Chapter 31 – The end of a dream
“Count!”
Monte Cristo slowly opened his eyes as the doors to his mansion swung open, letting the viscount de Morcerf in.
“Yes, my dear viscount?”
“Don’t… don’t hide behind your false pretensions of friendship any longer!” Ash’s face was red with anger. “I challenge you to a duel!”
“For what purpose?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know! My father is dead at your hand!” Ash shouted, as he threw a glove in the man’s face.
The Count narrowed his eyes. “Very well. This afternoon at four, we shall cross swords in the Boulevard.”
“Agreed! I’ll make you pay for what you have done to my family!”
“You had best rest viscount, you look rather ill-prepared for such an endeavor.”
“Shut up! I don’t need your hypocritical words!” Ash stormed off as Lance hid a smile. Well, now…
His mind began to twist this new bit of information around. It could be quite interesting after all…
“Ash, are you sure this is wise?” Todd had been recruited into being one of his seconds, along with Green, who had flown Pidgeot express in time to make it. He was not pleased that his fiancée had gone missing, but at least the engagement was now cancelled…
Ash nodded, trembling. He gripped his father’s old sword in sweaty hands. He would regain his family honor!
With five minutes to spare, the Count appeared in his normal somber black, Claire and Silver trailing him.
“Shall we begin?”
Ash colored at the tone and nodded, as they took twenty paces. Taking a deep breath, he charged, his sword flying forwards with a thrust to Lance’s chest. Monte Cristo easily parried, sidestepping Ash’s clumsy movement and dealing a glancing blow along his side, a small cut…
First blood had been drawn.
Ash gasped for air, he really was in no condition to be dueling, but no matter now. Another charge!
This pattern continued for a good fifteen minutes, as Ash still had not managed to touch the Count once. Golden eyes were half-closed as they carefully avoided the strikes, trying not to damage his opponent without making it obvious.
Suddenly, a carriage drew up and Delia dismounted. “Ash! Stop! And Count! Please don’t kill him, Lance, please!”
His golden eyes widened as he froze, and in that instant, Ash gave a triumphant cry as he thrust the blade cleanly through the Dragon Master’s heart.
He was falling…
He was falling, and he knew why… still, one must always act to the best of their ability, and he would…
“Delia…” He whispered, before he fell, watching blood stain his pale fingers. So pretty… it glittered like rubies, but they didn’t need to know that…
Ash paled as he realized what he had just done. Sure, he’d been angry with the Count, but he hadn’t meant to kill him! And…. And killing Monte Cristo wouldn’t… bring his father back, would it?
What had he done?
He had hurt one of his only friends… the person who had confessed to being in love with him… the one who…
Golden eyes hazy with pain met brown as reality struck a blow.
“Remember… how I asked you… to wait and see… how you really felt?” He coughed, and Ash tried to wipe the blood away. “I’m glad… I finally got… your answer…”
“No! Please, it was an accident, I didn’t mean to!” Tears were gathering in his eyes again, oh Lord, what had he done?
How had his mother known him though?
Any more thoughts were cut off as Lance’s two bodyguards raced towards them.
“Lance!” Silver cried. “Is there anything we can-.”
Claire had already pulled a medical kit of somewhere. “I’ll use my healing and…” She froze, seeing Lance’s imperceptible shake of the head.
“It’s… too late now… I was… overconfident! Take care of… Lorelei…” His eyes fluttered shut, and as Ash winced in sympathy, he barely heard the whispered words… “Love you…”
Without another word, Claire and Silver picked Lance up and carried him to the carriage, which rapidly drove off.
Ash stared at the blood silently… it seemed to mock him, taunt him… see what you have done, viscount? Where is your honor now? Where is your glory, your name? What good this his death accomplish?
He cried.
Seeing this, Green and Todd decided that it was better not to pry and quickly left. Delia went to her son’s side.
“Ash….”
“Don’t… I know it’s my fault… I never meant to, but I was so angry, oh Lord, what have I *done*?”
The next morning, Silver showed up at the de Morcerf residence with a box for Ash. “He would have wanted you to have them.”
Past tense…
“So he’s…?”
“Dead? Why of course! You had rather good aim, straight through the heart, that one… So enjoy your victory, viscount de Morcerf. The Champs-Elysees is being sold today, quite a high price too, I’d imagine…”
“Stop it!”
“Can you not handle the truth?” Silver eyes narrowed in contempt. “I wonder why he ever cared for you.”
Without another word, the smuggler vanished.
Once he was gone, Ash stared sickeningly at the sword he still hadn’t cleaned… the one that… he had used to… no! Now, dried blood stained once pristine steel… it was sharp enough, and surely…
Running away, my dear viscount?
Ash shivered. That voice had sounded so familiar. Where had it come from?
Would
your death change anything?
No…
You do not *deserve* redemption… you do not *deserve* the mercy of death…!
Stop! Who was it, why was he hearing *his* voice, why was it tormenting him, why…!
Because it’s true… because I had no reason to kill him, it was Princess Lorelei’s doing, the feud was between her and my father, and then…
He shakily opened the box, and began to read…and his eyes widened, as he realized exactly what had transpired before, and by the end of the night, he had closed the box, and then given it to his mother without another word.
The next day, he headed to Algeria… a place where he could make a new fortune, a new name, and forget the past…
He would live on.
This was his penance…
End Fic
End Chapter
Completed 5/1/05