Queen of the Quarter

Long Ago

After I knew Thierry was okay and him basically throwing me out of his room insisting he was fine, I went to my room and showered, the stress of the past two day's was taking its toll on me.

Knowing they were still in the city really had me on edge, as I washed my hair I thought back to the how this all of this began.

Eighteen-Twenty

It was the day of the funeral and I was on edge; the house was in mourning over the governor's only son Emile.

His death was an accident, apparently, he had slipped and fallen over the railing falling two stories onto the hardwood floors below dying instantly.

To make matters worse it had been during one of the governors' big soirees, Emile was no doubt drunk the boy always over-indulged himself during those parties.

Whispers of sorrow spread like wildfire, how horrible it was that the Governor and his wife had lost there only child and heir, well Emile wasn't his only heir and everyone knew it, yet it was a taboo subject.

Just because my little Gerrard was a bastard and had dark caramel skin he was pushed aside and made to watch every day the life he could never have.

I knew grief could quickly turn to anger so for the day I kept little Gerrard from sight not wanting him to get hurt, so here I was sitting under a large oak tree discussing possible names.

"What about Charles?" I questioned.

"No one of the men in town has that name, and he ain't very nice" Gerard replied looking sad.

"Isn't not, ain't" I spoke correcting his grammar.

"Sorry Lulu" he mumbled picking daisies from the grass beneath us.

"Don't worry little love we, will find you a name soon" I spoke rubbing his cheek.

For eleven years he had gone by the name Little Gerrard which was fine, but he would soon be a man and a man needed a name, so for the past few months we had been trying to pick all sorts of names, but he had turned down every single one.

"Don't you want a name little love?" I questioned, looking into the beautiful brown eyes of the little boy who had stolen my heart.

"It's not that, it's just I like having your name" he mumbled playing with his fist in one of his hands a nervous tick of his.

"Well, unfortunately, it's a second name and we need a first name to go with it don't we little love?" I smiled.

"You mean I can still keep it, even when I do have a real name" he spoke showing me that huge bright white smile.

"Of course, darlin' now how about I go grab us something sweet, while you think of some names" I grinned standing up and brushing down my skirts.

"Now try not to get into trouble, little love" I warned leaning down to kiss his head before walking towards the estate.

A little while later I walked back towards the oak tree cakes in hand, humming happily as I walked through the sweltering heat.

It was only when I got closer that I saw the funeral procession coming around the bend, damn it! I had to find him and get him out of sight, as I got closer I heard a whip cracking, then I heard the sound of my boy's painful screams, I dropped the cakes and lifted my skirts racing towards where I had left him.

I got there just in time to see little Gerard throw an apple at the slave driver. Gerard's shirt was ripped to shreds and blood poured down his chest and back.