Chapter 24!!
Jul. 24th, 2008 12:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
faded_laceChapter: 24
Claimer: Ours!
Rating: R for death ;
Warnings: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. BL, angst, language, etc.
Beta:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wearenotaskitz
Second to last chapter!! Also shortest chapter XD;;
Lucette hurried down the hall to the Queen’s living quarters, where Her Majesty was dressing for high tea with Alice Johnston. She had a letter clenched in her hands, and she hurried to knock before slipping inside, taking advantage of the special permission Cecile always granted her. “Sorry to disturb you, My Lady,” Lucette said quickly with a deep bow, a little bit out of breath after rushing to get to the Queen’s side. “We’ve just received an urgent letter from the Allemagneian Ambassador, and he’s sent his son, Captain Julian Kaiser, to meet with about an issue of national security.”
Cecile turned away from the mirror, blinking at Lucette. "National security? Oh, dear...I suppose that means I ought to meet with him... I hope it's nothing too serious..." What with all the troubles that she was dealing with, Cecile really didn't want to have to face another problem, but she couldn't just ignore it, either... "But I was supposed to have tea with Alice," she sighed, pouting. "I guess I'll have to tell her I'm busy... Where am I to meet this... Captain Kaiser, was it?"
“Captain Kaiser and a small party are waiting for you in the throne room, Your Majesty,” Lucette replied with another little bow and a small smile. “Don’t worry, Highness, I’ll sit with Miss Johnston until you’ve finished your meeting.” No one could complain about waiting for the Queen—not even Alice, in spite of how important to Cecile she fancied herself to be. Lucette still wasn’t entirely fond of the Queen’s friend, but she didn’t mind entertaining her as long as Cecile needed her to. It was her job, after all, to stand in for the Queen when she had other matters to attend to. “I…I hadn’t heard of any problems with Allemagne, My Lady, so I can’t imagine that this could be all that serious. We would have heard earlier, I think.” Lucette assured with another soft smile.
"Oh, will you, Lucy? You're lovely," Cecile replied with a relieved smile. "You're really the best." Adjusting a stray curl one last time, she hurried over to Lucette's side, taking her arm and placing an appreciative peck on her cheek. "Come on, let's get going! The sooner I get done with boring things, the better, and then we can have tea together." She smiled brightly at her best friend, pulling her out the door. "So let's hurry!"
“Yes, all right!” Lucette nodded eagerly. Tea with Cecile was perhaps her favorite activity. Hopefully she would be finished with her meeting soon, so that they could enjoy it together. Together, they made their way back down the hall and to the third grand staircase, which they descended, lightheartedly discussing clothing, tea, and sweets. Lucette walked with Cecile to the back entrance of the throne room and bowed low, smiling sweetly. “Have a good meeting, My Lady, and I’ll see you soon for tea.”
"Okay, don't eat all the cakes without me!" Cecile teased, grinning. "I'll hurry, so we can spend as much time together as possible!" And with a final smile, she turned, entering the throne room.
Once she had situated herself on her throne, arranging her skirts and her hair and whatnot else, she motioned for her guests to be shown in. The doors were opened, and she surveyed the visitors as they entered, wondering what this could possibly be about. A pale brunette man led the way, and she assumed him to be Captain Kaiser; she may or may not have remembered him from some meeting at some point. Following him was a tall woman with long, blond hair, then a dark man, who was obviously foreign, and lastly, a slight, pale blonde who didn't seem like he ought to be in the military. All wore officers' uniforms, and Cecile wondered if this was military business. Smiling graciously, she nodded to each. "Welcome. Captain Kaiser, I presume?" she asked of the brunette, and when he nodded, she continued. "Please inform me of this issue of national security."
Julian bowed deeply, obeying the formalities of a Royal audience perfectly, and hoping Dragomir behind him had the sense to copy his every move. “Your Highness, today I come before you not representing my father or his country Allemagne, but as your loyal and devoted subject.” Julian bowed again sweepingly, having practiced and recited his every action and each sentence tirelessly in front of a mirror. “The issue, I’m afraid, is not of national security per say, but rather of your own personal safety. We have reason to believe that there is a plot against you, my liege.”
Faustino pressed his body against the wall as, just a few feet away, servants and important persons alike walked by. He fingered the gun at his hip, a brand new pistol that Donavan had just gotten him as a gift for this specific event. After all, he had to have the best for this job; this was the most important kill he was yet to attempt. A few minutes from now, hopefully, he would murder the Queen of Gallia.
Holding his breath, he waited until the hallways cleared, then darted out and into the next corridor. For the past few weeks, Donavan had been telling him how much he hated the queen, and Faustino had grown to hate her more and more, too, until finally, he volunteered to go and kill her. Donavan hadn't wanted him to at first, for his own safety of course, but Faustino had talked him into it, and so Donavan had, through his amazing ways, found out where the queen was going to be at a certain time on a certain day, and so now, Faustino was here, about to do the deed.
Hurrying down the corridor, Faustino saw the door, the door behind which was the queen, he was sure. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself. He had studied the maps of the palace, scrutinized the photos of the queen, practiced his aim more than ever before, and he would do this, would do this right. He would make Donavan happy.
Throwing the door open, he only took two steps inside before firing two shots straight into the back of her head. He only waited to see her fall forward before taking off as the stunned guards started off after him. Racing down the hall, he fired over his shoulder at the guards, taking out one as he ran. The other was gaining on him, however, and he didn't know what to do but to turn and take aim, killing the man just before he was within reach. Now, however, people were noticing the commotion and coming into the hallway, and, growing frightened, Faustino ran again. He couldn't get caught, he had to get out... but with all the guards all the people, all of a sudden, he was scared.
Dragomir looked as the sound of two gun shots rang out in the hall outside. As two more shots were fired in short succession, he abandoned his efforts to remain polite. After all, even Julian had stopped speaking, and was now looking around the room bewilderedly. Dragomir wasn’t positive, but he thought he had a good idea of what was going on.
“What happened?” Julian asked looking from the Queen then back to Niles and the Lt. Colonel, and then finally back at Dragomir, panicked. Then, he seemed to put things together in his mind and his hand flew to his mouth. “Do you think this is it? Are they—was that—?”
“I don’t know what else it could be.” Dragomir said gruffly, taking Niles by the hand instinctively, while his other hand went to his side for his pistol. “You’re not hurt are you, Your Majesty?”
Corinne tensed, looking around. There were a lot of footsteps out in the hallways now, and the sounds of chaos. "Hirlea!" she ordered, making a split-second decision. "Take Kaiser and Christian out to see what's going on and try to get things under control- I trust you know what you're doing." Moving towards the throne, she extended her arm to the queen, suddenly more of a frightened child. "Your majesty—I'll take care of you."
Cecile stared, terrified, at the men around her, then to the Lt. Colonel. What was going on? Was this another assassination attempt? Was Lucette all right? A dozen questions ran through her head at once, but, slowly, she nodded, taking the other woman's hand.
Corinne nodded. "Hirlea, you're in command. I'll catch up with you later!" Taking the queen's hand, she pulled her close, so as to more easily protect her. "Your majesty, is there anywhere I can take you where you wouldn't be easily found-- somewhere hidden?"
Cecile nodded rapidly, still frightened. "F-follow me..." Hurrying, she led the Lt. Colonel through a few rooms into a small study. Pushing on one side of the book case, it swiveled on a turn-table and revealed a secret room, small but large enough. Corinne nodded, ushering the queen inside before beginning to close the door behind her. "I'll be back. I'm going to go see what happened," she explained softly before setting off. She didn't have time to think, she only knew one thing: she had to figure out what was going on.
Dragomir, along with several other frightened-looking palace officials, had all just ventured out into the hall when the Lt. Colonel returned. Dragomir nodded to her quickly before turning to the scattered aristocrats who’d been roused out of their daily routines by the sudden commotion. “All of you need to stay where you are. Lock your doors and don’t let anyone come in!” They all nodded hastily, not even staying to ask questions, which was a relief. A second later, a group of four palace guards rushed passed them, and, giving Niles’s hand a quick squeeze, Dragomir took off after them, assuming they knew best where everything was taking place.
“Are-are you sure it’s wise to just charge in like this!?” Julian asked, sounding terrified, as he ran after them.
“What else are we supposed to do?” Dragomir called over his shoulder at him. They had to catch that little boy—the assassin—and if Donavan was inside as well, Dragomir would find him and kill him. They had to put a stop to the Commandant’s plan, some way or another.
Donavan adjusted and readjusted his palace guard uniform several times in between intervals of staring at his pocket watch. A few minutes ago, Faustino had been a little late. Right now, he was late. In a few more minutes, he’d be very late. The question was: how late did he have to be for Donavan to start worrying? The fact was: Donavan was already worried.
Donavan took out his watch once more and looked at the hands. Ten minutes. That counted as late enough. He put it away hurriedly and dashed towards the entrance; other guards were already pouring inside, so he was able to slip inside easily without drawing any attention to himself.
Inside, everything was in disarray; the guards had no idea where to go, what had happened, or what to do, they only knew that something was wrong. Luckily, Donavan knew exactly where to go, because he knew exactly where the Queen was, and where Faustino should have pulled the trigger.
Dragomir slowed his run as the guards ahead of them, too, slowed. There were eight or so all crowded around a doorway, and a little further down the hall, Dragomir could see three more of them kneeling over the body of a fellow palace guard. He had a feeling it was the work of Donavan’s child-assassin, and he pushed through the crowd of guards so that he could see inside the room.
It was staged as an extravagant tea room, the likes of which Dragomir had never seen before, and, seated at the head of the table was the Queen—slumped over the table, resting in a pool of blood that was slowly seeping through the table cloth. Dragomir paused, mid-observation, catching himself. This wasn’t the Queen—the Queen was still safe in the throne room—this must have been her double. Her back was to them, however, so it was quite possible that the Esparanza boy hadn’t known who it was he’d shot, and that was the way they wanted to keep it. Luckily, none of the guards had dared go inside the room, and the body had not been disturbed.
