Chapter nine
(Mael)

I stormed into my bedchamber where I found a bath awaiting me and Ailo sitting in a chair near the crackling fire. “My Lord, I have readied a bath for… oh my, your nose!” He gasped and sprung from the chair to tend to me. Idiot. “Leave me be… did you retrieve the horses from the carriage yet?” I asked and rifled through my nightstand drawer for a handkerchief to apply to my broken nose. Impossible woman! She no doubt reopened the wound to her side when she fought me… I realized then I was angry at myself for how I had come upon her. Forcing myself on her like a street lecher. I was so angry I wanted to destroy something. “I went to retrieve the horses, my Lord, but they were gone. Someone must have taken them.” Ailo said, taking a step back after reading the fury in my eyes. “Stole them you mean! They were specially bred!” I snapped.  Ailo swallowed hard. “Uh…The sun is rising… I will take my leave now…” He said then and started toward the stairwell. I ripped my coat free from my body and did the same with the other garments. I normally did not undress myself in such a manner but I wanted to ruin something and so my clothes were sacrificed. My pants and boots went next, the boots being thrown against the floor in a moment of unchecked emotion. My nose was already healing and reworking the cartilage that had been broken and returning it to its original state. All I had to do was wash away the trail of blood that dribbled to my frowning lips. I stalked to the tub, grabbing a rag that Ailo had sat out, and sunk into the water. I washed my face off and rested back. My firsts were clenching and unclenching in an effort to control the torrent that was in my mind. I hadn’t changed… I was no different than I was then. A Monster. That was how she had looked at me, with fear in her beautiful eyes. Just as everyone had always looked at me… Demon, devil… beast. A creature born to destroy what God had made. How would she feel if she knew that? Likely no different than she felt now. Because she knew, she knew I was evil from the moment she saw me… and if a kind heart cannot see evil, then what heart can? The water did nothing to ease the turmoil of my body, the muscles clenching and unclenching, tense and coiled for something… “I should apologize…” I muttered to myself, dragging the rag across my chest. I sunk into the water, allowing my hair to be soaked and then rose again to wipe the strands free from my face. I had to calm myself, I was so unused to these emotions they were nearly tearing my logic apart. Even after I had acted so abhorrently, Cossette still wanted to play. She wanted me to throw everything I had at her, a curious challenge from someone that wanted to be left alone. She expected me to try cheap tricks to persuade her… she had no idea what I wanted from her, and in fact, neither had I until I saw the fear in her eyes tonight… I wanted her to save me from solitude, from this abyss of utter alones. I wanted her to see past the lies and the monster that everyone saw… I wanted her to see what even God could not. I sought my soul in her. Was it right of me to ask such a thing from a woman I had only seen a few times and could not read? Aw but I did read her… I felt her. Felt her warmth she hid from me, felt her fear of… what? My head swam with questioned and none of them were to do with what I had come here for! I tried to clear my mind and remember what had transpired earlier in the night, Lillith and I had gone to see the Vampire known as Corbeau. Ah yes… the glass blower. Though at first I felt I would literally learn nothing from the slow and quiet giant, when he had finished his tale I was somewhat enlightened to the unveiling plot before us.
When Lillith and I arrived at the little shop we were greeted by a giant of a man. His long brown hair with bits of gray here and there was pulled back and his features were that of a well groomed Viking. He was at least an inch taller than I, which was truly something with his wide shoulders and muscular arms. He wore a leather apron that that confused me until I saw his workshop. “Why, good evening, Lillith…what a surprise this is…Greetings, sire…I wondered when I would at last be seeing you…” Corbeau had said, his eyes betraying no surprise as he bowed his head. “You were expecting me?” I inquired. Honestly I was surprised that he had gotten news so quickly that I had arrived in the Duchy. “…Of course. Word travels fast in the Duchy, particularly when it comes by way of the Fair Ones…and it is my charge to pay heed to it when it is necessary.” He said with a knowing smile. “You are not the only one with ears that listen from all corners. I may not have quite as many as you, but they can hear about as well as your own. But please…come in…both of you. This is not a night to be out…even if curfew is lifted by this hour.” The giant moved and allowed us into his dwelling. The front opened into a small and quaint shop, showing his fineries while the back was made into living quarters. Corbeau rattled on with small talk to Lillith as I looked over some of his work. He was a glassblower, a fine one at that. It seemed almost amusing that such a man could make such delicate work.
