Gankutsuou Fan Fiction ❯ Gankutsuou Reborn ❯ A Night At The Opera ( Chapter 13 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: roryheadmav 
Anime/Manga: Gankutsuou Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Drama / Classic | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.21.2005 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.7K | Visits: 312 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gankutsuou Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Drama / Classic | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 12.21.2005 | Pages: 6 | Words: 6.7K | Visits: 312 | Status: Work In Progress
GANKUTSUOU REBORN
© November 18, 2005 By Rory V. Pascual
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A Night At The Opera
"Whoa! Would you look at all those vultures out there?"
From the second floor window, Baptistin was gazing at the crowd of journalists that had camped outside the gates of Albert's modest estate through the scope of his brand new rifle.
It was an observation that Albert wholeheartedly agreed with. He remembered all too well that time at the height of the scandal. Those reporters had hounded him and his family day and night on the pretext of searching for the truth, but were actually out to destroy their lives. Now, their target was his precious Nightingale, and damned if he will let them hurt Etienne in the same way.
Baptistin must have sensed what was running through his mind because a lopsided grin curled up the corners of his mouth. "Those guys are easy pickings." He patted his trusty rifle. "How about I give this a test run? With beauty, I can pop a bunch of them like chickens."
"No, don't do that! It'll be a waste of bullets," Albert advised in all seriousness. "Besides, you might shoot Beauchamp by accident."
"True," Baptistin nodded, although the disappointment was obvious on his face. "Strange, don't you think? All those reporter types look alike."
A walnut struck him at the back of the head. Turning, Baptistin saw Beauchamp scowling at him, tossing another walnut up and down in his right hand.
"I heard that, you bastard," the journalist growled menacingly. He turned his attention to Albert who has resumed his nervous pacing back and forth across the living room. "As for you, sit down! You're making me dizzy just watching you."
Albert glanced down at his watch before plopping down on the sofa. "What's taking them so long? We're just going to the opera for heaven's sake!"
Beauchamp could not help but grin mischievously. "Well, you're like an impatient groom waiting for his bride. It's going to be Etienne's first time at the opera. You can't blame him if he wants to look presentable."
"But why can't I even take a peek?" Albert whined with a pout. "I'm a man. Is my taste in clothing that questionable?"
"You even have to ask that question?" the journalist declared aghast. "If I remember correctly, there was this young man who once accepted an invitation from a distinguished country nobleman to visit his mansion at Champs-Elysees. He showed up dressed as a pirate. Even managed to get into a duel on that same day. Oh, the things that clothes can do to a man's frame of mind!"
"Hey! I won't take all the credit for that! It was Peppo's idea!"
Baptistin cringed. "You had to take the advise of a cross-dresser."
"THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT! OUT! EVERYBODY OUT!"
The three men trained their eyes to the closed door of the Nightingale's room just in time to see Eugenie, Haydee, Bertuccio, and Lucien chased outside, brushes, combs and other fashion accessories following in their wake. As if as an after thought, an arm reached out and snagged Lucien by the collar.
"Wait! I changed my mind!" Etienne growled from inside. "You're staying!"
Before the Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry could utter a dissent, he was yanked back inside.
"What happened to you?" Baptistin inquired.
"We were just offering our recommendations on what clothes Etienne should wear," Eugenie began. Glowering at Haydee, she then continued, "But Haydee and Bertuccio kept on insisting that he wear the Count's hand me downs."
Bertuccio raised the black coat with a flame design rising up the sleeves that the Count favored. "They look good on him. I can't understand why he doesn't like them."
Albert let out a groan. "That's because he is not the Count. Naturally, he would favor a different style of clothes."
"Well, I don't think he should've chased us out like that," Haydee complained. "So rude."
"You should have grown accustomed to that by now, Princess," Baptistin chuckled. "The Count was just like that whenever we tried to impose our tastes upon him. As he always said, 'The Count of Monte Cristo only takes orders from the Count of Monte Cristo!'"
"I personally do not advise that Lucien be his fashion adviser." Beauchamp's body shook as he shuddered. "Yuck! Etienne would look hideous in those bright orange coats that Lucien favors." Going towards the door, the journalist knocked on it gamely. "Hey, Lucien! You'd better not be putting something orange on Etienne there. We don't want our Nightingale looking like a game cock."
The door opened a crack and a wisp of hair spray was blown in Beauchamp's face. "SHUT UP, FOOL!" snarled Lucien, as the journalist let out a painful yelp.
"AAAARGGHHHHH!" Albert was close to ruffling his neatly combed hair in his frustration. "We're never going to make it to the opera!"
At that moment, the door opened and Lucien went outside.
"Well?" Eugenie asked impatiently. "What did Etienne choose to wear?"
All waited in eager anticipation for the singer to emerge from the chamber. But when he finally did, they nearly dropped to the floor. From head to toe, Etienne was dressed in a hooded velvet cloak. His face could hardly be seen from that jet-black covering.
"Good grief!" Haydee could not help exclaiming. "Lucien, why did you make him wear that cloak? He looks like a monk."
"Or a vampire searching for his prey," Bertuccio put in as well.
Lucien sighed in defeat. "Don't you go blaming me. It was his idea. He wanted to surprise Albert once we arrive at the opera house."
Albert tried to peer into that dark hood, an expression of suspicion on his handsome face. "Are you sure you've got clothes under there, Etienne?"
At that query, Albert thought he saw a pink flash within the singer's dark hood. Etienne's voice was low as he muttered, "Perhaps it's better that I do not go to the opera tonight and return to my chamber instead. Dirty young man! Is sex the only thing that you have in your mind?"
"You can't blame him, Etienne." A chuckle bubbled up from Lucien's lips. "Albert was a virgin until the ripe old age of fifteen. I don't think he has had any romantic affairs during the seven years since then."
Etienne let out an undignified snort. "If my first…encounter…had been with a cross-dressing cephalopod, I'd most certainly choose to be celibate."
Haydee tapped an index finger to her chin as though thinking. "I just remembered. I recall Peppo's name being on the guest list tonight."
At that casual remark, the Nightingale snapped his head in the princess' direction. Turning on his heels, Etienne declared, "In that case, I am NOT going. Whatever festive mood I've had earlier has now faded and…"
With an exasperated cry that jolted everyone out of their skins, Albert lunged at the jealous singer and swiftly lifted him up in his arms. Before Etienne could even raise a fuss, he made a quick dash for the front door.
"Bertuccio! Baptistin!" Albert yelled to the Count's trusted aides.
"We're way ahead of you, Albert," laughed Baptistin as he flung the front door wide open. In the driveway outside, the Count's formidable carriage was ready and waiting for them.
As Baptistin leaped onto the driver's seat, Bertuccio bowed gamely as he opened the carriage door. With a grunt, Albert unceremoniously tossed Etienne onto the plush seat inside.
Entering the carriage, the young envoy ordered, "To the opera house!"
"You heard the man," Bertuccio told his comrade as he sat down beside Baptistin. "Let's go!"
Just as the gates swung open, Baptistin flicked the reins, urging the horses into a full gallop. "Out of my way!" he roared at the reporters, who had frozen where they stood. Seeing that rumbling carriage bearing down on them, however, they got a hold of their senses and dove out of its path.
"Rats!" Baptistin exclaimed as he maneuvered the carriage into the street. "I missed!"
"Baptistin!" Etienne cried out aghast. "I can't believe you were contemplating manslaughter!"
Albert settled down beside the shocked singer, crossing his arms and legs as he nodded approvingly. "If someone did get run over, he or she deserved it."
"Feeling bloodthirsty today, are we?" the Nightingale inquired as he gave his lover a side-glance.
"Let's just say that, with the exception of Beauchamp, I have no great love for the press. I had hoped to spare you from this, but…."
Etienne linked his arm around Albert's. As he laid his head on his lover's shoulder, he patted Albert's hand reassuringly.
"It's all right," the Nightingale murmured. "I know that you'll always be by my side to protect me."