Corinne raced after Hirlea, who appeared to be dragging Christian a lot faster than his small legs would normally have been able to carry him, with Kaiser trailing after, until they reached a tea room, with a corpse laying in a pool of blood. It must have been the queen's double, Corinne realized, and she alerted the nearest guard. "In the queen's absence, who is in charge?" The guard pointed her in the direction of another man, who she approached quickly, thinking fast. "Sir, I am Lt. Colonel Corinne Delancey, with the military, and in light of the emergency, for the queen's safety, so that any further assassination attempt is avoided, I would ask you not to release that it was not indeed the queen herself who was murdered." After all, the boy might come back if he knew he hadn't killed the real queen, and besides, it would be an easy way to ensnare the General Commandant. If he thought the queen was dead, he would make his move, and then she could catch him in it.
After settling those matters, she turned back to her subordinates. "Hirlea, Christian, Kaiser, go after the boy. I'll be protecting her Highness." With a final nod, she returned to the secret room, finding the queen huddled in a corner, a frightened look in her eyes.
"What... what happened...?" she asked, seeming as if she were on the verge of tears.
"Your Highness... Please, call me Corinne, and don't be afraid. I promise, I will do everything in my power to protect you."
The queen's expression softened, and she looked almost piteous. Corinne had never realized how young she was, she really was still a child. "Th... thank you, Corinne."
Corinne nodded. "Now, Your Highness... it seems your double has been assassinated, but please--"
The colour drained from the queen's face, and she stood hurriedly. "No! Lucette?!" she shrieked. "I have to go--"
"No," Corinne replied sternly, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Your double died to protect you... don't make her sacrifice go to waste."
The queen looked back at her for a moment, then collapsed forward in tears. Corinne's expression softened, and she held the poor girl close. "Shh... don't cry... everything will be all right, and I'll protect you." That she would be sure, she would make sure the queen was safe. It was her duty.
Faustino raced through the corridors, now confused as to where he was. There were more and more guards on his tail now, and he didn't know how to escape. Terrified, he desperately wished Donavan would show up to save him, just like Donavan always did. But at least, even if something terrible happened to him, he had killed the queen, he had helped Donavan, and that one thought kept him running as fast as he could.
After the Lt. Colonel left, Dragomir, Niles, and Julian only waited by the tea room a moment longer while the head guard barked orders to his men to lock and seal the tea room. Everyone seemed bewildered and confused, because, Dragomir realized, everyone thought it really was the Queen who’d been assassinated. And that was exactly how it was best to keep it. Only the most important people needed to know that the real Queen was in an impromptu meeting when the attack took place.
Donavan made his way to the tea room just in time to glimpse the Queen’s body before a guard shut and latched the door firmly. The area around the room was filled with palace personnel—mostly panicked guards and one official, who, oddly enough, seemed very calm, considering. Probably, he was putting on an act to try and keep control. A commendable effort. But obviously, Faustino had long since fled the scene, so there was no reason for Donavan to stick around any longer. He slipped through the crowd once again, and, as soon as he was through and past the first of the dead guards, he bolted, hoping that by some chance, he would find Faustino before any of the guards caught up with him.
The corridors through the palace were seemingly endless, and there were any number of ways that the Esparanza boy could have gone. Dragomir didn’t know how familiar with the palace the kid was, but he himself had absolutely no idea where he’d led Niles and Julian, or if they were even going in the right direction any more. Two guards had followed them, and Dragomir began to slow his pace as the hall they were currently running through was about to come to an end. They could either go right or left, and he hoped one of the guards would have an idea about which way was best to head.
Then, just as they were coming to a stop, Dragomir heard footsteps coming towards them from the passage on the right. “Julian!” Dragomir gasped to alert him; he was right by the threshold, right where the two hallways intersected, and with any luck, Julian would be able to stop whoever was coming through.
Julian looked back at him, startled, and missed his chance; Esparanza pushed past him hurriedly, evidently too frightened of the five guards on his tail to have even noticed the people blocking his path. At the contact, Julian spun back around, lunging forward and missing; however, the boy’s brief collision with Julian’s leg slowed him down just enough so that Niles was able to grab him by the arm, pulling him towards himself quickly.
Donavan fired five shots in quick succession and made five successful kills; finally he’d caught up with Faustino and his pressures. It wasn’t until after the guards fell that Donavan realized he was too late. Up ahead, Faustino had stopped running and was struggling fiercely in the grasp of none other than Christian. Stunned, Donavan came to a halt abruptly, even as he spotted Dragomir launch himself from around the corner, charging full speed toward him, pistol in hand. Donavan could have taken Dragomir out right then and there, could have put an end to the five years of anguish he’d caused him, but at that moment, Donavan wasn’t thinking about anyone aside from Faustino. He took aim carefully, briefly thinking back to the first time he and Faustino had been together, and how Christian shot him in the head. Donavan narrowed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Christian would die and Faustino would escape. He would deal with Dragomir once he was sure Faustino had gotten away.
Julian heard the gunshots, saw Dragomir take off running, and thought instantly of Niles. Everything seemed to have slowed down, and everything seemed clear to him suddenly. He had to move. He had to get in front of Niles. He jumped, throwing his arms out defensively, and saw Donavan D’Aubigne a little ways down the hall with a pistol held out in front of him. Julian was just about to wonder whether or not he’d yet fired, when he felt something cool and sharp plunge into his chest. Then, he registered the sound of the sixth gunshot, and things sped up again as he fell to the floor and everything continued around him, like nothing had happened. No, nothing had happened, because he’d taken a bullet that had been meant for Niles and his word—the world that revolved around Niles—could continue as always. Julian didn’t care what happened to him. Niles was safe. Julian would make it; everything was all right, as long as Niles was safe.
Faustino's heart skipped a beat when he saw Donavan, and in the distraction he caused, Faustino managed to struggle out of Christian's grasp and bolt down the hallway, glancing back over his shoulder to see Donavan one last time. However, when he turned to face in the direction he was going again, he realized he had run headlong into a guard, who grabbed him by the arm and hit him over the head with the back of his gun. Before he even knew what had hit him, the world was going black around the edges, and then he couldn't see anymore...
Niles didn't realize what was going on until Dragomir was gone after Donavan, and Julian had fallen to the ground, blood flowing from a wound in his chest. It took a moment to sink in, but then, all of a sudden, Niles realized what was going on.
"Julian!" he shrieked, dropping to his knees as tears formed, and, unhindered, began to flow down his cheeks. Taking Julian into his arms, he held him close, looking into his eyes. "Julian, hold on, we'll get you a doctor... Oh god, Julian..." Choking, the tears came harder, and Niles couldn't find words, and it really hit him: Julian had taken a bullet for him. Julian had saved him. "Oh, Julian, why? You shouldn't have-- I'll make sure you get better..." He vaguely heard one of the guards behind him call to have a doctor sent, and though Niles was glad, he barely heard-- all of his attention was on Julian. "Thank you, Julian... but why...?"
Feebly, Julian lifted an arm to grasp Niles’s sleeve and looked up into his eyes through the haze that had come over his own vision. “Y-you don’t know?” Julian tried to laugh, and felt blood from his lungs come up into his throat and coughed, trying to swallow it back. He didn’t want to appear as hurt as he knew he was to Niles… Now…now that he thought about it…Julian knew he really wasn’t doing that well… He glanced down away from Niles for a moment as his other hand made its way to the small hole on the right side of his chest where he felt hot blood oozing from the entry wound that had shattered one of his ribs. Julian looked away quickly, back up at Niles, not wanting to think about his injury. Not now. Not when he was starting to feel like his time with Niles was very limited… “Niles… I had to.” Julian managed to smile, and quickly swallowed again, forcing the blood to stay out of his mouth. The taste of it was enough to make him sick, and he knew it would disgust Niles… “Be-because,” Julian coughed again, and wondered if now really was an appropriate time to tell Niles how he felt… But then, maybe there was no other time? “Because I love you.” Julian smiled again and let go of Niles’s sleeve, reaching up to touch his face gently and wiping back the tears. “Don’t cry… I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you… Don’t cry for me, Niles.”
Niles' eyes widened, and, slowly, he placed his hand over Julian's on his cheek, staring disbelievingly back into his eyes. "You... you what?" He couldn't believe this, he couldn't understand it. How could Julian...? Julian was his best friend! Julian had always been so kind to him... but then again, Julian hadn't ever been so kind to Dragomir... and now that he thought about it... it all made sense...but... "But... no... how could you... why?" Niles' tears came faster now, and he clutched Julian's hand in his own, shaking. "How could you... Why would you... love me?" But that didn't matter, did it? Julian was-- no, he wasn't going to, Niles told himself, but there was a chance... He couldn't waste time worrying about it. "You're going to be okay, Julian," he assured, holding Julian close to him, "I'm here for you... oh, god, Julian..."
Julian let his eyes fall closed. His eyelids felt so heavy…it was a relief to shut them. But…he wanted to look at Niles… They hadn’t ever been this close before—it had been so long since they’d had any time together without Dragomir—Julian didn’t want it to end. He didn’t want to let go…not yet…but he could feel himself slipping… At least he’d told Niles. Julian hadn’t really gotten the reaction he’d expected but really…the circumstances were very unusual. He would never have guessed he’d make his first love confession on the brink of his own death…because he knew now that that was what was happening to him. “Niles… I think I’m dying… Stay with me?”
"No, no, no, you're not dying," Niles insisted shakily, shaking his head violently, though he had a feeling he was only trying to convince himself. "Oh, Julian..." Swallowing and trying to get a hold of himself, he looked into Julian's eyes, feeling so guilty all of a sudden, for being so cruel, so inconsiderate of the feelings of which he was oblivious. He cared so much about Julian, his first friend, his best friend... He hardly knew what to do, now that he was forced to come to terms with the truth, that Julian was dying... holding him tightly, looking into his eyes, Niles was all of a sudden overcome with emotion, and, without warning, pressed his lips to Julian's squeezing his eyes shut, kissing him desperately, passionately. It was true, he would never love Julian the way Julian wanted him to, but he still loved him as the best friend he could ever ask for, and he wanted to show it, to prove it before he lost best friend forever.
Surprised, Julian opened his eyes as Niles pressed a kiss to his lips, tensing momentarily before relaxing and kissing back with everything he had left. Julian felt hot tears spill from his eyes, and he clamped them shut tightly, not wanting Niles to see… He didn’t want Niles to know that he was afraid… But the kiss…the kiss from Niles made everything he’d done for Niles, all the effort he’d put into trying to be with Niles…It made everything worthwhile. Still, Julian knew Niles didn’t love him, and he knew he could accept it. Everything seemed much easier to simply take as it was now that…now that he knew he didn’t have much time left.
