A/N: Stop complaining, I said I'd finish the story, lol! Okay, here's the thing: school's been hell, and my personal life's been quite a mess. But, here it is. And I can guarantee you that it wasn't easy. I've never been one for action scenes. No more delay, so here it goes. Hope you like it! Ah, and thanks to all my very sweet and patient readers, and Trudi (my beta, duh) for putting up with me. Much love!
Chapter 16 – Traps and Goodbyes
They couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. There was but one cloud in the sky and a small breeze in the air. Outside the church of St. Denis, villagers awaited the coronation of their new king and queen. The death of their former king had been partially unexpected despite the King's illness. Some were more than sure that the throne was going to be in good hands, the right hands; others wondered if the prince was in good shape to accept such responsibilities. No one had heard from him since the tragic death of his parents. It had been said that the Prince had gone into exile, causing a total stir in the French monarchy. Another theory was that the prince had been forced away from his royal duties, due to his very young age. In truth, the royal family was not so happy about Vincent0s return: the young prince's disappearance meant that the crown had passed to his uncle, and his family had assumed that it would remain there. They had expected Robert to become King upon his father's death. They were displeased, to say the least, that the rightful heir had suddenly returned to usurp the kingdom.
But the villagers were quite happy about their new King. He would be like a fresh breath of air for France, hopefully followed by a brighter future. Their Queen was of most outstanding beauty, and good words about her kind soul had travelled from afar.
The choir, composed of several well-known musicians, began singing a peaceful melody. The orchestra was made up of a small group yet its music was grand, and the church had been beautifully decorated to welcome the future King and Queen.
Vincent walked down the aisle, Belle following him. Around them were seated other members of the court and their respective wives, along with important noblemen who had travelled from afar. Belle could feel her knees shake. She couldn't stand so many pairs of eyes staring at her. She tried to fix her on eyes on Vincent, awaiting any signal that would calm her down.
Vincent discreetly turned his head to make sure that Belle was still behind him. He was so nervous. He could only wish that this would all be over soon. He managed to catch Belle's eye, and she smiled at him as if to say that everything was all right. He smiled back, trying to reassure her too.
Before he knew it, Vincent was facing the archbishop as Belle stood by his side. The old man began speaking in a loud voice, to make sure that the whole church could hear him. It began with a small greeting and religious phrases that Vincent knew little of. He remembered Cogsworth saying something about this at a certain point, but at the time he was too distracted to pay attention. However, he did recall Cogsworth mentioning something about the ceremony being long and a bit tedious, and Vincent could feel his feet hurt just by thinking about what was yet to come.
Finally the time came. One of the priests approached the archbishop with a beautiful cushion in his hands. On the cushion rested the crown that had survived through many generations of Vincent's family. It had once belonged to his grandfather, and Vincent could clearly recall it on his own father's head. It was now his turn and there was no turning back. As Vincent knelt down, his eyes were finally face to face with his new possession and responsibility.
He stared at the golden crown and could see the reflection of all of his surroundings. Behind him were many noblemen, most of them showing total boredom. The women were either interested in what Belle was doing or discreetly trying to see what the other ladies were wearing. Vincent used the crown's reflection to see what was happening on the upper floor of the church. There was the choir, the small orchestra, a strange looking shadow, a few more noblemen, some guards… Wait a minute. Vincent quickly looked back and tried to focus on the shadow. It was certainly not a nobleman, and it was far from being a guard. It was holding… something.
Vincent felt his whole body grow paralysed. It couldn't be. A gun. The figure was holding a gun. And he was aiming, steady on a target. Vincent soon realized he wasn't the target. The weapon was aiming at –
"BELLE! LOOK OUT!"
Vincent instantly threw himself onto the floor, dragging Belle with him. A gunshot was heard a split second later, causing a great chaos inside the church. People started screaming and already nobles were fleeing the church.
Vincent cupped Belle's face in his hands. She looked back at him with a worried face, no words escaping her mouth.
"Belle, are you all right?" Vincent ran his eyes over her while he spoke, making sure there were no signs of injury. He hadn't noticed the blood stain exponentially growing on his own sleeve.
"Vincent! You're bleeding!" cried Belle. Vincent looked at his wound and touched it gently.
"It's nothing. Just a small scratch. Belle, listen to me. You have to get away from here. It's not safe."