Smiling, Albert tenderly bussed the singer at the top of his head.
In twenty minutes flat, their carriage rolled to a stop before the grand Paris Opera House. Bertuccio opened the door for them. Etienne was momentarily mortified, especially when he saw the nobles lingering at the marble steps to peruse any newcomers. It was Albert who got down first, raising his hand to the Nightingale.
"Shall we?" the youthful ambassador gave his lover a dashing smile. "I'm eager to see what you've got hidden under that cloak."
Etienne nodded. Swallowing down his nervousness, the singer took Albert's hand and descended from the carriage.
:Keep your eyes forward and your head up high,: Gankutsuou advised, sensing Etienne's hesitation. :Do not be intimidated by these highborns. You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.:
:Gankutsuou…I don't think I can do it.:
The entity decided to take the lead. Freeing his hand from Albert's grasp, he said, "I'm fine. Let me do this on my own."
Albert took his place at Gankutsuou's left. "Don't forget. I'm right here beside you."
With Bertuccio and Baptistin following behind them, the two men went up the stairs with long, confident strides, ignoring the curious stares that were being thrown their way. Gankutsuou thought he could maintain that cool veneer of indifference as they walked through the opera house's great doors.
"ALBERT!"
All poise disappeared and the telltale marks on the entity's brow flared up as Peppo, dressed in a slinky silver lamé gown with a long slit revealing a shapely leg, gave a startled Albert an exuberant hug.
Pointing an angry finger at the flirtatious model, Gankutsuou and Etienne yelled in outrage, "You're doing it again!"
Peppo gave the Nightingale a dry glare. "Oh, it's you. Hello, Etienne. Aren't you a bit over-dressed? The monk look fell out of fashion during the Spanish Inquisition."
"Who are you calling a 'monk', you perverted transvestite?"
With dramatic flair, Etienne untied his cloak and peeled it off with a graceful sweep of his arm. As the garment fluttered neatly onto Bertuccio's outstretched arm, the singer's attire was finally revealed to all.
Etienne was wearing a sleek black tuxedo. Fine silver thread was mixed into the garment's weave, giving off tiny flashes under the lamplight. Underneath, he wore a shimmering silver gray shirt, a dark violet cravat tied around his neck. Pinned to his left breast was a large gold and emerald brooch shaped in the coat of arms of the Count of Monte Cristo. But it was Etienne's gorgeous mane that was truly an eye-catcher. Eugenie and Haydee, and possibly Lucien as well, had affixed tiny crystals to those ebony locks. To Albert, the singer looked like a beautiful dark angel with twinkling stars in his hair. It was an opinion that everyone in the lobby shared as they 'ooh'-ed and 'ahh'-ed over the handsome young man.
"Oh my!" Eugenie gushed as she finally arrived together with Lucien and Beauchamp. "Etienne, you look absolutely gorgeous! Oh, how I wish Haydee had seen you!"
Bertuccio put in, "The Princess will be seeing him the minute we get home. Don't you worry." Ever since Haydee's encounter with that hated man from her past, she has had an aversion to attending the opera.
Lucien granted the journalist beside him a toothy grin. "What can you say about my fashion sense now?"
Beauchamp took a quick glance at his friend's flashy red orange attire before swiftly turning away, his hands flying to his face. "AAAAHHHH! MY EYES! THEY'RE BURNING!"
Infuriated, Lucien produced a small green canister from inside his right trousers pocket. "You think that's funny, huh? I'll burn your eyes for real with this new tear gas the Ministry had developed."
Unfortunately, his friends' cheerful banter fell on deaf ears since all of Etienne's murderous attention was focused on the model that was hanging on to Albert with the tenacity of a koala.
"Unhand Albert this instant, you cockroach!" snarled Etienne in fury.
"Try and make me!" Peppo dared back, sticking his tongue out at the singer.
"Peppo, you're choking me!" Albert coughed out. To his lover, he squeaked, "Etienne, you behave!"
To add fuel to the fire, the Morrel twins hurried up to them.
Clementine declared to her brother, "I told you we should go to the opera today because Etienne's sure to be here."
"Are you going to whoop Peppo's butt this time?" asked Jacques, his little eyes glittering at the prospect of mayhem.
Etienne gave his knuckles a menacing crack under his gloves. "I'm sure that could be arranged."
The nobles had gathered around their small group, like a pack of wolves, in anticipation of a scandal.
Salvation, thankfully, came in the form of a breathless young man with an unruly moptop and large round glasses, who said, "Peppo! So you're here! I've been looking all over for you!"
At once, Peppo released Albert who in turn found himself gripped possessively by an insanely jealous Etienne.
"Renaud, my sweet munchkin!" Peppo exclaimed, as he embraced the blushing car aficionado. His cheeks were the same color as the model's lipstick after Peppo gave him a resounding smack.
Clementine and Jacques stared at the lovers with eyes as round as dinner plates. "'Munchkin'?" Looking at each other, they shuddered and said in unison, "PHEEEWWWW!"
There were painful taps on their heads. It was their mother Valentine who was livid with anger. "Have you two been inciting trouble again?"
"Now, now, Valentine!" Maximilien tried to pacify his lovely wife. "They're just children!"
Valentine wagged her fan scoldingly at her husband. "Maximilien Morrel, this is all your fault! You've been spoiling them!"
Albert was stunned by this sudden turn of events. "Renaud? Are you telling me that you and Peppo are…."
"For about a year now," Renaud replied, a sheepish grin on his face. "It took me quite some time before I could get the nerve up." In confidence, he added, "And, yes, I do know that Peppo is…you know."
Etienne glared accusingly at the model. "If you have a beau, then why are you always pursuing Albert? You should be more faithful to him!"
"Come now, Etienne!" Peppo giggled. "A little harmless flirting never hurt anyone." To emphasize his point, he even blew the flustered young envoy a kiss.
Grimacing, Gankutsuou saw with his preternatural vision that the kiss was in the shape of a red heart. He grabbed it and tossed it away in disgust.
Surprisingly, it was Albert who stepped forward. "But, unfortunately, you are hurting someone who is very dear to me, and I don't want him to lose his trust in me because of what you're doing." He turned his passionate gaze towards the singer. "Let me make this clear once and for all. There is only one person in my heart, and that's my beloved Nightingale of Luna."
Saying this, Albert swept Etienne into his arms and gave him a torrid kiss on the lips, ignoring the shocked gasps of everyone in the lobby. Clementine and Jacques were absolutely delighted by this move, until Valentine covered their eyes with her hands.
"Don't look children," she warned, although she herself could barely hide her fond smile.
"I can't see anything!" Clementine whined.
Jacques was grinning from ear to ear as he peeked through the gap between his mother's fingers. "I can see just fine."
"Ho ho!" a bellowing voice declared followed by loud claps. "This is a wonderful scene worthy of the opera stage."
The two lovers immediately broke the kiss. Approaching them was a dashing man in his early thirties. He was dressed entirely in white. Underneath his tuxedo was a silver vest. His black hair was slick with thick gel. His mustache curled at the tips.
Eugenie recognized the newcomer at once. "Signore Verano!"
Murmurs rose among the audience. Guillermo Verano was Paris' latest opera sensation and the lead star of the performance that evening. While most knew about his powerful voice and intense performances on the stage, only a few were aware of the man's vanity. Behind his cheerful smile, he viewed Etienne Delacroix as a rival.
"I have heard that Luna's esteemed Nightingale will be here to watch the opera tonight," Verano told Eugenie, although his voice was loud enough to be heard by all. "I did not expect to see such a touching scene." He extended his hand to Albert. "Monsieur Ambassador, you have warmed my heart with your act of gallantry."
"It is not an act, Monsieur," Albert shook the opera star's hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peppo walking away with Renaud. The model even gave him a wink and a thumbs-up. "One who is true inside his heart could only profess his feelings in all honesty." He gazed at his blushing lover. "I feel no shame to say that I love him."
Verano's eyebrows rose into two perfect arches. "You are truly courageous to reveal your affections for another man."