He didn't want to, he wanted to keep pretending that everything was going to be okay, but finally, softly, tenderly, Niles drew away, his lips lingering against Julian's as he looked desperately into his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, shaking his head, "I'm so, so sorry..." Holding tightly to Julian's hand, Niles held him close, not knowing what else to do but to be there with him until... But it was too much, it was just too much, and Niles shook his head. "Don't leave me, Julian! I need you, don't leave me... Please... you saved my life, Julian... I need you... don't leave me..."
“Niles…” Julian smiled. He’d always wanted to feel wanted, he’d always longed for Niles to need him…but not now, not like this. No, Julian needed to assure Niles that everything would be all right…that Niles would be perfectly fine without him. “Niles… You don’t need me… You…you have Dragomir. And I know he loves you…” Julian looked away for a moment and struggled to catch his breath. It was getting harder and harder to breathe now, and every gasp he took rattled painfully. “You have so much to live for. Please don’t miss me… I’m so glad I was able to save you…I love you… Thank you….” Julian closed his eyes once more and coughed; this time the blood came up and he couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t hold back his tears any more, either, and they fell freely as he once again struggled to lift his head and look up at Niles. “The fact that I could save you…it means everything to me…because I love you…” Julian fell back into Niles’s arms and closed his eyes again. He didn’t have the strength to move any more. At least…at least there was no pain…at least not like what he’d always imagined… He didn’t think he could speak any more…he felt like he was choking…suffocating…but it still didn’t hurt. It was more like falling asleep…
Niles felt Julian go limp in his arms, and his eyes widened with fear. "Julian!" he cried, but it was too late, Julian was gone, his eyes softly shut, as if he were asleep. Niles wished he could pretend, wished desperately, but he knew the truth, he knew that Julian had died for him, and the weight was too much for him to bear. The guilt of not knowing Julian's feelings for him, of being so unintentionally cruel, weighed him down, clenched at his heart. Doubling over, clutching Julian's body to him, as if he could keep it warm, he sobbed wretchedly, trembling with emotion. There were bloody fingerprints on his face from Julian's hand, he knew, and blood all over his clothes and hands, but he didn't care. His best friend was dead, had died for him, and right now, nothing else could possibly matter.
Dragomir saw Donavan fire, but charged on anyway, assuming the shot was meant for him. It didn’t hit him, and he didn’t look back; Donavan was out of bullets and was running now. This was his chance. He had to catch Donavan at all costs. Dragomir slowed his pace slightly, taking aim and firing just a second too late as Donavan turned a sharp corner, heading down an unfamiliar corridor out of sight. Dragomir cursed loudly and sped up again, running as fast as he could to try and catch up. Donavan was about forty paces ahead of him however, and even if he could stay on his tail, he didn’t think he would be able to catch him. There was a possibility that his shot had hit him, however, because he hadn’t seen any spent bullets when he turned the corner.
Dragomir caught sight of Donavan further ahead, making another random turn in an effort to lose his pursuer, and Dragomir put on another burst of speed. However, by the time he got to where he’d last seen Donavan, he had already disappeared. Dragomir’s trail was cold, and there was no way he could even hope to find him in a castle as massive as the royal palace. They had Esparanza, though, and the Queen was safe. They’d stopped the Commandant. They’d won. Now he just needed to find his way back to Niles…
Donavan didn’t allow himself to stop running, not even when one of Dragomir’s bullets ripped through his left arm; he may have shot Christian, be he knew that in the long run, he’d failed to rescue Faustino. Even so, if he escaped now, there was still a chance he could get Faustino out, one way or another. He needed to get out of the palace as fast as possible and get to where he would meet Algernon and Perceval to report. The Queen was dead, but without Faustino safely by his side, it hardly felt like a victory. Still, with the Queen gone, Algernon was in charge, and Donavan knew he would help him. Algernon could do something to save Faustino, and if he refused, Donavan would do it on his own.
Down the hall quite a distance from where he was, Dragomir could just make out the figure of Niles, sitting on the floor, bent over something. As Dragomir got closer, he realized it was a body, and quickly picked up his pace, waving and calling to Niles, who did not respond. Dragomir couldn’t see Julian, and hoped he’d gone for help. Even from his current distance, the dark pool that surrounded Niles was unmistakably blood. “Niles!” Dragomir called. Perhaps one of the guards Donavan shot earlier was alive, perhaps Niles was trying to help him—Dragomir’s mind was racing and his heart was pounding; somehow, he knew something was wrong.
Then, as he neared, Dragomir realized that the body in Niles’s arms was dressed in a military uniform. Julian. Dragomir ran even faster, calling out to Niles once again in panic and dropping to his knees beside him. “Niles! Oh god, Julian, is he—” Dragomir knew before he’d even started the question, and stopped, unable to finish it, gaping as he realized that Donavan’s bullet hadn’t been meant for him, but rather for Niles, and Julian had taken it.
Niles didn't look up at Dragomir, remaining bent over Julian, holding onto his lifeless body. He felt crushed, empty, and overwhelmingly guilty, and it seemed as if nothing was worthwhile now. Crying hopelessly into Julian's chest, he was still shaking, and though he knew that Dragomir was speaking to him, he couldn't bring himself to care. Not only had Julian been torn from him so terribly, but Julian had died for him, even after how terrible Niles had been to him in his stupid ignorance. Not looking up, he sniffed, his voice cracking as he finally spoke. "He died for me, Dragomir... He took a bullet for me." Slowly, he began to look up, though he was still clutching Julian's body close to him. "...he told me he loved me. I... I didn't know...He was in love with me, and I didn't know..."
Dragomir nodded, looking down. He still couldn’t really believe it—didn’t want to believe that Julian was dead. Gone forever…. The two of them had never gotten along, but that didn’t mean… Dragomir felt terrible. He’d failed; Donavan had shot at Niles, and if Julian hadn’t taken the bullet…Niles would be the one… He should have known. Dragomir should have known that Donavan would try and help his man escape…it was just so unlike Donavan, the thought hadn’t even crossed Dragomir’s mind at the time. But still. He shouldn’t have left, and he should have at least been able to avenge Julian’s death with Donavan’s.
Dragomir looked at the body, at Julian, and thanked him internally for protecting Niles when he couldn’t. Wherever Julian was…Dragomir hoped he knew how grateful he was, and that, in spite of everything, that he would miss him. Dragomir then wiped back the tears that were threatening to fall and looked up at Niles once again. “Are you hurt at all, Niles…?” Dragomir asked quietly, reaching forward and gently taking Niles’s hand from Julian’s. “We should…let the Lt. Colonel know what happened…”
"No--!" Niles cried, pulling his hand back, clutching Julian's body against him, almost defensively. Tears were still streaming down his face, his mind was in a hazy, chaotic mess. "Dragomir... he was in love with me... Even after I was always so cruel to him... I never knew, and he still... he..." Looking up at Dragomir, Niles suddenly realized something, and he pulled Julian's body closer, asking, "Dragomir... you... you knew. Why didn't you tell me? The whole time, I didn't know, I was so cruel to him... Why didn't you tell me?!" He was getting hysterical again, and his tears came harder again until they became sobs, shaking his body as he bent over the body again, his grip not slackening in the slightest.
Dragomir looked away, pulling his hand back and biting his lip. “I didn’t say anything for the same reason Julian waited to tell you…” Dragomir sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was…hard for him to talk about this now… “I think…we both thought that it wouldn’t really change anything if you knew.” Dragomir looked back at Niles, unsure of what, if anything, there was really anything he could do or say to help him… “He knew you didn’t love him back…”
Niles shook his head violently. "It doesn't matter! If I knew-- if I knew, I wouldn't have been so... I could have been kinder... I could have been... but now he's..." He coughed violently, choking on his tears and pulling Julian's body closer to him. "What am I going to do, Dragomir? What am I going to do? Julian...he..." Though he was still devastated, Niles was beginning to regain some of his clarity of mind, and he knew he had to come to terms with the fact that Julian was dead. Still, he couldn't bear to let go of his body, and so he held on tighter, once again doubling over him.
Dragomir moved closer to Niles and gently put his arms around him, sniffing back his own tears. “There…there really isn’t much that you can do…” Dragomir looked away from Julian, into Niles’s eyes. “You can only accept what’s happened and be grateful…and trust that Julian did what he did because he really and truly wanted you to live.” The tears fell, finally, but Dragomir continued anyway. “Niles!” he gasped, squeezing Niles tightly. “If…if he hadn’t…I’m so glad you’re all right! And I’m… I’m sorry I wasn’t here for both of you when… I’m sorry I let this happen.”
Niles nodded slowly, tears slowing a little. "I... Because Julian... he... I'm fine, thanks to Julian." He looked up into Dragomir's eyes pitifully, slowly sitting up, slowly releasing his grip on Julian’s body. Pressing a soft kiss to Julian's lips one last time, he looked back to Dragomir. "Will you... will you carry him, Dragomir? Please, you have to promise me you'll make sure his body is taken care of... I don't want anything to happen to him..." But even as he was saying it, his head was beginning to spin; now that he was upright, and so dehydrated from crying... His vision blurred and faded, and he struggled to see Dragomir around the white spots. "Promise me, Dragomir... please..." he whispered before he could feel himself falling, and then nothing.
Dragomir caught Niles in his arms and tried to get a hold of himself. He needed to get back to the Lt. Colonel and let her know what had happened… He assumed that one of the guards caught Esparanza when Niles undoubtedly let go after Julian was hit, and Dragomir needed to double check that, too, and inform the guards that Donavan had been disguised as one of their men. But most of all, Dragomir needed to take care of Niles… Take him home, make sure he was really all right… Julian’s death…the plot against the Queen they were finally unraveling...it was all so much, but somehow, they would make it through… And Dragomir would always remember Julian’s sacrifice.
As gently as he could, Dragomir moved Niles over his shoulder, making sure he was safely draped as comfortably as possible before kneeling and taking Julian’s bloodied body into his arms. Draping Julian’s body similarly over his shoulder, Dragomir stood slowly and started back down the hall in the direction from which the three of them had initially come. It would be slow…but Niles made him promise.
Corinne nodded to the official to whom she was talking. "That's right, don't let anyone know that the Queen is alive. If you need to release any information, say that the double was injured and cannot see anyone because she is needs intensive medical care. That way, no further assassination attempts will be carried out. Does that make sense, sir?"
