Disclaimer:  Berusaiyu no Bara & all characters © ® All Rights Reserved Ikeda 
             Productions 1972-1973, Tokyo Movie   Shinsha Co. 1979-1980.
	     Except faux Oscar	


Part 2: The Plot Thickens
by Aria (crune@coqui.net)



	"You!" Marie Antoinette pointed at Oscar as she moved away, "it 
wasn't enough that you stole my ring--you *dare* to enter my chambers again! 
How dare you?!"

	The young princess started screaming in earnest. "You fiend, how 
could you have humiliated me that way!" She started crying hysterically and 
the maid went quickly to her side. The guards rushed inside the room.

	"What happened?" one of them asked.

	Oscar was dumbfounded.  It couldn't be...

	She approached the Marie-Antoinette. "Princess--"

	Marie Antoinette moved away, "No, get away from me thief! Or are you 
planning to rape me--to finish what you've started."

	Everyone in the room seemed to gasp. Oscar was paralyzed and Andre's 
words came back to her.

	"Do you think that someone could be impersonating you?" She had 
foolishly dismissed the statement though it echoed what lay on the back of 
her mind since Gerodere had told her the description.

	Marie Antoinette kept crying. "Aren't you going to arrest him? He's 
the intruder," she said between sobs.

	The guards looked at each other and then at Oscar.

	Oscar sighed and went to the guards.

	"We apologize, Commander," one of them said.

	Oscar shrugged. "Never mind," she said as they led her out.

***

	Gerodere stood in front of Oscar's cell.

	"It seems," he was saying, "that the Princess forgot to mention one 
small detail of her encounter with her assailant."

	Oscar was sitting on the dirty floor with her back against the wall, 
looking at the scribbles previous prisoners had made on the wall. She felt 
drained by the morning's events and was looking at them in an odd detached 
way since she had been put in prison.

	"And what would that detail be?"

	"That the figure kissed her."

	"What?" Oscar looked up to Gerodere.

	"Our thief seems to have a fancy for alarming young girls. The whole 
event had the Princess so scared that she kept it to herself."

	"So will I be forced to stay here, until the real intruder is found?"

	"I suppose so," Gerodere sighed, "I don't like this at all. I'm going 
to try to keep it out of gossiping tongues."

	"Good luck."

	He winced, "I don't know how much the maids heard. Any orders
Commander?"

	Oscar sighed and returned gazing the wall, "Well, you could start 
questioning any nobles that resemble me.  That's the obvious first step."

	He stared at her for a moment and nodded. Gerodere left shortly after
that.

					***

	Everything was blurry and amorphous. She couldn't see, she couldn't 
speak--in the distance, though she could hear her voice being called. She ran
to the source, but found that she couldn't move either. It was almost as if 
she was trapped in a block of ice except she didn't feel cold. She didn't 
feel anything, she realized. Alone, trapped...but her name was being called 
out and the voice that called her sounded familiar.

	*Oscar*

	*Oscar*

	"Hey, Oscar!" Something landed in her lap.

	She opened her eyes and blinked to orient herself. With a flash it 
came back to her: she was in a prison, she had been framed...someone had 
thrown a rock in her lap.

	Oscar looked to the side. Andre's face stared back at her with a 
mischievous grin.

	"Boy you sleep like a log."

	She yawned. "What are you doing here, Andre?" she said drowsily. 
Alarm seeped into her suddenly. She asked frantically with wide eyes, "Does 
Father know?"

	Andre waved his hand, gesturing her to calm down. "Gerodere was as 
good as his word. The whole mess is sort of under control."

	"Sort of?"

	He grinned sheepishly. "The is an...odd rumor about you around the
Palace."

	Oscar yawned again. "Well--what is it?" she asked impatiently.

	"That you raped the Princess."

	Oscar made a choking sound and a few seconds later Andre realized 
she was laughing. Hysterically.

	After some minutes, she calmed down and brushed away her tears of 
laughter. "I guess she's been misinformed.  I suppose the matter will clear 
itself up soon."

	Andre laughed at that.

	"Any other news?"

	He shook his head. "They're probably be releasing you tomorrow."

	"Great, this is a fine place to spend the night." Oscar sighed.

	He gave her a sympathetic look, but said nothing. "Anyway, they are 
still going on with the search. There are almost no leads, though."

	"Andre how did you find me?" Oscar changed the subject.  "I thought 
only the guards and the Princess knew I was here and," her eyes narrowed.  
"How did you know what Gerodere said?"

	Andre blushed.

	"You followed me, didn't you," she said scornfully, "just like a 
baby-sitter."

	"Oscar, I--"

	"Just forget it," she snapped angrily, "I'm too worn tired to deal 
withyou right now. Are those all the news you have?"

	He sighed, "Yes."

	"What time is it?"

	"Seven o'clock."

	"Fine, good night," she said and moved to the opposite side of the 
cell.

	"Oscar?" There was no answer. Andre sighed again. He could spend the 
entire night apologizing and justifying himself, but he knew that Oscar would
simply choose not to listen to him.

	But Oscar did listen to the sound of his footsteps as he walked away.

					***

	Andre rode dejectedly back to the Jarjayes mansion. He had been 
hoping that she'd miss the fact that he followed her.

	But I couldn't have let her go alone, he thought to himself. After 
all, from what Oscar had told him the night before, it had been obvious that 
she was a big part of the mess--whatever the 'mess' was. 

	It seemed too clumsy for Andre's peace of mind. Even with the new 
developments, he felt as if there was something crucial missing and felt the 
uncomfortable premonition that something was going to happen.

	There was little chance that it would be good.

	He pushed the thought away and turned his attentions to the problem 
at hand: explaining Oscar absence.

					***

	Andre entered through the back door, trying desperately not to get 
noticed.

	"So where are you creeping to?"

	Andre stopped. "Hello, Grandma," he smiled.

	"Why do you have that fool's smile on? You must be hiding something 
from me."

	"N-no, of course not."

	The elderly woman smiled thinly, "Do you think you can fool me so 
easily, boy?"

	"I'm not fooling you, I don't know why you're so suspicious, Grandma 
all I did was smile. If you question me like this every time I smile--"

	"Andre," she said sternly, "you are wearing me out. What is it?"

	"Nothing."

	Grandma got closer.

	Oh, she's going to pinch me, he thought with annoyance, wonderful.  
Luckily in that moment one of the maids came in.

	"Dinner is ready," she said.

	Grandma gave Andre the evil eye.  "Get Lady Oscar," she said, "I'm 
not done with you yet."

	Andre stayed where he was.

	Grandma looked thoroughly annoyed.  "What's wrong now?"

	"Well, matters at the Palace got somewhat complicated and she decided 
to stay."

	"She decided to stay in the Palace?"  Granny's tone was incredulous.

	"Who decided to stay in the Palace?" a voice from the doorway asked.

	Andre's eyes widened.  That voice was oddly familiar.  Too familiar.

	She was smiling and looked completely normal.  Andre would have never
questioned his eyes if it hadn't been only a few minutes ago that he'd seen 
her.

	That's why he knew with complete certainty that the Oscar standing 
under the doorway was an impostor.

to be continued... 
END part 2
 
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