He offered us blood and though I had not eaten in quite some time, I declined the offer politely. Lillith however took him up on his generosity and sat at his small dining table while he led me down to his workshop. I had truly hoped to speak with him alone and he must have sensed that… otherwise I could not fathom why he had led me down into his workspace. He began to sweep and tidy, making small comments about the country side and the Duchy. I was becoming somewhat aggravated. “Corbeau… I came here tonight to ask if you know of the taxes that were levered on this Duchy.” I said outright. I wasn’t a man of small talk… unless it served a purpose. This served nothing but to irritate me. Corbeau was silent for a moment, intent on finishing his chores. Finally he looked at me, somewhat curiously.
“Tell me, sire…what do you know of human politics?” He asked. I raised a brow in confusion at his question.
“Imagine for a moment, sire, that you are the sovereign monarch of a unified state: an entire country under your rule. Now imagine that there is one province – just one – that has evaded unification under your banner for a good many centuries…and that one of the many goals of your reign is to subdue this province and make it one with the whole of your kingdom. This is a province with strategic value, one that – in the event of war with a neighboring country across the sea – would be greatly advantageous…” He continued. I opened my mother to question him but he began again
“...Patience. Now imagine that, as King of this kingdom with a lone rogue province, you find yourself with several options by which to proceed. To acquire this province, what would you do? Being that you are a vain and self-indulgent King, one who would prefer to scheme and connive rather than get his hands dirty, what course would best suit your nature? Would you march on the province to forcibly seize it and its assets…? Or would you prefer to buy it from its current governing body once it is financially broken and weak, as resulting from the rigors of increased taxation…?”
My face displayed sufficient emotion for him to continue on.
“Very good. King Louis of France has designs for this region…all of which concern the creation of a new launch point for the country’s navy should England and France once again ignite their feuding. Like Calais to the north of us, Forêt en Chêne is in a good position to build a new navel port…and Louis is seeking to expand his power. In his eyes, this Duchy is key to that, and following the then-recent demise of Albert Delacroix, he had every reason to believe that his daughter would fold under the pressure of his demands.”
I knew it… Ah how well I could I read the heart of the foul, greedy, violent beast known as man. My fist was clenched so tightly that the nails of my fingers dug into the flesh of my hand, breaking the skin. “And his demands were?” I asked. Showing a remarkable amount of control.
“Following Albert’s funeral, the Duchess returned from court with the King’s decree, which she shared with me upon seeking my counsel. I looked at the sums that he expected her to deliver, and mark me, sire…we as a region would not have survived had she decided to tax the populace in accordance with the decree’s petition. Thus it was that she elected to turn inward, choosing to sell and pawn her belongings to the highest bidders in order to make up for the whole, sparing the people. Louis was not pleased with this tactic, but he accepted it nevertheless…” Corbeau explained.
“Were not other regions taxed as well?” I asked.
“No. Louis was not looking to break them. He focused the levy entirely on Forêt en Chêne. However, following the decree’s failure, he began what you might call a…campaign, if you like, to marry the Duchess off, namely to one of his own allies who would happily force the Duchy to join the rest of the kingdom in exchange for his favor...”
“I assumed that much…”
“Indeed.”
“What of Albert’s death, do you think that it could link to the taxes and the suitors?”
“Albert’s death was a tragic affair. He was a man who was loved in many circles, and he is still grieved for. As to what purpose his murder might have served…well…that is to suspect that it served a purpose at all. Still, one might find it marvelously convenient that taxes and suitors would hound a new Duchess immediately following the death of the previous ducal ruler…especially as such a death would have left her vulnerable without a male familial guardian.”
“So then you think that Louis murdered the Duke to get to his daughter in a weakened state?”
“It is difficult to say. One would almost certainly think so, what with the pattern of events that followed in the wake of Albert’s passing. However…there are two points that should be considered…both which go against that school of thought. The first was that Albert was a popular figure at court – he was respected and admired by many. Louis would not risk the death of such a man, not when it could very well backfire on him. The old adage holds true here, that one dagger in the dark better be worth a thousand swords by dawn…”
“And the other point?”
“The nature of the Duke’s murder. This was no quick or clean kill, sire – not by even the littlest stretch. Given Albert’s popularity, it could almost be considered reckless. His body was discovered in a field close to the woods near the Chateau de la Mont. A colleague of mine, Jacobi, was one of the first ones there before the Duchess was sent for. According to him, the body was barely intact, and utterly unrecognizable. The only clues any of us had to indicate that the remains were Albert’s were the personal affects that had been found on the corpse…”
My stomach sank even now remembering those words… “Barely intact…” God if I didn’t know what it was like to come upon someone that you treasured more that anything and see them destroyed like that… Poor Cossette.