"Then let me do the same." Etienne held Albert's hand lovingly. "I love Albert Herrera, and only death can part me from him."
"Bravo! Surely all lovers should learn about fidelity from the two of you. Ah, but I have allowed myself to get distracted." Verano raised an offering hand to the singer. "Monsieur Delacroix, I ask that you grace us with a song this evening. I am sure everyone here would agree with me that Paris should at last hear the Nightingale of Luna's magnificent voice."
Etienne gave the opera star a gracious bow. "I'm afraid that I am not as courageous as my beloved. I'm not yet ready to perform in such a beautiful city as this, having just arrived in Paris. I prefer to earn the opportunity to perform on this stage through diligence and hard work. Still, I am humbled by your invitation and I thank you with my whole heart."
Verano, being a true artiste, feigned disappointment. "I had hoped that would not be your answer." A sly grin. "However, I am a very determined man. I swear I will hear you sing. For now, I do hope you enjoy the performance." He turned to Eugenie. "Madame Danglars, I hope to speak to you later regarding our little project."
"Uh…yes. Of course." Eugenie frowned as she watched the opera star walk away. Going towards the Nightingale, she advised, "Be wary of him, Etienne. Guillermo Verano is a very ambitious man. He has a reputation of destroying budding talents. His rabid fans had driven away his understudies from the stage in tears."
"I have no intention of competing with him, Eugenie," Etienne replied. "If the Good Lord deems to have me sing on this great stage, then it shall be a most wonderful gift. My voice is not a weapon I will use to ruin another. I use it to make people happy." He gave the pianist a warm smile. "And isn't that the true mission of a performer?"
Inside him, Gankutsuou praised, :Well put, Etienne. I couldn't have said it better myself.:
:I was only speaking the truth,: the singer humbly told the entity.
At that moment, the buzzer broke through the murmurs, a signal that the opera was going to begin in fifteen minutes.
Baptistin clapped his hands. "Enough chatter! Everyone, let's get to our seats!"
The twins waved to the singer. "We'll see you later, Etienne!" they called as they went with their doting parents.
Hand in hand, Albert and Etienne made to follow Eugenie and the others, but Bertuccio stopped them.
As they gave the Black man a quizzical look, Bertuccio simply said, "We have very special seats for the two of you."
Heading off to the lift, the four men did not notice that they were being closely observed by two figures standing behind a marble column.
© November 18, 2005 By Rory V. Pascual
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A Night At The Opera
"Whoa! Would you look at all those vultures out there?"
From the second floor window, Baptistin was gazing at the crowd of journalists that had camped outside the gates of Albert's modest estate through the scope of his brand new rifle.
It was an observation that Albert wholeheartedly agreed with. He remembered all too well that time at the height of the scandal. Those reporters had hounded him and his family day and night on the pretext of searching for the truth, but were actually out to destroy their lives. Now, their target was his precious Nightingale, and damned if he will let them hurt Etienne in the same way.
Baptistin must have sensed what was running through his mind because a lopsided grin curled up the corners of his mouth. "Those guys are easy pickings." He patted his trusty rifle. "How about I give this a test run? With beauty, I can pop a bunch of them like chickens."
"No, don't do that! It'll be a waste of bullets," Albert advised in all seriousness. "Besides, you might shoot Beauchamp by accident."
"True," Baptistin nodded, although the disappointment was obvious on his face. "Strange, don't you think? All those reporter types look alike."
A walnut struck him at the back of the head. Turning, Baptistin saw Beauchamp scowling at him, tossing another walnut up and down in his right hand.
"I heard that, you bastard," the journalist growled menacingly. He turned his attention to Albert who has resumed his nervous pacing back and forth across the living room. "As for you, sit down! You're making me dizzy just watching you."
Albert glanced down at his watch before plopping down on the sofa. "What's taking them so long? We're just going to the opera for heaven's sake!"
Beauchamp could not help but grin mischievously. "Well, you're like an impatient groom waiting for his bride. It's going to be Etienne's first time at the opera. You can't blame him if he wants to look presentable."
"But why can't I even take a peek?" Albert whined with a pout. "I'm a man. Is my taste in clothing that questionable?"
"You even have to ask that question?" the journalist declared aghast. "If I remember correctly, there was this young man who once accepted an invitation from a distinguished country nobleman to visit his mansion at Champs-Elysees. He showed up dressed as a pirate. Even managed to get into a duel on that same day. Oh, the things that clothes can do to a man's frame of mind!"
"Hey! I won't take all the credit for that! It was Peppo's idea!"
Baptistin cringed. "You had to take the advise of a cross-dresser."
"THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT! OUT! EVERYBODY OUT!"
The three men trained their eyes to the closed door of the Nightingale's room just in time to see Eugenie, Haydee, Bertuccio, and Lucien chased outside, brushes, combs and other fashion accessories following in their wake. As if as an after thought, an arm reached out and snagged Lucien by the collar.
"Wait! I changed my mind!" Etienne growled from inside. "You're staying!"
Before the Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry could utter a dissent, he was yanked back inside.
"What happened to you?" Baptistin inquired.
"We were just offering our recommendations on what clothes Etienne should wear," Eugenie began. Glowering at Haydee, she then continued, "But Haydee and Bertuccio kept on insisting that he wear the Count's hand me downs."
Bertuccio raised the black coat with a flame design rising up the sleeves that the Count favored. "They look good on him. I can't understand why he doesn't like them."
Albert let out a groan. "That's because he is not the Count. Naturally, he would favor a different style of clothes."
"Well, I don't think he should've chased us out like that," Haydee complained. "So rude."
"You should have grown accustomed to that by now, Princess," Baptistin chuckled. "The Count was just like that whenever we tried to impose our tastes upon him. As he always said, 'The Count of Monte Cristo only takes orders from the Count of Monte Cristo!'"
"I personally do not advise that Lucien be his fashion adviser." Beauchamp's body shook as he shuddered. "Yuck! Etienne would look hideous in those bright orange coats that Lucien favors." Going towards the door, the journalist knocked on it gamely. "Hey, Lucien! You'd better not be putting something orange on Etienne there. We don't want our Nightingale looking like a game cock."
The door opened a crack and a wisp of hair spray was blown in Beauchamp's face. "SHUT UP, FOOL!" snarled Lucien, as the journalist let out a painful yelp.
"AAAARGGHHHHH!" Albert was close to ruffling his neatly combed hair in his frustration. "We're never going to make it to the opera!"
At that moment, the door opened and Lucien went outside.
"Well?" Eugenie asked impatiently. "What did Etienne choose to wear?"
All waited in eager anticipation for the singer to emerge from the chamber. But when he finally did, they nearly dropped to the floor. From head to toe, Etienne was dressed in a hooded velvet cloak. His face could hardly be seen from that jet-black covering.
"Good grief!" Haydee could not help exclaiming. "Lucien, why did you make him wear that cloak? He looks like a monk."
"Or a vampire searching for his prey," Bertuccio put in as well.
Lucien sighed in defeat. "Don't you go blaming me. It was his idea. He wanted to surprise Albert once we arrive at the opera house."
Albert tried to peer into that dark hood, an expression of suspicion on his handsome face. "Are you sure you've got clothes under there, Etienne?"
At that query, Albert thought he saw a pink flash within the singer's dark hood. Etienne's voice was low as he muttered, "Perhaps it's better that I do not go to the opera tonight and return to my chamber instead. Dirty young man! Is sex the only thing that you have in your mind?"
"You can't blame him, Etienne." A chuckle bubbled up from Lucien's lips. "Albert was a virgin until the ripe old age of fifteen. I don't think he has had any romantic affairs during the seven years since then."
Etienne let out an undignified snort. "If my first…encounter…had been with a cross-dressing cephalopod, I'd most certainly choose to be celibate."
Haydee tapped an index finger to her chin as though thinking. "I just remembered. I recall Peppo's name being on the guest list tonight."
