It was in the dead of night and not a noise could be heard. All guests were safely tucked into their beds for the night. Within their rooms, the sounds of snoring and passion could be heard, but the hallways remained quiet. The large grandfather clock in the lobby rang twelve, echoing through out the entire hotel. It was so loud, that Evangeline could not hear the footsteps that were rapidly approaching her bedroom.
There were three soft, rapid knocks on her door. They were so soft, in fact, that she almost did not even hear them. She groaned and snuggled her head against her pillow. She assumed that it was her mother at the door. She was still mostly asleep and did not much care to answer the door. She slid her arms beneath her pillow and smiled tenderly in her sleep. She loved the feeling of the cool sheets and pillow case against her bare skin. That was when the knocks occurred again, louder this time. She groaned and begrudgingly sat up.
Her hair was an absolute mess. It looked like a bloody rats nest upon her lovely, sleepy face. She looked much younger and absolutely innocent at this moment. She threw back her blankets and grabbed her thick, purple bath robe and slowly drug her feet towards the door. She struggled to get her arms through the sleeves and then fought to tie the sash around her waist. She yawned and grabbed the handle of the door, but did not open it.
The person on the other side knocked yet again, more frantically and louder this time. She groaned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes with her free hand. Every action she made just screamed of exhaustion. She was almost positive that the intruder was her mother, who was likely too drunk to talk without slurring her words or find her way back to her own hotel room. Actually, Eva was surpassed that she hadn't gone back to some man's hotel room for the night. It really was difficult to respect a parent who did not even respect herself.
"Who is there" Eva called softy before yawning widely and shivering with cold. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and tried to snuggle her robe closer to her skin.
"My darling Eva, it is me, Gustav. Please, let me in." He said frantically before taking a deep breath. He sounded as though he had been running and she found herself wondering why he was so frantic. Oh god, perhaps it was her mother! Had she done something? Had she hurt someone? Dear god, she did not want to deal with this right now!
"It is midnight, Gustav! Why on earth are you here?" She demanded angrily before she threw the door open and stared up at him. The anger in her eyes was quickly replaced with shock and embarrassment upon seeing him.
He stood, smiling, as if she hadn't yelled at him at all. In his hands, he held the largest bouquet of white roses that she had ever seen in all her life. It had to have been at least four dozen flowers. She only stared at him in surprise. Her mouth hung agape and she could not think of what to say to him. The scent of the flowers wafted over to her and she closed her eyes. A small smile crossed her lips as she enjoyed the smell.
"I wanted to apologize, for kissing you without permission earlier. It was not right of me and I do apologize from the bottom of my heart. Please, accept these flowers and find it in your heart to forgive me." He said politely before holding the flowers out to her. She smiled and quickly pulled them to her. She sniffed them and smiled brightly. They smelled heavenly and their petals felt soft against her face. She felt like a a child, hugging her flowers to her chest. She giggled at the thought that she must look like a child, smothering her new gift.
"Of course I forgive you, Gustav. It was not right if me to hit you. I should have been more polite about your affections. I was just caught off guard. You know that my mother would never allow us to be together. She won't let me sacrifice my social status for a man." She whispered sadly before she stepped back into her room and laid her roses upon the table. "Please, come in, Gustav." She called quietly. She heard him step into the room and shut the door behind himself. There was so much that she wanted to explain to him, but she knew that she could not. He would not understand and it would only urge him to start an argument with her mother. The last thing she wanted was to go home because she was unable to keep her mouth shut.
"I need to be going to bed soon, my dearest Evangeline. Do you wish to speak with me?" He asked politely. He stood upright in front of the door. He looked so stiff and unfriendly.
"Not exactly." She said sweetly before she turned around and walked back to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her lips on to his forcefully. She ran her fingers through his short hair before kissing him even harder. Gustav did not hesitate for even a moment before he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her more closely. They stood there for a period of time that neither of them could comprehend. They were both completely lost within their romantic experience. Gustav could not believe how sweet her kisses were. She tasted like candy and her lips were as soft as rose petals. Eva kept giggling as Gustav's mustache tickled her upper lip. She was surprised at how respectful he was. His hands never travelled south, nor did his lips leave her own. She finally broke the kiss and took a deep breath. She looked up at him and tenderly cupped his face with her gentle hands. She was extremely impressed that he didn't want this to lead to sexual intercourse, not yet, anyway. Most blue-blood men that she had met in her life always wanted nothing more than to just get into her skirts.
"I feel as though I could kiss you all night. I can not explain why I like you so, but I do. I have never felt such a connection to anyone, let alone a man that I just met." She admit sheepishly. He must think her such a foolish child, admitting such feelings after only a few hours.