“Do you think there might be two separate threats against the Duchess? Possibly linked to the rumors of the dead girls and the conspiracy theory of the King and a vampire working together?” I asked.
“Again, it is hard to say. My sources keep strictly to within the Duchy, sire…we are more concerned with our own internal affairs than those from the outside. If you came to this place seeking a rogue, know that you will not find a rogue within these lands. Nevertheless, if moves are now being made against the Duchess, and that a rogue truly is to blame, then I fear that they are moving at a speed that we have no hope of tracking. Louis is one front that we can see, and his ambitions have been plain to us all from the start. But the presence of a second adversary is a development that bodes nothing but ill will for our Duchess…as is the notion that the two might be in concert with each other. For that, sire…know you have my ready gratitude for whatever aid you can give. I once served with Cossette’s ancestor, Lucius the Elder, to preserve this Duchy’s independence when Charlemagne himself strove to include it with the rest of his newly conquered territory – and I gave much to see that victory secured. This Duchy, this place, is one that many of our own have all called home – and should it fall…then we all lose ground. As a people, that is something we cannot let happen…” Corbeau stated with a fierce determination. I could not help but smile at this. There were so many times in my past that I wondered if it were possible to have some slight peace between my kind and their kind… and here it was, so small and hidden but all the same it was there. “Thank you Corbeau, I am very grateful for your help in this. I am in your debt this night.” I started for the stairs but stopped when he spoke again.
“Sire, there is something else – something that you should be aware of. It concerns the Delacroix family directly, and our Duchess in turn. When Charlemagne’s men failed to take the Duchy by force, a treaty was drawn up several centuries ago that established the peace between it and the rest of the kingdom. The treaty granted Forêt en Chêne her freedom, but in exchange for that freedom it has been the obligation of every surviving Delacroix heir to pay an annual duty to the crown. It is called, La tournée de Service – literally, a Tour of Service that each firstborn heir or heiress must fulfill. Albert himself briefly served as the captain of the old King’s personal guard in accordance with his own tour – and if Louis wanted…he could just as easily summon Cossette to serve out her own tour whenever he sees fit…and possibly by some less honorable terms…and she would be under legal jurisdiction to obey him…”
“Thank you Corbeau… but Cossette won’t be taking part in any La tournée de Service, as long as I am here. Good evening to you.” After that I left silently with Lillith in lead, back to the castle… where I then was slapped by the very woman I had been so eager to protect… Aw well, my life tended to take those sorts of turns. Cossette had every right to be wary of my intention after I came to understand what I had thought from the beginning. La tournée de Service… it made me sick to say it. I could imagine that disgusting wretch of a human pawing at her.

I finished my bath, grabbed the robe Ailo had set out and walked back into the bedroom. Though Corbeau’s information was a help, it still did not tell me anything about the rogue or what that creature was that attacked the Duchess. Perhaps Louis was tired of waiting for the Duchess to come around and decided force was the only way… offered a large sum of money to the rogue to depose of her. Perhaps the beast that she killed was the rogue and were we done with the whole ordeal. But somehow I knew that could not be true… and how was I to make good on my vow to keep Cossette from servicing the king? I had no army and Cossette would not think twice to bear the shame to spare her charges harm. She had given enough to this king… she had given her life away for what? A navel port? I could not be considered a good man by any means but when I conquered under my reign, I did it swiftly and those that fought against me died… they weren’t left to suffer long. Was that kinder than the king of France? I couldn’t be a judge of that but at least I didn’t come in as a coward and slowly peel a woman’s life away. I couldn’t assume that the only threat was from the king wanting to gain power over the duchy but unless I had Cossette’s cooperation I was helpless to find out what was going on. So, once again the game turned to my favorite part, seducing the lonely heroin.  If we worked together we could work much faster and much better. After all, one, I wasn’t about to keep my promise of not seeing her and two, I wasn’t about to give up winning her heart.
Sadly however, it was dawn and it sounded as though Lillith was already in her quarters for the night. Perhaps now would be the best time to actually sleep and regain some of the energy I was losing due to lack of blood. I really should have taken Corbeau up on his offer. After all, I had suffered a silver wound, a broken nose and my… loins still ached from when Cossette firmly wedge her knee between my legs. I removed the shammed pillows on the bed and pulled the covers back, settled in for a quiet and possibly peaceful sleep.
Then it started…
“Fair evening, isn’t my dear…?” A male voice spoke suddenly from the direction of Lillith’s room. Were the walls made of paper?
“…Oh, you! …You know I hate it when you do that to me…” Lillith’s bell like voice rang out in surprise.
