Bad Blood

A Royal Visit

Nothing went unnoticed in Edenvale. Anything newsworthy that happened would just as quickly be known by every single resident that very same day. So when Marie had officially informed the Council of her new title, all of Edenvale learned of it as well. It made the buzz surrounding the Spring Banquet increase by tenfold. It was an honor to attend an event hosted by Marie, now considered by all to be the most influential woman in their society.

But with that influence came the tiring ordeal of a thousand meetings, phone calls, and endless decision-making. She welcomed the influx of things that took up all of her time and energy, unable to afford to waste it on personal matters. Damien had adapted himself to her new workload effortlessly, essentially becoming a fused version of a secretary, butler, and personal assistant. He handled all affairs of the house and ran any business errands that he could for Marie. Because of that, the transition of power flowed effortlessly and endlessly without a hitch.

Damien had come to know what had happened between her and her uncle and why she hadn't confided in him beforehand. If he had known anything, her plan of having her uncle suspect nothing upon his arrival would be ruined. Damien wasn't always the best at hiding his true feelings.

A month had passed since then. Marie watched as the sun rose and sank each day, noting that the emptiness within her still persisted. Sunlight was lasting longer, and temperatures got warmer, which meant the banquet was just around the corner, less than a week away. Delivery trucks were constantly rolling in and out of the driveway, depositing party supplies, decorations, and everything needed to create the perfect night.

In the meantime, Marie opted to stay in her office, mulling over documents and corresponding with the people who operated the various businesses. Her only interactions came from Damien, who either brought mail, paperwork, her meals, or news of the outside world. She missed her long chats with Julia and spending time with her closest friends. But there was much to do these days and not enough time to put aside for her social life.

Damien had been busy running around the house, directing the deliveries and household help. He had discussed extensively with Marie on her vision for the banquet and set himself to execute it perfectly. But today was different. Earlier this morning, he had sent a group of maids to clean up the best guest room in the house. Today, a very important guest was arriving, one who would be residing in the home for their stay.

It was now evening, and the entire household waited excitedly for their guest, the French Royal, to step through the front door. He and a host of other servants had positioned themselves at the front door and waited. The grandfather clock that stood tall and proud in the foyer ticked the seconds away until it finally rang six times, the chimes booming loudly.

As if on cue, Marie came down the stairs, dressed in a modest, knee-length, navy dress. It was cinched at the waist with a golden belt and showed off her figure. Her hair was neatly collected in a low bun that rested on the back of her neck, giving her a clean and collected visage. Her countenance was neutral, betraying no emotion of nervousness or exuberance as she came to stand quietly beside him. He had come to accept this distant neutrality from her as the norm. She knew how to put on an act for others, but behind closed doors, she no longer smiled or laughed, not even with him. He missed it deeply.

The crunch of gravel under wheels, heard at a distance and approaching closer, caused everyone to straighten themselves, ready to fufill their tasks.

"At your best now," Marie advised her staff. "We haven't had a Royal visit this house in quite some time. Let us encourage more visits by making his stay memorable."

"Yes, my Lady," the group responded in one voice.

It didn't take long for two cars to roll to a stop at the front of the house. Damien walked to the door while straightening his suit jacket and swung it wide open, bowing to the guest as he made his entrance. As the man casually strolled in, the presence of another Royal weighed heavily in the air. He eminated a stronge regal aura, but many wouldn't assume that he was the source of it. He was wearing a loose, white, cotton, button-up shirt paired with tight blue jeans. Although his clothes were high quality and expertly tailored to his body, it was far more casual than anything seen in Edenvale.

He was tall, with a lean muscular build. His hair, dirty blonde and streaked with darker low lights, was gelled and quafed away from his face. If looks could kill, his dark colored eyes could, but he looked around at everyone with a kind gaze and a crooked half smile. He walked with purposeful steps, his stride long and bouncy, giving him this air of carefreeness. She took in his entire visage with curiosity. She couldn't quite fully comprehend what sort of impression he made upon her. He was a Royal who didn't act like one. There was no pompous show of wealth or power, yet he carried himself in a certain way that eluded to the fact that he was more than what he seemed.

He approached Marie and outstretched his hand in greeting. She placed her hand in his, and he promptly brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss upon it. Damien, who had made his way back to Marie's side, stood as still as a statue as he watched them exchange greetings.

"Enchanté, Mademoiselle Marie Von Gravenreuth. It is a pleasure to finally put a face to a name I have heard many times." His words, said in a soft and charming French accent, flowed musically from his lips.

