The End of the Story, chapter 6
Mar. 23rd, 2019 09:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scripsiTitle: The End of the Story
Fandom: Versailles
Rating: Teens
Chapter: 6/?
Word Count: 1637
Characters Sophie de Clermont, Fabien Marchal
Pairings: Fabien Marchal/Sophie de Clermont
Warnings: References to abuse.
Summary: Sophie de Clermont returns to Paris with a warning to Fabien Marchal, only to find she might be too late.
AN: This fic will spoil all three seasons of Versailles.
The whole fic on AO3
Sophie waited for Fabien’s answer, and she prayed. Prayed he would believe her and prayed she would have the strength to die with dignity if he didn’t. An eternity passed before Fabien seemed to relax a little and finally spoke.
“When the Queen fell ill, you looked like a startled deer whenever the affliction was spoken of. I saw you where you shouldn’t have been, and your conduct, when questioned, was very strange, and then I found that odd box. I could only conclude your actions were those of a guilty woman, and when we last met, I had no reason to think otherwise.
But I had nothing but time and my thoughts while I was in prison. And I thought of how no one ever suspected you when Cassel was dying; how there were no rumours, not even a hint, his illness wasn’t natural, despite everyone knowing how he treated you. The whole court filled with gossip and accusations of poison, but none directed at you. And the way you behaved, always so calm and collected; I would never have suspected you if Madame Agathe had not written your name in her book. So I wondered why your behaviour was reversed when I knew so well what you were capable of. And I realised you were purposely acting like you were guilty, and that you wanted me to suspect you. I don’t know your reason for that charade, but I think you were acting out a little play for the benefit of me, or perhaps someone else. It was the only thing which made sense. So no, I don’t think you killed the Queen, and I haven’t for a long time.”
Sophie started at Fabien in bewilderment. “But if you changed your mind, why did you let me think you still suspected me?”
“Because I wanted to be sure.” Fabien smiled a real smile which made his eye crinkle briefly. “As you said; I know you better than anyone else. I know you are an adept liar, and you have a remarkable ability to remain in control during the most disquieting moments. But I also know that if someone shakes you out of your calm and rouse your passion enough, you abandon all pretence and speak the truth, no matter what it is. Didn’t you know that? I knew if I could unsettle you enough when we were alone, you would tell me nothing but the truth.”
“You tricked me!”
“A little. Did you really think all the confessions I got were only because of torture? It is not so difficult to make people talk if you only know how to play them.”
“So you lied to make me speak.”
“The only lie was to make you believe I still thought you guilty.”
Sophie felt very strange, almost as if she was to faint. The true meaning of Fabien’s words was now clear to her. He believed her, and the fear she had lived with for so long was gone. She had longed for Fabien, but she had also been afraid of him, but now there was no reason to fear him anymore. The relief almost overcame her, and she swayed on her feet, all strength deserting her For a moment she thought she would fall, but then Fabien’s arms were around her, and she leaned against his chest. She wanted to cry and laugh her whole body shook from the emotions, and it felt so good to stand there close to Fabien. But then she collected herself and took a step back. There were still things she needed to say, and so she returned to her boulder and sat down again. This time Fabien sat down beside her.
“You are right. I wanted to look guilty. And I’m not beyond approach, Fabien. There are so many things I wish I had done differently. You know I went to the court of William of Orange, and I found him an honourable man. But politics and alliances move and suddenly I found myself in the Emperor’s service instead. He is a very frightening man. I thought I would never be scared of a man again, not after Cassel, but the Emperor is the same kind of man as my husband was.”
Fabien’s jaws clenched, and Sophie hurried to continue.
“He displayed no interest in my body, but he shared the pleasure of seeing people afraid of him. It terrified Princess Eleanor; he used to come into her room and scare her into hysteria, and I could see he enjoyed it. And he is ruthless; when he told me I had to kill the Queen, I knew he would see me dead if I refused. So I pretended I was going to do his bidding. I picked up that little box you found; there were some kind insects in them. I thought that was good news; if the Queen didn’t die, I could blame it on the chance the insects wouldn’t bite her. I foolishly thought it would buy me a little time before the Emperor would realise there must be another attempt. I thought it would give me enough time to think of something to do. I went to the Queen’s room the night you saw me, and I made sure you weren’t the only one who noticed me. But by then those insects were crushed and burned, and what was in the box were some harmless bugs from the garden.”
Sophie glanced at Fabien. He was looking thoughtful but said nothing, only nodded to her to continue.
“But then the Queen fell ill, anyway. At first, I thought she had succumbed to something natural, but I wanted the Emperor to think I had done it, so I made sure to look like I had a guilty conscience. It wasn’t difficult as I was anxious for the Queen by then, and when she died, it devastated me. But I still thought she died by a natural illness. Then you found the box, which should have been impossible. You see, I got rid of that box the same night I released the bugs. Someone had put it back. And as you grow more and more suspicious, I realised I had always been meant to the scapegoat, regardless if I followed orders or not.
