All For Love

Chapter 9

Nathalie sat in her bed, trying to concentrate on the book she was reading to no avail. Closing it, she took off her glasses, resting her head back and closing her eyes. She hadn't stepped foot outside of the palace for days. Théo was keeping a very tight reign on who came in and out of the gates. Mostly it was a handful of his personal servants and military personnel.he claimed it was for their protection, but she wasn't so sure.

News of Gabriel's convalescence was starting to spread and it was only a matter of time before Bourgeois would want to negotiate, if he hadn't made contact already. Considering the disarray the military was in over the deaths of Prince Adrien and Chat Noir, what was left for them to fight for? Gabriel had never been that popular as King, it was Queen Emilie the public had always adored and as the Prince grew, there had been so much of his mother in him. He held the promise of the whole country for a brighter future, a future that felt so much bleaker without his sunshine.

Nathalie wiped a stray tear from her eyes. How did it all fall apart so quickly? If Gabriel had shown just a little more kindness to Adrien and listened to him rather than forcing a marriage for his own selfish reasons, then Adrien might never have run away to the war. No... no it goes back further than that. When exactly did Gabriel's friendship with the Bourgeois crumble, and why? Gabriel had been friends with Audrey and Andre,long before he met Emilie. Then after Emilie's father died her and Nathalie returned from the funeral and something had changed. Over the following months Gabriel wasn't the same, Audrey stopped writing and Emilie's sister Amelie was more distant. When Emilie died, Audrey never even attended the funeral.

Nathalie was disturbed from her thoughts by a knocking on her balcony window. Quickly putting her glasses back on and wrapping her shawl over her shoulders, she opened the glass door to find Félix standing there.

"You're going to break your neck one day doing that." She scolded, looking down at the height he must have scaled. She sounded very much like how she used to scold Félix and Adrien when they were younger.

"How else am I supposed to get around? There's guards at every passage now." Nathalie stood aside for him to enter her chamber, offering him a drink which he declined.

"How is my Uncle?" He asked as he sat down. "His chambers are more closed off and I can't get anywhere near him."

"Do you really want me to answer that?" She said disparagingly. "Ever since word that Adrien..." Her voice choked on the words. She couldn't say died, she just didn't want to believe it. "He's become lost within himself. It's just like when Emilie died. He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep... not unless he is in a drunken stupor. Back then I was able to snap him out of it by reminding him that he still had Adrien. But now..." Her voice trailed away. "He won't talk to me at all and I don't know what to do for him."

Nathalie cast her eyes down and sighed. "It's like he's just given up on life. They didn't need a war, they just needed to take away the one thing left that Gabriel actually cared about. His legacy."

"You mean his son?" Félix tried to correct, but Nathalie slowly shook her head.

"No, I mean his legacy. That's why he was so anxious for Adrien to marry and produce grandchildren. It would have cemented his legacy and the legitimacy of his line to rule."

Nathalie leaned over, fear evident in her eyes. "Barbot is watching all of us." Nathalie said in a hushed whisper. "You, me...  the whole Palace. All these new guards everywhere he claims are to protect the Princess, but they are just his spies. I can't even send out a letter without it being read and approved first. He sees everything."

"Not everything." Félix said cryptically, an amused curl playing the edge of his lips. Nathalie couldn't help a small smile. She knew Félix had been sneaking up to see Kagami, although she couldn't help but worry for both their safety if anyone else found out.