At that casual remark, the Nightingale snapped his head in the princess' direction. Turning on his heels, Etienne declared, "In that case, I am NOT going. Whatever festive mood I've had earlier has now faded and…"
With an exasperated cry that jolted everyone out of their skins, Albert lunged at the jealous singer and swiftly lifted him up in his arms. Before Etienne could even raise a fuss, he made a quick dash for the front door.
"Bertuccio! Baptistin!" Albert yelled to the Count's trusted aides.
"We're way ahead of you, Albert," laughed Baptistin as he flung the front door wide open. In the driveway outside, the Count's formidable carriage was ready and waiting for them.
As Baptistin leaped onto the driver's seat, Bertuccio bowed gamely as he opened the carriage door. With a grunt, Albert unceremoniously tossed Etienne onto the plush seat inside.
Entering the carriage, the young envoy ordered, "To the opera house!"
"You heard the man," Bertuccio told his comrade as he sat down beside Baptistin. "Let's go!"
Just as the gates swung open, Baptistin flicked the reins, urging the horses into a full gallop. "Out of my way!" he roared at the reporters, who had frozen where they stood. Seeing that rumbling carriage bearing down on them, however, they got a hold of their senses and dove out of its path.
"Rats!" Baptistin exclaimed as he maneuvered the carriage into the street. "I missed!"
"Baptistin!" Etienne cried out aghast. "I can't believe you were contemplating manslaughter!"
Albert settled down beside the shocked singer, crossing his arms and legs as he nodded approvingly. "If someone did get run over, he or she deserved it."
"Feeling bloodthirsty today, are we?" the Nightingale inquired as he gave his lover a side-glance.
"Let's just say that, with the exception of Beauchamp, I have no great love for the press. I had hoped to spare you from this, but…."
Etienne linked his arm around Albert's. As he laid his head on his lover's shoulder, he patted Albert's hand reassuringly.
"It's all right," the Nightingale murmured. "I know that you'll always be by my side to protect me."
Smiling, Albert tenderly bussed the singer at the top of his head.
In twenty minutes flat, their carriage rolled to a stop before the grand Paris Opera House. Bertuccio opened the door for them. Etienne was momentarily mortified, especially when he saw the nobles lingering at the marble steps to peruse any newcomers. It was Albert who got down first, raising his hand to the Nightingale.
"Shall we?" the youthful ambassador gave his lover a dashing smile. "I'm eager to see what you've got hidden under that cloak."
Etienne nodded. Swallowing down his nervousness, the singer took Albert's hand and descended from the carriage.
:Keep your eyes forward and your head up high,: Gankutsuou advised, sensing Etienne's hesitation. :Do not be intimidated by these highborns. You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.:
:Gankutsuou…I don't think I can do it.:
The entity decided to take the lead. Freeing his hand from Albert's grasp, he said, "I'm fine. Let me do this on my own."
Albert took his place at Gankutsuou's left. "Don't forget. I'm right here beside you."
With Bertuccio and Baptistin following behind them, the two men went up the stairs with long, confident strides, ignoring the curious stares that were being thrown their way. Gankutsuou thought he could maintain that cool veneer of indifference as they walked through the opera house's great doors.
"ALBERT!"
All poise disappeared and the telltale marks on the entity's brow flared up as Peppo, dressed in a slinky silver lamé gown with a long slit revealing a shapely leg, gave a startled Albert an exuberant hug.
Pointing an angry finger at the flirtatious model, Gankutsuou and Etienne yelled in outrage, "You're doing it again!"
Peppo gave the Nightingale a dry glare. "Oh, it's you. Hello, Etienne. Aren't you a bit over-dressed? The monk look fell out of fashion during the Spanish Inquisition."
"Who are you calling a 'monk', you perverted transvestite?"
With dramatic flair, Etienne untied his cloak and peeled it off with a graceful sweep of his arm. As the garment fluttered neatly onto Bertuccio's outstretched arm, the singer's attire was finally revealed to all.
Etienne was wearing a sleek black tuxedo. Fine silver thread was mixed into the garment's weave, giving off tiny flashes under the lamplight. Underneath, he wore a shimmering silver gray shirt, a dark violet cravat tied around his neck. Pinned to his left breast was a large gold and emerald brooch shaped in the coat of arms of the Count of Monte Cristo. But it was Etienne's gorgeous mane that was truly an eye-catcher. Eugenie and Haydee, and possibly Lucien as well, had affixed tiny crystals to those ebony locks. To Albert, the singer looked like a beautiful dark angel with twinkling stars in his hair. It was an opinion that everyone in the lobby shared as they 'ooh'-ed and 'ahh'-ed over the handsome young man.
"Oh my!" Eugenie gushed as she finally arrived together with Lucien and Beauchamp. "Etienne, you look absolutely gorgeous! Oh, how I wish Haydee had seen you!"
Bertuccio put in, "The Princess will be seeing him the minute we get home. Don't you worry." Ever since Haydee's encounter with that hated man from her past, she has had an aversion to attending the opera.
Lucien granted the journalist beside him a toothy grin. "What can you say about my fashion sense now?"
Beauchamp took a quick glance at his friend's flashy red orange attire before swiftly turning away, his hands flying to his face. "AAAAHHHH! MY EYES! THEY'RE BURNING!"
Infuriated, Lucien produced a small green canister from inside his right trousers pocket. "You think that's funny, huh? I'll burn your eyes for real with this new tear gas the Ministry had developed."
Unfortunately, his friends' cheerful banter fell on deaf ears since all of Etienne's murderous attention was focused on the model that was hanging on to Albert with the tenacity of a koala.
"Unhand Albert this instant, you cockroach!" snarled Etienne in fury.
"Try and make me!" Peppo dared back, sticking his tongue out at the singer.
"Peppo, you're choking me!" Albert coughed out. To his lover, he squeaked, "Etienne, you behave!"
To add fuel to the fire, the Morrel twins hurried up to them.
Clementine declared to her brother, "I told you we should go to the opera today because Etienne's sure to be here."
"Are you going to whoop Peppo's butt this time?" asked Jacques, his little eyes glittering at the prospect of mayhem.
Etienne gave his knuckles a menacing crack under his gloves. "I'm sure that could be arranged."
The nobles had gathered around their small group, like a pack of wolves, in anticipation of a scandal.
Salvation, thankfully, came in the form of a breathless young man with an unruly moptop and large round glasses, who said, "Peppo! So you're here! I've been looking all over for you!"
At once, Peppo released Albert who in turn found himself gripped possessively by an insanely jealous Etienne.
"Renaud, my sweet munchkin!" Peppo exclaimed, as he embraced the blushing car aficionado. His cheeks were the same color as the model's lipstick after Peppo gave him a resounding smack.
Clementine and Jacques stared at the lovers with eyes as round as dinner plates. "'Munchkin'?" Looking at each other, they shuddered and said in unison, "PHEEEWWWW!"
There were painful taps on their heads. It was their mother Valentine who was livid with anger. "Have you two been inciting trouble again?"
"Now, now, Valentine!" Maximilien tried to pacify his lovely wife. "They're just children!"
Valentine wagged her fan scoldingly at her husband. "Maximilien Morrel, this is all your fault! You've been spoiling them!"
Albert was stunned by this sudden turn of events. "Renaud? Are you telling me that you and Peppo are…."
"For about a year now," Renaud replied, a sheepish grin on his face. "It took me quite some time before I could get the nerve up." In confidence, he added, "And, yes, I do know that Peppo is…you know."
Etienne glared accusingly at the model. "If you have a beau, then why are you always pursuing Albert? You should be more faithful to him!"
"Come now, Etienne!" Peppo giggled. "A little harmless flirting never hurt anyone." To emphasize his point, he even blew the flustered young envoy a kiss.
Grimacing, Gankutsuou saw with his preternatural vision that the kiss was in the shape of a red heart. He grabbed it and tossed it away in disgust.
Surprisingly, it was Albert who stepped forward. "But, unfortunately, you are hurting someone who is very dear to me, and I don't want him to lose his trust in me because of what you're doing." He turned his passionate gaze towards the singer. "Let me make this clear once and for all. There is only one person in my heart, and that's my beloved Nightingale of Luna."
