Acier: Steel Demolisher
Est-ce que par un dieu, que j'ai fait? Je suis parti du repaire du lion avec la proie à l'intérieur. Dieu me pardonnent!: By god, what I have done? I left the lion's den with the prey inside. God forgive me!
Until next time!
EmeraldVelvetTouch