Title: A Grand Illusion
Characters: Christine/Raoul, OCs
Chapters: 6/8 + epilogue
Rating: K+
Warnings: Kidnapping
The Vicomte and his wife were sitting down to breakfast when a young maid, pale and looking quite nervous, came in to interrupt them.
"Excuse me, Monsieur, Madame…"
Raoul waved at her to enter properly and she curtsied quickly.
"What is it, Cherise?"
"I… I-I can't find Mam'selle Madeline!"
"What?"
"She isn't in her room. And I've searched the playroom and the gardens. I cannot find her!"
The de Chagny's stood quickly and worriedly called all the maids, housekeeper and others there to start a search. It was not like their little daughter not to turn up to breakfast. She was an incurable morning person and always had been, but she had never, not once in all her life, gone beyond her or her parents' rooms before breakfast. So they panicked and went looking.
An hour later Madeline was still missing. Christine was sitting in the kitchen, staring out the window with wide eyes, waiting for news. It was Donatien whose gentle touch on her shoulder made her jump and spin around. He looked at her with his dark, strange eyes and a deep frown on his face.
"Are you feeling well enough, Madame? Considering the circumstances, I mean."
She shook her head, eyes constantly brimming with tears but not letting them loose.
"No. No, Leroux, I'm not well enough! My little girl is missing! I'm terrified!"
"I'm sorry, Madame. Truly. I… I wish I had some kind of magic trick to make her reappear."
"Why aren't you out there, looking for her?"
He winced at the harshness of her statement and begged her forgiveness. Christine bit her lip and shook her head.
"No. I'm sorry, Leroux. I know you seem to care for my daughter. You're always so patient with her, even when she is bothersome. I know you would help all you can."
"I have been looking, Madame. And the truth is… Uh, I found this."
He pulled something from inside his waistcoat and Christine gasped. It was Madeline's hair ribbon. The one she herself had tied her daughter's thick curly hair back with the night before.
"Where did you find that?"
"It was outside. On the ground. Beside the stables, Madame."
"But… Why would she go to the stables so early in the morning?"
"I could not say, Madame. I only arrived here a little over twenty minutes ago, to get the Vicomte's carriage ready."
"And you checked the stables? All through?"
"No, Madame. I was told it was already done."
"But that is ridiculous! You're the stableboy! No one knows them better than you, not even Raoul! Go back. Check again. She might be in there, hurt or… Go, Leroux! Now!"
The young man rushed out to obey her. And he returned, looking almost as pale and nervous as the nursemaid had that early morning. He shook his head and told the Vicomte and his wife that Madeline wasn't there. And neither was her pony. Princess was missing with her bridle and reins gone.
Christine burst into terrified tears. Raoul clenched his jaw and called for the gendarme. Leroux merely returned, quietly, to the stables.
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