Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, Stargate SG-1, Reign, or anything else I reference.
Chapter 36: Unexpected Surprise
(Gardenia, France)
"Hello Queen Catherine." Danny said looking at the hologram
"Is there something that you needed?" Queen Catherine asked.
"No, I just wanted to inform you that I am in Gardenia looking into the rumors about Lady Lalaurie." Danny said.
"What do you mean?" Queen Catherine asked.
"I thought that you would prefer if I looked into the rumors first before I did anything." Danny said.
French nobility had the habit of starting ugly rumors to remove those that they disliked. Isabella of France when she was still a princess and not, yet the Queen of England had framed her sisters-in-law Margaret of Burgundy and Blanche of Burgundy for adultery in what would be called the Tour de Nesle affair. She had invited them to drink and celebrate in her room then once they had passed out made it seem as if they had been having an orgy. King Phillip IV already held a strong distrust of women after the affair between his wife Joan and the Knight Templar Landry. He had them arrested and tortured to find out the truth. Princess Margaret did not live through it and Queen Blanche did not see the outside again until her marriage had been annulled and she lost her title.
"Very well but do remember to try and be subtle." Queen Catherine pleaded.
"You will have no need to worry." Danny said as he ended the conversation and apported the orb away.
Now that the Queen has been warned he is going to take a little stroll through the town.
The sound of people talking drew him to the tavern called the Stag's horn. Using his x-ray vision, he saw at least twenty people inside.
'I wanted to talk to people, and drunk people are the easiest to get talking.' Danny said as he turned himself visible and walked inside.
The inn was rather straightforward. Red wooden tables and chairs. The chandelier had lit candles that added dark color to the look. Barrels of beer behind the counter. A chimney to the side with a fireplace. The connecting wall filled with antlers and animal heads. In the center is a big portrait of a man holding a bow.
'I wonder if there is a bunch of deer looking to get revenge on the hunter that killed their fathers?' Danny wondered.
"I have never seen you around these parts." The bartender said.
"I am new in town. I wanted some information." Danny said making eye contact and looking into the man's mind.
"Got no time for that. This is a tavern. Order something or leave." James said cleaning out a glass.
"Fine give me some mead." Danny said before turning to see the group of people standing near the edge of the bar where a giant leather chair is located near the fireplace.
From James' memories he knew that the group are regular patrons given that Arnaud's family owned the place. It is why the place had so many antlers hanging around the place. It is all to feed his ego.
"You should know that the sisters sitting at the table also descend from one of the witch families that burned in Rouen." Qetsiyah said appearing next to him.
He glanced at her but said nothing given the people around him.
"They have no idea because their ancestors had long since stopped practicing and made sure they would not manifest any abilities. They have recently just moved back to the city." Qetsiayh said.
Well, it looks like he had a reason to go and talk to them beyond Queen Catherine's quest. He drank his mead, paid James, and gave a sigh as he stood up from the bar and left the drunks sitting in the seats next to him.
"Hello." Danny said as he approached the group.
"Who are you?" Arnaud asked.
"I am a traveler and I wanted to ask such beautiful women a couple questions." Danny said as he looked at Margo, Mabel, and Mitzy.
Margo Stillman is the youngest and smallest of the three sisters. Her blonde hair is the palest among the three. It is parted at the side with a barrette. She is wearing a yellow dress.
Mitzy Stillman is the middle child of the Stillman sisters, yet she is the tallest among them. Her hair is the brightest shade of blonde between the sisters. She is would have been a few inches shorter than him when he first stepped foot on French soil. She is wearing the green dress.
Mable Stillman is the oldest of the three sisters. Her blonde hair was darker than Mable's and closer to a mixture of yellow and brown. She is wearing a dark red dress that drew attention to her chest.
"Who are you to interrupt Arnaud's story? Do you know who this is?" Dion asked annoyed at him interrupting their story of Arnaud's latest hunt.
"No. Did you not hear that I am new to this town?" Danny asked.
"Then let me tell you." Dion started.
"Actually, if we are going to do this let's put this in song." Danny said with a smile as he curved his hand and activated his powers to connect the minds and emotions of the patrons and crafted an illusion replica of the tavern.