She was distracted from her conversation with palace officials when she noticed Hirlea walking towards her, two bodies over his shoulder. Tensing, she excused herself from the conversation, running towards him. "Hirlea! Oh, god, Hirlea, Christian and Kaiser... Are they both...?" If the boy had killed both of them... she didn't know what she would do.
“N-no,” Dragomir said quickly, a little out of breath. “Niles just fainted…” he looked down, unsure of whether or not he would be able to continue. “But Julian…” He looked back up at the Lt. Colonel and started to cry again, in spite of his efforts to hold himself together. “Julian…” He shook his head and looked back down. He couldn’t continue, and he was sure the Lt. Colonel knew already…
"Oh, god..." Corinne trailed, shaking her head. "Oh, god, Hirlea... what happened?" True, Corinne had never really known Kaiser, but she felt terrible all the same; she hated losing her men, and she knew Hirlea and Christian had been close to him. "Now that Esparanza's been caught, and I've gotten everything under control... oh, god, Hirlea, I'm so sorry."
“Donavan was here.” Dragomir grunted; he knew the Lt. Colonel could connect the dots. “He…he got away. I wasn’t there when…when Julian…” Dragomir bit his lip and looked back at his superior. “I promised Niles I would take care of his body…” Dragomir explained tearfully, kneeling and gently setting the body down, then moving to prop Niles up against the wall. Standing, Dragomir looked back at the Lt. Colonel, forcing his tears to stop. “Is…is there anything else you need me to do, sir?”
"I... I don't think so, Hirlea," Corinne replied softly. "Take care of Kaiser... and take Christian home. I imagine he needs you more than anything, right now." She smiled softly. "I'll have you alerted if I need you again. Until then... rest, and take care of Christian." Turning back from Hirlea, she headed back into the secret room. After all, even if he and Christian needed a break, she couldn't turn in yet. The queen was her responsibility, and she would stay with her until the Commandant was taken care of.
Using his teeth, Donavan managed to tie off his arm. It had just been a glancing shot, and Dragomir’s bullet had gone straight through; Donavan would recover, and in the meanwhile, he was far too upset to feel any pain. He’d barely even seen Faustino in the palace, he hadn’t been able to praise him on his kill; right now, he didn’t have Faustino with him, and he didn’t even have any idea where he was, or how he was doing. It was terrible, and Donavan was extremely distressed. He had to do something, he had to save Faustino as soon as possible.
Donavan withdrew the spare military uniform he’d kept for his collection of costumes and dressed quickly before selecting a wig and sitting down and rushing through his makeup. He looked and felt terrible, but at least he wouldn’t be recognized. As he made his way out of his manor hurriedly, he looked down to find that blood from his wound was soaking into his coat, but he didn’t have time to waste taking care of himself, not when Faustino would so soon be faced with the punishment for the high treason he’d committed.
Donavan arrived at the military building and slipped inside in a blur; if anyone had talked to him, he didn’t remember—he could only hope no one had been suspicious, and even if they had, he couldn’t be bothered right now. His mind was set. Donavan had to get to Algernon, because only Algernon could do something about Faustino. Donavan reached the heavy door of Algernon’s office and knocked several times rapidly, waiting anxiously to be let inside. After all Faustino had done for Algernon, coming to his aid now was the absolute least he could do in return. The country was his because of Faustino, and Donavan would not let him forget it.
Algernon heard the knock at the door and looked up sharply, wondering who it was. He had heard, of course, by now that the queen was dead, but he hadn't gotten information from a reliable source, and was a little on edge. He had called Perceval to him, simply for the support, and now glanced at him before rising and opening the door. Finding Donavan in a disguise, he blinked, then ushered him inside, shutting the door behind him. "Please, M. D'Aubigne, come in and take a seat. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Donavan's appearance could be very good or very bad, and he was anxious to learn which.
“They got Faustino.” Donavan said darkly, refusing the seat. He was too on edge to sit now. “He killed her, but he couldn’t get out, and I didn’t get there in time…”
“You went in!” Perceval demanded shrilly. “You idiot! You risked your own life and Algernon’s entire plan for that child?”
“Let me remind you, cousin, that if it wasn’t for that child, the plan would have never worked!” Donavan yelled. He’d completely lost his cool, and he was having a lot of difficulty controlling himself—the last thing he wanted was lip from his cousin. He took a sharp breath, and turned back to Algernon. “If it wasn’t for Faustino, you wouldn’t be in the position you’re in now. The whole fucking country is yours!” He shut his mouth tightly and gritted his teeth. Because of Algernon and his plan, Faustino was probably locked up somewhere, awaiting his fate, scared ad alone. “They’re going to kill Faustino, but you can stop them. You’re in control now, thanks to him. So you owe it to him to save him now.”
Algernon shifted, crossing his arms thoughtfully. Though Donavan did have a point, it was really out of the question. He couldn't risk what he had gotten, what he would soon get, for the child's safety, it simply wasn't an option. He felt for Donavan, he really did, but the child really only had been a tool in his plan, and he couldn't risk everything. Slowly, he shook his head, putting on a regretful air. "You must understand... if I were to do that, it would put me in a position that I would not be able to gain power. The child is now a public enemy, and I can't free him, that wouldn't earn the public's sympathy. I'm sorry, I really am, but for the moment, there is really nothing I can do. Please understand... I would if it were even remotely a possibility." Hopefully, Donavan wouldn't fly into a rage or anything of the sort... it was the best Algernon could do.
“What the hell do you mean?! Why do you need the public to be on your side?!” Donavan shouted, somehow resisting the urge to hit Algernon in the face. “Just take it! It’s yours, damn it, but save him! Save Faustino!”
“Shouting won’t get you anywhere, Donavan,” Perceval snapped, moving to stand close to Algernon. He knew that once Donavan was in this sort of mood, he became completely and sometimes violently unreasonable. “It’s not an option. There’s nothing that can be done. You should have realized the risks before you allowed yourself to become so attached.” Perceval folded his arms, speaking as calmly as he could. “The boy was always intended to be expendable.”
"I apologize, M. D'Aubigne, but Percy is right. If it is still an option later, I'll see what I can do. But for now, unless there is some other matter you need to attend to, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I will contact you later with information." He stood perfectly still, staring back into Donavan's eyes, not backing down. He knew Donavan was upset, but he would not be disobeyed, and he would not alter his decision.
Donavan grit his teeth and stared back viciously at Algernon; he’d never hated him the way he hated most people, but this changed everything. If Algernon didn’t have the balls to step up and do something about Faustino, than fine. Donavan would do something—he didn’t need anyone else’s help. Without a word, he turned on his heel and headed straight for the door, slamming it shut on his way out.
“He’s going to do something unreasonable.” Perceval stated with disgust, staring at the door after him and moving even closer.
Algernon shook his head, sighing. "I do understand his position... but there's nothing I can do for him. I hope he doesn't do anything too irrational." Shaking his head, he turned, walking back towards his desk and leaning against it. "Still, things are going well, aren't they, Percy? Very soon, this country will belong to me, with you at my side. How does that make you feel?" He needed Perceval close to him, he needed to keep himself occupied, because though he was thoroughly confident in his plan, he was still feeling quite nervous.
Perceval followed Algernon back to his desk and leaned against him with a smile, pushing all thoughts of Donavan out of his mind. “I’m so happy for you, Algernon,” Perceval cooed, placing his head gently against Algernon. “And I know that at last, this country will have the ruler it needs.” He smirked lightly, thinking back to the fact that at long last, the queen was dead. Finally, the royal line—the pigs who did nothing to earn the right to rule—would come to an end.
Algernon nodded, wrapping his arms around Perceval's waist. "Thank you, Percy..." He sighed again, looking up at the ceiling of his office for a moment before resting his head against Perceval. "You and I, we've been working on this for ten years... I'm so glad that you're mine, Percy. I don't know if I could have gotten this far without you." Smiling softly, he pulled Perceval closer. "I love you, Percy. I'm so glad you're mine." He was beginning to feel a little emotional, but Perceval could always make him feel better.
Perceval looked up at Algernon quickly, his eyes shining. While he knew how Algernon felt, it wasn’t often he got to hear him say it, and he was touched. “Oh Algernon…” Perceval murmured, pressing back up against him. “I love you too...” he said slowly, understanding the state Algernon was in. After ten years of planning…it was all finally coming to a close. Everything was starting to come together, they way they’d always dreamed it would. “I’ll always be yours.”
Smiling softly, Algernon nodded, running a hand through Perceval's hair. "Thank you, Percy... I want to keep you by my side forever. Together, we'll rule this country, you and I. You'll always be mine." For now, there was no way for him to hurry things, but at least there was a way for him to soothe his nerves.
“The Queen was assassinated!” A boy shouted at the top of his lungs, running through the streets as fast as he could to spread the word. He prided himself on getting news to the people before the newspapers could, and besides, in the neighborhoods he went to, no one could even afford a newspaper anyway. It was a pretty good; he didn’t get too much, but it was enough for bread, and he did what he could to support his family.
The streets were just beginning to wake, and the sun had yet to rise; still, may were up and about, and hopefully, they’d tip him for his efforts. “A Hispanian boy, no older than me,” he said enthusiastically, the way he told all of the headlines, “snuck into the palace and shot her, right in the middle of tea!” He didn’t think anyone would be upset by the news; the Queen had been squeezing everyone dry lately with taxes, and plus, so many people were unemployed because she hadn’t done anything for the soldiers returning from Hispania. Still, the news was alarming, and he didn’t have too long to spend in one area if he was to get to all of the neighborhoods before the papers came off the press.
Eliana had been awake with insomnia, worry for her son knotting in her stomach, pacing the entrance hall when she heard the news being yelled outside. She could hardly bring herself to care, however, except for to feel bitter that yet another sleepless night had passed when she heard a specific sentence: "The Queen was assassinated!" Her eyes shot up, and she hurried outside, noticing the boy running down the street. Certainly, it couldn't be--
His next sentence, however, cut off her train of thought and sent fear coursing through her body. The assassin had been a young Hispanian boy-- her son. Faustino. But that meant-- he had been captured? If that was true, then certainly he would be put to death! That she couldn't allow, she simply couldn't. Her only son-- she couldn't let them kill him, too. She had let this happen to him, this was her fault, because of her stupidity, and she had to fix things somehow, she had to save her boy. Setting out on foot, she hardly knew where, she broke into a full out run. She would go to the castle, she would figure out something, but she only knew one thing: She couldn't let her son die because of her stupidity. She would save Faustino.
