Burgundy Betrayal

When Lucien had arrived very late from a party, she had not minded it. After all, lately their shoulders were a bit more heavy with the duties that came of looking after a baby and she could understand his need to unwind and have fun one night. The baby had left the phase of waking them each three hours but their days were still quite busy, to the point that at times Maeve missed having some alone time with her husband to just relax, kiss and have sex without minding the hours passing.

She knew that likely Lucien missed intimacy too, after all they had always been very passionate. What she had not expected was for him to seek it somewhere else.

She stormed towards his study, fueled by anger as she threw a shirt on the table. There were traces of burgundy in the neckline, the only lipstick that she refused to use due to how much she hated that colour.

“Explain.” She just said, livid at her husband. She couldn’t believe it, she hoped for any kind of explanation knowing that likely there was just one.

Lucien hadn’t really wanted to go to the party the night before, but between his colleagues pressuring him due to not having seen him much since the baby was born, and his boss pressuring him because the party was how they secured funding from the public to keep the University in the black, he hadn’t felt like he really had a choice in the matter.

He’d gone into the evening determined not to drink much, and he hadn’t remembered drinking too much, but at some point his memories of the evening turned into a big black mush. He hadn’t even remembered getting home or crawling into bed beside Maeve. So when she stormed in, throwing the shirt on the desk, he looked genuinely shocked and confused.

Did I spill wine on my shirt again? I told you, we can afford new shirts, it’s not something you have to worry about cleaning if you don’t want to. He hadn’t seen the lipstick yet, he just assumed it was a food or wine stain, something he frequently did to his shirts. Sometimes he felt like he wore more wine than he drank, and since he didn’t remember most of the evening, he wasn’t sure what else it could be.

“It’s not wine, it’s a fucking burgundy lipstick” she said throwing the shirt at him, anger and hurt clear in her eyes. She refused to cry in front of Lucien, no matter how much the betrayal had shaken her. She had thought that Lucien was a different type of noble, that he would not betray her trust because they were a team.

“I know that lately I have been more tired, that we don’t have as much time alone as we used to but I’d never thought that you’d go to other beds instead of trying to fix things” she said pinching the bridge of her nose “How could you? Barely months after becoming a father?” she didn’t know if she wanted him to give explanations or just to tell Lucien to fuck off. Her head was swimming, she hadn’t felt so out of control in a long time.

"I thought that you were different but I see that all the nobles go to the same school of being..." she couldn't find a right word to define what she wanted to say "I should have known better, learned from my mother's mistakes"

Lucien's heart sank as he watched her throw the shirt at him, the weight of her words hitting him like a physical blow. He had never wanted to hurt her, never imagined his actions would lead to this moment of betrayal and pain. He remained silent, allowing her words to hang heavily in the air, knowing that anything he said now could only exacerbate the situation.

Slowly, he approached her, his expression a mixture of regret and sorrow. I'm so sorry, my love, he began quietly, his voice filled with genuine remorse. I've been selfish and foolish, and I've hurt you deeply. There's no excuse for what I've done, and I won't try to justify it. I will say I don’t remember what happened. I remember drinking at the party, and then waking up in someone else’s bed, but nothing in between. He said he wouldn’t make excuses, but then made them in the same breath, simply because it was the truth, he didn’t remember a damn thing.

He paused, searching her eyes for some sign of forgiveness, though he knew he didn't deserve it. You're right. I should have tried harder to fix things between us, to be the partner you deserve. I've failed you, and I can't express how deeply I regret that.

@Maeve Valathrian

“Well this shirt does fill the gaps for sure” she said with a stern expression as she took an step back. She had to admit that it was odd that her husband didn’t remember anything, she had seen Lucien as drunk as a human could be and yet he had always remembered with clarity everything. Probably if Maeve had been less hurt and angry she would have researched more about that specific bit, asked about side symptoms and if his drink had tasted oddly but she was just seeing red.

“Well, I am not one to give second chances so” she said taking off the ring and dropping it to the ground. “I am leaving with the baby, don’t worry I am not taking him away forever, I will design a way for you to be able to spend time with him but we are done”. She tried to remain composed but her voice trembled with that last sentence. She didn’t want to take his son from him, after all Lucien had not failed his kid and it would be unfair to take his father away but the idea of seeing him hurt.

Lucien stood there, stunned into silence as Maeve's words hit him like a physical blow. The ring clattered to the ground, its echo resonating in the tense silence between them. He watched as she spoke with a mixture of hurt and determination, her voice wavering with emotion despite her efforts to stay composed.

For a moment, Lucien struggled to find his own voice, grappling with the weight of Maeve's decision. The mention of their child only added to the gravity of the situation. He wanted to reach out, to explain, to apologize, but words failed him.

Finally, he managed to speak, his tone quiet yet weighted with regret. Maeve, please... I know I've failed you. I don't understand why I can't remember, why this happened, but I love our son more than anything. I don't want to lose you, either.

He took a step forward, his hand instinctively reaching out towards her, unsure if she would pull away. Let's talk. Please. Let's find a way to work through this, for our family's sake.

@Maeve Valathrian