In the final hour || Clement & Clarice
❛PERHAPS THE GAME HAS BECOME ME.❜ The Comte mused under his breath, pulling the gloves slowly off his hands as he sat with his forearms resting upon his knees. Whilst his reputation did grant him MANY favours, it had also slowly dehumanised him within the eyes of most. ❛Alas, that is a question I will not grace with an answer, Duchess. I am whatever you think me to be.❜ He did not care for the correcting of opinions now, especially that of a dying woman. She may go to the grave believing whatever she wished; whether close to the truth or nay. He couldn’t even attempt to care otherwise.
However his cerulean gaze grew serious within the shadows of the hallway, the encroaching evening littering the fading tones of the setting sun across the wall opposite, and held eye contact as she spoke of her daughter. A line creased his brow; though it was one of sympathy, not confusion as he bowed his head in understanding of her words. He couldn’t help but feel a little anxious as the prospect of having to look out for someone so young ( and perhaps intolerably naïve. ) Drawing a quiet breath, the Comte leaned back further against the wall. ❛I will watch out for her at least until she is wed, on that you have my WORD.❜ If she made his life difficult, Clement would only keep an eye on her until then. If not, perhaps he would ensure her well-being for longer.
The mention of a dagger extracted another long respire from the Comte, attention flickering back to the ailing Duchess as he allowed a thoughtful pause to pass between them once she had finished speaking. Her agony was clear, and Clement did not wish to be the instigator of the woman’s prolonged suffering by refusing. He became acutely aware of the dagger at his back, and slowly reached an arm around to draw the blade from its sheath, the soft chimes of metal exposing itself to the world echoing off the stone around them. ❛Know that I do not offer this to you lightly, Clarice.❜ The Frenchman spoke quietly, quite unable to hand over the weapon just yet as he held it tightly within his palm for a long moment. ❛You must be certain. And if you are certain, then you must be SWIFT.❜
“That is all I could ask of you, Comte. If she marries, her husband will have to look after her and take proper care of her.” the duchess agreed softly. “Also, she has my genes. Which might mean she will grow to and become slightly like myself. She would possibly drive you mad at some point and I am not as evil to put you through something like that. I remember myself being quite the ... impossible woman when I was about 2 years older than her” a soft chuckle escaped past her lips, followed by a heavy sigh. “But I thank you, Clement. I will be able to go in peace now and meet my husband again up in heaven.”
The duchess eyes gazed down as the Comte drew a sharp blade out of it’s sheath that was hidden on his back. It was strange, the kind of relief she felt when the shiny, metal surface reflected the light. There was no doubt it was sharp, frightening yet beautiful. Her weak hand reached out, placing it over the Comte’s that held the hilt of the blade. “I am very certain. To die in agony and absolute pain, to feel my body burn up in flames from the inside, I could not handle it. I do not want to handle it. This...” fingertips touched the cold metal softly before she continued. “This will be a mercifull end for me. I can do it, even in my weak state. You must be aware that I can be determined when I need to be. Please.” She wanted it to be over, fast, as she felt herself become weaker by the second and her head started to feel as if it would burst any second. “You don’t need to watch this. Give me the blade and don’t look back. I will make sure it returns to you. Don’t ask me how, but it will” A soft whine escaped past her lips and the pressure upon his cool hand became slightly stronger. “Please, or you will have to do it for me soon”

















