A Bewildered Heart, chapter 3
Feb. 23rd, 2017 01:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scripsiTitle: A Bewildered Heart
Fandom: Versailles
Rating: Mature
Genre: Drama
Word Count: 1384
Chapters: 3/?
Characters/pairing: Fabien Marchal/Sophie de Clermont.
Warnings: None so far
Summary: Sophie de Clermont is settling down to her new role in life, but Fabien Marchal still disturbs her peace of mind. If not exactly the same was as before.
AN: This is a sequel to a story called Show Me. The observant may notice I have not been completely faithful to a few historic facts. But then the TV series is not completely faithful either, so I felt I could bend facts to suit my story.
Sophie’s good mood remained during the following days. It was not until she was arranging her hair to make herself ready for Fabien, it changed. Something she did when she looked into her mirror, perhaps how she moved her hand or held her head, suddenly reminded her of Beatrice. It felt as if her mother was close, only out of her line of sight. Watching Sophie with the familiar gaze combining impatience with love. It felt like she, any moment now, would snatch the comb from Sophie’s hand and finish her hair for her. She closed her eyes, but it only strengthened the feeling of her mother’s presence and then Beatrice spoke inside her mind, as clear as if she had really been in the room with her daughter.
“Such a happy face. Why I wonder? Because he seems to like you a little now? I haven’t been dead for long and you have already forgotten your duty as a daughter.”
Despite knowing she was alone, Sophie opened her eyes and looked around the room. When she looked back towards the mirror, her glance fell on a letter opener resting among ribbons and hairpins on her table.
“Yes, pick it up and bring it with you. He has started to trust you, and he wouldn’t expect you to do something like that. No one is invincible. Not even he can survive a knife in the throat.”
“I can’t.” Sophie whispered, but the voice in her head persisted.
“You can. It would be easy. If you loved me, you must avenge me.”
With unsteady fingers Sophie pushed in a few more hairpins, but then she took the letter opener and hid it in her skirt. She left her room in a hurry before she could dwell more over her action. As she stepped into Fabien’s office she pushed all thoughts of it away, determined to not let him think anything was out of the ordinary.
When she had finished her report, Fabien rose to open one of the chests lining the walls of the room. He motioned to Sophie to step forward, and she saw this was not an ordinary chest. Instead there was a large map of France with dozens of little lead markers, each one of them with a small label attached.
“What do you make of this?”
Sophie studied the map. At first it puzzled her, but then she brightened.
“I see. How clever!”
“You do? Well then, what changes would you make, if you consider what you have just told me?”
Without hesitation Sophie picked up two of the markers standing on Versailles on the map and moved them. She glanced at Fabien who nodded.
“Yes. And what conclusions do you make?”
Sophie took a few moments to consider her answer. Then she pointed at one marker she had moved.
“It’s nothing remarkable with going to Paris. Everyone do it all the time. I guess it can mean anything.” Then she pointed at the other marker. “That is peculiar, though. That place has no importance at all. But I don’t think I can draw any more conclusions, not from what I know. You would need more information.”
“Very good. Information from only one source is not enough. As it happens, I have reasons to look into the trip to Paris a little closer. But that town of no importance, well, there is a mistress there, and a child the father dotes on. I admit I found it curious as well when it first came to my notice.”
Fabien sounded pleased and Sophie blushed at the unexpected praise. But then she made a movement which made her feel the concealed letter opener against her leg, and she stiffened. She had forgotten about it, but now she couldn’t help putting her hand against her skirt so she could feel the outline through the fabric. Fabien frowned in suspicion at her, his stance suddenly alert.
“What's the matter?”
Sophie was about to say it was nothing, but the excuse died on her lips. Without a word she removed her little weapon and held it out to him. He took it from her, weighing it in his hand.
“I see.”
Fabien placed it on the table and unsheathed his knife instead.
“This won’t do, Sophie.”
He moved, so he was behind her, his voice very soft.
“Your little toy could do damage, but most likely you would only hurt yourself. If you want to kill someone, first make sure you have a suitable weapon.”
Sophie closed her eyes as his hand raked into her hair and pulled her head back as he put the knife to her throat.
“And, if possible, have the element of surprise to aid you. You have neither.”
She could feel the edge of the knife against her skin now, cold and sharp. It would slit her throat with ease, and she waited breathless, not daring to move. But after a moment he released her, turning her around to face him.
“It’s messy to slit a throat from behind, but it’s quick and you avoid getting the blood spattered all over you.”