"I'm not going to leave you!" said Belle, gripping his other arm.
At that moment, a couple of guards ran up to them and helped them get back on their feet. "Master, we must get you and Madame Belle out of here!" said one of them.
Vincent turned around and noticed that the archbishop was lying on the floor. He realized that the bullet had merely grazed his arm, hitting the archbishop's leg.
"Guards! Help the archbishop and make sure he gets medical help," Vincent commanded. "Where are the rest?"
"They have gone after the shooter, master."
Vincent turned to Belle. "You'll be fine, just make sure no one sees you. I'm coming back to get you."
"But where are you going?"
"I saw the man who did this. I'm going to make sure he's caught."
"But Vincent, it's too dangerous! And your arm…"
"I'll send a guard down to protect you as soon as I get up there. Meanwhile, I'm going to ask you to just hide there," he pointed to a small confessional. "Whatever you do, don't come out. I'll be right back." He kissed her forehead and began running towards the staircase that would lead him to the upper floor.
Robert discreetly watched as all the noble families ran outside the church and quickly hurried into their carriages, ordering their carriage drivers to leave the place at once. Villagers standing outside soon realized what the confusion was about, and they too quickly ran for shelter in their own homes, afraid that the shooter would strike again. Soon the surroundings of St. Denis were empty.
The church downstairs was also empty. The archbishop had been rushed to a local doctor by two guards, as the others, accompanied by Vincent, tried to capture the mysterious shooter on the upper floor.
Belle slowly crept out of the confessional where Vincent had commanded her to stay. She didn't know what to do; it had all happened so fast. Her mind told her to stay inside and wait for Vincent to come back and get her, but her heart urged to just get away and look for him. For all she knew, he could be facing great danger.
As she took a few steps forward, Belle suddenly felt someone grab her from behind, trapping her so that she could not escape.
"You really thought he'd get away with it that easily, princess?" Robert smirked. He gripped her wrists tighter and leaned his face against her soft hair, loving the smell of her skin so close.
"Let go of me!" Belle battled to free herself from Robert's hands.
Robert responded by trapping her with one arm and covering her mouth with his free hand. "Shut up," he ordered. "Vincent knows he can't have everything. Soon or later he'll have to decide between you... and the throne," he added with an evil laugh.
Belle bit his hand and Robert instantly jumped back with a cry of pain.
"Why, you little…"
Robert glared at her and pulled out his sword. Belle gasped. Facing his evil eyes and the shiny sword, she felt as if she couldn't move. She tried to run, but her legs were frozen. Her heart was beating as fast as that of an animal desperately trying to escape a predator. She felt alone and bare in that great church, trapped by a man who intended nothing but evil.
Robert held the sword in the air and took one step forward.
"BELLE, RUN!"
Luc jumped out from behind the curtain and immediately put himself between Belle and Robert. Belle ran and hid behind the cold church pillar and watched as the two men faced each other.
"And who are you?" Robert glared, forgetting Belle for an instant.
"Who I am is not important," Luc responded coldly. "But I won't let you hurt Belle, even if it means sacrificing my own life."
"My, my," Robert let out a small, sarcastic laugh, "it seems like I've got another hero on my hands." He gripped the sword tighter. "Say goodbye to your bravery, peasant boy…"
Robert leaped forward and swung his sword in the air. He missed his target as Luc jumped to the side and RAN behind Robert. The evil man quickly turned around and glared at Luc. Luc reached for his belt and into his pockets, realizing that he was without any sort of weapon. Robert was right. All Luc had was his own bravery.
Robert held his sword tight again and approached Luc. He thrust it at Luc, trying for a killing blow, but it was all in vain. Luc was as quick as a rabbit and escaped every time, leaping to the sides and rolling on the floor. Luc looked around to see what he could use as a shield. He knew that sooner or later he would meet his fate if he did not find some sort of protection fast. He quickly grabbed the big metal candelabra beside him and used it to catch Robert's sword, which had nearly gotten him this time. The two men remained this way for a few seconds, both trying to see who could resist the longest. Sweat dripped down their faces as they ground their teeth.
Without pity, Robert rapidly kicked the candelabra out of Luc's hands, causing Luc to fall to the floor. Luc moaned as he held his arm, hurt by the kick.