"The pleasure is all mine, Monsiuer Jean-Luc Dampierre. I am honored that you decided to visit and attend our Spring Banquet. I hope the journey was good to you."

He waved his hand in the air with a shrug.

"Whether it was good or not, doesn't matter. I am happy to be out of Paris. It has been far too long since I last traveled outside of France. The added benefit of meeting you and the rest of society was more than enough for me to accept your invitation. Talking to the same people becomes quite boring after a few decades."

"Well, all of Edenvale is quite excited to make your acquaintance. But first, let us show you your room. Would you like a glass of our finest?"

"Absolutely, a drink sounds wonderful."

"Damien, while I show our guest his room, do fetch us some glasses."

"With haste," Damien responded as he turned and walked away. Marie gestured for Jean-Luc to follow as she began walking towards the east wing of the house.

"You have a beautiful home, Mademoiselle. Your family has good taste in architecture and interior design. It is delicate and tasteful. Not as gaudy as some others."

"It was built when my ancestors arrived here. Edenvale had just established itself, and this plot of land was offered to them. Politics had changed drastically, and the meaning of nobility had quickly lost its worth in the world. The concept of a safe haven for our kind was quite enticing. The house has gone through various upgrades and expansions over the centuries. My mother was the most recent person who revamped the interior right after she married my father."

"I am sorry for your loss. It sent a big shock around the world when we learned of their untimely demise. And in such a way." Jean-Luc shook his head slowly, genuine sympathy in his eyes.

"Thank you," she responded cooly, looking straight ahead.

He gave her a curious glance but remained silent as they continued to walk further, stopping at a large, oak door. Damien approached just as they arrived with two full, crystal cups on his silver serving tray. Jean-Luc raised one to his lips, consuming half of its contents in one gulp, relishing the taste as he gave a nod of approval. Marie took the other cup and opened the door with a polite smile.

The trio made their way into the spacious bedroom. It was fully furnished with everything a guest could need. The large bed was positioned towards the back of the room, making space for a decently sized sitting area in the front. It had been her old room, which was converted to a guest room when she made the decision to move to the master bedroom.

"This is the best guest room in the house. I hope it is suitable for you."

"I could not ask for a better place to rest my head. I appreciate your kindness and graciousness as a host."

"The pleasure is all mine. If there is anything that you find lacking, please let me know. This is Damien, my butler. Although, now, he is more like a personal assistant these days. You may ask him of anything you need as well."

Damien gave a polite nod as Jean-Luc returned with his own. Marie turned to face Damien.

"Please supervise and settle Monsiuer Dampierre's staff and make sure they know where everything is located."

Without a word, Damien turned to see to his task. Marie strolled past Jean-Luc towards two glass french doors that led to a sizable balcony. It was furnished with a small glass and iron table and two matching iron chairs. The stone balusters were wrapped with thick creeping vines. Jean-Luc ventured out into the night air, sipping slowly from his glass as he took in the view. Even in the dark, the rolling hills were stunning, especially against a sky that was covered in countless stars.

"This place, it's absolutely beautiful. I understand now why so many of us decided to live here." Placing his glass on the table, he leaned over the edge, resting his elbows on the rail as he continued to gaze off into the distance.

"It does have its quiet charm. Quite different to someone who is used to the liveliness of Paris," she said, joining him by the rail.

"Bah, it is lively only because it is full of people who constantly make noise, just like any other city. It used to be fun, but now it's full of tourists who have ruined everything. You can't go anywhere without having to pay for a ticket."

Jean-Luc was waving his hand to and fro with indignation. It made her c***k a smile and chuckle a bit. He turned his head to her instantly, flashing a smile when he heard the sound.

"Ah, so you do have emotions. I am glad to know that becoming the head of your house has not sucked out all the fun in you."

Marie was slightly stunned at both his words and the fact that he illicited a laugh from her.

"Ah, no. Well, my workload has definitely increased, and it does take up all of my time..." She struggled to find a proper and convincing explanation.

Jean-Luc raised an eyebrow with playful questioning as she fumbled to find words. If she had the ability to blush, her face would certainly be bright red. She had never had to explain herself like this to anyone before.

"So, if it is not the workload, then something else? A broken heart? A scorned lover? Although, I could not imagine you being scorned."

Silence followed his questions. Jean-Luc raised himself up and turned to face her fully, placing a hand on his hip.

"Mademoiselle Gravenreuth, do not tell me this is so."

