Mon Étoile

Epilogue

What? You thought that was seriously the ending? What do you all take me for? A monster? Come now. I'm insulted. 

With a small smile, I folded, sealed, and handed over a piece of parchment to Léo and glanced back to Hercule. 

"So, how'd I do?" I asked. 

Tucking the parchment in his jacket pocket, he replied, "Yeah, you scared me. Don't pretend to be insane ever again." 

"Okay, but what I still don't understand is how you faked your execution," Hercule said, looking between the two of us in confusion. "How do you fake a beheading?" 

"Simple," Léo replied. "There was a woman in the jail who looks like Nicolette and I made a deal with her. She was sick, some kind of cancer, so I promised to find and take care of her child if she would die in Nicolette's place. She agreed." 

"And did you find her child?" Hercule asked. 

"Yes and he is now living quite happily with plenty of money in the countryside," Léo replied. "No, the real wonder was faking your death. And to think, if I hadn't heard you out that night of the revolution we couldn't have done any of this." 

"I'm just glad I finished the manuscript in time," I said. "Making up stuff about you saving me and being nice and all that was so hard." 

"Hey," Léo protested. "I'm not that bad." 

"How much of it was true?" Hercule asked. 

Thinking it over, I replied, "Well everything up until the very end of the revolution. I'm just glad we were able to save your life. Thank God the soldiers are more desperate for money than loyal to the throne." 

"So, you ready?" Léo asked. 

"As we'll ever be," I replied, getting to my feet. 

"And you'll make sure that narrative will get to the king?" Hercule said. Léo nodded. "Well then, this is it, brother." 

"So it is," Léo said. After a moment, he moved forward and hugged his brother tightly. "I hope you find happiness out there, brother." 

"I already have," Hercule replied. "And I hope you can find it here." 

"I think that finally, I can allow myself to be happy," Léo admitted. After a moment's hesitation, he moved to hug me. "I'm glad I got to meet you." 

"You too," I replied, hugging him back. 

Ten Years Later

"Léo!" I called, chasing after the five-year-old streaking away from me across the grass. "Léo!" I called again, finally catching up to him. "We have to go back," I insisted, taking his little hand. He pouted slightly but followed along with me. 

"Where's Daddy?" Léo asked. 

"He should be home now," I replied. Once we reached the doorway, I gave a small cry of shock. "Léo!" I screamed, running forward to hug my brother-in-law. 

"Where's Hercule?" Léo the elder asked, glancing over at the small child now cowering behind me. 

"Out with the other children," I explained. "He wanted to take them for a walk." 

"How many do you have?" 

"Three," I explained. Crouching down, I said softly, "Léo, say hi to your uncle." 

"H-His name is Léo?" Léo asked, seeming both shocked and flattered at the same time. 

"Well, Léonardo, but yes," I replied. "This is your nephew." 

"Well I was going to wait until Hercule got here, but I have a surprise for you," Léo said. Moving to the door he said something quietly and in from behind him came a tall woman and two small children. 

"Oh my gosh," I gasped. "Hi, it's so nice to meet you all. Léo, you got married?" 

"Only after I forced him," the woman replied, smirking at her husband. "I'm Marié." 

By the time Hercule returned, the house was alive with the sound of talk and laughter and once the other children joined the fray, nothing of joy filled the entire house, especially when Léo announced that they had moved to this town to be with us. Finally, after so long, so many schemes, lies, and confusion we were undoubtedly, irrevocably, and completely happy. And nothing, not even a depressed author could ever change that. 

The end.