Chapter Text
“ Monsieur Neuvillette—! ”
Wriothesley hears his own shout leave his mouth, but it comes far too late to warn Neuvillette of the ensuing danger.
The warden watches helplessly as the man’s dagger sinks into Neuvillette’s torso with a sickening squelch , and it retreats just as quickly leaving a spray of crimson coating the surrounding grass, with more promised to come as Neuvillette crumples with a hand over the wound.
The man lines his dagger up with Neuvillette’s exposed throat, ready to take the Chief Justice’s life with a swift slash, when a sudden burst from an electro-powered attack knocks the him a few feet away from Neuvillette’s now-prone form.
Wriothesley finds he can take a breath again when he sees Clorinde charge at the man, blade in hand, releasing strike after strike with the help of her electro vision, pummelling her adversary until the man cannot find it in himself to stand again.
By the time Clorinde has sufficiently wiped the floor with Neuvillette’s attacker, Wriothesley is already at the Chief Justice’s side to assess the damage. He’s met with a barely conscious Neuvillette and the significant gash that now batters the man’s side, with no sign of the bleeding stopping anytime soon.
“Clorinde!” Wriothesley calls, and she turns around, concern clouding her gaze. “Come and help me out. We need to stop the bleeding.”
Clorinde rushes over to Wriothesley’s side, and puts both hands overtop Wriothesley’s coat that he’s taken off and been using to maintain pressure. Wriothesley winces over the amount of blood that is still seeping through the fabric and puddling around his and Clorinde’s hands.
“ You, ” Wriothesley directs his attention momentarily to the Marechaussee Phantom guards that are drawing closer to the carnage now that they’ve scouted the area. “Head back to Romaritime Harbour and look for a doctor. Anyone you can find, it doesn’t matter. We just need someone to stabilize him until we can get him to a proper doctor. And you ,” he points at the guard next to the former, “Go with her. Go back to the Palais Mermonia and inform Lady Furina of the situation. Make sure the medical staff are set up for when we arrive.”
“Yessir, Your Grace!” Both of the guards salute to him.
“ And ,” He adds, “Make sure they get a veterinarian.”
Neuvillette recalls he’s been floating around in colourless nothingness for a while when a bright, harsh light fills his vision.
The light doesn’t have any definition yet, it’s mainly just blurred blotches of colour and little things floating around behind his eyes and oh gods his head hurts —
Wait, did he say that out loud? Neuvillette swears he heard some kind of noise, certainly not speech he could decipher. But the noise comes again, louder, clearer this time, and his limited vision registers a noticeable dark splotch coming into view above him.
“Mnh,” Is all Neuvillette can muster to the shadow above him, and it seems to like it. A warm weight makes itself known across his jaw and in the palm of his upturned hand, and Neuvillette instinctively nuzzles into both.
But then he registers another noise, not like the one from the shadow before. At least, he doesn’t think it’s from the shadow. It’s too high pitched and gentle while the form above him is lower, more baritone.
He replays the noise over and over in his mind, listening intently. The noise sounds above him again, and from somewhere in the back of his hazy, muddled, imperceptible brain, it clicks.
He’s hearing a meow.
Where has he heard that before? He’s vaguely aware of the sound, after all, Lady Furina has a penchant for bringing in stray cats—
A cat . That’s where it’s from. But why would there be a cat near him?
Why would—
Neuvillette’s eyes shoot open and his body tries to immediately orient itself into a sitting position, but the white hot pain that ricochets itself through his stiff and exhausted form makes him regret it immediately .
“Woah!” Wriothesley exclaims, jumping to his feet to help Neuvillette lay back down. “Careful, easy there. You’re not in the right place to be moving suddenly like that. Or, y’know, at all.”
“Duke Wriothesley…?” Neuvillette mutters, and the Duke’s smiling face finally comes into proper view.
He waves nonchalantly at Neuvillette. “Yours truly. You gave us quite a scare, you know. Wasn’t sure you were going to pull through for a second there.”
“Ah, well, as you can see, I am—“ Neuvillette stops abruptly as he notices a shape at the foot of his bed.
There, right in front of him, is a small, white cat.
A cat adorned in the same pink collar he’d bought for her, covered in bandages just like him. Madeleine yowls loudly as she notices Neuvillette’s newfound consciousness and makes quick work of prancing over to his outstretched arms and onto his chest.
“Oh, Miss Madeleine,” Neuvillette exclaims, holding her tightly. “How worried I was about you.”
Wriothesley leans back in the chair he’s pulled up to Neuvillette’s bedside, looking smug. “Thought you’d be happy to see her. Once we make sure you were stabilized, I took care of her myself until I could put her in the hands of a veterinarian. From what it seems, she was very worried about you , too.”
