“You will, in time, find yourself in the same position as Charles. Ezra cannot give you an heir, and your title will be handed off. Lineage, bloodlines no longer mean anything. There’s nothing left, no honor, no rite of passage anymore.” She groused.
“To the victor go the spoils, just as it has always been since the beginning of time.” He deflected not interested in discussing his life or business. She preceded him out of the room, visibly let down by her failure to rope him into a conflict that would cost him plenty and gain him nothing. The Loire Coven and the Duchess herself, are merely echoes from his past and have no place or importance in his life at present.
…
The Duchess kept her own company for the rest of the day, taking her meals in her room and corresponding with friends and possibly co-conspirators back home. She wouldn’t launch such an endeavor without support within her own coven. Louis had Easton keeping a covert watch on the exchanges. One of her guards, the one she called Guillaume, stayed with her, and the other remained in the room across the hall. Louis was growing anxious to be rid of them all.
He arranged for a late dinner with his beloved in the solarium. It was a lovely and relaxing room with a beautiful view of the pines. Louis had asked the Chef to prepare something special for them, and as always, he came through marvelously with an intimate and enticing assortment.
Louis knew that Ezra had been feeling the stress of their visitor much as the rest of the Coven, but bore it well. Having the Duchess gone by Saturday would allow time for the Christmas spirit to settle back in. With a celebration planned, he wanted the Coven to feel positive and expectant, not wrung out and exhausted.
The Duchess had a way of draining the energy around her, not physically so much as mentally. She carried herself in such a way that put everyone on edge, and Louis had quite enough. Once she was gone, she would never be allowed to return.
“Thank you for arranging such a wonderful and intimate surprise for me. I missed you today, but this more than makes up for your absence.” Ezra smiled and Louis drank in the sweetness of it. The private candlelight dinner was the success Louis had hoped it would be. Regrettably, his day had been taken up by the Duchess and other meetings and he hadn’t seen his beloved since early morning.
He’d reached out to him several times during the course of the day just to check in and make sure he was well and to soak in his calming allure. It was something that he needed, craved even, and being apart took its toll on his good nature. Ezra provided him with stability, peace and a love he never knew could exist for a man like him. He was a better leader, a better friend, and a better man for having met this amazing man.
“I was walking the garden today, and I noticed several of the fruit trees need pruning,” Ezra mentioned as they ate and discussed their day. “I’m going to take care of them tomorrow and I’ll probably check the roses too if I have time.” When he resided with the kindred, Ezra had dabbled in herbal magic but found his strength lay in gardening.
Over the past year, he’d taken on some of the tasks within the gardens and worked closely with the gardeners and landscape designers. Louis’ gardens had shown marked improvements in terms of growth and longevity.
Louis was pleased that Ezra had found his personal niche in the Coven that seemed to bring him joy and satisfaction outside of his role as Beloved of the Master. “Your skills are maturing, and the gardens of Coven DuCane are benefiting.” Louis praised.
“My connection with the earth has gotten stronger since meeting and bonding with you, my love,” Ezra told him. “I was just a low-level herbalist with no power and no future until you.” He looked at Louis with eyes that bore into his heart. God, he loved this little man.
“We bring out the best in one another, sweetheart, as it is meant to be,” Louis responded and reached across the table, taking Ezra’s hand raising it to his lips and kissing it reverently. “Let us finish up here and go back to our rooms. I feel the need to honor and praise every inch of you.” He finished on a lustful note which brought a delightful giggle from Ezra’s lips.
CHAPTER FOUR
Ezra hurried to finish his meal even though it was delicious and all of his favorites. The need to cuddle with Louis and feel his hands and lips caress him was something Ezra never got enough of and was always eager for more. He couldn’t wait to get back to their rooms and make love with Louis. Louis smiled knowingly when Ezra downed the last of his champagne in one go and set the flute aside with an answering smile of his own.
“Ready?” Louis asked, and Ezra nodded and quickly rose from the table.
Louis tossed his napkin and stood, rounding the table to grasp Ezra’s hand as they headed impatiently for the door. Just before they reached it, Ira knocked and when instructed to do so, entered. The look on Ira’s face told Ezra that his night with Louis was ending right now. Their lovely evening together was over.
“The Duchess has injured herself,” Ira reported. “She was with her guard, Guillaume and apparently intended to go to the kitchen for a snack and fell down the back stairs. Robert was following and said it might have been staged but her injuries are real, and she is genuinely hurt.”
“Has Dr. Evens been alerted?” Louis asked.
“Yes, he’s with her now in her room. She’s still unconscious, and he’s examining her. His nurse Lillian is present in the room as are her two guards.” Ira stepped to the side when Louis released Ezra’s hand and moved towards the door.
“I’m sorry, my love,” Louis told Ezra with regret clear in his expression. He stepped back and took Ezra into his arms and kissed him conveying all the irritation and disappointment that he was feeling at having to leave. He released Ezra reluctantly and turned back towards the door.
Ezra tried to smile, but it was a weak effort at best. Nothing could be done; Louis would have to tend to the needs of his guest and Ezra would have to wait. It was infuriating but it was the way it had to be.