"Nor have I. I have known hundreds of rich, beautiful, powerful women, but you are the only rose within the desert of my life. I have never been so infatuated by anyone I have ever met." He said with a polite smile as he stroked her hair. Even while she wore only a bath robe, and her hair being a mess, she was lovely.
Before there could be any more exchanges of words, there was a knock at the door. Eva gasped and turned to look at the door. She stared at it in horror as her blood ran cold. Her heart sank in her chest and she felt as though she was going to be sick. She was not expecting anyone and had to assume that it really was her mother this time. She looked back up at Gustav and tears filled her childish eyes.
"Quick, hide in the closet. She can not see you." Eva whispered frantically before she straightened out her robe and her hair. Once Gustav was hidden, she slowly opened her door. What she saw next surprised her.
There was a large, drunk man, standing in her doorway. His eyes were blood shot and he stank of cigarettes and alcohol. He was a heavier man and extremely tall. He had to have been almost seven feet and looked to be mostly muscle. He was wearing a gray, pinstriped suit with his black tie undone. He had short brown hair that was slicked back in a professional manner. His face was cleanly shaven and there was an underlying scent of aftershave upon him. He looked determined, but also quite lost. He had to have been looking for his own room at such an hour.
"May I help you?" Eva asked with a tender smile as she cautiously looked up at the gorilla of a man that stood before her.
"Are you Evangeline VanKampf?" He asked. Eva hardly understood him because his words were so slurred.
"Indeed, I am." She said tenderly. Before she could ask him his name, he pushed passed her, into her room. He locked the door behind himself before he started to remove his clothes. He fumbled and started to hiccup quite unattractively as he stared at her. She felt horribly and completely uncomfortable now. What on earth was going on here?
"What are you doing?" She asked with fear in her voice.
"Your mother sold me your hand in marriage. She said that it was her right, left to her in her husbands will." He said drunkenly as he began to unbutton his dress shirt. His tie, pants and dress coat were already laying upon the floor.
"She can't do that!" Eva cried out frantically as she ran for the door. The hulking man grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her back from the door. He forced her down against the floor and got over her. He smiled down at her and began to kiss her neck. His kisses were coated in saliva and made her feel sick. The smell of alcohol was so strong now that it made her want to vomit non-stop until she was dead.
"You don't understand... I've already paid her..." He muttered against her skin before he roughly bit her neck. She did not know if he meant to bite her that hard, or if it was due to his drunken state, but it hurt and she could feel him break the skin. She cried out in pain as she felt the blood trickle from the new wound in her neck.
"Help me!" She screamed as she began to struggle against him. It did not even remotely go well. He was so much stronger than her. It was more like a kitten trying to fight off a dragon.
It was not even a second later, and the hulking man was pulled off of her. She rolled on to her side and curled into the fetal position upon the floor. She continued screaming loudly and tears streamed down her face. She had never felt so weak in all of her life. She could hear the breaking of glass, furniture, and the smacking of skin against skin. There were loud grunts and other noises of pain that filled the room. She was too horrified to look up and see what was happening in her hotel room.
The room grew quiet then and a few moments later, the door opened and slammed shut. She felt a hot hand against her shoulder and she flinched. She cried out and turned around, to strike at the man who touched her. Her hand was grabbed tenderly and held close.
"Did he harm you, Angel?" Gustav asked with a tender smile. Eva opened her eyes and smiled, but her smile instantly faded upon seeing his face.
His left eye was swelling and turning purple. His nose looked broken and blood was dripping down his face. She quickly sat up and removed her bath robe. She held the fabric beneath his nose and looked at him sadly. She did not seem to care, or even notice that she was naked before him now. He did not seem to notice either.
"Are you alright, Gustav?" She asked sheepishly. She knew that this was a stupid question, but she felt the need to ask. This man was the only one who would have treated her so kindly. He hardly knew her and yet he still put her own safety before his own. He risked his job to defend her. Surely, the drunk man would complain to the management and the owner of the hotel.
"I really look fine. You should see the other guy." He laughed quietly before he placed his hand upon her cheek. He was so glad that she was safe. He saw the blood on her shoulder and frowned to himself. What kind of a barbarian bites a woman like that? What on earth possesses him to think that it is erotic or sensual? Blood in not sexy.
"I am fine. What did you do with him?" She inquired skeptically.
"I beat the ever living shit out of him and left him in the hallway." He said with a small laugh. "Will you be alright tonight?"
"I don't think so, Gustav. Will you stay with me tonight, please?" She asked childishly.