He put the knife in her hand and closed his own over it. Guiding her arm he raised it so the knife pointed at his neck.
“This is the mistake most untrained makes, they aim high, and it’s easy to deflect.” He lowered her arm and turned her hand so the knife angled upwards. “This is better. A gut wound is nearly always fatal, even if it may take a while for the victim to die. You should try for that, I would be very lucky to survive a knife in my stomach twice.”
He let go of her and took a step back, leaving Sophie to hold the knife on her own.
“Go ahead.”
Sophie’s hand which held the knife trembled. Fabien’s hand, when he had held the knife to her throat had been completely steady. Now he seemed at ease, studying her face when, Sophie knew, had the roles been reversed she would not have been able to look anywhere else than on the knife. It would be easy to take a stab at him, even if she was doomed to fail. But then she had at least tried to revenge her mother. It would be the end of her, and Sophie didn’t want to die. Not now.
She turned the knife and gave it back to Fabien with the hilt first. He took it and sheathed it without comment. Sophie looked down on the floor, her heart beating hard. She wondered what he would do to her now, and how horrible it would be. When his hands closed around her arms, she tried not to flinch, but she didn’t look up.
“Look at me.”
Hesitantly she raised her head, and found, to her surprise, he didn’t seem angry.
“I know you didn’t really come here to kill me. But there is no room for histrionics like that in this line of work. Hate me if you must, but if you are loyal to the king, you must be loyal to me. There is no other way. You didn’t just agree to this deal, you offered it, and I own you.”
His grip hardened.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Sophie whispered. Then she collected what was left of her courage and spoke louder.
“My mother was not older than I am now, when my father was killed. Hate and revenge became the only things which were important. Everything else she felt become something twisted, even her love for me. I know how easy it would be for me to be like her. But I don’t want to live her life. I don’t want to let hate rule mine.”
They stared at each other in silence, Fabien’s fingers digging painfully into her arms. Then he moved a hand to the back of her neck and kissed her. It was not a gentle kiss, but Sophie didn’t mind the savagery of it. A fierce joy filled her, and she responded eagerly. But then, with an abruptness which almost made her fall, he released her.
“Leave. Now.”
Though Fabien didn’t raise his voice, there was something in it which made Sophie turn and flee back to the safety of her room.
Fandom: Versailles
Rating: Mature
Genre: Drama
Word Count: 1384
Chapters: 3/?
Characters/pairing: Fabien Marchal/Sophie de Clermont.
Warnings: None so far
Summary: Sophie de Clermont is settling down to her new role in life, but Fabien Marchal still disturbs her peace of mind. If not exactly the same was as before.
AN: This is a sequel to a story called Show Me. The observant may notice I have not been completely faithful to a few historic facts. But then the TV series is not completely faithful either, so I felt I could bend facts to suit my story.
Sophie’s good mood remained during the following days. It was not until she was arranging her hair to make herself ready for Fabien, it changed. Something she did when she looked into her mirror, perhaps how she moved her hand or held her head, suddenly reminded her of Beatrice. It felt as if her mother was close, only out of her line of sight. Watching Sophie with the familiar gaze combining impatience with love. It felt like she, any moment now, would snatch the comb from Sophie’s hand and finish her hair for her. She closed her eyes, but it only strengthened the feeling of her mother’s presence and then Beatrice spoke inside her mind, as clear as if she had really been in the room with her daughter.
“Such a happy face. Why I wonder? Because he seems to like you a little now? I haven’t been dead for long and you have already forgotten your duty as a daughter.”
Despite knowing she was alone, Sophie opened her eyes and looked around the room. When she looked back towards the mirror, her glance fell on a letter opener resting among ribbons and hairpins on her table.
“Yes, pick it up and bring it with you. He has started to trust you, and he wouldn’t expect you to do something like that. No one is invincible. Not even he can survive a knife in the throat.”
“I can’t.” Sophie whispered, but the voice in her head persisted.
“You can. It would be easy. If you loved me, you must avenge me.”
With unsteady fingers Sophie pushed in a few more hairpins, but then she took the letter opener and hid it in her skirt. She left her room in a hurry before she could dwell more over her action. As she stepped into Fabien’s office she pushed all thoughts of it away, determined to not let him think anything was out of the ordinary.
When she had finished her report, Fabien rose to open one of the chests lining the walls of the room. He motioned to Sophie to step forward, and she saw this was not an ordinary chest. Instead there was a large map of France with dozens of little lead markers, each one of them with a small label attached.
“What do you make of this?”
Sophie studied the map. At first it puzzled her, but then she brightened.