…
Louis was about to blow up but held back to deal with this current crisis as quickly as possible. “Next time I toy with the idea of allowing an old acquaintance to visit, remind me of what a total pain in the ass this woman has been,” Louis spoke directly to Ira.
“Yes, sir,” Ira responded without comment or expression.
Louis walked into the Duchess’ room and, with a steely glare, took in everyone present and the woman on the bed. “Where is her other guard?” He asked as the man in question, who Aldessa called Antoine, stepped out of the bathroom, handed several towels to Lillian and then moved back to stand next to the window on the left side of the bed. Louis proceeded to step up beside Dr. Evens who was attempting to examine the woman for injuries while Lillian kept the blanket up around the Duchess’ neck to preserve her modesty.
“What have you determined so far, Doctor?” Louis questioned. The scene seemed off to him, but he couldn’t determine lies or deceit from anyone in the room. He concentrated on the Duchess, but her mental blocks were still in place. “Is she unconscious or simply dazed from the fall.” As a vampire, it should take more than a fall down the stairs to knock her out.
“She is unconscious. She suffered a blow to the back of her head, and there is considerable swelling. I believe that once this dissipates, she will regain consciousness. Other than that, it’s just minor abrasions. She should recover fairly soon.” Dr. Evens straightened the blanket and stepped back from the bed.
“Unlike humans, head injuries for vampires are helped by rest and quiet. She will heal herself, so I suggest we leave her to it.” Dr. Evens finished.
“Do you wish for Lillian to remain with the Duchess, or will you see to her care?” Louis addressed the guards.
“She can go,” Guillaume responded while the other remained silent. “We will watch over the Duchess and will alert you if we need further assistance.” The silent guard by the window, Antoine, glanced at Louis and allowed his uneasiness to be felt just for a moment and then it was gone, and he was once again focu
sed upon the prone figure on the bed.
“Ira, post Quincy at the door in case assistance is required.” Louis knew that both Quincy and Robert had been watching the trio since their arrival, but he wanted them to know they were being watched. He didn’t want to press the silent guard for more, it was obvious he was acting on his own. It could be something, and it could be nothing, but Louis wasn’t taking chances. The air had been heavy since the moment the Duchess and her men entered his home and he was going to damn well get to the bottom of it.
Louis left the room and went straight to the meeting rooms adjacent to the IT and Surveillance Department. He instructed Ira to notify Ismael and Silas to join him there.
…
After Louis was called away, Ezra finished what was left of dinner and then went up to their room and getting ready for bed, changed into his pajamas. He didn’t usually wear pajamas to bed because Louis’ body temperature ran hot and he kept Ezra toasty warm at night. But there was no telling when Louis would return, and it was unlikely that it would be before morning.
The Duchess had been injured and would require time and treatment of which Louis would need to oversee. She was nobility and in the vampire world that still held a certain level of clout. Louis would have to make sure she was properly looked after. He’d told Ezra during dinner that she was leaving Saturday, but now it would seem her stay would be, sorry to say, extended.
Ezra tried to busy himself with reading and surfing gardening sites online, but his mind kept returning to the fact that his beloved was not there with him as he should be. Louis had been called away many times before, but it had been for reasons of defense and Coven security and things a leader like Louis handled.
This time he was called away to provide care and comfort for an ex-lover. Yes, he said it, ex-lover; damn it all. Ezra tried to be open-minded and understanding and secure in his position and Louis’ love but in the end, he was being absolutely eaten up with jealousy.
He fought to temper the emotion that was threatening to devour him and tuck it under fatigue so that Louis would not feel his jealous resentment. Louis had asked him not to hide his feelings and his needs from him. But he only hid the negative ones. He couldn’t just put out there how angry and jealous he was of this woman, a Duchess for fuck’s sake, it would be too embarrassing. He just wanted her to go home so he could have his beloved to himself again.
The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to know about this woman, Duchess Aldessa Foix. She’s nobility and been around forever, apparently, so there should be something in the history books he deduced and started scanning websites for information. Sadly, he found more than he desired to know.
She showed up, or rather she was mentioned among her male family members who took part in the Hundred Years’ War in France. It was at the Battle of Poitiers that the name Louis, the illegitimate son of Hugh, Duke of Burgundy, was mentioned. Ezra, although increasingly fearful of what he would find, read on. After a near-crippling defeat at the Battle of Poitiers, at the hands of England’s legendary Black Prince, Aldessa’s father facilitated Louis’ retreat and regroup. He supported Louis at a pivotal moment. Later at the Battle of Monteil, Louis’ army was victorious and provided his father with more land and power. The family Foix was indicated as an ally to DuCane in the battle.
The next chapter described the reason for the assist, and it was brutal. The author went into intimate detail when describing the apparent romance between “Louis de DuCane,” leader of the conquering army and Aldessa the fair-haired beauty and daughter of the Comte de Foix, Hugo, patriarch of the Foix Family. It read like a romantic fairytale with Louis sneaking into her rooms and her giving him a lock of her hair before battle. It was making Ezra sick to his stomach. Their liaison, according to the report, went on for several years and supposedly ended only when Louis was called back to defend his father’s holdings in the North.