"Oh, my dearest Angel, I would love to, but I can not. The hotel would never allow such a thing, nor would your mother." He said softly before he leaned forward and kissed her tenderly upon the forehead.
"I don't give a fuck about what my mother would allow! She tried to sell me like some cheap, corner whore!" She cried out angrily. She reached forward and grabbed his lapel with both of her hands. She leaned against his chest as she sobbed. She could not stop her tears now. She was so angry and frightened that nothing seemed to make sense. "May I stay with you in your room tonight, Gustav? I do not want to be alone. I could not bear it."
"Watch your mouth! It is un-lady like to speak in such a way." He said quietly before wrapping his arms around herself. "I would likely get in a lot of trouble if anyone knew you were in my room. I am sure that you would be in trouble as well."
"I will not let you get in trouble, Gustav. I will take complete responsibility. If my mother tries to say anything to me about it, I will tell her about this drunk neanderthal who tried to violate me and make me his wife. I will say that you rescued me, which is true, and that I demanded I stay with you tonight because I no longer feel safe in the Grand Budapest. Neither my mother nor your superiors could deny my wishes then, could they?" She rattled off frantically before she looked up at him. "Pretty please, Gustav..?"
"How could I say no to such a pretty request?" He said tenderly before resting his chin upon her head. He slowly stood up, grabbing her by her shoulders and helping her up as well. He pulled her bloody robe from his nose and sighed. "I am afraid I've ruined this. I'm terribly sorry."
"Don't worry, Gustav." She said with a tender smile before standing up and walking over to her luggage trunks. It was then that Gustav noticed her back. It was hard to see in the darkness, using the moon as his only source of light, but it looked as though she had scarring across her back. Why on earth would a lovely young lady have such scars? A woman of such a high social status would never of had to work a day in her life. Who had struck her so mercilessly? He felt his blood boil as he thought of Margaret. Did that woman really despise her child so much that she felt the need to abuse her?
Evangeline hummed quietly to herself as she rummaged around her trunks. She pulled out a pink robe that was made of a thin silk. She wrapped it around herself and tied the sash before looking back at Gustav.
"Will you lead the way?" He asked tenderly before she extended her hand to him. He smiled politely and nodded his head. He grabbed her hand before he turned and opened her door. The large, drunk man was still laying upon the floor outside of the room. Gustav frowned down at him before he scooped Evangeline up in his arms and carried her down the hallway like a princess. He was surprised at how little she weighed. He then found himself concerned about her weight. Was Margaret starving her as well as beating her. He had known that woman for four seasons and never once did he peg her for a child abuser.
Gustav took the back staircases and avoided main hallways. He carried her up four flights of stairs and did not seem to be even slightly winded. She couldn't help but feel completely safe within his arms. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder. She kept trying to flutter her eyes open and focus, but it was hard. She was so tired and sleep was desperately trying to consume her. She had nodded off a few times before Gustav finally set her down. He kept his arm around her, to keep her standing. She whined nervously and rubbed her eyes tiredly before looking up at him. He had lead her to a plain, brown, damaged door. All of the lights in this hallway were flickering on and off and it vaguely smelled of mildew. He pushed his door open and gently lead her inside. She yawned and then coughed as the smell of a mans cologne filled her nose. It was a distasteful smell and she did not much appreciate it.
Upon looking around, she realized that his bedroom was very small, hardly bigger than a broom closet. There was a sink with a mirror above it on the wall. The mirror was shattered, and there were still small pieces of glass shimmering in the ugly green carpet. There was a twin sized bed next to the wall, with a plain, worn, brown, wool blanket upon it. She nervously sat down upon his bed before she looked up at him.
"You really sleep here?" She asked quietly.
"Yes… I do. I know that it isn't anywhere near as extravagant as your own, but it is home." He said with a small, awkward laugh. He ran his fingers through his hair nervously before looking down at her. "You may take my bed, I insist. I will sleep upon the flo-"
"You will do no such thing. We can share the bed, Gustav." She said with a tender smile.
"Are you sure? That would be greatly frowned upon, Angel. What would people think?"
"You ask that as if people are going to know. Did anyone see you carry me here?" She asked sternly.
"Well.. No-"
"No, exactly. Besides, even if they did see us, we have a reasonable explanation, don't we? Do not worry so much, Gustav. Why are you so afraid of being close to me?"
"I'm going to hurt you, Angel." He said hoarsely, under his breath. He sat beside her on the bed and cupped her cheek. His hand was hot and his skin felt rough against her flesh. She looked at him with a befuddled expression, and he could tell. He let out a deep sigh before tenderly kissing her forehead. It was a gentle, lingering kiss. She wondered what brought on this gentle affection. "I am quite sure that your mother has warned you about me. She has told you what kind of a man I really am."