“…Aw, how is that so? I thought you rather enjoyed it whenever I surprised you…”
“Depends on the surprise, you know. For instance…I didn’t think I’d see you tonight…”
There was a sudden thump against the wall…
“…I can never stay away from you, my little Colleen…how I have missed you so…”
“…Missed me? It’s only been a little more than a full day...”
“A day too long, my darling one…I’m of a mind that we need to make up for lost time…”
Now there was a loud grinding against the wall… oh dear God…
“Do you, now…? Well, then…Let’s…make up.”
There was the sudden ruffling of clothes, perhaps a skirt being pushed up. I had heard that sound once or twice… I wasn’t really in a mood to hear it now however!
“…Uh…uh…oh, Lillith…”
“…Ah…! Ah…! Oh, God…you HAVE missed me…! AHH…!!”
“…My lady…”
“…Now…! Now…! Please…! Nuh-uh-UH…!! AAAHH…!! YES…!!”
“…Oh, my jewel…UH…!!”
“…Don’t stop…! Don’t…! Oh…! OH…!! AAAAAHHH!!”

…No matter how hard I pressed the pillow to my ears the sound penetrated. All I wanted was sleep! I grabbed the two shammed pillows from the floor and piled them onto the others as round two started. I was never going to get any sleep….

At some point in the day they stopped and I finally was able to sleep, though I think perhaps an hour was all I got. Lillith was certainly quite a catch or so it sounded. My eyes were forced open but my body put a larger protest up against actually sitting up and getting out of the bed. My muscles ached, my head was spinning and my gut was on fire. No matter what else transpired this evening, I had to feed. I managed the energy to sit up and call the clothes to my body. I walked to the large dressing mirror and looked myself over. I was gaunt and my eyes had semi dark purple circles under them…wonderful. Well when Ailo saw this he was going to chastise me to no end about my poor habit of becoming obsessed with something and forgetting my health.  I tied my hair back in a loose tail and headed out to find Lillith… that is if I could look her in the eyes. Not only had she seen me practically crawling on her mistress but… well, I would try not to think of the other.
I looked all over the lower lever for her, finally deciding to go down into the kitchen to see if she was there. She was. A stranger would have thought her human had they walked up on her. She had her back to me but I could see her popping food into her mouth as she fixed a meal, no doubt for her Duchess.  “Good evening, Lillith.” I said sheepishly. I wasn’t exactly sure what I would say to her… after last night and Cossette…
She spun in surprise and managed a shaky curtsy for me. “My King!  Uh...good evening!” She said. Her face was horribly flushed. She then turned back to her stew and stirred.
“Lovely evening...” I started then like a child I blurted out, “I... uh... what you saw last night wasn't what it looked like”
Lillith turned to me. “What I saw...?  Oh...OH...!!” Realization finally hit her and she quickly went back to her cooking. “...I am not so sure about that, Majesty...the stories are against you, I'm afraid to say...”
“I was trying to check her wound... we fell, it was as innocent as that, honestly. Lillith please you must believe me.” I tried. Alright, so it was not that innocent… I had been hard as a board before being harshly reminded of my place.
“Oh, that!  Blast that girl!  She always comes home with SOMETHING amiss with her!  Her father was no better for it!  If it's not falling from her horse and knocking herself halfway to sleep, it's a broken bone or a sprained ankle!  I hate it when she goes out...!”  Lillith exploded in a motherly huff.  “...Very well, then, Majesty.  Know, then, that her bruise has already healed quite nicely.  She's always been a swift one to recover...” She said as she ladled stew into a bowl and prepared a plate of bread and cheese.
“Ah… well... how did she heal so quickly?” I asked, stepping a bit closer.
“She's faye-charmed, my King -- protected.  The Fair Folk bestowed their blessing on her the day she was born.  It prevents serious ills from befalling her...”  Lillith rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “...provided she doesn't put herself in harm's way first, of course...” Indeed.
“Yes... she seems to be rather good at that... at any rate... actually I was wondering if you might lend me some ideas to” I paused, looking for the right words. “Get in her good graces. I want to apologize for last night. This being banned from seeing one another is silly. Don't you think?” I asked, trying my damnedest to sound tame and uninterested in all but simply being allowed to see her.
Lillith was a clever girl though.
