Into the Lion's Den

by Tionne Rogers

  “But I'm…”

  “What are you? An artist? I'm glad that you have talent. Gay? I will not treat you differently for that! I'm heterosexual and does it make a difference for you? Perhaps one day you'll give me grandchildren or not; that's in God's hands. Didn't finish school? Well, stop whining and finish it! Or paint something good! No one asked the great artists for their credentials! You are sick? Well, it's genetic. Hit me and then, take your medications, boy.”

  “I never thought you accepted me,” Guntram mumbled, ashamed that he had thought that his father barely tolerated him and despised him for his sexual condition. 'Honestly, I never knew or considered it till I met Constantin or Konrad. I guess I couldn't like any other man or woman after him.'

  “Of course I love you, you robbed my heart the minute you opened your eyes and looked at me. Now, go to bed, it's very late and you have to start to work again. Don't let your fear of two men rule the rest of your life.”

  “You're right, papa, but I only fear one. The other, I don't know what to think about him,” Guntram said dejectedly and kissed his father good night.

  “Good night. Don't forget your pills and don't stay up late reading,” Michel caressed his son's cheek as if he were still a child, chuckling at his son's frustrated groan at being treated like a toddler.

  Chapter 31

  May 29th

  Aschaffenburg

  “Hello, Guntram,” Konrad said timidly, surprised at his own embarrassment and shyness. He couldn't get his eyes away from the small form sitting in that faded wooden bench, his hands, before diligently drawing, had frozen in mid air at hearing his voice. He was not like that!

  Guntram raised his eyes from the paper on the brink of a panic attack and glanced at his father, sitting next to him, reading some papers for a case he was preparing. He wanted to tell him to run, but he saw immediately Goran's frame some thirty metres away and a mountain in a dark suit other forty metres away. On the road over the elevated area of the park was parked a huge Mercedes limo. He elbowed his father with clear desperation, but the man only said “wait, I have to finish this page.”

  Konrad approached Guntram, realising that that the youth's face had turned ashen at seeing him.

  “Good afternoon, my Griffin,” Lacroix was unaffected to see Lintorff standing there while he gathered his papers and placed them back in his leather portfolio. “Guntram, where are your manners? You should say at least hello and congratulate his Grace for the coming of his children. I hope everything went satisfactory, Sire.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Lacroix. The children are in good health, but still in New York,” Konrad answered in a polite voice and Guntram fell totally abashed. How did Konrad know his father's new identity? Had Constantin betrayed him as punishment? If Goran was here, then the outcome could not be good. The noise of his heart beat was deafening and he felt the urge to throw up his lunch.

  “Mr. Lacroix, may I speak with your son?” Konrad asked, understanding that exactly as the man had predicted, Guntram was on his side and he needed his support if he wanted him back.

  “Of course, my Griffin. Guntram, when you're finished here, ask your consort to come for coffee at home,” Lacroix rose from his side of the bench, doing his best to ignore Guntram's look of total panic and his ragged breathing and walked toward the exit and through the sharp road that led to the private back entrance of his house.

  “May I sit?” Konrad asked to the silent Guntram, his eyes still fixed on him, 'like a frightened kitten.'

  “There are no hard feelings between your father and me. We have settled our differences and we are in peace. No harm will fall upon him. This I swear on my children's heads. Please, let me speak with you.”

  Guntram could only nod and move to the farthest end of the bench, fixing his blue eyes on the water.

  Konrad had thought many times over about his words during his overnight flight from New York, but the four different speeches he had prepared died in his brain the moment he saw Guntram obviously afraid of him. 'Once more, Jerôme, I mean Michel Lacroix, is right. Silence is better.' He fished his smartphone from the depths of his breast pocked and switched it on, looking for his children's photos folder, opened it and offered to Guntram.

  “The babies arrived on the 16th. They're just perfect. Do you want to take a look?”

  Hesitantly, Guntram took the device and only saw a big blurry white and pink spot; the next photo was not better and the third also.

  “I can't see a thing,” he said very timidly.

  “My hand was shaking too much to get a clear shot. The next pictures are better. The nurses took them.”

  Konrad took the phone back, looking visibly embarrassed at his clumsiness, but Guntram softly smiled when he was certain that the man was not looking at him. Some twelve photos later, Konrad found the perfect images. “Here you are.”

  Guntram was speechless when he saw the first of the very wrinkled and partly red babies. His eyes were furiously closed against the light and he had a mop of dark brown hair and his mouth and chin looked exactly as his father's. “That's Klaus Maria, the eldest by fifteen minutes. The next should be Karl Maria,” Konrad used a very gentle voice and carefully invaded Guntram's space to change the photo from another baby with a blonder hair, sleeping totally oblivious to the world. “Yes, that's him. A Siebenschläfer, excuse me, dormouse. He's very peaceful compared to his brother. Klaus is very temperamental and has zero patience when it comes to his bottle. If you try to fool him with a dummy, he becomes more enraged.”

  Guntram laughed nervously and continued to look at the photos, feeling that something was breaking inside him.

  “Karl has already the nurses dangling from his little fist. Both women drool over him while Klaus has scared them away in less than ten days.”