Now I blame myself for not trusting in you; perhaps the Queen could have been saved if I had. But I was so scared by then and I didn’t know what to do. I don’t know who had poisoned the Queen. I know the Emperor has many spies at Versailles, but I don’t know who they are. I could feel the trap closing on me, and when I realised the King wanted Princes Eleanor dead, I knew I couldn’t let it happen. And as I feared for my life, we ran, more in panic than anything else.”
Sophie tentatively touched Fabien’s hand. “Do you still think I’m innocent?”
Fabien took her hand very gently. “None of us are innocent. I think regret must follow us for the rest of our lives, but I don’t think you could have saved the Queen if you had acted differently. I’m not sure I would have believed you if you had come to me. I want to think I would have, but I don’t know. You tried your best, but it’s not always enough.”
They sat in silence, their hands still clasped, and then Fabien spoke again.
“I never thanked you for saving me.”
“I wasn’t alone. I could never have done it without Michel’s help.”
“Michel is a good man; reliable and brave. But he is not a strategist; he would never have been able to plan my escape. But you could.”
Sophie blushed. “Yes, I did..”
“I would not have survived imprisonment for long, and my sanity would have gone long before that. I was already half-demented when you came, and I first thought the vision of you was only my own crazed mind playing tricks on me. You risked your life for me without knowing I wouldn’t try to kill you as soon as I saw you.”
“I was afraid. But it didn’t matter. When I heard of your arrest, I had no other choice than to come back.”
Fabien lifted her hand and pressed a kiss against it.
“I thought no one would care if I lived or died. I’m glad to know I was wrong.”
They went back to the cottage soon after. It dawned on Sophie as they walked that had a future now. They would only need to get away from the vicinity of Paris, and then they would be almost safe. Fabien must have had the same thought because he opened his chest as soon as they returned and removed the sealed parcel Sophie had noticed earlier. He examined it and looked pleased to see all the seals unbroken before he carefully opened it. As she had thought it contained several documents, most of them clearly legal.
“What is this? Sophie asked.
“My future. I always planned to be able to retire incognito if I wasn’t killed in the King’s service. I have made far too many enemies to want anyone to know where I would go. Here are the deeds to an estate in the south, and there are also investments here, all under another name than my own. There should be plenty to keep us comfortable. Perhaps we shouldn’t stay in France at all, but I think we could safely go there first.”
Fabien hesitated. “That is if you want to go with me; I can’t promise you a life with me will be without danger. If not I will see you back to Princess Eleanor’s convent first.”
“I go where you go, Fabien. Without you, I’m not alive.”
Fandom: Versailles
Rating: Teens
Chapter: 6/?
Word Count: 1637
Characters Sophie de Clermont, Fabien Marchal
Pairings: Fabien Marchal/Sophie de Clermont
Warnings: References to abuse.
Summary: Sophie de Clermont returns to Paris with a warning to Fabien Marchal, only to find she might be too late.
AN: This fic will spoil all three seasons of Versailles.
The whole fic on AO3
Sophie waited for Fabien’s answer, and she prayed. Prayed he would believe her and prayed she would have the strength to die with dignity if he didn’t. An eternity passed before Fabien seemed to relax a little and finally spoke.
“When the Queen fell ill, you looked like a startled deer whenever the affliction was spoken of. I saw you where you shouldn’t have been, and your conduct, when questioned, was very strange, and then I found that odd box. I could only conclude your actions were those of a guilty woman, and when we last met, I had no reason to think otherwise.
But I had nothing but time and my thoughts while I was in prison. And I thought of how no one ever suspected you when Cassel was dying; how there were no rumours, not even a hint, his illness wasn’t natural, despite everyone knowing how he treated you. The whole court filled with gossip and accusations of poison, but none directed at you. And the way you behaved, always so calm and collected; I would never have suspected you if Madame Agathe had not written your name in her book. So I wondered why your behaviour was reversed when I knew so well what you were capable of. And I realised you were purposely acting like you were guilty, and that you wanted me to suspect you. I don’t know your reason for that charade, but I think you were acting out a little play for the benefit of me, or perhaps someone else. It was the only thing which made sense. So no, I don’t think you killed the Queen, and I haven’t for a long time.”
Sophie started at Fabien in bewilderment. “But if you changed your mind, why did you let me think you still suspected me?”
“Because I wanted to be sure.” Fabien smiled a real smile which made his eye crinkle briefly. “As you said; I know you better than anyone else. I know you are an adept liar, and you have a remarkable ability to remain in control during the most disquieting moments. But I also know that if someone shakes you out of your calm and rouse your passion enough, you abandon all pretence and speak the truth, no matter what it is. Didn’t you know that? I knew if I could unsettle you enough when we were alone, you would tell me nothing but the truth.”
“You tricked me!”
“A little. Did you really think all the confessions I got were only because of torture? It is not so difficult to make people talk if you only know how to play them.”
“So you lied to make me speak.”
“The only lie was to make you believe I still thought you guilty.”