Robert laughed and stopped Luc from getting up by pressing him against the floor with his foot. As he lifted his sword into the air one last time, Luc was convinced that his time had come. There was nothing he could do now. His arm was still in pain and Robert's force against him was just too strong to fight against. But at least Belle had gotten away.
Luc closed his eyes and waited for the sword to pierce his already broken heart. He could still hear Robert's evil laugh and the beating of his heart grew faster by the second. The moment Luc gave up, he suddenly heard a bang and subsequently the sound of a sword falling to the ground. Robert's body instantly collapsed over Luc. Luc opened his eyes and pushed the fallen body away from him. He looked up and saw Belle shivering, holding a candelabrum in her hands.
"Luc! Are you all right?" she cried, helping him get up. Luc nodded his head positively and tried not to think of the pain that had taken over his body. Belle looked at him worryingly.
Once Luc was standing on both feet, he slowly pushed himself closer to Belle and smiled. "I'm fine, Belle. As long as you're safe."
Without another word, she hugged him tightly, causing Luc to grunt silently with pain. He pulled back slowly and held her hands. She was just so beautiful. Her hazel eyes reminded him of the nights they had spent next to the fireplace, wrapped in each other's arms. The soft touch of her skin brought back the memories of the time they had swam in the small lake on a hot summer's day. The thought of her lips pressed against his suddenly made Luc draw closer. He had travelled so far for this one moment.
"Luc, I…"
Luc silenced Belle with his finger, wishing she wouldn't ruin the moment.
"Belle!" cried out a shaken voice. "Belle, where are you?"
Belle pulled herself away from Luc. "Vincent?" she whispered to herself.
Vincent ran down the aisle and gazed around the church. It looked empty. A sudden fear took hold of him. He knew that he shouldn't have left her alone.
"Vincent!"
The prince instantly turned around and saw Belle running towards him. He hurried to meet her as she leaped into arms, gripping him tightly.
"I'm so sorry, Belle! It wasn't supposed to be like this, I—"
"I was so worried!" Belle interrupted. "How is your arm? Is it still bleeding?"
Vincent smiled. "I think the bleeding has stopped, and it doesn't really hurt anyway. As I told you, it was just a small scratch."
Belle smiled back and surprised him with a comforting kiss. He deepened it and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly.
Luc watched silently from behind the pillar. He felt his heart sink and hope slowly drifted away. How could he fight against a love so strong? Belle had never kissed him so passionately; the love in her eyes had never been so obvious. He had to face it. She was no longer his. She belonged to another man and, most importantly, she loved him.
Luc glanced at the couple one last time. He had promised himself he wouldn't cry. But he had also promised Belle he'd never leave her. He had already broken this promise, so breaking another one wouldn't be so outrageous. With that thought, tears came to his eyes.
Belle and Vincent slowly drew apart and recovered their breath. She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead gently.
"Are you all right?" he asked, tilting her chin upwards.
"Yes, but only thanks to..."
Belle suddenly realised Luc had disappeared. He must have left the church while she was with Vincent.
"Thanks to who, Belle?" asked the prince.
Belle pulled away from him and ran outside, hoping she could still find Luc and thank him. After all, he had been the true hero.
Luc walked heavily down the steps of St. Denis. A doctor wouldn't have been a bad idea, actually. His arm did indeed hurt. But it was only a couple of hours before he would be back at the village. Surely he could ask the town doctor to see to his wounds. Until then he'd just have to ignore the pain. There was nothing left for him here anymore.
As Luc was about to mount his horse, he heard a voice calling out for him. "Luc! Luc, please! Wait!"
He turned around. "Belle…" a faint smile ran across his lips. "I… Well, I just wanted to say that…" The words suddenly escaped him.
Belle smiled back at him. "Thank you… for saving my life. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there."
Luc lowered his head for a moment. "I'm sure your prince would have saved you, don't worry," he said sarcastically.
Belle frowned. "Luc… I didn't plan for it to be this way. You left and I taught myself to forget you. But so many things happened meanwhile. Vincent and I met in the most unbelievable way, and I have never been so in love."
A while ago, Luc thought these words would have been much harder to take. But now, after all he had seen and gone through, he realized that Belle wasn't telling a lie. She took his hand and held it tightly. "I may be with another man, but that doesn't mean I'll forget the wonderful times we spent together. No one will take that away. I just want you to move on with your life. You deserve to be happy with someone that will give you the love you need and that I can't offer."
