Moonlit Rose

The Death Of A Lune

Three Months Ago...

"Looking good, Daphne!" Marcus James, one of my personal photographers hollered between shots. I was posing nude, covered only in a white sheet. We were posing for the Times magazine. I was going to be on the front page. They were writing an article on the Heir of the Lune fortune, Dauphine De Lune Stevens. 

Aka, Me. 

I had moved to the big apple shortly after I had finished up my business degree at the Sorbonne University. I was now studying design and the history of fashion at the NYU. Because of my French heritage I was tall, and relatively beautiful. I was quickly approached about the modeling industry, and three years later, I was an up-and-coming model. I was proud that I wasn't living off my trust-fund. 

Marcus made a sound of approval and I smiled. I suffered through a few more minutes of flashing lights before my assistant interrupted the shoot by running up to me and shoving my phone in my face. "Ashlyn, What--" I stopped once I heard what the news anchor was saying. 

"this just in, Lumiere Lune was found dead in the Lune mansion this morning. It appears he suffered a heart attack. As you may or may not know, the Lune family is one of France's Founding families. believing to be the first family to--"  

I dropped my phone and watched it bounce on the carpet in slow motion. I couldn't feel my legs. My vision was blurry. I dropped to my knees and grabbed my phone. This couldn't be happening. I searched my contacts until I found the one person I could trust; Kalile Morpheous. Grandpa's butler. He answered on the third ring. "Miss Dauphine, How may I assist you?" He asked, his tone holding no emotion. 

"Is it true?" I asked.

He didn't answer. 

"Damnit, Morpheous! Answer me!" I screamed.

"Yes. it's true." He replied, his tone clipped. 

"S-so he's really dead?" It wasn't a question. 

"What happened to the body?" A sob was stuck in my throat. I needed to cry before I got there, The vultures would be circling when I arrived. "It was taken to the city morgue." I nodded before telling Ashlyn to get me a plane ticket on the next flight to France. "I don't care what city, just as long as it's France." She nodded before rapidly tapping her tablet. "Don't do anything to his body before I get there." I told Kalile. He didn't miss a beat. "Of course, Madam. You are now the head of the Lune Family. I know that it might not mean anything until we conduct the ceremony but I will serve you faithfully as I have all the others."  I hung up the phone before dashing to clothe myself before calling a taxi.