Queen Marie: 2-21 Under the Shadows

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When I found myself trapped within the darkness and close to giving up, you appeared. It made me believe I was not alone.

Info

• Style:
• Required: Fersen Goodwill Lv. 7
• Recommended: Sylvan Glade Set
• Perfect Score: ~5,300
• Rewards: 3,000 , Blueprint: Lady's Portrait, 3 Reader's Coupons, 1 Gift Material, 1 Crafting Material

Dialogue Choices

Marquis de Lafayette...

• You are a general worthy of loyalty
  • Lafayette's Goodwill will rise
• May the light forever be with you
  • Lafayette's Goodwill will rise

Transcript

Expand for script.

• After rushing through the streets of Paris, the carriage finally stops in a deserted alley.
• We can hear the rowdy sounds of the usual tavern crowd coming from within the building, and the air smells of beer. A few drunkards are lying prone on the ground outside.
• You: (A tavern? The customers look rather rough. Yes, perhaps this is a good place to hide.)

• d'Eon: Come in, the two of you.

• d'Eon: Oh yes, watch out for drunkards. Sometimes they cling on harder than besotted fools.

• d'Eon kicks away a man who had crawled to my feet, then leads us to the tavern door at the end of the alleyway, and carefully opens the door.

• Those who haven't passed out are busy partying inside, and no one takes any notice of us.
• In the corner there are several soldiers wearing armor, but they have all passed out on the table, and only one lone figure is sitting stiffly upright and drinking.
• You: (Lafayette?)

• He gulps down the beer, and though I can't see his expression, I can sense the gloom hanging about him like an oppressive, formidable cloud.
• d'Eon: Marquis de Lafayette, if you keep drinking like this, and something goes wrong, I might have to take her away again.

• Lafayette: Madame Beaumont...and...!

• Lafayette's face is red, but he seems pretty sober still, and his eyes are gleaming.
• Lafayette: You're both safe and well. I have not let down my ancestors, and I have not broken my knight's oath.

• The King and I nod at Lafayette, and I feel a mess of complicated emotions when I look at him. His eyes are full of regret and self reproach.
• d'Eon: The King and I nod at Lafayette, and I feel a mess of complicated emotions when I look at him. His eyes are full of regret and self reproach.

• d'Eon flicks an eye at the soldiers snoozing on the table, and murderous intent flashes across his eyes.
• I follow his gaze and quickly recognize the faces...
• You: These are the soldiers who betrayed us that day...

• Lafayette: Please forgive me. I simply cannot aim a gun at the people who only meant me well, even when they've committed a wrong that can never be righted.

• Lafayette: When I've finally succeeded in ensuring your safety, and fulfil my last duty, I am willing to take full responsibility, and will accept whatever punishment.

• The King looks at the soldiers silently. It's impossible to tell what he's thinking behind that impassive face.
• Louis XVI: They are still willing to follow you, and you are also responding sincerely to their goodwill. This means that you're a successful leader.

• Louis XVI: Any ruler with the slightest bit of sense, even if they've already fallen to the lowest point, should not blame such a talent as you.

• Louis XVI: Or he would not be deserving of your loyalty either, Lafayette.

• Lafayette: Thank you for affirming time and again, that I am right in my loyalty to you.

• You: The King is right.

• You: We should be thankful to them instead, for supporting you even when the people forced you to lead them in their attack on the royal family.

• d'Eon makes a disgruntled sound, and stares unhappily at Lafayette.
• d'Eon: Explain to me why they're here in the first place. This wasn't part of the plan.

• Lafayette: They have been keeping watch over my every move, for the purpose of protecting me.

• Lafayette: Even when I said I wanted to come to the tavern to drink, they were unwilling to let me go alone, so I could only agree.

• Lafayette: Fortunately, they're not that good at holding their liquor.

• He looks at the soldiers, and all kinds of emotions flit across his face... Besides anger at being betrayed, there's also longing, and regret.
• You: (No matter what the reason is, he must be upset that his most trusted people have betrayed him...)

