"I'd like to go to the museum again," Florian said quietly. He'd been a bit subdued since he woke up and found himself back in the hotel with Ray missing and a note that read: Back soon. Have breakfast without me.

"Willing to try again?" Ray asked with gentle humor as he caressed Florian's hair. The blond leaned against him and closed his eyes. More than anything he wanted to cling to his lover, but he wouldn't allow himself to do that. He was stronger than that; he'd stood up to Azura after all.

"Third time's the charm?" Florian offered with a faint smile.

"I suppose we'll find out. But don't get any ideas for the rest of this week. I have work to do and..." he reached out to tap the desk. "I believe there is a pile of correspondence waiting for your attention."

"Slave driver." Florian stood up, automatically straightening his jacket. "Come on then, we don't want to waste a moment if we're to be stuck inside the rest of the week."

"Did Laila say where she and Michel were going?"

"No, but she was really excited about it and Michel had an evil glint in his eye." Florian grinned, then added, "They seem well suited for each other."

"Doesn't sound like we'll see them at the museum. We'll go for a while and then we might try something a bit different."

"Oh?" Florian stopped fussing with his tie and turned to look at Ray. Ray just grinned at him and headed for the door. "Ray!" Florian chased after him but by the time they reached the museum he still didn't know what Ray defined as "different".

They stood in front of the picture for a long time, Florian leaning in to study the details while Ray stood at his side for support, even though he was bored. Finally Florian turned away, a little pale - partly because of the makeup Laila had applied to conceal his fading bruises. Otherwise he was fine.

Ray asked if he wanted to talk about it, but Florian just shook his head. Ray didn't ask again until they were back in the hotel room, resting after making love. Only then did Florian confess, in haunted tones, that the unseeing eyes of the animals in the picture reminded him of his own reflection just after their time in Morocco.

Later, when they were dressed and out again, any lingering sadness caused by the picture was chased away by Ray's "something different". They followed Laila's directions to the street market and strolled among the tables of wares, pausing to examine small trinkets and lingering for a long time at a booksellers stall. They'd needed two delivery boys to take Ray's purchases back to the hotel.

After leaving the delighted bookseller, they ate spiced apples and pastries while strolling among the crowd. They even paused for a few minutes to watch a puppet show before Ray put a hand on Florian's arm and directed the man to a narrow side street. They followed it in comfortable silence until it opened up into a large square with a magnificent stone church.

Without words, Ray led the way into the sanctuary and took a seat in one of the pews. Florian slid in beside him, eyes wide as he took in the large stained glass windows and the colors they cast into the room. Florian had never known Ray to be a religious man, but in this quiet, peaceful place it didn't seem necessary.

It had been more than three years since Florian had set foot inside a church but he felt no guilt here, no sense of failed duty. There was just serenity. Tears pricked his eyes and, rather than hold them back, he closed his eyes and bowed his head, letting them fall.

When he opened his eyes again after a very long time, Ray was still beside him, waiting patiently. He squeezed Florian's hand briefly and stood, moving silently to the opposite aisle and down to a small door on the side. He opened it and walked through, showing none of the uncertainty Florian felt. There was a man working there and he nodded at the two of them and accepted something that Ray handed him. Florian realized it was money when the man dropped it into a box marked as donations for the poor.

Florian gave the man a bright smile and followed Ray up many flights of stairs, each increasingly narrow, until they were at a door that led out onto the top of the bell tower. There was a walkway just broad enough for a person to walk around and look out at most of the town.

More than anything, Florian wished he could have Ray's arms around him but he settled for pressing against Ray's side, savoring the warmth and solidity of his lover in such a beautiful place.

They stayed a long time, looking out at the buildings and the people and the clear blue skies. When they finally, reluctantly, went back inside, Ray stopped at the very top of the stairs, leaned over and gave Florian a quick kiss. Florian could still feel the warmth as they descended the stairs and stepped out into the square.

"You're smiling." Ray teased, the first words they'd spoken since entering the church.

