A Roman Holiday
Chapter 4
Chiaki felt the emptiness and silence of his hotel room acutely. If all had gone as planned, they would now be having dinner in some cosy Italian restaurant. She would have been chattering incessantly in between mouthfuls of pasta and minestrone soup. She would have chuckled, giggled and laughed without inhibition. He would have sat across from her, alternating between smiling indulgently or rolling his eyes at every remark, every gesture she made and every look that she gave him.
Chiaki didn't feel much like eating… or doing anything else. All he wanted to do was to hold her and reassure her that everything was alright, that he would protect her from the ugliness of life. But she wasn't there to be reassured… or to hear his voice. Heaven may have knowledge of her whereabouts but he was not privy to that knowledge. A mix of anger and fear swept over him. Anger because he was not there to protect her… Fear because the thought of never seeing her again… of never touching her… of never kissing her again was too ghastly to contemplate.
He knew deep down that she was the stronger one… she had fought hard to keep them both together all these years and just as he was discovering these new feelings, there was every chance he would lose her. His anger turned to himself for being such a fool all this time… for being indecisive, for not telling her, when he had the chance how he really felt. In the course of their relationship, he had assumed so much and said so little. If he had been much more resolute in the past, they would by now have sealed their relationship with the pleasures of married life. It had been all for the sake of their future together… he had said… their individual careers. However, Chiaki knew that it had never been about their respective careers. It was his own unwillingness to take things to the next level that had been the rub. The idea that he would lose Nodame now forced him to question the value of that career and to perceive success as the transient beast that it was. They were nothing to him without having her to share in it.
The room was dark and dank. Two sorry souls were lying crumpled on the ground, their smart attire looking out of place in such surroundings. One of them, obviously regaining consciousness, groaned and then made some attempt to get up.
"Your highness… are you alright?" Nodame went over to the princess and helped her to sit up.
"What happened?"
"Don't you remember? We were kidnapped."
"I was hoping that it was just a bad dream."
"I'm afraid not, your highness… the nightmare is still with us."
"Where do you think we are?"
"Don't know… wherever it is, we are here for a while."
"Last thing I remember was throwing my cell phone out of the window and then I blacked out."
"Same here… I seem to remember a noxious smell before succumbing."
"Nodame, I'm scared…" The princess said and proved it by clutching on to Nodame's hand.
"I know… me too…" Both women drew closer together for mutual support. Nodame could feel the princess trembling beside her.
"I've been preparing for this kind of situation almost all my life but now that it's actually happened… it feels unreal. I still can't believe it's happened." The princess was in a state of numbness.
Nodame shifted uneasily. "I never thought this kind of thing would happen to me. I've never been rich enough or important enough." She said wistfully.
"I'm sorry Nodame… it's all my fault you got dragged into this." The princess gave her a sorrowful look.
"Don't flatter yourself, princess…" Nodame quickly changed tact. "It might not have anything to do with you. It could be one of my psychotic fans wanting an autograph."
The princess gave a sad smile. "I'm so glad you're here, Nodame. I would have hated to be alone in this place… facing who-knows what on my own."
The two women hugged each other and sat in companionable silence for some time.
"I wonder how senpai is doing?" Nodame mused. "I'm sure he's thinking I've forgotten about dinner."
"I'm sure he's out of his mind with worry about you."
"He was going to take me to a nice Italian restaurant tonight… I suppose I'll have to wait till another time to enjoy authentic Italian homemade pasta. I have been to a few Italian restaurants in Paris and in the US but not in Italy. It's strange being in Italy and not having real Italian food. I wonder what kind of food we're going to get here." Nodame rambled on in her nervousness.
"If they don't decide to poison us first."
"Oh, if they wanted us dead… we wouldn't be here talking."
"I wonder what they want with us… or with me…"
"Or with me." Nodame grinned.
Princess Marina appreciated Nodame's attempts put on a brave face but she couldn't shake off the dread that she felt hovering over them.
I may be a princess but I'm only 21… I've barely lived… and loved…
She thought of Albert, her father and all the things she was hoping to do… There was so much to regret about.
"Will we survive this?" She wondered out loud.
"Of course we are…" There was an iron in Nodame's voice. "I've waited too long for a kidnapping to stand in my way. Make no mistake, I'm getting married in the fall."
"I hope you don't mind me dropping in on you like this, Chiaki."