• These men have followed him through the years and fought under him. They must be as close as brothers... As close as he is to Fersen.
• If it were me, would I be able to forgive them, like how Lafayette has forgiven them, and continue to accept them?
• I don't think I am capable of answering that right now... I look at Lafayette and happen to meet his eyes.
• You: Marquis de Lafayette...

You are a general worthy of loyalty

• You: You may say that the King is the best ruler to be loyal to... But actually you are the general most deserving of loyalty.

• Lafayette: I don't believe I'm worthy of such praise, your Majesty.

• You: Perhaps. I'm only saying what I think.

• Lafayette looks deeply troubled. Frowning, he is about to say something, but d'Eon interrupts him.

May the light forever be with you

• You: You are a very just and morally upright person. It must have been so hard for you to deceive your men in order to help us...

• You: I must apologize to you... And thank you.

• Lafayette: I chose to do it. It was my choice, and so I will never regret it, and I will never blame anyone for it.

• You: May God bless you and be with you.

• Lafayette: May God bless France and may He protect you and the King.

• Lafayette smiles... Perhaps it's his first smile in ages. He's about to say something more when d'Eon interrupts him.

• d'Eon: Well, before these irritating boys wake up, let's move to a safer place to continue our discussion, shall we?

• You: But... Do we still have any safe places to go to? Those guards are probably still out there looking for us.

• d'Eon: There's no need to worry.

• d'Eon smiles mysteriously. It's somehow weirdly comforting.
• d'Eon: One of my abodes is just behind the tavern. I don't think there's anywhere safer than that.

• The heat from the fireplace really does warm up our tired bodies and hearts, and gives us a much needed respite from everything.
• After a mouthful of d'Eon's hot tea, the King looks at Lafayette, and asks about the situation in France.
• Louis XVI: I'd like to know how powerful the revolutionaries are now. Are they beyond control?

• Lafayette: Yes, they keep shouting about freedom and democracy, and have attracted countless people to their cause.

• Lafayette: They contacted me, saying that they represent the people and hope that I would lead me to fulfil their goal, but I rejected them.

• You: Because of us...?

• Lafayette: No, not just because of you and the King.

• Lafayette: With the thirst for freedom driving the people wild, law and order are disintegrating in France.

• Lafayette: Some fanatics have even started beating up people who support the constitutional monarchy, and they insist that it's not good for France.

• You: Heavens...

• It's distressing to think about, let alone imagine...
• France is splitting apart. Hatred and conflict are spreading among the people...
• You: Is there no one who can stop them?

• d'Eon: Your Majesty, only lunatics can deal with lunatics. And I'm afraid that the Marquis de Lafayette and Minister Blaisdell are not.

• d'Eon: If a massacre is their idea of freedom, I'm afraid that the d'Eon family would be an ideal part of government for them.

• d'Eon's blatant mocking of them may seem painful to hear, but he has highlighted the truth.
• Louis XVI: How is Blaisdell now? Has he gotten into any trouble because of us?

• The minute Blaisdell is mentioned, Lafayette freezes for a moment, and he seems hesitant, which is unlike him.
• Lafayette: Regarding his previous contributions to France, the people assume that he was only following orders from the royal family, and have not really pestered him.

• Louis XVI: That's good. No matter what France turns out to be in the future, I think the people will need him.

• Lafayette: Yes, and as for his views and thoughts... He has already cut off contact with me, so I don't know much.

• Louis XVI: He isn't someone who'd disregard the big picture...

• d'Eon: Your Majesty, I'm not the only one who is furious that the men under the Marquis de Lafayette and Count Fersen have betrayed you.

• Lafayette: Yes, Fersen and I are no longer able to get him to trust us.

• Lafayette: I believe he should have a plan to rescue you, but since we are unable to take part, we decided to act on our own.

• Lafayette: zd'Eon is familiar with all the prisons in France, and he can act in secret, so we decided to seek his aid right away.

• Louis XVI: And what about Fersen's situation? He doesn't seem to be working with you.

• Lafayette: Yes.

• Lafayette: The situation now is such that we are unable to leave at the same time, or the people would direct their anger at us and everything concerning us.

• He seems to remember something unpleasant, and pauses for a long while before continuing.
• Lafayette: At first, we hoped to get help from Austria or Sweden, but Count Marenzi suggested that we ask another country for aid.