He watched as Dion began the song.
Every guy here'd love to be Arnaud
Even when he's taking his lumps
Dion said as he walked from Arnaud to a table where people are drinking.
There's no man in town as admired as him
He's everyone's favorite guy.
Dion moved back to Arnaud as the Stillman sisters surrounded Arnaud sighing dreamily.
'I will apologize to the sisters later.' Danny thought with a smile as he listened to the song.
Everyone's awed and inspired by him
And it's not very hard to see why
Dion started spinning away from Arnaud and approached the bar.
No one's slick as Arnaud
Dion stole Trefor's belt as he was trying to charm Fleur the barmaid.
No one's quick as Arnaud
Dion ran back to Arnaud as Trefor's pants fell revealing his white underwear to the people in the tavern.
No one's neck's as incredibly thick as Arnaud
Dion wrapped Trefor's belt around Arnaud's neck and started swinging.
'That is going to hurt in the morning.' Danny thought keeping track of possible injuries.
He watched Dion start swinging on the belt that he wrapped around Arnaud's neck.
For there's no man in town half as manly
Danny used telekinesis to make Arnaud flex and give the image that he broke the belt by strength alone.
Perfect, a pure paragon
Dion jumped off of Arnaud and spun again before pointing at the painting Arnaud had of himself placed above the fireplace.
Danny tilted his finger
You can ask any Tom, Dick or Stanley
Dion jumped far and started standing on the named men's heads that were drinking at a separate table.
They were not the kind of men that would be on fashion magazines. Instead, they would be the type of men that would be threatening you in an alley. He knew that according to James' memories they are kind and pretty swell but that is not what you would assume by appearances.
And they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on
The men grabbed Dion and started swinging him.
'Let's have you lot join in on the fun as well.' Danny thought as he squashed their feelings of horror and made them elated.
No one's been like Arnaud
A king pin like Arnaud
No one's got a swell cleft in his chin like Arnaud
The men sung together as they started swinging Dion over to Arnaud and he gestured at the man's chin.
As a specimen, yes, I'm intimidating
Arnaud boasted as he flexed his muscles.
My- what a guy, that Arnaud
Dion and friends sang as they raised cups filled with beer that spilled a little over the sides.
Give five "hurrahs!"
Give twelve "hip-hips!"
He felt a smile as he heard the others in the room not affected by his powers join in the song and start cheering.
Arnaud is the best
And the rest is all drips
Dion cheered but threw his beer into Arnaud's face.
No one fights like Arnaud
Douses lights like Arnaud
In a wrestling match nobody bites like Arnaud
Arnaud got angry at Dion and punched him towards the ceiling. He then turned towards Tom, Dick, and Stanley and jumped on top of them starting a wrestling match.
He watched as Gaston took a bite out of Stanley's leg.
For there's no one as burly and brawny
The Stillman sisters sang and swooned as Arnaud lifted the table they had moved to.
As you see I've got biceps to spare
Arnaud started boasting about his muscles again.
Not a bit of him's scraggly or scrawny
Dion started shaking comedically.
Danny wondered if he was used to insulting himself on behalf of Arnaud or this was because of him. James' memories showed that the two had been together a long time but even he did not know.
(That's right!)
And ev'ry last inch of me's covered with hair
Arnaud dropped the table he was holding and ripped open his red shirt revealing his chest hair.
No one hits like Arnaud
Matches wits like Arnaud
'Anyone does that to me and they will end up stabbed.' Danny thought as he watched Arnaud knock over an old man's chess set scattering the pieces to the floor.
In a spitting match nobody spits like Arnaud
I'm especially good at expectorating (Ptooey!)
Arnaud sang as he spat through the table where Tom, Dick, and Stanley are sitting.
Ten points for Arnaud!
The spit bounced off of a beer bottle, a chandelier, and traveled to knock Dion off of the chair he had been sitting on while holding a vase and waiting for it to arrive.
No one shoots like Arnaud
Arnaud grabbed the gun that James had been hanging on the wall and aimed as if taking a shot.
Makes those beauts like Arnaud
The people in the tavern gestured at the antlers hanging everywhere.
