Disclaimer: Berusaiyu no Bara & all characters © ® All Rights Reserved Ikeda
Productions 1972-1973, Tokyo Movie Shinsha Co. 1979-1980.
feedback welcome:
Figures in the Moonlight
by Aria(crune@coqui.net)
Rosalie looked out the window and sighed, contented, then, at
realizing that she had been happy, she frowned and bit her lip. She
had no right to be happy, her mother was dead...the memories surrounded her
and she felt suffocated by a tumult of feelings: the sadness, loss, and an
anger so hot it boiled in her veins. Her mother hadn't just died, she could
bear it if she did, no, she was murdered.
The woman's words echoed in Rosalie's ears--"If
you have any problems come to Versailles..."
But Versailles wasn't going to bring her mother back...and Versailles
was not going to protect that woman if Rosalie saw her again.
Looking at the Jarjayes courtyard once again, Rosalie's lips formed a
soft smile--Andre was putting the horses away. They had done so much for
her...Lady Oscar...and Andre. She felt inadecuate, she could never pay them
back and Oscar had even offered to help her find her mother's murderer. With
this last thought Rosalie exited her room and went down the stairs.
She found the young commander in the kitchen table, a sight that
never failed to surprise her, she had always assumed that nobles would
distance themselves from servants.
"Did you sleep well, Rosalie?" she asked.
Rosalie bowed her head in a nod--"Yes, very well, can I get you
anything?" she reached for a cup.
Oscar stood up. "Rosalie, you aren't a servant in this house."
Rosalie stared at the floor,"I am not a noble, Lady."
"That doesn't matter here, as long as you are in this house, you will
serve no one, you had your share of that when you lived in the streets."
Rosalie couldn't help it, tears started rolling down her cheeks and
she left the room running.
*******
A few moments later, Andre came in.
"Rosalie was crying," he said simply.
Oscar sighed,"I imagine its not easy for her to get used to kindness
when all her life she has been treated as if she's worthless, the only
person who apreciated her was her mother,and well... she needs a friend."
There was a brief silence, then Oscar spoke again,"Well it might be
hard for her to confide in me..."
She looked at her childhood friend pointedly.
Andre leaned against the wall, knowing well what Oscar was going to
ask him and Oscar certainly knowing that he knew, went on.
"Andre, you know its true, she'll never ever confide in me, she
considers the gap in the classes too great."
In a desperate attempt to convince him, she spoke again, " Andre
she needs a friend, why would you have a problem with that?"
He had been looking at the floor, but when she said that, Andre
looked up.
"I don't, but I don't like the fact that you seem to order me to do
that," he said softly.
Defensive, Oscar's eyes narrowed.
"I'm not, can it be so hard for you to devote a little of your time
with Rosalie?"
"Forget it Oscar, never mind, I'll be her best friend, if that's what
you want--I won't argue with you, after all you never lose," he turned to
leave.
"Andre!" Oscar yelled, "I don't understand! What's the matter with
you!"
But he was gone and all Oscar could think of was his last words to
her...
"after all you never lose..."
What did that mean?
*******
Andre didn't know what had gotten into him, but the idea of Oscar
throwing him out as a peace offering to Rosalie didn't seat well in his mind.
He hadn't liked what he said to her, she had been sincere in her motives, he
had just twisted her words...But anyways there he was looking around the
Jarjayes courtyard trying to find Rosalie.
He found her near the fountain, she had a calm expression on her
face, when he got near her he saw her eyes were closed.
He sat next to her.
"I love this place," she said startling him.
"I thought you were sleeping," he said.
Rosalie opened her eyes and laughed. "In the morning, no never! How
can a person sleep in the morning, the sun is bright and everything is happy
and bright and--"
Andre interrupted her with a big yawn. Rosalie playfully smacked
him and then started to laugh. Seeing how laughter is contagious, in no time
Andre was laughing as well.
Some minutes later Rosalie was wipping tears from her eyes.
"I never knew that a person could cry, if they laughed hard," she
said smiling, then seriously, she turned to Andre,"thank you, I needed that."
There was silence.
"Tell me about yourself."
"Huh?"
Rosalie smiled. "I like to know a bit about the people that are
kind to me."
Once again there was silence.
"I came here when I was around six years old," Andre said.
"Why?" asked Rosalie.
Andre sighed. "Both my parents are dead--they died of a plague, I
think, when I was really young my Grandmother raised me, she was Oscar's
nanny, she pleaded my sake and the master let me become Oscar's servant."
Rosalie stood up. She extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you, Andre."
*******
Andre hadn't really talked to Oscar since that argument and she felt
a vague discomfort, they had argued before and it had never been like that.
Oscar didn't know what was wrong. He had become friends with Rosalie
, though, like she had asked, she could see then walking around the courtyard
during the mornings. She wondered why he had been so angry...
Rosalie was happy, Oscar could see that and it erased a little bit
of the hurt she felt from Andre's words, she may not have understood them
clearly, but she was sure that it was not flattery and they had been in her
mind constantly--day and night. At that moment Rosalie came in and found her
in her room distracted by her thoughts.
She spoke quickly and exitedly, "Lady Oscar, Andre and I are going
out to the fields, it's very beautiful, come with us."
Oscar's face lit up, but catching a glimpse of Andre through the
window, her face shadowed.
"No its fine, you two go along without me, I'm not feeling that
well."
Not wanting Rosalie to see her regret and hurt and partly because
Oscar herself didn't want to see Rosalie's hurt expression, she turned around.
Rosalie hurt and puzzled by Oscar's actions, just left.
*******
"I'm very worried about her," she told Andre that morning.
Andre got quiet, but then again he always did whenever she brought up
Oscar and it always confused her. This time he answered.
"She's probably just tired that's all."
"I don't think so, she's more depressed than anything."
"Why would she be depressed?"
"I don't know."
And Rosalie left it at that--she knew that Andre, like all of them
had his own private demons and that she wouldn't push him.
She began to realize how important he was to her. Even though her
mother's death still pained her, somehow Andre's presence dulled the pain and
she began telling him of her childhood in the streets and how hard it was on
her mother...and her.
They came back late to the Jarjayes mansion.
Before going inside though, Rosalie turned to face Andre.
She smiled gently at him, "Andre," she said softly, "thank you."
"For what?"
"For being here...with me," and saying this she leaned toward him
and their lips met.
*******
Oscar was gazing out the window and coincidentally saw two figures,
together in a kiss. The first thought that went through her head was--how
beautiful.
And it was, but the glow of the moon enveloped both of them in
silvery light revealing Rosalie...and Andre.
The sight of their kiss, was still undeniably beautiful, but Oscar
took a step back, put her head in her hands and wondered why she was
experiencing such a sharp pain...
END
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