Gankutsuou Fan Fiction ❯ The Forbidden Fruit of Shadows ❯ Prelude: Shadow Melody - Would You Care to Dance? ( Prologue )

The Forbidden Fruit of Shadows

Prelude: Shadow Melody - Would You Care to Dance?

 

****

DISCLAIMER!- The characters from this story are from the “Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo” Anime. What I write is just pure fan fiction. I should probably warn ahead of time that this story will contain sexual content. So, if you find that troublesome I suggest to not read further. Also, I am a beginner in writing fan fiction so bare with me. ^_^ I am writing this as I go so the updates may not be so frequent. The length may vary too. Either way I hope you will review. Good and Bad reviews are welcome.

****

His eyes glisten underneath the darkness of the shadows, whose essence lingers in the corner of the ballroom. His gaze dances from individual to individual looking upon their meaningless smiles. He couldn't help but chuckle at all the falseness filled in just one room, such was the trait of the power-hungry aristocrats.

 

His lackeys were on either side of his sitting, blue and foreign body. The lavishly dressed gentleman's elbow slid on the overly decorated rim of the armchair while his head rested on the palm of his hand. His forefinger tapped his temple to the beat of the music. His other hand's fingers played gingerly with the decorations of his cane. The music stopped and he gave a soft and gentle applause. A sinister smile that exposed his canines scared off a young female that had just finished dancing wistfully with her mate. Confused, her partner chased after her. The Count finally stood up, for someone had just caught his attention.

 

His heart quickened as he spotted the object of his most darkest desire. Young Monsieur Albert de Morcef came through the doors, immediately searching for him, the count. A smirk appeared on the Count's face as he saw the lines of desperation etched on Albert's face.

 

“Ah, Albert you seek for me with such candour... yes.. yes come hither” the count whispered to himself, grinning.

 

“Leave me at once,” he told his body guards as he flicked his hand in a shooing fashion.

 

“But sir! There maybe danger here. There are many in this very room who would want nothing more than your downfall. You must know that, your excellency!” Boutistin implored to his master. Boutistin looked around the room suspiciously unwilling to leave him among these fancy group of vultures.

 

“I said leave me!” the Count said authoritatively. “Tend to the horses and make sure the compartment is comfortable. I will be taking someone back home with me” he smiled his eyes glued to Albert who was still searching for the Count.

 

'Oh how satisfying it is to see you looking for me so desperately, Albert' The Count thought as the tip of his gloved fingers from both hands met.

 

His loyal bodyguards reluctantly parted ways with their master.

 

The Count did not want to go to Albert just yet. He wanted to see how long it would take Albert to find him. The Count so much enjoyed these type of games. He took a few steps to make idle chit chat with a woman who had been eyeing him since he had come in.

 

“Good evening madamoiselle” He said taking her hand into his and suggestively rubbing his thumb across the top of her fingers before he took it and gently kissed her hand. The woman immediately blushed.

 

“What is such a beautiful woman like yourself doing alone with no one to dance with?” he said as if the very idea was an abomination to mankind. He made eye contact with her; but, he made sure to keep Albert in his peripheral vision out of the corner of his eye. He was after all his target to this very game.

 

“Oh my goodness” she said hiding her face. “You are too kind... You must say that to all the girls you come across.” She giggled and he gave her a charming smile.

 

“Why Madamemoiselle...” he chuckled. “You offend me so. My words only translate to what my eyes see. So unless you wish to believe me for a blind man, which of course I am not” he smiled. “Then know that I know beauty when I see it. Is physical beauty not art sculpted by the very hands of God?” He said kissing her hand once again.

 

She began to fumble in her words as the nerves got the best of her.

 

'Oh how very easy and boring it was to charm women of high stature. These women who were possibly the most lonely creatures on earth' He thought to himself. 'While there husbands are too busy counting their gold... here I am baiting in their woman... too easy'

 

Then, she began to chat about other things. The count zoned out and just nodded his head not really paying attention. As he stood there with the woman droning on about her lavish lifestyle, the Count couldn't help but turn his eyes to Albert.

 

At that very moment their eyes met. A cold chill of hatred and love was sent down the Count's spine. He tipped his hat in greeting to recognize that he acknowledged his existance. Albert's mouth widened with a smile of both relief and joy from having found his most cherished mentor. He hurried over to the count when suddenly music for another dance began to play.