Claimer: Ours!
Rating: R for death ;
Warnings: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. BL, angst, language, etc.
Beta:
wearenotaskitzSecond to last chapter!! Also shortest chapter XD;;
Lucette hurried down the hall to the Queen’s living quarters, where Her Majesty was dressing for high tea with Alice Johnston. She had a letter clenched in her hands, and she hurried to knock before slipping inside, taking advantage of the special permission Cecile always granted her. “Sorry to disturb you, My Lady,” Lucette said quickly with a deep bow, a little bit out of breath after rushing to get to the Queen’s side. “We’ve just received an urgent letter from the Allemagneian Ambassador, and he’s sent his son, Captain Julian Kaiser, to meet with about an issue of national security.”
Cecile turned away from the mirror, blinking at Lucette. "National security? Oh, dear...I suppose that means I ought to meet with him... I hope it's nothing too serious..." What with all the troubles that she was dealing with, Cecile really didn't want to have to face another problem, but she couldn't just ignore it, either... "But I was supposed to have tea with Alice," she sighed, pouting. "I guess I'll have to tell her I'm busy... Where am I to meet this... Captain Kaiser, was it?"
“Captain Kaiser and a small party are waiting for you in the throne room, Your Majesty,” Lucette replied with another little bow and a small smile. “Don’t worry, Highness, I’ll sit with Miss Johnston until you’ve finished your meeting.” No one could complain about waiting for the Queen—not even Alice, in spite of how important to Cecile she fancied herself to be. Lucette still wasn’t entirely fond of the Queen’s friend, but she didn’t mind entertaining her as long as Cecile needed her to. It was her job, after all, to stand in for the Queen when she had other matters to attend to. “I…I hadn’t heard of any problems with Allemagne, My Lady, so I can’t imagine that this could be all that serious. We would have heard earlier, I think.” Lucette assured with another soft smile.
"Oh, will you, Lucy? You're lovely," Cecile replied with a relieved smile. "You're really the best." Adjusting a stray curl one last time, she hurried over to Lucette's side, taking her arm and placing an appreciative peck on her cheek. "Come on, let's get going! The sooner I get done with boring things, the better, and then we can have tea together." She smiled brightly at her best friend, pulling her out the door. "So let's hurry!"
“Yes, all right!” Lucette nodded eagerly. Tea with Cecile was perhaps her favorite activity. Hopefully she would be finished with her meeting soon, so that they could enjoy it together. Together, they made their way back down the hall and to the third grand staircase, which they descended, lightheartedly discussing clothing, tea, and sweets. Lucette walked with Cecile to the back entrance of the throne room and bowed low, smiling sweetly. “Have a good meeting, My Lady, and I’ll see you soon for tea.”
"Okay, don't eat all the cakes without me!" Cecile teased, grinning. "I'll hurry, so we can spend as much time together as possible!" And with a final smile, she turned, entering the throne room.
Once she had situated herself on her throne, arranging her skirts and her hair and whatnot else, she motioned for her guests to be shown in. The doors were opened, and she surveyed the visitors as they entered, wondering what this could possibly be about. A pale brunette man led the way, and she assumed him to be Captain Kaiser; she may or may not have remembered him from some meeting at some point. Following him was a tall woman with long, blond hair, then a dark man, who was obviously foreign, and lastly, a slight, pale blonde who didn't seem like he ought to be in the military. All wore officers' uniforms, and Cecile wondered if this was military business. Smiling graciously, she nodded to each. "Welcome. Captain Kaiser, I presume?" she asked of the brunette, and when he nodded, she continued. "Please inform me of this issue of national security."
Julian bowed deeply, obeying the formalities of a Royal audience perfectly, and hoping Dragomir behind him had the sense to copy his every move. “Your Highness, today I come before you not representing my father or his country Allemagne, but as your loyal and devoted subject.” Julian bowed again sweepingly, having practiced and recited his every action and each sentence tirelessly in front of a mirror. “The issue, I’m afraid, is not of national security per say, but rather of your own personal safety. We have reason to believe that there is a plot against you, my liege.”
Faustino pressed his body against the wall as, just a few feet away, servants and important persons alike walked by. He fingered the gun at his hip, a brand new pistol that Donavan had just gotten him as a gift for this specific event. After all, he had to have the best for this job; this was the most important kill he was yet to attempt. A few minutes from now, hopefully, he would murder the Queen of Gallia.
Holding his breath, he waited until the hallways cleared, then darted out and into the next corridor. For the past few weeks, Donavan had been telling him how much he hated the queen, and Faustino had grown to hate her more and more, too, until finally, he volunteered to go and kill her. Donavan hadn't wanted him to at first, for his own safety of course, but Faustino had talked him into it, and so Donavan had, through his amazing ways, found out where the queen was going to be at a certain time on a certain day, and so now, Faustino was here, about to do the deed.
Hurrying down the corridor, Faustino saw the door, the door behind which was the queen, he was sure. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself. He had studied the maps of the palace, scrutinized the photos of the queen, practiced his aim more than ever before, and he would do this, would do this right. He would make Donavan happy.
Throwing the door open, he only took two steps inside before firing two shots straight into the back of her head. He only waited to see her fall forward before taking off as the stunned guards started off after him. Racing down the hall, he fired over his shoulder at the guards, taking out one as he ran. The other was gaining on him, however, and he didn't know what to do but to turn and take aim, killing the man just before he was within reach. Now, however, people were noticing the commotion and coming into the hallway, and, growing frightened, Faustino ran again. He couldn't get caught, he had to get out... but with all the guards all the people, all of a sudden, he was scared.
Dragomir looked as the sound of two gun shots rang out in the hall outside. As two more shots were fired in short succession, he abandoned his efforts to remain polite. After all, even Julian had stopped speaking, and was now looking around the room bewilderedly. Dragomir wasn’t positive, but he thought he had a good idea of what was going on.
“What happened?” Julian asked looking from the Queen then back to Niles and the Lt. Colonel, and then finally back at Dragomir, panicked. Then, he seemed to put things together in his mind and his hand flew to his mouth. “Do you think this is it? Are they—was that—?”
“I don’t know what else it could be.” Dragomir said gruffly, taking Niles by the hand instinctively, while his other hand went to his side for his pistol. “You’re not hurt are you, Your Majesty?”
Corinne tensed, looking around. There were a lot of footsteps out in the hallways now, and the sounds of chaos. "Hirlea!" she ordered, making a split-second decision. "Take Kaiser and Christian out to see what's going on and try to get things under control- I trust you know what you're doing." Moving towards the throne, she extended her arm to the queen, suddenly more of a frightened child. "Your majesty—I'll take care of you."
Cecile stared, terrified, at the men around her, then to the Lt. Colonel. What was going on? Was this another assassination attempt? Was Lucette all right? A dozen questions ran through her head at once, but, slowly, she nodded, taking the other woman's hand.
Corinne nodded. "Hirlea, you're in command. I'll catch up with you later!" Taking the queen's hand, she pulled her close, so as to more easily protect her. "Your majesty, is there anywhere I can take you where you wouldn't be easily found-- somewhere hidden?"
Cecile nodded rapidly, still frightened. "F-follow me..." Hurrying, she led the Lt. Colonel through a few rooms into a small study. Pushing on one side of the book case, it swiveled on a turn-table and revealed a secret room, small but large enough. Corinne nodded, ushering the queen inside before beginning to close the door behind her. "I'll be back. I'm going to go see what happened," she explained softly before setting off. She didn't have time to think, she only knew one thing: she had to figure out what was going on.
Dragomir, along with several other frightened-looking palace officials, had all just ventured out into the hall when the Lt. Colonel returned. Dragomir nodded to her quickly before turning to the scattered aristocrats who’d been roused out of their daily routines by the sudden commotion. “All of you need to stay where you are. Lock your doors and don’t let anyone come in!” They all nodded hastily, not even staying to ask questions, which was a relief. A second later, a group of four palace guards rushed passed them, and, giving Niles’s hand a quick squeeze, Dragomir took off after them, assuming they knew best where everything was taking place.
“Are-are you sure it’s wise to just charge in like this!?” Julian asked, sounding terrified, as he ran after them.
“What else are we supposed to do?” Dragomir called over his shoulder at him. They had to catch that little boy—the assassin—and if Donavan was inside as well, Dragomir would find him and kill him. They had to put a stop to the Commandant’s plan, some way or another.
Donavan adjusted and readjusted his palace guard uniform several times in between intervals of staring at his pocket watch. A few minutes ago, Faustino had been a little late. Right now, he was late. In a few more minutes, he’d be very late. The question was: how late did he have to be for Donavan to start worrying? The fact was: Donavan was already worried.
Donavan took out his watch once more and looked at the hands. Ten minutes. That counted as late enough. He put it away hurriedly and dashed towards the entrance; other guards were already pouring inside, so he was able to slip inside easily without drawing any attention to himself.
Inside, everything was in disarray; the guards had no idea where to go, what had happened, or what to do, they only knew that something was wrong. Luckily, Donavan knew exactly where to go, because he knew exactly where the Queen was, and where Faustino should have pulled the trigger.
Dragomir slowed his run as the guards ahead of them, too, slowed. There were eight or so all crowded around a doorway, and a little further down the hall, Dragomir could see three more of them kneeling over the body of a fellow palace guard. He had a feeling it was the work of Donavan’s child-assassin, and he pushed through the crowd of guards so that he could see inside the room.
It was staged as an extravagant tea room, the likes of which Dragomir had never seen before, and, seated at the head of the table was the Queen—slumped over the table, resting in a pool of blood that was slowly seeping through the table cloth. Dragomir paused, mid-observation, catching himself. This wasn’t the Queen—the Queen was still safe in the throne room—this must have been her double. Her back was to them, however, so it was quite possible that the Esparanza boy hadn’t known who it was he’d shot, and that was the way they wanted to keep it. Luckily, none of the guards had dared go inside the room, and the body had not been disturbed.
Corinne raced after Hirlea, who appeared to be dragging Christian a lot faster than his small legs would normally have been able to carry him, with Kaiser trailing after, until they reached a tea room, with a corpse laying in a pool of blood. It must have been the queen's double, Corinne realized, and she alerted the nearest guard. "In the queen's absence, who is in charge?" The guard pointed her in the direction of another man, who she approached quickly, thinking fast. "Sir, I am Lt. Colonel Corinne Delancey, with the military, and in light of the emergency, for the queen's safety, so that any further assassination attempt is avoided, I would ask you not to release that it was not indeed the queen herself who was murdered." After all, the boy might come back if he knew he hadn't killed the real queen, and besides, it would be an easy way to ensnare the General Commandant. If he thought the queen was dead, he would make his move, and then she could catch him in it.