"Of course, not Mr Bethstein… I was just about to contact you myself to see if you've had any leads since we last spoke."
"Unfortunately, not… The kidnapper or kidnappers are pretty quiet so far. We did find the princess' and Miss Noda's cell phones on the outskirts of the city. They must've known we would track them using the GPS chip in their phones."
"So there's no way of knowing where they are?" Chiaki asked grimly.
"No, they could be still in Rome or half way across the peninsular. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news." Bethstein glanced at him sympathetically. "How are you holding up?"
The opening was just what Chiaki needed to give relief to all those feelings that were churning inside him.
"You know, Mr Bethstein… I've been sitting here feeling sorry for myself for the past few hours. I just don't know how I'm going to go on if I lose her…" Chiaki felt a lump rising in his throat. "When I first met Nodame, I suffered from long term aviotophobia… fear of flying… It was because of her, I could finally face my fear and leave the country have the grand career that I now have. If I could change all that now and have her by my side in polluted, smoky Tokyo, I would."
"Let's not give up hope yet, Chiaki…"
"We running out of time, aren't we? Every minute we sit here and talk… they could be…"
"Believe me, Chiaki I know how you feel. The woman you love is in trouble and there's not a damn thing you can do about it…" Chiaki sensed that there was something personal for Bethstein about the kidnapping.
"I'm sorry Bethstein… I didn't realise… You care a lot about the princess, don't you?"
Bethstein nodded gloomily. "We'd been fighting a lot lately… She didn't want to tell her father about us and I just hated the secrecy. Prince Max is a good man… I hated going behind his back and for him not to know… When my father died, he became a bit of a father figure for me… Not that my father and I ever got along. And now, I've repaid his kindness by letting his daughter get kidnapped right from under me."
They were two strangers sharing a momentary sense of camaraderie, thrown together because of loss. With all that was happening, it seemed much easier to make such confessions to an outsider.
"If he's as good a man as you say he is, he'll know it's not your fault."
"Isn't it?" Bethstein became angry. "I keep going over the whole thing in my mind. How did they know so much about our security detail? They knew precisely when and where to hit us. And why the princess? Maltovia isn't exactly a political force on the international front… just a peaceful principality that not too many people have heard of. What did they hope to achieve by kidnapping the princess? There's nothing we have that's of any value for that kind of effort. No insurgency… nothing… It doesn't make any sense."
"Maybe it isn't about politics or money… "
"Isn't it, usually?"
"What's that English idiom… 'All's fair in love and war'."
The large wooden door that was the entrance to their prison, made a piercing groan. Their driver-kidnapper came in with a tray of food and drink and placed it on the floor. He did not speak to them again. Instead, as he strolled out of their room, a tall figure in a hooded cloak sashayed toward them and spoke. He had a whimsical way about him… like a child engrossed in a game and was enjoying himself immensely.
"I am sorry that the accommodations here aren't befitting of a princess or a world class concert pianist but for the time being, it'll have to do." He sounded sincerely apologetic in his shrilly, high-pitched voice.
"What do you want from us?"
"Not from you, particularly, your highness. You are merely a means to an end."
"What do you want?"
"I want the…
"Fire of Maltovia?!" Bethstein spluttered over his cell phone. "They did all that just for the orange rock? Alright, I'll be there in ten minutes… See you soon."
Bethstein turned to Chiaki and said, "We've heard from the kidnappers. They've made their demands known."
"What do they want?"
"The Fire of Maltovia…"
"The what of Maltovia…?"
"Come with me and I'll explain it to you in the car."
"I may as well… I doubt I was going to get much sleep anyway."
"You kidnapped us for the necklace?" The princess looked stunned.
"'Kidnapping' is such vulgar word, don't you think, your highness. I prefer the word 'guarantee' myself… You and Miss Noda here of course, are my guarantee that I will be able to get out of this unscathed."
"Why didn't you just steal it?"
"I have a penchant for the theatrical, my dear. And I'm offering you both front row seats."
Nodame's musically trained ears detected familiar inflections as their hooded captor spoke. There was something artificial… she couldn't put her finger on it… not just about the way he acted but the way he was making these declarations.
She did not dwell on those thoughts for long as a feeling of utter weariness overwhelmed her… They were both in desperate need of food and rest. Fortunately, their abductor was not intending to starve them… yet. Or perhaps they were being fattened for the slaughter. Not wanting to alarm the princess unnecessarily, Nodame kept these thoughts to herself.