Then goes tromping around wearing boots like Arnaud
I use antlers in all of my decorating
Say it again
Who's a man among men? And then say it once more
Dion asked the people around the tavern
Who's the hero next door?
Who's a super success?
Stanley, Tom, and Dick sung as they stood up.
Don't you know? Can't you guess?
Ask his fans and his five hangers-on
There's just one guy in town who's got all of it down
And his name's A-R-N- A -
A-R-N-A - U -
A-R-N-A-U - oh!
ARNAUD!
The people around the bar sang the last bit together.
"After that song I have learned plenty." Danny said as he caused the people around him to stop singing and return to normal.
Their horror returned and they tried to run out of the tavern.
He shut the door on them.
"I just wanted to have a bit of fun before I start asking my questions. You should take pleasure in knowing that you surprised me with how good your singing is." Danny said before he snapped his fingers, and everyone around the bar froze in place where they stood or sat." Danny said.
"You are the sorcerer staying in Paris?" Arnaud asked.
"We are not here for me to answer your questions. You are here to answer mine. So, what can you tell me about Lady Delphine La Laurie?" Danny asked as he put his hand on Arnaud's head.
'Did you get what you needed?' Qetsiyah asked the moment he pulled his hand off of Arnaud's head.
"No but I have plenty of people around me to ask if I want answers." Danny said as he started stretching his neck.
"What are you going to do to us?" Margo Stillman asked.
"I want to talk to the three of you but I am rather busy at the moment and so we can have our conversation at a later time." Danny said as he waved his hand and teleported the three of them to Kleak.
"How are you going to deal with them?" Qetsiyah asked.
"I have teleported them into prison cells where they will be safe until I return from my mission." Danny said.
"I thought that you would use the Halliwell's?" Qetsiyah said.
"It is always good to have backup options and if I am going to build a coven, I am going to need many witches." Danny said as he walked back to the bar and made himself another drink.
"What are you going to do to us?" James asked.
"For you and everyone else they are just going to wake up with a massive headache from drinking too much." Danny said.
According to Arnaud's memories even for the people in this village Lady La Laurie was surrounded by horrid rumors but that is all they are. If he wanted the truth, it seems that he is going to have to talk to her daughters that she kept very close with her. The family lived in an estate near the edge of the city.
0-0-0-0-0-0
'What a horrid place.' Danny thought as he walked through the Lalaurie estate.
The Lalaurie estate had three floors with a rather large garden at the back with a fountain with small Greek statues. The inside of the house is filled with paintings of the family and expensive furniture. Rugs that looked to be from the east, bookshelves made from rick oaks and sturdy maple, Suits of armor hung at the end of every corner each holding a different weapon, and intricately designed candle holders. At the bottom of the estate there was a room filled with sharp tools. To reach the place you would have to travel through a secret passageway that was behind a bookshelf.
The worst bit of the estate is not something he could see but something that he could feel. No matter where he stepped there was this sensation of fear and terror echoing through the estate.
'This place should be burned down.' Danny thought as he turned a corner.
"Who are you?" the black servant asked in a confused tone.
"Do not worry. You are in no danger I just am in need of some directions." Danny said as he froze the man and looked into his mind to find which room the daughters stayed in.
"What are you going to do to me?" Maurice asked.
It turns out that this servant is sleeping with the youngest daughter Marie Louise Pauline LaLaurie and was afraid of anyone finding out. He was probably right to have been scared given the rumors about her mother.
"Do not worry. You are not the one that I am after." Danny said as he hypnotized the man to go to his rooms and sleep.
He knew where to go now. The girls slept in separate rooms on the third floor. Lady Lalaurie and her husband Louis slept on the second floor but like most nobles at this time she and her husband slept in different rooms. If everything went right neither her husband or her servants should realize something is amiss until after the sun rose and they realized she is not about.
He turns intangible and flies to the third floor. He creates two more duplicates for the other sisters and walks down the hall to the end where Marie-Borja Delphine slept. She is the oldest child of Lady Lalaurie and her husband from a previous marriage. She is the one that spends the most time with her mother so that made her invaluable to the quest.