There was speculation that they continued to see one another even after her marriages, and it was written that Louis, who never married, loved and cherished Aldessa Foix until the day he died. Theirs was a love for the ages; it was written.
Ezra paused and looked up from the monitor and stared out at the moonlight. His heart was growing heavy with thoughts and speculation. Louis was upfront and open about their past and claimed it was nothing. Yet he allowed her to come here and upset everyone. Easton said he owed her family a debt, which might be true based on the historical accounts, but it seemed more likely that he wanted her here.
Ezra felt his head spinning and struggled to stay in control. The thought of losing Louis to that woman was unthinkable. What would he do without him? Louis had become his heart and his soul and made each day expectant and exciting, even if they did nothing but sit in front of the fire and drink wine. He was spiraling, and he knew the chances of Louis picking up his feelings was growing. He couldn’t lay himself bare like this.
Ezra stood and walked to the bathroom. He turned on the faucet and stuck his head under the flow. The cold water soaked through his thick hair and shocked his system, bringing him back to a semblance of composure. He suddenly felt Louis prodding at his emotions, checking on him. Ezra forced the negative down and pushed out calm contentment hoping that it was enough. He closed his eyes and wrapped himself in a mental cocoon of stillness and held on until Louis pulled back hopefully satisfied that he was okay.
…
Louis met with Ismael and Silas in private. He hated having to sneak around in his own home, but he wasn’t convinced that Aldessa was as incapacitated as she claimed. Her unconscious state could be a cover for her more insidious conjuring powers. She was skilled in the craft several centuries ago, so he assumed she was even more skilled today. It was ill-mannered and bad form to use magics on your hosts, but he doubted such constraints would bind Aldessa.
He wasn’t without skills himself, but at present, all he could do was put up a shield to protect and deflect anything she may be attempting. Until he found out her intent, if indeed there was intent, he had nothing to combat directly.
“What do you know about her other guards?” Louis threw out the question to everyone in the room.
“The dark-haired one is Antoine Braun and doesn’t seem to be as friendly with the Duchess as is the other guard, Guillaume Milo,” Silas spoke up.
“I believe Antoine sent me a message tonight,” Louis told them. “He dropped his shield and allowed me to feel his unease for just a moment before he shut it down and turned back to his mistress.”
“What do you think he was trying to convey?” Ismael asked.
“I didn’t have enough time to probe without being obvious and possibly outing this man to the others. But the message appeared to be not to trust what was being shared.” Louis walked over to one of the chairs and sat down, and slowly the others did the same.
“Is there a way we can get Antoine alone, away from the others?” Silas offered.
Louis shook his head. “The Duchess has her guards on a very short mental leash. She would know if he spoke to us. Her skills at mind control are better than most.”
“We need to get them the hell out of here,” Ismael stated with a determination they were all feeling. They talked on for several hours approaching the situation from every angle but with her incapacitated, there was little Louis could do without possibly drawing the ire of her family and Coven.
“I don’t trust her, and I don’t want her here, but because she is injured, I can’t just throw her out without just cause. I have no proof of malicious intent and I can’t get any without breeching etiquette and norms. If I forced myself into her mind, it could be construed as an act of war. Not that I care, her coven is small with few resources, but I’m not in the mood for a foreign war right now. If it is necessary to take them out then so be it, but I’d like to try other options first.” Louis hated not knowing. With all his capabilities, he was being held off by custom, manners and ceremony. Sometimes the old ways could be somewhat confining.
/> “You could go to Yuri with the information Aldessa has given you. I can’t imagine he would be pleased that she is out drumming up support for her rebellion against him.” Ismael offered, and Louis laughed.
“Yes, that would be delightful, wouldn’t it? But I don’t wish to get involved in their squabbles or appear to take sides. I am on the side of no one except me and mine.” He clarified.
“What if you move her out of the Palace but not off the grounds?” Silas suggested and caught everyone’s attention. “You could put her in one of the guest cottages and say it is better suited to her needs for rest and privacy.”
“I like it.” Louis slapped the arm of his chair. “As soon as dawn breaks, make arrangements with the medical staff to have her moved to the Grey Cottage located in the middle of the back lawn. There are no trees or foliage for cover, and if they leave the cottage, we will clearly see them. Also, set up a patrol of guards and soldiers. I want to be kept abreast of their every move.” Now all he had to do was assure that the patient was moved without incident.
Louis glanced out the window that gave a nice view of the topiary garden and wondered how soon he would be able to get back to his beloved. He’d had to leave him in the solarium, and it broke his heart to do so. As he sat there thinking about Ezra, gradually a sinking feeling of doubt and depression began to touch him. He reached out immediately and was met with a warm sensation of quiet stillness. The negative emotions must have been his own. His beloved was either asleep or at least relaxing, which brought Louis a modicum of comfort.
“What about Antoine?” Silas asked.
“Try to get close to him and see if there is more there, but don’t compromise him and have Easton conduct an extensive background check.” Louis issued the orders and a plan seemed to be taking shape.
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