Sophie felt very strange, almost as if she was to faint. The true meaning of Fabien’s words was now clear to her. He believed her, and the fear she had lived with for so long was gone. She had longed for Fabien, but she had also been afraid of him, but now there was no reason to fear him anymore. The relief almost overcame her, and she swayed on her feet, all strength deserting her For a moment she thought she would fall, but then Fabien’s arms were around her, and she leaned against his chest. She wanted to cry and laugh her whole body shook from the emotions, and it felt so good to stand there close to Fabien. But then she collected herself and took a step back. There were still things she needed to say, and so she returned to her boulder and sat down again. This time Fabien sat down beside her.
“You are right. I wanted to look guilty. And I’m not beyond approach, Fabien. There are so many things I wish I had done differently. You know I went to the court of William of Orange, and I found him an honourable man. But politics and alliances move and suddenly I found myself in the Emperor’s service instead. He is a very frightening man. I thought I would never be scared of a man again, not after Cassel, but the Emperor is the same kind of man as my husband was.”
Fabien’s jaws clenched, and Sophie hurried to continue.
“He displayed no interest in my body, but he shared the pleasure of seeing people afraid of him. It terrified Princess Eleanor; he used to come into her room and scare her into hysteria, and I could see he enjoyed it. And he is ruthless; when he told me I had to kill the Queen, I knew he would see me dead if I refused. So I pretended I was going to do his bidding. I picked up that little box you found; there were some kind insects in them. I thought that was good news; if the Queen didn’t die, I could blame it on the chance the insects wouldn’t bite her. I foolishly thought it would buy me a little time before the Emperor would realise there must be another attempt. I thought it would give me enough time to think of something to do. I went to the Queen’s room the night you saw me, and I made sure you weren’t the only one who noticed me. But by then those insects were crushed and burned, and what was in the box were some harmless bugs from the garden.”
Sophie glanced at Fabien. He was looking thoughtful but said nothing, only nodded to her to continue.
“But then the Queen fell ill, anyway. At first, I thought she had succumbed to something natural, but I wanted the Emperor to think I had done it, so I made sure to look like I had a guilty conscience. It wasn’t difficult as I was anxious for the Queen by then, and when she died, it devastated me. But I still thought she died by a natural illness. Then you found the box, which should have been impossible. You see, I got rid of that box the same night I released the bugs. Someone had put it back. And as you grow more and more suspicious, I realised I had always been meant to the scapegoat, regardless if I followed orders or not.
Now I blame myself for not trusting in you; perhaps the Queen could have been saved if I had. But I was so scared by then and I didn’t know what to do. I don’t know who had poisoned the Queen. I know the Emperor has many spies at Versailles, but I don’t know who they are. I could feel the trap closing on me, and when I realised the King wanted Princes Eleanor dead, I knew I couldn’t let it happen. And as I feared for my life, we ran, more in panic than anything else.”
Sophie tentatively touched Fabien’s hand. “Do you still think I’m innocent?”
Fabien took her hand very gently. “None of us are innocent. I think regret must follow us for the rest of our lives, but I don’t think you could have saved the Queen if you had acted differently. I’m not sure I would have believed you if you had come to me. I want to think I would have, but I don’t know. You tried your best, but it’s not always enough.”
They sat in silence, their hands still clasped, and then Fabien spoke again.
“I never thanked you for saving me.”
“I wasn’t alone. I could never have done it without Michel’s help.”
“Michel is a good man; reliable and brave. But he is not a strategist; he would never have been able to plan my escape. But you could.”
Sophie blushed. “Yes, I did..”
“I would not have survived imprisonment for long, and my sanity would have gone long before that. I was already half-demented when you came, and I first thought the vision of you was only my own crazed mind playing tricks on me. You risked your life for me without knowing I wouldn’t try to kill you as soon as I saw you.”
“I was afraid. But it didn’t matter. When I heard of your arrest, I had no other choice than to come back.”
Fabien lifted her hand and pressed a kiss against it.
“I thought no one would care if I lived or died. I’m glad to know I was wrong.”
They went back to the cottage soon after. It dawned on Sophie as they walked that had a future now. They would only need to get away from the vicinity of Paris, and then they would be almost safe. Fabien must have had the same thought because he opened his chest as soon as they returned and removed the sealed parcel Sophie had noticed earlier. He examined it and looked pleased to see all the seals unbroken before he carefully opened it. As she had thought it contained several documents, most of them clearly legal.
“What is this? Sophie asked.
“My future. I always planned to be able to retire incognito if I wasn’t killed in the King’s service. I have made far too many enemies to want anyone to know where I would go. Here are the deeds to an estate in the south, and there are also investments here, all under another name than my own. There should be plenty to keep us comfortable. Perhaps we shouldn’t stay in France at all, but I think we could safely go there first.”
Fabien hesitated. “That is if you want to go with me; I can’t promise you a life with me will be without danger. If not I will see you back to Princess Eleanor’s convent first.”
“I go where you go, Fabien. Without you, I’m not alive.”
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Date: 2019-03-24 12:50 am (UTC)