Saying this, Albert swept Etienne into his arms and gave him a torrid kiss on the lips, ignoring the shocked gasps of everyone in the lobby. Clementine and Jacques were absolutely delighted by this move, until Valentine covered their eyes with her hands.
"Don't look children," she warned, although she herself could barely hide her fond smile.
"I can't see anything!" Clementine whined.
Jacques was grinning from ear to ear as he peeked through the gap between his mother's fingers. "I can see just fine."
"Ho ho!" a bellowing voice declared followed by loud claps. "This is a wonderful scene worthy of the opera stage."
The two lovers immediately broke the kiss. Approaching them was a dashing man in his early thirties. He was dressed entirely in white. Underneath his tuxedo was a silver vest. His black hair was slick with thick gel. His mustache curled at the tips.
Eugenie recognized the newcomer at once. "Signore Verano!"
Murmurs rose among the audience. Guillermo Verano was Paris' latest opera sensation and the lead star of the performance that evening. While most knew about his powerful voice and intense performances on the stage, only a few were aware of the man's vanity. Behind his cheerful smile, he viewed Etienne Delacroix as a rival.
"I have heard that Luna's esteemed Nightingale will be here to watch the opera tonight," Verano told Eugenie, although his voice was loud enough to be heard by all. "I did not expect to see such a touching scene." He extended his hand to Albert. "Monsieur Ambassador, you have warmed my heart with your act of gallantry."
"It is not an act, Monsieur," Albert shook the opera star's hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peppo walking away with Renaud. The model even gave him a wink and a thumbs-up. "One who is true inside his heart could only profess his feelings in all honesty." He gazed at his blushing lover. "I feel no shame to say that I love him."
Verano's eyebrows rose into two perfect arches. "You are truly courageous to reveal your affections for another man."
"Then let me do the same." Etienne held Albert's hand lovingly. "I love Albert Herrera, and only death can part me from him."
"Bravo! Surely all lovers should learn about fidelity from the two of you. Ah, but I have allowed myself to get distracted." Verano raised an offering hand to the singer. "Monsieur Delacroix, I ask that you grace us with a song this evening. I am sure everyone here would agree with me that Paris should at last hear the Nightingale of Luna's magnificent voice."
Etienne gave the opera star a gracious bow. "I'm afraid that I am not as courageous as my beloved. I'm not yet ready to perform in such a beautiful city as this, having just arrived in Paris. I prefer to earn the opportunity to perform on this stage through diligence and hard work. Still, I am humbled by your invitation and I thank you with my whole heart."
Verano, being a true artiste, feigned disappointment. "I had hoped that would not be your answer." A sly grin. "However, I am a very determined man. I swear I will hear you sing. For now, I do hope you enjoy the performance." He turned to Eugenie. "Madame Danglars, I hope to speak to you later regarding our little project."
"Uh…yes. Of course." Eugenie frowned as she watched the opera star walk away. Going towards the Nightingale, she advised, "Be wary of him, Etienne. Guillermo Verano is a very ambitious man. He has a reputation of destroying budding talents. His rabid fans had driven away his understudies from the stage in tears."
"I have no intention of competing with him, Eugenie," Etienne replied. "If the Good Lord deems to have me sing on this great stage, then it shall be a most wonderful gift. My voice is not a weapon I will use to ruin another. I use it to make people happy." He gave the pianist a warm smile. "And isn't that the true mission of a performer?"
Inside him, Gankutsuou praised, :Well put, Etienne. I couldn't have said it better myself.:
:I was only speaking the truth,: the singer humbly told the entity.
At that moment, the buzzer broke through the murmurs, a signal that the opera was going to begin in fifteen minutes.
Baptistin clapped his hands. "Enough chatter! Everyone, let's get to our seats!"
The twins waved to the singer. "We'll see you later, Etienne!" they called as they went with their doting parents.
Hand in hand, Albert and Etienne made to follow Eugenie and the others, but Bertuccio stopped them.
As they gave the Black man a quizzical look, Bertuccio simply said, "We have very special seats for the two of you."
Heading off to the lift, the four men did not notice that they were being closely observed by two figures standing behind a marble column.
~~~~~~~~~~
"The Prince's Box?" Albert exclaimed, his jaw dropping. "You're joking!"
"Actually…" Baptistin began, grinning. "It's more like the Prince's Suite."
Indeed, the envoy and the singer found themselves in a spacious lounge where the patron could entertain guests and well-wishers. The box itself was hidden behind a dark velvet curtain.
"Should we even be watching the opera from a very expensive box as this?" Etienne asked in nervous awe. "Can't we just sit with Eugenie and the others?"
"The Count of Monte Cristo purchased the Prince's Box for a hefty sum. Princess Haydee possesses the contract that he had signed," Bertuccio reassured them. "I am sure that he would want the both of you to use it."
In reality, it was Gankutsuou's wish that they watch the opera from the Prince's Box. He wanted to make this evening truly memorable for the singer.
Etienne mumbled thoughtfully, "I get the impression that the Count was a very rich and vain man. To use a box so high, it's like he was king of the people below."
"True. He had us all under his little fingers, but he was a good man," Albert said softly. "If only his heart had not been tainted by darkness…"
The Nightingale looked at his lover curiously. There was an expression of sorrowful introspection on Albert's face. Jealousy that was more intense than what he had felt for Peppo seized his heart. It was all too obvious to him that Albert still held feelings for this mysterious nobleman.
:W…You can help him forget, Etienne,: Gankutsuou tentatively suggested. :Help heal Albert's heart.:
:Don't you mean that we will help him?: the singer asked knowingly. :That's what you were going to say.:
:Yes, I was going to say 'we', but I feared that you might not…approve. You frighten me when you're jealous.:
Etienne could not help but chuckle. :Well, you're pretty intimidating yourself. Too bad that even with your combined efforts, we couldn't do anything about that infuriating cross-dresser.:
"What's so funny?" Albert inquired, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Oh, nothing! Nothing!"
"You're not plotting anything sinister against Peppo, are you?"
"Certainly not!" Etienne grinned wickedly. "I just thought I'd do him a big favor by turning him into a REAL woman. A pair of sharp scissors can do the trick."
"Etienne…." Albert growled threateningly.
Laughing, Etienne turned on his heels before Albert could catch him and headed straight for the box.
"Through the intercession of my great ancestors, I pray to thee, Dambala, bind him in the dark chains of the past!"
That murmured prayer stopped Etienne in his tracks as he emerged through the curtains. A pitch-black aura immediately enveloped him. Frigid cold permeated through his skin, freezing his bones, that he wrapped his arms around himself, shivering.
:What's happening, Gankutsuou?: Etienne called out to the entity. :I can't see anything!:
:It's a geas!: Gankutsuou replied fearfully. :Whatever you do, don't move! I'll try to get us free!:
Taking control of the singer's body, Gankutsuou pushed his will against the barrier that held them trapped. The dark aura, however, deflected his power back at him, hitting him directly in the forehead. The entity let out an agonized cry as he gripped his brow.
Enraged, the entity shouted into the darkness. "Who is doing this? Is that you, Laveau? I dare you to show yourself! You want immortality, Benedetto? Come and get it!"
In answer to his dare, the spotlights switched on and focused on a box directly below him, and at the figure in white standing there. Gankutsuou gasped as he recognized the man instantly.
"Fernand…Mondego?" the entity whispered, unable to take a step backward.
The man who was the disgraced nobleman General Fernand de Morcerf raised an inviting hand, a lopsided grin forming on his lips. Gankutsuou knew that that gesture was not directed at him, but to the bewildered, frightened singer.
Then, Morcerf mouthed one word. "Remember!"
:Don't listen to him, Etienne!:
But the warning came too late. That simple command caused terrifying images to flood inside the poor Nightingale's mind.