"Because you're going to buy me another spiced apple," Florian told him, flashing a grin as he set off in search of his treat.
XXXXX

"Look at this!" Laila shouted as she burst into Ray's hotel suite. She was carrying a thick paper scroll, partly open, the loose end clutched in her hand. She shoved Florian's neat stack of letters aside, earning a cry of dismay from the blond but she didn't even seem to notice.

"I finally found Esther." She unrolled the scroll, letting the end drop off the desk onto the floor. Ray had to move carefully not to step on it. "Seems her father had an arrangement with Estelle's mother, but neither of them expected that the mistress would give birth on the same day as the wife - that's why they're called the twins even though they have different mothers. The father secretly had the two necklaces made for the girls and wanted them to debut together but the mother found out and was furious. She demanded that Esther be sent away and never be allowed to contact Estelle. The father didn't have any choice but to agree - the mother's family had the money, not his. So he sent Esther away but he visited her and sent her letters from Estelle. The mother suspected something like that was happening and, while the father was away on business, she made arrangements to send Estelle away to her Grandmother's for a while. Once Estelle was gone, the mother went through the girl's room and destroyed everything that had anything to do with Esther. Then she made some arrangements to marry Esther off to a foreign aristocrat.

When the father returned and discovered what had happened, he sent the necklaces to Estelle and then killed his wife before killing himself. It was said that he tried to make it look like a robbery, but that one of the servants saw the whole thing."

"Those poor girls." Florian said, looking pained. "What happened to them?"

"Esther was married off to a Danish noble and was apparently very happy. They had six children and she lived to be eighty-three. Estelle on the other hand, was married three times and widowed twice. None of her marriages seem to have been happy ones and all but two of her children died in infancy."

"Supposedly Estelle spent most of her adult life trying to find her sister in hopes of giving her the necklace. As she got older, she abandoned the search and had the sapphires of Esther's necklace reset as pendants and brooches. The other necklace she gave to her granddaughter, Minette. She thought that the necklaces were cursed and that by separating Esther's it would lessen the danger. She wanted to separate hers as well, but it was the only keepsake she had from her father and couldn't bring herself to do it."

"Now here," Laila pointed to something on the scroll, which appeared to Florian to contain nothing but an incredibly convoluted family tree. He was terrible at understanding and remembering complex family relationships so he tuned out the confusing exchange between Ray and Laila and concentrated instead on the story of the two girls separated so long ago. He slid out of his chair to give Ray and Laila more room to work, taking his letters along to put them somewhere safer.

Ray had been examining the sapphires and they were arranged on a white handkerchief on an end table since Florian had been using the desk. Florian took Ray's chair and studied the array, tilting his head this way and that, to let the light change the color of the stones and the intensity of the twin stars. They really were quite beautiful, especially when gathered together like this. But, no matter how beautiful they were still lifeless stones. How could anyone consider them more important and more valuable than a person's life or happiness? It was one thing he and Ray would never reach an agreement on, no matter how long they might be together.

The thought reminded Florian of his recent conversation with Azura. It had been a reckless thing to do, offering such a contract, but he'd needed to make Azura understand how serious he was about Ray. In his mind there was no chance of him losing - nothing could possibly happen within five years that would make him stop loving Ray.

He had mixed feelings about the money Azura had given him, and the debt Azura had paid off. Florian thought about refusing it, of finding some way to send it back but it was Michel of all people who convinced him to keep it.

"Perhaps he meant to make you feel obligated to him, to replace your ties to Ray with ties to him instead. Don't accept that, Florian." Michel had been unusually serious when he said this and Florian had nodded his understanding and waited for Michel to complete his thought.

"No amount of money can undo the harm he's caused you. But he's given you independence and that's no small thing. It doesn't matter what his intentions were. Take what you've been given and be happy." Michel leaned in to add, "It's the best possible revenge."