He walked through her door and found her asleep. He walked to the bed and put his hand on top of hers connecting their minds and allowing him to enter her dreams. He found himself in a picnic setting where Marie-Borja is sitting on a blanket with Gaston. Another sign that the people of this city lacked taste. While he watched her, he went through her memories to find what he needed.
When he was ready, he waved his hand causing Gaston to vanish.
"Hello." Danny said as he waved at her and walked up the flowery hill.
"Who are you?" Marie-Borja asked tense and wary.
"Think of me as a friendly visitor Marie-Borja. I am here to talk to you." Danny said.
"Most people call me Borquita." Marie-Borja said.
"I did not want to appear to formal but alright I will call you it as well." Danny said.
"Why are you here?" Borquita asked.
"I have been called to deal with your mother." Danny said.
"You are going to get rid of her?" Borquita asked.
She seemed really happy about it. Looking deeper he learned that she had been thinking of going to her sisters and coming up with a plan to kill their mother for her abuse. Her daughters it seemed had low self-esteem because of the way that she abused them. She constantly belittled their appearances and their hobbies, had them starved when they wronged her, threatened them with her special room, and at best scared away the men that approached them for marriage. Everything had to be done her way and if she did not get her way, she would get violent. Apparently when they were younger their mother had been kind to them but as they got older, she grew colder with them.
"Yes. She has hurt too many people and now she is going to pay." Danny said.
"Thank you." Borquita said as she broke down in tears.
"You have no need to worry. When you wake up in the morning you and your sisters will be free." Danny said as he sat in front of her. He still had some questions and wanted to hear it from herself.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"Hello Lady Lalaurie." Danny said as he turned visible behind her as she applied her makeup to her face while looking into her mirror.
He had been sitting in this room waiting for her to arrive for an hour. The passage of time was made worse because of the fact he knew what she was probably doing.
He watched as she shrieked in surprise and tried to move away from him and closer to the door.
He could see why the people in Gardenia did not like their noblewoman. Marie Delphine Lalurie is not an attractive woman. Physically she is rather short and sticky. Her red dress with all its frills made her look like a walking meatball. Her cheeks were fat like she had stuffed them even though they had no bad as she looked Physically her personality is worse. According to her daughter she is cruel and controlling.
It made him curious as to why it happened and so Borquita told him their family history. Lady Lalaurie when she had still been Lady Delphine had been a rather lowly noble with only a few acres of land to her name. Her wealth began with her marriage to the Spanish merchant Rodrigo. He died during a raid by bandits when on a sale. She then married another French noble named Louis Lalurie. They were happy for a time but then he found himself bored by his wife and found that he preferred his female servants.
He is currently sleeping with a black servant named Sally. It seems that he and his daughters had lots in common.
"Don't bother trying to run I have made it so that those doors are not going to open even if cannon balls are fired at them." Danny said to the serial killer.
"Who are you?" Lady Lalaurie asked.
"I am the vengeance of those that you have abused made manifest." Danny said.
"What do you mean?" Lady Lalaurie asked.
"You have hurt many people in your quest for beauty and I have come to avenge them." Danny said looking at the powders and makeup at the desk.
Most of it is made of simples crushed berries and herbs. Things that many women at this time period would buy. The important thing about them though was the fact that the major ingredient involved is human blood. As her husband started sleeping with other women it made her paranoid about her looks. She wanted to be beautiful and somehow gained the belief that she could gain those results if she used human blood in her make up. She forced her daughter Borquita to help her as she tortured and killed the people she smuggled into the country.
"You are out of your mind." Lady Lalaurie said.
"No, I am perfectly sane. You have broken many laws that are punishable with death and so I have come to deliver your sentence." Danny said.
"You have no proof to your accusations. Do you know who I am?" Lady Lalaurie asked.
"Yes, I know who you are and what you have done. I have heard tales of what you have done to your daughters." Danny said.
"None of my girls would ever talk to you." Lady Lalaurie said.
"I think that your daughters are rather sensible, and they were more than willing to talk once they realized that I was fully capable of making sure you did not live to terrorize them another day." Danny said.
They wanted freedom from their mother to finally be able to love those that they wanted without the fear of their mother taking them to her special room.
"What did you do to them?" Lady Lalaurie asked.