After settling those matters, she turned back to her subordinates. "Hirlea, Christian, Kaiser, go after the boy. I'll be protecting her Highness." With a final nod, she returned to the secret room, finding the queen huddled in a corner, a frightened look in her eyes.
"What... what happened...?" she asked, seeming as if she were on the verge of tears.
"Your Highness... Please, call me Corinne, and don't be afraid. I promise, I will do everything in my power to protect you."
The queen's expression softened, and she looked almost piteous. Corinne had never realized how young she was, she really was still a child. "Th... thank you, Corinne."
Corinne nodded. "Now, Your Highness... it seems your double has been assassinated, but please--"
The colour drained from the queen's face, and she stood hurriedly. "No! Lucette?!" she shrieked. "I have to go--"
"No," Corinne replied sternly, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Your double died to protect you... don't make her sacrifice go to waste."
The queen looked back at her for a moment, then collapsed forward in tears. Corinne's expression softened, and she held the poor girl close. "Shh... don't cry... everything will be all right, and I'll protect you." That she would be sure, she would make sure the queen was safe. It was her duty.
Faustino raced through the corridors, now confused as to where he was. There were more and more guards on his tail now, and he didn't know how to escape. Terrified, he desperately wished Donavan would show up to save him, just like Donavan always did. But at least, even if something terrible happened to him, he had killed the queen, he had helped Donavan, and that one thought kept him running as fast as he could.
After the Lt. Colonel left, Dragomir, Niles, and Julian only waited by the tea room a moment longer while the head guard barked orders to his men to lock and seal the tea room. Everyone seemed bewildered and confused, because, Dragomir realized, everyone thought it really was the Queen who’d been assassinated. And that was exactly how it was best to keep it. Only the most important people needed to know that the real Queen was in an impromptu meeting when the attack took place.
Donavan made his way to the tea room just in time to glimpse the Queen’s body before a guard shut and latched the door firmly. The area around the room was filled with palace personnel—mostly panicked guards and one official, who, oddly enough, seemed very calm, considering. Probably, he was putting on an act to try and keep control. A commendable effort. But obviously, Faustino had long since fled the scene, so there was no reason for Donavan to stick around any longer. He slipped through the crowd once again, and, as soon as he was through and past the first of the dead guards, he bolted, hoping that by some chance, he would find Faustino before any of the guards caught up with him.
The corridors through the palace were seemingly endless, and there were any number of ways that the Esparanza boy could have gone. Dragomir didn’t know how familiar with the palace the kid was, but he himself had absolutely no idea where he’d led Niles and Julian, or if they were even going in the right direction any more. Two guards had followed them, and Dragomir began to slow his pace as the hall they were currently running through was about to come to an end. They could either go right or left, and he hoped one of the guards would have an idea about which way was best to head.
Then, just as they were coming to a stop, Dragomir heard footsteps coming towards them from the passage on the right. “Julian!” Dragomir gasped to alert him; he was right by the threshold, right where the two hallways intersected, and with any luck, Julian would be able to stop whoever was coming through.
Julian looked back at him, startled, and missed his chance; Esparanza pushed past him hurriedly, evidently too frightened of the five guards on his tail to have even noticed the people blocking his path. At the contact, Julian spun back around, lunging forward and missing; however, the boy’s brief collision with Julian’s leg slowed him down just enough so that Niles was able to grab him by the arm, pulling him towards himself quickly.
Donavan fired five shots in quick succession and made five successful kills; finally he’d caught up with Faustino and his pressures. It wasn’t until after the guards fell that Donavan realized he was too late. Up ahead, Faustino had stopped running and was struggling fiercely in the grasp of none other than Christian. Stunned, Donavan came to a halt abruptly, even as he spotted Dragomir launch himself from around the corner, charging full speed toward him, pistol in hand. Donavan could have taken Dragomir out right then and there, could have put an end to the five years of anguish he’d caused him, but at that moment, Donavan wasn’t thinking about anyone aside from Faustino. He took aim carefully, briefly thinking back to the first time he and Faustino had been together, and how Christian shot him in the head. Donavan narrowed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Christian would die and Faustino would escape. He would deal with Dragomir once he was sure Faustino had gotten away.
Julian heard the gunshots, saw Dragomir take off running, and thought instantly of Niles. Everything seemed to have slowed down, and everything seemed clear to him suddenly. He had to move. He had to get in front of Niles. He jumped, throwing his arms out defensively, and saw Donavan D’Aubigne a little ways down the hall with a pistol held out in front of him. Julian was just about to wonder whether or not he’d yet fired, when he felt something cool and sharp plunge into his chest. Then, he registered the sound of the sixth gunshot, and things sped up again as he fell to the floor and everything continued around him, like nothing had happened. No, nothing had happened, because he’d taken a bullet that had been meant for Niles and his word—the world that revolved around Niles—could continue as always. Julian didn’t care what happened to him. Niles was safe. Julian would make it; everything was all right, as long as Niles was safe.
Faustino's heart skipped a beat when he saw Donavan, and in the distraction he caused, Faustino managed to struggle out of Christian's grasp and bolt down the hallway, glancing back over his shoulder to see Donavan one last time. However, when he turned to face in the direction he was going again, he realized he had run headlong into a guard, who grabbed him by the arm and hit him over the head with the back of his gun. Before he even knew what had hit him, the world was going black around the edges, and then he couldn't see anymore...
Niles didn't realize what was going on until Dragomir was gone after Donavan, and Julian had fallen to the ground, blood flowing from a wound in his chest. It took a moment to sink in, but then, all of a sudden, Niles realized what was going on.
"Julian!" he shrieked, dropping to his knees as tears formed, and, unhindered, began to flow down his cheeks. Taking Julian into his arms, he held him close, looking into his eyes. "Julian, hold on, we'll get you a doctor... Oh god, Julian..." Choking, the tears came harder, and Niles couldn't find words, and it really hit him: Julian had taken a bullet for him. Julian had saved him. "Oh, Julian, why? You shouldn't have-- I'll make sure you get better..." He vaguely heard one of the guards behind him call to have a doctor sent, and though Niles was glad, he barely heard-- all of his attention was on Julian. "Thank you, Julian... but why...?"
Feebly, Julian lifted an arm to grasp Niles’s sleeve and looked up into his eyes through the haze that had come over his own vision. “Y-you don’t know?” Julian tried to laugh, and felt blood from his lungs come up into his throat and coughed, trying to swallow it back. He didn’t want to appear as hurt as he knew he was to Niles… Now…now that he thought about it…Julian knew he really wasn’t doing that well… He glanced down away from Niles for a moment as his other hand made its way to the small hole on the right side of his chest where he felt hot blood oozing from the entry wound that had shattered one of his ribs. Julian looked away quickly, back up at Niles, not wanting to think about his injury. Not now. Not when he was starting to feel like his time with Niles was very limited… “Niles… I had to.” Julian managed to smile, and quickly swallowed again, forcing the blood to stay out of his mouth. The taste of it was enough to make him sick, and he knew it would disgust Niles… “Be-because,” Julian coughed again, and wondered if now really was an appropriate time to tell Niles how he felt… But then, maybe there was no other time? “Because I love you.” Julian smiled again and let go of Niles’s sleeve, reaching up to touch his face gently and wiping back the tears. “Don’t cry… I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you… Don’t cry for me, Niles.”
Niles' eyes widened, and, slowly, he placed his hand over Julian's on his cheek, staring disbelievingly back into his eyes. "You... you what?" He couldn't believe this, he couldn't understand it. How could Julian...? Julian was his best friend! Julian had always been so kind to him... but then again, Julian hadn't ever been so kind to Dragomir... and now that he thought about it... it all made sense...but... "But... no... how could you... why?" Niles' tears came faster now, and he clutched Julian's hand in his own, shaking. "How could you... Why would you... love me?" But that didn't matter, did it? Julian was-- no, he wasn't going to, Niles told himself, but there was a chance... He couldn't waste time worrying about it. "You're going to be okay, Julian," he assured, holding Julian close to him, "I'm here for you... oh, god, Julian..."
Julian let his eyes fall closed. His eyelids felt so heavy…it was a relief to shut them. But…he wanted to look at Niles… They hadn’t ever been this close before—it had been so long since they’d had any time together without Dragomir—Julian didn’t want it to end. He didn’t want to let go…not yet…but he could feel himself slipping… At least he’d told Niles. Julian hadn’t really gotten the reaction he’d expected but really…the circumstances were very unusual. He would never have guessed he’d make his first love confession on the brink of his own death…because he knew now that that was what was happening to him. “Niles… I think I’m dying… Stay with me?”
"No, no, no, you're not dying," Niles insisted shakily, shaking his head violently, though he had a feeling he was only trying to convince himself. "Oh, Julian..." Swallowing and trying to get a hold of himself, he looked into Julian's eyes, feeling so guilty all of a sudden, for being so cruel, so inconsiderate of the feelings of which he was oblivious. He cared so much about Julian, his first friend, his best friend... He hardly knew what to do, now that he was forced to come to terms with the truth, that Julian was dying... holding him tightly, looking into his eyes, Niles was all of a sudden overcome with emotion, and, without warning, pressed his lips to Julian's squeezing his eyes shut, kissing him desperately, passionately. It was true, he would never love Julian the way Julian wanted him to, but he still loved him as the best friend he could ever ask for, and he wanted to show it, to prove it before he lost best friend forever.
Surprised, Julian opened his eyes as Niles pressed a kiss to his lips, tensing momentarily before relaxing and kissing back with everything he had left. Julian felt hot tears spill from his eyes, and he clamped them shut tightly, not wanting Niles to see… He didn’t want Niles to know that he was afraid… But the kiss…the kiss from Niles made everything he’d done for Niles, all the effort he’d put into trying to be with Niles…It made everything worthwhile. Still, Julian knew Niles didn’t love him, and he knew he could accept it. Everything seemed much easier to simply take as it was now that…now that he knew he didn’t have much time left.