“I see. How clever!”
“You do? Well then, what changes would you make, if you consider what you have just told me?”
Without hesitation Sophie picked up two of the markers standing on Versailles on the map and moved them. She glanced at Fabien who nodded.
“Yes. And what conclusions do you make?”
Sophie took a few moments to consider her answer. Then she pointed at one marker she had moved.
“It’s nothing remarkable with going to Paris. Everyone do it all the time. I guess it can mean anything.” Then she pointed at the other marker. “That is peculiar, though. That place has no importance at all. But I don’t think I can draw any more conclusions, not from what I know. You would need more information.”
“Very good. Information from only one source is not enough. As it happens, I have reasons to look into the trip to Paris a little closer. But that town of no importance, well, there is a mistress there, and a child the father dotes on. I admit I found it curious as well when it first came to my notice.”
Fabien sounded pleased and Sophie blushed at the unexpected praise. But then she made a movement which made her feel the concealed letter opener against her leg, and she stiffened. She had forgotten about it, but now she couldn’t help putting her hand against her skirt so she could feel the outline through the fabric. Fabien frowned in suspicion at her, his stance suddenly alert.
“What's the matter?”
Sophie was about to say it was nothing, but the excuse died on her lips. Without a word she removed her little weapon and held it out to him. He took it from her, weighing it in his hand.
“I see.”
Fabien placed it on the table and unsheathed his knife instead.
“This won’t do, Sophie.”
He moved, so he was behind her, his voice very soft.
“Your little toy could do damage, but most likely you would only hurt yourself. If you want to kill someone, first make sure you have a suitable weapon.”
Sophie closed her eyes as his hand raked into her hair and pulled her head back as he put the knife to her throat.
“And, if possible, have the element of surprise to aid you. You have neither.”
She could feel the edge of the knife against her skin now, cold and sharp. It would slit her throat with ease, and she waited breathless, not daring to move. But after a moment he released her, turning her around to face him.
“It’s messy to slit a throat from behind, but it’s quick and you avoid getting the blood spattered all over you.”
He put the knife in her hand and closed his own over it. Guiding her arm he raised it so the knife pointed at his neck.
“This is the mistake most untrained makes, they aim high, and it’s easy to deflect.” He lowered her arm and turned her hand so the knife angled upwards. “This is better. A gut wound is nearly always fatal, even if it may take a while for the victim to die. You should try for that, I would be very lucky to survive a knife in my stomach twice.”
He let go of her and took a step back, leaving Sophie to hold the knife on her own.
“Go ahead.”
Sophie’s hand which held the knife trembled. Fabien’s hand, when he had held the knife to her throat had been completely steady. Now he seemed at ease, studying her face when, Sophie knew, had the roles been reversed she would not have been able to look anywhere else than on the knife. It would be easy to take a stab at him, even if she was doomed to fail. But then she had at least tried to revenge her mother. It would be the end of her, and Sophie didn’t want to die. Not now.
She turned the knife and gave it back to Fabien with the hilt first. He took it and sheathed it without comment. Sophie looked down on the floor, her heart beating hard. She wondered what he would do to her now, and how horrible it would be. When his hands closed around her arms, she tried not to flinch, but she didn’t look up.
“Look at me.”
Hesitantly she raised her head, and found, to her surprise, he didn’t seem angry.
“I know you didn’t really come here to kill me. But there is no room for histrionics like that in this line of work. Hate me if you must, but if you are loyal to the king, you must be loyal to me. There is no other way. You didn’t just agree to this deal, you offered it, and I own you.”
His grip hardened.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Sophie whispered. Then she collected what was left of her courage and spoke louder.
“My mother was not older than I am now, when my father was killed. Hate and revenge became the only things which were important. Everything else she felt become something twisted, even her love for me. I know how easy it would be for me to be like her. But I don’t want to live her life. I don’t want to let hate rule mine.”
They stared at each other in silence, Fabien’s fingers digging painfully into her arms. Then he moved a hand to the back of her neck and kissed her. It was not a gentle kiss, but Sophie didn’t mind the savagery of it. A fierce joy filled her, and she responded eagerly. But then, with an abruptness which almost made her fall, he released her.
“Leave. Now.”
Though Fabien didn’t raise his voice, there was something in it which made Sophie turn and flee back to the safety of her room.
no subject
Date: 2017-02-25 06:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-02-28 07:36 pm (UTC)I'm re-watching season 1 right now. I didn't expect to love it when I saw it first, but I fell head over heels in love with it. :)