"I think it is too late to act like you care about them." Danny said as he conjured images above him.
They projected images were of Lady Lalaurie's daughters cowering in terror as their mother held a tray of sharp blades in front of her. Those images are the fears that he found deep in their minds. They would need years of therapy but unfortunately the profession did not exist on this planet.
"I do care about my children and no matter what trick you use is going to convince me otherwise demon." Lady Lalaurie said.
"I do not need to convince you. I am here to punish you." Danny said as he apported the needle into his hand.
"What is that?" Lady Lalaurie asked him while backing away in fear.
"Just a simple concoction. You like those." Danny said as he caused the needle to levitate in the air.
"Keep that away from me." Lady Lalaurie said trying to stay as far away from the needle as possible.
She went close to her bed and pulled put a knife.
"Do not worry. It will be a lot less painful an ending than you deserve." Danny said.
"Let me at least say goodbye to my daughters." Lady Lalaurie pleaded.
"You have no need to worry. The moment they learn what has happened to you they will cry with happiness." Danny said as he caused the blade to fall away and the needle to fly into her neck and inject her.
"What is going to happen to me?" Lady Lalaurie asked horrified as she moved to touch the needle.
"When you fall asleep you are going to pass into a long dream. A dream that you will never wake up from." Danny said.
The injection would take an hour to stop her heart but as far as anyone that might be concerned it would seem as if she had just passed away in her sleep. For a woman of her age, it was not unbelievable.
"You will pay for this." Lady Lalaurie said as she rushed to pick up her weapon.
"Just let the concoction take you." Danny said as he teleported in front of her and tapped her on the forehead.
He watched as she fell backwards to the floor unconscious.
0-0-0-0-0-0
"So, is it done?" Queen Catherine asked.
"Yes, Lady Lalaurie was guilty, and she has been dealt with." Danny said to the hologram.
"Thank you." Queen Catherine said.
"The task only took a few hours." Danny said.
"Where are you?" Queen Catherine asked.
"I am in a room in the Lalaurie estate." Danny said.
"Is something the matter? Have you been found out?" Queen Catherine asked.
"No. I was just waiting for you to wake up s I could inform you of my progress. This was a good enough place as any." Danny said.
"Alright I just want to thank you again for being subtle." Queen Catherine said.
"It was no trouble at all." Danny said as he ended the conversation and turned to the two witches behind him.
"So, what are you going to do next?" Qetsiyah asked.
"I am going to back to Nottingham to deal with Jeremy and whatever he is planning." Danny said.
"We have been listening into what he is preparing, and we believe that we have an idea of his scheme." Patty said.
"What is it?" Danny asked.
"He plans on tricking Piper into taking part in a dark wedding." Qetsiyah said.
"I doubt that is just a wedding where the husband and wife to be just wear dark clothes or happens at night." Danny said with a smile.
"You treat it as a joke, but it is very serious. A dark wedding is a ritual where a dark witch and their partner have their powers amplified and their negative emotions enhanced. Afterwards they move towards a future where they can act out their evil desires together and bring pain and misery to the world." Qetsiyah said.
"Do you think that they will keep Prue and Phoebe alive?" Danny asked.
"The chances are very low. If they do survive Piper's marriage any path available will be dark and full of suffering." Qetsiyah said.
"What does Jeremy need to do this?" Danny asked.
"Jeremy will need a dark witch trained as a priestess, five Cimerafflesia plants that each take a month to row soaked in the blood of innocent men, and ten torches wrapped by each participant that are then lit by a dark flame."
"It sounds serious but why is he going to all this effort?" Danny asked.
"Jeremy is probably thinking if he can corrupt her and marry her, he can add the family magic to their power. Once Piper is turned to evil, she can lead him and his brothers to their coven's grimoire. All those spells their ancestors had written inside of it would be warped the moment Piper placed her hands on it." Qetsiyah said.
"Are there any of these dark priestesses in the country or on their way?" Danny asked wondering what he should be looking out for. "If I could kill the priestess, then it would probably set their plans back."
"No, it seems that he and his brothers are still looking for one that they can trust to not betray them during the ceremony." Qetsiyah said.
"Alright then we have more than enough time to prevent this." Danny said.