The memory of Michel's gleeful expression as he'd spoken that last sentence still made Florian smile. Michel was right of course. The debt didn't really matter √ Ray would certainly find something else to tease him about. Florian would be disappointed if he didn't - not that he'd ever admit that to Ray. In truth, the debt hadn't really mattered for a long time. Florian had no intention of leaving Ray, and despite what Azura believed, Ray was not so superficial that he would choose appearance over substance √ at least not when it really mattered.

It would be nice to be able to contribute to Ray's household √ if his stubborn lover would allow it. Being in Ray's debt had provided Florian with a form of safety, but being his equal would allow him to share in the concerns that Ray usually kept hidden from Florian. Perhaps he'd even convince Ray to become more selective in planning Noir's acquisitions. No matter how clever and talented Ray was, his good luck wouldn't hold forever, especially not with someone like Solomon Sugar chasing him.

Florian smiled at the thought of the persistent detective. He had proven himself three years ago in Morocco and he had been a friend to them both since then. Despite all his complaining, Ray enjoyed Solomon's visits. Beyond his own household, Ray didn't have many friends. That's why Florian was so glad for Solomon and Michel. Ray might never be fully accepted into Parisian society because of his lineage and his profession, but Michel had managed to put a stop to all but the most vicious gossips. Not that anyone told Ray that, of course, but a few firm words from Count Michel Courland had made attending social events much more pleasant, for Ray and Florian. Florian sometimes wondered if those firm words of Michel's had mentioned him as well, but Florian preferred not to dwell on such questions. He was just grateful not to be stared at √ much - every time he attended a party or a play.

Picking up one of the old notes that had been hidden behind a sapphire, Florian stared at the words, feeling the despair of a young girl separated from her sister and orphaned by an act of violence. There was pain in that note, just as there was hope in the other even though the handwriting was the same. Florian's heart ached for both girls, but his thoughts strayed again to Azura. He looked down at the wound on his hand - it was healing and soon would be forgotten, but Azura's pain, and whatever his injuries were was not something that would heal quickly, if at all. Florian was still afraid of the man and he would never forgive Azura for what he did in Morocco, but Florian could, and did, pity him. The pain Azura carried was clearly deeper than his injury, and Florian doubted it was something that Azura would ever recover from.

A drop of moisture trailed down his cheek and Florian blinked then wiped it away. He cast a glance over at Ray and Laila and felt a surge of compassion for the man who had hurt them all; he had so much power, but he was so unhappy. Closing his eyes, Florian recited silent words of thanks for his lover and his friends.

"Ha!" Ray shouted, drawing Florian out of his meditation. The blond hurried over to the others, wiping his face hastily.

"Looks like your friend Dudley is off the hook." Ray tapped a square on the scroll and Florian leaned down to see Dudley's name. He followed Ray's finger as it moved across to tap on another square. Florian leaned a little closer, pressing against Ray as he read Laila's slightly messy writing.

"Alais? You mean that Alais and Dudley...?"

"Descendants of Esther and Estelle. Not that marrying within the family is uncommon practice, but you know how the Countess is. It should make Dudley happy at least. Ray grinned and wrapped an arm around Florian, causing the man to look up at him. "Of course this just means she'll be more determined to pair the two of you. And now that you're a rich man..." Ray's grin was positively evil.

"Alas," Florian said, putting on his saddest face as he straightened and turned to Ray. "I'm still a lowly secretary in your household. Count Ray Balzac Courland, on the other hand, would be quite a catch for such a well-bred young lady."

Laila snickered at Ray's expression and unrolled a bit more of the scroll, tapping it to regain their attention. "I spent a lot of time on this research, the least you can do is hear the rest of it." Her grin wasn't quite as evil as Ray's but it was close. Florian and Ray leaned down to see what else she'd discovered.

This time, it was Florian who laughed while Ray dropped into a chair and groaned. Laila just kept smiling even as she took up the pen and darkened the line connecting the Countess Kourey's box to that of Ray Balzac Courland.

:end part 17 (of 18):