She turned to face me slowly, watching my eyes. “...I wouldn't know, my King...lately it seems the best way to keep your hands away from her and her from killing you!” She grabbed the tray she had set with the bowl and bread and started out of the kitchen. Of course I followed.  “Lillith, wait! “ I grabbed her arm gently to halt her. “You asked me to help find the one after your Duchess... I can't do that unless I know what she knows and to do that I need her to trust me! Please, Lillith. Tell me what I can do to apologize to her. If I was a rapist cad like the stories say, would I apologize????” I asked. It was true the stories did call me every name you could imagine, including rapist. I had never taken a woman against her will however. In fact I had only taken one woman to my bed and I never forgot her nor does a day pass that I don’t wish I could have joined her in death.
Lillith stopped and turned to me with a loud sigh. “...It's not that I do not wish to help you, Majesty...but my loyalty is first and foremost to my mistress and her family!  They gave me a home when I didn't have anywhere else to go!” Her eyes assessed me. I was attempting to look pleading, hell I was pleading!
“...But if you insist...I think I might be able to...come up with something...”
I couldn’t help but smile. Not the naughty faux smiles I offered the Duchess but a real smile that made my cheeks hurt. “Lillith, I swear that if anything bad comes from this I will kill myself! Thank you, child.” I bowed my head slightly.
Lillith afforded me one of her pleasant little giggles and started up the stairs to the dining room. “I doubt it will result in something so terrible, my King.  Her Grace has very simple tastes -- she doesn't normally accept pricey things...I don't think she'd know what to do with an expensive gift if it was ever given to her.  Believe me, we've all tried...” She said.
“Then pray tell, what could spark a smile on her lips, Lillith?” I asked, following close behind her. Cossette had seemed rather pleased by nearly removing my manhood…
“...Hmmm...well...she generally likes those gifts that give her something to do...something that will let her work with her hands...”  She pondered as she reached the top step.  “...AHA!!  That's it!” She cried and jumped with joy. I took a quick step back as I was nearly struck across the face with her behind. “What?” I gasped, grabbing the banister for support.
“Fabric, my King!  Cloth!  Before leaving for Versailles, she mentioned needing a new gown for Easter this year!  She's more than capable of making one herself, but she doesn't have any new silk in her stores...”  Lillith beamed looking down at me.  “...She's always looked so beautiful in green...” Now that she mentioned it, Cossette had looked rather nice surrounded by green near the pond…
“Cloth... alright, if that would please her, I will get some silk in a fine shade of green to accent her eyes ... Thank you Lillith. I swear that I will repay you somehow for this.” I said and pressed a kiss to her cheek. I bid her farewell and hurried through the dining room and back up to my room. So, she liked to sow and she liked things that kept her busy. I would purchase the finest silk Paris had to offer so she could work it with her perfect, delicate hands… Hopefully she would accept it. There was so much I wanted to know about her. I knew for certain, after talking to everyone, that she was not the harsh woman that laid a hand against me in her heart. No, she was afraid of me because I wanted her. Of course how could the girl trust anyone after being pelted with suitor after suitor, wanting only to bed her quickly to sell her Duchy out from under her?
Bedding her quickly was the farthest thing from my mind however. The thrill of the chase and the passion of the kill…that was what drove me to go after her. And the surprising gentleness that I knew was inside her…
“My Lord, is there something amiss?” Ailo asked. He was standing in the doorway leading to his room, watching me. I must have been standing there staring off into space… “I am going to Paris. I should be back by tomorrow night as I am flying there. Keep an eye on Cossette for me, will you?” I said and went to search my wardrobe for a cloak. “You mean spy on her while you are gone? Should I inform her that you have gone and will be back tomorrow?” Ailo asked coolly. “Yes and yes.” I said finding my cloak. “But do not tell her where I am or what I am doing. Simply tell her I stepped out for a moment to… conduct some urgent business.” I smiled being pleased with that vague excuse. “And what is it you will actually be doing, my Lord?” Ailo asked furrowing his brow.
“Buying silk.” I answered and secured my cloak to my shoulders. Ailo stared for a moment then shrugged, giving up trying to guess why I would be buying silk. “As you wish, my Lord… I will keep an eye on her and should I keep a log of her errands too?” He asked.
“Yes… write down anything that makes her smile.” I said and started for the door. “My Lord… The last time…”Ailo hesitated. “This sort of thing nearly destroyed you. Please, remember that we need a king.” He said, his eyes piercing my own. “It is only fun, Ailo. Do not worry so…” I said with a smile and took my leave. Only fun… I was having fun but that wasn’t what made me leave for Paris in the middle of the night nor was it the reason I so desperately wanted to make her smile… I suppose I wondered if I could be something she wanted, without the aid of mind control or thralls. Could I be a man she wanted to love? I smiled when I knew the answer was… yes.  I could be her hero if she let me…