Chapter 10: Vincent and Selena

Vincent and Selena go on to join Winston and Lillian for dinner, and as always they all made an effort to move past the day's events concerning Pope Clement. Vincent, however, does inform everyone of his visit to St. Peter's though he lives out his personal reasons for now. After everyone is updated they quickly continue to distract themselves from any church related matters.

"This is a beautiful dinner you organized, Queen Lillian. The cooks have done well as always too.", Selena says being the first to bring up a new topic. Queen Lillian lifts her head to her.

"Thank you. I'm glad it won't all go to waste.", she replies.

"Anything left uneaten the staff can take with them home.", King Winston says to a nearby servant. "See to it that they know.", he tells her. The servant girl bows and goes off to follow King Winston's order.

Vincent agrees with Selena. The ceramic plates that were imported from the west dazzles in the light of the candles and the white table cloth is free of any wrinkles. While a golden multi candle holder seats as the centerpiece. The scene is certainly fit for an important guest.

"Lillian, I received word your carriage was prepared for you today. It was before my meeting with the pope. Where did you go?", King Winston asks suddenly.

Vincent had noticed that Queen Lillian and Selena arrived at the room together, but he thought they had just met up with one another on the way. He also now notices that Lillian tensed up at King Winston's question. He watches as Selena and Queen Lillian exchange glances. Finally, Lillian faces Winston calmingly.

"I went to see Selena. I had a question for her about a flower I was thinking about adding to one of the gardens in the back.", she tells him confidently.

"Yes, unfortunately I didn't know the meaning of the flower in question, so we ended up going to Gordowe to see a friend of mine.", Selena adds nodding.

"Oh!, you mean Rachel.", Vincent guesses.

"That's right. She sends her greetings by the way.", Selena says. Vincent looks to Queen Lillian; he thinks he sees something else in her eyes but can't quite make it out.

"So Winston, when is your mother to be back?", she asks. The question causes Vincent to let the thought go.

"She should be back soon. Hopefully she'll make it back by the spring festival.", King Winston answers.

"That is coming up isn't it?", Vincent asks with sudden remembrance. "Queen Lillian you're organizing this year aren't you?"

Lillian nods her head in response. "Yes, hopefully I'll be able to make it in person.", Lillian comments.

"I'm sure you will still have another month besides this one. This will be the last event you will be able to be a part of though.", Selena tells her.

Vincent looks at her. It may be him just on edge but he can't help but sense that something is on Selena's mind. The fact she barely looks in King Winston's direction even when speaking to him seems odd. Whatever it is it's clear she doesn't want to bring it up now.

After finishing dinner and wishing King Winston and Queen Lillian a good night Vincent and Selena head home. Taking a carriage loaned to them by King Winston since Selena had come in Queen Lillian's carriage to the castle.

On the journey though Vincent and Selena don't speak. Vincent contributes it to the news that they have both heard today and guesses Selena is thinking about the trouble that is bound to happen as she stares out the carriage's window. Little does he know Selena is contemplating on how to present to him the question of King Winston's and Queen Lillian's marriage.

By time they arrive home the growing urge to speak to Vincent is present in Selena's eyes. Vincent notices and remembers Selena's behavior at dinner. In hopes of finding out what is troubling his wife he decides to speak first.

"Is something the matter?", he asks her. Selena stops in her tracks. They are barely inside. She turns to her husband and sees the concern in his eyes. This gives her the assurance or perhaps strength to speak her mind.

"It's just…", she hesitates before starting again not sure how she should say it. Vincent's eyes soften and he takes her by the hand. He leads her to their living room where they both sit on the couch.

"If something is troubling you you should tell me. That way I can help you.", he says to her. The hold time not letting go of her hand. For some reason as always Selena is able to pull strength from Vincent this way. She realizes she has no reason to doubt that Vincent wouldn't be honest with her.

She looks at him confidently and tries again. "As you know Lillian came to see me today about a flower. She wanted to know its name and meaning.", Selena tells him.

"Yes. It's why she left the castle today." ,Vincent says nodding. He feels like there is more to the story that Selena is about to tell him, but allows her to do so at her own pace.

"Well...it's also true we went to Gordowe to see Rachel, but this flower didn't just come randomly to her. She saw it in a dream she had. The petals of the flower covered Winston's bed chamber. Then the flower itself was present whole in the bed in which they consummated their marriage. She told me this.", Selena goes on.

Vincent becomes very interested now. If Lillian really wanted to know about a flower in her dreams it would mean she was greatly affected by it. It's just the way she is.

"What did the flower look like? Did she say?", Vincent asks.

"Yes. It had fairly small petals, but many of them at the same time. The color of them was burgundy, but appeared black. We found out it is called a black dahlia." , Selena informs him.

Vincent has never heard of that plant before, yet a knot seems to form in his stomach. He scrunches up his eyebrows as if he was thinking.