  “The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, your Grace. They're beautiful babies. You should be proud of them,” Guntram said and returned the smartphone to Konrad, not willing to look more because he knew he was one step from throwing everything through the window and follow again that man who had destroyed everything in his past, but wanted to give him a future.

  “Come home with us, please,” Konrad begged and took Guntram's hand.

  “I…”

  “Please, we all need you.”

  “Yes.”

  “I swear to do all in my hands to compensate you for the pain I caused you. I never wanted to lie to you, but I didn't have the courage to tell it and then, everything entangled more and more… What did you say?” He stopped the words flowing out of his mouth without sense, order or method.

  “Start by hearing me better,” Guntram smiled nervously. “I said yes. I will come home with you and the babies.”

  “I never loved anyone as much I love you. Never, I swear. You changed my life and I can't live without you. These months you were away, I was nearly crazy. I feared that Repin could have killed you or that you would have done something very stupid…”

  “Shhh, hearts attacks are my field of expertise, Konrad,” Guntram joked, moved by the other man's nervous breakdown. “I also love you, but don't you ever lie to me again.”

  “No, I will not.”

  “Do you have something more to tell me?”

  “I have reached an agreement with your father. He should convince you to return to me and I will name him President of the Lintorff Foundation in six months, but he and the whole institution should move to Brussels, Paris or China because I don't want him near you or in my house,” Konrad confessed, expecting to hear Guntram explode. “I also deposited some money for you in an account he settled in Basel. He can't touch that money. Only you.”

  “I will speak with my father tonight,” Guntram mumbled, slightly crossed at Michel for organising his life without asking his opinion. 'He's getting too comfortable in his role as father'.

  “Guntram, no. I don't want him in Zurich. He can visit you or phone you, but never staying under the same roof as I. We never liked each other and we will n
ever do. Also I swore to him, never let you participate in the council or grant any power to you. He also will give me the information he has over us.”

  “If he does it, how could he protect himself? Constantin will kill him the minute he finds out that he helped me to escape his people in Vienna. I'm concerned about the people who work with him.”

  “If he's the president of my foundation, he will be well protected. Goran will see to it. In a way, had it not been for him, you'd probably be in St. Petersburg or six feet under, so for that I'm grateful to him.”

  “I can't lose him again, Konrad.”

  “I swear I'll do my best to protect him as long as he doesn't rise against me.”

  “My father in the Foundation? Was that not your aunt Elisabetta's new job?”

  “Ferdinand's problem. He has to break the news to her. I hope he survives it,” Konrad said nervously, hoping that his friend would come out of the mess relatively unscathed. 'If he wants my support for his divorce, he should earn it.'

  “Poor woman! She likes her position! Perhaps if I speak with him, my father would accept the vice presidency.”

  “No, let him where I place him. He should be busy enough there. Perhaps Elisabetta would like to take care of the Public Relations. Do you want to say hello to Goran? I think he missed you.”

  “Yes, of course. Where's he?” Guntram asked, his gaze looking for the missing man, but as usual he had vanished into thin air, after seeing that his Duke was on the right path.

  “And you have to get that dog out of my room! The animal has taken over your closet and we can't get it out! She bites everyone who comes near your clothes! She even tried to bite me! And she snores so loudly that I had to move to your former bedroom. I was really considering a final solution for her!”

  “You wouldn't dare!” Guntram protested.

  “No, I wouldn't. Having the monster around gave me hopes that you would return for her and I could tell myself that you were only away for holidays,” Konrad confessed nervously. “Please, come home and get rid of her.”

  “No way, she stays, Konrad.”

  “All right, but out of our bedroom,” Konrad said and noticed how Guntram's body went rigid. “If you want, of course. I'll force you to do nothing with me. I understand you need time to accept me again.”

  “I'm returning because of your babies. I still love you, but I will have to trust you again. This is not so simple for me.”

  “Would you take our seal again?” Konrad asked, getting a small box from his jacket's pocket. “It's only for a few years, until Klaus marries.”

  “It will be my pleasure to give it back then,” Guntram said and extended his right hand to Konrad who quickly slid the ring in before his lover would reconsider it.

  “My father says I should invite you for tea, but it's too early. Do you want to go for a walk?”

  “Sure, he needs more time to put the cyanide in the coffee. Your father hates me.”

  “No, he told me he wanted to shoot you down,” Guntram smiled and offered his hand to Konrad so he would stand up.

  “Good to know, I'll carry a kevlar vest when he's around.”

  “He's the best father I could wish.”

  “Yes, father; not father in law. There is a whole world difference, Maus.”

  Sitting in the medium size garden in front of one his most cunning adversaries and pretend that everything ran smoothly was a test for Konrad already frayed nerves. The house was adequate for his consort; an old five bedrooms villa in a good area, with a garden well protected with a high wall and some old trees. Acceptable furniture and nothing vulgar. Not what he would have expected from “Jerôme, le Rouge”, as his elder brother used to call him when he was not around: 'all the young idealists are now thinking on their pensions schemes.' The “maid” (as if a bossy middle aged foreigner woman could be called like that) had dared to complain that Guntram had left all his brushes in the water and not removed his watercolours from the kitchen table. “Do it once more, and you'll find your things in the trash can. It's my kitchen!” When Konrad was going to give her a piece of his mind, Guntram only smiled and gave her a hug with a “don't be mad at me Fairuza, please.” “Is that your boyfriend? He's too old for you! Drop him and I will look for something much better when we're back in Brussels,” she said in French, “Germans are all the same, no blood in their veins. Let me look among my people.”