Belle rested her hand on his cheek. He looked up to gaze at her and smiled. "You're right. You're happy and in you're in love, and… well, who am I kidding? You're going to be the queen of France!" he said with a small laugh. Belle poked him with her elbow.
"Don't remind me!" She rolled her eyes. "I never thought this would come with the package when I met Vincent."
Luc stopped laughing and looked behind Belle. Vincent was standing at the door watching them. "How did you two meet?" he asked her.
Belle followed Luc's gaze and smiled at Vincent. "It's a long story. Maybe some other time…"
Luc let go of Belle's hands. "I don't think there'll be another time."
Belle's smile fainted away. "What do you mean?"
Luc took a deep breath in. "I'm going to leave the village again. But this time, I don't think I'll be coming back." He paused for a moment and lowered his head. "I just feel that there's nothing left for me here. I came back for you, but you're basically not here for me anymore."
"Luc…"
"No, really!" Luc insisted. "Besides, at least now you've got the letter so there's nothing left to explain."
Belle had no clue what Luc was referring to. "What letter?"
Luc paused for a moment and then continued. "Well, it doesn't matter now. It wouldn't change anything anyway. You've found someone else, and you're happy. You might not believe this, but I'm happy for you. And I was wrong for leaving you back then, and maybe if I hadn't left, things would have been different." Luc leaned a little closer, not noticing that Vincent slowly approached them. He spoke softly, "I'll confess that I don't even know what brought me here. It was probably the hope that you'd run away with me on my horse."
Belle was about to speak when she was interrupted by a hand resting above her shoulder. It was Vincent.
"Is everything all right, Belle?"
She turned around and took his hand. "Yes, my love. We were just—"
"Saying our goodbyes," Luc finished the sentence for her. "Madame Belle and I won't be seeing each other for a long time, so I thought it would be best to pass by and bid her farewell. So now that that is done, I better be on my way." Luc turned around to climb his horse.
"Wait!" said Vincent. "Were you the one that saved my wife's life?"
"Right before she saved mine, your highness."
"Well, whichever way it was, you saved the life of the woman I most treasure! You deserve a reward! Whatever it is, just name it!"
Luc stopped and faced Belle. He remained silent for a while and then gripped onto the horse's reins. He turned to Vincent and said, "Make her happy."
And without another word, he left.
"You saved his life?" said Vincent.
"Well… It's a long story."
"I'm just so glad you're all right," he said, holding her close.
"And I'm glad it's over!"
Vincent pulled back. "Ehm, not quite… We haven't been officially proclaimed king and queen yet."
Belle rolled her eyes. "You mean we have to go through all this again?"
Vincent chuckled. "More or less. But I promise it won't include gunshots, blood, and corrupted relatives next time."
"Corrupted relatives?" asked Belle intrigued. "You mean that…"
"Well, that's another long story…"
"Which you are going to share with me right now, I believe."
Vincent sighed. "Lets just say that Robert was behind it all. He was the one that hired the shooter to kill… to kill…"
"To kill me," Belle helped finish the sentence. "I already knew that."
"You did?"
"It was all a trap. When you left, Robert came after me."
"What?" Vincent felt like killing himself at this point. "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone! I came down as soon as I found out, in fear that –"
"Luc saved my life. If it weren't for him… Well, I'm not sure what would have happened."
"You're confusing me, Belle! What happened? Where is Robert?"
"Robert is lying unconscious somewhere in the church."
As she spoke, a group of royal guards walked pass with the infamous shooter tied up and ready to be put in a carriage all the way to prison. Vincent called out to one of the guards that was following them.
"Yes, Master?"
"Monsieur Robert is still in the church. Find him and tie him up. He must be taken to the royal prison."
The guard nodded his head and called for back-up straight away.
Vincent turned to Belle again. "I think it's time we get back to the palace. It's been a long morning for you."
He took off his coat and rested it on Belle's shoulders. "Can we go home?"
Vincent smiled. "Yes, of course. Whatever my queen demands."
"I'm not a queen yet," Belle chuckled.
"Well, you've always been the queen of my heart."
"I hope that doesn't mean I have to keep wearing these awful shoes. They're really uncomfortable!"
Vincent laughed. "That's the last time you're going to wear them, I promise."
Before she could say anything else, Vincent sealed her lips with a kiss.
Great, now... review LOL :P