"I'm assuming Queen Lillian sees the dream as a prophetic one?", he questions.

"Only because she couldn't forget it and the dream was so disturbing she jolted out of her sleep. Not only that but she couldn't bring herself to look at Winston. I'm surprised she did it at dinner.", Selena says turning away in remorse for her friend. She lowers her head.

A part of Vincent questions whether Queen Lillian could possibly know now about Winston's affair. If so did Selena know too, but if so how? Could the dream have shown Lillian a vision of Winston and his whereabouts? Was he in there as well?

"What did the flower mean?", he asks before he gets ahead of himself. A moment of silence passes before Selena answers. Finally, she turns back to Vincent.

"Rachel says that the black dahlia signifies betrayal.", she informs him. Vincent says nor shows nothing, yet inside he curses to himself. The dream has nailed it so precisely that it barely came out right and told Lillian the problem.

Selena watches his reaction. Inside hoping that he could be surprised by the dream. That he would say it had to be only a dream, or at least be as shocked as they were. To her fear though he doesn't. Vincent merely gets to his feet and makes his way to the fireplace.

"It has to be just her nerves right? There's no way Winston would do that to her, to them...?! I mean, for heaven's sake they're about to have a child together!" Selena says raising her voice as hope morphs to desperation for Vincent to agree.

He hears her though he says nothing. Instead he evaluates the situation. He can see now that neither Lillian nor Selena knows exactly what's going on. Only that there is betrayal, but not how. He knows it won't be long until one of them finds out. There are only so many ways betrayal can be present between a husband and wife. All they needed to do was get over the initial shock.

"You know don't you?", the sound of Selena's voice brings Vincent back to the common room. He turns his upper body to Selena.

<i>'This is even worse.'</i>, he thinks to himself.

Pure shock is shown in his wife's eyes. "Leave it alone, Selena. It's none of our concern.", he says to her calmingly.

"None of our concern...?!", she says outraged, getting to her feet. "You say that, yet you know! You say that, yet our friends', <i>your friends'</i>, marriage is possibly in trouble?!"

"Yes. Winston is his own man he can do as he pleases." ,Vincent says sternly, turning to her fully.

"But you're helping him hide it.", Selena says accusingly.

Vincent knew very well his role in this though it goes beyond just hiding Winston's wrong deeds. That's something Selena definitely didn't know nor Lillian. "It is not my place to reveal him. He knows I don't agree with what he is doing.", he defends.

"Perhaps, but what is he doing? At least tell me that.", Selena retorts.

"No. If I do you'll run straight to Lillian with it and it's up to Winston to tell her on his own time.", Vincent counters.

"His own time?!", Selena says, her voice rising the highest it ever has with Vincent, although she has to admit the point is fair concerning Winston and Lillian. There is something else that's really getting to her. "Even if you are right are you really not going to tell me?"

"I will not gossip with you as if I am one of your friends! It is none of our concern!", Vincent retorts wishing for these exchanges of words to end.

"Is the reason you're not telling me because you're taking part in these actions as well?!", she speaks the challenge before realizing her words. When she does she doesn't take them back. She just fears what Vincent's answer will be.

Vincent stares back at her blankly clearly taken back by her words. Of all the years Selena has known him surely she knew him better. Then again she doesn't know what's going on any way.

As he sees the tears begin to water Selena's eyes. He sees that because of his- no... Because of Winston's actions and his own guilt he is allowing the wretched venom of distrust to affect his own house.

He becomes furious. Furious at his role to play in the matter. Furious at his role in <i>causing</i> the matter and furious that he has allowed its affect to come into his own marriage. This...he couldn't allow. He decides something needs to give and it has to now.

"Listen to me and listen well. You can always rest easy at night and go about your day <i>knowing</i> my love for you is <i>true</i> and <i>yours alone.</i> When it comes to us being husbands, never see me like Winston.", Vincent speaks each word meaningfully slowly to draw emphasis to each one. He wants to make sure he drives out any doubt in Selena's mind. Selena stays silent. She didn't expect that reaction.

Vincent approaches her and grabs both her hands again, lifting them to his lips before placing a kiss on them. His eyes never leave her's.

"Winston...is having an affair.", he says simply. His voice is calm just as it was before their argument. Selena barely hears him.

"W-what?"

"He is having an affair.", Vincent repeats. "Don't blame him completely though and don't leave me out of it either. No...I'm not doing what he is doing, but I am <i>part</i> of the cause of it.", Vincent explains never letting Selena's hands go.

"Why? How?", Selena replies simply. Partly due to her breath being taken away by Vincent's actions and the other part from shock.

Vincent seats her back down on the couch. Sitting beside her he recounts how Lillian's and Winston's marriage came to be and how love, at least from Winston's side, had nothing to do with it.