 

The Count took this opportunity to make Albert wait some more.

 

'And the game continues' A mischievious smile appeared on the Count's face as Albert drew closer. He bowed towards the woman.

 

“Would you care for a dance, Madame?” The Count said offering his hand.

 

“Of course!” the woman said taking it and following him on the the dance floor.

 

Albert had reached the spot where the Count had been but now he was gone. His smile disappeared.

 

“Count?!! Count?” Albert said looking around not seeing that the count was now on the ballroom floor.

 

As the count spun the woman around in a waltz he couldn't help but chuckle as he saw Albert's head stretching to find him again. Stretching so hard that the count was sure that a little pain was surging through the young boys neck. But Albert saw that the Count was dancing and smiled again.

 

Albert could not keep his eyes off the man of grandeur. His eyes followed the Count's every move. When the song was about to end, the Count of Monte Cristo slyly and slowly slid his hand around her waist across her back, pressing her closely near to him. He made sure that the view was clearly visible to Albert.

 

The woman did something strange. She took her golden locks with her delicate, manicured hands to expose the bare skin of her neck. She bent it just so, as if offering him to nimble on it. The Count smiled as he held her around the waist. He laughed as he closed his eyes and put his mouth near her ear so that she could hear him over the loud music.

 

“It seems the rumors of me being a vampire have reached your beautiful ears, my lady” He spoke to her as they continued the slow waltz. “I thank you for offering such a grand gift; but, I do not feed of the blood of humans” He chuckled.

 

“I am but a normal man, my lady. Just a regular human like yourself” He lied in a whisper so close to her ear that it made her shutter. The woman felt embarrassed and quickly apologized about believing in such rumors.

 

It seemed that no one but Albert was watching the two dancing beauties on the dance floor.

 

Albert gulped at the scene unsure of what was going to happen; but, he had suddenly began to feel hot as the Count danced with such alluring and elegant poise. The sudden flush of pink to his cheeks gave him away.

 

The Count overlooked the woman's shoulder as he saw Albert's glued stare.

 

'Just what I wanted. Look only upon me... want only me', the count thought to himself as he was able to read Albert's flushed face.

 

The Count's attention went again to the woman as he was still confident that Albert was watching.

 

“Do not apologize, dear maiden. There is nothing to apologize for. Like I said previous.... I am but a man with needs of his own.” He said as he brushed her golden hair to the side. He bent his head so that his lips reached her neck. A simple kiss to her neck made the woman give a low whimper.

 

As Albert watched he could not help but feel uncomfortable. Something about it was bothering him but he did not know why.

 

The music stopped and the Count bowed before leaving the woman alone to compose herself. The Count, then , went to sit over to the armchair he had been sitting at previously. A waiter approached him to refill his glass of wine.

 

“May I have another glass for my friend here” he said his hand extended towards Albert who was pushing through the huge crowd to get to his count.

 

“Certainly sir” The waiter immediately filled another glass with expensive wine and gave it to the young man.

 

“Why... Albert what a pleasure to see you here. It has been a long time has it not?” He said as he swirled the dark crimson liquid. He closed his eyes and put the glass to his nose to smell the alluring aroma of the liquor.

 

“Yes your excellency. It certainly has. Too long in fact!” Albert blushed. “I had been trying to get a hold of you but it seems you were out of town”

 

“Ah yes. I had important business to attend to; but, I do not want to bore you with the technicalities, my dear young sir” the Count said with a piercing stare that made Albert uncomfortable. “Let us toast instead”

 

“Yes let us!! To the health and happiness of Sir Count De Monte Cristo!!!” Albert said as he enthusiastically raised his glass.

 

The Count laughed and shook his head.

 

“No no... I can not take a toast just for myself. That would just be too selfish of me. To both of us. To Hope” The Count leaned closer to Albert as he raised his glass. “And to the fulfillment of all our ambitions.”

 

“Sure I'll toast to that!” Albert exclaimed as he too raised his glass and took a drink out of his glass.

 

'To Edmond Dante and to darkening your innocence, my young Albert de Morcef', the Count secretly thought to himself still not taking a taste of the wine.

 

'Or should I say Albert Mondego... born off the fruit of betrayal' he thought as he gave him a glance of hatred.

 

“Is there something the matter, Count?” Albert asked.

 

“No nothing at all” The Count smirked as he finally took a drink from his wine.