Book Prompt: Temptation
Title: Foul, Foul Temptress
Author: Xavernus
Characters: The Count of Monte Cristo, Albert de Morcerf, and Haydee
Rating: R
Warnings: Spoilers for The Count of Monte Cristo
Disclaimer: I do not own The Count of Monte Cristo.
It was a temptation, not to just tell them, tell them all, who he was. Bust most especially, this man, the one man who had stolen away his Mercedes, he had to resist telling him who he really was, and then slitting his throat the way he wanted to ever since he had seen him again. It went on and on like this, with the Count meeting, toying with, playing with his son, Albert, while the Count de Morcerf went about playing his political games and ignoring the wasting away of his wife and the agitation of his son.
Fernand Mondego. Even the name, said out loud in the silence of his Parisian home, made the Count want to take a bottle of wine and guzzle it down, until the bitter taste of the name was gone from his system. But he resisted. He had planned for this for too long, to make it this far, to give in to temptation straight away.
So for now he waited, met with Albert, the Viscount de Morcef and slowly gained his trust and friendship. And still, ever still, the temptation was there to just give in, to tell little Albert (though the boy was really not little, a young man at five and twenty) about his father. His true father. What his father had really done, who his father really was.
And so here he was, in his home with Albert and Haydee, hearing her tell her tale of peril and betrayal, one that he had heard, memorized, learned, so many times already that he knew it like the back of his hand. He had already told her not to give away the name of the man responsible, and he had already told Albert not to give away his own name.
He had planted the seeds. Now all he had to do was wait, and watch them grow. Patience was a virtue, after all, while temptation was what made men do things that would make any good man of virtue look down upon them. His mind wandered as the beautiful voice of Haydee filled his ears, and a half smile, half smirk took its place on the lips of his drawn and taut features. He watched Albert closely for signs of any recognition, but seeing none, he could conclude from that fact that the father had never disclosed any information to the son.
Good. Very good, Mondego, covering your tracks as you left them. Licking dry lips, he saw Albert glance to him, and he looked over at Haydee just in time, so the young man would not see the look upon his face. It wouldn’t do for him to see joy on his face during such a sordid tale. But you could never have kept them covered long from me.
He had given up on the temptation to have Haydee tell exactly who had betrayed her father and sold her and her mother as slaves. He had given up the temptation to just outright tell Albert what he was planning to do. He had given up the temptation to say, when he first saw Morcerf, that he knew who he really was.
He had given up the temptation to tell Mercedes that he was alive.
He had given up a lot right now to get to this point, and as Haydee finished her tale, silence reigned over the room for a few minutes, to let it sink in.
And Edmond could not wait to give in to temptation…
…but only when the time was right.
Author: Xavernus
Characters: The Count of Monte Cristo, Albert de Morcerf, and Haydee
Rating: R
Warnings: Spoilers for The Count of Monte Cristo
Disclaimer: I do not own The Count of Monte Cristo.
It was a temptation, not to just tell them, tell them all, who he was. Bust most especially, this man, the one man who had stolen away his Mercedes, he had to resist telling him who he really was, and then slitting his throat the way he wanted to ever since he had seen him again. It went on and on like this, with the Count meeting, toying with, playing with his son, Albert, while the Count de Morcerf went about playing his political games and ignoring the wasting away of his wife and the agitation of his son.
Fernand Mondego. Even the name, said out loud in the silence of his Parisian home, made the Count want to take a bottle of wine and guzzle it down, until the bitter taste of the name was gone from his system. But he resisted. He had planned for this for too long, to make it this far, to give in to temptation straight away.
So for now he waited, met with Albert, the Viscount de Morcef and slowly gained his trust and friendship. And still, ever still, the temptation was there to just give in, to tell little Albert (though the boy was really not little, a young man at five and twenty) about his father. His true father. What his father had really done, who his father really was.
And so here he was, in his home with Albert and Haydee, hearing her tell her tale of peril and betrayal, one that he had heard, memorized, learned, so many times already that he knew it like the back of his hand. He had already told her not to give away the name of the man responsible, and he had already told Albert not to give away his own name.
He had planted the seeds. Now all he had to do was wait, and watch them grow. Patience was a virtue, after all, while temptation was what made men do things that would make any good man of virtue look down upon them. His mind wandered as the beautiful voice of Haydee filled his ears, and a half smile, half smirk took its place on the lips of his drawn and taut features. He watched Albert closely for signs of any recognition, but seeing none, he could conclude from that fact that the father had never disclosed any information to the son.
Good. Very good, Mondego, covering your tracks as you left them. Licking dry lips, he saw Albert glance to him, and he looked over at Haydee just in time, so the young man would not see the look upon his face. It wouldn’t do for him to see joy on his face during such a sordid tale. But you could never have kept them covered long from me.
He had given up on the temptation to have Haydee tell exactly who had betrayed her father and sold her and her mother as slaves. He had given up the temptation to just outright tell Albert what he was planning to do. He had given up the temptation to say, when he first saw Morcerf, that he knew who he really was.
He had given up the temptation to tell Mercedes that he was alive.
He had given up a lot right now to get to this point, and as Haydee finished her tale, silence reigned over the room for a few minutes, to let it sink in.
And Edmond could not wait to give in to temptation…
…but only when the time was right.