"It's basically a family heirloom… it's been part of their family history since the late nineteenth century. It's worth about $2 million." Bethstein explained.
"Isn't it fairly recognizable…"
"Normally, what happens is that these larger diamonds get broken up into smaller diamonds so that they can be sold and avoid detection."
"Why would anyone want this diamond… when there are other more valuable stones?"
"The thought has crossed my mind… and the short answer is, I don't know. A private collector, perhaps?"
"Wouldn't it be easier just to hire someone to steal it, rather than to stage an elaborate kidnapping to get it?"
There was no reply from Bethstein, who was at that moment absorbed in his own thoughts.
Forced into silence, Chiaki became lost in his own introspection as well. It was hard for him to know whether to be relieved or more doubtful about the entire affair. Kidnappers were notoriously untrustworthy when it came to the well-being of their victims. If only there was some way of being sure that the girls were still alive.
Bethstein was driving at breakneck speed but for good reason. They were racing against time and they had to get to the embassy as soon as they could. The kidnappers had spoken and it was likely that they would be in contact again.
"Considering the quality of the surroundings, the room service here is not bad." Nodame feigning lightheartedness . "Steak mignon, potatoes and beans… I could live like this for a few days…" Except that I'll miss senpai's performance… and I don't want to miss that.
"You are a strange person, Nodame…" The princess remarked slightly amused.
"I'm serious… the food here isn't bad. It's no Salieri's but I'll live. For now." She paused and gave a faraway look. "I wonder how senpai is. It's bad enough with the way that he worries about me normally. I hope he's eating properly."
"I hope Father's alright," The princess was beginning to tear up. "He must be out of his mind with worry."
"Your highness… I'm sure he's being very well looked after right now. We, on the other hand, need to focus on getting through this." Nodame said comfortingly. "It might be good for us if we tried to get some sleep. We might think better in the morning."
"Yes, you're right… I am extremely tired. Sleep might help." Princess Marina wiped the tears away from her eyes and made an effort to smile. "Thank you, Nodame… I am so glad that you're here."
Prince Maximillian was, as his daughter suspected, out of his mind with worry. The Maltovian embassy was in utter disarray, with staff members coming and going in all directions, working over time. The phones had been running hot all day from various dignitaries promising assistance as well as persistent press hounds who happen to be extremely well-informed. Prince Max, as Bethstein had called him, had been staggering around the premises in a worry induced stupor… he could barely function as he feared for his only child… a prisoner of some pernicious scoundrel.
"Max, I've just heard… I'm so sorry." It was Count Boris who had just arrived, looking serious and sympathetic.
"Boris, I'm glad that you're here. I've been trying to reach you all evening."
"I've been at a friend's place… playing cards. Have you heard anything from the kidnappers?"
"They sent word… they are demanding that we give them the Fire of Maltovia in exchange for Marina."
"They want the necklace? Do you have it here?"
"No… it's in cold storage… I'm just waiting for Albert to get here so we can get the ball rolling."
"Albert isn't here? Why not?"
"He went to see Mr Chiaki…"
"Albert should be here keeping an eye on things."
"Miss Noda was in the car when they were both… taken…" Prince Maximillian muttered shakily.
"Good Lord, really?… Poor man…" Count Boris shook his head.
"It's been a terrible day, Boris… I'd never thought… I wish Clarisse were here. Maybe it's just as well she isn't."
"It's alright, cousin… I'm sure no harm will come to the girls." The count tried to reassure the prince.
"I hope so…"
"Here… have a drink to steady you nerves…" Count Boris reached for the nearest bottle of whiskey and poured some into a glass, promptly offering it to his cousin. The ruling sovereign of Maltovia took it gratefully and gulped it down instantly.
"Your highness…" Bethstein burst into the room, with Chiaki following closely behind.
"Albert, I'm so glad you're here…" The prince brightened at the sight of his head of security. "And Mr Chiaki… my sincerest apologies." He added when he saw the young conductor.
Chiaki nodded somberly. "You weren't to know, your highness."
"Where's the ransom note…" Bethstein demanded.
"It's an email… Weiler's printed it out…"
"Have we traced the email?" Bethstein asked
"Not yet… the Carabinieri will contact us as soon as they know anything."