With a sigh, she turned her head towards the hills, unsure of whether to confide in him or not. Although he was still a complete stranger to her, she felt oddly comfortable in his presence.

"Wait a second," he thought for a moment. "Are you not engaged, or I guess married at this point? I remember seeing a wedding invitation long ago."

"Never married, and no longer engaged." It hurt to utter these words outload.

"And this is why you have draped yourself in sorrow? Engagements end as soon as they begin these days. It must have been so long ago, and you are still upset?"

"It is... more complicated than that."

"You said yourself. We are friends now. And friends talk to each other. I know very little about the affairs here. Plus, I'd rather know what has transpired so that I may not say something that could upset you in later conversations." He shifted closer to her, leaning one elbow on the balcony. His stature was relaxed, and his gaze was fully upon her, ready to listen. She turned her head slightly to him, looking into his eyes as she battled between telling him or not.

"I..." She paused, then slowly shook her head, giving into the urge to spill her emotions. "I was still engaged to him until a few months ago. We had postponed the wedding because he wanted to travel the world one last time. I let him and waited for his return."

"And did he return?"

"Oh yes, he did indeed return. And with a surprise." She started off speaking calmly, but now, as she elaborated and let the words flow, she became more animated, angry even. "He returned with another and claims to love her. Enough to ignore our bond and sleep with her."

"Your bond?" He asked, surprised. "You are not as old-fashioned as the others here."

"I wish I had been." She said softly and sadly as her shoulders slumped, the anger fading into quiet grief.

"You waited all this time, all because of the bond. With all this power we have, we can do nothing but submit to this foolish tie we create with each other. Bah." He waved his hand in the air with a scoff. "Lucky for you, there are ways around it."

"What?" she asked, unable to fully process that last statement of his. He simply smiled back.

"There are ways around this silly Bond we all foolhardeldly believe in. It's just that nobody is willing to test the limits."

"That's impossible, nothing in our history or our books speaks of it, except on how to possibly break it."

"I live in the City of Love. Do you think I do not know all about the matters of love and what it entails? Let me ask you this, what do you know about it?"

"The bond is created when two share an intimate relationship. It binds the two together for the rest of our lives, in all sorts of ways. There is no way to break it unless one sleeps with another. But a bond is strong enough that it prevents that. Or so I thought."

"And if one sleeps with another, the poor soul who gets ditched is left hurt and alone. But what if that poor soul also decides to sleep with someone else? What do you think it does to the bond that was there?"

Marie stared back at him, analyzing his question. She guessed at what he was insinuating, but her mind refused to accept it.

"If one breaks the bond, the other can end it completely by doing the same." Jean-Luc answered his own question with a charming smile and shrug.

"But I still feel it, Adam still feels it..."

"You feel it because you have not done your part in fully breaking it."

"My part? You mean, sleeping with another? Just like that? Impossible." Marie shook her head, turning her face away.

"It is not impossible. Lucky for you, you are in the presence of someone who made it possible."

She turned her head back, looking at him while he maintained that same carefree atmosphere and playful smile.

"I was young when I met her, the lovely Angeline, " he started to explain. "My family and I were attending an event, and I was off with my friends, enjoying my time and thinking only of how to make it more enjoyable. I wasn't thinking about love, or marriage, or anything serious like that. I was a wealthy young man. All I wanted was to spend money and have fun. It was summertime, and the event took place in the South of France, along the coast. The air was salty and humid, and it made our clothes stick to our skin. I was trying to convince my friends, other wealthy young men, to ditch the party and head out for a day of fun in the town. But midway through my speech, I spotted someone I had never seen before. A beautiful young woman who laughed in such a magical way. She was the daughter of a noble family, and she captured my heart and my soul that very instant. I stood up, left my slack-jawwed friends behind, and walked right up to her."

Marie listened to his story, pictuirng the scene as he described. His words flowed poetically, wrapping around her as his soft tone carried a dreamy quality as he reminiced on the past.

"We spoke for a long time, but I knew that she was the one the very second she smiled up at me. Everything about her was heaven-sent. Her hair was like spun gold. Her eyes were as blue as the South Sea. She was effortlessly charming and witty, one of those people who knew what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Her parents were quite pleased that I was paying attention to her, so they, without hesitation, gave me the address to their residence. They resided out in the country in a lovely chateau, far from Paris. I was more than willing to visit them as much as possible, but she wanted to write letters. I thought that maybe she was shy, and I didn't want to do anything that could possibly ruin things between us."

