Chapter Text
Fingers played with the stem of a wine glass, swirling the rose-red liquid against the thin sides of the glass. The glass was lifted to a mouth before it took a sip, savouring the floral flavours on its tongue before the taster placed it back down on an aged mahogany desk in front of them. A head of bright, messy ginger hair could be spotted in the dull light of an elegant bedroom, lighting up his surroundings without even trying. The man stood up from his desk, walking over to the window that let in the little light that was visible that day into his room. He gazed at the overcast sky, contemplating what his plans were for that day, until he heard the shrill voice of his sister from another room that he couldn’t exactly pinpoint.
“Florentin! Would you care to accompany me on my stroll? It may provide clarity amidst the recent incidents that have taken place.”
Florentin turned around, spotting his sister leaning against the doorframe that led to his room, staring at him with a questioning gaze as she waited for his answer.
“Indeed, Marienne, perhaps it will… I accept your offer.”
Florentin said—accepting the offer in a solemn tone, remembering what had happened so recently that he had been trying to get his mind off so desperately. He walked towards her, going through the open door and passing her, making his way over to the front door, where he had his shawl hung on a coat rack. He took it off the rack carefully, draping it across his shoulders and pinning it together with a brooch that he held so close to his heart. Florentin turned back to Marienne, waiting for her to catch up to him since she had already put her coat on beforehand.
“I was planning to visit Mother’s and Father’s caskets as well. You should take along a bouquet if you are going to join me.”
He nodded, quickly striding over to the dining table, which had a vase with a bouquet in it. His hands grabbed the bouquet quickly but efficiently before walking back to the door, where Marienne had already been waiting for him. The flowers looked wilted and depressing, perfectly mirroring the coldness that had cascaded over the estate in the past few days. When she saw him approaching again, she went through the door and let him go through it himself, watching him close the door behind him.
“Shall we go then?”
Florentin gestured towards the path, letting her take the first steps before he started following along beside her. Marienne began to do exactly that, enjoying the slight power she had over him in those few seconds.
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“Marienne, I don’t think the weather is very suitable for our activity right now… Perhaps we should return home and postpone our visit to another day?”
Florentin clutched his shawl closer to himself, trying to protect and preserve the warmth he had mustered along the stroll, a worried expression gracing his face as the first drop of cool rain fell right on the tip of his nose.
“I know a building not too far away where we can take shelter from the rain. Once the rain calms down, we can lay the bouquet with Mother and Father.”
Marienne replied stubbornly, hell-bent on leaving these flowers with their deceased parents for some odd reason. She had never been too fond of them before they had died, let alone caring; it confused Florentin, but he didn’t bother to question, too caught up with his own problems to care about his sister’s. He followed her quietly and obediently, not knowing what to say in protest of her action that she had subtly forced him to join her in.
The rain had begun to fall at a quicker pace than before, perhaps trying to convey a warning.
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“When you said that you knew of shelter, why didn’t you bother to tell me you were referring to a freezing, wet, dingy, and abandoned silo!?”
A sharp voice cut through the sound of pattering against the ground, as if freezing time around them.
“You didn’t inquire about what I had considered shelter; why should I have told you if you didn’t ask your dear sister, whom you had followed so compliantly? So, are we going in or not? Unless you want to get drenched, of course. “
Florentin huffed, clearly annoyed at his sister’s absence of communication about where they were going to hide from the rain. When he looked up from the ground, being pulled out of his thoughts, the sight of his sister bowing dramatically and gesturing towards the entrance greeted him.
“Ladies first, my dear sibling~…”
He had heard her smugly comment; a glare made its way onto his face, not hiding what he was truly feeling at all. Still, he went through the large, arched doorway, not wanting to get wet despite his hesitance to enter this silo.
“So, how long do you predict the rain will last, Marienne? Because I swear, if— “
The loud creaking noise of the thick wooden door, then the click of the lock and hatch from outside, cut off his words.
“Marienne?”
He quickly made his way to the door, tugging on the handle before resorting to banging on it with the side of his fist instead.
“Marienne!? Please! Let me out!”
An evil grin tugged at Marienne’s lips as she heard the cries from her trapped brother. She didn’t respond to him, instead turning away and walking down the path back to their shared estate.
“Marienne!? Can you hear me!? Please, I beg of you to let me out!”
He continued banging on the door, pleading for her to let him out. When he finally realised that she had left him for good, he dropped to his knees, now weakly banging on the door as his long hair fell in front of his face, tears welling up in the corner of his eyes before slowly dribbling down his freckled cheeks.
“Please let me out…Please… Let me out… Let me out, let me out, let me out, let me out…”
His voice could be heard from outside for a while longer before it began to grow hoarse from use, his throat closing as if a rope of thorns had been tightly wrapped around it. In the end, only the quiet sound of his sobs could be heard echoing against the stone walls of the silo, but eventually even that sound grew quiet and soon enough disappeared. Leaving the sound of the rain pattering against the building and the ground on its own. Florentin’s chest rose and fell; his gaze had been fixated on the floor for a while now, his eyes pink from crying and leftover tears still running down his neck and soaking his collar.
Silence had fallen over the silo entirely now.
Nevertheless, everything must come to an end. Right?
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“Ah, Lady Marienne! You’re back!”
A maid who had been working at the estate exclaimed in a cheery tone, clearly happy to see her again.
“I’m glad you’re back. It’s really raining cats and dogs out there. I wouldn’t want you to get sick, now would I? Although, where is Master Florentin? Did he not go along with you?”
Marienne looked up from her feet, locking eyes with her maid. She had to tone down her grin so as not to seem suspicious as to why Florentin hadn’t come back with her.
“He wanted to spend a little more time with Mother and Father at their caskets, he told me that he would return a little later after he had expressed his grievances and goodbyes to them. I’m sure he’ll be back in around fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. I admire your concern, but I can assure you, he is quite fine.”
She carefully put on the façade of a sweet and caring girl in front of the maid, sporting a soft grin in front of them. Just then, a butler walked into the room, standing beside the maid.
“Well, when that boy returns, could you possibly tell him that his dancing exam is tomorrow, and that it’s not going to complete itself?”
The butler asked, his tone warm at the mention of his apprentice, Florentin, even if he had been slightly teasing.
“Of course! I will be sure to do so when I see him.”
Marienne agreed gracefully and without hesitation, her smile still soft and endearing.
“I will be sure to do so…”
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Drip…
Drip…
Drip…
Drip…
Drip…