When Masks Fall Off

Chapter 4.37: And the Crowd Went Wild

It would have to be an understatement to say that Nadja was surprised when, two nights after their previous encounter, she was woken by the Black Rose himself. She almost cried out, but he was quick to cover her mouth (probably experience, she thought wryly). He had apparently taken her words to heart—he was gentler this time, only covering her mouth long enough to signal to her to be quiet, and releasing her as soon as she closed her mouth.

She shooed him out of the car then, pulling out her dress as she did so to show him that she intended to dress. He left, and no more than a minute later, Nadja had joined him outside, muttering angrily about thieves who snuck up on sleeping girls. But when Keith apologized, explaining that there was no other way for him to get her attentioin, Nadja smiled, and he almost thought that that made everything worth it: the grueling ride on horseback from Vienna to Salzburg that had been pure torture, with the wounds that covered his body. But Nadja was happy, and just because he had come to see her, without even knowing anything of what he had done for her.

"Nadja," he said, walking around to face her. "Here..." And he pulled out the brooch from his inner coat pocket.

Nadja's eyes went wide, and she gasped. "My brooch! You got it back! Thank you so much..." She took it from him reverently. Then she frowned. "But how? Where did you find it? You didn't steal it for me, did you?" Suddenly, she sounded nervous. But Keith hushed her in a gesture, and then knelt before her, taking her brooch to refasten it to her bow. "I can't accept stolen property..." Nadja said, almost mechanically. It was moments like this that reminded Keith to a painful extent how the girl he loved was in love with his brother.

"This isn't stolen property," said Keith, and he sounded almost harsh in his determination to get across to her. "I just got back what was stolen."

"Keith..." Nadja murmured.

Keith stood again. "Never let that brooch out of your sight again. All right?" And he proceeded to walk away. His wounds hurt, and he didn't think he could stand up straight for much longer.

"Keith!" Nadja called at his back. He stopped. "Thank you."

Something warm and fuzzy spread through his chest, and the pain actually cleared for a moment...and he remembered a small detail. "One more thing: beware of a man named Herman."

"Herman?" muttered Nadja, racking her brain to see if she knew anyone by that name. She didn't notice that Keith was walking away for a few moments. When she did, she stared after him for a moment in silence, something painful in her chest. Why was he acting so...so cold today? She wished he'd look her way again, if just once...

Was it my ingratitude? she wondered. He goes all the way to Vienna and back to get my brooch for me, and I say I can't take it...

"Keith!" she called, running after him. "Thank you, really." She stopped right behind him, ignorant of the grimace on his face as he fought to remain standing straight.

"You already said that," Keith growled. "Was there something you wanted?" He hadn't meant it to come out so harshly, but...if she learned of his wounds...!

"Keith..." Nadja sounded hurt, and it shot a pain through his chest. "Why are you running away like this?" She made the mistake of touching his shoulder then, wondering why he wasn't turning around to even look at her...

...And he gave a cry and collapsed to his knees.

"Keith?" Nadja called, alarmed. "Keith—what's wrong?"

"Nothing," growled the unmasked thief. "Absolutely nothing at all. You should go back before someone wakes up and notices you missing."

"But Keith!" Nadja cried. She was crying again, and looked like she desperately wanted to touch him, but was afraid to. Then her eyes suddenly turned hard as a thought seemed to occur to her. Just as Keith was beginning to feel a slight foreboding at the glint in her eyes, she grabbed the back of his coat and tugged it down.

This placed Keith's arms in an awkward position behind him which would not have been at all painful in ordinary circumstances, but given the way things were, he gritted his teeth against the pain for a moment before pulling the coat back up.

But even in the moonlight, Nadja had seen all she needed to see. Her eyes were wide with horror. "Keith... We have to get you to a doctor; or at least to a bed! Come to the Troupe's car, it's safe there-"

"And would you like to explain to them why you're acquainted with the Black Rose?" He stood and began to leave.

"But that doesn't matter!" Nadja cried, grabbing him by the wrist as gently as she could without letting him go. "Please-"

"I don't want your pity or sympathy or even gratitude," Keith growled. "I did this because I love you, and for no other reason. Do you think I just wanted to get involved with the intrigues of one of the most messed up noble houses I've ever seen?"

Tears were running down Nadja's cheeks. "But you're hurt... Please, let me help you!"

Keith looked down at her a moment, and smiled softly. "I'm sorry for worrying you. But I'll be fine after a little rest."

"What did they do to you?" Nadja whispered.

"Nothing too bad," Keith replied vaguely.

"Keith-" Nadja began, only to find what had been the beginning of an angry tirade cut off by Keith's mouth on hers.

The kiss was a short one, rather like their first, although this one had only a single purpose, Nadja realized when she snapped out of a bewildered daze to find Keith long gone: to distract Nadja so Keith could get away. Nadja's angry cry reached Keith as he ran off, and also included the side benefit of waking the entire Troupe.

"Nadja?" called a groggy Kennosuke.

"Why are you dressed?" asked Thomas tiredly.

"Why are you outside?" mumbled Sylvie.

"Why are you screaming?" demanded an obvioulsy tired Rita.

Nadja didn't reply as she stomped back inside. "Sorry for waking everybody, but it's nothing."

"You're brooch's back!" Rita cried, siddenly sounding very much awake. Her cry fully roused everyone else as well.

"Wha- where'd that come from?" demanded Kennosuke.

"Nadja..." said Sylvie quietly. "Is that blood on your fingers?"

Nadja looked down, and indeed, it was. Keith's blood. Shed for her. Because he loved her.

Nadja couldn't reply to a single question, for tears filled her eyes then and a sob shoved its way out her lips.

Keith...