A dark, dank corridor through which he walked, his breath labored, his chest aching…
Stumbling on a carpeted floor and that strange man…Fernand?…coming to his aid…
Aid that came in the form of loathsome kisses and devastating thrusts…
The terrible shame that came with the knowledge that he had just been violated by the man he hated…
"ETIENNE, DON'T LOOK!"
And then there were those perplexing words…
"I don't regret what I did to you, Count," Fernand said to him. "It is enough for me to know that I was the man who claimed your innocence."
"Why did you let Fernand rape me?"
An image of a man who looked exactly like him, but older, with gray in his ebony tresses, gazing into a mirror from which the visage of Gankutsuou was reflected back at him…
"Don't be angry, Edmond," Gankutsuou said to him, as his gloved hand caressed his belly. "This is the only way for you to be with him."
A much younger Albert smiling back at him….
"STOP IT! STOP!"
Etienne pitched himself out of that nightmare, unaware that, in his terror, he had also launched himself from the Prince's box, much to the horrified screams of the onlookers below.
"ETIENNE!"
It was Albert who had stopped his fatal plunge, grabbing him by the waist and pulling him back onto the plush divan. He frantically wiped the sweat from the singer's flushed face.
"Are you all right, Etienne?" Albert gave his lover a desperate embrace. "God, I thought I was going to lose you!"
Although at first shaken by what had happened to him, Etienne recovered his senses to turn his anger on the entity cowering inside him.
:Gankutsuou, what is the meaning of all those images I saw?: Etienne demanded. :I've long suspected that you were hiding something from me, but I deferred asking any questions from you because you have saved my life many times. But now I demand answers!:
:I don't know…I can't!: Gankutsuou exclaimed.
:You can't or you won't? That man was the Count of Monte Cristo, wasn't he? Why does he look like me? Why are you two so interested in Albert? Tell me, damn it! Who is he? WHO AM I?:
:I'm sorry! I can't!: the entity cried out, frightened by the singer's righteous fury.
"Etienne! Please speak to me!"
Etienne saw Albert gazing down at him in grave worry. :You fix this mess, Gankutsuou. After all, this is what you want, isn't it? Think about what you're doing to me while he's fucking you!:
Gankutsuou was disheartened by Etienne's comment as the singer retreated, sulking, into the dark corner of his mind. Never had he heard the Nightingale speak so crudely before.
"Etienne? What happened to you?"
The entity shook his head, more to rid himself of the voice of his nagging conscience. "I felt faint. It must be because of all this excitement. I'm so sorry, Albert."
Albert kissed his precious Nightingale, unaware that he was now holding the mysterious entity in his arms. "Damn it! It must have been one of your attacks. After this, I won't let you out of my sight, even more a second. Do you want me to take you home?"
"No, I'm fine now. Just shaken, that's all." Gankutsuou caressed the young man's face and smiled. "You have saved me yet again. What can I do to repay you?"
At that query, the envoy noticed then how high were the walls of the Prince's Box. Standing or seated, the only things that would be visible would be the upper half of their bodies, even if a person below were to use opera glasses.
Grinning fiendishly, Albert answered, "Come to think of it, I do know of something you can do for me."
"Actually…" Baptistin began, grinning. "It's more like the Prince's Suite."
Indeed, the envoy and the singer found themselves in a spacious lounge where the patron could entertain guests and well-wishers. The box itself was hidden behind a dark velvet curtain.
"Should we even be watching the opera from a very expensive box as this?" Etienne asked in nervous awe. "Can't we just sit with Eugenie and the others?"
"The Count of Monte Cristo purchased the Prince's Box for a hefty sum. Princess Haydee possesses the contract that he had signed," Bertuccio reassured them. "I am sure that he would want the both of you to use it."
In reality, it was Gankutsuou's wish that they watch the opera from the Prince's Box. He wanted to make this evening truly memorable for the singer.
Etienne mumbled thoughtfully, "I get the impression that the Count was a very rich and vain man. To use a box so high, it's like he was king of the people below."
"True. He had us all under his little fingers, but he was a good man," Albert said softly. "If only his heart had not been tainted by darkness…"
The Nightingale looked at his lover curiously. There was an expression of sorrowful introspection on Albert's face. Jealousy that was more intense than what he had felt for Peppo seized his heart. It was all too obvious to him that Albert still held feelings for this mysterious nobleman.
:W…You can help him forget, Etienne,: Gankutsuou tentatively suggested. :Help heal Albert's heart.:
:Don't you mean that we will help him?: the singer asked knowingly. :That's what you were going to say.:
:Yes, I was going to say 'we', but I feared that you might not…approve. You frighten me when you're jealous.:
Etienne could not help but chuckle. :Well, you're pretty intimidating yourself. Too bad that even with your combined efforts, we couldn't do anything about that infuriating cross-dresser.:
"What's so funny?" Albert inquired, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"Oh, nothing! Nothing!"
"You're not plotting anything sinister against Peppo, are you?"
"Certainly not!" Etienne grinned wickedly. "I just thought I'd do him a big favor by turning him into a REAL woman. A pair of sharp scissors can do the trick."
"Etienne…." Albert growled threateningly.
Laughing, Etienne turned on his heels before Albert could catch him and headed straight for the box.
"Through the intercession of my great ancestors, I pray to thee, Dambala, bind him in the dark chains of the past!"
That murmured prayer stopped Etienne in his tracks as he emerged through the curtains. A pitch-black aura immediately enveloped him. Frigid cold permeated through his skin, freezing his bones, that he wrapped his arms around himself, shivering.
:What's happening, Gankutsuou?: Etienne called out to the entity. :I can't see anything!:
:It's a geas!: Gankutsuou replied fearfully. :Whatever you do, don't move! I'll try to get us free!:
Taking control of the singer's body, Gankutsuou pushed his will against the barrier that held them trapped. The dark aura, however, deflected his power back at him, hitting him directly in the forehead. The entity let out an agonized cry as he gripped his brow.
Enraged, the entity shouted into the darkness. "Who is doing this? Is that you, Laveau? I dare you to show yourself! You want immortality, Benedetto? Come and get it!"
In answer to his dare, the spotlights switched on and focused on a box directly below him, and at the figure in white standing there. Gankutsuou gasped as he recognized the man instantly.
"Fernand…Mondego?" the entity whispered, unable to take a step backward.
The man who was the disgraced nobleman General Fernand de Morcerf raised an inviting hand, a lopsided grin forming on his lips. Gankutsuou knew that that gesture was not directed at him, but to the bewildered, frightened singer.
Then, Morcerf mouthed one word. "Remember!"
:Don't listen to him, Etienne!:
But the warning came too late. That simple command caused terrifying images to flood inside the poor Nightingale's mind.
A dark, dank corridor through which he walked, his breath labored, his chest aching…
Stumbling on a carpeted floor and that strange man…Fernand?…coming to his aid…
Aid that came in the form of loathsome kisses and devastating thrusts…
The terrible shame that came with the knowledge that he had just been violated by the man he hated…
"ETIENNE, DON'T LOOK!"
And then there were those perplexing words…
"I don't regret what I did to you, Count," Fernand said to him. "It is enough for me to know that I was the man who claimed your innocence."
"Why did you let Fernand rape me?"
An image of a man who looked exactly like him, but older, with gray in his ebony tresses, gazing into a mirror from which the visage of Gankutsuou was reflected back at him…
"Don't be angry, Edmond," Gankutsuou said to him, as his gloved hand caressed his belly. "This is the only way for you to be with him."
A much younger Albert smiling back at him….
"STOP IT! STOP!"
Etienne pitched himself out of that nightmare, unaware that, in his terror, he had also launched himself from the Prince's box, much to the horrified screams of the onlookers below.
"ETIENNE!"
It was Albert who had stopped his fatal plunge, grabbing him by the waist and pulling him back onto the plush divan. He frantically wiped the sweat from the singer's flushed face.
"Are you all right, Etienne?" Albert gave his lover a desperate embrace. "God, I thought I was going to lose you!"
Although at first shaken by what had happened to him, Etienne recovered his senses to turn his anger on the entity cowering inside him.