  “I like him just as he is. Boring and all,” Guntram whispered in her ear. “Is my father home?”

  “He's working, don't disturb him. You can take the antiquity to the garden or the living room. Mr.

  Lacroix forbids you to take him to your bedroom!”

  'So much for love of sixty-eight!' Konrad thought, starting to be irked with the man's audacity. 'I named Guntram my consort! What else does he want?'

  “I think we should do as she tells, Konrad. My father can shout very impressively. I heard him on the phone several times,” Guntram lifted an eyebrow and smiled. “I think, he's becoming more and more like my grandfather,” he whispered.

  “Yes, I bet a hundred Euros that he will allow me to drink a cup of coffee and kick me out at seven.”

  Konrad smiled, partly appeased.

  “Curfew time it's at 7:30, Konrad.”

  “Good to know.”

  They sat in the garden in front of the table under the trees, Konrad telling Guntram about the birth of his children and how he had nearly collapsed when he had seen them, both asleep in their cots at the nursery.

  “And the mother?”

  “She's not the real mother, only a surrogate one. I thanked her and parted my way. She has other children and psychologists recommend that we don't have much contact. The lawyers took care of everything. She will be very well provided, don't worry Guntram.”

  “What if she wants the children back?”

  “She can't have them back; they are not hers. They're mine and yours too. I was planning to bring them to Switzerland on the 5th and perhaps you could meet me in Zurich,” Konrad suggested, and took the small hand between his. “The drawings you made for them are framed and hung in the nursery. They look very well.”

  A strong cough made Konrad almost jump to the attack, letting Guntram's hand go. Eating his own fury at the interruption, because his kitten was slowly accepting his touches once again, he looked at the older man.

  “This is my house and that is my child. I will appreciate if you refrain from inappropriate contacts with him till he's under your care, Duke,” Lacroix barked in German in a voice that would have made Friederich or the old Duke envious. “Guntram, go and tell Fairuza to serve coffee in the garden,” he said in French and his son quickly obeyed him.

  “For a second I thought I've heard the Vicomte,” Konrad smirked.

  “My father was a stern but down to earth man. He knew very well how to deal with people like you. You should show some respect to my son. He's still young and in his father's house,” Lacroix glared at him.

  “Mr. Lacroix, rest assure that I hold your son in my highest esteem. He's my Consort and has accepted my family's seal again,” Konrad protested.

  “I was expecting much better from you, sir. Did you ask for his father's permission to offer it? To tell him to come with you? Circumstances have changed in the past months. I will not allow you to treat him as one of your flings. I'm not a lenient man. Guntram is my only child and the only reason I kept myself away from him was because of you. If I have accepted to go away once more, is because he loves you and I will do anything for his happiness, but learn from now onwards that you will treat him with respect and keep your hands to yourself, sir, till I grant my permission.”

  For once in his life, getting such a speech, the same he would have pronounced if he would have a vulture around one of his sons, felt like a stab in the back. In normal circumstances he would have destroyed the man daring to utter such words, but this was the father of his love and he would have to endure him. “I will respect your wishes, sir.�
�

  “I know you perfectly well, Lintorff. Don't try any of your tricks with him.”

  “I wonder if I could take your son back to Zurich on June the 5th? This is the day my children arrive from America.”

  “I will take Guntram to Zurich on the 7th. You might need a day to settle down,” Lacroix growled on the limit of his tolerance toward the man.

  Fairuza set loudly the tea tray and huffed at seeing the blond man still sitting with his long time employer and set the table mumbling in Arab. Guntram came after her and left the pastries on the table, without looking at the two men glaring at each other. 'I'll be glad if I can prevent them to tear themselves into pieces in an hour.'

  The men had decided to keep their conversation polite and on neutral grounds like Economics and how Michel envisioned his future “rule” of the Foundation. Konrad had listened to him and had only made a face when he had listed two projects for women in Sudan because of the large Muslim majority in the country. Guntram was overwhelmed by the easiness his father seemed to know the inner workings of the Foundation, the people inside the Order, its politics and the different tax system within the European Union and the United States. Guntram didn't like at all when both men decided to speak about his future and career.

  “I'm concerned about my son's education, my Griffin. He has stopped to attend school, although he has recovered some of the lost time. Perhaps he should return to London to finish his studies.”

  “I believe Guntram should decide that. I would prefer that he attends the University in Zurich or changes school in England to Oxford. I think, I would be able to move to England for a year or two,” Konrad opined without checking with the boy at all.

  “Both are excellent choices but the best would be Zurich or Basel. Guntram can learn some German before the next term and restart there. I believe his Art teacher was also there.”