He didn't want to, he wanted to keep pretending that everything was going to be okay, but finally, softly, tenderly, Niles drew away, his lips lingering against Julian's as he looked desperately into his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, shaking his head, "I'm so, so sorry..." Holding tightly to Julian's hand, Niles held him close, not knowing what else to do but to be there with him until... But it was too much, it was just too much, and Niles shook his head. "Don't leave me, Julian! I need you, don't leave me... Please... you saved my life, Julian... I need you... don't leave me..."
“Niles…” Julian smiled. He’d always wanted to feel wanted, he’d always longed for Niles to need him…but not now, not like this. No, Julian needed to assure Niles that everything would be all right…that Niles would be perfectly fine without him. “Niles… You don’t need me… You…you have Dragomir. And I know he loves you…” Julian looked away for a moment and struggled to catch his breath. It was getting harder and harder to breathe now, and every gasp he took rattled painfully. “You have so much to live for. Please don’t miss me… I’m so glad I was able to save you…I love you… Thank you….” Julian closed his eyes once more and coughed; this time the blood came up and he couldn’t stop it. He couldn’t hold back his tears any more, either, and they fell freely as he once again struggled to lift his head and look up at Niles. “The fact that I could save you…it means everything to me…because I love you…” Julian fell back into Niles’s arms and closed his eyes again. He didn’t have the strength to move any more. At least…at least there was no pain…at least not like what he’d always imagined… He didn’t think he could speak any more…he felt like he was choking…suffocating…but it still didn’t hurt. It was more like falling asleep…
Niles felt Julian go limp in his arms, and his eyes widened with fear. "Julian!" he cried, but it was too late, Julian was gone, his eyes softly shut, as if he were asleep. Niles wished he could pretend, wished desperately, but he knew the truth, he knew that Julian had died for him, and the weight was too much for him to bear. The guilt of not knowing Julian's feelings for him, of being so unintentionally cruel, weighed him down, clenched at his heart. Doubling over, clutching Julian's body to him, as if he could keep it warm, he sobbed wretchedly, trembling with emotion. There were bloody fingerprints on his face from Julian's hand, he knew, and blood all over his clothes and hands, but he didn't care. His best friend was dead, had died for him, and right now, nothing else could possibly matter.
Dragomir saw Donavan fire, but charged on anyway, assuming the shot was meant for him. It didn’t hit him, and he didn’t look back; Donavan was out of bullets and was running now. This was his chance. He had to catch Donavan at all costs. Dragomir slowed his pace slightly, taking aim and firing just a second too late as Donavan turned a sharp corner, heading down an unfamiliar corridor out of sight. Dragomir cursed loudly and sped up again, running as fast as he could to try and catch up. Donavan was about forty paces ahead of him however, and even if he could stay on his tail, he didn’t think he would be able to catch him. There was a possibility that his shot had hit him, however, because he hadn’t seen any spent bullets when he turned the corner.
Dragomir caught sight of Donavan further ahead, making another random turn in an effort to lose his pursuer, and Dragomir put on another burst of speed. However, by the time he got to where he’d last seen Donavan, he had already disappeared. Dragomir’s trail was cold, and there was no way he could even hope to find him in a castle as massive as the royal palace. They had Esparanza, though, and the Queen was safe. They’d stopped the Commandant. They’d won. Now he just needed to find his way back to Niles…
Donavan didn’t allow himself to stop running, not even when one of Dragomir’s bullets ripped through his left arm; he may have shot Christian, be he knew that in the long run, he’d failed to rescue Faustino. Even so, if he escaped now, there was still a chance he could get Faustino out, one way or another. He needed to get out of the palace as fast as possible and get to where he would meet Algernon and Perceval to report. The Queen was dead, but without Faustino safely by his side, it hardly felt like a victory. Still, with the Queen gone, Algernon was in charge, and Donavan knew he would help him. Algernon could do something to save Faustino, and if he refused, Donavan would do it on his own.
Down the hall quite a distance from where he was, Dragomir could just make out the figure of Niles, sitting on the floor, bent over something. As Dragomir got closer, he realized it was a body, and quickly picked up his pace, waving and calling to Niles, who did not respond. Dragomir couldn’t see Julian, and hoped he’d gone for help. Even from his current distance, the dark pool that surrounded Niles was unmistakably blood. “Niles!” Dragomir called. Perhaps one of the guards Donavan shot earlier was alive, perhaps Niles was trying to help him—Dragomir’s mind was racing and his heart was pounding; somehow, he knew something was wrong.
Then, as he neared, Dragomir realized that the body in Niles’s arms was dressed in a military uniform. Julian. Dragomir ran even faster, calling out to Niles once again in panic and dropping to his knees beside him. “Niles! Oh god, Julian, is he—” Dragomir knew before he’d even started the question, and stopped, unable to finish it, gaping as he realized that Donavan’s bullet hadn’t been meant for him, but rather for Niles, and Julian had taken it.
Niles didn't look up at Dragomir, remaining bent over Julian, holding onto his lifeless body. He felt crushed, empty, and overwhelmingly guilty, and it seemed as if nothing was worthwhile now. Crying hopelessly into Julian's chest, he was still shaking, and though he knew that Dragomir was speaking to him, he couldn't bring himself to care. Not only had Julian been torn from him so terribly, but Julian had died for him, even after how terrible Niles had been to him in his stupid ignorance. Not looking up, he sniffed, his voice cracking as he finally spoke. "He died for me, Dragomir... He took a bullet for me." Slowly, he began to look up, though he was still clutching Julian's body close to him. "...he told me he loved me. I... I didn't know...He was in love with me, and I didn't know..."
Dragomir nodded, looking down. He still couldn’t really believe it—didn’t want to believe that Julian was dead. Gone forever…. The two of them had never gotten along, but that didn’t mean… Dragomir felt terrible. He’d failed; Donavan had shot at Niles, and if Julian hadn’t taken the bullet…Niles would be the one… He should have known. Dragomir should have known that Donavan would try and help his man escape…it was just so unlike Donavan, the thought hadn’t even crossed Dragomir’s mind at the time. But still. He shouldn’t have left, and he should have at least been able to avenge Julian’s death with Donavan’s.
Dragomir looked at the body, at Julian, and thanked him internally for protecting Niles when he couldn’t. Wherever Julian was…Dragomir hoped he knew how grateful he was, and that, in spite of everything, that he would miss him. Dragomir then wiped back the tears that were threatening to fall and looked up at Niles once again. “Are you hurt at all, Niles…?” Dragomir asked quietly, reaching forward and gently taking Niles’s hand from Julian’s. “We should…let the Lt. Colonel know what happened…”
"No--!" Niles cried, pulling his hand back, clutching Julian's body against him, almost defensively. Tears were still streaming down his face, his mind was in a hazy, chaotic mess. "Dragomir... he was in love with me... Even after I was always so cruel to him... I never knew, and he still... he..." Looking up at Dragomir, Niles suddenly realized something, and he pulled Julian's body closer, asking, "Dragomir... you... you knew. Why didn't you tell me? The whole time, I didn't know, I was so cruel to him... Why didn't you tell me?!" He was getting hysterical again, and his tears came harder again until they became sobs, shaking his body as he bent over the body again, his grip not slackening in the slightest.
Dragomir looked away, pulling his hand back and biting his lip. “I didn’t say anything for the same reason Julian waited to tell you…” Dragomir sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was…hard for him to talk about this now… “I think…we both thought that it wouldn’t really change anything if you knew.” Dragomir looked back at Niles, unsure of what, if anything, there was really anything he could do or say to help him… “He knew you didn’t love him back…”
Niles shook his head violently. "It doesn't matter! If I knew-- if I knew, I wouldn't have been so... I could have been kinder... I could have been... but now he's..." He coughed violently, choking on his tears and pulling Julian's body closer to him. "What am I going to do, Dragomir? What am I going to do? Julian...he..." Though he was still devastated, Niles was beginning to regain some of his clarity of mind, and he knew he had to come to terms with the fact that Julian was dead. Still, he couldn't bear to let go of his body, and so he held on tighter, once again doubling over him.
Dragomir moved closer to Niles and gently put his arms around him, sniffing back his own tears. “There…there really isn’t much that you can do…” Dragomir looked away from Julian, into Niles’s eyes. “You can only accept what’s happened and be grateful…and trust that Julian did what he did because he really and truly wanted you to live.” The tears fell, finally, but Dragomir continued anyway. “Niles!” he gasped, squeezing Niles tightly. “If…if he hadn’t…I’m so glad you’re all right! And I’m… I’m sorry I wasn’t here for both of you when… I’m sorry I let this happen.”
Niles nodded slowly, tears slowing a little. "I... Because Julian... he... I'm fine, thanks to Julian." He looked up into Dragomir's eyes pitifully, slowly sitting up, slowly releasing his grip on Julian’s body. Pressing a soft kiss to Julian's lips one last time, he looked back to Dragomir. "Will you... will you carry him, Dragomir? Please, you have to promise me you'll make sure his body is taken care of... I don't want anything to happen to him..." But even as he was saying it, his head was beginning to spin; now that he was upright, and so dehydrated from crying... His vision blurred and faded, and he struggled to see Dragomir around the white spots. "Promise me, Dragomir... please..." he whispered before he could feel himself falling, and then nothing.
Dragomir caught Niles in his arms and tried to get a hold of himself. He needed to get back to the Lt. Colonel and let her know what had happened… He assumed that one of the guards caught Esparanza when Niles undoubtedly let go after Julian was hit, and Dragomir needed to double check that, too, and inform the guards that Donavan had been disguised as one of their men. But most of all, Dragomir needed to take care of Niles… Take him home, make sure he was really all right… Julian’s death…the plot against the Queen they were finally unraveling...it was all so much, but somehow, they would make it through… And Dragomir would always remember Julian’s sacrifice.
As gently as he could, Dragomir moved Niles over his shoulder, making sure he was safely draped as comfortably as possible before kneeling and taking Julian’s bloodied body into his arms. Draping Julian’s body similarly over his shoulder, Dragomir stood slowly and started back down the hall in the direction from which the three of them had initially come. It would be slow…but Niles made him promise.
Corinne nodded to the official to whom she was talking. "That's right, don't let anyone know that the Queen is alive. If you need to release any information, say that the double was injured and cannot see anyone because she is needs intensive medical care. That way, no further assassination attempts will be carried out. Does that make sense, sir?"