:Gankutsuou, what is the meaning of all those images I saw?: Etienne demanded. :I've long suspected that you were hiding something from me, but I deferred asking any questions from you because you have saved my life many times. But now I demand answers!:
:I don't know…I can't!: Gankutsuou exclaimed.
:You can't or you won't? That man was the Count of Monte Cristo, wasn't he? Why does he look like me? Why are you two so interested in Albert? Tell me, damn it! Who is he? WHO AM I?:
:I'm sorry! I can't!: the entity cried out, frightened by the singer's righteous fury.
"Etienne! Please speak to me!"
Etienne saw Albert gazing down at him in grave worry. :You fix this mess, Gankutsuou. After all, this is what you want, isn't it? Think about what you're doing to me while he's fucking you!:
Gankutsuou was disheartened by Etienne's comment as the singer retreated, sulking, into the dark corner of his mind. Never had he heard the Nightingale speak so crudely before.
"Etienne? What happened to you?"
The entity shook his head, more to rid himself of the voice of his nagging conscience. "I felt faint. It must be because of all this excitement. I'm so sorry, Albert."
Albert kissed his precious Nightingale, unaware that he was now holding the mysterious entity in his arms. "Damn it! It must have been one of your attacks. After this, I won't let you out of my sight, even more a second. Do you want me to take you home?"
"No, I'm fine now. Just shaken, that's all." Gankutsuou caressed the young man's face and smiled. "You have saved me yet again. What can I do to repay you?"
At that query, the envoy noticed then how high were the walls of the Prince's Box. Standing or seated, the only things that would be visible would be the upper half of their bodies, even if a person below were to use opera glasses.
Grinning fiendishly, Albert answered, "Come to think of it, I do know of something you can do for me."
~~~~~~~~~~
Eugenie trained her binoculars towards the Prince's Box for the tenth time during the performance. "Do you think Etienne's all right up there?"
"He's probably resting in the lounge," Lucien told the pianist reassuringly. "I bet Etienne is listening to the performance as we speak with Albert. When he's well enough, they'll take their seats in that box."
Beauchamp poked a finger in his aching right ear. "If those two are smart, they should stay right where they are. Those damned sound people should have toned down the volume. I think Verano's voice has shattered my eardrums."
The Morrel twins, who were sitting behind them with their parents, pulled out their earplugs and showed them to the journalist.
"That's why we always wear these, Uncle Beauchamp," Clementine explained.
There was a wide toothy grin on Jacques' face. "You want to know what Uncle Albert and Etienne are really doing up there? I'll bet all my allowance that they're doing something very naughty!"
Shocked, Valentine hauled the struggling little boy onto her lap. "Jacques! How did your mind get so filthy? Your Uncle Albert is a morally upright man. Why, he even had a duel with your father over a matter of honor."
"But didn't Uncle Albert lose to Papa?" Clementine inquired, staring at her father who, in turn, was caught speechless.
Beauchamp settled back into his seat and chuckled. "Albert may be morally upright, but the poor guy is also sexually repressed."
True enough, Bertuccio and Baptistin were squirming uncomfortably on opposite sides of the curtained entryway leading to the Prince's Box.
Baptistin loosened the bowtie that seemed so tight all of a sudden with his index finger.
It was ever patient Bertuccio who could no longer tolerate his discomfiture. Edging close to the curtain, he called, "Gentlemen, would you two please tone it down in there?"
At that moment, Albert was pumping in vigorous abandon inside Gankutsuou's heated flesh. The tuxedo lay discarded on the floor, his shirt unbuttoned, giving his lover full access to his breasts. Albert was conveniently positioned within the circle of the entity's trapped legs, the black trousers snagged around his ankles.
"Albert, you bastard!" Gankutsuou gasped as he bucked his hips to meet those frenzied thrusts. "When I said that I would repay you, I didn't mean we'd do it here. What if people see us?"
"No, they won't," Albert grunted, stroking the Nightingale's hard length. "Besides, where's your sense of adventure?"
Gankutsuou pressed his fingers into Albert's cheeks. "I was thinking about how this could ruin your reputation, fool!" He accentuated that word with a light slap on his lover's face.
But the entity was more worried about Etienne. Many times, he called out to the Nightingale to take his place. The singer, however, remained grimly silent, but Gankutsuou could feel the young man's seething anger.
Then a blunt head brushed against his pressure point and Gankutsuou let out a lust-filled cry. Albert lapped on a tiny nipple and murmured, "My reputation is the last thing I have on my mind right now. Sorry, Etienne, but I can't hold back any longer!"
"Monsieur Delacroix?" an inquiring voice came over the loud speaker.
With a whimper, Albert spilled his release into the entity's body, at the same time, his hand closed around his lover's stiff erection.
"Albert, damn it!" Gankutsuou hissed. "Let me come!"
"WAIT!"
"Monsieur Delacroix? Are you well up there?"
"It's Monsieur Verano," Albert told the entity beneath him. "He's calling out to you."
To Gankutsuou's horror, his lover was prodding him to sit up. As he hastily buttoned up his shirt, he asked in panic, "Don't tell me I have to answer him?" He glanced down at his hard member that Albert still held in his hand. "Certainly not in this state!"
"Don't worry! I'll take care of this," Albert said, grinning wolfishly.
When he had put himself in a semblance of order, Gankutsuou stood up. He was thankful for the high ledges. Just as Albert had noticed, no one would see that he was wearing nothing from his waist down.
"Yes, Signore Verano. I am well," Gankutsuou replied to the opera star's inquiry. "Forgive me, but I've had an attack of a terrible headache. Thankfully, it cleared away so that I was able to listen to your performance in the lounge. Perhaps, I could watch you perform another time when my illness is not troubling me."
"I will be very pleased to sing to you once more, Monsieur Delacroix," Verano beamed as he stood on the stage with the rest of the opera's cast. "However, I fear that I am about to make an unfair request of you."
"And what is that?"
"I am begging you. I'm sure everyone here will beg this of you as well. Please grace us with even one song. This great stage of the Paris Opera House awaits you. Nothing would please me more than to hear the Nightingale of Luna sing."
"Forgive me, Signore Verano, but I can't. I feel my voice would be less than perfect because of my illness. Besides that, I am but a lowly performer from a Luna nightclub. I cannot sing on that stage where the greatest legends in opera, including yourself, had performed upon. I am not worthy."
"Oh please, Monsieur Delacroix?" the opera singer asked in earnest. "You could sing only a few lines from one song. Please do not deprive us of the opportunity to listen, even briefly, to your beautiful voice."
:Etienne…I can't sing…: Gankutsuou pleaded to the Nightingale.
:You'll fix this mess on your own, Gankutsuou,: was Etienne's firm reply.
Caught between a request that he dared not decline and a painful erection between his legs, Gankutsuou gazed down at Albert. "What am I going to do?"
Albert smiled and answered, "Just do what you do best. Sing, Etienne. And like I said, I'll take care of this."
Sighing in defeat, the entity turned to the opera star once more. "Very well, Signore. I shall accede to your request. But rather than sing on the stage, let me perform for you from here."
Verano was elated by that answer. At that height, surely the Nightingale did not have the power to project his voice as well as he did. "Thank you, Monsieur Delacroix." The opera singer did not even bother to offer a microphone.
Gankutsuou took a deep breath and then he hummed the opening notes of his favorite love song from Janina. The alien words spilled from his lips with ease, his voice like sweet wine as it poured through the sad, lilting melody. For a moment, he faltered as Albert took his member inside his mouth and began to suckle. The sensations that were being drawn from him and the pain inside his heart gave power to his voice and his song that it echoed throughout the hushed hall.
The opera star was caught speechless. He had hoped that the Nightingale of Luna would prove to be a disappointment. Far from it. Etienne Delacroix's voice surpassed even his own, his song filling the entire hall with its haunting melody. Everyone was silenced by its power and the emotions that it was forcing out of them. It shocked Verano to see himself responding sensually to that voice.