"She told me that you are like all men. Your mind lies in shadow and you desire the darkest parts of human nature. She told me that you would say anything you could in order to get to me. This is why she wished me not to speak with you, Gustav. I don't believe her."
"You should believe her…" He whispered sadly. He sounded almost as if he was going to cry. "I can not lie to you, Angel. I have done horrible things to women, in order to feed my own ambition. I do not deserve your affection or your kisses. I am a terrible-"
"Did you ever have sexual relations with my mother?" She asked suddenly. She looked up at him with a blank expression on her face. She looked like a porcelain doll. Her eyes showed no emotions and there were no small tells in her features. No twitches or small shifts. She was absolutely serious and not at all frightened, angry or repulsed. She seemed legitimately curious about the answer to this question.
"No. She was still quite heart broken about your father when I last saw her. Before that, I know she was loyal to her husband. I never attempted anything with your mother, nor will I ever attempt anything with her. She is not the kind of woman I am after. Though, I fear, she is after me."
"She is after you. I heard her talking about you with one of our serving maids back home. Gustav, do not let your guard down around my mother. As long as she is not on your list of conquests…" She whispered quietly before gently wrapping her arms around his neck. "I do not care what your history looks like… If you are able to stop, if you're willing to stop… I will stay with you."
"But… You can't…"
"I said that my father said I would be to lose everything if I married beneath my social class. I do not want anything that he has left for me. It can be divided between the rest of our family for all I care."
"Then… Why is your mother so persistent about keeping you away from all possible suitors? If you don't care."
"I…" She sighed before shaking her head and removing her arms from him. "I can not tell you that. It is not my place to explain my mothers actions. You must ask her about it yourself." She added quietly before tenderly kissing him upon his nose.
Just then, the large clock from the lobby could be heard. The clock struck one and they both knew that it was time to sleep. She laid down upon his bed, stiff as a board and faced the wall. She crinkled her nose and tried desperately to keep from sneezing. Even the pillow smelled like this horrid cologne of his. He slowly laid down behind her and slid his arms around her waist. He kissed her shoulders tenderly as he pressed himself against her.
She found it strange and exciting. She was not afraid of him, but she felt like she should be. She could not explain the feelings within her head or her heart. It was as if all of the events of her lifetime were leading to this one moment with this one man. Was this what love felt like? No. Of course not! That would be positively absurd. She had only just met this man. Not only that, but he was only a Lobby Boy at a hotel. What kind of a future could a man like that have? Not a successful one. That is for certain. Still, sleeping beside him did have an alluring quality. Perhaps it was only that he had saved her earlier in the evening. She would reevaluate her feelings after a good night sleep. Maybe in the morning, he would not seem like a hero or a knight in shining armor.
There was a loud pounding upon the door and Margaret woke with a start. She sat up and groaned. It felt as though someone had repeatedly smashed her head against the wall, or perhaps with a sledge hammer. She placed a hand upon her head and it seemed to throb against her hand. She could not remember the last time that she felt a hangover so excruciating. She looked around her hotel room, which was virtually destroyed, at this point. There were broken wine bottles all over the floor. Wine stains covered the walls and the carpet. What used to be beautiful, purple carpeting, now as a deep shade of red. It looked as though someone had been murdered in this hotel room. She sat up and yawned before stretching. She was still wearing her formal gown from the night before. She had removed her corset from beneath it. For the life of her, she didn't remember doing it, nor could she figure out how it could be done.
"Hm… My drunken state never ceases to surprise me." She said with a small laugh. She stopped almost instantly as her head began to throb even harder.
The knock at the door came again, much harder now. The door rattled and looked like it might burst open at any moment. The loud, repetitive noise was starting to get on her nerves. As if her hang over was not bad enough. Who on earth was the idiot here to wake her up so early? There was no light coming into her room, so she assumed it was before dawn. If she had actually been observant, she would have realized that her curtains were drawn and that the sun could not enter her room. She stood up and wrapped a maroon robe around herself hastily. She walked across the room, tip-toeing around the broken glass that littered the carpet.
She threw the door open and nearly screamed at the sight. It was Count Erik Amelott. Both of his eyes were blackened and swelling. His lip looked like it had been stitched shut and over all he just looked like shit. He looked like someone had taken a chair and beat him with it until it shattered, and then they beat him with the pieces of the chair.
"My god, Erik! What in the world happened to you last night? I am starting to think that you drank even more than I did." Margaret said with a polite laugh. She was trying to be kind a respectful, despite her splitting headache.
