Entertainment | Marquis De Gramont

Agony

"Stupid dead body." She grunts as she gets up, grabbing the phone.

"Oh, I'm fine. Stop being a baby." Vincent paces as he hears the commotion on his wife's side. 

She finally makes it out of the room as her husband explains how the sounds on her side of the conversation weren't very convincing. 

"Where was Caine? " He demands. Nova shrugs her shoulders instead of answering over the phone

"I'm walking to the car right now. Chidi is there, right?" Vincent sighs, the two minutes of utter stress have him falling onto his office couch. He snaps at his assistant as his wife waits for his reply. The man walks to his boss silently, handing him a notepad and pen as he continues talking sweetly to his Madam, trying his best to not let his anger show through his voice.

"Yes. He will bring you right to me. No longer than two hours." Nova sighs dreamily. His assistant takes the notepad from his boss after he scribbles a few sentences.

Send our men to Berlin. Everyone in that room will be dead by sunrise. He nods to his boss and walks out of the room.

"You remember what I told you about the duel if he challenges you?" Nova whispers solemnly.

"My, love. You have nothing to worry about." Vincent tries to assure his wife. 

She stays silent on the plane ride home, despite Chidi's attempts to assure her as well. After landing, Nova runs right into her husband's waiting arms. After getting Nova triple-checked for injuries by one of their many doctors, the lovers are left alone in their wing of the house.

"Bedtime?" 

"Yes." Nova sighs, finally able to breathe again. He bends and grabs her legs, signaling  for her to wrap them around his waist. She does so and he begins to walk to their room. 

~~~~~~~~~#~~~~~~~~~

"I'm not going to lose you, Vinz. Not now, not ever." Novalie whispers as they lay on their bed facing each other. Freshly showered and dressed in pajamas, courtesy of her husband, she slowly drifts off while they talk about the events that unfolded in Berlin.

"He went to get his ticket mended. So, he can challenge you to single combat." She closes her eyes in hopelessness.

"You don't know it was to challenge me specifically." He tries to assure her. Honestly, he was terrified, but the only reason Vincent Bisset, The Marquis De Gramont was afraid to die, was because he didn't want to leave his love alone in the world, because she'd find a way to join him.

A world without him in it is not possible for her, and he is no different. Although Vincent doesn't want to acknowledge it, subconsciously or otherwise, if one of them dies, they both die. John Wick doesn't know this. If he did, surely, he'd grant his daughter this one thing. Right?

"I have a feeling. He doesn't understand how much you mean to me. That or he doesn't care." 

"I'm sure he cares for you greatly, Nova." She nods absentmindedly as her head fills with horrible thoughts. Not particularly sane ones either. 

"I know his reservations with you don't involve me, but the fact that you're my husband doesn't deter him at all. He wants you dead. Which means he wants me dead." Silence fills the room as Novalie cries herself to sleep in Vincent's arms. 

"I would happily die for you if I knew you could live on without me." He whispers to her sleeping form.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days later, Novalie spends the morning in the middle of The Louvre Museum in a room full of paintings, sipping espresso on a sofa, her legs splayed across her lover's lap, enjoying their peace together until they hear an uninvited guest approaching.

Neither of them needs to look to know who it is, but Novalie's heart sinks with each footstep. Too soon. Way too soon.

"A warning of the cost of Tyranny." Winston glances at the painting the couple sits across.

"You must intend to join your Concierge." Vincent speaks.

"Not today." He announces exactly what Novalie's nightmares had been warning her about. John Wick calls her husband to a duel to "settle your differences the old-fashioned way, as gentlemen should." The smug, knowing look on Winston's face forces Nova to try to keep her emotions in check like Vincent does so well.

But she can't. Her eyes tear up and she stands, walking a few paces toward the painting so Winston can't see her cry.

"He has his family's crest. The Ruska Roma challenge the acceptance of Mr. Wick back into the fold it's all there. Recorded history now. " He says condescendingly.

"Mm." Vincent hums as he keeps his eyes on Nova. 

"Without rules, we live with the animals." He continues his rant. Vincent tsks before replying.

"Times are changing. A new day is dawning. New ideas," ones Nova and Vincent often speak about.

"New rules." likewise.

"New management." A jab at the cocky bastard that is actively upsetting his wife with every word he speaks. Winston reminds Vincent of the consequences that have been so often mentioned.

Vincent gets up then, walking in front of his wife so he can see her red, tear-stained face.

"Nova," Winston coos. Confused, she barely moves to acknowledge him. 

"This doesn't have anything to do with you, little one. Your father-" 

"Is too selfish to leave this world without bringing everyone he can with him. My husband, specifically." She whispers though she is heard by both men. Winston frowns.

"Now, Nova-" Vincent interrupts with the time and place they will meet to discuss the rules. Winston replies with his own terms as John Wick's second, before glancing at Nova one more time, noting the comforting hand Vincent has on her back. He begins to walk away as Vincent tries to calm her cries.

"It is alright, we knew this would happen. Please, Nova, calm down. Even if I die-"

"No no no no no!" Vincent brings her back to the couch, cradling her as she sobs harder, looking to Chidi with a blank stare.

He nods to his boss and leaves the room in the same direction Winston went in order to usher said man outside of the room quickly, as he seemed to be going at a snail's pace in order to eavesdrop on the couple.

The Marquis sighs hopelessly as his wife carries on. He stays there with her until she inevitably cries herself to exhaustion. Silently picking her up, he walks them outside and to the car to go home. 

"Is she alright?" Vincent's assistant meets them at the door of their home. 

"No." Is all he says.

A/N

I mean, we're over halfway done with the movie.

I'm in deep contemplation on Vincent's ending.

To live, or not to live? Hm...