Albert, on the other hand, had lost himself in his lover's beautiful voice as well as in the silken steel that he had deep in his throat. He knew that Etienne came when the singer shuddered and poured out his sweet fluid inside his mouth. But that sweetness was replaced by the sting of salt upon his tongue. As he released the Nightingale's member, he was shocked to see the tears pouring from Etienne's eyes.
When the song came to a trembling end, applause erupted from the audience below as they gave the Nightingale a standing ovation. Gankutsuou, however, was unmindful of the adulation that was being given to him. With only a small bow and a softly uttered "Thank you", he fled from the Prince's Box, ran past a startled Bertuccio and Baptistin, and locked himself inside the bathroom. His body shook as he sobbed, clamping his hand over his mouth to stop the flow of tears.
:Etienne…:
:You feel hurt, Gankutsuou?: Etienne asked bitterly. :Surely it could not compare to the pain inside my heart, knowing that you may have possibly deceived me.:
"He's probably resting in the lounge," Lucien told the pianist reassuringly. "I bet Etienne is listening to the performance as we speak with Albert. When he's well enough, they'll take their seats in that box."
Beauchamp poked a finger in his aching right ear. "If those two are smart, they should stay right where they are. Those damned sound people should have toned down the volume. I think Verano's voice has shattered my eardrums."
The Morrel twins, who were sitting behind them with their parents, pulled out their earplugs and showed them to the journalist.
"That's why we always wear these, Uncle Beauchamp," Clementine explained.
There was a wide toothy grin on Jacques' face. "You want to know what Uncle Albert and Etienne are really doing up there? I'll bet all my allowance that they're doing something very naughty!"
Shocked, Valentine hauled the struggling little boy onto her lap. "Jacques! How did your mind get so filthy? Your Uncle Albert is a morally upright man. Why, he even had a duel with your father over a matter of honor."
"But didn't Uncle Albert lose to Papa?" Clementine inquired, staring at her father who, in turn, was caught speechless.
Beauchamp settled back into his seat and chuckled. "Albert may be morally upright, but the poor guy is also sexually repressed."
True enough, Bertuccio and Baptistin were squirming uncomfortably on opposite sides of the curtained entryway leading to the Prince's Box.
Baptistin loosened the bowtie that seemed so tight all of a sudden with his index finger.
It was ever patient Bertuccio who could no longer tolerate his discomfiture. Edging close to the curtain, he called, "Gentlemen, would you two please tone it down in there?"
At that moment, Albert was pumping in vigorous abandon inside Gankutsuou's heated flesh. The tuxedo lay discarded on the floor, his shirt unbuttoned, giving his lover full access to his breasts. Albert was conveniently positioned within the circle of the entity's trapped legs, the black trousers snagged around his ankles.
"Albert, you bastard!" Gankutsuou gasped as he bucked his hips to meet those frenzied thrusts. "When I said that I would repay you, I didn't mean we'd do it here. What if people see us?"
"No, they won't," Albert grunted, stroking the Nightingale's hard length. "Besides, where's your sense of adventure?"
Gankutsuou pressed his fingers into Albert's cheeks. "I was thinking about how this could ruin your reputation, fool!" He accentuated that word with a light slap on his lover's face.
But the entity was more worried about Etienne. Many times, he called out to the Nightingale to take his place. The singer, however, remained grimly silent, but Gankutsuou could feel the young man's seething anger.
Then a blunt head brushed against his pressure point and Gankutsuou let out a lust-filled cry. Albert lapped on a tiny nipple and murmured, "My reputation is the last thing I have on my mind right now. Sorry, Etienne, but I can't hold back any longer!"
"Monsieur Delacroix?" an inquiring voice came over the loud speaker.
With a whimper, Albert spilled his release into the entity's body, at the same time, his hand closed around his lover's stiff erection.
"Albert, damn it!" Gankutsuou hissed. "Let me come!"
"WAIT!"
"Monsieur Delacroix? Are you well up there?"
"It's Monsieur Verano," Albert told the entity beneath him. "He's calling out to you."
To Gankutsuou's horror, his lover was prodding him to sit up. As he hastily buttoned up his shirt, he asked in panic, "Don't tell me I have to answer him?" He glanced down at his hard member that Albert still held in his hand. "Certainly not in this state!"
"Don't worry! I'll take care of this," Albert said, grinning wolfishly.
When he had put himself in a semblance of order, Gankutsuou stood up. He was thankful for the high ledges. Just as Albert had noticed, no one would see that he was wearing nothing from his waist down.
"Yes, Signore Verano. I am well," Gankutsuou replied to the opera star's inquiry. "Forgive me, but I've had an attack of a terrible headache. Thankfully, it cleared away so that I was able to listen to your performance in the lounge. Perhaps, I could watch you perform another time when my illness is not troubling me."
"I will be very pleased to sing to you once more, Monsieur Delacroix," Verano beamed as he stood on the stage with the rest of the opera's cast. "However, I fear that I am about to make an unfair request of you."
"And what is that?"
"I am begging you. I'm sure everyone here will beg this of you as well. Please grace us with even one song. This great stage of the Paris Opera House awaits you. Nothing would please me more than to hear the Nightingale of Luna sing."
"Forgive me, Signore Verano, but I can't. I feel my voice would be less than perfect because of my illness. Besides that, I am but a lowly performer from a Luna nightclub. I cannot sing on that stage where the greatest legends in opera, including yourself, had performed upon. I am not worthy."
"Oh please, Monsieur Delacroix?" the opera singer asked in earnest. "You could sing only a few lines from one song. Please do not deprive us of the opportunity to listen, even briefly, to your beautiful voice."
:Etienne…I can't sing…: Gankutsuou pleaded to the Nightingale.
:You'll fix this mess on your own, Gankutsuou,: was Etienne's firm reply.
Caught between a request that he dared not decline and a painful erection between his legs, Gankutsuou gazed down at Albert. "What am I going to do?"
Albert smiled and answered, "Just do what you do best. Sing, Etienne. And like I said, I'll take care of this."
Sighing in defeat, the entity turned to the opera star once more. "Very well, Signore. I shall accede to your request. But rather than sing on the stage, let me perform for you from here."
Verano was elated by that answer. At that height, surely the Nightingale did not have the power to project his voice as well as he did. "Thank you, Monsieur Delacroix." The opera singer did not even bother to offer a microphone.
Gankutsuou took a deep breath and then he hummed the opening notes of his favorite love song from Janina. The alien words spilled from his lips with ease, his voice like sweet wine as it poured through the sad, lilting melody. For a moment, he faltered as Albert took his member inside his mouth and began to suckle. The sensations that were being drawn from him and the pain inside his heart gave power to his voice and his song that it echoed throughout the hushed hall.
The opera star was caught speechless. He had hoped that the Nightingale of Luna would prove to be a disappointment. Far from it. Etienne Delacroix's voice surpassed even his own, his song filling the entire hall with its haunting melody. Everyone was silenced by its power and the emotions that it was forcing out of them. It shocked Verano to see himself responding sensually to that voice.
Albert, on the other hand, had lost himself in his lover's beautiful voice as well as in the silken steel that he had deep in his throat. He knew that Etienne came when the singer shuddered and poured out his sweet fluid inside his mouth. But that sweetness was replaced by the sting of salt upon his tongue. As he released the Nightingale's member, he was shocked to see the tears pouring from Etienne's eyes.
When the song came to a trembling end, applause erupted from the audience below as they gave the Nightingale a standing ovation. Gankutsuou, however, was unmindful of the adulation that was being given to him. With only a small bow and a softly uttered "Thank you", he fled from the Prince's Box, ran past a startled Bertuccio and Baptistin, and locked himself inside the bathroom. His body shook as he sobbed, clamping his hand over his mouth to stop the flow of tears.
:Etienne…:
:You feel hurt, Gankutsuou?: Etienne asked bitterly. :Surely it could not compare to the pain inside my heart, knowing that you may have possibly deceived me.:
* * * * * * * * * * *