Neuvillette smiles softly. “I do not deserve you, Miss Madeleine,” he turns his gaze to Wriothesley. “Thank you for taking care of her while I was unable to.”
“It’s no problem at all. I’m honestly just relieved we were able to pull both of you out of there with no casualties.”
Neuvillette clears his throat. “Speaking of casualties…”
“I’m guessing you mean the group that sent the ransom note? Clorinde dealt with them while the medical staff tended to you. We were going to put them on trial immediately, but,” Wriothesley scoffs.
“ But ?” Neuvillette raises an eyebrow.
Wriothesley cocks a lopsided smile that causes a foreign, warm sensation in Neuvillette’s stomach. He decides he can confront that new feeling later, when he’s in a better mind to do so. “Well, we’re gonna need testimony from you to make sure these no-good sons of bitches never leave the walls of Meropide. So, when you’re feeling up to it, let me know. I’ll get the trial scheduled. Trust me, it will be immensely satisfying for everyone involved.”
“I do not doubt you on that. I, for one, would like to see them pay the price for the terrible way they treated dear Miss Madeleine.” Neuvillette lets Madeleine brush up against his knuckles, her purrs only getting louder.
Wriothesley reaches out to run a hand all the way down Madeleine’s back. “Me too.”
Six Weeks Later
Neuvillette watches the guards flank the Fortress of Meropide’s newest inmates, trying to not let the feeling of immense satisfaction show up on his face, even if entirely warranted. They’d kept quiet about the situation up until Neuvillette’s wounds healed and he was feeling up to giving his testimony for the Oratrice to consider. For the rest of Fontaine living with the information that Neuvillette had just ‘fallen ill’ during his recovery period, suffice to say that the common folk had not taken too well to the blatant violence against the Chief Justice and his beloved feline friend.
Neuvillette observes as the elevator to Meropide lowers down, one hand braced on his cane, but notices as a shadow makes itself present in his peripheral.
“So,” Wriothesley begins, and Neuvillette feels himself relax. “Satisfying, wasn’t it? Quite a show, too. The people of Fontaine clearly don’t take kindly to animal abuse.”
“I sincerely hope they wouldn’t, Duke Wriothesley.” Neuvillette wrinkles his nose.
“True,” Wriothesley turns to look Neuvillette in the eye. “I think that maybe, to celebrate this whole ordeal being done and dusted, we have a good meal and some deal to celebrate.”
“You of all people know that tea is not entirely to my liking. But perhaps a fine glass of water with the mentioned fine meal would be agreeable.” Neuvillette narrows his eyes playfully.
“Your loss. Now, I’m sure I can get something arranged down in the Fortress—“
Neuvillette holds up a hand. “No need. I’d be more than happy to have you at the Palais Mermonia,” Wriothesley looks like he’s about to interject with something, which Neuvillette simply chuckles at. “I still have that box of tea you sent me however long ago. It will be of no trouble to make a fresh pot.”
Wriothesley frowns. “You never tried it?”
“What would I serve during my meetings with you, dear Duke?”
“Ahh, fair enough. Alright, if you insist.”
The two men make their way over to the Aquabus station, boarding the vehicle as the setting sun looms among the horizon behind them. The sky is a tapestry of swirling pinks and yellows, fading gradually into a deep blue where the night sky is starting to form. The progression makes itself evident when Neuvillette and Wriothesley cross the threshold of the Palais Mermonia, the soft glow of the streetlamps illuminating their path.
Neuvillette unlocks the door to his office, and is greeting by a familiar jingling of a collar and a loud, drawn out meow as Madeleine rushes over to meet her father at the door. Neuvillette leans down and picks the cat up in his arms, giving her a few swift pets on the head.
“Clingy as ever, isn’t she?” Wriothesley comments while watching the man give the small cat a few delicate pecks on the forehead.
“She is not clingy , she is affectionate .” Neuvillette clarifies curtly, with a sharp glance at Wriothesley to boot.
Wriothesley snorts. “Whatever you say.”
Neuvillette places Madeleine gently on his chair while he goes over to the side of his office to start preparing their drinks. Wriothesley reclines himself in one of Neuvillette’s armchairs, his freshly cleaned jacket hung over the back.
Neuvilllette returns with Wriothesley’s tea, placing it down on the coaster in front of the man. He takes a seat in the armchair opposite, beckoning Madeleine to hop up into his lap. When she does, she purrs softly before loafing promptly.
“The tea is to your liking, I hope?” Neuvillette inquires softly.
“Always,” Wriothesley answers, enjoying the calm, relieved expression that makes its way across Neuvillette’s face. He holds his teacup up over the center of the table. “Cheers?”
“Cheers.”
Their glasses clink together.