"Did you end up visiting her?"

"Oh yes. Her parents invited my family and I over many times. My mother was willing, but my father was less so. He didn't think it was a suitable match, but in the end, my mother convinced him. The more we corresponded and visited, the more I became serious about her and my life. She, too, was serious about me, becoming more and more bold with her love for me as time went on. I thought about marriage, about taking over the family, and learning about our wealth and assets so that she may want for nothing. I loved her so much. So much so that I thought a bond with her would burst my heart, and I was willing to die."

"So, did you marry her in the end?"

At this, Jean-Luc sighed.

"No, but it did come close. After a year and a half, we were engaged and set to marry a mere few months after. I will confess that we did create a bond well before marriage, and since she insisted on staying in the countryside until the wedding, I sat in my room, yearning for her. I wrote countless letters during that time, yet I received little to no replies from her. It was strange, and I had begun to notice that my heart began to hurt. I thought it was because of the distance between us. Tired of this aching pain, I went to go visit her in secret two weeks before the wedding."

He shifted his position, turning around with his back to the rail, clearing his throat. Marie waited for him to continue. His story had enraptured her, and she wanted to hear the end.

"I snuck into the house at night and waited in the closet of her room. She and her family had just returned home from somewhere, and I stood silent, hearing as she stepped into her room. I wanted to wait for her to settle down before revealing myself, so I waited silently for a bit longer. Right when I was about to reveal myself, I had heard her bedroom door open and footsteps creeping in. I thought someone was going to hurt her, and I was ready to attack, but her voice stopped me. She was familiar with whoever this was. When I cracked the door open to peek through, I saw that she was more than just familiar with this man. They were kissing, passionatly, and in my rage and heartbreak, I threw open the door. I learned how the most beautiful creature could be the most heartless. She told me she was happy that I found out. She had never wanted to marry me, and her love for me was nothing but an act. It was her parents who wanted this match. They had pressured her to bond with me before marriage to make sure that I would marry her and reap the benefits. She said this was the only man she loved, one of the household help, and that she had bonded with him after our engagement."

"What did you do then?"

"I picked up my broken heart and broken dignity and left. I came home and called the wedding off. I told no one what had happened, except for my mother. I could never hide anything from her. So when her parents tried their hardest to re-establish things, my family denied them outright. I was utterly heartbroken. Nothing in the world could ever bring me happiness ever again. It was like a hole formed, one that could never be filled. Much like how you are feeling now."

"And you no longer feel this? You do not feel the bond with her still?" She asked, her tone slightly desperate at the thought of having an end to her misery.

"Nope." He smiled at her.

"How?"

"Well, in my despair, I had anger. I wanted to enact revenge, but the bond prevented me from the thought of doing anything that could harm her. One day, I wandered around town and found myself in a brothel. It was more for distraction, really, as none of them could compare. But then this young woman entered the room and I was shocked. She was the spitting image of Angeline, from her hair to her eyes. Even her body was quite similar. I was enraptured, and in my state of delusion and the need to feel anything but pain, I employed her services for the night. When I left, I realized that I no longer felt the bond. I was whole again."

He ended his tale, looking at Marie as she took in his last words. He could tell that she was a capable woman who knew how to hold her own. But he knew what the pain of a broken bond could do and how it could break a person, no matter how strong they were. He wanted her to know that there was a way out of this. She was far too beautiful for him to allow her to wither away.

Before she could respond or ask any more questions, a knock sounded near the french doors. A man, unfamiliar to her and wearing all black, stood with a phone in his hand.

"Excuse the interrruption," he said in a thick french accent. "Monsiuer, there is a caller from France who wishes to speak with you. He says it is urgent."

"Ah, thank you, Antoine. It seems that I need to take this call. My apologies, Mademoiselle."

"No apologies needed. I'm sure there is business of my own that needs to be dealt with as well. And please, call me Marie. I have shared more than enough information for you to continue addressing me so formally. I shall leave you to deal with your things and to settle down. I hope you enjoy the rest of your night, Monsiuer Dampierre."

"If I can call you Marie, then I must insist that you refer to me just as informally. I am honored that you shared with me as much as you did tonight. I look forward to many more conversations." Jean-Luc took her hand once more, placing a lingering kiss upon it as he looked up in her eyes.

She bid him goodnight and left as he took the phone from Antoine, speaking in French to whoever the caller was. She closed the bedroom door behind her and walked away, her mind racing as she repeated his story in her head.