"You set me up, you damn bitch!" Erik huffed angrily as he glared down at her. One of his eyes, the left eye, was completely red. It looked as though a blood vessel had burst.
"I beg your pardon!" Margret exclaimed. She had never been more insulted in all her life. No one had ever referred to her as such a thing, not to her face, anyway. She and Erik had been such close friends the night before. She remembered a lot of drinking and laughing with this gentleman. What on earth happened to destroy his face, and make him upset with her.
"You told me that I could have your daughters hand in marriage. You sold her to me, damn it!" He shouted angrily as he pushed his way into her room. "I went to her room last night."
Before he continued, Margret felt her heart sink. She remembered absolutely none of this, but she didn't doubt it. Evangeline was going to be furious with her, if she would even speak with her mother now. Margret had never felt so ashamed in all her life. She then found herself in a panic. If Erik looked like this. Dear god, what did Evangeline look like?
"I am sorry, Erik. I had no right to do that. I was drunk and you shouldn't have listened to me. I will gladly give you all of your money back, and some extra for your suffering." She said with a nervous smile. "You did not hurt her, did you…?" She asked timidly.
"I hardly touched her!" He scoffed angrily as he glared at her. "Her damn body guard didn't let me get-"
"Body guard?" She questioned curiously. "You mean to tell me that she had a man. In her room." She said before taking a deep breath. She found herself angry with Evangeline, even though she knew that she shouldn't be. If it wasn't for that man in her room, terrible things would have happened to her.
"Yeah, the damn lobby boy."
"Gustav H. was in her bedroom!" She wailed. She felt her heart shattering in her chest. The man she pined for was chasing after her adolescent daughter. She fled from her bedroom and down the hall. She did not stop running until she reached her daughter's bedroom. It was not locked when she arrived. She slowly pushed the door open and covered her mouth to keep from screaming.
There were blood stains on the carpet and the walls. Likely from the fight that happened in here last night. The coffee table was shattered and in pieces upon the floor. All of the vases of flowers were broken and spilled all over the ground. The room smelled damp and musky. There was no sign that Evangeline had been in her room for at least a few hours. Margret walked over to the bed and gently placed her hands upon the blankets. They were as cold as ice. She had not been in her bed for a long time. Where on earth was Evangeline?
She left the room and latched the door behind herself before she started walking down the hall. She stopped and leaned against the railing and looked down at the main lobby. She bit her lower lip nervously as she scanned the area below herself. That was when she saw Gustav. He had bandages over his nose and both of his eyes seemed to be black. She hurried towards the elevator and went down to the lobby. She walked briskly towards him and grabbed his arm tightly. Gustav turned to face her. He had a bright smile upon his face until he realized who had grabbed him. He frowned deeply and pulled his arm from her, straightening his sleeve.
"Gustav. What happened last night?" Margret asked with a sheepish smile. "I am afraid that I don't remember a whole lot of what happened."
"What happened, my dear Margret, is that you were a horrible parent and guardian. You sold your daughters hand in marriage to a drunk man who very nearly raped her. If it weren't for my guilt, I would not have been in her room at all. She thought it was you knocking on the door, so, she hid me in her closet." He explained bitterly. His voice was like poison in her ears. This encounter was breaking her heart and she couldn't help it. She hated that Gustav thought so little of her.
"I am sorry, Gustav. Thank you, so much, for saving my daughter." She said quietly before lowering her head. "Do you know where she is?"
"She is in the Arabian Bath room." He said sternly. "She is trying to wash off the blood and fear from last night."
"Thank you, Gustav. I must go and talk to her."
"I would advise against it, Duchess Margaret."
"Oh? And why is that, my dearest Gustav?"
"Well, it is because she hates you. She thinks you are the devil and simply thee worst kind of human being. You told her to stay away from me, the man who ended up saving her. You also told her that it is disgraceful to marry beneath her social class. If I recall correctly, my dear, your husband did just that. She keeps hinting that this rule is in her fathers Will, but why would it be? He married a servant girl and let her raise his child, did he not? Why would he prevent his daughter from loving who she wants? Just a thought." He said casually before he turned and walked away from her.
Margret was shaking with anger now, but she knew that he was right. He was always too smart to be just a lobby boy. She hoped that he had not told Evangeline of his discovery. No. Of course he hadn't. He wouldn't be able to prove it and Evangeline would always trust her mother more than anyone else. He was fighting a losing battle, or at least, he would have been, if Margret had not shown her guilt. Margret prayed that Evangeline would not ask to see the will. If Evangeline wanted to see the will, Margret's world would shatter and scatter like dust in the wind. She could not let that happen.