• Lafayette: He thinks that it the situation in France keeps worsening, it would affect the neighboring countries, and refugees would face a great deal of danger as well.

• You: I guess it's a possibility that the people of Austria or Sweden might decide to blame us and hand us over...

• Louis XVI: It would be too dangerous, and I don't want to drag innocent people into this...Blaisdell and Marenzi both.

• Lafayette: Yes, after much discussion, we decided that we only have one option --

• Lafayette: To seek political asylum in America.

• You: America?

• It's halfway across the world, and the journey will be fraught with danger...
• And once we leave this continent, our chances of ever returning to Europe would be slim...
• Lafayette: You once aided America in their battle for independence, and their people regard me as an honorable citizen.

• Lafayette: I believe it will be the safest place of all.

• Lafayette: There's no time, and we haven't been able to contact President Washington, but they probably won't turn us away.

• Louis XVI: And what are your plans, once we reach America?

• Louis XVI: If the people find out that you've aided us in our escape, not only will you lose the trust of your men, but you will also crush the hopes of the people.

• Lafayette: I understand that.

• Lafayette: I considered everything carefully before I came here to meet you. Your Majesty, you know that I'm not one to do reckless things.

• Lafayette takes a deep breath, clenches his hands and then slowly unclenches them...
• Lafayette: I believe in protecting the people and upholding freedom, but even so, I cannot continue to help France the way it is now.

• Lafayette: If France ever returns to sanity, I will help your Majesty to return, and build a truly free country.

• You: And if it doesn't? If...the situation in France keeps on worsening?

• You: Blaisdell knows how to take care of himself, and Count Marenzi will return to Austria...

• You: But Count Fersen is different. He was close to the royal family, and he stood with us on the balcony...

• Lafayette: He wants me to tell you and the King, that he is already a part of France, and won't go back to Sweden like a defeated dog with its tail tucked in between its legs.

• Lafayette: I admire his will and his courage, so we both promised each other to fulfil our individual goals.

• Lafayette: And I sincerely request you and the King to grant us our wishes.

• We settle into a deep silence, and look at each other without saying a word.
• Should we stop them? Or should we give them our blessings?
• Things have come to the point where there's nothing we can do apart from silently granting them our permission.
• Noting our internal struggle, d'Eon frowns and his smile slowly vanishes, to be replaced by an uncharacteristically stern expression.
• d'Eon: If one is to die, one has to die meaningfully, so that the death has value to it, am I not right?

• The King closes his eyes and lets out a heavy sigh. When he opens his eyes again, he has regained his usual calm.
• Louis XVI: Marie, what do you think?

• I'd been grasping my collar anxiously, but I let go of it and meet everyone's eyes.
• You: Please inform them...that if we ever get the opportunity to return, we'd like them to welcome us at the border.

• Lafayette: I will convey your message to them.

• Now that we're finally gathered together, we quickly discuss how to escape.
• d'Eon: The Marquis de Lafayette and I have already decided upon an escape route. You simply have to follow him, your Majesties.

• d'Eon: As for me, I'll head to the border first to arrange for a ship at the harbor.

• Lafayette: We'll go in an hour. I need the time to deal with my men. I won't let them spread the word this time.

• d'Eon: Let me do it! For the King's sake, I promise I won't hurt them.

• d'Eon brandishes the large coil of rope in his hands. He seems delighted at the idea.
• Lafayette: Well, I do have to do my own preparations, so I'm counting on you, Madame Beaumont.

• Lafayette: Your Majesties, you may wish to wash up and have a good meal while you wait, because you may not be able to later...

• Louis XVI: Understood. Please focus on your own errands. Don't worry about us.

• As the Marquis de Lafayette and d'Eon get busy, the King and I try to clean up as best we can, and change out of our filthy clothing.

• When we are more or less rested, the Marquis de Lafayette informs us that we are now ready to go.

• We get onto the carriage, and off we go again, under the cover of darkness.
• Once again, the familiar Parisian streets fade into the distance, and there's no way of knowing...
• ....whether this time we'll be able to escape from this giant birdcage and fly free.