She was distracted from her conversation with palace officials when she noticed Hirlea walking towards her, two bodies over his shoulder. Tensing, she excused herself from the conversation, running towards him. "Hirlea! Oh, god, Hirlea, Christian and Kaiser... Are they both...?" If the boy had killed both of them... she didn't know what she would do.
“N-no,” Dragomir said quickly, a little out of breath. “Niles just fainted…” he looked down, unsure of whether or not he would be able to continue. “But Julian…” He looked back up at the Lt. Colonel and started to cry again, in spite of his efforts to hold himself together. “Julian…” He shook his head and looked back down. He couldn’t continue, and he was sure the Lt. Colonel knew already…
"Oh, god..." Corinne trailed, shaking her head. "Oh, god, Hirlea... what happened?" True, Corinne had never really known Kaiser, but she felt terrible all the same; she hated losing her men, and she knew Hirlea and Christian had been close to him. "Now that Esparanza's been caught, and I've gotten everything under control... oh, god, Hirlea, I'm so sorry."
“Donavan was here.” Dragomir grunted; he knew the Lt. Colonel could connect the dots. “He…he got away. I wasn’t there when…when Julian…” Dragomir bit his lip and looked back at his superior. “I promised Niles I would take care of his body…” Dragomir explained tearfully, kneeling and gently setting the body down, then moving to prop Niles up against the wall. Standing, Dragomir looked back at the Lt. Colonel, forcing his tears to stop. “Is…is there anything else you need me to do, sir?”
"I... I don't think so, Hirlea," Corinne replied softly. "Take care of Kaiser... and take Christian home. I imagine he needs you more than anything, right now." She smiled softly. "I'll have you alerted if I need you again. Until then... rest, and take care of Christian." Turning back from Hirlea, she headed back into the secret room. After all, even if he and Christian needed a break, she couldn't turn in yet. The queen was her responsibility, and she would stay with her until the Commandant was taken care of.
Using his teeth, Donavan managed to tie off his arm. It had just been a glancing shot, and Dragomir’s bullet had gone straight through; Donavan would recover, and in the meanwhile, he was far too upset to feel any pain. He’d barely even seen Faustino in the palace, he hadn’t been able to praise him on his kill; right now, he didn’t have Faustino with him, and he didn’t even have any idea where he was, or how he was doing. It was terrible, and Donavan was extremely distressed. He had to do something, he had to save Faustino as soon as possible.
Donavan withdrew the spare military uniform he’d kept for his collection of costumes and dressed quickly before selecting a wig and sitting down and rushing through his makeup. He looked and felt terrible, but at least he wouldn’t be recognized. As he made his way out of his manor hurriedly, he looked down to find that blood from his wound was soaking into his coat, but he didn’t have time to waste taking care of himself, not when Faustino would so soon be faced with the punishment for the high treason he’d committed.
Donavan arrived at the military building and slipped inside in a blur; if anyone had talked to him, he didn’t remember—he could only hope no one had been suspicious, and even if they had, he couldn’t be bothered right now. His mind was set. Donavan had to get to Algernon, because only Algernon could do something about Faustino. Donavan reached the heavy door of Algernon’s office and knocked several times rapidly, waiting anxiously to be let inside. After all Faustino had done for Algernon, coming to his aid now was the absolute least he could do in return. The country was his because of Faustino, and Donavan would not let him forget it.
Algernon heard the knock at the door and looked up sharply, wondering who it was. He had heard, of course, by now that the queen was dead, but he hadn't gotten information from a reliable source, and was a little on edge. He had called Perceval to him, simply for the support, and now glanced at him before rising and opening the door. Finding Donavan in a disguise, he blinked, then ushered him inside, shutting the door behind him. "Please, M. D'Aubigne, come in and take a seat. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Donavan's appearance could be very good or very bad, and he was anxious to learn which.
“They got Faustino.” Donavan said darkly, refusing the seat. He was too on edge to sit now. “He killed her, but he couldn’t get out, and I didn’t get there in time…”
“You went in!” Perceval demanded shrilly. “You idiot! You risked your own life and Algernon’s entire plan for that child?”
“Let me remind you, cousin, that if it wasn’t for that child, the plan would have never worked!” Donavan yelled. He’d completely lost his cool, and he was having a lot of difficulty controlling himself—the last thing he wanted was lip from his cousin. He took a sharp breath, and turned back to Algernon. “If it wasn’t for Faustino, you wouldn’t be in the position you’re in now. The whole fucking country is yours!” He shut his mouth tightly and gritted his teeth. Because of Algernon and his plan, Faustino was probably locked up somewhere, awaiting his fate, scared ad alone. “They’re going to kill Faustino, but you can stop them. You’re in control now, thanks to him. So you owe it to him to save him now.”
Algernon shifted, crossing his arms thoughtfully. Though Donavan did have a point, it was really out of the question. He couldn't risk what he had gotten, what he would soon get, for the child's safety, it simply wasn't an option. He felt for Donavan, he really did, but the child really only had been a tool in his plan, and he couldn't risk everything. Slowly, he shook his head, putting on a regretful air. "You must understand... if I were to do that, it would put me in a position that I would not be able to gain power. The child is now a public enemy, and I can't free him, that wouldn't earn the public's sympathy. I'm sorry, I really am, but for the moment, there is really nothing I can do. Please understand... I would if it were even remotely a possibility." Hopefully, Donavan wouldn't fly into a rage or anything of the sort... it was the best Algernon could do.
“What the hell do you mean?! Why do you need the public to be on your side?!” Donavan shouted, somehow resisting the urge to hit Algernon in the face. “Just take it! It’s yours, damn it, but save him! Save Faustino!”
“Shouting won’t get you anywhere, Donavan,” Perceval snapped, moving to stand close to Algernon. He knew that once Donavan was in this sort of mood, he became completely and sometimes violently unreasonable. “It’s not an option. There’s nothing that can be done. You should have realized the risks before you allowed yourself to become so attached.” Perceval folded his arms, speaking as calmly as he could. “The boy was always intended to be expendable.”
"I apologize, M. D'Aubigne, but Percy is right. If it is still an option later, I'll see what I can do. But for now, unless there is some other matter you need to attend to, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I will contact you later with information." He stood perfectly still, staring back into Donavan's eyes, not backing down. He knew Donavan was upset, but he would not be disobeyed, and he would not alter his decision.
Donavan grit his teeth and stared back viciously at Algernon; he’d never hated him the way he hated most people, but this changed everything. If Algernon didn’t have the balls to step up and do something about Faustino, than fine. Donavan would do something—he didn’t need anyone else’s help. Without a word, he turned on his heel and headed straight for the door, slamming it shut on his way out.
“He’s going to do something unreasonable.” Perceval stated with disgust, staring at the door after him and moving even closer.
Algernon shook his head, sighing. "I do understand his position... but there's nothing I can do for him. I hope he doesn't do anything too irrational." Shaking his head, he turned, walking back towards his desk and leaning against it. "Still, things are going well, aren't they, Percy? Very soon, this country will belong to me, with you at my side. How does that make you feel?" He needed Perceval close to him, he needed to keep himself occupied, because though he was thoroughly confident in his plan, he was still feeling quite nervous.
Perceval followed Algernon back to his desk and leaned against him with a smile, pushing all thoughts of Donavan out of his mind. “I’m so happy for you, Algernon,” Perceval cooed, placing his head gently against Algernon. “And I know that at last, this country will have the ruler it needs.” He smirked lightly, thinking back to the fact that at long last, the queen was dead. Finally, the royal line—the pigs who did nothing to earn the right to rule—would come to an end.
Algernon nodded, wrapping his arms around Perceval's waist. "Thank you, Percy..." He sighed again, looking up at the ceiling of his office for a moment before resting his head against Perceval. "You and I, we've been working on this for ten years... I'm so glad that you're mine, Percy. I don't know if I could have gotten this far without you." Smiling softly, he pulled Perceval closer. "I love you, Percy. I'm so glad you're mine." He was beginning to feel a little emotional, but Perceval could always make him feel better.
Perceval looked up at Algernon quickly, his eyes shining. While he knew how Algernon felt, it wasn’t often he got to hear him say it, and he was touched. “Oh Algernon…” Perceval murmured, pressing back up against him. “I love you too...” he said slowly, understanding the state Algernon was in. After ten years of planning…it was all finally coming to a close. Everything was starting to come together, they way they’d always dreamed it would. “I’ll always be yours.”
Smiling softly, Algernon nodded, running a hand through Perceval's hair. "Thank you, Percy... I want to keep you by my side forever. Together, we'll rule this country, you and I. You'll always be mine." For now, there was no way for him to hurry things, but at least there was a way for him to soothe his nerves.
“The Queen was assassinated!” A boy shouted at the top of his lungs, running through the streets as fast as he could to spread the word. He prided himself on getting news to the people before the newspapers could, and besides, in the neighborhoods he went to, no one could even afford a newspaper anyway. It was a pretty good; he didn’t get too much, but it was enough for bread, and he did what he could to support his family.
The streets were just beginning to wake, and the sun had yet to rise; still, may were up and about, and hopefully, they’d tip him for his efforts. “A Hispanian boy, no older than me,” he said enthusiastically, the way he told all of the headlines, “snuck into the palace and shot her, right in the middle of tea!” He didn’t think anyone would be upset by the news; the Queen had been squeezing everyone dry lately with taxes, and plus, so many people were unemployed because she hadn’t done anything for the soldiers returning from Hispania. Still, the news was alarming, and he didn’t have too long to spend in one area if he was to get to all of the neighborhoods before the papers came off the press.
Eliana had been awake with insomnia, worry for her son knotting in her stomach, pacing the entrance hall when she heard the news being yelled outside. She could hardly bring herself to care, however, except for to feel bitter that yet another sleepless night had passed when she heard a specific sentence: "The Queen was assassinated!" Her eyes shot up, and she hurried outside, noticing the boy running down the street. Certainly, it couldn't be--
His next sentence, however, cut off her train of thought and sent fear coursing through her body. The assassin had been a young Hispanian boy-- her son. Faustino. But that meant-- he had been captured? If that was true, then certainly he would be put to death! That she couldn't allow, she simply couldn't. Her only son-- she couldn't let them kill him, too. She had let this happen to him, this was her fault, because of her stupidity, and she had to fix things somehow, she had to save her boy. Setting out on foot, she hardly knew where, she broke into a full out run. She would go to the castle, she would figure out something, but she only knew one thing: She couldn't let her son die because of her stupidity. She would save Faustino.