"What's it to be now… are you going to give in to their demands…" The Count piped up.
"Not until we find out if the women are safe."
"How do we contact them?"
"I'm sure they'll contact us first." Bethstein said with an unmistakable grimness.
Nodame tossed and turned. Try as she might, she couldn't sleep. She wasn't so much afraid of dying as she was afraid of never seeing senpai again. She was prepared to die in his arms but not far away somewhere never to be seen again by a single human soul. Nodame had never thought much about dying… she was too busy living life. During that third year at Momogaoka College, her life changed… as she came to the realization that she didn't want to live her life without senpai. He, however, took some convincing. Many times in the past six years she did wonder if he still wasn't entirely convinced that he wanted to be with her. He was pretty self-sufficient… he had been much of his life. Now that she was gone… would he be relieved or would he be sad? Nodame toyed with the notion as a purely academic exercise and then admonished herself for even considering such a thing. It's probably the dampness in here that's making me think this way. Of course, he cared about her… but did he love her? Not just with fondness but with the kind of full-blooded passion, ardour, excitement and desire that she'd only heard about? Nodame had never demanded it or even given it much thought previously. Could it be something in Rome's water supply that causes people to seek after romance? Or just the prospect of death on the horizon. She had to be sure… I need to know. she wasn't planning on dying until she knew either way.
She heard the princess shift restlessly.
"Can't you sleep, your highness?" Nodame whispered.
"No… you?"
"Not much luck…"
They both jumped as they heard the door groan open again… a short, darkly clad person walked in with a flashlight. He had an open cell phone in his hand and thrust it into the princess' lap…
"There's someone who wants to talk to you."
The princess cautiously picked up the phone and put it to her ear. She cleared her throat before saying,
"This is Princess Marina speaking…"
"Marina, it's father… are you alright?"
"Father, is that really you?"
"Yes, it is… I've been so worried…"
"We're fine… they haven't treated us too badly. Nodame is here with me."
"I'm so glad…"
Their guard pulled the phone off her hands and spoke into the phone… "That's enough time" and closed it. He walked off and slammed the door without saying another word.
"That was father…" The princess said to Nodame. "He sounded so… distressed…" She stammered.
"I guess they wanted to be sure we were alright."
"Nodame… I don't want to die… I'm not ready…" The princess burst into tears.
"Shhh… I don't want to die either." Nodame drew the princess over to her side and they both snuggled together for comfort and to take refuge from their harrowing ordeal.
"At least we know they're alive." Count Boris was the first to remark.
"There's that…" Bethstein acknowledged. "If his highness is sure…"
"I'm sure. We must give them what they want. My daughter and Miss Noda's life is worth far more than that."
"A hundred years of history…" Count Boris started to say.
"Is nothing… The important thing is to get them both back." The prince looked adamant.
Rather than expressing his relief, Chiaki noticed that Bethstein was deep in thought and appeared to be puzzling over something.
"Albert… give instructions for the necklace to be taken out of cold storage." The prince ordered.
"If you wish it, your highness."
"Definitely… no question." The prince was firm.
"Where's the drop off point…"
"It's at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma."
"Interesting choice of location..."
"Is that where the exchange will be made?" Chiaki inquired.
"Yes... apparently..." Albert replied meditatively.
"Do you think they'll let us go after they get the necklace?"
"It all depends…"
"On what?"
"I don't know… I just don't know…" Nodame slapped her forehead several times. "But I'm not sitting around here waiting to find out." She stood up and started feeling around the walls.
"What are you doing, Nodame?" The princess was dumbfounded.
"I'm going to find us a way out of here."
"A way out?"
"Yes… this place looks like some kind of underground room… perhaps there is a secret way out."
"Nodame, I think you've watched or read too many thrillers."
"No… not thrillers… just Puri Gorota…"
"Are we set for the next phase?"
"Yes. You're playing a dangerous game."
"Life's too short to worry about danger. And I'm a dying man. I want to go out with a bang not a whimper."
Author's Note: Thank you for your patience, dear reading friends... I've been busy with family things and as if I didn't enough to do, I started writing a story for another fandom as an odd form of procrastination (slaps forehead) . I've really struggled with the whole mystery element trying to think up plausible scenarios. But now, I'm back on track.
I hope you're enjoying the direction the story is taking and please, please, please... let me know what you think.